For Richer or For Poorer - 7. Chapter 7 - Revelations

Moira’s funeral was the Friday after Labor Day, and Kieran, Ryan and the family sat in the front with Moira’s parents and brothers. Even though Kieran blamed himself for her death, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell did not. They told him to kill the bastard who took their baby girl from them. Her brother Tommy, also a FBI Agent joined Kieran’s squad to help bring the monster down. The newest member of “The Ripper Squad” as they were called at the office was newly graduated Probationary Agent Ryan Vincenzo. He took over the case file where Moira left off. His addition made it easier for Kieran to keep an eye out for his lover, who was a target for The Ripper. At that moment he was sifting through the numerous letters sent by the killer himself taunting the detectives and the media. He was reading the Moira letter when his phone went off.

“Xander, what’s wrong?” He listened for a minute at his younger brother’s panicked cries for his help.

“Okay, calm down Xand, we’re on our way. Just stay with Bryce and Davis until we arrive.”

Ryan entered the office to listen to the end of the phone call. Kieran told him there had been another murder near Marquette’s campus, and that the victim was Xander’s girlfriend Katelynn Flanders. He said Xander had called him in a panic because he got a letter signed by the Ripper.

***

Bryce and Davis finally returned to Marquette. To Davis it seemed like a year had passed since he had seen their apartment and been to class, but it had only been about two weeks. He was glad to be able to turn in all of his late assignments and get on with his life, even with this psychopath in the background.

Everything was quiet until early October when bodies started dropping on the bike trails and bar alleyways near the campus. Everyone was puzzled and no one had a clue who did it. Everyone that is except Bryce and Davis.

Because the police had no inkling that this might be The Ripper, the FBI wasn’t called. That is until Xander came to the boys’ apartment in tears.

When Davis opened the door and saw him, he ushered him inside. Bryce got him some water and they waited until he was ready to talk.

“Thanks guys, I’m sorry for showing up here, with how I treated you.” Although the boys had made up, Xander continuously apologized for the way he treated Davis. Xander had slowly become a fixture around the apartment.

“It’s alright I understand, I really do. You know my brother’s story, right?” When Xander nodded, he continued, “I hate my family too. They are trying to destroy my new life and everything I’ve worked hard to get, namely Bryce. I wouldn’t blame you for feeling the same way if I were in your shoes.”

Davis and Xander had become really close friends since finding out that their older brothers were partners and lovers.

“Yeah, Ryan is like an older brother to me. He makes Kieran happy. How are you Davis? I’m so sorry for what you have been through bro. But right now I really need your help.”

“What’s going on Xand?” Bryce spoke for the first time.

“The police found Katelynn hanging from a tree, this morning in Lakeshore State Park. She had been stabbed and…” he stopped choking on the emotions that were threatening to burst forth, before continuing, “Then when I returned to the frat house, I found out that a letter addressed to me was delivered after I left. It was from her killer.”

The boys looked at each other with worry for their friend and brother. “What did the letter say, Xand?” Bryce asked hiding the fear he was feeling all the sudden.

Xander handed him the note. What he read sent a chill up his spine.

Dear Xander,

If you are reading this Mr. Pollack, you now know your sweet innocent Katelynn is in hell hanging from a tree, and not in your arms right now. You can blame your insolent brother for her death.

He had the chance to quit investigating the murders, but his insistence has cost you your girlfriend’s life. He should pay for this disregard of my threats. He should know better by now. I DO NOT make idle threats. I do as I please. Tell Kieran I have a promise for him.

I will kill everyone he loves unless he makes a sworn statement to the media that he will cease the investigation.

And if Bryce and Davis are reading this, I want to tell you if Kieran refuses, I will begin with Bryce’s family starting with dear ol’ Grams.

Sincerely yours,
The Ripper

P.S.: A proposal to tell Kieran is to sacrifice himself to me. If he agrees to this I will allow everyone else to survive when he surrenders himself to me. There doesn’t have to be another Moira.

After rereading it and letting Davis reading it, Bryce looked at his boyfriend with clear concern in his eyes. The silence in the room was deafening and drove Xander to tears. “What do we do guys?”

“First we call Kieran, and tell him what’s going. There is no way in Hell your brother will give in to this bastard’s demands,” Davis said forcefully.

Xander called his brother with the news of the murder and the note.

“Bro, I need you so much right now. That bastard killed my girlfriend. There have been other murders around campus too, but they seem to be prostitutes.”

“Okay, calm down Xand, we’re on our way. Just stay with Bryce and Davis until we arrive.”

“Okay, I love you, Kier.”

“I love you too, Xand.”

***

When Ryan and Kieran entered the apartment, Kieran went straight to his brother and hugged him. Of all of the people that were there, Xander had almost no idea about the atrocities of The Ripper or the connection to the events of the past month, but the bastard had reached out to his brother, who was completely innocent of all this. When he read his latest taunt, Kieran seriously considered the proposal. But thoughts of Moira’s death and the love he had for Ryan, his brother, and his new family with the Alexander’s squashed that. His blood was boiling and his face went hot with rage.

