Cry for Me Page 8

  “No. I have everything I need right here.” replied Gene holding up a legal pad and tape measure. Gene went downstairs and Mr. Swanson took a seat in the recliner opposite his wife. Once down in the basement Gene listened to see if Mr. Swanson had decided to follow him. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out two hypodermic needles and a vial containing the Curare. He pushed the needle of each syringe into the vial and extracted the perfect dosage of the evil compound to render his victims completely helpless yet allow them to feel all the pain he inflicted upon them. They needed to feel the pain like he did.

  Gene quietly crept up the stairs leading the kitchen. He peaked around the door and could see both Mr. and Mrs. Swanson sitting in their recliners. The TV was on and turned up loud. The Peoples Court was on and Mr. Swanson was commenting on the show. Gene found it remarkably easy to make his way across the kitchen towards where they were seated. Using the loudness of the TV, Gene positioned himself behind both Jerry and Carla. They had no idea he stood directly behind them less then a foot away. Gene had a hypodermic clenched in each fist with needle pointing down from his fist and his thumbs positioned on the plungers.

  Gene slowly raised his arms high above their heads and with one sudden forceful thrust he plunged the needles deep into their carotid arteries and immediately administered the poison. Mrs. Swanson let a slight high pitched squeal followed by a long gasp as she began to immediately lose all motor control. Mr. Swanson was seated to his wife’s right and jerked his head toward his wife the moment the needle pierced deep into his neck. He let out a groan that was quickly stymied when the poison coursed through his system.

  He could see his dear wife of 50 years as she sat in her chair looking straight ahead. Her mouth was open and her hands clenched the arms of her chair. He wanted to reach out and help his wife but could not move. He was helpless. He knew that they had both been poisoned buy did not know with what. He knew it was the stranger that he just willingly invited into his home. It dawned on him that they were about to be the next victims in the killings that he had read about the week before. He was deeply saddened by this thought. He did not feel fear. Death did not frighten him. Mr. Swanson served in the Korean War and had received several medals for the combat he saw. What he felt was sadness. Tears began to flow down his cheeks. He wept not for himself. He wept for his wife. He did not want her to go like this. She deserved more. She was the love of his life. He wished he could reach out and hold her once more, for just one more kiss. He wept for his children and grandchildren. They were going to be without parents and grandparents.

  Mr. Swanson felt something press against his upper cheeks. His vision began to clear and he could see his attacker was the man he let into the house. Gene stood before Mr. Swanson holding two empty test tubes to Mr. Swanson’s face. One below each eye positioned in the steady flow of tears. Mr. Swanson was confused by the attacker’s actions and was clueless as to why he wanted his tears. He did not care as long as he was leaving his dear Carla alone.

  Gene capped the test tubes that had been filled by Mr. Swanson and placed them in his left rear pocket. From his right rear pocket he pulled two more empty test tubes. He placed them on Mrs. Swanson’s cheeks below her eyes and her tears began to fill the tubes. He could see that Mr. Swanson was positioned in such a way that he could he see everything that he did to Mrs. Swanson and could do nothing about it. He began to laugh and said, “You don’t like me by your woman, do you old man? Well, I don’t like other men by my women either and that is why you both must die today!”

  Mr. Swanson could feel rage building up inside him. He was sickened by the thought that his wife was about to have god knows what done to her and there was nothing he could do but sit and watch. “If only I could muster up enough strength to reach Carla’s Life Alert button, I could summons help.” thought Mr. Swanson. But there was no way he could. The Curare had taken compete effect. He was completely paralyzed.

  Gene finished harvesting Mrs. Swanson’s tears and placed the test tubes in his pocket. He pulled out the hypodermic needles that were still jammed into their necks. He noticed that Mrs. Swanson’s needle had broken off. He capped them and placed them in his pocket. He began to get concerned with the fact that Mrs. Swanson’s dose could be affected by the broken needle. He wondered how much made it directly into her blood stream and how much was below the surface of the skin. He did not have time to try to figure it out. She was paralyzed for now and he needed to act quickly before it wore off.

