Chapter 5: You played it for her, you can play it for me

We were on the freeway heading north away from Downey and I was trying to figure out what my next move should be. I had told Dana that I'd let her and Candy handle things their way but I didn't consider for a moment that made me powerless. I'll have the last word on what happens to you, Creepy. If you're lucky prosecutors and a jury will determine your future. They'll decide whether you are guilty, and if so, whether you get the death penalty. If you're unlucky I'll decide, and I'll take my time with you Creepy. I want you to feel sheer terror. I want you to experience pain. I want you to know you're going to die. I'll take my time. I need more than faith to come to terms with what happened to that child Creepy, and my own faith runs short. I ask myself why, and I don't get a single answer, other than you committed a senseless act, and the understanding of the absolute necessity that you, a sadistic killer, be made to pay. I'm usually against it, the killing of killers Creepy, but my emotions have taken over. I don't like you Creepy, and only your death will offer satisfaction.

Without the business card that Kitty had left behind for me, you wouldn't feel the heat you're going to feel. I'm not talking about heat as in police. I mean the outrage of me Creepy, bearing down on you. Without that card I would have been angry, but not so fiercely, not so strong. With that single little card, your act is no abstraction, no mere compilation of facts in some police report. That card gives you a face Creepy, sets the scene, has me disappointed with myself, knowing I should have been there to snatch Kitty back. It is the second act of the drama Creepy. The police provided the first act, when they made the tearful pronouncement that Kitty was dead. I cry for her Creepy. But not a single tear will be shed for you ... by anyone.

I rationalized that my commitment to let Dana and Candy handle things their way had technically only referred to me not going back to Creepy's house after Candy had found the business card that Kitty had left behind. Granted that this kind of rationalization might get me into trouble with Dana and Candy but I couldn't help feeling that my lovely FBI Agent's hands might become tied up in departmental red-tape and that Creepy would somehow slip away from us. I owed it to Kitty to see to it that her killer was made to pay and that he could never harm anyone else ever again.

I decided the first thing I needed to do was to verify, without any doubt that Creepy was the one that deserved all the rage I felt in the pit of my stomach. I needed to get inside that white house with gray trim in Downey.

"You two should probably get back to the office," I said casually, "Why don't you find some convenient place to drop me off and I'll just catch a cab home."

"Don't be silly, honey," Dana responded. "We'll drop you off and then head back in."

"That's way out of your way. I'll just catch a cab or call Jen or Kim or even Pat to come get me. The Caddy should be at the house."

"It's no ... Do you want to talk about it Sam?" Dana started to argue then asked the question.

"No, not right now." I responded and then said, "Listen I really do need a little time to myself right now. I'll just catch some lunch and then have someone come and get me in a bit. Okay?"

"Okay," Dana agreed but she strung out the word when she said it as if she was worried, "If you say so. There's a great little restaurant over on Market that Candy and I eat at sometimes. I'll drop you off there."

"Good," I smiled.

By the look they both gave me I'm not sure either Dana or Candy completely believed I was only going to have some lunch, clear my mind and then go home, but I assumed because Dana had questioned my sincerity back at Creepy's house nether of them felt it prudent to question me about it.

Dana double parked in front of the restaurant and I kissed both women good bye, then Candy slid out of the car so I could get out after which she got back in. "Sam, nothing stupid. By the book right?" Dana cautioned.

"By the book," I answered smiling weakly.

Both women smiled back but I could see they looked concerned, then Dana drove off.

I located a phone booth and then scanning through the yellow pages, hanging from a chain attached inside the booth, I looked up the phone number and address of Robert Towns the locksmith we'd used to break into Jess Borden's safe and then later on to install the new door locks and alarm system in the Hollywood Hills house.

I dropped a dime and then dialed his number. After several rings a gruff voice answered, "Towns lock service."

"Robert Towns?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it is." He responded.

"Hi, this is Sam Eldon. I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but you opened a safe and then later installed a new alarm system for us in our house over in Hollywood Hills."

"I'm not likely to forget you Mr. Eldon. What can I do for you?"

"Sam, call me Sam. Anyway, I'd like to talk to you about something. It shouldn't take very long. Would it be alright if I caught a cab and dropped by your shop?"

"Another job?" He asked.

"In a way yes," I responded. "But I'd much rather talk to you about it in person if that's all right."

"Sure thing, you're the customer Sam," He returned laughing. "Cab you say. Where are you?"

I told him where I was at.

"Hell, I'll drive over and pick you up. With the last couple of jobs you gave me it's the least I can do. See you in ten."

"Thanks."

He hung up.

Ten minutes later Robert Towns' pick-up truck pulled up and I jumped in.

As Towns weaved his way through traffic I commented, "On the phone you said you weren't likely to forget me, how so?"

He laughed, "Hell man think about it. There you are, one guy with this whole houseful of hot women running around. Well seeing that, I tell myself this guy has got to be either the reincarnation of Casanova himself or he's gay. Now my male ego tells me gay, but while installing the alarm system I hear some of the women talking to each other and they sure as hell aren't talking about you like you're some kind of card carrying fairy or anything, and I think damn as my ego bursts all to hell. Then a little later on I hear them talking about Agent Dana Peel living there too. Man, I'll tell ya, I've had the hots for her so long I can't even remember. Hell, I'd willingly give my left nut for any one of the broads you've got living with you, especially Agent Peel. And you wonder how I couldn't forget you." He laughed again.

"Ah," I said nodding my head while silently agreeing with his assessment that all the girls were more than a little genetically-blessed.

After making a right hand turn he looked over at me and then with admiration in his voice he asked, "Hey, how about Agent Candy Muldon? You doing her too?"

I didn't say anything.

"Okay, I understand, you don't have to answer, just tell me this, has she moved in too?"

I nodded.

"Damn!" he said turning his attention back to the traffic in front of him. "Man, what I wouldn't give to spend just one night in your skin. Christ! Even Hugh Hefner ain't got nothing over on you."

I didn't say anything again.

When we arrived at his shop I saw that not only was Robert Towns a locksmith and safe cracker but he also sold surveillance and spy equipment as well.

When I commented on the equipment he said, "I've got Agents Peel and Muldon to thank for that. Before those two got me in with the feds I was just a small time locksmith barely making wages. Now I not only do jobs for the feds, but the LAPD, the sheriff's office and for the city and county of Los Angles to boot. I owe those two an awful lot. Hell, if I had known at the time that Agent Peel was living with you I'd have given you a much better deal on that alarm system."

"We thought your price was fair." I told him.

"Yeah, but like I said I owe her. Her and Agent Muldon," He responded.

"Agents Peel and Muldon are kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." I said.

"I'm listening," He responded.

"They're currently working on a case that involves a real bad guy. They believe this guy's murdered at least six women." I bit down on my upper lip and took a deep breath before continuing, "The last of these women was a friend of mine."

He looked shocked when he said, "Awh, jeez, not one of the ones living with you?"

"No, but a friend none the less," I told him. "Here's the problem. We believe we know where this guy lives but without due cause Dana and Candy can't get a search warrant to go through the guy's place and..."

"And," Towns finished the sentence for me, "you want me to get you into this guy's house, right?"

"Well, not exactly," I responded. "I want you to give me the tools I need so I can get in. Look, the less you're involved in this the better. Hell, I can't even tell Dana or Candy what I'm doing, their police ethics would get in the way. All I need to do is make sure they have the right guy. After that justice can take its course."

"Yeah but even if you find something inside this guy's house that still leaves due cause as a problem. Right?" Towns remarked.

"No." I responded, "If I find what I'm looking for I'll plant the evidence where it will give them due cause."