Full Tilt

62

New York City

“Yes, I messaged you anonymously when you were on the show,” Erich told Kate as they stood in line for a booth.

“Why so cryptic? You scared me.”

“I had to get your attention and I had to be careful.”

“What do I need to see, Erich?”

“Wait till we sit down.”

They had walked three blocks east to the Wyoming Diner, a classic eatery wrapped in battered chrome-and-blue trim. TVs were suspended at each end of the dining room, where every booth and stool was taken. The midmorning breakfast crowd was still thick with commuters from Penn Station. Ten minutes passed before a spot opened up. Erich ordered whole wheat toast and tomato juice, Kate got a bagel and water.

She welcomed the din of the busy diner. It made it hard to hear and insured a measure of privacy as Erich leaned to Kate.

“Are you familiar with shock sites?”

“That’s where freaks and people with fetishes post gross stuff online.”

“The content is obscene, vulgar and so graphic it’s often illegal.”

“There’re some notorious ones,” Kate said.

Two women at a booth nearby were looking at them and talking. They were too far away to hear through the noise but seemed interested in Kate.

“Some of these sites have their own subcultures,” Erich said. “And in some cases the sites are gateways to others that are far worse.”

“What’re you getting at?”

“I found something alarming on one of them.”

As Erich reached for his phone, a woman materialized at their table. She looked to be in her midfifties.

“Excuse me,” she said to Kate, who, as she turned to the woman, accidentally knocked her bag from her seat to the floor.

“I’ll get that for you,” Erich leaned over and reached under the table to retrieve Kate’s bag.

“Yes?” Kate said to the woman.

“My friend couldn’t help but notice-” the woman nodded to one of the TVs “-but weren’t you just on the Today show? You’re looking for your long-lost sister who’s caught up in the big serial killer case?”

“Yes.”

“We just want you to know that we’re praying for you and your sister.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind.”

“Would you mind-” the woman waved over her friend “-if we got our picture taken with you?”

“I don’t think it would be appropria-”

“Please, it’ll just be a sec, here.” She passed her phone to Erich. “I’m sure this nice young man would take it for us?”

The two women got up close to Kate and Erich took the picture. The women thanked them and left. When Kate and Erich were alone again, Erich brought out his phone.

“So what is it?” Kate asked. “What did you find?”

“There’s a site, hidden under layers of others, that purports to host videos of actual amputations, decapitations, cruelties of anything you can imagine.”

Kate said nothing.

“Lately there’s been a lot of hype about a series of postings called ‘Scenes from the Kill Jar.’ A kill jar is used in the collection of insects, like butterflies-”

“Butterflies?”

“Kate, it looks like Zurrn has been posting video recordings of some of his murders and tortures of women.”

Their food arrived. Kate glanced at Erich’s glass, nearly glowing red with tomato juice.

“Kate, you asked me to help you. I know these are some of the most graphic images you could ever view, but do you want to see them? I have about six minutes. It’s hard to tell, but I think he made your sister watch his work.”

Kate hesitated as her mind reeled. As a journalist she’d seen horrible things. And as a journalist it was her job to gather and see all the facts for her work. As Vanessa’s sister, Kate accepted that if she was to understand what she’d endured, looking at the video was something she must do.

I’m sure Zurrn never gave her the chance to look away.

Kate stared at Erich’s phone and the earphones he held out.

“Okay.”

Erich cued up the video, set the volume and passed his phone to Kate. The clarity, sharpness and sound were extremely high quality. Tears filled her eyes as she realized what she was seeing, hearing and feeling. By the time it ended she was drained and overwhelmed with violation and outrage.

“Pretty bad,” Erich said.

Kate swallowed and brushed at her tears before pushing her food aside.

“I can make you a copy to have for your research.”

Kate nodded.

“Kate, I know this is disturbing but it’s a good thing. It’s a key lead. I’ve arranged for copies and information to be sent to every police agency on the task force looking for Zurrn. You can bet the FBI is searching for the trail to Zurrn. And there are protocols I can run to try to track Zurrn down. It brings us a step closer to him.”

“It also brings my sister closer to death.”