The Pale Man Rises

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

406

They entered the elevator forcing the large deputy against the back wall of the lift. He carried a heavy, long brown overcoat draped over the right arm of his stained suit coat, which he only wore outside when in cold weather. His bulk pretty much kept him in a state of perpetual sweat and he only wore the heavy coat outside for fear of contracting some virus afloat on the air, if not for this he would never wear it because of the extra heat it generated.

Once they were securely inside the elevator's confines the three of them avoided eye contact with him, they turned to the front of the compartment, and for a moment everyone was silent save for the nod of their heads acknowledging him. Langley eased himself over behind Mabry and without any niceties spoke with him. "The Sheriff contacted me before I got home–he said I should get back down here pronto and join you." he stuttered. Mabry turned slightly toward him. "Very good Ronnie–we're headed out of town now however–perhaps the Sheriff would understand it's not necessary for you to stay attached to us now that we're leaving Sayer County's jurisdiction?" he said with a discreet smile. Langley finished the last of the Hershey Bar and once again wiped his hand on his suit coat. "Doug and Frank are accompanying me simply to observe now." Mabry further advised him.

Langley could see the agent was attempting to give him an out on this investigation since he was really of no use to it. But the words of Sheriff Charlie Yulan still rang in his ears when he spoke to him over his car radio. "Langley I want you to get your fat ass over to the PD and don't you come away from there until you can let me know what they're up to." He had commanded him.

Just as Mabry had feared the reporter that was lurking about the nightclub had managed to get away from there with a roll of film that had several photographs of the victim on it. And he had knowledge of what the young doctor Dryden from Sayer Memorial had told him.

The reporter William Fipps was in heaven, a night out on the town looking to get laid and he had tumbled onto this hot story. It was better than sex! He could see it now "WAITRESS MURDERED! BRAIN MISSING!"

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These were just a few of the headlines he imagined with his own byline. Sure they sounded like they were right off of the front page of some tabloid like The National Inquirer. But the beauty of the thing was that it was true. He knew his chances of getting in on the wire services with his tag line were grand indeed.

He was a sharp cookie. He always carried a camera and a recorder with him just in case just such an event should occur. Once he was done with his picture taking he returned the camera to his car and then secured the tape recorder on his person. He knew if you conducted yourself just right you could get some cop or somebody else involved in the investigation to talk. He had a few cops on his payroll and he also was adept at getting others to talk. He was not above deceiving them either and would often tape them clandestinely without revealing he was a journalist or worrying about any legal consequences, which might arise due to his lack of ethics. He had got some of what the doctor told him on a reel before the sergeant ran him off.

When he arrived on the evening press floor of the Sayerville Gazette he quickly cornered an editor and related the story of what he had discovered to him. He played the tape with the words of Doctor Dryden on it and after transcribing them secured them in a safe.

They then rushed the film to the dark room and once the editor had perused the developments they went to his office and called the publisher, as was official policy when a hot story was cooking.

The publisher Sonny John Walsh knew from his reporters that a rumor was on about a high ranking FBI agent being in town to investigate a series of weird murders that had occurred near the city. But their out of town sources or the ones on the Sayerville PD could never confirm the story. Sonny John had even asked his brother-in-law the Sheriff to comment on it, but for once in his life Charlie Yulan had held his tongue. he'd said. "No comment." Which to Sonny John meant it was true. And now Fipps discovery of this story virtually confirmed it for him. He decided however to give his brother-in-law one more chance to clarify it before he went to press. But again Charlie gave him the "no comment" line. And so Sonny John now at last knew it was true. And Charlie had remained mum even after Sonny John had given him the details of what Fipps had seen and photographed.