Relentless (Elisabeth Reinhardt Book 1) (18 page)

“
If I’m going to survive, he’s got to go,” Slim thought.

Chester Rugger swiveled in his chair stared at the wall. His eyes ran down two columns of names.

Young women who had been kidnapped and killed, and young women who had been kidnapped and released

KIDNAPPED AND KILLED

1. Rebecca (Becky) Hallowell
   , age 19
   
1. Reported Missing: November
   22, 1997
   
2. Date found:
   February 3, 2011
   
3. Location:
   Mill Creek Wildlife Area
   
4. Resident
   of: Hurricane, WVA
   
5. Dead approximately
   14 years
   

1. Rosemary (Rosie) Withers age 18
   
1. Reported Missing:  December
   3, 1998
   
2. Date f
   ound: January 15, 1999
   
3. Location:
   Grayson Lake State Park, Rte. 7
   
4. Resident of:
   Bruin KY
   
5. Dead 1 ½
   months.
   

1. Erika (Rickie) Bateson, age 17
   
1. Reported missing
   : May 16, 2004
   
2. Date
   Found: July 11, 2008
   
3. Location:
   Big Stone Mountain Park, VA
   
4. Resident of
   :  Big Stone Gap, VA
   
5. Dead approximately 4
   years.
   

1. Roberta (Bobbie) Donaldson age 19
   
1. Reported missing
   : March 25, 2002.
   
2. Date
   Found: November 2, 2003
   
3. Location:
   Crown City Wildlife Area, Rte. 218.
   
4. Resident of:
   Polkadotte, Ohio
   
5. Dead approximately 8 months.
   

1. Arushi (Rushi) Kowndamani age 21
   
1. Reported missing: November 18, 2011
   
2. Date
   Found: September 30, 2012
   
3. Location:
   Monongahela National Forest, Rte. 250
   
4. Resident of
   : Elkins, W. VA.
   
5. Dead approximately 10 months.
   

K
IDNAPPED AND RELEASED

1. Mary (Rebel) Rebecca Jefferson – 17 ½ -
   
1. Kidnapped
   : March 1993
   
2. Resident of Hurricane W. VA.
   
3. Captive in Monongehela National Forest
   

1. Rachael Ann Whitten, age 19
   
1. Kidnapped
   : January 1995
   
2. Resident of Glade Spring, VA.
   
3. Captive in Hungry Mother State Park, Marion, Virginia
   

1. Gabriella (Riella) Joy Cagnolotti, age 18
   
1. Kidnapped :
   August 2004
   
2. Resident of Boswell, PA.
   
3. Captive in Laurel Mountain State Park.
   

1. Rita Judith Walters age 19
   
1. Kidnapped
   : October 2010
   
2. Resident of Portsmouth, Ohio
   
3. Captive in the Shawnee State Forest.
   

1. Rosanne Pampernak age 17
   –ATTEMPTED
   
1. Kidnapped: January 2011
   
2. Resident of Damascus, Virgina
   
3. Attempt near Jefferson  National Forest
   

1. Lorraine (Rainy) Ann Feeney
   age 18
   
1. Kidnapped: May 2011
                
   
2. Resident of Franklin, North Carolina.
   
3. Captive in Nantahala National Forest
   

Relentless

Relentless

Chester stared at the two lists, repeating the names aloud with increasing amazement:

Rebecca, Rosemary, ‘Rickie’, Roberta, ‘Rushi’, ‘Rebel’, Rachael, ‘Riella’, Rita, ‘Rainey’

He
slowly stood and stared in amazement. “It’s
R
!”  He exclaimed. “It’s the damned letter
R!
Every single young woman on the list had R in her first name, middle name or nickname. That’s a unique identifier. The letter R! It was right in front of my eyes!” He called for the Task Force to reconvene. Looking into their excited faces he said, “It’s the letter R!  We need to look for a young blonde girl with the letter R beginning her first, middle or nickname. This can’t be a coincidence.
Target zero
is ‘
R’
. That’s how they are picking their victims, the
R
plus the physical profile plus the college connection.”

