If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. It’s a little long for a blog so I posted it in two parts. Here’s part 2. Please let me know what you think.
SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

OrthoColorado Hospital, Denver Colorado
Tuesday Night, August 4, 2015
 
Part 2 Continued
The video started with Jeri Cruse standing next to Jason's car. It showed Jason with his back to the camera and the stomach of chief Cruse. Their heads weren't visible, but their voices were loud and clear. When chief Cruse began punching Jason his face appeared through the car window. When Jason's body hit against the car it made a loud thump.
 The next scene showed chief Cruse opening the driver side door and placing an unconscious Jason in the driver seat. Cruse started the car. He shut the door and disappeared for a minute. When he returned, he was carrying a cinder block. He placed the cinder block through the open window and onto the floor. He turned the steering wheel to the right and shifted the car into drive. Then he pushed the cinder block over onto the accelerator and the engine began to race. His face disappeared from view as the car drove off the side of the road and down an embankment.
For several seconds, the view in the recording jumped around. When it stopped, it showed the air bag deploying and blocking the view. After a few more seconds, the recording showed the air bag deflating.
Cruse’s face appeared once again in the window. He was holding the knife he used on the air bag. He started pouring gasoline from a gas can over Jason. He saw the cellphone on the dash and grabbed it. The video was blank for a few seconds. The next scene was a different point of view. It was an aerial view above and slight downhill from Jason’s car. It showed Cruse next to Jason’s car with a gas can on the ground by his feet and a road flare in his hand.
“Stop right now, Jeri. The highway patrol is on the way,” said Sean's voice off screen. The camera panned to show Sean standing nearby holding up his cellphone. Next to him stood Zac with the remote control to the drone. “We’re videotaping you and sending it to the highway patrol as we speak.”
“We even have a live feed to You Tube,” said Zac. “You'll be on the ten o’clock news tonight.”
Cruse froze.
“We know you killed Littlefield,” said Sean. “We have proof. It’s over. Give it up,”
“Like hell I will,” said Cruse. “I’m not going to prison. He took his pistol and shot twice at the drone, missing both times. He turned and pointed the gun at Sean.
“Don’t do it, Jeri. It’s over. You can’t get away.” Sean held up the keys to Jeri’s car. He tossed them into the field beyond the stream bed.
Suddenly, officers Boyd and Marini came running down the embankment. Both had drawn their weapons. They were pointed at Cruse. “Stop! On the ground now!” Yelled Naomi. She ran to Jason and checked his pulse.
Cruse tried to shoot Sean but was out of bullets. He threw his pistol at Sean but missed by several feet. “I’m not going to jail.” He picked up the gas can and emptied it on himself. He even took a drink of gasoline.
“No! Don’t do it!” yelled Sean.
Cruse took the road flare and struck it. The flame ignited the fumes from his hands and quickly spread to the rest of his body. Soon he was engulfed in flames. He didn’t scream or yell out but started to stagger forward.
“Do something, Naomi,” shouted Sean as he started down the slope. “Jason’s car is covered in gas.”
Naomi stood between Cruse and Jason’s car and pointed her pistol at him. “Stop now.”
Art had his jacket off and was moving toward Cruse. Cruse took another step. Naomi fire twice into his chest. The impact of two rounds to his chest knocked him backward.
Naomi yelled to Art. “Get Jason.”
“We’ve got to get him before a spark starts the car on fire,” yelled Sean as he ran toward Jason's car. Art stopped trying to put out the flames on Cruse and started down the slope to help Sean. Jason was still unconscious.
Sean was already trying to open Jason’s driver side door. Rocks were blocking the door. Art kicked the rocks out of the way and jerked the door open.
Sean looked inside and jerked on Jason's seat belt. “His seat belt. I can’t undo it.” he yelled.
Art took a knife out of his boot and sliced through the seat belt. He looked inside. “He’s got a compound fracture of his left leg. The bone is sticking out.” He felt round Jason’s neck. “His neck isn't broken, but he's unconscious.”
Art and Sean lifted Jason out of the car. Art was stronger and more sure footed. “Let me,” he said. Sean let Art take Jason. Art carried him in his arms like a baby and climbed back up the hill.
“Keep recording!” Sean shouted at Zac. He turned to look at Naomi.
Naomi was still standing near Cruse's body. The flames were very high and extremely hot. She attempted to get closer but finally gave up. She watched as sparks began to float upward, lifted by the heat of the flames. They floated up and then drifted slowing toward Jason’s car. Then they floated down. The first spark landed on the hood and the car leaped into flames. The fire started on the hood and jumped to the roof and trunk.
“Naomi! Leave him! Get out of there!”
Naomi seemed to wake from a dream. She leaped into action and started to climb back up toward the road. The embankment was difficult to climb with all the loose rocks, but she managed to reach where Sean was standing. Sean held out his hand. Naomi took his hand and together they reached the road. Just as they did, Jason’s gas tank exploded. A highway patrolman rushed down with a fire extinguisher to help put out the flames. An ambulance was already there. The EMS medics ran over to help with Jason. They removed his clothes before taking him to the hospital.
The scene on the video changed to show Zac back at the office. “Chief Jeri Cruse committed suicide and died at the scene. Jason Franco was taken to the hospital in Torrington and then taken by helicopter to Denver. He’s expected to make a full recover. The Torrington Star-Gazette will have exclusive coverage and an exclusive interview with Mr. Franco. Be sure to check our website for details.” The picture dissolved and text appeared showing the website for the paper.
Zac face appeared back on the screen. “What do you think?”
Jason was impressed. “You did all this? Wow.”
“Yeah, we got over 75,000 hits so far on our web.”
Sean smiled. “He has the talent for news. Ready for the exclusive interview?”
Sean and Zac asked Jason several questions until a nurse stuck her head into the room. “That’s enough, guys. You’re making too much noise. Call it a night.”
“Okay,” answered Sean. “We have enough for now. Can you get the paper out, Mary?”
Zac and Mary both answered at the same time, “Of course.”
# # # #

 OrthoColorado Hospital, Denver Colorado


Tuesday Night, August 4, 2015

Jason opened his right eye. He tried to open his left. He thought it was open, but he was seeing nothing—just blackness.


