Chapter 21

Sam sat dejected on the curb as he watched his wife shut him out and walk away from him. Just as he was contemplating chasing after her again, Khandi came out through the doors.

She stopped when she saw Sam slouched over on the curb. "Sammy? Where's Cas?"

Sam looked up at Khandi and she could see the pain in his eyes. "She left. She didn't want to talk to me."

Khandi sat down on the curb beside Sam and placed an arm around his shoulder. "She'll come around, Sam. You just gotta give her some time."

Sam shook his head. "No. She's going through something right now and she won't open up to me to let me help her through it."

Khandi squeezed Sam's shoulder. "Why don't you let me try and talk to her."

"I don't know if that would do any good, Khandi."

"It doesn't hurt to try, right?"

"Yeah, right." Sam sighed. "If you think it would help, go for it but I'm telling you you're wasting your time."

Khandi stood up and looked down at Sam. "Maybe. But it's my time being wasted. Did you see where she went?"

"Yeah, she headed toward the back of the building."

Khandi started to walk off but then stopped and looked back at Sam. "Don't worry, Sammy. Everything will work out." she said and walked off.

"I hope so." Sam whispered and tears filled his eyes. "God, I hope so."

Khandi walked around the back of the building and saw Casandra standing there smoking. "When did you start smoking?" Khandi asked and then noticed that Casandra had been crying.

Casandra wiped the tears from her eyes, took a long drag, blew out the smoke and then looked at Khandi. "It calms my nerves."

"Really? And what has you so edgy lately?"

"Nothing I want to talk about." Casandra replied, taking another drag.

"Cassy, why are you shutting us out? We want to help you." Khandi said placing a hand on Casandra's shoulder.

Casandra pulled away. "You can't help me!"

"Yes, we can. But you have to tell us what's going on."

Fresh tears welled up in Casandra's eyes. "I can't."

"You can't. Or you won't?"

Tears rolled down Casandra's face. She threw her smoke to the ground and looked at Khandi. "I can't." she replied and walked away.

"Cas, don't run away. Let us help you."

Casandra didn't acknowledge Khandi, she just kept walking.

Khandi made her way into the bullpen as Andy and John were walking out. She looked back at them and then turned her attention to Jim. "Where are they going?" she asked.

Jim shrugged. "Andy just said they had something to take care of."

"Did you find Casandra?" Sam asked.

"Yeah but she shut me out. Just said she couldn't tell me what was going on."

"Same thing she told me." Sam sighed.

Jim looked at Sam, "Listen, whatever is going through Cassy's mind, she figures she is doing the right thing."

Cosmo looked at them then looked around the room. Just then he noticed a box sitting in the corner of the room. "Hey, I thought you guys only brought five." He said picking up the box.

"Five what?" Khandi asked.

"Boxes." Cosmo replied, bringing it over to the table.

"We did. I remember putting five boxes in the back of the car."

"So where did this one come from?" Jim asked.

"The corner." Comso answered.

"Now is not the time to be a fucking smartass, Cosmo." Sam warned him.

"Hey, who's being a smartass? That's where it came from."

Sam went to grab Cosmo but Jim got between them before Sam could do anything. "Alright, let's just calm down and see what's inside it."

Sam grumbled as Jim opened the box. Inside there was an envelope, case file and another smaller box. They all looked at each other then the case file. On the front of the case file was written: HK-RIGGS.

They all looked at each other and then Jim opened up the casefile. He read through the pages quickly but there was really nothing in it. No suspect photo, no real name just the initials H.K. and an FBI profile on who could be commiting these serial murders.

Khandi looked over at Jim. "Anything in there that could help us?"

Jim shook his head. "Nothing. Except a profile that says were looking for a white male, 25 to 40 years old, loner."

"So a typical FBI profile." Sam stated.

"Yeah." Jim replied.

"So, why don't we move on to her notes." Cosmo stated holding up a notebook.

Khandi stared at Cosmo for a minute. "Okay. So open it up and read us what it says."

Cosmo opened the notebook and flipped through the pages. "Hey, she keeps pretty good notes. There's detailed descriptions of the crime scenes, a list of possible suspects..."
"Stop there." Jim said. "Any of those suspects have the initials H.K.?"

Cosmo ran through the list. "Just one. A guy by the name of Harry Kramer. But according to Cassy's notes they were looking at him as a suspect in victim number three's homicide but she couldn't tie him to the other women. And he had a solid alibi for the murder they were looking at him for."

"Still, he's someone worth looking into." Khandi stated.

