Brad was impressed and
didn’t feel the need to comment. He said, “Thanks for your report
and if you are hungry, which I am, let’s have some
dinner.”
A smile broke across her
face and revealed nice teeth behind kissable lips and she replied,
“I too am hungry and let’s go eat on the government.” Sitting at a
dinner table they had an informal conversation about this case and
Brad told her the latest from Los Angeles.
She remarked, “I think you
might be on to something, but it still leaves us lost in the woods
to find him if he has in fact left his home for good.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that, but
at least we will have a name and most likely a picture of his true
self to work with. However, I fear he travels in disguise so maybe
we don’t have much to go on after all.”
“I disagree. It will give us
a real personality to work with and with that we can alert any and
all senior centers and clubs from Canada to Mexico and over to the
Mississippi River if necessary.”
“That will evidently help,
that is for sure, but what if he changes his tack and moves to
another arena, like for example, health clubs, boat clubs and
retirement homes and look at how many old folks in Arizona and
Florida to choose from.” He knew he made his point when she didn’t
reply as the waiter came to take their order.
After dinner they both went
for a walk. The night was clear but a little chilly. She had a
light jacket on and he had his sport coat. Rocky felt no need to
protect his master from her so he followed behind. Wendy never made
a comment about his dog. She accepted it as his own need and why
questions it? She was on the spot with this killer and her future
rode on her being right when it came to profiling, what had become
known as the “Senior Killer.” What made her scared was her future
rode with this guy and his dog? She remembered leaving so quickly
she failed to run a check on this guy. Landing at the airport and
her brief meeting late with Jake who had been off on location with
the latest killing, didn’t glean much background on Brad Pratt and
his team. In the morning, she thought, I will find out who this
good looking guy is. God was he handsome, she thought. She noticed
no ring, but in this day and age, meant nothing. She was single and
went both ways. She liked it that way.
Walking back they said their
good nights and went to their respective rooms. Brad decided he
would run in the morning and went to bed hoping that no dreams came
to haunt him like they usually did when he was on a
case.
As usual he woke up in a
sweat with Rocky licking his face. He reached out and hugged his
dog and told him he was fine now. Rocky was used to his master
dreaming about something bad happening in his master’s past. Last
night was no exception as he dreamed of being interrogated by a
sadistic guy with pure evil in his eyes. The man held a cordless
drill with a half inch bit running it in front of his eyes while
another well-dressed Arab asked him questions in perfect English.
He was hanging from two ropes in a dwelling that stank of goat and
unwashed bodies. His feet tied together as were his legs just above
the knees so he couldn’t lash out with his legs to his tormentor.
The drill was coming closer to his eyes when he woke up screaming
and Rocky was there to comfort him.
Brad looked at his watch and
it said four thirty. He got dressed in his running gear and left
the hotel for a ten mile run with Rocky.
By six he was freshly
showered and dressed waiting for Billy to come down for his morning
report. Brad was reading the morning paper about the serial killer
striking again in Bishop. He read the usual dribble from the
authorities stating they were closing in on the killer and it would
be only a short time before they had him behind bars. Just then a
familiar voice asked him if she could join him for breakfast. He
looked up to see Wendy looking fresh and lovely ready to take on
the day. He asked her to sit down as Billy came walking in with a
blue cloud of blue smoke trailing him. He sat down next to Brad and
stared at the lovely creature across the booth from him. Billy
stuck his hand out and told her his name. She tentatively took his
long fingers and a quick shake drawing back her hand as if it
touched something dirty. Billy was anything but dirty. Maybe his
dress was something to not admire, but his dress was clean as was
he. Brad told her what Billy’s role was and she nodded her head
taking in the light blue eyes of intelligence once she looked at
him a little harder.
Brad told Billy and Wendy
that they were off to the airport to fly to San Diego to look first
hand at the house where the brother lived. Sujin had called him and
told him he needed to see this place for himself. He never
questioned her suggestions, only followed what she knew as
important to him and the case they were working on. Wendy never
batted an eye, but told Brad she would pack her bag and be ready
when he gave the go signal.
