SACRIFICES (11 page)

              Brad smiles and leans back in his chair and fold his arms. “Hey ‘
Colombo’
...let’s not forget that as of now this is just some guy who got a speeding ticket. We don’t even know if he was in Canton on the 12th or Chicago on the 3rd.” Brad leans up and takes a drink of his coffee. “Let’s not get carried away, now Tammy what about the other drivers?” Brad smiles still feeling skeptical.

              “Ok, one of the other people ticketed was a 58-year-old black man from East St. Louis traveling to Decatur to see his kids over the holiday weekend.” Brad and Todd shake their heads as if they are both thinking the same thing. The same thing is ‘no way’. “The third person was a lady schoolteacher from Springfield. She’s 37 and teaches grade school. The fourth one is a 35-year-old woman who’s a hospital administrator from Pekin. Now, what do I do with the other three? Should I check everything about their whereabouts?” Tammy inquires as she reads from her notes.

Brad leans back and says as he scratches his head. “Well...I don’t think that any of them are the one where looking for, but it wouldn’t hurt to do a little checking anyway.”

Todd smiles and says. “I hardly think that a female teacher at a grade school is capable of raping, don’t you agree?” Todd smirks as he looks at the sheet on the teacher.

Brad nods his head and says. “
Me neither
, but I think we should do some checking as to who else could have had access to their cars. Maybe they have a boyfriend or a husband that uses the car most of the time, or maybe a kid, who knows. So that’s why we check a
little
bit. Right now the car is the suspect not necessarily the driver.” Todd nods his head in agreement to Brad’s wise thinking.

“Ok then, Tammy start working on the guy whose a sales rep and Todd you go with Betty to Champaign today to check on the college records as to whom was questioned about the disappearances and who the police talked to back them. Where going to reopen that whole case to see if we can find out how much truth there is to some of the rumors and who would have wanted to kill the guys on the team this many years later ok.”

Brad stands up and walks to the coffeepot to fill his cup. Todd remains seated while Tammy leaves the office and continues to look over the report Tammy gave them.

Brad sees the chief walking down the hall when he starts toward his office and says. “Good morning boss.”

The chief forces a grin and says. “Peoria is running for prints on the key that was left and the Governor wants to do another press conference this afternoon. The press is all over his office as to how a guy under watch can be executed in the same house the police are watching. Now I’m going to warn you,” The chief looks around then leans closer to the ear of Brad. “The press is going to hit you hard with a lot of questions about how we’re doing our job. They’re going to wonder if we have any suspects and they’re going to want to know about the profile of the killer and rapist. Now the good news is the FBI has just come up with their psychological profile on the guy. I think you ought to study it very well before the conference because at least if we give them that, they might back off a little bit on the questions if they think we at least have something.” The chief nods his head and used his folder to softly tap Brad on the shoulder.

Brad whispers. “Should I talk about the guy that was ticketed in the black sports car to let them know we have a possible lead?”

The Chief shakes his head rapidly and says with a very serious expression. “Do you like your job?”

“What do you mean?”

The chief explains. “If you let the press think that some sales rep from Peoria that was stopped for speeding one night is our only suspect or lead, and by the way, we don’t even know if he was near
any
of the attacks on the nights that they took place. This guy would have the grounds for one of the biggest lawsuits in the history of law enforcement. Do you want your name attached to a case like that? If I was you I’d act like that guy doesn’t exist, at least until we know for sure if he was even near any of the attacks.” The Chief starts to walk away. “I’ll have the FBI profile for you in about an hour.” He continues down the hail as Todd walks out.

“What’s the Chief thinking?” Todd inquires as he takes a sip of his coffee.

Brad turns to look at Todd and says with a nervous look on his face. “We better find out something quick. That’s what he’s thinking.”

Todd pats Brad on the back. “We will. I’ll see you later I’m going to go meet Betty for our trip to Champaign.”

Brad with little expression. “Bring me back some good news.”

BRAD READS THE REPORTS FROM THE FBI IN HIS OFFICE

    
The press conference is about fifteen minutes away. Brad carefully reads the profile trying to read between the lines of this sophisticated and eloquently written document. Betty and Todd are on their way to Champaign to try and find out some names of people who might have been witnesses to the bond fire all of those years ago. It might prove to be a dead end, but at this juncture it’s somewhere to start.

Tammy walks into the office carrying a handful of letters and tells the preoccupied inspector. “Here’s some mail Brad. It’s mostly reports and documents you sent for.”

Brad starts to thumb through the envelopes and asks. “What’s this one?” He asks as he holds up an envelope that’s handwritten.

Tammy shrugs her shoulders and explains. “It says Personal and confidential so I didn’t open it.” Tammy grins and says as she exits the office. “Good luck at the conference, I’ll be watching on the TV in my office.”

He smiles and says as he opens the thick envelope. “Thanks doll, I think I’ll need it.” He winks.

                            Tammy smiles and walks out. Brad opens the envelope as his curiosity has the best of him. He pulls out the paper inside and notices that there are pictures inside the folded typed letter. Finding this strange he sits down the letter and begins thumbing through the pictures. He slightly gasps for air as he sees a picture of the front of his house. He takes a deep breath as he continues to notice images that do not belong on pictures that he was sent. The hair on the back of his neck stands up as he notices a picture of his son and his friends sitting on the back deck of his home. Brad can feel that these pictures are a message quite possibly a serious message. So he swallows hard and slowly opens the letter and it reads:

Mr. Jostler

     At first your investigation
was
all right. Now it’s become a hindrance to me. I know that you are only doing your job. And I respect that. But now would be a good time to back off a little. Not all the way because I enjoy the challenge. But it would be in your best interest: as well as your son Bradley’s best interest to take some of the heat off of me. I would suggest that you pull back on some of the police surveillance.

