by Scott Bonn
He continues, “All of the evidence indicates that she is the fifth victim of the guardian serial killer. The divers discovered her body close to shore, lying at the bottom of the river and bound in blue nylon cord with a metal cross tied to her neck, just like the four previous victims.”
Loud rumblings and murmurs rise up from the crowd, once again.
Pritchard clears his throat and says, “Please allow me to finish my statement, and then I will take a couple of questions.”
The crowd quiets down and Pritchard continues, “My task force and I are working night and day in partnership with the FBI to catch the guardian. We are pursuing literally thousands of leads provided by the public. We thank everyone for your help and cooperation. I believe that we are making progress in our investigation. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fit together and form a picture. While I cannot go into specific details at this time, I can tell you that we are on the killer’s trail. We expect our manhunt to result in the capture of the guardian very soon. Now, I will take a couple of your questions.”
Commotion erupts in the room and hands go up everywhere. Pritchard points to a female reporter from ABC News.
The reporter asks, “Captain Pritchard, are saying that you have a prime suspect in the case?”
Pritchard says, “As of this moment, we have what I would call a person of interest. We are investigating this individual and will know more soon.”
The same reporter asks, “What can you tell us about this person of interest?”
Pritchard says, “I really cannot say anything more at this time. We will keep you apprised of our progress as the investigation unfolds. Next question, please.”
The hands of countless reporters go up in the air. Pritchard points to a young male reporter from CNN.
The reporter asks, “Did Molly Fisher have the same Bible verse carved into her stomach that Eve Curry did, and if so, why does the guardian do that to his victims?”
Pritchard says, “Yes, she had ‘Psalm 34:7’ cut into her abdomen, exactly like Eve Curry did. The guardian does this because he is a religious fraud who preys on young girls while pretending to be on a mission from God. He is a complete loser with no self-worth, and he commits murder in order to get attention for himself. He and his so-called mission are pathetic.”
After a brief pause, he says, “I will take just one more question.”
The hands of the reporters go up again and Pritchard points to a young female reporter from FOX News.
She asks, “Captain, what advice do you have for the parents of teenage girls in New York who are terrified for the lives of their daughters?”
Pritchard stiffens a bit upon hearing the question, then clears his throat, and says, “I would advise parents not to let their children walk the streets alone, particularly after dark. I would also tell them to make sure that their children travel with their friends together in groups.”
He pauses, clears his throat, again, and says, “I would like to speak directly to all of the parents in New York for a moment. Let me assure you that the protection of your children and your families is our number one priority. My colleagues and I intend to rid the New York City streets of the monster who calls himself the guardian, and we intend to do it very soon. He is going down, I promise you.”
Pritchard thanks the audience for attending and ends the press conference. He and Bratton walk away from the podium and out of the room together. Once they are outside of the briefing room, the commissioner tells Pritchard that he must leave immediately to attend another meeting. He tells the homicide captain to check in with him later in the day, and Pritchard assures his boss that he will do so.
After Bill Bratton walks away, Pritchard spots Cassidy coming out of the briefing room. He walks over to her with a serious expression on his face and poses a question.
He asks, “How would you rate my performance, Julia? Was I effective, in your opinion?”
Cassidy nods and says, “Yes, James. Your message was direct and honest. You expressed genuine sympathy for the loved ones of Molly Fisher. I think that your overall tone was reassuring and confident. I liked the way you worked in a few shots at the guardian, too. However, one thing you said does concern me a bit.”
Pritchard asks, “What is that?”
Cassidy replies, “I am not sure if it was a good idea for you to let the guardian know that we have a person of interest whom we are investigating.”
Pritchard says, “I see, Julia. Frankly, I went with my gut on that one. If Charles Lundquist is the guardian, then he already knows from your interview that we are looking at him, so my statement should come as no big surprise. On the other hand, if Lundquist is not the guardian, then I am hoping my announcement will arouse a reaction from the real killer that may lead us to him. Maybe he will do something foolish, make a mistake, or leave us a clue that will bring him down.”
Cassidy says, “I hope you are right, James. I really do.”
Pritchard puts his hand on her arm and says, “Me too, Julia.”
Chapter Sixty Three
At 9:42am, Pritchard, Lieutenant Baker, and FBI agents Cassidy and Baldwin enter the guardian war room together. With the press conference completed, Pritchard wants to focus on devising a plan to obtain a sample of Charles Lundquist’s DNA legally but without him knowing about it. Pritchard knows this will not be an easy task to accomplish.
As soon as the four colleagues have settled in at the conference table, Pritchard says, “We need a sample of Lundquist’s DNA and we need it immediately. It is imperative that we either confirm or rule him out as the guardian. His DNA is the linchpin of our whole investigation.”
Cassidy says, “We cannot just ask him for it without tipping our hand, so we have to obtain it covertly. I have an idea about how we can do that. If he disposes of his DNA in a public place, then we have a legal right to retrieve it and have it tested. What we need to do is follow him and wait until he leaves a trace sample of his DNA somewhere in public for us to pick up. The other way to get his DNA covertly is to go through his personal garbage. The problem with that is Lundquist lives in an eight-story building with sixty-four apartments, so that is one hell of a lot of combined garbage to dig through down in the basement.”
