CHAPTER 13
“Come on guys take your seats, we have a lot to talk about tonight.” Gwen said to the group.
Davis grabbed a seat next to Gwen. The smell of her perfume reminded him of Beth. So, to keep his mind occupied throughout the group he felt he should at least be compensated with good memories. James sat next to him, and Christian and Kevin sat across the circle of chairs. Since the group was small, everyone was in close quarters. The past few days for Davis had been pretty good, considering what had happened almost a week ago. Christian hasn’t spoken to him once, and Davis really didn’t mind. Davis would watch Christian often, to try to get a feel for anything that might be coming down on his end. But everyday went by just like the one before. There was no action to speak of, and Davis could see that Christian was heavily medicated.
This amused Davis since he was in the part of the facility where they housed the alcoholics and drug addicts. Davis found it comical sometimes to watch falling asleep over his dinner trays. He had this nervous twitch whenever the medication was in full effect. Davis laughed himself to sleep a few nights thinking about it. Christian would scratch his nose a lot, and move around like he normally did, except his feet moved quicker than his upper body. It reminded Davis of watching an ostrich running. The upper body moving this way and that way looking like it was going to fly, but never being able to get off the ground.
Davis sat there smiling looking at Christian being antsy in the chair. Gwen obviously overlooked it, but Davis sat there amused, and laughed to himself. Hell, he put himself in this situation. He figured he might as well enjoy it. There was no use in trying to act like he didn’t want to be there. Even if it was the truth, there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
“Okay, so we have a few things to go over tonight. First, we have to bury the hatchet with you two.” Gwen said looking at Davis and Christian.
“There’s no problem here.” Davis replied.
“Yeah, he was just someone I took out my anger on.” Christian said.
“Bullshit, you set me up because I was leaving.” Davis said not realizing how angry he still was.
“Man, I don’t care about you, so why would I go to the naked room because of you?” Christian asked.
“I don’t know, but that was a set-up.” Davis replied.
“Okay, look we need to move on from this situation. Then we can get back to what’s important. Counseling. Got it.” Gwen said forcefully.
“Yeah.” Christian and Davis said in unison.
“Good, now whatever the reasons were behind you two fighting, leave it here in this room. I want you two to move on, and that means to settle the difference here. So Dr. Fellows asked me to get you guys to shake hands and say you are sorry. That means both of you. I am sure you both played a part in what happened.” Gwen told Christian and Davis.
“This is bullshit.” Christian said.
“Ditto.” Davis replied, as he got a chuckle out of James.
“If you guys don’t do this then Dr. Fellows is going to have you guys separated without any movement.” Gwen said hoping that would be enough to persuade them into doing what she asked.
Davis stood up first and stepped over to Christian. Christian immediately stood up because he didn’t like it when people stood over him. Davis extended his hand and Christian followed with the same gesture. James, Kevin, and Gwen could see the tension between them. They could also see how hard it was for either of them to say they were sorry. Finally, Davis said it in a very low whisper. Christian mumbled it also, and they were both satisfied enough to sit back down. Gwen wasn’t satisfied, because she barely heard the apologies. She took it for what it was worth. She knew the bottom line in this profession was growth. So any way that could be achieved was a plus in her book.
Davis couldn’t wait for group to be over with. It wasn’t just that he didn’t want to be there, but also he enjoyed time by himself where he could collect his thoughts. Finally, group was over, and the four guys were escorted back to their tier. Davis immediately went to his room; he needed some silence to ease the problems he was carrying.
Davis sat there thinking. Only a few minutes had passed when there was a knock at his door. He looked over his shoulder to see Christian and Kevin standing in the window. He could only imagine what those two trouble makers wanted. He got up and walked over to the door, he was hesitant to open for them.
“Look man, we got to talk.” Christian said.
Davis opened the door and stepped out onto the cat walk. The three of them stood there, looking at each other with puzzled looks on their faces. Finally, Christian cleared his throat and told Davis what was on his mind.
“Group was not the place, but I am sorry about you having to get stuck here.” Christian said as politely as possible.
