Necessary Evil

by Janelle Taylor

  Dan grinned at her back and grabbed his notepad. Before he left the office, he said, “Thanks again, Tracy, and I’m sorry if I offended you. I’ll see you again at five.”

  “See you, Dan.” Tracy responded. Damn, I almost blew it. Lieutenant Mallory doesn’t need to know how closely I’m hanging on his every sentence, every question, and every innuendo. That could send his suspicions my way and ruin everything. I’ve got to be more careful in the future. Tired brains are careless brains.

  At Carl Whitehead’s apartment, Dan muttered in irritation, “He doesn’t kill anyone for two and a half weeks, then he switches to a Monday night. All the other attacks were on the weekend. What’s going on?” he asked aloud, frustration creeping into his voice as he stared at the newest victim tied spread eagle. He studied the ropes and determined they were tied consistently as a left-handed person would. When he looked down, he saw a muddy footprint at the edge of the bed, under the spread, “Henri, come take a look at this.”

  Henrietta walked to his side. “What is it, Dan? Did you find something?”

  “I don’t know. What do you make of it?” He pointed to a print stain on the carpet. “It’s where our perp would’ve been standing when he received oral sodomy.”

  Henrietta leaned over for a closer look and measured the length and width of the print. “I don’t know, Dan. It looks too small to belong to a man strong enough to overpower our victims. It probably belongs to whoever cleans his pad, Carl’s girlfriend or some other friend. I don’t think it’s the Avenger’s. Could be a plant to mislead us. I mean, why only one track? Where’s the rest of his trail? I won’t know if it’s fresh until we test the dirt’s moisture level. Definitely a boot print, wide but short foot for a huge brute. I think the cleaning lady just missed it after the last storm. But I’ll give it my best shot.”

  Dan mused, “Maybe the victims know, or think they know, this Avenger. Maybe he’s small enough that he’s not threatening. His strength could come from his anger and the element of surprise. Maybe the Avenger has an accomplice who gets inside their homes and then disables them with drugs or chloroform so the Avenger can seek his justice. That would explain how he’s gained entrance without having to break in.”

  “That theory certainly bears checking into. Maybe one of your female victims is paying someone to commit the crimes with her assistance. Perhaps they’re using a serial MO to mask the real target’s identity. Or maybe it was someone who didn’t report the rape or know the rapist and has chosen to go this route instead. You guys have a lot of work to do. And so do I. Call me in three days and I’ll have your reports ready.”

  After Harold took pictures, Henrietta made definitive measurements. “I’ll make a soft mold of the footprint at the office. It’s probably nothing, but we have to check every clue we find right now. Something is going to lead us to this Avenger. He has to make his mistake soon.”

  Harold said, “I hate to tell you boys, but I’m not finding any evidence you two can use. Like Henri said, that one boot print doesn’t look helpful. Strange nobody ever sees or hears anything suspicious. Seems our perp is outsmarting us.” Harold’s green gaze watched Dan and Mory nod but grimace.

  Dan suggested to his partner, “Why don’t you head on to the office and start getting the file together on our latest victim? Tracy’s returning about five to help us. We got a lot done last night. She’s smart and she’s fast. I’m tired but wired. I need to go shower, shave and change clothes. I’ll meet you there in a couple of hours.”

  “See you there,” Mory replied. “And grab some food and decent coffee.”

  Early Tuesday afternoon, July 31st

  “I have some interesting news for you, Dan,” Mory divulged as he entered their office. “Guess who Carl Whitehead’s ex-wife has been hanging out with lately? An ex-police officer named Paul Cannon, fired last year for assault and battery while on the job. Used to work in the Traffic Division. Short guy, but big, muscular. Wore his shield like it put him above the law. I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him. Has a reputation for a hot temper. Most of the other officers didn’t like him much, but covered his ass, because they wanted that same protection if he was backing them up on a call.”

  Mory paused before saying, “Anyway, Cannon got pissed off when a speeding van refused to pull over during a pursuit. When the driver crashed after running a red light, Paul beat the shit out of him for not stopping when he flashed his lights and blared the siren. After the guy pressed charges, other incidents on the job, harassing other suspects came to light. He was terminated the next day. Now, he’s working in a bait and tackle shop and shacking up with Teresa Whitehead, Carl’s ex. How’s that for coincidence? He could be our Avenger, or maybe he’s supplying information. It’s also possible Carl’s death was a copycat crime and the Avenger isn’t responsible for this one.”

