The Protector
Story 2
By
Julie O
Chapter One
The rain was slowing down and it looked like the worst had past. The late
summer thunderstorm, which had started an hour earlier, appeared to be
over.
"I appreciate your help. I must admit that when we asked your agency for
help, I was a little surprised that you came down here," remarked Det.
Gary Bowie.
"I don't mind. I like getting out of the office every now and then," replied
the tired, young woman, sitting in the passenger seat. "I also appreciate you
finding me a hotel room this late at night."
Gary glanced over at her. Looks really were deceiving, he thought. When
he heard that the head of the agency's Internet teen sexual crime
department was flying down to Atlanta to assist his department, he had
expected an older agent. The reputation that preceded Agent Ally Burns,
made him assume that she would be more imposing. Instead he saw a
young, slight woman next to him. She was very attractive too, he thought.
"No, problem. I cashed in a favor from the manager. You're lucky, between
the conventions and the game tonight, there aren't very many rooms
available," replied Gary. "We should be there in ten minutes."
"That's good. I'm a bit fatigued," replied Ally, holding back a yawn.
"I don't understand how you could be tired! You only arrived early this
morning and spent the entire day helping us set up our computer lab. Then
you spent the rest of the evening helping us get closer to that bastard!"
laughed Gary. He was referring to an online pedophile that they were
hunting.
Ally smiled back. She was too exhausted to laugh. "I do get a bit of tunnel
vision when I am on the track of a predator. Caffeine helps too!"
Gary smiled, as Ally must have drunk six cans of Diet Coke while helping
them. "You have helped us a lot. What do you think of Det. Johnson?" he
inquired
"She is a good choice to run your Internet sting operations. I like her drive.
If you can spare her some day, I'd love to show her our center up in
Washington," replied Ally, as she glanced over at Gary.
"What, and give you a chance to steal her from us?" he quipped.
"I'd never do that!" smiled Ally, although it was how she had ended up in
her present position.
Gary cut off the conversation abruptly. "Looks, like we have a problem up
ahead."
Ally looked ahead and became instantly alert. Through the wet windshield
she could see the flashing red and blue lights of several squad cars. There
was also an ambulance. They were parked in the parking lot of a closed gas
station. Behind the station was a carwash.
"Do you mind if we stop?" asked Gary.
"No, not at all," replied Ally. She had previously been a detective and at
times she missed being out on the streets. The cobwebs in her mind were
swept away.
Gary pulled up and flashed his badge, as did Ally, and the uniformed
officer waved them through the roadblock. Gary parked the car and they
both got out. The humidity seemed worse, now that the storm was over.
Ally left her jacket in the car; it was too humid to wear. She was wearing a
skirt and a white silk blouse. Her high heels clicked on the wet pavement
as they approached the crime scene. Even in silk, she felt hot and sticky!
Sometimes, Ally really missed Southern California and its near perfect
weather. She didn't even want to think about winter!
They walked over to where a middle-aged man in a wrinkled suit was
talking to two uniformed officers. He waved when he saw them
approaching.
"Gary, what brings you out this late?" he asked. He eyed Ally and smiled
knowingly at Gary. "Out on a hot date?"
"Rick Cook, this is Special Agent Ally Burns. She's down from Washington
to assist us in setting up an Internet crime lab," introduced Gary, smiling as
he saw Rick's reaction.
Rick looked slightly confused, then embarrassed as he saw her badge.
"Pleased to meet you. I didn't know you were an agent."
"Don't worry about it," replied Ally. She glanced at Gary and smiled.
"So, what do you have?" asked Gary.
"Nothing much. Just a dead tranny whore," he replied casually.
His words cut through Ally like a knife. She tried to maintain her
composure, but it was difficult.
Gary noticed the instant change in Ally's demeanor.
"It looks like the 'John' found his secret and whacked him," he continued.
"Do you mind if I take a look at the victim?" asked Ally. Whenever she
was dealing with local cases, she was always very polite, even though she
was seething inside.
"Sure, he's over there." He pointed over to the edge of the parking lot. The
body appeared to be located in one stall of a self-service carwash.
Ignoring the fact that he called the victim "he," Ally nodded and walked
over to the body. The Medical Examiner was just finishing up. The victim
was lying on her back with a large hunting knife impaled in her chest. She
was dressed in a short black skirt and top. Additionally, she was wearing
fishnet stockings and very high heels, almost 5". Her makeup was overdone
and she had worn a large blonde wig, which was lying next to her lifeless
body. Her natural hair was light brown and styled in a very feminine
manner. To the casual eye, she looked like a stereotypical street whore.
That's what seemed wrong to Ally.
Ally began to ask the ME some questions. He didn't seem to mind, in fact,
he seemed pleased that someone was actually interested in the case.
"How long ago do you think she died?" asked Ally. She crouched down
and stared at the body.
He smiled at Ally. He saw her badge and wondered why a Fed was
interested in a simple murder. "I'd say around an hour ago."
"Did I say something amusing?" asked Ally as she looked up and over at
the ME.
"No, it's just that you're the only one to call the victim, 'her,'" he replied.
Ally nodded. "Do you have her ID?"
The ME picked up her purse and pulled out her license. "She was Stacy
Robinson. I'll be dammed! She had a female name on her driver's license!"
he exclaimed, as he looked at the driver's license. "Usually, you don't see
that with TG working girls."
Ally slipped on a pair of gloves and examined Stacy's purse. In addition to
her ID, she had a letter of transition from her therapist. That seemed odd
for a prostitute, she thought. She handed the bag back to the ME.
Gary walked up with Rick. "Anything interesting?" asked Gary.
Ally continued to examine the body. "Something doesn't seem right,"
replied Ally, without looking up.
"Like what?" asked Rick. He was obviously a bit annoyed that a Fed was
asking questions in what seemed like a simple case of rage by a
disgruntled John.
"Well, when I worked vice, I never remember seeing any working girls
dress like this, not even the transgendered ones. She looks like an extra for
a bad police drama on TV," explained Ally as she looked up at the two
detectives. "Do prostitutes dress like this down here?"
They both shook their heads no. "What else?" Gary asked.
"Look at her hands. She recently had a manicure, yet she covered it up
with cheap red polish. Also look at her wrists, they look like she was tied
up recently," explained Ally.
The ME examined the victim's wrists. "Looks like rope burns, pretty recent
too," he remarked. He then examined her legs. "She also has them on her
ankles."
"So, he was into rough sex!" remarked Rick "That doesn't mean anything."
Ally was doing the best to control her temper. It was bad enough that he
was bigoted, but this was just bad police work. "I don't think SHE was a
working girl. Was she killed here or was her body dumped here?" Ally
asked the ME.
