Sauk Valley Killer

by KJ Kalis

  Classes had gone on in the Statler building as if nothing had happened the night before. Joseph walked down the hallway where he grabbed Ben, taking in the scene. It was eerie. Students were moving up and down the hallway chatting with each other, putting in earbuds, and talking on their cell phones as if nothing had happened. To them, nothing had. It was as if the earth had opened up, swallowed Ben, and closed back up, restoring everything to normal. Little did the students milling around in the hallway know that Ben was going to be an important part of medical research.

  Joseph gripped the handle on his briefcase a little more tightly as he passed his office. Normally, he had office hours every afternoon to help students with their questions. Not that many students stopped by. The classes he taught were basic history classes for the most part. He did teach one advanced class on military strategy and history during the Cold War, but he wasn’t scheduled for that this semester.

  Joseph went directly out to his car trying hard not to make eye contact with anyone passing him. He was on a tight schedule and needed to make sure he was ready. He also wanted to check on Ben and make sure he was doing fine in the shop. Having to find another subject for his next experiment would slow things down considerably if he didn’t meet his timeline. He couldn’t afford that.

  The minute he reached his car, a voice called out to him, “Joseph?” It was Meredith, the department chair. He gritted his teeth and turned.

  “Hello there,” he tried to say cheerily, a pit forming in his stomach.

  “I’m glad I caught you. I just wanted to know if you heard?”

  Joseph pressed his lips together. Was she actually going to ask him if he had heard about Ben’s disappearance? That would be a strange sort of irony. “I’m sorry, heard what?”

  “I scheduled a department meeting for this afternoon at four o’clock. I know it’s last minute. Do you think you can make it? We have to discuss funding cuts for next year.”

  Another boring department meeting, he thought. If Meredith wanted to be the department chair, then shouldn’t she handle all the dry details? His mind scrambled ahead trying to determine how that would impact his timeline. “No, I hadn’t heard. I will certainly be there, though.”

  Meredith sighed, “Okay, thanks. The Dean put all this stuff on my plate and I’m not sure what to do with it. I could use your expertise.” He opened the door to his car. “Are you headed home?” she asked.

  “Ah, yes. I have a great deal of grading to do and another set of essays coming in tomorrow. It’s just easier if I do it at home in the quiet. I can concentrate better that way.” Concentrate, yes. Grade, no, he thought. He would take notes, but they would be on Ben not on a student essay of any kind. “I’ll be back in time for the meeting though.”

  “Great! I’ll see you then.”

  Joseph let out a slow breath and got into his car, watching the hem of Meredith’s skirt swish around her calves as she walked away. Having to come back to the campus for a meeting might delay his plan slightly. He would review his notes and double-check the timeline.

  The drive home only took a few minutes. That was one of the perks of working for Grand River College. California could be a bear with traffic clogged nearly every hour of every day. He was able to use the back roads and avoid any issues for the most part. When he got home, he parked up at the house, leaving his car in the small garage that had been built as an addition when he was a child. As he stepped inside, he left his briefcase right by the front door where he always did. It was always better to have things organized so one wouldn’t waste time, he thought. He went into the kitchen and washed his hands, allowing the soap to bubble up between his fingers before he ate. The lunch menu had already been decided.

  He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a container, setting it in the microwave. As the casserole warmed, he got out a knife, spoon, and a fork and set them on the placemat of the kitchen table where he always sat. He filled a glass with water and had just turned off the tap when the microwave beeped, the smell of chicken, potatoes, and vegetables filling the small kitchen.

  He set the container on the counter, nearly scalding his hand on the steam. Using a spoon from the drawer next to him, he scooped out the food onto one of his mother’s plates. He could feel her smiling at him. She had never even used a microwave before she died. “There is nothing wrong with doing it the old-fashioned way,” he could hear her say, the memory of her voice as clear as if she had been standing next to him. He carried the plate over to the table and sat down, spreading the napkin on his lap. He ate in silence, just the way he had as a child.