  “Cannon would have had access to records on all of these women,” Dan speculated as he read the ex-officer’s file. “I’m sure he still has some friends on the force. And he certainly would have hated Carl, who was arrested several times for battery against Teresa. I think we should pay Paul Cannon a visit, after we go see Beth Franklin. I’ll leave these new names and data for Tracy Daniels to key in the computer. After we worked all night, I gave her most of today off. As I said, she’s coming in late this afternoon to complete the list. I’d rather go see Ms. Franklin before we track down Cannon. Who knows? Maybe we’ll turn up something more concrete after Tracy adds these two cases names to the list.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Late Tuesday afternoon, July 31st

  “So, somebody finally put that vicious woman hater out of his misery. And everyone else’s. I wish I’d never met or dated him. Thank God for the Avenger. That man was evil, Lieutenant Mallory, pure evil,” Beth Franklin told Dan. “He thought all women needed to be put into what he believed was their proper place. He said men were the kings of this earth and women were put here to serve them. He deserved to die, before he hurt anyone else. I’m glad the Avenger took on my lost cause.”

  “Why was his case dismissed?” Mory asked, as if Carl’s file was unfamiliar to him, a ploy that often evoked useful facts.

  “Oh, he admitted he knew me and had slept with me. He never denied that. He just claimed he wasn’t the one who bashed my teeth out and broke all those bones. We were fishing on the lake and having a picnic. He kept drinking beer and I kept asking him to stop. When we got back to shore and he’d loaded the boat, he decided he wanted a blowjob before we headed home. I refused. My daughter was there with us. He shoved me to my knees, pinned my face to his crotch. I kept telling him no and struggling to get up. He kept trying to force me to...do him. He’d already exposed himself, so I bit him down there. That’s when he threw me backwards and grabbed a hammer from his truck. Before I could get up and run, he knocked my teeth out and demanded I do everything he said.”

  She brushed at tears and took a ragged breath. “After he finished, he beat the rest of me with his hammer. He left me there on the ground, with my daughter crying beside me. Thank God he didn’t try to do anything to her, because I couldn’t have gotten up to protect her. Someone rode by in a boat and heard my daughter crying for her mommy. They pulled up and called 911 on their phone and stayed with me until the ambulance and police arrived. I told the officers what had happened before I was taken to the hospital. When they went to arrest Carl, he was drinking heavily with his buddies, all cleaned up and the hammer missing. They didn’t even find any of my blood in his truck or at his apartment. But the cocky bastard confessed what had happened. Later his admission was thrown out of court, because he was ruled incompetent at the time of questioning and he wasn’t read his rights or offered an attorney soon enough. His lawyer argued he left us there because we had a fuss after I bit his penis for no reason. Carl claimed I was going to call a friend to come get us and refused his offer of a ride home. He said somebody else had attacked me after he left to meet his friends at a bar. His lawyer sa
id by the time I claimed he raped me, he would’ve been too drunk get an erection. There weren’t any eyewitnesses who saw us together and my daughter was only twenty-two months old. It came down to my word against his. Without his confession and no evidence for the DA. to use, his lawyer argued reasonable doubt, and won.”

  “No one saw you two arguing on the lake?” Mory asked.

  “No one came forward. We went to coves to fish, so we didn’t hit the popular spots. We had dated twice without any problems. He fooled me good. At first, Carl seemed nice, but the more he drank that day, the more I became concerned. I realized too late he was a mean drunk. He lied and got away with what he did to me. You can read the rest in your reports.”

  “Are you seeing someone?”

  “No, Lieutenant Mallory. With a small daughter to raise, I don’t think any man could earn my trust again. Maybe after she’s grown, I’ll get back out there again. But for now, it’s much safer this way. Lonely, but safer.”

  “What about your child’s father or any other male family members, any of them want to go after Carl for justice or revenge?”