The ME looked at her and then Gary, who nodded. "I would say that she
was killed here, judging by the blood loss. The roof of the carwash kept
her body dry," replied the ME.
"Does Stacy have a police record?" Ally asked Rick.
Gary looked at Rick, who shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't checked yet,"
replied Rick.
Ally nodded. "So, is this a common area for prostitutes to bring their
customers?" asked Ally. She would take it step-by-step and hope that Rick
didn't get angry with her for pointing out the obvious.
Rick shook his head no. "Nope, we've never had any problems with hookers
of any kind around here."
Gary was secretly enjoying the fact that Ally was schooling Rick, even if
he was a good friend.
"Is there a club or bar nearby that a girl like her might have been working
out of?" continued Ally.
Again Rick shook his head no. "The closest place is cross-town."
Ally pointed to the knife, still in Stacy's body. "One last thing, I noticed
that the knife looks like a custom job," added Ally. "The handle looks like
someone spent a lot of time and effort in shaping it."
Gary crouched down and looked at the handle. It was some sort of exotic
wood. "You're right again, Ally. This is fine work, whoever did it."
"Okay, let's assume that it was an act of rage. Why do it here? And why
would he leave his knife here?" asked Ally. She figured that she might as
well help, as she didn't have much confidence in Rick.
Rick nodded in agreement. "It looks less cut and dried with each passing
minute." His opinion of the Fed was changing; she was a pretty good
detective and he was also a bit pissed off at himself, as he had made some
pretty obvious mistakes.
Gary smiled at Ally. It would be a mistake to underestimate you, Agent
Burns, he thought.
"Just out of curiosity, I would like to see the file on this case; that is if you
don't mind, Detective Cook," asked Ally, as she stood up.
"No, not at all. You're right. I jumped the gun on this one. My bad!" he
grinned.
Gary escorted her back to his car. "That was some impressive sleuthing
back there," he commented.
"Elementary, my dear Bowie," she quipped. "Sorry, that was uncalled for.
I just hate to see the victim degraded by the people who should have
protected her in the first place."
Gary nodded knowingly.
A few minutes later he dropped her off at the hotel. "I'll pick you up at ten.
Is that okay?" he asked.
"Sounds good. See you in seven hours," she replied with a smile, as she
looked at her watch. Gary smiled back and shrugged his shoulders, working
late was an occupational hazard of police work.
Ally checked into her room. She was now fully awake and decided to check
her e-mail. In a few moments she was opening up her mail on her laptop.
She had insisted that she be given a top-of-the-line laptop, with wireless
modem. The laptop was more important to her work than her 9mm semi-
automatic. She looked at her sidearm, resting on the nightstand. She had
never fired it in the line-of-duty and hoped she never would.
She read the messages from some of her agents. The hardest part of her job
was finding competent people. Not only did she need good agents, but also
she needed people who could think and pass as a variety of victims. She
was presently six people understaffed, but she would rather be short than
to have unqualified agents.
She saved the best for last. There was a nice long message from her lover
Carol! Ally didn't realize how much she loved Carol until they were
separated! This would only be the fourth night that they hadn't been
together since she arrived in Washington DC!
After replying to Carol's message, she undressed and took a shower. As she
dried off, she examined her body. By Rick's standards she would still be a
man, as she still had her penis. But that was just a technicality, as far as
Ally was concerned. She touched her breasts and was happy to see that
they were still growing. Granted, they were still small, but they were still
growing! She hoped that they reached at least a B-cup. The idea of getting
implants was depressing.
Ally then thought about the recently deceased Stacy. There, but for the
grace of God, go I, she thought. Ally felt so lucky to have a career that
allowed her to live her life as she pleased. She was also blessed to have a
lover that cared deeply about her. She debated calling Carol, but decided
to put it off until later that morning.
Chapter Two
Ally was just finishing up breakfast when her phone rang. It was Detective
Bowie and he asked if she was interested in seeing the apartment of the
previous night's victim. Ally readily agreed, and fifteen minutes later she
was sitting next to Gary as they drove to Stacy's apartment.
"I got a call this morning from Rick, he said there were some strange
things at the victim's apartment and he wondered if you wouldn't mind
taking a look at them," explained Gary.
"Sure. What sort of strange things?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, but we'll find out shortly," replied Gary. "By the way, Rick
won't say it, but he appreciated your help last night."
On the way over to Stacy's apartment Ally read the preliminary report.
Stacy had no police record. The ME's report was brutal. Her attacker had
viciously assaulted her sexually, before killing her. Additionally, the
attacker used a condom. Ally figured that it was more out of the fear of
leaving DNA evidence than from catching a disease.
They pulled up to a nice looking apartment complex. Judging by the cars
parked in the lot, it was upscale. Not the type of place that a street
prostitute would live, thought Ally. She was even more convinced that
Stacy's death was more sinister than a simple crime of rage.
Her federal badge caught some of the uniformed officers off-guard. They
wondered why a dead tranny whore would interest the feds. Still, she was
pretty cute for a fed, they agreed.
Rick was wearing the same wrinkled suit and looked like he hadn't slept all
night. Gary explained that Rick always looked that way! Rick was holding
a cup of coffee in his left hand and a report in the other.
"Good morning, Detective Cook," greeted Ally.
He nodded. "You were right. If the victim was a street whore, then he was
leading a really bizarre double life." He took a sip of the coffee.
"You mean SHE," corrected Ally, with a light tone of irritation.
"Whatever....," replied Rick. "SHE ran a home computer consulting firm
and from what we've seen, it looks pretty successful."
Ally ignored the sarcastic tone of Rick's voice and looked around and saw
that the two bedroom apartment was set up as a working home. The second
bedroom was Stacy's office. She walked into the bedroom and saw the
remains of a silk dress lying on the floor. It was shredded, as if it had been
cut off her body. The rest of the room was very neat and orderly. Stacy's
closet was filled with fashionable clothes. There weren't any other clothes
of the type she was wearing when they found her. Likewise there was no
male clothing in Stacy's closet.
Ally looked at the bed and saw the remains of rope tied to the bedposts. So,
this is where he had initially violated her, thought Ally.
Gary looked around and seemed to pick up the same things. He watched as
Ally walked into the bathroom. "What're you looking for?"
"She didn't wear a lot of makeup, but what she did was top of the line stuff.
This stuff looks out of place," replied Ally. She was pointing to some cheap,
bargain brand makeup located on the counter. She leaned down and, without
touching them, she examined the eye shadow and blush. "These look like
the colors she was wearing last night. Looks like it was the first time she
used them."
Gary nodded. He knew that he wouldn't have picked up on that.