  The meal went by quickly, his mind drifting from the food to his upcoming staff meeting to Ben out in the shop, mostly settling on Ben and the rest of the activities he had planned for the afternoon. As soon as he finished, he stood up from the table and pushed in his chair, picking up his plate and carrying it to the sink where he washed it and put it back where it belonged. It was time to check on Ben.

  Joseph put on old shoes on his way out the back door of the house. Although the summer had mostly been dry, he didn’t want to take a chance on ruining his good work shoes as he walked down to the shop. The tangled trail from the backyard of the house down the hillside to the old garage would be nearly impossible for anyone to find except for someone who lived there. As he walked, he heard birds chirping overhead in the rustle of the wind in the trees. The air seemed drier to him than it had in the morning, which was typical for the fall. Joseph stepped over half a rotten log and continued down the hillside turning to the left and then turning back to the right as the trail dove to the bottom.

  From just above the garage on the trail, he could see the moss-covered roof up ahead of him. Another minute and he was level with the garage. He heard yelling from inside, screams of “Help! Help!” As he put his hand on the doorknob, he felt his stomach flutter. Starting the experiments was almost his favorite part, he thought. He opened the door and flipped on the lights, the incandescent fixtures he had installed pouring harsh light down over the garage floor. Having adequate lighting was an important part of his work.

  As his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked straight at Ben who was staring at him, wild-eyed. “Let me out of here! What do you want?” he yelled.

  “Now, now, is that the proper way to greet someone?” Joseph closed the door quietly behind him. “I understand that you are concerned about your current state but let me assure you that this is all for the good.” Joseph walked over to one of his worktables and picked up his notebook and a pen. He wanted to review his notes for this afternoon. His goal was to start his next experiment at some point that evening.

  Ben was quiet, his initial outburst having turned into a stony silence. His fear was palpable in the room. Joseph pulled a chair close to the foot of his bed and immediately noticed the skin almost completely rubbed off of Ben’s wrists and ankles. “You’ve been busy while I’ve been gone, I see.” Ben didn’t answer, his face pale and his eyes closed as if shutting Joseph out of his mind. He had seen this behavior before, certainly with Chelsea and definitely with Daniel. It was what he would expect. His subjects just didn’t seem to understand the contribution they were making. If they did, he knew they would be glad to cooperate.

  When Joseph brought Daniel into the shop, he tried to explain to him he would have a particularly important part in medical research, but no explanation seemed to calm him down. Joseph decided that trying to explain his methods and purposes to him would be of no help, so he stopped. The experiments would have to go on, no matter their state of mind, no matter how much they objected. They just couldn’t see the big picture.

  Joseph shifted in his chair, re-crossing his legs and opening to a fresh page of his notebook. He jotted down the time and the date and gave a brief description of the injuries to Ben’s wrists and ankles in case that was relevant later. He doubted it would be, but it was important to note everything that happened to a subject. As soon as that was complete, he flipped back i
n his notebook a few pages to where the details for the day’s activities were located. He scanned them realizing he was on track, as long as Meredith’s dry staff meeting didn’t take too long.

  Joseph stood up and walked to the side of Ben’s bed. The IV he had inserted was on a slow drip. It was enough to keep Ben from getting dehydrated. “Do you need to urinate?” he asked. Ben nodded his head. Joseph walked back to his worktable and pulled on a pair of gloves. The last thing he wanted to do was to untie the restraints from Ben’s wrists. He needed him to stay in one place for the time being.

  He pulled a small metal table next to Ben’s bed. The scraping on the concrete floor got Ben’s attention. He turned his head to the left, staring at Joseph and the tray table. “I’m going to insert a catheter so you can urinate,” Joseph said.

  Ben began to squirm in the bed, “No, no. I’ll hold it.”

