The Precinct Murders

By Adriel Chevalier

Agent Jasper White encounters new relationships and surprising deception as he is assigned to the case of the Boston precinct murders. He works closely with the FBI, the Boston Police Department, that hates him with a passion, and a prominent citizen of Boston. Often perplexed with dead ends and disappointment, he nearly gives up until someone unexpected unwittingly comes to his aid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adriel Chevalier
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463492239

Adriel Chevalier

Adriel Jacques Chevalier descended from a French family that migrated to the Netherlands before immigrating to the United States. His family's vocation centered around the jewelry and watchmaking business for generations. However, Adriel was never adept with handling the delicate parts of tiny machinery. Instead, he turned his interests to the software industry that was just becoming popular in his young, adult life. He found that logic and problem solving better suited his skills, and he excelled in his field.Adriel's elder sister had taught him to read and write at the age of three. Due to boredom suffered from structured learning, he sought to educate himself from his youth. In his adult life he spent decades studying ancient history and various writings, mostly centering around Christian and Judaic literature. Some of his studies he opted to conduct in the pre-translated, original language to gain a clearer understanding.Always frustrated with the structure and politics of organized religion, he sought relationships according to the instruction of the Messiah, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst." Adriel recognized that the Messiah's name was synonymous with his authority, which is Truth, and that any group larger than three brought annoying problems.Adriel and his fellows departed from the mainstream teaching of the established religions and embarked on a journey that led them on a quest for intrinsic Truth. Through many enlightening revelations and miraculous experiences, Adriel came to recognize that much of what is taught today concerning the Creator and his anointed one is rubbish. He forsook the erroneous cliches, rhetoric and discrepancies of the religious culture and embraced Truth, which is available to any man anywhere at any time.Although it was contrary to Adriel's belief system to share his findings in a rhetorical document, in his latter years he decided to envelop them into works of fiction to be enjoyed by others. He has developed several stories with elements of actual experiences and enlightenment for others to enjoy and ponder.

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Adriel Chevalier Book Series

False Antichrist - 2016

The Gold of Ophir - 2018

Noah’s Portal - 2019

Zanzibar - 2020

The Precinct Murders - 2020

Where the Chips Fell - 2020

COVID-21 - 2020

The Templar Secret - 2020

The Geneticist - 2021

Midnight Marauder - 2021

The Ribbon Maker - 2022

The Seven Peals of Thunder - 2022

To the Reader

My thanks to Erin Muldoon for narrating this book. Much of what occurred happened in my absence, and Erin was kind enough to share her notes and memories with me in order to relate the events as they unfolded. It is often difficult for me to edit the manuscript because much of what I find entertaining may not interest others. It’s a matter of perspective, and experiencing the events firsthand gives one a very different appreciation of some of the amusing things that happened. However, due to the serious nature of these events, I have kept the levity to a minimum.

Although much of what is contained herein pertains to true experiences, I am not at liberty to disclose anyone’s identity. The names and locations have been altered, and any similarities to persons living or dead are merely a coincidence.

Love always to each of you,

Adriel

THE PRECINCT MURDERS

Adriel Jacques Chevalier

Copyright © 2020 Adriel Jacques Chevalier

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9780463492239

CHAPTER ONE

New Year's Eve

DETECTIVE MORRISON SAT at the bar sipping his Irish Whiskey as he awaited his friend and colleague. He heard the front door open and saw the snow blow in as Officer O’Toole scooted through the doorway trying to keep the cold, white flakes from hitting some of the patrons who sat up front. He carefully shook the snow from his overcoat and hung it on the rack in the corner. It was a blustery winter evening in Boston, and the snow accumulation was expected to reach twelve inches. One of the barmaids was mopping the small entryway to keep the floor as dry as possible. Morrison and O’Toole had been frequenting this bar for over a decade. It was a quaint, small establishment that had been owned by the O’Leary family for three generations. The bar was constructed of mahogany and dated back to the early 1800’s. Morrison always enjoyed the intricate wood carvings in the bar that gave it a unique, ornate appearance. O’Toole took a seat next to his friend and propped his feet on the shiny brass rail at the bottom of the bar. He called out to the bartender, who was drying a beer glass and heading in their direction. Hey, Arty, give me a double shot of the Jameson. O’Toole then turned to Morrison with a somber look. I hear you got assigned to that homicide case for Paxton’s wife. I also heard that it was a horrible sight to behold.

