“Detective, this is Loni Chen,” Banyon told her.
“I’m his wife,” Loni quickly added, blinking her eyes. Loni was already jealous of the pretty detective. She became insanely jealous whenever another pretty woman crossed Banyon’s vision.
“Pleased to meet you,” Detective Taylor responded, but didn’t extend her hand or even look up and didn’t give her name. The room was suddenly filled with tension. Banyon wondered if it had to do with Loni, Chase or had something else happened.
“Is anything new?” Banyon quickly asked to break down the barriers. “Loni is a qualified detective and part of my team. You can talk freely in front of her.”
“Two things are new, Colt,” Haleigh Taylor replied in a professional manner. This brought steam from Loni’s ears. She didn’t like that the competitor called Banyon by his first name.
“My, we are so informal,” Loni spat out dripping with sarcasm. Both men recognized the implied threat.
Detective Taylor ignored her comment. “There have been two more murders in our prison system.”
“We need to stop the inmates from getting any more mail until we figure this case out,” Banyon said as an order.
“We have already put a lockdown on any mail to the inmates. So far we haven’t intercepted any more books either, but the dead inmates may have already been in possession of the books,” she said told him. “We just don’t know.”
“Maybe the murderer has stopped sending out any new books,” Banyon interjected. “They must know the police would catch up with them eventually. Or maybe he is just taking a rest, or maybe they are about to try another tactic.” That sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room.
“That could be true,” the detective replied thoughtfully. She then hesitated for a few seconds. “We also have found some new evidence.”
“Well that’s good news, tell us,” Banyon pleaded.
“When we examined the FedEx packaging found in the dead woman’s home, we found something interesting.”
“Just tell us already,” Loni barked out. To Loni, Detective Taylor was being overly dramatic.
“We found a small hole in the package. It was definitely made by a syringe. But we haven’t found anything on the inside of the package or the book. Whatever was injected has disappeared.”
“That’s interesting,” Banyon noted. “Where on the package was the injection made?” Banyon asked.
“It was made right through the packing slip. That’s why we didn’t see it at first,” she told him.
Banyon thought for a second. “That means that whatever was injected into the packages has the ability to dissipate into the air. It sounds like an exotic poison that was meant to disappear after the package was opened and the victims were infected.”
“That’s our thinking also,” she admitted, as she looked at him. Banyon thought it was curious that it took her several seconds to reply. He wondered if that was the whole truth. Was she holding back something, he thought.
“I think there is something that you are not telling us. What is it?” Banyon asked. “How can we help you if you hold back information?”
The detective appeared nervous, and to be mulling over a decision. “This information can’t leave the room,” she stated flatly.
“Okay,” Banyon responded as he looked at Loni who nodded her head. “We can keep a secret.”
Detective Taylor then looked at Chase Sandborn. “I’m his lawyer. I can’t reveal anything we discuss.”
She nodded her head and then spoke very rapidly. “The pathologists are telling us that the murdered victims appear to have all the symptoms of some sort of biological plague. They are handling these murders like a possible bio-hazard disaster. The federal authorities are being called in.”
“A plague,” Loni repeated and shuttered. “But that means that millions could die, couldn’t they?”
“I’m afraid so,” the detective replied. “We don’t know much about plagues in the police department. This case will be in government hands now.”
“But Colt knows about plagues, don’t you?” Loni squeaked out. “He studies history all the time.” She looked at him to urge him to talk. He shrugged his shoulders and began to fill them in on plagues.
“There have been many plagues throughout history. They are usually caused by a virus or bacteria that the body has no resistance to stop, or very low resistance to control. When they become widespread scientists call them pandemics. The largest and most devastating plague was called the Black Death. It started around 1346 and killed off anywhere from 30-60% of the population in Europe. It started the Dark Ages.”
“What if that happens again?” Loni asked with alarm.
“The World Health Organization is the watchdog for possible pandemics. They also control the antidotes available to stop them. We are a little more prepared today,” Banyon told her to make her felt a bit more comfortable.
“But there have been other pandemics, right?” Chase asked.
“The Aztecs were nearly wiped out by the small pox virus. It had been brought to the new world by the Spanish conquistadors who were immune to the small pox virus because it had been in Europe for hundreds of years. Their bodies had built up resistance.
“In fact, in the twentieth century, a smallpox plague killed over 300 million people worldwide. Then there was the ‘The Third Pandemic’ in China. It lasted for over a hundred years and only ended in the nineteen-fifties. While it was confined to mostly rural China and parts of India, millions of people perished before the Chinese were able to subdue it. The bubonic plague was the culprit there.
“In the early nineteen hundreds there was the ‘1918 flu pandemic’ which is sometimes referred to as the Spanish flu. It killed more than 75 million people, many in the United States. The numbers might be understated as wartime censors minimized the reports.
“How can so many people die?” Loni asked.
“These viruses can move very quickly and sometimes mutate, making them very hard to kill.” Banyon replied as he shook his head.
