All The Dead Girls
Page 14
Had Chapman begun planning his next kill?
He had murdered Maggie in the evening. Was that his preferred time of day to kill?
There were five of them: Ralph Zimmer, Eric McCormick, Brooke Osterman, Holly Williams, and Jason Culver, Maggie’s brother. Brooke wasn’t part of the surveillance team because Chapman knew her (she had moved to another part of the city, fearing that he would kill her for getting him arrested). They watched Chapman from three p.m. to midnight, working in shifts.
It was a few minutes past four. In about three and a half hours Eric and Ralph would be relieved by Jason and Holly.
Was Chapman home? Chapman had been home at this time of day last Monday and yesterday (he either was on vacation or had unconventional work hours).
Chapman’s car was nowhere to be seen, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t home: he always parked it in the garage.
“I think we should try entrapping him,” Ralph said.
“What do you mean?”
“We could entrap him into attacking Holly.”
“How?”
Ralph was about to answer when Chapman’s black Ford Explorer pulled out of the garage and headed away from them. Ralph started the engine and followed it.
Chapman drove to Mockingbird Lane, turned left onto Eastern Avenue, and then got on the Dallas North Tollway heading south. At the end of the tollway he merged onto Harry Hines Boulevard. A few minutes later, Chapman parked at a meter in front of the Dallas bus station. As Ralph drove past the Ford Explorer and pulled over to the curb, Eric watched Chapman climb out of the car and walk to the meter.
“Let’s go,” Ralph said, and they got out of the Kia.
Chapman fed coins into the meter and headed to the terminal entrance. Eric went after him, wondering if the killer was meeting someone at the station.
Inside, Chapman walked over to the ticket line and joined it. Eric stood right behind him.
The line moved quickly, and soon it was Chapman’s turn.
“One ticket to Miami for June eighth at twelve-oh-five p.m.,” Chapman told the clerk.
“Miami, June eighth,” the clerk said, typing on the keyboard.
Eric took out his phone and sent himself a message: “Miami, June 8, 12:05 p.m.”
The clerk asked, “What’s the passenger’s name?”
“Nicholas Hayden.”
Was Chapman buying a ticket for someone else? If not, why had he given the clerk a false name?
Eric texted himself: “Nicholas Hayden.” The clerk at the register next to the one Chapman was at raised her hand and said, “I can help the next customer.”
Why was Chapman buying a ticket at the station? Why didn’t he buy it online?
Eric stepped up to the register and said, “One ticket to Waco for tomorrow.”
Why was Chapman going to Miami by bus? Why wasn’t he flying? Miami was over a thousand miles from Dallas and it must take at least a day to get there by bus.
The clerk serving Chapman told the killer, “One hundred eighty-five dollars.”
As Chapman handed her cash, the clerk serving Eric said, “The earliest bus leaves at seven-oh-five in the morning.”
“I’ll take it,” Eric replied.
The clerk asked for the passenger’s name, and Eric said, “Brian Willis.”
“Here’s your ticket.” The clerk handed the ticket to Chapman.
“Thank you.” Chapman pocketed the ticket and headed for the exit.
Eric texted Ralph: “He’s leaving the station.”
The clerk said, “Twenty-nine dollars.”
“I changed my mind. Sorry.”
Chapman was in his Ford Explorer when Eric walked out of the building. Eric got in the Kia as Chapman made a U-turn at the intersection.
As they followed Chapman (he went straight back to his house), Eric and Ralph talked about his upcoming trip to Miami.
They figured that Chapman had given the clerk a false name and bought the ticket with cash because he wanted to avoid creating a paper trail. He wanted to prevent the police from finding out or being able to prove that he had gone to Miami.
Clearly Chapman was up to something evil. Was he going to kill someone in Miami?
Why wasn’t he driving to Miami?
Perhaps Chapman didn’t like to drive long distances.
3
They decided to follow Chapman to Miami and try to catch him in the act of murdering another woman. It was Ralph’s idea to trick him into believing that there was a serial killer on the bus. He was going to pretend to be the killer and get Chapman to attack Holly (they figured it was likely that a serial killer would trust another serial killer). They asked five of their female friends to pose as murdered women for the pictures that were going to be on the phone “lost” by Ralph.
They intended to kill Chapman; it was the only way to make sure he didn’t get away with it again.
Because they were going to kill Chapman during his trip to Miami, they stopped surveilling him.
Holly decided to use her real name in case Chapman somehow saw her driver’s license. She deactivated her Facebook account before the trip so Chapman wouldn’t find out Maggie had been her friend, and so did the rest of them.
Brooke told Detective Falcone that they were going to follow Chapman to Miami (she didn’t mention that they planned to trick him into attacking Holly) and that they might need his help.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Falcone told her.
After some hesitation he said that he would help them.
Chapter 38
1
After talking to Falcone, Holly left the restroom and sat at a table in the corner.
Unless Chapman had left his knife near Ralph’s body (and she was sure he’d taken it with him), it would be her word against his.
She had no proof that Chapman had murdered Ralph.
