my 1st book (murder fiction)

(amended 11dec2007, i finished chapter 5 and just added it to my first murder fiction. i will post chapter 6 when done.)

This started out as my fiction entry to the November writing assignment/contest. But I got so into the story, I just kept writing. And the story is still happening, so I have to keep going. I have to keep writing it because I want to see what happens.Thank you Traci for inspiring me to dabble in fiction for the first time in my life. This has been so fun to give fiction a try. This has felt like a rush to have this story, plot, and characters coming at me almost constantly during the first few days. I couldn’t go anywhere without paper and pen to jot down things. The characters kept doing things even when I was at work, on errands, anything. It felt good to let myself just let the story happen. I wanted to write it so I could see what happened. And many times, I couldn’t write the words fast enough. And the main characters feel as real to me as a family in my church ward and I genuinely like them. Thank you, Kathleen
………………………………….(I don’t know the title of this murder fiction book yet)

CHAPTER 1
Anchorage, Alaska – present day.

Cole Ekert rubs under his eye again. He can’t help it but he keeps looking at the photograph of those eyes staring back at him. They haunt him.

As he stares into the eyes of the latest victim, he is captivated by those eyes, that face, … they remind him so much of the girl he loved in high school. A rush of memories and emotions have come over him suddenly the past hour as he has poured through more evidence.

Jennifer and Cole had been 17 year old seniors at Dimond High School, planning to marry right after graduation. Even now, he can almost smell the Jovan musk she wore, that husky scent that lingered in his car after he drove her home from some of their dates. It wasn’t fair how she had been taken from him that year when a drunk driver ran her over as she walked home from her part time job. They both were working, trying to save up enough to get married as soon as school ended so they could start an adult life together. But she was killed on her way home from that job. He had wondered so many times what a life with her could have been like.

Cole rubs his temples, chastising himself, “Come on man. Focus. Focus on the mission here.”

The victim, Stace Bridger, had been killed just three days before what would have been her 21st birthday. She had been a student at the University. She was walking across the campus to her last class of the night when somebody drug her off into the woods of the South end of campus. She was the third victim strangled with a latex rope in the past five months. All three victims were females (between ages 19 – 27) and each had been alone. None of the murders had occurred in the same location (the first two were on Anchorage bike trails and this latest one now at the University), but all had been killed the same way. All had been drug off from an open area into nearby woods. Cole hoped he could do something to help solve the mystery. If he could save someone from experiencing a premature loss, he would sure try.

Arnell, his secretary, breaks into his thoughts, “Here hon, a messenger brought this over for you to take a look at.”

Arnell Norton, 50 and spunky, has been his secretary – really his right hand – since the inception of his business nearly eight years ago. He had started out with the Anchorage Police Department before he finished his Criminal Justice B.S. Degree, but within two years on the force, he felt bored and stifled. Wanting to branch out on his own and not deal with rigid protocol, he opened up this private eye business. Arnell answered his ad and they have been a team ever since. She has a sense of humor that keeps him on his toes. She treats him like one of her sons and Cole welcomes it.

Cole has always had a knack for noticing things – those details – often catching the extras that most people overlook. When he was a boy, sure he enjoyed playing football with the neighbor kids, but he also could obsess on concentration and strategy type games. He had no idea then that his skills would lead him to become a fine private detective who the local homicide unit called on regularly for consulting and advice on some of their murder cases. In fact, it was Cole who first figured out that the latex rope murder weapon was a physical therapist (PT) therma-tubing (what PTs have their clients use to regain strength in a weak or injured body area). Since that discovery, Detectives Monroe and Price have been investigating countless PT offices in the area for possible suspects. Their chief, LT Morgan, has tried for the past five years to talk Cole into coming to work for him, but Cole has always said no. He has a good thing going and he likes it the way it is.

“Arnell, what time did you say that new client is coming in?”

“Two, sugar.”

It was Arnell who, in a way, had introduced him to his wife. She invited him to her church ward a few times until he finally said sure. He had heard of the Mormon church before, but had never attended one. One of his first Sundays there, he happened to meet Cass in the hall when they both had slipped away to get a drink from the water fountain during the main Sacrament service. He had liked her almost immediately. She seemed independent and strong. And she had a smile that made him smile, too. Being around her sure made his heart jump. He had felt like a kid again when she said yes that first time he asked her for a date. He went to church and everywhere with Cass from that point on. She had been brought up in the church her whole life and even though he wasn’t of her faith, he couldn’t believe it when she had picked him. And she was raising their kids in the church, too.

He needed to clear his head.“Arnell, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m going for a walk around the block.”

“Alright hon. I’ll hold down the fort.”

As Cole steps outside, the Fall air bites at his skin a little. He zips up his gray fleece jacket as he walks. The season has already started to change. The air is brisk again this time of year and it smells good out here. With each step, he begins to drink in the air around him and feel a little better. This is his favorite time of year. Always has been. Maybe a short walk will help him clear his head before his next appointment.