“Well hello, cowboy.
 Jason turned his head toward the voice. It was Tina. He focused his right eye on her smiling face. He tried to smile back, but the pain stopped him.


Tina brushed back his hair from his face. “I’m glad you’re back among the living. Don’t try to talk. Cruse dislocated your jaw.”


Jason nodded his head that he understood. His right hand found Tina’s leg and slid up her leg. Tina stopped his hand. “We’re not alone, cowboy.”


Jason turned his head to his left too fast. Pain forced him to close his eyes for a moment. As the pain subsided, he focused his gaze on Sean standing next to his parents. “What’s wrong with my left eye? I can’t see out of it.”


Sean answered, “The doctors said that you have a detached retina in the left eye. It can be repaired in a few days, but for now, you can’t see out of that eye. They put a patch on it.”


Jason reached up and touched the patch. “Oh … What else?”


Sean smiled. “Don't try to talk just yet. It would be better if the doctors told you, but the bottom line is that you will be okay. You had a compound fracture of your left leg. The left side of your face was severely injured. That includes a broken cheek bone, a broken nose and the eye. The leg has been set along with the cheek bone. The nose they can do later, along with the eye.”


Jason looked down at his legs. Tina raised the head of his bed so he could see well. His left leg was in traction.


“Oh, bull shit,” said Jason’s mom. “I have to kiss him now.” She held Jason’s hand and stared at his face. It was the first time she had a good look at her son since the he was attacked. “Jesus, where am I going to kiss you?” She brushed back his hair and found a small spot on the right side of his forehead that wasn’t bandaged.


“Where am I?”


Tina answered this time. “You were medevac’d to Denver.”


“Mom. Dad. You guys drive down?”


Mrs. Franco wiped away a tear. “No. Sean was nice enough to buys us plane tickets. We flew down. We’ll stay for a few days.” She took a tissue out of the box on the over the bed tray. Her tears were flowing freely now.


Mr. Franco put his arm around her shoulder and hugged. “It’s going to be okay, mother. He’s in good hands.”


Mrs. Franco wiped her tears. "I know, I know, but I can't help but wonder what he'll look like when he's healed."
Mr. Franco chuckled. "Well, anything would be an improvement."
Mrs. Franco gently punched her husband in the chest. Tina was  not so gentle. She threw a carton of latex gloves at Mr. Franco, causing him to duck.
"mmm. Mmm." Jason tried to keep from laughing. He was holding his face together with his hands.
Tina shouted, "See what you did? It hurts him to laugh. Shame on you."
Jason started to shake his head no. He composed himself. With some pain he said, "Don't stop him. I can use a good laugh. I'm glad it's over. What happened?"
Sean said, "Well, thanks to Zac and his drone, we've a very nice recording of what took place. I'll show it to you after everyone leaves. They've all seen it. It's all over the news too. I doubt they want to see it again."
Mrs. Franco started to sob again. "I can't bear to see it."
Jason held his jaw as he spoke. "Sean, shouldn't you be putting the paper to bed?"
Sean smiled. "Thanks to my grandson and modern technology, I am. He turned his laptop around.
Jason hadn't noticed it on the over the bed table. On the screen was a close up of Zac with Mary standing behind him. In the corner was a small live feed of Jason's head. "He calls it Skip or Scrape or something."
Jason saw Zac and Mary do exaggerated eye rolls.
"We have the whole story up to date," continued Sean. "When you're ready, I'm going to interview you. Zac and Mary will write it up for the paper and we'll publish it tomorrow. We may be late, but we'll have the exclusive interview with America's latest hero."
Jason drew a big question mark in the air.
Zac answered, "You're famous, dude. We recorded the attack on you. It went viral on the internet. The Cheyenne News had in time for the six o'clock and CNN had it at eleven. The telephone has been ringing off the hook requesting interviews with you."
While Zac was talking, Tina was trying to keep Jason's hand from going up her leg. Jason's mother noticed. "Hell, you might as well let him grab your butt. It's the morphine. You know he'd never do that otherwise. He won't remember it later."
Tina laughed. she wasn't sure it was the morphine. "I'll just move over by you so he can see me better."
Sean cut in, "The hospital is having a news conference at ten tomorrow. If you're up to it, you can attend. Afterwards, the press can ask questions. I'll field the questions for you, if you like."
Jason pointed at Tina.
Tina shook her head. "No can do, cowboy. I'm with the State Police lab, remember? They won't let me do it."
Everyone stayed for another hour and left when Mrs. Franco suggested it was enough. Tina stayed just long enough to kiss Jason goodbye. Sean adjusted the laptop closer to Jason and turned up the volume. After everyone left, Sean played the recording for Jason. The first thing on the video was Zac sitting at his desk at the Star-Gazette. After introducing himself, he said, "The following is a video of an attempt by Chief Jeri Cruse from the Torrington, Wyoming Police Department to murder Jason Franco, a journalist from the Torrington Star-Gazette. some scenes are violent and disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised. 
# # # #





 

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

 Anonymous Tipster

Later that afternoon, Jason received a text message. The message said that the sender had a tip about Angelina’s murder but wanted to meet in private and remain anonymous. The sender asked Jason to meet him at a park in Lingle in one hour and to come alone. Jason immediately told Sean.

