Mystery: The Card Counter: (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Thriller Mystery) by James Kipling Read Free Book Online Page A

gander under the canvas. I flipped it back down in disgust. Same execution as Wally Bennett: another male victim, hands bound, mouth gagged, pants down to his ankles, and multiple stab wounds in the back, which was the cause of death. After processing what I had just seen, I finally asked without looking at Flo. “Victim’s name?”
    “Nicholas Clancy,” Flo quickly answered.
    “Was there a card?” I knew there was, but I asked anyway, hoping there was a chance that the first card was just a mistake and not something left by the killer.
    “Yup.” Flo walked over and handed me the card already enclosed in an evidence bag. “Stuffed into his sock just like Wally’s.”
    I took the card from her and looked at it. The eight of hearts. “How long has this boy been dead?”
    “Not too long,” Flo said as she took back the card. “Less than seven hours, I’d say. There’s a good chance this happened while we were checking out the first crime scene. We were less than half a click away.”
    “This is going to get ugly,” I said as I shuffled out of the tight room. I was getting claustrophobic and it was hard for me to think when that happened. I needed some air. Once I was back out in the hall, I lost control of my temper and kicked the door across from the second crime scene.
    “Fuck!”
    “I agree,” Flo said as she came out and put a sympathetic hand on my back. “We need to control ourselves. This isn’t going to end here.”
    I took a deep breath. “I know.”
    “What should we do?” Flo asked. She had some ideas, I knew, but was looking to me to either confirm them or state my own since I had a few more years on her. She was right to ask before doing anything since we needed to stay on the same page, especially with something like this.
    “We need to increase security and awareness on campus. This is going to happen again unless we take precautions. Set a curfew, but also double if not triple security and police presence here.” I dialed the main office at the station. “This is Walker. Have we heard from the FBI concerning the profiles of our victims? No? Okay, call them again and insist on speaking with anyone who might be able to help. We need to speak with them before another body turns up. I’m not kidding. I’m looking at number two as we speak. Call them up and don’t take no for a fucking answer!”
    As I hung up the phone, I could see that the Dean as well as the University President were coming my way, and I knew where the conversation would go. “Don’t start with me, gentlemen. If we don’t work together, this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”
    “We want to see the body,” the Dean replied softly. “We want to know what we’re dealing with.”
    Flo was the first to step in front of them both. “That is not happening, sir, all due respect.”
    The Dean was red with anger. “Excuse me?”
    “You heard her,” I said, as I was in complete agreement. “That is not happening. This is someone’s son. Considering the condition he’s been left in, which was done on purpose to humiliate and degrade him, we’re not letting anyone who isn’t investigating in to see him.”
    “Degrade?” Mr. Butler repeated. He had no idea how bad this was. We were keeping some of the more gruesome details away from the press out of respect for the victims, and the University’s administration was no different, at least not yet. Considering this could happen again, I was not sure if that would be an option as the investigation continued, but we were going to try.
    “What did this sick bastard do to this kid?”
    “I’m not privy to say right now.” I paused for a moment. “But since you’re here, I could use your help. Nicholas Clancy … is he a football player?”
    “Wide receiver,” Dean Jackson answered without hesitation. “Why would you need…” he paused for a moment when the answer dawned on him. I nodded to confirm that that was indeed who was in the