"Also here is mentions of notes that she got. Something about this H.K. becoming fixated on her."

"I wonder if she kept those notes." Jim said.

Khandi eyes went to a shoe box sitting on the table. She picked it up and opened it. When she saw what was inside, she looked at Jim. "Yeah she did." Khandi replied and dumped the notes out onto the table.

Jim picked up a note and read it out loud. " 'My Dearest Casandra, I saw you on the news today. You looked as beautiful as always. Don't worry my love, it won't be long now. We'll be together very soon. Yours forever, H.K.' This guy is psychotic."

Sam shook his head. This guy was what Casandra couldn't tell him about. That had to be it. He picked up another note and read it out loud. "My dearest Casandra. I saw your daughter today outside playing in the backyard with your husband, Jack. Mackenzie is starting to look like you more and more everyday. Just wait til we have our own kids. H.K"

Khandi felt a shiver run down her spine. "This guy is so creepy." she said and picked a note up from the table. "Hmm, it seems as time went on he got more hostile."

The wheels were turning in Jim's head. "This is the asshole that murdered her family. I bet the closer he got to going through with murdering them, the more hostile the letters became."

"What does it say, Khandi?" Sam asked.

Khandi looked down at the note in her hand. "How dare you give all your attention to them! You're making a mistake by ignoring me! They don't deserve to have you, I DO! Soon enough it will be just the two of us! That I promise! H.K."

Sam sighed. "Okay, so we know who's doing this."

"Now wait a minute Sammy. What's in the envelope?" Cosmo asked.

Sam stared at the envelope sitting on the table. He hesitated for a minute before he picked it up and opened the flap. He pulled out what turned out to a stack of photos. He held them in his hand and looked down at the photo on the top of the pile.

Sam's face lost all its color and tears welled up in his eyes. He was looking at crime scene photos and the photo on the top of the pile was Casandra's three year old daughter Mackenzie with her throat slit. Sam felt the bile rise in his throat and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"What is it Sam? What are in those pictures?" Cosmo asked.

Khandi took the pictures from Sam. "Oh my God." she said when she looked down at them. Tears welled up in her own eyes. "These are crime scene photos of Cassy's family."

Andy pulled the rental car up outside McMullin's Pub. "What are we doing here?" John asked.

"I want to talk to this asshole bartender again." Andy said getting out of the car. "I got a feeling he knows more than he told us earlier."

"You seem pretty confident about that." John said as he followed Andy into the bar.

"Junior, I've spent enough time in bars to know that a bartender always sees more than he tells." Andy replied and walked up to the bar.

"What can I get you gentlemen?" the bartender asked.

"Let's start off with some information." Andy replied and pulled the picture of Casandra, that he had taken from the bullpen, out of his pocket. "Remember her?"

"Sure. I told you guys she was in here and then left with some guy."

"Right. Let's get to who the guy was."

"I told that other guy, I never saw him before."

Andy grabbed the bartender and slammed his head down on the bar. "Listen here, asshole, I think you have seen the guy before. As a matter of fact I think he's a regular in here!"

"Hey, get this psycho off me!" the bartender yelled.

John just shook his head. "You better tell my partner what you know or he's gonna get really pissed."

"Partner? You guys are cops?"

"Yeah, we're cops. And so was the woman who was in here earlier."

"No way. She didn't look like no cop."

Andy pressed his head harder into the bar. "Well, she is. So you better start talking about who the guy is that she left here with."

"Okay, okay. Let me up and I'll talk."

Andy let him go. "Start talking."

"Look, I was telling you the truth when I said I never saw the guy before."

Andy was about to smack the guy when he pulled back. "Listen you asshole, if I find out you're lying and you're in on it with this prick, the next time we talk it'll be with my shoe pressed against your throat, you understand me?"

"Hey, hey, take it easy. I just started working here. So, I really don't know if he's a regular or not."

Andy calmed down a bit. "Okay, we're gonna sit at that table over there." Andy said, pointing to the corner. "If he comes in I want you to signal us. If you tip him off I'm gonna bust your skull. Got it?"

"Yeah, hey, whatever I can do to help. Did he hurt that woman?"

"Yeah, he did." John replied and followed Andy to the table.

They sat down at a table in the corner of the bar and a waitress approached them. "What can I get you?" she asked.

"I'll take a club soda with lime." Andy replied.

"Bud for me." John said.

Normally Andy would lecture John about his drinking but in the last few years it hadn't been a problem. He wasn't drinking everyday like he had been five years ago and he could tell that John had learned to limit his intake.

