by Susan Gnucci
Tess’ face grew serious as something dawned on her. “You know it’s him because she’s missing her hair, isn’t she? That’s how you know it’s him!” She felt a sudden, intense rush of relief for this all but confirmed the fact their killer was indeed halfway across the country.
“We can’t comment, Tess.” Baxter was ever the professional, always by the book. “But we’re sure it’s him,” he added, his voice softening, knowing the relief such news would undoubtedly impart.
“Wow, what a relief!” she blurted out. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she winced and attempted to backtrack. “I mean that’s awful for that poor girl, of course, but it is so good to have him gone, you know?” she attempted to explain.
“Yes, I’m sure it is, Tess. And we hope he’ll be caught. We’re assisting the RCMP in any way we can,” McLean assured her.
“I wonder if that’s why I never picked up on anything. Why I never had a sighting this time, I mean.” Tess seemed to be talking to herself. “Maybe I only picked up on the Katie Bishop murder because it was local? Maybe our connection is related to proximity?” She looked up, her brows knitted in concentration.
“Could be, Tess. Could be.” McLean nodded thoughtfully.
“In light of this development, we’re going to scale back your surveillance.” Baxter was all business.
Tess nodded. “I understand. I know that costs money. Do you…do you think he’ll come back?” she asked hesitantly as if she didn’t really want to know the likelihood of such a possibility.
“Hard to say,” Baxter shrugged. “Could be things were getting a little too hot for him here, so he’s moved on,” he speculated. “My bet is he’s heading east, maybe Toronto. Easy to get lost in a city that size.”
Tess turned to McLean, hoping he would agree so her nightmare would indeed be at an end.
“I agree. Don’t worry, Tess. I’m sure he’s gone.”
McLean sounded so rational, so convincing, Tess almost believed him. If it wasn’t for a niggling doubt at the back of her mind, she would have been convinced.
“Something’s not right, Ed,” McLean voiced his concern when the two men were alone in his office after Tess had departed.
Baxter sighed in exasperation and was quick to brush off his partner’s apprehension. “He took the hair trophy, Jay. How many guys have that MO? He’s our guy alright.”
“Hey, I’m the first one to want him to be our guy because then he’s thousands of kilometers away from here, from Tess.”
Baxter shot him a cautionary look.
Realizing he was blushing furiously, McLean continued, “It means he’s likely headed east, I know, but it’s all a bit too easy, don’t you think? It’s like it’s contrived. It’s like he’s popped up there and is making a point of saying, ‘Hey guys – Look! I’m over here!’ It’s like he wants us to know that. His victim was left out in plain view in a field, Ed. Granted, it was on a back road, but she wasn’t concealed in any way. Katie Bishop was hidden deep in the woods. It was pure luck she was found at all. If those hikers hadn’t been lost and hadn’t had their dog with them…”
Baxter headed for the door. “You’re overthinking this, Jay. Who cares why he’s down east or why he wants everyone to know it. He’s out of our hair. Let the RCMP have a crack at him. If he’s getting cocky, he’ll likely trip up at some point.” He turned around and studied his partner, pointing a finger at him. “Off the record, Jay – don’t let your feelings for Tess cloud your judgement.” His tone was fatherly but stern, and he put up a hand to stave off any protest. “Don’t deny it.”
McLean raked a hand through his hair, embarrassed but also relieved that his feelings were finally out in the open. “I wasn’t. I just hope you’re right, Ed. I hope this gut feeling I have is wrong. Believe me; I really hope it’s wrong.”
Changing the subject, Baxter asked, “Have we heard anything from our inquiries in Washington or Oregon? This guy has to have come from somewhere. I can’t believe he’s lived here his whole life without ever killing before, and yet, we have nothing to tie him to – no murders, no missing persons. He must have come from somewhere. My hunch is he’s come up from the States, maybe up the west coast,” he speculated, scratching the stubble on his chin.