“You should be sorry, because of you two, who knows how long I will be in this place.” Davis snapped back.
“Just hear him out.” Kevin replied.
Davis stood there and waited for Christian to speak his mind.
“We started that fight with you, because we needed to get out too.” Christian tried to explain without much detail.
“What are trying to say?” Davis asked.
“We staged that fight so we could break out of here. Kevin got a key to open the door. But we needed a reason for the orderlies to come in here. The fight was the perfect thing.” Christian said in a low whisper.
“You two really are nuts. There is no way you guys are breaking out of here.” Davis said as he laughed.
“You’re right, but with you on board then we just might be able to pull it off.” Kevin chimed in.
“Hey, if you think you can get out of here, then I am in.” Davis laughed not really believing the conversation.
“Cool, we’re doing this on Friday, that way we have tomorrow to work out the plans.” Christian said.
“Whatever just let me know when you are leaving?” Davis said.
“James is in too.” Kevin replied.
Davis stood there contemplating what he was hearing. He really wanted to get out of this place; he just wasn’t going to do it by the book. Christian and Kevin finished telling him their plans. Davis thought them over and told them he would do whatever it takes. Christian and Kevin went off to watch television. Davis returned to his bed, still not believing what he had just heard. His mind started to formulate all the things he was going to do if he could get out. The thought of court or the legal consequences never even crossed his mind. He was all caught up in the thought of gaining his freedom on his own terms. For that, Davis was willing to take this plan to the limits.
“Davis, wake up!” Trevor said with conviction.
Davis opened his eyes, and saw that it was still dark outside. He was a little confused and still sleepy. He focused on the face that stood over his bed and realized that it was Trevor.
“Trevor!” Davis said hesitantly, thinking he was dreaming.
“Yes, you awake?” Trevor asked.
“Yeah, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Davis asked.
“Look, I got some bad news.” Trevor began to explain. “Beth has been killed in an accident in Mexico.”
Davis sat up. He did not believe what he had just heard. He looked into Trevor’s eyes, and then pinched his arm. The pain was intense, so Davis knew he wasn’t dreaming.
“Don’t get all crazy. The orderly behind me would love to have a reason to dope you up. I know I told you that I didn’t know how to get in touch with her, but she was my boss. She paid your retainer fee, so I was obligated to her over you. I tried to call her, because she had sent me $10,000 for your case. $5,000 was to pay off the victim, and the other $5,000 is for you to start over. I tried to call her, and then after a little investigating, I found out she was on a boating trip, and the boat disappeared in a thunderstorm. The local police down there are still looking for the boat and any survivors. That was two days ago, and I just got a phone call about an hour ago. They have given up the search and rescue mission. I am sorry Davis.” Trevor said.
Davis sat there with a cold, dark stare. His face was expressionless. After a few minutes, Davis choked out a garbled sentence. Trevor tried to make out the words, but couldn’t.
“I got to get out of here.” Davis whispered to Trevor.
“I’ll put a motion up in court, no charge. I’ll have you out of here by next week.” Trevor replied.
“Not good enough. I need to get out of here immediately.” Davis said, trying not to let the orderly overhear the conversation.
“I’ll do what I can.” Trevor replied.
“Don’t bother; I’ll take care of it.” Davis said with a strong voice.
Trevor was a little confused about where the conversation was headed. Trevor knew not to ask too many questions of his clients. That is how he stayed out of legal trouble himself. Trevor looked at Davis. Davis had a stare of a human being with a plan. Trevor just nodded his head. He understood that something was going to happen, and he didn’t need to know what that was.
“You call me!” Trevor said. He turned and walked out, letting the orderly close the door behind him. Davis laid his head back down and tears rolled down from his eyes to his pillow. His eyes ran like waterfalls until the sun came up. Christian, Kevin, and James had no idea that their fourth man had made his decision. Davis would explain to them exactly how they were getting out. In his mind, nothing was stopping this jail break. Davis realized that people were going to get hurt when this all went down. The difference in his mind was that other people’s blood was worth his freedom.
