“Rodson? Isn’t he one of your chief suspects?” Lieutenant Gray asked.
“Yes, he is, but so is Deorader. He’s the one providing the information.”
“So, what do you think, Boss?” Kim asked.
“I think Deorader has placed himself at Jimmie’s in Hollywood at the time Barbara McMullen was there. He might just tell us about Rodson because he thinks he was seen there and he’s afraid he may have been seen leaving with Mrs. McMullen. If he left with her eventually someone will come forward and say they saw him. He might just be trying to get his story in first.”
“You have a point, Elgie,” Lieutenant Gray said, “but do you really think he’s trying to steal a base rather than staying on plate?”
“Yeah, I think the pitcher better look for a sneak.”
“Very good, Elgie,” Lieutenant Gray said, “you’re getting the hang of the baseball metaphors.”
“That’s good because I wasn’t sure I had it right.”
“You got it right, Boss,” Kim said, “we have to keep our eyes on Deorader, he may be trying to throw us off by giving us another suspect.”
“Yes, I get that,” Lieutenant Gray said, “but how did he know which player to choose? How’d he know who you suspected?”
“Deorader was arrested right after Rodson. He could have seen him. I’m not really sure if they were in the bait room at the same time. Do you remember, Kim?”
“No, I really wasn’t paying attention, Boss. He coulda been there. I remember other men being in the room when I brought Deorader in.”
“You didn’t notice who any of the outfielders were?”
“No, Lieutenant, I wasn’t really paying attention. Boss, did you notice anything from the other room?”
“No, but everything was recorded. I can see if they crossed paths. The recording is on my computer, I can access it from here.”
“Go ahead and use my computer to bring up the playback,” Lieutenant Gray said.
Lieutenant Gray got up and let Elgie take his seat behind the computer. Elgie entered his password and pulled up the footage and cued it up to where Kim brought in Deorader.
“Yes, there it is, he saw him all right,” Elgie said.
“That by itself doesn’t mean he’s not telling the truth, Boss,” Kim said. “All that really means is that his identification is more solid since he had seen him before seeing him in the nightclub.”
“You have a point, Detective Kim,” Lieutenant Gray said, “eyewitness identification of an unknown player is notoriously unreliable, but if the identifier is familiar with the player the ID is more reliable. But you also have a point, Elgie, he could just be trying to throw us off by identifying a player who’s not in the game.”
“I think the only course of action is to interview Mr. Rodson and see what he has to say about this identification. Maybe he’ll admit to being at the club.”
“Right, Elgie,” Lieutenant Gray said, “Detective Kim, I’d like you to follow up on that. Give Rodson a call and meet him to get an interview. Better yet, just go to his home and surprise him. That way he won’t have time to think up an alibi. On second thought call. You can ask him about his whereabouts on the phone.”
Elgie returned to the tip line office. Kim called in ten minutes to tell Elgie that Rodson denied being at Jimmie’s in Hollywood and stated he had never been to the club. There was one course of action to take, go back to the club on Friday and ask the regulars if they saw Barbara last Friday night or in the early hours Saturday morning. They knew who they were looking for now. It had to be either Rodson or Deorader—maybe.
Vanessa arrived home after leaving work and visiting Michelle. Upon entering the house, she turned right and headed down the hallway to her bedroom. She flipped the switch at the top of the hall. No light. She figured the bulb must be burned out. She walked cautiously down the hall feeling for the door to the dining room, which was about fifteen feet from the top of the hall on her left. The bedroom was near the end of the hall on the right.
As she made her way down the hall, she could smell something strange. It smelled like some type of cologne she had never smelled in the house before. When she got to the dining room door, she opened it and walked in, flipped the light switch. Again—no light. Maybe it was the circuit breaker she thought. That must be it, one of the circuit breakers tripped. Now all she had to do was make her way through the dining room, out of the dining room’s rear door, make her way across the hall to the utility room and flip the circuit breaker. The entrance to her bedroom was next to the utility room. Not too complicated.
