Cleansing

by Roy A. Teel, Jr.

  John sat back in his chair as did Jim and asked, “So this is a Psalm asking for God to scrutinize the behavior of the writer and then cleanse and redeem him?” “Yes. You see the line that says, ‘I will wash my hands in innocence?’” Jim and John nodded. “Well, in essence, the writer was cleansing himself, so that he would be worthy of being in the presence of God.” John sat back and said, “So, what you see in the pictures is a ‘cleansing’ process?” “Yeah…I mean I would have to go on scene to see the whole set up, but it appears to me that this is a cleansing ritual.” “They are killing infants and taking out their hearts then burning them on a spit,” John said.

  “Okay, so they are cleansing themselves in the blood of the innocent, which is the blood of the children, then making a blood or meat sacrifice unto the Lord.” Jim slowly closed his folder and asked, “Are you telling me that Christians do this shit?” Chris shook his head firmly. “No, not at all. Whatever this ritual is, it’s some demented form of God worship. I have never seen anything like this. I know of the blood offering in the Old Testament according to the Mosaic law and the book of Leviticus, but Jews stopped this type of sacrifice hundreds, maybe a thousand, years ago. Christians believe that Jesus was their blood sacrifice to God. There were some strange sects through the ages in Christianity but nothing in recent memory.” John slammed the folders on his desk and said, “Well, there is now. We have us a group of psycho religious zealots who think that the blood of babies is going to do something.” “Wash away sin, or perhaps it’s an offering to God in return for the rapture of the church or the second coming of Christ.”

  Jim and John sat silent for a few seconds, and Jim said, “Whoa…are you telling me that this could be a group of nut jobs who think that by killing and burning kids they will bring about the end of the world?” Chris nodded, and John said, “And they remove the heart and consume it as well as drink the blood of the innocent child?” Chris nodded and said, “Um…I’m sorry, sirs, but I am way out of my league here.” John sat looking at Chris and said, “Well, you better get into this league and fast because this is happening, and we have to stop it.”

  Chris looked at the photos in each file and said, “I don’t know where to begin.” John stood up and called out into the bullpen, and one of the field agents walked in. “Give Agent Mantel the corner cubical out there and bring him all of the case files on the baby killings.” The agent left, and John said, “Chris, Jim and I have to take a little trip, so we will be gone the rest of the day. I want you to go over every file. Read every report, and then I want you to write up a profile of the killers. I want it when I see you at my house later tonight.” Chris stood up and walked to the door. He stopped and said, “I don’t think I’m ready for this.” Jim said, “Well, get fuckin’ ready. You’re about to be a special agent with the FBI. You’re going to Quantico to the Steve Hoffman Behavioral Science Academy, right?” Jim asked. Chris nodded. Jim said, “Steve Hoffman was my close friend, and he died saving me and John from an ambush by a cop killing mother fucker. Now, you strap on a pair of balls that match those muscles and tell us everything you can about those files.” Chris walked out of the office, and Jim said, “Jesus Christ, John. The kid is bigger than you.” John laughed. “In some areas…come on. We have a flight to catch.”

  Jim called Pastor Erick Walton from the truck while heading for the airport and apologized that he would not be able to meet with him. He explained the situation and set another appointment for the next day and asked, “Erick …one of my main reasons for the meeting was to ask why you and your son broke apart.” Erick Walton was sitting behind his large mahogany desk in his oxblood leather chair with a wireless earpiece on as he spoke to Jim. “Oh, Jim, that’s a long story.” Jim asked, “Well, give me the abridged version.” “We just didn’t see eye to eye on the direction of the church. Erick wanted to take the church in a direction that I felt was unstable. I believe in the tried and true, Jim. That’s how the Lord built His church from tens to thousands over forty years ago. Erick and I just could not agree on so many things that the church board voted him out, and he walked out the doors and started his new church.”

