Lullabies & Dead Bodies, page 31
“I found a hair on body number four.”
Isaac’s entire body froze.
His diaphragm stopped working, his breath shut off like a dam.
“A hair that doesn’t belong to the victim. And not only that… DNA on the hair follicle matches the DNA from the first lullaby spree seven years ago.”
The dam broke, relief bursting throughout his system like a flood. Isaac uncharacteristically fist-bumped the air with the force of a heavyweight boxer.
“Yes!”
Gavin, Pete, and Hiroshi all stared at him like he’d just burst into song, but Isaac didn’t care.
“I knew this wasn’t a copycat! Jeffery Schiffer is our guy, Lieu,” he said to Gavin.
“Yeah, but we still can’t link this new DNA to him though,” Pete pointed out, his gaze bouncing around at all of them for confirmation.
“Not yet,” Isaac conceded, “but this bastard just made his first mistake, and I am going to find a way to exploit it for all it’s worth.”
“I think we need to call in Hailey Kinsey.”
Gavin’s voice was grave, but Isaac could hear the hopeful tone hidden underneath. “Let the ADA tell us if this,” he held up the articles Isaac had brought in, “plus our new DNA connection is enough to publicly label Jeffery Schiffer our number one suspect. If she’ll sign off on it, we can get a warrant and officially begin a manhunt for this psycho, and there won’t be anything the Deputy Chief can do about it.”
“Absolutely not!”
Hailey Kinsey looked at them as though they were asking her to strip naked and streak through the courthouse.
“All you have here is a couple of fifteen-year-old articles about the tragic death of a little girl, and some DNA linking the new lullaby spree to the old one from seven years ago.”
“Yes, but the DNA link is a huge development here!” Isaac could hear the frustration boiling in his voice. “Now we need to be able to bring our suspect in for questioning and DNA testing.
“But I’m still not seeing the probable cause!”
“Ruthie Schiffer’s condition when she was found in those woods gives us ample probable cause!” he yelled. “Don’t you understand that she was most likely Jeffery Schiffer’s first kill when he was all of twelve-years-old?”
Hailey stared out the window of her small office as he, Gavin and Pete waited, and Isaac could see her thinking. Finally she shook her head and turned back to them.
“I’m sorry, Ike. It doesn’t matter that I believe your hunch is probably correct. What matters is that I would be laughed out of a job if I went forward with this.”
Desperate at feeling their only real shot slipping away, Isaac went for the jugular.
“And what if victim number five is your daughter, Hailey?”
The question sucked the air out of the room in an instant. He knew it was a jerk move, but he needed her attention.
“She’s in the right age range, isn’t she?”
“Isaac!”
Gavin’s tone held a note of warning.
Hailey stared at him like he’d slapped her face.
“That was a low blow, Detective,” she said, her voice shaky.
“I’m just trying to make it real for you.”
Hailey laughed, but there was no joy in it.
“You think it’s not real for me? Seeing the faces of those dead little girls on the news every night, and dealing with it at work too. Knowing that my little girl is just the right age for this fucker!”
He’d never seen the ADA lose her cool so spectacularly before, and he regretted the flippant remark.
“My husband and I have sent Bethany to upstate New York to stay with her grandparents until this nightmare is over! That’s how real it is for me, okay?”
“Then help us end it!” he shouted back. “We know who our killer is, Hailey; we just need the chance to prove it. We need his DNA to link him to these girls. And to finally get his DNA on the record we need to have him in custody.”
A long moment of silence ensued, and Isaac watched as Hailey flopped down at her desk chair, seemingly unable to fight any longer. But the look on her face was all steely resolve.
“You realize that if you’re wrong, we are all out of a job?” Her voice was small and defeated. “All of us in this room. We’re all done.”
Isaac nodded. “We know that.”
“All right. Get your warrant. Get your DNA. I’ll speak to DA Hanson.”
