Fatal Encounter, Chapter 12
by Irv Pliskin
R-Rated
With Jefferson handcuffed and in custody, the momentary excitement was over, and Hallen could feel his adrenaline rush diminish. He wasn’t hungry any more. Getting shot at has a way of cooling a fellow’s appetite, he thought.
He was angry and frustrated. He knew he would have to deal with the sheriff and find out what the hell that was all about, and what it was that was eating at him. But he was too absorbed with the problem of Carl and the tapes to worry much about Jefferson. That would have to wait.
Jefferson, still cuffed, was in a holding cell screaming about his rights and ranting about his position as the sheriff. He kept repeating that Hallon was on a witch hunt, and looking for the wrong man. Over and over he bellowed, "Rogers is a good man. He ain’t the guy you should be looking for. You pukes are making a mistake,” Demanding to be set loose he snarled, “I am the sheriff, I am the law.” It was his constant refrain.
“What the hell do you want to do with him, Jerry?” Andy the desk sergeant asked.
“Hell, I don’t know. Call Captain Garcia. Let’s get him down here and let him deal with this.”
He was thinking about the afternoon before, when he and BB had seen the first of the tapes. One way to convince the sheriff might be to show him the tapes, but he hadn’t even told Captain Garcia about them yet, so that wouldn’t work. And, besides, an idiot like the sheriff could make a hell of a lot of problems with the evidence. Better keep it from him, he thought.
“We’ll have to check out the sheriff’s motivation, but that can wait. There must be something deeper going on there, I know that. It’s pretty obvious, he thought.
On his way back to the cabin to check it out further, Hallen said to BB “I would imagine, that all of the tapes are pretty much the same. We’ll have to have them all checked and analyzed. The sound might give us some clues about this son of a bitch.Geez, what a sicko. I’ve seen a lot in my life, but I don’t think I want to see any more of that stuff. I actually feel sick, myself. ”
“Me too,” BB said. “I wonder where the cameras are? When we get there, I'll go check it out.’
Hallen nodded his approval. He was still in total shock, unable to think very much about anything. The tapes and the shooting really had him on edge. He would have to pull himself together, or he would be of no value to anyone at all.
BB went first to the shower, and discovered that the shower had a little alcove that contained a sink and shaving equipment. The Mirror was positioned to show the shower area. Careful investigation of the mirror showed that it opened. Behind the one way glass was a camera. It worked, apparently, only when the shower was on. The sound of the water triggered it.
A mirror in the bedroom was similarly designed to hold a camera that was sound activated, and worked only when the lights were on. Carl and his victims made love only in the light, apparently.
“We’re going to have to screen all of those tapes, you know,” Hallen said. “I don’t consider sex a spectator sport, and I am not looking forward to it. But we are going to have to do it, or have it done. Let's get these all into a locked evidence box and get them to the lab. I sure don’t want any of them getting out or circulated.”
They packed the tapes, and Hallen took out his cell phone and called his boss. “This is Jerry, Captain I’m sending a locked evidence box with video tapes. I’ve inventoried them, but we can’t let any of these get out, they would really set the public on its ear. Will you see they get to the photo lab and kept under lock and key? I think that each of the tapes has pictures of this bastard’s victims, and what I would like to have are heads and shoulder pics of the women on the tapes. Will you arrange that for us? When you see one of these tapes you’ll know why I’m so concerned about keeping them secure.”
“Okay, Jerry,” the Captain said.
“Listen boss, I think they have to all be screened, but I would suggest we make copies of them first and then look at them. Can you have that done? I think they are all pretty much the same, but I don’t know. I saw one last night and haven’t been able to sleep. So, you better make sure whoever checks these out can keep their mouth shut and has a strong stomach.”
“Really? Are you for real?”
“You bet, Cap. Take a look at one yourself, and I think you’ll agree.”
“Okay, Jerry, I'll check one out and let you know what I think.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Hallen sent for a uniform and carried the tapes to the unit. He made sure they were locked securely in the trunk, and he told the officer that the contents were valuable, and be sure to drive very carefully. They could not risk having anything happen to the material. He went back into the cabin to continue the investigation of the safes.
Employing the same procedure they had used before, Hallen and BB opened the second safe from the upstairs trap door. Once the door was open, and they were sure there were no problems, they went down into the room to examine the safe’s contents.
Inside the safe, there were three plastic boxes, each with a handle and each with a strong snap close. They examined the boxes carefully before taking one out. There was also a stack of plastic examining gloves, and Hallen felt sure that the content of the boxes was toxic in some way. He slipped on his own protective gloves, and opened one of the boxes. Inside the cover, there was a pasted computer generated note that said: Xstacy and Versed.
"Look at this, BB, that Xstacy, that's the date rape drug. I'll bet he slipped that into the hot chocolate he gave that gal to knock her out."
"Maybe, but what's versed?"
"I'm not sure," Hallen said, “but I think it is the stuff they give you when they need to knock you out quickly for a little while. We'll check it out, but I think it what they use when they do a colonoscopy. It knocks you out for a little while, and then when you recover you have no recollection of what went on. Works quick as hell, as I recall."
