Davenport Mysteries 04-Loose Ends

by Vashist, Varun

  “He’s bluffing. No one knows that much. Even Carlson fumbles with the rules and processes now and then,” Kiara said.

  “No.. he is something else. I’ll give you an example,” Jake said and came forward. “Carlson assigned us a new case today. It’s a bizarre case -someone is killing random people while hallucinating them and then exposing them to bright lights. Carlson told that something like that had happened a few years back, but the guy survived; so we should meet him.”

  “Okay. How does this link to Ryan?”

  “He knew the old case by heart. He knew what had happened, where it took place, and, even the result of the investigation.”

  “Wow! That’s spooky.”

  “It doesn’t end here. As soon as we came out of Carlson’s office; he jumped at the case files and within an hour he had come to a conclusion.”

  “What conclusion?”

  Jake looked at her. “He thinks that the department has a secret agenda against this guy. He thinks that the investigation is a cover-up for something else.”

  “You are kidding?” she asked with wide eyes.

  “Not at all,” Jake said with a chuckle, “Man, I was shocked. I didn’t know what to say. Somehow, I convinced him to put a stop to his imagination.”

  Kiara smiled, “Either we are bad mentors, or Carlson is playing a cruel game by putting such nutcases with us.”

  “Whatever it is… it’s killing me. I can’t even talk to Ryan without feeling like an idiot who knows nothing,” Jake said in exasperation, “And, tomorrow, I’ve to endure his company for two hours. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to reach Donald Coleman’s house in a single piece.”

  “Even if you reach unharmed, this Donald Coleman won’t be able to survive his questioning,” Kiara said with a smile, but Jake didn’t smile back.

  Instead, his face turned pale with scare. “You’re right. He must have prepared at least a hundred questions by now. I’ve to do something before the situation gets out of hand.”

  He got up at once.

  “What happened?” Kiara asked.

  “It’s already half past eight. I’ve to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting,” he said and looked at Kiara. “I don’t want to sit there clueless while Ryan makes Donald’s life miserable.”

  “This is bad,” Kiara said ruefully, “When are we going to work together again?”

  “At this pace, the chances look bleak,” Jake said in despair and looked at his watch again. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 2

  “So, this is the first field visit for you. How are you feeling?” Jake asked as they drove to Pine Hill.

  “It feels good,” Ryan said tersely taking Jake with surprise.

  “That doesn’t sound like you,” he said and glanced at Ryan before going back looking at the road. Ryan didn’t look his usual self. He was a disciplined person, but today something was amiss. Jake had noticed the ruffled hair while picking him up, but what he hadn’t noticed was the redness in his eyes and the tiredness in his demeanor. “How come you changed from teacher’s favorite to the one who skips his homework?”

  “Maybe, the homework was much harder than I had expected,” he said.

  Jake’s worst fear had come true, but he had to ask. “What have you prepared?”

  Ryan looked at him with his sleepy eyes, “I did some research and what I found kept me awake till half past two. I tried to get some sleep after that but my mind was running. Finally, I gave up and did some more research. Now, I feel as if my head is going to explode.”

  “Whoa... slow down a little bit,” Jake said with surprise. “What research? I think I made it clear yesterday that I’ll ask for your help when I’ll need it.”

  Ryan didn’t say anything and looked out the window. Jake knew what it meant. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings or made you feel unwanted. Can you at least tell me what you’ve found?”

  Ryan looked at him but hesitated.

  “Come on,” Jake urged. More than Ryan’s feelings, he was worried about his findings. He didn’t want any surprises during their meeting with Donald Coleman.

  “Okay... but you have to hear it with an open mind,” Ryan urged.

  “Cross my heart,” Jake said as convincingly as he could.

  “I’ve found a connection between the four cases,” he said casually, but his words took Jake off-guard. He slowed down before he could have lost control of the car. He signaled and stopped the car on the side of the road.

