Recycle - 13. Chapter 13

The Springfield TV stations were extremely helpful, and the Internet picked up from there. One of the stations even started with a sketch of what the shooter might look like, though there was a bit too much guerilla streetfighter in her: Long, dark brown hair pulled straight back and ending in a braid that curled in front of her shoulder. Camouflage jacket open over an olive drab T-shirt. Tight camo pants ending in heavy brown hiking boots. A second station softened that image some, with the shooter’s hair parted in the center and closer to blonde, and her wearing a light gray tank top, darker gray shorts, turquoise gym socks, and low, tan walking shoes with wide red laces. She also wore a matching red bandana, halfway back on her head. Both faces were white and Germanic, with the first in a runway model scowl and the second a privileged grin.

“That’s great,” Elena announced, “we’ve got both ends of the fashion industry.”

“At least she doesn’t have a whip,” Don joked.

“Or a rifle,” Jae added. “And why do they simply assume she’s white?”

“Because most of Germany is,” Ike answered. “Black people almost don’t exist. And when I spoke pretty good German to them, they were amazed. Though they recognized my American accent and spoke to me in English.”

“I’ll bet she doesn’t look anything like that,” Rob predicted. “Plus, they both made her seem six-feet tall.”

“Super Shooter,” Jae cracked.

“Closer to villain,” Owen corrected. “At least, they set her up as someone to be afraid of. That’s good.”

The sketches also quickly got around the Internet, and Elena saw at least one of them on a UMass T-shirt. Meanwhile, the Nerf fighting continued, she reported, “Helped by an increasing supply of free bullets.”

“They haven’t let up?” Owen questioned.

“Nope,” Elena assured him.

“Where does she get them?” Don wondered.

“Maybe she’s one of the scavengers,” Jae suggested. “No one looks at them. The only difference is she doesn’t sell what she collects.”

“Are we getting any leads out of this publicity?” Owen asked. “Decent ones?”

“Well, we getting the expected responses,” Elena replied. “And because the sketches look so generic, she’s been sighted everywhere.”

“But has she been identified by name?” Owen went on.

Elena smiled. “Lots of them... and I’ve followed up the most likely and spoken with the women. But they all check out on one or more of the attack dates.”

“Here’s something to think about,” Don offered. “Is there any chance she’s more than one person? I mean, the attacks have been all over the place. Is it possible there’s a small group of people behind this?”

“I’ve thought about that,” Elena admitted. “Partly because of something you mentioned the other day. But – at least, to me – the problem is keeping a secret. And it’s a good one – a great one – and the kind of thing kids would brag about – especially after two months. And considering the Internet, all it would take was one person slipping up.”

“Just wanted to add it in,” Don half-retracted.

“And there’s no reason not to,” Elena assured him. “But I don’t think it’s likely.”

Don nodded, and the others seemed to agree.

“Which leaves us where?” Owen asked.

“Well, there’s a bigger problem now,” Elena admitted. “With all the publicity, she’s simply stopped.”

“What?” Jae asked.

“Yeah... there have been no attacks since the sketches hit.”

“Maybe one of them’s closer than we think,” Rob proposed.

“Or this could be another lull – like before,” Jae countered. “How long did that last?”

“I think two weeks,” Elena remembered. “I can go back and check, though I’m not sure it’s important. The point was that we’d cut off her publicity then, and she wanted it back. So she came up with the bigger tattoo.”

“And breaking into that car,” Owen added.

“You’ve got to admit she’s flexible,” Ike offered.

“Yes,” Elena reinforced, “all along the way. We do one thing, and she reacts. Or – even by accident – she discovers something better than what she started with – and she goes with it.”

“Like capitalizing on the Nerf wars,” Don put in.

“Or pulling back on darts and hitting on drunks,” Ike added.

“The problem is she’s really good at what she’s doing,” Elena admitted. “It’s been hard... coming in every morning and checking the new reports.”

“And now they’ve gone away,” Don repeated.

“Hers have,” Elena said. “The Nerf silliness keep building... Because the labels are doing their work and getting the recycling word around.”

“And one of the videos finally caught on,” Jae informed them. “Not viral... but someone’s edited together all the funny parts – all the guys’ faces as they get bombarded below their belts. And that’s intercut with pictures of the tattoos and the shooter sketches.”

“I’ve seen it,” Elena admitted, “and it is funny. I wonder if she did it.”

“How many skills can one person have?” Rob objected.

“These days, anyone can edit,” Ike reasoned. “The software’s online and free.”

