Daniel James Mysteries: The Assassin Murder Mystery

By Betty Maxwell

An assassin? In Devanville? Who would ever believe that anyone in Devanville would hire a hitman? Daniel found it hard to believe that someone in this quiet, peaceful town that he had come to love so much would actually do such a thing, much less even know how. Yes, there were the routine murders that had increased in the past year that he attributed to the stress that the foreclosures had put on so many families when the Denim Company outsourced to another country, but to actually hire an assassin?

Daniel could hardly believe what the evidence was showing them, but it was clear. He usually worked alone but was glad to have Gavin for a partner on this one as there were occasions that required a second officer, and Gavin was proving to be a good detective. Daniel barely has time to sleep before a call comes in sending him out to another crime scene. Who is this assassin that stays one step ahead of Devanvilles finest, and why is he staying in this small, tight knit community?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512725681

Betty Maxwell

Betty Maxwell is a homemaker who resides in Upper East Tennessee with her husband and their many rescued pets. She has been publishing a monthly Christian newsletter, The Scepter, since 2002, which she places in the local medical center and VA medical center. She has also published a collection of poems, Psalms for the Soul. She has begun the Daniel James Mystery Series with Book 1, The Homeless Murder Mystery and Book 2, The Assassin Murder Mystery. At present she is working on Book 3, The Cold Case Murder Mystery. She considers it truly a gift from God to be a writer.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Daniel couldn’t help but wonder why Captain Summers would call him in to work after just agreeing to give him a few days leave. He was really looking forward to just relaxing and possibly getting in a few workout sessions with Jason. They had just begun their scheduled workouts when everything took a turn with the homeless serial killers case, then their schedule just fell apart. He was really glad that those two were behind bars. The Captain sounded as if it were something urgent so Daniel hurried his pace as he entered the building, taking the steps two at a time. The Captain was in his office nervously working on some paperwork as he waited anxiously for Daniel to arrive. He looked up, relief evident on his face, as Daniel came quickly through the office door.

Daniel, I’m so glad that you’re here, Captain Summers said.

I hurried as fast as I could. I was just leaving the shelter when you called, Daniel said. You sounded as if it were something urgent.

Yes, it is. There has been an escape from the Correctional Facility over in Bradenton and I feel certain that they are headed here, Captain Summers said.

Is there any reason I should know about that makes you feel so certain that they are coming to Devanville? Daniel asked.

As a matter of fact there is. It was before you got here and the main reason that I made Captain so fast, Captain Summers said. Sit down and I’ll fill you in on what happened.

Daniel sat down in the chair facing the Captain’s desk and prepared for what was certain to be a long story leading up to the present.

It all began a little over six years ago. I was Detective at the time so when the call came in about a body being found out in the woods by Stoney Creek I took it. Claude Vaught was the ME at the time. He retired just before you came. Some campers had gone out in the woods and pitched their tent. They were digging a hole for their campfire when they found a body, or what was left of one. Turned out to be a young woman of twenty-eight who had been missing for a month. She left work one evening heading for home the same as she always did, but when she didn’t arrive her husband went looking for her. He called us when he found her car in a ditch not too far from their house. It appeared that she had been forced off the road. We found blood in the car indicating she had been injured in the accident but it wasn’t enough that it would have been fatal. We had volunteers combing the area and everyone was on alert but she had just disappeared. The powers that be at the time didn’t investigate the husband because there was no evidence of foul play on his part. In addition to what we were doing her husband took it upon himself to put her on a web-site, in fact, he’s the one who started the missing persons web-site that led to the identification of Edith, the Captain said.

I think I know who you mean, Sir. I met him once on another case, Daniel said.

That’s right, it was the Wellington case. Back to the story. Once we found her body we began looking around the area for anything that might tell us how she got there, but we weren’t ready for what we found. One by one we uncovered ten other women who had been buried in those woods. They were in various stages of decomposition so the cause of death was uncertain, except for Carey Hill, who was the last one dumped there. Sam found evidence that she had been tortured by various means but there was no sign of sexual assault. With the help of the law enforcement from the surrounding counties we were able to identify the victims by dental records. Because they crossed county lines the state brought in their CSU investigators who sifted through half of the woods looking for the slightest trace of evidence. They did manage to get some from Carey Hill because she had scratched one of them pretty good and had also bit him. She was a fighter that girl was. Two days after we found Carey a young girl’s mother called the station to report that her daughter had called to say that she was on her way over but she never arrived. The mother was afraid that she had an accident so we sent out an officer to look for her. They found her car where it had been run off the road, but there was no sign of her daughter. The trail went cold. We had not one lead to follow. The entire county was in fear of what they would do next. Before we caught them we had found a total of twenty-five women whom they had abducted and murdered in various ways. It sickens me to think about it to this day, Captain Summers said.