  “Did you just say that you know the connection between Donald and the other three victims?” he asked with wide eyes.

  Ryan took a deep breath, “I do, and I also know that you’re not going to like it.”

  “Let me decide what I will feel about it,” he said irately and then paused noticing the change in Ryan’s expressions, “I’m again sorry for my behavior. Please, go ahead.”

  Ryan nodded. ‘Yesterday, we found that all the victims had a dark past – everyone was on the wrong side of the law during their adulthood. But, one thing we missed. All of them are aged about fifty – couple of years here and there.’

  “Okay. How did you find that?”

  “From their social media profiles. Only Donald is discreet and has no internet footprint, but then we know everything about him as we have kept a track of all of his movements,” he said while shaking his head.

  “I know you don’t like us keeping an eye on the people of interest, but can we focus on your findings right now. We still have a fair bit of distance to cover.”

  Ryan nodded, “They’re of the same age group, which means they had committed their crimes during the same period.”

  “That’s implicit. Isn’t it? If they’re in same age group and have a history that dates back to their adulthood, then it’s just a coincidence. Thousands of people go through the same thing during their youth before changing their lifestyles. Besides, none of them was a hardcore criminal – Donald had a drug habit, James Reed stole a bike….”

  “I’m aware of that,” Ryan interjected angrily; “I wasn’t even trying to imply that.”

  With that, he turned to the car. Jake caught hold of his arm. “What did you mean then?”

  Ryan knew Jake would not leave him until he told everything to him.

  He looked at Jake. “I also checked where they worked when they were attacked. They worked in the same locality at Queens. That means there is a chance of them knowing each other and hence there could be something connecting them to the killer too.”

  Jake let go of his arm and took out the car keys. “Again, you are making assumptions. What was the perimeter in which the three of them were found?”

  Ryan knew what Jake was trying to say. “Five miles,” he said reluctantly.

  “What does that mean?” Jake asked and looked at him. “Come on.”

  “The crime may be centered on that area,” Ryan said reluctantly.

  “Yes, the murderer may be targeting people in that locality. Those three were unlucky to be there that day. It could’ve been anyone else,” Jake explained.

  “So, these are random crimes, then,” Ryan asked with confusion.

  “It can be anything,” Jake said, “We’ve to meet Donald with an open mind. Once we meet him, we’ll chart out all the possible scenarios and see which one fits the best. I know you’re a smart kid, probably even smarter than what I was at your age. But, always remember we have to be unbiased at the start of the case and base our theories on facts without taking the side we feel may be right. I’m not negating your theory; I’m negating your approach. Got it?”

  Ryan nodded, “I... I’ll keep that in mind,” he said and got inside the car. Jake knew Ryan was still convinced with his theories, but he was glad he could control Ryan before the situation could’ve gone out of the hand.

  The Sun had begun to show its presence as they exited the city and entered a vast barren landscape. A signboard showing fifty miles to Pine Hill greeted them. Jake looked at its fading color and then at Ryan�
��s pale face. The day was looking gloomier than what the golden hue covering the road suggested.

  After driving for two hours on an endless road surrounded by large barren tracts of land, they finally reached Pine Hill. As they drove into the town, it felt as if life had come to a standstill. It was half past nine in the morning, but most of the establishments were yet to open. Only a few half-opened shops showed some life and even the people inside them had no clue about Donald Coleman’s existence. Only after describing whom they wanted to meet, the locals identified him as a lunatic who lived at the south end of the town overlooking an abandoned metal factory. They even advised Jake to stay away from Donald as they felt that he was into something that reeked of evil.

  “That’s a great start,” Jake said as he walked to the car. Ryan was in deep sleep. “It keeps getting better and better,” he mumbled as he turned on the ignition.

  Through the rear-view mirror, he could see the town people looking at him with dread filled eyes. He tried to shake the negative thoughts for the moment and concentrated on the task at hand.

