Monday morning, July 30th
It had been fifteen days since the last murder, two weekends without a strike. Ten days since the stakeouts began, with no results. No other victims had come forward to point a finger at Sam Parks, or any of the other men. They’d never know if one of the murdered men was the Avenger’s motive, unless they caught him and he talked.
Damnit! Dan cursed as the phone rang. “Mallory.”
“Lieutenant Mallory?”
“Yes?”
“This is Doctor Renew. Henrietta Harper gave me your phone number and asked me to check out some things for you. I have appointments until six, but I can see you after that if you’re available.”
“I’ll be there,” Dan responded quickly. “Have you found anything?”
“We do have some supplies missing. Is six thirty all right with you?”
“Where’s your office located?” Dan wrote down the address and thanked him before he hung up. Damnit again. Now, I’ve got to cancel on Andi, again. He dialed her number and told her what Doctor Renew had said. “I have to go check it out, Andi.”
“Of course you do, Dan. Don’t worry. I was about to call you anyway because I need to work late tonight. We have a felony robbery case going to trial on Wednesday, so Ray has a lot of paperwork for me to do.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Make it Wednesday evening. I’m going to be swamped for the next two days. Ray isn’t going to let them plea, so it’s going to be busy here, then crashing at home.”
“I’ll call you Wednesday about six thirty. Don’t work too hard, and wish me luck tonight. We still have those five possibles under stakeout, but nothing suspicious yet. Maybe we’ll catch him this weekend.”
“My other line is buzzing, Dan. I’ll talk to you Wednesday evening after work.”
“Bye.”
“Get some rest. You’ll need it.”
At a major medical lab on the MCG campus, Doctor Renew greeted Dan with a warm handshake. “Henri’s a wonderful gal. I have a great deal of respect for her. She’s come a long way. I’ve been doing a little research since she called. Our inventory count shows we have one missing jar of sulfuric acid and five of chloroform, as well as a liquid nitrogen container. Other areas have boxes of medical gloves, syringes and sedatives missing, as well as several vials of pure KCL, potassium chloride, I guess you know by now.”
Dan nodded. “What would he want with liquid nitrogen?’
“From what I’ve been reading in the papers, a form of torture perhaps. It freezes the tissue instantly. A live rose dipped in it can be shattered like glass. It’s dangerous, so I hope he knows how to handle it. Of course, he may not be the person who stole it. We had a case several years ago where a nurse took some to use for her daughter’s school science project. I can’t guarantee that your Avenger is the one who took these items. Supplies are stolen or borrowed by other labs all the time, unfortunately. For instance, someone with diabetes, who either doesn’t want to spend the money or doesn’t have to for a box of syringes, so they get them free at work. Same goes for the gloves and sedatives. It’s like someone in an office taking home pencils or pens or paper. The liquid nitro may have been stolen or misplaced, or borrowed by another lab on a tight budget. Or by a lab assistant who forgot to order one in time for a research experiment or ran out during a project. But the chemicals, their absences are suspicious because they’re on your list. However, they have other purposes: a solvent, fertilizer, animal anesthetic, and more. We have other chemicals and items unaccounted for, but they don’t fit your needs. Or rather, your serial killer’s needs.”
“Can you get me a list of all the staff members and employees in your department? I’d like to crosscheck the names against the others I’ve received. I even want those for delivery men, maintenance, and the cleaning staff, anybody with access to the labs and chemicals.”
Doctor Renew handed him a folder. “I already took care of that. Henri said you might be wanting it, so I already called Personnel and had them run a report to give to you. It contains the names and addresses of everyone who’s worked in any capacity in this department in the last five years. They won’t release any more than that without a warrant. They have to protect us against lawsuits. You know everyone’s gotten sue happy these days,” he jested and chuckled. “Oh, yes, I highlighted anybody who has keys or access to keys for secure areas and drug cabinets. Including mine,” he added with a grin and more chuckles.
“This will get us started. Thanks, Doctor Renew. I’ll make sure to tell Henri what a big help you’ve been.” Dan smiled and shook Renew’s hand.
“Thanks, Lieutenant. If I can do anything else, please let me know. One last thing, we’ve tightened department security, so we shouldn’t have any more stolen or borrowed items. Everything has to be accounted for and signed out. So if your Avenger somehow got his supplies from here, he won’t be able to get any more from us.”
Dan nodded. “Maybe that will shorten or halt his killing spree, because he has a set ritual, the old ‘Eye for an eye’ revenge.”
