Killing Ways

38

‘In 1988, at seventeen years old, Rawlins carried out his first rape/murder with his accomplice, his childhood friend, Donald Riggs,’ said Joe. ‘Riggs was weaker, less intelligent, pliable, and impressionable. Together, they went on to rape and murder nine women — that we know of — all along I-35 in Texas, up until the late 1990s. No one realized that they were dealing with more than one killer; it was called the Crosscut Killer investigation, singular. Rawlins and Riggs stopped raping and murdering only because Rawlins was jailed for a different crime — stabbing a guy in a parking lot.

‘In 2004, Donald Riggs, working alone, branched off from their traditional targets and crimes, and kidnapped an eight-year-old girl for ransom in New York City. I was on that case. I shot Donald Riggs dead, and from that moment on Duke Rawlins had me in his sights. When he got out of prison, he tracked me and my family down, followed us to Ireland.

‘He raped and murdered a woman the day he arrived, a complete stranger — a crime of opportunity. He might have done the same with some of your victims. He can switch from organized to impulsive just like that. He went on to find himself a new accomplice, a young woman this time — a heavy girl, vulnerable, insecure and, like Donald Riggs, inferior to him intellectually. He used her to lure me into a trap: he stabbed her, I came across her on the roadside, drove her to get help, but it was a ruse. Rawlins ambushed us before I got her to the hospital. He took her away and killed her, but he didn’t rape her. Nor did he rape the second woman who was there that night. He did, however, go on to violently assault her.’

The second woman being your wife.

‘And he is now raping only with a foreign object,’ said Ren. ‘Whether that is a physical or psychological issue...’

‘Rawlins may be working alone now,’ said Joe, ‘or he may have another accomplice.’

‘Other than Kurt Vine?’ said Glenn Buddy.

Joe nodded. ‘It’s possible. And that person could be either male or female. Obviously, using a female accomplice would make it a whole lot easier to lure a female target. That’s if Rawlins’ approach is to engage with his victims first, rather than just bundling them into the back of a vehicle.’

A brief silence descended.

‘Duke Rawlins is,’ said Joe, ‘without doubt, the most dangerous and disturbed man I have ever met.’ He paused. ‘Do not engage with him.’

Why are you looking at me? You sexist... I knew it.

‘You’re going to believe that you can handle Duke Rawlins,’ said Joe. ‘He’s just one man, right?’

Still looking at me.

‘But he’s more than that,’ said Joe. ‘If you’re unfortunate enough to be sucked in by him, he will manipulate you in ways you won’t predict, no matter how smart you are.’

Joe started to pace.

Finally, looking away.

He stopped dead, facing them all. ‘It is important to note that Duke Rawlins will follow through on his threats. Almost immediately. He will barely give you time to act. If he gives you a choice, it’s not really a choice: its purpose is to torture you in whatever way he wants to. Beneath the surface evil of Duke Rawlins, there’s a well that’s always ready to pump up a fresh supply. It goes straight to hell.’

Jesus Christ. ‘I can’t wait to get close to him.’

Joe Lucchesi looked at Ren.

I said that out loud.

Gary cut in, a look of scarcely buried fury on his face. ‘You don’t want to meet him. Trust me.’

Everyone turned to Gary now. ‘I worked on the original Crosscut Killer investigation.’

What the what now?

Ren looked between Joe and Gary. ‘Hold on,’ she said, without thinking. ‘Joe — so, you came to Denver not just for this, but because your son lives here. And that’s why your daughter traveled with you...’

Joe looked like she had betrayed a confidentiality. Gary looked a little surprised by the revelation.

‘Yes — we were coming to visit my son,’ said Joe.

Stiffly.

‘Then I got Gary’s call...’

‘Duke Rawlins targeted you and your family before,’ said Ren. ‘You don’t think he’d do that again? Also considering that now, in this one city, he’s got you, who shot his best friend, and Gary, who worked his original case? Both law enforcement officers under one roof?’ Boom!

‘You think all this is about us?’ said Joe. ‘About me and Gary?’

Ooh, scornful tone. Nice. ‘He followed you before,’ said Ren. Hello?

‘Then why didn’t he just come to New York after me again?’ said Joe.

‘Because you were probably hyper-vigilant there,’ said Ren. ‘When was the last time you heard from Duke Rawlins?’

‘Seven years ago,’ said Joe.

‘Do you think there might be anything significant in that passing of years?’ said Ren.

‘This is not about my family,’ said Joe.

Beyond dismissive.

‘And he’s never come after mine,’ said Gary.

‘I wouldn’t have brought my daughter here if I thought we were targets,’ said Joe. ‘There has to be another reason Duke Rawlins is in Denver.’

Ren turned to Gary with a pleading look in her eye. Is this guy for real? Gary returned her look with a warning glare.

After the briefing, Gary called Ren to his office.

Ren sat down.

This already does not look good.

‘Ren, I’m going to have to take you off as case agent on this.’

