Justice Delayed (Innocent Prisoners Project)

by Marti Green

  Dani nodded. “It’s what I figured, but I had to give it a shot.”

  Tommy reached across his desk and took Dani’s hands in his. “I know how hard this is for you. But you belong with Doug. You’ll find someone out there just as good as me to work with.” He stopped, then smiled. “Well, almost as good.”

  As soon as Tommy arrived home that night, Patty met him with a worried look on her face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She pulled him into the kitchen, away from the living room where Brandon and Lizzie were huddled around the TV. “I think someone has been watching us—or maybe not us, but someone on the street.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a black car out there. I’ve seen it every day, with a man inside. He parks in different spots but always within sight of our front door.”

  “Is he there now?”

  Patty shook her head. “He left a few hours ago.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably some PI who’s spying on a cheating spouse in the apartments across the street.”

  “Still, it makes me nervous.”

  “Then, next time you see him, ask the doorman there”—he pointed across the street—“to tell him to leave, or he’ll call the police.”

  “I shouldn’t call the police myself?”

  “Nah. Just let the doorman scare him off. Trust me, it’s nothing.”

  CHAPTER

  50

  Jessup had watched the Noorland house for five days. Every school day, the two girls walked to the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy middle school and high school. Along the way, they’d stop and pick up a friend four blocks away; then they’d continue on together. Every afternoon, except one, at 3:10 p.m., they did the walk in reverse. The difference was on Thursday, when Lizzie and Tricia’s friend left the school alone, and Tricia stayed behind until 4:30 p.m. Then, she emerged from the school and made the trek home by herself.

  After the third day, a doorman had come over to him and asked what his business was there. He smiled and said he was checking out a cheating wife. “Well, find someplace else to do it,” the doorman had said, and so he had. He didn’t need to watch the home anymore. The rest of the week, he parked near the school. Not so near as to worry any teachers. Just close enough so that he could see when the girl arrived and when she left.

  Now, he waited in his car one block from the school, under a tree, in an area without any streetlights. It was Thursday, and this time of year, it was almost dark, which worked in his favor. There were plenty of lights by the school, and he picked her out immediately when she left the building. There were three other girls with her, but as soon as they reached the sidewalk, the other girls headed in the opposite direction.

  He waited until she passed his car; then, with enough distance between them, he started up the engine. He didn’t need to follow her. He knew exactly what route she’d follow. He knew where he would snatch her. As she got closer to her house, she’d take a shortcut through the yard of an abandoned warehouse. He suspected her parents had warned her and Lizzie against it, especially when it was dark. But it saved three blocks of walking. He drove past her, then into the parking lot of the warehouse, then turned off the car, got out, and waited.

  He stood in the shadow of the building, his body pressed against the brick wall, until she passed him. Then he took two swift steps after her and grabbed her around her neck, lifted her, and squeezed until her limp body dropped into his arms. Looking both ways around the yard to confirm they were alone, he carried her to his car. He popped the trunk, dropped her inside, then tied her hands and legs and duct-taped her mouth.

  Jessup drove away with a smile. His revenge had begun.

  CHAPTER

  51

  By the time Tommy walked into his house, Patty was frantic. “Tricia’s not home,” she said. “I’ve called all her friends, and she’s not with any of them.”

  “Did you call her friend in the band?”

  Patty nodded. “She said Tricia left with her and was walking home. I think we should call the police.”

  “Let me drive around first, look for her.” Tommy started toward the door when the phone rang. Patty ran to the kitchen to answer it, and he waited to see if it was Tricia.

  A moment later, she came back into the foyer and handed over the phone to Tommy. “It’s for you. He won’t say his name.”

  Tommy took the phone. “Hello?”

  “You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in my life. Now you’re going to know what it’s like to lose part of your family.”

  Tommy took in a sharp breath. “Jessup?”

  “That’s right. And I’ve got your daughter.”

  Silently, Tommy mouthed for Patty to call the police.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because of you, I’ve got to run away. Leave my family. Everything was fine until you started poking around.”

  “It wasn’t fine. You’re still killing. You must understand that people needed to stop you.”

  “I wasn’t killing!” he shouted. “I’d stopped. I had it under control. Then you came around, reminded me of how it felt. I had to try it one more time. But that was the last.” He chuckled. “Until now. Tricia will be the last.”

  Tommy saw Patty was on her cell phone. He knew he needed to keep Jessup talking, give the police a chance to set up a tap, try to locate him.

  “You don’t need to do this. Turn yourself in. A smart lawyer can probably plead insanity, get you a few years in a hospital, and then you’re home free, back with your family.”

  “You think I’m an idiot? Five girls. No one’s letting me off. If they don’t execute me, I’ll rot in prison.”

  Every muscle in Tommy’s body was tensed, but he willed his voice to remain calm. “Then run away. You don’t need to hurt Tricia. She hasn’t done anything to you. If you want to hurt me, that’s fine. I’ll go wherever you want. Me for my daughter. I won’t put up a fight.”

  “It’s too late.”

  “It’s not. Tell me what you want. I’ll give you anything.”

