Death Trance (45 page)
Randolph asked, 'You're not thinking of going leyak-hunting again?’
Michael took out a cigarette. 'Not me,’ he said, shaking his head.
Randolph was silent for a moment and then said, 'I have some staff vacancies. The vice-presidency in charge of production just happens to be free. I'm letting Neil Sleaman go.’
Michael shook his head again. 'Maybe I'll take up taxi driving,’ he said, half-smiling.
Randolph was thoughtful. 'I knew a taxi driver once,’ he remarked. 'In fact, he was the one who put me on to Reece. Do you know what he used to think? He thought that Elvis Presley faked his own death just to get some peace from his fans.’
'Good theory,’ Michael said, nonchalantly blowing a smoke ring.
Randolph nodded. 'I wonder what happened to that taxi driver. I never heard from him again.’
Michael said, 'Usually that's the best way.’
The End
Notes
:
FOOTNOTE I
: On March 27,1985, Richard Stevens Reece was apprehended by police in Gary, Indiana, on charges of assault. His particulars were sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who determined that he was also wanted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in connection with a multiple rape-murder at Lac aux Ecorces in the Province of Quebec.
Reece was extradited to Quebec, where he was tried and found guilty of homicide. The evidence that principally decided the jury was a set of US Army dogtags discovered beneath the floorboards of the cabin where the rape-murders took place. They were identified as belonging to Richard Reece.
Richard Reece was sentenced to life imprisonment. He hanged himself in his cell on the morning of July 9, 1985, leaving a note that said simply, 'Fish Hook.’
FOOTNOTE II
: On February 18, 1986, a down-and-out was attacked in an alley between 14th and 15th Streets in Joplin, Missouri. The victim had been torn to pieces 'as if by wolves.’ Pieces of his body were found as far as 65 feet apart.
The only eye-witness to the killing was a partially-blind derelict of 72 years old, who was drunk on turpentine substitute at the time. He told the police that there were two killers, both 'with faces like ashes and eyes like orange fire.’
His evidence was discounted by investigating officers, and the coroner's eventual finding was that the down-and-out had been killed 'by persons or animals unknown.’
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7/13/2010
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