“I know our guys are on it,” McLean assured him, “but you know, there are probably hundreds of unsolved murders and disappearances of young women up and down the west coast over the last decade or so, and if the bodies weren’t found at all, no one would be the wiser about the missing hair. Or if the bodies weren’t found right away, the absence of hair could simply be chalked up to scavenging by animals.”
Baxter raised an eyebrow in mild annoyance.
McLean rose from behind his desk and held his hands up in a defensive gesture. “All I’m saying is, although his MO is distinctive, it may have easily been overlooked in many of his previous victims, making it hard to establish a link to our case, that’s all. But we’ll make inquiries. I know the guys are on it.”
JUNE
“Hey, Tess, are you coming for drinks tonight?” One of Tess’ fellow graduate students stood at the door to the Astronomy lab as undergraduate students filed past her.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m going to head up to the dome. I’ve got a school tour first thing tomorrow to prep for, and I also want to get these lab books marked,” she answered rather dejectedly.
“Ah, come on. Andy is flying out to Germany tomorrow for his post doc, and we’re going to celebrate.”
“I’ve already said goodbye to Andy,” Tess replied distractedly. “I saw him this afternoon.”
“Well, if you change your mind, we’ll be over in the grad lounge.”
“Hmm? OK, maybe later.”
It was several hours later when Tess finally put down her pen and attempted to massage life back into her stiff, cramped hand. She was pleased to have finished all of her marking instead of leaving it to the last minute as she usually did. Sitting up in the telescope dome assembly room on the top floor of her building, she had been free of distractions. It was her favourite place to work after hours, affording her the privacy and solitude she craved when she needed to concentrate. It was the size of a small classroom, and it served as a gathering point for tours of the main telescope inside the dome itself as well as a number of smaller telescopes located on an outside viewing platform. Neat rows of chairs were stacked against one wall and a large instructor’s desk sat at the front of the room. Posters of galaxies, stars, and planets adorned every square inch of the wall space and even the ceiling, giving the impression of gazing out at the heavens. Checking her watch, Tess noted it was almost 11:00 p.m. She had warned Leah she would be marking late, but if she stayed much longer, it would no doubt cause worry. Time to go.
As she stood to pack up, she experienced a sudden rush of dizziness so powerful it caused her to stumble back into her seat, momentarily stunned. Her heart sank as she felt nausea wash over her stronger than ever before followed quickly by the usual humming in the back of her head. Instinctively lowering her head and closing her eyes, she waited with trepidation as to what her sighting would herald. As she did so, icy fingers of dread crept stealthily up her spine and wrapped themselves tightly around her chest, squeezing the breath from her. And then she saw him. The night janitor. He lay sprawled on his back in an ever widening pool of blood, a shocked, puzzled expression frozen on his lifeless face.
She knew what that meant – he was in the building! This realization left her incapacitated with a terror so overwhelming she feared she would pass out. Panting heavily from the shock, she struggled in vain to think clearly. One thing she knew for certain – she was essentially trapped. The only way to access the fifth floor on which the dome facility was located was via the elevator or the main stairwell, either of which he could be using at this very minute. And there was no fire escape ladder from the roof.
Shaking her head to clear it, Tess made a grab for her cell phone but realized with dism
ay it wasn’t where she thought she’d put it. After frantically groping around on the desktop in a feeble attempt to locate it, it suddenly dawned on her she must have left it in the lab downstairs. That knowledge was a crushing blow. Would her notorious forgetfulness cost her her life? She tried to calm down, knowing she had to think fast because it was very likely she had only minutes at most.