  Gene reached over to the table that sat between the recliners. He picked up a pair of knitting needles that laid a top the table. Mr. Swanson’s heart sank when he saw the attacker pick up Carla’s knitting needles. He feared the worst and soon his fears proved to be true. Gene grasped a knitting needle in his right hand and plunged it deep into Carla’s right thigh. Mr. Swanson could see horror and pain in his wife’s eyes as more tears began to flow down her face.

  “Damn! I should have brought more tubes!” laughed Gene as he looked at Mr. Swanson. “You are in for one hell of show old man! Waste not, want not!” exclaimed Gene.

  Mr. Swanson felt as though he may vomit as he sat there helpless, watching Gene lick the tears from his wife’s face. “Please no! Leave her alone! Kill me!” wept Mr. Swanson inside his head.

  Gene finished licking up her tears and let out a belch. He looked at Mr. Swanson and yelled, “I’m in control!” and grabbed the other knitting needle plunging it deep into her left thigh and began immediately lapping up the fresh tears from her face.

  Gene jumped from the chair and went into the kitchen. He returned with a large meat fork and began to drag it along Mrs. Swanson’s chest and breast area. “I bet these were some perky tits back in the day. Huh, old man?” said Gene as he taunted Mr. Swanson.

  “Oh don’t worry old man. I ain’t gonna rape your old lady! What do you think I am some fucking pervert?!” Gene lifted the fork quickly high above his head and plunged it deep into Mrs. Swanson’s chest and then ran to the bathroom down the hall.

  Mr. Swanson was in complete shock. “No, no! Not my Carla! Take me, bastard, not my wife!” screamed Mr. Swanson in his head. The feeling of seeing his wife tortured in front of him and not being able to do anything at all began take its toll physically on Mr. Swanson. He began to feel short of breath and felt a pain deep in his chest. He could hear the gurgling sounds being made by his wife as she tried to breathe through the hole ripped into her chest. He just wanted to die. “Lord take me and end her suffering.” he prayed.

  Gene returned after a few minutes and stood in front of Mrs. Swanson. Blood had run down the chair and onto the beige Berber carpet. Gene could see bubbles forming around the puncture would in her chest and realized that it had not done the trick like he thought. He turned to Mr. Swanson and said, “All those sweet Carla tears made me have to piss like race horse!” He then placed his hand over Mrs. Swanson’s mouth and nose and pressed down hard.

  Mr. Swanson could hear the gurgling sounds from the sucking chest wound get louder and more rapid as she could now only pull her breaths through the gaping wound in her chest. Gene felt blood splatter on his face from the air exiting Mrs. Swanson’s chest. He turned to Mr. Swanson and said, “Uh oh. We can’t have that. I sort of have my hands full. I am going to need your help, old man!” He reached over and grabbed Mr. Swanson’s left hand and pulled it over to his wife’s chest. Gene bent Mr. Swanson’s fingers into a fist with exception of the fore finger and middle finger. He then jammed Mr. Swanson’s fore finger and middle finger deep into the hole in his wife’s chest and covered her mouth and nose again.

  This effectively caught off all air supply to Mrs. Swanson. Mr. Swanson could feel his wife’s heart beat on his fist. It was pounding very hard at first and then began to slow. Before long it stopped. His wife had died in front of his very eyes and he was forced to have a hand in it! His dear Carla murdered in their home. Mr. Swanson always thought he would be the first to g
o, leaving his wife a widow. He never imagined the end of their fifty year marriage would end like this.

  Gene sat down on the love seat across from the Swanson’s. “Whew, that took a lot of work, old man. I couldn’t have done it with out you!” chuckled Gene to Mr. Swanson. Gene began to look at the pictures on the wall. He noticed the pictures of Mr. Swanson with his Army Unit in Korea during the war. Above the pictures hung a U.S. M1 infantry rifle carried my Mr. Swanson during combat. Gene stood up and picked up the rifle and removed the bayonet. He placed the rifle on the floor and felt the blade edge. It was still very sharp. Gene felt at ease now. He was getting sleepy and wanted to nap. He had lost interest in torturing Mr. Swanson. He just wanted to go home and day dream of making love to Samantha until he drifted off to sleep.

