Later that night Dottie had come into the living room where Brandi was sitting on the couch. "Mom, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, sweetheart. What is it?" Dottie sat down on the coffee table.
"I'm going to be straight with you on something and perhaps we can work together on this one." Brandi stopped to see what Dottie's reaction was but couldn't get a read on her. "I know that you've been working with the police to catch the shooter and I know there was another shooting. I also know that one of the guys on their list could be the one they're looking for."
Dottie's mouth hung open, "What? Where are you getting all this information? Ricky, right? I'm gonna kill him."
"No, Ricky has nothing to do with this. I have some sources and I'm not going to say who they are. But I want to help in the investigation."
"No. No way."
"But mom."
"There's nothing to discuss. You have a lot of healing to do physically and emotionally and this is not something you need to be doing right now."
"Mom, it's the only way I'm going to get past this. I have to feel like I'm doing something instead of sitting here being treated like a baby."
"I'm not treating you like a baby. You have two bullet holes in you. Give yourself a chance to heal. The police are taking care of the case."
Brandi huffed, "Are they? It's been weeks and they haven't done anything." Dottie knew she was right and didn't answer. "All I want is a file on each of the guys they have as suspects."
Dottie got up from the table, "I can't ask them to give me copies of their files."
"Come on, mom. You don't have to ask." Brandi shot her a look.
"I can't do that!"
"Look, all you have to do is borrow them. Borrow them, copy them and put them back. Simple." Dottie shook her head. "Please mom."
"Brandi, I could get in big trouble if I get caught."
"You won't get caught."
Dottie thought about it and really didn't want to do it but if it meant helping Brandi move on then she had no choice. "Fine. I'll get them somehow. Why do you want them so bad?"
One of the guys on the list, "I know the name and I can't place it. If I saw a picture then maybe it'll jog my memory."
"Okay but this is the only thing I'm getting."
"Deal," Brandi agreed.
Tiny came through the front door, "Dottie?"
"We're down here, Tiny."
Tiny came down the stairs and into the living room, "Hey Brandi. How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks. I guess you're all set to meet with Forbes now that my babysitter is here." Brandi smiled at Dottie who frowned back.
"Well, after the stunt you pulled this morning it proves that I can't leave you alone for even an hour." Tiny laughed as Brandi shook her head. Dottie gave Tiny a kiss goodbye before she dashed out.
"So. You up for a game of cards?" Tiny asked Brandi.
"You ready to lose?" she said sarcastically.
"Bring it on," he said as he went in search of the deck.
Later that night Dottie returned home to find Brandi asleep on the couch and Tiny beside her watching TV. She gave him a quick kiss, "How long has she been asleep?"
"A few hours. She took some pain medication and was out like a light. That's some powerful stuff."
Dottie brushed the hair away from Brandi's forehead, "Poor kid must still be in pain."
Tiny turned off the TV and got up slowly, "You want to turn in early?"
Dottie smiled at him, "You tired?"
Tiny smiled back at her, "Mmmaybe."
Dottie set the folder she was holding down on the coffee table and then jumped into Tiny's arms. "Yes, I'm VERY tired," she said as she kissed him. He carried her off to her bedroom where they soon turned off the lights.
In the morning, Brandi woke up from her medicated sleep and realized she wasn't in her bedroom. She slowly sat up. Her muscles were sore from sleeping in the same place all night. She checked her watch and looked around to see if her mother was up. She noticed the folder on the coffee table and reached for them. When she opened it she found the photocopies she had wanted Dottie to get for her. "Go mom," she said aloud.
She thumbed through the pages and then came to the information on George DeWitt. When she saw his mug shot she immediately put the pieces together. "Hey mom!" she yelled. "Mom!"
Dottie came bolting out of her bedroom, tying her bathrobe shut as she ran towards Brandi, "What? Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine." She held up the photo of George DeWitt. "I know where I've seen this guy before."
Dottie put a hand to her own forehead, "Oh my God, you had scared me half to death. I thought you fell or something out here."
