To Probe A Beating Heart

by Wren, John B

  “Okay, so where do we begin?”

  “First let’s grab some coffee and see if George is available.”

  “Then what do we do?”

  “Then we start.”

  As they were setting up a large note pad on an easel, George came in with his coffee mug in hand. “What are you two up to today?”

  “A little brain dump and rehash, you’re just in time,” said Alex. George turned and walked out of the room saying, “I’ll be right back.”

  Alex and Jim went to the kitchen and poured themselves some coffee and were on the way back to the conference room when they met Sean.

  “George asked me to come up for a few minutes, what’s up,” said

  Sean?

  “We’re going to do a dump and rehash,” said Jim. “Don’t know where George went.”

  They went into the conference room and George joined them. “Okay, I have a few minutes. First, I have given this case a lot of time and been pulling away from what I am supposed to be doing, so, I’m going to assign a new set of eyes to ride this horse.”

  They all turned and listened.

  “Sean, Alex you both know Vince Galley?”

  “Yeah, we have pulled a few tours together, seems like a good guy,” said Sean.

  “We have met, but never worked together,” said Alex.

  “He will be in around nine this morning, he is the D that will be on this full time for a while. I have cleared his slate and he is anxious to get at it. Let’s give him some time to read the case file and let him ask the questions. Right now let’s start the dump. Sean, you have to hit the road this morning so you go first.”

  Sean began with what he knew, then what he thought might be and finished with what he thought should be ruled out. As he was finishing his bit, a tall, slender man with half a head of grey hair came through the door. “Good morning all.”

  “Vince you know Sean and Alex and this is Jim McClarry, he has

  pulled a lot of this stuff together that we are looking at.”

  “Jim, I’ve seen you around, good to finally meet you,” said Vince.

  “Vince, my pleasure,” and he extended his hand. Vince had a large hand and a firm grip. His rough and hardened calluses betrayed his otherwise gentle appearance, he obviously did something other than shuffle paper.

  “Problem is, just like Sean, he’s related to Annette,” said George. “So he is in the background. Sean just unloaded, I’m about to put my piece in and then get out of the way. Jim, Vince will be the lead D from now on, so you talk to him rather than me. I will never be that far away, so I’ll know what is happening. Everybody good with that?”

  Sean agreed and said that he had to be on the road and excused himself. George sat down with his mug and started his input. Alex took a marker and added notes to the large pad that held the last of Sean’s input. As he was finishing his part, George stood and moved to the door.

  “Keep me in the loop Vince. Jim when you finish up here today catch me in my office. We need to talk,” and he walked out of the room.

  Alex walked over to Vince and handed him the marker and said,

  “You’re driving this bus, might as well start steering.”

  Vince took the marker and said, “First let’s hit the head, re-fill our

  cups and get ready to settle in for the next hour or so. I got a bunch of

  questions.”

  The team dispersed and regrouped within five minutes. Vince moved to the last of the note sheets to be hung on the tack strip and read a few lines quietly to himself. “You guys have been with this for a while and I’m just coming in. I hope you don’t mind my late arrival and probably some dumb questions while I get up to speed.”

  Alex responded, “Vince, you have been around a while, I am a consultant and Jim is not even officially in this group. He’s a uniform on loan because he has studied this case for the last three years. This is now your case, you call the shots.”

  Vince nodded and turned toward Jim.

  Jim looked up and said, “I’m not a D, yet and if I was, they would put someone else in charge because Annette is family. As Alex said, this is your case, I just want to help any way that I can without hurting the cause. If you think that my being here is negative, I’m gone.”

  “Okay guys, it’s my case, but you better believe George will have his nose in whenever he can. He started this before he was put in the bosses office, and he wants results.”

  Jim gave his input and Alex gave his. There was a lot of duplication of thought and the final list turned out to be rather short. Vince led off a question: “Let’s describe our bad guy. What do we know about him?”

  The resulting profile was a middle aged man, in his thirties or early forties, married, probably divorced, professional type, probably sales, his complexion was dark, mid European.

  “Okay, from what I see, if the blonds are his only targets, he does one each year in the summer. None have been found and the other things that appear to be consistent include age, eye color, shoes and shorts. I think this guy is fixed on an individual that would have been about seven or eight when he started, at least four years ago, probably dressed in that mode during the summer. If he is, as we think a mid European, blue eyes and blond hair may indicate a different family. Could also be a neighbor, classmate, cousin, adopted sibling, or a girlfriend. I think we should narrow the focus and see if anything pops. So I would assume a younger adopted sibling that was probably favored over him. Maybe a divorce and he was a ringer for the father and took the abuse that the mom directed at daddy. If that’s the bit, then the sister may have played on that. Trouble is, he could live anywhere over the fifty miles north and south of interstate ninety. So about four hundred miles east and west and one hundred miles north and south, that’s about forty thousand square miles of turf around Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo. A lot of area to search for something as common as this guy appears to be.”

  “We need more information,” said Alex.

  “You mean we need another victim,” said Jim.

