Law of Five

by Robin Mahle

  Detective Gibbons seemed to consider Marc’s words. “Look, I get that you were being cautious and we appreciate the fact that you went to Katie when you started getting this information and not straight to your producer. But that doesn’t change the fact now that we have to find out who this person is.”

  “Katie’s a good friend and the last thing I would want is to put her in danger.” Marc raised a hand to get the attention of the waiter, then continued. “After I looked at that website this guy directed me to, I started to get really nervous. I know Edward Shalot’s in custody, but I’m starting to believe that this person is involved in something very dangerous. Now, I don’t know the details of your investigation, but I suspect the reason you’re here is that you believe my contact is connected to the Highway Hunter killings and maybe Lindsay Brown was one of his victims.”

  “Marc, whoever he is, we’re convinced, has close personal knowledge of Shalot and the people in his circle. I can’t say much more than that right now. We need your help,” Katie replied.

  “Okay. So what do I have to do?”

  “I’ll need to get in touch with your station owners, let them know we need to trace the incoming calls, at least the ones that go to you. It’s a start,” Gibbons replied. “Have you noticed any patterns to his calls? Time of day?”

  “Mostly later in the day. Last he made contact was yesterday afternoon.”

  “Let me make some calls and see if I can get a hold of the phone records too. I’ll need you to give me a list of the date and times he’s reached out to you. I can cross reference that information with the phone numbers. Who knows? He may be calling you from his own cell phone.” Gibbons excused himself from the table.

  “I’m sorry, Katie. This seems to have gotten out of hand very quickly. But you know I wouldn’t intentionally put you in any danger. I didn’t know Shalot was stalking you.”

  “It’s not your fault, Marc. You came to me when you thought we had a situation. Shalot’s still in holding with the FBI. He doesn’t pose a danger to me now. To be honest, I’m more concerned about your source. I sure as hell don’t want another victim to turn up before we find out who he is.”

  “No, neither do I. You don’t mind?” Marc pointed to the French fries that the waitress had just set down. “I’m starving.”

  “Go right ahead.”

  Detective Gibbons returned to find Katie picking away at her meal while Marc had nearly finished his. “I’ve got my guys working on it now.” He sat back down next to Katie. “Should have something by the end of the day. In the meantime, Marc, if you hear from him, call me right away. You understand?”

  ***

  The two had returned to the police station, but Scarborough’s team hadn’t yet arrived. She continued to research Hudson’s background while Gibbons hustled to get the phone records from Channel 9 News.

  Katie was all but convinced that he was the source. She’d discovered that more than a few of Shaun Hudson’s “friends” on social media had interesting quotes and symbols that appeared to relate to the concept of the Law of Five and Discordianism. What proved even more interesting and helped to solidify the idea that Shalot was also a part of this group was the fact that some of these people were also connected to him. “Friends of friends,” as it were.

  But in none of this information did she find any suggestion of violence relating to these concepts or ideas. So where would the idea of killing, leaving symbols as proof that the believers of Chaos had done such horrific acts, have propagated in the minds of an unknown number of its followers? The answer must lie in the interpretation of those believers themselves.

  If Agent Myers was correct and, right now, Katie had no reason to believe otherwise, what led to this violent interpretation? And what about Lindsay Brown? So far, no one had found anything that would suggest she was involved in this semi-faith faction.

  The FBI had already pulled Brown’s phone records. There were no threatening text messages, no voicemails from Shalot. Nothing that would indicate retribution on his part for her having filed the restraining order.

  The sight of Marshall approaching in the distance caught Katie’s eye. She noticed the time and hadn’t realized so much had passed.

  “Hey.” He leaned against the edge of her desk, just inside the small cubicle. “You find anything interesting?”

  Interesting would have been an understatement in this particular instance.

  “You could say that,” Katie replied. “What’s going on with the Guzman case? Any closer to finding the husband?” She immediately regretted asking the question.

  Marshall’s face quickly masked in disappointment. “Turned over to Homicide. Mr. Guzman was found in the trunk of a car in Tijuana. Mexican authorities are working with the department. My part is finished.”

  “What happened to him?” Katie asked.

  “Looks like a business deal gone bad. According to the wife, they’d been struggling financially for the past few years. Her husband had become increasingly private about his business dealings. Guess one of them didn’t pan out.”

  “I’m sorry, Marshall.” Katie rested her hand on top of his.

  “Just another day in paradise.” He shifted uncomfortably. “What have you found out about Hudson and his friends?”

  She took the hint and offered no further words on the topic. Instead, she watched him compartmentalize the case, as he did with all of them, tucking them away neatly in his mind.

  It was a skill she had begun to acquire recently, at least where her personal life was concerned. Filing away the events of the past. The loss of Sam, witnessing the death of Chief Wilson, and pushing back the most recent of news, the loss of her unborn child and perhaps the prospect of motherhood itself.

