JUSTICE REBORN (A Charlie Taylor Novel Book 1) (7 page)

Karen is the lead in the other open case:
another serial killer but at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to
method and attitude. This one is wild and appears completely out of control. He
is a serial rapist and killer.

Karen provides a short review. “After his
first victim, he started regular reports to various news outlets detailing his
physical attributes, size of his penis, bragging about his prowess as a lover,
claims he is so horny he can’t help himself. This was when one of the reporters
labeled him ‘Horny Harry’, an inappropriate name, but one the press won’t let
go….. maybe because the son of a bitch keeps feeding them material. This rapist
craves attention and always contacts the media after an attack. If the girl is
strong enough, she survives the beating…… only two have survived: the first
girl and our current victim in the hospital. He is not very careful, basically
rather sloppy. We have DNA, some clothing fibers, and hair samples.”

Karen is not happy with his ridiculous
label because it appears to bring some humor to a situation which is far from
funny. Yet, she knows she is dealing with a veteran bunch of homicide
detectives and black humor is the norm.

“Gentlemen, Horny Harry has a distinct mode
of operation. Our first victim, who was lucky to survive, remembers almost
nothing from the attack but does remember getting into a cab. The next four
girls did not survive the assault. And, our latest victim appears to be trying
to speak the word ‘taxi’. I assume he is driving a taxi or what seems to be a
legitimate taxi and makes his selection from the cab, ignoring any women that
are not his type.

The girl is in the General Hospital and
will survive. She is fragile, and I can only get a few minutes at a time with
her. The doctors are cautious; they don’t want to add to her stress with a
series of probing questions. It will be days before we can see her again for
more than a few minutes.

 I recorded her statement, actually I
recorded several different bursts of dialogue at various times when she was
conscious. But her jaw is broken, she has numerous missing teeth, her lips
split and the inside of her mouth is swollen. Really, it is impossible to
understand her but she insists on talking, and I continue to record her efforts
to speak. I’m only able to comprehend a few words, one of which is ‘taxi’. “

Wes interrupted, “Karen, I’m sure there is
a reason but why not paper and pen?”

“She can’t write. Besides being feeble,
both hands are severely cut and swollen, in fact, all ripped up and covered in
massive bandages. She was either trying to protect herself or he was wild and
swinging and slicing at everything.

My guess: he is not a regular cab driver
but has disguised a vehicle to mimic a regular cab; it has to be good disguise
because women are getting into the damn cab without any reservations. The cab
allows him to cruise in any area without attracting attention. Net? All I have
is four different recorded statements from the lady in Intensive Care, out of
which I can understand about ten words.”

 I’m rather abrupt and cut it short. “Karen
I need you to participate in the brainstorming on the Five Star Couple then I
promise we will form a different group to review Harry with you. We have a
fresh crime scene with the Five Star Couple. I need to start there.”

She wants to spend all her time on her
case; she is not pleased. Still I have something to contribute. “Come back to
my office after the meeting. I’ve a contact with an FBI technical group, and
they have some gurus who may be able to work on your recordings; the contact
owes me. Maybe we can get priority. Maybe get you some understandable phrases
or words.”

Everyone is starting to leave; I feel I
have to say something, but my brain is mush, I almost mumble the words. “People
thanks for the reports. I recognize I’m not starting from the high ground but
you all know me and I hope trust me.”

There are handshakes on the way out, and no
one appears distressed by my promotion; that’s about all I can hope. Before all
clear the room, the Chief’s secretary is at the door.

“Charlie, the Chief asked me to relay this
message: the Judge has canceled the special Board meeting today and will
reschedule later in the week.”

“Thanks, I don’t know what caused the
cancelation but it’s good for me. I’ll be at my desk once I find my new
office.” 

Karen is waiting, and we head out to find
my new office.

                                              
# # #

Karen is gone, pleased with the FBI
willingness to assist and prioritize. I start organizing my small office; it
appears someone has already been at work. The place has been dusted, all the
little odds and ends are in place, on my desk a new large size monitor
connected to central, even my own coffee maker in operation. Since I have all
the necessary passwords, I can now dig deeper into both open cases. I’m ok,
just fighting a headache and sore throat.

The blackouts are scary. I can’t believe I
approached Emma in front of the whole Sector and started on her bare shoulders,
like a horny drunk. Unbelievable. But then I realize, at that moment, that is what
I was:  a horny drunk. How depressing. I can’t focus on the damn cases.

What’s bothering me? Why did I get
promoted? I’ve known the Chief and worked with him for a long time. I
understand why he placated the blond and convinced her not to proceed with a
charge but why let me off the hook? Me or any other misbehaving member of his
force. This is not his style. Second, after the Spring Dance, he has to be
worried about me; why take a chance? Doesn’t make sense, not for a straight guy
like the Chief. Why would he do this?

