Mystery: The Card Counter: (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Thriller Mystery) by James Kipling Page A
Authors: James Kipling
Ads: Link
Collins.”
“Peyton.” I started, relieved to finally get an answer. “It’s Jake Walker.”
“Jake!” the other replied with a profound sense of surprise. “It’s good to hear from you again, my friend.”
“You’re not going to feel that way when you hear why I’m calling.”
There was a long pause. “How many bodies?”
“We just found a third in less than 24 hours.”
“All right,” Peyton replied. I could hear him shuffling around, obviously getting ready to take some notes. “Give me the skinny. What are you dealing with here?”
“A pretty sick individual,” I answered. “The victims are all male and members of the football team or staff of the team.”
“All right, keep going. Tell me how you’re finding them?”
“The victims are bound. Arms behind their backs with handcuffs and mouths covered with a ball gag.” I took a deep breath because I knew Dean Jackson was still in the hallway listening to me. “All three victims have been sexually assaulted and tortured before the killer finally finished them off with multiple stab wounds to the back. We’re waiting on forensic confirmation, but the details of all that seem pretty clear in my eyes.”
There was another pause which was so long I almost thought the line had dropped. Finally Special Agent Collins came back with a question I didn’t expect. “Are you finding playing cards on the victims?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve had other cities reporting the exact M.O., but this is the first time there’s been three in one city,” Collins continued. “What cards did the suspect leave with your victims?”
“The ace, eight and king of hearts,” I answered. “Do you think this is the same killer you’re tracking?”
“It would appear so,” Collins answered. “But there is a slight alteration to the M.O. This is the first time the suspect has used any card with a heart on it.”
“What cards were you getting in the other cities?”
“Until you called, there were only clubs and spades,” Collins answered. “This is the first time our suspect, if this really is the same person, has used any of the red cards.”
“I really hope the reason isn’t because he ran out of black cards.”
“No kidding,” Collins agreed. There was another awkward pause as I could sense he was calling people over. “We’re going to mobilize as soon as we can. This is the fifth city this suspect has hit and each city was in a different state. Just the fact that you have three indicates a major escalation, especially considering how quickly the bodies are piling up.”
“I have a feeling this state is where the suspect originates from,” I sighed.
“What makes you say that?” Collins asked.
“I just have this feeling the suspect is here to stay,” I replied. “Every time I see those cards, I keep thinking about what most people say about their home.”
“What about it?”
“It’s where the heart is.”
5
After speaking with Agent Collins, I contacted Captain Bancroft to give him the heads-up that the feds were getting involved. The Captain was relieved that help was on its way. I, however, held back the info that this might be the suspect’s home state. If this really was ground zero and where the killer’s break with reality had started his homicidal bender, things were going to get a lot worse here before they got better. Not exactly the kind of news I felt like passing on to my boss at the moment.
Once the scene was secure, Flo, the Dean, and I left the building. The Dean was visibly upset so I took him aside to calm him down. “We know the suspect is targeting the football team – for what reason I have no idea – but we should move them all to a secure location, and I’ll make sure some officers are assigned to protect them. If the suspect’s beef is only with them, chances are the killing will stop and we’ll have a chance to catch up and maybe catch this person.”
“That person is sick,” the Dean
“Peyton.” I started, relieved to finally get an answer. “It’s Jake Walker.”
“Jake!” the other replied with a profound sense of surprise. “It’s good to hear from you again, my friend.”
“You’re not going to feel that way when you hear why I’m calling.”
There was a long pause. “How many bodies?”
“We just found a third in less than 24 hours.”
“All right,” Peyton replied. I could hear him shuffling around, obviously getting ready to take some notes. “Give me the skinny. What are you dealing with here?”
“A pretty sick individual,” I answered. “The victims are all male and members of the football team or staff of the team.”
“All right, keep going. Tell me how you’re finding them?”
“The victims are bound. Arms behind their backs with handcuffs and mouths covered with a ball gag.” I took a deep breath because I knew Dean Jackson was still in the hallway listening to me. “All three victims have been sexually assaulted and tortured before the killer finally finished them off with multiple stab wounds to the back. We’re waiting on forensic confirmation, but the details of all that seem pretty clear in my eyes.”
There was another pause which was so long I almost thought the line had dropped. Finally Special Agent Collins came back with a question I didn’t expect. “Are you finding playing cards on the victims?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve had other cities reporting the exact M.O., but this is the first time there’s been three in one city,” Collins continued. “What cards did the suspect leave with your victims?”
“The ace, eight and king of hearts,” I answered. “Do you think this is the same killer you’re tracking?”
“It would appear so,” Collins answered. “But there is a slight alteration to the M.O. This is the first time the suspect has used any card with a heart on it.”
“What cards were you getting in the other cities?”
“Until you called, there were only clubs and spades,” Collins answered. “This is the first time our suspect, if this really is the same person, has used any of the red cards.”
“I really hope the reason isn’t because he ran out of black cards.”
“No kidding,” Collins agreed. There was another awkward pause as I could sense he was calling people over. “We’re going to mobilize as soon as we can. This is the fifth city this suspect has hit and each city was in a different state. Just the fact that you have three indicates a major escalation, especially considering how quickly the bodies are piling up.”
“I have a feeling this state is where the suspect originates from,” I sighed.
“What makes you say that?” Collins asked.
“I just have this feeling the suspect is here to stay,” I replied. “Every time I see those cards, I keep thinking about what most people say about their home.”
“What about it?”
“It’s where the heart is.”
5
After speaking with Agent Collins, I contacted Captain Bancroft to give him the heads-up that the feds were getting involved. The Captain was relieved that help was on its way. I, however, held back the info that this might be the suspect’s home state. If this really was ground zero and where the killer’s break with reality had started his homicidal bender, things were going to get a lot worse here before they got better. Not exactly the kind of news I felt like passing on to my boss at the moment.
Once the scene was secure, Flo, the Dean, and I left the building. The Dean was visibly upset so I took him aside to calm him down. “We know the suspect is targeting the football team – for what reason I have no idea – but we should move them all to a secure location, and I’ll make sure some officers are assigned to protect them. If the suspect’s beef is only with them, chances are the killing will stop and we’ll have a chance to catch up and maybe catch this person.”
“That person is sick,” the Dean
Similar Books
