Campus Killer: Detective Ryan Series, #1

By Andrew Hess

Ali Ryan has dreamed of being a hot shot detective that solves high profile cases. Her love for crime novels and police dramas was her inspiration to become a cop, but it was her pushy demeanor and sassy impulsive attitude that earned her the detective promotion she coveted. But is your dream job worth sacrificing the ones you love?
The fall semester for New Paltz has begun complete with a dead body turning up in the dorms. Police claim the case is open and shut, but Detective Ali Ryan doesn’t think so. She throws herself into the case desperately searching for answers as the death toll on campus rises; each made to look like a suicide.
With Ali getting closer to uncovering the truth, the killer wants to make his attacks more personal. His sights are set on Detective Ryan and her sister. Police are forced to place them under their protection, but Ali is determined to hunt down the killer and stop him before he kills again. But how far is Detective Ryan willing to go to protect her sister and take down the sadistic killer?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Hess
• Release date: Jan 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781505839807

Andrew Hess

Andrew Hess, New York’s King of Cliffhangers, found his love of writing while studying psychology at SUNY New Paltz. His debut book, Chamber of Souls (2011), depicted the life of a broken man wallowing in self pity. Using free verse poetry, he brought his character to life while journeying to find himself. Hess picked up his first cliffhanger credit in 2013 with The Phoenix Blade Series (winner of Best Series Award in 2014 by Indie Author Books). The Phoenix Blade showcased a group of vigilante 20 year olds hired by the government to rid the country of the men and women who have evaded justice. Hess continued his route down the path of mystery and suspense with the Detective Ryan Series, the Detective Thornton Series, and #1 Fan, which earned him the moniker King of Cliffhangers by several readers including the Fire & Ice Book Reviews. Andrew won Indie Author Books: Best Mystery Thriller Author (2015), and Indie Author Books Series of the Year (2014) for The Phoenix Blade. Andrew has been nominated for Best Male Author, Best Mystery Suspense Author, Book of the Year, and Best Mystery Book (2015) for Campus Killer/ By Wickedly Devine Divas, The Three Bookateers, & SNSBAH Promotions He was also nominated for Book of the year, and Best Mystery Book of 2015 for Campus Killer In 2016, he was nominated for the Summer Indie Awards in the Contemporary (#1 Fan), Crime ( Conviction, and Deadly Games), Mystery (Campus Killer, Scorned, and Conviction), Romance (#1 Fan), and Anthology (Detours in Our Destinations) Hess is also an avid blogger at The Writers Revolution (http://thewritersrevolution13.blogspot.com) and Between the Coverz (https://www.facebook.com/betweenthecoverz) where he promotes and interviews other authors, as well as reviewing books of all genres.

Book preview

The Campus Killer

By Andrew Hess

Published by Phoenix Entertainment and Development 2015

Copyright ©Andrew Hess, Phoenix Entertainment and Development

Cover design by BK Walker

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, lving or dead, or actual event is purely coincidental.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 page5

Chapter 2 page 8

Chapter 3 page12

Chapter 4 page16

Chapter 5 page 23

Chapter 6 page 29

Chapter 7 page 36

Chapter 8 page 40

Chapter 9 page 45

Chapter 10 page 48

Chapter 11 page 52

Chapter 12 page 56

Chapter 13 page 60

Chapter 14 page 65

Chapter 15 page 70

Chapter 16 page 72

Chapter17 page 75

Chapter18 page 79

Chapter 19 page 81

Chapter 20 page 85

Chapter 21 page 90

Chapter 22 page 93

Chapter 23 page 97

Chapter 24 page 101

Chapter 25 page 104

Chapter 26 page 107

Chapter 27 page 110

Chapter 28 page 113

Chapter 29 page 116

Chapter 30 page 124

Chapter 31 page 130

Chapter 32 page 134

Chapter 33 page 137

Chapter 34 page 143

Chapter 35 page 147

Chapter 36 page 155

Chapter 37 page 162

Chapter 38 page 167

Chapter 39 page 173

Chapter 40 page 177

Chapter 41 page 180

Chapter 42 page 184

Chapter 43 page 190

Chapter 44 page 194

Chapter 45 page 195

Chapter 46 page 200

Chapter 47 page 204

Chapter 48 page 206

Chapter 49 page 210

Epilogue page 212

Chapter 1

It was a bright sunny day in August of 2006. The birds were chirping loudly outside the bedroom windows as the town of New Paltz sat quietly; waiting for the new school year to begin. For a few hundred students, this would be their first year on campus; their first taste of freedom, they would meet new people and would make memories that would last forever. For so many more, it was a return to their boring classes; late night cram sessions till four in the morning for a class that began at eight and of course lots of parties. But there was one man in particular who was chomping at the bit for the school year to begin. In fact, he planned on making it the most memorable year ever.