“But wouldn’t it be dangerous for her to post?” Jae disagreed. “It’s traceable... No, I’ll bet this goes back to Hampshire – it’s just their style.”

“But is it helping or hurting us?” Elena wanted to know.

“And if the shooter’s a student,” Don cracked, “when does she get any sleep?”

“We still haven’t gotten one dart,” Owen reminded them. “They always seem to be recovered.”

“To be reused?” Rob asked.

“That also may not matter anymore,” Elena acknowledged, “since she seems to have stopped using them.”

“Another thing we know,” Don continued, “is that she’s the kind of person who’s comfortable carrying a knife. She had one handy to cut away that car trim.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Elena admitted.

“Maybe I did ‘cause I’ve carried one since grade school,” Don confessed. “Not for defense... just ‘cause they’re good to have around.”

“But do women do that?” Ike asked

“Maybe someone who hunts,” Don suggested. He showed them his jackknife, which was attached to his keychain. “I don’t need sixteen blades anymore. Just one sharp one.”

“What kind of woman would want that?” Rob also questioned. “Pepper spray’s faster – and unlikely to get you on a murder charge.”

“So hunting and pharmacy...” Jae listed.

“Well, the hunting might mean she grew up in a rural community,” Don offered. “But the pharmacy... or chemistry... could trip us. It’s hard to make that connection.”

“But if she’s rural and a hunter,” Elena pointed out, “she might know how to sedate animals.”

“And everyone can find out one specific thing on the Internet,” Owen added. “They don’t need to be experts on it.”

“But what about the printer?” Ike wanted to know. “Who even needs one any more? My kids submit everything online.”

“That’s true,” Jae remembered. “On the rare occasion in college I needed something printed, I’d go to the library.”

“That’s not private,” Ike objected. “Someone could see her print the labels.”

“Early in the morning, or late at night, the library’s almost empty,” Jae told him. “And you can quickly print from your phone or laptop and pay by giftcard. All anonymous.”

“But she’d still have to buy the labels,” Rob said, “maybe boxes of them.

“Not really,” Elena told him. “In that size – and you saw how small they are – they come five or six thousand to a box – on sheets that are quick to print. And I don’t think she’s given away that many bullets.”

“We’ve got so many ideas... There’s so much to cover...” Jae just sighed.

“Let’s hope the Internet does its job then,” Owen encouraged. “And the TV stations... for people who still get their news that way.”

It was doing some good, Elena was soon happy to report. “All the leads that came in weren’t entirely useless – and the German’s the biggest draw. Turns out there’s a large European community, though most of the students are here for grad work... because undergrad education in Europe is terrific and cheaper.”

“Are they here for the prestige schools?” Owen asked. “Smith and Amherst? Can we narrow to them?”

“Actually, neither has degrees in the sciences – not on the upper levels – not competitive. In that way, UMass is better.”

“So we could be looking for a grad student. Does that shift our thoughts?” Owen wanted to know.

“Well, a grad student might be able to think more complexly,” Elena offered.

“And might be able to grab those quick alternatives,” Jae added.

“And if she’s coming from a different country... and doesn’t know much about this area,” Don considered, “she might not know how ingrained recycling is.”

“This might be something we can’t afford to investigate,” Owen started slowly, looking at Elena, “but have you checked to see if anything like this has happened in Europe – specifically in the German speaking areas?”

Elena gave him a look that combined exasperation with exhaustion, and Owen laughed.

“Yeah – I know,” he admitted. “We have a tiny case... and a small police force... and a minuscule budget for special projects... and we’re letting this one get out of hand.” He paused and, like Jae, sighed. “I say we pass this on to Northampton – or even Boston, if they’re interested.”

Everyone resisted that, each for a different, logical reason. And Owen listened.

“And here’s another point,” Elena intervened, “which may be the most important. Maybe the shooter’s gotten exactly what she wanted – and she’s gotten enough. So is it more important to catch her now? Or just have her stop?”

“Good question,” Owen admitted, “because if we stop her, we’ve essentially caught her. Plus, we save the time and cost of a trial... and of keeping her in jail for several years – because no one can deny she’s broken a handful of laws.”

“For a good cause,” Elena pointed out.

“That doesn’t matter, and we all know it,” Owen said.

“But the jurors are likely to treat the whole thing lightly,” Elena went on, “again, as if it’s a joke. Especially with all the Nerf battles.”

She got no argument there.

“Just make sure everything we know keeps going to the media,” Owen repeated. “Everything. As it comes in.”

Elena simply nodded.