  “From what I’ve been able to find online, most of his Facebook friends are college classmates or high school buddies. However, there are a handful that seem to have some commonality. Of those friends, most have liked pages relating to the religion or have liked events or gatherings of the faithful. I’ve written down the names of the people we should get background checks on. But, Scarborough may prefer his team handle that. He’s got plenty of experts in that area and, by the sounds of it, they may already be looking into this information.”

  “I’m certainly no expert in cults and they’ve got the resources to dig a hell of a lot deeper than we do.” Marshall retrieved the cell phone from his leather jacket. “He should be here soon.”

  ***

  Agent Myers was the first to speak as the team sat around the conference table. On the wall-mounted monitor was an image of several people at a rally or gathering of some sort that Katie had discovered on a profile page of one of Hudson’s friends. They were all facing a man standing on a podium. Behind him was a graphic chart. Symbols inside of symbols, pentagons and inside the pentagons were various other symbols relating to the religion. Once such pentagon contained the words “Law of Five.”

  “We need to know who this man is here.” Myers moved the pointer to the man speaking at the podium. “I sent this to the BRIU, or Behavioral Research and Instruction Unit, for those of you not familiar with the many acronyms we at the FBI employ. They analyze these types of cults and discovered many websites that were tied to this particular group. From there, they determined that that this was held in San Francisco last year. It’s too difficult to tell in this photograph if any of the audience members are Shalot or Hudson.”

  “Katie discovered a handful of Hudson’s friends that appear to be involved as well, to what extent remains unclear,” Marshall began.

  “Based on what we know today, we believe there is going to be another victim. The inconsistencies regarding the death of Ms. Brown suggest she was never intended to be a part of this pattern. You all know that we have the man responsible for her death already in custody and now that we assume he is a member of this organization, we can use that to our advantage,” Scarborough began. “He may know who this man in the picture is; in fact, he may be wi
lling to tell us a whole lot more if he thinks it would be to his benefit. And we should make it appear as such. Detective Gibbons, we’d appreciate any help your people can give us in compiling background investigations on the list of people Katie gathered.”

  “Of course.”

  “In the meantime, Katie, as you’ve become very familiar with Shaun Hudson, I’d like you to come with me to see Shalot again.”

  ***

  The lofty building, comprised of glass and metal loomed large as Katie and Nick approached its entrance marked with the FBI emblem.

  Just as they were about to enter, Katie stopped.

  Nick paused, his eyes narrowing. “What’s wrong?”

  “I feel like I shouldn’t be here. I’m in over my head.” She was reluctant to reveal this, fearing Nick would believe her to be weak. He’d always seemed to hold her in higher regard than she believed she deserved. “I’m an evidence tech. Why am I here?”

  Nick turned squarely towards her, folding his arms. “You still don’t see it, do you?”

  She had no answer and waited for him to continue.

  “You remember what I said to you that day? When we drove to the Davies’ house to return their daughter’s necklace?”

  Katie lowered her gaze, because of course she had remembered. She also remembered what Mr. Davies had said to her that day. “I know your heart is heavy,” he whispered. “But you need to live a good and happy life, Ms. Reid. It’s the only way we win.” It was a moment that had changed her life.

  “Yes. I remember.” She turned her face up to meet his eyes again. “You said this was what I was supposed to do. That this is the stuff that makes me tick.”

  “Has that changed? Because I still see it in you. I left it alone. Didn’t push you. After all you’d been through, it was the least I could do. But then you called me, remember?”

  “I asked if you could help a friend.”

  “And I am. I’m helping a friend right now.” Nick began walking towards the entrance again. “You have a connection with Shalot. I don’t know why he latched onto you, but he did. We need to use that to our advantage.” He pulled open the large glass door. “You coming?”

  This wasn’t about her, not really. This was about the victims who deserved justice. And if she had the ability, in some small way, to help find the person or people who killed these women, then she would need to do everything in her power to help, starting with facing a man who had been drawn to her in a manner that was frightening to consider.

  She followed Nick inside. The lobby appeared more like a terrarium. Glass enclosure, plants climbing the walls in an attempt to reach the sun.

  Nick signed her in as a visitor, handing her a badge. “Here; put this on.”

  They reached the security area where Katie was asked to remove her coat and empty her pockets. It was as if she was about to board a plane, but this was just part of the deal now. Every government building had a similar set up. It was a post-9/11 world.

  They moved on after a thorough search and now approached the elevators. Nick stepped inside. Katie followed behind.

  “When we get in there,” Nick began, pressing the button to the fourth floor, “let me start. I don’t want him to see you as a threat. You’ll be the one to put him at ease, understand?”

  She nodded.

  The ride to the fourth floor took only a few seconds. The elevator doors parted and Katie stepped out first.

  “Follow me.” Nick took the lead down the long corridor.

  Along the way, Katie felt the eyes of more than a few people land on her. Her reputation had indeed proceeded her. She began to wonder if there would ever be a time when people would see her as someone other than the Katie Reid from the papers and television. Although the public obsession with her had dwindled, her reputation among local law enforcement was still present.

  Nick pressed a button leading to a secure area of the building. The door clicked open. “This is the place. Come on in.”

