Chapter 55

Darrell and Liam went through their plan once more before they went to the Captain. They needed to be absolutely sure that there were no other explanations or theories that would fit. Their strongest evidence was the link between the family planning clinic, the mobster’s autopsy and Gayle. The fact that Paul Aspinall could easily be mistaken for the killer was another plus for Liam. The similarities between William Deveraux and Paul Aspinall were uncanny. However, William was more social than Paul which made the whole idea of William being the mastermind more than acceptable. If Darrell was right, the evidence they were about to walk into would be more than enough to put to rest any notions that Paul Aspinall was involved.

“So we got this?” Darrell looked at Liam.

“Yep, as good as we can get it. I’m just waiting for the search and seizure warrants which are arriving by fax and then we can go get him!” Liam said

Just then the Captain walked in and spoke.

“You want to tell me what you two are up to? I just got off the phone with Paul Aspinall who for all intents and purposes is more than a little upset that we suspect him of all these murders. And when I say upset I mean threatening lawsuits and a few jobs.” The Captain looked at Darrell. “I thought I told you to question politely not all-out accuse.” The Captain waited for Darrell to respond.

“Well Sir, that might have been all me.” Liam said.

“I was hastier than I thought in my line of questioning and truly I apologize. If anything, Detective Darker was the voice of reason and was very apologetic and explained it was only curiosity on the department’s behalf. In no way sir should you hold Detective Darker responsible for that. It was me.” Liam took a deep breath and looked at the Captain and then Darrell.

Darrell said nothing and knew that that was the best recourse in this situation.

The Captain glared at Liam and then at Darrell and then back to the FBI agent.

“Well, I suppose that is some consolation. However, there will be no more looking at Paul Aspinall without direct proof of murder. Do we have an understanding or do I need to be incredibly specific about my meaning?”

Liam nodded sheepishly. “No sir, we are not in any way looking at Paul Aspinall.”

Darrell saw his opportunity to show the Captain everything that he had found and to explain his theory.

“Sir,” Darrell started, “My theory is this. William Deveraux is also on my list of suspects. In fact to be honest, he is my list of suspects. And here is why.” Darrell showed the Captain all of the evidence that he had come up with. Starting with Gayle’s journals and then the mobster’s autopsy report. He went onto show every scrap of paper and every photo he could muster to convince the Captain that he had the right man. The only thing Darrell had no inkling of was why. Why was this being done? He knew the religious aspect. The passage one of the girls had somewhat remembered lead him down the path of abortion, but why? Why did he start and why did he continue? When Darrell was finished explaining the reasons and showing the evidence that they had, the Captain kept looking at the mountain of paper and photographs. When the Captain looked up to the white board he saw the time line for what this monster had done and in the time frame it was done. In 2 months, the city had become a playground for a man who was sinister and evil. A man who killed as a religious zealot and in what they could see for pure pleasure. The Captain nodded and simply said “Go get him!”

Darrell knew that this was it. He knew William Deveraux was the Industrial Park Killer. There were no other alternatives that made sense or fit the evidence.

Liam left the Captain and Darrell to talk while he went to go get the warrants needed to execute their plan.

“Are you ready to get this guy?” The Captain asked Darrell.

“As ready as ever. I am hopeful this will go down smoothly but I am keenly aware that it may not and we are walking into either a bloodbath or something entirely worse.”

Liam popped his head in the doorway waved the warrants and then waited for Darrell to accompany him to the home of William Deveraux. What they would find there could be anything from utter chaos to the serene picture of a loving family man. Liam was ready. In his years as a homicide detective to now being a Senior Supervisory Agent with the Behavioral Science Unit, Liam had seen just about everything there was to see on the gruesome side of things. He had no doubt that a secondary location would be in the near future for Darrell and himself. As the two men walked to the elevator and then rode down to the car, there was an air of tension and apprehension. There always was with these kinds of cases. Exhaustion had become second nature to these two men. Mix that with the kind of adrenaline they were feeling as well as every single crime scene photo and mourning relative they had spoken with, the air was malleable.

“I don’t know what we are walking into but we need to take him alive. We need him to confess to as much as possible before we do anything and collect as much evidence we can for the trials.” Liam looked at Darrell as he spoke knowing that Darrell was thinking the exact opposite.

“Ya. I guess. I’m all for the evidence but I wouldn’t be too upset if there was some sort of mishap.” Before Liam could object Darrell added, “I won’t make it happen, I’m just saying!”

Liam nodded knowing that Darrell was being as honest as he could be.

The two men slowly made their way out to the home of their suspect. The two unmarked police cars that followed were keeping pace and Darrell kept looking back to make sure they were there. His gut told him they were too late and that William Deveraux was not at his house and that when they did finally find him he would be outside of the country in some third world hole that didn’t abide by any extradition treaties from anywhere in the world.