Brandi laughed, "You worry too much," she said as she shook her head. "This guy used to run a pawnshop down town a few years ago. I had gone in there with some friends of mine one afternoon after school because my friend Jeremy was looking for a paintball gun because he didn't want to spend the money on a brand new one. The guy gave us the creeps and watched our every move, like we were going to rip him off. Jeremy asked him about the paintball gun but George told him to be a man and buy a real gun. He knew just about EVERYTHING about the guns he had in the store. Rifles, handguns, you name it."
"How'd you know his name was George DeWitt?"
"He told Jeremy his name and told him to call him if he decided to buy a real gun. He also said he'd teach Jeremy how to shoot and Jeremy took him up on the offer, being the crack ass that he is. He lived out in the woods practically and had a firing range set up in the back of his house. When Jeremy was over there, George started telling him about how his wife cheated on him and left him for another man and that all women are nothing but bitches. Jeremy got all freaked out and took off."
"Where is Jeremy now?"
"I don't know. We lost touch after graduation. He's a vagabond and could be anywhere."
"So why didn't you mention this when you first saw George's name?"
"I wanted to be sure it was the same guy before I said anything. But as soon as I saw that photo I knew it was him. I may have only seen him once but he's just so creepy I couldn't forget that face." Dottie picked up the phone and began to dial. "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Forbes."
"Why?"
"He needs to know about this. This could be the guy."
"If you tell Forbes he'll send a bunch of squad cars over to his house, scare him off and we'll never find him."
Dottie heard Forbes' voicemail clicked on. "Brandi, we have to do this by the book. This guy is dangerous, if he's the one. I don't need to tell you that." The beep sounded and she began to leave her message. "Forbes, it's Dottie Thorson. Listen, when you get in give me a call as soon as you get this message. It's about the case. We may have something to go on. Bye." She hung up the phone and saw Brandi pouting. "We have to do it this way."
"All we had to do was go up to his place and pretend we our car broke down or something and needed to use his phone. That way we could get inside and take a look around."
"WE? You can hardly walk and there is NO WAY IN HELL I'd let you put yourself in a position like that. What if he recognized you?"
"Then we'd have a party to celebrate and then I'd kick his ass."
Dottie took a seat next to Brandi, "This isn't funny."
"I know. I'm just trying to deal with it any way I can."
"Well you certainly can't go to this guys house. That's no way to deal with it. We all want to catch this guy and Forbes will ensure that things are done right."
"I know it's him. I can feel it."
Later that morning Forbes returned Dottie's call and she filled him in on what Brandi had told her about DeWitt. By mid-afternoon Forbes had a team of men assembled and surrounded around DeWitt's house.
Forbes went to the front door, accompanied by two fellow detectives, and knocked a few times. He looked around the yard, aware that his men would attack in seconds if there was any trouble. He knocked again and then DeWitt answered the door. "If you're here to sell Bibles and things I'm not interested."
Forbes chuckled, "No, we're not here to sell you anything. If you could step out a little from behind the door though that would help me out a lot."
DeWitt wore a confused look on his face, "What for?"
"I'm a little hard of hearing so I just wanted you to come out here a little bit so I can hear you clearly."
DeWitt stepped out a ways and appeared to be unarmed. "What's this about?" he said sternly.
Forbes held up his badge, "We're from the police department and have a warrant to search the premises."
DeWitt started to panic, "What the hell for? I haven't done anything. Go away." He tried to shut the door but Forbes and the two men prevented him from doing so. DeWitt ran towards the back of the house.
Forbes yelled to the men outside, "He's heading out the back!"
Within a matter of minutes they had DeWitt face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back. Meanwhile, the search began inside his home.
Dottie paced the floor as Brandi watched her. "Mom, you're making me dizzy. Sit down."
"I'm sorry. I'm just all wound up about what's going on right now over at DeWitt's."
"I thought you had complete faith in Forbes?"
"I do. Don't get me wrong. I just hope it's the right guy and this wasn't a wild goose chase." The phone rang and Dottie practically leaped out of the chair. "Hello?"
"Why don't you and Brandi come down to the station. We have our man," DeWitt said and hung up. Brandi could see the smile on Dottie's face and didn't have to ask who it was.
