Disclaimer: Profiler and all characters belongs to NBC, Sanders/Moses Productions, Cynthia Saunders, Stephen Kronish ... Not to me. No copyright infringement intended.
Part XVII : Now we know ...
The night was beginning to fall when they finally got back to the VCTF. George was frantically punching on his keyboard when they entered the command center. Bailey had fallen asleep in his armchair, but the noise of the three agents coming in woke him up.
" Sorry !" John said.
" How do you feel ?" Sam asked.
" Tired. Sleepy. And I've got a headache. Apart from that, everything is fine.
- Did they give you something for the pain ?" Grace asked.
" I haven't been to the drugstore yet.
- I'll be back in a minute." Grace said, leaving the room.
" So, George, do you have anything for us ?" John asked without illusions.
" I may !" The rest of the team stared at him.
" What is it ?" Bailey asked impatiently.
" Well, it may not lead to anything, but I believe it's worth trying."
George took a sip of water and then started his story :
" The house Jack shot from." he started. " I was sure Jack had entered there without being invited, but I checked anyway. The owners are in Europe for two years, and they let the house for rent to a real estate here in Atlanta. The house was rent by a guy named De Calfatos, about three weeks ago. I checked the records and all I found is a driver's license from New Mexico. It was established two years ago and has not be renewed in Georgia yet. The strange thing is that the man is about fourty years old, and I cannot find anything about him before this driving licence.
- Did you check the FBI files ?" Sam asked.
" First thing I did. No result so far.
- It's pretty slim." John said.
" I told you.
- Any credit card ?" Bailey asked. "How did he pay for the house ?
- He gave the first two months in cash. I was checking for credit cards when they arrived.
- John, call Granger in Atlanta PD. I want him to send someone to the real estate to see if he can get a description of Mr De Calfatos. Then he can send patrols to Nancy's neighborhood and see if the guy has been seen by some shopkeeper. If yes, I want to know what he bought. Go on George.
- That's all I've got so far. I need time to investigate further."
Grace came back with some pills she gave Bailey. He took them and said : " Except for George, who is on duty, the rest of you can go home."
Grace and John took their coats and prepared to leave. "Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything." Grace said to Bailey before she left.
" What are you doing ?" Bailey asked Sam.
" I'm staying for a while.
- Sorry, George.
- Don't worry for that."
Sam sat near Bailey. He took her hand and pulled it to his lips. He kissed her fingers. The pain medecine had started acting. He laid back in his armchair and slowly went back to sleep. Sam became immersed again in Bailey's military records. The key was in there. She knew it. But where ?
They had been like that for about two hours when the door slammed opened. Bailey woke up abruptly. He grinned when his arm knocked against the table. Steve Granger was there.
" Hi Steve." Bailey said. " Remember Sam and George ?
- Sure. Hi all ! " he waved his arm around.
" What brings you to us in the middle of the night ?" George asked.
" I thought your request for information was rather urgent.
- It is." Bailey answered. "Did you get a description ?
- Better than that. The guy I met has followed art studies. He made a little drawing for me."
Granger pulled out a sheet of paper from his jacket and put it on the table so that the three agents could see it.
" It must be a good portrait, for I showed it to a few people around and they recognized the man. It seems your client has made a little shopping in the last few days. Grocery store ... baker's ... butcher's ... " Granger was handing Bailey sheets from his notebook while talking. On each of them was a list of articles De Calfatos had purchased. " Drugstore ... perfumery ... hardware store ...
- Hardware store ?" Sam interrupted. Bailey gave her the corresponding list. She had a look at it. "Nothing really unusual." she said. "Besides, we do not even know if this man is the one who shot at you. And even if he is, we do not know if he's Jack or if he is related to the three murders !
- Do I have a right to know what I did all that for ?" Granger asked.
" Get a seat, Steve." Bailey answered. "Sam, will you spill the light on our friend here ? George, try to put all this stuff on you computer."
Granger sat down and Sam started telling him him about the case.
Bailey was vaguely listening. All of a sudden, he sat up straight.
" George, what was the exact name of our man ? I mean the exact way it was spelled on the lease.
- Hold on a second ... Karl J. De Calfatos.
- Clear up your screen. Now write the name." George obeyed quickly, though he didn't get where his boss was going. "Good. Now can you move the letters ?
- Sure. Which way ?
- The 'J' first. Right. Now 'A' ... 'C' ..."
Sam and George suddenly understood the point. George began to move the letters faster, no more needing Bailey's instructions. After a few seconds, the words were assembled and flashing on the screen : JACK OF ALL TRADES
" Now, we know !" Bailey simply said.
