“The way he’s been going, he’d strike at the very one I wasn’t watching. Then, the Captain would point out how useless and wasteful the stakeouts were. I can’t get inside his head, Andi. What does a man like that feel and think?”
“I don’t know, Dan. I suppose the law or the legal system didn’t prevail in his case, and he’s trying to destroy someone who slipped through the crack. I think he’s desperate for justice and he’s angry and frustrated by its denial.”
“So am I. But I don’t step outside the law when it makes a mistake.”
“Because you’re an officer of the law, one without a connection to a victim. You might feel differently if someone you loved was forced to endure this living hell. He’s only doing what we can’t. Have you ever shot an evil criminal after you’ve had time to control or halt yourself because you knew if you arrested him he’d get off? Have you ever killed someone just to remove their threat?”
Dan had, in Vietnam, plenty of times. If you let a male or female enemy escape, they’d be back soon—usually with help—to kill you or one of your friends. At times, he’d been forced to shoot snipers who turned out to be less than fifteen—one less than ten—who were killing his buddies left and right. It was an eight year old who had gunned him down from a tree and nearly cost him his life, a boy who should have been at home playing with toys instead of slaughtering or maiming soldiers who had come to help his people and country. He still carried the scar on his throat where the bullet almost severed his jugular vein. With his lifeblood spurting out like crazy, and realizing it was a child in the crosshairs of his weapon, he had been forced to pull the trigger to save his friends. It had been necessary to raze villages comprised of old men, women and children who were aiding the Vietcong. He had learned at a young age that war often demanded difficult, repulsive, and desperate measures for survival and victory and for peace. Maybe the Avenger saw his mission against crime in the same light; maybe he was a war Vet who was used to killing, and it came easily for him. Just as it had come to be too easy for him in the last year in the jungle overseas after he’d been through and witnessed hell. The good guys hadn’t won in ‘Nam and might not win here.
Andrea broke into his troubled thoughts, his moody silence and somber gaze answering her previous query when his voice couldn’t seem to do so. “I’ll finish the list tomorrow, just in case you decide to use it. We both know from photos, reports, and talks with these women how brutal and evil these men were with them. If you corner the Avenger and he refuses to surrender, will you gun him down or let him escape?”
Dan gave serious thought to her query, then replied, “I hope he surrenders, because I doubt any jury would convict him. But if he refuses, I have no choice except to do my job.”
Chapter Thirteen
Wednesday morning, July 18th
“We got a tip, Dan, on the typewriter. Some guy says he knows where the notes from the Avenger are being made. Let’s go,” Mory exclaimed after he hung up the phone and almost lunged for the door.
When they arrived at Augusta College, they found their caller waiting in front of the library. Barney Young looked like a typical college student, dressed in Bermuda shorts and an Atlanta Braves t-shirt. He was wearing sneakers and a baseball cap.
After introductions, he told them, “I recognized the typesetting from the term paper I did last semester. The professor nearly demoted my grade because of the way it looked when I turned it in. He thought I was doing sloppy work, but that was the way it printed. After I showed the typewriter to him, one supplied by the college, he couldn’t downgrade me for that.” Barney gave them a smug smile. “Anyway, I recognized the elevated H and L, and the D was always faint. Come inside with me and I’ll show you.”
After Dan and Mory followed him to the room where the typewriters were located, Barney threaded paper under the wheel and adjusted it. He typed the same wording from the newspaper clipping nearby, then handed both to the lieutenant.
The article and photo were by James Starr, causing Dan to grimace. He held the typed page and the article side-by-side, his gaze darting back and forth between them as he did a visual comparison. No expert had to tell him that Barney’s effort looked identical to the one the Avenger had typed and left at the crime scenes. Damn, that’s all he needed, to give that blasted reporter the credit for supplying their first big clue! “Who can use these typewriters? Is there a sign up sheet?”
“Not that I’m aware of. It’s a first come first serve deal. If they’re all in use, you have to wait until somebody’s done. It doesn’t cost anything to use them, so anybody who doesn’t have access to a typewriter at home uses these.”
“Great. Anyone could have come in here and typed this note and no one would have noticed him. Especially if he was disguised as a student. Good thinking on your part, Avenger,” Dan muttered. To Mory, he said, “Let’s get someone down here and have this place staked out. We’ll make our own sign up sheet for now.”
“We also need Harold to fingerprint this baby.”
Dan shook his head at Mory’s suggestion. “Even if the Avenger didn’t use gloves or wipe it down, too many students have used it between then and now to get any viable prints or skin cells. I also noticed they don’t have any security cameras to help us.”
After questioning the library staff and introducing them to the plainclothes deputy who arrived to watch the room, Dan and Mory left.
Barney Young waited until after they departed to make his next call from the public phone outside the building. He grinned as he realized the summer session was proving to be far more interesting, and lucrative, than last quarter was.
Dan met Andrea downtown for lunch at the Sunshine Bakery on Broad Street. It was popular with the locals. Their specialty was a soup and sandwich deal, with a different homemade soup every day of the week and with sandwiches piled high and coupled with a side order of potato salad. Dan waved to another officer while heading towards Andrea’s table. “Sorry I’m late. We got a tip on the typewriter the Avenger has been using and had to check it out. How has your day been going?”
