show me what you brought.”
He pored over the names on the two sheets. “It's funny. I wouldn’t have had to worry about this at all.”
"What do you mean?”
“I had qualms about telling you which women I helped. There are some on this list that I helped, but there are also some that I happen to know aren't missing. The dates they went missing are next to their names and I know I’ve seen a few of these women since then. So I’ll draw lines through them too, and you won’t have any way of knowing which are the ones I helped out and which are the ones I’ve seen around.” He took a few minutes to peruse the list and handed it back to Lisa.
Lisa looked it over. “This leaves us with only thirty-six names to check out. It’s good of you to take time out to do this, Roland. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you two.”
TJ turned to him. “Rollie, let me stay with Charles for a couple hours so you can go home and change. Maybe grab a nap.”
“Thanks, but I’m not going anywhere till he’s out of danger. His brother and some of our friends are going to be here soon. Thanks for the offer, but don’t worry about me, I’ll have lots of support.”
“We’ll be prayin' for him.” TJ hugged him once more. After Lisa followed suit, they walked out of the cafeteria.
When they reached the parking lot, TJ asked, “Wanna go to Vinnie’s?”
“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”
Vinnie’s bar, located on the east side of downtown Milwaukee, catered to the working crowd during the week and the clubbers on the weekends; it had been a popular spot since the ‘60s.
A buffet bearing a huge spread of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres was displayed across from the bar. Lisa spotted TJ walking away from it carrying a plate heaped with its offerings. “You just ate.”
“Forgot to tell you—I got great metabolism—one of those folks that pisses everyone else off cause they can eat anything they want.”
“That does piss me off,” Lisa muttered.
They carried drinks to a booth in the back. TJ raised her glass. “Here’s to catching that son-of-a-bitch.”
“I’ll drink to that. But keep in mind, you and I won’t be doing the catching.”
“Yeah. But I been thinking and there’s something botherin’ me. Richard says any serial killer thing goin’ on is a fantasy of my overactive female imagination. But I can feel it in my gut—this ain’t some online thing like the cops are pushin’. If we was goin’ out on that limb, we’d have to ask, what would we find perched there?”
Lisa sipped her drink. “Just speculating, I’d wonder how he’s singling them out, finding abused women to prey on. Do you think it could be a cop?”
“Sure. Or someone who works for one of the Centers, the police department or emergency services, or even a 911 operator. Or anyone with a police scanner.” She picked up a chicken wing, pointing it at Lisa. “Narrows it down to thousands.”
Lisa took out the two copies of the list. They divided the list with a minimum of squabbling, assigning half of the names to Lisa and Eric, and the other half to Jeff and TJ.
“Rollie didn’t narrow it down a whole lot,” TJ grumbled.
“Stay positive. There are eight fewer than we had before.”
TJ dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “Been thinkin’. What if Rollie’s not the only one helpin’ women out?”
Lisa took a deep breath. “I doubt that’s likely, but only because I haven’t gotten wind of even one in the area. Do you think it’s worth calling James Wilson? Feel him out on whether he knows more about it than he told me?”
TJ snickered. “Lotta women would like to feel
him
out. Least they would if he wasn’t such a prick.”
“Can’t hurt to try. I’ll give him a call.”
21
The weather turned cold and drizzly. By evening, the snow threatening to fall on the city of Pewaukee had only managed to mesh with rain, forming a thick sleet. A wind reported to be over thirty miles-per-hour
He pored over the names on the two sheets. “It's funny. I wouldn’t have had to worry about this at all.”
"What do you mean?”
“I had qualms about telling you which women I helped. There are some on this list that I helped, but there are also some that I happen to know aren't missing. The dates they went missing are next to their names and I know I’ve seen a few of these women since then. So I’ll draw lines through them too, and you won’t have any way of knowing which are the ones I helped out and which are the ones I’ve seen around.” He took a few minutes to peruse the list and handed it back to Lisa.
Lisa looked it over. “This leaves us with only thirty-six names to check out. It’s good of you to take time out to do this, Roland. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you two.”
TJ turned to him. “Rollie, let me stay with Charles for a couple hours so you can go home and change. Maybe grab a nap.”
“Thanks, but I’m not going anywhere till he’s out of danger. His brother and some of our friends are going to be here soon. Thanks for the offer, but don’t worry about me, I’ll have lots of support.”
“We’ll be prayin' for him.” TJ hugged him once more. After Lisa followed suit, they walked out of the cafeteria.
When they reached the parking lot, TJ asked, “Wanna go to Vinnie’s?”
“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”
Vinnie’s bar, located on the east side of downtown Milwaukee, catered to the working crowd during the week and the clubbers on the weekends; it had been a popular spot since the ‘60s.
A buffet bearing a huge spread of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres was displayed across from the bar. Lisa spotted TJ walking away from it carrying a plate heaped with its offerings. “You just ate.”
“Forgot to tell you—I got great metabolism—one of those folks that pisses everyone else off cause they can eat anything they want.”
“That does piss me off,” Lisa muttered.
They carried drinks to a booth in the back. TJ raised her glass. “Here’s to catching that son-of-a-bitch.”
“I’ll drink to that. But keep in mind, you and I won’t be doing the catching.”
“Yeah. But I been thinking and there’s something botherin’ me. Richard says any serial killer thing goin’ on is a fantasy of my overactive female imagination. But I can feel it in my gut—this ain’t some online thing like the cops are pushin’. If we was goin’ out on that limb, we’d have to ask, what would we find perched there?”
Lisa sipped her drink. “Just speculating, I’d wonder how he’s singling them out, finding abused women to prey on. Do you think it could be a cop?”
“Sure. Or someone who works for one of the Centers, the police department or emergency services, or even a 911 operator. Or anyone with a police scanner.” She picked up a chicken wing, pointing it at Lisa. “Narrows it down to thousands.”
Lisa took out the two copies of the list. They divided the list with a minimum of squabbling, assigning half of the names to Lisa and Eric, and the other half to Jeff and TJ.
“Rollie didn’t narrow it down a whole lot,” TJ grumbled.
“Stay positive. There are eight fewer than we had before.”
TJ dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “Been thinkin’. What if Rollie’s not the only one helpin’ women out?”
Lisa took a deep breath. “I doubt that’s likely, but only because I haven’t gotten wind of even one in the area. Do you think it’s worth calling James Wilson? Feel him out on whether he knows more about it than he told me?”
TJ snickered. “Lotta women would like to feel
him
out. Least they would if he wasn’t such a prick.”
“Can’t hurt to try. I’ll give him a call.”
21
The weather turned cold and drizzly. By evening, the snow threatening to fall on the city of Pewaukee had only managed to mesh with rain, forming a thick sleet. A wind reported to be over thirty miles-per-hour
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