"Gary, Agent Burns, check this out!" shouted Rick from the office.
They walked into the office. Rick was pointing to the computers. All three
had been vandalized, so that accessing their data would be nearly
impossible.
"Looks like a job for Data," remarked Gary.
"Data?" asked Ally, with a smile.
"That's our nickname for our computer tech. He can do wonders with
damaged systems. I'd introduce you to him, but I would be afraid that you'd
try and steal him!" quipped Gary.
Ally smiled. "Seriously, if this person is as good as you say, then you should
have him on your Internet investigation team."
Gary nodded. She was right again, he thought.
Ally looked around Stacy's apartment and was saddened. It looked like Stacy
had a good life, with a successful business, judging by her expensive clothes
and furnishings. Stacy didn't deserve to die, degraded on the floor of a
carwash. Ally wished that she could do more, but she left the case to the
Atlanta PD.
"Thanks for your insight. I'm usually suspicious of the Feds as they give
you a little bit of help and then grab all the credit. But I can see that you're
different," apologized Rick.
Ally smiled back, but then she became very serious. "Do me a favor and nail
this creep."
Rick nodded. He wondered why Ally would care about someone like Stacy.
Oh well, he didn't understand his wife either, he thought.
Gary drove her to the station where their Internet Sex Offender Task Force
was set up. He noticed how quiet she was on the drive.
"What's bothering you?" he asked.
"There's something disturbing about the murder of Stacy. Obviously, she
wasn't a prostitute, but someone took great effort to make her look like one.
He also was smart enough to cover his tracks," she explained.
"I was talking to the CSI guys, and they said that the knife didn't have any
fingerprints on it. They suspect that he was wearing gloves," added Gary.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," she remarked. Ally began to wonder if
this man had killed before and if he would kill again.
Gary nodded in agreement. "For what it's worth, we appreciate your help.
I'll keep you updated on the investigation."
"Thanks," replied Ally. "Now, let's get to back to your lab."
Ally spent the rest of the day working with task force personnel. She liked
that they were so open-minded and willing to learn. As expected, many of
the team members were young and a bit alternative in their thinking. She
was also pleased that many had done some acting. She was actually
debating on whether she should hire an acting instructor for her federal
team.
Mid-afternoon, Ally brought in a guest speaker. The woman was from a
center that worked with abused teens. She spoke to the group on what sort
of kids were at the highest risk. Ally was pleased that she specifically
talked about LGBT teens. Ally added that many of their best arrests resulted
from portraying the parts of transgendered youth. Additionally, Ally
watched the reaction of the officers. She didn't see anyone being
disrespectful or being inattentive. That was another good sign. She wanted
the teams she helped to be looking out for all teens. She was also glad that
they weren't like Rick in their attitudes towards the transgendered.
By the end of the afternoon, she felt that the Atlanta team was well on it's
way to becoming an efficient weapon in the fight against sexual predators.
They were sitting around the room relaxing. Ally was sitting on the edge
of a desk drinking her third Diet Coke of the afternoon.
"So, do you know 'The Protector'?" asked one of the detectives.
"The Protector? That's just a myth!" laughed another detective.
"Oh, The Protector really exists. But what is more important is that the
legend is also alive," explained Ally. She took a sip of her soda.
Everyone in the room stared in silence at Ally. It was as if someone just
offered proof that Santa Claus really existed.
"So, who is he?" asked the first detective.
Ally paused for a second and scanned the room; they were all looking at her
intently. "Me," smiled Ally.
They stared back in disbelief.
Ally had initially dismissed the nickname given to her by the DA back in
California. But now she accepted it as another weapon in the fight against
the bad guys!
"It was a name given to me back in California, when I was a detective. But
now we use it anytime we nail a particularly nasty predator. When we get a
really bad one, we'll send out a death card from The Protector. As long as it
puts fear into sexual predators, it serves its purpose," smiled Ally. "They
don't know where The Protector will strike next."
They all smiled in agreement. The Protector was fast becoming the
bogeyman among the Internet sexual predators.
Gary insisted on taking her out to dinner. "I want to make up for yesterday,"
he stated.
They had eaten takeout food the previous night. Tonight, they were sitting
in a steakhouse located near the station. It was the kind of place that catered
to the police and Ally felt right at home.
"I appreciate it. You have the makings of an excellent task force here,"
complimented Ally. She took a sip of her wine. It really hit the spot. She
examined the bottle and made a mental note of the vineyard and year.
"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you," he replied. "Can I ask you a
personal question?"
Ally nodded.
"I checked your history. Does your being transgendered ever cause any
problems professionally?" he asked.
Ally smiled. "It hasn't been a major issue. I know some people talk behind
my back, but it doesn't bother me too much, so long as it doesn't have a
negative effect on work."
Gary stared at her as if he didn't believe her.
Ally shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Okay, it does bother me. It
bothers me a lot. But, I try not to let it get me down. The agency hired me
based on my abilities, they also knew that I was transgendered. Legally,
my gender is female. One day I'll have the surgery to make my body whole.
I'll take some good natured kidding, but I won't tolerate harassment."
Gary smiled back. "That's better!"
They both laughed.
"I have to admit that if I hadn't researched your past, I would have never
guessed your original gender," confessed Gary.
"Does my being transgendered bother you?" asked Ally, taking another sip
from her wine.
"When I found out your past, I must admit that I was a little concerned. I
wasn't sure what you would look like or how you would act. Like many in
the force, the only transgendered people I've met were in the line of duty.
I guess I thought the fact that you were transgendered would be a
distraction. But once I met you, those fears disappeared," admitted Gary.
"By the way, I'm very impressed with your investigative skills. I wish I had
someone like you down here!"
"Thank you," replied Ally. She appreciated his honesty.
"Just so you know, Rick is a good detective. I know that his comments
about the victim bothered you, but he isn't that bad," explained Gary.
Ally nodded.
It was also obvious that Gary was attracted to her. Ally was still a bit uneasy
about being sexual attractive to men. Not that she was looking for a date;
she was deeply in love with Carol. Still, it was intriguing that a man, who
knew she was transgendered, was still interested in her!
"Well, I have an early flight in the morning. I really need to get back to the
hotel," announced Ally.
"No problem," answered Gary.
He dropped her off at the hotel. "I promise to keep in touch with you
concerning Stacy."
Ally nodded and thanked him. She also said that she had a shuttle to the
airport in the morning. Her flight was very early, as she wanted to get back
to the office as soon as possible.
She was pleased that he was so open-minded. It gave her hope for the
future.
Chapter Three
Ally read the morning paper on her flight to Washington. Stacy's death
barely merited a paragraph. Of course, the article referred to Stacy as a
"man dressed as a woman". They also identified her as a sex worker. In
some ways, Stacy had been violated a second time.