  They crossed the town limits within five minutes and reached a point from where Jake could see a small; half dry river at some distance. Though it was already half past nine, the morning haze hadn’t gone completely, and it looked even thicker around the bridge. As he drove towards the bridge, he noticed something, and pressed the brakes with all the strength he had, making Ryan hit his head on the dashboard.

  “What happened?” Ryan asked hurriedly while coming to his senses. He looked around and realized that they weren’t in the town anymore. “That bridge is not in a good condition,” he said.

  “Hence the brakes,” Jake said with a smile while backing up the car. “We have to cross the bridge on foot.”

  They parked the car under a tree a few yards from the bridge and got down.

  “You must be feeling refreshed after your power nap,” Jake mocked him, but Ryan didn’t respond, “On a different note, Donald Coleman seems to be crazier than what the report suggested.”

  “What do you mean?” Ryan asked.

  “Just look at the place where he lives,” Jake said while pointing at the abandoned metal factory on the other side of the bridge. The whole area looked as if they were standing in a post-apocalyptic world.

  Ryan looked around as they treaded carefully across the bridge. The metal factory was around 200 yards from where the bridge ended. It looked as if no one had visited it in years. The grass was as tall as the main gate of the factory, and some of it had even grown through the factory walls making large holes in them. A strange stench covered the whole area making it even more unpleasant to walk.

  “How can anyone live in such a place?” Ryan asked while covering his face with his shirt sleeve.

  “That’s why everyone calls him crazy. Although, it supports our theory that the guy was never in his senses – before or after the alien abduction,” Jake said while making air quotes.

  “You said that we have to meet him with an open mind?” Ryan asked while negotiating the overgrown grass.

  “So, now you’re on his side?” Jake asked and pointed at a small two-story house hidden beneath a canopy of trees. The house looked as abandoned as the rest of the area. The gravel path to the house had large patches of wild -grass followed by large puddles of muddy water. They somehow negotiated them until a barbed gate greeted them.

  “Mr. Coleman,” Jake called out loudly, but there was no response. He shouted again when he heard some sounds coming from the top floor, followed by hurried footsteps in their direction.

  After a few moments, they heard noises from the other side of the door followed by a slight opening in the door. It remained like that for a few seconds when Jake realized that someone was looking at them from the opening in the door.

  “Mr. Coleman, we wanted to talk to you,” he said firmly.

  “About what?” a voice asked.

  “About what happened in Sedona, Arizona seven years back?”

  There was a momentary silence as if Jake’s words were not what Donald had anticipated.

  “I don’t want to discuss anything,” he replied breaking the silence.

  “We are from the F.B. I,” Jake said while flashing his badge.

  “I don’t care. Go away,” he replied angrily.

  “We need just a few minutes of yours. We won’t disturb you again,” Jake tried one more time.

  “GO AWAY,” Donald shouted back.

  “We have to do this forcefully,” Jake said while trying to open the gate that was locked from inside.

  “Wait,” Ryan said and thought about something. “Mr. Coleman,” he said firmly, but Coleman didn’t respond. Instead, he closed the door shut. Jake gave a chuckle, but Ryan wasn’t affected by it.

  “Three more people saw the eight Suns,” he shouted as they heard Donald’s footsteps going away from them. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Ryan kept looking towards the house in anticipation.

  “We aren’t supposed to tell this to him, and I told you…” Jake said angrily but had to stop mid-way as an old man came out of the house. He looked opposite of what Jake had expected. He was clean shaved, was wearing crisp clothes, and his dark blue piercing eyes made his six feet frame even more imposing.

  “So, I was right after all,” he said with a child-like glee. The roughness of his voice had all but gone.

  He opened the gate hurriedly. “Come,”

  As they walked, Jake looked around the house. Though, the place still looked in a bad shape; it still had some life left in it. A small electric-blue van parked near the backyard surprised Jake.