“Zac, get on your computer and check this address,” said Sean. “Make sure it’s legit.” He turned to Jason. “This looks like a set up; like the way Paulo was set up.”

“But what if it’s not?” asked Jason.

Zac came back. “The address is legit. It’s a community park on the main drag. Should be safe in daylight.”

“It could still be a setup,” said Sean. “The killer could ambush you.”

“But what if it’s not?” asked Jason. “This might be the witness we need. After what happened, I don’t blame him for wanting to be anonymous.”

“Take my gun.”

“No. I don’t know how to use it. I’d shoot my foot. I’m going. Now wish me luck. Better to be early.”

After Jason left, Sean said, “I don’t like this.”

Jason arrived at the park. A few kids were tossing around a football. A couple of people were walking dogs. There was no lone stranger. Jason had no idea what this guy looked like. He waited around for an hour before deciding to head back to the office.

Jason drove out of Lingle, heading back toward Torrington. A few miles down the road he saw a white car in his rear view mirror. It had a siren going and lights inside the front grill were flashing. Jason dialed Sean again and told him that he thought Cruse was following him.

“Get back here right away,” Sean told Jason. “Don’t stop for anything. Don’t take any chances. It sounds like a set up. Be careful.”

“Where should I go? To the police station?”

“No. No. No. We don’t know who all is involved. Go to the sheriff’s office. I’ll call ahead. Keep your cell on. Put it in the dash bracket and start recording.”

Jason put his cell phone in the dash board bracket and turned it on as Zac had instructed him. He turned off the volume. The white car chasing Jason pulled up alongside. Jason recognized Chief Cruse.

“It’s Chief Cruse. I’m going to pull off the road to see what he wants.” Jason slowed down and pulled over. He left his cellphone on. Chief Cruse pulled in behind Jason’s car.

Sean started pacing. “Something’s not right. I don’t like this at all. Mary, call Natalie. Ask her who wrote the press release on Paulo’s accident. I'm calling the Wyoming DA.”

“Will he take your call?” asked Zac.

“Yeah. He told me to call him before I published anything. He'll answer.”

Sean withdrew into his office to talk to the DA in private. After a few minutes he came out. “Just as I thought. The DA says that Cruse never sent him the list of names from Register Cliff. Mary, what did Nat say?”

Mary had just hung up. “She said Jeri insisted on writing it himself.”

“Shit! Fuck! Cruse is the rapist!” Sean took Zac’s cell. “Jason. Stay in your car. Drive off. Drive to the sheriff’s office.” Sean's warning was too late. Zac pointed to his monitor. Jason was standing outside his car. The angle did not show Cruse, but it did show Jason’s back. The audio picked up both men talking. Sean jumped up. “Let’s go. We have to help Jason.” Sean ran out of the room with Zac on his heels. Over his shoulder, Sean shouted to Mary. “Call the sheriff and highway patrol. Tell them to hurry.” Mary ran into her father's office and grabbed his car keys. When Sean reappeared in the entrance, Mary tossed his car keys to him. Sean caught them, turned and ran out.

As they got into Sean’s car, Zac held his cellphone so both could see. In the web cam, they could see Jeri talking to Jason. Jason’s car window was open, so they could also hear.

“Why did you pull me over, Chief?” asked Jason.

“Sean called and asked me to check on you. He was worried about this meeting you had in Lingle.”

“Whoever called me was a no show.” Jason thought for a minute. “But Sean didn’t call you. You’re lying.”

Cruse smiled. “Ah, Sherlock. You got me.”

“Holy shit. You’re The Register Cliff Rapist.”

Cruse didn’t answer. He hit Jason with a right cross. The punch caught Jason by surprise. His fist landed on the side of Jason’s nose. Blood flew off Jason’s face and onto the hood of his car. For a minute Jason held onto the car as everything spun around in his head. Blood started flowing down the front of his shirt. He bend over and placed his hands on his knees. He was hoping this would keep him from falling over but also let the blood fall on the ground.

“No, no,” said Jeri. “Hold your head back.” He lifted Jason by his shoulders and leaned his head back. “Just let the blood run down your throat.” He pinched Jason’s nose with his thumb and first finger. “You need to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.”

“Ow. Ow.”

“I know, but your nose is broken. This is the only way to stop the bleeding. Now put your thumb and finger where mine are.” Jason pinched his nose while Cruse removed his hand. “It should stop in a minute.” Jeri wiped his hand on Jason’s shirt.

Jason kept his head back. “You killed Angie Littlefield.”

“Yeah. You figured it out. I wanted a piece of her ass for a couple of years. I broke my number one rule to never rape anyone in town. Big mistake. But we didn't plan on killing her.”

A tractor trailer drove by, kicking up dust.

“Then you killed Paulo. Why? He was no threat to you.”

“He pissed me off. I thought I had committed the perfect crime, but Paulo didn’t go down the way he should’ve.”

“Now you’re going to kill me?”

“Yeah. You messed things up for me.”

“You’ll never get away with it. No one will believe two similar accidents.”

“I know. After I kill you I’m leaving town. If I drive straight through, I should make Canada sometime tomorrow night.”

Jason started to say something but before he could, Cruse hit him with another right cross. This one caught Jeri on the cheekbone. He heard the bone pop. His head jerked to his right. Immediately, Jeri followed that with a left hook to his jaw. Jason blacked out.

 # # # #

Frank Roberts, Crime Lab Arson Expert

When Jason returned to the office the next day, Zac met him at the door. “Hey dude, let me see your cellphone for a minute. I need to install an app.”