I may not have heard that correctly.

Gary gave her his steadying look. ‘I don’t believe it’s safe, under these new circumstances, for any woman to be on this case — and specifically not for you. I’m concerned you’re going to take risks.’

‘Can I just point out that Rawlins has never touched a female law enforcement officer...’ said Ren.

‘A female law enforcement officer has never been on the case,’ said Gary. ‘Ren, you’re an attrac—’

‘I’m not his type,’ said Ren. ‘And you know it. He likes scrawny blondes. And anyway, I have moves.’ She raised her hands, straight, karate-style.

Gary looked at her patiently. ‘Law enforcement officers, by their nature, are people he clearly has a problem with. So, male or female, that makes you his type.’

‘Thereby negating your point: anyone who leads this is under threat.’

‘I’m trying to protect you,’ said Gary. ‘You look... excited by this.’

I fucking AM! ‘It’s not excitement — it’s focus. I believe...’ that I will succeed where those who have gone before me have failed.

Gary leaned forward. ‘You believe...’ He paused. ‘Ren. Don’t believe you are invincible. Please.’

Not this again. ‘I’m focused. That’s it. That’s a positive. Don’t take me off this.’

Gary sat back. ‘If you take one risk, go off alone, try and lure this guy somewhere...’

Foiled again! ‘I won’t take risks.’

Gary studied her face. Something in his expression changed. ‘Don’t die on me, Ren.’

‘Not a chance.’ I’m invincible.

Gary leaned in, his face set. ‘Ren, let me tell you about Duke Rawlins and law enforcement. When I was in Stinger’s Creek working on the Crosscut Killer investigation, I was with a rookie, a nice kid, fresh out of the academy. We went to Bill Rawlins’ house — Duke Rawlins’ uncle. He had died in jail not long into a prison term for killing a woman called Rachel Wade. At this point, I had no clue that Duke Rawlins was the killer. He wasn’t on our radar — on anyone’s radar. I didn’t know he existed. I was going to Bill Rawlins’ house because I was thinking that Rachel Wade may have been connected to the other missing women — I just didn’t know how. Bill Rawlins had kept Harris hawks — and it turned out that Duke had been back, intermittently, on Bill’s land, raising the hawks, breeding them with the help of some low-life junkies who got to sleep in the house in return.’

You look as unsettled as I’ve ever seen you.

‘So I’m walking through the woods,’ said Gary. ‘I’m alone. It’s early morning, not long after sunrise. I stood on a steel-jawed trap.’ He raised his pant leg and showed Ren a small white scar about four inches above his ankle.

‘Holy fuck.’

‘So that snaps shut, but I don’t make a sound. But when the trap closes, it cuts the rope attached to a net above that’s filled with freshly killed animals, small ones: rabbits and rats and weasels.’

‘What the fuck?’

‘Down it comes, I’m laying there in the stink of all this crap around me, rats and weasels and shit sliced open. And then I hear flapping wings. Someone had released a dozen hawks and down they came. I just lay back and closed my eyes,’ said Gary. ‘I could hear laughter, this almost hysterical laughter coming from somewhere in the trees. Eventually, I passed out from the pain — those birds weren’t just poking about the rodents. When I woke, up, my leg was freed. I managed to limp through the most obvious clearing back toward where I thought the car was. I went the wrong way. I’m guessing whoever released me turned me around so I was facing the opposite way. So I was going the wrong way for quite some time. I came across a hunter, regular guy, he smiled, he didn’t have two horns coming out the top of his head.’

‘Duke Rawlins...’

Gary nodded. ‘He showed me where to go, pointed me in the right direction. He was real nice, real personable. When I got back to the car, the agent I was with was lying there on the ground, naked from the waist down. It was bad. Rawlins had raped him, done so much damage, he wound up needing surgery. He was never the same after that. He lasted another five months, then he killed himself.’

‘Jesus Christ.’

‘I couldn’t help thinking of the last thing Rawlins said to me as I walked away...’

A cell phone started to ring. Gary stood up. ‘Sorry — I need to take this.’

Ren stood up. ‘What was the last thing he said to you?’

‘Boo-hoo.’

Ren left Gary’s office and went into the bullpen. Joe was sitting on her desk, talking to the group.

Rebel briefing. Not arrogant at all.

Joe looked up. ‘Ren, maybe you could listen to this too...’

Breathe deeply.

‘You saw Rawlins’ photo,’ said Joe. ‘He was once a handsome man, he possibly still is, but what you don’t see in the old mug shots is that he now has a scar that might make a woman think twice about helping him or accompanying him somewhere. This scar comes from the corner of his mouth and stretches upwards, like it’s the continuation of his smile.’

Oh. Oh. Oh. FUCK.

Ren could feel something plunge down through her chest.

Scar. Texas. Shaven-headed. Now I know why he was familiar. He’s the guy from the bipolar support group.

Oh. My. God. I have already engaged with Duke Rawlins.