Reflections in a Mirror

By William Wallace

FBI agents Terry Longfellow and Adriana Dickinson assist rookie agents Hart and Dominga in their first assignment in tracking a serial killer who is selecting victims of a medical supply company located in Tennessee. After capturing the serial killer in Tennessee, the rookie agents assist Agents Longfellow and Dickinson on their next case that takes them between Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, searching for a serial killer whose targets are bartenders, strippers, or anyone else who gets in his way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886541274

William Wallace

William E. Wallace is the author of The Judas Hunter, a private detective novel, and Tamer, an upcoming western set in Gold Rush California. He is an veteran investigative reporter who worked 26 years for the San Francisco Chronicle before taking early retirement in 2006 to teach and write fiction full time. As a reporter he specialized in projects about political corruption, organized crime and police misconduct. His investigative reports won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the San Francisco Press Club. Wallace has taught journalism at California State University, East Bay in Hayward and at the University of California, Berkeley. He took his bachelor's degree in political science at Cal Berkeley and served as an intelligence analyst while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He lives with his wife and son in Berkeley, California.

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Reflections in a Mirror

William Wallace

Copyright © 2022 William Wallace

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 979-8-88654-116-8 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88654-127-4 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Epilogue

About the Author

Chapter 1

No Clowning Around

As Agent Longfellow answered his cell phone, once again, his partner heard the all-too-familiar phrase from her partner of Yes, sir, recognizing the response always reserved for Director Wellington.

Director Wellington said, We have three dead in Tullahoma, Tennessee, who were killed by a clown. He killed the convenience store owner, a cashier, and a customer who was shopping there. There's a video of the entire shooting that may be helpful. Can't tell much about the identity of the clown except for his shoes. He was wearing Nike Air Zoom Tempo running shoes. They were white with the Nike swoosh in Columbia blue. Because of a recent upswing in unsolved murders in Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia, the legal authorities in all three states have asked the FBI for assistance to see if they're possibly dealing with a serial killer. We need you and Agent Dickinson to start by investigating this clown killer and see what you can find out about those murders and your opinion as to whether this is a serial killer at large or not, ended Director Wellington.

Yes, sir ended the conversation with the director and Agent Longfellow.

While Agent Longfellow spoke to their boss, Director Wellington, Agent Dickinson was deeply engrossed in reading what appeared to be a letter. Once she knew that she had her partner's attention, she commented that she had been reading a letter from Otto. Their marine friend was stationed at Camp Dwyer Marine Base in Hemland River Valley, Afghanistan. Apparently, during his advanced training after arriving at Camp Dwyer, they discovered that Private Otto Redder was very good at decoding enemy information and was also able to train other corpsmen quicker than they had been able to train former trainees. Otto was quickly promoted to E-2 or a PFC (Private First Class).

Agents Longfellow and Dickinson grabbed their travel bags and headed for the Dulles International Airport. They should be able to arrive at Nashville International Airport in less than two hours, confirmed Agent Dickinson.

Agent Longfellow took a few minutes to contact the law enforcement in Tullahoma with surprising results. The three murders that occurred did not happen in Tullahoma but in an area some twenty miles outside of that city by the name of Shafersburg. The law enforcement in Tullahoma City connected the FBI agents with the law enforcement in Shafersburg to follow up on the three murders that occurred in their township and whether or not it required Agents Longfellow and Dickinson's involvement.

The FBI agents visited the crime scene earlier that day. Agent Longfellow reviewed the recording while his partner examined the crime scene more closely to see if she could recover anything. She found five shells in different areas throughout the store. There were two at the cashier's counter, one a few feet back where the store owner's body was found, and two more near the front door where the store's patron was shot trying to exit the store.

Agent Dickinson introduced herself to the local law enforcement in the town of Shafersburg, Tennessee, while her partner Agent Longfellow continued to see what he could uncover at the crime scene. Agent Longfellow thought that he may have stumbled on a big break in the murder as he found a Washington Nationals baseball hat near where the customer had died from the three gunshots from the murderer's weapon. He was hoping the hat didn't belong to the dead customer. He quickly reviewed the video that showed that neither the store owner nor the cashier was wearing a baseball hat, and it appeared that neither was the customer. Agent Longfellow approached his partner holding the baseball hat with a pencil as his partner took out an evidence bag that would hold it for a later DNA examination.

After assisting the local police on the robbery-murder examination of the murder scene premises, Agent Longfellow called Director Wellington to give him his initial report as he customarily did on all cases, saying, Sir, I don't think that the local law enforcement requires any help from us on this case. It just doesn't feel like it's a serial killer case at all.

Director Wellington suggested to Agent Longfellow, Just give it a little more time before folding up your tent and leaving.