He can’t get that photo out of his mind. His thoughts still on Jennifer, he ponders again what a life with her could’ve been like. It wasn’t fair how she was taken from him. She was only 17. They were supposed to have a life together. When she died back then, he wished he could’ve died then, too. He shakes his head and running his fingers through his short sandy brown hair, he wonders if it is cheating to think about her again? To remember and to wonder what if and what could’ve been?

But if Jennifer had lived, he probably never would have met Cass. He has a good life with Cass and their 3 year old twin boys, Tanner and Tommy. They were lucky to have them, too. They had tried unsuccessfully for several years to have kids. Thinking finally that they would not be able to have children, they stopped obsessing. They had pondered over adoption for awhile, but then something amazing happened.

He still remembers so clearly that day about four years ago when Cass handed him that “happy father’s day” card and excitedly burst as she told him they were pregnant. The best news. And it wasn’t just one blessed boy, it was two babies. They had wanted this for so long. Even though they delivered early, there had been no real complications, and the boys were completely healthy. They had eagerly decided that Cass would take a sabbatical from teaching at the University to stay home with them because they wanted one of them with the little guys in their first years. This has been good for their marriage. He remembers how empty they both had felt before the pregnancy. Cole likes how there are toys in their home, sometimes he evens steps on them accidentally. He smiles when he sometimes sees peanut butter smeared on a drawer. And he eats up the little hugs that they so willingly shower him with.

With each step he takes, he can feel the frustration slipping to memory. This always helps to get outside for a few minutes. He returns up the rear stairwell to his office.

…………………………….

“Cole hon, your 2 o’clock is a here a little early.”

“Thanks Arnell.”

His cell phone rings. Caller ID reveals it is Cass. Perfect timing.

“Hi Cole, how’s your day going honey?”

“It’s okay babe. What are you and the boys up to?”

“Those stinkers (she giggles). This morning, when I thought they were still asleep, and I was getting dressed, they were helping themselves to the brownies. Tanner still had globs of chocolate all over his chin when I walked into the front room. “

“Oh that’s funny.”

“Yea, I know. They’re doing pretty good today. They’ve just been building with their blocks and snickering every time they knock them over. Hey, I got a call from Brother Abramson today. He asked me to give a talk on Sunday on ‘let your light so shine.’ So I’m a little nervous, but I’ve started preparing some thoughts.”

“Ah don’t be nervous Cass, you always do so great at everything when you give talks. You’ll do fine and I’ll be there to root for you, too.”

“You better be! Otherwise, who’d keep the boys from sneaking out of the pew?” They giggle.

Just then, Tommy pipes into the conversation, “That daddy?”

Momma says, “Yes baby.”

“Cass, sorry, but I have to work later than usual tonight. Monroe and Price have a possible lead and they want me to go with them to see if we can talk to the guy tonight … but he doesn’t end his shift at The Alaska Club until 8.”

It has always been important to Cole to be home by 6 pm most nights so they can spend time together regularly. He never wanted them to have a workaholic for a dad and husband. He doesn’t feel his business has suffered for keeping normal hours either. Maybe he could make more money if he worked more than 45 hours a week, but he feels like he is fresher and healthier for keeping a pretty disciplined and regular schedule. He comes back to work most days able to look at facts and details with a fresh approach. If he never got a break from the hard stuff, maybe he would miss more details.

“Gotta go babe, I have a client and I don’t want to be late.” Just before he hears the phone click, one of the little guys giggles, “Love daddy.”

…………………………….

He smiles as he motions for her to come in. Ms. Foster, a young woman about 30 years old, is dressed in a simple brown skirt and cream-colored blouse and is holding a small bag. He senses a determination about her and he notices she does not seem scared. So many clients who seek his services do appear scared, especially at the start of their cases. He wonders what could’ve brought her to him.

“Good afternoon Ms. Foster … “

“Please, please just call me Kalley.”

He notices how her eyes sparkle as she speaks. He’s seen this familiar look somewhere. Hmmm. In his game, he pays attention, especially to peoples’ eyes. Sometimes, the eyes are the very area where people can’t hide that they are lying. But he doesn’t get that vibe from her. He senses something familiar and sweet about her. And he feels at ease.

“Ma’am … I mean Kalley … I hope you don’t mind me asking a personal question first.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“I guess this is a strange question, but you remind me of someone. Are you a church-going person?”

Kalley’s lips curl into a smile as she answers. “Yes, I am … I’m Mormon and I go to the Brandon Ward over off of Boniface.” He wonders if she even knows how beautiful she really is. She doesn’t seem stuffy and full of herself, she seems genuinely kind. He likes her.“

My wife and boys are also Mormon and go to a ward out in South Anchorage.”

“But you’re not?”

“Ah no. Cass has been trying to get me to join for years, but I … I don’t know. I know it is my choice and she has been great about it with me, not pushy. Just not sure what to think yet. Maybe someday.”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, sorry for the delay, how ’bout we get started? So, what can I help you with today?”

………………………………

It is past 10 pm when Cole opens the door to their modest one-story condo. Quietly, ever so carefully, he moves around trying not to wake his sleeping family.

“So glad I don’t have to work late every night,” he thinks.