  Inside the room, she spotted Edward Shalot. He appeared drained of all energy, as if he hadn’t eaten or slept the entire time he’d been there. But as she looked at him, his eyes revealed the slightest sparkle. A hint of a former life, or a former desire that had once again appeared, as if she was his salvation.

  “Mr. Shalot,” Nick began, “I understand you have been arraigned?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “That means you’ll be transferred out of here soon and into a nice cozy cell. I do hope you’re paired with someone who doesn’t mind that you killed a woman. They don’t take kindly to rapists inside.”

  “I didn’t rape her. I didn’t kill Lindsay and you know it,” Shalot replied, his eyes turning dark.

  “We have evidence that suggests otherwise, Edward. But rather than drone on about that, I’m actually here to ask you about something else.”

  “And why would I answer any more of your questions? I don’t see my attorney here, do you?”

  “You are right about that, but this is regarding another matter, one that might see its way to helping you get out of this little predicament of yours. Now, if you’d like, I’ll wait for your lawyer, but time really is of the essence here, Edward, and your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.”

  Edward shifted his eyes to Katie. “Why are you here?” His tone softened markedly.

  “I’m here because I talked to Shaun Hudson and I thought you might be interested in what he had to say.”

  “You talked to him? He told you I had nothing to do with Lindsay’s death, right?”

  “He said you stole his password to the school’s servers and got a hold of my records. That you used him to get to me.” She cocked her head sympathetically. “Is that true, Edward?”

  “Are you shitting me? That asshole handed over your files for a few bucks. I had to bail him out of some gambling debt.” He pulled back, possibly realizing he’d said too much. “Look, I told you before. I just wanted to get to know you, Katie. That’s all. I meant you no harm. You have to believe me.” He leaned forward again. “And I didn’t kill Lindsay.”

  “You keep saying that, Edward, but how do you explain your DNA they found on her?” This time, Nick jumped in.

  Edward squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head back and forth. “I don’t know. I swear to you, I don’t frickin’ know.”

  “What can you tell me about Discordianism?” Katie asked. She could see by his reaction that Edward hadn’t expected this question ever to surface.

  “I’m sorry; what?” His transparency was almost laughable.

  “Discordianism,” Nick stated slowly. “Is this a hobby of yours? Although from what the San Diego police discovered, it seemed as though you may have been actively recruiting new members? Is that right?” Nick paused only for a moment. “Or do you just like to scare women who don’t want to participate in your freak show?”

  Shalot was retreating. Katie had to get to him before he completely shut down. “How long have you been involved with this group, Edward? We have reason to believe someone who may also be a part of it could be responsible for the murders that have happened across the country in the past month. Maybe even Lindsay Brown’s murder.”

  Edward seemed to perk up at this news.

  “Look, I don’t judge people’s beliefs, but when those beliefs cause harm to others, that’s not okay, Edward.” She pulled out an envelope and laid its contents on the table. “Do you know this man?” It was the photograph of the man at the podium. “We’d like to talk to him.”

  Edward studied the picture.

  Katie was about to speak, but Nick stopped her with a raised hand. She hadn’t given him enough time to absorb the information. Shalot needed to think and Nick seemed to realize that.

  “He’s the leader. Well, not really the leader; there is no hierarchy. But he’s the organizer of the events. The ones that are held here anyway.” Edward cast pleading glances at both Katie and Agent Scarborough. “Look, I was only into this thing because it meant I got to have sex wi
th a lot of women. And yeah, I tried to get a few of the women I knew involved. I didn’t mean to lose my temper with them, but they were judging me. I could see it in their eyes. They looked at me like I was some kind of deviant.”

  “No one’s claiming you’re anything of the kind, Edward,” Katie replied, working to calm him down. “Did you try to get Lindsay Brown involved too?”

  “No. I knew right off the bat she wasn’t the type. I just lost my temper with her because she was being a fucking tease. I hate that shit.”

  Nick looked away, appearing disgusted by the man’s words. Katie caught sight of him and knew she had to continue before Nick lost his own temper with Edward.

  “Who is he, Edward? If we can talk to him, he may know of others in the group who might have displayed a propensity for this type of violent behavior. It might be our only chance to find out the truth so you can get on with your life. Isn’t that what you want?”

  Edward was silent for much too long and Katie wondered if she’d blown her chance.

  “His name is Branson. Lewis Branson.” Edward appeared to regret his words, as if they would come back to haunt him. “He keeps a low profile. I don’t know where he lives. I can tell you that I was there, at that rally. And so was Shaun Hudson.”

  It was only a matter of time before the next killing, assuming the “Law of Five” theory was in fact the catalyst to this gruesome set of murders across the United States.

  Edward Shalot would remain in his holding cell until his next court appearance and then get transferred to a processing facility.

  Katie watched as he was led out of the room, his eyes still pleading innocence. She began to wonder, if he knew more about this quasi-religion, then why wasn’t he using this knowledge to help prove his innocence? The question remained, however, of the indisputable DNA evidence found on Lindsay’s body. Edward Shalot had to know he would go away for life based on that alone.

  ***