Dan glanced at his watch and was glad to see it was only six forty-five. He had arrived early, Renew was finished, and they had completed their meeting fast. Since he wasn’t far from his office, he would get there soon.
––––––––
Monday evening, July 30th
“Hey, Carl, you ready to party? I’m gonna rock your world upside down. We’re gonna have some fun tonight,” the Avenger whispered with glee. “What? You didn’t think I’d come for you? What makes you any different from the rest of the assholes I’ve been taking? You didn’t really think you’d get away with it, did you? Yeah, I guess you did, since the courts turned you loose. But thwarted Justice has a friend on her side: Me. You raped Beth Franklin, bashed her teeth out with your hammer, broke several of the bones in her face. Then you left her and her two-year-old daughter in a deserted parking lot at the lake. If someone hadn’t come along when they did, she would have died from her wounds and exposure. Not to mention what could have happened to her child. I think it’s only fair if you’re exposed to some things tonight.”
What the fuck! That bitch woulda been fine if she hadn’t fought so much. He was a man and he had needs. She had the nerve to tell him she wasn’t interested. No woman ever said no to Carl Whitehead, including his ex-wife. Teresa had paid dearly for the times she had refused to have sex with him. That Beth bitch wasn’t any different. He was half drunk, he wanted to fuck, and she was within reach. That’s all there was to it. So what if her daughter was there? She needed to learn that lesson early, so she wouldn’t be as uppity and stingy as her mother. He had taken off his anger edge with a twelve pack after he dumped her sorry ass like garbage. That stupid policeman had questioned him while he was drunk and incapacitated, no lawyer present or offered, so his testimony had been thrown out of court. Since there were no eyewitnesses except for the daughter, it was his word against Beth’s. He had used a rubber. Gotten rid of the hammer and bloody clothes. Showered before he downed those beers and some rot gut whiskey. No evidence left to use. Reasonable doubt was all he needed. So why was this Avenger after him? This bastard couldn’t prove he had been getting his manly needs met. Surely this jerk realized that.
“Why did you bash her teeth out, Carl? She bit you? Poor baby. I thought a real man was supposed to be tougher than that. I’d better take care of that matter first. I don’t want you to get stupid and do the same thing.” The Avenger removed the gag to expose Carl’s mouth. Following several sharp blows, Carl’s front teeth were shattered on the floor. Blood poured from the injuries to his lacerated gums and teeth.
I’m gonna get you for this, Carl swore. Damn! Where was he gonna find the money to replace his teeth? He could feel his lips and tongue swelling from the cuts caused by the hammer. He tried to spit out the blood that was filling his mouth. He wanted to tell the bastard what he was going to do to him, but he couldn’t talk when a large object was jammed into his throbbing mouth. I’m gonna bite this asshole’s prick off! He tried to chomp down as best as he could, but that action drove some embedded shards deeper into his aching gums and exposed nerves. He groaned in agony and almost passed out.
The Avenger laughed. “Oh, Carl, that felt good. Yeah, tighten it up for me again. But if you hurt me, man, I’ll have to use that hammer on your nose and skull next; then, cut out your eyeballs with my knife. Your mouth is as smooth as a baby’s butt. Without those teeth in the way, you’re a good cocksucker. Gum me again. Yeah, that feels good.”
This jerk is sick, Carl decided. Without his teeth and with those threats, he couldn’t stop the assault on his mouth. He could only lie there and endure what was happening to him. But when he got loose, he was going to bash this Avenger’s teeth out. How many men had this prick gotten so far? What if somebody had AIDS? He didn’t want to die like that. What if this Avenger had it? Oh, God, man, I don’t want to die. I should’ve killed that bitch when I had the chance. None of this would have happened if she hadn’t been left alive to tell her story. He felt warm fluid fill his mouth and retched at the taste. Before he could spit out semen and blood or scream for help, a sock was stuffed into this mouth, antagonizing the fresh wounds.
“Oh, Carl. I should’ve thought of that sooner. No teeth make for the best blowjob. Your gums were so soft. Man, Carl, I’m getting hard again just thinking about it. But I’ve got another place I want to try. I bet it’s soft and fresh, too.”
Carl felt gloved hands part his buttocks and struggled against the ropes. They tore into his wrists and ankles, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was getting away from this agony. Of all the men out there, why did the Avenger decide to pick on him?