He slips into his fuzzy slippers from Christmas, noticing the right one is again slightly damp. “Gross, the dog did it again,” he mutters. “Why does Luka have to keep chewing my shoe?”

As he nibbles on a brownie, he peeks into the boys’ bedroom. Sweet. He has to stop and stare for a moment at his little guys. They’re beautiful. The “Bob The Builder” nightlight casts a soft light over the room, reflecting off of their faces. The only sound Cole can hear is their soft sleepy breathing. Nothing sweeter. At the edge of Tanner’s bed, Luka, the miniature schnauzer, stirs from his sleep and yawns. Cole scruffs his puppy muzzle while Luka licks at his hand.

Cole notices how Tommy has again crawled under Tanner’s covers tonight. Even though they share a bedroom with separate bunks, they rarely sleep apart. As Tommy clutches his torn old rhino stuffed animal, Tanner stirs a moment and his hand mindlessly scratches at his bangs. Cole reaches down and tussles Tanner’s hair and he gently removes Tommy’s thumb from his mouth, placing it over his rhino friend. While he exits their bedroom, Luka quietly jumps off the bed, and follows Cole, licking at the back of his heel. The drive-by licker.

He enters the master suite and sees Cass asleep with her hand still draped over her open scriptures. He gently lifts her hand, careful to ensure that the bookmark still marks her spot. As he closes her scriptures, the passage “Thou are not yet as Job…” catches his attention.

As he crawls into bed and curls up into the back of his wife’s still frame, he wraps his arm over her waist. He nuzzles his face against her hair and prays silently. “Thank you Lord … for giving me Cass and Tanner and Tommy. They’re all I need.”

CHAPTER 2
Feeling irritated, Chaz Logan fiddles to find his key then opens his apartment door. As he enters his dingee one bedroom C Street apartment, he scrunches his nose, overcome with the whiff from the refrigerator. Still angry about the earlier events tonight, he cracks open a coke and clicks on the television. The news is running another sound bite about the latest girl who was strangled the other night. “Ha,” he snickers, “they won’t catch me.” He can’t believe how arrogant those cops were tonight who showed up at the gym asking him questions about where he was that night. “That blond cop was sure smug!” He didn’t like how Cole stared at him that way. Still going over the events of the night, he thinks to himself, “Big deal and besides, if they really had anything, they would’ve arrested me.” Still, he wonders if maybe he should go back to the bike paths and stay away from the college for awhile. Probably just as well. He thinks his line is more believable anyway at the bike trails. Yeah, Chaz was quite proud of himself for coming up with that angle. It has worked well so far to approach each lone female, asking “Ma’am, have you seen my dog? Could you help me find my dog?” It works every time. It catches them off guard for a moment, they seem to want to help, and that’s when he smacks them and carries them off.

He doesn’t really know why he has been doing this. He’s been bored for awhile. His job at his uncle’s physical therapist office in midtown hasn’t been what he thought it might be. And he is so tired of being an occasional trainer at the gym. He doubts his reasons for choosing the PT field, but he remembers with satisfaction again how he felt the first time he ran that latex rope tubing through his fingers. So easy to work with and to grab. Excitement had surged through him as he wondered what it could feel like to wrap that around someone. That first time was awkward on that trail off of Kincaid, but he became more bold with each time. He’s liked the surge of adrenalin he’s felt each time. He knows he should probably stop, but he thinks it feels too good to stop. Slouched in the recliner, he drifts to sleep, still fantasizing about the next time.

………………………………

“ … looks like we’re hitting 29 degrees today over by the airport … “ Cole turns off the vehicle radio. He instinctively knows he wants silence as he drives to the office. So much has happened in the past several weeks. So much changed for him ever since Kalley Foster walked into his office that day. Compared to his homicide cases, hers was a relatively simple case. It hadn’t taken him very long to track down Kalley’s birth mother. Jean Granger had been an unmarried teenager almost 30 years ago when she became pregnant. Her parents flipped understandably so. Jean wanted to have the baby, but her parents objected. Without Jean’s knowledge or signature, her parents arranged for an adoption agency to take the newborn right after Jean delivered. The adoption was illegal, but Jean had been a teenager and felt helpless to do anything. Nobody would tell her anything and even as an adult, all she had ever found out was that her baby had been placed in another state. Jean never found out if she had a boy or a girl and never learned what state her baby had been sent to. All she had been told was that a young couple in another state adopted her baby.

Jean never got over this. She longed for her lost baby. She eventually learned to forgive her parents over time, but she never married and she never left the Seattle area. In fact, after her parents retired to move to the East Coast a few years back, Jean bought their townhome and moved back in. Jean spent most of the past 30 years hoping that one day, her child would want to look her up. She wanted to make it as easy as possible for her baby to find her – that’s why she never left Seattle.

Cole remembers again how good it felt to see Kalley and her birth mother embrace that first time when Cole and Kalley met Jean’s airplane. It had choked him up to see their faces and to hear them ask incredulously, “Is it really you?” Cole had accompanied Kalley to this meeting. Not knowing if the first meeting would go well, Kalley’s husband Trent and their 11 year old daughter Whitney, waited at a nearby airport cafe. None of them wanted a scene in front of Whitney if there was going to be one. Thankfully, that first meeting showed them that their concerns were unwarranted and no longer necessary.

