Possession (12 page)

* * * *

It
is
a big-ass ugly statue.
They were sitting on the grass not far from the monstrosity. The park was lightly populated this time of the day. Mostly by dog owners walking their pets, and the occasional teenager on a skateboard or blades. They were all heading for home, and the sun was lowering the curtain on another weekday. Peach-colored rays hit the multicolored representation until it resembled an Andy Warhol reject.

This was where Kiel said he had awakened to find himself dead. They had been back to this place at least four other times, searching for any clue that would let them know who had murdered him. And why. More so, to hopefully find some scrap of evidence that would give them a place to start searching for Kiel’s body. By this time it would be no more than a skeleton, unless it had been maintained in a freezer or given another form of embalming.

He watched his brother as the man paced back and forth over the overgrown strip of grass, over the exact spot. Kiel had said nothing since they left the police station and drove here. But Sam could see the emotions waging war on the man’s face, and his heart went out to him. Life had handed his little brother an impossibility, and then continued to heap another and still yet another on top of it. No two ways about it. Being dead sucked.

“Let’s get on with it,” Sam finally called over to him. “What have you been mulling over?”

Kiel walked over and sat down on the grass. “Sam, those first two bodies discovered a month ago?”

“Yeah?”

“They were found behind that chop shop over on Delano, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

“Delano’s been tagged as Drug Avenue for the past six years or more, correct?”

Sam nodded. He would rather follow Kiel’s thought process than interrupt, the same way Kiel would follow his. It was how they worked together. Yin and yang fitting tightly together to form a coherent picture.

“The second set of victims were up in that apartment, murdered there
and
torn apart. We know for a fact that complex has been condemned for the past six months, which means it’s highly likely those people had broken in and set up housekeeping on their own.”

“Granted. Go on.”

“Victim number six, staged drop number three, was in the alley over in the West Bend subdivision. That’s a highly affluent neighborhood.” He lifted his eyes to catch Sam’s gaze. “We also know for a fact that there’s been a couple of drug busts there.”

“Sooo, you’re thinking these are all drug hits?”

Kiel looked off into the distance, but the sight of his fingers nervously plucking the grass at his feet betrayed his inner turmoil. “Gotta be. But, Sam, there’s been at least one other victim of the Shredder. And that death doesn’t fit the pattern.”

Sam gave his brother a disbelieving look. “Where? When?”

Slowly Kiel managed to face his sibling.

“Me.”

In the first few seconds the blood drained from Sam’s face. A few seconds later an expression of pure disbelief came over him. “I’m listening,” he said tautly.

* * * *

If it had been anyone else, Kiel knew he would have been lambasted by a hundred questions. Sam knew better than to harangue him, but to wait it out and see if he got all the answers he needed.

“When I first woke up, I couldn’t remember much. Hell, I couldn’t remember anything. Like you, I didn’t know I was dead until I reached your place. I vaguely remembered pain a-and this voice in my head that kept telling me I wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Holding a blade of grass in his fingers, Kiel began to peel it apart lengthwise. “Over at the apartment complex, when that blackness came after us, and I told you to get out, it came right up over me and stopped, and I heard that voice again. The same voice, Sam. Only this time it asked me why I was back.”

The eyes he lifted to his brother were filled with emotional pain. “He told me I had been a mistake. He said he had…he had to fix me.” Kiel huffed with the memory, fighting the fear that always accompanied the revelation. That, and the tightness growing in his chest. Tightness that normally signaled the welling of tears. Except now the tears were no longer a possibility.

“So the Shredder killed you before he realized you weren’t supposed to be one of his victims? Is that what you’re telling me?” Sam interpreted. “The other two were meant to be his targets, but you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

Nodding, Kiel reached for another blade of grass. “That’s why I’m here. He fixed me, whatever that entailed, because he’d been in the wrong, and I guess he felt he needed to make amends. But in the process, I guess he made me like him.”

