He told her he was on his way to Randle to visit his son and see his grandkids. She told him her two girls lived in Yakima and they would come get her tomorrow and spend the holiday at one of her girl’s houses. She had a car, but only drove from her house to town and back. She’d lived in Naches for over forty years. Her husband, long gone was a logger and she told him she was thinking of moving into Yakima and live with one of her children. John listened attentively and after a half hour they were old friends that they both had loneliness in common and grand kids to watch grow up. She sat there quietly while he ate his soup and cheese sandwich. The young girl laid the check on the table and he quickly grabbed it from her too slow reach. She argued but not much as he reached for his wallet and took out some money and said, “Would you be so kind as to take this money and pay the bill?”
She said, “Of course. That is the least I can do as it is probably difficult for you with your crutches to make your way around.” She left leaving her purse on the table. John looked around and nobody was looking his way. He snatched it up and found inside a coin purse and stuck it in his pocket. She came back and sat down and told him she would go home now and it was sure nice visiting with him. She picked up her purse and left the restaurant on her way too big coat to ward off the below freezing temperature of the day. She got into an old car not far from him and once she left slowly pulling onto the highway, he moved like a cat to the door and into his SUV and followed her. She wouldn’t notice anyone following her and so he kept fairly close to her as she headed west out of town.
Her turn signal came on and he slowed down and looked into his mirror seeing no one behind him. An old house stood some two hundred yards off the road all by itself. This is too good, he thought and too easy. He felt a stirring between his legs and that totally confused him. Sex was something he never felt the need for. But now as he felt the blood engorge his penis something strange and different sent a message from his twisted brain to his libido. He watched her go into the house stopping on the porch to sweep off the snow from her boots. He waited a few more minutes and then pulled into her driveway. A fine snow was falling and he knew his tracks would be covered by the time anyone discovered her body.
He pulled up next to her car and took his time getting out. Under his driving gloves he had on a pair of latex surgery gloves. His Marlin spike in its usual holster on his pants leg and now he was so good he didn’t need the hammer anymore. He’d learned just where the tip should be placed and then a powerful upward thrust buried the spike in the soft brain.
She opened the door with a quizzical look on her face as he struggled around his car and up to the three steps to the porch. He stopped on the top and stuck out his hand with the coin purse telling her she dropped it at the restaurant. He found it while getting his crutches and the young girl at the restaurant that served them told him where he could find her to return the item. A big smile came across her face and she invited him in for a cup of coffee. He swept off the snow from his shoes and followed her in closing the door behind him. He took off his heavy coat and laid it on a chair in the small living room. The house was typical of an old lady having lived in it for so many years. Pictures hung on every available place be it a wall or a coffee table and on the TV. He wasn’t interested as she invited him to sit at the kitchen table while she made some instant coffee. While the water was coming to a boil, she asked him what his plan was for the coming year.
He said, “I expect to have a very fruitful year and my plan is to make sure a balance is met.” She had no idea what he was talking about as she poured the coffee and brought it to the table. Then she looked him in the eye sitting down and gave off a sigh of relief. He smiled at her and thanked her for the nice hospitality.
She said, again looking him in the eyes, “I know who you are Mr. Senior Killer. We have been warned of you coming for days and weeks now. I suspected from the moment you sat down at the restaurant. I’m a long ways from stupid and having lived over seventy six years can see a fake when it is right in front of me” At that she sipped her coffee and looked at his unchanging face.
“Well, madam, you seem to be living in a fantasy world like me. Now I can make it painless or make you beg for a quick ending to your life.”
“Of course Mr. Killer, I would prefer a quick end to a life of boredom and move on to meet my husband and my parents. What do I have to do to make it a quick ending?”
“Well my dear, I see you are wearing dentures and I would like you to take them out and give me some oral sex. I’ve had no sex for the last forty plus years, but for some reason I need to feel some relief.”
“I didn’t do that even with my husband, but in this day and age I understand oral sex is common. I will do my best if you promise to make it quick.”
“I promise to make it quick as you know I have had a lot of practice this last year and before I’m through, I will be an expert,” he said while standing up and walking without crutches to the living room for a pillow that sat on the old sofa for her knees. He slowly walked back as she stared at him from her chair. He dropped the pillow on the floor and then he took out his Marlin spike and laid it on the table to show her he meant business. She, not without a struggle got to her knees as he dropped his pants revealing his member to her. She’d only seen one other in her life and that was her husband’s penis. This one was long and skinny where as her husband’s was short and fat. Curious she thought as she took him in her toothless mouth.
For John it felt wonderful and he picked up his spike in his right hand and while she was pumping away, he held her head with his left hand. Lucky for her it didn’t take long and as he was about to ejaculate, he pushed her head to his member and she gagged as he thrust the spike into her brain. The jaw did a clamp on his member as he let loose with his sperm into her throat and mouth. He held her head while his member turned soft and slowly let her sink to the floor. He took the napkins on the table and wiped clean his member. Then he took a kitchen towel and wiped his spike and returned it to its rightful place. He picked up his driving gloves and left the house.
