The Pale Man Rises

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

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As detectives Farr and Spellman made their way to the topless club they began to speculate on the homicide they were to investigate. "There was no gun play, I believe our boys have given up on using the gun–or maybe it's something so simple as they've ran out of ammo." Farr mused. "We don't know if the gun deaths are related to these other killings not one hundred per cent, not until the forensics are completed on the recovered slugs." Spellman reminded him. "If we could only find the damn gun that the guard was carrying we could match 'em up with the slugs in the old couple and the black guy they pulled out of the river. Then we could know for sure if they are related." Spellman suggested.

"But that would only be if that was the gun they used. Believe me the biker is involved. I don't think he just happened to be in the area and decided to go for a swim." Farr conjectured. "And the motel clerk remembered he was there in the room next to the one where the two women from Ohio were killed. "Speaking of the river did Mabry mention whether they saw anything on those helicopter fly-overs?" Spellman then asked. "He hasn't said anything to me about it, but I'd wager if anything had of came of it we would have heard it by now." Farr told him.

Spellman let out a deep sigh now. "You know I wish we didn't have to work with Langley and those idiots at the Sheriff's Department." he said with regret. "I told you Frank we have no choice. "Sheriff Yulan was bound to hear about it, you know he's probably pals with one of the sheriff's in those countries where the bodies have been found so far...how many is it now twelve...who knows?" Farr said. "And he'd already received the APBs about some of the deaths." He said.

"You know what would happen if we didn't clue him in on it don't you? He'd be so pissed we'd kept him out of the mix that he'd get in touch with his brother-in-law and we'd have to deal with the scum that work for that rag sheet." Farr reminded him. "It was probably easy for the yokels to keep it hush, hush. You know all the sheriffs I have ever had the misfortune to deal with were mostly fat blowhards. "It's stupid that it's a political job. Any idiot can run for the office regardless whether he has any experience as a law enforcement officer or not. Hell I even know of one guy up near Edenton that was just a bricklayer. Man owed money to everyone in the county it seems. 

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He was paying the debt back by letting people do just about what they wanted. Is it any wonder he won by a landslide?" Farr laughed upon ending the anecdote.

"They probably threatened to press charges against anyone who started talking about the murders. And they wouldn't let on about any weird shit either. The families of the victims wouldn't say anything if they thought it might prevent the cops from catching whoever killed their loved ones. But you couldn't keep it out of the papers if one of the hacks for that rag sheet got wind of it. They'd start to fantasizing about by lines in the News & Observer or the New York Times even." Farr continued. "But dealing with that idiot Langley is just so damn depressing. Every time I see him my guts start to churning like I've got an ulcer or something." Spellman said now. "Who knows why that fool Yulan made him the liaison officer for them anyway." Farr wondered aloud.

Spellman turned in the seat his face now very serious. "I'll tell you why he did it. It puts the onus on the PD and the feds to do the job. And if we botch it up he can blame it on us and the feds–that bastard is so political it stinks! Why he can even dump it on Langley, his own man, if it comes to that. He's a liability anyway. He can just say that he couldn't afford to send one of his best men when all we wanted was a liaison officer. He'll say the slob was some kind of retainer deal from the last sheriff's administration. It's as clear as the nose on your face!" Spellman ended his last statement with a dramatic flair. Assured that what he had just told his partner was the absolute gospel he turned back in the seat and began watching the street ahead.