Branded for Murder (35 page)

Chapter 79

He was enjoying his time with Charlotte.
This was worth twenty-two years.
He had already made love to her several times. She wasn’t resisting the way he had expected.

They were sharing the same cot, but she was still tied to the bed. “Charlotte, when we were together during your private time with me, I really liked you. You seemed to enjoy yourself. I thought there was something special between us. You said I was special, and you would always remember our time together. Do you remember saying that?”

She tried to answer, but the gag was preventing her from replying.

He removed the gag, warning, “Don’t try anything funny. Nobody can hear you, so don’t yell. I don’t want to hurt you.”

For the first time he could actually hear her voice. “Jimmy, I remember saying that. I think of what happened at camp frequently. I’ve never been with any man since. I have a girl friend and we’re…well we’re more than friends. I guess you could call us lovers.”

He pushed himself away from her. “You mean I’m the only man who has ever made love to you?”

“When we were together at camp that year, I got lost in the moment and what we were doing and when I forced you to make love to me that was the only time…well until now.”

“Do you want to tell me more?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure how.” She pulled on the ropes, but he didn’t react. She continued, “I liked what you were doing with my body. I remember now what it was like years ago, and well…I liked it. It’s not the same with a woman.” He started to play with her body, but couldn’t tell if she was enjoying it or playing along.

“Charlotte this may seem odd, but I never got you out of my mind since what happened at camp. None of the others…well they didn’t make love to me. Yes, they experimented but it wasn’t what I felt with you. I think I fell in love with you years ago, and would like to be with you for the rest of my life. Does that sound believable?”

She nodded, not saying anything more for several minutes. Then she whispered, “Do you think we could be together for the rest of our lives? I think we could. I think I could stay with you. Don’t you want me by your side for many years to come?”

They were quickly making love again. For some reason he really believed she was serious about this. He tested her some and she seemed to react the way he wanted her to.
He needed to give this some thought.
“Charlotte I need to think about this. I hadn’t expected you to care about me the way I care about you.” He got a towel that he brought from the hotel, wiping the baby oil off her starting from her arms, down to her feet. He stood up, doing the same to himself. She looked at him and smiled. He was getting excited again.

He went to the stove, putting another log on the fire. He put his jeans and shoes on, going outside, looking at her before he left. She smiled at him again. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He needed time to think.

Chapter 80

Mike made a call to the New Hampshire State Police to discuss Jimmy Ballou kidnapping and potentially killing Charlotte Williams. He gave the officer the name of the camp and it’s location in Campton. Before Mike got off the phone, they had radioed a cruiser covering that area about what might be happening.

“Scott, please take Paul’s car back to the task force office and leave the keys with Colleen. Paul’s coming with me to New Hampshire. I just got off the phone with the New Hampshire State Police. A cruiser is already headed to the camp in case Charlotte is indeed there. We have to leave. I’ll try to reach you later at your apartment or here at the dorm.”

“Okay I’ll take care of the car.”

*.*.*

Mike was glad he had a full tank of fuel, as it was over a two hour drive to the main town of Plymouth, and several minutes from there to where the camp was located.

“Mike what do you think about all of this?”

He took a deep breath before answering. “Paul, I think we might be too late to intercept Jimmy, but maybe we will be lucky. We’re assuming the so called interview is going to take place at the camp, but it could be anywhere. The police are going to go to the camp, but will also start checking the hotels and motels in and around Plymouth for Charlotte Williams. There is no telling what name Jimmy is using, or if he is actually staying at a hotel.”

“He played us well didn’t he?”

“It looks that way. While we were focused on Helen Ryder, he was busy setting a trap for Charlotte. I hope we’re not too late.”

Mike was now in the passing lane on Route 93, just outside Boston. He had his blue light on the roof flashing. He noticed Paul looking calm and collected, but at this speed he knew it was just a façade. Traffic wasn’t heavy at this time of day. “Paul, would you get on the radio to let dispatch know what is going on? Tell them to expect a call from the New Hampshire State police and to patch them through to us, or relay what they find.”

Chapter 81

It was cold outside. He left the cabin without his shirt. However, he was not feeling the cold, and wanted to go to the swimming hole. He needed to clear his mind. Charlotte indicating that they could spend the rest of their lives together was an unexpected twist. He tested her, and she really seemed to be sincere.
How could he pull off being with her since he had committed two murders already?

Soon he was looking at the swimming hole, with the clear water rushing by. There was ice on the edges of the river where the water was moving slower. He brushed the snow off a large rock under a tree at the end of the path. Sitting down, all he could think of was Charlotte and what they had experienced since being together. Then he remembered the girls swimming and frolicking like innocent maidens. His breathing was labored, and he could see his breath. That’s when he decided to do something he hadn’t planned on.