By now he was half way to the Tri-Cities where he thought he would treat himself to a night at the Red Lion motel and then drive on up to Spokane where he would get his SUV repainted and new tires put on. After that he would make a full circle up to Arden and then on around through Omak, then back to his snug little room in Wenatchee.
At the Round House with all the team back after the first of the year, all were looking drawn and frustrated at the news of another murder. Brad was filling them on what Nancy had reported after she had viewed the scene and followed up with an autopsy report from the pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner. The new twist was the sexual aspect void of the other killings. But the examiner verified the same type of wound and the same results from the other killings. Why then did John have sex when it was totally absent in all the other murders? Did this have something to do with the trying to throw the investigators off the trail? Why Naches, but the answer was fairly clear that Naches was a link from Yelm to the east side via Morton and Randle. The flower book reared its head with the mention of the book by Billy.
Wendy spoke and told the team that it wasn’t unusual for a serial killer to have sex with their victims. However, in this case it was a little unusual to change in the middle of what had been a pattern before. “We’re dealing with a twisted mind and there is no way we can predict his behavior in the future. I think he will hold fast to the ‘A’ plan as that is firmly entrenched in his sick mind. From what Nancy reported that the autopsy revealed no struggle on the victim’s part, but it looked like she took part in the action. Why? Maybe he promised a quick death if she agreed to the act. Now two things can happen, one he liked it or two he feels sickened by the sex act. If he likes it, then we can assume more females than males would be his targets.”
Brad thanked her for her report and then said, “Let’s put our plan together for the ‘A’ towns and hope our fishing expedition proves fruitful.
First Mike and his most significant one will take on Aberdeen and Wendy and agent Jones Anacortes. Nancy has found two Koreans who will assume the ownership of a convenience store in Arden. The FBI will place in Arden and the other laundry stores high quality cameras for 24/7 coverage. Cameras will be placed in the cash registers at eye level. Nothing is left to chance. And if you can suggest something, make it so. Now let’s take a run on the beach and at first light we will leave for Seattle.”
After an invigorating run in the stormy weather the team sat around the floor table smacking their lips on some homemade noodles and baked fish. The table turned quiet and Brad thanked Mike’s girlfriend Julie Umber for taking on a difficult assignment. Julie was forty, short and wiry with a weathered look of wholesome living. Her hands gave off a look of manual labor and her short hair made her look boyish. She told agent Jones and Wendy she met Mike in San Diego while he was still in the Navy. She was working in an all night restaurant where he and his friends would come in late at night for coffee and something to eat. The rest is history and we now have two kids and a nice farm. “Why aren’t we married?” She said, “Well, we never got around to it. Why spoil a good thing is what we both think at this time in our lives. Maybe someday.” And she let that last statement fades away.
Billy looked forward to using the FBI’s forty eight foot communications trailer that he’d heard about from their trip to Olympia before. Seattle was central to either Aberdeen or Anacortes. Pretty much a toss ups either direction; besides a helicopter was on the FBI office roof of 1110 Third Avenue, Seattle just for the teams use.
Brad knew it would be a long wait and they rented a town house that accepted dogs after a hefty damage deposit. Rocky was with them as Sandy stayed home waiting to have her litter of pups.
Nancy met them in Boeing field and drove them to the Seattle office. They were sitting in a conference room after being thoroughly checked by security especially after they found all of the team, except Julie packing hand guns. Brad appreciated the tight security and told Nancy so while everyone got settled into the conference room. Steve was there and after the two hour meeting took the red eye back to Washington after having dinner with the team.
During the meeting details of the laundry in Aberdeen and Anacortes were hashed over. Housing was difficult to find so it was decided Mike and Julie would rent a motor home and park in an RV site. That way coming and going would not be so noticeable with nosy neighbors. In Anacortes an apartment complex with two single bedrooms was founded for Wendy and agent Jones. Brad and Sujin were to fly to Spokane and meet the Korean couple who would man the Stop and Go in Arden. After a week of setting up a communication system and the installation of cameras along with intensive training, found Brad and Sujin back in Seattle. Three weeks after that, all was in place and now it was mid-January. There was nothing to do now but wait for his next move which was expected in Aberdeen. The retired FBI agents in place reported no suspicious looking men or women that weren’t already know amongst the longtime members of the senior center or the local clubs, like Lions, Moose, and other organizations.
Meanwhile work went on day by day and down in Oregon agents of the FBI went from town to town, city to city posting alerts to the Senior Killer. In addition, agents made lunch speeches to seniors at their meeting and lunches. The same program went on in California and never in history had one serial killer had so many law enforcement agencies and agents in the field looking for him.
Towards the end of January a letter arrived at the Seattle Times newspaper office. Of course it was opened and read, handled and photo copied before the FBI had a chance to look at it. A front page article with a quarter page copy of his letter hit the Sunday edition. At least the Seattle office of the FBI had a chance to read it before it came out early Sunday morning, but any trace elements or such things had long since been gone by the time the lab got a hold of it for analysis.