I drink my coffee. Slowly it begins to
filter through, the only thing that makes sense: it’s a setup. If he fires me
today, there could be a backlash. I could be viewed as a grieving widower who
has put in many extra hours for the department and solved some tough cases,
then was thrown off the force while recovering from a personal tragedy. But,
with the promotion the Chief can prove he gave me a chance.

All the Chief has to do is wait for the
pressure of these two open cases to get to me. Then he can ease me out, telling
everyone he tried his best but I couldn’t recover from my personal problems.
Sure: it’s a setup. The Chief hates loose ends, everything has to fit and be
neat by the book. My approach has always been hard for him to take and the last
two years really tough on him. Now all he has to do is wait. The next incident
and he will be able to clean up the department.

It’s early, but I am thirsty.  Jesus
Christ.

Leaving the message now appeared reckless.

Emma Collins had a long day ahead of her
and struggled with the start. There was still no response from the confidential
telephone query she’d left for Dr. Joe Wilson. A decision which haunted her:
stupid, hasty, and uncharacteristic.

At 6:30 am, Emma and Janice were the sole
occupants, only a few desks apart, but each engaged in her own world for
different reasons. The area was part medical facility, part chemistry
laboratory, part office, and part communication center, but everyone referred
to it as the Combination Room. The space housed an extensive array of
specialized equipment, work tables, a multitude of computers, individual desks,
and large wall mounted monitors. It formed the primary working space for the
Forensic Division and was a formidable site for a first-time visitor.

Emma did not indulge in political intrigue;
she was a scientist who had fallen in love with the learning process from her
first days in elementary school. At university she blossomed and was recognized
as one of the best students in the science program. In her last years, she
developed a strong relationship with a young Ph.D. student, Jerry King. Jerry
was completing some post-doctoral work and was impressed with Emma’s
intelligence and creativity. They presented as a natural couple both
intelligent, poised, good looking,  a good fit. But, before she graduated Jerry
got a prestige appointment in Paris, France. For Emma, his unanticipated abrupt
departure left a void and a touch of bitterness.

 Emma’s social skills and associated
behavior were not her strong point: on occasion, exchanges resulted in an
inappropriate word, an unintentional rebuff, the result a reputation of
arrogance. She understood she tended to brood and take on the world’s problems.

Today her career was her passion; she only
dated on rare occasions, as when a friend needed her to be a blind date.
Friends thought the constrained dating and the narrow social life stemmed from
the unsettling conclusion of her relationship with Jerry King.

In another corner, Janice Huber endeavored
to catch up on her own backlog. She was a technician but not with the most
senior ranking. Janice graduated with distinction but in this Division it
merely meant acceptance as one of the crew. This was a difficult assessment for
her to accept, particularly since family and friends had always told her she
was the best

This good paying job meant for the first
time in her life, Janice was completely independent and earning an excellent
salary. Unfortunately, her money management skills did not match her scientific
prowess. Her behavior was more that of a lottery winner than a salaried
employee. Even though she had a significant unpaid student loan, she proceeded
to furnish her apartment with top quality merchandise and used the same
approach with clothing, jewelry and all manner of trinkets. The girl loved to
shop and show off her purchases, with a few credit cards it was all possible.

 Although she resented Emma’s lead with the
new technology, Emma never seemed to notice; but, Dr. Kate picked up the
signals and gently told her to be patient.

This was the first time she had been alone
with Emma since the party. “Red, tell me did you get lucky with the monster
size detective at the Spring Dance?”

“No, there was no lucky night.  After
Charlie had bent his finger we had to go to the Emergency Ward. When the doctor
was finished, my date only wanted to go home to his own bed.”

 “You’re one tough broad.  Charlie has to
stop drinking like it’s a contest, and he wants the first prize. It’s been over
two years since the accident.  I think he is on the edge of pissing everyone
off. He’s fortunate the Chief likes him.”

“I ran onto the dance floor to get away
from Charlie. Then he came after me and that’s why we were in full view of the
entire Division. God, I could have died. How he was able to grab the finger and
control my giant of a date, I’ll never know.”

“The worst part was when your date started
screaming.  I mean here is this big man on his knees……..in the middle of the
dance floor screaming and Charlie, very calm with a stupid grin on his face,
enjoying the show…….it was unbelievable. He is lucky Wes got him out of there
before it escalated.”

Janice was mouthing words of sympathy, but
in reality she had relished the dance floor screaming and Emma’s embarrassment.
She thought Emma received too many kudos; she knew it was childish. But, Kate
and Emma were tight and all of Janice’s efforts appeared to be of secondary
importance. She found it difficult to keep jealousy from disturbing her.
However, today a new car, a confirmed exotic summer vacation trip, and a
manicure with new nails all enhanced her mood.  And, it helped that she knew
one of Dr. Kate’s buried secrets.

 “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
The dance, Charlie, my date, the works. Forget it. I have to start collecting
all the results from White Rock. Dr. Kate wants me to isolate the duplicate
memory streams from every interrogation.