  They were pulling up to Santa Monica Airport where an FBI jet was waiting, and Jim asked, “What’s the difference between your church and your son’s?” “Erick is setting up his church to follow the church that is mentioned in the Book of Acts in the New Testament. That model has never worked and never will, but that’s what he wanted to do with this church.” John had parked and got out, and Jim was getting out and following him to the plane. “So, what’s the difference in the two churches, Erick?” “His idea is to make a communal society. Everyone sells everything, and the money is put into one treasury and distributed to the membership based on need. They all live together as one family unit. In essence, a socialist or even communist ideology as we would look at it today.” “That would give him total control over his parishioners,” Jim said. “Yes, Jim. It would, and in my opinion, that would make him and his followers dangerous.” The flight attendant told Jim to hang up, and Jim told Erick he would speak to him tomorrow.

  The plane was taxiing down the runway for takeoff, and John asked, “What did the father have to say about the son?” “If I got the conversation right, we aren’t going to have to look very far for the source of the killings. I don’t want to say any more until I meet with him tomorrow. For now, let’s focus on this bizarre ass meeting you have set up between the Iron Eagle and Bruno Richards.”

  It was half past ten a.m., and Lisa Farmer was cleaning up the nursery before heading over to the sanctuary for morning prayer service. She had just finished her clean up and gotten the last child off with an attendant when a tall, thin man appeared outside the window of the church daycare. She looked over and saw him. There were no words exchanged, just a look. The man was about six foot eight and might have been a hundred and fifty pounds. He was wearing a derby hat and a black suit and looked like something out of the nineteenth century. His facial features were gaunt, and his eyes were dark and deep set. He placed his long, bony fingers and hand on the window and slowly nodded to her. She nodded back, and then he was gone.

  She turned to go to the service when one of her assistants in the nursery asked, “Who was that man?” Lisa looked around and said, “What man?” “The tall thin man at the window. He put his hand on the glass and then left.” Lisa laughed and said, “Oh, him? You just forget about him. He’s a bible salesman who has been after Pastor Erick.” The young girl looked at Lisa and said, “He was scary, Lisa, really, really scary.” Lisa let out a laugh and said, “Oh, now, don’t you fret about him. He’s no threat and don’t go talking to Pastor Erick about it or anyone else for that matter. It will only make him angry.”

  The girl turned to leave, and Lisa asked, “Maria? When are you due?” Maria’s pregnant belly barely fit through the door. “Any day now.” “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Maria smiled and said, “Yes. It’s a boy, and I have named him Jesus…Jesus Emmanuel Estonia.” Lisa smiled and said, “Well, you take care of our little savior there and let me know when it is time for him to come to us. I will be with you in the birthing room.” “Oh, thank you, Lisa, but I’m having Jesus in the hospital. My doctor is worried about the baby’s health. You know how protective my husband, Roberto, is. He insists that we have the baby in the hospital.” “I see…what hospital?” “Arleta Medical Center.” Lisa smiled and said, “A fine hospital. You get off to the prayer service. I’ll be right along.” Maria waddled down the hallway as Lisa wrote some notes on a piece of paper.

  Chapter Six

  “Don’t you fuckin’ leave me

  in here with this monster!”

  The FBI jet was in flight to Corcoran State Prison. John had pulled out several small belts and was putting medications and syringes into them as the plane flew to its destination. Jim was watching him carefully. “You know that my guards are going to search you before you get any
where near Richards?” John never looked at Jim as he answered, “No they won’t. You’re the LA County Sheriff, and I’m FBI. We will check our weapons as usual for a high level custody visit but that’s all.” Jim laughed and said, “You really think that you’re going to get something useful out of Richards?” “I’m going to try.” “And what about the guards? They will be watching from anywhere you interview the guy.” John took off his suit pants and shirt and wrapped the packaging around his upper arms and thighs. “You will take care of that, Sheriff. I don’t want you in the room when I interrogate him.” “You mean torture him…when the Iron Eagle tortures him.” “Whatever. I guarantee he will talk.”