How did you eventually find them, Sir? Daniel asked.

They began getting rather sloppy. Instead of burying their victims they began just dumping them anywhere. It seemed that they were flaunting their crimes but once they did the bodies were found sooner. We began collecting trace evidence that would have disappeared with time but eventually would lead to a conviction. And then one day they made the fatal mistake. Two of them were scouting for their next victim and they picked on the wrong one. Turned out that she was a martial arts expert. When they forced her car off the road she got out and was looking at the damage when they approached her. All of their other victims had been just your normal every day women who had no way to protect themselves. When they tried to take her she turned on them and by the time we got there she had both of them hogtied. If it hadn’t been for her I don’t think we would have caught them. Once we had them identified and found where they were living we caught the other two in an old barn where they had taken the other women. The barn was full of evidence so it was an easy conviction on all four of them, Captain Summers said.

How did they ever manage to escape? I have never been to the Bradenton Correctional Facility but I was told that, as it was rather new, it was virtually escape proof. It also seems a little odd that all four would be housed in the same facility considering their previous relationship and their tendency for violence. Daniel said.

No system is perfect especially since they were supposed to be kept in solitary confinement but for some reason they were put out with the general population. They are still trying to figure out what happened. Something in the electrical system went down causing all the doors to begin to unlock. At the same time there was smoke coming from the main control room. Where everything should have automatically put the prison on lockdown so that no one could go out or come in, it didn’t. They found four Correctional Officers stripped to their underwear in a janitorial storage area along with four orange prisoner’s jumpsuits on the floor beside them. As far as they can tell, the four of them just walked right out of the facility dressed as Correctional Officers while everyone was busy trying to find out what was happening. One of the officer’s vehicle was also found to be missing. Captain Summers said.

Why do you think they are coming to Devanville? Daniel asked.

Because, the martial arts girl that took them down was my niece and I was the one that led the raid on the barn. They swore that they were going to get out and make us pay, Captain Summers said.

Well then, we had better put a plan together just in case you are right. Where is your niece at present? asked Daniel.

She’s alright. She went on a business trip to Canada and met someone. She came home, quit her job, and moved up there were they were married. They now have four children. She teaches martial arts classes up there along with her husband and all four of the kids. I never saw anything like that girl, Captain Summers said shaking his head with pride.

Then it is ourselves that we need to be concerned about; however, I do suggest that you alert her to the possibility. If they are as bad as your picture of them portrayed we are probably all at risk, as well as the female population. We need to formulate a plan. Are any of the others aware of what you have just told me? Daniel asked.

Not yet, Captain Summers said.

Well, the first thing I think we should do is inform everyone just what we will be up against. We will be needing all the files pertaining to them including those that the state may have. All of us need to familiarize ourselves with their habits so that we may be able to head them off, Daniel said.

Sounds like a plan. I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Captain Summers said. He seemed much more relaxed as Daniel left the office to begin the hunt for the escaped convicts.

Everyone was at their desks so Daniel decided there was no time like the present to get busy studying their adversary. As he approached the other officers he quickly laid out his plan of attack.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new case to work on and it appears that it will not be an easy one, but it will require the efforts of every available person. The Captain has just informed me of four escaped convicts who are apparently headed our way. I think there were some of you here who aided in the apprehension of the four criminals just prior to my joining the Department, Daniel said.

Are they the ones who were torturing all of those women? The Captain’s niece took two of them down, didn’t she? asked Gavin.

They are the very ones, Daniel said.

I hoped we would never have to face those four again. You have no idea what they are like. They can put the fear of God in you by just looking at you. I’m not so sure they aren’t demon possessed like the demoniac in the Bible. Even that crazy murderer Melissa Turner would be afraid of them, said Gavin.

How in the world did four maximum security criminals escape? asked Sally.

We only have possibilities. They are trying to find out all the facts before issuing a news release but from what the Captain was told four officers were overpowered, stripped of their uniforms, then the four of them walked right out the front door, got in one of the Correctional Officers vehicle and drove away, Daniel said.

They are sadists. The horrible things they were doing still gives me nightmares. What made it worse was that there were four of them, said Derek.

