Roman

by K. J. Dahlen

  “You said this murder fit in with a string of murders going back fifteen years. Do you know the killer’s name?” Mack asked.

  “His name is Professor Cooper Hudson,” Cade told him. “Where and how was this body found?”

  Steve looked at Mack and nodded. “She was found by a jogger, in the park. She was buried in a shallow grave near a monument. The jogger could clearly see the orange linen through the light covering of leaves and debris.”

  Cade looked at Elliot then back at Mack.

  Mack frowned and asked, “What is it?”

  “I think our killer is getting braver. He always hid his kills better before. Some of them weren’t found for years,” Cade explained.

  “You don’t think this is his way of taunting the police do you?” Mack asked.

  “How would this be taunting the police?” Elliot asked.

  “Sort of his way of saying, ‘Here I am, catch me if you can’…” Mack remarked.

  “I don’t think so.” Cade shook his head. “He wouldn’t have known we were onto him until yesterday at the earliest. Unknowingly, we spoke to his mother in Quincy, Massachusetts. We think his first kill was in Boston, fifteen years ago.”

  “We have plans to go back to Boston and talk with her again when we leave here,” Elliot added.

  “Keep me in the loop on this one?” Mack asked. “Do you know why he takes the victim’s head?”

  “We think he’s keeping them, almost like a souvenir,” Jerah said. “In fact, that’s the only way he changes the routine of mummifying his victims. He’s following the way the priests mummified the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. His first attempts aren’t as good as his later ones but with each one he gets just a little better.”

  Mack glanced at the victim again and asked, “How many does this make?”

  Jerah sighed heavily. “Leaha is the eleventh victim we’ve found. God only knows how many victims we haven’t found yet.”

  “Then Godspeed in finding him and stopping him,” Steve said. “From what I found, she was alive when he cut her open.”

  Jerah nodded. “That too, is part of his routine.”

  “I also think he moved her. Where she was found was not where she was originally buried,” Steve informed them. “We found evidence that her earlier grave was deeper in a wooded area.”

  “This is one sick individual.” Mack shook his head.

  ~* * * *~

  An hour and a half later, they were in James Kingston office in Boston. When they showed him the new information on Cooper Hudson, he was astounded. “She failed to mention this connection yesterday, didn’t she?” he asked as he read Cade’s new evidence.

  “Yes, she did,” Cade replied. “I wonder why?”

  James shot him a look of annoyance. “I think we should go see her again, don’t you?”

  “This time, I think we should get a search warrant,” Cade replied. “I want to have a look in the buildings she told us held her inventory. If she’s making the jars and Ankhs, she must have some sort of records. Maybe if we can find out exactly how many sets she made, we’ll know how many victims there really are. We just came from Richmond where another victim was just found. She is number eleven that we know about.”

  “And what did the police there think of the killer?” James asked.

  “He thought maybe this was the killer saying, catch me,” Elliot told him.

  “Interesting thought but do you think that’s what’s going on here?” James asked.

  Cade shook his head. “No I don’t. I think our killer needs privacy to do what he does.”

  “I agree.” James nodded. “Somehow with this one, he got sloppy.”

  “No not sloppy…” Cade said. “The Medical Examiner thought she had been moved after death. I think for some reason, Cooper knows we’re on to him and he thinks he’s smarter than we are. I think he’s taunting us.”

  “He might be ready to spring a trap, is that what you think?” James asked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “No it makes perfect sense,” Elliot spoke up. “He knows there is someone out there that is figuring out the truth and he wants to know how much we know. He might have figured out his secret was out when he lost a jar fifteen years ago. But no one came forward back then, so he knew he was safe. Now all of a sudden, the jar is found and we’re beginning to ask the right questions.”

  “Whatever it is, we need some answers.” James shook his head. “Shall we go have another chat with our artist?”

  “We borrowed a car from the airport,” Cade told him. “But we’ll follow you out there.”

