SACRIFICES (8 page)

              The guys can’t help but watch the popular waitress walk away admiring how well the skirt shows off her lower half. Chamfer looks at Todd and makes the comment. “Thank god for spandex.”

              Todd chuckles and winks at Brad. “We need to put a leash on this kid.” Todd leans back enjoying the air-conditioning.

              Brad leans back and lets out a long breath. “So what’s the word? You said you found a link.”

              Todd leans forward and so does Chamfers. “Yes we did. It actually started when Murdock in the lab said to me last night when we were talking about the homicides...” The waitress arrives with the drinks and she sits them down smiling at Brad while she does.

              Veronica reaches over and touches the top of Brad’s hand and comments. “Now Bradley my dear my offer is still good,
anytime
.”

              Brad shyly grins and winks at her as she walks away.

              Todd’s smile disappears as he watches her leave the table. He stares at Brad while he adds a few artificial sweeteners to his ice tea casually. “What the hell was that?” Todd leans his head back wondering.

              Brad offhandedly explains while he casually shrugs. “About five months ago I was in here with the chief eating dinner with him and Christen,” Brad shrugs his shoulders again and starts to stir his tea with the long spoon that came with it. “Veronica asks me if I’d like to go out sometime to a movie or dinner. I told her thanks for asking. But I wasn’t ready for that right now. That’s what she was referring to.” Brad takes a sip of his tea as he looks away.

              “Buddy it might just do you some good to go out. I know how much you loved Nicole...” Todd looks away and swallows hard. “...You know how close we all were. Hell there’s not a day goes by that me and my wife don’t miss her. But maybe it’s time to move on a little bit,” Todd smiles. “I’m not talking about getting married but you know. Go out a little more, find some companionship; you know have a good time.” Todd winks.

              Brad takes a long drink and closes his eyes. “You’re probably right. But the truth is I’m just not ready yet. Maybe I never will be hell I don’t know.” Brad clears his throat and takes another drink. “Hey, I don’t want to talk about this now…all right.” Brad forces a smile.

              Todd smiles from the corner of his mouth. “Sure.” Todd takes a big swig of his screwdriver and coughs into his hand. “All right back to the story. I was talking to Murdock and he was talking about the two husbands and he said it pretty ironic that the two guys that were killed used to play on the Illinois Tri-State Football team the year they won the National Championship in 1985. I ask him how he knew that and he said he was a senior at ITSU, when the team won the Championship. The team went undefeated. He mentioned that Mr. Caruthers was an All-American and so was Mr. Hill. They were the standouts on the team that was full of standouts.” Todd takes another drink as he explains then takes out his lighter and his smokes.

              “Did Murdock know the guys?” Brad leans up and asks.

              “No, not personally, Murdock was excuse the term, a ‘nerd’ that’s why he’s pulling down the big bucks working the in the lab on technical shit. He just said he was familiar with the team. Hell, he said the year they won the whole town was crazy about these football players. These guys were heroes,” Todd lights a cigarette and continues. “He even said that during that season the art department at the school had painted these huge pictures of these players all over the university. These football stars were
gods
.” Todd reaches into his briefcase and pulls out a print out of what he’s referring to.

              “So anyway Murdock told you that he thought it was ironic about these guys both playing on the team that year then what?” Brad thumbs through the printed out report as he glances up at Todd while Chamfers remains silent.

              “I also thought it was ironic, so I had Chamfers here check it out.” He points to Chamfers. He opens his briefcase and pulls out a folder.

              “I researched the Championship team and the players the year they won boss. I looked on line and in the library and talked to Staley in ballistics. Who by the way would be my lifeline if I was ever on ‘Millionaire’ and I was asked a question on college sports? This guy can tell you past scores and ranks of any college team for the past forty years. This guy is good, he...”

              Brad smiles and interrupts. “Not to be rude. But cut to the chase.”

              Chamfer nods his head. “I’m sorry boss, anyway after checking things out about the team I found out that all five husbands played on that team. In fact, they were all standouts. Caruthers and Hill were All-Americans like Todd said they were seniors. But these other three were no slouches. Howard was also an All-American and Loomis and Stein were second team honorable mention. Howard was also a senior, Loomis was a junior and Stein was the youngster. He was a sophomore. During this season with all of the press and National headlines these guys were looked at like Royalty by the whole college and the town of Champaign.” Chamfer smiles and takes a sip of his tea.

              Brad nods his head as he scratches his head. “So why then? I mean why is someone picking them out and raping their wives and for now it appears, to be killing these All-American boys. Why is the real question isn’t it?”

              Brad stands up and says. “I’ll be right back.” He walks toward the restroom. Along the way his phone rings. He stops at the door and opens up the phone. “Jostler.”

              “Hi Brad this is Tammy. I just got a letter addressed to you. I usually open your mail and sift thought the junk like you ask me to do. Well anyway this one has me spooked a little. It’s a typed letter. It says in big bold print in the middle of the page and I quote:

                 
 
HERE’S A CLUE. GO TALK TO SPECK. IF

                            YOU’RE AS SMART AS YOU LOOK ON TV                            

                       YOU MIGHT FIND HIM BEFORE I VISIT                                                               HIM. THEN AGAIN YOU MIGHT NOT. I’LL                                                                  TALK TO YOU SOON.

              “Now I don’t know about you Brad but that letter gives me the creeps.” Tammy sits it down and shakes her head as her body fills with goose bumps by the eerie feel of the words typed in the letter.

              Brad sighs and then tells Tammy. “All right honey. Don’t let anyone touch that letter besides you. Put it in a plastic bag and get it to the lab to check for prints. Tell Lyle personally to put a rush on it. Tell him it’s for me. I’ll be back to the office in about an hour.” He hangs up the phone and goes to the restroom.

