Eight In The Box Part 15

"What do you mean? We're supposed to do case prep."

"Not today."

"Angel, if we're not ready for trial we're going to get our a.s.ses handed to us. And Jesse's going to walk again. We have a ton of work to do. The trial is only a month away."

"Connie, the Jill Twomey murder has changed everything. We've got the FBI up here and Mooney's on a rampage. Forget about prep. I'll be lucky if I can get here for the trial."

"Are you insane? You know how long I've been trying to put Jesse away. He's dangerous."

"Not as dangerous as the Blood Bath Killer. We work on his case and nothing else. Orders from the commissioner. Not that I needed the order. I want to catch this f.u.c.ker. And I'm going to."

"Do me a favor before I lose you for good?"

"What?"

"Just pull all the FIOs on Wilc.o.x. I want to know who he's been hanging around with. It'll help me on cross if any of his friends show up as surprise witnesses for the defense."

"I'll bring them by tomorrow. Then you won't see me for a while. I have to get going. Sarge will be wondering what happened to me."

"How's he doing? I haven't seen him since the McCarthy scene."

"Grumpy as ever." Alves walked toward the back stairs. Then he turned suddenly and stopped. "I almost forgot the most important thing. I learned something today that really p.i.s.sed me off. Jesse Wilc.o.x's lawyer is a former law partner of Judge Catherine Ring."

Connie could feel his jaw tightening up.

"From the look on your face I'd have to say you didn't know that tidbit of information. How's that for justice?"

Connie watched as Alves disappeared down the backstairs. He felt a terrific surge of anger. He thought back to what Jesse Wilc.o.x had said to him after the motion, that it was all over before it started.

CHAPTER 53.

Coming toward him down the corridor from the Homicide Unit were the two FBI agents that Alves had met a few days earlier. He couldn't get their names straight so he just thought of them as Smith and Jones, Smith being the taller one who seemed to do all the talking. He could tell both men were angry. the two FBI agents that Alves had met a few days earlier. He couldn't get their names straight so he just thought of them as Smith and Jones, Smith being the taller one who seemed to do all the talking. He could tell both men were angry.

"What's wrong, guys?" Alves asked.

"Sergeant Mooney doesn't want us involved in his his investigation. You've been good to us, but we can't work with him. We're heading back to DC this afternoon. I know he doesn't believe us, but we were trying to help." investigation. You've been good to us, but we can't work with him. We're heading back to DC this afternoon. I know he doesn't believe us, but we were trying to help."

Alves stood silently as the two agents headed toward the elevators. What the h.e.l.l was Sarge thinking? He was asking for trouble going against the mayor.

"And, Detective"-Smith turned back to him-"FYI, I don't believe this guy's a s.e.xual predator. You're wasting your time with that one. I could be wrong, but there doesn't seem to be anything s.e.xual about what he's doing."

"Why's that?"

"Nothing to suggest he's committed s.e.xual a.s.saults at any of the crime scenes. Not while the victims are conscious, unconscious or deceased. He attacks them, incapacitates them, drains their blood, takes them away. A s.e.xual predator wouldn't be able to control himself like that. If he's looking to act out a s.e.xual fantasy, he would definitely want to act it out in the victim's house, in her bed, on her couch. He wouldn't miss the opportunity to act it all out while he's alone with her in her house. Nothing would be more gratifying to him."

"So what's he doing?"

"Sergeant Mooney just gave us his Reader's Digest Reader's Digest profile. Actually not bad for a miserable old-timer. He's right about the blood bath being a way of telling you that the person's dead without leaving you the body. Draining them of their blood is an important part of his ritual. The bathtubs themselves are just convenient. It's the logical place to do something like that. And the warm bath expedites the bloodletting. I'm not sure what he's doing from there. If he's keeping the bodies, he has to be doing something to preserve them. You may want to check to see if there have been any chemical thefts from local funeral homes in the last year. Or maybe he's a trained mortician himself. And then again, he may be dumping the bodies somewhere." profile. Actually not bad for a miserable old-timer. He's right about the blood bath being a way of telling you that the person's dead without leaving you the body. Draining them of their blood is an important part of his ritual. The bathtubs themselves are just convenient. It's the logical place to do something like that. And the warm bath expedites the bloodletting. I'm not sure what he's doing from there. If he's keeping the bodies, he has to be doing something to preserve them. You may want to check to see if there have been any chemical thefts from local funeral homes in the last year. Or maybe he's a trained mortician himself. And then again, he may be dumping the bodies somewhere."