After an hour and a half of sitting in the pub there was still no sign of the guy. Just then the front door opened and a man, about 5'10", medium build and dirty blond hair walked in and sat next to a woman at the bar.

At that moment Andy saw the bartender nod and he knew that was their guy. Andy looked across the table at John. "He just walked in and sat down at the bar."

John looked at the guy sitting at the bar. "How are we going to do this?"

"Just follow my lead." Andy said, standing up and making his way over to the bar. Andy sat down on a stool next to the man. "How's it going?"

"Fine." the man mumbled and turned his attention back to the woman beside him.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"No. You got the wrong guy."

"I don't think so." Andy replied and pressed his gun into the guy's ribs.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Just walk." John said coming up on the other side of the man.

They walked him out of the bar and started down the street. "Hey, I don't know who you think I am. But you got the wrong guy." Andy and John didn't say anything. They just lead the man down the back alley behind the bar. "Let me go, man."

Andy shoved the man against the wall with his gun hand and put Casandra's picture in his face with the other. "You remember her, asshole?"

"Never seen her before."

Andy handed the picture to John and then punched the guy in the stomach. "Wrong answer, you prick!" Andy yelled as the guy fell to his knees.

"I'm telling you I don't know her."

"Try again, asshole." Andy said and kneed the guy in face, which sent him flying back into the wall.

"You were seen leaving this bar with her." John said grabbing the guy by his hair.

"Whoever said that is lying."

"You fucking prick!" Andy yelled and began punching the guy over and over again in the face.

John finally had enough and pulled Andy off the guy. "Hey, Andy, that's enough. Let's just get this asshole back to the station and talk to him there."

Andy, who was breathing heavily, looked at John but then nodded. The guy was lying on the ground in a bloody mess. They picked him up, put him in cuffs and took him to their rental car.

The Cavalry, minus Casandra, now had the casefile, the notes from H.K., and the crime scene photos all spread out on the table. Along with Casandra's notebook.

They were still going through the notes when Casandra walked into the room. "What the fuck are you doing!?" she yelled. "Where did you get those!?"

"Cassy, calm down." Sam said.

"No! You had no right to go into that box!" she yelled as she started grabbing everything off the table and shoving them back into the box.

"Cas, stop." Khandi said. "Sit down and talk to us about this."

"No! This stuff is private you had no right to look through it."

"Casandra, this stuff is relevent to the murders we're trying to solve now. We have every right to look at what's in that box." Jim said. He hated being blunt and harsh but he needed everything he could get on this monster.

Casandra dropped the box on the floor, walked over to Jim and slapped him across the face. "Screw you, Jimmy! Screw all of you!" she yelled, grabbed her box and stormed out of the bullpen.

Jim just stood there. Khandi walked over to him and placed her hand on the red mark on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he replied. "She's just blowing off some steam."

As Casandra was making her way down the hall, Andy and John were coming in with the guy they had picked up at McMullin's Pub.

Casandra stopped in her tracks when she saw them. "Andy, what's going on?" she asked.

"Where's the interrogation room?" Andy asked in turn.

"Right down there." Casandra replied and pointed to a room at the end of the hall.

"Junior, take this guy down there. I'll be in in a minute."

"You got it." John replied and pushed the guy down the hall. "Let's go asshole."

"Who is that guy?"

"That's the guy that attacked you in that alley." Andy replied.

"You're sure about that?"

"Positive. The bartender said that he's the guy who took you out of the bar."

"Son of a bitch! Are you telling me that's H.K.?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Andy said.

As he started to walk off down the hall, he ran into Jim. "Who was that guy I saw John taking into interrogation?"

"Someone worth talking to." Andy replied and stopped outside the interrogation room door.

Jim looked in through the door and saw the guy's face for the first time. "What happened to him?"

"He fell."

"That's quite a fall." Jim replied. "I didn't think you were still tuning guys up, Andy."

"Hey, whatever gets the job done."

"Yeah, well we do things differently in Vegas."

"Jim, don't forget, I still live and work in New York. Besides, this is the asshole that attacked Casandra. He's lucky all he got was a little tune up." Andy said and walked into the room.

Jim walked into the observation room as Casandra walked down the hall and watched through the door.

Andy sat down across from the guy and glared at him. "Okay, why don't we start with you telling us what H.K. stands for."

"H.K.? What the fuck you talking about?"

"They're your initials." John stated. "So you gotta know what they stand for."

"My initials aren't H.K."

"Drop the act, you prick." Andy said.

"It's not an act. I think I know my own initials."

John looked at Andy and then across the table. "You got any ID?"

