by C. M. Sutter
“Here we are. After you.”
We found ourselves in a back office typical of any mom-and-pop store. The room, with dark paneling, was about the size of an average bedroom. Two four-drawer file cabinets stood side by side, and the fluorescent light above our heads flickered and made a ticking sound. Alan’s desk was in disarray. He looked to have been working on his books.
“Sorry about the mess. My wife is our secretary”—he grinned—“but she’s out of town at the moment. I guess I’m no good at keeping order. Grab a chair. You can toss those magazines on the floor.”
We did, and Alan turned his computer to face J.T. and me. He stood alongside us and clicked a few keys then hovered the cursor over the thumbnail image of his security system.
“Here we go. I have a pretty sophisticated system now. Had it installed six months ago, and I’m glad I did. The images are crystal clear.”
I glanced at J.T. with a hopeful smile.
“So, what are you agents looking for, anyway?”
“Images that can show up in the dark at the intersection of Grange and Vine.”
He raised his brows. “That’s a block away. I’ve never paid attention to anything in the distance, only outside in the parking lot and at the cash register. There’s one way to find out, though.” He typed two a.m. into the parameters and clicked Enter. A widescreen image of the parking lot popped up with perfect clarity. The farther away from the center of the camera, the dimmer the image became.
“I guess the fact that it’s right outside with the store’s light on helps. There used to be more ambient light until those buildings down the street came down.”
“How about straight out on Grange?” J.T. asked.
“There aren’t any vehicles passing by at that time of night. Let’s try eight p.m. The traffic is still pretty active then.” Alan typed in the earlier time, and the footage started at eight o’clock.
“That isn’t bad,” I said. “You can’t make out the vehicle’s colors, but you can tell if it’s a light or dark car, and the clarity is good enough to identify if it’s a two-door, four-door, sports car, compact, full-sized, or hatchback. So, unless a vehicle passes right in front of your store, either coming from or going to Vine, we’re probably out of luck.”
“Unfortunately, that seems to be true, Agent Monroe. Do you have a time and date in mind?”
“We sure do,” J.T. said. “Can you set it to run from eleven thirty last night until five a.m. this morning?”
“Sure. If there aren’t any cars passing in front of the store, you can fast-forward it by tapping the right arrow key.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Alan.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then. Just holler if you need anything.”
Chapter 38
Ed stomped in front of the television as he held the remote and surfed every news channel. He had watched the local news at noon, and there wasn’t a thing about the murder of Marilyn LaSota or his sign. Even at that hour—three o’clock—the news had no updates on the Scenic View Serial Killer.
What the hell is going on? I’m not about to go unnoticed. I want them to fear me, to look over their shoulders, to have sleepless nights. They have to pay in the end.
The drive north to that secluded fishing spot wouldn’t take long, a short thirty minutes, and Ed had plenty of time on his hands. He was curious and needed a distraction, something to squelch the anger building inside. He’d check on Jackie to see what remained of her body. Ed climbed into his truck and sped away.
He reached his destination just off Yocum Street at three thirty and turned the truck around at the widened area near the lake. Being able to drive away quickly if necessary was always the smart thing to do, and of course having the truck registered in Arkansas helped—no front plate was needed.
Ed killed the engine and climbed out. He pocketed the keys and took in his surroundings during the daylight hours. His childhood memories returned—the good memories of fishing with his dad. Ed trudged into the brush. The deeper he got, the stronger the stench became. He was definitely going in the right direction, and the odor would lead him to Jackie’s side. Ed pinched his nose and pushed on while trying to ignore his gag reflexes that were kicking in. Jackie had been dead for several days and out in the elements—she was getting ripe.
He reached her body and stared down at it, then cocked his head to the left. The last time he saw a rotting corpse was thirty years prior. He knelt down and studied every inch of her exposed skin. The deep throat wounds, which he last saw with dried blood around them, were now black goo filled with bugs, flies, and maggots. Her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth had insects swarming in and out, busying themselves with what insects do best—ingesting remains. Her arms and legs wore visible signs that a larger animal had been by. Skin and muscle had been torn into and pulled away from the bone.
