by Scott Bonn
Beautiful trees adorned with autumn-colored leaves surround the prison. Cassidy parks the Taurus in the main lot. She and Baldwin check in at the main entrance and show their FBI credentials. They wait approximately two minutes for a guard to escort them to Lundquist’s office. When the guard arrives, she is a stocky, well-built Latina in her mid-thirties. Her name is Lilly Perez and she is a ten-year veteran at Bedford Hills. She leads them through a long internal maze of hallways to the chaplain’s office.
They arrive at Lundquist’s office at 12:05pm. Lilly Perez makes her exit and Charles Lundquist rises from his chair. He extends his right hand in greeting. They all exchange introductions and Lundquist asks them to sit down.
Cassidy immediately notices that the chaplain is dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and black pants. She can see that he is in very good shape and appears to be muscular. She also notices that he is quite good looking. He looks her directly in the eyes and there is a slight smile on his face. She senses that he is calm and relaxed. Overall, he appears quite normal, Cassidy thinks to herself.
In a polite and charming manner, Lundquist asks, “To what do I owe the honor of this visit today from two distinguished FBI agents?”
Cassidy feigns modesty and says, “You are too kind, chaplain. My colleague and I really appreciate you taking time to see us today. I am sure that you are very busy, so I will get right to the point of our meeting, Mr. Lundquist.”
Lundquist says, “Please call me Charles.”
Cassidy smiles, nods and asks, “Charles, have you heard about the serial murders taking place in Manhattan that are attributed to an unknown killer who calls himself the guardian?”
With no discernible change in his facial expression or vocal tone, Lundquist says, “Yes, of course. I actually live in lower Manhattan, and I have been following this terrible story in the news. Like everyone else, I am shocked and deeply saddened by these murders. I cannot imagine who would do such terrible things to innocent young girls.”
After hesitating for a moment, Lundquist asks, “How can I help you, Agent Cassidy?”
She replies, “I am leading the FBI investigation into these murders and assisting the NYPD in its manhunt for the guardian. We have reason to believe that the man we seek has received formal religious training, and he may even be a church employee. As an expert in theology, and as someone who obviously works with criminals, we were hoping that you might be able to give us some unique insights into the man we seek. We could really use your expertise.”
Lundquist replies, “I am flattered that you think I can be of some service to your investigation.”
He asks, “What exactly makes you believe that the killer has formal religious training?”
Cassidy says, “Everything about him, including the guardian moniker that he has selected for himself, is based somehow in religion—more specifically, Christianity. Incredibly, he claims that killing these girls is a mission assigned to him by God. He seems to believe that killing these girls is act of mercy. More specifically, by murdering these girls and sending them to God in heaven while they are still young, the guardian believes that he is rescuing them from lives of sin and torment in the physical world.”
Cassidy asks, “What do you think about that?”
Lundquist takes a long deep breath, then slowly exhales, and says, “It is hard for me to comprehend how a deeply religious or scholarly man who is well versed in theological principles could possibly believe that he is serving God by committing murder. Let us not forget that the sixth commandment of God states that ‘Thou shalt not kill’. There is no room for interpretation in the sixth commandment, Agent Cassidy. It is very clearly stated that under no circumstances does God want us to commit murder.”
Cassidy asks, “So, what does your theological expertise tell you about this killer who calls himself the guardian?”
Lundquist says, “It tells me that he is not a true believer. His motivations are not pure—that is, God does not inspire them. His motivations are self-centered, lustful and brutal. It seems to me that he is twisting or manipulating Christianity for his own purposes. In my opinion, he is a fraud. He claims that God inspires and directs him, but that is simply not possible. His motivations are self-inspired, his actions are self-directed, and they are both loathsome. He is not a man of God. He cannot be.”
Cassidy asks, “Are you saying that he is a hypocrite?”