Cole likes how his job sometimes let’s him bring people together. It hadn’t taken long for Cole to become quite impressed with Kalley’s story and with her. She had a tough upbringing because of these circumstances. Even though she had been adopted as a baby, her adoptive parents’ marriage didn’t last, so at the age of 5, Kalley and her young mother struggled to make ends meet. Her mother didn’t handle the pressure very well and began to hit Kalley. The state eventually intervened, removing Kalley to foster care placement. Kalley spent the rest of her childhood bouncing from one foster family to another. At some of her foster homes, Kalley was able to attend whatever church they attended.

During this exposure, Kalley felt most at home in the Mormon church. So once she turned 18, she left foster care, moved into a cheap midtown apartment, took a job as a waitress, and started taking college classes one at a time. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She attended a Mormon church near her apartment and regularly participated in singles activities at her church. While she was still 18, she met Trent, a returned missionary from England, at a weekly volleyball get together. They liked each other a lot and started dating right away. They married that same year and had daughter Whitney right away. They still lived in midtown in a small apartment, but they’ve had a pretty good life together so far. They had never had any more kids because they didn’t think they could afford to. But they seemed like a happy family. Even in that first meeting, Cole was impressed with Kalley and how even though she had overcome so much, she still had one of the brightest dispositions he has ever known. It amazed him how she had not become hardened to life because of her tough upbringing. He could’ve understood it if she had. He couldn’t help himself, but he felt drawn to her and loved being in her presence. He felt a sense of peace every time he was with her. When he wrapped up her birth mother case, Cole realized that he didn’t want to let go of her yet.

He usually never allowed himself to become personally involved with clients, even former clients, but Kalley is special. Once her case ended, he asked her if she and her family would like to join his family for games and dessert one Monday night at their home. Kalley happily accepted. That first “family night” their two families shared a few weeks ago had not felt awkward at all. Both wives seemed to click okay together. And Cole genuinely liked Trent, too. Their daughter Whitney seemed to enjoy playing with little Tanner and Tommy also. Whitney didn’t have any siblings, but she took to the little guys quite naturally. She even seemed to look out for them like any loving big sister would. They had even let Whitney babysit Tanner and Tommy a couple times lately while Cole and Cass have had date nights. The dog is not even a brat while their friends are at their home. Their families have grown so used to each other and close over these past few weeks while they have been getting together almost every Monday. Cole loves how Cass has become close to Kalley, too. They act more like sisters than friends and talk on the phone a lot now, too. Yes, Monday nights are one of the highlights of Cole’s week each week.

He’s noticed something changing lately though. Can’t quite put his finger on it, but the last couple of Mondays, during the song time and sometimes the scripture lesson, he has felt something curious and exciting. His heart felt so full last Monday when he watched Whitney and the boys sing “I Am A Child Of God.” That was priceless. He was overcome momentarily with emotion and fought back a tear when he heard them sing that part about “ … help me find the way …” He got goosebumps on his forearms, but they felt good.

And he has been touched by watching Trent and Kalley together. They act like a loving couple, full of life and energy, and full of hope. He has no doubt that they are really united in living their church-filled life together. It’s not an act with them. Even though Cole has sporadically gone to church with Cass forever (almost eight years now), Cole has never really felt a pull to want to join her church. He’s always thought of it as “her church.” Yet Cole has noticed lately a pinning feeling that he wants them to maybe have what Trent and Kalley have. He thinks he wants more but he’s not sure how or what to ask. So often lately, some of the words from the lessons, songs, or the scriptures have grabbed his attention and replayed over and over. He keeps pondering what he wants out of life. Lately, he has been reading Cass’ scriptures after she’s fallen asleep. He didn’t tell Cass at first that he was reading. He didn’t want her to make a big deal about it. He just had felt like reading. That was all.

But one night recently, he was moved by a scripture passage “ … yet will I not forget thee … I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands …” When he first read it, he had to stop a second and stare at the words again. He read the passage over a couple more times. He wondered if that could really be true. Even about him? Then he decided to do something he had never done before. He walked out into their empty living room and knelt down to pray. He had always just prayed with Cass and the boys. But this time was different. He prayed by himself and nobody was there saying the words for him. He was.

He had been pondering a lot lately about what he should do. He figured he had nothing to lose by asking, so he decided to ask God. He wasn’t really sure what he was doing but he ended up pouring out his heart with thanks for what God has given him, given them. And he asked sincerely what is he supposed to do now? That moment felt like peace to him and it felt like this prayer lasted a long time. In his heart, he felt these words, “You already know the answer.” He felt content when he went to bed that night. That next day, Cole called the missionaries and asked if it would be alright if they teach him some of the missionary lessons.

Cole fondly remembers again that night he told Cass about this. They were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. While teasing each other over he couldn’t remember what, Cass playfully slapped the towel toward Cole. He caught the towel, wrapped her into a hug, and gently kissed her inviting lips. He loves her smile.

Still laughing, he asked, “Why do you put up with me, Cass?”

