Become serial: new victim of the cashier killer

Become serial: cashier killer strikes again

  The chief turned back and entered his office. Despite his experience and his balanced character, this time his heart was pumping faster than ever. He was trying to calm down when the silence was interrupted by the sound of a known melody. He took his phone from the desk, turned with a face to the door and clicked on the green button.

- Hello, Mr. Mayor - said the chief.

- Hello chief. Do you have anything interesting for me?

- We have a list with four suspects, sir.

- You will have to arrest someone chief, I think I was clear enough yesterday, and you will have to do it quickly.

- But Mr. Mayor, it'll be a matter of guesswork. We're police, we have to defend the law and I don't want us to arrest innocent people. - answered the chief, knowing that this won't have any effect.

- Listen, chief. It is 9 o'clock now. You have two hours to identify the one to be arrested. Then you will act quickly. I expect you to hold a press conference at noon.

- Mr. Mayor, I don't think that this is the right approach. - said the chief while making a sign with his hand to Eric and Linda to wait in front of the door.

- Chief, I think I was clear. I will wait for your call, because I will have to attend that press conference. - said the Mayor and ended the call.

  The police chief put his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. He moved his fingers to his nose then took a deep breath and opened the door of his office.

- OK guys. I've just had a talk with the mayor. As I already announced we will have to make a decision. You know me well enough, I don't like this, but we have to arrest someone. I'll listen to your thoughts on this.

- Chief, I think we have to arrest this guy Fred West - said Eric Adams. - He drags the attention and he definitely could be a successor. I think we have two killers. There are some important differences between the last murder and the previous two cases.

- Wait a minute Eric. I don't think that West is our guy. I didn't slept last night, because I tried to arrange the puzzle, and I think that it's very hard to choose one of suspects. It will be almost a shot in the dark. According to me we'll have to dig a little bit deeper. I know how this sound, because we gave our best in the last weeks, but I still think we could find something more. Just look again at the profile of Carl Baker. A client of every shop where a cashier was killed with an alibi for two of the murders, but it was confirmed by his mother. He was in prison in the past, but the records for his case are surprisingly missing. Obviously we could do more here. I think we could find the judge, lawyers, any of the jury, anyone from the prison, there should be someone who could convince us that he is guilty or innocent. I have a sense here chief. I think that Baker is the cashier killer.

- OK, Linda, but we have to act. There is no time for revealing this mystery story. I propose to arrest this guy West for 24 hours. With that move we'll bring the attention to the press and the citizens and the mayor will leave us to work behind the scene. You will lead the team which will arrest him and then we'll give the wanted press conference. After that I'll take care for the interrogations while you will continue working on the case. Hopefully you will find something more for the next 24 hours, because hope is the only thing we got now.

- Chief.  Imagine the effect of such actions. West will become a sensation and his next article may ruin us. If the theory of Eric is correct then there could be more successors or the real killer could kill again. That will lead to a crisis...

- Listen Linda - interrupted her the chief - my hands are tied. The pressure is enormous. I'll take the risk. That's my final decision and then I will bear the consequences. Let's move.

  Three hours later the police press conference hall was full of TV cameras and journalists. The square in front of the police department was full of people. There were voices saying "Did you herd he's arrested?", "The cashier killer is in prison", "There will be a press conference for his arrest" and others. Everyone was looking at the microphones when the police chief entered in the hall followed by detectives Adams and Clark. They took their places and waited for the mayor. Once he was on his chair too, the chief went to the microphones, put his papers on, pressed the button and started:

- I will not be eloquent. I'm here to inform you that we made an arrest. We think that the person who was arrested is the cashier killer. We will continue our work on this special case in order to ensure your safety and to provide the needed evidences, because all we want is that this murderer will stay in prison. I apologize in advance, but I won't answer any questions today and I won't reveal the identity of the man we arrested. Thank you for being here and please give us enough time to finish what we have started - the chief took his papers and went out of the room.

While walking in the corridor from the press conference hall to the police station the chief said:

- Eric, Linda it's your turn now. I'll try to ensure you will have as much as possible time to find any evidences.

Half an hour later detectives Clark and Adams arrived in the local prison. They had an appointment to meet with the head of the prison.

- Hello detectives. How could I help you? - said the director who was a man around 50 year old, thickset and a bit thickish with a groomed mustache.

- Hello director Robins, we would like to talk again for Carl Baker.-answered Linda.

- You already saw the forms. We didn't have any problems with that guy.

- Yes and it was written that he was here because of theft and the number of the case. So we didn't found anything in the courts archive, so we are back here, because we want to talk with a cell mate or anyone who has talked with him.

- But you already arrested the cashier killer, why are you still investigating? - asked the surprised director.

- Look. Will you help us or what? - said nervously Adams. - We're doing our job.

- Calm down detective. I see that you are nervous and I could understand why. Come with me, we'll talk with the chief of the guards.

  After a brief discussion with the chief of the guards and two of his subordinates the detectives finally found a name of a prisoner who was in the same cell as Baker. The interrogations went fast and the two policemen headed back to the police department.

- Eric I'll call the chief, we have to act fast. - said Linda while dialing the chief's number. - Hello chief. We have news. We talked with Baker's cellmate and he share with us that Baker was sentenced for a theft from a market. Carl Baker told him that the cashier hid his own theft by accusing him. Obviously this is motive.

- Linda, great news. Come here and we will organize new operation. Until then I'll dismiss the charges for West and let him leave.

- We're coming chief.

  Detectives Adams and Clark arrived in the police office and notice that the police chief was waiting near their desks. Obviously there was something.

- Detectives, there is a new victim. Another cashier was found dead in his apartment. According to the officers the murder was done an hour ago. You should check the murder first then we’ll go for Baker if there isn't something.

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