The X-Man by Brian R. Lundin (100 best novels of all time .TXT) 📕

out of the fifth district. “What your poison?

The two police smiled and nodded,

EVETTA
Nothing right now, maybe later

LEROY
It’s on the house, how is that boss of yours?

EVETTA
John is doing fine, I’ll tell him you asked

LEROY
Tell him to not forget his old friends now that he big-time

EVETTA
Will do

Evetta spotted Bull sitting in a rear booth a can of Budweiser beer sat on the table. Evetta slipped into the opposite seat.

BULL
What’sup mama?

EVETTA
What you got?

BULL
I put the word out about the broad who got whacked on 43rd Street. Well one of my guys who work the alley told me that the broad always walk around her apartment nude or damn near nude. This dude, a little dude, my man doesn’t know his name was a regular customer and he and my guy would watch this broad parade her naked ass around. The customer was a weirdo and seemed to get off watching and he had a funny sounding voice. Well on the night the broad got whacked my guy said he saw this guy hanging around the gangway. My guy had to take care of some business and when he looked around the guy was gone. He later spotted him in the room with the broad. He couldn’t hear anything but the broad, naked seemed to be trying to get away from him. My guy got distracted again and when he looked in the window, he didn’t see the guy or the broad, also he said he saw the same guy walking with the broad got whacked on King Drive

EVETTA
Think your guy could point him out from photos?

BULL
Don’t know, I asked him that. You know with all the busts I’ve had with you guys I know the routine, but he said he only saw the guy at night in the dark alley

EVETTA
What about a description?

BULL
My guy said the dude was a little guy, but looked like a weight lifter or something and had a funny voice, that’s all he got

EVETTA
Thanks, man, owe you one


BULL
Owe me nothin’ mama

Ringo was waiting outside the lounge for Evetta who got into his car and told him of the conversation with Bull.

RINGO
Good work, Evetta, let’s get the team together in the morning and see what we’ve got

The following morning, Lieutenant O'Shea, Evetta, Charley Turner and Cristy Jones met in my office.

RINGO
Let’s see what we got, want to go first Charley?

CHARLEY
We know that Robin Honeywell was about two months pregnant and William Smith, her boyfriend was the father and has an alibi as well as her husband. There were no prints or any trace evidence, just a laceration on her head that Dixon said was caused by a blunt instrument, there were signs of sexual abuse and the murder weapon was probably one of her kitchen knives, no prints. We got a partial shoe print and found a condom with sperm in the garage, sent to the lab for DNA tests, nada. An analysis of the print indicated the wearer was a small man, found an X was drawn in the dust, and cast were made and logged into evidence. I interviewed the witness George Pepper, Louise next door neighbor who said he did get a good look at the man; he was short but well built. Mr. Pepper viewed photos, also nada. Re-interviewed of Louise revealed that she didn’t get a good look at the man either but believes he’s a member of the Hyde Park Bally Health Club. Cynthia White was an eighteen years freshman student at Chicago State University and she was also raped. There was blood and semen in her bedroom and semen was found during the autopsy, also according to the Doctor Dixon there was a small bit of dermal specimen under her fingernail that suggest a hyper pigmented dermis, in other words the killer was probably non-Caucasian, not Caucasian as originally thought, he’s waiting more results from the FBI Crime lab. Seems like she may have put up a fight, we’re waiting for a possible DNA match, she also was a member of the health club. Also at each crime scene the bloody X found on the mirror contained the victim’s blood type, we also still waiting on those DNA reports. All of the killings were occurred on the 10th of the month and as best as can be determined occurred between two and three in the morning and another odd thing it was always a rainy night. In all of the cases there are no apparent motives, most of the victims didn’t have money or jewelry the only things taken were their underwear.

RINGO
Cristy?

CRISTY
I interviewed Cynthia White parents who live in Warsaw, Indiana who stated that Cynthia moved to Chicago in June and as far as they knew didn’t know anyone. I re-interviewed the building manager and he said that she was quiet and as far as he knew she didn’t have a boyfriend. The old lady who lived next to Robin Honeywell said that Robin grew up in the neighborhood and was a nice girl but she often saw her parading around the apartment naked, sounds like an exhibitionist and I have set up an interview with neighbors and friends of the other victims, but you know these people don’t talk to cops. Interviewed Mrs. Starks and she looked at our mug books, but didn’t find anyone, all the DNA samples analyzed came back negative, no matches.