Steve met them at the
airport. He’d been to Palm Springs to see Brad’s father where the
Gulf Stream had picked him up and flew on up to Sacramento. Jake
was also aboard as well as agent Jones whom Brad had asked for to
accompany them to San Diego.
Brad sat with Steve and
Steve filled him in on his stay with his father. It would seem a
lot of pressure was being applied from the two gents at the initial
FBI meeting having flown back to Washington to report the findings.
The president was in a corner and with the war in Iraq and
Afghanistan; along with the mounting pressure on North Korea and
the flowering of China wanting more high tech weapons, the pot was
boiling over. Steve told him we need to put this guy to bed and
take some heat off the president and let the seniors sleep again in
peace.
Brad said, “We are close,
but still a long ways of putting our hands on this guy. Frankly he
needs to make a big mistake for us to catch him. From what I hear
about his house, this guy knows how to keep an arm’s length away
from the law.”
“We are counting on you and
the president knows you and your team are our front line in this
matter and he says only to ask and you shall have whatever you ask
for to stop this guy.”
About then the plane landed
in San Diego where his wife was waiting along with Mike. Striding
to meet up with Sujin a government van was waiting to transport
them to the house in question, Rocky ran ahead and Sujin squatted
down Asian style and gave him a hug. Riding along down the freeway
Sujin filled Brad in on what she knew and discovered. She told him
they had exhumed the body of what was supposed to be John Mitchell,
but they were now running tests to determine who this guy was. He
fit the size, but from a closer inspection of his picture from the
studio where he worked, this was indeed not the John Mitchell who
was supposed to have died. It was clear to all that a clever
attempt to cash in on a life insurance policy and the resulting
sale of the house, gave our killer ample cash to operate for a long
time if need be.
Mike was still on a hunt for
leads and he had some interesting facts to share about disguises
that he found when he had the picture of John to show the suppliers
of costumes and other items necessary for a complete change over if
desired.
Sujin went on to tell him
that the neighbors had not seen him for more than four months. No
mail had been delivered or papers. He had simply vanished in his
old car. She left out much of what the house looked like for his
methods of discovery. She held onto the fact John had the house
cleaned from one end to the other and the plumbing too. Not a trace
of him was evident. Not one fingerprint was found.
Brad took this all in as
they drove up the street to park. The usual yellow crime tape
surrounded the house and yard. It was a simple house: a two bedroom
with a one car garage in an old neighborhood. It was a house that
nobody driving down the street would notice. Only curious neighbors
noted his comings and goings. The report from the neighbors he was
friendly but not social; quiet but private and his comings and
goings were irregular.
Brad walked up to the house
and showed the policeman his ID along with Rockies. The policeman
frowned at the dog and Rocky gave him a fierce stare back and that
was enough for the guy to move out of the way quickly. To Brad this
house looked like what he’d heard about houses back in the late
fifties or early sixties and smelled like an old grandma’s house
that badly needed airing out. It permeated dust, mold and the faint
smell of mothballs. Beige wallpaper with old worn out carpet the
same color greeted you as you entered directly into the living room
from the front door. Brad stepped to the opposite side of the room
near a narrow window that faced the side yard. An old dark maroon
sofa sat in front of the street window. It took up most of the wall
space with a cheap wood coffee table with coffee stains sitting in
front of it with two magazines lined up on one side. Next to where
he was standing a rocking chair with wooden arms straight out of
the Salvation Army sat waiting for its occupant. A permanent sag in
the middle gave truth to the years of use. The color gave him the
memory of Army green. A side table with a lamp perhaps bought at
the same time as the chair sat to the back of the table. Brad
turned the switch and the light came on. He turned it back off. He
looked just opposite the rocking chair and there another table
struggling to hold up an equally old TV sat looking tired as the
house. Next to the TV a narrow but tall book case half full of
books helps cover the wallpaper. Not one picture hung from the
walls. He walked closer to examine the walls where a picture hanger
waited for someone to hang a picture from. The outline of where
pictures once hung was still evident in three places on the
walls.
Next he moved to the
kitchen. A small table with two chairs of the same vintage as the
living room stood next to a window looking out to the back yard. An
old refrigerator with a pull handle sat next to a small sink. An
electric stove with a coffee maker next to it on the counter along
with a set of canisters rested under the cabinets. The door led out
to the backyard through a laundry room where an old coat and
umbrella hung above an old set of black boots sat waiting for
someone to take them for a walk in the rain.