25
Their first stop after obtaining the warrant was the top floor. The brass offices. Pete had gone back down to the detectives pit. It was just him and Gavin Hayes on this mission of madness. Isaac took a deep breath and stared at the polished placard on the door. Chief Luther Branson.
This was it. They were about to show their hand. Flip a coin. Bring a serial killer to justice or destroy their own careers? Which way would that coin land?
The Chief’s secretary showed them in.
Luther Branson was in his late fifties, and what he lacked in height and stature he made up for with sheer presence. The man had a big personality and was known for being formidable throughout his long career in law enforcement. He’d been one of the first black police chiefs in the state of Ohio, and as far as Isaac was concerned, he’d been a damn good one thus far.
He came around his desk with a smile and an outstretched hand.
“Lieutenant Hayes!”
The lieutenant took his hand, and Isaac immediately regretted not thinking ahead and bringing gloves. His grandfather carried a pair of cotton gloves wherever he went. Isaac wasn’t sure which would be more embarrassing.
“And Detective Sgt. Taylor.”
When Chief Branson reached for his hand, Isaac balled his fists and drew them to his abdomen, watching the Chief and Gavin share a look.
“Ah, yes,” Branson said, slowly withdrawing his hand. “I’ve heard the stories. You’re our resident psychic, is that right?”
Isaac quietly licked his lips and squared his shoulders. He still hated that word.
“Yes, sir.”
Branson nodded, looking him over carefully. “Congratulations again on your recent promotion.”
“Thank you, sir.”
With a sweep of his hand, Branson motioned for them to sit.
“What can I do for you gentlemen? This meeting was not on the books for today.”
“And I apologize for that, sir,” Gavin spoke up, “but it is very important.”
“In that case, perhaps we should wait until my Deputy Chief can join us…”
“No!”
Isaac and Gavin spoke in unison, their voices slightly raised in panic.
“Uh… no, sir,” Gavin spoke again. “This is a highly sensitive matter, and we need to speak with you alone.”
Clearly intrigued by their reaction, Branson frowned at them.
“All right. Sit. Let’s talk.”
Before they could move, a small knock sounded at the door, and the secretary stuck her head in once more.
“Sir, there’s an FBI agent here to see you. He says he’s supposed to be part of this meeting with the Lieutenant and the Sergeant.”
Branson’s frown grew into a scowl and he looked at Isaac and Gavin.
“Yes. That would be Special Agent Emmett Fox,” Gavin said.
“Show him in,” Branson instructed his secretary.
Emmett entered the room with a handshake for the chief.
“Forgive my tardiness, Chief. I had to move some things around as this meeting just sprang up.”
“Yes.” Branson eyed Isaac and Gavin. “It did, didn’t it.”
Emmett took a seat on the couch beside Isaac and Gavin, and Branson gave them a stern look.
“Are we waiting on anyone else, gentlemen?”
Isaac and Gavin exchanged a look.
“Well, actually…” Gavin began just as the door opened again.
ADA Hailey Kinsey stepped in with an apologetic air.
“I’m so sorry for being late. We thought DA Hanson would be available to come himself, but he is elbows deep in the Morton white nationalists deposition today. He sends his apologies.”
She took a seat in a chair near the desk, looking flushed. Chief Branson looked at each of them, dumbfounded.
The silence that ensued had Isaac repositioning on the couch.
“This is quite an assemblage,” Branson finally said. “Who would care to fill me in on why we’re all here?”
All eyes turned to Isaac.
“Oh.”
He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.
“I guess that falls to me.” He took a deep breath and looked his Chief in the eyes. “Sir, we believe that we’ve zeroed in on the perp responsible for the lullaby murders. Both the spree from seven years ago, and the spree currently gripping our city.”
Branson’s face brightened. “Well that’s great news. Who is it?”
“That’s the tricky part, sir,” Gavin stepped in. “We have reason to believe our man is the son of Deputy Chief Jay Schiffer.”