Jason handed him his cellphone. Zac came back with the phone five minutes later. “Let me show you what I’ve set up.” Zac led Jason over to Mary’s desk. Mary turned her monitor toward them. Her screen was divided into six parts, each with a view from a different camera. “I’ve our building covered outside--three sixty. One camera is located inside on the main entrance and a second one on the rear entrance.”

Jason was impressed. “Zac, how did you get this set up so quickly?”

“The cameras are wireless. It takes no time to set up.”

“No, I mean how did you get all this equipment so fast?”

“Oh. Some I already had, and the rest I borrowed from a friend of mine.”

“Yeah, but I thought you were a hacker not a spy.”

“Oh, that. Well, my grandpa told you about me hacking into the school computer and changing my grades.”

“Yeah, he told me that.”

“Well, there was more to it.”

“Like what?”

“Like I put these cameras in the girls' locker room.”

Jason whistled. “Holy crap, Zac. That’s serious. You could end up as a sexual predator.”

“I know, man. I know.”

Mary stood up. “That’s why dad got involved. The school wanted to press charges and send this idiot to jail. Dad got everyone to calm down and give him the lighter sentence. My son, the pervert.” She patted Zac shoulder.

“I know man. I was trying to be funny.”

“He posted the videos to the school website so the boys could see them,” continued Mary. “Apparently, the school admin wasn't amused.”

“Anyhow, I know stuff about cameras, and I had some. Let me show you your cellphone. See this app here? Just tap it once and it starts recording. I’ll install a bracket in your car. Point the camera with the back toward the driver side window. That way, when it records, no one can see the front screen.”

Jason looked at the camera. “What’s this piece of tape for?”

“That covers a red light that shows that the phone is recording. When the camera is on the video streams onto the computer here. It’s also recorded on my computer.”

“Good job. Now go mount that bracket in my car.”

A man in blue jeans and a red flannel shirt entered the Star offices.

“Can I help you?” asked Mary.

“I'm looking for Jason. I'm from the crime lab in Cheyenne. My name is Frank Roberts.”

Jason jumped up. “Hello, I'm Jason. Tina said to expect you. She said you'd look at Paulo's car.”

“Actually, I already did. Your friend, Mr. Vaughn, met me at the body shop early. He didn't want his boss to know.”

Jason sighed. “What'd you find?”

“Well, you and Mr. Vaughn were right. I can't speak about Mr. McAdams's death, but the car fire was definitely arson.”

Sean ambled over. “Pardon me, Agent Roberts but you don't look like an agent. Can we see an ID?”

Roberts pulled out his ID and showed it to Sean. “Sometimes it's better if we don't look like agents–I’m not an agent. I work in the crime lab. I'm an arson expert; houses mostly but occasionally an automobile.”

“Can you give us more details?” asked Jason.

Agent Roberts shook his head. “I've said more than I should but Tina said you were a friend of the victim. I'll know more when I get the car into our lab. I've asked Mr. Vaughn to tow the car to Cheyenne.

# # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

Paulo McAdams’s Car Damage

Later that day, Sy called Jason and asked him to come over to the garage to view Paulo’s car. When Jason arrived at the garage, Sy met him out front. “I read in the paper this morning that the police said Paulo drove off the road and the car caught on fire. I don’t believe so.” He led Jason to the back lot where the car was located. “Look at this, Jason.” Sy pointed to the front end. “Like I said yesterday, this car wasn’t speeding. It couldn’t have been going much more than five miles per hour–not much damage to the front. The air bag didn’t even deploy.” Sy pointed toward the gas tank. “The gas tank would withstand a head on crash at that speed. Gas tank fires start in the rear and move forward. This fire appears to have started on top and in the passenger seat and burned backward to the gas tank.”

“Did you tell that to the police?”

“No. I told my boss and he told the police.”

“What did your boss say about the police report?”

“He said that it isn’t up to us to determine the cause of an accident. We just report what we find. It’s the police’s call. It’s not right. Someone ran Paulo off the road and then set his car on fire. That’s what I think. But, hey, I’m just the mechanic.”

Jason patted Sy’s shoulder. “Thanks buddy. I just want to take pictures, and I’ll be out of your way. If I write anything, I won't mention your name.”

“Okay. The boss is on the road right now. You better watch your back.”

“What?”

“Well, whoever killed Paulo might try to kill you too.”

“Yeah, I figured that already. We had better keep to this to ourselves for now until we can prove what happened.”

Jason used his cellphone to take several pictures of the car from all angles. While he was taking pictures, Tina called.

“Jason, my mom just called. Is it true? Paulo’s dead?”

“Yes, it’s true. I’m looking at the car right now. The police issued a phony press release. They’re trying to cover it up.”

“Honey, get out of there. Get your ass down here to Cheyenne. The killer will try to kill you next.”

“So everyone keeps telling me, but I can’t leave now. I’ve got you see this through for Angie and Paulo.”

“WTF! What about me? If you love me you’ll come here.”

“Tina, don’t…”

“I’m going to tell my boss. I should’ve told him before this.”

Jason thought about it. “Okay. You’re right. Tell your boss. Let me know what happens.”

Thirty minutes later, Tina called again. “I told my boss. He agreed that your life may be in danger. The lab will rent a room in the Holiday Express for tonight. You can pick up the key at the front desk. If you go home, you endanger your family.”

“Okay. I’ll stay there.”

“And don’t take your car there. The killer will find it. Leave it at your office and take a cab.”

“Okay. That makes sense.”

“My boss says that the lab can’t officially get involved unless asked. But he’s sending an agent to look at the car and to talk to you anyway. Tell Sy to stall for one day before he starts repairs.”