  Tommy heard a hoarse laugh. “It’s not too late for me. I’m going to start a new life. If I’m lucky, a new family. It’s too late for you.”

  “No—”

  “Bye-bye, Daddy.”

  And then there was nothing. Tommy looked over at Patty. Her face was drained of color. “Did they get a location?”

  She shook her head. “They’re headed over to our house now.”

  Tommy walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. “I’m going to find the SOB. I promise you.”

  Once he’d made the phone call, Jessup drove to the spot he’d picked out, and then waited. It was too early to kill the girl. It wasn’t as though he had to follow his prior pattern to a tee. He didn’t expect to get the thrill that always accompanied a kill. No, it could draw attention if he didn’t wait until later, much later, when darkness was absolute and stragglers were unlikely to wander his way. He’d scouted out this location earlier in the week. A pond, surrounded by a forest. Yes, there was a path that skirted it, no doubt serving as a spot for joggers, maybe even bicyclists, to get their daily exercise. But, if he waited, it would be too dark, too cold, for any use but his own.

  He’d parked in the dirt cutout at the beginning of the path. After less than two hours, he heard feet pounding against the trunk. She was awake, but it was still too early. He wanted her awake when he killed her. He wanted her to know she was going to die. Afterward, he would report that to her father, tell him about the fear in her eyes. It would be something that would haunt that investigator the rest of his life, knowing her death was his fault. Knowing that she’d suffered.

  He listened carefully to ensure no car was approaching, then opened the trunk. She stared up at him, wriggling her body as though she could get free. But she couldn’t. He put his hands around her neck and squeezed once more. Just until she lost consciousness. Not more. Not yet.

 
By the time Dani arrived at Tommy’s house, the police were already there. He’d called her as soon as he’d hung up from Jessup, and she’d jumped in her car and driven the fifteen minutes between their homes. Patty was on the couch, wiping a continual stream of tears from her face, as Tommy paced back and forth. A uniformed cop sat on a chair opposite the couch, gathering information. Another stood by the window. Dani sat down next to Patty and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

  “This is Officer Clayton,” Patty said between sobs.

  Dani nodded to him.

  “Just one last thing,” Clayton said. “Do you remember anything about the car parked across the way a few days ago?”

  “It was black, not too big. It looked like every other sedan,” Patty answered. “Maybe the doorman can tell you more.”

  “Okay. If you get me that picture of Tricia now, we’ll get it out on an APB right away.”

  Dani broke in. “This man has a pattern. Every victim was killed between one and four a.m., and each was found near some body of water in an isolated place.”

  Tommy stopped his pacing and turned to Dani. “His pattern was to take girls from their homes. After the first, it was girls who were strangers to him. He’s not following his pattern now. This is to hurt me.”

  “Still, he’s used to doing things in a certain way. I don’t think he’d stray far from that. Do you know any locations that fit his pattern?”

  “Wait.” Tommy left the room and came back with a street atlas of the Bronx. He placed it on the cocktail table and crouched down. Clayton joined him, and the other uniformed cop walked over. Tommy flipped to the pages for Riverdale, then pointed out four possible locations, marking each with a pen.

  “We’ll go right now and check them out,” Clayton said.

  “I’m coming with you,” Tommy said.

  “Not a good idea.”

  “I know what he looks like.”

  “The squad room is already getting a picture from the DMV. I’ll have it in a few minutes.”

  Dani stood up and approached Tommy. “Let them take two locations, and you and I will go to the other two. That’ll save time.”

  Clayton scrunched up his face. “I can’t let you do that. From what you’ve told me, he’s a serial killer. It’s too dangerous for civilians.”

  “He’s never killed with a gun,” Tommy said. “And we could be running out of time.”

  Clayton looked over at the other cop, Officer Pincus. “They’re right,” Pincus said.

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll radio for another car so we can divide them up. If, on your own, you decided to follow us, I can’t stop you. But officially, you’re on your own.”

  Five minutes later, another squad car pulled up. Clayton showed the officers the street atlas, and each car took two locations to check out. Right before Dani and Tommy got into their own cars, ready to follow them, Clayton said, “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Mr. Noorland. This guy could be in another state by now. The chance that he’s at one of these spots is remote.”

  Tommy just nodded, then got in his car.

  As soon as Tricia woke, she knew she was still in the trunk of the car. The first time she’d come to, she’d been confused, disoriented. Then, in a rush, it had come back to her—the man waiting by the side of the building, his hands on her neck, squeezing and squeezing, and then nothing. Now, when she woke up, she remembered instantly. Her heart pounded in her chest, and fear clawed through her. Calm down. Think. She took one deep breath, then another, then again, and slowly, so slowly, her heart stopped racing. Think, think, she repeated to herself, over and over. It had been a mistake to bang her feet against the trunk door. Now, she had to be smarter.

  Tricia had complained endlessly when her father insisted she and Lizzie take a self-defense class. It had been given on Saturday mornings. Lizzie thought it was fun, but Tricia hated waking up early on a weekend.

  “Why are you making me do this?” she’d moaned. “None of my friends have to take it.”

