CHAPTER FIVE
Alex feared that Jo Gage's death might send Bobby into a dark spiral and entangle him again with Declan Gage. But a relative from the disturbed woman's mother's family emerged to claim the body and deal with the arrangements. The relative made it clear that this side of the family held Declan Gage and anyone associated with him responsible for what had happened to Jo, and that those associates were not welcome to assist or appear at any services. For his part, Bobby was relieved, relieved that Jo was finally dead and free of her half life existence and that he didn't have to deal with anything relating to her death. Ross urged him to take some time, but Bobby gently refused.
"I'll do it if you order me, Captain," he told Ross. "But it's not like I'll get any real rest. My head would be here."
"All right, Detective," Ross said. "But take it as easy as you can."
Bobby was shaken and weary. Part of his state resulted from Jo Gage's death, but a greater factor was the inability of the NYPD, the New York State Police, and the FBI to track down Mark Caldwell. After prodding, the FBI managed to find an agent who'd been involved with the Sebastian case who agreed to meet with Alex and Bobby. George Douglass, with his short haircut, highly polished black shoes, and business suit, fit the stereotype of an agent so well that Alex fought her instant dislike of him. Her attitude changed when Douglass handed her and Bobby several files and began to talk frankly with them.
"I was a rookie at the time," Douglass said. "The Bureau first caught the case when one of Sebastian's victims had clearly been taken across state lines…And I was lucky…or unlucky…enough to be assigned to the nearest field office. Once it became clear this victim was one of Sebastian's, I was bumped to the outer ring of investigators. I wasn't part of a lot of the day to day operations of the investigation. Which was good for me."
Bobby nodded. "It didn't go down as one of the Bureau's successes…"
"That's an understatement," Douglass said. "I understand Declan Gage was your mentor…"
Alex's heart began to pound.
"Yes," Bobby said. "But I hadn't been in contact with him for a couple of years when he began working on the Sebastian case."
"I bet I can bet why," Douglass said. "I bet you wanted to live your own life."
"There were other…issues…incidents," Bobby said calmly. "But, yes, that's what it came down to."
"Gage arrived to consult on the case," Douglass said. "Surrounded by…his acolytes…"
"Sycophants…Worshippers," Bobby muttered.
"Yes," Douglass said for a moment, and he and Bobby shared an understanding look.
"He was clearly a brilliant man," Douglass continued. "He saw what killings were connected…He developed a profile of Sebastian…He provoked Sebastian into contacting the Bureau, and giving us a name. But Gage turned the case into a personal contest…"
"And anyone dealing with a serial killer will tell you that engaging in a personal contest is a bad idea," Bobby said.
A shiver ran up Alex's spine as she remembered that Bobby knew this all too well.
"You really think you've got a Sebastian copy cat?" Douglass asked.
"It looks like it," Bobby said. "Unless Sebastian's returned and changed his m.o. slightly."
Douglass frowned. "He'd be old now."
"Almost as old as Gage," Alex thought out loud.
"Possibly," Douglass said.
"There several things that marked this killing as like Sebastian's," Bobby said. He handed the files on Marian Brewster's killing to Douglass, who winced at the photos of the young woman's body.
"Yea," Douglass sighed. "Brings back memories." He looked at Bobby and Alex. "The perfume…"
"The body was drenched in it," Alex said. "As were the photos sent to us."
"It was a little too much," Bobby said. "Sebastian never poured a bottle of the perfume on the body. And there were signs by the body of hesitation…Signs that the killer stopped and studied something…As if he were reading instructions…"
"And I understand this guy…or at least the guy who's your chief suspect…was trying to contact you about the Sebastian case," Douglass said. He pointed at the printing on one of the photos.
Bobby nodded.
"It's not your fault," Douglass said quietly.
"We keep trying to tell him that," Alex said.
"It's really not your fault." Douglass stood and began to pace in the small interview room. "This guy's name Mark Caldwell?"
"Yea," Alex said.
Douglass sighed and sat. "Last year…Soon after Gage was arrested…When everything was in the press…"
"Not everything, thank God," Alex thought and glanced at Bobby.
"This guy contacted me. Claimed he was a writer working on a book…" Douglass continued.
"He told us he was a psychology student," Alex said.
