“No, we need to take a look,” I said pulling off the cover.
The guy was not very tall, maybe five-five or five-six. Looked to weigh around two hundred. He had on a dirty pair of jeans and a black tee shirt that had several holes in it. His three day growth of beard had food in it. Nice. The most striking feature was the bamboo pole sticking out of his right ear.
He had cut marks and bruises around his face and head. Someone had beaten him and then jammed the stick in his ear. Maybe Lauren had done it but that made no sense when I stopped to think about it. Lauren couldn’t have done it. See was in the other car with the woman. For some reason the woman had gotten out to get in the trunk. A coat for Lauren?
Somehow the killer had managed to get the other car and that’s when he rammed the car into the one Lauren was in.
“Any ID on this guy?” I asked.
“We haven’t touched him yet. Actually, neither one. I did that once. Just once. I learned my lesson then. Let the professionals handle it.”
“Well this is your lucky day. You have four of them standing here,” I said and put on my gloves.
“Brad leaned down as said very softly, are you sure you want to do this?”
I didn’t answer, I just carefully lifted the wallet out of his back pocket. I stood and opened it.
“James Brenner. Route 4, Sternville.”
“Oh yeah. One of the Brenner boys. Bad people. Always into trouble over something. I’m out there two or three times a week,” the Deputy told them.
“Well, you have one less to deal with,” I replied.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
We agreed to go with the Deputy to talk to his brothers and let them know that James was dead. Their house, if you wanted to call it that, was up a winding dirt road. At least a half dozen cars and trucks sat on blocks or on the ground. Three jacked up pickups and a Jeep were parked at different angles.
When we drove up four boys stepped out of the house. Two had hunting rifles and two had shotguns. Nice crowd. No wonder the Deputy didn’t want to come out here alone.
The Deputy got out and stood behind his open door.
“Carl.”
“Dawg,” one of the men with a shotgun said.
“I need to talk to you about something important.”
“What’s so important that you brought all them cops with you.”
“That’s what I need to talk to you about.”
“Well then, you just go ahead and talk,” he said
“I would rather do it face to face. I want to tell you first and then you can tell the other boys,” the Deputy said.
“Nah, I’m good,” Carl said.
“What’s the matter, are you afraid to talk to us without your brothers,” I said, stepping out of the car and walking half way up to where he stood.
“I ain’t talking to you.”
“What are you afraid of? You’re a big tough guy aren’t you?” I said.
What is wrong with me? I must have a screw loose. Maybe I need Zoloft or something. It just amused me to see him acting like a big baby. If we were coming after him did he honestly think we would have just driven up here? Did he think there would be only five of us?
“You got a mouth on you,” he said.
I have to say, I was surprised he didn’t use the “B” word.
“Look, if we wanted to arrest you or were going to take you down, we wouldn’t have just driven up here. There would be SWAT guys three deep with us. Deputy Lawrence has some news for you and it should be done in private. That’s all there is to it. Come on big guy, I’ll let you hold my arm,” I said smiling.
It wasn’t great but it gave him a chance to back down a notch and save some face.
“I guess I could do that for a pretty little thing like you,” he said.
He handed his shotgun to one of his brothers and came down the steps. I looped my arm in his and we walked to where the Deputy was waiting.
When the Deputy got done telling him about James he seemed rather subdued. I was expecting an outburst.
Instead he said, “That damn James. Probably stopped and picked a fight with someone and got the hell knocked out of him. He never could fight worth a darn. We were always having to clean up his messes,”
“Well if it’s any consolation, we think he might have run into the guy that has been killing all those women. Maybe he tried to stop and help,” I said.
“Damn, wouldn’t that be something? James doing the right thing for a change.”
“What do we do now?” he asked.
“We will have an autopsy done and then you can make whatever arrangements you want to.”
“Okay, thanks for coming out to tell me,” he said and turned and started towards the house.
He stopped walked back and put out his hand and I shook it. He just nodded and walked off.
**
We arrived back at the place where the two bodies were discovered I asked Deputy Lawrence if this was his normal patrol area. He said it was, so I asked about abandoned farms or barns.
“Well, actually there is one just a little ways from where we found James. Right down that lane,” he said pointing.
“We need to search that area.”
“Will we need a warrant?” he asked.
“Brad?”
“I suppose we could claim it as part of the search area. After all we do have two bodies in the general vicinity and if it is abandoned we would need to check it out to see if anyone was hiding there.”
We suited up with vests and Brad gave Dan and Ned each a shotgun from the back of the SUV. They were in special compartments. They have such neat little toys. He handed me an M-16A that worked on full-auto. It was a Colt M-15 but was marked M-16. I checked the magazine, chambered a round and put the safety on.
We split up into three groups. Brad and I went through the trees on one side of the drive. Cindy and Deputy Lawrence went through the ones on the other side. Dan and Ned would go to where they could see the barn and then stop and act as backup.