Ally picked up her car and headed directly to the office. They had a good
lead on a potential predator. For once the case was local, and that added to
her staff's eagerness to catch him. A man was posing as a teenage boy
from the suburbs. He would make contact with a lonely teenage girl, lure
her to the city, and then drug and sexually assault her. So far, he had
molested three teenage girls. The description of the man convinced Ally
that it was the same man in all three assaults. Ally suspected that he might
have actually committed more assaults, but couldn't prove it yet.
She had two agents posing at teens, working the chat rooms that the
previous victims had frequented. A female agent named Donna was
portraying a 14-year-old girl named Kristie. Kristie's bio stated that she
was an only child, living with her divorced mother. She had just moved to
the Washington area from Florida and hated it. She often complained that
she felt neglected. She told her problems to a girl in the chat room named
Terri.
Donna was 26 and had a real knack for playing teens online. She had a very
good sense of humor and was always cracking bad jokes. She wore her
brown hair in a ponytail and was into cycling. She also was deeply
interested in the processes that Ally had developed. Ally was very
impressed with Donna. Ally could see Donna as her eventual replacement
in leading the unit.
Another agent, named David, was portraying Terri, a teenage girl. David,
NEVER Dave, had a talent for portraying teens of both genders. Terri was
a regular in the chat room and was used by the agency to introduce new
bait. Bait was the term they used instead of potential victim. They saw
themselves as fishermen or hunters.
Donna and David were a great team and had been nicknamed "The Double
D Gang" by the others.
Ally was interested in eventually using David as a transgendered youth and
he was presently researching the role. He had no problem with portraying a
TG youth, as he confessed that he was a frustrated actor. He actually had
acted in a few local plays. Ally couldn't wait to see his next performance.
Inside the control room, Ally let her agents be rather casual. The room was
a larger version of the room she had created back in California. There were
several couches, a stereo, a TV, and a fridge stocked with soda and junk
food. There was also a large library of books on pedophilia, teenaged
issues, LGBT teen issues, and also books on profiling. Ally allowed her
team to add any book they felt was useful.
There were ten computer stations set up. The computers were set up to
record conversations in the chat rooms. Additionally each station had a
phone line and cell phone.
It pleased Ally to know that her replacement
back in California was still active in hunting predators and the original
room was named, in jest, "The Al Burns Memorial Room". Ally saw this
as a compliment and had even showed up for the dedication. It pleased her
how accepting the rest of force had been when she came out to all of them.
Although, it did bother her a bit when many of them had said that they
weren't all that surprised!
Ally was snapped out of her daydreams by the sound of Donna's voice.
"Ally, I think I have a nibble!" she called from her computer.
Ally walked over towards Donna. "What do you have?"
"A boy named TJ just came on to Kristie," replied Donna. She turned and
smiled at Ally.
TJ was very close to the name the predator had used previously. He had
used DJ, RT, and TC in his previous appearances.
"Sounds good. Keep me informed," replied Ally. She fought the urge to
hang over Donna's computer. The hardest part of her job was letting her
agents do their job. Ally had to let them know that she had confidence in
them. "By the way Donna, I have complete confidence in you. Go get him!"
If this really was the predator then he would be cautious. He would slowly
befriend Kristie and only then would he start to make his move. This was
a critical time in the investigation and everyone knew it.
Donna turned around and smiled back.
Ally went back to her office and reviewed a few other cases. She wanted to
be in the control room, but she knew she had to give Donna a chance to
work without her hovering nearby. She spent the next couple of hours
working on paperwork. Ally did find time to fill out the office football pool
slip. She was slightly pissed that she had lost the previous week on points.
She had picked Atlanta in the Monday night game, but the tiebreaker went
to a guy in narcotics. Ally smiled and noted that she shouldn't be too upset
as she had won the pool twice this season and it was still September.
Ally couldn't get the death of Stacy out of her mind and she decided to
check something out. As she headed down to the research department, she
remembered to grab her jacket, as the techs in the computer room kept the
temperature slightly above meat locker.
Ally looked around and was pleased to see that Michelle Parker was
working today. Michelle was a former field agent who now ran the research
department. Ally also knew that Michelle still loved to get into a good
investigation.
"Hey, Michelle, how're you doing?" asked Ally.
"So, what do you need today, Ally?" asked Michelle, as she turned around
from her computer.
Ally pointed at her own chest innocently. "Me?"
Michelle laughed.
"Okay, I need some info. No rush, but I want you to do a search for me,"
replied Ally. She told Michelle about Stacy's murder. "The murder didn't
look like it was done by a first time killer. It was too orderly and precise."
"The way the knife was in the victim, sounds like it was almost ritualistic,"
replied Michelle.
"I agree," replied Ally. "Also, the fact that the knife was custom-made
seems strange."
"I'll do a search, say going back three years. I'll look for similar crimes
against transgendered victims. Do you want me to focus on Atlanta or go
nationwide?" asked Michelle.
Ally thought for a minute. "Nationwide."
"You know what this means if you're right?" asked Michelle, staring back
at Ally intently.
Ally nodded slowly. "I hope I'm wrong," replied Ally. The idea of a serial
killer out there killing transgendered women was frightening to her. Not
just because of the victims, but the potential apathy from law enforcement.
TG victims weren't high on their list of priorities. They were treated about
the same as prostitutes. Several serial killers of prostitutes had operated
for years with little effort made to catch them.
"I'll get back to you in a few days," replied Michelle.
"Thanks. By the way, keep this between us for now. Okay?" asked Ally.
"No problem, Ally."
"Thanks. Oh, I just got a case of Merlot from California. I'll drop off a
bottle the next time I see you."
"Thanks for the added incentive!" replied Michelle, who shared Ally's taste
for good wine.
Ally smiled and returned to her office. She hoped she was wrong about the
possibility of a serial killer, but deep down her guts were telling her she
was right. Ally wondered what her next step would be if she was right.
Over dinner that night, Ally told Carol about her trip and her suspicions.
The preparation of dinner was their time to discuss work. Carol loved
cooking and was determined to teach Ally how to cook.
"Run your evidence by me first," remarked Carol. "If it looks good, then
I'll support you all the way to the top."
"Thanks," smiled Ally. She paused and looked over at Carol. "I missed
you."
Carol smiled back. "You were only gone Monday and Tuesday!"
"I know, but I still missed you. I guess it confirmed how much you mean to
me," added Ally.
Carol nodded. She knew that Ally was dealing with a lot of stress. Between
her transition and the new responsibility of her job, Ally was carrying a
heavy load.