Lundquist stiffens in his chair, clears his throat and replies sharply, “No, I am not saying that. I do not think that he is a hypocrite. As I said, he is a non-believer, in my opinion. I think that he is most likely using Christianity as a façade to conceal his true, diabolical motivations. I think that all of this guardian business and his so-called mission are just aspects of some grand scheme that he has designed to confuse you. With all due respect, Agent Cassidy, I think that he is playing a game with you.”
Cassidy asks, “How can you be so sure, Charles?”
Lundquist relaxes, and in a lighter tone, he replies, “Well, of course I cannot be one-hundred percent certain of my conclusions here, but I simply do not believe that anyone who embraces the principles of Christianity could possibly commit the horrible crimes against God that the guardian is perpetrating.”
Cassidy says, “I understand. That makes sense. Thank you.”
She asks, “Based on your assessment of his motivations, do you believe that the man we seek has received formal religious training?”
Without hesitation, Lundquist says, “No, I do not think so. In my opinion, he is a charlatan. He has conjured up this guardian persona out of thin air using very basic and rudimentary knowledge about Christianity that almost anyone could possess. He has had no formal training.”
Cassidy says, “I see. You may have heard on the TV news that the guardian has left a Bible verse, specifically Psalm 34:7, with his two most recent victims. What the public does not know, however, is that the killer actually carved ‘Psalm 34:7’ with a knife into the lower abdomen of each of the two girls. Clearly, that is a very ritualistic act. To me, it suggests that the guardian has had some extensive religious training.”
She pauses and asks, “What do you think about that, Charles?”
Lundquist replies, “I am not a detective, so it is difficult for me to speculate, but you say that he has done this awful thing to two different girls. I can see your point about it being a ritualistic act. Therefore, it must serve some sort of purpose for him.”
He hesitates for a moment and then continues, “Now, if I recall correctly, Psalm 34:7 says, ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.’ This simple verse seems to describe the persona that you say he has created for himself. However, let me assure you that Psalm 34:7 is a common Bible verse. Your man would not need any formal religious training to know it. He could just do a Google search to find it. No, I will stay with my theory that he is a charlatan who simply has a creative mind.”
Cassidy asks, “You have no doubt heard that he ties an iron cross around the necks of his victims before he drops them into the river. What do you make of that?”
Lundquist says, “Yes, I have heard about that, too. It is difficult for me to speculate about his intent, except to say that it, too, is most likely part of his grand charade. He wants you to think that he really does believe in the divine inspiration of his murders. Therefore, the cross serves as a prop in his theatrical play.”
Cassidy says, “Thank you, Charles. I just have one more question for you.”
She asks, “Have you ever encountered a serial or ritual killer during your time as chaplain here at Bedford Hills?”
Lundquist takes another deep breath, exhales slowly, and says, “This is a women’s prison, as you know. If I am not mistaken, female serial killers are very rare. Personally, I have never encountered one. However, I do work with a number of women here at Bedford Hills who are serving lengthy sentences, even life sentences, for individual murders, but their crimes are noth
ing like the ones committed by this so-called guardian. I have never heard of anything as terrible as the murders he is committing.”
Lundquist takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk and continues, “You see, most of the women I counsel here at Bedford Hills are like birds with broken wings. They are fragile. The world has not been kind to them. Their lives have been cruel and harsh. In fact, the majority of my little flock have come from very troubled and abusive family backgrounds. Many of them have been victims of terrible crimes themselves. When they first come here, they are completely lost. They think that they are worthless and ugly, but I can see their inner beauty. Outside of prison, before coming here, they had no support systems, training or opportunities to grow spiritually. As chaplain here, I try to offer them support and inspiration in prison. I try to give them hope. You see, it is my divine calling to help these broken birds to fly again. That is why I am here.”
Cassidy smiles and says, “Yes, Charles, I can see that you are deeply committed to your work. It is very inspiring. My colleague and I thank you for your time. You have been very helpful.”