     Now I would like to stress. You can continue with what you’re doing, because I will too. I think by now you have figured out that I can do whatever I want to do and not get caught. And I won’t get caught. I am too motivated and way to smart for anyone, even you. I have waited way to long and I refuse to stop now. I will tell you this. I will, and I stress WILL, kill Mr. Howard and Mr. Stein, they will die, that’s a fact. No matter what you or any other police department does this will happen.

     The only question that you need to ask yourself is if you would like me to add your son’s name to that list. I don’t want to but I will. I could also go through a list of other people whom are important to you: like Todd Avery, Betty Downs, Dorothy Spencer, Tammy Harris, Darrin Turner, and maybe a few of your son’s friends, like Matt, Jim, and David. I’ll leave Chief Carlin’s name off my list. The mother fucker is old; I’ll let him die from natural causes. As of now my list is short, only two names remain, but believe me, it could get longer, much longer. If you think that I’m bluffing I will send you some pictures of them next time as well as addresses and their routines. Because if I do choose some of the people you care about, they won’t be as lucky as Chief Carlin, there won’t be anything natural about their deaths, quite the opposite. I really don’t think that you understand
whom
you are dealing with; it would be good if you did.

     The pieces of shit that I have already killed have made this world a better place with them dead. And I’m sure that you will agree someday in the very near future. The unfortunate truth is, if you continue to make me work hard at finishing my job, I will make it hard for you to spend the rest of your life. I know you’ve already lost your wife. I’m sorry about that, wouldn’t it be a shame to lose your only son as well? He’s all you have left in the world?

     Now the best advice I can give you is simple. Continue with your investigation, find out
why
I‘m doing this, trust me, you will figure it out, and someday when you file
this
case away with other unsolved cases you might then know the
reasons
I am doing what I am doing. The question you need to ask yourself Mr. Bradley Jostler Sr. is when you do close the case on this investigation, and on me, do you want to spend the rest of your life wondering what your life would have been like with grand kids and a son, or without? It’s your choice.

       If I can go into the home of someone with the police watching the house all day and all night and kill them, what do you think I could do to people you care about? Think about this, you knew he was a target. Do you want to fuck with me? Because I have several people you care about on my list of people that
could
die, do you want to gamble on which one I chose first? You will be receiving a video tape in the box that looks like a picture frame, when you watch it, I think then you’ll finally be able to appreciate whom you are dealing with. I’ll be watching for you at your next press conference.

I’ll be in touch...I promise you that.

                            Brad begins to tremble as he sits in his chair. His palms are sweating and his head is throbbing. He’s never been so frightened in his life. The letter was the most eerie thing that he has ever laid his eyes on and with his son now a possible target he’s beside himself. Brad puts the picture and the letter back into the envelope and shoves it into his top drawer in the back and picks up the phone and calls his son. With the phone ringing he sees the chief walk into his office. “Let’s go its show time.” Brad grins and the sighs when he hears his son’s voice on the answering machine. Brad leaves a message after the beep that says. “Hi son, this is dad, just calling to see how you’re doing, give me a call on my cell phone as soon as you get this message, I want for you and me to go out tonight. I love you babe.” And he hangs up and looks up at the chief whose smiling.

Brad stands up, still a nervous wreck and walks with the chief to the conference. The chief pats him on the back. “We just doubled security on Howard and Stein; we’ve placed an officer inside of each of their homes. These guys won’t be able to take a piss or shit without an officer holding their dicks or wiping their asses.” Brad nods his head and smiles nervously as he enters the corridor that leads to the conference still thinking about what the killer said about backing off with surveillance.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Brad takes a seat next to the chief and briefly goes over his notes nervously. The governor’s about to stand up and get the conference started and Brad remains in a state of fear and uneasiness. He starts asking himself these questions as he nervously taps his foot on the floor. ‘What should I say? What am I going to do now? How do I handle this, if the guy that sent the letter is watching; what am I going to say? Nothing is more important than my son. How do I do this?’...”I’d like to introduce Special Investigator Jostler.” ‘I don’t know what to do...’ The chief puts his hand on Brad’s hand and whispers. “Brad, you ok?” Brad looks up and sees the governor standing at the podium waiting for him and he quickly stands up. He can’t focus at this moment and he’s lost his train of thought, all he keeps thinking about is why his son didn’t answer the phone at home. He’s supposed to be there.

Brad approaches the podium and says to the crowd as he reaches for his notes and his reading glasses. “Good afternoon.” Still with his mind racing and finding it hard to concentrate he finally manages to retrieve his glasses and his notes. “I’d like to start off with a statement from the task force...a statement…and then I’ll be happy to some of your questions...I mean read some questions, and questions.”

The governor nudges the chief and whispers. “Is something wrong with Jostler? He’s acting strange.”

The chief whispers back. “He’s all right.” The chief silently hopes.

Brad clears his throat and reads from his notes. “I’d like to read my statement,” The audience of huge proportion starts to mumble at the strange acting Jostler.

“The task force as well as all local authorities is still trying to find out every...I mean everything that we can to solve this case. We are asking for help from anyone that might be able to assist…” Brad looks around the audience wondering if the person that sent the letter is right now staring at him as he speaks. “…at this time we still have no leads, and we hope that someone out there will be able to come forward with any kind of help, to help, I mean help with the investigation.” The chief listens and doesn’t believe the way that the ever confident and superhuman like Jostler is stumbling over his words and seems to be somewhere else at this time. “Now I’d be happy to answer some questions.”