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled into Gretchen Hawks’ driveway. There was no sign of anyone on the property and as they walked up to the front door, they saw a shadow move away from the door.

  James knocked on the mantle and it took Gretchen a few minutes to answer the door.

  When she saw who was on her doorstep she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”

  “We have more questions,” James informed her.

  “I think I answered all your questions the first time you came here.”

  “We have uncovered new information,” Cade said.

  Gretchen turned to him. “What kind of new information?”

  “We have identified a serial killer and it turns out he’s your son, Cooper Hudson,” Cade replied.

  Gretchen’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “What did you say?” she whispered.

  “Why didn’t you tell us the man ordering set of your jars was your own son?” Elliot asked.

  “Cooper had nothing to do with this,” Gretchen argued.

  “Oh, he had everything to do with this,” Cade retorted.

  “You’re wrong. Cooper wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

  “Do you want to know how those women died?” Jerah asked. “He ripped them open from throat to pelvis while they were still alive. He drained their blood, then removed their organs. He used the jars you created to store bits and pieces of his victims and then before he wrapped them, he cut off their heads to keep as trophies. Your son is one very sick bastard.”

  Gretchen shook her head. “No, the boy I raised wouldn’t have done all of that. That sounds more like his father than Cooper. I could see Flynn doing something as evil as this but not Cooper.”

  “And you didn’t know any of this right?” Cade sneered.

  Gretchen stared at him. “No I didn’t know anything about this. Cooper hasn’t lived with me for quite some time.”

  “What kind of man was Flynn?” Jerah asked.

  Gretchen turned to stare at her. Crossing her arms in front of her she said, “Flynn was a monster wrapped in the guise of gentleman. He was good looking and he had a way of making a woman feel very important to him. A woman didn’t stand a chance against him, when he was sober that is. When he was drinking or smoking drugs, he turned into another person altogether. The demons he was hiding inside him came out into the open then.”

  “What kind of demons?” Cade asked.

  “Flynn has a dark side,” Gretchen admitted. “He thinks he’s invincible when his dark side comes out. There isn’t anything he’s afraid to do when he’s under the influence.”

  “Are you saying Flynn committed these murders and not Cooper?” Elliot asked.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” Gretchen said. “Flynn is more the type. I just can’t believe Cooper would do something like that.”

  “Have you had any contact with your son lately?” James asked.

  Gretchen glanced at him and shook her head. “It’s been a while since Cooper called me. He’s a grown man and I guess I don’t expect him to check in with me. He’s a busy man you know. His career keeps him going from place to place.”

  James reached into his file and pulled out a drawing of Cooper. “Tell me something, is this your husband or your son?”

  Gretchen took the drawing and looked it over carefully. She looked at him and said, “This is C
ooper. Do you know the artist? How did she draw this?”

  “How do you know a woman drew this?” Jerah wanted to know.

  “The lines are too soft for a man to have drawn it.” She looked at the drawing again and said, “I know I’ve seen this artist’s work before. I wish I could remember her name.”

  Cade snatched the drawing from her hands. “Whoever drew it doesn’t matter.” He folded the drawing and tucked it into his own pocket. He turned to glare at James Kingston.

  “Miss Hawks, I’m afraid you’ll have to come back to Boston with me for more questions,” James told her.

  “But how can you hold me responsible for action of another?” Gretchen asked. “I didn’t have anything to do with these murders.”

  “No, but right now, you’re all we have as far as a person of interest.” He moved behind her and cuffed her hands behind her back.

  “Why are you arresting me if you think Cooper did this thing?” she protested as she struggled to get free.

  “Because I think you know more than you’re saying and I’m all done playing your game. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford defense, the court will appoint one for you. Do you understand the rights as I have outlined them?”

  Gretchen merely glared at him.

  James glanced over at Cade. “I’ll take her back to Boston and let you know what I find out.”

  Cade nodded. “We’re going to make another stop before we head home but we should be back this evening.”