“Got it. I also have pictures of the car. I’ll send them to you.”

“How about you? How are you holding up?”

“To tell the truth, I’m scared. I’ve never been involved in anything like this.”

Tina paused and took a deep breath. “I’m coming there.”

“No, don’t. It might not be safe.”

“I’ll meet you at the motel tonight. Don’t tell anyone where you’re staying. I love you. Bye.”

Jason called Sy right away.

 # # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

 

Torrington Police Department Press Release

A few hours later, the TPD sent an e-mail to the Star with a press release on the accident. Zac printed the e-mail and handed it to Jason. Jason read the press release aloud for everyone to hear.

Title: A single car accident kills local resident

Author: Torrington Police Department

Contact: Chief Cruse

Single Car Accident Kills Paulo McAdams

This morning the Torrington Police Department responded to a report of an automobile fire on US Highway 85 between Lingle and Torrington. When responders and fire truck arrived, they found a single automobile off the road and on fire. After the fire was extinguished, the police found the body of Mr. Paulo McAdams inside the car. The Medical Examiner determined he died of injuries received in the accident and from flame inhalation. Police determined that he drove off the road and down the embankment at high speed. The car caught fire, and he was unable to exit the automobile due to his injuries.

After Jason read the press release, he immediately protested to Sean. Sean called Mary and Zac into his office and closed the door. “Okay, whatever is said stays in this office. Understood? Okay, Jason. Tell us what you’re thinking.”

“All right. You all heard the press release from the police about Paulo’s accident. This is total bull shit. Sorry, Mary, but it’s true. It’s a cover up by the police. I saw the car. It wasn't going at high speed.  It wasn't going fast enough to cause any injury to the driver and certainly not fast enough to catch fire. The air bag didn't activate.”

“It doesn’t take much for a car to catch fire,” said Zac.

Sean held up a hand. “Shut up and listen for a change, Zac. Go ahead, Jason”

“This can’t be coincidence. This is murder, pure and simple. This press release is just part of the cover up. We can’t publish this. It’s a pack of lies.”

The room was silent for a minute. Sean spoke first, “So far all you have is a theory. We need facts; proof. You don't see the big picture here.”

“Enlighten me,” said Jason, somewhat frustrated.

“Whoever killed Littlefield has most likely killed Paulo. Paulo’s death may have been an act of revenge. We can’t trust anyone outside of this office: not the sheriff’s office, not the police and not the highway patrol. Not yet, at least. We need more information.”

Jason protested, “But what?”

“We can start with Paulo’s accident,” said Sean “Prove that it was no accident.”

“Sylvester’s a classmate of mine who works at the garage that towed the car. He’s the one who tipped me off. I can interview him and maybe take pictures.”

“That’s a start. Here’s my point. Whoever killed Littlefield and Paulo must know that you are after them. They have attacked you once. They could try and kill you next.”

Sean’s remark struck Jason like a thunderbolt. It never occurred to him that he might be a target.

“Holy crap! What’ll I do?”

Sean glanced at Mary who sat with her arms folded. “Jason, it’s up to you. Just say the word and we’ll drop this investigation. We won’t run the story.”

Jason liked the sound of the word we. “No. we can’t stop now.”

“I was hoping you’d say that, but our first priority has to be your safety and the safety of everyone in this room. Mary, you and Zac take a vacation until this is resolved.”

“No way! I’m in. I can help,” said Zac,

Sean shook his head and looked at Zac. “And pray tell how can you help?”

“I can set up security systems around the building. It’ll tell us if anyone tries to blow us up or burn down the building. I can also wire up Jason so if anyone talks to him, we’ll have a copy.”

“Good. Good. But do it for all of us. We could all be in danger.” Sean looked at Mary. “What about you?”

“Me too,” protested Mary. “Who’s going to look after you three idiots? Without me, this whole paper would fold. You need me here. I can watch the security cameras that Zac sets up.”

“Good. Okay. We’re in this together. No one goes anywhere without telling someone. Don’t talk to anyone about this. We’ll be okay. Jason, keep investigating and gather evidence. Tell Zac what help you need. Zac, you do your thing. Don’t worry about the cost. Charge it to the paper.”

“What about this press release?” ask Jason.

“We’ll run it as is; word for word. Don’t change a word.”

Jason started to protest. “But none of it’s true. That’s not how it happened.”

“I know that. We’ll run a retraction later, but for now run it as is. If you print the truth, you’re a dead man.”

The room was silent. Jason broke the silence. “Okay. We’ll do as you say. We’ll run it as is.”

 # # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

Sylvester “Sy” Vaugh, Mechanic

Monday, August 3, 2015

Monday morning Zac was monitoring the police scanner. The scanner was on 24-7. Jason was used to it and mentally tuned it out. Zac was new, so he caught the call immediately. “Jason, come listen to this.”

Jason rushed over closer to the scanner to hear better. The scanner was monitoring a broad cast from the State Police to check an accident outside of town on the road to Lingle. An ambulance was on the way. A green Camry was off the road and was on fire.

“Didn’t Paulo say he was going to Lingle today?” asked Zac. “And doesn’t he have a green Camry?”

Sean heard the call from his office and ran into the room. “Jason, why don’t you check it out? Take Zac with you.”

By the time Jason and Zac got to the accident site, the Fire Department had the fire out, and the EMS had a body in the ambulance. Jason parked his car and he and Zac rushed over to the embankment. Down below they saw a highway patrol officer taking measurements and pictures. They climbed down.

“What happened?” Jason asked the patrolman.

The officer shrugged his shoulders. “Not sure. We’re still trying to determine that. It appears that the driver lost control and drove off the road. The car caught fire and the driver was burned to death. No passengers.”

