by Joe Conlan
He drove his Mustang to the main post office on Oakland Park Blvd. It was important the package not have the same post mark as his previous delivery. In spite of his efforts, he knew there was the possibility the two packages would be connected. So, he was careful to avoid standing out or looking directly into the cameras. Not that he thought they were smart enough to find him even if they got a good look at his face. It’s kind of difficult to catch a guy who doesn’t exist.
Purples and reds painted the sky over the snow-capped peaks of the Catskill Mountains composing a sunset that on any normal day would inspire the soul. James Mancini experienced no such revelation as he oversaw the bagging of Hannah Richards’ corpse. He and the Evidence Response Team, commonly known as the ERT, arrived five hours earlier to conduct the analysis of the crime scene and surrounding area. The lack of hospitality from the local authorities and plunging temperatures made for one miserable day for Mancini and his men. They were cold, wet, tired and more than ready to get back on the private jet back home to Manhattan.
When they arrived, the forensics team’s arson expert, Logan Powell, was happy to find a crime scene that wasn’t trampled over by firefighters, supervisory personnel, onlookers and property owners as usually was the case in an arson investigation. The scene was essentially in the condition it was found by the hunter. Ordinarily, the first issue Powell would address was the location of the origin of the fire. That wouldn’t be necessary here. The intent was clear. The fire damage was concentrated around the charred body. For this particular crime scene, the most important question was how the fire was started. It was essential to collect any trace evidence that may lead to the identification of a suspect. He instructed his team to look for the presence of igniters, kindling, ignitable material, matches and other means of starting a fire emphasizing that ignitable fluids often ran into cracks and under objects. Any especially charred items or materials that appeared to absorb kerosene or gasoline was to be collected, marked, and identified to be later sent to the lab. The same instructions applied to any empty containers or broken glass jars found at the scene.
Logan collected samples of the tree bark, rope, the victim’s clothing, charred skin and hair. There was always a chance such materials could have deposited on the suspect’s clothing. Stick matches could be used in the same way to link an arson scene to a suspect. There had been cases where they were physically fitted into a matchbook later found in a suspect’s possession. Any of these items could also be chemically processed for fingerprints.
A meticulous search of the entire area was conducted to locate any large or miniscule piece of evidence that would be collected at any murder scene. James Mancini and his colleagues combed the nearby trail and forest floor on hands and knees for pieces of clothing, hair, semen, skin, footprints, fibers, blood, paint, dye, tools, and any other item that could be linked to the suspect’s world or environment. Hundreds of photographs were taken of the body, the surrounding area and individual items determined to be evidence. Aerial photographs were taken to clearly depict the geography of the area and to identify potential routes of ingress and egress.
All of the work was done in arctic conditions where the temperature never reached twenty degrees. Oftentimes, the more fastidious work was done without the benefit of gloves. Usually, the local police provided hot coffee and food to help cope with the conditions. Sergeant Freeman did show up at the crime scene. But, that was only to complain that the agents were blocking access to the main road into town with their helicopter and other equipment filled vehicles.
Finally, Mancini and the ERT were wrapping up their tedious inspection of the crime scene. The body was being loaded into the helicopter which would transport it to the medical examiner’s office in New York. After the scene was finally cleared of personnel, Mancini called Daniel to update him on the day’s findings.
“Hey Jim. What do you have for me?”
“Where do I start? Uh... first, I don’t think there’s much doubt the victim here is Mrs. Richards. Besides the driver’s license, about twenty feet from the corpse, on the ground, we found a set of large hoop earrings that look identical to the one’s she was wearing in the surveillance tapes. Also, her gold sandals didn’t completely burn. Some of the paint on the toe support and heal of the shoe survived the fire. It matches what we saw on the tapes. The rings on her fingers were just further confirmation. Though some of them were charred and partially melted, they were still in good enough condition to identify. I’ll have the sister take a look at them after the medical examiner does his thing. Obviously, we’ll have to wait a few days to weeks for the DNA results or dental records comparison. As far as I’m concerned, they’ll only be a formality.
Daniel, this woman suffered a horrible, unthinkable death. The fuck’n maniac who did this is evil in its purest form. The body’s on its way to the coroner’s office in Manhattan. It was barely recognizable as human. I’ll spare you the gory details for now. Besides, you’ll be able to read them in the autopsy report. It should be available later this evening.”
“What about the ears?” Daniel asked. “Was the coroner at the scene able to determine whether they were amputated?”
“The ears were gone. Unfortunately, the head was too damaged by the fire for him to be sure whether they burned off or if they were cut.”
“Maybe the medical examiner will be able to see some evidence of a dissection when he examines the body. What else do you have?”
“We cast several footprints in the snow. You already know that four hunters stumbled on her this morning. Luckily, they didn’t get too close to the body. We also got lucky that it hasn’t snowed since at least the time of the murder. The forensics team was able to differentiate between their footprints and the killer’s.
The remnants of the rope she was tied with and some of her clothing was soaked with some type of combustible. We’re sending them to the lab for testing along with the casts of the suspect’s footprints and hairs that were located at the scene...