It felt like it only took a minute to get to the station, Dottie was driving so fast. They met Forbes in the hallway. Dottie stayed close to Brandi's side as she limped along. "We got to his place and he wouldn't let us in. He bolted but we caught him. The guy had an arsenal of guns in closets, behind cabinets, in the ceiling, all over the place. It was like he was ready for a war or something." They went to the interrogation room and stood outside, looking in at DeWitt through the one-way mirror. "We're about to question him on tape right now. Thought you might like to hear what he had to say for himself." Dottie held onto Brandi's right arm, mostly to comfort her from what she was about to hear.
Forbes went into the room and joined the detective who was sitting across from DeWitt. He turned the tape recorder on and got out his notepad. "State your full name."
"You know my damn name," DeWitt said.
"For the record, state your Goddamn name!"
DeWitt frowned, "George W. Dewitt."
"Do you live at 758 Barnstable Lane?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me where you were on the night of July 15th at approximately eleven thirty?"
DeWitt paused, his eyes shifted back and forth as he thought about what to say. "I was at home."
"Is there anyone that can validate that? Maybe someone called you on the phone or someone came by around that time?"
"No! I live alone. I don't have any friends so no one would call or come by," he said sarcastically.
Forbes jotted some notes into his notebook. "Are you divorced, Mr. DeWitt?"
DeWitt's face turned angry red, "Don't mention my wife! That no good whore! She's gone and I could give two shits."
"So you are divorced?"
"Let's just say she went away and won't come back," DeWitt said with a sleazy smile.
Forbes looked at the other detective and then back to DeWitt. "Do you know where we can get in touch with her?"
DeWitt broke out into a fit of laughter, "Good luck trying."
"So what were you doing on the beach that night, George? It was kinda late. And it was rather odd to be carrying around a gun."
"Okay, so I was at the beach that night. So fucking what!"
"Why'd you go there?" Forbes asked.
DeWitt was still laughing but it became more sadistic. "It's a breeding ground for whores, don't you know that! It's where it all starts."
Brandi could feel her stomach twist into a knot as she listened to him.
"Where what starts?" Forbes asked.
"All those little whores take their men out there to the beach. They walk along the water and make those poor guys THINK they love them. It's all a damn lie! It's crawling with them down there. I just do those guys a favor."
"How so?" Forbes asked as he moved the microphone closer to DeWitt.
"Those poor bastards." DeWitt hung his head and then raised it. "I know what it's like, you know. That bitch did it to me just like all those other bitches do it to those poor guys." Forbes let him ramble. "First I take care of those...those wretched women. I make them feel the pain I felt. Then I put the poor guy out of his misery. He's too far-gone to save. She's already tainted him with her lies. Making him believe there is love between them. After she's gone he's so confused he THINKS he cares about it. So that's why I put them out of their misery. It's the only thing to do."
Dottie covered her mouth in horror as she gripped Brandi's arm.
Forbes felt the acid churning in his stomach after hearing DeWitt's reason for the shootings. "So you shot the women first and then the men."
"Are you deaf? That's what I just said." DeWitt laughed in Forbes' face. "I tell ya though. One of them had a lot of spunk. I shot her and she wanted more."
Dottie ran out of the room fearing that she was about to be sick. Brandi felt the anger brewing inside her and focused on DeWitt. "That no good bastard."
Forbes turned off the recorder, "I've heard enough. Get this asshole out of my face before I rip his face off."
DeWitt laughed as two officers came into the room and took him away. Forbes came out to where Brandi was standing, still staring into the now empty room. "You okay?"
Brandi broke free of her trance, "Yeah. Yeah I'm okay."
"That's one sick mutha."
"Just wish I could have five minutes alone with the guy so I could put a few bullets in him," Brandi said. Dottie soon returned, dabbing at her forehead with a damp paper towel. "You okay, mom?"
"Never mind me, are YOU okay?"
"A little better than I was. At least we caught him before he destroyed anyone else's lives. But there is one thing I'd like to do."
"What's that?"
Brandi stood alone by Mark's grave and cried. "I miss you so much Mark." She kissed her fingertips and touched the grave. "You'll always be a part of my heart." She looked at the engagement ring on her finger and then walked away.