 We’re to start our analysis with the
convicts who were found to be innocent; we have to assess why the scans took
longer for this group. There appears to be a problem with the technique used
during the S3 interrogation. Dr. Kate did get clearance from the Judge to bring
you into the loop because we may need more manpower. I need you to run the
playback unit while I assess the scenes and take notes.”

“I’m certified for S1 and S2 interrogations
and now have an upgraded clearance, tell me what happened.”

Emma guessed Janice would press for more
information about the White Rock S3 interrogations.  Dr. Kate ordered her: use
the term ‘duplicate’ and not ‘multiple’ and do not discuss the possibility
these copies may be different versions of the same event. If Janice persisted,
Kate’s instructions were clear: Emma was to lie: the streams were all
duplicates and the extent of the brain damage had not been confirmed.

“I’m not sure what happened because I
haven’t seen all the results. I’m only familiar with the 12 we interrogated.
The appearance of duplicate copies caused delays and a number of scans took too
long. The duplicates confused the technicians. They spent inordinate amounts of
time trying to clear a duplicate scene so they could get to the next memory
segment. We’re still not sure about the impact on the prisoners who survived.
Each surviving inmate was assessed for brain damage, but the results aren’t
back.

 If we can finish in the 45-minute time
frame, there are no problems but as the scan drags on the risks increase and
there is no way of telling what the complications might be. The scanning is
more of an art than a science. We conduct the scanning or probing process as a
Binary Search, like a three-dimensional binary search. Once we’re focused on an
area of the brain, we treated it as if events were stored in a chronological or
sequential fashion. This concept works up to a certain point. With a few days
of experience, you can maintain a good rhythm as you are probing.

 But, there are times when you have to
change your perception of the memory scheme. Memory storage appears to be a
continuous stream but then individual cells of unique events are discovered in
this stream. These are pockets which don’t fit in this chronological time
stream…..they just appear to be an event thrown in at random. This slows down
our probing.”

Janice wanted more. “Wait…..wait ….. hang
on a minute. I’d like a review of the Binary Search algorithm.”

Emma said, “You have our Standards Manual
on the shelf; open the textbook, go to Page 15 and read the underlined
portion.”

Janice took the book off the shelf and read
out loud, a formal description.

The binary search technique is a
fundamental method for locating an element of a particular value within a
sequence of sorted elements. The idea is to eliminate half of the search space
with each comparison.    First, the middle element of the sequence is compared
to the value we are searching for. If this element matches the value we are
searching for, we are done. If, however, the middle element is “less than” the
value we are searching for, then we know that, if the value exists in the sequence,
it must exist somewhere after the middle element. Therefore, we can eliminate
the first half of the sequence from our search and just repeat the search in
the exact same manner on the remaining half of the sequence. If, however, the
value we are searching for comes before the middle element, then we repeat the
search on the first half of the sequence.

“That’s a start, but more would help.”

“Let me take some artistic license and give
you the simplified version which in essence covers the process. Think about an
old parlor trick where you ask me to guess a number between 1 and 100. You
think of a number, and I have to find the number by asking you a limited number
of questions. Let’s suppose you select 68. Well, first I divide the search
horizon in half by asking if the number is 50 or is it larger or smaller. You
tell me it’s larger and I now know it is in between 50 and 100; this I divide
again and select 75 and ask the same question. You tell me it is smaller and I
now know it is between 75 and 50. This goes on until I get the number.

For an inmate’s brain scan our horizon is
restricted between his date of birth and the current date; from there the
search is a very similar process. Once we retrieve the first memory stream, the
decisions start.

We jump either forward or backward in time;
the probes are series of jumps to narrow into the event of interest. Of course,
the schema for memory storage is more complex than a parlor game, and it’s a
more difficult assessment to move the probe to a new location but the general
concept is the same.”

 “Alright, that certainly helps. I’m booked
for more training next month and hope I can get certified for an S3. But you
still seem upset. Something else is bothering you. Care to share?”

 “I’m just concerned about our small window
for solving the problem. I haven’t had an opportunity to assess what took place
at White Rock. I need to review how the technicians reacted when they
encountered the duplicates and see if we can adjust the technique for a faster
scan. We have to consistently get under the 45-minute barrier. So you and I
have a lot to get done in a short time.”

Emma took the book. As she returned it to
the shelf, she paused when she noticed her old physics text. This brought to
mind her first physics lecture in the massive auditorium style classroom, with
a professor who looked like the building janitor but soon destroyed that
illusion.

His start had been elementary: units of
measure and on to first principles of science. 
Any measurement made without
knowledge of its uncertainty is useless.
This was the mantra he continued
to stress for the entire first term.

Had Dr. Max ignored first principles and
assumed his ‘measurements’ were always 100% accurate, giving no concern to the
fact there are always elements of uncertainty associated with any measurement?