“Cause you’re my guy.”

He felt like getting a little serious and decided to tell her what had been going through his head lately. He also told her that he asked the missionaries to teach him the missionary lessons. Wow, her reaction and expression was incredible. He saw a tear escape her eye. He has seen some terrific smiles on this woman, but this one could’ve lit a small village he thought as he kissed her again.

Cole pulls his truck around and into the garage under his office building.

……………………………..

Recently Kalley has begun jogging again on the bike trail near her midtown apartment. When she first told Cole, Cass, and Trent all about it during their Monday night together, Cole felt his stomach turn inside itself. They all tried to talk her out of jogging on the bike trail, but Kalley refused to hear it. And besides, she said, “It’s not like I am jogging at night. I am only running during the day time and there are plenty of other people around.”

“She is so stubborn, why can’t she just go to a gym?” Cole thinks. So, since they can’t talk her out of this, Cole decides to do something about it. Kalley told him that she jogs on Tue and Thu afternoons, so for the past couple weeks, Cole has been keeping an eye on her during those times. His office downtown is not too far from her midtown apartment and nearby park, so he has been taking off part of those afternoons. He worries about her and can’t help himself. And that killer is still at large and if Kalley won’t listen to him, at least he can try to help. Stubborn woman.

He knows Kalley would kill him if she knew he was babysitting her like this when she went jogging. He always keeps his distance. He doesn’t want to freak her out that he is checking up on her.

Wow it is sure beautiful out here he thinks as the setting sun catches his attention. The yellows bursting through the clouds above the tree line and mountains make him stare for a second. As he continues scanning all around them, he takes another deep breath, soaking in the cool air. It smells like a campfire in the distance. Just then, way down the path, Cole sees a young man approach Kalley. He looks familiar to him. She’s stopped jogging and the guy is talking to her. As they start to talk, Cole increases his pace. He doesn’t feel right about this.

What?! The guy just hit her in the face and is trying to drag her toward the nearby woods. Without breathing or thinking or anything, Cole screams out in horror, “HEEEEYYYY!”

While Chaz Logan annoyingly looks toward the interruption, he pulls his 38 special out, and shoots in Cole’s direction, completely missing him. At the same instance that Chaz fires, Cole draws his 40 SIG, blasting a hole in the killer’s chest. Chaz drops hard, his body in a jumbled pile going limp. Cole scrambles fast to Kalley’s side. He first checks to make sure the killer is no longer a threat before he turns to his friend. He gathers up the groggy Kalley, hugging her and stroking her hair out of her eyes. Kalley feels disoriented, like a building just bashed her face, but she shakes it off. She feels Cole hugging and talking to her and her eyes widen in shock as she sees some bloody guy laying on the ground next to them.

“It’s okay now, Kalley … everything’s okay now … you’re safe.”

“Wha — what happened?!”

“We got him, Kalley. I think he’s dead.” As Cole says this, he sees a black dog leash crumpled up laying next to the body and he notices something partially sticking out of the back of his jeans. He looks closer and it is what he first thought it was. Dangling from the rear jeans pocket, is a dark green latex rope (likely therma-tubing).

Hearing police sirens approaching, he starts to help lift Kalley from the ground. She is still shaking when Cole’s cell phone rings and caller ID says it’s LT Morgan. “Cole, I need you … we just had another latex victim.”

CHAPTER 3
Homicide Detectives Monroe and Price are already on the scene talking to the Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) and others when Cole arrives. Twenty five year old Hailey Montoya, beautiful and brunette, was discovered earlier tonight dead on the bike path near her parents’ Kempton Hills neighborhood.

Detective Seth Monroe has been on the force for more than 10 years and recently became a newlywed for the first time. He is dedicated to his profession and is a kind man. Cole respects him like a brother and felt honored to be in his wedding party earlier this year. And that new wife of his, Joely, is keeping him in line, too. She keeps bringing his lunch to the station and co-workers love teasing him for it. They’re just jealous. Detective Sue Anne Price has been on the force for several years and is rated an expert marksman. She is single again, having recently broken up with her boyfriend of three years. She is a gym rat and spends much of her free time there. She knows her stuff and is easy for Cole to talk with. Both detectives are very good investigators. Cole likes working with them on these occasional cases.

Monroe nods his head, greeting Cole as he walks up. “Hey Cole, glad you were able to get away … looks like we have another one.” It’s early in the investigation, but so far, it appears to have all the makings of the latex serial killer.

But Cole wonders to himself, “The killer was with me. Could this be the same serial killer or do we have a copy cat serial killer? There’s no way, right? He couldn’t have been in both places at once. Both are so far across town, too.” By this time, Chaz Logan’s dead body has been driven to the state morgue. At the midtown scene earlier tonight, Cole had answered preliminary questions quickly and promised he would meet with those investigators tomorrow, so he could get over to the current scene as fast as possible.

Price comes over to them. “The coroner doesn’t have a guess yet for time of death but will call us as soon as he knows more.” They’ll have to wait and see what the Coroner determines. Knowing the best guess for time of death might help them figure out more.