Whenever the director made a suggestion, it was really an order disguised with sugar on it.

And Agent Longfellow knew it, saying, Yes, sir.

After getting off the phone with the director, Agent Adriana Dickinson, his partner, approached him. Is the boss asking you to make a silk purse from a sow's ear again? quipped his partner.

I believe that he's either serious because he knows something that he's not willing to share with us at this time, or he's hoping to have us in the right place at the right time strictly on a gamble, hoping to give us that head start that we seem to be missing lately, responded Agent Longfellow. I don't think that we can manufacture serial killers who aren't there, do you, partner? he jokingly asked his partner.

Wouldn't you be shocked if our dear director did materialize a psychopathic murderer for us using his magical computerized Ouija board? joked Agent Dickinson.

I think that the FBI would be looking into his personal life a little more carefully, said his partner. Don't you know that they already are looking into his, yours, and mine every day of our lives?

I'd still rather do the Ouija board, said Agent Dickinson kiddingly.

Chapter 2

Nationals: 3, Clown: 0

Agent Dickinson filled in what Otto Redder was doing while in Afghanistan, tracking enemy units in and around the different towns that were inhabited by the marines, who were actively training the local citizens in the defense against the different terrorist groups that continued to appear time and time again. Private First-Class Otto Redder was charged with monitoring the numerous groups continuing to grow from former groups week after week, month after month. Otto always felt like he was running on a treadmill.

Agent Longfellow's phone rang. He received a call from headquarters with news about the triple murder.

Agent Longfellow, this is Charles Montgomery, forensic examiner, and I'm contacting you to tell you that we have a DNA hit on the baseball hat you retrieved at the crime scene yesterday. I'll forward you the details within the next fifteen minutes, said the forensic examiner.

Agent Longfellow thanked the FE for his quick response and quickly found his partner to give her the good news.

Shortly thereafter, Agent Longfellow received the DNA data from the FBI headquarters forensic team, divulging the name of the murderer who was on the DNA national database. At first glance at the text from headquarters, Agent Longfellow thought that the name they received was Charlie Osgood, but at a closer look, he realized that it was Charline Osgood. The triple murderer was a female disguised as a clown.

Charline Osgood had quite a lengthy rap sheet for a twenty-eight-year-old. She had been arrested for robbery on three occasions and had been arrested numerous times as a minor that would not be allowed to be used in court. She had been arrested many times for prostitution, narcotics distribution, breaking and entering and home invasion; but this would be three counts of premeditated murder and very possibly the death penalty.

Agent Longfellow's phone rang with Director Wellington on the other end as he answered Yes, sir.

I understand that you already have your murderer, commented the director.

I'm pretty sure that the local guys should have it wrapped up. This was a small-town hoodlum who probably needed a heroin fix and tried to take a shortcut as her solution when all she had to do was to find someone who wanted to have sex, but it was probably too early in the day for her to entertain that idea. So she shifted gears, thinking that it would be just as easy to knock over a convenience store for the necessary funds to secure her dope, and then everything went wrong and exploded in her face. She must have been very needy of that needle, finished Agent Longfellow.

Agent Dickinson approached the lead investigator from the local police to tell him who they discovered the suspect's DNA on the baseball hat found near the front door of the convenience store that was worn by the suspect on the store's video camera, and it was Charline Osgood. The investigator was familiar with the probable killer of the three people in the store as she'd been arrested on numerous occasions for different reasons.

Tell your captain that the FBI was helpful in helping you crack the case by identifying the individual via DNA comparisons from their database, said FBI Agent Dickinson.

The local investigator would get the credit for solving the case, and the FBI agents would get positive accolades for assisting a local police department in solving their case. It was a win-win for law enforcement in general.

Agent Longfellow called Director Wellington to fill him in with the details of this investigation, which they were asked to help the local law enforcement for assistance. After giving his director the details, Agent Longfellow said that he would contact him as soon as the local police apprehended Charline Osgood and she's incarcerated.

After completing his promise to call his director after receiving the call from the local investigators that they had arrested Charline Osgood, Agent Longfellow received a call from Director Wellington that he answered in his typical fashion with Yes, sir.

Agent Longfellow, I'd like you and Agent Dickinson to remain in Tennessee another day. There's another investigation that we've been working on that we may need you and your partner to get involved in, or at least to look on where we are with the case to get another set of eyes to look it over, said the director.

Director Wellington didn't mention that the FBI was investigating the possibility of another serial killer in Nashville, Tennessee, where there had been three murders that occurred over the past three months that were very similar in that the murderer used a ligature to kill his victims.