Branson stared at Gavin with a blank expression for what felt to Isaac like the longest moment in the whole entire universe. Then his sharp gaze fell on the ADA and on Agent Fox. He sat on the edge of his desk and folded his arms across his chest and looked at them.
“Start talking.”
Isaac and Gavin proceeded to take him through the whole case, from the very beginning seven years ago, straight through to the recent trip to Iowa, and Hiroshi’s latest DNA findings.
“This is all circumstantial,” Branson said.
“We’re aware of that, sir,” Isaac replied. “Which is why we’ve been granted a warrant for his DNA. We need Jeffery Schiffer located. Preferably before the Deputy Chief or the press get wind of our little manhunt.”
Branson looked over at Emmett Fox.
“You have any input on that?”
Emmett nodded. “I have been tracking Jeffery Schiffer’s movements since his release from the mental institution in Dubuque, Iowa. He intermittently falls off the radar for short periods of time, but I can tell you definitively that he was here in Cleveland three days ago. His exact whereabouts at the moment are unknown.”
Branson let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “I don’t understand this. Jay Schiffer is a good man. I can’t believe that he would have any part in shielding his son from the law, or allowing a gruesome murder streak to continue.”
“We have a sworn deposition from former M.E., Dr. Conway Porter, that says otherwise, sir.” Hailey Kinsey gestured to a folder in her hands.
Branson looked at her, and then at the others.
“And you believed Porter?”
“The man is on his deathbed, Chief,” Isaac spoke up. “He’s got no reason to lie now.”
Branson sighed and stood up.
“Jay took off early today. Said it was he and Patty’s 35th wedding anniversary and they were going to spend the rest of the day together. I have no idea where he is. You say you have a warrant for Jeffery Schiffer’s DNA?”
“That’s right,” Isaac answered.
“Did it come with a warrant to search Jay Schiffer’s house? Because I think you’re going to need one.”
All around him Isaac saw movement — Agent Fox and several of his FBI friends would be joining them to serve this particular warrant since the circumstances were somewhat special. Serial killers didn’t get apprehended every day. Especially ones with such close ties to the local police department.
While the FBI buzzed around them, getting ready, Isaac stood with his hands on his hips, watching Curt Dorn and Gerri Miller absorb the information they’d just been given about their case. Now that they had a clear person of interest and a warrant for his arrest, the time had come to clue them in.
“And why were we initially left out of the loop on this, Lieutenant?” Curt’s tone was full of ice as he eyed Isaac.
Gavin opened his mouth to respond, but Gerri beat him to it.
“I think that’s obvious, partner. The fewer people who knew, the better the chances of keeping the Deputy Chief in the dark about the investigation, right?”
“Exactly,” Isaac stated.
“We shouldn’t take it personally, Curt,” Gerri said.
“Kinda hard not to,” Curt said, still glaring at Isaac with an accusation in his attitude.
Isaac folded his arms and stared right back.
“Well, we couldn’t be too careful, what with the department leaking the way it has been lately.”
“Why’d you look right at me when you said that, Sergeant?” Curt’s tone went from suspicious to defensive in two nanoseconds, causing Fox and his FBI buddies to look their way.
Isaac stared him down but didn’t bother responding.
“You think I’m the department snitch? Is that it?” Curt asked, advancing on him.
“No, I don’t,” Isaac said calmly, standing his ground. “But I don’t trust who you’ve been spending time with.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Curt took another step.
Gavin got between them. “We don’t have time for this! We have a warrant to serve, and a baby killer to find. Let’s go!”
Their joint operation loaded up and headed out, and Isaac was glad he and Dorn were in separate cars. He could only imagine the earful Gerri was getting from her partner right now, but the decision to keep them out of the loop wasn’t his fault. That had been Gavin’s call, and Isaac thought it was a good one. It had gotten them this far. They were so close to finally ending this thing for good, and he didn’t regret keeping their circle of information tight.