Lou stood up and began, “I
agree the men we’re looking for have been replaying a specific event that took place with the original
R
girl. She would have been significant to at least one of the killers because she escaped and she probably injured him in some way. She’s the one they are still after. I don’t think she’s dead for several reasons. One is that some of the girls are released alive, perhaps to play out that search aspect. The other reason is the manner of death and burial is inconsistent, the bodies are not uniformly positioned and no specific scene is being re-created in the graves or with their bodies. This
R
girl is not dead, at least they didn’t kill her, she’s still out there and they are still after her. I would say based on their history they encountered her and lost her sometime in their late teens early twenties. They would have started replaying scenes about her, working their way up to kidnapping and murder. So we want to look for lesser sex crime chains involving the same perpetrators starting in this area and working our way to the states that are already reporting victims fitting the victim and gang profile.

I suspect she lived around here when they did because the crime spree appears to have started here and they seem to have ties to this area. She’s not around here now but they keep returning to look for her or get information on her whereabouts. She’s why they keep coming back and why they have expanded their crime radius. They’ve been doing this for a number of years
, I’d say that the killers are in their late 30’s at this point and that would put the
‘R’
girl in her mid-teens when this even occurred. That would mean that she left the area, dropped out of school, ran away from home or the family moved away around that time.”

Then he added “The one exception to all of this is Rushi Kowndamani.
Although she’s an ‘R’ girl, we’re dealing with a completely different profile. We have to consider the Kowndamani girl separately for the moment. Solving this mystery may unravel the whole thing because she is the exception to the rule and sometimes the exception proves to be very revealing. Chester lets you and me work on that problem together over lunch.”

Three of the Putnam County Police detectives who were working with the Task Force started culling through delinquency reports and school yearbooks looking for connections. They searched Police
records and 911 calls, Social Services and Domestic Violence Center records looking for
“R”
; someone who matched this description, who would have had contact with the killers when they were in their late teens and the girl would have been in her mid-teens. Team 3 worked on the gang profile. They bounced around other ideas. Likely they started with other problem behaviors like stalking or peeping Tom behaviors. If so, there might be police reports that would help. The team decided that The Parkland Killers were acting out a well-established pattern. And they didn’t have much in the way of home, job or social roots. They seemed to move around to avoid the police and to feed this
“R”
fixation. It was likely the leader’s fixation because the gang members appeared to follow his orders. According to police data about how the crimes were committed and the reports of the released victims, this gang leader was dominating; his followers were doing his bidding. He seemed to have complete control over them. The team hypothesized that the leader was determined to act out his hatred/love and need to control/dominate by subjugating women who were phenotypically similar and whose names contained the letter
R.
 

Since it seemed that The Parkland Killers had their earliest roots in the community surrounding Hurricane, W VA, they decided to concentrate their search looking for a woman, now in her thirties, who had been around 14 when the killers were teenagers. The pattern
began somewhere within this geographic area even though it had now spread out over a 5 state radius. The original girl had lived here on one of these farms or in a small town. She had attended one of these schools and churches. There was a record of her somewhere and they were determined to find it. As Lou said, “We need to find out who ‘R’ is, when and why she left. We need to track her down fast. ‘The Parkland Killers’ are after her and we need to get to her before they do!”

Gina was curled up in the easy chair running her fingers through her hair. She still had not gotten used to this new style. This short spikey brown hairdo wasn’t her. She missed her long blonde curls but she knew she had to change her appearance. She had been updating Dr. Reinhardt about all her changes and how much she appreciated the advice Gil was giving her about self-defense when she drifted into silence. “What are you thinking about?” Dr. Reinhardt was looking at her quizzically.

Gina looked up, confused.

“Your thoughts were elsewhere,” the therapist prompted, “what were you thinking about?”

Gina
laughed self-consciously, “My hair, I really don’t like it like this. I guess that’s a stupid thing to be thinking about all things being considered. Sorry, I drifted away from the topic.”