"That looks like a syrup, Jerry," BB said.
"It is. The stuff comes as a liquid for kids. I bet if you were to mix it with the Xstacy, it would knock out a horse in a few minutes. It must have worked. The bastard didn't care what effect it would have. He wanted to knock them out so they wouldn't give him a hard time with the injection he prepared for them."
"Yeah, I guess that's right. At least, if he knocked them out with sleeping pills, or something they never knew what hit them later, I would guess. They die without waking up, don't they?"
"I think so. Christ, I hope these women felt no pain." He opened the cover of the second box, and it contained several vials. The note pasted in the cover said strychnine and Concentrated Potassium and snake venom. "Holy Christ," Hallen exclaimed, 'this guy really has no mercy. This combination, unless I am wrong, is totally lethal in seconds. It must have been what he injected in that woman we saw on the video. We have got to get him. He is a diabolical monster. Let's just close this box, and get this over to the lab. They'll be able to determine what this stuff really is.”
The third box contained syringes. Some had been used, some were still in their plastic bags. We'll send these along, too," Hallen said. “There may be enough residue on them to check out the formulations and come to some conclusions."
They put the three plastic boxes in a large tote, and started up the ladder with them. Hallen's cell phone rang. When he was on top of the ladder and standing on the floor above, he answered it.
"Detective Hallen?"
"Speaking."
"Sir, this is Phil Carstairs at the photo lab. I've been checking those tapes like the chief told me to. Can you come over here? There's something I am sure you will want to see."
"What's that?"
“I don't think I should tell you on the phone. You really should come here. Captain Garcia told me to call you and tell you to come and see this. He thinks it's important. Can you do that?"
"Okay, We'll be there in half an hour."
Hallen and BB walked into the screening room. Officer Carstairs, a portly, middle-aged man was waiting for them. The men shook hands.
"I hope this isn't too tough an assignment for you, Carstairs," Hallen said. "I know that looking at these tapes is pretty tough."
"It isn't easy, detective, but I'm managing. Captain Garcia and I saw the first tape together. He didn't like it much, you know. You'd think they might be erotic, but they sure ain't. He told 'em to watch the others. He assumed they'd be pretty much alike. He said I saw anything unusual, I should get in touch with you. Well, this is unusual, detective, it surely is."
They went into the screening room and sat down.
"You won't have to watch the whole thing, detectives. I wound it back to where the interesting part starts. I found this in the fourth set of tapes, the ones marked Courtney."
He flipped off the lights and hit the button on the VCR. "The earlier tapes were the same, the usual scene in the shower, and then the love making in the bedroom. Now, listen to the conversation on this one."
The woman, a pert, young girl with thick black hair that hung down her back was saying: "Carl, I don't want to do that. I only want to be with you."
"Look, honey," Carl said. "don't be like that. Remember when we first made love, in the cemetery in Cambridge?" She shook her head yes. "Well, you told me then that that was the fulfillment of a long time fantasy. And then you told me that your other fantasy was to make love with two guys at the same time. Remember?"
"Yes. I remember, but it was only an idea. Just an idea. I don't think I would like it and I don't want to do it. And if I do agree, what will you think of me. You'll think I'm some sort of a tramp."
"No, I won't. I think it will turn me on. And besides, I owe this guy a real favor, and this will be important to both of us. He's in a position to help us out a lot. Do it for me, won't you? I'll make it up to you, I promise. You won't regret it. Honest."
She finally agreed. "That's a good sport. I'll set it up for tomorrow," Rogers said.
Carstairs stopped the VCR and looked at Hallen and BB. “That's pretty interesting, isn't it detectives?”
“Is that it? Is that what you called us over here for?”
“No sir, there's more. But I thought I would set it up and give you an idea of what it is all about. What I'm going to show you now, I figure it must be the next day, because there is a shower scene, with nothing important in it. If it's okay with you, I'll fast forward to the part I think you will find interesting.”
“Go ahead,” Hallen said.
The tape fast-forwarded a little and then it went back to the normal speed. They were back in the bedroom now, and Rogers and the woman were fooling around on the big bed. She stopped and looked at him.
“Carl, what's that strange noise? What is that?” In the background, there was the sound of water running.
Carl looked at his watch. “That's my friend. I told him to be here at this time and to come in and take a shower and then come into the bedroom.”
“Oh, bloody Hell. I had hoped you had forgotten and that it wasn't going to happen.”
“Sorry, love. You did agree last night. And I did tell you how important this is to me. Don't give me a hard time now. Just relax, it will be fine, I promise.”
They heard the shower turn off.
“Here's where this gets interesting, Detective.” Carstairs said. “Right here.”
Both Hallen and BB gasped as Sheriff Jefferson walked into the bedroom.
He was naked, except for a leather gun belt buckled to his waist. A Colt revolver was in the holster. His body glistened with water from the shower. He came in and looked around. He looked at Courtney and in his booming voice said, “Man, she's everything you said she was, Carl. She's a beauty.”