  They watched as James led Gretchen to his car then they went to their own vehicle. “I thought you wanted to search the house and other buildings?” Jerah reminded him.

  Cade shook his head. “I did but maybe this will work out better. If Gretchen is out of play, maybe Flynn and Cooper will come out of hiding. Let’s get on the road to Sunbury and then home.”

  ~* * * *~

  As they were walking back to their vehicle they missed seeing the curtains part or the eyes that followed them as their car drove around the driveway and out to the highway.

  Flynn turned to his son and growled. “Your mother better not tell them we were here.”

  Cooper looked at his father. “Don’t worry about Mom, she knows when and how to keep her mouth shut.” He chuckled then added, “Although, she completely threw you under the bus.”

  “I did notice that thank you very much for pointing it out. Damn,” Flynn swore. “We have to get to her before they get back to Boston. We can’t get her out once she’s there.”

  “Let’s go then,” Cooper replied.

  Chapter Ten

  It was much later that night when Cade, Elliot and Jerah got back to the Rivers Foundation. It was a tired bunch that exited the car. They were surprised when the door opened and their big brother Aaron joined them.

  “What in the world brings you down here?” Cade asked as they shook hands.

  “I received a call from the warden at the prison where Brock Daniels was sitting on death row.”

  Cade froze. “You say that like something happened to the man?” It was more a question that a statement.

  “Daniels is dead,” Aaron told his younger brother.

  After a long moment of silence Cade asked, “How did that happen?”

  “He faked a stroke and when they were taking him to the infirmary he suddenly came around and tried to escape. The guards had to take him down before he could get away. At the same time in the lunchroom, three other prisoners started a food fight. For a time, there was chaos at the prison then when they got everything back to normal and the prisoners back in their cells they found five dead. Daniels was one of them.”

  “How did he die?” Cade asked.

  “During the struggle to subdue him, he got a hold of a shive. He stabbed a guard but the guard managed to turn the shive on him. The shive went into his chest and he bled to death.”

  “Are you sure he’s really dead?” Cade whispered.

  Aaron frowned at him.

  “I want to see his body,” Cade said.

  “Why? What difference will that make?”

  “I want to see for myself that he’s dead. I want to see his dead body so I know this nightmare is finally over. I need that and only that for closure.”

  Aaron nodded. After everything the man had put his brother through, he didn’t blame him. “When Warden Kristler called me earlier today, he said they were shipping the body to the Goldsboro Medical Examiner. He said the name was Paul Walder.”

  Cade looked over at Jerah. “Find out Walder’s phone number. I want to talk to the man, and get the number for the warden’s office.”

  Jerah went inside leaving the brothers alone. Aaron stared at Elliot then at Cade. “I don’t know what you expect to find. Daniels couldn’t have gotten out of there alive.”

  “I’m not saying he did. I just want to make sure he’s really dead.”

  Jerah stepped out a few minutes later and handed Cade a slip of paper. On the paper were two phone numbers. Cade motioned for her to hang on a minute. When he dialed the first number, he asked for Paul Walder.

  “Mr. Walker, this is Cade Rivers. I’m calling to inquire about the body of Brock Daniels.”

  “I’m sorry Mr. Rivers, but I don’t have a body here with that name.”

  “He would have come in from the prison earlier today,” Cade said.

  After a pause, Paul told him, “I’m sorry but I don’t have his body. I didn’t get a transport from the prison today, nor was I notified I was getting one. Is there a problem here?”

  “Not one you can do anything about but thanks.” Cade cut the call off. He glanced at Aaron and Elliot. “Goldsboro never got the body.” He looked at the paper again and dialed the second number. It was a direct line into Warden Kristler’s office. When he answered the call Cade told him, “This is Cade Rivers. You called my brother Aaron this morning about the death of an inmate Brock Daniels.”

  “Of course Mr. Rivers, what can I do for you?” Mike Kristler asked.