CHAPTER 14
The temperature outside was a crisp 23 degrees. It was cold enough to see your breath. There was no wind and the wind chill factor equaled the temperature. That was not a common occurrence in Chicago during the month of December. The busy streets had been plowed from yesterday’s snowfall. The accumulation had barely reached two inches. That was a blessing for the Chicagoans who had to work today.
Sara Mitchell was walking home from her job at the neighborhood elementary school. It had already gotten dark outside. Since today was December 21st, and it was the shortest lit day of the year, the street lights lit her path home. Some sidewalks were shoveled and others were an obstacle course of wind blown snow. She moved at a leisurely pace not wanting to stop because of the cold. She only lived twelve blocks from the school, and although she was in her mid fifties, it did not deter her from a little physical activity.
She had reached the corner of Milwaukee and Bryn Mawr. She waited for the walk signal and then continued on her way. Her apartment was on Mango. It was only two blocks east of Milwaukee on Bryn Mawr. She always felt better when she reached this intersection, because she knew she would be home in less than five minutes. She began dreaming of a nice hot cup of cocoa, a nice book to read, and a little classical musical playing in the background. The thoughts of this soothed her nerves for those last two blocks.
She got to her block and made the turn. She could see her landlord had already shoveled in front of her building. Since her building was the third building from the corner, she was thankful. Her calves were sore from trudging through the snow. She made it to her front door and fumbled around in her purse for her keys. It was quite a task considering she had an arm full of her student’s essay papers. She managed to find her keys and began to fit one into the deadbolt on the door.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” A voice startled her from behind.
Sara turned to see a man dressed in a black leather trench coat with black leather gloves to match. Her face had the expression of fear on it. She regained her composure immediately. She opened her mouth to speak to the gentleman, and in one swift motion she saw his right arm swing up and in it was an icicle the size of a butcher knife. She tried to scream, but her dead weight just fell to the cold concrete. The body of Sara Mitchell laid there motionless without life. An icicle protruded from her right eye socket. The blood stained the patches of snow where the landlord’s footprints had stepped hours earlier. Her legs were folded back underneath her buttocks. The intermittent winter wind blew the essay papers around her body, making her a vision of a life shattered by circumstance. The body laid there for three hours until the first floor tenants had arrived home to see their upstairs neighbor lying motionless and dead on their front stoop.
The other tenants called the police and within minutes the police tape, “POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS” surrounded the building. The street was blocked off by police cars. The Chicago Police detectives began the arduous task of canvassing the neighborhood for clues. The coroner began to take pictures of the body. He was a little confused about the type of murder weapon. There was a huge hole in her eye socket where something was stabbed. There also was a frozen pool of water that surrounded her head. Tears had frozen in a long icicle down her cheek to the cement. It took the coroner awhile to figure out what was the murder weapon. After finishing his job, the body was removed, and the only thing left from the crime was the infamous chalk marks left after murder victims were removed.
“So, what was the cause of Death?” Detective Morotta asked.
“It looks like an icicle sir.” Coroner Andrew replied.
“That’s original!” Detective Morotta joked.
“Yeah, it is definitely a first for me. I never even considered an icicle as a possible murder weapon. The problem here, Detective, is that there is no murder weapon. Which means there is going to be nothing to analyze at the lab. That is not good if you intend on catching this guy. It almost is a perfect crime.” The coroner replied.
“Nothing is perfect. I will catch this guy. He will screw up and I will be there. Don’t ever say a crime is perfect. I will retire from the force if I ever see the perfect crime.” Detective Morotta snarled.
The police finished with the crime scene. Detective Morotta headed for the station to begin the large of amount of paper work that a murder accumulates. Christmas time was always a bad time for murder. Not that any day was a good day for murder, but the holiday season was a killer on detectives. It was bad enough that they never saw their families as it was. Now it was going to be even more hectic. Detective Morotta did his paperwork and headed home. The sight of that old woman lying there in a mixture of brains and blood bothered him considerably. It weighed on his thoughts throughout the night. His dreams were sporadic and inconsistent, except for the eyeless body of a third grade school teacher lying dead on a cold concrete doorstep.
