The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted: A Psychological Thriller (34 page)

For Frank, it all brought back memories of Bradley as a rookie—so young, so green; but Frank had watched him develop into a man, one of the most competent, dependable deputies the department ever had. Not only did he see him grow as a deputy, he also saw Bradley mature in his personal life too, as a husband, and then a father to two great children.

So much to live for
, Frank thought.
All of it gone. Just like that.

The most tragic irony of all: Witherspoon was murdered during the last few hours of his shift—one he wasn’t even supposed to be working. Another deputy had called-in sick at the last minute that evening, and Witherspoon had offered to take up the slack. That was typical. He was always trying to help out wherever he could. Sadly, the reward he’d gotten for his generosity, at least in this case, was death.

The corpse lay on a flimsy stretcher covered by a thin, white sheet. Frank stared at the shapeless form for several minutes, preparing to view what was just beneath it. He grabbed the cloth; it felt cold against his clammy palm, as thick and heavy as a wet blanket. Then, he pulled the sheet back, revealing the head and upper torso. He cringed.

Witherspoon’s face looked so disfigured that Frank barely recognized it. The upper lip was busted open, a gash running vertically toward the nose, much like one sees in photos of children with cleft palates. But that wasn’t the worst of it. His left cheek was torn as well, leaving a large flap of skin hanging beneath it. As a result, the entire inside of his mouth was visible from the side, leaving, in effect, half his face missing—just teeth and jaw exposed.

Frank yanked the sheet back over the body and looked away toward the opposite wall.

Cameron didn’t say anything. He knew what Frank was feeling. He’d experienced the same thing earlier that morning when he first saw Witherspoon hanging from that shed, a strange combination of sadness and revulsion twisting inside him. The two emotions had not mixed well for Cameron, and judging by the look on Frank’s face, were not sitting well with him, either. This murder was so disturbing, so senseless, but most of all, so infuriating.

“What’s the timeline?” It wasn’t a question as much as a demand.

“Last time anyone heard from him was just before midnight,” Cameron replied. “They started looking for him around five when he didn’t answer his radio … found him around five forty-five. That’s all we have.”

Frank pursed his lips and nodded, expression stoic, eyes fixed back on the body. The way he folded his arms looked awkward, as if he didn’t know where to put them. “Got any theories?”

Cameron looked at his boss, then up toward the ceiling. His eyes appeared wet, and Frank couldn’t tell if it was from sorrow or exhaustion. He decided it was probably both. “I just don’t know, Frank. This goes so far beyond anything we’ve
ever seen …” He paused, started to speak again, then shook his head in frustration.

Frank nodded toward the body. “There’s some kind of pathology at work here, you know.”

“The way he was put on display
,
” Cameron agreed, the last word sounding as if he’d tasted something bitter. “Like the killer was proud of himself, showing off. Strung him up like some kind of prized catch.”

Frank looked up at Cameron. “The thrill of the hunt. A textbook case of sociopathic showmanship.”

“Yeah, but something else.”

“What’s that?”

“The weapon.”

“The hooks?”

“It shows he improvised, grabbed whatever was handy,” Cameron said.

“A disorganized kill.”

“Has all the earmarks.”

Frank lowered his gaze at Cameron, then furrowed a brow. “I see where you’re heading, and I don’t like it.”

“I’m not saying we could have the start of serial killer, but I will say one thing—there’s something about this that bothers me, Frank, really bothers me.”

“Well, yeah, judging by the way he was left—”

“More than that, even. It’s the killer’s motivation.”

“Motivation?”

“I’m willing to bet this wasn’t just about murder.”

Frank looked back down at Witherspoon’s body, then up at Cameron. “What else is there?”

Cameron paused for a moment. “I think he was sending out a message … and loving every minute of it.”

While The Savage Sleeps
is available in the Amazon Kindle Store:

http://www.amazon.com/While-the-Savage-Sleeps-ebook/dp/B003RCJUCM

Acknowledgments

When I sat down to work on my first book,
While the Savage Sleeps
, the biggest question on my mind was whether I could write a novel. It turned out I could, and thanks to you, my amazing readers, it exceeded all expectations. So this time around, the question seemed to have changed; now I found myself wondering if I could write a
better
novel.

It’s my nature to want to improve, stretch, and grow with each new experience, but for some reason this seemed different. I didn’t just owe it to myself—I owed it to you, my readers. After all, you were the ones who made the first book a success, who lent your unwavering support and enthusiasm, and you were the ones anxiously awaiting the release of this one. Simply put, without you, I wouldn’t have a career as an author. I don’t take that relationship lightly, nor do I ever lose sight of how important you are to me. To offer you anything less than my absolute best is something I could never consider.

And so it began: an irresistible concept, a fascinating main character, and a blank screen. Add some sweat and tears, some twists and turns, and the final product was a complex psychological thriller called,
The Lion, the Lamb, The Hunted
. Did I write a better book? I’d like to think so, and if emotional investment is any indication, then I’m pretty confident I did.

It’s funny where a novel can take an author, in both the figurative and literal sense. Admittedly, I’m a seeker; I love finding out things, and in the course of writing this book I found out a lot. I also found myself, once again, entering into worlds I never would have otherwise explored. Of course, that meant having to bug
a lot
of people for information, but as has always been the case, I was fortunate enough to meet people who were gracious and beyond helpful at every turn; to those individuals, I send my warmest and most sincere thanks. One side note, by the way, any inaccuracies in this book are my own—I take full responsibility. In addition to the experts, I also offer thanks to the many others who gave their love, support and good wishes as I struggled to write this novel. The words on these pages would not have been the same without the people who gave of themselves.