"What do you say to a weekend in the country next month? It'll be your
first real fall," suggested Carol.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" replied Ally with a big smile.
"Great, I'll make the reservations tomorrow! I know a lovely country inn."
She then leaned over and kissed Ally.
After dinner they sat together on the couch and watched the classic movie
channel. Carol put her arm around Ally and pulled her close and she felt
Ally's head rest on her shoulder. She loved how receptive Ally was to her
affection. Carol had found the perfect lover and couldn't be happier.
Likewise, Ally loved Carol. She couldn't imagine transitioning without
Carol's strength to support her. Yes, Carol was the dominant person in their
relationship, but she was far from being overbearing. Their lovemaking
was very mutual and sharing.
"Let's go to bed," whispered Carol.
Ally glanced over and nodded yes.
Carol stood up and took Ally by the hand and led her to their bedroom.
Chapter Four
The next few days passed by quickly. The investigation of TJ continued to
progress. Donna was confident that TJ was the one they wanted. Ally was
very pleased with Donna and David. They had done a great job so far.
Her other investigators were also making some progress. One was working
with a small town up in Rhode Island and another was working with the
Detroit Police Department. As their success rate increased, so did their
workload. There were at least thirty requests being processed for assistance.
Ally was screening and assigning the cases. She felt bad that they couldn't
take on more, but in this kind of work, they couldn't afford to get sloppy.
Ally had several trainees screening printouts from chat rooms, looking for
potential predators. In Ally's mind, this served two purposes. First, it
helped to narrow down the hunting grounds. Second, it allowed Ally to
screen her trainees. Several agents had been rejected due to their inability
to recognize an adult pretending to be a teen.
Ally got an email from Gary in Atlanta. The report only confirmed her
fears. There were no fingerprints of the suspect in Stacy's apartment. Data
had some luck in retrieving information from the damaged computers. He
was presently contacting Stacy's ISP to access her address book. They held
some hope that Stacy had kept his address, but Ally wasn't too hopeful.
She printed a copy of the e-mail out for Michelle and headed down to the
computer room. Ally was almost out of her office when she remembered
the wine and darted back to get it. She also grabbed her jacket as she
prepared to enter the chilly confines of the computer room.
Michelle examined the bottle of wine. "Hmm. This looks very good. Thank
you very much; I can't wait to open it! I've been slowly weaning Warren
off beer," remarked Michelle, referring to her husband.
"So, do you have any info?" asked Ally hopefully.
Michelle handed Ally a thick folder and several CDs.
"These cases all look similar. I have a theory, but I don't want to say
anything until you look at it. If you get stuck, call me," responded Michelle,
in a very serious tone.
Ally nodded and retreated to the warmth of her office. She retrieved a Diet
Coke from her office fridge and sat down and started to review the cases.
Michelle had placed the most likely cases on top. She had actually gone
back five years, instead of the promised three. Ally would send another
bottle of the Merlot her way for that! There were a lot of similarities
between the cases and Stacy's death. The strange thing was that the crimes
occurred all over the country. There didn't seem to be any pattern.
Three years ago there were the first three possible cases. One was in Seattle,
the second was in Minneapolis, and the last one was in San Francisco. The
women were all strangled by a stocking. They were also suspected of being
sex workers, yet all had good paying professional jobs. Ally also noted that
all three women were in the middle of transition.
The next year there were three more killings. This time they had their
throats slashed. The weapon was never identified, but was suspected to be
a custom made hunting knife, as the wounds didn't match any standard
knife blade. That was an interesting connection, thought Ally. The crimes
occurred in Oakland, Cleveland, and Baltimore. The profile of the victims
was similar to the previous year.
Last year there had been three more killings. Again the weapon was a knife
and the victims were killed by a single stab wound in the chest. A large
bladed hunting knife was suspected in all three cases. The victims fell into
the same profile as the two previous years. The locations for the crimes
were Miami, New Orleans, and Detroit.
The rest of the cases appeared unrelated. Ally stared at the suspected cases.
There had to be a pattern. She turned on her laptop and began to try
different patterns out. Serial killers often worked in a pattern; the trick was
to discover it. Ally was worried, as the killer was getting bolder. He was
getting very confident and was starting to drop hints to the police. Many
serial killers did this to show off how intelligent they were and how stupid
the cops were. She was convinced that the leaving of the knife in Stacy was
deliberate. It wouldn't surprise her if they were to start getting letters from
the killer soon. Ally also wanted to get the lab techs to compare the data
and see if the knife could be the same in all cases. But she would need
approval before she could do that.
She tried many different combinations of the cities, the dates, the victims,
and anything else she could think of. Nothing seemed to click. The only
thing she discovered was that all the killings occurred between September
and December. She also discovered that all the killings took place on a
Monday.
Ally called up a map of the US and plotted each killing with its date. Still
nothing stood out. She looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost
4:00 PM. She had been at this for over five hours! All she knew was that
there was a serial killer out there. But she didn't have enough information
to convince her superiors. Damnit! Ally knew that it was staring at her.
This had become personal, but she decided to take a break.
She walked around and talked to every person on her staff and got an
update on their cases. This was a daily habit and the staff didn't seem to
mind. They liked that Ally gave them room to work and trusted their
opinions. The operations room was busy. The Double D gang was locked
into a conversation with TJ. Ally nodded her approval. The other cases
were also progressing nicely.
"Keep working, but I do need your weekly progress reports on my desk
before you go home today. Just a gentle reminder," Ally smiled.
"Yes, Mom!" they chorused.
Ally smiled and returned to her office. Several of the weekly summary
reports were already in her in-box. She was about to start on the puzzle
again when Bill Carter knocked and entered. Bill ran the weekly football
pool. He worked in the Internet Fraud Division.
"You want in on the pool this week?" he asked.
"Sure. I have my slip in my desk," replied Ally.
Bill sat on the edge of her desk as she rummaged through her desk.
"Hey, what's this? You using your computer to track games?" he quipped
as he looked at the map on her computer screen.
Ally laughed. "No, that's just something I'm working on."
"Well, it sure looks like you're tracking the Monday night games. I've got a
good memory. You even have this week's Monday game on here," he
replied, pointing to Atlanta and the site of Stacy's murder.
Ally froze in her tracks and then examined the screen. That was it! All the
cities had professional football teams. She handed Bill the slip and the
$5.00. She then jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Bill!
You're a genius!"
He smiled at her. "Sure, anytime, Ally. I just wish I knew what I did!"
"I'll tell you later!" she replied.
Ally accessed the Internet and called up the last three years' schedules.