“Pretty good so far. What did you learn about the typewriter? How?”
“Some college student recognized the typesetting from the newspaper. He’d turned in a report last semester that had the same elevated letters as the Avenger’s note. When he typed the same words, they looked identical to me. I’ll get Harold to check it, but the probability that more than one print wheel has the exact problems is slim to none.”
“I agree. Did anyone see anybody suspicious? Did you get a copy of the sign up list for the last few months?”
Dan shook his head. “Unfortunately for us, there isn’t a sign up sheet. It’s first come, first serve. There’s no time limit or anything. Supplies are located at the front desk and you have to show your student ID and sign for those, but it’s doubtful he’s on that list. We made our own sign up sheet for now and the librarians have promised to try to enforce it. That’s the best we can hope for at this point.”
“That’s good, Dan. This might be a break for you.”
“For now, I have a plainclothes officer stationed there to see if anyone tries to use the typewriters who doesn’t look like a student.”
“What does ‘a student’ look like, Dan? Lots of people take night courses or audit regular ones to further their education. How will your spy determine who isn’t a student or somebody who isn’t supposed to be there? Besides, the Avenger might be a student or a teacher or campus worker.”
“Everyone who uses the typewriters will have to show a student ID. If they don’t have one, the officer assigned to the library will ask them some questions, see how they react. He’s supposed to hold anybody suspicious. I know it’s a long shot, but it’s the only thing we’ve got right now.” Dan watched as the waitress put a plate first in front of Andrea, then in front of him.
“I ordered for both of us, Dan, I hope that’s okay. My afternoon is packed with meetings, so I only have an hour for l
unch. I ordered turkey sandwiches with all the trimmings and the daily soup special. If you didn’t make it for lunch, I was going to take yours back to the office and give it to Cindi. She has a dentist appointment this afternoon, so I promised to bring her a sandwich.”
Dan swallowed a spoon of split pea soup. “This is delicious, Andi. I appreciate you ordering for me. That saves us both some time. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on at the office and some other cases that have taken a backseat to this Avenger. I can’t let everything else slide. Now, let’s talk about something other than work. How are Cindi and Brian doing?”
Dan and Andrea chatted while enjoying their meal and each other’s company.
Before they finished, Andrea ordered a soup and sandwich to go for Cindi. She also insisted on paying for Dan’s lunch. “I’ll be tied up for the rest of the afternoon, but I’ll give you a call later. Good luck, Dan.”
“Thanks, Andi. Tell Cindi I said Hi, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Thursday afternoon, July 19th
The Savannah River was beautiful. He watched the water flow rapidly past him, and thought about how quickly things could change. Life had certainly been different several years ago. He was happy then, not so cynical and tormented. Back when his girl had—a peal of laughter broke into his reverie and he jumped. The sound that would have made him smile then now pierced his soul with painful, icy daggers.
The park beside the levy was filled with playing children and adults taking a break from the hectic business day downtown. It wouldn’t look suspicious for him to be here. Everyone was involved in what they were doing, so no one paid him any attention. Even if they noticed him, they wouldn’t be able to describe him later. The need to know what Mallory had discovered and what the lieutenant was planning to do to try to catch the Avenger was worth the risk. He had to stay one step ahead, or his plans could fail. He wouldn’t let that happen.
He sat down on the forest green bench and watched the water while he waited. Soon, a man came and sat down beside him. “What have you got? Does Mallory have any suspects yet?”
“He ain’t got shit. They got an officer at the library where they think that note came from, but nobody besides students have come by so far. The lab report should be back soon, but they didn’t find anything at the crime scene. Damn, this guy is smart. He’s—”
“Hold it right there,” he heard a voice say from somewhere behind him. Damnit, if Roland allowed himself to be followed, I’m going to fuck him up. Shit. At least I made a back up plan in case this happened. Now, if Roland can remember what he’s supposed to say in the event we’re caught together, everything will be all right. He heard Roland begin to stutter and defend the alliance, turning the blame entirely towards him. Oh, fuck you, Roland!
“He said he’s just trying to help the police figure out who the Avenger is. He just needs some information. I figured he might stumble onto something that might help you with the case. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to—”
“Shut up, Daniels,” Dan said between clenched teeth. “How much is he paying you? I hope it’s enough to cover your bills for a while, because I’m going to do my damnedest to make sure the Captain fires your ass! What the hell were you thinking? Obviously, you didn’t think you’d get caught, but you were dead wrong on that one.”
“Lieutenant, I didn’t mean to—”
“Didn’t mean to what? Release confidential reports so the victim’s torture could be publicized in detail for everyone to read? Or are you talking about warning the Avenger of any evidence we’d found against him so he could alter his plans and not get caught? What other classified information have you given out? Maybe you’re talking about sinking so low to accept bribe money from a scumbag. Which thing is it, Daniels? You’ve done so much, I’m sure I can’t guess what it is you didn’t mean to do.” Without allowing Roland Daniels to answer, Dan went on in disgust, “You make me sick, Daniels. You’re a traitor to the department and I’m going to recommend not only that you get fired, but I’m also going to speak to the DA about filing charges against you.”