One other thing. A boarding house in Tannersville reported to the Sheriff’s Department that an SUV was parked in their lot since at least Saturday morning. At first, the manager thought it belonged to a guest of one of the tenants. By Tuesday, when the vehicle wasn’t moved for the entire weekend, the manager decided to conduct his own little investigation. It turned out it didn’t belong to anyone staying at the house. Bottom line, he reported it abandoned and it’s been confirmed as the suspect’s rental. Mrs. Richards’s luggage was in the back. The whole truck, inside and out, was dusted for fingerprints. It was obvious he wiped everything clean. Not even one partial was found. Oh yeah, that reminds me. More good news. His clothes were found thrown away about a half-mile from the scene. There were some solid partials they were able to lift from the buttons of the white shirt.
It wasn’t easy to get information from the local sheriff. He was a real asshole. Ultimately, I was able to get the name of the boarding house and the manager and send an agent to interview him. The manager told him sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning, a pickup truck was stolen from that same parking lot. I put out an APB for the truck. Just for your information, Tannersville is no more than 15 miles from the murder scene. That about wraps things up.”
“We’re gonna have to get a task force together to get this investigation going,” Daniel replied. “I’m gonna talk to your SAC and see what he thinks. I expect we’ll include agents from the New York and Miami field offices. There’s no question the Bureau has jurisdiction over this one. It was a kidnapping that crossed state lines. Although we don’t have the DNA results available yet, we’re just as sure the ears that were sent to Michael Munez belonged to Hannah Richards. It’s at least confirmed they were human.
I think the suspect is most likely in South Florida. The postmark on the manila envelope was dated the day after the kidnapping from right here in Ft. Lauderdale. Unless he sent them Federal Express to an accomplice, he must have flown back on Saturday morning
. We’re checking with the post office to determine which branch it was mailed from. We’re also looking into where the envelope was purchased and the rubber substance used to coat the ears. It could take a while for the envelope since that particular brand is sold in a lot of stores both in New York and Ft. Lauderdale. We’ll start with Ft. Lauderdale because we suspect he bought it here. Once we have the coating substance identified, we’ll know more about where it’s sold.”
Daniel had been doing a lot of thinking about the ears and the fact they were sent to Annie’s boyfriend. She seemed to be a common denominator. It didn’t seem like coincidence that she was close friends with the victim and the girlfriend of the recipient of the ears. He described his concerns to James.
“I had Annie take a closer look at the tapes,” said Daniel. “Even though there was no way of recognizing the suspect because of the way he avoided the cameras, she said there was something vaguely familiar about him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pinpoint where she might know him from, or if she’d ever met him at all.
I’ve gone over this in my head a bunch, especially what could have motivated the suspect to send the ears to Munez and not Annie directly. I’m thinking there’s a possibility he’s a stalker. Someone with some type of infatuation or obsession for Annie. I had Leland assigned to lead the investigation. He’s put a couple of men on tailing Annie. We’ll see what we come up with.”
“Anything you or Robert need, just let me know, Daniel. I’ll do the same. As soon as I get a hold of the autopsy report, I’ll fax you a copy. If the truck turns up, I’ll call you immediately. It shouldn’t take long with the APB unless he ditched it in some deserted rural area. Most likely, I’d say we’re probably gonna find it at some airport if he was already in Ft. Lauderdale the next morning. The closest international airports to Tannersville are Albany, LaGuardia and Kennedy. I’ll be sure to put security on alert at all of ‘em right away.”
“Perfect. I know it’s really soon. No one wants to hear the words. I’m not saying it’s what we have...This fucker enjoys killing. You know it as well as I do...”
“Spit it out, Daniel. Since when do you beat around the fuck’n bush?”
“You know this psycho has murdered before. I’ll repeat. I know it’s really early...If we’re dealing with a serial killer and Annie is in his sights, she could be in danger.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve thought about it already. With a murder like this, it’s always in the back of your head. You know I’m on board. There’s nothing more I would like than to nail the sick fuck.”
“Ok, I’ll have Robert look out for that autopsy report tonight. If you hear anything before that, I’ll be in my office. Oh... Are you gonna notify the family? I’m sure you agree this is news that has to be handled in person.”
“As soon as I get back to New York, I’ll drop by her place. The woman is already in pieces. This won’t be easy.”
“I’m sorry. That’s always the shit job. I hate it. Thanks for taking care of it, Jim. I’ll let Annie know.”
The forecast the previous evening called for high temperatures approaching the eighties, bringing an end to the South Florida cold snap that lasted a grand total of three days. Deborah Falcone figured sweaters would be appropriate for the boys as she helped them pick out their clothes for school. Daniel left for the office early that morning, so she would be responsible for dropping them off. Once the boys were dressed and eating their breakfast, she ran upstairs to put on her make-up and pack her gym bag.