She asks, “May I call you again if I have more questions as our investigation moves forward?”
Lundquist smiles and says, “Of course.”
Cassidy and Baldwin shake hands with Lundquist and stand up to leave. Within two minutes, the guard, Lilly Perez, returns to escort them through the maze and out of the prison. At the security desk, the agents reclaim the FBI-issued Glock 19M pistols taken from them when they first checked in.
After saying goodbye to Perez, Cassidy and Baldwin make their exit and head to their car. They have a lot to tell Pritchard.
Chapter Fifty Three
At 1:15pm, Cassidy is sitting behind the steering wheel of the silver Ford Taurus and driving south on the Saw Mill River Parkway toward Manhattan. She and Jason Baldwin are discussing the meeting they just had with Lundquist.
Cassidy says, “For the most part, he seemed to be calm and relaxed during our meeting. He maintained good eye contact. The only time he wavered was when I asked him if he thinks the guardian is a hypocrite. That seemed to hit a nerve in him. It made him a bit defensive, in my estimation.”
Baldwin says, “Yes, Jules, I noticed that, too. Lundquist did not like it one bit when you asked him that question. It made him angry, and he accused you of misunderstanding him when he said that the guardian is not religious. You hit a nerve there, all right.”
Cassidy says, “Most definitely. To me, his reaction to that question was a big red flag. A few other things bothered me, too. For instance, Lundquist tried very hard to convince us that the killer has not received any formal religious or theological training. He wants us to think that the guardian is a ‘charlatan,’ to use his terminology. However, I simply do not believe he is telling us the truth. He is being disingenuous and his argument is self-serving.”
Baldwin says, “Absolutely. He was trying much too hard to convince us that the guardian is a religious fraud. Lundquist does not want us to believe the guardian has had religious training or is a church employee for his own selfish reasons.”
Cassidy says, “Another red flag I picked up on was his response to my question about the Bible verse used by the guardian. If you accept, at face value, what Lundquist told us about Psalm 34:7, it is a commonly used Bible passage.”
She pauses for a moment and continues, “Jason, I attended Catholic Bible school as a child and I never heard that particular Bible verse in my life until the guardian used it. I can assure you that it is definitely not a commonly used Bible passage.”
Baldwin says, “Interesting, Jules. It may not be common, but Lundquist certainly knew it. He recited the verse perfectly from memory, although he pretended to need a moment to recall it. That was also disingenuous and another little deception on his part.”
Cassidy says, “Agreed, Jason. Despite his relaxed demeanor, much of what Lundquist told us is illogical and contradicts the facts as we know them.”
Baldwin says, “Something else struck me as bizarre. At the end of our meeting, when you asked him if he has ever encountered a serial killer in his work as chaplain, he responded with a lengthy soliloquy about his mission to save broken birds, and help them to fly, and so forth. That was really crazy stuff.”
Cassidy says, “It did sound a bit crazy, and out of place in our discussion, but I suspect that he was telling us the truth about his reason for becoming the chaplain at Bedford Hills. He told us that he has a special calling which is to be the protector of lost and broken women.”
Baldwin asks, “And who does that sound like, Jules?”
Cassidy lets out a deep sigh and says, “I know, Jason. My gut tells me that Lundquist is the guardian. The question is how do we prove it before he kills again?”
Chapter Fifty Four
It is 3:30pm and Bobby Fisher is standing outside of Joyce Kilmer Elementary School. His school day is completed and he is waiting for the bus that will take him home. As he waits for it to arrive, Bobby is feeling frustrated and a bit concerned because he has been trying to reach his sister Molly on the telephone all day without success. She did not answer his FaceTime video call to her during his lunch hour, and she has not replied to any of his numerous text messages either.
He is worried. Something must be wrong, he thinks to himself while boarding the school bus. He sends another text to her during the bus ride home that also goes unanswered. He decides to tell his parents about the situation when he gets home.
