Dan and Mory noticed that Karen’s voice had softened and hardened alternately as she spoke, as had her expression. Maybe it was the same with all victims of especially violent and evil crimes.
“Is there anyone in your life who might have sought revenge against this man?” Mory asked, wishing he was anywhere except this room.
Karen’s lips formed a small smile as she told them. “I’m going to become a nun. I can’t bear for anyone to touch me now. That demon took that away from me. I haven’t been able to trust anyone or feel safe with anyone to get close enough to form a relationship. I’ve spoken with Father Murphy and he wanted me to give it some time before I made my final decision, but I haven’t changed my mind in the last two years. I was going to talk to him tomorrow after Mass. Is there anything else?”
“Yes. Ms. Carter, Silverman was tied to the bed and raped before he was killed.”
“Raped? How? He’s a man.”
Her voice and expression revealed her confusion to Dan and Mory. Then her face flushed as realization sank in. An “Oh” escaped her lips before her fingers covered them, but it sounded more like a moan than a response.
“He was sodomized. He also had hot wax dripped over his back and legs before he died.” Dan paused, as Karen’s face had gone ghostly white again. He wondered if she would have the strength to remain seated this time.
“Oh, dear God. He was tortured and raped before he was killed?”
“Yes, Ms. Carter, in much the same way you were, so you can understand why this conversation is necessary. We have to find the person who did this and bring him to justice.” Those words were out of Mory’s mouth before he realized his grave mistake.
“You think I could have done that to him? Or my ex-fiancé? Or a new boyfriend? Or a family member? And you want me to admit it or tell you who could have done this? Oh, dear God, please forgive these men.” Karen stopped and looked down at her lap. She took a sip of water, then put the liquid down, fearing she might drop and break the glass. Karen linked her fingers together on top of the table and looked at Mory. “No one I know or associate with could have done something so horrible, even to get back at that man for savagely attacking me. I mean, I know he and Frank got into a fight afterwards, but . . .” Her words trailed off as she fought against shedding more tears.
She continued after a moment, “Do you know why they didn’t convict him? They said I was asking for it. I had worn a miniskirt and low heels. I had a few drinks. Not enough to be considered drunk, but I had a good buzz going. They said I apparently went along with it, demanded that he didn’t stop. They actually believed I liked it rough. They claimed, when I woke up the next morning and realized that Frank would see the burns on my back and question where I had gotten them, I came up with this rape story so he wouldn’t call off the wedding. We were supposed to be married two weeks later. Frank was out with his friends that night for his bachelor’s party. I’d told him he had to have it early, because I didn’t want him to have a hangover at our wedding. They said the reason why I told him that was because I had some plans of my own: I was going out with my friends for a last bit of partying before I settled down. I saved myself for nearly twenty years for my husband and wedding night, so why would I have sex with a brutal stranger two weeks before I was getting married?”
Karen’s brown eyes exposed her bitterness and anguish to the two men.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carter; I realize this must be extremely difficult for you. I believe your story. I don’t believe you were asking to be attacked just because you wore a miniskirt to a party or because you had a few drinks. I’m sorry for the way things turned out for you. I really am.” Mory’s words and tone were filled with compassion. He didn’t know if it was that, or if it was just hearing someone say he believed her, but Karen’s resolve broke entirely at that point and she dissolved into heartrending sobs. Mory gently touched her shoulder and spoke softly to her until her body stopped shaking. Her thin frame jerked as she hiccupped. “Here, sip some more water.”
Karen gratefully took the glass from him and tried to drink. “My friends thought I’d left the party after I went outside to get some fresh air. The people hosting the party had a pool and I wanted to sit outside and reflect on the changes that would be happening in my life two weeks later. A man came up and sat down beside me and started talking. He gave me the creeps, so I got up to go inside, but he had other ideas in mind. That’s when he grabbed me and took me into the guest quarters located behind the pool. Candles were everywhere. He told me his date had stood him up for the evening, so I was going to fill in for her. He’d bragged to all of his friends about the wild night he had planned for the two of them. He was really mad and I could smell the alcohol on him. I tried to get away from him, but he was too strong. I screamed, but no one could hear me over the loud music and partying in the house or they thought it was his girlfriend making all the right noises. He forced me to strip naked and . . . made me do vile things. He swore he would hurt my friends and my fiancé if I didn’t do what he said. I was so terrified, so I obeyed his depraved demands. I had no choice.”
Karen stopped and took a shaky breath before she went on. “I’d told my friends soon after we arrived that I just wanted to go to a nice bar or the movies. But they wanted to have this grand bachelorette party, just like the guys supposedly do. Two of my bridesmaids were single, including the one who’s now engaged to Frank, so they wanted to find dates for the wedding. I wanted to go home, sit on my bed, and have wine and girl talk. But they convinced me it would be fun. Now, none of them will look me in the face any more. I guess they feel guilty because this happened to me, especially since I kept asking to leave. They didn’t even come looking for me after I disappeared; Cathy said she thought I used the fresh air excuse and left the party and went home. And then I’m told I was asking for it. The jury thought I contributed to what happened to me by being there in the first place. Ted Silverman’s friends backed him up on the fact that I kept coming on to him and my so-called friends were so ashamed of themselves for putting me in that situation they didn’t seem to remember that I kept asking to leave. They said they thought I was having a good time.”
