Right now, they had deputies coming from the sheriff’s office, some state police and even cops from other local city police departments. Luke wasn’t sure what else he could be doing at the moment, but he felt like it should be something. The meeting with student leaders was about an hour away.
Luke poured himself another cup of coffee, and then sat at the table to go over his notes for the meeting. He read and reread them. The information was solid. President Kane’s public message, the previous evening, had been powerful and effective. He had managed an even tone, letting students, parents, and the community know the seriousness of the threat while cautioning they had no idea how credible it was, but that every precaution was being taken. It aired on the local news and was on social media. Every parent and student had received a text with the video. All bases were covered.
Popping his head into the conference room, Gabe asked, “You ready to head over to campus?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Do you know how many we are expecting?”
“I heard fifty, and then I heard about two hundred, so really it’s anyone’s guess. I did hear students were receptive to helping keep campus safe.”
“That’s good, what I was hoping for,” Luke commented. He got up, threw his cup away, and headed out with Gabe.
After a short ride from the police station, they entered the auditorium. Luke took in the scene. The room was full of students and what Luke assumed were university staff, professors and other administrators. The meeting had been closed to the public and to parents.
Luke shook President Kane’s hand. “This is a great turnout. I didn’t expect people to be here so early. You doing okay?”
Kane nodded. “They are eager to help. When my staff started calling student groups, there was no hesitation on their part. Their only question was what you wanted from them and when. Let’s give it another few minutes and get started.”
Luke went over his notes again. Gabe had wanted Luke to speak. He felt Luke was closer to the situation and could give a more impassioned plea. After a few minutes, Kane went to the podium and quieted the crowd. He thanked the students for being there and introduced Luke.
Luke stepped up, gave a weak smile to the crowd, and told the students why he was there. He talked about attending the university and told them about his sister. His voice cracked when he spoke about Lily. He rushed through that part as best he could. The last thing Luke wanted to do was break down in front of all these students and faculty.
Luke spoke about the recent threats. The students were engaged and listening. All eyes were on him. Luke had their full attention. “Most important,” Luke concluded, “while I can’t tell you not to have parties this weekend or enjoy time with your friends, what I can say is you are leaders on this campus. You are our first line of defense. If you are alert and aware, watching out for your peers and reporting suspicious activity, not just this weekend, but all the time – inevitably the campus as a whole and the entire student body is safer.”
“Should we arm ourselves?” a voice shouted from the audience.
“I don’t see a need,” Luke responded. “Some of you already have concealed carry permits, which Arkansas does allow on campus now, but I don’t think anyone not already carrying should worry themselves with that.”
Luke looked to President Kane to see if he wanted to add anything. He had nothing to add.
Luke continued, “The most important thing is to walk in groups. Don’t let anyone walk alone. Don’t drink too much and wander off, or drink so much you are not aware of your surroundings. Just practice some common sense safety and you’ll be okay.”
“We want to do more than that,” another voice shouted from the crowd. A tall, young man, with Greek letters on his shirt, stood. “We’ve been talking about doing walking patrols around campus and using social media to put our phone numbers out, so if anyone needs someone to walk or drive them home, we will be there.”
Luke nodded in agreement. “That’s an excellent idea, and on target to what we are hoping. Anything you can do to work together and to help support other students and keep an eye out, the better. Feel free to stop up here after this and we can talk with you further about some ideas.”
The students began to talk to each other. Luke asked if there were other questions, and when there were none, he dismissed them. Luke walked to the back of the stage and was talking with Gabe when he felt a tap on his back.
An attractive black woman about Luke’s age offered him her hand. “I don’t think you’ll remember me, but I’m Brie Hall. I was friends with your sister Lily. I recently remembered something about the night Lily disappeared that I think you should know.”
CHAPTER 23
I spent the better part of the morning into the afternoon trying to track down a good source of information on the Virginia case. Sara Curtis was the victim’s name. Because the case was still an open homicide, it was nearly impossible to get information directly from the police department. Even telling them it was a Little Rock detective who wanted the information, they stonewalled. It was suggested to me, that if the Little Rock police wanted the information so badly, they could call themselves.
Calling Sara’s parents proved more fruitful. They gave me the name of a detective, Frank Flynn, who had been working on the case for years but had recently retired. Sara’s parents said he’d be more than willing to speak to me. It was a case, they said, that haunted him.
I thanked them and promised I’d update if anything was found about their daughter. I then reread the Virginia case file and made the call.
“Frank Flynn,” the man answered. His voice was deep and serious, but strangely calming.
I introduced myself and explained the reason for my call. I told him about Lily’s case and the letters. Finally, I noted, “We have reason to suspect that the case is connected to Sara Curtis’ death.”
Frank excused himself to someone on his end. It was silent for several more seconds. Finally, he said, “Sorry, I wanted to be in my office. Can you say that again? You think your case, in Arkansas, is connected to the one here in Virginia?”
