BTK Chapter 2
At 6:00am Bobby's eyes opened. Although still sick he felt much better. He rose quietly to take
another doctor prescribed shower and dress before Eames woke up.
The second super hot shower and clean clothes had Bobby feeling much better, still. After dressing
he sat in the quiet dark room and took stock of their situation.Waking up with Eames close
beside him had been a new experience. Bobby had had sex with many
women over the years, but he rarely woke up with them. He either slipped out of their apartments
quietly while they slept or he put them into a cab in the "wee small hours" of the morning.
Sleeping with women was old hat, but waking with one was new.Always introspective, Bobby
tried to sort his jumbled feelings. The more he sorted the feelings themore confused he felt. Just
accepting his ambivalent emotions did much toward finding peace.
At 7:00am Bobby gently touched Eames hair. She groaned softly but came awake anyway.
"Morning, Eames," Bobby spoke softly to his partner. "What do you say to breakfast and
finding a pharmacy?"
Eames frowned for a moment and then got out of bed. "Why don't you head outside and give me
afew minutes of privacy to dress and then I'll be ready to head out. That fine by you?"
Bobby could understand her need for privacy so he went outside to see what the day would be like.
Neither Bobby nor Eames had ever been to Kansas and Bobby rather liked it. The day was
sunny with apromise of heat and humidity. The sun was so bright Bobby had to squint as he walked around the parking lot to stretch his legs.
In about fifteen minutes Eames joined him. Looking fresh and cool in blue jeans and a white
sleeveless shirt Eames announced, "Well, I'm ready, if you are."
Bags were collected, the bill paid, and they were looking for a restaurant. They stumbled upon a
little place called "Cannings." There were several local cars parked outside even at this early hour.
Goren took that as a good sign.
Coffee, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and juice and Bobby was feeling much better. Eames ate much
less, but that was nothing new. The coffee was excellent and seemed to be loaded with plenty of
caffeine.
As they were finishing Bobby asked, "Where do you think we should go to fill my prescription?"
He was really just thinking aloud when the waitress spoke up.
"If all you need is the prescription then I suggest a little place on 11th street called The Med Shop.
Fred Walters owns and runs it. He's quick with prescriptions and a very nice man."
Eames and Bobby nodded. Quick was good. The urge to reach Wichita gripped them and they
wanted to be on their way.
The Med Shop was indeed quite close and attended by helpful people. Fred Walters did fill the
prescription quickly and they were able to be on their way in record time.
"Bobby," said Eames. "We have an appointment with the corrections department in Wichita at the
federal court house at 2:00pm. It's only 9:30am now so we have plenty of time. My Mapquest map
says that Wichita is only about 2 l/2 hours from here. If you feel like it maybe we could review the case
file."
"Sounds good, and yes I feel like it. I've taken the first antibiotic capsule. Hopefully, it will do the
trick that the Rocefin started. I do feel much better. Let me get the case file."
It didn't take Bobby long to start reading aloud from the case file. Everyone had heard of BTK,
AKA Dennis Rader. Not everyone knew everything concealed in the case file that the Wichita police
had faxed to them. Rader was being extradited from Kansas to New York to stand trial for crimes
committed in the 1970s. Rader's health had deteriorated while in prison and he was not well enough to
fly. He was to be driven back to New York by none other than Goren and Eames. Neither was
particularly happy about the long drive with a prisoner but they had not been given a choice.
"This guy is one sick bastard," Bobby said. "What really surprises me is that a newspaper would print
in such graphic detail the things he did."
"Like what?" Eames asked.
Bobby continued to read aloud until he had read it all to her. It was sick and sad.
"Bobby, could you please find the maps I printed and tell me what exit I'm going to need in
Wichita?" Eames asked.
"Sure," Bobby said and began giving Eames directions to the federal courthouse.
The federal courthouse was an older building that had been built in a time when buildings were not
just function but form as well. It was a beautiful old building that made both detectives admire it.
Once inside the building Goren and Eames had to show their shields and surrender their weapons.
They were lead into a small room without any windows, just like most interrogation rooms. They
waited briefly until the chief of police walked into the room. Without introductions or pleasantries of
any sort the chief said, "Dennis Rader was murdered in his holding cell last night. Sorry for your long
drive." He turned on his heel and left.
Both detectives were too stunned to speak. They simply stood there while the words sank in. Eames
reacted first saying, "Our luck continues to hold, Goren. All this way for nothing. I'm so angry I could
hit something!"
Bobby backed away from his partner. He had been on the receiving end of a punch she had thrown
and he never wanted to receive another from her. She was far tougher than she looked. Her diminutive
size was deceiving.
After collecting their weapons the detectives found themselves back out on the street. The relief of
knowing they would not have to transport a prisoner over hundreds of miles was palpable. They
climbed into the SUV and sat, not talking, for a few minutes. Goren spoke first, "Hey, Eames, we've
come a hell of a long way. Do you think we could do some sight seeing. I've never been to Kansas
before. If we don't take too much time I wonder if we could look around a little."
"What did you have in mind?" Eames asked.
Bobby was already looking at the Kansas roadmap they had. "I wonder where Cawker City is? They
have the largest ball of twine in the world?"
Eames burst out laughing. She seemed not to be able to stop. Bobby looked at her with a puzzled
expression. "Is this your way of saying that you don't want to see it?" he asked.
Something in his expression set Eames off again. She laughed until her sides hurt and tears were
running down her face.
"Bobby, to be honest, I'm not that interested in seeing the biggest ball of twine. Maybe there's
something else we could see?" she ventured.
Bobby returned to the map. His eyes lit up. "Hey Eames, it says that there's a Little House on the
Prairie not too far from here. Would that be OK? You always said that you liked that TV program."
"I thought that was a secret and my guilty pleasure? If it's no too far out of the way then, yes, I'd
like to see it. Where is it?" Eames asked.
"Pretty close to that screwed up little town we were in yesterday, Coffeyville." Bobby answered.
"Then I guess we need to head east," said Eames and turned the SUV around.
Tbc