Thankful she always wore her keys on a lanyard around her neck while at school, Tess quickly ducked her head to remove them and managed to unlock the roof exit door despite her trembling hands. Leaving it slightly ajar, she spun around and searched wildly for a hiding place. On one side of the assembly room, a ramp led up to the dome itself, but Tess knew that was a dead end. There was only one door in and out of the dome. Hiding in there was not an option. A custom series of shelving, cubbies, and storage cupboards lined the opposite wall, and a crawlspace of sorts ran underneath the dome. That was it. Those were her choices. She could hide in one of those or she could hide out on the roof. Even if he had the building keys, there was still a possibility he may not have the one for the crawlspace, but she wasn’t willing to bet her life on it. In a split second, she made her decision, but first, she crossed back over to the assembly room door. Out of sheer desperation she locked it, knowing full well the futility of doing so if he had a master key, but somehow, one more locked door between them provided her with some small measure of comfort. As she turned, she heard the distinct sound of the elevator engaging…
Through the glass assembly room door, which looked out onto the small foyer, she could see the elevator light indicating the second floor. Suddenly realizing she could make a break for the stairwell since it was obvious he was in the elevator, she fumbled with her keys in a desperate attempt to unlock the door again, but in her panic, her hands simply couldn’t move fast enough. They shook so violently, the keys slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground. Fighting back tears, she lunged after them. As she snatched them off the floor, she looked up in time to see the elevator passing the third floor…
Abandoning all hope of fleeing at this point, she spun around, shut off the lights, and dashed across the room to slip inside one of the cupboards. As she turned to close the cupboard door, her eye fell on her book bag sitting beside the desk, its bulk illuminated by the red emergency lighting. In a flash, she jumped out of her hiding place to kick it underneath the desk and then dove back inside the relative safety of her enclosure. Once inside its dark interior, she battled not only her panic, but claustrophobia as well.
Waiting in breathless silence, she suddenly remembered the phone in the dome – there was a phone inside the dome! It had only recently been installed when the telephone system had been upgraded in the building a few weeks ago. Her heart sank. It was too late! She had already played her cards.
Tess felt the scream well up from deep within her and roll through her body straining for release, but she knew she must not make a sound. Instead, she listened in tortured silence at his attempts to unlock the assembly room door. It took several tries before he located the correct key, and with every passing second, she agonized whether she should have attempted to hide out on the roof. There was a mechanical shed out there. Maybe she could have eluded him and slipped back inside undetected. But she knew there was no turning back now. And then she heard a ‘whoosh’ as the assembly room door opened…
She could not hear him after that, but she hoped he would believe she had fled out onto the roof. Seconds passed as she braced herself for discovery. If he opened the cupboard, she was prepared to launch herself at him. Perhaps with an element of surprise, she could overpower him. Agonizing seconds passed and then she heard the roof exit door swing open. It was practically beside her hiding place, so she felt it as well as heard it. The crunch of gravel alerted her to the fact he had stepped out onto the roof. Another second or two, and she heard the door close. She counted all the way to ten before she allowed herself to act, figuring if he stayed out there that long, he would explore the roof before coming back in. As she eased the cupboard door open an inch, she prayed it wouldn’t squeak. When it didn’t, she opened it wider. From her vantage point, she could see the roof exit door, and it was indeed closed.
Wasting no time, she slipped out of the cupboard and headed immediately for the assembly room door. As she did so, a shape emerged soundlessly from the shadows to block her path. In her haste, she almost ran headlong into it. As it stepped into view of the red emergency lighting, Tess’ eyes widened, a look of recognition flaring in their depths. Recoiling in terror, she backed away, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.
“Now, now. That’s not nice.” He nodded towards the roof exit door. “Why, I’m getting the distinct impression you’re trying to avoid me, my dear.” He made a point of pouting at her. Taking a step closer, he seemed to revel in her terror. “Do you smell that, Tessa?” He leaned even closer and sniffed the air melodramatically, sucking in a deep, exaggerated breath. When she didn’t reply, he answered his own question. “It’s fear, Tessa, and it is my aph-ro-di-siac.” He pronounced the word slowly, emphasizing each syllable in order to draw out the sick thrill he was experiencing. It reminded her of someone licking their fingers after an especially decadent dessert.