Bobby arrives at his house just before 4:00pm. His parents are both still at work, but the family’s nanny, Sylvia, is there waiting for Bobby. The boy likes and trusts Sylvia, so he tells her about the concern he has for his sister. Sylvia knows that Bobby and Molly talk all the time, so it is very unusual for her not to respond to his messages. The nanny decides not to take any chances and immediately calls Bobby’s father, Brian, a dentist, at his office in suburban Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Dr. Fisher has just finished with a patient, so his assistant is able to put Sylvia’s call right through to him. Sylvia hands the telephone to Bobby so that the boy can explain the situation directly to his father. Brian Fisher is very alarmed to hear what Bobby tells him about Molly’s failure to respond to his messages. Fisher knows that his daughter would not go all day without replying to Bobby.
From watching TV news reports, Fisher also knows that a serial killer is stalking teenage girls in the upper west side of Manhattan where Molly goes to college. The terrible knowledge that a killer is at large while his daughter is unaccounted for is causing him great anxiety as he talks to his son on the telephone.
However, Fisher is careful not express his own fears to his son. He tells Bobby that he will call Molly himself, and he promises to let his son know as soon as he reaches her. Fisher thanks Bobby for alerting him to the situation. He tells the boy that everything will be fine and not to worry.
Fisher calls his daughter’s cell phone the moment he hangs up with Bobby. After three rings, someone answers the call, but it is not Molly. It is her roommate, Trish Bennett, who answers.
Trish says, “Hello, umm, this is Molly’s phone.”
With tension in his voice, Fisher says, “Hello, Trish. This is Brian Fisher, Molly’s father. Her brother, Bobby, has been trying to reach her all day, but she is not responding. I am a bit concerned.”
He asks, “Is Molly there?”
Trish excitedly replies, “No, Mr. Fisher. Molly is not here. I have not seen her since yesterday afternoon. I think she went out jogging last evening before I got back to our dorm room. She did not come back to the room last night.”
Now frightened, Fisher asks, “Molly did not come home last night?”
Trish says, “No. I cannot imagine where she would go without her cell phone and then stay out all night. Her phone has been lying here on her desk since yesterday and it has a ton of messages on it. I thought Molly would show up today, but she is still not here. I am scared, Mr. Fisher
. I was hoping that you would call because I really do not know what to do.”
Breathlessly, Fisher says, “Okay, Trish. I am worried, too. I am going to call the dean’s office at the university and the police department right now and tell them that Molly is missing. Please keep Molly’s cell phone with you. I will call you after I speak to the police. If you hear anything at all, please call me immediately.”
Crying and sniffing, Trish says, “Okay, Dr. Fisher. Goodbye.”
Fisher says goodbye to Trish and hangs up. Filled with anxiety and fear, he calls the Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia University and reports that his daughter is missing. He speaks directly to the Dean, Dr. Margret Rosenbloom, who assures him that the university security force will begin searching for her immediately. Dean Rosenbloom promises Fisher that she will stay in close contact with him until Molly is located.
Fisher next calls the NYPD to report that Molly is missing. Initially, Fisher speaks to a desk sergeant who happens to pick up the call. When the sergeant hears the specific information about the missing teenage girl, he transfers the call to Lieutenant Frank Baker, the lead detective and Pritchard’s right-hand man in the guardian manhunt.
Baker listens carefully to the frightened father for approximately twenty-five minutes on the telephone and records every detail of their conversation. Baker tells Fisher that the NYPD will use every resource at its disposal to find Molly. He gives Fisher his personal cell phone number and tells him to call immediately if he receives any new information or if Molly appears. Fisher pleads with the lieutenant to find Molly and return her safely to him. Baker tells Fisher that they will talk soon and says goodbye.
After hanging up with Baker, Fisher realizes that he must also call his wife and tell her what is happening. While he prepares to make the call to Jill, all he can think of is that he loves his daughter more than his own life, and he simply must find her alive and well.