The morning paper’s headlines showcased the murder of Sara Mitchell. Detective Morotta read the article while he ate his eggs and bacon. When he finished the article, he looked at the journalist’s name. Danny Doderling didn’t ring a bell in his head. He knew that he would be getting a phone call from this guy sooner rather than later. The news agencies in the city always hounded the department for their own leads. Cops had to walk on thin ice with reporters. The more information that got out to the public, meant the more information that would get to the killer. Detective Morotta thought about the angles he could play with the newspapers. If there was a way for him to utilize the newspapers to his advantage, it would be well worth the effort.
“Danny, get your ass in my office.” Burt screamed into the phone.
“Right away boss.” Danny exclaimed.
Danny hurried through the building to Burt’s office. He walked in the half open door, and saw Burt sitting behind his desk. Burt was dripping with sweat. He had a bloody handkerchief covering his mouth. Danny didn’t like the way Burt looked at all.
“Boss, you okay?” Danny asked.
“Yeah, just dying over here. No biggie. I should have quit smoking twenty years earlier. Anyway, have a seat my boy.” Burt motioned to the chairs on the other side of his desk.
Danny sat down and eyed Burt carefully. It was hard to look at a man who was dying. It disturbed Danny considerably. Burt was the reason Danny had gotten a break in the newspaper business. Danny would be forever grateful for that. Danny waited for Burt to speak.
“Look, you did really well on this story….” Burt coughed into his handkerchief. “What do you plan on doing next?”
“You sure you are alright?” Danny asked again.
“Yeah, now zip it. Tell me about the story.” Burt raised his voice.
“Well, I plan on calling the lead detective on the case today. I will find out what the cops are looking at, or who they are looking for. Plus, I am going to do a little investigating into the victim’s past. Maybe I can turn up some leads of my own.” Danny said as fast as he could so he could get out of the office as soon as possible. The sight of Burt was making Danny’s stomach tumble. He had a thought of putting Burt out of his misery.
“Good, sounds good, looks good, it must be good. Before you go, have you heard from Angie?” Burt asked.
“No boss, not since the airport incident.” Danny replied, not feeling very comfortable about the subject.
“I know you two had a thing, and I loved that girl like a daughter. I didn’t like the way she just disappeared. Hell, one minute you two are working on a great story with that Davis guy, and the next minute, I am getting a phone call about how she is resigning and moving.” Burt exclaimed.
“You never told me she said anything about moving.” Danny said wide eyed.
“Well, she asked me not to tell you. I figured she would have called you by now.” Burt said.
“Nope, where did she go?” Danny asked, not caring anymore about the way Burt had death sitting on his shoulder.
“Well, she said she was moving to California. Los Angeles I think. I called some friends of mine out there, and she didn’t get back into the business. So who knows what she is doing.” Burt gasped for air. He started hacking profusely.
Danny stood up and reached across the desk, putting his hand on Burt’s shoulder. Burt used his free hand to swat Danny’s arm away.
“Tough! All the way to the end.” Danny thought.
“Now get your ass back to work, I am not paying you to be my nurse.” Burt screamed.
“Sorry Boss.” Danny said as he excused himself from Burt’s office. He had some work to do anyway. This story had put him back on the front page, and he planned on staying there for awhile. Danny had lost his place with the paper, after Davis disappeared from the psych ward. The story just wasn’t selling papers anymore. Davis had disappeared in the middle of summer, and now it was the beginning of winter, with no sight of him. Danny had given up on his “gold mine.” It was time for him to carve a career out of the happenings of Chicago as a whole, instead of just one man. He wandered to his desk and began to do some research on the past of a woman named Sara Mitchell. Hopefully, his work would turn into a novel. Danny had dreamed that this story was a serial killer in the making. It would continue to sell newspapers, and turn into a book deal for him later on. The thought of riches beyond imagination made Danny chuckle.
So the world had not changed too much for Danny. His ideals and values had not changed at all. His outlook on life was still the same. Exploit the weak to make yourself rich. This thought process was going to be the start of something great or the end of something terribly wrong.
