To Catch A Butterfly You Need A Net Read online

  To Catch a Butterfly: You Need A Net

  By

  Gabriele Phillis

  Copyright © 2013

  All rights reserved – Gabriele Phillis No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or

  mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, from the publisher.

  ISBN: 978 - 1494799090

  To Tony For Everthing

  vv

  Kevin was walking home from a friend’s birthday dinner. He had a couple of beers and was taking the short cut through the old red light district close to Santa Monica Boulevard, a rundown, shabby part of Los Angeles. He heard a woman scream. All of a sudden, Kevin was not so tired any more. Adrenalin was pumping through his system.

  “Hey you” he wanted to shout, but the words stuck in his mouth.

  It was almost dark a few dimly lit street lamps, but there was enough light to see the face of the man in his fifties, medium build, with a blond beard, balding hairline.

  The man shot the woman in the head. She collapsed under him, hitting the ground face down. Kevin stared at the scene and then at the man. The man stared back, pointing the handgun at him. Kevin heard the click of the gun. At the same time as the man pulled the trigger, Kevin jumped into the shadows. The shot missed. Before the gun blast faded Kevin took a sharp turn ducking behind the dumpster, stumbling over metal cans, his breath coming in short gasps. He heard a second and third shot behind him. He felt blood running down his leg - enough reason to panic. Kevin ducked and ran for his life. Rolling down a hill, he scrambled to his knees. Hell could not be much worse than this alone in the night, chased by a killer and nobody there to help.

  This was a nightmare the killer was following him. Kevin heard his footsteps close behind him. The killer shot a fourth time. The bullet whizzed over his head, missing him by inches.

  Kevin ran for his life to a nearby park with lots of trees. He jumped over a rotten bench and hid behind a clump of bushes, trying to stay calm. He would not be as lucky next time. Then silence. Kevin could hear only his own fast breathing, his heart pumping at a hundred miles an hour. He had nothing to defend himself with except for his bare fists, while the killer had a gun.

  He thought about the friends he had just left. “Man in his late thirties killed after party,” they would read in the paper next morning. Would everybody he knew come to his funeral? What about the new apartment he had just bought and had not yet paid for? His life was flashing before him, while he was listening to the slightest noise, his mind focused only on one thing - his follower. All that he could hear was his own breathing. Sweat was running down his face and the inside of his shirt. It was like a bad dream. The only difference was that he would not wake up because it was real.

  He heard footsteps, only ten feet away on the damp leaves. The killer stopped. Kevin froze. He held his breath. One wrong move and the killer would see him.

  Suddenly the killer turned away from him. Kevin could not believe his luck. Was the killer heading back to the crime scene?

  He tried to suppress the pain in his right leg. Had he really survived four shots?

  The last one hit his leg. However, the pain was nothing compared to what he just experienced. It did not matter. Nothing seemed to matter any more. I can get through this, he thought to himself. He half-walked, half-ran until he saw the lights of the police headquarters. Enormous relief flooded his aching body. In a moment, he would be safe.

  He could not believe what just happened. He had seen a woman murdered, and the murderer tried to kill him!

  vv

  Officer Bauer looked up from his desk, stopped eating his burger when Kevin pushed open the door, and staggered into the red brick building.

  “I’ve just seen a woman shot,” Kevin shouted.

  “Who shot who and where?” The officer asked Kevin as he jumped out of his chair. Within a second, he reached for the phone and called an ambulance.

  “Up in the alley behind the Blue Moon Bar,” Kevin said, breathing heavily.

  “Do you know the person?”

  Kevin leaned against the counter but before he could answer, his body collapsed onto the floor. The last thing he remembered was his head hitting the cold stone tiles. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an ambulance, sirens howling through the night. He had an IV drip in his arm. In a daze, he turned his head slightly and looked at the man next to him. For a moment, he was not sure what had happened, and then he remembered.

  “I am Dr. Phillips. Do you know that you have been shot?” Kevin closed his eyes for half a second.

  Next to the doctor sat a uniformed officer, both of them cramped on a tiny plastic stool.

  “I am Chief of Detectives Tyler and I need a statement from you. What’s your name?”

  Kevin looked at his bandaged leg. What had happened? How did he get here? Then he remembered. Never would he forget the terror in the voice of the victim who knew she was about to die.

  “Kevin Roberts,” he said and told him where he lived. “We are on the way to the hospital to have a look at your gunshot,” Dr. Phillips said. “It seems the bullet has missed the femoral artery of your leg, but you still have lost a lot of blood.”

  Kevin nodded, still numb, and trying to register the ordeal he had been through in the last few hours.

  When they arrived at the hospital, two nurses in their neat white uniforms were already waiting for them. Kevin smelt the strong disinfectant and felt sick as they made their way through the long corridor.

  “We are going to protect you,” Chief of Detectives Tyler said behind him.

  Why would they think he needed protection? It was over. He was safe.

  “Do you know the suspect?” Tyler asked. Kevin shook his head.

  “No, never seen him before.”