She wished she had turned on the living room light when she came in. Or maybe went back when she was at the top of the hallway. That didn’t matter now, she was already in the dining room. The smell of cologne got stronger. The smell overwhelmed the smells coming from the kitchen just above the dining room with a swinging door between them. She thought about heading to the kitchen but then thought the light might be out in there too. The smell of cologne was stronger now. There was someone behind her.
She turned to see a shadowy figure in the darkness. The figure reached out for her, but she was able to get away escaping into the darkness and bumped into the dining room table. She was grabbed from behind. A cloth was put over her mouth and nose. She couldn’t breathe. She could smell something on the cloth. It was chloroform. She struggled in vain to get free. She had only one thought as she lost consciousness. The Butcher had gotten her.
Vanessa awoke to find she was handcuffed and leg-cuffed to a dining room chair. A gag was in her mouth and duct tape over her lips. She wondered why she wasn’t dead. Then what Elgie had told her about the Haskells crossed her mind. He killed the couple facing each other. Could that be the fate he planned for them? Vanessa looked up and saw the figure again and could see he was wearing some sort of Halloween mask. She couldn’t tell what kind because it was too dark. It was nerve-racking for her to watch the man just standing there in the right corner next to the door leading to the kitchen. She tried to struggle to get away in vain. She tried to speak, but all that came out was muffled noise.
When the man saw her trying to speak, he put his finger to his lips and said, “Shhh.” That’s when she realized the Butcher wasn’t there for her. He was there for her husband. She knew what he wanted now. He wanted to kill Elgie in front of her. She had to find some way to warn him when he came home—but how?
Elgie stayed in the tip line office well after the task force closed up for the night. The tip line staff had standing instructions to call Lieutenant Gray and Elgie in case of a good suspect or other significant development. He got home around two in the morning. Upon crossing the threshold, Elgie called out for Vanessa and got no answer. That was unusual normally she waits up for him no matter what time he gets in. Then he heard something he thought it was in the kitchen—it was probably Vanessa. From the front door, he turned to the left then right through the swinging door into the kitchen and turned on the light. Upon entering the kitchen, he noted its decor, something he was proud of. He had chosen everything in the kitchen and had designed the layout himself. He had decided on placing the cabinets and the island for food preparation since he did most of the cooking in the house.
As he was admiring the kitchen decor, he heard that sound again. It sounded like someone was in trouble or maybe that was just the cop in him talking. Either way, he decided to err on the side of caution and pulled his gun. He walked through the swinging door into the dining room.
Once he walked through the door, he looked into the darkened dining room by the light coming from the kitchen he could see Vanessa bound and gagged. He began to run to his wife as she frantically shook her head. He knew better than to run to her without looking around, his police training had taught him that much. But when emotions take over people do stupid things. He knew something else was wrong. Someone else must be in the dining room. As he began to turn around, he was struck in the right shoulder and dropped his gun. He dropped to the c
old linoleum floor in what felt like slow motion. He didn’t know what had hit him. Then he felt something warm and wet on his shoulder. Suddenly he had something in his eyes. Lying on the floor, he realized he had been stabbed in the shoulder and was bleeding badly. He must have been hit in an artery. The door was swinging back and forth giving off gleams of light. He rolled over and could see a figure in the darkness behind the door. With the intermittent light from the kitchen, Elgie could see the silhouette of a man. He started to come toward Elgie as he reached out with his right hand for his gun. The figure kicked him in the shoulder stopping him from getting to his gun. Blood gushed from his shoulder.
Elgie turned over and saw the figure lunging at him with knife in hand. Elgie used his left hand to grab the man’s right wrist and twisted it until the knife fell to the floor. Elgie then let go of the man’s wrist and reached for his gun with his left hand, got hold of it and turned over just in time to see the knife-wielding assailant run through the kitchen door. He fired but missed. There was still blood in his eyes. He heard the front door open and close while the swinging kitchen door continued to let in intermittent gleams of light. Elgie rolled over on his back, dropped the gun, pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
“911 what’s your emergency?”