Ed pushed off his knees and stood then kicked dried leaves over her body. The bugs would take care of the rest. Soon Jackie would be nothing more than a distant memory, and her corpse would dissolve into the earth as if it had never been there. Ed would return before the first frost and dispose of any bones that remained.
He muttered a few words over her body and turned back. He’d go home and check the evening news. Something would show up by then, he was sure of it.
With his foot lifted to take that last step out of the brush, Ed heard voices near the truck. He peered through an opening between young saplings. Two boys with fishing poles in hand had climbed off their bicycles and stared into the brush toward the sound.
Ed exited the woods and walked toward them. Evil intentions filled his mind. “Hello, boys. What’s up?”
Chapter 39
Watching cars driving by in each direction was as hypnotic as staring at a pendant suspended on a swinging chain. I was ready to fall asleep. An hour had passed, and we still had no idea what we were looking for. Even if the killer drove by, would we know? I sighed.
“The only thing that’s going to work is if the killer rolls down his window and yells out to us.” I rubbed my tired eyes and looked at J.T. “This technique seemed effortless when we were searching for clues in front of your condo.”
“But they were daylight images in front of one residence, and you guys searched through a week’s worth of tapes.”
“Yeah, I know.” I fisted my yawn and rolled my aching neck. “I wonder if the guys are having any luck at the other locations. At least their tapes are during daytime hours.”
“Not at the King house.”
“True. Hey, I have an idea that might help.”
J.T. gave me two raised brows. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“Even from here, we can see if a vehicle turns down Vine Street. We may not be able to identify it initially, but we can take note of the times they were there and then have Tech see what they can do to enhance the footage later. For now, let’s just watch cars that turn on Vine. What’s the point in staring at every vehicle that passes in front of us if they don’t turn down the street the killer was on?”
“Excellent idea, and that should speed up this entire process.”
J.T. and I got through five and a half hours of taped footage by six o’clock.
“So how many vehicles do we have?” I asked.
“We don’t have an exact count because some could be the same car going in then coming out later. We have forty-six sightings, though. Too bad Vine isn’t a cul-de-sac. There would only be one way in and one way out.”
“Right, but forty-six sightings is a hell of a lot better than hundreds.” I tipped my head toward the door. “Let’s let Alan know we’re done. I’m sure we’ve worn out our welcome by now.”
“Nah, he seems cool. We need to have him separate this footage from the rest of the week then email it to us.”
I stood. “Yeah, I’ll go get him.”
Alan gladly took care of the technical help we needed and emailed the most recent recordings to J.T.’s address. I grabbed a six-pack of Scottish Ale and p
aid for it. With firm handshakes for Alan and his son, Billy, we expressed our thanks and left.
“That wasn’t so bad,” I said as I grabbed the handgrip and pulled myself into the Explorer. “Now we just need to see if Leon or his guys can work any magic with it.”
We headed back in the direction of downtown Omaha but made a quick stop for dinner first. Forty-five minutes later, we checked in at the station’s counter and headed for the tech department. Inside, we found Hardy, Lyles, Franklin, and Andrews gathered at a corner table.
“Look who’s here, J.T.” I pulled up a chair and took a seat next to them. “Get anything useful today?”
Lyles rubbed his brow. “It’s tough, Jade. Too bad there isn’t a system in place that can pick out a repeat vehicle from hours of footage at three different locations.”
“Yeah, but maybe Leon can impress us with his technical expertise.”
“Did somebody mention my name?”
J.T. waved him over. “Sure did. We need your help, Leon.”
“I’m listening.”