"I managed to escape the wreckage of the Sebastian case," Douglass said. "And I wasn't interested in revisiting it. Careers were ruined with that. Gage's reputation took a horrible hit. And seven victim and their families never got justice." Douglass was angry but controlled. "I got as far away from the case as I could. I'm afraid I pegged this guy for a publicity hound and brushed him off several times."
"Did you keep any of your communications with him?" Alex asked.
"No…I know…I know," Douglass said in response to Alex's disappointed look. "I thought it was nothing. I remember that one of his letters was postmarked Ithaca."
Bobby was eerily quiet during Douglass' revelations. "Has anyone else involved with the investigation been contacted?" he finally asked.
"I don't know," Douglass replied. "I haven't been in contact with any of the others. Some of them retired…Others were sent to the ends of the earth as far as the Bureau was concerned. I was lucky. I managed to get back in the Bureau's good graces in a few years."
"So, the FBI just tried to forget everything? Including the victims and their families?" Alex asked angrily.
Douglass sighted. "Based on what Gage put together, we went after the wrong guy…Which we found out after he committed suicide…Then Sebastian killed another victim and let us know about it…And then…Nothing…Absolutely nothing…There was a skeleton crew that checked to see if any more cases appeared that matched Sebastian's M.O. But there was nothing until Jo Gage appeared. And then this Caldwell." Douglass pointed to several boxes of files. "This is everything that the Bureau has on the case. The only man who might have more information is Declan Gage. And I understand that he's in no condition to talk about the case."
"He isn't," Bobby said quietly.
"You know, Gage kept mentioning your name during the investigation," Douglass said.
Bobby looked at him with surprise. "I…Gage and I…Hadn't spoken to each other for some time…He…He tried to get me to work on the case…But I…I was here…I had my work with the NYPD…and personal commitments here."
"Well, he missed you," Douglass said. "He was always complaining that no one measured up to Robert Goren. You weren't popular with a lot of his followers."
"I…I'm used to not being popular," Bobby said wryly. "But the case…Was there ever any suggestion Sebastian had any help? Do you know of any other similar cases?"
"Not that I know of," Douglass said. "But I'll do what I can to get you contact information for the other agents on the case."
"We also need anything else you can tell us about Mark Caldwell," Alex said. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that she and Bobby were cleaning up a mess the FBI had made.
"I'm sorry," Douglass said as he stood. "There are all of these serial killer groupies…I've had to deal with questions about the Sebastian case from all sorts of idiots and I wasn't really at the center of the investigation."
After Douglass left, Alex didn't try to hide her disdain for the man and the agency he worked for. "He could've prevented Marian Brewster's death," she muttered angrily.
"Eames," Bobby said softly. "We didn't know either. I brushed the guy off too." He stared at the photos on his desk. "Why me?"
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"Douglass…He was much closer to the case…I wasn't near it…I was here, working for the Department. Why me?"
Alex leaned forward. "We should talk to the other investigators…"
"I think we've probably talked to the one person who will give us any information," Bobby said.
His words proved sadly true. The FBI provided all that it could about the Sebastian killings—or at least the Bureau said it did—and even offered the services of one of it best profilers to assist the investigation into Marian Brewster's murder. The agent treated Bobby with respect, but in the end his findings only confirmed Bobby's work. The agents involved with the case were, as Douglass said, either retired or dead or far away from police work. Alex and Bobby attempted to track down those still alive, but several refused to speak to them, and those that did suffered from faulty memories. One met with them apparently just to curse Declan Gage; another freely admitted he only wanted to meet the great Robert Goren Gage held up as the example of a great detective.
"I'm sorry about that, Eames," Bobby said after that unhappy encounter.
Alex looked across her desk at Bobby with astonishment. "You weren't a rude jerk," she said. "You have nothing to apologize for."