“This is Lieutenant Elgie Reynolds, LAPD Badge Number 7147.” Elgie was getting weak from blood loss. “Me and my wife have been attacked in our home. I’m severely injured, and my wife is secured to a chair in the dining room. We need police and an ambulance. Now!”
“Yes, Lieutenant help is on the way, just stay on the phone with me while you wait for the first responders. Are you okay, Lieutenant? This is Charlotte, I’ve been answering phones on your Butcher Tip Line. I’ve had your partners notified. They are on their way.”
“Hi Charlotte, I remember you from the tip line, you’ve been very valuable, but I don’t think…”
“Sir? Sir? Lieutenant!” there was no answer.
Chapter Thirteen
Lights from police vehicles blasted through the early morning darkness. Sirens broke through the silence and stillness. A police helicopter appeared over the horizon with its spotlight acting as a beacon guiding the patrol cars and the ambulance to the house. Officers Courtney Sanchez and Samuel Martin arrived. Officer Sanchez drove up onto the curb as she stopped in front of the Reynolds’ home. Before the car came to a stop Officer Martin was opening his door and rushed to Elgie’s aide.
“Lieutenant!” Officer Martin hollered as he banged on the Reynolds’ front door. “Lieutenant, are you okay?”
Officer Sanchez went to the trunk of the patrol car and got out a thirty-inch, two-man battering ram.
“Get out of the way, Sam. I’m going to knock it down!”
Martin grabbed the handle on one side of the battering ram and Sanchez grabbed the other. They swung the battering ram into the door once, then again, and finally on the third strike the door came open. They ran into the darkness and saw a light coming from the kitchen and ran towards it with their guns drawn. Martin got on the right side of the door, and Sanchez was on the left as two other officers came through the front door.
“Go down the hallway,” Officer Sanchez said, “we’ll enter through the kitchen.” Sanchez told Martin, “I’m going in. I think I hear someone.”
Sanchez pushed the swinging door open with her foot and slowly entered the room and saw it was vacant.
“I’m going through to the other side,” Sanchez said. “Cover me.”
Sanchez walked up to the next swinging door and pushed it with her foot. With the light from the kitchen, they could see Elgie lying on the dining room floor. Sanchez holstered her weapon and checked Elgie for a pulse. She found one.
“Lieutenant? Are you conscious? Lieutenant?”
There was no response.
“Sam, get the paramedics in here quick!”
Martin ran back out of the front door. The other two officers came through the hallway door. One of the officers found a light switch and flipped it like Vanessa did and got the same result. No lights. As she was checking Elgie, Sanchez heard Vanessa’s muffled voice and saw her secured to a chair that appeared to belong to the dining set. “Mrs. Reynolds!” Sanchez said. “Hold on, I’ll get you loose.” Sanchez took out her handcuff key and removed the handcuffs from Vanessa’s wrists then the cuffs from her legs. The second team of officers entered the dining room and propped open the door to the kitchen to provide some light.
Vanessa snatched the duct tape off her mouth and pulled out the gag.
“Is Elgie okay?” Vanessa asked.
“I don’t know yet, ma’am,” Officer Sanchez said. “The paramedics are on their way.”
The paramedics rushed in. Vanessa watched closely as they worked.
“George, I think he has a cut artery. I can’t tell if it’s nicked or severed, but there’s a lot of blood. Give me some gauze so I can put some pressure on it. Officer help my partner with the Gurney I can’t take my hand away. If I do, he’ll bleed to death. That is if he doesn’t bleed to death anyway.”
While the first paramedic continued to apply pressure to the wound, the other paramedic moved the Gurney up from the kitchen into the dining room and lowered it beside Elgie’s body. The paramedic and Officer Sanchez lifted Elgie’s body onto the Gurney, lifted the Gurney and rolled it to the ambulance. The first paramedic continued to apply pressure to the wound.