  “Can you tell me where you sent Brock Daniels after his death?”

  “We sent him to the Goldsboro Medical Examiner’s office. I told your brother all of this, hours ago.”

  “I know you did, but I just called Paul Walder and he doesn’t have Daniels body yet.”

  “How can he not have the body yet? It’s only a two hour trip. His body left here shortly after noon.”

  “I don’t know, but he said the body never showed up.” Cade hesitated for a moment then said, “I’m going to contact the police on this end. I suggest you start on your end and meet them somewhere in the middle.”

  “I’ll get a team out right now. We’ll get back to you as soon as we know anything.”

  “Thank you Warden.” Cade cut the call and looked at his brothers. “Kristler is getting a team out looking for the transport wagon now. We have to contact the police and head them toward the prison. Hopefully they’ll meet somewhere and find the bus.”

  Elliot watched as Cade stepped away from the group. He glanced toward Aaron. “I wonder what the hell went wrong?”

  “I’m not sure.” He looked around. “How is the case coming? Briar sort of filled me in while I was waiting for you to return.”

  “We’re hunting a real bastard this time,” Elliot told him. “He’s been killing for over fifteen years. We have two witnesses but we’re getting a handle on the case.”

  “So I understand.” Aaron nodded. “I also hear Briar is back in Cade’s good graces now. How the hell did that happen?”

  “That is a long story which I will gladly tell you about some night over a good stiff drink, but not tonight,” Elliot told him.

  Cade came back and they went inside. Briar, Quinn and the others were already going over what they found out today. Twenty minutes later, Cade’s phone rang. “Rivers.”

  “Mr. Rivers, this is Warden Kristler.”

  “Did
you find him?” Cade wanted to know.

  “We found the transport vehicle. But Brock Daniels was gone. He murdered the driver and the intern and escaped.”

  Cade’s fingers tightened on the phone in his hand. “You said he was dead. How the hell can a dead man murder two people?”

  “We asked the doctor who proclaimed him dead, the same question,” Kristler told him. “He said Daniels threatened to have his family murdered if he didn’t help him escape. He said Daniels had already kidnapped his grandchild and threatened to send him pieces of the child until there was nothing left.”

  “How long ago did your men die?” Cade asked. He caught his brothers’ attention and everyone was waiting for answers.

  “The coroner says less than four hours ago.”

  “Damn, he could be anywhere by now,” Cade commented.

  “There is something else you need to know,” Kristler told him.

  “What else could there be?” Cade asked.

  “He wrote a message in the blood of one of my men. He wrote, ‘Tell Rivers I’m coming to get him. I’m coming to get them all’...”

  Cade felt his blood grow cold. Slowly, the phone slid out of his hand and dropped to the floor. He turned his head to stare at his brothers and stumbled toward a chair. Sitting down ,he rubbed his forehead for a moment. Reaching over, he picked up his phone. “Thank you Warden. We’ll be ready for him on this end.”

  “I’m sending the state police to your address,” Warden Kristler told him.

  Cade snapped his phone closed and stood up. He looked at the others and said, “Aaron, get your wife here now. Someone call Mom and Dad and have them come here too. This place is better fortified than their house.”

  “What’s going on Cade?” Aaron asked.

  “Daniels managed to get out of prison today. He’s been free for about four hours now and he left a message in blood. He said he’s coming after all of us.”

  “Are you sure bringing everyone here is such a good idea?” Aaron asked.

  “This place has a security system. I think together we can survive this, but not if we’re worried about our loved ones,” Cade argued. He walked up to Aaron. “Daniels doesn’t care who he murdered to get to us. He’s a true killer and he’s had ten years to plan this thing through. Ten years to think of nothing but our deaths.” Cade looked at the others then back to Aaron, “Are you willing to give him access to Karen or Mom or Dad? He’ll kill them just to cause us pain, then he’ll come here and do the same to us.”