  “I was hoping for some piece of info that we have overlooked, we have to go over everything again. We should go back before the first one, before Annette Shelton. If she was the first, what made this guy start? If not, then we need the additional data about whoever came before her.”

  “Okay, let’s say Annette was the first,” said Alex, “Where does that put us?”

  “That was in 1991, so our guy has been traveling the road up and

  down ninety for the last four or five years. Smells like a salesman of some kind.”

  Vince went back over the list of information hanging on the walls. “Here, it says he was in a dark blue van with tinted windows. A traveling salesman would tend to have a more economical vehicle, unless he has bulky materials that he carries with him.”

  “But he was dressed in a sport coat, so he’s not selling tires or anything else that would mess up a white shirt and tie get-up,” noted Jim.

  Alex added, “He could be one of those guy’s that goes from store to store and takes the orders for tires or whatever and never touches the product itself.”

  “Yeah, so why the van?,” asked Vince.

  “Maybe he has samples, or display banners that you hang in a window.”

  “So do salesmen buy or lease vehicles?” asked Alex, “I lease my car because most of the driving that I do is business related and the tax thing is better for me. I would guess if he is in sales, he probably leases his vehicles.”

  “If his turf goes from Cleveland to Buffalo or a little beyond in each direction, he probably puts a lot of highway mileage on whatever he drives and would probably trade it in every year or two. So today, four years after Annette, he might well have a different vehicle, may have gone through two or three by now,” said Jim. “He could be driving a Cadillac today.”

  “Well let’s check with the lease places locally and see if anyone leased a dark blue van in ninety one. It’s a start.” Vince put the marke
r down and sat in a chair facing the notes hanging from the tack strip. “That was the only visual. Damn. Let’s keep going. Have you guys looked at the known pedophiles in the area and their vehicles?”

  “I don’t know if anyone has, but I will now,” said Jim.

  “No, make a note of that and I will do it in the morning. That will take some time and we want to get through this process first,” said Vince.

  “You’re the boss.”

  Vince looked at Jim, “Thanks.”

  “Let’s talk about where the bodies are. None have been recovered. Where does he put them, or are they even dead?” Vince slumped in his chair. “Let’s kick that around a while.”

  The group spent the remainder of the day talking through scenarios of what might be and tried to reduce them to the several most likely ones. They ended up with little more than where they started.

  “Whoever this guy is, he is smart. He leaves no trace, gives us nothing to go on.” Vince sipped his coffee and made a face. “Cold. Okay, let’s call it a day. There’s a lot for me to digest and I have a few items to check out in the morning. We will get there guys, it’s a matter of time. He has left a clue somewhere and we will find it.”

  The group broke up and Jim walked over to George’s office. “Hey boss, you wanted to see me.”

  “Yeah, c’mon in and close the door.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “No, nothing like that. Listen, Ken is going to retire soon, like in a month and the slot he is holding is going to be open. I have watched you and your work and I like what I see. Talked to Jeff and he is with me on this. So, are you intending to sit for the exam next week? Because if you are, you have to get the paperwork in, like yesterday.”

  “Oh, I meant to do that. “

  “Well this may be the only break that I’ll ever give you. Here’s a package. Fill it out and get it to me before you leave today and I’ll say it was in on time. No word to anyone else on this. Just do it and say nothing.”

  “When’s the exam?”

  “In two weeks. And by the way read everything in the folder, it will be on the exam.”

  “Thanks George, I really appreciate this.”

  “Yeah, now get outta’ here and fill out the forms.”

  “Aye aye sir.”

  “That’s more like it.”

  Jim went into the conference room and started writing. He was a little late getting home, and just on time for his date with Margo. The test was an all day affair. Two parts, a morning session and an afternoon one with an interview. By the time he got home, Jim’s brain was toast. He gave Margo a call and suggested dinner and a movie.

  “Sure Jimmy, when should I be ready?”

  “Be there in fifteen minutes.”

  “I could use more than that to scrub up and change.”

  “Let’s pretend that we’re already married and you don’t have to primp for me.”

  Silence, Jim thought to himself, “What did I just say? Margo, did I

  cut you off .”

  “James Daniel McClarry, did you just propose to me?”

  He thought for a minute, “Oh Margo, a slip of the tongue, I—.”

  “Shush, I’ll be ready when you get here,” and she hung up.

  Jim washed his face and stared in the mirror for a few seconds, smiled and went to his bedroom and took a small box out of his dresser drawer. Margo was almost ready when he arrived. She held the door open and he stepped inside and he said “Where would you like to go to dinner?”

  She was a little quiet and didn’t look at him when she said, “Anywhere is good.” Margo started to turn and walk back to her bedroom.

  Jim said, “Margo, let’s sit down for a minute.”

  They never made it to the restaurant or the movie that night. In the morning Margo was making coffee and singing when Jim came into the kitchen. She looked at him with a big smile and held up her hand, “See how it sparkles in the sunlight.”

  “It’s kinda small.”

  “Yeah, but it worked.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  Tell her the rest . . .