"I hadn't thought of the mortician angle."

"Detective Alves," Smith said, looking Alves in the eyes, letting him know that he wanted to help, "serial killers don't stop killing. They don't slow down. They kill more frequently. They kill until someone stops them." Smith turned toward Jones who was holding the elevator for him. "Feel free to call if you ever need us."

CHAPTER 54.

Alves entered the Homicide Unit looking for Mooney. "Sarge, what did you do?" did you do?"

"I fired those two sons-o'-b.i.t.c.hes, trying to poach my case."

Alves was sure Mooney had lost his mind. "You can't fire them, they don't work for you. But you're you're going to get yourself fired once the mayor and commissioner hear about this. What happened?" going to get yourself fired once the mayor and commissioner hear about this. What happened?"

"Those two profilers profilers spent three days reviewing spent three days reviewing our our case files, visiting case files, visiting our our crime scenes and re-interviewing crime scenes and re-interviewing our our witnesses. This morning I get a call from Jill Twomey's mother, hysterical, asking why these two men from the FBI want to go through her daughter's condo again. I can take a lot of s.h.i.t, Angel, but I'm not going to let some kid with a BA in psychology damage my reputation with the family of a homicide victim." witnesses. This morning I get a call from Jill Twomey's mother, hysterical, asking why these two men from the FBI want to go through her daughter's condo again. I can take a lot of s.h.i.t, Angel, but I'm not going to let some kid with a BA in psychology damage my reputation with the family of a homicide victim."

Mooney's face was mottled red as he leaned in toward Alves. Alves was glad he hadn't been in the room when Mooney went at it with the two agents.

"I catch a load of s.h.i.t from Mrs. Twomey," Mooney said, "then our friends from the FBI show up with their profile. profile. Let's just say you're lucky you didn't make that bet with me. It was the same profile I gave you. Then they give me their Let's just say you're lucky you didn't make that bet with me. It was the same profile I gave you. Then they give me their tips tips for bagging a serial killer: Review footage of spectators at the crime scenes and family press conferences; pursue those losers who volunteer to help with the investigation. I told them we had gone so far as to set up hidden cameras at the memorial services and community-safety meetings to look for familiar faces. They reminded me that as a rule the killer wants to stay close to the investigation. I really appreciate them coming up here to enlighten us." for bagging a serial killer: Review footage of spectators at the crime scenes and family press conferences; pursue those losers who volunteer to help with the investigation. I told them we had gone so far as to set up hidden cameras at the memorial services and community-safety meetings to look for familiar faces. They reminded me that as a rule the killer wants to stay close to the investigation. I really appreciate them coming up here to enlighten us."

Angel settled in, content not to say anything until Mooney finished.

"Besides causing me some unnecessary headaches, it's been a waste of time. One thing led to another. Now we no longer have to deal with those two clowns."

"Sarge, as far as the feds go, they weren't all that bad. They're just doing what they were told to do."

"They were wasting our time. No, they weren't just wasting our time-they were actually setting us back. Poor Mrs. Twomey. Bad enough that her daughter was murdered, now she thinks the detectives handling the investigation are a couple of b.o.o.bs."

"They did have some interesting thoughts."

"Like what?"

"They don't think he's a s.e.xual predator."

"That remains to be seen."

"They also suggested that we check for any chemical thefts at area funeral homes. If he's keeping the bodies he has to be preserving them somehow."

"That's a.s.suming he's keeping the bodies. We don't know what he's doing with the bodies."

"Come on, Sarge, you have to admit it's not a bad idea."

"All right. Do it. But I think we would have heard if there were any break-ins like that."

"Why?"

"You know what they do with that stuff?"

"No."

"I thought you were a drug cop before you came up here. Back in the seventies we had some funeral home breaks. Kids were using the formaldehyde-based embalming fluids to make angel dust."

"Our profilers also threw out the possibility that he might actually be a mortician."

"Or a taxidermist." Mooney laughed. "You can look into that too, Angel."

"Sarge, what are you going to do about the bosses? They're going to flip out when they hear what you did to those guys."