"Sure, sweetheart. What is it?" Dottie sat down on the coffee table.
"I'm going to be straight with you on something and perhaps we can work together on this one." Brandi stopped to see what Dottie's reaction was but couldn't get a read on her. "I know that you've been working with the police to catch the shooter and I know there was another shooting. I also know that one of the guys on their list could be the one they're looking for."
Dottie's mouth hung open, "What? Where are you getting all this information? Ricky, right? I'm gonna kill him."
"No, Ricky has nothing to do with this. I have some sources and I'm not going to say who they are. But I want to help in the investigation."
"No. No way."
"But mom."
"There's nothing to discuss. You have a lot of healing to do physically and emotionally and this is not something you need to be doing right now."
"Mom, it's the only way I'm going to get past this. I have to feel like I'm doing something instead of sitting here being treated like a baby."
"I'm not treating you like a baby. You have two bullet holes in you. Give yourself a chance to heal. The police are taking care of the case."
Brandi huffed, "Are they? It's been weeks and they haven't done anything." Dottie knew she was right and didn't answer. "All I want is a file on each of the guys they have as suspects."
Dottie got up from the table, "I can't ask them to give me copies of their files."
"Come on, mom. You don't have to ask." Brandi shot her a look.
"I can't do that!"
"Look, all you have to do is borrow them. Borrow them, copy them and put them back. Simple." Dottie shook her head. "Please mom."
"Brandi, I could get in big trouble if I get caught."
"You won't get caught."
Dottie thought about it and really didn't want to do it but if it meant helping Brandi move on then she had no choice. "Fine. I'll get them somehow. Why do you want them so bad?"
One of the guys on the list, "I know the name and I can't place it. If I saw a picture then maybe it'll jog my memory."
"Okay but this is the only thing I'm getting."
"Deal," Brandi agreed.
Tiny came through the front door, "Dottie?"
"We're down here, Tiny."
Tiny came down the stairs and into the living room, "Hey Brandi. How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks. I guess you're all set to meet with Forbes now that my babysitter is here." Brandi smiled at Dottie who frowned back.
"Well, after the stunt you pulled this morning it proves that I can't leave you alone for even an hour." Tiny laughed as Brandi shook her head. Dottie gave Tiny a kiss goodbye before she dashed out.
"So. You up for a game of cards?" Tiny asked Brandi.
"You ready to lose?" she said sarcastically.
"Bring it on," he said as he went in search of the deck.
Later that night Dottie returned home to find Brandi asleep on the couch and Tiny beside her watching TV. She gave him a quick kiss, "How long has she been asleep?"
"A few hours. She took some pain medication and was out like a light. That's some powerful stuff."
Dottie brushed the hair away from Brandi's forehead, "Poor kid must still be in pain."
Tiny turned off the TV and got up slowly, "You want to turn in early?"
Dottie smiled at him, "You tired?"
Tiny smiled back at her, "Mmmaybe."
Dottie set the folder she was holding down on the coffee table and then jumped into Tiny's arms. "Yes, I'm VERY tired," she said as she kissed him. He carried her off to her bedroom where they soon turned off the lights.
In the morning, Brandi woke up from her medicated sleep and realized she wasn't in her bedroom. She slowly sat up. Her muscles were sore from sleeping in the same place all night. She checked her watch and looked around to see if her mother was up. She noticed the folder on the coffee table and reached for them. When she opened it she found the photocopies she had wanted Dottie to get for her. "Go mom," she said aloud.
She thumbed through the pages and then came to the information on George DeWitt. When she saw his mug shot she immediately put the pieces together. "Hey mom!" she yelled. "Mom!"
Dottie came bolting out of her bedroom, tying her bathrobe shut as she ran towards Brandi, "What? Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine." She held up the photo of George DeWitt. "I know where I've seen this guy before."
Dottie put a hand to her own forehead, "Oh my God, you had scared me half to death. I thought you fell or something out here."