  “No brothers. My father’s disabled. No boyfriend, then or now. My daughter’s father was killed by a tornado in Alabama before she was born. Carl was the first man I’d dated since Jimmy’s loss. It’s obvious I was naïve and foolish to go out with Carl.”

  “I’m sorry this happened to you, Ms. Franklin, but don’t blame yourself for what that evil man did. If you think of anything else, please give us a call.”

  “I’m sorry, too, Lieutenant. But I’m glad we have an Avenger out there who’s taking care of the slime that walks our streets. Hopefully, my daughter will never have to face this kind of evil when she gets older.”

  Wednesday morning, August 1st

  “You look like shit warmed over, partner,” Mory jested. “Don’t tell me you worked all night again.”

  “Nope, but I didn’t sleep good, too tired and edgy.” Downright horny and missing Andi! “I stopped by Tracy Daniels office a few minutes ago. She finished that comparison list for us, and it looks as if it might pay off. According to this printout, we have three people with ties to more than one area. Luther Jackson is a janitor at the medical school, but he used to work in the DA’s office. Paul Cannon, our ex-police officer who’s now living with one of our victim’s ex-wife and she currently works at the Medical College. And surprise, surprise. Guess who else made it onto our list? Our infamous Mister James Starr who manages to turn up in all the right places at all the right times. Who would’ve known? Apparently, he worked at a medical research lab to do an undercover story on the possibility of radioactive waste being dumped down sinks and contaminating the local water supply.”

  “That’s interesting. We’re going to pay a visit to that lab, right?”

  “Just waiting on you to arrive. Let’s go, partner.”

  When the elderly black man was pointed out to him, Dan knew he couldn’t have been responsible for the Avenger’s murders. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him. He noticed the stoop of his shoulders, though they were broad. The overalls were old and faded, but clean. “Mr. Jackson?” Dan questioned as they approached him.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m Lieutenant Dan Mallory, and this is my partner, Sergeant Mory Morrison. We’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind. Do you have a minute?”

  “I sure does. What kin I dos to he’p you, sir?”

  Kind, brown eyes gazed into his as Dan showed the man his badge. “Have you been reading the newspapers, Mr. Jackson?”

  “No, sir. Cain’t say I has. I dropped outta school in the sixth grade to he’p my momma out when my daddy passed away. She had six churren and needed the money. I wents straight to work at Mista Willis’s sto, and never wents back to school. After a while, I figured I didn’t needs to go. Now, my grandchurren amaze me with what they’s learnin’. I never learnt to read too good, so I don’t buys the paper.”

  “That was a good thing to do, Mr. Jackson, helping your momma out,” Mory said. “Have you heard anything about this Avenger that’s stalking our area?”

  “Now, him, I dun heard of. You don’t has to be able to reads to know ‘bout ‘im. News of him been on the TV plenty. Lotsa folks tawkin’ ‘bout ‘im. He’s gittin’ rid of all dem bad folks the laws are settin’ free. Why’d you want to tawk to me ‘bout ‘im?”

  “We ran a computer report of all the people who might have contact in more than one area that we’re investigating, and your name showed up on it. Apparently, you worked at the District Attorney’s office before you came here. Is that right?”

  “Yes, sir, it shore is. Mista Raymond be a fine man, a good bossman. He gets me dis job. Shorter hours and more pay. Easier work. You’re not thinkin’ I’d be dat Avenger, now, is you? I don’t suppose I cud muscle dem men to the bed, and I knows my Johnson wouldn’t work for ‘em. I’m not dat way, Mr. Mallory.”

  The innocence in the old man’s responses and expressions made Dan want to smile. “No, I don’t think you’re the Avenger, Mr. Jackson, but I didn’t realize that until I met you. Working around all these people, though, I’m sure you pick up on things. Have you seen anything suspicious lately? Any strange people hanging around?”

  “Dere’s all kinds of peoples in dis world, Mr. Mallory, and I reckon in my lifetime, I’ve seed the lot of ‘em. But I ain’t come across nobody dat wud be the man you’re lookin’ for. Why you police wants to catchs ‘im so bad? Seems like he’s not so terrible, punishin’ all dose bad men for the thangs dey done. ‘Course, two wrongs don’t make no right. I guess you still gots to do your job, even if’n you agrees with what he’s doin’. Ain’t that right, Mr. Mallory?”

