Spring begins around the latter part of March. Most people think it begins on the first of March as the weather turns warmer and the first growth of spring pokes its head out of the earth reaching for the sun. The dreary days of winter are over for the most part. Spring cleaning takes place; the lawn mowers are tuned up; leaves are raked; cars washed on the weekend; and people take on a new attitude of hope and energy for the coming months ahead. However, in Aberdeen such was not the case. The atmosphere was tense and nobody went anywhere without someone going with them. At night the streets were rolled up and mostly deserted with the exception of delivery trucks and government vehicles.
On March sixteenth Senior Killer John made his move. He was cleverly disguised as a fifty something government agent from Seattle, took his Marlin spike to an old lady’s house on the boarder of the city limits with Hoquiam. Some neighbors reported seeing the woman going house to house warning the occupants to be on the look out for the serial killer. Still others said they saw her only go in the old ladies house and back out in five minutes. Regardless, he came, he did and he left unseen leaving the team holding the bag. Brad was so upset he disappeared for two hours before returning calm and effective once more.
How could this happen, was the question held in a meeting in Seattle the next day. So simple, Brad thought. A government looking car with stolen plates; and a person with fake ID made the bureau look like fools. The killing was history and the media came down on the bureau with such a heavy weight that it would take a crane to lift the burden slammed on by the press. Brad knew Steve would be talking a tongue lashing from Washington. How is it possible to cover all the bases, he thought. He’s giving us time and place. We know what segment of society he is murdering. So simple, but yet so clever; now we must determine what he will be his disguise in Anacortes.
Brad surprised all of them when he told them that he and Sujin would return to home for a few days while he took the time to think about the case. Julie and Mike went with them. Billy stayed in Seattle along with Nancy. Billy took a trip up to Anacortes to visit Wendy and agent Jones on location to see what the town looked like. For two days he walked the streets of Anacortes and spent some time on the docks watching the boats while looking at his laptop. The flowers were on his mind and by god, he thought, the key to Anacortes is flowers. Billy went to every flower shop in town and cruised in his rental car visiting residential places looking for activities where flower lovers were preparing their spring beds.
Down on the coast of Oregon Brad spent a lot of time running and walking the beach with his dogs. Sujin was having some morning sickness these days so she stayed at home. Mike ran with Brad. They were more than friends and between the two of them brothers were more like it. Spring weather on the beach is usually windy, but days of sunshine broke through the showers. In March, nobody knows why, a period of calm descends on the coast and the temps reach mid-seventies and the weather bring out the locals in droves to enjoy the beach. Rollers instead of breakers gracefully spill upon the beach in a quiet way. It was a quiet day when Brad and Mike along with the rare appearance on the beach of Sujin, found them next to a dune leaning on an old log playing in the sand with Sandy. Brad was stretched out soaking up the rare sun on his belly while Sujin laid her head on his back laying in the sand. Mike was sitting Indian style playing with a stick making pictures in the sand. Sandy tried to get Mike to play tug a war, but he was deep in thought about the case. He said, “Brad, have you got anything we can work with. I for one am so pissed I can’t see straight. Give me some terrorists and an M-16 and look out. Give me a serial killer who is nuts… But at least we know where he is going. Not that we can seem to do anything about it and I for one would like to play the role of a senior and maybe he would chose me as a victim.”
“Not a bad thought,” said Brad “How about we expand on that idea. What if you were seen around town, at the senior center or some such place? You have just arrived from California and lonely as hell. You’re begging for company and invite people over to your small house that is off the beaten track. You have a flower garden as Billy says this guy has flowers on the brain. Your disguise could be made simple just enough to make you look old and slow. Damn, what do you guys think?”
Sujin had since raised herself to a sitting position and said, “I like it and what about you Mike?”
“It can’t hurt to try,” he said with a lot less confidence than before. “Hell, let’s do it,” he said with renewed enthusiasm. I need a beard, more wrinkles, eye glasses, and hair in my ears, a stoop when I walk, and a professional make-up artist to train me”
Brad said, playing with Sandy rolling around in the hot sand with her, “When are you leaving?” So it was decided Mike would leave soonest and a professional make-up artist would meet him in Seattle. He would spend a week or less in training and then up to Anacortes.
Brad made the necessary phone calls and had the plan set up by the next day. A house would be located even if they had to move someone out. When Billy heard the plan he was ecstatic. Wendy and agent Jones went about their business with the dry cleaners and laundry. By now they were getting a feel for the town as more and more customers came by to have their clothes cleaned by the nice people who ran the place. Agent Jones drove the van for delivery and soon had a lay of the land. Nancy came and met with the mayor and the mayor provided her with a list of old people in town who frequented the different organizations that catered to old folks. A list of homebound seniors was visited by the FBI and told under no circumstances let anyone in their house they didn’t know. To prevent a repeat of Aberdeen, two agents instead of one would always be together so if an individual posing as an agent would be a dead give away. Nobody thought he would pull the same MO again, but no chances were taken this time around.
Brad thought it only time before another letter came from the brazen John. And sure enough as April neared a letter was delivered to both the Seattle Times and an identical one to the FBI office. Like before a smiley appeared on the top left hand side and a shocker occurred when they saw it was postmarked Anacortes. The contents are as follows:
Dearest Brad and the witless Batt team,
How did I do in Aberdeen? Not bad huh? Catch me if you can.
The half circle is closing. I didn’t much like the sex part. So don’t put that in the equation.
Brad, I think we shall meet again soon as April showers bring May flowers.