“Not just Arkansas, but potentially a serial killer,” I said seriously. “We are at the early stages of this, but my boyfriend, Luke Morgan, is a detective with the Little Rock police department. His sister was murdered similarly to Sara. At least we are seeing some commonality – missing on a Friday in October near Halloween and a freshman at a local university.”
“That’s a big leap though,” Frank countered.
“True, but the letters we received said there are twenty-three victims. We flagged Sara’s as a potential. Is exploring the case at least a possibility?” I asked, keeping my fingers crossed.
Frank sighed loudly. “We never did find who killed Sara. Our community is small. We get tourists in Colonial Williamsburg, which is where Sara’s body was found, but still, the case should have been solved.”
I saw a glimmer of hope, so I pushed. “The only information we have is what we pulled from online sources. We read that Sara’s body was found, but it didn’t give any more detail than that. Are you willing to share that information?”
“I assume the Williamsburg detectives won’t release any information to you?”
“No, but I can just as easily have a Little Rock detective call you. I’m sure the professional courtesy will be extended.”
“You’d think.” Frank laughed sarcastically. “They won’t share even then. I want this case solved. They pushed me into retirement, and I’m bored. How can I help you?”
“Anything you can tell me about the case I can’t find online. We can start with Sara’s disappearance and murder.”
Frank took an audible breath. He told his story. “Sara went missing in 2008 on Halloween. It was a Friday. She was a freshman at the College of William & Mary. Sara had attended a party earlier in the evening but got separated from her friends, or at least that’s how the story goes. Her body was found, on Saturday night, at the Bruton par
ish cemetery. It was less than a mile apart. The medical examiner put her death at about twenty-four hours prior to her being found. Where she was from Friday night to Saturday night is a mystery.”
I took notes as he spoke. “How was she killed?”
“She was stabbed in the chest with a thinly pointed instrument. It wasn’t anything as big as a knife blade,” Frank said and then added, “but we are fairly certain she wasn’t killed where she was found. The area offered no blood evidence.”
I thought back to what my mother said about Amanda’s murder in Troy. It, again, was eerily similar. I told him about that case, including the details of being found in a cemetery and the cause of death.
“When was that case?”
“It was in 2000,” I explained. Then I thought of something else my mother said. “Does the name Shawn Westin ring a bell?”
“No, should it?” Frank asked.
“No, that was the initial suspect in the Troy case, but he was from Virginia and had been accused of a sexual assault while in high school.”
“Virginia’s a big state,” Frank countered. “Do you know where he’s from specifically?”
I checked my notes. “No, that’s something I need to follow up on.”
“Well, Riley, you have me intrigued enough. What’s the next step?”
“I’m making some more calls on cases, and then plan to call my contact in New York. Of all the cases we have, Virginia and New York are the only two where victims were found soon after. The rest were never found, or only skeletal remains were recovered. This seems like my best shot at getting enough info for some solid leads. I think I’ll be heading up to New York to explore further.”
“You want some help up there?” Frank offered eagerly.
I debated for only a second. Who better to help me than the detectives originally assigned to the cases? “If you’re willing, I’m sure that will be a huge help. Let me speak with the retired detective from the New York case and get back to you on the plan.”
“That’s good,” Frank said. “I really want this case solved. Sara’s parents are good people and they deserve answers, as do all the families. I’ll be ready whenever you need me.”
CHAPTER 24
After I hung up with Frank, I stood and stretched. I needed to call Jack Malone. While I had a few current connections at the Troy Police Department, I’d go right to the source.
After a good stretch, I looked at my phone, debating whether or not to text Luke to see how he was doing, but I figured he was too busy. It would probably be better to wait until after I talked to Jack and figured out a plan. I picked up the Troy case file again and thumbed through it. Feeling satisfied I knew all I could, I called Jack.
The phone rang and rang. I was sure I was headed to voicemail when a sleepy voice said, “Yeah, this is Jack.”
I fumbled over my words and checked my clock. It was three in the afternoon in New York. Maybe he was napping. I said tentatively, “Jack, this is Riley Sullivan. I was hoping to talk to you about a case.”
It sounded like the phone was set down and then rubbed against clothing. Jack grunted and apologized for having been asleep. “Retirement is getting the better of me. That and the golf course,” he said laughing. “How can I help you?”
I started to explain, but he cut me off.
“The Amanda Taylor case. That was a tough one. Aren’t you in Little Rock now? Why are you looking into that?”
“I am in Little Rock,” I confirmed, “but I’ve got a situation here that seems like it might be connected to that case.”
“Really,” Jack said, now wide awake. He whistled. “How would that be connected down there?”
I went over every detail of Lily’s case, the murder in Virginia, and the letters. With each detail I dropped, Jack responded with shock. When I was done, it was his turn to shock me.
“Did Luke’s sister or the girl in Virginia have missing fingers?”