Sure enough, all the murders occurred on the night of the nationally
televised football game. It couldn't be a coincidence! She reviewed the
games and found that the killer hadn't repeated any cities. She checked the
schedule and found that the next city, without a reported murder, would be
in Washington, DC, in four weeks. That didn't give them much time.
Ally sat there and plotted out her strategy. She had a lot of information to
retrieve in a very short period of time. She had to build a profile that
matched the victims and she had to find the chat rooms that they frequented.
Of course, she also had to get permission from her supervisors. Ally knew
that it was vital that she succeed. Ten women were dead, and at least two
more would die, if she did nothing.
Ally called Michelle and requested the complete files on the ten victims.
She also explained her theory to Michelle, who agreed that it looked like
the work of serial killer.
Ally sat back in her chair and debated her next move. She knew she was
reaching out of her department's tasking. Requesting the files was a bit out
of line, but at worst she would only get a chewing out for jumping the gun.
Ally suspected it would take a few days to get all the files, so she had time
to make her case. She knew that she couldn't afford to be wrong.
Next, she called Carol. "Can you come down to my office? I have
something I need to show you."
Fifteen minutes later Carol arrived and Ally laid out her evidence. By the
time she was done, Carol was convinced that Ally was right.
"I think you're on to something. Nice work," congratulated Carol.
"Yes, but this is just the start. Do you think the boss will agree?"
"Only one way to find out. I'll make the calls. Get your information in order."
Ally nodded and they got to work.
To Ally's complete surprise they were told to be ready for a meeting at 9:00
AM Monday morning. Carol was also impressed that he had so quickly
added them to his schedule. So much for having time to get ready, thought
Ally!
"You've got a busy weekend ahead of you, my dear," smiled Carol.
Ally nodded in agreement.
Chapter Five
Ally spent most of the weekend in the office. Carol helped, and together
they put together a pretty good presentation.
Ally had a partial profile of the victims. They were all pre-op transgendered
women, living fulltime as women. They were all between 22 and 30, college
educated, and had professional jobs. While none had any past history in the
sex trade, they were all dressed as prostitutes. Ally found that several were
dressed as Stacy had been, as an almost stereotypical Hollywood hooker.
The biggest missing piece was how the killer met his victims. Ally
suspected the Internet, but couldn't prove it yet. She was still waiting for
the files. Even so, she began to sketch out her bio for her online persona.
Ally had already decided that she would take this one herself. Carol didn't
argue, besides it made sense, as Ally fit into the profile almost perfectly.
However that didn't stop Carol from being worried about her lover's safety.
"Do you think I'm being obsessive about this case?" asked Ally as they
drove home Sunday afternoon.
"Not obsessive, but you are taking it very personally," replied Carol bluntly.
Ally nodded. "I guess you're right. I keep thinking that any of those victims
could have been me. I also think of Stacy, the woman killed in Atlanta. I
want to solve this for her."
"By the way, I contacted a friend in the profiling department. She is very
interested in the case and will look over your data, once the investigation
is approved," stated Carol. "Before you say a word, yes, I think the
investigation will be approved."
Ally sighed a huge sigh of relief.
Chapter Six
Monday morning Ally presented her case to her boss, Travis Coleman.
There were several other people present. Ally was a bit nervous when she
recognized them. They were all department heads, and if they shot down
her case, then it was dead.
Ally took a deep breath and presented her case. She projected the map on
the large screen and showed the connection between the murders and the
football game dates. She then pointed out that the only cities not repeated
with scheduled Monday night games this year were Philadelphia, Houston,
Denver, Chicago, Tampa, and Washington.
"You want to build a profile for a potential victim and try to lure him for
the Redskins game in October?" asked Travis.
"It may be our best chance. We will also start up profiles for the other
cities," replied Ally.
Travis and several others nodded. "If you'll excuse us for a few minutes
Agent Burns, we will discuss your proposal," replied Travis.
Ally nodded and walked out of the briefing room. Well, she had done her
best; she could only hope it was good enough, she thought.
After nearly twenty minutes, she was called back in.
"Agent Burns, I have approved the investigation of the potential MNF serial
killer," he stated. MNF, stood for Monday Night Football.
Ally nodded and tried to act calm.
"However, we don't believe that you are experienced enough to run an
investigation of this size. I'm appointing a more senior agent to lead the
taskforce. Don't worry, you're still in the investigation," continued Travis.
"I am appointing Agent Robert Ledyard to be lead investigator."
Ally was a bit in awe. Robert Ledyard was a legendary agent and had been
the lead investigator for several serial killer cases. She felt honored to be
working with him.
Robert Ledyard was 52 and had been in the agency for years. He was
considered one of the best field agents ever. He had been involved in many
of the most important cases and seemed to have a sixth sense when it came
to catching serial killers. He fought promotion for years, as it would have
meant an end to being out on the streets. However a mild heart attack had
convinced him to take a desk job.
After the meeting Ally was sitting next to Robert discussing the case. "I've
heard some good things about you, Ally. I think we'll make a good team.
I'm impressed with the way you made the connections between the ten
previous murders, and even more impressed that you had the 'nose' to
suspect a serial killer from that single case in Atlanta."
"Thank you. I'm honored to be working with you," Ally replied. She
immediately knew that she would love working for Robert.
"Now that the mutual admiration is out of the way, let's discuss your case,"
stated Robert.
For the next hour, Ally laid out what she had accomplished so far. She
explained that her profile was still a work in progress, as she was still
waiting for the complete files on the victims. They also didn't know what
chat rooms the victims had visited.
"We can find out their ISPs and then access the records," added Robert.
"I am waiting for a report from Atlanta. Their computer techs are trying to
access Stacy's computer," reported Ally.
"Do you still want to be the bait?" he asked.
"Yes, I fit the profile and I'm an agent. I've done a lot of undercover work
too," Ally replied.
He nodded, as he understood her desire to become personally involved in
investigations. "I'll be very interested in what the profilers come up with.
They've never let me down before. It may help us narrow down the
potential cities"
Ally knew that Robert had helped to shape many of the procedures used by
the profilers. She looked at him as a role model.
"Ally, I want you to know that you weren't kept on this case because of
your gender status. I could care less. What I do care about is your ability to
keep a clear head in this investigation. Your life depends upon it," he stated
bluntly.
Ally nodded. "So, you don't care about the gender of the victims either?"
"Why should that matter? A victim is a victim. The main thing that matters
is that they were brutalized and killed by a sadistic monster. Our goal is to
stop him from killing again. Don't lose sight of that," he replied.
"Thanks. I won't. I was just afraid that they wouldn't get the same attention
as more 'socially acceptable' victims. I saw the way that detective in Atlanta
treated Stacy and it hurt," replied Ally. She was getting a little emotional,
but she felt that she could trust Robert.