Sam chewed over this new information. “Why didn’t you say something about this before?”

“Because I didn’t find it relevant. Not until that thing spoke to me. And then I just…I knew.”

“You know what you’re telling me, Kiel? You’re telling me there could be other bodies out there that we haven’t discovered. More victims of the Shredder.”

“I know.”

“Do you think that if we go back to where we found the first two victims, who we know now are those guys who dragged you off, that we’ll find your body, too?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But there’s one thing I haven’t told you, Sam. I also know who the Shredder is, or was when he was alive.”

This time Sam caught his breath in anticipation. Without Kiel mentioning the name, he already knew. “Jack Conader?”

“Cracker Jack Conader,” Kiel stated. “Dead and bent on getting his revenge.”

* * * *

From there the pieces to the puzzle began dropping into place neater than tab A fitting into slot B. Knowing they couldn’t present their findings from Kiel’s point of view, the brothers had to find the evidence to support their theory. Or enough of the circumstantial variety, at least, to convince their captain they were right.

A little more than a year ago Cracker Jack Conader had been the DEA’s number one target to get off the street. Conader hadn’t been involved with any of the drugs being shipped in from other countries. The man had been a pharmacist before being busted in a child pornography ring and shipped off to the state house for sixteen years. He’d gotten his moniker because he had used candy and other delectables to entice minors into posing for him. Good behavior and the governor’s early parole program had him back outside in five. But in that time the man had managed to concoct a pretty potent drug he called “Possession”, and the stuff was soon touted to be the next Ecstasy.

It was also a hell of a lot more deadly.

In less than a month after his release, Conader had gone from child porn advocate to drug dealer. Once again his target audience was the younger generation, from ages as young as twelve. Possession was pale brown in color, resembling raw sugar
and
almost identical in appearance. In fact, the drug was packaged in tiny brown packets just like raw sugar, and sold for ten bucks a shot. Cheap and easy. Conveniently portable.

Not only that, but the stuff could be added to any food or drink without a discernable aftertaste. In short, no one could tell they were being fed the drug until it was too late, and the victim went on a wild psychotic ride that had the heart racing like a million dollar, stable-bred Derby winner.

Death occurred when the heart gave out, unable to keep up the pace.

For the longest time the coroners and M.E.s were unable to detect the stuff in the victims’ bodies until an accident gave them a clue. During the autopsy of a sixteen-year-old girl who had dropped onto the floor of a local teen hotspot, the examiner’s assistant had knocked over a nearby UV lamp. Normally UV rays weren’t used extensively as an autopsy tool, but the lamp had been on for the coroner to check the girl for any signs of strangulation. The light had been inadvertently left on, and when the assistant had rounded the table to help with examining the body cavity, he had gotten his foot tangled in the cord. The lamp had rotated around and fallen over enough to where it shone directly into the victim’s open chest.

The cavity had sparkled like a salted gold mine. Once ingested, they found the drug solidified inside the veins and arteries, creating the glittering effect—which could only be detected under ultraviolet light.

Good police work traced the drug back to Conader, but finding him proved to be a completely different can of worms. That was, until they got word off the street that Conader’s league of dealers had turned on him and neatly Hoffaed the guy. Once they had managed to get the formula from its maker, the man’s life had become a pointless issue. No one knew where Conader’s body was, or who his dealers had been. But Sam and Kiel were quickly getting a handle on the man’s operations, and the hours flew by.

Their first stop was back at the now-deserted chop shop over on the eastern edge of town where the first two bodies had been discovered lying inside the remains of a Honda Accord. They knew the place had already been thoroughly scoured, but they gave it another shot.

At one point Kiel announced, “I remember a big open area like this. No windows. At first I thought I was in an abandoned warehouse.” His voice echoed slightly in the cavernous building. Their flashlights rove over the area like curious fireflies.

Sam glanced around from where he had been going through piles of tires left near the rear of the shop. “You think you were killed here?”