Catching the look of revulsion on her face, he seemed momentarily offended but quickly recovered and continued, “I knew you would provide me with good sport, Tessa, and you haven’t disappointed me.” Seeing the abject fear on her face, he let out an exaggerated sigh. “Ah, but when it comes right down to it, I can see you’re like all the rest. You’ll simper and cower…and beg.”
With his taunt, she slowly backed away from him and desperately scanned the room for anything within reach she could use as a weapon, quickly coming to the conclusion there was nothing at hand. Spotting the fire alarm on the wall to her right, perhaps a meter away, she tried to gauge the time it would take to lunge and pull it. Even if she could manage it, surely he would be upon her.
He caught her gaze and broke out into a huge grin, seemingly thrilled at the prospect of such an attempt. “Ah, clever girl. Clever girl!” he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together vigorously. “But you’d spoil all our fun, now wouldn’t you?” he admonished, wagging a finger back and forth.
What he did next completely threw her. Rather than rushing her as she’d expected, he gestured instead for her to pull the alarm. His bushy eyebrows rose in mock challenge as he did so. She frowned from sheer frustration at the fact he was so cruelly toying with her. Well, she’d be damned if she was going to go cowering and begging! Hanging her head as if to signal defeat, she suddenly made an unexpected, desperate lunge at the alarm. She missed it by less than an inch as he was on her in that same instant, crashing into her so hard it knocked the wind right out of her. Both of them landed in a heap against the wall. To make matters worse, she smacked the back of her head, momentarily stunning herself.
He hauled her away from the alarm and quickly flipped her onto her stomach on the hard concrete floor, pinning both her arms behind her back with the full force of his weight on one knee. She was amazed at his strength. In a pathetic attempt to scream, she found herself moaning. And then she felt a sting on her arm after which he released his hold.
Rolling onto her back in a feeble attempt to right herself, she found her limbs simply would not obey what her mind commanded them to do. Instead, she lay helpless, floundering and flopping like some kind of beached fish that instinctively continues to fight for survival. Despite her disorientation, she knew she was at his mercy. All she could do was pray the end would be quick.
He stood over her, immensely pleased with himself, gloating and cackling. The effects of the drug distorted his features, stretching his broad smile into an ugly slash that seemed to split his entire face in half. This, combined with the deranged look in his dark, fathomless eyes, gave her the impression of some unearthly creature, something that had left its humanity behind long ago.
And then the blackness took her.
<
br /> “What do you mean, she’s missing?” The fear in McLean’s voice was palatable as he grabbed his keys and wallet from his nightstand.
“Her roommate Leah just called dispatch. Tess didn’t come home tonight, and she isn’t answering her cell. I’ve sent a unit over to her house. She was last seen on campus this afternoon, so I’ve also alerted campus security at the university. We need to get up there and check it out. I’ll pick you up in ten.” As a seasoned pro, Baxter concealed his apprehension well, but not well enough to escape his partner’s notice.
It was a quiet ride up to the university as both detectives were lost deep in thought. Finally, McLean broke the silence. “We should have kept a unit with her,” he chided himself forlornly, shaking his head.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Jay. We had a credible lead our suspect was halfway across the country.” Baxter stole a glance at his partner and winced inwardly at the agony he witnessed on the young detective’s face. There were no further reassurances he could give, so he didn’t make any attempt to. Being a cop at times had its drawbacks – sometimes knowledge was a dangerous thing.
Baxter was thankful when the campus came into view as he could focus on getting over to the correct building. Luckily, the Science building was easily identifiable by the large astronomical dome on its roof. The senior detective quickly swung into the adjacent parking lot and pulled his car up to the main entrance where several campus security officers were gathered.
The security supervisor stepped forward and introduced himself after which he was quick to give a report. “Miss Walker would have had very limited access in this building after hours – only the two Astronomy labs on the main floor and the dome structure on the roof. There are several high level research labs in this building, so essentially, the second, third, and fourth floors would have all been off limits to her.”