  The pilot announced they were on their final approach to Salyer Farms Airport in Corcoran. John had put his pants and shirt on and was tying his tie when the wheels of the jet touched down.

  Jade was working with the Swan family to help them get Emily’s body moved to a funeral home to take care of her remains when she was buzzed that she had a visitor. She excused herself and walked out into the waiting room where a tall, thin man in a black suit sat. He had a hat on his lap, and he rose when Jade entered the room. “How can I help you?” Jade asked.

  “Good morning, Dr. Morgan. My name is F.E. Arnest. I’m with Arnest Funeral Home. I was watching television this morning and heard the devastating news of the Swan family’s loss, and I wanted to offer our home’s services free of charge.” Jade shook his hand and asked for some ID, which Arnest provided along with his business card. She made a few calls and everything checked out, so she invited him to an office adjacent to her own and asked him to be seated. She walked back to her own office and handed the card to George Swan and said, “This gentlemen is the owner of a funeral home and heard your story on the news and wants to offer his services free of charge.” George read the card while his shocked wife just sat with tears running down her face. “Arnest Funeral Home? I know it. It’s on Van Nuys Boulevard on the edge of Arleta. I’ve done work for them in the past, handyman work.” Jade asked if they wanted to meet with him, and they said yes. She took them into a conference room and introduced the couple to Mr. Arnest, who explained his home would take care of anything that the family wanted for their child’s final goodbye. Jade was both impressed and creeped out by Arnest. She excused herself while the three spoke and called Jessica Holmes to her office.

  Jessica was interning with Jade while she finished college, and Jade asked, “Look in there and tell me if that tall, thin man looks familiar to you?” Jessica looked at him and said, “Yeah…I’ve seen him before…I can’t remember where.” Jade looked on and asked Jessica, “Was it from your time on the street when you were hooking?” Jessica stared at the man with a thoughtful look on her face, and then she moved out of the doorway and pressed her body flat against the wall. A trickle of sweat was running down her face, and she was sheet white. “Jess? Are you okay?” She was breathing heavy, and Jade was about to yell for help when Jessica put her arm on Jade’s and said, “I have seen him on Hollywood Boulevard.” Jade stopped and asked, “Was he a john?” She nodded slowly and said, “Sort of…he would walk the streets in the middle of the night and ask if those of us on the street had heard the good news.” “What good news?” “That the savior was coming, and that we needed to repent of our sinful ways and be redeemed and cleansed in the blood of Christ.” “Proselytizing? The guy in there was proselytizing on the streets of Hollywood?” Jessica nodded slowly and said, “He didn’t do as he said though…he partook of the fruits of the flesh on the streets. I knew a few girls that had been with him, and their stories were freaky.”

  Jade looked into the room, and Arnest had his huge arms spread across the table with his hands on George and Annette’s hands, and they were praying. Jade asked, “Do you recall any of the stories?” Jessica pulled her body away from the wall and looked back in the room where the three had their eyes closed. “Um…god…it’s been a few years since Sheriff O’Brian and Agent Swenson saved me from that life. I do remember one girl. She was older, in her early twenties, and she talked about this tall, skinny freak that she fucked a few times. She said that he would make her strip nude, and then he would bathe her while quoting bible stuff. Um…OH YEAH! She said that he would tell her that he was cleansing her with water, so that she would be worthy of his seed. He wouldn’t let her dry off. I remember she said he refused to use a condom and would only have anal sex. He would bend her over the bed, and the whole time he was fucking her he would quote bible passages and pray. I remember she said that after he came in her, he made her take a container that he had with him and squat next to the bed and shoot his spooge out of her ass, and then he would make her drink it. She said he told her it was holy serum and that through it she would be saved.”

