Evil Guardian

by Scott Bonn

  Now, as Pritchard sits in the green room at 8:55pm, it is nearly time for him to join Anderson Cooper on the set. Although Pritchard is tired, he has not had any alcohol to drink in nearly five days, and he feels strong, confident and mentally alert. He is freshly showered and shaved for his national television debut. He is also wearing his best navy blue suit and a brand new red tie.

  A female assistant producer approaches Pritchard and informs him that it is time for him to join Cooper and that she will escort him.

  When he rises up from his seat and prepares to walk to the set for his interview, Cassidy gives him a wink and says, “Go get ‘em, James.”

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Anderson Cooper opens his show by providing an overview of the three murders and massive manhunt in New York for the unknown serial killer who calls himself the guardian. Cooper explains to the television audience that a typed letter believed to be from the killer himself was hand-delivered to his office early this morning. Cooper says the author placed the letter in his care, but the actual receiver is NYPD Homicide Captain James Pritchard, who is leading the police manhunt for the guardian. Cooper tells his television audience that Pritchard is his special guest this evening.

  After welcoming Pritchard, Cooper asks the homicide captain to provide his audience with an update on the investigation.

  Pritchard says, “Anderson, it deeply disturbs me to announce that the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Curry, a missing girl from the upper west side, was discovered earlier today in the Hudson River. She was murdered and we are certain that she is the fourth victim of the serial killer that the media are calling the evil guardian. That is all I can disclose for now, except to say that we have met with the victim’s family and our thoughts and prayers are with them this evening.”

  Anderson Cooper also expresses his sorrow and condolences to the family of the murdered girl. He asks Pritchard what the homicide captain would like to say to the public about the status of the manhunt for the guardian.

  Pritchard sternly says, “Speaking on behalf of NYPD Commissioner William Bratton, I can tell you that every single resource at our disposal is fully committed to this manhunt. We are working around the clock in conjunction with the FBI to find the killer. I can assure you that my team and I will not rest until we capture this monster. Nothing will stop us short of our goal. I promise you that his days are numbered.”

  Anderson Cooper says, “Captain Pritchard, I want to read the letter allegedly from the killer that was delivered to my office early this morning. Then, I would like you to comment on it and provide your insights, if that is okay.”

  Pritchard nods his approval, and Anderson Cooper reads the letter to the TV audience.

  When he is finished reading, Cooper asks, “Captain, do you believe this letter was written by the evil guardian?”

  Pritchard nods and says, “Yes, it most certainly was written by the killer.”

  Cooper asks, “How can you be so certain that it is genuine, captain?”

  Pritchard replies, “This is the second time the killer has written to me. We know that the first letter to me was genuine because it contained information that only the killer himself would know. We are confident this new letter is genuine for the very same reason. For example, the author of the new letter specifically mentions a Bible verse, Psalm 34:7, in reference to Melissa Stein, the guardian’s third victim. The guardian left this message with Melissa Stein before dropping her dead body into the Hudson River. Only the killer himself would know about Psalm 34:7 because we withheld this fact from the public until just now. So, you see, Anderson, this letter must be from the killer.”

  He continues, “Also, you’ll notice at the end of the letter, he talks about a ‘surprise’ that is waiting for me to find. Obviously, the surprise he is talking about is another victim because we discovered Eve Curry’s body in the Hudson River just a few hours after I received this letter in your office this morning.”

  Cooper says, “This is incredible. The guardian seems to be fixated on you, Captain Pritchard. He seems to be playing some sort of game with you.’

  Cooper asks, “Why do you think that is? Why do you think he is interacting with you?”

  Pritchard replies, “Well, Anderson, this killer thinks he is a very clever fellow. He believes that he is much smarter than I am. He thinks he is smarter than the NYPD and FBI combined. In reality, he is just an egotistical fool. His desperate attempts to demonstrate his alleged intellectual superiority show us just how weak and insecure he really is. It would seem that I have him rattled and on the defensive, Anderson”

  Cooper says, “Captain, the killer seems to think that he is some sort of angel of God sent here to protect young girls, although that sounds completely insane—psychotic, in fact—to me. He seems to have delusions of grandeur and a feeling of invulnerability. Clearly, he is fixated on religion and has religious delusions. He quotes from the Bible and he calls himself the guardian.”

  He asks, “Captain, is it possible that the killer has extensive, formal religious training and is somehow affiliated with an organized church?”

  Pritchard smiles slightly and says, “That is an interesting question, Anderson. I can tell you with confidence that he is a complete fraud. My learned colleagues with the FBI and I do not believe that he has had any formal religious training at all. He wants us to believe that he is a religious scholar—a theologian—but his own words betray his ignorance. He is a charlatan, a total fraud, and he insults everyone who studies or practices the Christian faith.”

  Cooper says, “I see. Thank you for that insight. I want to discuss one other topic with you. It seems to me that the evil guardian craves notoriety, Captain. Ironically, therefore, we are giving him exactly what he wants by talking about him here in primetime on network television.

  He asks, “What are your thoughts on that, Captain?”