Ralph’s hidden camera. He had pulled it from inside his T-shirt as they walked down Kansas Street. Had it been in record mode when Chapman killed Ralph? Had it caught him throwing his knife at Ralph?
Chapman wouldn’t get off scot-free if the police had a video of him killing Ralph.
The cab had dropped them off at Memorial Park Drive and Kansas Street.
What was the name of the cross street at the end of Kansas Street?
Holly opened Google Maps on her phone, found the intersection of Memorial Park Drive and Kansas Street, and dragged the map to the end of Kansas Street. The name of the cross street was Donner Drive.
Chapman might pay someone at the New Orleans Police Department to destroy the video. She needed to save a copy of it, just in case.
She would take Ralph’s cross, save a copy of the video to a thumb drive, and then give the cross to the police.
Holly stood up as she heard the distant sound of a siren.
Was it the police car sent by the 911 operator?
Holly opened the door and stepped outside. About twenty seconds later, a police cruiser turned off General De Gaulle Drive into the McDonald's parking lot, lights flashing, siren screaming, and stopped outside the entrance. Two policemen got out with their guns drawn. Holly walked over to them and said, “It was me who called you. I’m Holly Williams.”
“Good evening, ma’am,” one of the policemen said. “I’m Officer Herrera.”
“My friend’s been murdered. The man who killed him tried to kill me, too.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Another police cruiser pulled into the lot and stopped next to the first one.
“Where’s the body?”
“It’s about a mile from here. Let me show you.”
Herrera opened the rear door of his car and Holly got in. When Herrera and his partner climbed into the cruiser, she said, “Go to Kansas Street and Donner Drive.”
When they pulled out of the McDonald’s lot, Herrera asked, “What’s the victim’s name?”
“Ralph Zimmer.”
“Do you kno
w the person who killed him?”
“Yes. His name’s Michael Chapman. One of his aliases is Nick Hayden.”
“Is he your friend?”
“No. I know where he lives.”
“What’s his address?”
“He lives in Dallas at Four three three one Larchmont Street.”
“When was Ralph murdered?”
“Around twelve-thirty.”
“How did Chapman kill him?”
“He stabbed him.”
“Do you have Chapman’s picture?”
“Yes. He drives a white van without windows. Please ask your people to look for a white van.” Holly pulled up Chapman’s picture on her phone. “Do you want me to send his picture to you?”
“I’ll get it later.”
“He also kidnapped my friend Eric McCormick. He’s going to kill him. You have to find him as soon as possible.”
“Do you know Chapman’s license plate number?”
“No. He’s not alone. He has a partner. I don’t know his partner’s name and I’ve never seen him.”
“Where are you from?”
“Dallas.”
“Are your friends from Dallas, too?”
“Yes. Chapman knows where I live. He’s going to try to kill me.”
“We’ll find him, Holly.”
When they arrived at the corner of Kansas Street and Donner Drive, the white van Holly had seen earlier was gone.
She was sure now that it was Chapman’s partner’s van.
The cops drew their guns and got out of the cruiser. The officers in the other police car got out, too.
Herrera looked around, then opened the rear door.
“Where’s the body?” Herrera asked when Holly stepped out of the car.
“Follow me,” she said, and headed along the edge of the woods.
Was Ralph’s body still there?
Herrera and one of the cops from the other police cruiser switched on their flashlights.
Will they believe me if the body isn’t there?
There might be no blood there.
When she was about sixty feet from the junction, she saw something resembling a body ahead, and her heart began to beat faster.
It must be Ralph.
“Oh my God!” Holly cried, and ran toward Ralph.
He might be alive! Please, God, let him be alive.
Ralph lay on his back with his eyes closed.
“Ralph! Ralph!” Tears streaming down her face, Holly knelt beside him.
Ralph had a wound in his throat that he couldn’t have survived. Ralph was dead. Leaning over him, Holly closed her hand around his cross, quickly removed it from his neck, and gathered the chain, hoping the cops didn’t notice. “Oh my God! Ralph!” she cried as she pocketed the cross.
“Call the ambulance!” She stood up. “He may still be alive.”
2
“I’m very sorry about your friend,” Herrera said as he and Holly approached the junction.
“Last April Chapman killed a friend of mine in Plano,” Holly said. “The police arrested him but then let him go because someone gave him a fake alibi.”
“What police department arrested him?”
“Plano Police Department.” Holly pulled up Chapman’s picture on her phone and handed it to Herrera. “This is Chapman. I took it this morning. The beard and mustache are fake. He might have already removed them.”
“Do you mind if I send it to myself?”
“No.”
When Herrera gave her back her phone, Holly said, “Can I have a piece of paper?”
Herrera tore a sheet from his notebook and gave it to her along with a pen. Using the hood of the police cruiser as a writing surface, Holly jotted down Eric’s, Ralph’s, and Chapman’s names and phone numbers and said, “You need to track these phones.”
“Would you mind coming with us to the station?”
“No. Can we go after the ambulance gets here?”
“Sure.”
Chapter 39
1
Castor removed the tape from Eric’s mouth and asked, “Did Holly deactivate her Facebook account?”