He was an average sized man in his early twenties and typically had short brown hair that stood on end in the back with a small curl in front. His thick black glasses gave him a geeky appearance, but all of that was about to change.

He entered a three story house from the front door and looked around nervously before climbing the narrow stairs to his apartment; room fourteen. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he carried three large bags. The plastic handles stretched and ripped until they dropped below his knees causing him to nearly trip over them as he fumbled with his keys.

The lock struggled to turn until he heard the sound of the bolt unlock the dirty white door. He flung the bags quickly onto his unkempt bed next to the red comforter that was still rolled in a ball at the foot where he left it that morning.

Shit, I knew I should’ve left the windows open, he said as he felt the sticky heat of the eighty five degree weather which by midday made his room feel like a sauna.

He looked around his apartment. It was a rundown oversized bedroom that was converted into a studio apartment. There was hardly any furniture except for a small black metal desk that sat behind the door with his TV on it, a corkboard that hung over an old wooden dresser, a small refrigerator, an old disgusting stove, and a wooden table with two matching chairs that sat on a sloping floor.

I need to get out of this hell hole, he grunted as he pulled the windows up; letting a warm gentle breeze flow throughout the room. Can this place get any hotter?

Did you hear the weather for tomorrow? a woman’s voice shouted from the hall.

He turned around to see Jess, a neighbor that lived in the room across from his. She was petite with short reddish brown hair that came to the middle of her neck. She was in a pair of blue short shorts and white tank top. His eyes hit the floor and rolled up; carefully taking in every inch of her body before looking her in the eyes.

Hey Jess, how’s it going?

It’d be better if they let us put air conditioners in our apartments. It’s supposed to be ninety tomorrow.

Great, I think I’ll just spend the day sitting under the cold water in my shower. He glanced over at the closet sized shower with glass doors and thought about how difficult it was to stand inside; let alone sit there for hours.

Jess laughed and stepped inside the man’s room. Looks like someone went on a little shopping spree. What’d ya get?

He snapped his head back and jumped in front of the bags; shielding them with his body. Just a few things before the semester begins; some new clothes and books. I figured I’d get them out of the way before the school store opens the gates of hell. He emphasized the last few words; adding a dramatic effect.

Jess laughed and thought about the long lines they faced every semester. I tried finding the books I needed online, but only two of my classes had them listed.

I guess you’ll be down there with the rest of the animals.

Jess scowled at him before walking further into the room examining her neighbor extensively with her hypnotic green eyes.

There’s something different about you.

His paranoia seeped in; making him question if she figured out he was planning something fiendish. Maybe she noticed the change in his demeanor or maybe she saw the black gloves and mask sitting in the shopping bags or maybe...

You got a haircut, she said with a smile; checking out the shorter brown hair spiked up with gel in it. I like it. It brings out the green in your eyes.

But my eyes are hazel.

They look a little greener today then they usually do. Jess stared into his eyes for a few moments.

What are you doing for dinner? he asked.

Jess looked at the time on a nearby clock and saw it was a quarter after three. Shit, I’m gonna be late. Sorry, I’m supposed to be at work in fifteen minutes. I’ll see you tonight when I get back.

Jess ran out the door; leaving the man behind. His lips curled into a smile as he considered the possibility of dating Jess; even scoring one date with her would mean the world to him.

He closed the door and hurried to a long mirror that hung over the kitchen/bathroom sink that was filled with dirty dishes. He looked at his reflection; admiring his new hairstyle and the twenty pounds he lost over the summer.