“I guess you need to be taught the same lesson you taught Beth. I’m a man with needs. I’ve been having my own little party and now I’m horny. You’re going to satisfy me. Of course, we don’t have a small witness to our good time, like you did. Don’t fight me or I’ll be forced to hurt you worse. That will be your fault, Carl. Just like it was Beth’s fault, isn’t that right?”
Carl struggled and wrestled against the ropes as hard as he could. He wasn’t going down without a fight. Nobody told him what to do with his own body. He was a man, damnit, and not some pussy. He was supposed to give orders, not take them. If this sicko wanted fucking, he should’ve gotten himself a whore and beaten her brains out. That’s what women were there for: to cook, clean, have babies, and fuck whenever their man wanted it. This faggot was treating him like some lowly bitch woman. Well, he had news for him: He wasn’t no pussy like the rest of those guys. He’d beat the tar out of this fucking homo and teach him a lesson or two about what a real man was. Then he felt the first blow to his ribs.
“I told you not to fight me, but you didn’t listen any better than a woman does. They don’t do what you tell them to, so you have to keep them in line. You’re not listening to what I’m telling you to do, so I’ll have to help you understand the rules. I’m the boss.” The hammer was slammed against Carl’s shoulder blade. “I tell you what to do and when.” A blow to Carl’s arm. “I am the man.” A crushing strike to Carl’s shoulder. “You ain’t nothing but a whore.”
A fist struck his temple hard enough to cause his vision to blur, but he didn’t pass out. He wouldn’t give this prick the satisfaction of that. Carl knew several of his bones were broken, but a few broken bones didn’t mean a thing. I’ve had plenty in my day. The beers and coke he had done earlier helped to dull the pain. The thought of Beth feeling the torment of his revenge was enough to make his dick grow rock hard. The adrenaline pulsing through him caused his excitement to increase as he devised her punishment for this new crime against him.
The hammer repeatedly struck Carl on the arms, legs and back, breaking many bones. His flesh whelped and oozed blood where several of the blows had broken the skin. The Avenger stepped behind him, parted his butt cheeks and thrust deep and hard into his tight rectum, causing Carl to begin a high-pitched scream through his gag. The infuriated vigilante drove into him many times before releasing a flow of semen. Blood dripped from the bound man’s puckering anus.
“You learn faster than I thought you would. Do you understand who’s boss now?”
Carl didn’t move or make a sound.
A fist was slammed into the side of Carl’s head again. “Obviously, I was wrong. I asked you a question. Do you understand who’s boss now?” The Avenger watched as Carl nodded his head up and down. “Is it you?” Carl shook his head. “Is it me? Am I the man of this house?”
Tears crept down his covered face as Carl nodded his head. Humiliation consumed him as he began to cry like a baby.
“Good, Carl. I might have to let you hang around for a while and visit you from time to time. But people will say and do anything to stay alive, won’t they, Carl? That’s what Beth did. She told you everything you wanted to hear and did everything you told her to do, so she could stay alive and keep you away from her daughter. And then she went and told the police what you’d done. How do I know you wouldn’t do the same thing? You might forget this lesson and try to tell the same lies she did. A man has needs, Carl, and you were here for me. Thank you for that. But now you must die.”
Why? Carl began to cry harder and sniffle through a runny nose. He’d done everything this jerk had asked him to, so why was he going to kill him? The Avenger responded to him as if he’d spoken aloud.
“You don’t deserve to live, Carl. You pissed me off. I don’t want to have to keep coming over and teaching you these lessons and you’re never hurting another woman, good or bad. Look at me, Carl. I want you to see who did this to you. I want you to die knowing why this was done.”
Carl felt the band come loose around his head. Maybe if he didn’t look, the faggot wouldn’t kill him. He refused to open his eyes.
The hammer slammed into his hip. “You still haven’t learned very well. If you don’t look at me, I’ll kill you anyway. At least this way, you’ll be able to recognize me in Hell when we meet again.”
Carl felt a sting on the inside of his elbow and unwillingly opened his eyes. They widened at the sight standing before him. Oh, fuck, the Avenger is—And he passed into eternal darkness.
“What sweet justice, you asshole. You’re not the big man you wanted everyone to believe you were when faced with a real challenge, are you? You never stood a chance against me. You’ll never be half of what I am.”