Brandi laughed, "You worry too much," she said as she shook her head. "This guy used to run a pawnshop down town a few years ago. I had gone in there with some friends of mine one afternoon after school because my friend Jeremy was looking for a paintball gun because he didn't want to spend the money on a brand new one. The guy gave us the creeps and watched our every move, like we were going to rip him off. Jeremy asked him about the paintball gun but George told him to be a man and buy a real gun. He knew just about EVERYTHING about the guns he had in the store. Rifles, handguns, you name it."
"How'd you know his name was George DeWitt?"
"He told Jeremy his name and told him to call him if he decided to buy a real gun. He also said he'd teach Jeremy how to shoot and Jeremy took him up on the offer, being the crack ass that he is. He lived out in the woods practically and had a firing range set up in the back of his house. When Jeremy was over there, George started telling him about how his wife cheated on him and left him for another man and that all women are nothing but bitches. Jeremy got all freaked out and took off."
"Where is Jeremy now?"
"I don't know. We lost touch after graduation. He's a vagabond and could be anywhere."
"So why didn't you mention this when you first saw George's name?"
"I wanted to be sure it was the same guy before I said anything. But as soon as I saw that photo I knew it was him. I may have only seen him once but he's just so creepy I couldn't forget that face." Dottie picked up the phone and began to dial. "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Forbes."
"Why?"
"He needs to know about this. This could be the guy."
"If you tell Forbes he'll send a bunch of squad cars over to his house, scare him off and we'll never find him."
Dottie heard Forbes' voicemail clicked on. "Brandi, we have to do this by the book. This guy is dangerous, if he's the one. I don't need to tell you that." The beep sounded and she began to leave her message. "Forbes, it's Dottie Thorson. Listen, when you get in give me a call as soon as you get this message. It's about the case. We may have something to go on. Bye." She hung up the phone and saw Brandi pouting. "We have to do it this way."
"All we had to do was go up to his place and pretend we our car broke down or something and needed to use his phone. That way we could get inside and take a look around."
"WE? You can hardly walk and there is NO WAY IN HELL I'd let you put yourself in a position like that. What if he recognized you?"
"Then we'd have a party to celebrate and then I'd kick his ass."
Dottie took a seat next to Brandi, "This isn't funny."
"I know. I'm just trying to deal with it any way I can."
"Well you certainly can't go to this guys house. That's no way to deal with it. We all want to catch this guy and Forbes will ensure that things are done right."
"I know it's him. I can feel it."
Later that morning Forbes returned Dottie's call and she filled him in on what Brandi had told her about DeWitt. By mid-afternoon Forbes had a team of men assembled and surrounded around DeWitt's house.
Forbes went to the front door, accompanied by two fellow detectives, and knocked a few times. He looked around the yard, aware that his men would attack in seconds if there was any trouble. He knocked again and then DeWitt answered the door. "If you're here to sell Bibles and things I'm not interested."
Forbes chuckled, "No, we're not here to sell you anything. If you could step out a little from behind the door though that would help me out a lot."
DeWitt wore a confused look on his face, "What for?"
"I'm a little hard of hearing so I just wanted you to come out here a little bit so I can hear you clearly."
DeWitt stepped out a ways and appeared to be unarmed. "What's this about?" he said sternly.
Forbes held up his badge, "We're from the police department and have a warrant to search the premises."
DeWitt started to panic, "What the hell for? I haven't done anything. Go away." He tried to shut the door but Forbes and the two men prevented him from doing so. DeWitt ran towards the back of the house.
Forbes yelled to the men outside, "He's heading out the back!"
Within a matter of minutes they had DeWitt face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back. Meanwhile, the search began inside his home.
Dottie paced the floor as Brandi watched her. "Mom, you're making me dizzy. Sit down."
"I'm sorry. I'm just all wound up about what's going on right now over at DeWitt's."
"I thought you had complete faith in Forbes?"
"I do. Don't get me wrong. I just hope it's the right guy and this wasn't a wild goose chase." The phone rang and Dottie practically leaped out of the chair. "Hello?"
"Why don't you and Brandi come down to the station. We have our man," DeWitt said and hung up. Brandi could see the smile on Dottie's face and didn't have to ask who it was.
