Four Square Ch. 03

"Oh my goodness." said Fred Couples.

"My armor held, fortunately." I said. "But I couldn't hit a golf ball like you do even with a good back."

"We appreciate what you guys do." said Fred Couples. He spoke to his caddy, and a moment later Cindy and I had Fred-Couples-autographed golf balls as the other spectators clapped. Yes, Cindy took a selfie.

Going down the fairly steep cart path to the left of the roped-off area the players went down, I noted that the outright jungle of azaleas and other flowering plants were almost as tall as Cindy. "I think I know where the bodies are buried." I said. Cindy laughed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mr. Fred Couples ended his practice round after nine holes, so Cindy and I walked along the back nine. On the famous par-3 twelfth hole, we could only see the famous bridges across Rae's Creek from the tee area. When we got to the fourteenth hole, I said "This is the only hole on the course with no bunkers." We went to the fifteenth hole tee, which was at an intersection of paths. A trio of players were teeing off, and one of them was Mr. Sergio Garcia, so we followed the group.

At the par-3 sixteenth hole there is a big tradition on the Wednesday practice day. After teeing off, players go to the edge of the lake and use long irons to skip balls over the lake. One time Tiger Woods tried to avoid doing that, and was shamed by the booing of the large crowd into doing it, then was cheered as his shot made it to the green. On this day, one of the trio we were following managed to skip his ball over the water and onto the green, and it hit the flagstick! The roars of the crowd could be heard all over the course.

I observed the huge metal cables running down the sides of the big pine trees on the seventh and seventeenth holes. Lightning rods. We also saw the Eisenhower Tree on the seventeenth hole (it was destined to die off later, and a new tree planted in its place).

Then we watched the players tee off between the chute of trees on the eighteenth hole. The second part of the eighteenth hole was a steep climb back towards the back of the clubhouse. Television does not do justice to the steepness of that grade.

Once back, we saw some interesting things. There was a large crowd around a practice green just behind the clubhouse. On the green was Mr. Phil Mickelson, practicing his putting with his coach watching. Phil Mickelson is not quite as tall as he looks on TV... and he's also a lot wider in the hips than the television shows. But he also has multiple Green Jackets, so there. I stayed back and let kids go to the front so they could see better, but Cindy disappeared inside the crowd to get a better vantage point to watch.

After a few moments, Cindy emerged from the crowd and we went over to the Par-3 course. The Butler Cabin and other cabins go to the east side of the clubhouse, along the tenth hole, and behind them is the par-3 course in the corner of the property. With all the flowering plants, it was a beautiful course.

It's no coincidence that they play The Masters on the first full week of April... that's when the flowers and trees are all in bloom, and it is a magnificent sight to behold all over the course. And the Par-3 course might just be the most beautiful sight on the whole property.

We didn't walk much of the par-3 course; we just observed. People were trickling into the area, as the par-3 tournament was going to begin soon. By now it was after 12:00noon.

"Let's go to the gift shop, then get out of here." Cindy said. I was in full agreement with that plan of action, and we began to flawlessly execute it. But as we went along the back side of the clubhouse, we observed a strange sight:

The Members of Augusta National Golf Club, wearing their Green Jackets, were having lunch with their families, including kids, in an outside but enclosed space behind the clubhouse. I observed that a number of the Members seemed tense, not calm and relaxed, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

But what Cindy and I both observed was that there was a crowd of people just standing there, watching the Members eat lunch! Just standing there as if they were watching Mr. Phil Mickelson putting or Mr. Fred Couples teeing off. Watching the Members eat lunch. Heck, Bowser and Buddy get antsy if we watch them eat supper; no wonder the Members looked anguished!

"I dunno." I said as Cindy and I continued walking. "Watching people eat just does not excite me. Rich people eat the same way the rest of us do."

"Yeah, that was weird, wasn't it." Cindy stated.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And then we went to the Gift Shop. A money pit if ever there was one. The golf/polo shirts with the Masters logo cost $80... apiece. Cindy and I still indulged, and she got a green one and I got a red one (who didn't see that coming?). We bought a bunch of coffee cups for the MCD and Vice Detectives.