It was Robert's turn to nod. "I understand. But that won't happen here. I
won't tolerate it. Let's just get this bastard."
Ally walked out feeling a growing sense that they now had a good chance
at getting the killer. She couldn't wait to tell Carol!
Chapter Seven
A few days later the MNF killer task force met to discuss the latest
developments. Present were Ally Burns, Robert Ledyard, Carol Martin,
Michelle Parker, and Denise Stevenson. Denise was one of the agency's
best profilers. Carol would be in charge of surveillance and security for
Ally, once the undercover stage began.
The complete files had allowed Ally to expand her profile of the victims.
As she suspected, they were all highly computer literate and spent a lot of
time online. They were also lonely people. Several of the victims were
recent transplants to their cities. She suspected rejection from their families.
She wished she could interview their families, but that was being done by
other agents. However, she had created a list of questions about the victims
that would be used by the field agents. Additionally, she had provided
some instructions for the agents, on diplomatic ways to approach the friends
and families of the victims.
Her bait was called Victoria Hampton. Ally picked the name Victoria after
a friend's cat. Victoria had just moved to the Washington, DC area from
San Diego. Like many of the other victims, Victoria ran a business out of
her home. The agency was prepared to set up an apartment and appropriate
phone numbers and e-mail access. Ally was pleased with her creation and
she hoped the killer would find the victim equally appealing. Ally also
thanked Stacy, as she based Victoria on her life in several ways. She would
refine the bait as more information on the other victims arrived.
Ally figured that she had narrowed the choice of chat rooms down to two
possibilities. Stacy's computer showed that she spent a lot of time in a
transgendered chat room associated with a free online message service.
The service also allowed people to post their profiles. Ally noticed that
several of the victims had used this room and she had retrieved their
profiles as a model for Victoria's profile. Ally felt that this was the best
hunting ground for the killer. With Robert's permission, Ally had signed
Victoria up for the service, in addition to several other chat rooms.
Denise gave a very disturbing profile of the killer. He was very deceptive
and was able to lure his victims into a feeling of false security. She believed
that he was in his 40s, charming, and well educated. He had a job that
allowed him to travel, without causing any suspicion. He was also carrying
around a lot of anger at transgendered women, especially those who were
successful and in the middle of transitioning to fulltime. All his victims
were pre-op women, who had legally changed their names and identities.
Ally asked about the bit of dressing them up as whores. Denise believed
that was his effort to degrade them or to put them in their place.
"He may even talk them into dressing that way, as part of a sexual fantasy,
or he might force them to do it. Then he rapes and kills them. He leaves
their bodies out in the open as a final act of degradation," added Denise.
"The rape is nonsexual, and strictly another act of degrading his victim."
"What about the connection to the football games?" asked Robert.
"He may be associated with the television crew, or be a member of the press.
We have started to check the records for people that match the profile. At last
look, we had fifteen people that meet the age and size requirements," replied
Denise. "The job gives him a wider selection of victims. He also doesn't have
to worry about being tracked by his local police. I doubt he would kill in his
home territory."
"Could he be just a hard-core sports fan?" asked Robert.
Denise shook her head, "Unlikely. Football fans tend to stick with one team.
I'm positive that the connection to the games is job related. But we will
check out that possibility."
"Size?" asked Ally.
"He's very strong physically. I must warn you not to take any chances with
him, Ally. He takes great joy in the killing," stated Denise. "I also believe
that if he is cornered he will kill you. He sees these killings as a cleansing,
so in his mind he must kill you."
Ally nodded.
"What do we have that links him physically to the other killings?" asked
Denise
"We do have some DNA evidence that links three of the earlier murders.
But nothing since killing number four," added Robert.
"We have the type of knife, too," added Ally. "The labs confirm that the
same sort of knife was used in all the killings after the first year. The knife
used in Atlanta has been positively identified as the murder weapon in two
of the other cases."
"I think we can also narrow down the list of potential games that he will
strike again. I've cross-referenced the dates of the games and the found
there is a numerical code in the dates of the games. The computer punched
this one out. The first game each year the date and the month combine to
be close to twenty. The second killing is thirty and the last is close to forty.
The Washington game is on the 18th of October. The Philadelphia game
is on the 29th of November. So if we miss him here, we should shift to
Philadelphia immediately," explained Denise.
"I disagree on one point. I think we should try for both games now. I can
create another bio in a few days and be online in no time. Back when I ran
the unit out in California, I've had as many as five personas going at once,"
explained Ally.
Robert and Denise looked at Ally in disbelief. Carol just smiled.
"You won't be able to portray both of them. You'll need a different person
to actually play the Philadelphia victim," replied Robert.
"I know, but hopefully we'll get him here," stated Ally.
"Assign the second target to one of your agents," ordered Robert.
Ally didn't hesitate. "I'll assign Agent Donna Hollings to the case." She felt
Donna was ready for a case of this magnitude.
Robert nodded. "Good hunting, Ally."
Ally smiled back. She also knew this was the most important case in her
career so far.
Chapter Eight
The next several days, Ally split her time between supervising her team and
stopping by chat rooms. The second persona was called Trish, and Ally
made sure that she was also becoming well known in the rooms. Donna
eagerly accepted this new task and helped to shape Trish into a living
person.
Ally knew that the odds of hooking up with the killer weren't good. It was
different from when she was just trolling for any predator. This was like
fishing for one specific fish. She shook off the doubts and convinced herself
that she would get him. Ally also hoped that he was so arrogant that he
wouldn't think that he was being hunted himself.
She also used the Double D Gang to help Victoria become introduced into
the room. It was a trick she used in the old days back in California. It also
allowed her to see her trainees in action. It didn't take Ally very long to see
that they were very good.
As they chatted online, they talked about the case involving Kristie.
"I really think that TJ is the one. He's no more sixteen than I am fourteen!
He's made too many slips. Of course, Kristie hasn't noticed his mistakes!
She is falling in love with him!" quipped Donna.
"Has he mentioned meeting her yet?" Ally asked.
"No, but he has danced around the issue a few times. He jokes about
showing me around the city and things like that. Yesterday, he asked if I
had ever taken the train into the city," replied Donna. "I'm willing to bet
that he asks in the next couple of days."
"Good!" replied Ally. "I only wish that I was as lucky."
A few minutes later Donna looked up from her screen. "Are you scared?"
"About what?" asked Ally, with a smile.
"Seriously. Doesn't the idea of going undercover bother you?" replied
Donna.
"I've done it many times. Remember, I was originally a detective."
"Still, this guy you're going after is a real psycho. I would think it would
bother you," asked Donna.