Morrison turned to O’Toole with a look of trepidation. I’ve seen some things in my day, but this one takes the cake.

How’s Paxton holding up? I hear he came home and found her lying in the middle of the dining room in pieces.

Morrison kept his voice at a whisper to prevent anyone from hearing. Look, Jamie, I’m not supposed to discuss the particulars with anyone because they don’t want the press to get a hold of the details, but I need to talk to someone. I know that I can trust you to keep quiet.

O’Toole took a sip of his whiskey. Of course you can, Aaron. I sure ain’t gonna tell no one.

Whoever did this is one sick fuck. Her body had rope marks around her wrists, ankles and throat. He obviously tied her up and raped her repeatedly. Then he drained most of her blood, which he took with him. He cut off her breasts and cut out her vagina and laid them next to her body. Semen was everywhere. In fact, there was so much of it that he had to have transported some of it to the scene. No one produces the amount that we found covering her body parts. They put Paxton on medical leave immediately and took him off of that murder case that he was investigating in Oak Square. He’s staying with his parents for now. The doctor is keeping him heavily sedated.

Geez, Aaron, how does anyone overcome anything like that?

I have no idea. We sent samples of DNA to the lab for analysis and matching. We’re not even sure if it is all from the same perpetrator yet. I gotta go interview Paxton tomorrow afternoon. There’s talk of bringing in the FBI on this one.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Day.

I know, but the Chief doesn’t want any of us to rest until we find this guy.

So, what about the New Year’s Eve party tonight? I thought the Chief was encouraging everyone to attend.

That’s true, he is. He wants to address everyone and explain some strategies for the upcoming year. That’s why nobody’s wife is supposed to attend. I think he plans to run for Mayor in the next election. That’s probably another reason that he is so relentless to find this murderer.

Yeah, Angie was upset when I told her that wives weren’t supposed to attend the party. She gets suspicious about what goes on at these events.

I know, Allison feels the same way, but Captain Reese wants to talk to me about this case at the party. I just got the assignment before I got off duty this evening.

So, why would they bring in the FBI on this? They normally don’t do that unless similar murders occur across state lines.

That’s part of what the captain wants to explain to me tonight. That murder in Oak Square that Paxton was investigating was also for an officer’s wife. My guess is that they think there is a link between the two. I think they are going to give me the Oak Square case as well.

Well, if they think this is the start of a serial murder, it explains the FBI coming in to take the lead. So, when did the Oak Square murder occur?

It was a week prior to last Wednesday. Paxton had been spending a considerable amount of time on it, and he wasn’t home much. I’m sure he’s blaming himself for being away when his wife was murdered.

Well, Paxton won’t be coming back to work for a very long time, if at all.

I agree, Jamie. That’s too bad because he was an excellent detective.

So, do you want to share a cab over to the convention center for the party?

Sure, that would be great, but let’s have another drink before we go. I hear they are only serving beer and wine at the party, and I need something stronger than that.

Morrison and O’Toole made small talk in the back of the taxi as the windshield wipers kept time with the heavy snow that fell. Slush splashed onto the curb as the cab pulled up in front of the convention center on Summer Street. Morrison paid the driver, and the two officers hurriedly stepped out and covered their eyes from the blinding snow as they made their way inside. They shook their coats in the vestibule and looked for signs that pointed to the Police New Year’s Eve Party. Both officers emptied their pockets and signed over their weapons at the security checkpoint. A long walk down one of the corridors took them to the police party’s security checkpoint where they were required to show their identification and scan their fingerprints. Both officers received wrist tags and were allowed to continue down the hall to the party.

Morrison winced and grimaced to O’Toole as they entered the room. It was brightly lit with clusters of decorations and a huge clock positioned above the sound stage for the midnight countdown. A live band was performing, and the music was so loud that one had to speak directly into another’s ear to be heard. This wasn’t only an annoyance, but it provided a safeguard from anyone overhearing conversations. The two men quickly scanned the room to locate the nearest drink station. Within minutes, they had large glasses of lager in their hands and found a table. Neither of them was hungry, so they passed on the huge buffet in the center of the room. They looked circumspectly to see if they could recognize anyone.

Suddenly, an attractive woman in her early thirties with light brown hair took a seat at their table. O’Toole was startled by her abrupt appearance, and Morrison smiled as he recognized her familiar face. Jamie, this is Officer Erin Muldoon. Erin, this is Officer Jamie O’Toole. Officer Muldoon works with the Internal Affairs Division. She was instrumental in prosecuting the officers that were on the take over in the D-4 District last year.