As Cindy got some trinkets for her family, including some baby socks for Betsy, I was looking for a shot glass for Sheriff Griswold, who collected such things. I found the larger jigger glasses, but not the smaller shot glasses. So I asked for help. The young man was very nice, but he said that the jiggers were the smallest sized shot glasses. Ah, I thought to myself: the Members of Augusta National prefer large shots of bourbon. So I bought a jigger glass for Our Sheriff.

I won't tell you how much we spent overall; you'd be scandalized. But hey! it was The Masters, and it was Augusta National...

Part 12 - Dark Matter

As we were driving back to Atlanta, I said "We're staying two nights because we have an appointment with the Atlanta Police about a serial killer who might be using the same patterns as that L.A. serial killer who was copying Dr. Stephanie Steele's drawing in one of her published papers."

"Ahhh, no wonder you sprang for two nights and a rental." Cindy said. "You're going to expense the whole thing, aren't you?"

"I'm going to try." I said, then grinned as I said "I still remember when we expensed that round of golf in Coltrane County. Blew Chief Griswold's mind. But he authorized it." (Author's note: 'Case of the Murdered Football Player', Ch. 03.)

Cindy laughed. "I remember that. And thanks for bringing me with you. That was an awesome day at Augusta National." We fist-bumped.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We had adjoining rooms in our hotel. Cindy was Skype-ing with Callie and Betsy, so I began watching some of the sex tapes of Ashwarya and David. Tanya had suggested I watch a particular one, so I did.

On it, David was on top of Ashwarya, and Tanu was in the same bedside chair as on the day of the killing, but was not restrained. David was on top of Ashwarya in a 'deckchair' position, her legs hooked up under his muscular arms. He was pistoning his large penis in and out of the lovely Indian woman's tight wet vagina.

"You see it?" David was yelling out to Tanu, taunting the cuckold hubby. "You see my big cock fucking your wife? Huh? You see it?" I noticed he was leaning to one side, to give Tanu a clear visual of his (David's) cock sliding into Tanu's wife's pussy. It certainly was a hot sight, and I certainly couldn't blame Tanu for masturbating his five inch penis almost violently as he watched. The camera was zooming in, showing David and Ashwarya's coupled loins as they wickedly fucked each other hard.

David and Ashwarya were sharing deep, tongue-twining kisses as they lustily mated, alternated by David taunting Tanu that he was going to come in Tanu's wife and knock her up. Then he groaned as he came, filling her with his seed. The camera came in to get a closeup of the creampie, of David's semen oozing out of Ashwarya's dripping, well-fucked cunt.

And I understood what it was that Tanya wanted me to see...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thursday, April 11th, 9:00am. Cindy and I came to Atlanta Police Headquarters. We had our TCPD badges but no guns, and I said we had an appointment with Detective Amanda Beale. A few moments later a fit, attractive black woman came up to us, wearing civilian clothes.

"I'm Detective Beale." she said, then introduced the uniformed Officer behind her. "This is Sergeant Larry Taylor." We shook hands all the way around, then were escorted to Detective Beale's desk in a room not unlike our MCD.

"We've been in touch with the LAPD." said Amanda Beale as we sat down in a conference room that could double as an interrogation room. "Their serial killer stopped his spree out there not long after you showed them the pattern. They don't know if he observed them trying to trap him and stopped, or if he's the same guy and just decided to come to Atlanta."

"And you're sure it's a man?" Cindy asked. Detective Beale looked weirdly at her.

"Virtually 100% of all serial killers are men." Beale said.

I said "We happened to have that rare exception of a female Black Widow serial killer... and a female copycat." I was referring to Angela Harlan and Dr. Bonnie Karpathian, of course. (Author's note: 'Case of the Black Widow', 'Return of the Black Widow'.)

"Ah, I see." said Detective Beale. "Sergeant Taylor, brief them on what you have."

Sergeant Taylor brought up a map on the monitor, showing a number of 'dropped pins'. "The crimes are being committed in the Druid Hills area. In this area are Emory University, Emory Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Atlanta V.A. Hospital. The first victims were killed by mailbox bombs. When we started asking residents to leave their mailboxes open and to call if any mailbox is found closed, the killer switched to package deliveries."

"Interesting pattern." I said, taking an envelope out of my sportscoat pocket. "The L.A. pattern was from a paper published by Dr. Stephanie Steele of the University in our Town. This pattern... is from another of her papers, but one that is not yet published. I brought a couple of diagrams that Dr. Steele gave me to show you."