  “Yes, sir, it is. I’ve—” Dan started before he was interrupted.

  “You don’t needs to explain yourself to me. I don’t have much book knowledge, but I learnt a lot on the streets. People give it all away with their eyes. Watch for his eyes, Mr. Mallory, and you might be able to picks him out. His actions are gonna be disguised, but he can’t hide his eyes. It’ll all be dere.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Jackson. If you think of anything—”

  “I’ll calls you, Mr. Mallory. Den, you’ll have to decide what you’re gonna do with ‘im when you catches him. Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Dan walked off with the strangest feeling. The man was in his mid-sixties to seventies, so he couldn’t be the Avenger. But Mr. Jackson was smart, very smart. Dan tried to shake an odd feeling as they headed towards the lab to find Henrietta.

  “That was strange,” Mory said with an inquisitive look as they got into Dan’s car. “What did you make of him?”

  “I’m not sure, Mory, but I know he’s not the Avenger. And right now, that’s all I’m interested in. One down and two to go on our list.”

  “Hey, Dan, Mory. Whitehead’s drink was drugged with some Valium. I haven’t been able to tie down exactly how much yet, but it was found in his beer and in his bloodstream. It looks as if he came home, got a beer, took a leak and passed out. Somehow, someone put valium in his drink while he was in the can.”

  “Hold on a second, Henri,” Mory interrupted. “How do you know he went to the bathroom? Do you guys have some new test for that now?”

  The medical examiner looked at a grinning Mory and laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they come up with one soon, but no, that’s not how I know. Carl didn’t flush the toilet when he was done. Maybe conserving water on his bill.”

  “Oh,” was all Mory said, when no amusing retort came to mind.

  Henrietta continued, “After he passed out, he was dragged to the bedroom, pulled onto the bed and tied down. Scratches on the floor, drag marks on the rug and the condition of the covers exposed that, Mory.”

  “All right, quit picking on me, Henri. It was a valid question.”

  “Anything else, Henri?” Dan asked.

  “He’s got the same needle mark on the inner elbow. The ropes were tied the same way as the
others. The Avenger has been pretty consistent with all of that. Whitehead was beaten pretty severely. He was a mess to autopsy. I’m almost positive he would have died of internal bleeding if he’d been left like that for a while. I think he was struck with a hammer at times, other blows look like they were inflicted with something softer, like a fist. The bruising wasn’t as deep, Mory,” Henrietta couldn’t help but tease. “He was anally sodomized and forced to perform fellatio. It looks as if he did put up a strong fight.”

  “I wonder if the Avenger was hiding in the house before Carl got home? Or did he come home with Carl and slip the narc into his drink while he was taking a leak?”

  “I don’t know, Dan. I can’t help you out on that one. There wasn’t any forced entry from what we could tell, so I’d probably go with the second scenario.”

  “Who is this guy? How does he keep getting into these people’s homes? Why do they feel safe to either let him in or bring him in? It really makes me wonder if there might be an accomplice, maybe a female. Maybe a rape victim. Maybe his boss.”

  “Let me know when you find out, Dan.”

  “You’ll be the first, Henri.”

  “Hey, what about me? I’m your partner.”

  “I hope you’ll be there with me, protecting my ass, so to speak,” Dan jested, then sent Henrietta a wide grin before asking, “Any chance our perp will have scratches or cuts on his...uh, penis when we catch a suspect? He did break Whitehead’s teeth. Any chance of sharp edges leaving telltale marks?”

  “Hate to tell you boys this, but our vigilante made sure Carl’s gums were smooth before he stuck his well endowed organ in our vic’s mouth. Carl’s lack of dental hygiene helped; he had badly receding gums and loose to missing teeth. The rest of the bad news is: Harold and I just had a meeting to go over all we have so far. Hate to tell you boys, it isn’t doodly squat to help you apprehend him. There’s nothing he’s left behind to expose his identity. I’m guessing he isn’t in any legal system, and he knows exactly how to deny and mislead us. You boys are dealing with the smartest perp I’ve ever encountered in all my years of law enforcement. Harold has been studying all your cases and reports, and even he can’t find anything to help you boys.”