The search for Mark Caldwell continued. Bobby attempted to contact him via every address and means they had. The IT Department traced his emails to several computers on the Cornell campus, but Bobby noted that "he's probably miles away from Ithaca now." They discovered a great deal about Mark Gregory Caldwell. He was the oldest son of a mother who'd divorced his father soon after Mark's birth. His mother frequently left young Mark in the not so gentle care of his maternal grandmother, who resented his presence since she felt she'd finished her child rearing duties. Mark spent much of his time under the care of a neighbor of his grandmother whose teenaged son was later convicted of molesting several children. The police and several social workers believed that Mark might also have been a victim, but by the time the case came to trial, Mark was in Texas with his mother and new stepfather. The stepfather was determined to make a man out of the quiet and shy boy, and took him hunting and fishing, where Mark learned to use a knife for butchering and cleaning. His stepfather and mother's interest in him effectively ended when a half sister and half brother joined the family. In high school Mark was an indifferent student but avid reader, especially of chronicles of true crime. His biology teacher noted his near obsession with dissection and anatomy. He was no longer the awkward little boy, but an isolated troublemaker. Mark scored high on IQ tests and his SATs, but his school work reflected none of this. He barely graduated high school, but his high test scores allowed him to get into college. He quickly departed two schools after complaining about what idiots the teachers and students were. He briefly joined the Army, but received a general discharge after too many fights with his superiors and too many weeks in the stockade. One of the many Army psychiatrists Mark saw noted his many conflicts with female officers and soldiers. After the Army, Caldwell moved from job to job, from girlfriend to girlfriend. His jobs and relationships started well. His good looks, his charm, and his intelligence attracted many people; the discovery of his arrogance and cruelty repelled them. At least one of his former girlfriends asked for a restraining order against him. He sporadically attended college classes, but never stayed long with any program.
"He fits your profile…and that of a serial killer…very well," Ross said as Bobby and Alex reported on the case.
"Yea," Bobby said. "Except…as far as we can tell…Caldwell has just one killing to his credit…He threatens…But never actually harms anyone…Even the woman who got the restraining order said he didn't touch her, but made verbal threats."
Alex snorted. "This guy's a coward."
"I've never thought it took any courage to be a killer," Ross said.
"Yea," Bobby sighed. "But something set him off…Sparked him…I think it might've happened when he took a psych class that involved work with prisoners…It's one of the few classes he did well in and finished."
"This class didn't involve dangerous cons, did it?" Ross asked with some disbelief.
"Older prisoners," Bobby said. "But some were charged with violent crimes. Hearing some of their stories…Or having one of them take an interest in him…And if one was Sebastian…"
"That's a big jump, Detective," Ross said.
"But it's something," Alex argued.
"I'd feel better if we got a lead to where Caldwell is rather than why," Ross said.
Bobby nodded. "But why might lead us to where."
"A good point," Ross acknowledged. "Keep me informed."
Alex and Bobby returned to their desks just as Bobby's phone rang. "Hello…Yes…This is Detective Goren…Yes, Sir." Alex watched excitement appear in Bobby's eyes. "You did? Yes, Sir…I'd very much like to speak with you…" Bobby flipped open his binder and began scrawling notes. "Yes, Sir…Is there a number? Thank you…I'll call you back to confirm this…Thank you…"
"What's going on?" Alex asked hopefully as Bobby hung up his phone. "You got a lead?"
"Maybe," Bobby said. "That was a psychiatrist who said he talked to Caldwell when he was a kid…He saw a report that the police were looking for him…He thinks he might be able to help us…I've set up a tentative meeting this evening…"
Alex's face fell. "I…I was going to have dinner with my nephew this evening…"
"That's ok," Bobby quickly assured her. "You more than deserve a night off…" He smiled. "Truth is, you probably deserve a couple of weeks."
"Both of us," Alex said. "Who is this guy?"
"Linley…Thomas Linley," Bobby said. He began typing on his computer, and he frowned. "That's odd…I can't find him listed on any of the psychiatric associations…Of course he said he was retired, so maybe…But he also said he knew Dec…And I've never heard of him…"
"Well, playing devil's advocate here," Alex said. "Good and smart as you are, you don't know everything and everyone…"
Bobby smiled. "No…No I don't…Not by a long shot…This Dr. Linley might be the rare forensic psychiatrist who has a small ego and doesn't want publicity…But the world of serial killer specialists is fairly small…And if this guy knows or knew Dec…I just think…" Bobby disappeared inside his head. "Uh…I'll be back in…"
Alex watched him walk away. "I don't like this," she thought. "I do not like this."
END CHAPTER 5