  He remembered the piercing eyes of the killer, full of rage and hatred; he had never seen anybody like that.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “It’s kind of unreal,” replied Kevin slowly. The completely crazy scene flashed through his mind in an instant. “He wanted to kill me because I witnessed the shooting,” he muttered grimly.

  “I have about forty people out there at the moment who are looking for him. Can you remember what he was wearing?” “Something like a long coat, I think. It was dark,” Kevin said. “You think or you’re sure?”

  “I am sure.”

  “Anything else you remember?”

  “About six foot tall, receding hair, I think - blond.” “Could you see his face?” Tyler looked intently at him. Kevin tried to force himself back to the crime scene. He would never forget that face, unpredictable, his evil expression telling Kevin he was going to kill him. That face would follow Kevin for the rest of his life.

  “Do you have any identification on you?” Tyler asked. Kevin’s hand reached into his pocket. Where his wallet had been was now an empty spot, confirming his worst fears. “Shit,” he muttered, clenching his fist.

  “What’s wrong?” Tyler asked.

  “Everything was in my wallet, my driver’s license, phone numbers, and credit cards. I must have lost it.”

  Tyler rubbed his unshaven jaw.

  “Let’s hope he didn’t find it,” he said. “Otherwise he has easy access to your apartment. Can you identify him?”

  Kevin nodded. “We made eye contact.”

  Tyler looked at his watch. “I’ll get one of our sketch artists out to you first thing tomorrow. It is too late now. Get some rest.” Rest, that is what he needed right now.

  “Finally, someb
ody who can identify him,” Tyler said, relieved. “Nobody has been able to so far.” Kevin did not know if that was good or bad news.

  “We have been after the bastard for ten years now. He is the world’s most wanted serial killer. He will not get away with it much longer. He will make a mistake soon. When Agent Woods hears about it, all hell will break loose.”

  Tyler’s face was deep in thought.

  “Who is Agent Woods?” Kevin looked at him.

  “He is Special Agent in Charge, who has been working on this case for years. His daughter was one of the victims.” Dr. Phillips interrupted him.

  “Your questioning has to wait until tomorrow, sorry. I have to take the patient to x-ray.”

  He pushed a button and the door to the x-ray room opened. “I’ll come back tomorrow morning,” Tyler said. “Then we’ll have a talk. Do not worry. You will be okay. I have seen much worse wounds.”

  “Thanks for the encouragement,” Kevin said.

  “Honestly, I mean it.”

  The x-ray showed no damage.

  “You are very lucky,” Dr. Phillips said afterwards. “That was close. However, keep your leg still for the next few days. The best thing is for us to keep you for observation overnight. You should be fine to leave tomorrow. I will give you something for the pain.”

  Kevin felt frustrated about spending the night at the hospital, but he realized that it was too late now to call a locksmith. Besides, he was exhausted and tired.

  A nurse wheeled him into a small room with one bed, a small table, two chairs and a TV mounted on the wall.

  “If you need anything just push the button,” she said, pointing to the switch by the bed. “The bathroom is over there.” She handed him a white thin hospital gown. He changed his clothes after she had left. Soon after, he started to feel pain in his leg and took a painkiller. Five minutes later, he was deep asleep.

  The first thing next morning, he saw Tyler and a woman, wearing black-rimmed glasses, sitting next to his bed. Kevin sat up straight.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he stared at Tyler. “Good morning to you, too,” Tyler said. “I told you that you would be all right, didn’t I? This is Belinda, our sketch artist. How is your leg?”

  “You scared the shit out of me,” Kevin said, lying back again. Tyler was starting to get on his nerves. Had he nothing else to do?

  “Sorry to scare you. I did not mean to and thought the earlier we get this done the better.”

  What did he mean by that?

  “What time is it?” Kevin asked.

  “Half past six. There is no need to rush. You have to wait for the release papers anyway before you can leave.”

  Kevin pushed the blanket away and got up. He went into the adjoining bathroom and got dressed. His leg ached a little but the pain was manageable, compared with yesterday. When he returned Tyler came straight to the point. “It would be good if we can take a statement and get a description of the killer now.”

  Kevin frowned. “I told you everything I know yesterday. I don’t remember anything else.”

  Tyler looked at him sympathetically.

  “I know, but sometimes people remember more the next day. Please, tell me again exactly what happened.”

  The nurse entered the room with two crutches.

  “Oh, I see you are awake, sorry about the police. They insisted on seeing you as soon as you woke up.”

  She shot Tyler a disapproving look and leaned the crutches against the wall.

  “These are for you,” she smiled. “What would you like for breakfast - toast or cereal?”

  “Nothing,” Kevin said louder than he wanted. “I am not hungry and don’t want anything. I want to go home.” She seemed to be offended.

  “The release papers will be ready soon,” she said and left. Kevin felt guilty. He did not want to let his frustration out on her. That was not his intention.

  He took a deep breath and described to the sketch artist the killer’s face, and then told Tyler again what he had witnessed. After half an hour, the nurse brought him the release papers to sign. With the help of the crutches, he made his way to the door.