Brad looked up at Mike who
stood in the kitchen doorway waiting for orders. Brad told him to
make a complete inventory of everything in the house along with
Sujin taking pictures. Mike knew he meant even the salt shaker and
how much salt was left in it. Before leaving the kitchen Brad
opened the refrigerator and discovered nothing was left in it.
Clean as a whistle. Brad then moved to the bedroom where John laid
his head at night. A single bed, nicely made along with a chest of
drawers was all that was evident as the closet was devoid of any
clothing. He took a look at the bathroom and it was clean like the
refrigerator. The other bedroom was totally empty. Nothing but an
old faded yellow rug sat on the hardwood floor. Brad moved back to
the living room and looked at all the books one by one. He told
Mike again to list every book by author and title. Make sure each
page is examined carefully. Better yet he told him to have the FBI
pack them up along with the magazines and sent to their
office.
Brad sat in the rocker and
stared at the blank TV while Mike, Billy and Sujin did their work.
Jake stood next to the window and never said a word. Finally Brad
broke the silence saying, “We need DNA and have your agents tear
this place apart for evidence. Rip out the toilet and bathtub drain
along with the kitchen sink for any trace of his original self.”
Jake nodded at agent Jones and Jones took off to fill in the
waiting FBI men.
Brad returned to his
thinking about John. Sujin had told him he was the best in the
business at makeup and costumes. He got along fine with everyone
and they were surprised when he said he needed a little vacation. A
lot of questions came up while he sat there comfortably in John’s
rocking chair. Not the question why, but where would he strike
next; and when. Also what did he do for entertainment every day?
Did she read books or watch TV? Read the newspapers. Go to the
movies or wander around the shopping malls. What was he doing right
now? No matter what Wendy said about him; some logic was following
his trail and Brad was determined to jump on him given half a
chance.
Billy broke his
concentration saying, “Boss the garage is as clean as the rest of
the house save an old push mower without a handle.”
Have the FBI check on all
the storage units with his picture and find out where he stored his
clothes and other things like pictures. I don’t think he filled a
dumpster, but took the easy way out and rented a storage unit for a
year or more.”
Sujin came and told him she
was finished and Billy was helping Mike in the kitchen going
through the utensils and cupboards.”
“I’m going to walk around
the house and look it over with Rocky.”
“I’ll wait here for you and
see what the FBI comes up with as they are now ripping out the
toilet and bathroom sink looking for hair samples for DNA.” Brad
nodded and left with Rocky by the front door stopping long enough
to peer into the empty garage. Something caught his eye in one
corner and he walked in looking like Sherlock Holmes on a case. In
the corner a pile of sawdust stood all by itself. Brad looked the
rest of the garage over and became curious why this one small pile
of sawdust was left when the rest of the garage had been, what
looked like a vacuumed cleaner had been used. Agent Jones saw him
and with gloved hands and a knife scraped the pile into a brown
pocket envelope. He sealed it and wrote the appropriate notation.
Brad squatted down and picked some of the pile up in his hand and
stood up. He went to the side window for a better look and sure
enough, it was a pile of sawdust. But why did he leave it and
nothing else. Maybe he wanted us to find it and that would keep us
busy guessing why he left it. Brad dropped the sawdust and left to
walk down the side of the house. There was nothing but dead flowers
and brown grass surrounding the house. Nothing unusual and Brad
made his way back to the front of the house. Sujin was standing on
the walkway under a big old elm tree. It was warm for her after
being on the coast for the last four months. She had grown used to
the coastal weather and didn’t much like this heat at all. Brad
walked up to her and said, “Let’s fly back home and see what we can
figure out about this guy.” She nodded her agreement and Brad left
to tell Steve and Jake his plan to take his team back to Oregon to
work on finding where this guy might strike again. Nobody argued
with him. Jake was happy to see him go and Wendy stood looking like
she missed the bus. Brad walked up to her and said, “Wendy if you
want to you’re welcome to join our team at my house. It is up to
you.”