‘Connely. Hi inspector.’
‘How are you getting on with the list?’
‘I had to call Foster because they weren’t very willing to give me what I needed. They are copying everything on to a CD as we’re speaking.’
‘When are you expecting to be back in Corvallis?’
‘Well, I will probably leave here in fifteen minutes and if the traffic is not too bad I should arrive in the office between six and seven.’
‘All right, we will be waiting. Thanks.’ Tim switched off the phone.
‘Are we starting with the list tonight?’ Jude asked.
‘That was the plan, yes. But if you have other things to do I’ll ask Susan to assist.’
‘No, I have nothing special to do, so I can just as well get some work done.’
He looked at her satisfied. ‘That’s the spirit girl’, he laughed. ‘I’ll buy you dinner when we’re done.’
‘When we decide to stop, you mean. Do you have any idea how many names there will be on that CD?’ When he didn’t react she said: ‘At least 4.000. That’s Klamath’s full capacity.’
‘How on earth do you know that?’
‘Part of my training. We had to know the capacity of all the state prisons.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Total waste of time I think.’ He heard her ringing laugh.
‘If we are going to work late’, she said, ‘I would like that coffee we missed out on at Michelle’s.’
He stopped the car at the first service station they arrived at.
It was raining cats and dogs when they entered the office and it didn’t look as it was going to clear up soon. Connely wasn’t back yet but Susan had made a list of all the contacts in Dawson’s mobile phone and had put it on Tim’s desk. After each contact she had put the full name and address. There was also a copy on Jude’s desk.
‘Only seven names. Not a very social man by the looks of it’, Tim said.
Jude pointed at the third name on the list. ‘David Hicks, probably the guy Michelle was talking about. Worthwhile contacting you think?’
‘No, not yet. I’ll pas it through to narcotics. More likely he has something to do with the drugs, not the murders.’
‘Look, Michelle’s mobile number is still on there. I bet she has changed that in the meantime.’
That reminded Tim he still had to call Cam but he didn’t feel like it. He missed her, but not enough to get in contact again. He realized he didn’t even wonder anymore where she lived or who with. As far as he was concerned it could even be Sean, he didn’t care.’
‘Tim’, he heard. ‘Did you fall asleep?’
He looked up. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
‘I gathered that much’, she laughed. ‘I just said I find it strange there is no Natalie on the list.’
‘Natalie? Who is she?’
‘Isn’t she the one he had the intense chat sessions with on his PC?’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Maybe he wanted to stay in safe cyberspace and they never met.’
‘Seems odd to me, but it’s possible.’
‘I wouldn’t concentrate on the women anyway. Only the men are of interest to me.’
‘Gosh, I didn’t realize that’, she said, suppressing a smile.
He looked at her in a pseudo indignant way. ‘Nobody ever accused me of that and never will.’
While they both were still laughing, Connely arrived. He handed the CD to Tim.
‘Here you are boss’, he said, ‘have fun with it. It’s a big chunk: 3,800 names. I had them put in alphabetical order.’
Tim felt Jude’s sideways look but he pretended not to notice. ‘Thank you Connely. We’ll make a few copies tomorrow and then we can all four start working on it.’ As Connely left, Tim put the CD in the drive. Jude watched the screen over his shoulder. An abundance of names, addresses, dates and codes appeared.
‘It does indeed look like a whole bunch’, Tim sighed.
‘Well, let’s hope it gives us some results then. All that work. But there is one thing I don’t really understand.’
‘And that is?’ He looked at her with raised eyebrows.
‘If Dawson is the murderer, why do we still need all these names?’
‘We only have indications Jude, not real proof. Putting all your eggs in one basket is not wise, or did you miss that part of your training? By the way, Flannery isn’t out of the picture yet either.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’
‘Trust me, I am. That reminds me, I have to put Susan on the track of the other women in the pictures to see if they were raped during the last few months.’