Time to get rid of the geek, he whispered as he opened the first bag; pulling out a small blue box. He tossed his glasses onto the counter and popped two contacts in his eyes. They filled with tears instantly; turning his hazel eyes into a brighter shade of green.

He was beaming with confidence; something he never had in the past. He looked at the flyer taped to the fridge. The bottom of the flyer had a broken picture frame with a black and white photo of a man with glasses lying on the floor. The same man stood over it; dressed to the nine in an Armani suit with a hot blond wrapped around his arm. The bold caption read: Find the Success You Want.

He pulled it off the fridge and stared at it; remembering the rainy Thursday afternoon during his sophomore year when he exited the Lecture Hall and found the flyer posted on each of the bulletin boards. He had broken up with his girlfriend of three years; the same girl he moved to New Paltz to be with. They had fought about him not being the kind of man she wanted. She wanted someone with confidence; someone that could treat her right; someone who had ambition and passion in his life. None of that described him until the day he found that flyer.

I guess I don’t need you anymore. The man tore up the paper into tiny pieces and threw them into the tall beige trash can next to the sink.

A calendar rested above his head with two dates circled in red marker. The first was marked for August 23rd, the first day of school. The other was circled multiple times; creating a bullseye over September 1st. He placed his finger on the target and smiled before returning to his desk.

The drawers creaked out a loud high pitched noise; worse than nails running along a chalk board. He shivered as a chill ran down his body. His hand slipped into the drawer and pulled out a small wrinkled piece of paper with four names written in black ink. He stared at the names intensely and whispered to himself.

Vengeance will be mine. He pulled the bags closer to the desk; removing the new clothes and placed them on the bed. I think it’s time for Mark Thompson to make his debut.

Chapter 2

September 1st 2006, a day no one in New Paltz would ever forget. It was typically marked as the official end of summer; a party at a local house on South Oakwood that kicked off the new school year. Returning students anticipated the first Friday of the fall semester; while freshmen jumped at the opportunity to go.

Mark Thompson sat eagerly in his new Civic, down the block from the large white house. He wore his tight blue jeans, black tank top, and a black button down that he kept unbuttoned. This was his night. He was debuting his new look while setting a trap to take the life of his first victim.

Mark watched the cars driving slowly up to the house searching for nearby parking spots; their music blasting loudly through the rolled up windows as crowds of college students gathered in the front yard of the Oakwood party house. There was one group in particular his eyes focused on which raised the corners of his mouth.

Mark clapped his hands excitedly. She’s here. He scrambled out of his car and hurried up the road; passing lines of parked cars until he stood in front of the large beat up looking white house with peeling white painted railings. The bass pumped loudly throughout the house; letting small bursts of music out every time the door opened.

Mark approached the door; finding a six foot three inch monster standing in the doorway. His muscles bulged through his tight black t-shirt as he blocked the entrance.

A smaller red headed man sat on the stool in front of him with a metal tin placed on his lap. Money and ID, the red headed man said sternly.

How much, Mark replied while handing him his driver’s license; wondering if they would question his picture.

Ten bucks to get in. You get one red cup for the keg; you’ll find it in the backyard. We got dollar shots in the kitchen. He checked the ID briefly; handed it back and collected the money before putting a blue band around Mark’s wrist.

Mark nodded that he understood, but none of it mattered to him. He wasn’t there to drink like the rest of the fools. He had only one thing on his mind and knew it was only a matter of time before he found her.

There were over forty people crammed inside the house; dancing to the deafening music with red cups in their hands. Mark scanned the crowd for his target; finding a group of women grinding on each other while a circle of men gawked at them like lions stalking their prey.

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, he mumbled. Mark entered the kitchen; finding a table of students playing flip cup inside the kitchen. This is a fucking waste of time. The back door opened; letting Mark see the crowd gathered on the back porch. She’s gotta come out here at some point. 

Mark swiftly maneuvered his way through the kitchen; dodging the drunks as they nearly spilled their beer all over him. He slipped through the door; finding a rail thin girl being lifted upside down as she put the keg spout in her mouth; slurping down beer.

Mark hid himself behind the group of college boys standing behind her. Party time! the crowd cheered and applauded as beer spilled from the girl’s mouth. They returned her to her feet and congratulated her for being the first girl to do a keg stand. But Mark knew what they were thinking; this girl was ready to get laid.