Pritchard says, “You are on to something, Julia. We already have detectives outside of Lundquist’s building watching him night and day. We need to tell those detectives to retrieve anything he throws away when he is outside his apartment. If he buys a cup of coffee at Starbucks and tosses the empty cup into a trashcan on his way home, I want that cup. Additionally, we need to get access to the garbage room in Lundquist’s apartment building, so we need to call the owner of the building and get approval. We can get a court order if necessary. I want to have detectives going through the garbage in that building non-stop until we retrieve something of Lundquist’s. It will be very unpleasant work, and it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but we have to do it. Frank, please issue my orders to the team immediately.”
Lieutenant Baker says, “On it, Captain.”
As Baker leaves the war room, Pritchard says, “I never in a million years thought I would be putting my best detectives on garbage detail, but this guardian case is not like any other.”
Agent Baldwin says, “I think this strategy will work. The only question is how long it will take to get a DNA sample from Lundquist. We could really use a stroke of luck at this point.”
Pritchard is about to respond to Baldwin when Janet Chin enters the war room. She is smiling. She places a sheet of paper on the table in front of Pritchard. It contains DNA test results.
Chin says, “Captain, you will be happy to hear that the trace sample of fluid from inside of Molly Fisher’s body is semen and the DNA is a perfect match with the sample retrieved from Eve Curry. So, we now have two samples of the guardian’s DNA.”
Pritchard says, “Thank you, Janet. That is excellent news. If we can just get a sample of Lundquist’s DNA, and if that sam
ple matches the two from the guardian, then we will know that Lundquist is our killer.”
Chin says, “That is correct. I am going back to the lab now, so call me if you need me.”
After Chin exits the war room, Cassidy says, “James, I am certain that we will get a sample of Lundquist’s DNA, but we have to be patient. All we can do is watch him like a hawk and wait until he gives us what we want.”
Pritchard says, “That is the damn problem. Waiting is the hardest part.”
He pauses and asks, “What is next on today’s agenda?”
Special Agent Ron Carter provides the answer to Pritchard’s question when he unexpectedly enters the war room. It is obvious from his demeanor that Carter has important information to share with the team.
Agent Carter says, “Captain, excuse me. I have an update on my investigation into the blue nylon cord used by the guardian.”
Pritchard says, “Please proceed.”
Carter says, “I paid a visit to The Home Depot store in Brooklyn that I told you about. The store manager was not very cooperative at first, even after I showed him my FBI credentials. However, when I told him that my inquiry was related to the guardian serial killer case, he changed his tune and complied with my request.”
Pritchard asks, “So, what did you learn?”
Carter says, “The manager showed me the store’s sales records for the last two months. It turns out that someone purchased two hundred yards of blue nylon cord—the kind that the guardian uses—on September 1st. That is just four days before he abducted his first victim, Emily Foster. Unfortunately, the buyer of the cord paid for it in cash and took the product with him so there is no record of his name or address. I spoke to the salesperson who handled the transaction, but he could not remember the customer.”
After a brief pause, he continues, “It seems to me that two hundred yards of cord is an awful lot for a private party to purchase in cash.”
Pritchard says, “Yes, unless you are a serial killer getting ready to go to work and you do not want any record of your preparations.”
Cassidy says, “True enough. The timing of the purchase is no coincidence, in my opinion. My gut tells me that the guardian purchased all of that cord at The Home Depot in anticipation of killing many girls.”
Pritchard says, “I agree with you, Julia. It is the work of the guardian, all right.”
He continues, “I know that there is no way to connect this cord purchase to Charles Lundquist, but I have a gut feeling, too, and my gut tells me that Lundquist was the buyer.”
Cassidy says, “We are making progress here, James. As you said at the press conference, we are putting the puzzle together one piece at a time. The picture is becoming clear.”
Chapter Sixty Four
Charles Lundquist is driving home from work in the rain at 5:45pm. He is driving south on the Saw Mill River Parkway in his Honda Accord. The rain is coming down quite hard, which means that his forty-five-mile commute to lower Manhattan will take longer than usual. The traffic is bumper to bumper, so Lundquist is anticipating that it will take him nearly two hours to get home in the pouring rain.
Lundquist is listening to news radio 1010 WINS while he slowly makes his way southeast on the parkway. The announcer provides a weather forecast that is not optimistic for Lundquist’s commute. He says that heavy rain will continue throughout the evening and into the night. Lundquist shakes his head slightly after hearing the news.
After the weather report, the 1010 WINS announcer states that Police Commissioner Bill Bratton conducted a press conference this morning on the status of the manhunt for the evil guardian serial killer. This announcement immediately piques the interest of Lundquist. He listens intently.
The announcer proceeds to say that the serial killer has claimed his fifth victim and that her body was located yesterday in the Hudson River.
“They are finding the girls more and more quickly,” Lundquist says to himself.