" My God !" Sam added. "How did you get that ?
- I don't know. George, the shopping lists on the screen please. Steve, is it exhaustive ?
- Not quite. There are a few people we couldn't contact tonight. We'll go for them in the morning.
- George, separate the food from the rest." Sam said.
Two lists were beginning to show up on the wall. The team focused on the 'uneatable' one : paper handkerchiefs, black paint, wood, glue, some rope, a saw, a white gown.
" Doesn't help a lot." Bailey said.
" At least it does not speak to me." George added.
" I don't get it." Sam suddenly said. "I've been working on Jack's profile for years and I don't get it. The gunshot doesn't look like him.
- He never used a gun before." Bailey said. "Not personal enough.
- He takes this case very personal, Bail. As you said, he consideres it as his own private war.
- Then why go for a gun now.
- I'm not sure. Maybe he thinks it is a proper weapon for a war.
- But he used a knife with the first three victims.
- I know.
- Actually, " Granger stepped in, " our experts determined he did not fire with a gun, but with a rifle."
Bailey smiled. "How could he miss us with a rifle from only a hundred feet ? Lack of training !"
" You think he missed you ?" George asked, pointing at Bailey's bandaged arm. "I wouldn't have done better."
" He hasn't been trained. I mean not in the army." Sam started. "Not like you, Bailey. I remember having read you were considered as one of their best sniper there in Viet Nam, weren't you ?
- I knew how to use a rifle.
- Where did I put the thing." Sam was digging in the pile of notes she had been taking for two days. "Ah ! Here it is ! 1968, you were part of a special unit called the 'shadow company'. What did it consist in ?
- We were sent behinds the lines, to organize ambushes, stuff like that.
- Franc-tireur ?
- Not really. We were in teams of two to four. Each had a precise role. I was the sniper.
- Bailey, what Jack did today, would you say this was a sniper job ?
- In a way, yes. Except it was an easy shot and he missed."
Bailey closed his eyes.
" Are you Ok ?" Sam asked, worried.
" Just a little dizzy. It's gonna pass." He took one of the pills Grace had left for him. It was four in the morning.
" You need a break." George said without looking at him. "It's been 48 hours you haven't really slept.
- I'll have a break later. Sam, do you think Jack could try to be a sniper because I was one before ?
- Could be.
- To seduce you ?
- No. I don't think so. Jack believes he is superior to any man on this earth. He does not have to prove anything. I'd rather say he's playing with you."
Granger looked at them puzzled. Sam had ommitted telling him the real reason why Jack was after Bailey.
" What about your team-mates in the shadow company ?" Sam resumed.
" There were a lot of them.
- George, can you find something in one of the restricted lists we did ?
- Let me see."
It took George only a few seconds to match the elements.
" I've got two names : Harold Patrick and James O'Hara.
- I remember Jimmy." Bailey said. "He was the youngest member of the team. The more fragile too. He hated what we were doing there.
- 'He couldn't deal with it' would be more appropriate !" George added. " He's in a mental institution right now. He's been there for ten years.
- The gown !" Sam exclaimed. "The white gown Jack bought last week !
- You think he wants to enter this hospital ?" George asked.
" I think we've got our next victim" Bailey answered.
" Give me the address. I'll send my guys there immediately." Granger said to George.
" Hold it." Bailey said. "Let's not frighten our friend. For the first time in years, we may have an advantage on the bastard. We know where he's gonna strike next. He does not have to know we know.
- You want to let him kill ?" Granger asked.
" Of course not." Sam answered. "But we can wait for him to come."
Bailey stood up and started walking around the room.
" First thing we have to do is ensure Jim O'Hara is out of danger." he started. " Somebody has to take his place in the hospital. Steve, can you find someone ?
- Sure.
- George will give you a picture of O'Hara. Then we must establish a strict surveillance of the place. Every issue must be controled. We must send inside agents Jack doesn't know. George, I want a dozen of them, both patients and doctors, so that we can cover all areas.
- You'll have them.
- Steve, we're gonna need some support. Only unmarked cars." Granger nodded and pulled out his cell phone. "George, can you give me a sight of the neighborhood ?"
After 15 seconds, the large building appeared on George's computer screen. They spent the rest of the night working on the plans and setting up the staking out. The excitement had replaced the tiredness. When they thought they were ready, Bailey called Grace and John and they left for St Matthew Mental Institution. Only George would stay at the VCTF to coordinate the activities.
To be continued ... R&R, Thanks.
Absolut.