  Winter came and went, spring followed and summer was just getting started. Jim passed the test and placed high enough to get him a gold shield and a desk on the second floor. Margo was now Mrs. James McClarry and Jim was settling into the routine of a detective’s life. He was assigned as Vince’s partner and the two worked well together. Cleveland Heights was a large enough city to experience it’s fair share of major league crime but the borders between the several east side communities were such that most cases were cooperative efforts. They involved several individual police departments and Jim proved to be an asset in coordinating activities between them. He was becoming well known in the area amongst the law enforcement groups and it was obvious that he was going to be more than a detective some day.

  On Thursday June 22, 1995 Linda Young, an eight year old girl living in Northeast, Pennsylvania was seen being dragged into a silver mini-van at 12:20 in the afternoon. Her abductor, a man in a light blue shirt, dark baseball cap and blue jeans was described as being about five feet, ten inches and heavy set. His hair was short and dark and he was clean shaven. The van had white license plates with blue lettering. Linda’s remains were found four weeks later in a ditch beside a country road. She had been violated, beaten and murdered. Death was determined to have been by strangulation.

  At the time of her abduction Averell was in Toledo, Ohio, over three hundred miles away in a meeting with a store manager discussing a special deal on marking pens. Jim McClarry expanded his database to include Linda and searched the newspapers for additional information. He learned that she had brown hair and had blue eyes and that she was wearing a sun dress and flip flops. Everything that he read about the girl was copied and put in a file or entered into the data base. Linda was the number seven possibility attributable to Annette’s abductor. Once again, Jim studied the information available and Linda did not exactly fit his outline of the predator he sought. Linda was found, unlike the others, and her hair and clothing did not match the developing profile. Even though the predator’s description was close, five foot ten, dark hair and the van were in line, Linda was given a lower probability of being one of the group.

  Jim rated each potential case with respect to it being the work of the same predator on a one to ten scale giving Annette a ten. Candice, Kathy and Allison were given eights, Linda got a seven and Megan and Sandy were given fives. It was not as definitive as he wanted it to be, but he was not about to abandon this record keeping. He talked to Vince about the latest development and Vince suggested that the group gather again for a few minutes to look at everything. Later that afternoon, as Sean and his new partner were coming off their shift, Vince saw them and asked Sean to come up to the second floor, when he could, to talk about it. “I don’t think this Linda Young is one of our guy’s victims, but I want to run the entire thing through with you anyway.”

  “When do you want to do it and should we get Jim to join us?”

  “Not now, but check after your next shift, and keep checking till you catch me or Jim.”

  “You sound busy.”

  “Yeah, a case of mine is finally in court and I have to testify, so, I’m there a lot.”

  “Okay, I’ll see ya.” Sean checked in every day for the next week and Vince was downtown at the county court house most of that time or overloaded with his normal load. Jim was available and they talked and caught Alex for a quick review.

  * * *

  On Monday, August 14th, Averell was meeting with clients in Toledo, Ohio. He finished in good time and drove to Sandusky on Tuesday to visit another two clients. Again, finishing in good time, Averell drove to Cleveland and visited another two clients. His log book indicated that he then drove to Erie, Pennsylvania where he visited another two clients, spent the night in Erie and drove to Buffalo on Thursday.

  Actually, Averell filled his tank in Erie and back t
racked into Ohio past Cleveland that Wednesday around noon. Before beginning his search, he readied a gag with a ball of cloth and duct tape and placed several pull ties in the passenger pocket, behind the driver’s seat. He also had a large blanket folded on the rear seat. He was ready. He drove to a residential section outside Sandusky proper and began to cruise the streets early in the afternoon. He spotted a very cute young lady with blond hair and blue eyes and he estimated that she was about fourteen. She was wearing a red top, blue denim shorts and white shoes. It could be better, but she would do. He noted that she was heading across an open park toward a housing development. Averell quickly drove around the park and stopped directly in her path. She was about fifty yards away when he got out of his car and stood looking off to the right. When she was about to divert around Averell’s car, he turned and acted surprised.

  “Oh excuse me, did I bump into you?”

  “No, you didn’t bump me,” replied Rebecca.

  “Well could you tell me where Main Street is, I’m afraid that I’m lost,” he said.

  “Sure, is that your car?” she asked looking at Averell’s car.

  “Yes it is.”

  “Well, go straight the way you are pointed and in about three blocks, turn right, then the next street is Main. I think that right will head north and left will head south, I think.”

  He stepped toward the car and muttered something that Rebecca could not hear. She took a step in his direction saying “Excuse me.”

  Averell half turned still muttering and making Rebecca lean in his direction to hear what he said. She took another step getting a little closer to him and started to say something when he grabbed her turned and pulled her into the car. Her arms were under her body and pinned against the back seat. He pushed a prepared gag in her mouth and smoothed the tape over her cheeks. He then took a pull tie and rolled her over grabbing her right arm and placing a pull tie above her wrist he pulled it snug. There was a second and third tie attached like a daisy chain and he placed the third tie around her left wrist and again, pulled it snug. With her hands bound, he grabbed another pull tie daisy chain and bound her ankles. He pushed her to the floor and pulled the blanket over her, closed the door and quickly got behind the wheel.