For Richer or For Poorer - 10. Chapter 10 - Halloween Horrors

The slayings of Maria and Dominik Czorniak at the hands of their son Dino and his subsequent murder at the hands of The Ripper set off a bloody and violent chain of events known across the four states that share the shores of Lake Michigan as the Halloween Horrors. This upswing of violence had destroyed any chance the FBI and local police departments had to keep the locals from panicking. Across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin a total of twenty-five murders had inundated the FBI Field Offices.

The days leading up to Halloween had become the bloodiest week in the history of Lake Michigan. To Agents Ryan Vincenzo and Kieran Pollack, The Ripper was becoming more sadistic and unhinged.

Ryan made his thoughts known to his partner, “The murder of Natalia seems to have made an extreme psychological influence on our killer. If the DNA is true and they are siblings, her death may have become his trigger.”

The agents were exhausted as they had traveled from crime scene to crime scene. What struck the boys was that other than the letters found at each murder, none of the victims showed the same MO, except for a new, disturbing aspect. Carved into the bodies of each victim was a word: WHORE, SLUT, FAGGOT, and ABOMINATION. Another new item in each letter was a cryptic clue about where the next murder was located.

They were looking at the new crime scene photos when Ryan, while reading the letter, noticed the clue written in The Ripper’s latest rant. He went outside to make a phone call.

After rereading the letter the clue became obvious. “Babe, I know where the next murder is going to be,” he said, getting his boyfriend’s attention.

“What does it say, Ry?”

Ryan read the letter with steel in his voice:

Dear Agents Pollack and Vincenzo,

I know you have been working futilely on my murders. I killed Dino and Colin but I have even more cops on the payroll across the Great Lakes. You faggots will never catch me. I’ll make sure you’re punished for you two being FAGGOT ABOMINATIONS and SLUTTY WHORES. That’s right those words were meant for you. Every murder I have committed is your fault. You are a disgrace to God and you shall be punished. If you have figured out my puzzles they will lead to more of your castigations. Your clue is: A pig hangs from “the tree” of Xander’s price. Happy hunting faggots.”

Sincerely,
The Ripper

“The tree of Xander’s price?” Kieran asked, suddenly scared for his younger brother. “You don’t think Xander is his intended victim, do you?”

“No, he isn’t the next victim, he’s shopping with Bryce and Davis for the fraternity’s Halloween party.”

Kieran breathed a sigh of relief and the tension he didn’t know his body was holding melted away, “So who’s the next victim?”

“I don’t know who exactly, but I'm pretty sure it’s going to be a cop and it’s going to happen at the tree Katelynn Flanders’ body was found hanging from.”

Kieran immediately called Sam.

“Sam, The Ripper gave us a clue to the next victim and crime scene. We believe it’s the Flanders’ crime scene and the victim is a cop.”

“Excuse me, did you say a cop?” Sam said fearfully.

“Yea, what’s going on, Sam?”

“One of my undercover female detectives went missing last night. She was last seen getting into a blue Chevy Cobalt. The prostitute that we interviewed said the man she left with had a gun held to her back.”

“We’re on our way Sam, meet us at the park,” Kieran said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.”

“Will do.” Sam said.

***

In a dank, poorly lit, musty costume shop a couple of blocks from campus, Bryce, Davis, and Xander sifted through the cheap, gaudy outfits and kitschy make up in their effort to find the perfect Halloween costumes. The boys joked about the get-ups they tried on in the cramped changing rooms in the back of the brick-walled store. The jovial mood was shattered when Xander’s phone rang.

“Ryan? What’s wrong?”

“Oh thank God you’re okay, Xand!”

Xander frowned, and said, “Yea…we’re fine. I’m with Bryce and Davis shopping for our costumes for the fraternity party this weekend. What’s going on Ry?”

“We found another letter from our killer and it mentioned you and the tree Katelynn was found hanging from. I was worried that he had done something to you. We’ll see you boys soon. The killer is back in Milwaukee.”

Xander’s frown disappeared but now his body tensed up in fear, “You think I’m the next victim?”

“Not anymore.”

Xander’s frown returned, “What does that mean?”

