Chapter 12

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The team listened intently as Victor told the team the details of the case.

"Christopher Miller was an all American boy. He got good grades, was popular and athletic. He lived in an idyllic suburb in Arlington where the local boys would ride their bikes to school and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to know each other. He disappeared one sunny Saturday afternoon during a little league game. He told his coach that he had to use the restroom. The coach told him to hurry since the inning was almost over and Chris promised that he would but he never came back." Victor studied Chris' photo as he spoke.

"VCU had matched his profile to a series of murders of young boys in the areas and picked up the case. When I looked at the pictures of the young boys who had been found murdered and the newest missing boy all I could see was Martin. It was scary to think that there was a sick bastard doing this to young innocent boys so close to home." Victor tossed the file onto the table and ran his fingers over the stubble on his chin. "The parents, Jake and Jeanne Miller, were completely distraught that their only son, their only child, was missing. I completely related to them and desperately wanted to find their son. Jake begged me to find his son and bring him home and to my eternal regret I promised I would. It was a rookie mistake but I desperately wanted to find him."

Victor lowered his eyes and continued, "Almost four days had passed when we caught a lead. A young boy told his mom that a security guard had tried to take him out of the restroom the day before Chris' disappearance. This led us to John Clarkson, a security guard at a mini mall. I just knew he was the one. The little boy was able to positively identify him which allowed us to get a search warrant. His home was filled with paraphernalia and luckily Clarkson kept trophies from his victim's: a t-shirt, a jacket, a yo-yo, a football and Chris' baseball cap." He looked over at Jack. "Knowing that he was caught, Clarkson's lawyer wanted to make a deal. Take the death penalty off the table and he would tell them were Chris' body could be found. We decided that the Miller's would want to have their son's body returned so we made the deal.

"Chris' bruised and battered young body was found in an abandoned warehouse two miles from the ballpark where he disappeared. Telling the Miller's was one of the hardest days of his life. Jake Miller completely lashed out at me – he accused me of lying and breaking my promise. It got ugly and he physically attacked me while Jeanne just collapsed on the floor and wept."

They all processed the information for a moment when Jack asked, "Do you think this Clarkson is behind all of this?"

"I don't see how he could. He would be over 65 years old by now. Even if Martin was drugged, I don't see how he could move him without help." Victor replied as he swiveled in his seat to look directly at Jack.

Meanwhile, Sam walked over to her computer to look up John Clarkson. As the system ran a search she looked back over at Jack and Victor.

"It's still worth pursuing." Jack argued as he picked up the file and began flipping through it.

Sam's computer beeped indicating that the search was complete and she announced, "Okay, John Clarkson was released from the Virginia Correctional Institute in May 2003." Sam scrolled down the computer. "And he died in December 2004."

"Well, there goes that." Danny replied crestfallen.

"I don't know about that." Jack commented as he held up another picture included in the file. It was of Christopher and he was standing on a beach with a towel wrapped around him.

Victor picked up the printout of Martin on the lake and held it up next to the one of Chris. They were eerily similar.

Viv chimed in and said, "But if Clarkson is dead who could it be?"

Jack looked at Victor and said, "I think we should talk to Jeanne and Jake Miller."