‘I thought Susan would help with this list,’ she said surprised.
‘Well, it will have to be the three of us then I’m afraid. It bothers me though that one of the pictures is of an older woman. Doesn’t seem to be his type at all.’
‘So, if I understand this correctly, if the older woman is raped but not killed, there is a chance Dawson is not the murderer we are looking for.’
‘Correct. It could very well be that he’s got something to do with it, but it would be questionable if he is our CTK- murderer.’
She looked at him with questioning eyes. ‘What is CTK?’
‘Never heard of Dennis Rader? He was a serial killer from the eighties. His modus operandi was: chain, torture, kill. The only difference with our guy is that Rader wrote letters to the police and finally got caught because of them.’ He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘Much easier than keep calling our guy the serial killer, no?’
‘You do know that you can only call someone a serial killer when there are three bodies with the same MO.’
‘Of course I know that’, he said slightly irritated.
‘All right, CTK it is’, she said, her lips pursed as if she wanted to taste the name in her mouth.
Tim shoved his chair back and stood up. ‘For today we leave CTK and the list for what they are, and we’re going for a bite to eat.’
‘Good, I’m starving.’
The evening passed in a pleasant way. Tim had chosen a small restaurant where he knew the food was delicious. It was never crowded and the chef gave a lot of attention to every guest. Tonight the owner had treated them with a special mark of attention. He offered them a bottle of Pinot Noir, bottled in the Willamette valley.
‘Nice little restaurant’, Jude remarked approvingly.
‘So, I made a good choice then’, he laughed as he poured the wine.
They talked about bits and pieces and fifteen minutes later the waiter brought their plates in a very ceremonious way, wished them ‘bon appetit’ and disappeared back into the kitchen.
‘Enjoy’, Tim said. ‘We’ve earned this after a hectic day, don’t you think?’
Jude nodded while she took a slice of her steak. ‘I could eat a horse.’
‘Yeah, me too.’
In between bites she looked at him. ‘Tim, can I ask you something personal?’
He hesitated, but then said: ‘Of course you can.’
‘I wondered if there was a Mrs. Sackley waiting for you.’ She avoided looking at him by mixing her vegetables. ‘I mean, you don’t have to feel obliged to take me out to dinner. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself you know.’
He smiled. ‘No, there is no Mrs. Sackley, and no again, I don’t feel obliged at all. Jude, look at me’. She did as asked. ‘Every evening I come home in a house that is way too big for me. No dog or cat waiting for me, not even a parakeet or a fish. And since cooking is not really my hobby, the pizza delivery boy and the Chinese restaurant are very happy.’
‘You’ve never been married?’
‘I was, and it was a very happy marriage.’ Now it was his turn to avoid her gaze and mix his vegetables.
‘If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.’
‘It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, but it still hurts. Gwen and I were very happy for a very long time… until she killed herself.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.’
‘She couldn’t bear anymore seeing our daughter like a vegetable in her hospital bed.’
Jude hesitated, but asked anyway. ‘Is your daughter ill?’
‘No’, he said tense, ‘Debby was a very lively child, always cheerful and funny. Until the day my brother found it necessary to get drunk, get in his car and pay us a visit.’ Tears rolled down his cheeks. ‘Debby was playing in the front garden and when she saw him she ran towards him. But because of the drinking his reactions were slow, and he hit her when he turned into the driveway. Sean got seven years, Debby got life… And Gwen, well,….’
As Jude put her hand lightly on Tim’s arm, he pulled it away as if he got an electric shock. ‘I don’t need pity Jude’. Then, as if he turned on a magic button he said: ‘Now it’s your turn to answer questions.’
She was surprised by the sudden turn in his demeanor. ‘Shoot’, she said and looked at him questioningly.
‘Is there a boyfriend waiting for you when you get home at the weekend?’
She laughed. ‘No, I live by myself. The only room mate I ever had was Sarah, but she moved to California a few years ago.’