He took off his jeans and shoes, quickly heading to the moving water. He knew it was going to be the shock of his life, but he thought he needed to clear his mind. He dove in and couldn’t believe how cold the water was. He wondered what in the world he was thinking. Immediately, he did a combination of swimming and walking as fast as he could, to get out of the water. He hit the shore, trying to get out of the freezing water. The ice on the edge prevented him from climbing out.

He needed to get out or he would freeze to death. He dove onto the ice, sliding to the edge of the shore. He quickly stood up and ran across the small snow covered beach. He looked down and his body was a bright red color. He could see his breath still, so he was still alive. His body was smoking in the cold air. He tried to dry himself off, but the water drops on his body were ice crystals.
He thought of Charlotte’s warm body and what the heat of her body would feel like.

His jeans were hard to put on over his bare legs, but he got them on and zipped up. He put his shoes on, now feeling warmer. He wondered if he was actually warming up, or was it the thought of Charlotte waiting for him. He made up his mind that they would be together for as long as they could be. He was going to return to Bermuda with her and hide.
She would be glad to hide him with her, but what about her girlfriend? He was going to have to find a way of getting rid of her. What about Lisa Anderson? He couldn’t take the chance of killing her. Maybe he could do that before leaving?

It was quite a distance back to the cabin. He would get some clothes in his car, which was parked by the town well. He was jogging to his car. He unlocked the door wondering why he had locked it in the first place
.
He quickly opened his duffle bag, taking out a heavy woolen shirt. He thought he heard something in the distance. He stopped fumbling with the shirt, to listen more closely—
“son of a bitch it’s a police siren,” h
e yelled.

*.*.*

He jumped into the car, started it up, and headed out of the camp following the plowed road. He had already discovered that the plowed road came in off the main road to the town well and continued around the camp to the rear exit. If the siren wasn’t coming to the camp, he could double back, but he couldn’t risk staying there. The noise of the police car was getting closer. He stopped the car within sight of the main road, rolling down his window.

He saw the police car fly by with its lights flashing off the stand of pine trees around him. He heard the cruiser decelerate, and then the squeal of tires as it braked for the other entrance. He counted to ten and started the car. He quickly drove the remaining distance to the main road, but didn’t head west towards the camp’s main entrance. He headed east toward Waterville valley and another way out of the area.

He knew he had only twenty minutes or so to get out of the area, or the police could block off the roads leading from the valley area. He was driving as fast as he dared, but not so fast as to attract the attention of any cruisers heading his way. His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t feel his hands or feet. Turning on the heater full blast, it felt good.
Not as good as the heat he would have felt with Charlotte’s body, but at least he was still free.

A good soldier is always prepared. He hadn’t expected something like this, but he had a backup plan. Charlotte was gone now, Bermuda was gone now…life is just about over now…but now to plan B.

Chapter 82

Mike was focused on his driving. He was praying they weren’t going to be too late to rescue Charlotte Williams.

“Mike, the next exit is the one for Waterville Valley and Campton. We need to take that,” Paul said with some emotion.

“I guess I better slow this puppy down then, huh?”

“Yeah, you might be able to make the exit under seventy, but not at the speed you’re doing right now,” Paul said, with his hand on the dashboard.

The exit turnoff was coming up faster than Mike anticipated. He had to decelerate quickly, the big V8 engine resisting the change. Mike could smell the smoke of rubber burning as they slid sideways towards the exit ramp. Mike never stopped at the stop sign either, flooring the gas again. “Well Paul how did you like that landing?”

“Remind me when we get back, if we get back, to go to confession this Sunday. I have some things I need to get off my chest,” he said, with a forced laugh. “Speaking of chests, did you know Colleen and I were dating?” Paul announced.

“I might be getting old, but I’m still a detective.” He looked over at Paul, smiling. “She’s a very nice girl. I hope things work out for you both.”

“I thought I would bring it up so maybe the return trip can be a little more respectable.”

“Paul, are you saying you don’t like my driving? Would you like to drive on the way back?” Mike asked.

They looked at each other. Neither said a word. Then they smiled at each other.

*.*.*

The radio interrupted their thoughts. “Detective Mike Miller, this is the New Hampshire State police. We have a unit at the camp. They found Miss Williams, and she is safe now. What is your twenty?”

Paul picked up the microphone. “This is detective Brosque with detective Miller. We received your call and are about ten minutes from the camp, over.”

“An ambulance has arrived at the camp and is taking Miss Williams to the hospital in Plymouth. She’s in shock but alive. The patrol unit is standing by awaiting your arrival.”

“Roger, over and out,” Paul replied.