“Elgie! Elgie! Are you awake?” Vanessa asked frantically. “Elgie, say something!” Vanessa said as she walked alongside the Gurney and got into the ambulance with her husband. The first paramedic got into the back with Vanessa and Elgie still applying pressure to the wound. The bleeding only slowed. The other went to the driver’s seat, turned on the siren, and screeched out toward the hospital. The paramedic in the back with Vanessa kept applying pressure to the wound to slow the bleeding, but it was badly damaged.
In the back of the ambulance, Vanessa listened as the paramedic gave her an assessment of her husband’s condition.
“Ma’am, I’m Paramedic Ronald Newell.”
“I’m Vanessa Reynolds,” Vanessa spoke slowly. “This is my husband Elgie, he’s a lieutenant with the LAPD, and I’m very proud of him.”
“I don’t want to alarm you, Mrs. Reynolds, but I think you should know your husband’s artery has been at least nicked and he might not make it to the hospital, he’s lost a lot of blood. If he does make it, he’ll be taken into emergency surgery which should take around two hours. I’m telling you this because I think you should notify his family when we get to the hospital.”
“Call his family and tell them what?” Vanessa asked.
“Tell them to come to the hospital right away. Lieutenant Reynolds may die this morning.”
“Elgie doesn’t have any family. His parents died when he was eleven—killed by a drunk driver. His grandmother who raised him died last year. I’m Elgie’s family—and he’s my family.”
“I got here as soon as I could, how’s he doing?” Kim asked.
“He’s still in surgery. It’s been almost an hour,” Vanessa said in a daze.
“By what they were telling me at your house he’s lucky he survived the ambulance ride over here. I’m sure if he’s strong enough to hold on without full medical help, he’ll survive the surgery.”
“Thank you, Detective Kim, I appreciate your encouragement. I can use some right now. Thank you and thank you for coming. I know you haven’t known my husband very long and already you’re coming to see him in the hospital. I’m sure it’ll mean a lot to him.”
The hospital waiting room was the stereotypical waiting room. Bland paint on the walls, uncomfortable seats, the smell of disinfectant, and the obligatory sick people and those hoping not to hear that their loved one is dead. Vanessa was one of the latter.
“Lucas is here,” Kim said.
Lucas quickened his step as soon as he saw Kim.
“How’s he doing, Quinn?” Lucas asked.
“We don’t know yet. He’s still in surgery,” Detective Quinn Kim replied.
“Hello, Mrs. Reynolds, how are you doing?” Doctor Lucas Connors asked.
“I’m okay I guess.”
She still sounded dazed. Maybe a little lost. She couldn’t help but think about what would happen if he didn’t make it. She tried to push that thought out of her head, but it just kept coming. Flashes of burying her husband and being so alone without him.
“Mrs. Reynolds,” Quinn said, “why don’t you have a seat. I’ll go check on the Lieutenant.”
Connors sat down beside her.
“Ma’am, I’m Lucas. We met once at the tip line office.”
“Yes, I remember you, Lucas. I’m Vanessa.”
Lucas used his therapist voice and language while he spoke to Vanessa.
“Vanessa, I know you’re worried. It’s okay to feel your feelings. You don’t have to put on a brave face for us. Quinn and I understand. You’re afraid that your husband might die. You have every right to be afraid.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Lucas, but I’m holding back tears because if I start crying, I may not be able to stop.”
“Here comes Quinn—Quinn what did you find out?”
“The nurse says the surgery is going well and they should be finished soon. The doctor will come out herself when the surgery is over.”
“That’s good news,” Vanessa said. “He’ll probably be alright.” Vanessa managed a half smile. ‘Thank you again, Quinn.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Reynolds.”
The three sat quietly for the next half-hour watching the door to the emergency area. Behind the door was a corridor with examination rooms on each side. Plastic curtains covered the entrances. At the end of the corridor was emergency surgery. With their eyes trained on the door to the emergency area, they finally saw the doctor emerge.
“Mrs. Reynolds?”
Tracking the Butcher Page 14