Kenhardt - Secrets 25

Joe found his house and knocked on the front door, hoping that A) it wasn’t too late, and B) he was home. Gus Francis was thirty - four when the murders happened, making him eighty - five today. Joe could only hope that he remembered enough from back then and was willing to speak about it. A young woman answered the door. A granddaughter, perhaps. ‘Hi,’ Joe said. ‘Would this be the residence of Gus Francis?’ ‘This is,’ the woman smiled. ‘How can I help you?’ ‘I’m Detective O’Reily. I was looking at an old case and was wondering if I could go over some things with Gus, since he used to be the constable.’ ‘I can certainly ask him. Gus is always up for visitors. I’m Sarah, His private nurse.’ ‘Sure, that would be great.’ Joe stepped inside and closed the door. Sarah disappeared down the hall. He looked around the foyer, surveying the house. Picture frames lined the walls, cabinets with antiques. There was a faint smell of cinnamon in the air. Sarah reappeared a moment later. ‘He said he’d love to talk with you. Come this way,’ she motioned for him to follow her. They reached the living room and Joe could finally lay his eyes on Gus Francis. He was older, that was for sure. White hair, brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. He still managed to look good for his age. Sarah disappeared into the kitchen and let them be. Joe took a seat on the couch, keeping his eyes on Gus. ‘What did you say your name was?’ Gus asked. ‘Joe. Joe O’Reily. I’m from Riverton, here investigating a triple death.’ ‘Those girls over at the school.’ Gus said slowly, methodically. ‘Tragic, really.’ Joe nodded. “The reason I’m here -’ ‘The Sad Killer,’ Gus finished for him. ‘Yes. I was hoping you could be of some assistance.’ ‘I was the constable in charge of the case,’ Gus said. ‘But I’m sure you already know that,’ he gave a wink. ‘What is it you want to know?’ ‘I guess just the preliminary information. What can you tell me?’ Gus took in a breath, scanning his memory. ‘It was a long time ago.’ ‘You remember much?’ Gus stared at him. ‘Of course I do. That case was one for the History Books.’ Joe nodded and waited for Gus to continue. ‘Well, as you probably know by now,’ Gus started. ‘The killer had a particular taste. Men between the ages of thirty to fifty. The method of killing ranged from asphyxiation by preventing the victim from breathing to strangulation with ligature. Two were stabbed to death.’ ‘Tell me about the first victim.’ Joe said. ‘How he died.’ ‘Let me think,’ Gus said. ‘It’s been a long time, Son. I don’t have any files or paperwork with me. Remind me …?’ ‘Mark Irving. Thirty - two years old…’ ‘Ah, yes. Mark Irving. First victim. Multiple stab wounds to the chest.’ Joe nodded. ‘I spoke with the Chief Superintendent, John Richard. He said it was believed to be the unsub’s first kill.’ ‘Yes, that is what we concluded. It was very messy. Unmethodical - hesitant, almost. As if they didn’t quite know what they were doing. An experienced killer wouldn’t have made such a mess. I’ve seen a lot of murders, kid. And this one … well, it was overkill. There was anger and aggression behind it. But this wasn’t sexual sadism. The unsub must have had other motives.’ ‘Perhaps he was gay,’ Joe said. ‘John said it’s possible that he was rejected, had problems with a father figure in his life. So he takes out his anger on these men.’ Gus shook his head. ‘No, this wasn’t sexual. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that the killer was homosexual at all. I was certain that we were dealing with a sociopath of sorts. This guy has little to no social interaction. Terrible social skills. He works in a lower - class job, doesn’t have many friends, perhaps has a visible or inherent debility, like a limp, or a stutter. The first victim - Irving - was his first kill, his first taste of blood. It was overkill because he was angry, but also because he didn’t know what he was doing. IF you look at the rest of the victims, the typology changes drastically. It was almost as though this unsub was evolving. Each time he killed, he got better and better. Neater, faster, more precise. He had a plan and he executed it thoroughly. Only question that remained was, what did these men ever do to deserve to die?’ ‘Anything more on Victimology?’ Gus shook his head. “That’s the thing - there was no correlation between the victims. Only that they were men. And between the ages of thirty and fifty. Some were married, some weren’t. Some had children, some were young bachelors. They all had different careers, eye colour, hair colour.’ ‘They could have had their vices,’ Joe suggested. ‘Get someone into drugs and that’s the only thing they need to have in common for someone to target them.’ ‘They weren’t into drugs,’ Gus said, matter of fact. ‘You’re sure?’ ‘Yes, we went through every single detail of their lives, turned it upside - down. If they were being targeted for a specific reason, I would have found out.’ Joe thought about this for a moment. ‘What about any significance of the dates? Was there anything else that happened on the days of the murders? Any numbers, patterns, signs?” ‘Nothing substantial. It was all very arbitrary.’ ‘Okay, so let’s go back to the first victim - Irving.’ Joe said. ‘The unsub uses a knife. What does this tell us?’ ‘A knife is more personal than a gun. As is strangulation. This unsub preferred to get up close and personal with his victims, rather than shooting them from afar. The thing with shootings is that it’s very quick and easy, over and done with. An assassination, or a target being taken out. Usually there’s no other reasoning behind it other than someone wants that person dead. But the way these men were killed - they weren’t just targets, there was more to their deaths. That’s why I say this guy was a sadist. He enjoyed the act of killing. Enjoyed it very much.’ ‘Do you know what kind of knife was used?’ ‘Geez,’ Gus exhaled. ‘It was a pocket knife of some sorts. A trapper or a Jack. But that’s another thing - The weapon was never found.’ ‘You don’t Say.’ Gus nodded. ‘Whoever this guy was, his first kill was well thought out. The doors were all locked, no sign of forced entry. We assumed he must have gotten inside from an open window, perhaps, then closed it when he left.’ ‘So we have this unsub,’ Joe began. “He’s never killed before, but he’d like to. He plans it out meticulously. Picks a time when he knows Irving is home and will be alone. He’s not married, doesn’t have kids. Perfect time was to strike at night and go unseen. He comes in, confronts Irving…?’ ‘There was no sign of a struggle. No bruises or markings on the skin, no defensive wounds. The unsub might have even talked his way into the house. Or …” Gus paused. ‘He could have known him.’ Joe nodded. “It would be more likely that he used a ruse to get inside. They were talking at close proximity. The unsub lurches forwards and stabs him,’ Joe thrust his fist out to portray the motion. ‘Keeps stabbing him,’ Gus said. ‘Seven times over.’ ‘Then he gets off of him,’ ‘Clears the place.’ ‘Leaves the word SAD.’ Joe added. ‘And exits the home.’ Gus finished. “They both sat there in silence, individually going through the motions in their minds. Finally, Joe spoke again, breaking the silence. ‘And what did you make of the word SAD? His signature move.’ ‘It was interesting, That’s for sure. I took it as a sign of remorse. Another reason I suspected this may have been a sociopath who felt that he didn’t have a choice. He had to kill - it was his obligation. And leaving the word SAD was his way of telling us that he was sorry. That he felt some sort of remorse for them. After all, psychopaths can’t feel remorse or empathy. But sociopaths can. Even just the slightest.’ Joe nodded, understanding more an more about this killer as the conversation continued…..