Jamie extended his right hand. Pleased to meet you, Officer Muldoon.

Erin put her glass of Merlot on the table and cordially shook Jamie’s hand. Likewise, Officer O’Toole. I apologize, and I don’t want to appear to be rude, but I need to speak with Detective Morrison in private for a few minutes. We won’t be long. Jamie nodded and wandered off with his beer. Erin waited until Jamie was out of sight. Aaron, I know that you were assigned to the Paxton murder case this afternoon.

Yeah, that’s true. I was the first one on the scene. I heard the call, and I was in the area. Paxton was sitting on his front doorstep in a daze. At first, I was afraid that he had murdered his wife, but after I entered the house, it was apparent that he didn’t do it. It was a horrible sight to behold.

Aaron, you and I go back to high school. Please keep this to yourself, but I wanted to give you a heads up to watch your back.

What do you mean?

There are suspicions brewing out there that Paxton and Simmons just lost their wives because they have been doing business with the wrong people. I have been called in on the QT to perform my own investigation for Internal Affairs. If Paxton and Simmons were dirty, you might run into some unexpected trouble in your investigation. I just didn’t want an old friend to get blindsided by someone trying to cover up a suspicious relationship.

I appreciate that, Erin. The captain wants to talk with me tonight about the case.

Yes, I know. You haven’t had a chance to learn the similarities between the two murders, but we definitely believe that they are related. I’ll let the captain explain it to you. Sorry for the interruption, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t have another chance to warn you tonight.

Oh, that’s OK, you don’t need to apologize. Officer O’Toole and I have been friends for years. We rode here together tonight. I told him that I needed to speak with the captain in private. I’ll connect with Jamie later.

Well, be careful who you confide in about these cases. I’ve learned from experience that you never know who you can trust. Usually, it’s no one.

Well, I certainly appreciate your warning. I’ll be extra careful. So, on a lighter note, Erin, when are you going to meet a nice man and settle down?

Erin gave a contemptuous snort. Are you kidding? Who could put up with my schedule? I work all the time.

Yeah, I know that, but weren’t you seeing some guy a couple of years ago? Whatever happened to him, Joe, John, whoever?

It was Jerry. We lasted about six months until I had him investigated.

Aaron chuckled. Caught him cheating on you, did you?

No, actually, he was as faithful as my dog.

Morrison gave Muldoon a questioning look. So, what was the problem?

Jerry found out that I had him investigated, and he left me. Muldoon leaned forward toward Morrison. See, that’s just it, I don’t trust anyone. I catch the bad ones, and the good ones get offended. I’ve given up entertaining the idea of a relationship.

That’s too bad, Erin, you’re a great girl.

Speaking of great girls, how’s Allison doing?

She’s doing pretty good. She was a little upset that wives weren’t invited to the party tonight. She gets a little suspicious about internal affairs, if you know what I mean.

Boy, do I. You wouldn’t believe the dirt that I uncover during investigations, but I can’t talk about it. Erin finished the last of her Merlot and stood to leave. If I see Captain Reese, I’ll send him your way. Enjoy the party, if that’s possible.

Thanks, Erin, you do the same.

A few familiar officers stopped by briefly to exchange pleasantries with Detective Morrison over the next half hour. Morrison spotted Captain Reese in a conversation with the Chief of Police near the sound stage where the band was getting ready to begin another set. Reese looked pensive and nodded his head a few times. The Chief took hold of Reese’s upper right arm and gave him a couple of pats on the back before dismissing him. Morrison saw Reese scanning the room, and he suspicioned that Reese was looking for him. Morrison rose from his chair and put his hand in the air trying to gain the captain’s attention. Finally, Reese spotted him and nodded as he walked in Morrison’s direction. The two shook hands, and Captain Reese took a seat as he encouraged Detective Morrison to retrieve another beer. Morrison thanked him and returned shortly with a full glass.

Captain Reese began, I’m sorry for intruding on the festivities tonight, but I need to fill you in on a few things before you go interrogate Detective Paxton tomorrow.

Oh, that’s fine. I appreciate it, really. I need all of the information that I can get.