  Jade stepped back and said, “Okay, now you have my freak-o-meter off the charts.” Jessica looked in, and Arnest was rising from the table. She pulled back, but it was too late. She saw him look at her from the corner of his eye. Jade walked back into the room, and George and Annette were eerily calm. “Is everything okay?” George said, “Much more than okay. Mr. Arnest is going to take care of Emily for us. Please make her ready for release. He has brought a car to take her to the home.” Jade looked at Arnest who smiled a grim smile, and she said, “Of course, of course. I will have an orderly prepare Emily for departure. Mr. Arnest, if you will come with me.” He followed Jade out of the office and into the morgue.

  When they were in the room with the door shut, Jade asked, “What news station were you watching when you heard about the plight of the Swans?” “It was an early morning news program. I think it was either KCAL 9 or CBS morning news. It was probably KCAL since they start their morning news at four a.m., which is when I rise in the morning.” Jade told him to bring the station wagon to the pickup entrance. He walked out, and she called Jessica and told her to open the back door. Jessica called out and asked, “Is it for that freak, Arnest?” “Just open the damn door, Jess. It’s not like he’s going to steal your soul. The fuckin’ guy’s not death.”

  Jessica walked to the pickup entrance and pushed the button to the garage, and the door opened, and the car was backed in and idling. When the door was up, she walked back to the loading dock and motioned the car to back up, and she directed it until it was in place to receive the small cardboard box with Emily’s body in it. Arnest stepped out of the car and walked back to Jessica and asked, “Is this Emily?” Jessica nodded. He opened the back of the car and picked the small box up off the gurney and gently placed it in the hearse and clamped it down, so it would not slide. He closed the door, and his towering stick figure sent a shiver up Jessica’s spine. He walked to the front of the car and opened the driver’s side door. Jessica was walking back up the loading ramp when Arnest called out to her. “I’m glad to see that you’re off the streets, Jessica. The Lord is going to work miracles through your hands.” He got into the car and drove off. Jessica hit the remote and ran down the long hallway to her office and slammed the door shut.

  John and Jim stepped off the jet into the hot July sun. It was just noon, and there was an agent from the FBI waiting for them with a sedan. Jim looked over at John and said, “You fuckin’ Feebies are spooks, man. Do you have an office in every town in the state?” John laughed as they got into the back seat and said, “The world!” The sedan took off from the airport and headed for Corcoran Prison. Jim was unsettled as they drove up the road and the prison came into view. “It’s been a lot of years since I’ve seen Richards.” John nodded. Jim took a cigarette from his top left pocket and rolled down the window and gestured to John for an okay, and he nodded.

  He flipped open the Zippo and took a few fast hits off the cigarette and held it out the window as he spoke, “They say that Richards is the embodiment of all that is evil.” John laughed and said, “After all of the shit we have seen over the past several years, the cases of brutality, murder, and cannibalism, you’re going to define this one dru
ggy from the sixties as the epitome of evil?” Jim took a hit off his smoke and said, “He still has fans and followers. The guy might be an old man, but he still has influence.” John nodded and said, “That’s precisely why we are here, to see if that influence has anything to do with these killings.”

  The car pulled up to the main gate, and they were passed through and drove down a long street until they pulled up to 4001 King Avenue. The car stopped at the main entrance where Warden Alan Spaulding was waiting for them. John and Jim walked up the steps to meet him. “So what the fuck does the FBI want with Bruno fuckin’ Richards, Jim?” Spaulding was ignoring John altogether. Jim and Alan went back a lot of years. They served together in the military and then in the sheriff’s department until Spaulding joined the California Department of Corrections. Alan had been with the department for over twenty years, but he cut his teeth in the LA County jail and prison system and was promoted rapidly. He had been the warden at Corcoran for five years.

  Jim said, “The fuck if I know, Alan. Alan Spaulding, this is Special Agent John Swenson.” The two men shook hands, and Spaulding opened the door into the main lobby and said, “I have heard of Agent Swenson and his bullshit heroics. What do you want with Richards?” John and Jim were following Alan through a maze of hallways, and John said, “He’s a person of interest in a murder spree in Los Angeles.” Alan started laughing as they came to an outer room where both men handed over there service weapons and were to be searched.