The Avenger packed the items used for Carl’s torture into a nylon bag and checked the room thoroughly, lest anything be left behind. “It wouldn’t do for Mallory to find out who I am before I’m finished. It’s almost over, Lieutenant. I’ll be through soon enough with my revenge. Just be glad you’re off the front page. It was necessary to do it this way to accomplish all I’ve set before me. My sweet, slumbering Tippi, this one was for you, too. I love you. He’ll be punished and killed soon. I promise. For now, Justice has been served again. I wonder what tomorrow’s headline should be. Maybe it needs a photo under it. Naw, that’s too risky again. Time for clean up and rest. Bye, Carl, burn in Hell, you bastard.”
––––––––
Dan told his partner, “Why don’t you go home and spend some time with Janie? The Captain called in a computer specialist—name’s Tracy Daniels—and she should be here soon. She’s going to set up a program so we can determine if there’s a correlation between anyone associated with this investigation, past cases, and the medical labs. There has to be a connection somewhere. Hopefully, we’ll be able to input most of the information tonight. I can handle this by myself, so you head home. It’s only seven, so you can eat a late dinner with that beautiful wife of yours.”
Mory jumped on the idea. “If you’re sure you don’t need me, I’m gonna take you up on that. I think time together will be good for us.”
“I think you both need it. I shouldn’t be too late. I’ll help Ms. Daniels get started and then see how far we can get by eleven,” Dan turned as an auburn haired woman knocked on the door to their office and asked, “Tracy Daniels?”
“Yes. Lieutenant Mallory?” At Dan’s nod, she continued, “Sorry I’m late, but I had to tie up some loose ends at home. Are you ready to get started?”
“Sure. This is Sergeant Mory Morrison, my partner. He’s on his way out the door, but I’m glad you got to meet him because he’ll have full access to this program and its contents. I appreciate your willingness to come in this late and get everything set up for us. Programming computers isn’t one of my strong points.”
“I don’t mind helping at all and the overtime pay is good,” she said and grinned. “I’ve assisted several past investigations, so Captain Bolton is familiar with my work. He briefed me on the current situation and garnered my strictest confidence.”
“Are you going to have a problem working on this case? There’s a lot of people who like what the Avenger is doing and don’t want him caught. Are there going to be any conflicts for you?” Dan asked.
Does he know about my past? Is he checking up on me, to see how honest I’ll be? Will the truth keep me from working on this case, a case that’s very close to my heart, a case I need to follow for my own reasons? Probably. Tracy gambled and said, “No, sir. Two wrongs don’t make a right, as my mom used to say. Just because this Avenger has been attacking accused men doesn’t make his actions any more right than theirs were. I can’t say I don’t understand his motives, but I don’t agree with his actions.”
“Good answer, Ms. Daniels,” Mory told her.
“Tracy, please. If we’re going to be working closely together, I don’t want to feel or sound like an old lady,” she quipped, relief lightening her mood. He doesn’t know or suspect the truth. I’m far more than an Avenger fan. Things are going to work out all right. I’m going to be closer to this investigation than I ever dreamed possible.
“Okay, but you have to call me Dan. I’ll tell you what I want and you decide the best way to go about it. I need to cross-reference the names of different areas and departments to determine if there’s a correlation between them. I want to know if someone has a relationship with two or more of the places I’m interested in. Can you do that?”
Me, for one. “Sure, no problem. We can set up a database and I can sort them by several different fields. That’s the hardest part. Keying in the information is the easiest. I’m also a fast typist. What we need to do first is determine which criteria you want to sort by and what information you want to go in each file.”
“On that note, I’ll be leaving you two to your work,” Mory said. “I’ll have a drink and nice evening for you.”
“Make it two,” Dan joked. “Forget about the case for tonight and have a good time. I’ll see you in the morning, and tell Janie I said hi.”
“Will do. Bye, Tracy. And good luck. He turns into a werewolf at midnight, so make sure you get out of here before then.” Mory grinned and walked out the door, missing the expression on Tracy’s face.
I’ve had enough experiences with demons that stalk the night, Tracy thought. No man is any match for me, not even this detective. The only way Mallory can hurt me is by exposing my past and I’ll make sure he doesn’t find out about that. It’s taken me four years to live down what happened before. I won’t let anyone take me there again. I’ll destroy them first. Just like I must stop and destroy Alan.
Dan picked up the stack of papers and opened the first file. “This may take longer than I thought, Tracy. We have a lot of info to deal with. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave and we can call it a night.”