‘Never had a boyfriend then?’
‘Oh, yes I have. I’m a normal woman you know, but I wanted to spare Sarah. She isn’t all that fond of men.’
‘I can understand that after everything she went through.’
Jude nodded her head. ‘Since last weekend I know she has a relationship with a woman, but she seems happy enough.’
‘Than why do I get the feeling you’re not?’
She hesitated for a moment and brushed away a strand of hair from her forehead. ‘Because I’m afraid this is all for the wrong reasons.’
‘And what if? If it’s not her real call, by lack of a better word, she’ll know soon enough. I can understand you feeling responsible for her, but in the end she has to live her own life, whatever that may be.’
‘You’re right, but I can’t shake it’, she sighed. ‘Call me stupid or whatever, but I can’t.’
‘Only if stupid means compassionate, I agree’, he said with a smile.
‘You know, as a victim you can feel guilty for everything that happened, and you may even think that you provoked it, but as a bystander who knew all that time and didn’t do a thing, you feel as guilty as the victim.’
‘You were still a child yourself Jude.’
She pricked her salad. ‘Yes, a child that had to grow up too quickly.’ Then she laughed at him. ‘Enough about my childhood, let’s enjoy this exquisite food.’
For the rest of the dinner they talked about books and films and the music they liked. They left the restaurant at half past ten, both in a good mood.
CHAPTER 17
Benton Oaks is a camping ground, situated a few miles west of Corvallis and during summer months attracts a lot of visitors with caravans and tents. It is popular because there are lots of activities and concerts on the grounds, for adults as well as for children. The camping grounds are situated in the wooded area and are intersected by walking and cycle tracks.
“Jamey Sendon and his brother Doug were playing hide and seek with a few friends they got to know on the campsite. Doug was appointed ‘seeker’ and looked around after the count down. They had agreed not to go any further then a hundred yards from the square. First he looked behind some well grown oaks closest to him. Then he went down to the bushes alongside the pond, looking around so no one could surprise him and get back to the square before he did. Since he couldn’t see any of his friends, he looked in the direction of the camper vans. Jamey was sure Doug had seen him, and tried to get to the next camper van as quickly as possible. He saw his brother head in his direction. If he tried to get to another camper van every time, Doug wouldn’t be able to find him. Slowly he let himself down on his belly and crawled on, looking back to see if his brother followed him. All of a sudden he felt something cold and slimy underneath his hands. He tried to push it to one side without loosing sight of Doug. As the thing didn’t want to move, he looked down. His hand was resting on a human leg. His dreadful scream made his friends come out of their hiding places and run in the direction of the camper vans. Jamey was pulling back, his arms in the air, screaming and sobbing.
Jude sank her teeth into a sugared donut. ‘Here, you have one too. I have enough for everyone.’ She pushed the box to the middle of the table.
Susan looked somber. ‘How do you keep your figure Jude? I might as well stick this donut onto my hips right away.’ She sighed but the temptation was obviously too much and she took one anyway.
‘I only reject flies, and only if they bite’, Tim laughed. ‘But I hope you are aware of the fact that we’re here to work’, Tim said with a mouthful. The others nodded. Tim wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin and pulled the CD from the Klamath prison out of his drawer. ‘Connely, Jude and I are going to go through this CD, and you Susan, you are going to visit the four women on these pictures.’ He handed her the printed documents. ‘First look up the names that go with these addresses and then you can start.’
Susan looked at Tim concerned. ‘And what am I supposed to get out of them?’
‘You start with the older woman in Tangent’, Jude said. ‘Try to find out if she has been raped or if there was an attempted one during the last two or three months. Just try to find out if she can be linked to Dawson in one way or another.’
‘And you all think she will tell me just like that?’ She snapped her fingers.
‘She will probably open up to a woman sooner than to a man,’ Tim said.