“Have you identified the driver?”

“Yeah, we ran the plates. Are you a reporter?”

“I'm with the Star-Gazette.” Jason held up his credentials.

“Oh, Mr. Franco. Yeah, I know who you are. I can't tell you the name until we notify the next of kin. In fact, I shouldn't be talking to you.”

Zac looked at the license plates. “It's Paulo's car.” He took his cellphone and started taking pictures.

Jason was stunned. He tried not to show it on his face. He didn’t like the way the patrolman said he knew him. He didn’t like what he was seeing. He continued to ask routine questions for the news, but his heart wasn’t in it. The one guy he worked hard to free was now dead.

As Jason and Zac climbed up to the road, as a tow truck pulled up. Jason recognized Sylvester Vaughn. “Hey, Sy.”

Sy shook Jason’s hand. “Are the police done down there?”

“Highway patrol. The driver was killed.”

“Oh shit. How?”

“The police don’t know. Seems he drove off the road.”

Sy shook his head. “Probably tried to dodge a deer or antelope. We get that along this stretch. I need to take a look.”

Jason followed Sy over to the edge of the shoulder and looked down upon the scene of the accident.

Sy shook his head. “Not much damage except for the fire. Look. The front end is hardly damaged. He couldn’t have been going very fast. That’s unusual. Maybe he was drunk.”

Jason looked at the front end of the car and agreed that it wasn't smashed up as much as one expect with high speed. “Not likely. We think it was Paulo McAdams.”

Sy turned and paced down the road several feet, examining the road and shoulder. “No road kill. No skid marks.” He pointed down the road. “It's possible that the wind blew the car off the road. See that cut there? Cars coming down the road at seventy come up out of the cut, and a cross wind hits them.”

Jason shook his head. “Would it be strong enough to push the car off the road?”

“Yeah. It catches the drivers by surprise.” Sy turned around and looked at the undamaged guard rail. It extended several feet in front of a bridge across a stream. “That's odd though.”

“What's odd?”

“Well, several years ago the highway department added a longer guardrail and bent it back at the end. See that?” Sy pointed at the guardrail. “They did that so car doing seventy that gets pushed over by the cross winds would hit the rail and bounce back onto the road. This car didn't hit it.”

“I'm not following you.”

“That car would have to be going slow to miss the car rail. Couldn't have been twenty five, maybe less. I'll know more after I haul the car up.”

“How about calling me when you’ve had a chance to look over the car?”

“Sure thing. Maybe tomorrow.”

# # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. This is a long chapter, so I posted it in two parts. Here’s part 2. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

Benedict Foxx, Defense Lawyer

August 1, 2015

 (Chap. 24 part 2 cont.]

“Look at the street,” said Sean. The small group looked at the street where officers Boyd and Marini stood leaning against one of their patrol car. They were double parked, one behind the other.

“Holy shit! What the hell do they want?” asked Jason.

“I know what they want,” said Paulo.

Benedict put his hand on Paulo’s shoulder. “Now don’t do anything stupid, son. If they come onto your property, I’ll file a complaint about police harassment. Just ignore them.”

“I know what they want,” said Paulo. He went to the buffet table and grabbed two plates.

“I see what he’s doing,” said Jason. “I’ll help.”

Jason and Paulo filled two paper plates with food and then built four hamburgers with everything at the BBQ grill. Jason grabbed two sodas and put them into his pocket. Together they strode over to officers Boyd and Marini. The officers took the plates and sodas and began to eat. After talking a few minutes everyone shook hands. Jason and Paulo returned to the small group watching.

“What did they say?” asked Sean.

“That was strange,” answered Jason. “They asked how Paulo was doing. Officer Marini reminded him that there’s an ordinance on noise. Then Officer Boyd said not to let anyone drink too much and drive. Then we all shook hands. Strange.”

“Well, I need to circulate,” said Paulo. “If you’d make that deposit for me Mr. Tyler... Sean, I’d appreciate it. Thanks.” Paulo went over to another small gathering with the jar and began collecting money.

“What a nice kid,” said Sean. “After all this you’d think he’d be mad at the police.”

“And why is that, Mr. Tyler?” asked Benedict. “What aren’t you tell me about those two police officers? Why should Paulo be mad? He’s not mad, so I guess you know something that he doesn’t. What are you hiding?”

“Whoa. Slow down…” Sean took a deep breath. “It’s just that we don’t know who the murderer is. It could be anyone. It might be a police officer. That’s all I can say at this point.”

Benedict shook his head. “Okay. Is there anything that might influence this case against Paulo? If there is, you need to tell me now.”

“No. No. You’re good. It has nothing to do with Paulo.”

“Good. I want to get to know Paulo better, so if you’ll excuse me.” Benedict rushed after Paulo.

“Don’t you trust him?” asked Tina.

“He’s a lawyer. Right now the less he knows about what we’re doing the better. He might not agree with it.” Sean laughed and turned to Tina. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Tina smiled. “Yeah. I shouldn’t be here. I could get into trouble. If anyone asks, you never saw me.”

Sean shook his head. “We appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Suddenly, Tina yelled, “Look out!”

A hover craft was flying directly for them. Everyone ducked as the drone buzzed a couple of feet above their heads. It was a square shaped craft with four motors.

“What the…?” yelled Sean. “Zac!”

Zac came running over. “Sorry, sorry. I’m still learning how to fly this thing.”

Jason laughed. “Is that a new toy?”

“Yeah,” answered Zac. He used the remote controls in his hands to land the drone a few feet away. Then he ran over and picked it up and carried back to show the others. “It’s a drone helicopter. Neat, huh?”