When we broke out of the treeline the barn was still a good thirty yards away over an open field. If anyone was in there they would have a nice clean shot. We waited until we saw Cindy and Lawrence stop on the edge of the clearing.
I waited and listened for a few seconds. It seemed good but then what did I really expect? I didn’t think he would make a lot of noise to scare us away. I started across the clearing with Brad right beside me. We stayed low and varied our speed until we reached the side of the barn.
Sitting a few yards away was a battered car. It had obviously been used to ram into the back of the car that Lauren was driving. I could see blood and pieces of skin hanging on the front where the grill was shoved in. He must have driven it back and then took off in his own vehicle.
I looked around and saw another set of tire tracks in the dirt. They looked like they had come from a truck from the tire pattern. One of brands of all-terrain tires. We would need to get a cast so we could identify them later.
I could look around the corner and see the door had been busted open and was just hanging by one hinge. Looking around on the other side I saw a gas generator. I saw Cindy eye peek around the corner and then she stuck her head out and nodded.
“You ready?” Brad asked.
“Yep.”
We rushed around to the door and burst into the room. Two bodies hung upside down. The place was a shambles. We had a crime scene that we could actually use. No way he could have cleaned up this time.
We secured the area and the Deputy went back and told Ned and Dan. Within an hour half of the county’s sheriff’s force was in the field looking for any traces of evidence. The crime scene people looked like ants on honey. Just standing there watching, it appeared the place was being taken apart piece by piece.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
It was after midnight by the time we got back to the squad room. I spent a half hour writing out a brief report for the captain and left it on his desk. Every
one of us looked like death warmed over. We finally all said goodnight and I drove the TR home with the top down.
It was a little cool but it helped me keep from falling asleep. I don’t know what was wrong with the car this morning but it was running fine now. Then I remembered. It’s a British car, it didn’t need any reason to act up for no reason. It’s built in.
All I really wanted to do was crawl into bed but we had been tramping around in the trees and that disgusting barn so I dragged my tired butt to the bathroom and took a quick five minute shower. I didn’t even use conditioner on my hair. I stumbled into the bedroom, plopped down, and pulled the top cover over me. It may not have even settled over me before I was asleep.
I had bad dreams all night but I didn’t really want to wake up in case I couldn’t fall back asleep. When the alarm went off I really did want to hurl it across the room. Instead I got up, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror.
Bad idea. Whatever it was that was looking back at me was enough to scare the Brotherhood Of Zombies. Damn girl, you is ugly today. I had gone to bed with wet hair. Now girls, if you have ever done that you know what I’m talking about. Don’t act like you don’t. And men, you have woke up with a woman who has done that and I hope you have had the good sense to pretend you didn’t even notice. If you didn’t, you are one stupid man.
After a few minutes I looked much better. Now I just looked like hell instead of hell warmed over. I rummaged around in the refrigerator and came away with very little to show for my efforts, a sad looking orange, some wilted celery, and a hardboiled egg. I think it was hardboiled.
This is why I have coconut donuts and Diet Coke for breakfast. I can never remember to get food so the refrigerator is always empty. The only time I think about it is when I get ready to get something out of it. Too late then bozo.
I ate the celery and egg, passing on the orange. I jumped in the TR, wondering how it would perform this morning. It fired right up and I drove into the station. It was 9:02 a.m. when I sat down at my desk. I could see the captain in his office but no else had made it in yet. I was feeling pretty smug until I happened to look in the conference room and saw that they were all chomping on donuts.
“Hey Bartoni, glad you could join us. What happened to your hair?” Dan asked.
I reached for my sidearm but remembered too late it was locked in my drawer.
I picked up a donut and asked, “Anything?”
“We’re waiting. I called the lab and they said they are going all out,” Brad said.
“If we can get a name we can plaster it everywhere and eventually we will get this guy,” Ned said.
Or drive him to ground and we will never get him, I thought but didn’t say it. From the look on Brad's face he was thinking the same thing. Ten o’clock came, then 11 o’clock. We were all becoming irritated and impatient. We were saved when a pizza delivery guy showed up at 11:45.
“I could see you guys working yourselves into a frenzy. I checked with the lab just now. It will be at least two more hours,” McGregor informed us.
We chowed down on the pizza, not saying much. Each of us lost in his or her own thoughts. After my second slice I needed to get out of there. I knew it was a long shot but I decided to go to the hospital and see what was happening. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. I just went.
**
I drove my own car simply because I felt like it. I parked away from all the other cars so some jerk wouldn’t open his door into it. Why do people always do that? I just want to wring their necks.
Checking in at the information desk I found she was on the fifth floor. I took the stairs. It’s good exercise and I hate being cooped up in elevators. The nurses’ station was located just as you exited the elevator so I had to walk down the hall to find it.
“Excuse me, can you tell me what room Lauren McKnight is in?”
“I’m sorry, we have been instructed to not give out any information.”
