A Formidable Foe (Risky Research) Read online

  As she went through the reports, she noted the similarities and the differences. Both women were enrolled at the same university and lived off campus. One incident happened in the spring, the other in the fall. A thorough autopsy was done on the woman who was battered by an apparently very careful assailant, since no unaccounted for DNA was identified. The other woman had few external wounds, so no indication that she had help hanging herself. A toxicology report was done which revealed no drugs or alcohol was in her system, but the report made no mention of an autopsy. Devyn didn’t know if this was an omission in the report or if one had not been done.

  Devyn moved onto the crime scene photos. She wished she had the digital copies of the reports rather than black and white printed pages so she could enhance the images. Nonetheless, she couldn’t quit staring at the hanging victim, something in the photograph wasn’t right. After several moments it dawned on her.

  Grabbing her cell phone, she typed a quick text to Brad asking if he would get a break anytime soon. He responded that he was due in fifteen minutes and could meet her at the coffee shop around the corner from the campus police station.

  Devyn confirmed she’d be there, put the copy of the photograph in her jacket pocket and darted out of her room.

  FIVE

  Despite Devyn being her best friend and roommate, Amanda was happy to be out with her astronomy classmates, who had no obsession about potential serial killers. The group gathered around six tables they had pushed together, and enjoyed pizza and discussing the endless prospects of undiscovered life that awaited in the vast universe.

  Amanda wasn’t an astronomy major, but had taken the class to fulfill her science requirements in the most interesting way she could think of. If she’d known three years ago what she knew now, maybe she would have pursued a career studying the stars. The subject was interesting, her fellow classmates were passionate, and there was something about contemplating the universe that soothed the soul and opened the mind to all possibilities.

  The excitement surrounding the evening’s field trip was palpable. It was a welcome diversion from the classroom and the opportunity to use some amazing and very expensive telescopes to view the night skies had them all abuzz.

  “A little less chatter and a little more eating,” one of the seniors ordered. “We need to start walking in less than an hour, and there is no point in wasting all this food.”

  Amanda grabbed another slice of pepperoni pizza as the chatter continued. She glanced out the window as the sun slowly set, casting a dim light over the beautiful campus. She had only been out a few times at night all semester because of Devyn’s paranoia. Amanda appreciated her friend’s caution and concern, but it had put a serious damper on her social life. She was kind of surprised that Kevin had been allowed to walk her to the pizza parlor without Devyn accompanying them both.

  “How’s the pizza,” Kevin asked, breaking into Amanda’s thoughts.

  “Great.” She returned his warm smile and didn’t pull away when he reached over and squeezed her hand. There was no way Amanda would let her friend ruin any opportunity to spend time with Kevin. If he asked her out, Devyn would just have to put her crazy ideas aside. In this case three would definitely be a crowd.

  SIX

  Devyn hurried into the coffee shop. Out of breath but only steps behind Brad, she was glad he hadn’t had to wait for her arrival.

  “What? Did you run?” he asked as he pulled out a chair for her at the tiny table in the corner of the shop.

  “Yep, I know you don’t have a long break, and I really wanted to run something by you.”

  “I figured you didn’t text just because you couldn’t wait until our date to see me again,” Brad replied.

  Devyn smiled and flagged down the waiter. After they placed their order and the waiter left, she removed the picture from her pocket and flattened it on the table.

  “Anything strike you as odd?”

  Brad studied the picture for several minutes and finally shook his head.

  “How many young women do you know who own a ratchet strap?”

  “Now that you mention it, that’s a pretty odd contraption she used. Looks like a three-inch strap tied off around several newel poles on the loft banister. On the other end the strap is wrapped a couple times around her neck and secured with the hook.”

  “A three-inch strap would be very difficult to tie around anything, and it’s not a common household item especially for someone living in a small loft apartment, but it is wide enough to cover up any previous bruising.”

  “So, you don’t think she killed herself?”

  “The investigator ordered a toxicology work-up to see if she had any liquid courage or was high on drugs before taking the leap off her loft. I see no mention of an autopsy in the report. If a thorough autopsy was done, a competent medical examiner would have identified any bruising inconsistent with the strap around her neck.”

  “I thought autopsies were required in all un-witnessed deaths,” Brad stated.

  “They generally are. I don’t know if they got sloppy, the investigator was totally inept, if they were that confident in a suicide case, or what, but if there was one done it is not in the report.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “I can’t do anything or I’ll have to explain where I got a copy of the report, and we’ll both be in a world of trouble.”

  She felt guilty watching Brad squirm. He clearly knew where she was going, and it involved him once again.

  “Is there any way you can act like you stumbled upon the report by accident and ask a few questions?” she said

  Brad took a long sip of coffee and stared into her eyes.

  She was afraid he would refuse to help her. She would have used her feminine wiles to try and convince him to help, but she wasn’t even sure how. She had always relied on the honest direct approach. It didn’t always get her what she wanted, but at least she could look herself in the mirror.