Sean took the drone and started to examine it. “Did you build this?”

“No, it comes complete with all types of accessories including the camera.”

“Clever,” said Jason. “What are you going to do with it?”

“I’m not sure yet. It might come in handy. I borrowed it from a friend.”

Sean looked up to see Mary approaching. “Brace yourselves. Here comes the fashion police.”

Mary was out of breath when she arrived. “Zac, quit playing with that thing. People are freaking out.” She looked Zac over. “And pull up your pants. No one wants to see your underwear. Put your hat on right.”

Zac complied.

Mary stopped talking to look at her father. “Dad, you’re wearing socks with your sandals. Couldn’t you make up your mind about sandals or shoes? And black socks at that.” She stopped to take a breath. “Is that the same shirt you wore yesterday?”

Sean smiled. “No. I’ve two of these shirts.”

Mary laughed. “Do both of them have a mustard stain in the same spot?” She looked at Jason and Tina. “At least some people in this group have good taste.” Without another word, Mary marched off toward another group.

Sean laughed. “You’d think she would appreciate that I’m reducing the load of dirty laundry. You boys take my advice and never have children. They always disappoint.”

Zac grinned. “What about grandchildren?”

“No, no,” answered Sean. “Grand kids are God's reward for not killing your children. You should try to have as many grandkids as possible. I'm thinking of having more.”

Everyone laughed. Zac pulled his shorts down so that half of his underwear was showing. He turned his cap backwards.

Tina smiled. “I have to agree with your mother on this, Zac. Most girls don't want to see your underwear.”

Zac laughed. “I'm not after most girls. I'm just after one.”

Everyone laughed. In a gesture of solidarity, Sean pulled his shorts down too. Jason smiled and did the same.

“Why did you do that?” asked Tina.

Sean smiled. “It's the bro code.”

“I'll squeal,” threaten Tina.

When the men didn't pull up their shorts, Tina called out, “Mary!”

Zip – the men pulled up the shorts before Mary turned around. “Never mind,” said Tina.

“Why'd you squeal on us?” asked Jason.

It was Tina's turn to smile. “Sister code. We have to stick together.”

Jason thought for a moment. “The police have a code too, don't they?”

“Yeah,” answered Sean. “The blue code. Why?”

It reminded me of my interview with Javier. He may have been covering for Boyd, even though he said they aren't friends any more. He said Boyd had unresolved issues from his childhood, but he didn't know what they were. I think he does.”

“He'll never tell you,” said Sean. It’s the Blue Code.

“Hey,” said Dyanna as she joined the group. “Sup?” She was dress like Tina but without the cowgirl hat and bra.

Tina smiled. “How'd your coffee date with Sy go?”

“Great. We're going out again tonight. He want to show me the Torrington night life.”

Tina and Jason laughed. “That won't take long,” said Jason.

“And he gave me a twenty percent discount.”

Tina looked at Jason and raised an eye brow. The men started chuckling.

# # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. I just changed the name of Art Rudd to Art Boyd. I thought Rudd was too well known. This is a long chapter, so I’ll post it in two parts. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

Benedict Foxx, Defense Lawyer

August 1, 2015

On Saturday, several people showed up at the barbecue to wish Paulo well. Paulo made a pitch for Angelina’s memorial, and people started stuffing money in a large jar. At some point Sean found himself standing next to Paulo’s new lawyer, Benedict Foxx.

“Thanks for coming up on such short notice and bailing Paulo out,” said Sean. “It means a lot to all of us.”

“Yeah, I can see that. He’s a nice kid. Thanks for considering me.”

“So what happens now? Does he have to stand trial?”

Benedict took a drink of his beer. “I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

“Why not.”

“If the missing evidence doesn't turn up soon, we'll file a motion to set aside the verdict based on prosecutorial misconduct. He Attorney General will probably tell the County DA to drop the charges, and Paulo will go free.”

“Because of the investigation into the TPD handling of this case?”

“Yeah. The AG hasn’t released the results of the investigation into the TPD which means it mustn’t be good. It’s political now. The AG is a Republican as is the DA. I’m sure the AG has to figure how not to embarrass the DA before releasing the results of the investigation.”

“What about the Police Chief, Jeri Cruse?”

“Truthfully? No matter what happens he’s history. Best scenario--he’ll be fired. Worst case scenario–he'll be charged with obstruction of justice. He might be able to resign.”

Paulo strode up to Sean and Benedict. He was holding a wad of money. “Here Mr. Tyler. Here’s the first deposit for Angie’s memorial.”

Sean took the money. “Please call me Sean. I opened the account. Both you and I can make deposits, but I’ll deposit this.”

“Thanks. I’ll have more money Monday. A guy in Lingle said he has been collecting cash in his neighborhood. He sent me a text and wants me to pick it up.”

“What’s his name?” asked Sean.

“No name. He wanted to be anonymous. He just gave me an address and a time to meet him.”

“Did Angie's mother come to the barbecue?” asked Sean.

“No,” said Paulo. “I asked her but she isn’t ready to talk to me just yet.”

“I guess Kate Smith didn’t come either?”

Paulo shook his head. “No. Isn’t she talking to you?”

“No. Not yet. She’s still grieving.” 

Jason saw Tina parking her car and he rushed over to greet her. “I see you made it. I thought Dyanna was coming too.”

“She did. We came up early so Sy could change our oil. Sy asked her out for coffee. She'll be here later.”

Jason admired Tina's outfit. She was wearing her signature cowgirl hat with shorts and boots. “Did Sy like your outfit?”

“Yeah, except I wasn't wearing a bra. I stopped off at home to put this one on.”

“So I'm guessing Sy gave you a discount.”