  “Wait a minute, Kevin. I haven’t finished yet,” Tyler said. What was it now? Kevin turned around. He had a sour taste in his mouth, a strange feeling. An inner voice told him it was not over yet.

  “I have told you everything I know,” he said. “I really don’t know what else there is.”

  “I am afraid it’s not that simple. There is a problem. I need you to come with me to the FBI building to meet Agent Woods.”

  That did not sound good. Kevin’s eyes focused on Tyler. “What sort of problem?”

  “We need your help in case the killer makes contact with you.”

  Kevin felt like somebody kicked him in the stomach. This sounded a bit unreal. The whole thing was growing out of proportion.

  “What makes you think that? If he wanted to kill me, he surely wouldn’t call me first.”

  “You have no idea what we are dealing with. Serial killers do the strangest things to confuse others.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nobody has ever seen the killer. He is on the most wanted list for serial killers. Do you know what that means? He will come after you if you do not listen to me. Do you know that you are the only one who has ever seen him?”

  Kevin felt a surge of anger.

  “I don’t care. I do not want to be your bait for this psychopath. Thanks, but no thanks.”

  His whole body was tense, already thinking the worst. He had to call the school principal to tell him that he was not coming to work today and organize a locksmith to change locks on his apartment. There was no time to waste with the FBI. “We are dealing with a serial killer, Kevin,” Tyler continued. “He calls himself The Say. Prostitutes are his victims. You are in great danger if you do not follow our instructions. The FBI has been after him for over ten years. Do you know what his trademark is?”

  “Oh, hell, no and I don’t care. I have other things to worry about now. Sorry, I don’t want to be rude, but I can’t help you.”

  Tyler ignored Kevin.

  “He has a fascination with fire, like most serial killers. You have to see the burns on the victims, and then you’ll understand.”

  Kevin was still struggling to keep the shock and confusion off his face, while he slowly walked down the corridor. “Why did I have to take that damn shortcut?” he asked himself repeatedly. He could be teaching Earth Science right now. His instincts told him the FBI would not leave him alone if he did not cooperate.

  “We thought he was in Russia, but there wasn’t enough evidence. Serial killers like to confuse us sometimes, to let the world know how important they are. This rat has been always one-step ahead of us so far. He could be at your place waiting for you right now.”

  “Why do you scare me like this? I really do not care. I have other things now to worry about. I’ve got my job: you have yours.”

  “I can’t let you go. Sorry, Kevin, the matter is too serious.” Kevin stopped at the door. He turned around.

  “What do you mean you can’t let me go?”

  “There is something I have to explain and I can’t do it here. Come with me. We’ll talk in my office.”

  Kevin inhaled and counted to ten, held his breath and slowly breathed out. Then he inhaled and counted to five. This exercise usually helped him to relax, but not this time. “If you are trying to scare the shit out of me you are doing pretty well,” he said.

  He read somewhere that the FBI could force people to go under witness protection, if they were in danger, but he had never thought in a million years, it could be him.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to but I am afraid you have to follow our instructions. There is no easier way to say it.”

  Kevin’s jaw dropped.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  Could it get any worse? This only happened in movies. “As I said, Special Agent David Woods will discuss every
thing with you. He is waiting to speak with you.” Kevin stared at him.

  “Wait a minute. This is moving a little too fast for me,” he interrupted.

  “Agent Woods is very experienced. You will find it easy to work with him,” Tyler said.

  “For starters, I don’t want to work with anybody from the FBI, no matter how easy it is. Now excuse me. Tell your Agent Woods to find somebody else.”

  “I know you are still in shock. That is understandable. It won’t be for long, Kevin, only until we catch the killer.”

  Why was he even getting upset? He tried to put a smile on his face, but when he saw the officer’s face, he knew he was not kidding. Tyler’s expression had changed.

  “Listen. As hard as it is, if you want to stay alive, you have to trust us and do what the FBI says. I know it’s hard at the beginning but it will get easier.”

  “You can’t force me.”

  “I am serious, Kevin. You won’t need a locksmith because you are not going back to your apartment today.”

  There was a pause.

  “This comes at a shock but that’s the only option you have.” Would he wake up now? He only had to open the door and call a taxi. Would Tyler let him? Deep inside he knew these FBI people were like a nasty flu he would not be able to shake off.

  “First of all, let’s get you out of here. Our car is waiting for you.”

  What car was waiting? Then Kevin saw the black BMW with dark tinted windows parked across the road, and a driver holding the door open for him.

  This looked planned. Shit! He hesitated first but then decided to give in. He had no choice.

  “All right,” he said. “Have it your way.”

  He followed Tyler to the car and sank into the soft black leather seats. The doors closed.

  “I am glad you changed your mind. I would hate to have to force you. Everything will be fine,” Tyler said. “When we get to the office, I’ll explain everything.”

  The driver started the car, the engine so quiet, so hard to hear. All right, he would listen to what this Agent Woods had to say, just to shut them up, and then he would leave. One hour more would not make any difference. What did one hour mean compare with the last twenty-four hours, the longest and most unreal time in his life?