  As Joseph began to unzip Ben’s pants away from his body, he could feel Ben’s body heat soaking through his gloves. It was a good feeling to be so close to his subject. “It’s not a problem. You won’t be getting up from the bed anytime soon. It’s better this way. It’ll just take a moment and then you’ll feel more comfortable.”

  Joseph opened a sterile catheter he had purchased at the local drugstore and attached it to tubing and a bag he hung on the side of Joseph’s bed. The catheter was already lubricated, so inserting it wasn’t a problem. As he stepped back to watch the urine flow into the bag, he saw goosebumps on Ben’s legs. “Here, let me get you a blanket.”

  Joseph first spread a sterile sheet over Ben’s lower body and then followed it with a blanket. He stepped back to survey his work, feeling satisfied. “This is better, I think. You can stay hydrated and won’t have to worry about wetting the bed.”

  Ben turned his head away, his eyes closed again. Joseph imagined that Ben had retreated into a silent part of himself, a place that Joseph had found in himself many, many years ago.

  “I’ll be back. Have no worries.” Joseph left the terrified man strapped to the table in the chilly garage. He shut off the lights as he left, knowing he had work to do.

  9

  Jack ran down the steps from upstairs. “Mom, I think you should read this.”

  Kat was sitting at the kitchen table working on notes from the case after dinner. It’d been a day and a half since she’d seen Chelsea’s body with the amputated and replaced arm. The thought of it still caused her stomach to turn. The only way that she knew to process it was to write about it. That’s what she was doing. “What is it, Jack?”

  “I don’t know. It’s a letter from school. I forgot to give you this when I got home,” he said, thrusting the letter toward her. “Some kids were talking about it. They said something about a couple of seniors that were missing.”

  Kat looked at the envelope. It was still sealed and had her name on the front of it. Her stomach clenched. At least Jack hadn’t opened it and read it before she did. Kat wasn’t sure she would’ve had the same level of discipline. By the look on his face, the rumor of whatever was in the letter had upset Jack.

  As she tore the envelope open, Jack flopped down on the kitchen floor. Tyrant walked by and licked his face, sniffing him all over. Dillon tumbled over his crossed legs, landing on his back and then scrambled up, trying to scale Jack’s chest. Jack leaned over until he was nose-to-nose with the puppy.

  Kat unfolded the letter. It was a form letter with the logo of Sauk Valley High School on it, the dated logo hovering at the top. “Dear Parent,” the letter started. Kat began to scan the paragraphs. “As you may well have heard, two of our students, Chelsea Atkinson and Daniel Arthur, were tragically killed this week…”

  The letter went on to let parents know that an investigation was ongoing and that grief counselors had been stationed at the school. If any parent had questions, the school had listed an email address and a phone number that they could use to reach out.

  “What does the letter say, Mom?” Jack asked, pushing himself up to standing. Dillon was weaving between his feet, pulling on his shoelaces and growling.

  “Well,” Kat wasn’t sure exactly how much to tell Jack. She didn’t want to lie, but knowing Jack’s past, the last thing she needed to do was upset him unnecessarily.

  Before she could answer, Van walked into the kitchen, his bare feet slapping quietly on their tile floor. “What’s up buddy? How was school?”

  “It was okay. We just got this strange letter from the principal, though.”

  Kat handed the letter over to Van. She saw him scan it, the muscles in his jaw flexing. “Yep, I’m not surprised they sent this home.” Van re-folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. “A couple of days ago, your mom and I had to do some running around for Stephanie.”

  “Aunt Stephanie?” Jack asked.

  Van nodded. Jack had taken up calling Stephanie his aunt when they moved to California since they had left all of their other family behind. “Yeah. Someone in her family died.”

  Kat’s heart sank a little. She and Van hadn’t taken the time to talk about how they wanted to tell Jack. They had been too busy dealing with the investigation. Kat wasn’t even sure Jack knew Chelsea or Daniel.

  “What did the letter say?” Jack said, sounding impatient.