Well, you’re one of our better detectives, and you already saw the murder scene. I wanted to keep the exposure of this incident to the fewest people possible. We’re going to release the case file to you for the Simmons murder. The office is closed tomorrow, so you will get the file the following day. There are a few things that you need to know before tomorrow. By the way, the Chief just informed me that Officer Simmons took his own life just a couple of hours ago. Paxton’s family has been alerted to keep a close eye on Detective Paxton and be aware of warning signs. He made a good move to go to his parents and not stay alone like Simmons did. We have no idea what you are walking into here, but these two murders are definitely related. The file for Simmons was sealed, and only three officers knew all of the details. One of the officers is a forensic analyst. Officer Simmons’ wife was tied, raped, and dismembered much like what you found at Paxton’s house. The body parts were different, which coincided with the sexual assault. Simmons was sodomized, and her anus was cut out of her body and left next to her along with her severed breasts. There’s no question about the MO matching between these two murders. Likewise, as with the Paxton case, copious amounts of semen were found covering the body parts.

Detective Morrison nodded in acknowledgement. Was the Simmons victim drained of her blood the same as Paxton?

Captain Reese nodded in assent. Yes, she was, and the blood was removed from the scene. Both murders happened after dark in the evening when the victims were alone. Luckily, neither family had children.

Well, I assume that Paxton and Simmons did not know one another. Otherwise, Paxton would never have been assigned to the Simmons case.

That is very true, Detective. The irony is that the investigating officer’s wife was murdered in like fashion.

Well, it seems apparent that both of these murders are related. I expect the semen samples from both of them to match. The question now becomes what the link was between these two officers. The obvious link is the personnel who were working with Paxton and knew the details of the Simmons murder. I’ll have each one tested for DNA matches to eliminate any suspicion.

That’s a good start, Detective. Be sure to keep all details and findings confidential. Whoever is responsible is most likely far closer than we would want to believe.

I heard a rumor that the FBI might be stepping in on this.

Yes, that’s true. An agent is arriving on Thursday from Washington, D. C. He will be reviewing the case files and talking with you to determine if the feds need to get involved. You and I will cover the details together on Wednesday before he arrives the next day. Captain Reese stood to leave and shook Morrison’s hand. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Detective, and good luck.

Morrison gulped down half of his beer and set the glass on the table as he leaned back in his chair. His thoughts were with his wife and the potential danger that she could be in due to his assignment to investigate these murder cases. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his sister. Janette, I need for you get to my place as soon as possible and spend the evening with Allison and the girls. Be sure to take that nine millimeter automatic with you that I bought for you last year, and don’t fall asleep before I get there. I’ll explain as much as I can when I get home later tonight. Morrison then phoned his wife to let her know that his sister would be arriving soon and warned that she might be in danger.

O’Toole reappeared with two full glasses of beer and handed one to Morrison. Are you OK? You look a little flustered.

Yeah, I’m fine. I just talked with Captain Reese. The feds are coming on Thursday to analyze these cases for potential involvement. I have a lot to do before then, and I think I need to get my family out of town.

So, you think that because of the link between the Oak Square murder and Paxton’s wife that Allison could be next.

It’s possible, and believe me, I don’t want to take any chances. I just sent Janette over to stay with Allison and the girls this evening until I get home. I’m hoping to get my family on a plane tomorrow to send them to my in-laws’ place in Chicago until we catch whoever is behind these murders.

Geez, Aaron, that could take some time. What are you going to do about the girls’ schooling? Winter break will be over soon.

Yeah, I know. I’ll need to go talk with the principal to see if I can have them set up with online courses for a while. I can’t let them stay near home. It’s too dangerous. Morrison nodded toward the stage. Looks like the Chief is ready to address everyone. Morrison and O’Toole tried to continue their conversation and keep an ear toward the Chief. He commended everyone for the great job that they were doing and worked through a list of upcoming retirees and potential candidates to refill positions on the force. He finally introduced his intentions to begin his political campaign for mayor in the next election. What happened next came as a surprise and a disappointment to Morrison. The Chief addressed the two recent murders of police wives in the Boston area and commended Detective Morrison with high hopes that he would be successful in solving the murders.

O’Toole turned to Morrison. Looks like the Chief has a lot of confidence in you.

Yeah, I really wish he hadn’t brought these cases to everyone’s attention. It just makes my job all the harder. I need to find the link between these cases, and I don’t need any interference.

As the Chief wrapped up his discourse, Morrison and O’Toole got fresh glasses of beer