  “I can tell my supervisor that we’re studying how to investigate and document suicides and ask if I can do a search for suicides and look at a few closed cases.”

  “Do you think he’ll approve it?” Devyn asked.

  “Probably. He’s been assigned as my mentor. This job is actually an internship, not just work study. I’m supposed to be learning about law enforcement, not just serving as the department’s data entry clerk for a bunch of old-timers with marginal computer skills.”

  “Perfect. Once you get approval, take him the report and ask him about the autopsy. Maybe there is one, and it just didn’t get added to the report. Also, ask if anyone should have questioned why a nineteen-year-old girl owned a three-inch ratchet strap, and how they figure she rigged the hook behind her head and had enough strength and knowledge to tie a complex nautical knot to secure one end to the banister.”

  Brad downed the rest of his coffee and reached for his wallet.

  “No, it’s on me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. Everyone else just treats me like I’m crazy. Besides, I’ll let you catch the tab for our dinner and a movie,” Devyn said.

  Brad looked at his watch and stood. “I gotta get back to work. My supervisor is gone for the day. He works eight to five, and I work three to nine, so we only overlap a few hours each afternoon. That’s when he lines me out with work. It will take me a couple days to get any information, that is, if I even can.”

  Devyn paid the check and followed Brad out of the café. “I’d walk you back to work, but it’s probably best if you’re not seen with me. I’m not their favorite student on campus.”

  “If you really think there is a serial killer stalking girls on campus is it a good idea to be out by yourself? It’s getting pretty dark and there aren’t that many people out. I know about the football player, everyone does, but I’m sure he was drunk and not expecting any retaliation for grabbing the wrong girl. If I check in really quick, I bet they’d let me off a few more minutes to walk you back to
your dorm.”

  Devyn was touched. Seldom did anyone ever show any concern for her safety. She could take care of herself, but it was still nice to have someone care. “Appreciate it, Brad, but I’ll be fine. That linebacker had been a little on the inebriated side, but I guarantee you I could have handled him just the same if he was sober.”

  She watched Brad’s eyes go wide. She was surprised that she found his mannerisms a little endearing. “Now get back to work, I don’t want you to get fired before we figure out if the investigators did an adequate job or were a bunch of morons.”

  He nodded and jogged off. Devyn watched him until he was out of sight and then turned toward the dorms. Despite her bravado in front of Brad she was a little nervous. Her senses honed in on every person she passed, every chirp of an insect, every flap of a bird’s wings. She let out a sigh of relief as she entered the secured front door of her dorm.

  SEVEN

  The man watched as the astronomy students filed out of the pizza parlor. There were over twenty of them, so he doubted anyone would notice him trailing along behind. When they reached the classroom building, about ten more joined the group. He knew they had to walk to the far side of campus where the facilities plant was located and where there were a lot fewer lights to obstruct their night-sky gazing.

  It couldn’t be more perfect. A large group to make everyone feel confident in their safety. The group would convene at the darkest corner of campus, and the chatter of excited students and the hum of the generators in the facilities plant would serve to disguise the sounds of a minor struggle.

  The blonde one he had chosen walked near the back of the pack, clearly interested in what the young man next to her was saying. He had never seen this student before, so this guy probably wasn’t a boyfriend. Hopefully the classmate wouldn’t interfere. It would be a shame if the young man had to lose his life for someone who wasn’t even a girlfriend.

  As the noisy group neared the far side of campus, he took cover behind a nearby building. Hidden in the shadows, his presence went undetected. The teacher and who he assumed were two graduate assistants were already waiting and had three telescopes set up facing away from the buildings and his hiding spot.

  The group huddled in close to the teacher. The man couldn’t hear, but he doubted that it mattered. The instructor was probably just explaining what they were looking for and how to use the equipment.

  Soon, the students jostled for position behind one of the three telescopes. They were clearly anxious to get their turn. His blonde was already at a telescope and clearly absorbed in what she was seeing. The classmate she’d been talking to earlier was in the next line over and three students back. Perfect.

  Every fifteen minutes, The instructor called out that time was up, and those at the telescopes reluctantly walked away while the next group rushed forward to take up the vacated positions. There were seven to eight students in each line, so it was going to take almost two hours to get through them all.

  The blonde quickly located the student she was talking to earlier and animatedly explained what she had seen. The guy’s gaze kept darting between the pretty blonde and the telescopes, clearly torn between focusing on her and his desire to look at the heavens.

  For forty-five minutes the man watched from the shadows. When the instructor called time, the next group rushed forward while the second group excitedly joined the first to discuss what they had seen. The man spotted the blonde at the fringe of the group. She pulled out her cell phone and walked farther from the group and closer to the building he was hiding behind.

  He smiled. Smart phones were making his objective so much easier to obtain. She was so focused on the tiny screen that she didn’t notice him slip out from the shadows, close to within arm’s reach.