I handed Detective Beale the envelope. She took out the two sheets of paper, then handed them to Sergeant Taylor. He held one sheet of paper up, then compared it to the dots on the screen. "It looks pretty darn close." he said.

"I agree." I said.

"Can we get the full paper from Dr. Steele?" asked Detective Beale. "Perhaps there's a clue within it."

"That's the thing." I said. "The paper's not even written out yet. And it's all theoretical stuff. She'll be glad to send you any diagrams, but she understandably does not want to expose her work before the paper is published."

We discussed some of the aspects of the serial killer's potential future moves, then I asked "By the way, have you talked with the FBI about this?"

Amanda Beale rolled her eyes. "It's funny you should ask that. One of their BAU teams contacted us. This particular group and the Atlanta P.D. does not get along very well, especially since the new Special Agent In Charge took over."

"It wouldn't be Bob Rovers and his group, would it?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, it would be." said Beale, surprise showing on her face at me naming that name. "The LAPD told him to take a hike. We told them we had nothing on it yet, but they got real pushy about it. I'm not planning to give them this diagram, either."

"Good, I appreciate that." I said. "We've had our own issues with that BAU team."

"Harrumph. Issues." Cindy said sardonically. "They damn near got some of us killed."

"Yeah, there's something not quite right about them." said Beale. "And that reminds me: Commander Troy, an FBI Agent here in Atlanta asked us to let you know that he wants to talk to you. He asked us not to say anything to any other FBI Agents about it, but wouldn't say what it was about."

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Conrad." said Sergeant Taylor. "James Conrad."

"Ah, so desu ka?" I said. "Sure, let's call him, if it's okay to have him meet us here?" Detective Beale nodded her acquiescence.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Half an hour later, FBI Special Agent James Conrad came in. He had light brown hair that he'd let grow long, and a long beard as well. I wondered if he'd been going undercover a lot.

I'd met Special Agent Conrad in North Carolina in the Red Brooke case, and he'd been at Valley Villages during the EMPTY QUIVER event. (Author's note: 'Agents and Angels', Ch. 02.; 'The Nuclear Option', Ch. 01.) He'd seemed like a 'good guy' at the time. After introductions all the way around, Conrad talked with me and Cindy privately in the conference room.

"When I saw you in North Carolina, Commander," Conrad said, "I was working with that BAU unit, but I was not formally a part of them. I've stayed here in Atlanta ever since, but I've been assigned to work with that unit several times in various parts of the country, including in your County just a few weeks ago. Peter Page, who you met during the Brooke case, is still with that unit, but they got some new people. Andrew Parsons from Southport was assigned to the unit, though he has no psychological analysis skills... in fact: pardon my language, but he is a real dumb shit if you ask me. Then Bob Rovers was assigned to take over the leadership, and he is as big a jerk as I've ever met in the FBI."

"What about David Rovers?" I asked.

"He's Bob Rovers's brother, so he's not formally assigned to the group." said Conrad. "He supposedly works with them as an advisor on Organized Crime, but that group has not had any involvement with Organized Crime at all."

"So what are they doing?" I asked.

"Counterintelligence." said Conrad. "And that leads to the story I wanted to meet with you and tell you about. Right after Bob Rovers took over, I was contacted about being transferred to work with them full-time. I told my bosses that I had no interest at all in working with them, but I was... 'encouraged' to talk to them. During that interview, Rovers asked a lot of questions about the Red Brooke case, and it was obvious that they really were interested in what I thought of you, Commander Troy."

Conrad continued: "I told them that my impressions of you had been very good, and that you had done very well pursuing and ultimately getting Red Brooke. Then Bob Rovers started asking me if I thought you were loyal, as in loyal to the country. I said that I thought you were as much a Patriot as anyone, and that some people had even thought you were the Guardians of Justice, though obviously that had to be a group of people."

I nodded. "Did they ask about Commander Ross, or my Police or FBI colleagues, or my family?" I asked.

"Just your nephew, Todd Burke." said Conrad. "I was surprised to hear that he was related to you, and I said I didn't know anything about him, which is true. Rovers asked me if I knew anything about Todd Burke's father, Michael Burke, and I said his name had never crossed me professionally, either. After that, Rovers concluded the interview, and I did not hear any more about being assigned to their team."

