Chapter 7:
Joe and Vanessa had arrived at the last stop...the tattoo parlour in the mall. Vanessa was browsing through the collection of works. Joe was looking over her shoulder. The tattoo artist had greeted them when they entered but he was with a client. She didn't know what else to do. All the places they went were clean and inspite of being tattooed heavily. They were all very helpful. They said that the tattoo wasn't an original design but a basic one but what made it unique was the colour of the pigmentation. Joe asked what colour it could be and the one that was the most friendly said. "I don't know but if I had to guess...I'd say it was ashes."
"What can I help you with?" They both jumped out of their skin.
"Hi!" Joe said brightly. The owner of this store was a girl...she had purple hair and had on black lipstick.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. Joe was a flirt and always was.
"We were looking for a particular tattoo artist and wondered if you could help us."
The girl shrugged. "Sure blondie..."
Joe handed the girl the picture of the tattoo. She studied it for several minutes and paled. "Where did you get this?"
Joe didn't expect this kind of a reaction. "From my dad who is a PI. Can you tell us anything helpful?"
The girl pursed her lips together. "Yeah...I can tell you something helpful...he uses ashes from cigarettes to make his ink and he is sick."
Joe frowned. "I would have thought it would be an ink that was non toxic."
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Look this guy isn't a licensed artist. He does the tattoo for dominance and aggression." She saw there baffled looks. "I'm getting my PHD in criminal psychology. I also have a vested interest in seeing this bastard gets caught."
Joe swallowed. "Why is that?"
The girl looked at him. "My sister was raped by him two years ago in Seattle. This guy rapes girls at random over about a two month period and then relocates."
"How did you know he was here?" Vanessa asked.
"I searched the web. He always does this in the summer time. It goes back about 5 years."
Joe's eyes popped out of his head. "Where were the other cities?"
"In order? Bay City CA, Reno Nevada, Seattle WA, San Antinio Tx, and now Bayport NY.
"Look...I get off at 5:00...I can give you copies of everything I have on the guy. Please I want to help."
Vanessa looked at Joe warily. He nodded. "What is your name?"
"Christine DuPont. My sister was Charlotte."
Joe shook her hand. "Thanks Christine...I appreciate it." He handed her a card. "This is my father's card...call him if you think of anything else. How about we meet at Mr. Pizza at 6:30?"
She nodded and tucked the card in her bra. "Done and thanks."
They left the store and Joe's cell phone rang. He answered it. "Joe Hardy here."
"It's Nancy...Joe. Frank and I have a lead. We don't think the rapist is a licensed tattoo artist. He uses a handmade tattoo gun."
"That sounds like it correlates what Van and I just found out. Where are you?"
"The hospital Callie told us about the rapist getting her toothbrush...walkman...a pen...and something else."
Joe paled. Poor Callie. "Nancy when we were canvassing the tattoo parlours we ran into someone whose sister was raped by apparently the same man..."
Nancy gripped the phone tightly. "Wow that's great what did she say?"
Joe and Vanessa had gotten to the van at that point. He closed the door. "According to Christine...this guy relocates every summer. He has raped victims in Bay City CA, Reno Nevada, Seattle WA, San Antonio Tx, and now Bayport."
"Oh my god! Well that means we can get police records more evidence. We'll catch this guy."
Frank was sitting by Callie's bed holding her hand. She hadn't spoken a single word since.
"Baby do you need anything?"
Callie wiped a tear from her eye. "A time machine...so I can find a way out of this mess."
"Callie...this isn't your fault."
"I know Frank...I'm just...angry...confused...and...scared." He squeezed her hand. He let her continue with her thoughts. "I'm angry because I thought everything was finally falling into place for me...confused...because I want to be held by you one minute and left alone the next...I'm scared he'll come back and kill me. I didn't listen to him and tried to look at him...so that I could ID him. I hate what he has done to us Frank. All I wanted was to go to college, graduate, get married, and start a family. What's going to happen now?"
Frank hoping that he wouldn't upset her pulled her into his arms. "We can still have all that, baby...in spite of everything that has happened. What you need is time...and I'll be here with you every step."
Callie cried into his shoulder. "Why?"
"Because I love you and that will never change."
Frank didn't know how much time had passed. He held her as long as she would let him. Her crying eventually slowed to an occasional sob and tremble. She fell asleep exhausted. He didn't even hear Callie's parents enter the room. He didn't even know that they had heard most of the conversation that they had...as did his mother. He looked up and smiled at them. Callie's mother came over to the bed and smoothed her daughter's hair. A touch only a mother could do. He stood up to give Mr. Shaw access to Callie's bedside. He took Frank's arm. "I didn't realize how much you loved her until now...Until now I didn't know how she was going to get through this. But I know she will because she has you."
Frank swallowed the lump in his throat and struggled to keep his emotions under control. "She'll always have me Mr. Shaw...always." He shook his hand...gave his mother hug. "I'll call you later."
She nodded and watched him leave.
Nancy was outside with Emma and Hannah. They were talking quietly. Nancy jumped when she saw Frank. "Are you alright?"
The tension in his face gave him away. He said tersely. "We have to talk to Joe and see if he and Van found anything."
Nancy smiled at him and gave him a friendly hug. "They did and you won't believe it."
"Right now...I could believe anything."
"Let's go eat...you look hungry...then after that I don't want any excuses...you are going to go home to bed."
Frank was too tired to argue.
Ned Nickerson was working on a Legal Ethic's paper when he heard the door bell. He grumbled a bit but stood up to see who was calling. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 8:00 no way that it was Nancy...she was probably neck deep in the serial rapist case. It had to be one of his college buddies. He opened the door and his mouth dropped open. He didn't say anything to her...but pulled her into the apartment and kissed her.
She returned his affection ten fold. They finally broke apart when air became mandatory.
"Hello Nan...how is the case?"
"We got an amazing lead today...but both Joe and Frank have been running themselves ragged. So I told them in no uncertain terms to go get some sleep. I don't have to be back at the hotel until midnight."
Ned loved it when she talked like that. He kissed her and trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder. "What did you have in mind Ms. Drew?"
She didn't answer him but guided him towards the sofa. "I think you already know that...now shut up and kiss me."
Ned Nickerson didn't need any more encouragement.