Murder! Too Close To Home

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

February 17, 1997

Frank and I had taken up station in the conference room, going over and organizing our clues. Frank Luther was an enigma in these parts: part detective, part bulldog, but a man you would want on your side in an investigation. He would dig to the bottom of the file, a crime scene, or even a dumpster to get to the information needed.

Betty jokingly called him my sidekick, although that would imply something comedic, and there was nothing funny about Frank.

A bachelor as well as a veteran of thirty years in law enforcement, Frank had salt and pepper hair that he wore high and tight. At 5'9" he was built like a spark plug, having a barrel chest that made it hard for him to get into some of the close spaces we sometimes had to venture into.

He loved interrogating a suspect, dancing masterfully in and out through the facts, playing the good cop part, as well as the bad. Putting them at ease in one moment, making them squirm the next. I have witnessed many times the gathering of information from a suspect that no one else could crack, opening his arms like Moses leading his children home.

Although we had been partners for at least six years, Frank is by nature a loner, and I sometimes felt I had not cracked that barrier that puts us on par to being true friends. Still, I consider myself lucky to be his partner and would do anything for him.

We had been going over the facts and throwing around theories all morning, coming to some conclusions, throwing out some others. Frank had been on the phone with other departments asking about cases involving the word "Ghost" or any other similarities with no luck.

All of the accumulated information was laid out in front of us, but at this point it was too sparse to draw any concrete profiles from. The vics were clean, with no legal problems in their past. We had surmised from this that it was a planned killing, and the perp liked calling himself 'Ghost'. Other then that small bit of knowledge, everything else was conjecture for now.

The accumulated evidence tied with our experience did inevitably lead us to a few assumptions however.

We believed the murderer to be male, probably not over mid-twenty's due to his need for attention.

We also assumed this to be his first murder, although other crimes in his past seemed likely considering the demonstrated organization of the crime.

We were at a loss as to how to proceed from here. Frank was antsy, wanting to get busy on something but not knowing which way to move forward.

"Has the Coroner turned in a report yet?" I asked.

Frank said he would check and left the room quickly. Knowing Frank, he wouldn't be back until he had the report, even if he had to stand over the Doc, pushing him on until he finished.

I continued mulling over the list for several more minutes until a rumbling in my stomach let me know I was overdue for lunch. Pulling together the file and leaving it on the table, I grabbed my notebook and headed out into the sunshine to find a quick meal, planning to walk for a while during lunch to get the cobwebs out.

Walking through reception on the way out of the office, Ellen gave me a wink as I passed, saying "Have a good walk."

My normal day very seldom included a walk at lunch, and I marveled once more at her uncanny ability to read minds. Being in her mid-forties but looking twenty years younger, reading minds was just one of her amazing attributes for which she was well known.

Grabbing a pastrami sandwich at Lenny's down the block, I started walking a several block course while I ate. The sun was bright and warm for February, the heat feeling good through my parka. I was definitely feeling better by the time I got to Taylor Park about half way through my walk, and I was enjoying my time outside. Being cooped up inside all winter tended to make me grumpy and irritable. I decided to have a seat in the sun for a few minutes, letting the warmth creep into my whole body.

Leaning my head back into the sun, I eventually dozed off.

***

Never knowing how I got there, I was once again in the room; that beautiful, comfortable room. I sat down in the chair, lifting the coffee cup that never emptied or got cold. Taking a few minutes to look over the chess board, I discovered that my opponent was using a new line of attack.

"Very devious," I uttered out loud, turning my full attention to the board for a few minutes more.

I have enjoyed the challenge and tactics of chess since learning from and playing with my grandfather when I was young. He would certainly enjoy this ongoing game I was involved with immensely, and I thought of him quite often while in the room, working out strategy against my unseen opponent.

When I had lined out my response to his attack, I moved my bishop to block his progress, then sat back to enjoy my coffee. I just sat there enjoying the warmth and comfort of the room for a long while, my mind relaxed, not thinking of anything. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes.

Opening my eyes once more, I was no longer in the room, but walking down a dark road, the skies dumping water on me in buckets. I found myself walking up behind a parked car, surprised by bright flashes with loud retorts coming from the inside. A thin man wearing a hooded sweatshirt swiftly got out of the car and ran to another one parked in front. Getting in, he then slowly accelerated down the road, the taillights disappearing when he rounded the bend.

Walking up to the original vehicle, I look into it and see the grisly scene before me. I can't open the door for some reason, so I just took in what I could through the window, trying to get as much into my head as possible.

Something nagging in my mind told me that this was very important for some reason.

Walking to the other side of the car, I again tried the door with no success. It seemed as if I had no strength, like my arms wouldn't work right. Leaning down, I stared into the window again. Looking closely at the woman, I notice something on her neck, putting my nose to the glass as I try to comprehend what I was seeing.

Unexpectedly a lightning flash lit up my dark surroundings for a split second, temporarily illuminating the scene before my eyes. Time slowed, and I was suddenly face to face with the ghostly figure staring hauntingly back at me.

I jerked back in shock; my feet tangling together as I tried to escape the grisly scene. I felt myself falling, falling back into the flooded ditch behind me.

I threw up my arms, trying to grab at anything to catch my fall, but found nothing and continued to drop, the ditch having disappeared as I plunged into nothingness.

***

I jerked awake on the park bench; my heart pounding in my chest. The warm sun seemed suddenly out of place as I shielded my eyes to the brightness.

I stayed there for a few minutes, trying to make sense of the scene as it played itself out in my head. I grabbed my notebook and recorded all of the facts that I could remember. On the last item I stopped, pen over paper, trying to remember. Something about the woman's neck, but I couldn't pull it out...it was buried too deep. Hessitantly, I wrote the word 'neck....' at the end of the page, hoping it would come to me later.

Closing the notebook, I stood and started the walk back to the office. Having witnessed the crime in my head, the sun now didn't seem quite so warm. A chill ran down to the core of my being, and I decided I would need several more cups of coffee when I got back.