  He walked up to Mr. Swanson who was sitting slightly forward in his chair now, his fingers still in his dead wife’s chest. He placed his left hand on Mr. Swanson’s forehead and pushed it back. With his right hand he pressed the blade of the bayonet hard on Mr. Swanson’s neck and with one swift motion slit his throat.

  Mr. Swanson could feel the sharp sensation of pain as the bayonet cut deep into his throat. He could feel the blood running down his throat and begin filling up his lungs. He could feel the warm blood as it ran down his chest and across his abdomen. He did not mind the pain. It did hurt as much as he thought it would and was surprised by that. He hoped that Carla’s pain was not as bad as well. He began to feel at ease. It was over. He did not have to worry anymore. His wife was dead and he could no longer feel the pain of her death. He felt total comfort. He knew she was no longer in pain and that no one else could ever hurt her gain. She was in a much better place and he would soon be back in her arms once again.

  Gene walked down the hall to the bedroom and began searching for money. He finds $1,700.00 in an envelope marked “carpet money” on a dresser. He checks Mrs. Swanson’s purse and finds $30.00 and an additional $40.00 in Mr. Swanson’s wallet.

  He needs money for more Curare. He only has enough left for maybe one dose and that would be a weak one. With the $1,770 found at the Swanson’s, the $40.00 he found in Watterson’s purse and the $500.00 cash found in Rush’s pocket he had enough now to get another delivery. He would get a hold of his contact as soon as he got home and meet him as soon as possible.

  Chapter 10

  Tuesday morning was the third day in row of nearly perfect weather and offered much welcomed relief from the hot and humid temperatures that plagued northern Illinois the week before. Rick and Dan had made a visit to the Gail Borden Library in Elgin. Rick wanted more information on curare and was looking for a more credible source than the internet. With nearly 140, 000 square feet and a capacity of 460,000 volumes, the library was one of the best resources in the Fox Valley area. The Gail Borden Library is situated on the eastern shores of the Fox River. It is a beautiful two- story building, clad in warm buff and terra cotta-colored stone.

  Rick was busy searching for books that he could use to reference curare and its origin while Dan was busy combing the Illinois Digital Archives to see if there were any Illinois connections to curare in old newspaper articles or arrest records. Dan had been searching for a considerable amount of time and was coming up with nothing and was hoping that Rick was making progress than he was.

  The library was quiet with only the occasional cough or page turning to be heard. Soon the silence was broken by the sound of Rick’s phone notifying him of a text. Rick immediately grabbed his phone and silenced it. He read the text and headed for the main entrance motioning for Dan to follow.

  Once outside Rick advised Dan that he just received a text from Lt. Jones advising him that Cary Police had a subject in custody at the McHenry County Jail, that may be of interest to them. Dan could hear the excitement in Rick’s voice and was eager to learn what about the Cary P.D.’s prisoner could interest them. Rick explained that a Cary patrolman conducted a traffic stop over the weekend and arrested the driver, Ernesto“El Guapo“ Martinez for an outstanding warrant. A subsequent search was done to Martinez’s vehicle and several bottles of OxyContin and Ecstasy was found during the search as well as three small vials containing and an unknown substance. The substance was sent out to a lab to be identified and results came into today. The results concluded that the substance is Isoquinoline or as they new it, curare.

  “Could this be our guy?” asked Dan.

  “More like our dealer! They’re holding the scumbag at the McHenry County Jail and he is due for bond hearing this afternoon. We need to get our asses to the jail a-sap and have a go around with Mr. Martinez before he makes bail!, replied Rick.

  Rick used his lights and sirens to get through the traffic lights that lined Rt. 31 as he headed to the jail. He was anxious to get to the jail and to take a whack at this guy. If he could get him to give up a name or even a description of the buyer, that the curare was intended for, it would be a huge break in his case. Rick was running scenarios through his head, of setting up a sting and catching the perp in the act of buying the dangerous compound.

  His thoughts were interrupted when the police radio in his car went off.

  Dispatch: “South Elgin 45, report of a well being check at 745 Mill St. I have the complainant, Donald Swanson, on the phone. He is stating that he is the son of the occupants of that address and he has been trying to call his parents at the phone number to that address as well a their cell phone since 6pm last night and no answer. He advised that his parents are in their eighties and that this is uncharacteristic for them to not answer the phone or return his calls.”