  Pritchard replies, “I see your point, but the public is entitled to know what is happening in the investigation, including what the NYPD and FBI are doing to stop this lunatic. The public has a right to know that my team and I simply will not rest, even for a moment, until we stop the killer. I assure you that he will soon be in our custody.”

  Cooper asks, “Does that mean you have a suspect, Captain?”

  Pritchard answers, “What I can tell you, Anderson, is that the killer can feel us breathing down his neck at this very moment. I am certain that he is watching this program tonight, so let me say something directly to him. To the so-called guardian: You are a pathetic loser, a bully, and a fraud. Like all bullies, you are secretly afraid. As you should be. We have you in our sights.”

  Anderson Cooper thanks Pritchard for joining him on the show and wishes the homicide captain Godspeed in capturing the guardian. Pritchard stands up, shakes Cooper’s hand, and leaves the stage. He then heads to the green room to look for Cassidy.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  It is 10:00pm and the guardian is sitting on the black leather sofa in the small studio apartment rented by his alter ego on Mercer Street in lower Manhattan. He has just finished watching Anderson Cooper 360 on television, and he is smiling because his plan to attract attention to himself has worked perfectly. He is excited and adrenaline is pumping through his veins.

  The guardian is not alone in the apartment, however. Charles Lundquist is also present, but the personality of the guardian is currently dominating the psyche of his alter ego. The guardian emerged from his emotional cooling off period following the murder of Eve Curry specifically to bear witness to Captain James Pritchard’s appearance with Anderson Cooper. He could not resist the temptation to see what Pritchard would say about him and his new letter.

  The guardian could not be happier about what he has just seen on television. He is delighted that Anderson Cooper read his letter on national television to millions of people, and he is even more excited that Pritchard appeared on the show with Cooper to discuss it.

  He sits and rubs his hands togethe
r gleefully while basking in the glow of his notoriety and ability to influence the media.

  Full of pride, the guardian says to himself, “This is marvelous! Now, even celebrity journalists like Anderson Cooper are dancing to my tune. I have captured the world’s attention. No one can resist me or deny the greatness of my work. Soon everyone will know the name of the guardian and recognize that I cannot, and will not, be deterred from completing my blessed mission.”

  As a wave of euphoria surges through his mind and body, the guardian proclaims aloud, “Pritchard is such a weak and clumsy fool. He really believes that he can disturb me and disrupt my brilliant work with his puny insults. Pritchard will never shake my resolve or blur my focus. He cannot rattle me. He says that he is hot on my trail, but he is lying through his teeth. He has absolutely nothing on me. I have left no evidence or clues, no trail for him to follow. I am much too clever, too sophisticated, for a fool like him to ever defeat.”

  He continues, “Pritchard dares to question my authority and purpose. He repeatedly fails to see that a power far beyond his comprehension guides my work and me. This ignorant police captain will come to regret the childish insults and taunts he throws at me. I will make him pay for his insolence. I will show the world what a foolish and powerless man he really is.”

  He laughs and says aloud, “Pritchard’s childish gibes do not bother me at all. I am immune to them. They only serve to harden my resolve and sharpen my focus. I should thank the silly man for fueling the fire in my heart and redoubling the commitment to my mission.”

  The guardian sits back in the sofa and relaxes in his alter ego’s apartment. The serial killer has taken the lives of four teenage girls in New York City so far, but he knows in his heart that he has only just begun. He relishes the fact that celebrity pundits are now discussing his exploits on network television in primetime. He is delighted that very soon everyone will know and fear him. He feels invincible.

  He is aware that it will soon be time for him to select another special young female—that is, his fifth—to rescue from the evils of the material world. He is also quite certain that neither James Pritchard nor anyone else can stop him from completing his mission.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Sitting in his living room in Boston, Massachusetts, approximately two-hundred-and-fifteen miles away from where the guardian is located, an educated, middle-aged white man has also just finished watching Anderson Cooper 360 with great interest. What this man saw and heard on television has upset him for personal reasons.

  The letter read by Anderson Cooper has triggered old thoughts and feelings buried deep down inside him and brought them to the surface. The tone and wording of the letter are very familiar to him. Hearing the contents of the letter has left him disturbed and perplexed.

  He asks himself, “Could it possibly be that I know this serial killer in New York they are calling the evil guardian?”

  He shudders at the thought. He closes his eyes and rubs his temples while recalling memories from the not-too-distant past. He thinks of the strange and sometimes troubling young man that he last saw eight years ago. His memories of that time are still very clear, and they are unsettling.

  It is incomprehensible to him that the man he once knew could possibly be a serial killer preying on young girls in New York. The young man that he knew eight years ago was arrogant and confrontational, but he was never physically violent. Logic tells him that the young man he knew in Boston could not be the evil guardian, and yet, the words in the killer’s letter are frighteningly familiar to him.

  A cold chill goes up and down his spine. He body trembles with apprehension and fear. He is uncertain what to do.

  The man says aloud, “I must pray for direction and sleep on this dilemma. The answer will come if I turn it over to God,” the man says to himself.