"Yeah, I got ID." the man said, pulled his wallet out and tossed it across the table.

John picked up the wallet and took out the guy's ID. "Dominic Bonnati."

"Yeah, Dominic Bonnati. My initials are D.B. not H.K."

"An ID is easy to fake there, Dominic." Andy said. "We know you left that bar with that woman and we know what you did to her in that alley."

"I didn't do anything to any woman in that alley."

"Don't lie to us!" Andy said, standing up from his chair and looming over him.

"I'm not lying! I never left that bar with any woman!"

Andy was getting pissed now. "Get on your feet."

"No, I'm telling you..."

"I said get on your feet!" Andy yelled, picked the guy up by his jacket and slammed him into the wall.

"You get your hands off me." Dominic said.

"I've had it with you!"

"Yeah, I've had it with you too!" Dominic yelled back at Andy.

"You're gonna tell us what happened in that alley!"

"You get your hands off me now."

"You're not leaving this room until you tell us what happened!" John said, walking up beside Andy.

"I'm warning you." Dominic said to Andy.

"You're warning me about what!?"

Dominic grabbed Andy's head and shoved him back against the table. Andy pushed him away and punched him in the face. Dominic came right back and punched Andy in the nose. That's when Andy grabbed him and started wailing on his face. Again.

John tried to pull Andy off Dominic as Casandra burst into the room and jumped on Dominic herself. "You son of a bitch!" she said, scratching at his eyes.

Just then, Jim came running into the room and he and John pulled Casandra off of Dominic. "You're all a bunch of animals!" Dominic yelled.

"Get out of here!" Jim yelled at him. "Now!"

Dominic grabbed his wallet off the table and took off out the door. Andy stood there, with a bloody nose, looking at Jim. "What the hell did you let him go for?"

"You have no evidence to hold this guy, Andy."

"What about assaulting a police officer?"

Jim shook his head. "You grabbed him first."

"Who's side are you on here, Jim?" Andy asked.

Jim sighed. "Look, let's all just take the night, cool down and get some sleep. Then we can start over fresh tomorrow alright?"

Andy shook his head in disgust, walked past Jim and left the room.

Later that night Jim and Khandi were laying in bed. "What happened in that interrogation room, Jimmy?" Khandi asked.

Jim shook his head. "I don't know exactly. Everything happened so fast."

"Did I hear right that the guy Andy and John brought in was the same guy that attacked Cassy?" Khandi asked as Sam was walking past their room. He stopped outside the door when he heard Casandra's name.

"I don't know but Andy was convinced it was."

"Do you have any reason to doubt him?"

"No. He's always had good instincts when it came to the job." Jim replied. "I just hope this time his instincts were off and I didn't let Cassy's attacker go free."

Sam couldn't bear to hear anymore. He walked off down the hall to his own room to check on Shawn and Mackenzie. When he knew they were okay, he made his way into the kitchen for a beer. He got one out of the fridge and then walked outside to the deck.

He took a sip from the beer bottle and then leaned on the railing. How did everything get so out of control? Why was Casandra shutting him and the rest of the family out? He couldn't understand it. All he knew was that she started to act this way when Andy showed up in town. For some reason Sam blamed Andy for the problems that were going on in his and Casandra's relationship and he was determined to put a stop to it. One thing he knew he had to do was try to talk to Casandra. That is if she was even going to come home at all.

Sam sighed, took a long swig from his beer and then broke down in tears.

John had gone to his own room to get some much needed sleep and Andy was in his talking to Connie on the phone.

"How are the kids?" he asked.

"They're fine. We all miss you." Connie replied.

"I miss you too."

"So, how are things going there?" Connie asked.

Andy sighed. "Not good."

"What happened, Andy?"

"One of the cops that John and I are working with, Casandra Gerard, was attacked this afternoon."

"Is she okay?"

"No. This whole case is taking its toll on her." Andy replied as a knock came on the door. "Hang on a minute, Connie." He laid the phone on the bed, walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. He was surprised to see Casandra standing there. "Just a minute." he said through the door and went back to the phone. "Connie, I'll call you back later. Casandra's at the door."

"She's there at your hotel room?" Connie asked and Andy could hear the jealously in her voice.

"Connie, relax, she's going through a tough time right now. Listen, I have to go. I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too, Andy." she replied and hung up.

Andy sighed, shook his head and walked back to the door. "Casandra, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes were red from crying and she was carrying the box that contained everything she had on H.K. "I just need to be with someone who understands what I'm going through."

Andy nodded. "Come on in."

TBC...