"But here's the catch." Conrad said, finishing up his narrative. "We had some FBI Agents come here to Atlanta just a couple of weeks ago. I know a couple of their guys pretty well, we went to Quantico together, so their team and me and a couple of Atlanta guys got together for dinner. After a good bit of alcohol was consumed, one of them admitted that he and his teams were a special unit within the FBI, what some of us call 'dark agents' that I've always likened to the CIA's 'cleaners'.

"This guy told me that his boss had turned down an assignment that didn't seem right, so an 'elite' BAU unit had been put together to handle it." said Conrad. "That BAU unit was investigating industrialists and entrepreneurs that were considered 'disloyal'. A couple of CIA Agents had been sent to your Town & County area after investigating an Israeli-related firm in Florida. One agent ended up dead, one arrested for murder, and their mission blown up." (Author's note: 'Moonlight Shadow'.)

"And that special 'elite' BAU unit," said Conrad, "which has turned out to be Rovers's unit, has been assigned to investigate a company called 'BOW Enterprises' to see if their CEO is disloyal, and also to investigate others in that area."

"Wonder who those 'others' would be." I said to Cindy.

"People who carry crowbars." Cindy replied most very astutely.

"I appreciate you telling us this." I said to Conrad. "Watch your back, though. There are some bad actors within several Federal agencies, and they probably would never forgive you if they found out you've been talking to us."

"Oh, I know." said Conrad. "One of my team members was on a Navy SEAL team with a guy named Waring, who was found dead in your home County the other day. And Admiral Keating was my colleague's hero, and Waring's hero, too. So we're all pissed about their deaths. And yes, we're watching our backs, but we're not going to let them stop us. If there's anything you need, just let us know."

"Thanks." I said. We made our goodbyes with Conrad, after setting up some codes we could text each other. Then we made our goodbyes with our new Atlanta Police friends, and agreed to keep in touch over the serial killings.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The time zone change helped as we flew towards City Airport, so it was late afternoon when we landed. As we drove back towards our home Town & County, we talked about the cases.

"Think what Conrad told us is true?" Cindy asked.

"Yes." I said. "I already knew that his colleague had been in the SEALs with LCDR Waring. And everything he said can be checked out, as well."

"I just wondered if we were being told that stuff as a blind." said Cindy. "But I didn't get a bad vibe from Conrad at all. What is strange is that a serial killer would follow a pattern based upon astronomical research of a professor whose daughter is your daughter's best friend."

"Yep." I said. "Coincidences abound. Just another thing to look into and keep tabs on."

"And why do I get the feeling that we're going to be seeing a certain FBI BAU unit in the near future?" Cindy asked.

"Sounds like you've got the power of the vibe on that, too." I said. "The good news is that we know who they are, so it's not like they can come into our jurisdiction undercover, with us not knowing who they are."

"Unless they've recruited others that we don't know about." said Cindy. "So... are you and Todd their targets?"

"Yes, but not their only targets." I replied...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Daddy!"

Yes, that was my daughter greeting me as I came in... after the Town & County Charter meeting. We'd delayed this week's meeting to Thursday, as I was out of Town on Wednesday, and the Rev. Joseph E. Williams had also had a function to attend.

Coincidentally (not), Edward R. Steele came in with me, and Marie greeted him as enthusiastically as Carole did me.

I briefed Stephanie Steele on my meeting with the Atlanta Detectives, and told them that the pattern they were seeing was indeed very similar to the graph in her as-yet-unpublished paper. We agreed to meet and talk about it the next day or over the weekend.

Afterwards, the Steeles took Marie home, and Laura made the astute and motherly observation that it was well past her children's bedtimes. I declined to act as their Court of Appeals on the matter, so after the ritual of tooth brushings and changing into pajamas, I tucked Jim in and got Buddy settled in, then went across the hall and did the same for Carole.

"Daddy," Carole asked as I tucked her in, "why do people like to play golf?"

"Because it's a game, and a challenge, and they like to see how well they can do at it." I replied. "Most games are like that."

"Is being a Detective a game?" Carole asked.

"It's... uh, it's not a game for fun." I said. "What we do is a very serious business."