Mark narrowed his sights on the girl as she stumbled towards the house. Not tonight boys. She’s mine.

The girl brushed passed by Mark. Her black ponytail brushed under his chin as if telling him to come and get her. It was a game to him. He stalked her all night; noting how much she drank, who she hung out with, and when she left. He spent most of the night ten feet away and she never remembered who he was or the time they spent hanging out during freshman and sophomore years. In fact no one could. His makeover was the perfect disguise.

Hey Rachel, a girl shouted over the music. The dark haired girl turned around; her face flashed on Mark momentarily as she turned to her friend. It’s getting late. We should get going.

Rachel downed the last of her beer and placed the cup on a counter top. The students became a blur as she followed her friends out the door. Mark’s face twisted into a sadistic smile as he threw his cup away and exited the party.

***************************************************************

Rachel and her friends stumbled across campus; feeling everything spinning as they reached Capers Hall. It was a small brick building filled with empty dorm rooms and drunk students. Two girls clung to the glass doors desperately trying to keep their balance.

You should just come up to our room and stay here tonight, one of the girls said.

Yeah stay here, the other repeated in a high pitched tone.

Nah, I can make it back to my dorm, Rachel replied with her eyes half closed. You wanna meet up for brunch tomorrow?

Suuuurrrreeee, the first girl slurred. We should be down there like elevenish.

Sounds like a plan. Rachel held out her hands as if stepping onto a tight rope; catching her balance. She waved goodbye to her friends. Little did she know it would be the last time she would see them.

Rachel walked down a paved path near the lake. It was a beautiful starry night. The moonlight bounced off the top of the water; setting the perfect mood for a romantic and peaceful stroll.

Mark strutted down the path; closing in on Rachel with a grey backpack slung over his shoulder. His pace quickened; gaining speed as he rammed his shoulder into her.

Rachel tripped and fell into a tree; using it to regain her footing. Watch where you’re going; asshole.

Mark grabbed her arm; thinking he might break it if he squeezed too hard. Sorry bout that. Guess I didn’t see you. He kept his eyes half closed; pretending to be just as drunk as she was.

Rachel ripped her arm away from him. Then maybe you should open your eyes. She braced herself and walked off. Fucking asshole.

Mark’s blood started to boil. He remembered how Rachel treated him when they used to hang out. Rachel had a knack for butting into his relationship; giving his ex advice despite never being in a long term commitment herself. She was also bossy and controlling; forcing others to revolve their plans around her. She considered herself better than everyone else and never took blame for her own actions. But Mark planned on changing all of that in one night.

He reached into his back pocket; pulling out a pair of black leather gloves and slipped them on. This is it; now or never, he whispered. He jogged behind Rachel and cupped his right hand over Rachel’s nose and mouth; using his left hand to pin her arms behind her.

Rachel was too drunk to fight him off. Her arms flailed momentarily before her body went limp and slumped back into him.

Mark lowered her gently to the ground and stared at her unconscious body. Shit, now what the hell do I do? This wasn’t part of his plan. He wanted to get her by herself; sweet talk her; get her to invite him into her room. Instead, she was passed out at his feet.

Mark picked her up; carried her in his arms the rest of the way to the large grey building glowing in the distance. She weighed ninety pounds soaking wet, but felt like he was carrying a sack of bricks for a quarter mile.

Mark placed her down gently behind the building and opened his backpack finding three large glass bottles inside. He used his fingers to pry open her mouth and poured a bottle of rum down her throat. The contents slid down until it overfilled and spilled from the corners of her lips.

Rachel coughed and gagged on the liquor; wanting to throw up from drinking too much. She tried to roll to her side, but was too weak to move. Mark had her pinned down with his knees and was already unscrewing the top to a bottle of vodka. He poured the contents into her mouth before she could scream for help.

Just keep drinking this like a good girl and everything will be over soon enough. Mark stroked her hair gently as the liquor went down easier with less spilling. That’s a good girl. He watched as every drop drained from the bottle into Rachel’s mouth.

Tears streamed down her face. Why? What are you doing to me? Why can’t I see anything?

