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Book: Detective Wade Jackson Mystery - 02 - Secrets to Die For by L. J. Sellers
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Authors: L. J. Sellers
Tags: detective, thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Murder, eugene, homicide, hate crime
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on her. She doesn’t know what it was. “
“Why does he use an object? Because he has trouble with erections?” Jackson was thinking out loud, not really expecting an answer.
“Maybe it’s more about punishing the women than having sex.”
“It usually is. Any trace evidence?”
“We have DNA. The nurse who does the rape exams at the hospital found trace amounts of semen on both victims.” Quince seemed a little puzzled. “ It’s as if the perp used a condom, but not effectively. The two DNA samples match each other, but not anyone in the database.”
“So we just have to find him and test him and we’ll get a conviction. Where do you think we should look?”
“Lane Community College is the one place the victims shared.”
The campus was a starting place—a very broad starting place, with thousands of potential male suspects of all ages and types, but it gave Jackson a database to sift through. He sensed that the rapist selected and stalked his victims, but how were they chosen? “Did these women share any physical characteristics?”
“None. They were different ages, different sizes, had different hair color, different occupations. The college was the only connection I could find. I tried to get a warrant to search LCC’s student files but Judge Volcansek turned it down.”
“Work with the DA’s office to rewrite it,” Jackson suggested. “Then give it to Judge Cranston.” Jackson sensed there was something more in the rape files, something overlooked. He’d missed important information once or twice himself. “Do me a favor and type up all your notes, then print them out for me. There may be something there that meshes with my homicide.” He checked his watch: 10:15 a.m. Why hadn’t Mariah Martin called?
“Thanks, Quince. We won’t merge these cases yet, but let’s keep each other in the loop. And get back to me with interview times as soon as you can.”
Jackson headed back to his desk to call Josh’s caseworker. He needed to talk to the boy before he interrogated Gorman again. Gorman had been transferred to the county jail and booked on possession charges. He probably had an arraignment this afternoon.
Mariah Martin’s phone rang six times before she picked up. “Good morning, Detective Jackson.”
Her cheerfulness made him leery. “Can you bring Josh in now?”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. He’s not ready.”
Jackson bit his lip to keep from swearing. “Do you realize how important this is? I need solid evidence that Raina was in the Gormans’ home the night of her murder. It’s the only way I’ll get Bruce Gorman to talk.”
“I understand. I really do. Raina was a wonderful person, and I want this bastard put away.”
Jackson clenched his jaw and waited for the ‘but’.
“But Josh won’t even talk to me right now. So I’m trying to contact our in-house psychologist to set up some counseling and to arrange for Josh to return to his foster parents. He needs to know where he’s going to wake up tomorrow and the next day.”
Jackson struggled to accept the idea that he wouldn’t get what he wanted. “Can you ask him for me? One simple question: Did Raina come to their house Wednesday night?”
Martin laughed a little. “You’re rather tenacious. And I will help you. I just can’t promise when. Goodbye for now, Detective.”
Shit . He tried not to hate the woman. She was just doing her job.
Jackson had a few minutes before the taskforce was scheduled to meet. He called his friend Ed Stevens in the Portland FBI office. Stevens’ voice mail picked up so Jackson left a message: “It’s Wade Jackson. I’ve got a rapist who beats his victims, covers their heads, and sometimes uses an object in the assault, maybe a vibrator. I need a profile, if you have time. Call me.”
The next call was harder, but politics demanded it. Sergeant Lammers picked up almost
“Why does he use an object? Because he has trouble with erections?” Jackson was thinking out loud, not really expecting an answer.
“Maybe it’s more about punishing the women than having sex.”
“It usually is. Any trace evidence?”
“We have DNA. The nurse who does the rape exams at the hospital found trace amounts of semen on both victims.” Quince seemed a little puzzled. “ It’s as if the perp used a condom, but not effectively. The two DNA samples match each other, but not anyone in the database.”
“So we just have to find him and test him and we’ll get a conviction. Where do you think we should look?”
“Lane Community College is the one place the victims shared.”
The campus was a starting place—a very broad starting place, with thousands of potential male suspects of all ages and types, but it gave Jackson a database to sift through. He sensed that the rapist selected and stalked his victims, but how were they chosen? “Did these women share any physical characteristics?”
“None. They were different ages, different sizes, had different hair color, different occupations. The college was the only connection I could find. I tried to get a warrant to search LCC’s student files but Judge Volcansek turned it down.”
“Work with the DA’s office to rewrite it,” Jackson suggested. “Then give it to Judge Cranston.” Jackson sensed there was something more in the rape files, something overlooked. He’d missed important information once or twice himself. “Do me a favor and type up all your notes, then print them out for me. There may be something there that meshes with my homicide.” He checked his watch: 10:15 a.m. Why hadn’t Mariah Martin called?
“Thanks, Quince. We won’t merge these cases yet, but let’s keep each other in the loop. And get back to me with interview times as soon as you can.”
Jackson headed back to his desk to call Josh’s caseworker. He needed to talk to the boy before he interrogated Gorman again. Gorman had been transferred to the county jail and booked on possession charges. He probably had an arraignment this afternoon.
Mariah Martin’s phone rang six times before she picked up. “Good morning, Detective Jackson.”
Her cheerfulness made him leery. “Can you bring Josh in now?”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. He’s not ready.”
Jackson bit his lip to keep from swearing. “Do you realize how important this is? I need solid evidence that Raina was in the Gormans’ home the night of her murder. It’s the only way I’ll get Bruce Gorman to talk.”
“I understand. I really do. Raina was a wonderful person, and I want this bastard put away.”
Jackson clenched his jaw and waited for the ‘but’.
“But Josh won’t even talk to me right now. So I’m trying to contact our in-house psychologist to set up some counseling and to arrange for Josh to return to his foster parents. He needs to know where he’s going to wake up tomorrow and the next day.”
Jackson struggled to accept the idea that he wouldn’t get what he wanted. “Can you ask him for me? One simple question: Did Raina come to their house Wednesday night?”
Martin laughed a little. “You’re rather tenacious. And I will help you. I just can’t promise when. Goodbye for now, Detective.”
Shit . He tried not to hate the woman. She was just doing her job.
Jackson had a few minutes before the taskforce was scheduled to meet. He called his friend Ed Stevens in the Portland FBI office. Stevens’ voice mail picked up so Jackson left a message: “It’s Wade Jackson. I’ve got a rapist who beats his victims, covers their heads, and sometimes uses an object in the assault, maybe a vibrator. I need a profile, if you have time. Call me.”
The next call was harder, but politics demanded it. Sergeant Lammers picked up almost
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