To Kelley Eskridge at Sterling Editing, a big thanks, not only for being a ridiculously talented editor but also for being a genuinely sincere and kind person. She catered to my every neurosis throughout this process, sometimes humoring me, sometimes encouraging me, and quite often sharing her depth of knowledge about writing, something for which we both share a profound passion. She made sure every word in this novel counted and helped make this book everything I wanted it to be. I have enormous respect for the people who do this often-thankless work because I also know how difficult it can be. To do it with constant enthusiasm and good cheer can’t be easy, and yet that’s just what she did.

To Patty G. Henderson at Boulevard Photografica for her amazing cover design and assistance with the interior design for the paperback version of this novel. She never fails to amaze me with what she comes up with—not only that, but she does it all with enthusiasm, excitement, and talent that blows me away every time.

On the technical side, thanks to Dana Lerner, LCSW, who was instrumental in helping me develop the many complex facets of Patrick’s character and personal struggles. With her knowledge, I was able to breathe life into him. Also of great help on this front was Dr. Byron Egeland from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, who helped me gain a deeper understanding of child abuse and its devastating effects. He generously offered his knowledge so that I could portray Patrick’s tragic past and current battles in a realistic, meaningful way.

My sincere appreciation to Jeff Bell at the International OCD Foundation and Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz, Professor and Associate Chair of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their insight on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was, without question, vital to this novel. I wanted to present the issue in a compassionate, moving, and informative manner, and they helped me do it. I came away not only with new knowledge about OCD, but also with new respect for the people who suffer from this debilitating and challenging disorder. I hope I did them justice by portraying it through Patrick Bannister.

Thanks to Lori Boggs of the Oregon State Hospital for sharing her professional experiences and giving me the details I needed to write the Glenview chapters. I wanted to give the reader a visceral sense of what this environment is like, and she helped me achieve that goal.

On the legal front, Barbara Smith, Attorney at Law, shared her knowledge about the death penalty, all things legal, and helped me map out Ronald Lucas’s story of injustice. We bounced a lot of ideas back and forth, and she let me know which would fly and which wouldn’t. With her guidance, I was finally able to come up with a story that worked.

To Marty Weiner of Atlantic Veal, and Matthew Leone--thanks for helping me understand inner workings of a meatpacking plant. Staging the book’s climax there was a challenge—mapping out an action-packed, meat hook-suspended, rolling chicken fight, even more so. But with their help, I was able to pull it off—or at least, I hope so.

A very special thanks to my good friend Linda Boulanger at TreasureLine Books & Publishing for her unfailing professional and personal support. Even though she was busy running a publishing business along with a demanding and heavily populated household, she never once wavered as a friend and professional comrade. There aren’t enough pages here to list all the times she stepped up to the plate for me (including her beautiful work formatting both the e-book and paperback interior), but it never went unnoticed or unappreciated. You just don’t find friends like her very often, and I’m beyond thankful and pleased to call her one of mine.

To my team of beta/proof readers (in no specific order): Diane Harrison, Barbara Richards, Jenny Hilborne, Linda Boulanger, Jaimey Grant, Peg Brantley, Kyle Myer, Deanna Rickrode, Chris Janzen, Gayla Catrett, and Jodie Renner: you don’t know how much I value your input and the time you spent reading my earlier drafts so I could make this book shine. Having those ten extra pair of eyes was a crucial part of this process.

To the lucky (or unlucky) winners of this year’s contest to be (murdered) characters in this novel: much thanks for being such good sports and for having the courage to put your lives in my twisted hands. To Madison Johns, for allowing me to kill her (on paper, that is) and to Nissie Lambert, who, due a deficiency of female murder victims, escaped my evil wrath but still got a part as sister to the wrongly convicted and executed Ronald Lucas. Extra thanks as well to Nissie for her continuous support and encouragement throughout this process and for picking up the pom-poms whenever my spirits were low.

To my good friend Barbara Richards who has always been there for me throughout the years. It’s great having someone to lean on when life gets a little wobbly, and she never hesitated to step in and offer a dose of stability whenever needed; it wasn’t always easy, but it was always genuine, always greatly appreciated. To Kyle Myer for his thoughtful insight, advice, and guidance which he offered with generosity and sincerity. To Kay, Paul, and Deanna Rickrode for looking after me and treating me as one of their own.

Much love to my mother who I know is smiling down on me from up above and to my dad who’s got my back here on earth.

And finally, to my readers: I am in awe of you. In this day when the publishing industry changes by the minute and where the reading choices multiply almost as quickly, I’m amazed and thrilled beyond measure that you choose to read my work. All I’ve ever wanted was to tell my stories, and you’ve given me a place to do it. There are no words to express what that means to me. How I got so lucky, I have no idea, but I’m thankful for it and humbled by it more than you can know. It’s for those reasons and many more that I dedicate this book to you.

About the Author

Andrew E. Kaufman is an award winning journalist and author living in Southern California, along with his three Labrador Retrievers, two horses, and a very bossy Jack Russell Terrier who thinks she owns the place. His debut novel,
While the Savage Sleeps
, a forensic paranormal mystery, broke out on four of Amazon’s bestsellers lists, taking the #1 spot on two of them and third place on the much-coveted Movers and Shakers list. It also dominated six of their Top-Rated lists. The novel is available on Kindle, trade paperback, and other e-book formats. He also wrote a story for
Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book
where he chronicled his battle with the disease.