As he walked forward, his huge belly, which hung over the belt and almost obscured his privates, shook.
Courtney cringed. “Who is that man? Why is he wearing a gun belt like that?”
“I don't go nowhere without my gun," the sheriff said. "I'm the law around here, and I gotta be armed all the time.” He walked to the bed, and roughly pushed Courtney down. “Let's get to it girl. You got to get me hard first, though.”
“How do I do that?” she whimpered.
“You can use your hand. If that don't work, you can do it with your mouth. But you gotta do it.”
He stood over her as she tentatively reached for him and began to stroke him. He took his gun out of the holster and put the barrel of it against her pubis. Then he slid it inside her. “Now pay attention, girlie,” he said. “Iffin' you don’t do this good, I’m gonna put this here pistol back inside a you and pull the trigger. You got that? Nobody gonna bother me about it, either. I’m the law around here, you got that?”
The men watching could see her cringe in terror.
“Relax, bitch” Jefferson boomed. “It ain't gonna hurt you. I like it this way. It's the best way for me.”
By this time, Courtney was sobbing, as she manipulated the sheriff to a full erection. Once he was ready, he mounted her and rutted away.
Carl watched the entire performance without physical response and without saying anything.
The sheriff finished quickly and rolled off the woman. She scrambled out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Jefferson looked at Carl. “Hey, man, that was great. Can we do it again in a couple of days?”
“I don't think so,” Carl said.
“She got an email last night and has to go back home. Some sort of family problem. Maybe we can arrange it when she comes back in a month or so.”
“Shucks,” the Sheriff said. “She was a good hump. I 'd like to screw that little ass again. But I can wait 'til she comes back, I guess.”
Rogers walked to the dresser and took a large white envelope out of the top drawer.
“Hey, Jefferson, I've got a donation for your Police Benevolent Association. Here.” He handed the envelope to the Sheriff who opened it and rifled a handful of money.
“Use this where it will do the most good,” Rogers said. “We'll do this again some time soon. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” the sheriff said. He turned and walked out of the bedroom his heavy behind jiggling as he walked.
Courtney came back in to the room. She was crying bitterly.
Rogers reached for her as if to placate her, and at first she shrugged him off and finally let him hold her in his arms.
“There, there now. Was it that bad?”
“It was horrible. That man is heavy, and he certainly didn't care about how I felt. What he did with that gun. Ugh. How could you ask me to do something like that? How could you.?”
“I'm sorry, Honey. It won't happen again, I promise you.”
He held her close and was beginning to become aroused. As she felt him respond to her, she stopped crying and kissed him.
Then they moved together to the big bed.
“From here on it is kind of the same as the others,” Carstairs said. “He kills her on the next tape. Same routine as before. Poor kid, she deserved a hell of a lot better than that.”
“I know it is hard to stay aloof,” Hallen said, “but don't let this get to you. Try to keep it from being personal.”
“That's pretty tough, Detective, that's pretty tough.” Carstairs said.
“Well,” Hallen said, on the way back in the car. “Now we have a good idea why that dumb ass Jefferson took the position he did. We can check out the date and see if Jefferson ever made a payment to the PBA. If he didn't we got him on graft charges, anyway. Don't know if we can do anything about the sexual thing. But we got him pretty good, I think.”
Carl hadn’t expected to find the hidey hole difficult to live in. He had planned it to be comfortable and much more than utilitarian. But, having fallen going down into it and then finding that he had clap, made things much tougher than he imagined it would be.
He was beginning to feel better. His fever had gone, and he was developing an appetite. He still suffered a lot when he had to pee, but he figured that if he could get to a doctor and get an antibiotic shot he might be okay before too long.
Every time he went to the bathroom, he cussed Clarissa, and screamed to the walls, that she got what she deserved. Were she still alive, and near by, he swore he would beat the dumb bitch to death to make her really suffer for giving him the STD.
Carl was beginning to feel that he was in prison in what he considered solitary confinement. Worse, even. At least in solitary confinement a guy might have a guard to talk to once in a while. And possibly see some daylight. But all he had was silence, and perpetual night. It was crowding in on him, driving him slightly nuts, he thought.
He was convinced he had to get out into the air, and soon. He considered the possibility of just going up for air in the middle of the night. That would be risky, but he wasn't sure he could go up the ladder in the condition he was in. He was equally unsure that once he got into the air that he would have the guts to turn around and go back down to avoid capture.
Shit, he reasoned. They must have stopped looking for me here, by now. He wasn’t even sure how long he had been down there, but he knew it was a lot more hellish than he had originally thought. He decided to check the radio, and when he was sure it was nighttime, try to climb the ladder and take a look outside. He thought about it and decided he would wait for a good rain . He thought he could get away in the rain, much more easily than on a clear night. He would see how much more solitude he could tolerate, and then make a decision..
Continued next month.
Read more about Irv on his webpage in the LSS Writers' Lodge.
Continued next month.
Read more about Irv on his webpage in the LSS Writers' Lodge.
