Part 33 (2/2)

Kyle finally smiled. ”You're an unusual man, Alex. You're both incredibly open and and secretive.” secretive.”

”Getting more unusual every day,” I said to Kyle. ”You come on a new monster one of these days, don't bother to call. I'm monstered out.” I stared into his eyes, trying to make contact and not completely succeeding. Kyle was secretive too, not very open with anybody that I knew of.

”I'll try not to call,” Kyle said. ”You rest up, though. There's a monster working in the city of Chicago right now. Another in Lincoln and Concord, Ma.s.sachusetts. Someone very evil is taking children in Austin, Texas. Little babies, actually. Repeat killers in Orlando and Minneapolis.”

”We've still got work here,” I reminded Kyle.

”Do we?” still got asked, his voice dripping with irony. ”What work is that, Alex? You mean spadework?”

Kyle Craig and I watched the terrifying scene that was unfolding near the underground house. Seventy to eighty men were busy digging up the meadow west of the ”disappearing” house. They were working with heavy pickaxes and shovels. Searching for bodies of murder victims. Spadework.

Since 1981, beautiful and intelligent women from all over the South had been abducted by the two monsters and murdered. It was a thirteen-year reign of horror. First, I fall in love with a woman. Then, I simply take her. First, I fall in love with a woman. Then, I simply take her. Will Rudolph had written that in his diaries out in California. I wondered if the sentiment was his or his Will Rudolph had written that in his diaries out in California. I wondered if the sentiment was his or his twin's. twin's. I wondered how badly Casanova was missing his friend now. How he grieved. How he planned to cope with his loss. Did he already have a plan? I wondered how badly Casanova was missing his friend now. How he grieved. How he planned to cope with his loss. Did he already have a plan?

I believed that Casanova had met Rudolph sometime back around 1981. They had shared their forbidden secret: They liked to kidnap, to rape, and, sometimes to torture, women. Somehow, they came up with the idea of keeping a harem of very special women, women who were bright and fascinating enough to hold their interest. They never had anyone to share their secrets with before. Then suddenly they had each other. I tried to imagine never having anyone to confide in-never once in your life-and then finding someone to talk to when you are twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

The two of them had played their wicked games, gathered their harem of beauties in the Research Triangle area and throughout the Southeast. My theory on twinning had been close to the truth. They enjoyed kidnapping and holding beautiful women captive. They also competed. competed. So much so, that Will Rudolph finally had to go off on his own for a while. To Los Angeles. He had become the Gentleman Caller out there. He'd tried to make it on his own. Casanova, the more territorial of the two, continued to work in the South, but they communicated. They shared stories. They So much so, that Will Rudolph finally had to go off on his own for a while. To Los Angeles. He had become the Gentleman Caller out there. He'd tried to make it on his own. Casanova, the more territorial of the two, continued to work in the South, but they communicated. They shared stories. They needed needed to share. Sharing their exploits was part of the thrill for both of them. Rudolph eventually told stories to a reporter at the to share. Sharing their exploits was part of the thrill for both of them. Rudolph eventually told stories to a reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. He tasted fame and notoriety, and he liked it. Not so Casanova. He was much more of a loner. He was the genius; the creative one, I believed. He tasted fame and notoriety, and he liked it. Not so Casanova. He was much more of a loner. He was the genius; the creative one, I believed.

I thought I knew who he might be. I thought that I'd seen Casanova without his mask.

I kept drifting in and out of strange, private thoughts at the dizzying crime scene. I was burnt toast, but that didn't matter anymore; it hadn't mattered for a while.

Casanova, the territorial killer, I was thinking. He was probably still in the area around Durham and Chapel Hill. He had met Will Rudolph around the time of the golden couple murders. So far, he'd thought everything through with almost perfect clarity. He had finally made a mistake during the shootout two days before. A small mistake, but that was all it took sometimes... I thought thought I knew who Casanova might be. But I couldn't share it with the FBI. I was their ”loose cannon,” right? The ”outsider” on this case. So be it. I knew who Casanova might be. But I couldn't share it with the FBI. I was their ”loose cannon,” right? The ”outsider” on this case. So be it.

Kyle Craig and I watched the same distant spot in the high waving gra.s.s and honeysuckle, out where the digging was taking place. Ma.s.s graves, Ma.s.s graves, I thought as I watched the horrific scene. I thought as I watched the horrific scene. What a concept for the nineties. What a concept for the nineties.

A tall balding man stood up from his deep hole in the soft earth. He waved long arms high over his head, which was s.h.i.+ny with sweat. ”Bob Shaw here!” He called out his name in a loud, clear voice.

