Unresolved Ch. 05

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Teresa and I came into I-1, where Kitty was sitting, seemingly in a daze. She looked up at me as I approached the table.

I just looked at her and said "Why?"

Kitty said "Did you hear the newscast? That redheaded reporter said that the Taus would never be shut down, never have to pay for what they've done."

"It's a little late to be saying this," I said, "but you shouldn't believe a word the Media says. I fully intend to make the bastards pay. I'm going for the death penalty for Peter Blassingame."

"No," said Kitty, her voice eerie, her eyes looking haunted, "I know you'll try, Mr. Crowbar, and you're the only one who has ever tried. But they won't let you win. They always win; good people always lose."

"Did you do this alone?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter." Kitty said.

"It might mitigate your prison sentence." I said. "Ten people died tonight, Kitty. You might get the death penalty for this."

"Good." said Kitty, holding eye contact with me. "Don't you see? My life was over the minute those Sorority bitches held me to the ground while those bastards took turns raping me again and again and again. They destroyed my life, completely. From that night on, I have never been able to close my eyes and go to sleep without remembering what they did to me, without that feeling of being helpless, and being violated. Not a day goes by that I don't relive that nightmare. They would've done me a favor murdering me right then and there."

She was gone, I realized. She wouldn't get the death penalty: people who are insane aren't put to death. Kitty Summers would ultimately receive a 'Guilty but Insane' conviction and be incarcerated in the State Women's Prison's psychiatric ward at Madison County for the remainder of her natural life.

Forensics in the coming days would reveal that carbon monoxide (CO) gas had been released into the House by a car's tailpipe being connected to a hose that went into the House through a disused laundry room vent. The CO had rendered the occupants unconscious. Then gasoline had been brought in and spread around, and the House went up like a tinderbox.

Yes, someone had helped Kitty, I realized. Someone had hooked her car's tailpipe to the vent, and maybe the gas had been brought in other ways; that was a lot of house to fill with CO gas. Someone had had to help spread accelerants all over the place, someone with gas masks and air tanks. They'd left Kitty standing there with a shotgun, maybe to kill anyone who was able to wake up and try to escape, or maybe to be the fall girl for it.

My only question was whether these perps were friends or foes...

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Afterwards, Teresa invited me to her home for a drink. After pouring us a couple of bourbons, we went onto the deck of her home above her front porch. We could smell the smoke from the burning Tau House, and could see some of the lightbars still flashing.

"You like sitting out here as much as I like sitting on the deck of the Cabin." I said after we'd sat down.

"Yes." Teresa said. "But it's not yet Counseling Central, like your deck is. Carole loves going out there and talking to you when you take the dogs out. And we all go out there while you're sitting in your place, and get your advice. Even the Sheriff, sometimes."

I nodded. "Yes. I'll probably die sitting out there, looking out over my Town & County. So... what did you want to talk about tonight?"

"What Kitty Summers said in the Interrogation Room really bothered me." Teresa said. "That the Bad Guys always win, and we Good Guys always lose. And I know that's not true. But..."

She paused, and I let her get the words out. She said "Stephen Henry... he was a good kid. He stopped to help someone who really needed it, and he was murdered for it. Just blown away, in cold blood. And I can't help but ask 'why?'. It's just so... so senseless. Why does God allow things like that to happen?"

"I don't know." I said. "If I did, I'd be God. But I have thought of things like that a lot, more times than you know, and I've only found one answer. St. Matthew 5:45. 'that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.'."

Teresa nodded, and sat there contemplating long after I'd said goodnight and left for home. And as I drove home, Teresa's words were burning through my mind. But other words were, also...

Part 30 - Epilogue

When I got to the Mountain Nest, Laura had already gone to bed. I went and checked on the children. Jim was in his bed, sleeping soundly. Buddy was in his basket, having looked up when I came in, then settled back down. I petted him before I left the room.

I went to Carole's room. My firstborn child was in her bed, sleeping, her face peaceful, untroubled. Bowser was looking up from his basket. I pulled the chair in the corner of the room up to Carole/s bed and sat down. Bowser came over for some skritchins, which I lovingly applied.

Yes, I thought as I looked at my sleeping daughter, I am here. And I will be here. I will not make General McFarland's mistake. I'll be here for you, to answer your questions, to advise you to the best of my abilities, to just talk with you if that's what you want. But most of all, I will be here to protect you and keep you safe until you spread your wings and learn to fly for yourself. Only if I die will I not be here, but I will cheat and defeat Death if I have to. Whatever it takes.

I will be here for you, Carole. Whatever it takes.

I swear it.

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"Here's what we know." said Alison McFarland into the microphone for her podcast. "The killers of Stephen Henry and Wendy Withers have been arrested and await trial. Many involved in the gang rapes of Sorority pledges have made plea deals or are awaiting trial. They are now facing Justice, and will no longer be the threats to Society that they were.

"I'm sure many of you are asking what I've been asking... how this could've gone on for so long, unchecked; how the rapes and even murders could've remain unresolved for so long.

"I don't blame those in the past for not solving these crimes. Jurisdictional lines were crossed, cooperation was not the norm. Evidence was not as easy to process as it is now. Yes, technology is better now than it was, and repeating the crimes time and again was bound to lead to the discovery of the harrowing rituals.

"And there were 'powerful interests' that interfered with or outright stopped any investigations, usually before they really began. The Taus and the Pi Omegas were the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful, people who think they know what's best for you, people who think that it's their birthright to tell you what to do, and to use your daughters for their sexual pleasure, at their whim.

"Those powerful interests existed then, and they exist now, and they desperately tried to stop the truth from being discovered . But this time, they came up against something a lot harder than they are used to facing. This time, the Town & County Police had Commander Donald Troy. He refused to be distracted, he refused to let go. He is relentless, he is fearless, and he is willing to stand up to the powerful interests, and to push back in the name of Justice. He is the Iron Crowbar... and because of him, these cases are no longer... Unresolved."

Finis.