Cole begins to wander around taking in the scene and thinking to himself as he jots down his notes. Is there anything odd here? Anything different? The same? Everything seems the same except … wait … this victim was strangled on the path, not off in the nearby woods. Were they interrupted? Or is this a different killer?

…………………………

“Okay, Cass, I give up. Where did Tanner hide that?”

Kalley giggles as Cass tells her about Tanner’s latest trick.

“But seriously Kalley, how are you doing now? I was so scared for you and Cole during that whole thing last week. So glad you are okay sweetie.”

“I’m fine. Shaken up, yes. But I think I’m doing okay. So glad Cole was there and knew what to do. And Trent has convinced me to run at the gym for now. I’ve agreed. I’m pretty creeped out to go near there right now … I think it’ll be a long time before I return to that park.”

“So glad you’re safe Kalley.”

“So, has Cole started his classes yet? What does he think of this so far?”

“Yes, the elders came over a couple nights ago. The boys even tried to give them one of their toy cars. I think Cole liked his first lesson, but he hasn’t told me what he thinks so far. Okay friend, well I gotta get off the phone and get these boys to bed now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Night sweetie.”

“Night Cass.”

………………………………..

Tanner and Tommy are crawling around the living room carpet quietly playing with their trucks and making “vroom vroom” sounds while Elders Rowan and Elcadore are teaching Cole another missionary lesson. Luka, the pup, looks on approvingly as he chews his stringy rope monkey toy some more.

With the open “Preach My Gospel” manual sprawled across his lap, Elder Elcadore continues, “Cole, I want you to think about this tonight and before you go to bed, would you do something? Would you pray and ask God to see if this is true?”

Even though he has doubts, he reluctantly agrees, “Okay Elder, I’ll give it a shot.” They resume the rest of their discussion.

……………………………..

Later that night after everybody is asleep, Cole cracks open the triple combination scriptures that Cass bought for him. He likes how the pages of his very own scriptures feel against his fingers. It never felt sacred like this to him until recently. He loves especially how it feels to highlight passages that get to him or just make him think. He likes flipping through and randomly landing on pages and seeing if anything captures his attention.

His thoughts drift again to what Elder Elcadore challenged him to do earlier. Could it really be that simple? Just pray and ask to know the concepts taught tonight are true? He reads some more.

He is touched by the passage “ … come unto me …” He likes this gentle offer. He happens upon “ … I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand …” and he wonders could that be? Really? Even for me?

He wakes up a little while later, the scriptures are lost in the bedding somewhere. Cole roots around looking for his scriptures, his hand accidentally brushing against Luka’s warm furry snoozing body. As Luka sleepily raises his head, Cole whispers playfully, “Hey Lukie …. shhhh … don’t wake up mommy.” Not affected by the disruption, the dog nestles his head back into his body and closes his eyes.

He finds his scriptures and can’t resist the urge to flip to one more passage before allowing himself to return to slumber.

He mouth drops open and his eyes lock on and stare when he stumbles upon “… if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?”

His eyes get bigger as he re-reads the passage. He smiles and he feels warm. He wonders to himself. Wow! Was this like that first night I prayed? Is this what happened that night? He feels eager and happy. He knows for sure what he want to do now. He says a quick thank you prayer, then looks at the clock radio.

Even though it is 3:47 am, Cole can’t contain his excitement, let alone wait until a decent time. He eagerly dials the phone number on the card.

A groggy Elder Rowan answers, “Uh .. hello?” Cole exclaims, “Good morning Elder … the most amazing thing just happened. Did you know D&C 6:22-23 is in the scriptures? Yeah, of course you do. Sorry I couldn’t wait to call you later … but I couldn’t wait … please … I want to schedule my baptism right away. Can we do that?”

He can practically hear Elder Rowan’s smile through the phone line as he laughs, “Yes, of course.”

Then Cole dials Kalley’s home. “He .. hello?”

“Guess what Kalley? I’m getting baptized! Thanks to you.”

“Aww Cole, this is so great.”

“Thank you Kalley for coming into my life. You’ve helped me to see what I want. What perfect timing.”

“So happy for you Cole, now you should get sleep, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I know. I just couldn’t wait to share my news with you.”

“It has been beautiful to see this become important to you. Do you want to talk to Trent before we get off the phone?”

“No, that’s alright Kall, don’t wake him up. We’ll see you guys on Monday. Thanks for sharing this with me Kall. Night.”

“Morning Cole. See you later.”

Cole hangs the phone up then jumps onto the bed, pulls Cass over to him, and kisses her cheek. “Good morning baby! I’m getting baptized! I just asked Elder Rowan a couple minutes ago.”

As Cass is looking toward the bed table and clock, “What time is it? Ahh …,” she hugs Cole. “I’m so glad honey,” as she kisses his lips then his forehead. He pulls her in tighter, he runs his finger down her nose, kisses the tip of her nose, and they both giggle.