  As he clasped a hand firmly over her mouth, she was slow to react. Before she could mount a significant struggle, he had dragged her back behind a darkened building. He slammed her head hard against the stone wall, making her go limp. Her cell phone fell from her hand and hit the ground.

  She wouldn’t be out long, only long enough to get her farther from the other students. He knelt and picked up the phone. He pulled the money and contents out of the slots in her phone case. He shoved the money in his pocket, quickly perused the rest of the contents, and discarded everything he didn’t want. He removed the phone from its protective case and with the heal of his shoe, ground the phone into the pavement, leaving only a pile of tiny pieces of non-functional plastic.

  He had already scoped out his route and found a path between the facilities area and his destination that contained lots of buildings and vegetation and few lights. He had located no cameras, but to be on the safe side he pulled the sweatshirt hood over his head, unfolded his turtleneck to cover his chin and mouth, and put on a pair of lightly-tinted glasses.

  She groaned weakly and tried to stand on shaky legs. It was time to get moving. Placing an arm around her waist he guided her away from the group. As he looked at her stumbling and sagging form, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. The other blonde would have presented a risk, though a much greater reward. She would have been a challenge to nab, but the satisfaction of seeing fear in a strong woman eyes would have been so much more satisfying.

  This woman had been too easy to nab. Without the struggle his pulse had not risen, his adrenaline hadn’t surged. He felt nothing. She had kind eyes, unlike his mother’s. She didn’t seem like the “others.” This woman would protect her young, she would put their safety above her own desires. She was trusting, though, and that was enough to merit punishment. He had trusted his mother and his misplaced faith in her had not protected him from her boyfriends.

  His commitment to punish only one woman each semester had served him well. By spacing out his victims, people became less cautious as time passed. Unfortunately, he now had an overwhelming desire to make the other blonde scream. He wanted her to feel fear. She wouldn’t want to beg for her life, but he would torture her until she did.

  As he looked down at his current victim, he felt empty. He would kill her, but he wouldn’t make her suffer. She would beg for mercy the moment she regained all her faculties. He wasn’t in the mood to drag this out. It would be dangerous to target the other blonde, but he wasn’t sure he could wait until next semester. This victim had not satisfied his thirst for revenge.

  EIGHT

  The cell phone ringing and vibrating next to Devyn’s ear finally drew her out of a deep slumber. Flipping on her lamp she reached for the phone. 11:45 PM.

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  “Devyn, this is Kevin. Is Amanda there?”

  It took her a few moments to understand what he wanted. Her first thought was to wonder why he was calling her instead of Amanda. Her second thought sent fear surging through her body. She jumped out of bed and flipped on the lights.

  “No, no she’s not here. I thought she was with you.”

  “She was. We went to pizza with the class, walked to the viewing area as a group, and then we formed lines to take turns with the telescope. Amanda was first in her line and I was third in mine. We talked after she finished examining the constellation. She was so excited. When it came to my turn, it was just as awesome as she described and I couldn’t waste a moment of my turn, so I was glued to the telescope.”

  “I’m sure it was great, but skip to the point where you noticed she was gone.”

  “Everyone was scattered everywhere talking excitedly about what we saw. I assumed she was in the crowd. After everyone had a turn with the telescopes our professor gathered us together and lectured for about thirty minutes. By the time everyone started wandering off, I couldn’t find her. I tried to call her cell phone and it goes immediately to voice mail.”

  Devyn pressed the speaker button on her phone so she could talk and get dressed at the same time.

  “Where are you now?” she asked as she laced up her tennis shoes.

  “I’m nearly back to the dorms.”

  “I�
�ll be down in five minutes. I want you to show me where you were the last time you saw her. Then we’ll retrace the route she would have taken from where you were to the dorm. I can’t imagine she would have headed back by herself without telling you, but I want to check it out.”

  Devyn was outside in two minutes. Shortly thereafter Kevin jogged up, out of breath.

  “Amanda told me you think there is a killer targeting girls on this campus, otherwise I wouldn’t have been worried enough to call.”

  “I don’t know. I really hope not, but I’m glad you called. It’s mostly my gut or intuition or whatever you want to call it, but something about the horrible incidents that have occurred the last two semesters just don’t seem right.”

  “Should we be out here? Maybe we should call the campus police.”

  “Unless I have more than Amanda hasn’t come home yet to report, they’ll just blow me off. They don’t agree with my view that female students are being targeted. If you don’t want to come with me you don’t have to, but I’m going to go take a look.”

  She could tell Kevin was nervous, but was relieved when he led her toward the facility plant area without further discussion. She had learned several martial arts in their countries of origins from the masters of those disciplines, had taken numerous self-defense classes, and had put her skills to the test in real-life situations several times; but she knew that being overconfident in her abilities could be deadly.

  She hoped she wasn’t putting Kevin at risk, but felt additional safety in numbers.

  When they arrived at the plant, only the hum from the generators broke through the quiet. Devyn retrieved her flashlight from her pocket and scanned the dark area.

  “What are you looking for?” Kevin asked.