“How do people usually become infected?” Loni now asked. “I mean are the viruses in the water, the air or in animals.”
“They are everywhere,” Banyon replied sadly. “Viruses have been around longer than any other living creature,” Banyon said. “Scientists know that some are millions of years old. They are very resilient. They travel through a host. It could be a person, a fly, rodents, water, the air, or almost anything that contains organic material. The virus goes where the host goes. When it finds a new uninfected host, it jumps to it and infects the new host as well. Viruses have an immense capacity to propagate.”
“But so far only a few people have died from this toxin,” Loni responded. “If this is a virus why haven’t more people died?”
“This virus may die when the host dies. If it has no more food to use as fuel it will die. The people who died so far from this virus have been all alone. It could be pure luck that no one else has become infected.”
“And you think that someone is attempting to spread a plague?” Detective Taylor asked as she shifted nervously in her chair.
“Here is what I think,” Banyon said. “I now think that there is more than one person involved in these murders,” Banyon reasoned. “Whether it is a plague or some sort of poison, is for someone else to decide. In either case, they must be stopped.”
“That’s our thinking too. But why do you think that?” She quickly asked to get his opinion.
“Why inject something into the closed package, when you could apply it before you sealed it,” he answered. “I believe that at least one more person is involved and they are injecting the packages after they are mailed.”
“Somebody else is definitely involved then,” the Chase Sanborn yelled out and pounded the table top.
“Did you check for fingerprints on the package?” Banyon quickly asked the young detective.
“Another dead end there, I’m afraid.” Detective Taylo
r announced with a little annoyance. “There are plenty of fingerprints belonging to the local FedEx people and from their main distribution center in Chicago. We have already cleared most of them, but we haven’t found any that are common or suspect.”
Banyon thought for a few seconds. “But you haven’t found any fingerprints from a FedEx pickup driver, right?”
“How did you know?” The Detective asked.
“It kind of makes sense doesn’t it,” he responded. “The injections had to take place after the books were mailed. We already know the shipping labels were attached. The pickup driver or drivers are the logical suspects.
“But in today’s world many FedEx employees wear plastic gloves. That could explain the lack of prints,” Haleigh Taylor explained. “Or maybe the killer dropped the packages off at the main distribution center or even a local store.”
“I doubt that they dropped them in a public place,” Banyon said. “It would be too dangerous, someone might remember them dropping off a lot of books and there could be surveillance cameras.”
“I agree,” she commented as she made some notes. “That is my thinking too.”
Banyon then asked. “Can you check and see what time the packages first appeared in the FedEx record? They keep lots of records.”
“How would that help?” Loni inquired with a furrowed brow.
“The drivers pick up packages from the company stores and FedEx drop boxes on a set schedule every day. The packages they have collected are immediately scanned into the system by the driver when they pick them up. When the pickup drivers arrive at the main center, they have to clock in. All the data is already downloaded. If we know when the packages were first scanned, we could check the logs to see the names of the last couple of drivers that brought them in. It would give us the area of the city where the packages were mailed and possibly the killer,” Banyon explained.
“I think the person doing the injections might work for FedEx,” Loni suddenly blurted out.
“Worth a try,” the young blond said and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. I want more ideas.”
“Good thinking, Colt,” Chase said with admiration. Banyon instead of accepting the compliment showed a frown on his rugged face. He was wondering whether Detective Taylor’s people were working on anything other than the ideas he continuously gave them. She had told him she was stuck with a case she didn’t want to work on. He wondered if she was getting full cooperation from anyone else on the force, or was she working alone. And there was another thing that concerned Colton Banyon.
“Something bothers me about finding the killer though,” Banyon suddenly broadcasted to the room.
“What’s that, Colt,” Loni asked.
“Well, this is a sophisticated, well-planned, murder spree. These are not random killings. The perpetrators did a lot of planning and have a lethal weapon which is currently untraceable. We can’t even find out who is placing the orders for the books. Everything about this case borders on the edge of impossible and smacks of good preparation. What doesn’t make any sense to me is why the killer, or killers, punched holes in a package using a common syringe to distribute the disease.”
“Yeah!” Loni exclaimed. “You would think they would have come up with a more exotic way to apply the toxin to the books. Hell, we don’t even know if it is a poison or a virus plague.” Loni gestured wildly with her arms to emphasis the point.
“Does that tell us anything?” Chase wondered. “Could this be the one fatal error that all criminals make?”
“It might,” Banyon replied as his hand went to his chin in thought. “You know, this case has all the ear markings of a classic spy thriller novel,” he told them. “I’ve read about mysteries like this before. I think the actual killer is a ‘cutout’.”
“What’s a cutout?” Chase Sandborn asked.
“They’re a dupe. Whoever is masterminding this operation wants to remain invisible, so they use someone who has no connection to them to do the work. Instructions are usually communicated by dead drop or disguised phone calls. If, or rather when, the dupe is caught they won’t be able to give up the mastermind.”