It felt like it only took a minute to get to the station, Dottie was driving so fast. They met Forbes in the hallway. Dottie stayed close to Brandi's side as she limped along. "We got to his place and he wouldn't let us in. He bolted but we caught him. The guy had an arsenal of guns in closets, behind cabinets, in the ceiling, all over the place. It was like he was ready for a war or something." They went to the interrogation room and stood outside, looking in at DeWitt through the one-way mirror. "We're about to question him on tape right now. Thought you might like to hear what he had to say for himself." Dottie held onto Brandi's right arm, mostly to comfort her from what she was about to hear.
Forbes went into the room and joined the detective who was sitting across from DeWitt. He turned the tape recorder on and got out his notepad. "State your full name."
"You know my damn name," DeWitt said.
"For the record, state your Goddamn name!"
DeWitt frowned, "George W. Dewitt."
"Do you live at 758 Barnstable Lane?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me where you were on the night of July 15th at approximately eleven thirty?"
DeWitt paused, his eyes shifted back and forth as he thought about what to say. "I was at home."
"Is there anyone that can validate that? Maybe someone called you on the phone or someone came by around that time?"
"No! I live alone. I don't have any friends so no one would call or come by," he said sarcastically.
Forbes jotted some notes into his notebook. "Are you divorced, Mr. DeWitt?"
DeWitt's face turned angry red, "Don't mention my wife! That no good whore! She's gone and I could give two shits."
"So you are divorced?"
"Let's just say she went away and won't come back," DeWitt said with a sleazy smile.
Forbes looked at the other detective and then back to DeWitt. "Do you know where we can get in touch with her?"
DeWitt broke out into a fit of laughter, "Good luck trying."
"So what were you doing on the beach that night, George? It was kinda late. And it was rather odd to be carrying around a gun."
"Okay, so I was at the beach that night. So fucking what!"
"Why'd you go there?" Forbes asked.
DeWitt was still laughing but it became more sadistic. "It's a breeding ground for whores, don't you know that! It's where it all starts."
Brandi could feel her stomach twist into a knot as she listened to him.
"Where what starts?" Forbes asked.
"All those little whores take their men out there to the beach. They walk along the water and make those poor guys THINK they love them. It's all a damn lie! It's crawling with them down there. I just do those guys a favor."
"How so?" Forbes asked as he moved the microphone closer to DeWitt.
"Those poor bastards." DeWitt hung his head and then raised it. "I know what it's like, you know. That bitch did it to me just like all those other bitches do it to those poor guys." Forbes let him ramble. "First I take care of those...those wretched women. I make them feel the pain I felt. Then I put the poor guy out of his misery. He's too far-gone to save. She's already tainted him with her lies. Making him believe there is love between them. After she's gone he's so confused he THINKS he cares about it. So that's why I put them out of their misery. It's the only thing to do."
Dottie covered her mouth in horror as she gripped Brandi's arm.
Forbes felt the acid churning in his stomach after hearing DeWitt's reason for the shootings. "So you shot the women first and then the men."
"Are you deaf? That's what I just said." DeWitt laughed in Forbes' face. "I tell ya though. One of them had a lot of spunk. I shot her and she wanted more."
Dottie ran out of the room fearing that she was about to be sick. Brandi felt the anger brewing inside her and focused on DeWitt. "That no good bastard."
Forbes turned off the recorder, "I've heard enough. Get this asshole out of my face before I rip his face off."
DeWitt laughed as two officers came into the room and took him away. Forbes came out to where Brandi was standing, still staring into the now empty room. "You okay?"
Brandi broke free of her trance, "Yeah. Yeah I'm okay."
"That's one sick mutha."
"Just wish I could have five minutes alone with the guy so I could put a few bullets in him," Brandi said. Dottie soon returned, dabbing at her forehead with a damp paper towel. "You okay, mom?"
"Never mind me, are YOU okay?"
"A little better than I was. At least we caught him before he destroyed anyone else's lives. But there is one thing I'd like to do."
"What's that?"
Brandi stood alone by Mark's grave and cried. "I miss you so much Mark." She kissed her fingertips and touched the grave. "You'll always be a part of my heart." She looked at the engagement ring on her finger and then walked away.