Mark held a finger to her lips. Just one more to go; I promise. He opened the final bottle; the air reeking of tequila as he placed the cap on the ground next to him. He poured the final bottle down her throat until every drop was gone. Mark placed the three empty bottles back in his bag.

What did you do to me, Rachel cried out. Am I dying?

No, but you’re about to.

Rachel’s eyes flashed open momentarily. She realized the asshole that bumped into her was killing her slowly; forcing her to drink herself to death.

Mark reached into her pants pocket; groping her until he found Rachel’s college ID. She flailed her arms; trying to stop him from grabbing her; trying to scratch him; hoping to make enough noise to grab someone’s attention.

Mark pinned Rachel’s arms down to the pavement with his hands while his body lay on top of hers as his weight pinned her down. He held Rachel prisoner under his rapidly beating heart until she calmed down long enough to stifle her pleas.

Now, let’s get you to your room. He hoisted Rachel into his arms, used the ID card to unlock the back door and carried her inside; letting the door close quietly behind them.

Chapter 3

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Highland, New York; not a cloud in the sky. The sun broke through the heavy brown curtains that sat on my windows; urging me to get out of bed.

No, I don’t want to get up yet, I whined as I wrestled myself to pull the sheets off of my head long enough to see the specs of sunlight shining brightly on the beige carpet.

I looked at the clock and saw it was seven in the morning. I was used to getting up that early for work, but this was the start of my first weekend off in months; nothing was going to pry me from this bed.

My mom’s voice still rang in my head every time I decided to sleep in. Come on Ali; get up. You have the whole day ahead of you.

I grew up on a small farm in Glens Falls New York and helped my dad in the fields all morning. My mother was constantly yelling at my sister Amanda and I to help him; guilt tripping us that they didn’t have a son to help them. I never understood how that was our fault, but somehow our mother always made it seem that way until we finally agreed to help. I was their go to daughter. They relied on me heavily to assist my dad, cook, clean, or keep my sister in line. Naturally it was a shock to them when I decided to move to Poughkeepsie when I was nineteen for college; even worse when Amanda followed in my footsteps years later by moving to New Paltz.

It took me two years before I had my associate’s degree and went after what I really wanted. I wanted to be a cop working high profile cases, solving elaborate crimes and putting the worst criminals behind bars. It was always something that fascinated me. I read tons of mystery novels and watched plenty of police movies growing up; picturing myself as the hot shot detective in charge of brilliantly solving cases that no one else could. It took me ten years before I got that opportunity.

It started with basic patrols in Kinston and Saugerties before being thrown into my first real case. There were three bank robberies in Newburgh. Local police were baffled by the thieves getting in and out without any cameras getting a decent image of the suspects. It was their own stupidity that led to me tracking them down. One of the perps brilliantly decided to pawn a watch he collected from one of the men he robbed at the bank. It was a common mistake that criminals made, but get away with because they didn’t have a way to track them. But they made a bigger mistake; they went to a pawn shop owned by a friend of mine.

He told me where to find the perp and I went alone; stupidly without backup. The suspect took off as he saw my squad car pull up in front of his apartment and fired a shot at my head. I had no choice but to return fire. The first shot clipped the suspect’s leg; the second was a stray bullet that caught an innocent bystander; critically wounding her.

I was placed on probation, but consulted with other officers on the case; leading to the remaining bank robbers being brought down and captured. They were all carrying out three consecutive fifteen year sentences.

They were impressed by my persistence and refusal to give up on the case, but remained skeptical about bringing me onto their team. I stayed on probation for one year. It felt like a constant rollercoaster of nonstop work, but I used the time to work towards becoming a detective. Then, it finally happened six months ago. Lieutenant Esposito promoted me to detective in hopes of increasing the case solving rate in Ulster County. I don’t think he realized what he got himself into when he promoted me.

****************************************************************

It took me an hour to get out of bed; taking full advantage of my free weekend, but I needed to keep up my routine. I stretched my long legs before putting my bare feet on the soft carpet. I reached under my bed; searching for my grey and pink sneakers; finding only a pair of black pumps I wore the night before.

Damn it; they’re in my locker. I left them at the station; remembering I went out after my shift ended. I didn’t want to go there; not on my day off. I