“No problem, Dan. Let’s get started.” Tracy pulled a legal pad and pen from her satchel and sat down in the chair next to the lieutenant. “First, we need to determine what fields and what information you want to cross-reference and then I can set up the database. Once it’s ready, you’ll be able to add names and such yourself, but I’ll remain available to help if you get bogged down in the investigation.”
“I appreciate that, Tracy. Mory and I prepared a list of things we think are applicable to our perp. I don’t know how you’ll make that in to data fields.”
“Most of this is no problem,” Tracy mumbled as she scanned the list. “Let me take a few notes and we can get moving.”
For several hours, they changed and juggled the fields in the computer, adding and deleting several of them. By midnight, both were satisfied the program would achieve the desired results. However, Tracy wanted to enter several names and test run the program to assure herself it would work as she had designed it. Dan read information to her as she keyed it into the computer. By the early hours of the morning, both were in a trance-like state but wanted to continue until they were finished.
When he heard activity outside the office door, Dan knew it was past time to call it quits. “Tracy, I really appreciate all of your help. I didn’t intend on keeping you up all night, but I’m glad we were able to get most of this stuff in the computer. Mine and Mory’s typing skills don’t even come close to yours.”
Tracy smiled and nodded her head. “It’s quite all right. I’m glad I was able to help. Let’s give this a run and see what it comes up with, okay?”
“Sure,” Dan leaned back in his chair, resting his back and shoulders, while the computer began to sort through the data they had entered. The soft humming and clicking nearly made him drift off to sleep. He was totally unaware of what was being discovered across town at this very moment....
Exhausted, Dan stood to work kinks out of his shoulders while the computer continued its search for any possible match ups. He hadn’t meant to stay until dawn, but he wanted to be there while Tracy Daniels entered the facts into the program. What was I hoping for? Did I think the killer’s name was going to have a red star beside it? All the detailed information was jumbled around in his head. It had been a long night. He couldn’t keep up this pace for long; he needed to get home and get some sleep.
As the computer continued its work, his phone rang. Dan grabbed the receiver and got an unexpected message. Afterwards, he sank back into his chair, closed his eyes, and gave a deep and loud sigh.
“Bad news?” Tracy asked, still wide awake on caffeine and curiosity.
“There’s been another murder. Last night, a man not under our stake-out was tortured and killed at his home. The boys on the scene believe it was the Avenger. Same MO. Shit!” Dan exclaimed, before he called Mory to tell him about the discovery of another body and to give him directions to the crime scene. To Tracy, he said, “Would you put the report on my desk when it’s complete? I have to get over there. Maybe the Avenger made a mistake this time. I should have some more names to put in the program after I get back to the office. Would you write down some basic instructions for me, so I can enter them and run another report with the new details?”
“I’ll do better than that. How about I meet you back here around four or five, and I can show you and Mory how to do it? That way, you’ll have real info to work with and I can make sure you know what you’re doing so you don’t erase all my hard work.”
“I’d really appreciate that, Tracy. I should be back by then. If I’m not, I’ll leave word at the front desk when you can expect me. Thanks again for all your hard work.”
“No problem, Dan. Good luck over at Whitehead’s.”
Dan turned around quickly. “What? How did you know his name?”
Tracy pointed to the notepad where Dan had scribbled the victim’s name. “That and I overheard you telling Mory. What did you think, Dan? I’m the Avenger?”
Dan’s face showed his embarrassment as he apologized. “Sorry, Tracy. This job makes me suspicious of everyone. I guess I’m just a little worn out this morning. Brain dead. Low sugar. I didn’t mean to accuse or offend you.”
“No offense taken, Dan. After you leave his house, though, you need to get at least a few hours of shut-eye, a hot shower and a good meal. By the way, I’m missing a very important part of anatomy to be the Avenger,” Tracy said with a grin and laughter before she turned towards the computer.
Dan grinned at her back and grabbed his notepad. Before he left the office, he said, “Thanks again, Tracy, and I’m sorry if I offended you. I’ll see you again at five.”
“See you, Dan.” Tracy responded. Damn, I almost blew it. Lieutenant Mallory doesn’t need to know how closely I’m hanging on his every sentence, every question, and every innuendo. That could send his suspicions my way and ruin everything. I’ve got to be more careful in the future. Tired brains are careless brains.
