by Mitch Goth
After contacting the Texan authorities about what was found, an excited yet still idled Kellen knew what she had to do next. She would more than likely be knocked down a few pegs for not doing it sooner. But no matter what, she was running on too much success to be brought down very far. She took the few step journey from her desk to the open doorway of her boss's office.
She gave the doorframe a few small knocks and a grumbling voice told her to enter. Kellen went into the office to see her boss, ASAC Don Koltzer, leaning over his desk scribbling his way though paperwork. He looked up at her with his familiar indifferent, graying, mustachioed face and gave a rumbling sigh.
"What's the story, Kellen?" he inquired. He took an opportunity to lean back in his chair and rub at his balding scalp. "Anything new with the hick killer?"
"Actually, sir," Kellen sat down across from him, small smile drawn on her face, "we just got a big break."
“Oh really?” Don leaned back over his desk. “Did the cops down there muster up enough skill to produce some evidence?”
“Well, actually, it was all us. I had the tech department down the hall scour through all the security footage from parking lots and campground cameras. We came across an RV that was parked at a Wal-Mart not far from the kidnapping site. It hung around for three days before the disappearance, and just vanished within hours of the estimated time of kidnapping.”
"How can we be one hundred percent that this wasn’t just some rather unlucky Wal-Mart hopper?”
“They checked back to footage around previous murder sites. Two so far had the same thing. This one RV hung around for only a few days before the kidnappings, then it just vanishes. Two weeks after that, a body pops up. Sir, I think this is it.”
“Normally I would tell you to slow down, and pace this before anything happens too quickly. But this sounds promising. What’s your next plan of action?”
“There’s a lot of steps now, I’m just taking them one at a time, I guess.”
“Well I’m proud of you.” Don congratulated in his gruff tone, leaning back in his chair. “I just want to know how you came up with that? Who would’ve thought about campgrounds and parking lots? Especially with nothing else around to go on.”
“Actually...” Kellen mumbled. “It wasn’t my idea. We got a tip about it.”
“A tip? Like from a witness? Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“Not a witness, sir.” Kellen took another moment of pause. “It was someone rather odd.”
“We’re not in the business beating around the bush, Kellen. Where’d this tip come in from?”
“It was a letter from Texas Maximum Security Penitentiary."
“A prison?” Don scoffed. “This tip came from a prison? Who the hell sent it in?”
“A man named Ezra Grazer. Our databases say he’s been locked up there for five years.”
“Jesus Christ.” Don hissed. She could see it in his face that he recalled the name. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? This is something I need to be informed of. What does he know anyway? Was he a cellmate of the killer or something?”
“Already ran that, sir. Ezra Grazer has had a single cell for his entire sentence.”
“Well we need to figure out what he knows, and why he knows it.”
“The Texan authorities will be looking into it soon.”
“I don’t think so.” Don shook that off right away. “We’re not leaving that shit up to those people. I want you to go down there and look into it yourself.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kellen feared this would happen all along, but she was still struck when it came to fruition. “Why?”
“Let me ask you a question.” Don leaned as far over the desk as he could. “How did that letter get to you? Was it sent through the grapevine, or was it addressed to you?”
“Addressed to me."
“Go to Texas,” Don ordered. “Leave tomorrow. Figure this out. Find Ezra Grazer. Find out everything he knows and how he knows it all.”
“Okay.” Kellen nodded. “I told the Texans to keep it away from the press for now.”
“Good. I don’t want anyone to know that some psychopath was the one to catch this killer. It will be law enforcement, not him, whoever he is.”
“All right.” Kellen let out a groan. “I suppose I should pack then.”
“Damn right, and don’t take too long down there. We need you here too."
“I’m trying my best to be in two places at once. It’s not working well."
“Oh, and Kellen,” Don called to her before she departed. “If I know prolific serial killers like I think I do, don’t get too close.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.” Kellen sighed before heading out of the room.
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