Chapter 14
Back on land at the ferry terminal Nancy and Steve were having a sit down after both had talked to Brad. He had told Steve and Nancy he was sure John was on the ferry and the interviews were taking place now. After all the interviews he would call and report on about their findings.
Steve had called Washington DC and informed his boss what the situation was and filled him in on another senior murdered and that they had him trapped on a ferry headed for Canada. His boss cautioned Steve about the fact Canada was a foreign country and laws had to be followed when they arrived in Canada. Of course it was not forgotten, he informed Steve, that we could turn the ferry around and bring it back to Anacortes and quarantine the ferry on some pretense of disease or a bomb from a terrorist. However, if the killer somehow wasn’t on board and couldn’t be apprehended, they all hell would break loose from the over three hundred passengers taking a trip to Canada. It was decided at the highest levels, as the ferry steamed towards Victoria, to proceed and when it docked in Canada, officials from both countries would be on hand to discuss what to do.
Steve called Brad and informed him of what the decision was and that is to continue to investigate and interview eliminating all of the obvious and focus on the suspects that he felt were in need of investigating further, especially finger prints.
Brad relayed the orders and decided to try and obtain fingerprints off each of their prime suspects including Alex Windslow. Brad had narrowed it down to two guys: Alex Windslow and another guy by the name of Ted Swift. Both from Seattle and both single with Brad and Wendy both agreeing some further questions needed asking.
First they started with Ted, who readily agreed to be fingerprinted and seem to have an alibi for Aberdeen. They would check his alibi and after taking his prints by another agent, they moved back to interview Alex. They found Alex taking a rest and looked sleepy when a knock on the door took a few minutes to wake the guy up. Maybe his ears are hard of hearing, Brad thought.
Alex invited them in and Brad noticed no gloves were on. It seemed now that Alex was in a foul mood and answered with short quick sentences. He gladly said he would offer his finger prints up knowing that they were nowhere to be found in any database. A long time ago he had lifted the fingerprints off a glass in the studio of a nobody and pasted those fingerprints onto his fingers while waiting for the FBI to come back and ask for his prints; now he rolled his fingers onto the card from an agent. They would play hell, he thought trying to match those fingerprints to John. How stupid they were. This is the twenty first century and film companies were nothing but high tech. So easy, he thought to put on over on them. His confidence rose as they left his cabin.
“Shit,” said Brad and Wendy had never heard him swear before. They walked back to the snack area where the rest of his team and other agents sat and waited for him. He said to them, “Well, unless we catch a break on the prints, they had faxed the prints via satellite to the van trailer in Anacortes, “we are out of luck. I’ve had the ferry going at half speed to delay our arrival and we are close to docking time now. We will be met by some officials and regardless I want both of those last two guys we interviewed followed.”
Brad called Steve on his cell and reported what had come of the interview and the fingerprints. Steve told him that neither one of those guys he sent prints on matched the John Mitchell prints. Steve told him to put a tail on both and Brad reported he’d already had that in place. He also told Brad to work with the Canadian law enforcement people and at the highest levels they had been informed of the events leading to the serial killer on the ferry. The last thing Canadians wanted was a serial killer in their midst.
The ferry docked and the passengers debarked for lodging or staying with friends or relatives. If Brad was right, Alex was their man. They had two agents on him and the Canadian authorities authorized the tail. The agents followed Alex to a hotel in Victoria where he rented a room for two days. Steve sent the helicopter over to the island and picked up the team.
Their heads hung low as they sat in the van trailer and talked about how they almost had the guy. Steve told them all to take a rest and they would all meet tomorrow at Denny’s for breakfast. That night Brad called Sujin and reported the day’s events. She told him he did his best and no one could have done it better. It was a small lift knowing he did do his best, but maybe his best wasn’t good enough. He laid in bed thinking how close he came to catching the guy in the act of murder. Only a few minute differences were like horseshoes: close but no points. For hours he lay there going over the plan and what developed after the chase was on. The net was effective, but a shade late. What could have I done differently, he thought. He flashed back to seeing the bike early that morning. He couldn’t fault himself for not connecting the bike to the killer. There must have been twenty or more cars and vans in the parking lot and why would he think that particular bike was the method he was using for getting around and his escape, not to mention his disguise.
His wake up call came at six am. He packed his bag after a long hot shower looking at a much aged man in the mirror when he shaved. Dark circles and some new lines around the eyes made him look like he felt: old.