……………………………

While Cole and the detectives are out getting a bite to eat, they discuss the latest victim and known evidence so far. Time of death and Chaz Logan’s inability to get across town that fast make it unlikely that he killed the latest girl at Kempton Hills. He was seen at his work (the P.T. clinic) right up until just before he attacked Kalley in midtown and Cole shot him in their defense. They all agree that it is likely there’s a copy cat serial killer. The copy cat did everything almost the same, but for one major difference. The latest victim was killed on the path, not off in the nearby woods.

Cole adds, “I wonder if the killer was interrupted and just killed her there on the path because of desperation or if there is another reason that we haven’t thought of …”

Price breaks into his thought, “Ready to wrap this up guys? It’s on me today.” As she pulls out some cash from her front jacket pocket, something stringy drops to the floor. Monroe picks up the latex rope that fell. Dumbfounded he asks, “Why do you have one of these, Sue Anne?” Price flushes for a second before responding, “Maybe it’s strange, but sometimes it helps me to carry around something similar from a case … helps me to try to think about what is maybe going on in the killer’s head. Okay, ready to go?”

……………………….

A young woman jogs by with headphones blaring. Like a hunter waits perched out of sight for his prey to enter scope range, the emotionally detached killer has been patiently hiding and crouched down behind the trailside trees and bushes. The cute young runner is oblivious to the dark clad figure masked by the woods who is watching her and reaching for the latex rope. The killer, slowly emerging from the woods, thinks “this will do.”

CHAPTER 4
The air is calm and cool, couldn’t be more than 30 degrees out here. It is Thursday afternoon on this trail near the Taku Square area. The 26 y/o dark eyed and dark haired beauty Ande Beckham is enjoying her afternoon jog while listening to oldies from the 80s on her headphones. She is preparing for a mini-marathon coming up in Seattle. She is in top form with hardly an ounce of fat on her 5′8” athletic frame.

In the middle of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” song, Ande feels goosebumps as the hair on the back of her neck raises. Something feels wrong. As she senses she must get out of here, she rips off her headphones as she turns to look behind her. Coming up fast upon her is a hooded figure chasing her. She squeals, drops her headphones, and sprints as fast as she can. Ande never looks back again until she runs to a family walking their lab. She looks all around but the person who was chasing her is now gone. When the marathon trainer ran toward the other people, the killer took off, accidentally dropping a black latex rope at the scene.
…………………………..

The victim turned witness told initial investigators that she thought the perpetrator could not be more than a couple inches taller than her 5′8” frame. Ande described the creep as wearing baggy dark clothing, including a hooded sweat jacket that completely covered the head. Ande came down to the station the next day and tried to answer the questions as best she could.

After she left the detectives and Cole, Cole walked to the cafeteria in the station to get some bottled water. He pondered what Ande told them. Did something warn her? How did she know? She was blasting her headphones, oblivious to everything around when suddenly she knew something was wrong. How? When she told about a feeling that something was gravely wrong, Cole also got goosebumps. He felt something like that when he first saw Chaz Logan approach Kalley on that trail. Maybe if he hadn’t felt that right away, he might not have started running to her then and might not have been able to save her from the killer. He hated to think about what could have happened to his friend. He was thankful he was close enough to save Kalley from the bad guy. He’d never killed anyone before, in self-defense or otherwise, but he’d do it again if he could save someone.

After the witness left, the detectives and Cole discuss further. Detective Monroe asked Detective Price, “So Sue Anne, holding that rope really helps you think about what the killer might be thinking?”

“Sure, yes … remember when we had that serial who killed with scissors? I also carried around an old pair of rusty scissors until we solved that case. I don’t know why it helps me, but it does. I think it helps me to ‘method act,’ you know … that thing that actors sometimes do to help them prepare for acting roles.”

Cole said, “Maybe Seth and I ought to carry around one of these ropes, too, until we catch this guy.”

Detective Price paused, “You know, I’ve been thinking … would if it isn’t a guy?”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it for a minute. The new copy cat killer isn’t really all that tall. Couldn’t be more than the same height or a couple inches more than Ande here and she is 5′8”. And she said the creep didn’t seem all that big, seemed possibly swallowed up in those dark baggy clothes. Would be hard to tell, but doesn’t sound there was much bulk there. Sure, could be a small guy, but what if it is a female? That could be the reason why the last victim was killed on the trail. Maybe the killer wasn’t strong enough to drag her to the woods to finish her.”

Cole and Detective Monroe agreed that these are interesting points to consider. LT Morgan opened the interview room door, “How’s it going? Tell me what you have.” They continued to discuss the case further.
…………………………..

About 100 feet from where the creep dropped the latex rope, the CSI team was later able to find the spot where the perpetrator was crouched before chasing Ande. CSIs bagged and removed evidence for further analysis. They were able to determine that the footprint found there belonged to a size 10 work boot.
…………………………..

“No!” shouted Cole as he woke himself up from a nightmare. He had just been dreaming about the killer chasing a girl on the bike trail. When the streetlight shone on the victim’s face, Cole saw it was Cass! He rubbed the sleep from his eyes while drinking a sip of water. Cass rolled over to him, “You okay honey? Sounds like a bad one.”

“I’m alright baby. I have this case on my mind and that nightmare seemed too real.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, let’s try to get back to sleep.”
……………………………..