––––––––
At Carl Whitehead’s apartment, Dan muttered in irritation, “He doesn’t kill anyone for two and a half weeks, then he switches to a Monday night. All the other attacks were on the weekend. What’s going on?” he asked aloud, frustration creeping into his voice as he stared at the newest victim tied spread eagle. He studied the ropes and determined they were tied consistently as a left-handed person would. When he looked down, he saw a muddy footprint at the edge of the bed, under the spread, “Henri, come take a look at this.”
Henrietta walked to his side. “What is it, Dan? Did you find something?”
“I don’t know. What do you make of it?” He pointed to a print stain on the carpet. “It’s where our perp would’ve been standing when he received oral sodomy.”
Henrietta leaned over for a closer look and measured the length and width of the print. “I don’t know, Dan. It looks too small to belong to a man strong enough to overpower our victims. It probably belongs to whoever cleans his pad, Carl’s girlfriend or some other friend. I don’t think it’s the Avenger’s. Could be a plant to mislead us. I mean, why only one track? Where’s the rest of his trail? I won’t know if it’s fresh until we test the dirt’s moisture level. Definitely a boot print, wide but short foot for a huge brute. I think the cleaning lady just missed it after the last storm. But I’ll give it my best shot.”
Dan mused, “Maybe the victims know, or think they know, this Avenger. Maybe he’s small enough that he’s not threatening. His strength could come from his anger and the element of surprise. Maybe the Avenger has an accomplice who gets inside their homes and then disables them with drugs or chloroform so the Avenger can seek his justice. That would explain how he’s gained entrance without having to break in.”
“That theory certainly bears checking into. Maybe one of your female victims is paying someone to commit the crimes with her assistance. Perhaps they’re using a serial MO to mask the real target’s identity. Or maybe it was someone who didn’t report the rape or know the rapist and has chosen to go this route instead. You guys have a lot of work to do. And so do I. Call me in three days and I’ll have your reports ready.”
After Harold took pictures, Henrietta made definitive measurements. “I’ll make a soft mold of the footprint at the office. It’s probably nothing, but we have to check every clue we find right now. Something is going to lead us to this Avenger. He has to make his mistake soon.”
Harold said, “I hate to tell you boys, but I’m not finding any evidence you two can use. Like Henri said, that one boot print doesn’t look helpful. Strange nobody ever sees or hears anything suspicious. Seems our perp is outsmarting us.” Harold’s green gaze watched Dan and Mory nod but grimace.
Dan suggested to his partner, “Why don’t you head on to the office and start getting the file together on our latest victim? Tracy’s returning about five to help us. We got a lot done last night. She’s smart and she’s fast. I’m tired but wired. I need to go shower, shave and change clothes. I’ll meet you there in a couple of hours.”
“See you there,” Mory replied. “And grab some food and decent coffee.”
––––––––
Early Tuesday afternoon, July 31st
“I have some interesting news for you, Dan,” Mory divulged as he entered their office. “Guess who Carl Whitehead’s ex-wife has been hanging out with lately? An ex-police officer named Paul Cannon, fired last year for assault and battery while on the job. Used to work in the Traffic Division. Short guy, but big, muscular. Wore his shield like it put him above the law. I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him. Has a reputation for a hot temper. Most of the other officers didn’t like him much, but covered his ass, because they wanted that same protection if he was backing them up on a call.”
Mory paused before saying, “Anyway, Cannon got pissed off when a speeding van refused to pull over during a pursuit. When the driver crashed after running a red light, Paul beat the shit out of him for not stopping when he flashed his lights and blared the siren. After the guy pressed charges, other incidents on the job, harassing other suspects came to light. He was terminated the next day. Now, he’s working in a bait and tackle shop and shacking up with Teresa Whitehead, Carl’s ex. How’s that for coincidence? He could be our Avenger, or maybe he’s supplying information. It’s also possible Carl’s death was a copycat crime and the Avenger isn’t responsible for this one.”
“Cannon would have had access to records on all of these women,” Dan speculated as he read the ex-officer’s file. “I’m sure he still has some friends on the force. And he certainly would have hated Carl, who was arrested several times for battery against Teresa. I think we should pay Paul Cannon a visit, after we go see Beth Franklin. I’ll leave these new names and data for Tracy Daniels to key in the computer. After we worked all night, I gave her most of today off. As I said, she’s coming in late this afternoon to complete the list. I’d rather go see Ms. Franklin before we track down Cannon. Who knows? Maybe we’ll turn up something more concrete after Tracy adds these two cases names to the list.”