  Kat glanced at Van and gave him a slight nod. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought. It was something her grandmother used to say. They couldn’t very well lie to Jack. That wouldn’t go over well. He was too suspicious after all he had been through, not to mention the fact that if they didn’t tell him, his friends would. Kat didn’t want to do anything that would break his trust.

  “Buddy, I think the reason they sent this information home in a sealed envelope rather than over email is because it’s sensitive. Two of the seniors at your high school were murdered.”

  The words hung in the air. Kat knew Van would be honest, but she didn’t know he would be that honest, that fast.

  “What? What do you mean?” Jack said, sitting down at the table. His face had gone ashen, his brows furrowed together.

  “Your mom and I have been working on the case for the last couple of days. The girl that was murdered is Aunt Stephanie’s niece.”

  “Have I met her?”

  “No. Van and I saw her play last spring. That’s it.”

  Kat watched Jack for a moment. He stared down at his lap picking at his fingernail. She wondered what he was thinking, the breath caught in her own throat. Would this information push him to a place of darkness? So much had happened to him, from the kidnapping when he was four, to her time away from home with investigations, to the wildfires that had flattened their house just a few years before. “Jack, the thing you need to know is that Van and I have been working to help Stephanie. It’s a difficult case. Stephanie is upset.”

  Jack glanced up from his lap. “Is there anything I can do to help? What about school? What did the letter say?”

  Van handed the letter to Jack. There was no point in hiding anything from him at this point.

  There was quiet in the kitchen for a moment as Jack read through the letter. After reading it herself, Kat knew there was nothing in there that would upset Jack more than the things they had already told him. The letter was fairly boilerplate. The school would have grief counselors available, extra security was on the campus, and the school wanted to make sure their parents kept track of their children at all times. It was the type of language that bordered on compassion with a touch of liability protection added in for good measure.

  Kat chewed her lip. “Jack, I think one thing you can do is to text Stephanie. I’m sure she would appreciate hearing from you.”

  Van nodded. “Yes, I’m sure she would.” His phone buzzed, “Hold on, I need to take this.”

  From the look on Van’s face, Kat could tell that it was serious. She instantly wondered if Stephanie was calling with more information. Van walked away, out into the hallway, but Kat could still hear a portion of what he was saying. “Thank you. No,
we are happy to help. Let me know if anything else comes up. I’m sorry. This has gotta be tough on the department.”

  As he walked back into the kitchen, the look on Van’s face told Kat more than she needed to know. Van’s jaw was set, a single muscle rippling. His eyes had narrowed, the same look she had seen on his face any time there had been a threat to him, his family, or people he loved.

  “Everything okay?” Kat asked, hoping the answer was yes.

  Van shook his head and looked down at the ground. “Not really. There are some new developments in the case. That was the police chief.”

  “The police chief? What did he want?” Kat asked, standing up and smoothing the front of her pants with her hands. She walked over to the sink and started filling the teakettle with water, her hands shaking.

  Kat took a deep breath as the water swirled in the bottom of the teakettle. Making hot tea the old-fashioned way had become one of her best coping mechanisms. Sure, she could have warmed up water in the microwave, like everyone else, but there was something about putting it on the stove, hearing the click of the gas burner and the whistle of the kettle that calmed her. She didn’t know why. She just needed it to work. The information was coming too fast for her to catch up.

  Van glanced at her and then Jack, “I’m not sure we should talk about this right now.” He stuck his phone in his back pocket.

  Jack’s face flushed red. “I want to know. I know you don’t want to talk about it because I’m here, but I want to know.”

  Van tilted his head and looked at Jack. “Okay, but this is adult stuff. Not easy to deal with. You sure?” Jack nodded. “The police chief said that they got a report last night that a janitor from Grand Ridge College has disappeared. His car was still left in the parking lot when he should have been home, and his phone was on the floor in the building he cleaned.”