Kiel’s shrug showed his confusion. “I don’t know.”

“Any idea why you were dropped off at the park?” That question alone was worth being a
Final Jeopardy
answer. His brother’s answer, however, stunned him.

“Because I was an innocent.”

Sam had to steady his nerves before asking, “An innocent bystander?”

“Yeah. Here’s my guess. The first two guys, the ones who conked me over the head and dragged me away from the bust? They’re our first two victims.”

“That we know of. We don’t know that for sure.”

“
I
am,” Kiel insisted. “I just have to prove it. I’m willing to bet that the reason they brought me here is because they worked here. And that’s why they also died here.”

“And the three guys over at the apartment?”

“I’ll bet there’s a lot more over at that apartment building that we haven’t discovered,” Kiel whispered in a terse voice. “I’ll bet those three in some way were initially connected with Conader’s death. The place may even be where they either concocted Conader’s lethal drug, or distributed it.” He turned to stare at his brother. “That building could be the storehouse.”

Sam latched onto what Kiel was thinking. “Conader is killing those responsible for his own death, then leaving the bodies in locations where the victims had a second connection, like a place of business. Come on, let’s get back to the station. We need to put this thing in better perspective, and in black and white.”

Kiel turned to follow his brother outside. It was clear they wouldn’t find Kiel’s body here. Not when the place had already been picked apart by the experts. However an uneasiness persisted in his gut.
Where in the hell is the body?

“Don’t want to tackle the apartment building again?” Kiel asked as they climbed back into the car.

Sam narrowed his eyes at him. “Why?”

“Maybe my body is there. Maybe we’ll find some more answers, for once. Maybe I’m just killing time.” A confession right now would feel good. He had promised J he would come to her tonight, and that frightened him more than a return trip to the apartment building.

“But what if Conader comes after you again? Think he’ll continue to be understanding and just let you slide by like you’ve done the last two times?”

“He’s already murdered me,” Kiel reminded him tartly. “There’s little else he can do to hurt me.”

“Unless he comes after me.”

Sam’s remark was barely audible, but it had a sizeable impact on the spirit sitting in the passenger seat. A string of curse words passed the younger man’s lips before he was aware of them. It had gotten dark long ago. Going to the apartment was risky enough in the daytime, but at least there was light to see by. If they attempted to do any snooping at night, chances were more than good Sam could be injured, or worse.

“You know, there’s something I haven’t been able to figure out.”

Sam glanced up from where he had been wiping his hands on a halfway-clean towel he’d found. “Whassat?”

“There’ve been other detectives over at the apartments. Not to mention the Crime Scene Unit. But there was nothing in the reports about suspicious activity. No…” His voice trailed off in thought.

“Encounter with the Shredder?”

Kiel nodded. “Yeah. I wonder why.”

“Maybe they did encounter him but didn’t mention it in their reports.”

He made a little face. “Guess we’ll have to ask on the QT to find out if that’s true,” Kiel commented.

“Or maybe the Shredder left them alone,” Sam ventured.

Hazel eyes bore into him. “Why? Why us and not them?”

“Not us. You.” He dropped the rag onto the floorboard as he watched Kiel’s expression grow more tense. “You draw the Shredder to us. He leaves everyone else alone who goes over there, except for the people he feels is responsible for his death. And you, because you were his only mistake.” Shrugging, Sam added, “Maybe the spirit feels remorse for what he did.”

They drove back to the station in silence to examine the information they had already gathered once more. Luck was on their side as they arrived. A fresh report was sitting on Sam’s chair seat. Picking it up, he glanced at it and smiled. “Bingo on our West Bend victim. Franklin Jesse Turner, six-one, Cauc, twenty-six years old, current address unknown.” He dropped into his chair so hard the seat creaked in protest. “Witnesses claimed Turner sold Possession from the alley on a once-a-week basis. Had a regular clientele.” He glanced up. “That would shore-up our theory in one aspect. He sold from there, so his remains were left there.”