"It does. But I think about what would happen if I don't get him. If you had
seen that poor woman in Atlanta, then you would understand," replied Ally.
"I guess I'm doing it for her."
Donna was silent for a long time. "I've never done fieldwork. I was hired as
a techie and when they opened this position, I jumped at it. I don't know
how I would react if I saw a dead person."
"They say the first one is the worst, but I don't believe that. Stacy was the
worst one I've seen," replied Ally. She could close her eyes and picture
Stacy on the ground.
"I just want to say that you're the best boss I've ever had. I don't want to see
anything bad happen to you," added Donna. There was genuine concern in
her voice.
Ally stopped and glanced over at Donna. She noticed that the others in the
room were all staring at her and nodding. She was suddenly aware of how
much these people looked up to her. "I appreciate your concern and I
promise to be careful. Now, everyone back to work!"
"Yes, Mom!" they all chorused.
Ally smiled at the idea that they called her Mom; most of her agents were
close to her age. Still, she took it as a compliment.
Donna walked over to Ally. "I just want to thank you for assigning me to
play the second bait in the MNF case. I appreciate your confidence in me.
I won't let you down."
Ally smiled, "I know you won't, Donna."
Chapter Nine
TJ upped the ante and the following day invited fourteen-year-old Kristie
to meet him downtown on the Washington Mall. 42-year-old Thomas
Jackson Anderson was shocked when the police surrounded him and
arrested him on a variety of charges. He was confused that the young girl
he had hoped to molest was wearing a badge. A Washington DC
policewoman played Kristie. It finally hit him that he was in deep trouble
when the police told him that he had been caught by The Protector.
Ally got a kick out of seeing Donna celebrate TJ's arrest. She understood
the joy that went with nailing a real scumbag like TJ. It was a good day,
and Ally tried to fish some more for the unknown predator who had killed
so many people.
Ally decided to use the computer room, since everyone else was celebrating.
She spent some time in a transgendered chat room. The people seemed nice
enough, but none seemed too threatening. Ally was about to give up for the
day when she suddenly got some interest. The person's name was Lensman.
His name caught Ally's attention. She immediately began to record their
conversation.
He seemed interested in Victoria almost immediately.
Lensman: Victoria, what an elegant name.
Victoria: Thank you.
Lensman: I was looking at your profile. You're really in DC?
Victoria: Actually just outside the city. I live just east of the city in Virginia.
I just moved here and it seemed like a nice area.
They had selected an area close to the football stadium. Ally hoped it wasn't
too obvious.
Lensman: I know the area well. You can't be that far from the stadium.
Victoria: I'm just a short traffic jam away.
Lensman: LOL
Victoria: It's not that bad. I'm just not used to the area yet.
They proceeded to talk for the next hour. Ally slowly let out the story and
he took it. She knew that she had no proof this was the man they were
looking for, but it seemed to feel right. He was deliberately vague about his
own life, while seeking very specific details about Victoria's life. That was
fine for now. What Ally was looking for was interest in her, rather Victoria.
He finally ended the conversation, but he told Victoria that he would love
to talk again soon. He seemed pleased that she told him that she would like
that. He really was charming, just like Denise said he would be.
Lensman: I must admit that you are a Victoria. You're too classy to be a
Vicky!
Victoria: Thank you!
Ally logged off and was startled to see most of her team sitting behind her.
"How long have you been there?" Ally asked, twisting around in her chair.
Deep down she was pleased to see she had an audience.
"For most of the last hour," replied David. "It was impressive the way you
played him."
"We don't know if it's him yet," interrupted Ally.
David shook his head and smiled. "No, you know. Don't you?"
Ally smiled back. "Let's just say that I have a strong gut feeling. Speaking
of that, lets go get some pizza to celebrate Donna's big arrest today!"
"Your treat?" asked David, with a smile.
Ally nodded. She took them out once a month or so. It was good team
building. Besides, she genuinely liked them. She called Carol on the way
home and said she'd be late. She also called Robert Ledyard and told him
she might have made first contact and that she would e-mail him the
conversation. He seemed very pleased.
Chapter Ten
That night, Ally and Carol were lying in bed together. With Ally asleep and
cuddled up next to her, Carol sensed that Ally was worried and she could
understand why. It was one thing to go undercover to catch a pedophile, but
this man they were hunting was a monster. Carol remembered how shaken
Ally was after they had caught Mac back in California. Mac was a bad guy,
but he was small time compared to the Lensman.
Carol wondered about the significance of the name. Was he a TV
cameraman or a photographer? It narrowed their search, while at the same
time expanding it. Carol put her money on his being a photographer. She
had requested the press pass list from the stadiums for the past three
seasons.
Carol gently stroked Ally's hair as she slept. She loved seeing the
vulnerable side of Ally, but at the same time she worried greatly over this
investigation. If everything went well, they would grab Lensman as soon as
he made contact with Ally. He was too dangerous to be left alone with her.
The sting might seem relatively simple, but Carol thought of a thousand
things that could go wrong. The idea of her Ally being trapped in a room
with that monster made her cringe. Carol knew that the agency had lost an
agent in an operation like this several years ago. She hoped that Ally was
ignorant of that event.
At first, she had wondered if her affair with Ally was the smart thing to do.
Soon, she couldn't imagine life without her. Ally was the light of her life.
If anything were to happen, she didn't know what she would do. One thing
was clear, she would insist on the selection of the backup team personally!
Carol returned to more pleasurable thoughts regarding Ally. She was so
pleased as she watched Ally blossom and bloom into a beautiful and
confident young woman. It wasn't the physical changes that Carol marveled
at; rather it was Ally's personality and demeanor. At times, Carol had
trouble believing that Ally had ever been a male. Even Ally's parents were
accepting of the change and had welcomed them into their home. She felt a
sense of pride in the agency's treatment of Ally. Initially, they had been
apprehensive to even bring Ally in for an interview, let alone let her head
an important new department. But Ally had won them over and was
projected to be on the fast track to the top.
Carol closed her eyes and cuddled up next to Ally, drifting off into a deep
and restful sleep.
Chapter Eleven
There weren't any other contacts with the Lensman that weekend. That just
confirmed Ally's suspicions that he was their suspect. If he were working
football games, it would be unlikely that he would come online to chat.
Ally studied the interview sheets with the friends and relatives of the
victims. While she read them all, she paid particular attention to the ones
related to Stacy. Soon she had a pretty clear picture of Stacy's life. From
what she could tell, Stacy hadn't dated much and might even have been a
virgin. In fact, most of the victims were not overly sexual active.
Later that afternoon, Ally was sitting in her office talking to Denise. She
wanted to learn as much as possible about the killer she was hunting.
Denise