‘And after that, you do the address in Junction City, then Albany. Same procedure’, Jude said. She wondered if Susan was ready for this kind of work, if she would ask the right questions. Maybe the women would slam the door in her face. She looked at Tim with questioning eyes. He obviously understood.
‘What do you think Susan? You up for it?’ Tim asked.
‘Of course I am, I know about questioning techniques. They were part of my training’. She looked at Tim indignantly. As she stood up to go back to her own office, Foster came in. He looked unhappy and sighed deeply.
‘I think we can officially speak about a serial killer now’, he said. ‘There is a third body.’ Everybody stared at him in disbelief. ‘On the camping grounds in Benton Oaks, behind one of the camper vans. A child playing hide and seek found it. I already sent the technical team to site.’
‘Dammit’, Tim said agitated. ‘I bet it is one from the pictures. Susan, forget about the list for now and you and Connely come with us. Boss, can you ask the coroner?’
Foster closed his eyes and nodded. ‘I already did.’
Tim grabbed his jacket and legged it out of the office, the others following close behind him.
The technical team had already put a tent over the body. It hung loosely with the canvas partially over the end of the camper. Tim parked the car as close to the crime scene as possible. As he got out of the car, Connely and Haynes arrived. A small group of people stood huddled together against the bushes some thirty yards away, in the middle of them a little boy, sobbing and shivering. A slender blonde woman held him against her body and stroked his head lightly, trying to calm him down.
‘Susan’, Tim gestured to the group, ‘you deal with that little boy, see if he needs a doctor. No questions yet’, he added.
‘All right’.
‘I suppose this body hasn’t been here as long as the others have. It can’t have been hidden this long on a busy campsite’, Tim said looking at Jude.
‘Probably he wanted it to be found quicker this time.’
As they entered the tent, from the corner of his eye Tim saw a satellite van stop at the parking lot. ‘Dammit, they must have a sixth sense for these things. Connely, keep the press at a distance, with force if you have to.’ Angry Tim entered the tent. There was a cadaver scent, no doubt about it, but it wasn’t as strong as with the others. Half hidd
en under the camper lay the naked body of a woman. The legs and the torn belly were visible. In the cavity flies and maggots.
‘Oh God’, Jude retched, ‘I will never get used to this.’
‘Try to keep your donut in’, Tim said trying to lighten the dark atmosphere. She looked at him in disapproval but didn’t say anything.
The technical team was busy looking for traces but were hindered by the high grass behind the camper. The coroner and his shadow Malcolm Deaver were there already. He was taking pictures from all possible angles. The flashing light gave the tent a cold white glow and made the open belly look grotesque.
‘Doesn’t look very good’, Sells said when he saw Tim arrive. ‘Same guy you think?’
‘I’m afraid so’, Tim said nodding his head.
‘This one hasn’t been here as long as the others. The autopsy should be a bit easier this time.’
When Deaver was done with his camera, Sells approached the body. With gloved hands he pulled it from underneath the camper and dragged it onto a tarpaulin. Tim and Jude knew what to expect by this time, therefore the sight of the empty eye cavity and the removed nipple didn’t make their stomachs turn like it did with the others. The wet shoulder length dark hair of the woman hung over her face like a veil.
‘Deaver’, Sells said pointing at the body. Silently Deaver started again. A few minutes later the body was put in a black plastic bag and taken away on a stretcher. The group of people was still standing close to the bushes and looked at the stretcher in horror. Susan was sitting on the grass, the little boy on her lap, softly talking to him. Tim and Jude approached.
‘Who owns the camper?’ Tim asked.
A woman in her fifties, with short grey hair came forward. She didn’t say a word but cried softly.
‘Your name please ma’am?’ Jude asked. The woman blew her nose with a big red and white handkerchief and then looked at Jude. ‘May, May Summers,’ she sobbed.
‘When did you arrive on the camping ground Mrs. Summers?’ Jude waited patiently until the woman calmed down a little bit. Tim stood on the side, watching the group.
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