Dan turned, leaving Roland shouting excuses to his back, and walked closer to the other male who had been standing with the greedy and corrupt officer. “Nice to see you, Starr,” Dan murmured. “Now I know where you’ve been getting your information from. Some of it, at least. You’ll have to pack your bags on this story or find yourself a new source, because Officer Daniels won’t be helping you any more. Unless, of course, you have another insider that we haven’t found out about yet. And as for your—”
“You don’t have a thing on me, Mallory, and you know it. And don’t even try your intimidation techniques, because they won’t work,” Starr glared into Dan’s eyes, daring the officer to meet his challenge. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I reported the truth, and I have every right to inform the public of the heinous crimes going on in their town. You, on the other hand, have no right to harass me and follow me.”
“I have every right to follow you if I think you might have knowledge of a serial killer which you aren’t sharing with police because you want to make your big break. You tampered with an official investigation by letting the Avenger know we knew he had been typing his notes at the Augusta College library.”
“How is that tampering with an investigation? Are you one hundred percent positive that typewriter was the one the Avenger used? If it is, are you sure, with any degree of accuracy, that he would have used that same one again? If not, you can’t charge me with tampering. And remember, you have to prove that I maliciously intended to thwart your investigation before you can make any charges stick. Believe me, I’m as interested as you are in locating this man. The only difference is, I want to hand him a hero badge and a thank-you from all the young women who’ve been beaten and tortured and raped and mutilated by these bastards, but you want to lock him up!”
Dan clenched his fists at his side in an effort to keep from knocking Starr to the ground. How was it that he was following the law and trying to capture a serial killer and yet, somehow, he felt like the villain? How had Starr managed to make it sound as if he was the one who was doing wrong? And why did he feel so damn guilty? Why wouldn’t the faces of those women go away? Dan took a deep breath and said, “I want to punish someone who has broken the law just as those men have done. Two wrongs don’t make a right, didn’t your mama ever teach you that? Just because these men were alleged to have committed a crime, for which they were all acquitted by a jury of their peers, does not give someone the right to seek his own justice. The Avenger is just as guilty as they were. Maybe you should spend your energy and creative writing skills into enraging the public to change the laws instead of directing them my way. I’m just doing my job.”
“So am I, Lieutenant, so am I. If you were doing your job, my articles wouldn’t be directed your way. You guys screwed up and let these assholes loose. I’m enraging the public to the way our system is run. They need to be aware of how many guilty men are set free to attack more innocent people. Somehow, they must be stopped. If you cops and the DA. aren’t capable of doing it, at least someone out there is.”
Dan walked into the Captain’s office and sat down in the chair opposite his boss. “Deputy Roland Daniels is the one passing information to James Starr for his articles. I’m not sure at this point how much he knew to tell him, but I intend to find out. Mory is in with him now and he’s spilling his guts. He claims he was with Starr the other night when the call came over the radio about Dorothy Evans and that’s how Starr beat me to the scene. I’m assuming you saw the article in this morning’s paper?”
“Are you talking about the one on the front page with a picture of a college student tapping away on the typewriter supposedly used by the Avenger? The one with the picture of the same student holding a check and promising that anyone who has or gets information regarding the Avenger will also receive a sizeable reward? I hope you’ve pulled the deputy from the library, because that won’t help us now. T
his reporter is getting on my last nerve. We don’t have enough to make a tampering case with him, but I sure hope you threatened him with one. Is he also being questioned?”
“No, Captain, he’s not. He told me earlier he would enact his Fifth Amendment right and not tell us anything. It would have been a waste of time. You might have had to lock me up after I bashed his skull against the wall in the interrogation room.” Dan glanced toward Neal, who wasn’t smiling at his half-jest.
“You did the right thing, Mallory. Starr’s getting too much attention with his articles. He would have had a field day if we brought him in for this. Have you asked him for a sperm sample for Henri just to see how he’d react?”
“No. I was going to approach him yesterday, but I needed to catch up on some paperwork first. Then, one of Roland’s ex-partners commented on the expensive vacation Daniels was planning even though he just sent his second child off to college. I remembered him being at the first crime scene, so I decided to follow him today on a hunch, and it paid off.”
“Hold off asking Starr for a sample for a few days. He’s going to be pissed off now that we’ve closed his access. I don’t want to give him any more ammunition to use against us. He’s got a lot of support right now and the Sheriff is pitching a fit. He’s agreed to give you the manpower to arrange for stakeouts of your five worst offenders. Get the list together and make a schedule. We’ll put it in place tomorrow night.”
“Thanks, Captain. I’ll get started right away. I know it’s a long shot, but, right now, it’s the only one we’ve got. We’ll get him, I promise.”
“Make sure you do, Mallory. The shit goes down the chain and you’re at the bottom. I want everything on my desk by three tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have the men ready for you to brief by five, and we’ll see what this Friday night brings.”
“I hope it brings us the Avenger.”
“I do, too, Mallory, for all our sakes.”
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