The radio announcer plays a recorded excerpt from the press conference in which NYPD Homicide Captain James Pritchard says that the investigation has produced a person of interest for the murders. Pritchard promises the public that they will apprehend the serial killer very soon. The police captain also ridicules and condemns the serial killer, calling him a “religious fraud” and a “loser.”
The pulse of Lundquist escalates upon hearing the news report. He is quite certain that the person of interest that Pritchard is referring to is himself. The captain’s statement does not surprise him, but he is very skeptical about it. He doubts that Pritchard is being truthful about the so-called person of interest.
Lundquist says aloud, “Pritchard is bluffing. He has nothing to connect me to the guardian. That foolish police captain and his FBI friends are trying to unnerve the guardian and me, but that simply will not happen.”
While driving in the rain, he says aloud, “The guardian will take care of himself. I have no doubt about that. What I need to do is organize my own affairs. I cannot afford to have any loose ends.”
In Lundquist’s compartmentalized mind, he completely separates his decisions and actions from those of the guardian.
He says to himself, “During her counseling session yesterday, Stacey Sommers told me that she is ready to be baptized. I agree with her. I must do it soon, while there is still time. I must put my house in order and be prepared for what God brings my way.”
Having made a decision, he calmly drives on in the rain.
Chapter Sixty Five
While Charles Lundquist is driving home from work at 6:30pm, two NYPD detectives are sitting outside of his apartment in an unmarked 2017 blue Ford Taurus police car in the dark. The detectives parked their car across the street and just north of Lundquist’s apartment. The streetlights on Mercer Street give them good visibility between East Houston and Bleecker.
Aside from a few people who are coming home from work, there is not much foot traffic right now on Mercer due to the heavy rain.
This is the third night in a row that the detectives have been doing surveillance outside of Lundquist’s residence, as per the orders of Lieutenant Frank Baker, their immediate supervisor. Another team of detectives stakes out Lundquist’s residence during the morning and daytime hours.
Inside the Ford Taurus, Detective Sergeant Nate Robinson, who is sitting behind the steering wheel, lights a cigarette and takes a long drag from it. His partner, Detective Sergeant Vinnie DiPilato, groans and complains when Robinson exhales smoke in the car.
DiPilato says, “Oh, come on, Nate. You are killing me with that smoke. You are like a frigging chimney over there.”
Robinson coughs and says, “I cracked the window to let the smoke out. What do you want from me, Vinnie? I have to do something while we wait for Lundquist to get home.”
Robinson and DiPilato have been partners for more than two years. They are good friends, in addition to being partners, and they enjoy bantering back and forth with one another. It helps to kill the time when they are on surveillance detail together.
DiPilato says, “I don’t want to get lung cancer just because you are bored and need something to do.”
He continues, “It is almost 6:45pm and Lundquist is not home yet. The last two nights he was home by this time. The rain must have slowed down his commute, or maybe he is not coming directly home tonight.”
Robinson says, “I would bet that the rain is slowing him down. The Saw Mill River Parkway always backs up in bad weather. Anyway, I know one thing about tonight that is a sure bet, Vinnie.”
DiPilato asks, “What it that?”
Robinson says, “We will not get a sample of Lundquist’s DNA in this shitty weather. It is kind of funny that we got an order from Lieutenant Baker to scoop up a sample of this guy’s DNA on a day that it is raining like cats and dogs.”
DiPilato says, “I suppose so. It is not going to rain forever, Nate. We will get a DNA sample from Lundquist. Be patient. Even if we do not get a sample of his DNA,
then the morning surveillance team will. He has to throw away a piece of chewing gum or blow his nose, sooner or later.”
Robinson says, “I hope it is sooner than later.”
DiPilato replies, “Me, too, or else I will definitely get lung cancer from all of your second-hand smoke.”
Robinson asks, “You like to bust my balls, don’t you, partner?”
Laughing, DiPilato replies, “I consider it to be part of my job.”
The two detectives continue to watch Lundquist’s apartment and observe the limited activity on the street while sitting in their car in the rain.
At 7:10pm, the detectives spot Lundquist walking north on Mercer toward his apartment. Because they have been watching his movements for the last two nights, they know that he is coming from a public garage on East Houston Street. That is where he parks his car when he returns home from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
Lundquist is walking quickly in the rain. He is holding an umbrella in his right hand and a large, black plastic bag in his left hand. He briskly climbs the six steps to his front door, then opens it with a key, and disappears inside.
DiPilato says, “Well, our pigeon has come home to his roost.”
Robinson asks, “What do you suppose he was carrying in that plastic bag?”
DiPilato replies, “If this guy really is the guardian, then I hate to think what it might be.”
With the rain still pouring down outside their car, the two veteran detectives settle in for a long night of waiting and watching for any sign of movement from their subject.
Chapter Sixty Six
At 8:30am on Friday, October 29th, Pritchard, Cassidy and Baldwin are sitting in the guardian war room discussing their agenda for the day. They are drinking coffee and eating sweet, delightful items from Dunkin’ Donuts, courtesy of Cassidy. Pritchard has been trying to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, but he is a sucker for Dunkin’ Donuts, so he is indulging in one of his favorites—Boston Cream—while he talks to his colleagues.