  Patrol unit: “45, 10-04, in route from Pleasant Dr. and East Av.”

  Rick looked at Dan and did not say a word. He reached down and turned the volume up on his radio and picked up the mic. He had a sinking feeling deep in his stomach as he pressed the transmit button. “South Elgin from David- 6.”

  “Go ahead David- 6”

  “Myself and 36 are in route to McHenry County Jail. Please advise me the status of 45’s well being check ASAP.”

  “10-04, David- 6”.

  Dan looked at Rick and said, “Well, Dale is only a few blocks away. We should hear something soon,” Rick agreed with Dan and told him he had a bad feeling about this. Dan tried to reassure Rick and said it could be nothing. Not telling Rick he had the same feeling.

  They were silent as they rode along. Rick had turned off his emergency light and siren and had slowed his pace a little. The silence in the patrol car was broken with a crackle of the radio. “South Elgin, from 45. I’ll be 10-23 out of the car checking.” Rick was happy to hear Dale was on the scene and eager to hear what was going on. The radio crackled again, “South Elgin, from 45. Be advised I have visual through the front window of two subjects down in the house and in need of medical attention. I will need rescue at this address and permission from a supervisor to make a forced entry.”

  Dispatch: “10-04, 45. Fire/ Rescue are in route. Lincoln 4 advises you to make forced entry and we are sending units 18 and 36 to cover. David- 6 are you 10-04 on 45‘s traffic?”

  Rick: “David- 6, 10-04”.

  Rick’s heart sank as he hung the mike back on the radio. He looked and Dan and said, “I hope to hell this is not what I think it is.”

  “Me too, Rick. But, it is two people down and in our town. Think we should turn around?” asked Dan.

  “Probably should. If it turns out we were wrong, we can always head back to the jail.” replied Rick.

  Rick had turned the patrol car around and was headed towards his town when his cell phone rang. It was Dale. He had made entry into the house. “Hey, Rick. I’m in the house. You need to get here right away. That son of a bitch carved up an elderly couple.” Rick felt sick as he listened to Dale talk. “Rick there is more. That sick son of a bitch carved your name in one of the foreheads” Rick felt his legs go numb as Dale delivered the disturbing news.

  Rick pressed on the gas hard and Dan activated the emergency lights an
d sirens once again. Rick filled Dan in on what Dale had told him as they weaved in and out of traffic zipping through traffic lights the siren whaling the entire way.

  Dan jumped on his cell phone and called the McHenry County Jail and spoke to a supervisor in the corrections division. He explained to him that they wanted to speak to Martinez and explained why. The Lieutenant told Keyes he would do what he could to stall and would speak to the judge.

  Chapter 11

  Rick noticed two Kane County Coroner vans in front of the house as he pulled up to the address. “That is not a good sign.” he thought as he parked. He also noticed there was a fairly descent sized crowd of on lookers that had gathered across the street. Rick got out of his patrol car and yelled over to the two patrolmen keeping the crowd across the street. “I want the name and addresses of everyone there, and a statement. No one crosses this street!”

  Rick and Dan were greeted by Jim Schauer as they walked up the sidewalk. Jim advised them that there were two deceased victims in the house and both were DOA, an 84 year old female and an 85 year old male. Jim advised them that son of the victim was in an ambulance on scene and that he had just positively identified the victims, via photographs obtained in the home, as his parents, Jerry and Carla Swanson.

  Jim, Rick, and Dale began to walk into the house and Jim warned them that this particular scene was pretty bloody and disturbing. Rick’s olfactory glands were immediately assaulted as they walked through the kitchen. The smell of death and coagulated blood hit him like a brick. The house was quite warm inside and Rick could feel beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

  Rick and Dan stood before the bodies in disbelief. They could not believe their eyes. There was no satin cloth left behind by the killer this time but it was very clear this was the work of their killer. The killer wanted to make very clear to Rick who did this as he stood there staring at Carla Swanson’s chest. What Rick was looking at was particularly gruesome. The killer had ripped open Mrs. Swanson’s shirt and carved “To Rick I told you so” on her abdomen. The killer also carved Rick’s first name on Mr. Swanson’s forehead and his last name on Mrs. Swanson’s forehead.