As they pulled up to the house that William Deveraux owned Liam was skeptical. He put the car in park and looked at Darrell.

“I know.” Darrell said. “It looks like we are expected.”

Liam shook his head and took off his seatbelt.

Darrell did the same and then opened his door, and then closed the door behind him being very deliberate for all the neighbors that were watching them approach the house.

Liam knocked on the door, and then rang the doorbell.

Darrell waved one of the four officers that were behind them to go around and check the back door.

As Darrell knocked again, the neighbor from the left opened her door and looked at the five remaining men.

“If y’all are looking for the Mister Deveraux, y’all just missed him by 10 minutes. He’s been out of sorts since his missus died and that there was a real shame. “

Darrell looked at the woman who had to be in her late 50’s, smiled and then said “Thanks, did he happen to mention where he was headed? We have some police business to talk with him about.”

“Y’all think I don’t see that much? It’s not every day that 6 men come to door looking to do some harm. And no, the good doctor never really said anything to me on a good clear day, and today is not a good clear day.”

The woman smiled disingenuously and then went back into her house and locked her front door.

“Well then, good thing we have this.” Liam said as he pulled out the warrant from his pocket and then tried to turn the doorknob to the front door. Just as he went to push, his radio came alive and said,

“Back door unlocked, going in. Copy?”

“Wait, we will be right there.” The three remaining cops, the agent and the detective went to the back and went in.

They searched the house. Nothing was found that told a story that was out of the ordinary. On the kitchen table there was a note that was addressed to Darrell. One of the uniformed officers brought it to Darrell and with a gloved hand, Darrell took it to read.

DETECTIVE, I'M GLAD YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. YOU WILL NEED TO SEE ME AT MY WORKSHOP. GO UPSTAIRS TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND RIGHT BESIDE IT YOU WILL FIND A PANEL. PUSH ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN THE MIDDLE AND YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

WILLIAM

Darrell wanted to scream and throttle the man. He had sat down and spoken at length with this man. In all that time, he didn’t see the murderer, he didn’t see the sly fox and he certainly didn’t see his absolute disdain for humanity. Darrell’s rage grew. As he rounded the top of the stairs he found the panel and waited until Liam was beside him. He pressed on the right side and with a small pop the panel opened and inside was a CCT surrounded with a myriad of pictures. In the dead center was a picture of Gayle in the bathtub the way that Darrell had found her and underneath that photo was a picture of the van and the directions to access his basement torture chamber and cells. Darrell grabbed the directions and then left the room. Liam followed.

“He wants us to chase him!” Darrell was out of breath from anger and frustration.

What they walked into was a scene from a movie. No matter which way Darrell looked there was blood. Blood everywhere. In the center of the room was a table, and underneath it lay two bodies. One woman and one man. Darrell rushed to the woman who was barely breathing and immediately called for Liam. Liam ran in and when he hit the doorway he promptly stopped. The horror of the room hit him like a brick wall. Darrell called again and that seemed to break Liam out of the trance he was in. He stepped over blood evidence to where Darrell was and when Darrell nodded toward the man Liam checked him. Darrell spoke softly into the breathing person’s ear. “It’s OK. You will be fine; we are waiting for the ambulance. Stay with me.” Darrell repeated the words over and over again softly and calmly. Darrell looked up at Liam and saw that the man in front of him had been killed, mostly likely by the scalpel that was on the floor in between the two.

It seemed like hours before the ambulance came as well as the Crime Scene Unit. Once the ambulance had shown up, Liam wouldn’t allow the paramedics access to the scene. Both he and Darrell took pictures of the scene with their phones so any evidence that might have been moved or destroyed while they were there was somewhat preserved. The two men carried the woman up out of the basement and onto the gurney so the EMS workers could do their jobs. Liam went in the ambulance with the woman; before he left he gave a brief statement to the crime scene unit leader.

Darrell looked on as the ambulance left. He then turned slowly to go back to the disaster that was the case conclusion, or at least he had hoped it would be. When the crime scene leader released the scene to the police and other investigators Darrell was free to walk in and out. He had been questioned and had forwarded the photos on his phone to the lead investigator’s email. Darrell walked into the room, this time watching as the coroner removed the man from the room. He was the last to be removed. Dr. Paul Aspinall had sent an assistant to perform the duties. Darrell understood that Dr. Aspinall was incredible annoyed at the confusion.
Darrell looked at the assistant and said,

“So do you know this guy?”

“Ya, that’s Dr. Deveraux, or well was Dr. Deveraux.”

Darrell cocked his head.

“Are you sure?”

“As sure as the nose on my face.”

“Thanks.” Darrell said. That identification was as good as he was going to get at this point until the Medical Examiner did the tests and confirmed the identity. Darrell felt a release of air and noticed that he had held his breath as the young man was speaking to him. He felt his shoulders dropping about an inch or two and was sure when the autopsy was completed he would feel the closure he was aching for.