Tears of Blood, Ch. 5

“Sergeant Vaughn, line one is for you, it’s Detective Dawson.”

“Ben. It’s 8:00 in the morning. If I know you, then you are just getting in from the bar, certainly not waking up.”

“Actually, Aub, we’ve been up for a while. I’m calling from the car just around the block and wanted to see if you were in before we stopped. Looks like Charleston had quite a little storm last night. I hope this remaining drizzle slacks off soon. And we weren’t out that late. We got what we needed fairly early in the evening.”

“Spare me the details about him and what the three of yall did.”

“That’s not what I meant, smart ass. I mean we got some information we needed.” Ben joked, “

“I’m pulling up now. Is the lamppost out front broken?”

“I guess. There was a large sheet over it when I came in this morning.”

Veranda looked up when she saw Ben walking in the front and turning off his digital phone, said hi to Ray, and buzzed them in.

“We got in early because we got the ID of the dead guy from The Battery.”

“Damn Ben, How did you do it?”

“It was an anonymous tip, Aub. We passed out photocopies of the guys picture and one guy pave us a paper with the deceased’s name on it.” Ben felt that he didn’t lie; they did pass out pictures, and the name was on the paper. Mostly, Ben had promised to keep Manuel’s name out of it. “The guy’s name is Justin Ross. He was a cadet at the Citadel.”

“Damn. We can get better information there than from an employer,” Aubrey sighed.

“This guy had was his own boss, bud: he was a hustler.”

“He probably had a pimp though.”

“MPs, male prostitutes, usually don’t, Aub.”

“Then I guess it’s worth saying his co-workers or clientele won’t be coming in to talk to us about him. The only thing we have on our side is if the DNA we got from the body matches anyone we have on file, but that is along shot. Did your anonymous tipster think this guy got most of his business from the bar, or did it come from one of the rich young guy gyms?”

“No, Aubrey, every john that used Ross’ services was a student or professor at the Citadel.”

“Well ain’t that the shit. Ben, you’re not from here. If word gets out that our Castle of the All American Male, and military school at that, do you know what will happen?”

Ben starred at his friend, waiting for the follow up answer.

“I’m fuckin’ asking, I don’t have clue! How are we gonna question thousands of guys and not let word get out that when are looking for which one them killed a guy that just fucked them? I mean no offense, but in your case you don’t mind anyone knowing, and it is not a hindrance to your job.”

All three looked toward the front of the offices when they heard the buzzer opening the grated door.

“Sergeant Vaughn,” Lieutenant Wilcox said, “excuse me, but you need to come out front.”

“Wilcox, it’s raining out there. If it’s about the lamppost, I saw the sheet on it earlier,”

“It is about the post, Sir, but there isn’t a sheet hanging on it, Sir, there is a body.”

Aubrey turned to Ben and Ray, “Glad you guys got here early,” then tuned and led the group out front.

As soon as the men hit the door they were amazed that so many people had gathered so quickly.

“Nobody kills by hanging anymore,” Wilcox said, “and who would be crazy enough to murder a guy right in front of a police station?”

“A serial killer. One that is trying to leave clues and tease the cops,” Ben said. “We better hang on to those other two bodies and look for similarities.”

“Go inside and see if Dr. McClanahan has been called to come over yet, Wilcox, and tell him I said to keep those bodies in the drawer.”

“Yes Sir, Sergeant.”

Aubrey, Ben, and Ray took turns staring at each other, none wanting to be the first to speak, for none knew what to say. Their dilemma soon ended when the lieutenant came back out: “He’s already on the way, Sergeant, so I gave his assistant your instructions.”

“Thanks, Wilcox.”

“I don’t like it Aub, not one bit.”

“Bet the dead guys hate it more,” Ray added, though his comment was met with a condescending look from Ben. “Sorry, Sir.”

“I meant I don’t like serial killers. They only leave clues that won’t reveal their true identity, only a fantasy. They know to wear gloves, not leave any hairs, all the things we use for evidence. They do however follow the same M.O., but this perp has killed a different way every time and left riddle-clues.”

‘There’s Bruce heading up the street. We might as well tell him to look at this one like it is tied in with the others, and we can look through the all the files when we get back from the morgue.”

“I believe we will have a full day then, bud.”

“ Go tell Veronda where we are going, Wilcox, and bring your camera.”

Walking through the now-familiar greenish gray cloud of the morgue made Ben and Ray glad they were not morticians. Three visits in three days was a record for them, and one they did not want to break.

Entering the examination room they saw the body of what appeared to me a man of about twenty, no more than twenty five, and very muscular: the epitome of ‘butch’.