"They might chew my a.s.s out, but they're not going to take us off the case. We know the evidence better than anyone. It would take weeks for someone else to get up to speed. They'll be mad for a couple of days. Once we catch this guy all will be forgotten."

"For your sake, I hope so."

CHAPTER 55.

As Connie finished his baked potato and drank the last of his skim milk, Angel Alves pushed open the conference room door, balancing a cup of coffee and a stack of reports. "I can't stay and visit," he said. "Connie, these are the FIOs you asked for." milk, Angel Alves pushed open the conference room door, balancing a cup of coffee and a stack of reports. "I can't stay and visit," he said. "Connie, these are the FIOs you asked for."

"Sweet."

"What's an FIO?" Monica asked, sipping her mug of tomato soup.

"Field Interrogation and Observation report," Connie said. "Every time the Youth Violence and the Anti-Crime guys see someone they know hanging out on a corner, they take down all their information, name, DOB, address, who they're with. Then they enter all that info into a report."

"Connie wanted to know what our boy Jesse's been up to, so I ran his name and came up with this," Alves said, waving the reports in front of him. "Wait till you see the rapscallions he's been hanging with."

"Jesse who?" Monica asked.

"Wilc.o.x," Connie said.

"Connie's white whale." Mitch was wrapping up the rest of his sandwich.

"Be careful with this guy. You don't want him thinking it's personal," Brendan said.

"Don't worry about me."

"He already beat you on the motion," Nick said. "He's halfway to another acquittal."

"I have faith in Connie." Alves slipped the FIO reports onto the table.

"Anything new in the Blood Bath case?" Connie knew everyone was interested in the topic, but he knew Alves well enough to ask.

"Nothing specific. Checking known s.e.x offenders, recent DOC and jail releases. Even halfway houses. Mooney's still considering them possibly s.e.x-related. I'm not so sure anymore."

"Makes sense to see if he just got out of lockup," Connie said. "He's probably some sc.u.mbag that's walked through the system a million times and keeps getting off with a wrist slap. Our system is such a joke."

"What are you talking about?" Brendan said, his mouth full with the last bite of his Italian sub from Spinale's. "You think you'd be more than happy with the way you've been banging out guilty verdicts lately."

"Who cares about guilties?" Connie said. "I'm talking about a system where we end up with uneducated people deciding the fates of criminal defendants who are facing the loss of their precious liberty. I think it's f.u.c.ked up."

Nick put down his burger, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and straightened up in his chair. "What's so f.u.c.ked up about it?" he asked. "The right to a fair trial by a jury of our peers is the heart of our legal system. It's one of our most fundamental rights guaranteed by the Const.i.tution."

Connie laughed. "The only thing the system does is guarantee that every person with a brain is too busy to serve on a jury, leaving us with jurors that belong in that Star Wars Star Wars bar." bar."

"The Cantina?" Brendan interrupted.

Mitch laughed, nearly choking as he sipped from his thermos cup of black tea.

Connie said, "What we need in this country are panels of judges or professional jurors with a certain level of intelligence. Then we'd be guaranteed true and just verdicts."

"You don't think we get just verdicts?" Monica asked.

"All we have is a game where the defense attorneys try to get a bunch of half-wits on the jury so they can trick them into finding a reasonable doubt. I've had success over the past year because I've learned how to play the game better. Why should I care about getting a true verdict if no one else does?"

"Have you forgotten that you're a prosecutor?" Nick asked indignantly. "You're not supposed to blindly advocate for convictions. You're supposed to uphold the law and try to do justice. You can't look at this like it's a game you're trying to win. That's unethical."

"Don't give me that unethical unethical s.h.i.t. The reason we have to play these games is this a.s.s-backward jury system. We need a system where professionals who are well schooled in the law determine the facts of the case and then mete out punishment." s.h.i.t. The reason we have to play these games is this a.s.s-backward jury system. We need a system where professionals who are well schooled in the law determine the facts of the case and then mete out punishment."

"You mean like Richters?" Mitch said.

"What?" Nick asked.

"In Germany they use panels of judges instead of jurors. They're called Richters. One of the useless facts I remember from Crim Pro."

"I like that word," Brendan said. "When I grow up I want to be a Richter."

"Who the h.e.l.l wants to live in a society where a select group acts as judge, jury and executioner?" Nick asked.

"I do," Brendan said.