“We have a tape from the Bellevue murder neighborhood. Evidence tells us that the perp drove in on Vine Street, parked, and cut through a vacant lot to arrive at Marilyn’s house unseen by any neighbor on Fremont Court.”
“Smart approach.”
“I agree, but the surveillance tape we have is grainy at best because of the distance of the mounted camera to the entrance of Vine Street. We watched Vine because the traffic coming in and out of that street would be less congested than on Grange, a much busier street.”
“So you want to know if we can improve the clarity of the cars on Vine so they’re identifiable.”
“Is it possible?” I asked.
“Depends on the distance from the camera.”
J.T. grinned. “How does a block sound?”
“Yeah, that should work. Got the footage with you?”
“In an attachment on my email. Can you also eliminate the same car coming in and out numerous times so we have an accurate count?”
“Sure, no sweat. The license plate should be visible. Let’s head over to my desk.”
J.T. opened his email and dropped the file onto Leon’s desktop.
“Okay, here we go.” Leon hovered the cursor over a program on the screen and clicked. “Watch closely, folks. The magic is about to begin.”
A buzz made all of us turn and look toward Andrews. Fred pulled out his cell phone. “Sorry for the interruption, but it’s Lisa. She might have something on the Stewart situation.”
Hardy waved him on, and Andrews stepped out into the hallway. We continued to watch Leon work with the footage in front of him. Every adjustment he made improved the quality of the tape a tiny bit.
Moments later, Andrews burst through the door. “Lisa said there was breaking news on TV.”
My heart sank as if a weight had pulled it to the floor. “Please don’t say there was another murder.”
“I won’t, but Lisa said two boys were just interviewed at the northwest police department on Wiesman Drive. They told police that they rode their bikes to a small fishing lake they frequent weekly. Out of nowhere a man emerged from the woods and began chasing them. Knowing the area as well as they did, they knew where to hide in the dense thicket. They stayed put until the man climbed into his vehicle and drove away. One boy swore he saw a knife in his hand. They also said the area smelled bad.”
“Let’s go!” Hardy stood and headed for the door. J.T. and I were on his heels. “Get somebody from that station on the phone for me. We need to know where this location is now!”
Cap charged down the hallway toward the building’s exit. Andrews took up the rear and waved his cell phone. He called out to the captain, “I have a Lieutenant Jackson on the phone, sir.”
Hardy grabbed the phone. “Captain Kip Hardy here from central headquarters. What have you got, and where is this location where those boys saw the man? Yes, I know the general area. Cypress Creek Drive for two miles then turn right on Yocum? We’ll find it. Are you en route? Good, then have a squad car sitting on the road to lead us in.” Hardy gave his watch a quick glance. “We’ll be there in twenty-five minutes.” He clicked off the call and handed the cell back to Andrews. “Round up the posse and follow us. I want everyone out there searching. It’s almost dark.”
J.T. and I jumped into the cruiser with Hardy. I barely had the back door closed before he hit the lights and siren and stepped on the gas. The tires squealed as the car barreled out of the police department’s parking lot and headed north.
Lyles, Franklin, Andrews, and Tyler were on our bumper in two squad cars, their lights and sirens engaged too.
“We should be there in twenty minutes at this rate,” Hardy said.
“What do you expect to find, Cap?”
“I don’t know, Jade, but if a strange man came out of the woods, he may have a camp set up back there. He could be living off the land for all we know, and there might be evidence lying around. The kids said the area stank, possibly of an animal he killed to eat.”
I leaned forward between the seats. “Or worse.”
“I don’t want to think that way, but we have to be prepared for anything and everything. The boys said the man drove away, so I’m assuming he went to look for them, not to leave the area. He could still be there and hiding in the woods. No matter what, we’ll be interviewing those boys tonight. We don’t have a choice.”
J.T looked over the seatback at me. “This could be our lucky break. If those kids can give us a rough idea of the vehicle the man drove and then it shows up on any of the tapes, his fate is damn near sealed.”