  Chapter Forty

  It is 10:25pm and a limousine provided by Anderson Cooper’s producer is waiting for James Pritchard outside of the CNN offices at Time Warner Center. The driver is waiting to take Pritchard to the Residence Inn Marriott on Broadway in downtown Manhattan. It is the hotel where he has been staying during the manhunt for the guardian. It is conveniently located less than one-half mile from his office at One Police Plaza.

  Pritchard emerges from the CNN office with Julia Cassidy at his side. Cassidy and her FBI team are staying at a hotel in Tribeca, just north of where Pritchard is staying. Pritchard has offered to drop Cassidy off at her hotel on his way downtown. The two climb into the backseat of the limousine, and the driver heads toward the West Side Highway where he will turn left and go south.

  Pritchard and Cassidy are both silent in the back of the limousine as they begin to relax for the first time all day.

  What a day it has been for the homicide captain. From the discovery of a fourth victim and the arrival of a new letter from the guardian, to his television appearance with Anderson Cooper, Pritchard feels as if has been walking in a hurricane all day.

  Thank goodness, Pritchard thinks to himself, that Cassidy is with him on this odyssey. In a very short time, he has come to respect her professional skills. In particular, Cassidy’s knowledge of forensic science and behavioral psychology have greatly impressed him.

  Pritchard admires Cassidy very much, although their individual policing styles are very different. The detached and scientific approach of Cassidy provides a stark contrast to Pritchard who is aggressive and sometimes even confrontational in his approach. Moreover, Pritchard is completely obsessed with the guardian, and stopping him, for personal and emotional reasons, while the hunt for the killer is an exciting, intellectual challenge for Cassidy.

  Nevertheless, an interesting thing has happened between Pritchard and Cassidy. Despite their considerable differences, in four short days, they have formed an unlikely bond that sometimes happens when two people with contrasting personalities must come to rely on one another in the face of adversity.

  As they ride downtown together in silence, Pritchard senses what he hopes is sexual tension between himself and Cassidy. He has been sensing something sexual between them on and off all day, ever since he called her Julia for the first time this morning.

  Pritchard wonders if his perception is correct and Cassidy really is sending him a sexual signal. He is confused and uncertain. However, one thing he is certain of is that he is very physically—sexually—attracted to Cassidy. In addition to her body, he finds her superior intellect to be a turn-on, too.

  As the limousine approaches Cassidy’s hotel, she says, “James, your stellar performance with Anderson Cooper tonight warrants a celebratory drink. Let me buy you one at your hotel bar.”

  Pritchard smiles at Cassidy, nods, and tells the driver not to stop because they will proceed together to the Residence Inn Marriott on Broadway. When they arrive at his hotel, Pritchard steps out of the limousine and extends his right hand to help Cassidy out of the car. She smiles and takes his hand as she steps out from the backseat of the car.

  Inside the hotel lobby, Cassidy points to a small piano bar that appears to be very crowded.

  Cassidy says, “There it is, James. I hope there are seats available.”

  While still standing together in the lobby, Pritchard awkwardly makes a confession to Cassidy.

  He says, “Julia, I should have said something in the car, but I have recently gone on the wagon, so I am not drinking, and I really don’t want to sit in a bar. I’m really sorry.”

  Coyly, Cassidy says, “That’s okay. I understand. Besides, there must be some soft drinks, as well as alcohol, in the minibar in your room.”

  Cassidy gives Pritchard a wink and starts walking toward the elevator. Smiling broadly, Pritchard follows her. He catches up to her and puts his hand on her shoulder. She smiles at Pritchard and bites her lower lip as she looks into his eyes. While riding up the elevator to his junior suite on the sixth floor, Pritchard’s heart is pumping fast and a bulge is growing inside his pants.

  Before long, the t
wo are in Pritchard’s room and pulling off one another’s clothes. Neither Pritchard nor Cassidy have had sex for a while, so they are both quite excited and unabashedly horny.

  “This is going to be really good,” Pritchard tells himself as he looks at the toned, naked body of Cassidy.

  She pushes Pritchard backwards onto the bed and climbs on top of him. Lying on his back, he looks up at her. He is completely aroused and fully erect. She mounts him forcefully and Pritchard is delighted to discover that Cassidy’s approach to sex is visceral and far more passionate than her approach to detective work.

  He says, “I like this side of you, Agent Cassidy.”

  Cassidy just smiles and continues to ride him aggressively from on top. Their bodies glisten with sweat. Her fingers squeeze into his shoulders while his hands cup her breasts. They are both completely lost in the throes of passion.

  For the very first time since they met, the guardian is absent from their minds. For the moment, they are both free.

  Chapter Forty One

  Stacey Sommers is sitting across from Charles Lundquist in his cramped prison office at 9:00am on Monday, October 25th. Outside the walls of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, it is a crisp and sunny fall day. In complete contrast, the chaplain’s office inside the prison is windowless, drab, and dimly lit with fluorescent bulbs.

  Despite the bleak surroundings, Stacey feels good today. She always looks forward to seeing her sweet chaplain. In fact, her visits with him are the highlights of her prison life. She likes to look her best for him, so today she is wearing brand new orange scrubs that are the standard prison attire, and she just washed and brushed her golden hair so that it shines.