*.*.*

Minutes later they turned onto the main road leading to the camp. “Paul, we did it. We intercepted Jimmy before he could kill Miss Williams. I hope she’s okay.”

“We were very lucky…but I wonder what happened to Jimmy,” Paul responded.

As they approached the entrance to Knotty Pine Camp, the ambulance was backing up onto the main road. It pulled away with its lights and siren going.

He pulled into the drive, stopping their car behind the police cruiser. They were immediately greeted by a tall state trooper with a large brimmed brown hat and green uniform. They got out and introduced themselves to the trooper.

“Hello, I’m detective Mike Miller and this is detective Paul Brosque. Ten minutes ago your dispatch told us what was happening here. Can you update us?”

“I’m Officer Potter. It’s nice to meet you folks. Please let me give you a recap of what went down. You best follow me.” He turned, heading to the cabin, where the snow had been removed from the small porch. The cabin’s porch didn’t like our combined weight, by the sound it made. “I suggest we not go inside, but let me tell you what I found when I arrived.”

He informed them, “When I first pulled in, the black Chevrolet was parked where you see it. I approached the only cabin with snow removed from the steps and porch. When I went inside, I found Miss Williams tied to the bed. She was nude, with a gag in her mouth. I must say she was happy to see me. She told me Jimmy Ballou was the guy who tied her up and raped her. She said he left about twenty minutes before I arrived.”

“Any sign of him?”

“When the ambulance team arrived and took care of Miss Williams, I tried to locate the suspect. I followed fresh tracks down the camp road, but there was no sign of the car or him. He must have followed the drive around, leaving by the other exit. I have no idea what kind of car he was driving.”

“Did he threaten her?”

“Miss Williams was in some amount of shock, and was unclear about some of the details of what happened. She believes he held something against her nose and mouth. She passed out. When she came to she found herself tied to the bed and naked. She said he spent what seemed like hours with her and raped her several times. However, that’s when things get a little unclear.”

“She said he left. She thinks it was to decide if he was going to kill her or not. Whatever it was that caused him to leave her for a few minutes, may have been the difference to finding her alive or not.”

“Officer, I notice there are four hangman knots at each corner of the bed. That is similar to the other two camp counselor murders we are investigating. We believe the same person committed those murders.”

He replied, “I was not aware of that. There is an almost empty bottle of baby oil, which she said he put on both of them. However, he wiped it off them, just before he went for a walk.”

“Thanks Officer Potter. Would you please radio your dispatch that we are looking for James Ballou. He is thirty seven, six feet with blonde hair and blue eyes. Should anyone stop him they should consider him dangerous. We’re not sure if he is armed or not. He most likely is headed back to either southern New Hampshire or Massachusetts. His identification might read Andy Lincoln.”

“I’ll call that in,” Potter said. “Oh, one other thing you may want to check out.” He looked at both detectives. “It looks like he went down a path leading to the swimming hole. I haven’t checked that out yet, because I knew you were arriving shortly. When you’re ready, why don’t we see if he left anything behind?”

*.*.*

There were two sets of foot prints leading from the plowed camp road down the small path into the woods. The carved sign at the entrance indicated the path led to the ‘swimming hole.’ Five minutes later the wooded path opened onto a small snow covered area adjacent to the river. We could see where he had cleared the snow on a large boulder and walked barefoot down to the river. There were signs where he had entered the water and exited across the ice patch.

“I can’t believe he actually went in the river. The water temp must be just above freezing. He’s lucky he didn’t drown,” Potter said, shaking his head.

“We’re not surprised he did something like that. A few hours ago, I didn’t hold out much hope we would find Miss Williams alive. Thank you for your fast response officer,” Mike said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Mr. Miller, we should go back to the cabin and retrieve the evidence there. I forgot to mention there was a T-shirt, wool shirt, coat and socks sitting on one of the cots in the cabin. I also found what looked like a small wood-handled tool with a metal letter C in a circle. It was heating up on the wood stove. Does that have any bearing on anything?” Officer Potter asked.

“As a matter of fact it has real significance. The other two camp counselors were branded with their initials. This is the same guy for sure. We believe he was branded when he was younger and is now returning the favor before he kills the women. It’s obvious he was getting close to doing that, if the tool was heating on the stove.”

*.*.*

They headed back to Massachusetts, leaving Officer Potter to collect the evidence.

Paul broke the silence asking, “Mike, where do you think Ballou is headed now? He knows we’re getting close to him, and knows we know who he is now. Do you think he will head to Helen Ryder’s house?”

Mike was quick to reply, “No, I think he’s not going to try that. He doesn’t need two close calls in a single day. I would think he would head back to Boston to pack his things. He’s only an hour ahead of us. We should be able to make up some of that time. He’s not going to take the chance of getting stopped.”