“Lily did. Three fingers on her left hand to be exact – pinkie, ring finger, and middle. I don’t know about the case in Virginia. Frank, the detective there, didn’t mention it. I didn’t think to ask. Why?”
Jack didn’t answer, but instead asked, “How did you say the girl in Virginia was killed?”
I knew but doubled checked my notes just to make sure. “Frank said she was stabbed in the chest with a thin, but pointed blade of some kind.”
“It was probably an ice pick,” Jack said, solemnly. “Riley, I think our cases are connected.”
“Was Amanda killed the same way?”
“Yes, and the killer was so violent that he left a round impression on her skin. We believe it was where the blade met the handle. That’s what our medical examiner figured anyway. We did some comparisons, and that’s what they found. That’s not public though, so don’t let that slip.”
I let that sink in and felt my stomach rumble. There wasn’t going to be a way to shield Luke from that, as much as I wanted to. “You still didn’t answer me about the fingers.”
“This is definitely not for the public,” Jack warned, “but yes, Amanda was missing the same fingers as Lily. As I said, you’ve got me convinced these cases are connected. When are you coming up here? I think it’s best, if we are really going to jump into investigating, that you’re here.”
Surprised, I asked, “You’re willing to help me look into this? Won’t this step on toes? It’s got to still be an open case, right?”
“It’s very much an open case, but Troy doesn’t have the money to spend on cold cases,” Jack explained. “They won’t let you anywhere near it, but if I want to dig around on my own time, I can. I already have the clearance. I just hadn’t had the motivation. All my leads ran dry.”
“Frank offered to help us, too. Should I tell him to head to New York?” I wrote a text to Cooper to let him know that it looked like I’d be heading to New York sooner rather than later.
“Definitely. Tell him to bring whatever he has on his case, and we can get down to work. I’ve got a few things to handle in the next few days. Can you be up here by next week? What do you say we meet on Tuesday morning?”
“That should give me enough time. I’ll let Frank know. I can’t thank you enough for your help. This will really mean a lot to Luke,” I said gratefully.
I was ready to get off the phone, but I wanted Jack’s advice. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I explained what was happening with the most recent threat in Fayetteville. “I’m worried he’s just toying with Luke, but don’t want to tell him that.”
“Could be, but better safe than sorry,” Jack countered. “I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if the guy is sitting there watching the law enforcement and the university’s response, but not planning anything. Some killers reach a point where the game becomes more satisfying than the kill.”
I let those words sink in, thinking that Jack was probably on to something. Just as I was about to hang up, Jack loudly cleared his throat. He started to say something and then stopped. Dead air hung between us for a few seconds.
When Jack finally spoke, it came out rushed. “Your mom seeing anyone?”
“Are you asking if my mom is dating anyone?” I asked, and laughed a little. I didn’t mean to, it just slipped out. “No, my mom hasn’t dated anyone since my father more than thirty years ago.”
“Huh,” Jack blurted. “Do you think she’d say yes if I asked her out?”
I was trying really hard not to laugh. He sounded so sincere. I knew Jack had lost his wife, of nearly thirty years, to cancer two years prior. I guess he was ready to be back out there.
“Jack, there’s only one way to find out.”
CHAPTER 25
Luke caught sight of Cooper standing in the back of the auditorium just as Brie Hall had introduced herself. Luke excused himself, for a moment, from Brie and yelled out to Cooper to get his attention. He waved Cooper to the stage.
Luke guided Brie down the steps at the side of the stage and around to where Cooper was stand
ing in front of it. If Brie had something to say, Luke was glad Cooper was there to hear it. Luke made introductions and suggested a quieter place to talk. When Brie suggested her office in the fine arts building, they took it.
Luke yelled over to Gabe, to let him know they were heading out, and asked if he’d like to come with them. Gabe waved them off, telling them he’d stay back and continue planning with the university.
Once seated in Brie’s office, Luke noticed how nervous the woman seemed. Back at the auditorium, she had appeared strong and confident. Now Brie had a worried look on her face and was wringing her hands.
“You said you went to school here with Lily,” Luke said, hoping to get her talking. He wanted to make her as calm as possible. He was worried she’d shut down. Luke was also trying to place her because he didn’t remember speaking to anyone by her name back then.
Brie nodded. “Your sister was the best. We became really fast friends. I lived next door to her in the dorm. I’ve always wanted to tell you. I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what your family has been through.”
“Thank you, it hasn’t been easy, which is why these letters have renewed my hope of catching her killer,” Luke explained, hopefully. “You said you know something about that night?”
“I do,” Brie said. She nervously tapped her finger on her desk.
Luke caught her eye. Brie stopped and sat back in her chair. Calmly, she began, “I tried to tell the cops at the time, but no one listened to me. I was at the party with your sister that night. Lily hadn’t been drinking, neither was I. Neither one of us was feeling that great earlier in the evening. We thought about not even going out. But Lily was going to meet some girls in a sorority she was planning to pledge, and I was hoping to see a guy I liked.”
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