“How’d they manage to match the name to the remains?”

Sam scanned the report, flipping to the second page. “Turner had a rape conviction.”

“That explains it. He was busted on DNA evidence, right?”

“Yeah. We got lucky with that one. But it still leaves us with a shitload of possibles and no definites. Because the other bodies were shredded so totally, we can’t get any tats, or fingerprints, or anything to give us any confirmation that the bodies are who we think they are.”

“They’re Conader’s inner circle,” Kiel interrupted. “I would bet money on it.”

Sam nodded. “I think so, too. Who else could get close enough and be able to find out Conader’s chemical formula? But we have to prove it. We need some way to get those names to fit the bodies.”

“What about further DNA matches?”

A weary shrug followed a loud sigh. “Maybe in a couple of cases. We can try, but the state’s so backlogged on profiling the prison population, it’s a shot in the dark that one of the other victims also has a DNA record.” Sam tried to rub away the tightness in his neck muscles and glanced at his wristwatch. “Crap, do you know what time it is?” He got a grunt in reply. “It’s nearly eleven.”

Kiel glanced up from the other side of the desk. “Yeah? Do you want to knock off for a while? I can stay here.”

Leaning over and lowering his voice, Sam redirected his attention by saying, “I was thinking about J.”

Kiel blinked. Suddenly that feeling of warmth and happiness came flooding back to him. He could feel his body’s reaction, as if he continued to possess a living body. “Shit.”

“She’s going to be mighty pissed at you.” Sam grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head and rearing back in his chair.

“She was pissed when we dropped her off.” Kiel looked at the phone. “Think I should call her?”

“No. I think you should go over there.”

“Sam.”

“No, listen to me, bro.” His voice had turned hard, but also sympathetic. “She was right, and you know it. You have no reason to rue the fact that you’re dead. In fact, you have no right to pass up this opportunity.”

“I can’t give her anything but heartache,” Kiel began to argue. Sam cut him off with a wave of both hands.

“Stop thinking negatively and look at it from my point of view. You have the chance to love her. Yeah, it won’t be forever, but she knows that. She accepts that. All she’s wanting from you is a few moments together, whatever time you can give her, so she can take it and keep it, and cherish it for the rest of
her
life. Don’t you understand, Kiel?” He made a rude noise. “God, what I wouldn’t give for a woman to love me that much.”

Kiel gnawed on his lips and stared at the manila folders scattered across their desks. “Have I been an ass, Sam?” He wanted desperately to admit that his thoughts had not wavered. She was and always would remain a most precious part of him, even if a life together was out of the question.

“Oh, yeah. And then some. Go to her, Kiel. Love her. Give her a memory to cherish. Give her something to remember you by.”

“Sam.”

“What’s holding you back? Don’t you love her?”

The anger that washed over his brother’s face didn’t surprise him. “That’s a stupid-ass question.”

“Then quit acting like one. What’s keeping you away from her? Because you’re afraid of hurting her? Hell, what do you think she’s probably thinking right now? Don’t you think she’s hurting right now because you’re not with her? For crissakes, Kiel! Take what you’ve been given and run with it!”

“The investigation—”

“…can wait until tomorrow. If Conader’s our Shredder, another night isn’t going to matter. If his victims are from his squad of dealers who turned on him, the better for us, I say. Now, get out of here. I’m starved. I’m going on home, too. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He watched as Kiel glanced around the nearly empty squad room and laid the folder he’d been holding onto the pile in front of him. Giving his brother a nod, he vanished.

Kiel is right about one thing.
Sam got to his feet and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. He needed a little shuteye himself. Investigative work like they were doing was best tackled with a clear head and a fresh perspective.

Kiel would never sleep again until he was finally gone from this realm, but Sam hoped that in the morning his brother would be blessed with a better frame of mind.