I know that it’s unusual for that many to be involved in such a crime but it’s my experience that evil people will eventually find each other. It’s when an alpha male joins the pack that they begin to exert the sadistic tendencies. This group seems to have had a very strong alpha who is highly intelligent. It is for that very reason they managed to continue their killing spree for so long, Daniel said.

So where do we start? Derek asked.

Derek, Sally, Adam and Mitch can begin by gathering every scrap of paperwork, including officer’s notes. Beth and Carson, I would like for you to get everything the DA can furnish as well as the courtroom transcripts. The more we know about these four the easier it will be to determine their next move. I pray that we can get them back in custody without any more loss of life, Daniel said.

Are they going to warn the public that they have escaped and to be careful? asked Beth.

The Captain is waiting now for them to give the okay. At the present the state is keeping it quite. I don’t understand why but we have to comply with what they say, Daniel said. Okay everyone, let’s get busy gathering what we need. As you collect the files take them to the conference room on the first floor. We’re going to need a lot of room to spread out and that’s the best place to do it.

Beth was on the phone to the DA’s office explaining what they needed and why, while Carson called for the courtroom transcripts. The others all headed for the case files and evidence room. After they finished their calls they headed out to pick up the files. It was late by the time they returned with everything Daniel had requested, to their surprise he was already in the conference room busy at the computers.

We have the transcripts and files that you wanted, Beth said.

Good. You can put them on the table with the boxes that the others have already brought down. It’s really late so you two go home and get some rest. We are going to have a big day tomorrow, Daniel said.

What about you? Is there anything we can help you with tonight? Carson asked.

No thanks. I’m just about finished here so I will be leaving too. I’ll be in early in the morning and we will all be fresh to begin the task before us, Daniel said. When he was alone he went back to what he was doing at the computer. True to his word it only took him a few minutes to complete what he was doing. He then shut the computer down and headed out for the night. He still had to go by the shelter before he could go home and get some much needed rest. It seemed to take him longer to get to the shelter than usual but Daniel knew that it was just his fatigue. George and Sarah were the only ones there when he walked into the dining area.

Hi Daniel, Sarah said. We were wondering if you would make it tonight.

Sorry to be so late but I was called into the station just after I left earlier, Daniel said as he took a seat beside her.

I do hope there is nothing wrong, George said with deep concern.

Sorry to say, there is. There was an escape from the Correctional Facility over in Bradenton and we are pretty sure they are headed our way. The four men are extremely dangerous as well as resourceful. The Captain was one of the officers who arrested them and they swore they would escape and come after him as well as some of the others, Daniel explained.

I bet I know who these men are. You remember Hon. They killed a whole lot of women and tortured them, George said.

Oh, mercy, tell me that they aren’t the ones, Daniel, Sarah said looking rather frantic.

I’m sorry to say that they are the very ones, Daniel said.

This is bad, isn’t it, George said looking almost as anxious as Sarah.

I’m afraid it is. The state police are on high alert for them. We are going through every record we can find in the hopes that we can head them off as to where they would be going. We decided to go home and get some rest so that everyone would have a fresh outlook in the morning, Daniel said.

Daniel, please forgive me. Have you eaten yet? Sarah asked.

No, ma’am, I haven’t, Daniel said.

Let me see what Emma may have left in the kitchen for you, Sarah said as she headed that way.

One of the women was a friend of hers from the church. It really did a job on her for a while. With them on the loose, well, it’s dredging up those memories all over again, George confided.

I am so sorry. I wouldn’t have said anything except we have so many women that could be targeted if they decide to pick up where they left off, Daniel said.

I never thought about that because they never once came into town. All of their victims were on county roads, George said.

Yes, but Samantha comes in from outside of town so she could be a potential target. Would it be possible for her to either stay here or with Janet until we capture them? Daniel asked.

Sure, we will work it out and I’ll tell everyone in the morning. We will make sure that everyone stays in until after the storm passes by, George said.

Here Daniel. I made you a nice sandwich and a glass of milk. You don’t want anything too heavy to go to bed on, Sarah said.

Thanks Sarah, and again, I am sorry for being so late. I was surprised to find you still up, Daniel said between bites of his delicious sandwich. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

We sometimes enjoy the quite after everyone has gone to bed, George said.

Yes, we just sit here and have prayer together. We will say an extra prayer for your safety as well as the safety of all the others who are in pursuit of those horrible men, Sarah said. Daniel was concerned for her because she was looking very