“This asshole is going down. He wants a war, he's got one. He’s gone too far this time. Threatening my family is going to sign his death warrant.” Kieran spat angrily.

Everyone was shocked at the fiery emotion put forth by the normally calm-mannered FBI Agent. Ryan had a look of worry and concerned painted his face.

‘This monster is pushing his level of sanity. It will either make him or break him,' he thought to himself.

***

The Milwaukee police were still scouring the surroundings of the Flanders crime scene, when the agents pulled up.

Detective Sam O’Connor saw the activity and went to meet the new arrivals.

“Hello, I am Detective Sam O’Connor. I am sorry boys but you can’t be here right now,” he said to the two young men in front of him.

“My name is Special Agent Kieran Pollack, this is Probationary Agent Ryan Vincenzo. We’re with the Chicago FBI,” Kieran said as they flashed their badges to the cops that had come to investigate their arrival.

“FBI? What the hell are you doing up here. As you can tell, this is Milwaukee not Chicago?” a young-looking beat cop asked.

“We believe this case and the other murders near campus are connected to The Lake Michigan Ripper,” Ryan said answering the rookie cop’s question.

It was silent for a minute. Then Sam pulled up the yellow police tape, signaling the agents to enter the crime scene.

“Are you sure? This could be a copycat, because we didn’t find a letter.” Sam said wondering what was going on. When the case started heating up and the letters started to come in, the FBI asked that the letters to be kept from the public eye.

“His brother’s girlfriend is your victim. After your detectives questioned him this morning, he found the letter had been delivered to him. He called us in a panic to ask for help with what was happening. This case has too many similarities to those cases throughout communities around Lake Michigan. We’re not taking over, we want to assist and help solve this case,” Ryan said to Sam.

Sam was annoyed that the victim’s boyfriend gave the FBI the letter instead of him, but could understand Xander going to his older brother when he panicked and agreed to their help.

“Be prepared guys, this scene is a bad one,” said Sam.

He was right. Hanging from a tall oak tree was a naked Katelynn Flanders. What made the scene really bad was the state of her body. Unlike previous bodies, she was covered in blood, and looked like she had been hacked to death. What made it worse was the acrid smell of urine.

”So much rage. He really doesn’t like that you have been withholding his letters and continuing our investigation. Why Katelynn?” Ryan asked.

“Because Xander is my brother, and I guess he is trying to show that he was serious with his taunts. I’m not dropping this.”

Dr. Harris came around them holding a ladder, a body bag, and a tarp.

After cutting her down, she began looking over the body. She examined the wounds with disgust and then estimated the time of death.

“She’s been dead for less than twelve hours.”

“I guess we don’t have to speculate COD, doctor?” Sam asked covering his nose with a medical mask.

“No, she was most likely hacked to death by a machete,” she said then asked a question toward the awful smell, “What puzzles me is: why did he urinate all over her?”

“That’s disgusting. This guy is getting sicker and sicker as this case goes on,” Ryan said before heading away from the body.

“Where are you going?” Kieran asked concerned.

“I’m going to walk the perimeter and search for clues. The smell is making me sick."

Kieran nodded his understanding and let him leave, before turning back to the victim. He felt responsible for Katelynn and Moira, but he kept silent. Melinda didn’t though.

“None of this is your fault Kieran. You could have never imagined what this sick bastard was capable of.”

“I know, I’m just worried that he has turned his sights on my family,” he said as he looked in the direction of Ryan.

“You really love him don’t you?” she asked.

Startled at the question, he stumbled and began blushing, “What? No… I mean… yes I do love him. He is my life.”

She smiled at his nervous admission, “I can tell Kieran. I can also tell from his concern for you that he loves you too.”

He smiled a dazzling smile at her astuteness. “I know he does,” he said simply.

***

Meanwhile, Ryan began to do a perimeter search of the crime scene. About 1,500 feet from the body, in a clearing of trees, he spotted something in the tall grass. He walked over to inspect it. It was a blue tarp with duct tape wrapped around it. His fears doubled when he found another blue tarp wrapped the same way.

"Hey! There's something over here!" he shouted as he started to document the suspicious tarps. He then pulled out a pocket knife and cut the bindings of the first tarp. Inside was the body of a woman, except all that was left was bones.

When the others joined him, Dr. Harris knelt down next to him and began examining the remains. Kieran knelt beside Ryan to help carefully unwrap the second tarp..

“The bones show shallow cuts and there is a slight discoloring around the wrist bones where the ropes cut into the skin and touched the bone and muscle. She was also strangled according to the broken hyoid…” she stopped talking and bent down to get a better look at the other body.