“I’m sorry to have to ask this, but have you seen Frank lately?”
“No, he couldn’t face what happened to me. We had dated for a long time and had been to marriage counseling to prepare for the wedding, so he knew how important my chastity was to me. That he could even question I would get drunk enough to blow that for us still makes me heart sick. He was supposed to know me better than anybody, know my heart and soul. But he turned his back on me when it counted most.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carter. Some men just can’t deal with something like this happening to their girlfriend or wife. It does something to a man when he realizes he can’t protect his woman. I know that doesn’t make it right or easier for you, but—“
“If you say I’m better off without a wimp like that, I’ve heard it a million times and I know you’re probably right. But it doesn’t take away the hurt of the one person you trusted above all others turning his back on you. Nothing can take that away. He couldn’t protect me. I shouldn’t have been there in the first place and I knew that. I begged to leave. But Frank didn’t have to desert me afterwards. That’s when he could have really shown me what a man he was and held my hand while I struggled to put my life back together. Well, it’s over with now and he’s engaged to Melissa. I hope they’re happy together. I don’t think he ever wastes a minute of his time with his new fiancée to think about me. I’m absolutely positive he wouldn’t commit murder for me.”
You never know what someone is capable of, Dan thought. This was not a girl you would forget easily, especially if you had made the commitment to marry her and she was saving herself for you. He was going to have to talk with Frank and see just how often he did think about Karen. That would have to wait until tomorrow also, because he sorely wanted to punch the boy’s lights out at that minute. These two women
had been through so much, had their lives turned upside down, and now they were having to face it all over again. For a split second, Dan thought of letting this case go. No matter how much he wanted to shake the killer’s hand himself, he would bring him to justice. The judicial system would probably release him back into society anyway, much the same way as it had let the two rapists go.
“Thank you, Ms. Carter, for your time. If you think of anything else or if you need anything, please call me.” Mory handed her his card and she put it on the placemat in front of her. All he wanted to do was ease her anguish—which he couldn’t—and hurry home to his wife for comfort and distraction—which he could. The meeting with Henrietta and Harold could wait until tomorrow and he was sure they and Dan would agree. “Do you have anyone who could come stay with you? Is there anyone we can call for you?”
“I’d like to call Father Murphy to come over. Only God’s hands can still the tremors in me now. I’ll call him after you leave; I’m sure he’ll be right over.” Karen walked them to the entry and watched them get into their car. She shut the door, locked it, and leaned heavily against the frame for support. She felt relief in knowing the horrible beast was gone. Then, guilt overcame her as she realized she was happy someone was dead.
She dialed the rectory phone number and left a message for Father Murphy on his answering machine. After telling him what happened today, she ended with, “I can’t deal with this any more. I shouldn’t feel relieved he’s dead. He’s still one of God’s children, Father. He was evil, I know, but I shouldn’t hate someone. It’s against God’s will. Please comfort my mother. I just can’t talk to her or anyone else right now. Thank you, Father Murphy, for all you’ve done for me. I’m sure God has the most wonderful room for you right next to His. Goodbye.” She replaced the receiver, then went straight to her bathroom.
Karen stared in the mirror at brown eyes that looked lifeless to her. All of those old feelings—hatred, bitterness, despair, soiled and scarred body, ravished soul—resurfaced and overwhelmed her with their brutal intensity. She had not conquered them and never would. Soon, the sadistic nightmares would return to plague her. The media would be hounding her. She would be front page and six o’clock news fodder again. She wanted peace and privacy, and there was only one way to obtain them. She couldn’t let the horrible ordeal start anew. The fight was gone from her. Surely God would understand that she simply wasn’t strong enough to walk through Hell again. She picked up a razor blade and sat down in the tub. She didn’t bother to fill it with water, but sliced the sharp edge across her wrists as many times as she could before sweet darkness surrounded her.
Chapter Three
Sunday morning, June 17th
“Dan, my man, it’s time for all lieutenants to get out of bed and get busy. Especially when their name is on the front page of this morning’s paper.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Mory?” Dan grumbled, half-awake.
“You don’t remember that quote you gave to a Mr. James Starr, ace reporter? Apparently he recalled your words exactly. Do you want me to read them to you, or would you like to have some strong coffee first?”
“Coffee, Mory, before any bad news. Damn, my phone’s clicking. It’s probably the Captain wanting to know what the hell is going on. Let me talk to whoever this is and I’ll get back to you. Shit,” Dan cursed.
“Call me, Dan. We need to go to the Lab.”
“Fine. Around 3:30, Mory. Kiss your wife for me.” Dan clicked over to the other caller. “Mallory here.”