I glanced through the side window and looked up at the sign for the street we had just turned on—Cypress Creek Drive. I remembered hearing Hardy repeat that name over the phone. I knew we were close. We continued on for several miles, then he made a right on Yocum. Up ahead I saw the early evening sky glow with the reflection of flashing lights. We had arrived. An officer stepped out of his squad car as we slowed to a stop. Hardy opened the window.
“Evening, Captain. I’m Officer Jenkins. I’ve been asked to escort you and your group in. There isn’t enough room back there”—he gestured over his shoulder—“for this many vehicles. Why don’t you three join me, and the others can follow in one car?”
“Yeah, good enough.”
We climbed out of the cruiser, and Hardy walked back to tell Andrews the plan. He returned, and we joined Jenkins in his car.
Nighttime was closing in quickly and evidence could be missed, especially in the dense woods that engulfed our vehicles on both sides. We drove down the lane for what seemed like a half mile.
“There’s a lake at the end of this trail?” I asked.
“More like a big pond, ma’am, but there are plenty of fish in it. People have come here for years, and because it’s a well-kept secret among the locals, it hasn’t been fished out.”
“So how would a stranger or someone who lives in Omaha know about it?” J.T. asked.
“That’s a good question, Agent Harper. I’d think you’d have to live right in this area to know of its existence. It’s hidden back here, that’s for sure.”
We reached the widened area at the end of the trail. One cruiser and a squad car sat tucked back as far as possible to make room for our vehicles. Jenkins parked, and Andrews pulled in alongside us. Three people with flashlights were checking the perimeter of the woods. They approached us as we exited the vehicles.
Cap extended his hand. “Who’s in charge here?”
“That’s me, Lieutenant Jackson. Captain Hardy, I presume?”
“That’s correct. I have Agents Harper and Monroe here too from the FBI. I’m sure you’re well aware of the murder investigation we’re conducting. This man could very well be our murderer. Have you gone into the woods yet?”
“No, Captain Hardy. We’ve only checked the edges of the pond and the tree line. We were waiting for you and your team to arrive. You’ve noticed th
at odor, haven’t you?”
Hardy turned back. “There’s something dead in the woods. How many flashlights do we have?”
Andrews spoke up. “There are two in my squad car, and Lyles pulled the other ones out of their car.”
“Good thinking. Jenkins, how many in your vehicle?”
“I have two as well, Captain.”
“Okay, that will have to do. A couple of you buddy up. Let’s start on the side the smell is coming from and go in several hundred feet. Spread out so we cover the widest area. We aren’t sure what we’re looking for yet, but if it isn’t native to the landscape, call out to the rest of us.”
I partnered with J.T., and Cap was twenty-five feet to our right. The three of us were nearest the water, and the rest of the group was spread out to our left. We trudged through tangles of wild grapevines, branches, twigs, and underbrush. It was a slow process, which was fine. We had no intention of missing anything that could possibly be out there. We had to find whatever was giving off that death odor, even if it was only to eliminate the chance of it being human.
I asked Lieutenant Jackson how far away the boys lived and if they were brothers.
“They aren’t brothers but best friends. Terry Mitchell is nine, and Sam Cooper is ten. Same grade in school, though. They came into the station together with both sets of parents. Sounds like they only live a few miles east of here.”
“First and foremost, we have to find what died back here. After that, we’ll leave the rest of the search to the others. If that man is still in the area, he’s farther back and has hidden his vehicle at a different location. It’s imperative that we interview those boys tonight before it gets too late.”
“You’re right, Jade. I want their recollection of the man to be clear.”
We were only fifteen minutes into the search when Tyler yelled out. “Over here, everyone. We just found a body.”
We headed toward the flicker of flashlights deeper in the woods. Cursing and gagging sounded in the distance.
I was nearly out of breath when we reached Tyler and Andrews. Tripping over downed branches made getting to them quickly nearly impossible.