Eric nodded. “Yes.”
“Is she using a burner phone?”
“Yes.”
“You’re using a burner phone, too, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Castor pointed at the cross that hung around Eric’s neck and said, “Nice cross. Are you a religious man?”
“No.”
Castor took Eric’s cross and turned it over. There was what looked like a tiny switch near the bottom of the cross. When he discovered a USB port in the bottom of the cross, he realized that it was some kind of electronic device.
“Is there a camera inside this cross?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Is it on?”
“No.”
Castor took the cross off Eric’s neck and examined the switch. It was in the off position.
“Where did you get it?” he asked.
“We bought it at a store.”
“What was it for?”
“We were going to film Nick attacking Holly.”
Castor tore off another piece of duct tape, sealed Eric’s mouth, and got back into the passenger seat. “There’s a camera inside Eric’s cross.” He held up the cross. “Did you hear what he said?”
Osiris nodded.
Ralph had worn a cross just like this one, and it had been outside his T-shirt when Osiris threw the knife at him.
Is there a camera inside Ralph’s cross? Was it on when I threw the knife at him?
Osiris said, “Ask him if there’s a camera inside Ralph’s cross.”
Castor went back to Eric and asked, “Is there a camera inside Ralph’s cross?”
Eric nodded.
Castor slid back into his seat and relayed Eric’s answer to Osiris.
Should I be worried? Osiris wondered.
It had been dark there, so even if the hidden camera had caught him throwing his knife at Ralph and sticking it into his throat, the video would have no probative value.
He was going to film me chasing Holly with his phone because it had a flashlight.
“Can you bring me the acetone and some cotton balls?” Osiris said.
Castor stood up and went behind the curtain. When he returned with a bottle of acetone and a bag of cotton balls, Castor asked, “You want to get rid of the tattoo?”
“Yes.”
“Let me do it.”
“Thank you, man.”
Castor soaked a cotton ball in acetone and began to wipe the fake tattoo of a dagger off Osiris’s right arm. Osiris rolled his window all the way down to clear out the smell of acetone.
“Do you think Ralph’s camera caught you killing him?” Castor asked.
“Maybe, but it was really dark there. The video is useless.”
When he was finished, Castor flicked the cotton ball out the window and put the bottle of acetone back in his bag.
“Should I put him to sleep?” he asked as he sat down.
“Not yet.”
Osiris switched on the radio and as he scanned through the stations, he saw a thicket of bushes and trees ahead. He slowed down and pulled over in front of it.
“Can you keep watch outside?” Osiris said as he plucked the key from the ignition.
“Sure.” Castor got out of the van.
Osiris went behind the curtain, sat Eric up, and pulled the tape off his mouth.
“What are you going to tell the police?” Osiris asked.
“Nothing. I’ll tell them nothing. I swear.”
“Will you tell them you were kidnapped?”
“No. I’ll tell them I got scared and went back into the terminal.”
Osiris nodded. “Do you know why they let me go?”
“They said you had an alibi.”
“They let me go because I’m a very valuable asset. I kill the enemies of our great country. And I’ve killed a lot of them.”
Osiris shook his head. “No. I killed her for fun.”
“Are you a Navy SEAL?”
“I used to be. Now I work for the CIA. Our country needs people like me, Eric. I’m a scalpel it uses to excise malignant tumors. I'm not perfect, but who is? You take the bad with the good, you know.”
“Right.”
“You and your friends think it’s unfair that I got away with it. But it really isn't unfair at all. As you probably know, the government often lets killers go for doing something useful for the country. They’ve let dozens of Mafia hitmen go for selling out their bosses. Ever heard of Whitey Bulger? He murdered at least nineteen people, but the FBI protected him because he was their informant.”
“I think you’re right. Please don’t kill me. I’m very sorry I took part in this. It was a big mistake. I’ll never do anything like that again. I swear.” Eric’s eyes glistened with tears.
Many people believed that it was shameful for a man to beg for his life, but Osiris wasn’t one of them. There was nothing wrong with pleading for mercy; you had only one life, after all. Every man who thought Osiris was going to kill him had begged for his life. Rashid al-Masri, an ISIS leader who had personally beheaded forty people; Ahmed Habib, a terrorist who had masterminded the murder of eleven Americans in Morocco; Carlos Esquerra, a Mexican drug cartel boss who had had hundreds of people burned alive or beheaded—all these men had begged for their lives before he killed them. (Esquerra had offered him five million dollars for his release, and Osiris had accepted it and disemboweled the motherfucker anyway.)
Over the course of his career as a government assassin, Osiris had spared a few low-level folks, which went to show that asking for mercy was not futile.
“Swear on your mother’s life?” Osiris asked.
“Yes.”
“You’ll keep your mouth shut?”
Eric nodded. “Yes.”
“You’ll forget you ever met me?”
“Yes.”
“You won’t avenge your friend Ralph?”
“No.”
“Okay. I believe you.”
Osiris grabbed Eric’s head and twisted it violently to the side. There was a snap, and then Eric went limp and fell back. Osiris opened the side door and asked Castor, “Is the coast clear?”