They pulled up to the lovely and unassuming two-story brick in Kamm’s Corners — three unmarked police cars, two cruisers, and a van-load of FBI agents, all in tactical gear. Isaac got out of the car and watched the lieutenant secure his Kevlar vest as the others surrounded the house.
“You sure you want to be here, sir?”
They both knew he didn’t have to be. As the department head, he really didn’t have to leave his desk and hit the street at all if he didn’t want to.
“We started this case together seven years ago, Ike, and it’s haunted me as much as I’m sure it’s haunted you. Let’s finish it.”
Isaac nodded, and they took the lead heading for the front door of the house. Before they could crest the front steps, shots rang out.
They dove for cover behind the closest parked car.
“Shots fired! Officer down!”
Isaac heard the frantic call over the comm in his ear.
Pandemonium broke out around them, pinning them to their spot with heavy gunfire.
Isaac’s gaze scanned the area, searching for the downed man.
His eye snagged on movement to his right. He spun around to see a person running, fleeing from the house as the gunfire continued to rain.
Jeffery!
“It’s him, Lieu! He’s on the run. Cover me!”
Before he heard a confirmation from Gavin, Isaac was gone. Giving chase across the yard and between the houses with the sound of flying bullets at his back.
He didn’t give a thought to what he would do when he caught up to Jeffery. He only knew that he had to. He had to stop him. He would not allow him to get away again.
Jeffery threw a glance over his shoulder as he ran.
The smile on his face made Isaac’s blood run stone cold.
The horrified faces of the four little girls flashed through his mind and Isaac leapt, landing on Jeffery with a pounce.
The unavoidable skin-to-skin contact with his hands was like rolling naked over sharp shards of broken glass as they struggled on the ground. Flashes of Jeffery doing unimaginable things to so many little girls jolted him. Isaac reeled from the force of it, the evil of it.
Taking advantage of Isaac’s brief confusion, Jeffery wrapped his hand around Isaac’s gun.
“No!”
The word ripped from somewhere deep within him.
He grabbed Jeffery’s hands, determined to wrest the gun away from him.
Jagged blades sliced through him.
Torture.
Torment.
He couldn’t take it.
He let go of the gun.
His mind took hold of it instead.
Pow!
“Isaac!”
Flat on his back, Isaac heard Pete calling his name. But he couldn’t respond. Couldn’t move.
A weight lifted off of him, and he closed his eyes.
“We need another bus!” Pete’s frantic voice called out.
Isaac slowly sat up and looked over at Jeffery Schiffer.
He lay on the ground, a single gunshot to the chest, drenching the grass with a steady stream of blood.
And he laughed.
His wild eyes sought Isaac.
“You got me. You did it.” A cough tripped him up for a second, blood spewing from his lips. “I knew you could do it. That’s why I came back. To give you another chance. And you did it. Was fun, yeah?”
He laughed again before his eyes went vacant and the sinister sound stopped.
“What a sick bastard,” Pete whispered.
Isaac didn’t respond, but he shared the sentiment. Jeffery Schiffer had been one sick son of a bitch. Now he was finally gone, and all Isaac could think was… how?
His hands hadn’t been anywhere near the gun when it went off. And in their struggle there was no way he could’ve flicked his wrist like he’d done with Tom Billings back at Hope House yesterday. But in his mind, Isaac had envisioned grasping the gun and turning the it on Jeffery. He’d envisioned twisting the man’s hands so that the gun was pointing toward Jeffery’s chest.
Had he done that? Had he actually turned the gun on Jeffery and pulled the trigger with the power of his mind?
“Ike?”
“Yeah. I’m good.”
He stood and retrieved his gun from the ground as they were joined by a couple of uniforms and an agent.
“Hey, Pete? I heard an officer down call go out before Jeffery ran. Who’s hit?”
“Curt took one in the neck area. Gerri was applying pressure, but…” he paused and shook his head. “It looked pretty bad from what I could see.”