The digger's name was the verbal signal that another woman's body had been found. An entire corps of North Carolina medical examiners was at the dreamlike, unbearably grisly scene. One of the MEs ran over to the digger in a strange, lopsided waddle that would have made Kyle and me laugh under different circ.u.mstances. He gave Shaw a hand out of the grave.

The TV cameras at the scene moved in on Shaw, who was U.S. Army from Fort Bragg. An attractive woman reporter nearby received a dab of makeup before she spoke into the lens of a camera.

”They've just found victim number twenty-three,” the reporter said with appropriate solemnity. ”All the victims so far appear to have been young women. The grisly murders-”

I turned away from the TV coverage and I had to sigh out loud.

I thought of children like my own Damon and Jannie, watching this spectacle in their homes. This was a world they were inheriting. Human monsters roaming the earth, a majority of them in America and Europe. Why was that? Something in the water? In the high-fat fast food? On Sat.u.r.day morning TV?

”Go the h.e.l.l home, Alex,” Kyle said to me. ”It's over now. You won't catch him, I promise you.”

Chapter 115.

NEVER SAY never. That's one of my few mottos as a cop. My body was bathed in a cold sweat. My pulse was jumpy and irregular. This was it, wasn't it? I needed to believe that it was.

I waited in the hot, still darkness outside a small wood-s.h.i.+ngled house in the Edgemont section of Durham. It was a typical middle-cla.s.s Southern neighborhood. Nice middle-cla.s.s houses, American and j.a.panese cars in about equal numbers, mower-striped lawns, familiar cooking smells. It was where Casanova had chosen to live for the past seven years.

I had spent the early part of that night at the offices of the Herald Sun. Herald Sun. I had reread everything written in the newspaper about the unsolved murders of Roe Tierney and Tom Hutchinson. A name mentioned in the I had reread everything written in the newspaper about the unsolved murders of Roe Tierney and Tom Hutchinson. A name mentioned in the Herald Sun Herald Sun helped put it together for me, confirmed my suspicions and fears, anyway. Hundreds of hours of investigating. Reading and rereading Durham police briefs. Then, pay dirt on a single line of newsprint. helped put it together for me, confirmed my suspicions and fears, anyway. Hundreds of hours of investigating. Reading and rereading Durham police briefs. Then, pay dirt on a single line of newsprint.

The name was in a story lost in the Durham newspaper's middle pages. It appeared just once. I found it, anyway.

I had stared for a long time at the familiar name in the news article. I thought about something I'd noticed during the shootout in Chapel Hill. I thought about the whole subject of ”perfect crimes.” It all fit together for me now. Game, match, set, bingo.

Casanova had blinked just once. I had seen it with my own eyes, though. The name in the news article was verification. It materially linked Will Rudolph and Casanova for the first time. It also explained to me how they had met, and why why they had talked. they had talked.

Casanova was sane and completely responsible for his actions. He had planned every step in cold blood. That was the most horrifying and unusual thing about the long trail of crimes. He knew what he was doing. He was a slime who had chosen chosen to abduct beautiful young students in their prime. He'd to abduct beautiful young students in their prime. He'd chosen chosen to rape and murder again and again. He was obsessed with perfect young women, with to rape and murder again and again. He was obsessed with perfect young women, with loving loving them as he called it. them as he called it.

I conducted imaginary interview with Casanova as I waited outside his house in the car. I could see his face as clearly as the numbers on the dashboard.

You don't feel anything one way or the other, do you?

Oh, I do. I feel elation. I feel the most tremendous high when I take another lady. I feel varying levels of excitement, antic.i.p.ation, animal l.u.s.t. I feel an incredible sense of freedom that most people will never feel.

But not guilt?

I could see see him smirk as I sat in my car. I'd seen that smirk before, in fact. I knew who he was. him smirk as I sat in my car. I'd seen that smirk before, in fact. I knew who he was.

Nothing that would make me want to stop.

Was there any nurturing, any love given and received when you were a boy?

They tried. I wasn't really a boy, though. I don't remember acting or thinking like a boy.

I had begun to think like the monsters again. I was the dragon-slayer. I hated the responsibility. I also hated the part of me that was becoming a monster. There was nothing I could do to stop it at this point.

I was outside Casanova's house in Durham. Hammers of fear tapped lightly in my heart. I waited there for four nights.

No partner. No backup.

No problem whatsoever. I could be as patient as he was.

I was hunting now.

Chapter 116.

I SUCKED in a harsh, deep breath and felt a little lightheaded. There he was! SUCKED in a harsh, deep breath and felt a little lightheaded. There he was!

<script>