While the murders were occurring in Nashville, Agents Terry Longfellow and Adriana Dickinson were closing the case of the twin sister serial killers in the twenty victims murdered in Dundalk, Maryland, and weren't available to assist another FBI team until they finished their own assignment first.

Director Wellington didn't want to overreact to the situation until the team assigned to the Nashville case absolutely needed assistance. All the FBI team in Nashville knew was that three females under the age of twenty had been murdered using a ligature that was wiry as it cut deeply into the throats of the victims. One of the victims was six weeks pregnant, so the murderer was responsible for four murders.

Chapter 3

Hurry Up and Wait

Agents Longfellow and Dickinson were becoming impatient just sitting around with no formal case assigned to them. It wasn't in either agent's nature to sit still for any period of time without a case in front of them. After sitting still for more than twenty-four hours, Agent Longfellow as well as his partner had to do something in the way of law enforcement or sign themselves into a local psychiatric facility.

Agent Longfellow finally called FBI Director Wellington, requesting an assignment on any case available. Director Wellington decided to let his best team of agents work on the case in Nashville that had not yet been solved. Agent Longfellow assured his boss that both he and Agent Dickinson would take a back seat to the agents that had been assigned to the case originally.

Director Wellington paved the way for his pair of top agents by mentioning that Agents Longfellow and Dickinson just wrapped up a major serial killer case and were in Tennessee assisting local law enforcement on a murder case, and the director thought that maybe the current agent team would benefit from the team with five years of experience working together. Director Wellington was helpful in smoothing out the path in meeting with the new FBI team assigned to the case in Nashville, Tennessee. The new FBI team were Agents John Hart and Marie Dominga. Director Wellington introduced the two teams to each other via FaceTime.

After the initial meeting, both teams decided to meet in person the next morning at the hotel where Agents Hart and Dominga were staying to see where they were with their investigation while having breakfast. This was a new experience for Agents Longfellow and Dickinson as they were accustomed to working alone, and this represented teaching as well as educating themselves in the role of an educator.

Although the meeting started off a little awkwardly, Agent Hart spoke up quickly, saying, Agents Longfellow and Dickinson, it's quite an honor meeting you both. The two of you have almost reached legendary status at FBI headquarters.

Don't believe everything you hear, answered Agent Dickinson. Agent Longfellow tells tales when the male agents get together to play basketball. It's amazing how he gets them to believe his fish tales. If he told them that he caught Jaws with a bamboo stick and a worm, they'd believe him, laughingly said Agent Dickinson.

After breakfast, they each had another cup of coffee as the new agents gave the veteran FBI agents an overview of their case. Agents Longfellow and Dickinson asked questions that were basic but very necessary if they were going to close this case quickly.

They discussed the similarities in the three murders, such as the murder weapon being a wiry ligature, all three were females under twenty years old, and all three were on their way home from work. The new agents didn't mention that all three worked for the same employer that was a healthcare company with multiple locations throughout Nashville. Each of the victims worked at different locations.

The easiest thing for an agent to do is to fill up on their own early successes, said Agent Dickinson. Be careful who's passing along praise too fast. They may be putting up a fake front to make you comfortable only to set you up to fail later on. Always have your guard up for faint praise, warned Agent Dickinson.

We'll remember that, said Agent Hart.

We'd really like to go over the case more thoroughly with you both, added Agent Dominga.

Okay, where were we when we left off? questioned Agent Dickinson.

We discussed the ages of the victims and that they all worked for the same medical group but worked in different locations in Nashville, answered Agent Dominga.

Have you met with the local coroner or medical examiner? asked Agent Dickinson.

We're waiting for their reports to arrive, answered Agent Hart.

You're burning daylight, said Agent Longfellow. Something that I learned shortly after teaming up with Agent Dickinson was how she always made sure to get the medical examiner or coroner, or both, involved in the case by making them feel comfortable with our presence in trying to solve the case with their help. I'll always be thankful that she showed me the importance of everyone in solving a case.

Even Otto? quipped Agent Dickinson.

Yes, even Otto, agreed her partner.

Who's Otto? questioned Agent Dominga.

When we get to know each other better, we'll tell you the Otto Redder story, probably over drinks some evening, said Agent Longfellow. The story of Otto Redder, in brief, is how an eighteen-year-old genius gets involved with an FBI investigation and helps solve the case almost accidentally.

Sounds very intriguing, responded Agent Hart.

As always, Agent Dickinson didn't let any conversation stray off topic very long before she'd make sure the train was back on the tracks fairly quickly by asking, You mentioned that the three victims were either eighteen or nineteen years old, correct?

Agent Dominga agreed.

Did you know if any of them were sexually attacked? asked Agent Dickinson.

Haven't received the reports from the medical examiner, responded Agent Hunt.

"Call