The plain brown manila envelope had a smiley sticker where a return address was usually written and the address of the Seattle Times was written in block letters with a permanent marker. Inside was a one page plain paper written on a word processor and printed by a common laser printer. The content of the letter was plain and simple giving very little information of his state of mind. It said:
Dear newspaper,
I’m writing to tell you how happy I am after my nice visit with the lady from Naches. Before her death, I think she felt some excitement in her last moment on earth.
My goal of ridding the old people who are just taking up space is proceeding according to plan. [You Mr. Brad Pratt of the ‘Batt Team’ we will meet soon] and as you can count, I’m not even half way there yet.
Spring is coming and new flowers will bloom and the old will give way to the new.
This is not my last mail to you. If you are thinking you can find out where I am by the postmark, think again. I’M NOT STUPID!
Going to sign off now and watch the news on TV. Hope you have a nice day Mr. Brad.
Abe Lincoln had his ways and I have mine. Bring your raincoat my smart guy.
Senior Killer…
Brad and team on a Sunday were in Seattle at the office discussing the letter. Billy said it was too simple that the start of each paragraph sent a message: MY GOAL THIS SPRING GOING TO ABERDEEN. The team agreed and now they knew where and when and they also knew the how and why, but they didn’t know who. Billy and his friends and the FBI could find no other clues except the flowers mentioned and somehow Billy felt that was important to remember. And as it turned out he was right on the button.
Chapter 12
Spring begins around the latter part of March. Most people think it begins on the first of March as the weather turns warmer and the first growth of spring pokes its head out of the earth reaching for the sun. The dreary days of winter are over for the most part. Spring cleaning takes place; the lawn mowers are tuned up; leaves are raked; cars washed on the weekend; and people take on a new attitude of hope and energy for the coming months ahead. However, in Aberdeen such was not the case. The atmosphere was tense and nobody went anywhere without someone going with them. At night the streets were rolled up and mostly deserted with the exception of delivery trucks and government vehicles.
On March sixteenth Senior Killer John made his move. He was cleverly disguised as a fifty something government agent from Seattle, took his Marlin spike to an old lady’s house on the boarder of the city limits with Hoquiam. Some neighbors reported seeing the woman going house to house warning the occupants to be on the look out for the serial killer. Still others said they saw her only go in the old ladies house and back out in five minutes. Regardless, he came, he did and he left unseen leaving the team holding the bag. Brad was so upset he disappeared for two hours before returning calm and effective once more.
How could this happen, was the question held in a meeting in Seattle the next day. So simple, Brad thought. A government looking car with stolen plates; and a person with fake ID made the bureau look like fools. The killing was history and the media came down on the bureau with such a heavy weight that it would take a crane to lift the burden slammed on by the press. Brad knew Steve would be talking a tongue lashing from Washington. How is it possible to cover all the bases, he thought. He’s giving us time and place. We know what segment of society he is murdering. So simple, but yet so clever; now we must determine what he will be his disguise in Anacortes.
Brad surprised all of them when he told them that he and Sujin would return to home for a few days while he took the time to think about the case. Julie and Mike went with them. Billy stayed in Seattle along with Nancy. Billy took a trip up to Anacortes to visit Wendy and agent Jones on location to see what the town looked like. For two days he walked the streets of Anacortes and spent some time on the docks watching the boats while looking at his laptop. The flowers were on his mind and by god, he thought, the key to Anacortes is flowers. Billy went to every flower shop in town and cruised in his rental car visiting residential p
laces looking for activities where flower lovers were preparing their spring beds.
Down on the coast of Oregon Brad spent a lot of time running and walking the beach with his dogs. Sujin was having some morning sickness these days so she stayed at home. Mike ran with Brad. They were more than friends and between the two of them brothers were more like it. Spring weather on the beach is usually windy, but days of sunshine broke through the showers. In March, nobody knows why, a period of calm descends on the coast and the temps reach mid-seventies and the weather bring out the locals in droves to enjoy the beach. Rollers instead of breakers gracefully spill upon the beach in a quiet way. It was a quiet day when Brad and Mike along with the rare appearance on the beach of Sujin, found them next to a dune leaning on an old log playing in the sand with Sandy. Brad was stretched out soaking up the rare sun on his belly while Sujin laid her head on his back laying in the sand. Mike was sitting Indian style playing with a stick making pictures in the sand. Sandy tried to get Mike to play tug a war, but he was deep in thought about the case. He said, “Brad, have you got anything we can work with. I for one am so pissed I can’t see straight. Give me some terrorists and an M-16 and look out. Give me a serial killer who is nuts… But at least we know where he is going. Not that we can seem to do anything about it and I for one would like to play the role of a senior and maybe he would chose me as a victim.”
“Not a bad thought,” said Brad “How about we expand on that idea. What if you were seen around town, at the senior center or some such place? You have just arrived from California and lonely as hell. You’re begging for company and invite people over to your small house that is off the beaten track. You have a flower garden as Billy says this guy has flowers on the brain. Your disguise could be made simple just enough to make you look old and slow. Damn, what do you guys think?”
John: The Senior Killer Page 12