  “How does he cross the bridge?” he thought.

  Firewood was stacked at the other end and on the extreme corner at the right side of the house was a small shed with some tools that looked new, unlike the machinery in the factory.

  “Please be seated,” he said as they entered the small hall.

  They sat on the chairs overlooking the window. The window was covered with newspapers making any attempts of the sunlight to enter the room futile. The dim light in the room gave an eerie feel that was further accentuated by the small disfigured wooden idols kept on the chest at the other corner. They looked like unfinished pieces of arts and gave a spooky feel to the whole set-up.

  “I’ll get us some tea,” Donald said with a broad grin. Jake was already getting uncomfortable with the whole atmosphere and the thought of drinking something prepared by Donald gave him chills.

  “That won’t be necessary, Mr. Coleman,” he said diplomatically and looked at Ryan, “We want to know a few things about your experience, and I believe you have questions of your own after my friend’s disclosure.”

  Ryan looked away from Jake and pulled out his journal from his bag.

  “Of course, I have,” Donald said and settled down opposite to them. “I hope that wasn’t just a trick to lure me into speaking with you.”

  “Definitely not,” Jake said at once. By now, Ryan knew he would not have any say on anything.

  “Very well, then,” Donald said and looked at them with a smile.

  “We’ll definitely discuss it, Mr. Coleman, but, before that we have a few questions for you,” Jake said.

  “I can’t tell anything till I hear about the other victims,” he replied with a stony glare.

  “I understand your point, Mr. Coleman… I really do,” Jake said in a measured tone, “But, whatever we know about your case is just hearsay… I mean, no one got a chance to speak to you once the media came into the picture. If we get the factual account of your experience, only then we’ll be able to find out whether these recent cases are similar to yours or not. Without that, talking about these cases will be premature.”

  “Or, we can do it in reverse. You tell me about those cases, and I’ll see if they have any similarities with my case,” Donald wasn’t an easy nut to crack either. He knew their need was bigger than his need.

  Jake stared at Ryan angrily as if it was his
fault. Donald kept looking anxiously at them all the time.

  “Okay,” Jake said after some contemplation. Donald pulled his chair closer. “In the last one week, three cases have come to our notice,”

  “The first victim is one John White; he worked with a small IT firm in the administrative department. He is originally from the Suffolk County and worked in and around New York City area for almost thirty-three years. He worked in shifts and the attack happened when he was on his way to his office during one of the early morning shifts. He barely made to his office gate and as per the guard on duty, he mentioned about the ‘eight Suns’ before taking his last breath. There are no eyewitnesses of the attack to confirm anything apart from what he said before dying.’

  “There won’t be any,” Donald said coldly.

  “What?” Jake asked.

  “Nothing,” Donald replied and gestured him to continue.

  “Four days back, another case was reported to us. The victim is one Mark Harris, who worked in a bookstore. He was closing the store late night when he was attacked. Again, no one knows what exactly happened to him. The only clue left behind was a note that Mark had written before losing consciousness.”

  “Eight Suns,” Donald said with a faint smile.

  “You are enjoying it. Aren’t you?” Jake had enough of the storytelling and Donald’s behavior was adding to his frustration.

  Donald was taken aback by Jake’s sudden outburst. “No… No. Three people have died. How could I enjoy that? I'm just curious. No one believed when I was the lone voice. Now, I’m relieved that someone’s voice is being heard.”

  Jake got up in anger. “I’m not here to provide relief to you, Mr. Coleman. We don’t know who is out there and how many people are living in danger. Either you help us, or we’re leaving. We have other ways to find out the truth.”

  A flash of nervousness crossed Donald’s face. “What other ways?” he asked in a frail voice.

  “James Reed, the third victim, didn’t die until he reached the hospital,” he said, trying to get something out of Donald and his trick seemed to work as Donald got up and started pacing around the hall nervously. After a few seconds of walking aimlessly, he came near Jake.