              When he’s done he walks back to the table and takes a seat. He reaches over and picks up his fresh glass of lemon tea and explains. “Tammy just called and said that someone sent a letter telling me something about finding a person named ‘
Speck’
. Now Chamfer is there anyone on the team named Speck, it could be a last name or a first name. The note didn‘t specify.” Brad leans up placing his elbows on the table intently waiting while he runs down the list.

              Chamfer looks over the entire list of names and says as he runs his finger down the page shaking his head. “I’m not seeing that name boss; I don’t see any first or last names Speck.”

              Todd grabs the sheet from Chamfers and asks Brad. “I wonder if it could be a nick name. It might be. Did the letter say anything about why we should find this Speck person?”

              Brad takes out his wallet shaking his head from side to side and says while he lies down a ten-dollar bill on the table for the drinks and the tip. “It didn’t say. But my guess would be if we don’t find this guy soon that we will eventually find him with a toe tag.”

              All three guys stand up and start to walk toward the door waving at Veronica as they pass her. “Oh yeah I almost forgot. Betty sent me a letter that said she heard that our offices might be bugged. So until the boys from the tech center check it out I only want us talking about this case when we’re away from the office understood.”

              Todd chuckles and places his arm around Brad as they step out of the ice-cold pub into the suffocating heat wave. “You sound a little paranoid bud.”

              Brad explains while they walk to their cars. “How do you think you’d feel? The creep that’s raping and killing apparently has decided to make me his new pen pall and Betty hears that it’s possible that someone has bugged our offices. Shouldn’t I be a little paranoid?” Brad sighs.

              Todd pats his back. “I guess your right.” They all continue to their vehicles as they walk through the intense afternoon heat.

THE NEXT DAY AT HEADQUARTERS-BRADS OFFICE EARLY MORNING

             
“Well the offices are clean.” Tammy says as she walks into Brad’s office and sits down a plate of cookies. “No bugs and the phone lines are bug free as well. The tech boys said it would be almost impossible to bug a police station unless it was an inside job, either way they said to tell you its all clear.” Tammy smiles and sits down in the chair that faces his desk.

              Brad takes one of the cookies. “What’s this all about? Bringing me cookies like this?” Brad takes a bite and says with a mouthful. “Um, um very good.” He smiles.

              Tammy leans back and says. “I know how you like my mom’s oatmeal cookies, so when she told me she making some I ask her to make you some too.”

              Brad takes a sip of his coffee to wash down the delicious cookie and grins. “Well, that was very nice of you to do that. And it was also very kind of your mother. Next time you talk to her be sure to tell her that they were wonderful and thank her for me.”

              Tammy stands up and smiles. “Your welcome and I’ll be sure to tell her what you said.” As Tammy walks out Darrin softly taps on the door.

              Darrin looks back as Tammy walks away. “Good morning boss. What do you have here?” Darrin reaches over for a cookie as he approaches the desk.

              Brad softly slaps his hand and asks with a smile. “What do you think your doing?”             

              Darrin pulls back his hand and sits down. “I’m sorry.” He grins. “I was just going to take a cookie.”

              Brad shakes his head and explains. “These just so happen too be Tammy’s mom’s special oatmeal cookies, so they’re mine.” Brad smiles while he takes another bite.

              Darrin looks away and then back. “I think that girl has a crush on you.” He continues to eyeball the cookies on his desk.

              Brad notices that the rookie can’t stop looking at the cookies. So he grins and slides the plate toward him. “Go ahead. You can have one...” Brad raises his index finger. “...only one.” He grins as the rookie’s face lights up.

              Darrin says again. “I’m serious; I think that little cutie has a thing for you.” Darrin moans as he can’t help but fall in love with these scrumptious cookies.

              Brad finishes his cookie and rubs his hands together.

“That little doll lost her father when she was young. So she looks up to me as a father figure.
That’s all it is
.”

              Darrin shrugs his shoulders
not
believing that’s what she feels. “If you say so…“ He perks up. “…oh yeah, I checked out everything you wanted me to. I researched and checked with the school for transcripts and it all came back clean on all accounts. On paper these guys were just like it seemed; the boys’ next door never in trouble with the law, pretty good students. I mean pretty good considering that they were jocks…” Brad chuckles at the stereotypical humor. “…never any complaints from teachers. It looks like a bunch of wholesome good kids.” Darrin finishes his cookie and shrugs.

              Brad leans back and kicks his feet up on the desk. “That’s it?” He wipes the crumbs from his mouth as he leans back and looks at the ceiling.

              “That’s it. I can look some more, but on paper at least these guys are just plain good guys as far as the records indicate show and the people I talked to from the college.” Darrin nods his head hoping that his research will somehow help the case in some way trying hard to impress the senior officer.

              Brad stands up and walks behind Darrin and pats him on the back. “Good work kid. Now what I want you to do is spend some time with Todd and Chamfers. It will be good training for you to see those guys in action; you can pick up a lot from those two, especially Todd.”

              Darrin nods his head and asks. “What do you think this means?”

              Brad starts out of the office walking with Darrin. “I’m not sure what it all means now but I’ll tell you this. We will find this guy. That much I know for sure.”

Brad pats Darrin's back and walks into the coffee room.

Todd walks in. “Hey Brad I need to talk to you for a minute. It‘s very important.”

              Brad looks at his watch. “I’m going to go meet with Lyle in the basement. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I meet you in your office in lets’ say fifteen minutes? Is that all right?” Brad pours himself some coffee.