Ryan sighed, “It means that since you are still very much alive and talking to me this bastard isn’t going to make you his intended target. Although on the off-chance that you are his next victim stay close to Bryce and Davis, Ok? Kieran and I will be in Milwaukee shortly.”

“Ok, Ry. Tell Kier that I love you both. Oh, and stay safe. This bastard is a piece of work,” he said with an angry sigh.

He hung up and returned to the store. Bryce and Davis immediately noticed the mood change.

“Hey, are you guys almost done with shopping for your costumes?” Xander said clearly shaken up.

They walked up to him and hugged him with concern etched on their faces. Bryce asked, “Hey Xand, are you ok? Your face looks like someone just died.”

Xander blanched and stumbled over his words, “What? Yeah…no…I don’t know. I’ll tell you guys when we get back to the apartment. I need to collect my thoughts right now.” He turned around and walked out of the store.

They quickly grabbed their purchases and followed him outside. He sat on the hood on the car.

The car ride was silent and filled with awkward tension. As soon as they got back to the apartment, Xander burst into tears. The boys rushed to his side to give him comfort.

“Hey bro? What happened? We can’t help you unless you talk to us,” Davis said, rubbing Xander’s back.

“Ryan called me when we were at the store. He said the killer is back in Milwaukee and that my name was in his latest taunt to Ry and Kier. Although I am not necessarily his next victim that I'm really shaken up at the thought that my name was found in his latest letter.”

“Shh…It’s going to be okay Xand, we’re here for you. He won’t hurt you my friend,” Davis said to him, pulling him closer.

“I hope so. I'm just scared after what happened.” Xander said meekly.

“After what happened? What do you mean?” Bryce asked.

“The night before she was found, Katelynn and I got into a huge fight at the park. I called her some really nasty choice words that I wish I could take back, and stormed off leaving her there by herself. The next morning the cops are at my door asking me to come to the station where they told me she had been murdered and hung from that tree. They said they had been told that we had had a date that night and asked if I killed her because she wouldn’t have sex with me. That was the opposite of the truth. We fought because I wouldn’t have sex with her. God, I feel so guilty. I feel that if I hadn’t called her a slut and left her standing there crying then she’d still be alive,” Xander cried.

Bryce flicked a tear off Xander’s cheek. He picked up on his guilt-laden fear. He spoke quietly, “Hey Xander…”

Nothing. Xander sobbed for the death of his girlfriend. Guilt boiling over. Bryce persevered in his attempt, “Xander! Listen to me bro, snap out of it. Her death is not your fault. You hear me? That bastard lay in wait for you. He listened to you fighting. Do you want to know what I think?”

Xander nodded his head, unable to speak, his green eyes glistening with tears.

Bryce continued speaking trying to make him understand that the death of Katelynn was not his fault, “I think that bastard was going to kill you that night too. Although it sucks that she died after you had an argument, that blow up you had probably saved your life. No matter how tragic her death was you’re still here, safe and sound. You understand don’t you? You’re going to be OK, right? Go take a nap in the guest bedroom if you want.”

Xander smiled for the first time and said, “Thanks Bry. Thanks Davy. You guys are the best. I'm ok now, and yes, I would love to take up your offer for a nap. I love you both.”

He gave them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed into Davis’ old bedroom.

Davis turned to his lover and asked, “Do you think he’s going to be ok?”

“God, I hope so. I knew he hadn’t really healed after Katelynn’s death, but I didn’t know it was that extensive. My heart hurts for him,” Bryce said, hugging Davis and pulling him in for a tender kiss.

Davis grabbed his hand and said, “Come on baby, today has been emotionally exhausting. Let’s go take a nap too.”

Bryce didn’t have time to answer before he was dragged into the bedroom.

***

Ryan and Kieran got the phone call they were dreading on the way from Evanston, Illinois, where they had been working on The Ripper’s most recent crime and studying the scene trying to find more clues.

“This is Kieran.”

“Unfortunately, your partner’s analysis was spot on. We found our missing officer hanging from the tree,” Detective Sam O’Conner said.

“Sam, how bad is it?” Kieran asked, holding his breath.