“What is it Melinda?” O’Connor asked.

“There’s something stuck in her teeth,” she said as she was using tweezers to pull out some blue and red fibers. She dropped them into the evidence bag Sam held out for her and watched as he sealed it and labeled it.

She looked at the woman’s pelvic bones and said, “See how the iliac bones are separated at the base? Also there are these cuts to the bones here and here,” she said pointing to the deep gouges in the bones of her pelvis and continued with disgust evident in her voice, “She was pregnant, and they ripped the baby out by C-section.”

As she was examining further, she found a clue that might break the case. A piece of shriveled flesh maybe three to four inches in length. She placed it in an evidence jar, sealed it, and labeled it before placing it in her bag.

Ryan asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

Melinda answered, “Yeah, it’s the umbilical cord. We can get the DNA from this, hopefully something matches.”

“Melinda,” Kieran piped up, “how long do you think these women have been dead here and how have they not been found until now?”

“From the preservation of the bones and the umbilical cord, and the freshness of the duct tape I’d say the bodies were put here around the time of our newest victim’s placement. As for how long the bodies have been dead. I’d say approximately fifteen to twenty years.”

“To be honest, this doesn’t look like The Ripper’s work. He likes to present his bodies not hide them. This may break our other case Doctor,” Kieran said.

“You think this has something to do with Melissa’s murder?” Ryan asked.

“Melissa’s killer might be the same man who killed these two,” Kieran said.

“It’s highly possible, blood tests came back on Ms. Abernathy. She had high levels of Carboprost in her blood,” Dr. Harris said.

“What is that doctor?” Sam asked.

“It’s used for abortions,” she said grimly. "The report should be on your desk when you get back to your office."

“How long was she pregnant?” Ryan asked stunned at the grizzly turn of events.

“With the levels of hCG hormones in her system, she was pregnant for three weeks, four at the most.”

Ryan saw the troubled look on his boyfriend’s face, “What are you thinking?”

“I think our other killer killed these women nearly twenty years ago, and then killed Melissa for the same reason. He got them pregnant. The only difference is he forced an abortion on Melissa and took the baby from this woman all those years ago. Why?”

“We’ll have to figure that out. Melinda, how long until we have results.”

“I’ll rush it. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, I want these bastards caught. I have seen more bodies of young women coming into my autopsy suite in the last month and a half, than in the last three years.”

***

Three days later, Kieran got a phone call. It was Melinda calling. He put it on speaker so Ryan could listen in.

“I have the test results of our bone ladies as well as the DNA samples,” she said.

“What do they say?” he asked.

“The women have been identified as Viktoriya Sazonova, a Russian immigrant and Samantha Krieger, a home nurse.”

“Samantha Krieger? Are you sure?” Ryan asked suddenly.

“Yea. Why did you know her?”

“Yea. Her husband works for Jacob Caldwell.” Ryan said.

“The DNA will be even more interesting then.”

“How so?” Kieran asked.

“It matches two samples in our database.”

“What? Which ones?” Ryan asked.

“The tissue sample from Melissa’s teeth matches the paternal markers in the umbilical cord which matches the phony rape kit sample.”

The revelations stunned the two agents. If the DNA results of the familial match to the tissue and foreign blood samples were accurate it meant Davis was abducted from Viktoriya Sazanova's womb, then she was murdered by Jacob Caldwell, Mrs. Krieger probably witnessed the crime or participated, and was murdered to ensure her silence.

What was puzzling was the question that plagued the investigators. Why kill Melissa? What made her a target in the first place?

***

Jacob was pissed. Someone found his dirty secret. He had been tipped off by his secretary that the police knew about Viktoriya and Samantha.

'How the hell did this happen?' he thought

After getting a tip that a judge had signed warrants for his arrest and for authorizing a search of his properties Jacob fled with the two people he could trust: Natalia and Louis. One of them had betrayed him. They are the only ones alive that knew of the murders. Natalia cut the baby out and Louis killed both of them. But which one gave the FBI the bodies?

He called them into the office of their safe house. When they sat down he stared at them. “Which one of you gave them faggot pigs those bodies?” he growled angrily.

Louis sat stoically but Natalia broke out into a cold sweat. She began to fidget in her seat. Both men noticed her nervousness.

Jacob narrowed his eyes at his wife and growled angrily, “You bitch!”

Natalia was angry at her husband. He had begun drinking heavily and had began beating her, then letting his cronies to use her for sexual release. She'd had enough and had turned on her husband of thirty years.

“I cannot believe you would do this to me Natalia. Why?”

“Because you turned on me and started to let your men take their turns on me. I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Well Natalia, you’re gonna have to pay the price. Louis do the honors and get rid of her for me?”

“Yes boss.”

With that Jacob stood up and walked out as Louis stood, pulled a revolver out of his holster and shot Natalia between the eyes in cold blood.