Clutching their toy trucks and a baptism program, Tanner and Tommy scootched up to the edge of the baptismal font, looked over the rim, and watched their daddy in awe. Some of the other little children were alongside them so they could see, too. Family and friends filled the chairs in the church primary room. Cass watched Cole’s face and she kept smiling as she wiped away occasional tears. She thought about how he looked even happier than when she answered yes when he asked her out on their first date. Cole remembered Trent’s reaction awhile back when he asked him to be the one to baptize him. Trent’s eyes crinkled happily as he responded, “It would be my honor, my friend.”

Forever etching this moment into memory and with eyes closed, Cole concentrated as he listened to Trent say the baptismal ceremonial words. He smiled peacefully, beaming like a child.

CHAPTER 5 …
Arnell walked into Cole’s office, “Cole, this is weird. A package with no return address was left for you. It wasn’t mailed either. Someone delivered it sometime between the time I left last night at 5:30 pm and this morning when I arrived at 9. And you didn’t see it because you came up the back stairwell like you usually do.”

Cole stood up from his office chair, “Where is it Arnell?”

“It’s out front where I first saw it left at the front office door. I didn’t touch it. I wanted you to see it just like I did. What do you think hon?”

Arnell followed him as he crossed the threshold to look outside the front door. Propped against the office door was a small flat plain package wrapped in brown paper addressed simply to Cole Ekert PI. There was no return address nor any mail stamping. It had not been mailed. Somebody left it for him. Cole looked up at the hallway security camera way down the hall and wondered if anything was on there.

Cole went back into the office, slipped on latex gloves, and grabbed a disposable camera from his top drawer. He clicked a few pictures of the package and scene. While still gloved, he picked up the package, and peered closer. The brown wrapping was from a plain garbage bag, like you would see at a grocery store that doesn’t offer plastic bags.

He brought it inside his office and carefully opened it while Arnell watched curiously. When he unwrapped it, he found words written on one piece of white paper. The words were written in jagged block letters with black ink. Looked more like someone wrote the letters with the hand that they really don’t use to write with. Cole snapped a couple more pictures. He placed the note on the office copier then put the note and all the packaging in a ziplock plastic bag for safe keeping for the CSIs to investigate further.

The words in the note copy were in Spanish and didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him. He warmed up the computer and found an Internet site with Spanish translation ability. Before he started to look up the word translations, he called LT Morgan and reported what they found. LT Morgan said she would send the detectives over as soon as they could get away from one of their other cases. Cole then called the building manager and asked for a copy of video from last night until this morning.

It took a great bit of time, but Cole meticulously translated all the words and phrases to see what they meant in English. When he was done, he felt like he was looking at a how to learn Spanish book more than an actual letter or note. It looked like the person who sent this note just went through a Spanish textbook or maybe one of those little travel books that one carries while visiting a country when they don’t know the language but at any moment they might need to ask those all important questions like “where is the bathroom?” or “I lost one piece of luggage.” If somebody wanted to be sneaky and leave clues or a riddle where you couldn’t make out their sentence structure habits, I guess this could be one way of doing it.

After he translated everything, the note in English basically said,“This is for you. This is my usual medicine. Stiff neck. There’s a party. Are you coming? I’m here on business. The clock is fast. I’m looking for new young beautiful. Give way. Give yield. Do not disturb. Notify family, friends. I’m hungry.”

Cole thought aloud as he scratched his scalp, “Well … so the killer knows I’m on this case. Sent the note to me. A warning? To my family and friends?” While Cole was still pondering it, Detectives Monroe and Price walked in. They discussed what they had and looked through everything that Cole showed them. Before they left with the ziplock bag full of the note and the packaging and the video that the building manager brought over, Detective Price also told them what happened last night. While she was leaving her gym and returning to her Nissan pick up truck, she had the strongest feeling like someone was watching and following her. Even though she looked all around and didn’t see anyone, she felt like she was not alone in that gym parking lot.
…………………………..

The CSIs went through the evidence. No fingerprints – nothing of value – were found on the packaging or the note. So whoever wrote it, packed it, and left it knew enough to wear gloves at least. A professional? Maybe? And the white paper, the brown wrapping paper, and the black ink were all every day common general use items that anyone could purchase anywhere. And at around 3 am on the security videotape, even though it was hard to make out on the black and white video, a baggy hooded perpetrator delivered a package. The video was grainy, far away, it looked like it could be anybody, but they were able to make a guess at height. Due to the proximity of the perp to the door frames, CSIs were able to guess that this individual was likely at least 5′7” to 5′10” (that takes into account if the perp wore heeled boots or not). After Ande Beckham viewed the tape, she told detectives that her chaser was dressed similar to the person on the tape. Not a lot to go on, but better than nothing.

…………………………….

Cass left the boys with a babysitting co-op friend while she ran some errands. The afternoon was uneventful until she returned from getting a few items from the grocery store. As she walked back out to her minivan in the grocery store parking lot, she heard a glass breaking sound. She felt the sensation that someone was watching and following her.

CHAPTER 6
will post when done with it

– by Kathleen (aka so grateful to be Mormon)