Deborah wasn’t one to stay upset for very long, but the previous weekend’s incident was still weighing on her mind. She forgave Daniel the following morning after they had a long, serious discussion. It was obvious in his demeanor and expression he was truly sorry for making her wonder and worry. He admitted it was naïve to think she shouldn’t be bothered by his friendship with Annie and even sincerely offered to cut off all ties with his ex-girlfriend. Regardless of Daniel’s goodwill, Deborah couldn’t help being concerned that her husband and Annie still had feelings for each other.
Deborah and Daniel met at a gym in Washington D.C. where she was giving spinning lessons to help her parents with college costs. From that point on, the course of her life changed dramatically. Despite her past experiences with men and her previous refusal to believe in lightning bolt love, for Deborah, it was truly love at first sight. Daniel was everything she ever wanted in a man. He was handsome, intelligent, caring, a true gentleman and had an old-fashioned way about him. She found herself with a diamond ring on her finger just six months after their initial meeting. Three months later, they were married. Two months after that, she was pregnant with her first child. Whenever she thought back on it, she felt their picture should be next to the expression ‘whirlwind romance’ in the encyclopedia.
Initially, Deborah didn’t think her lifelong dream to create a center for abused children would have to be placed on hold. It became clear shortly after her pregnancy that her career plans would have to play second fiddle. Daniel wasn’t present enough to assume a large role in the care of the child and he wasn’t making enough money to hire a full time nanny. Even though it was without a doubt, more Daniel’s idea to have children, Deborah harbored no resentment for the postponement of her professional aspirations. She was too happy and in love to let that happen.
Daniel confessed his former relationship with Annie shortly after he met Deborah. At first, Deborah feared that Daniel chose her on the rebound and voiced her concerns. He swore he was over Annie and would never consider marrying a woman unless he was head over heels in love. She believed him, though she didn’t have much of a choice. She was already irrevocably in love with him and couldn’t live without him.
As far as she was aware, for the first three years of their marriage Daniel had no contact with Annie. It wasn’t until they moved to South Florida that her husband rekindled his friendship with his ex-girlfriend. At first, Deborah was extremely uncomfortable with their re-found connection, but didn’t want to play the jealous wife. Though Daniel assured her he and Annie had no interest in anything except friendship, Deborah never really learned to become totally at ease with the situation. This past Sunday morning, Deborah voiced her honest fears and requested that he not see Annie unless she was also present. Once again, he offered to end the friendship if it would make Deborah feel better. She didn’t want him to think she had no trust in him at all, so she settled for the compromise.
To keep in shape, Deborah continued to teach spinning classes at the Bally’s gym around the block from her home. That morning, she had a class scheduled for nine o’clock. After she dropped the boys off at school, she headed straight for the gym. The class lasted one hour and by 10:10am, she was back at the condominium. She checked the mail before entering the house and found a notice from the post office indicating they attempted to deliver a package that was too large for her mailbox. It would be available for pick-up at her local post office after 2:00pm. She wondered if Daniel ordered something he neglected to tell her about since she wasn’t expecting any packages. She would find out soon enough. After she picked up the boys from school, she planned to drop by the post office.
The remainder of the morning and early part of the afternoon passed quickly for Deborah. Reading novels of any genre were one of her favorite pastimes and never failed to make time fly. After returning from the gym and taking a shower, she sat down on the family room sofa setting out to finish the most recent Daniel Brown thriller. When she was through and looked up at the clock, school had already ended five minutes before. She grabbed her keys from the hook in the kitchen pantry and ran out the front door into a gorgeous South Florida winter afternoon. It was days like this that made her exceedingly happy to live in the state. It also had the effect of making her forget her problems. Her concerns about Annie couldn’t be further from her mind.
She drove the two miles to the boys’ elementary school, blasting the CD player while singing along at the top of her lungs to Kelly Clarkson’s
, “A Moment Like This.” When she arrived at the school, there was a line of at least fifty cars waiting to pick up their children. Moving at a fairly quick pace, she reached the front in less than fifteen minutes. The boys, engaged in a heated discussion about a baseball card, jumped into the backseat. Deborah warned them they were going to the post office and had better behave while inside. By the time they arrived, the argument was forgotten. They were no trouble for their mom as she exchanged her notice for the large manila envelope the postman handed to her. She read the typed information on its face understanding that the package was intended exclusively for her. Intensely curious, she almost started to tear it open at the counter then realized she would hold up the line. She tucked the envelope under her arm, took the boys’ hands and escorted them out to the SUV. Once the boys were safely belted in, she took her seat behind the wheel.
Before she opened it, she looked at both sides of the envelope to determine who sent it only to find there was no return address. The car was stifling hot, so she started it, turned the air-conditioner on full-blast and rolled down the windows. Then, with a pair of scissors from the glove box, she tore at the sealed portion of the envelope. Inside, she found a group of enlarged photographs. The moment she realized what the first one depicted, she had to stifle a scream. It felt as though a knife had pierced her heart. An overpowering feeling of nausea threatened to cast out the contents of her aching stomach. She quickly replaced the pictures into the envelope so the children didn’t see them. For their sake, she tried her best to keep herself under control. The feelings she was experiencing were so intense, her body betrayed her and began to violently tremble.