“It’s bad. At least she has her head,” Sam said grimly.

“Hold on we’ll be there shortly.”

As they passed a cornfield about thirty miles outside of Milwaukee, they were unaware of a suspicious man driving a blue Chevy Cobalt into the field and dumping the arms and legs of a woman. When the man dumped gasoline on the disembodied limbs and set them on fire, he stepped back drawing in the aroma of burning flesh and basking in the heat of the moment and listening to the splitting of the skin as it melted away.

Ryan saw the cornfield ablaze, but didn’t think anything of it.

***

At the crime scene, the sight and smell of the carnage repulsed them. The victim had her head, but her arms, legs, and pelvis had been severed. The remainder of her torso was in tatters and what used to be her abdomen now lay open and her entrails hanging out.

“God this bastard has become even more sadistic than before.” Ryan exclaimed.

“You have no idea,” Melinda said. “He’s getting more violent by each subsequent kill. What’s worse was that this victim was a very good friend of mine.”

“We’re sorry for your loss. Who was she?” Kieran asked. Ryan offered his sympathies too.

Sam answered the question, “She was my sister, Officer Danielle Oxford,” he choked on his words.

“We’re so sorry Sam. You shouldn’t be here. This is tearing you apart.”

“No! I mean no. I can’t sit, mope, and do nothing, knowing that my sister’s murderer is still walking free. I need to do this for her.”

Ryan patted Sam on the back, “OK Sam, if it gets too much for you just tell us.”

“Thanks guys, I appreciate it.” Sam said with a weak smile.

“Hopefully, this is the last person this bastard kills that will be sent to my morgue,” Melinda said angrily before leaving.

“I don’t think this is the last victim,” Kieran said grimly, looking at the body of Sam’s sister being zipped into a body bag. These words would become terrifyingly prophetic.

***

Later, Kieran and Ryan were in Bryce and Davis’ apartment sitting at the table talking to Xander about his girlfriend’s last night and his diminishing guilt.

“It seems that you still can’t get over her death. Tell me little brother, what’s going on in that head of yours?” Kieran asked sympathetically.

“I just cannot help but feel I should have taken her with me and had sex with her. Maybe then she’d still be alive.”

“Bro, did you walk back to the frat house from the park that night?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, why? I wasn’t getting into Katelynn’s car. She told me to go to hell and I left. What’s going on, Ry?” Xander said hesitantly, wondering where Ryan was going with this line of questioning.

“Yeah babe, what does that have to do with anything? Wait a minute, what kind of car did she drive?” Kieran asked.

“It was a blue 2014 Chevy Cobalt. It was her prize possession. What’s going on guys?” Xander asked.

“When we investigated Katelynn’s case earlier, do you remember a car matching that description at the park, Kier?” Ryan asked excitedly.

“No, the only car that the police saw that was somewhat suspicious was a 2008 white Mitsubishi Eclipse. What are you thinking, Ry?” Kieran asked.

“I'm saying that the bastard stole her car and–” Ryan started to say.

“—left his car in the parking lot,” Kieran finished for him. He immediately called Sam.

“Sam, it’s Kieran, I need a tag check on a car that was at the park when Katelynn Flanders was killed.”

“The Mitsubishi Eclipse? It came back stolen. What’s going on?” Sam said, perplexed.

“We believe our killer stole that car and then stole Katelynn’s that night.”

Sam’s eyes widened at the new possible lead. “Hold on Kieran, let me talk to the auto detectives. We still have that car.”

Kieran waited for a few minutes before Sam came back on the line, “I’ve got some interesting news about the car and the owner,” Sam said.

“I thought the car’s owner reported it stolen. Did he change his story?” Ryan asked, confused.

“The man, whose name is Marco Scarlatti, said in a police statement that he never owned a Mitsubishi Eclipse,” Sam said even more enthusiastically.

“What? So all that was a waste of time! Wait, why do you sound so elated about this?” Kieran asked, completely dumbfounded.

“He told us that his credit card and ID were stolen a while back and that's when he got his latest credit statement, he had a charge for $8,975 at the Mitsubishi dealership in Superior, Wisconsin. We asked the dealership for the information. They are faxing it to us right now.”