RINGO
Evetta
Had a conversation with an CI who said that one of his guys saw on two occasions a small man at the scene of two of the homicides. I’ll set up a meet later.

TURNER
Do we have one killer or two or do we have a copy cat?

RINGO
I don’t think so, If it is a copycat, how would he know about the missing underwear, that information hasn’t been released? The last killing was in October this is December, seems like he’s changing his pattern, the question is why he has stopped. I know it’s bad to say, but if he has stopped or moved to another state or country we might never catch him, anyway, thanks everyone. Charley try to put some heat on the state crime lab about the DNA, In the meantime Evetta and I are going to review the other victim’s files, maybe we missed something, and the question is, is there any connection between the victims outside the health club and how they are selected

Evetta pulled Peggy Smith case file from her briefcase. “Peggy Smith, twenty-five, the first victim of the X-Man. lived alone on the second floor at 4555 South Vincennes Avenue in a six-flat rehabbed building, found by building manager Mrs. Thomas and maintenance man, McRoy Gilberry on 10 January 2008, after tenants complained of a foul odor in the building, no witnesses, no one heard screams or saw anyone leave her apartment. Vic found in bathtub large X carved in her chest and another bloody X found on bathroom mirror. No signs of forced entry or missing property, except underwear, no trace evidence or prints.
It was a warm afternoon for the middle of December and the busy activity on 43rd Street could be heard a half block away. As usual I and Evetta did a walk-around of the building. The front of the building contained a sign cemented into ground that read “Vincennes Garden Court.”Beyond the sign were a cast iron fence, a locked key-card gate and a tenant’s directory, the building sat back in a well-kept yard that also contained potted plant, we walked to the rear and found another fenced and gated yard and the apartments had balconies, we returned to the front and ringed the manager’s bell.

MANAGER
Yes, can I help you?

EVETTA
Detective Lunden, Chicago Police Department, we would like to speak to you

MANAGER
Just a minute, please

In a moment the heavy gate buzzed and slowly opened and we walked to an apartment with a wooden plaque that read “Manager.” The door opened slightly and an elderly woman peeked out, Evetta and I showed the woman our identification and she opened the door. The manager, who identified herself as a Mrs. Ruby Darling looked to be in her sixties, wore too much face powder and wore her hair in a tight ball. She directed us to an oversized cloth couch and she sat in one of the two cloth chairs. On the crème colored wall was a picture of Luther King and on a large table were faded photos of an old woman sitting, a stern looking man standing and two young girls on each side of the woman, other family pictures doted the table.

EVETTA
We have just a few questions about Peggy Smith and we’ll let you go.


DARLING
I’ve already gave a statement to the police

EVETTA
We know, just back tracking to see if maybe you remember anything else, tell us about Peggy

DARLING
I just put on a pot for tea, care for some?

EVETTA
That’ll be fine, thanks

In a few minutes the lady returned with three cups and put the teapot on a tray. Mrs. Darling poured the tea and sat.

DARLING
Peggy was a good tenant paid her rent on time and never caused any problems or disturbance. Peggy usually left for work early in the morning and sometimes came in late. Whenever she had to work late she would call and she would look out for her

RINGO
What kind of person was Peggy?

DARLING
Plain girl, kind of shy she was the only child of a very sick father and she spent a lot of time with her mother


EVETTA.
Did she have a lot of guest? Boyfriend?

DARLING
I never saw her with anyone. She seemed like an introvert, had little to say, but was friendly, nice girl, but it seemed like the only thing she did was work, but she loved to read, especially books on Black History. I believed that she escaped into her books, where maybe she found some excitement for what looked to me like a pretty boring life for a young woman in Chicago, although a couple of times I saw her leave wearing gym clothes and carrying a large gym bag, I don’t know what was in it or where she was going

RINGO
Based on the information we have, her apartment door was not broken into, any idea how her killer got in?

DARLING
I don’t know, like I told the other officers all visitors must be buzzed in at the gate

RINGO
Have you rented the apartment yet?

DARLING (SIGHING)
No not yet, the police just removed the Seal a couple of weeks ago and I have to get the place painted and stuff before I rent it

EVETTA
Can we take a look?

DARLING
Sure, I’ll give you the key; I’m not ready to go back in there

The manager stopped me and Evetta at the door.


DARLING
I just remembered there was this good looking fella, a little guy but very muscular I saw them from my apartment window they both were carrying gym bags.

RINGO
Think you could identify