“Yesss,” answered Tina as she pumped her fist. “I got the classmate ten percent discount.”

“Ten percent? He gives me fifteen. I guess I get the close friend discount.”

“That rat! Dyanna and I both didn't wear bras. Didn't you tell him I was your girlfriend?”

“Uh, must have slipped my mind.”

“Then you're a rat too.”

Tina and Jason hiked over to Sean and Benedict.

# # # #

If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.

SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.

 

Donna Ramsey, Rape Victim

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Mary strode into Sean’s office followed by Jason and Zac with a fax that just arrive. “Sean, get a load of this.” She read the press release from the Attorney General’s office. “Attorney General Bryan Freeman has called for a new trial for Mr. Paulo McAdams. Effective immediately, Mr. McAdams may post bail pending his new trial. AG Freeman cited numerous improprieties by the Torrington Police that would qualify for a mistrial. Blah, blah, blah. What does this mean?”

“It means that Paulo is free as soon as he raises bail money,” said Jason.

“Zac, how much money do we have for Paulo’s legal fees?” asked Sean.

“Over $10,000 last time I checked.”

“Great. That hack Patton is history. I’ll have Paulo fire him then I’ll call the lawyer I’ve lined up. We should have Paulo out of jail in 48 hours.”

“But grandpa, won't bail be like a hundred thousand dollars?”

“Yeah, but we can use a bail bondsman to cover it.”

Zac and his mother bumped fists. The next day, Paulo’s new lawyer, Benedict Foxx, arrived and bailed Paulo out of jail. Two days later Paulo entered the office of the Torrington Star-Gazette. He was thinner than Sean remembered from the last time they talked face to face but he looked happy. Color had returned to his cheeks. A smile spread across his face. Mary and Sean hugged him. Zac and Jason shook his hand.

“Mr. Franco, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. You too, Mr. Tyler. You guys believed in me when no one else did. Thank you.”

“It’s not over yet,” said Jason. “There’ll be a new trial and we still don’t know who killed Angelina. We’re working on it.”

“I know. I still can’t believe she’s gone. When I walked out of the prison I thought for a moment she’d be there to greet me. But the real reason I came here’s to invite you guys over for a party. Mom is planning a BBQ Saturday around noon.”

“Can we bring anything?” asked Mary.

“No. Mom has everything covered. I told her I really missed her potato salad when I was in jail, and she made a ton of it.”

Sean smiled. Your mom does make a great potato salad.”

“My girlfriend works for the State Crime lab, and she has been helping,” said Jason. “Can I bring her?”

“Of course. We have plenty of food. Bring anyone that helped you. My lawyer will be there too. I should mention that I’m starting a memorial for Angie--maybe a small park.”

Sean looked at Jason. “Are you sure Tina can come? After all, Paulo is still technically a suspect.”

“Damn,” said Jason. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll ask.”
“We can help you with that,” said Sean to Paulo. “Zac will put something on our website. People have been generous. That’s how we raised the money for your bail and lawyer.”

“That’s another thing I need to thank you for,” said Paulo.” Mr. Foxx seems better than my public defender.”

Seeing Jason free put everyone in a great mood.

Tina called Jason. “Did you watch the news? Another rape happened in Cheyenne.”

“No. When? Where?”

“It happened last night. Same MO. The vic was beaten unconscious and raped. Her pants were pulled over her head.”

“Should I talk to her?”

“I doubt she’ll talk to reporters for a couple of days, but you can try. Call her in a couple of days. And get this; she came to while she was being raped and pretended to be unconscious. She may have a clue to help ID the Perp.”

“Then this proves that Paulo isn’t the serial rapist, right? I mean, he was in town.”

“I wish that were true. Just because there was another rape doesn’t prove Paulo didn’t kill Angie. I’ll get the woman’s phone number for you. I can’t call her. I’ll get fired for that. You have to call her.”

A few days later, Jason called the rape victim and she agreed to talk to Jason. He drove down to Cheyenne and found her house. When Jason rang the doorbell, a women in her mid-twenties answered the door. Her face was black and blue and swollen. One eye was swollen shut. Her lips were swollen and she had bandages across the bridge of her nose. Jason introduced himself to Donna Ramsey. Donna attempted a smile but managed only a brief one. She invited Jason inside and they sat in the living room. Jason took out his pocket recorder.

“No pictures please. I really look bad,” said Donna. “You said on the phone that you’re investigating a serial rapist. I want to help if I can.”

“This is a recorder, not a camera. “I’m a journalist for the Torrington Star-Gazette. I’m writing a story about a murder and rape that occurred in Torrington. My editor and I think that the police didn’t handle the investigation well and the murder may be the act of a serial rapist. Your attack is very similar. Please tell me in your own words happened.”

Donna glanced sideways and then at her feet. “It happened at the stables. I volunteered to help with Frontier Days which just ended. I was helping to clean out the stables. It was after dark when I finished and started home. Everyone else had already left. I was walking by the bleachers when I was hit me from behind. When I woke up, my blue jeans were pulled over my head and I was being raped.”

“What did you do?”

While Donna was talking, her upper lip began to bleed. She dabbed it with a tissue. “I thought, if I scream, he would kill me, so I pretended to be unconsciousness. After a short while, he stopped and left. When I thought it was safe, I uncovered my face. I was under the grandstands. I called 911.”

“Did you notice anything about your attacker? Tall? Short? Heavy? Skinny?”

“Yes. While he was raping me he grabbed my breasts. He had small hands. He wore gloves.”

“Small hands?”

“Yeah. I could feel them. He had small hands.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah. His penis was huge. I could feel that too.”

“Small hands and big penis. Odd combination.”

# # # #