At eight all the team plus Steve, including Nancy sat at a large round table in the restaurant. Brad opened the table up for discussion and no one had much to say. Steve piped up saying, “You did your best. No one can fault the plan and it was only the results that foiled us. This guy is good and maybe too good for us. Our prep is enjoying his flower walk in the Garden as we speak. He knows we have a tail on him, but it appears he doesn’t care. We found his residence in Seattle and like you reported it is an old house south of the airport. We got a court order and agents report no finger prints anywhere in the house. They are still looking for any evidence as we speak, but it is doubtful anything of value will show up. Brad, we are called to Washington and a special jet is waiting for us at Whidbey Air base to fly us to DC. Let me add something here, we are not giving up and Brad send your team to Oregon and let’s regroup there after we return in a day or two.”
Brad told the group to keep the brain tank full and he would see them we he returned. And he added, “Think what you might do if you were him and Wendy do your best and consult with other profilers and share your information with them. Mike, go home and take care of the farm for a day or two; and agent Jones use your logical mind and Billy buy a case of cigarettes because you will need them after I imprison you at the Round House.” That last word from him cheered the group up and Nancy asked how she should fit into the scheme of things. Brad told her to check on the activities of all that had happened and find any flaws for next time, if there would be next time. After that write a report up and come visit us at the Round House.
At that Brad left to make a phone call home and told Sujin the schedule for the next few days. After that he and Steve left for the Naval Station on Whidbey Island by helicopter.
Washington at the end of May is on the verge of hot muggy dog days of summer. While Brad anticipated a gloomy day meeting the big boss, the weather was anything but gloomy. A bright sunny day with a slight breeze greeted the plane as it landed at Andrews Air Base. A helicopter was waiting for them and left for a fight to Virginia. The sun was setting to the west when they sat down at CIA headquarters at Langley. After a short walk, ID’s checked and signed in both Steve and Brad was led to a room unmarked. The agent who led them pressed a button and after a one eyed camera look at the visitors the door opened into a reception area about the size of a small dentist office where a large fat man sat on a secretary chair looking at the entrants. The gray haired portly man stood up and led them through another door into a large conference room without a window anywhere. Brad felt a slight air movement and a humming sound in his sensitive ears. He’d never been here before, but knew it was a room secure from any outside listening devices or bugs. A stark metal conference table the size of a board room table sat gleaming in its stainless steel finest. Uncomfortable looking chairs sat around the table could accommodate twelve sore butts by the time a meeting was over. It was designed for efficiency, not comfortable to sit around and shoot the breeze. The large man with overhanging eye brows filled with bushy hair from one side to another sat down at the head of the table and stared through milky gray eyes at both Steve and Brad.
He cleared his throat and said, “Tell me a story Mr. Pratt. I want to hear about the Anacortes plan from start to finish. Don’t leave out one detail. This conversation and your report will be recorded. Do you have any questions before we start?”
Brad told him no questions and he was ready to start when he was. The grossly overweight man reached under the table and Brad assumed he sent a signal somewhere. The man’s jowls shook like Jell-O as he gave Brad a nod to start.
Brad started in California and never left out a detail until leaving for Washington DC. He reported the house in San Diego having clues left for them; to Bishop where the postman and the eye witness gave them valuable clues to identify John; The pig farm in Yelm; to the flower book and subsequent plans set up for the Aberdeen and Anacortes sites; and the ferry ride across the straits to Canada. When he finished the man sat there and looked at him reaching under the table again to signal the end of the recording session.
Mr. Portly, as he later described the man to Sujin, looked hard at both Steve and Brad while saying, “You both will be contacted in a few days’ time. I want you both to go back to the Oregon coast and continue working on the case until you hear anything different from me” With his last words he stood up and the meeting was over.
The helicopter was waiting for them and flew them back to Andrews for the flight back home. Steve stayed to take care of a few things at home and would be out in a few days. A F-16 took Brad back at sixty thousand feet at better than Mach 2. He arrived at North Bend at around two in the morning. The pilot gave him the high sign and after fueling up left into the early morning with a red orange glow turning south and as Brad stood there watching the pilot keep the afterburners on until only the sounds of early morning sea gulls headed to the beach could be heard. Mike was waiting for him and he climbed into the van and they headed south to the Round House.
The weather was calm and clear for late May on the southern Oregon coast. The stars were out and the promise of a nice day made Brad feel the urge for a beach run. Turning off on his dirt road he perked up at the thought of seeing his wife and dogs made him a little homesick. The cable was down and both dogs were sitting on the edge of the yard when they pulled into the gravel parking area. When they saw their master both dogs went a little crazy with happiness seeing him. Brad dropped to his knees and hugged the both of them saying how much he missed them and the promise of a run on the beach when the sun rose. Sujin was standing just outside the door under a light making her look so small and fragile. He wanted to run and hug her too, but she would be totally embarrassed in front of Mike for that display of affection. Walking in Brad kissed the top of her head and held her hand as they walked into the living room.
Mike went downstairs where he bunked with Billy. Brad and Sujin with Sandy followed suit. There will be time enough tomorrow to discuss the past and the future.