“As far as what you said about not following the same patterns, one constant the killer does have is his taste in attractive men.

“Guys,” Bruce began, “we have a strange one here. He’s not a regular guy,” and rolled back the sheet that had only exposed him from the waist up. All eyes went to the crotch, and that is the only way to describe what the man possessed.

“Looks like a damn Ken doll,” Wilcox said. “What the hell happened?”

Dr. McClanahan switched to the tone of his medical professors. “He was turned into a eunuch: his testicles, scrotum, and entire penis was removed, the orifice sewed shut. Something was used to burn a hole into the area to cauterized the veins and vessels, keeping the man from bleeding to death and giving him a source of urination…and God knows what else.” The statement and appearance had all the men ‘holding their own’ as if to guard their jewels. “He definitely died from the hanging: the veins in his eyes have burst.”

“So we should be looking for somebody with medical training”

“Not necessarily, Aubrey.” Ray informed. “Believe it or not there are several men that want to be a eunuch. They are only interested in making their Master happy, to bring him pleasure. They don’t want to be bothered or distracted by being aroused. They feel that if receive an erection or ejaculate during any act, they are taking away pleasure that they should only be giving. These slaves usually have their testicles removed by their Master. The procedure can be performed with a variety of items anyone can purchase from a farm supply store.”

With that, Aubrey peered at Ray, then at Ray’s crotch, briefly.

“No, Aub, my boy’s got his original equipment,” Ben said with a smile.

“No shit,” is the way Wilcox summed it up…and Aubrey’s face mirrored the same opinion.

“Well, the only thing good about this for the deceased is there may be semen inside his…whatever you call his ‘hole’,” the sergeant suggested.

Wilcox had more trouble with taking this series of photographs than he had in quite some time. “Do you think whoever did this at least gave him something for pain?”

“Lieutenant Wilcox, a guy that would do something like this to another man hardly has the victim’s comfort in mind. And if you notice, his wrists and ankles were bound, with rope.” Dr. McClanahan reported. “I don’t see why the perp didn’t use handcuffs or those plastic cable ties: both are much more secure.”

“I see what you mean, Sergeant Vaughn,” Ray said. “Everything that was used on him or done to him is very simple: no use of modern-day items…in fact all three of the corpses we’ve seen have been slaughtered, not just killed, and all in ‘primitive’ ways. This psycho is enjoying the way he is killing, not just wanting their victims to die.”

When his partner said this, Ben noticed the look on Ray’s face that Lanier described as ‘the gears-are-turning’. That was just about the most Ray had commented on this case, after being so instrumental in the Raleigh case when they met. Before Ray, Ben didn’t even know a homosexual on a first name basis. He almost laughed aloud at this when a phrase pertaining to this entered his mind: All good things in time.

“Looks like we all have a full plate, now. Ray and I will head back to beach then hit the clubs tonight for more information. We’ll see you at your office in the morning, Aub. Call us if you need to.”

“Ben,” Ray said on their way home, “will you stop by that Barnes and Noble we pass on the way to the bed and breakfast? I want to check a couple things and get some reading.”

“Sure, baby, but don’t you think we are busy enough helping Aub with this case?”

“Ben,” Ray said on their way home, “will you stop by that Barnes and Noble we pass on the way to the bed and breakfast? I want to check a couple things and get some reading.”

“Sure, baby, but don’t you think we are busy enough helping Aub with this case?”

“I think we can help Sergeant Vaughn and the case if I can figure something out. They should have something that will help. There, on the right, and there’s a parking space in front.” Ray smiled like a child on Christmas, the same way that attracted Ben to him in the first place.

As soon as they entered the store Ray had gone straight to the Starbucks counter for their coffees, and brought Ben’s to him in the history section. “I got what I need Ben,” he smiled, with five books in the other hand. “Do you need anything?”

“Nope…let’s roll.” And fifteen minutes they later they back at the B&B where they had planned to spend a week of R&R, but they where doing the same old job in a new city.

“I’m done in the shower, Ray, it’s ready for you if you can peel away from those books.” Ben switched on some light jazz. “Good nap music. And hurry up, we need some sleep before we go out tonight.” He said, while throwing the robe off and crawling in the oversized four-poster bed. He was snoring before the first song was over.

Four hours later, when he woke up and saw Ray in the Lay-Z-Boy, he new this wasn’t a sign that his partner had showered, napped, and was up before him.

“I know, I have been here the whole time, but you know I get when I have a new book, I was too excited to sleep.”

“O.k., but if you get tired tonight, I’m switching you from Budweiser to No-Doz!”