The mention of Superior chilled the agents’ blood. Moira’s death was still fresh in their minds.

“I got the bill of sale and copy of identification. I'm sending it to you now.”

When the fax came in, Ryan took one look at the picture and his eyes widened, “I know him!”

Davis, who was listening to the new turn of events, saw the picture and said, “So do I! That’s Louis’ cousin Alexei.”

Sam asked Davis if he knew more about Alexei.

“Not much to tell actually. Except…”

“Except what, little brother?” Ryan asked.

“I asked Jacob a long time ago where he came from because he had a funny accent. He told me he was one of Louis’ cousins from France, but I didn’t buy it. He sounded Russian especially when angry, kind of like when Mom did when she got extremely angry she would sometimes slip and mix her Russian and English…” Davis paused again. He remembered something that had happened a few months before school started.

“Davy, what is it?” Bryce asked.

“Did you know I speak Russian?” Davis asked, confusing everyone.

“Yeah Davis, but why bring that up?” Bryce asked with sinking suspicion.

“I overheard a conversation Natalia and Alexei had one time a few months ago. They spoke entirely in Russian. Alexei asked her if she wanted her husband dead and if yes, then what should he do with his children. She told him to spare Jason but get rid of me the same way Ryan was disposed of,” he paused and began weeping at the callousness of his mother. Ryan hugged him and urged him to continue. “He then called her sestra, which is “sister” in Russian and she called him brat, which means…”

“Brother,” Ryan said, finishing the translation, smiling, “I used to call you bratishka which is a term of endearment for your little brother.”
Davis chuckled at Ryan’s attempt to keep him from breaking down and hugged him saying, “I love you Bolshoi brat (older brother),” he said affectionately.

“Where’s Xander?” Kieran asked.

“I was outside. Something happened at the sorority house across the street from the fraternity. There’s blood all over the downstairs landing at the house!” Xander said.

“What happened Xand?” Ryan asked as the guys rushed out.

“Tyler said they went to pick up the girls, but they weren’t answering so a couple of the guys broke into the house. Ty said that Amanda was lying lifeless at the bottom of the stairs. All in all the guys found six more girls in the house. It’s a bloodbath. Ty also swore he saw Katelynn’s car driving off towards the downtown lakefront.”

***

When the agents and the police got to the sorority house, there was a crowd of reporters and inquisitive onlookers.

“What the hell is with the media being here?” Kieran asked angrily as they entered the house.

The first thing they saw was Melinda standing over the body of a young lady lying limply against the banister. Her neck appeared broken.

“Hey Melinda, what do we have?” Sam asked.

“Amanda Hawthorne, age twenty-one. She was raped then tossed down the stairs. Her neck was broken, killing her on impact,” she said grimly.

“How many more bodies are there Doctor?” Kieran asked, looking up at the blood trail coming from the second floor landing.

“Seven,” she said, “Come on, Morgan is upstairs with the other bodies.”

She turned to her assistant, “Bag her up and help me with the rest.”

“Yes, Doctor,” the assistant Medical Examiner said.

***

Melissa Danthridge, 22 – Raped. Beheaded. Her head sitting in her lap staring at her decapitated body.

Eliza Shaw, 18 – Raped. Heart cut out. Found in the refrigerator.

Melody Cabrini, 19 – Raped. Impaled via the anus on a fence post in the back yard.

Samantha Hope and Katrina Alberts, both 21 – Raped. Disemboweled, Samantha’s kidneys in her hands. Katrina, holding half of her liver.

Shawna Malone, 23 – Raped. Stabbed so many times her body was literally cut in half.

Lana Kane, 18 – Raped. Tortured with cigarettes. Stabbed. Put into a bathtub filled with ice water used to shock her awake. Finally electrocuted with a toaster.

“God, this place is an absolute house of horrors,” Kieran said, stunned at the amount of carnage The Ripper had wreaked.

“This is worse than Ted Bundy.” Sam said, alluding to the murders of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman at a sorority house at Florida State in 1978.

The agents couldn’t take the sights and smells of death any longer only to be subjected to the relentless questions of a reporter, Damien Scoggins.