“Really? Who gave you those orders?”
“The police. A Detective called here and said anyone giving out that information to anyone would be fired.”
“That’s not very nice,” I replied.
“Well, when you consider what that poor woman has been through, I can understand.”
“What is your name?”
She held her tag so I could see it.
“Heather, you just did the right thing. I’m Detective Bartoni and I’m the one who gave the order. I’m glad to see you are taking this so seriously.”
“I look at Lau…I mean, that poor woman and can’t even imagine what she has been through. I don’t even know how she lived through it.”
“Is she going to make it?” I asked.
“Honestly? I’m not sure.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Her doctor’s name was Melvin Slaughter. Now I don’t know about you but being a doctor and having the last name of Slaughter would not exactly inspire patients, I would think. As it turns out he was a very nice man and really straightforward.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“It’s a tough call. Whoever did this to her knew what they were doing. By that I mean they knew where to hit to inflict the maximum pain but without killing them right away. The beatings were very precisely placed. Death would have been brought on by the person simply giving in and dying. It was vicious and calculated.”
“No bones were broken or internal injuries?”
“Oh certainly she had those as well but her kidneys, spleen and heart were spared any serious trauma. She has cracked ribs, six in fact, a broken wrist, and a bone spur on her hip. She has a hairline fracture as well but I think that will mend itself in time. She will never have children again and lots of other problems.”
“You have no idea how badly I want to get this guy,” I told him.
“I think I do. I could kill him myself. Shocking isn’t it?”
“Actually it is.”
“Yes, well there comes a time when someone like this is out there and serves no useful purpose except to inflict pain. Nothing will stop this guy. He is like a pedophile. They never stop. Ever. They should just get rid of them.”
“Okay, I need to see your license,” I kidded.
“I know. It goes against everything a physician is supposed to stand for doesn’t it. I’m like that today because we have gotten so soft on criminals that there is no incentive for them to stop. Anyway, getting back to Lauren. One of the biggest obstacles is going to be her psychological wellbeing. She will eventually recover and lead a fairly normal life except for a few things. How she will handle it mentally is the real question. I have hopes for her. She is one tough lady to have survived what she went through. I read that the other two women didn’t make it.”
“No. And you are right, she is a fighter. Any idea when we will be able to talk to her. I know what I’m asking but he is still out there. He is already planning his next attack. We have to find him and stop him or he will keep doing this to other women,” I said.
“I understand. I want him caught as well but Lauren is simply not able to talk to anyone. Not even her son. We have to keep her sedated for at least the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. If we don’t we could lose her and that wouldn’t do anyone any good would it?”
“No. I don’t like it but you are right. There is a chance we will find something at the crime scene that will help us get him before he strikes again. Please, no one without proper ID and your approval is to go into that room.”
“I have given very strict orders about that. We have a security guard outside her door constantly.”
“Thank you, and oh, before I forget, Heather at the nurses’ station did an excellent job. She wouldn’t even tell me about Lauren until I showed her my badge,” I told him.
“That’s great to hear. I’ll mention it to her.”
We shook hands and I went back down the stairs.
**
Rather than go back to the st
ation and sit on my thumbs I called to see if they had anything yet. No, nothing yet. For heaven's sake, they get that information in less than a minute on any of those CSI shows. Boy, ole Gibbs would be kicking butt and taken names by now.
I walked out to my car and was just getting in when I had a premonition. Well premonition may not be exactly the right word. Epiphany? No, not exactly. House had those when he was bouncing his little ball. It was something in between De’ja vu and a forewarning. Like a De’ja warning.
A white van was parked a couple of cars from mine. Now I know there are a lot of white vans in the world. Probably more white ones than all the other colors put together but this one was ratty and something just struck me as wrong. It could have been a work van but the windows were really dark. Darker than dark.
I walked over and looked in through the windshield and could see it was like a camper but roughly done. It was the duct tape and handcuffs that made me really stop and think.
Could that bastard be here to finish the job on Lauren. Was I being a total weirdo? Probably. Should I even bother to go check it out? You bet your butt. I ran across the lot and headed for the stairs.
People were stopping and watching me as I pulled the door open and raced up to the fifth floor. Heather looked up in shock when she saw me racing down the hall.
“What room is Lauren in?”
“Is this a test?”
“No. Where is she?”
“545. End of the hall, turn right, third room on the right,” she said.
“Call 911, call security, call the national guard and anyone else you can think of and have them get here immediately,” I yelled racing down the hall.
I was puffing by the time I turned the corner. Hey, it was a long hall.
The guard on the door looked up startled and started to pull his gun out.
“Easy. Police,” I said filliping out my badge.
“What’s going on?” he stammered.
“Has anyone tried to get past you. Get into 545?” I asked.
“A nurse about an hour ago. I checked her ID and picture,” he said and picked up his clipboard and looked at it.
WHAT GOES AROUND - ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILE #4 (ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILES Book 1) Page 12