“Good morning, Lieutenant. Do you have anything you’d like to add to the story now? I managed quite well even without your help, but I’d like to know if there’s anything else you’d like to say.” James Starr smiled as he taunted Dan. He was tired of being told “no comment” by some arrogant cop who refused to give him a step up the ladder. Well, he’d certainly done a masterpiece on this case. His editor was on cloud nine and every phone line at the paper had been ringing since seven o’clock. He was headed for the big time with this story, a few good murders.
“How did you get my phone number, Starr? It’s unlisted.”
“I have my sources, just like you do. So what do you think? Did I capture you good?”
“Actually, I haven’t read your article yet. I’ve had other things to do this morning, but I’ll give you a review if I can find the time to read it. Good day, Mr. Starr,” Dan hung up the phone with a smug smile. Nothing aggravated an attention seeker more than someone not giving them their due time. Thankfully, he had not seen the paper yet and had been forewarned by Mory. Let the reporter stew in his own juices for a while. The only thing Starr had overheard was that he didn’t think Crouch was a homosexual and that he thought he’d been murdered. How bad could it be? he wondered.
The phone rang again as Dan pulled on his shorts to go outside. What the hell is going on this morning? “Mallory here.”
“Dan, have you seen this morning’s paper? You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Bolton’s icy voice and quote sent a chill down his spine. “Mornin’, Captain. No, I haven’t seen the paper. I just managed to drag my tired butt out of bed.”
“Well, read it and call me back after you decide how you’re going to handle this. Before you do any handling, Dan. You hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Captain.” The dial tone sounded ominous in his ear as he hung up the phone.
Dan retrieved the paper from outside his door and stared at the headlines: “Avenger Seeks Justice”. He knew he was going to need a cup of coffee—strong and black—before he read any more.
Dan made a pot, poured himself a cup and settled at the kitchen table to read the incredible words in the Sunday edition. James had made the same connection he had, linking the two murders to their previous crimes. James implied that there was a serial killer on the loose, as both victims were alleged rapists who had eluded justice. The crime scenes were described in detail, exposing things the police had kept private. The article ended with, “Do we have an Avenger doing the work our police and courts can’t? Have we come to a day and time when the innocent public needs or requires an Avenger on our side to mete out justice when the guilty go free because of police or prosecutorial error or a legal technicality? What do you think? Call or write the paper and let us know. We’ll tally the results and publish them next Sunday.”
“Son of a bitch!” Dan yelled. This was certainly going to make things more complicated. He wondered how the two women felt about having their pasts exposed in the newspaper, even though their names had been omitted. At least they had been forewarned about the deaths and the similarities to their cases. But Dan was sure they wouldn’t appreciate the fact that private information was now out for everyone to read. He almost wished he wasn’t a cop so he could go pound some sense into that damn reporter! The phone rang again.
“Mallory here.”
“I know you read faster than that, Dan. How and where did this reporter get his facts? It wasn’t in the releases we sent out in April or yesterday. The media gave Silverman little attention because we withheld the gory details. Same for Crouch, except for Starr’s overblown account. Already gave the perp a glorified name and hero status! Now, the TV stations are demanding a news conference. Damn that blasted reporter! He’s kicked a hornet’s nest by releasing concealed evidence.”
“Well, good mornin’ again, Captain. Yes, I’m feeling much better now that I’ve had a cup of coffee. How are you doing?”
“Damnit, Dan, I’m not in the mood to be humored! We’ve got a serious situation over here. The phones at the precinct are ringing off the hook. Everyone is cheering for this Avenger and claiming the department isn’t doing its job. I was hoping any articles or TV coverage wouldn’t create a panic about a serial killer being on the loose. Now, I’m worried this story will encourage someone else to go seek his own justice. We’ve got to get a handle on this case before we have any more vigilantes out there. I can handle a short news co
nference. How’re you thinking about dealing with Mr. Starr?”
“Well, first of all, I’d like to learn how and where he got his information. This stuff isn’t in the incident report that’s available to the media or public, and I haven’t finished preparing the supplemental. I know he was at the second crime scene, because I tossed his smartass out. I don’t know how or where he got his facts on the first murder or how he linked the four cases, and so damn fast, but I intend to find out before the ink dries on tomorrow’s edition.”
“Did you and Mory discover anything when you interviewed the women?”
“Yep, our vic's were raped and tortured and they’re still having a hard time dealing with it. But we don’t think they’re involved or know who is. Both of the young ladies were in shock when we told them about the murders. Lisa Starnes has a brother who was out preparing for hunting season with buddies when her rapist was killed; we’ll check out his alibi today. Karen Carter isn’t involved with anyone, but we’re going to pay a visit to her ex-fiancé. Apparently he decided to marry one of Karen’s friends instead. I’m going to see Henri and Harold today. Hopefully, they’ll have something more for us to go on.”
“Anything else?” Neal asked.
“I’m going to pay a visit to Starr and see if I can find out where he got his information. And issue him a little warning about provoking trouble. I’ll be very careful when I talk with him, won’t say anything more than necessary. But we can’t allow Starr and our traitor to make a hero out of a criminal in the public’s eyes.”
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