Kieran was quickly losing his temper. “Who the hell are you? Who the fuck called you?” Kieran snarled.

“My name is Damien Scoggins, I am with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We got a phone call from a guy claiming to be the killer saying he has committed his grand masterpiece at this address and said the police would in his own words, ‘love to show their complete ineptitude in trying to catch me.’ So agent, why are you so inept at catching this man?” Damien asked smugly.

“This man is a sadist. He might be a scumbag, but you sir are the worst kind of scum. You profit on the deaths of the victims and glorify the killer. Yea, I know you, I have read your stories on Dahmer. Your articles made him out to be a hero. Get out of my way, you piece of shit.” Kieran snapped.

“Come on Kieran, he’s not worth losing your badge,” Ryan said, trying to calm him down.

“I guess you don’t want this letter do you?” Damien said, holding up a bloodstained envelope.

The agents stopped dead in their tracks and turned. When Kieran turned his blood boiled. In the reporter's hands was the latest “murder note.” What really set his temper off though was the fact that it had smudges of blood. Ryan and Kieran charged towards the reporter.

Damien saw this and turned to run, only to barge into a very angry Sam O’Connor. “Give me the letter now and you can leave without any retribution.”

Damien, the cocky bastard that he was, defiantly said, “What’s in it for me?”

Kieran put a vice grip of a hold on Damien’s shoulder and said angrily in the reporter’s ear, “If you don’t hand us that fucking letter right now, I will arrest your fucking ass for breaking into the sorority house and taking a piece of evidence from the crime scene.”

Suddenly Tyler said he needed to talk to the agents in charge. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Damien. Damien swallowed at the sudden appearance of the frat boy.

Tyler said, “Arrest him! He broke into the house after we saw Katelynn’s car leave, he was there when Amanda was killed. You fucking bastard!”

Tyler spat, then clocked the reporter in the face, drawing blood.

Realization set in for Ryan and Kieran.

“So be it. You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and may be used against you; you have the right to have an attorney present before and during the questioning; and you have the right, if you cannot afford the services of an attorney, to have one appointed, at public expense and without cost to you, to represent you before and during the questioning. Do you understand each of these rights? If you understand these rights, do you now wish to speak to the police without a lawyer being present?" Kieran said.

“Yes, I do.” Damien said defeated. As he was being led away to the cop car, he noticed Tyler talking to the detectives and then leaving.

“I want to press charges on that boy,” Damien said.

“Why?” Kieran asked, feigning ignorance.

“He punched me!”

“I didn’t see anything. Besides, you waited outside as a killer tortured, raped, and murdered eight innocent young women in their home, you’re not exactly innocent,” Kieran said pushing Damien into the car.

He then turned to the cop and said, “Get him out of my sight.”

Kieran turned to find Ryan looking at him concerned.

Ryan asked, “Are you OK?”

“Yeah, just get the boys and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Ryan nodded and patted Kieran on the shoulder.

“God help me get this bastard, please,” he prayed, raising his eyes to heaven.

***

Later that night Damien was sleeping in his cell. That is until he felt a presence watching him. It was one of the guards.

“What the—” Damien said groggily.

“Shhh,” the guard whispered, putting his hand over the reporter's mouth, “You don’t want your death waking everyone up.”

“Mhmm,” Damien said, trying to struggle when he noticed the syringe in the guard’s hand.

“Now, now. This will all be over soon,” the guard said plunging the needle into Damien’s neck and releasing the toxin, then cutting off his ear as instructed for proof of death.

“Good night, Damien. So sad you had to die,” the guard said before whistling “Stuck In The Middle With You” referencing the ear-cutting scene from Reservoir Dogs.

In a cold, abandoned parking lot on the other side of his town. A shadowy figure stepped out from behind a pillar. The guard walked up to him and said, “I‘ve got proof of death I want my money.” He was paid with a bullet to the head.

The Ripper unhooked the keys from the man’s belt loop, searched his pockets, found the ear and put it in a burlap sack. When he was done he picked him up, put him in the car, soaked it and the guard with kerosene and set it on fire.