  “None of your friends’ fathers work with criminals,” he’d answered.

  And so, every Saturday morning for eight weeks, she and her little sister had trudged into Manhattan and learned how to defend themselves. “I hope you’ll never have to use it,” her father had told them. “But if something happens, you’ll be prepared.”

  Now, she struggled to remember what she’d been taught. Her hands and feet were bound with rope. “Try to keep some space in your hands, if you’re being tied up,” the instructor had said. But she’d been unconscious when he’d tied her. “If you’ve been bound too tightly, try your teeth,” she remembered him saying.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the dark. She brought her hands up to her mouth, then with her fingers stripped off the duct tape. Luckily, her hands had been tied in front of her. Next, she pulled her hands as far apart as she could, stretching the rope slightly, and then began gnawing at the rope with her teeth. It had a bitter taste, as though coated with some chemical. She tried not to move, not to make any noise, not to do anything that would bring the man back to the trunk before she was ready. Her winter jacket was still on, and the trunk was warm and stuffy. Perspiration dripped down her arms as tears flowed from her eyes. She gnawed on.

  She didn’t know how long it took, but she began to make progress, to feel the rope loosen. Suddenly, she heard the car door open and slam shut, then footsteps walking toward her. Does he know I’m awake? Is he coming to get me? Once again, her heart was racing. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to remain as still as possible. A minute passed, and then she smelled the smoke from a cigarette wafting into the trunk. Five minutes later, she heard his foot stamp it out on the ground. Once again, the car door opened, then closed. She let out a breath, then brought her hands up to her mouth and started once more pulling at the rope with her teeth.

  Tommy followed the police car into Grant Park, then pulled into a parking spot alongside them. When they’d all exited their vehicles, he pointed to a gravel carriageway. “The lake’s down this path.”

  “It’s not likely he’s here,” Clayton said. “There are no other cars.”

  “There’s another entrance, on the other side of the lake. He could have come in that way,” Tommy said.

  Clayton nodded; and he, Pincus, and Tommy set off in that direction. It was dark, and the quarter moon did little to illuminate the walkway. They couldn’t use flashlights, as the light might alert Jessup of their approach. If he was there. They made their way slowly, and ten minutes later, they reached the lake. Nothing. Not Jessup. Not Tricia. Now, they turned on the flashlights and swept the woods, looking for any sign that they’d been there. Again, nothing.

  “Damn, damn, damn,” Tommy kept muttering to himself.

  “Let’s split up and walk around the lake,” Clayton said.

  Tommy shook his head. “It’ll take too long. She’s not here.”

  “We’ve got to be thorough.”

  Tommy was adamant. Every minute wasted was a minute that Tricia came closer to that monster’s hands around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. “We can come back if needed. Let’s go to the next one.”

  Clayton acquiesced, and now they used the flashlights to guide their way. Within five minutes, they were on the road again. As they drove to the next stop, Tommy took out his cell phone and called Dani.

  “Anything?” he asked her.

  “No. Place was empty. We’re on our way to River View Park.”

  Two down. Two more to check. Two more to give Tommy hope. Two more to stave off the fear that had taken control of him. Be there. Please, be there. Don’t let it be too late. Those were the words he kept repeating to himself as he sped to the next park.

  It took almost an hour, but finally, she was able to slip her hands free. Next, she lay on her side and brought her knees close to her chest. She reached down to her feet and worked to untie the rope. When she’d managed it, she lay back, trembling from the effort. She was free. Free of th
e rope, not yet the man. What was he waiting for? A ransom payment, maybe? Of one thing she was certain—he intended to harm her.

  When she felt ready, she slid her body around so that her feet faced the opening of the trunk, and then began kicking. She knew he’d come back, only this time she’d be ready.

  As soon as the trunk opened, she kicked him in the crotch, as hard as she could. He screamed, doubling over and falling back, and as he did so, she scrambled out and began sprinting away. She was young and fast, and she thought she could outrun him.

  Almost immediately, she recognized where he’d taken her. She knew this pond; she knew these woods. She’d stay on the road at first, but if he gained on her, she’d slip into the trees.

  She could hear him behind her, but she kept her lead. Suddenly, she heard tires on the gravel road, and then the bright headlights of a car coming toward her. Was he waiting for someone else? Is that why he hadn’t hurt me yet?

  The car stopped ahead of her, and she heard a door open. Quickly, she veered off the road, into the darkness of the forest, continuing her running, until she stopped cold at the sound of a voice, calling, “Tricia!”

  Tricia turned and ran back into the arms of her father, sobbing as he held her tight. Only after she pulled away from him did she notice the police car, both its front doors open. She looked down the road she’d run on and saw two cops wrestle her abductor to the ground.

  “How did you find me?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  “Thank Dani for that. I was too worried about you to think straight. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  Tricia rubbed her neck. “He choked me until I blacked out. It still hurts. Why did he take me, Daddy? Do you know?”

  “He’s a bad man, honey. He wanted to get back at me for putting the police onto him.” Tommy put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He handed it to Tricia. “Call Mom. Let her know you’re okay.”