[Kate Reid 01.0 - 03.0] Unbound

by Robin Mahle

  “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 willing 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 toward 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 toward 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 a
t 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 with 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.

  “So where are we headed now?” Katie asked from the passenger seat of Nick’s rental car.

  “I’m going to drop you off at the station. I’ll need to head back here and put a call into Myers to get whatever we can on Branson and have her meet me here. We’ll have to brief the ASAC. Agent Jameson is heading up this evening after he finishes in Phoenix. We’re going to find out where this Lewis Branson lives and have a little chat with him.”

  Katie had seen that look on Agent Scarborough’s face before. It was as if the fate of the next victim rested solely on his shoulders.

  17

  SHAUN HUDSON SHIFTED in the fifth-row seat of his lecture class on Pre-World War II European History. He would have preferred to stay home today, playing Call of Duty on his Xbox, but missing another class might get him kicked out. And if he got kicked out, he would lose his job at the Admin Building.

  His mind was preoccupied with Edward Shalot. Shaun wondered how long it would take for the FBI and the San Diego Police Department to find out that he’d taken a payoff to hand over Katie Reid’s file to Shalot, if they hadn’t known already. It would only take the question to be presented to Shalot and he would rat out Shaun. Why wouldn’t he? He was being held for murder and possibly could be connected to more than one. Why not take someone else down with him? This had all gotten out of hand and Shaun needed a way out.

  He knew Edward’s curiosity about Katie Reid verged on the obsessed. It seemed every time they hung out, he was always mentioning her in some capacity. He should have known then. But, he needed the money. He’d lost his ass in that poker game and Ty wanted to get paid. What choice did Shaun have?

  Only now, sitting in the uncomfortable seat, he felt bound by guilt. Katie wasn’t the type of woman to allow herself to get swept up in the likes of Edward Shalot. Even if she had been attracted to him, it would only take her finding out what they were into and she’d have been out the door in no time.

  Still, it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. Lindsay Brown was dead, Edward was in some FBI holding cell, waiting to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing her and here Shaun was, listening to the professor speak of a time of conspiracies, spies, and the rise of a man who had once been an artist, but was about to become the most evil human being the world had ever known.

  His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he reached inside to silence the call. A few of his classmates cast disapproving looks in his direction. Most of his friends knew he was in class and so he was sure it was someone unknown to him.

  At the end of the session, Shaun gathered his belongings and headed outside into the cool midday air. He retrieved his phone to find out the identity of the caller who’d interrupted his class. The ID said unknown, but there was a voicemail.

  Shaun began down the concrete path toward his afternoon job in records, holding the phone to his ear to listen to the message. He closed his eyes as the message came, just as he expected it would.

  The idea of leaving town now seemed very appealing, but they would most certainly find him. His gambling habit had gotten him into this and now he wished he’d never met Lewis Branson.

  Agent Myers stood outside the door where Scarborough was meeting with the ASAC. The man behind the desk, ASAC Newland, tossed a glance her way, signaling she had permission to enter.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Myers began, “but we got a hit on Lewis Branson.” She tossed a file on the desk, the contents of which spilled out in front of the men. “The man’s been arrested for sexual assault and served time in Englewood, Colorado in 2006, served time in Roederer, outside Louisville, prior to that on a drugs charge in 2002, and has been living in Oceanside since 2013.”

  Scarborough looked to Myers. “Is it me, or does it seem like this guy lived near a few of our victims at one time or another?”

  “Maybe he started up smaller groups of followers, moving on to begin other ones as he found his next home?” ASAC Newland replied.

  “Our partners at San Diego PD came across this as well,” Myers continued, flipping through the file and retrieving information on multiple websites. “These are essentially online communities for the followers to connect with one another. Although there seems to be no one in particular they reference as the leader, many of them defer to Lewis Branson for decisions on where to hold meetings and events. Branson does appear to be the de facto leader of the group.”

  Scarborough continued to study the information. “Let’s get Detective Gibbons to take a trip up to Oceanside with us and catch up to Mr. Branson.”

  The evidence collected at Lindsay Brown’s home had all been catalogued. Katie turned in her report to CSI Sanderson. “Everything’s in the system now,” she said, handing him the printouts. “Here’s the chain of custody as well.”

  “Thank you, Katie.” Sanderson looked up from his computer monitor in the lab. “I understand you’ve been assisting the FBI on this matter as well?”

  “Unfortunately, it turns out that I happened to have a class with the suspect. They thought I might be of use, that’s all,” Katie replied.

  “Well, I’m sure your assistance was appreciated.”

  Katie smiled and started to leave.

  “Will you be pursuing a position here in the lab when you finish your schooling? You know, there’s a great deal of detective work involved here too,” Sanderson told her.

  “I haven’t decided just yet.” She turned to reply.

  “If you do, I’d be more than happy to have you on the CSU. Just keep that in mind.
”

  “I will, and thank you.” Katie headed back toward her cubicle to log out and go home. It was approaching six o’clock already and, frankly, after seeing Shalot again, she thought a drink might be order.

  “You heading out for class?” Detective Gibbons caught up with Katie in the hall.

  “Not tonight.”

  “You know, Scarborough and his team found out where Lewis Branson lives. I’m riding up with them to Oceanside tomorrow morning. I guess the guy works at some warehouse, for a brewer, I think; not sure. Anyway, we’re gonna have a word with him. They say he’s served time and lived near where some of the victims had been found.”

  Katie felt as though she had done the best she could today and now it was likely that her time was up. Myers had been working with other agents to corroborate her findings, and now they would be able to talk to Branson in hopes he might give them some names. Shalot wouldn’t be getting out at all by the looks of things and now the only piece of information they needed was Marc’s source and Gibbons was all over that.

  “Sounds like it should be an interesting conversation. Probably not coincidental that the guy lived near some of the same locations as the victims.”

  Gibbons continued beside her as they approached her cubicle. “Not really, no. They think that he may have started groups of followers in those areas.”

  “It’s curious, though, that there’s nothing I found in my research that would indicate a tendency for violence in any form from those who follow Discordianism. It doesn’t seem to make sense.”

  “You’re right.” Gibbons leaned an arm over the top of her cube wall. “There’s something else at play here. We’re all hoping Branson can shed some light on it.”

  Katie shut down her computer and grabbed her things. “I’d better get going. Marshall and I are going to actually try to have dinner out tonight.”