“That’s very clever but why would someone allow themselves to become a cutout? I mean, it seems like a dangerous thing,” Loni asked.
“Usually, these people have something to gain by being a cutout. They might think what they are doing is no big deal, or they are being blackmailed, or are doing it for the money. This is exactly how the communists worked, and before them, the Germans. Our killer’s mode of operations utilizes classic spy-craft techniques.”
Thinking out loud, Chase speculated. “Maybe the person sending the books is different from the one injecting the books and is also a cutout.”
“That seems likely too,” Banyon replied without much emotion. “All this work could lead us to just another dead end.”
“I wish we had a way to get us some answers,” Chase blurted out.
“Colt, don’t you need to go to the bathroom or something?” Loni asked as she attempted to nudge him to talk to Wolf.
“I don’t think it would help,” he replied sadly.
Chapter Fourteen
B
anyon, Loni, and Chase Sandborn sat at the metal table in the police substation — thinking about the murders. Once again there was a knock at the door and it opened. This time two men entered the room.
When Loni looked up her eyes brightened. “Hello Steve,” she quickly said. Steve Pellegrino was the head of security for Dewey & Beatem. He knew Loni and Banyon for several years. He had been involved in four of their other mysteries. He also had a thing for the exotic Loni Chen.
“Hey, babe,” he replied, and rushed to give her a hug. It appeared to be more than a friendly hug to Banyon.
The other man stood silently in the doorway. Today he looked like a lawyer. He was dressed in a shiny black suit and dark black wingtip shoes. “Get me up to speed,” he said tensely as an order.
“Mr. Longwood? Is that you?” Chase started but was brushed off with a raise of the man’s hand.
“No last names in here,” the man said with a gruff tone.
Chase quickly stood to shake the Managing Partner’s hand. He once again removed his hat.
“Bart, is that you? What are you doing here?” Banyon had seen Bart Longwood in many disguises, but never as a lawyer. He wondered if this was his real persona or was there another reason why he was dressed that way.
“My college roommate is interested in these inmate murders. He wants you on the clock,” Bart said cryptically and pointed to Banyon. Colton Banyon knew exactly what Bart was saying. Bart’s college roommate was none other than the President of the United States. On the clock meant that the President was willing to pay to have this mystery solved. Banyon also knew that Bart was already counting the money that could be made from the government contract. He wondered why the President wanted him involved.
“We are working on the case right now,” Banyon told Bart defensively. “Why is he interested?”
“It appears that the ACLU has caught wind of the murders,” Bart announced to everyone. The President doesn’t know how they found out about the murders, but they are planning a news conference in one hour. The ACLU believes that someone is systematically killing citizens and they don’t feel that the government is protecting the rights of the targeted inmates. They want action.”
“He’s worried about Aryan assholes on Death Row?” Loni was beside herself with anger. “Doesn’t he have anything better to do, like reduce the federal debt?”
“His advisors believe something much bigger is involved,” Bart replied.
“What do they think is going on?” Loni quickly asked.
“I don’t want to talk here,” Bart said as he pointed to the cameras in the room. “But let’s just say that it involves National Security.”
“Oh!” Loni exclaimed with her mouth forming a perfect circle.
Chapter Fifteen
; A
t that very second, Detective Haleigh Taylor stormed into the room and slammed the door with both hands. She didn’t carry a folder this time. She appeared to be very upset. She didn’t notice the additional people in the crowded room either. She sat down at the table and covered her face with her hands.
“Haleigh, what is wrong?” Chase quickly asked.
“I’ve just come from a meeting with my captain,” she all but screamed. “He’s taken me off the case,” she sobbed. Tears were clearly visible as they dropped to the metal table. Her slender body shook with emotion. Chase moved to her side and began to comfort her by stroking her hair.
“What happened?” he asked softly.
“He called me into his office and told me I was off the case, that’s all. No reason was given. But I know that it is because I’m incompetent.” She moaned between sobs. “The only reason that I’m here is to tell you that you have to leave the building. That’s my assignment now — to sweep up.”
“I’m so sorry,” Banyon let out. “I thought we were making real progress thanks to your work.”
“I tried so hard, but couldn’t get anybody to help me from the beginning,” she said sadly between sobs. “Once my fellow officers found out that the murder case I was working on revolved around Death Row inmates, they suddenly had better things to do. I have done almost all the work by myself.” She lamented.
“You did all this researching by yourself?” Banyon asked incredulously.
“All I had for help was a part-time rookie who just wanted to look at my ass,” she spat out vehemently.
“That would make me do the work myself too,” Loni admitted.
“Detective Taylor, I want you to know that I thought you did an excellent job,” Banyon added.
No one said anything for a few seconds as the young woman sat at the desk sobbing. “What if I told you that you are not off the case,” Bart suddenly said. He then made a call on his cell phone.
A Dubious Device: The Nanobot Terror (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 10) Page 5