“Don’t be,” Dr. Reinhardt said, “I’m sure it’s all related; your hair, your fear, your advice from Gil, your guilt. It’s all part of the same problem, isn’t it?”

“I guess so, yes,” Gina looked down at her hands fidgeting on her lap, “It’s the guilt I’m upset about. I feel so guilty for those girls’ deaths! How could I have been so stupid? How could I not have known? Why didn’t I figure this out a long time ago? As soon as I had heard women were being killed, I should have known it was Jake and his gang. I knew he was obsessed with me. I knew he was going to come after me. Isn’t that why I ran away? How could I have been so blind, so self-absorbed?”

“Let’s play this out, shall we?” her therapist invited. “Okay, so you call the police or the FBI and tell them what? That you were abused by your cousin twenty years ago and now you think he’s after you? They’d ask how long it’s been since you’ve seen him. What proof you have that it’s him. What you know about the killings that make you think it’s him? That might even have gotten you in the spotlight
, made you a national news item. ‘
Chicago doctor claims to know the identity of the Parkland Killers
…’ The police would ask you questions you couldn’t answer and it would boil down to you having a gut feeling about the killers in the news. That is if they paid any attention to you at all. They probably get hundreds of such calls a day. Until recently the connections weren’t there, the connection to that area of West Virginia, the gang of three, the victim pattern. All of that is pretty recent information.  You simply could not have known 6 years ago what was going on and could not have prevented it from happening.”

“Okay, I see what you are saying, that it wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. It might have put me more in the spotlight and made it easier for the killers to find me. But I still feel like it’s my fault. I was selfish and self-absorbed while other women were being killed,” Gina persisted.

“You seem intent on making the brutal actions of these killers’ your fault. Why do you think that is?” the therapist asked.

“Are you implying that I feel responsible for him abusing me? Raping me?” Gina snapped.

“That’s not what I said, is that what you feel?” her therapist asked gently.

Silence…

“Of course not! No! … Maybe….” Gina murmured, “I never did understand why he came after me and not my sisters. I wondered why. Why me? What did I do to deserve this? I always thought this must somehow be my fault. Did I do something to attract his attention? Did I want his attention?”

Dr. Reinhardt interrupted her mid-thought with, “
Wow! You really are determined to claim responsibility for his actions! You were not responsible for HIS behavior, he was. He was older and more powerful than you were. He was cruel and abusive even before it became sexual.  His actions are on him, they are not on you. No matter what you did or did not do, you are not responsible for what he did to you. That is on him. And if he’s one of these Parkland Killers, that’s on him too. You are not responsible for what he did to you nor are you responsible for whatever he may have done to other women.”

More silence as Gina nodded slowly. Then she said, “Sometimes I think I should have let him kill me way back then.” Gina looked tormented.

“You have been habituated to taking on the responsibility of others,” Dr. Reinhardt said, “You took on your mother’s responsibility when she failed to protect you. You didn’t hold her to account for that. Your father ignored what went on with his family; he was concerned with other matters and let you fend for yourself. But you excuse him and say he was really busy and tired. Do you think he never saw you running away from Jake? Do you think he never heard you crying or saw you hiding? Really? He was around all the time, in the barn or the field… He was around. He was in the house for three meals a day. He saw things. He had to know something was going on. He ignored it.”

Gina stared at her therapist. She
had never heard her take such a definite stand on things; she was usually calm and understanding. Now she was advocating, taking a strong position. Expressing her point of view! That was interesting. It felt good. It made Gina feel safe.

“
Didn’t you ever think of these things before Gina?” Dr. Reinhardt asked. “Didn’t you wonder what your father knew and when he knew it? Or wonder why he didn’t do something about Jake and his abuse?”

“No, I guess not. It’s the way things were. I didn’t know any other way
,” Gina seemed thoughtful.

“When a child grows up in a situation where adults don’t take responsibility for
providing safety and security, often that child assumes those responsibilities. And sometimes it isn’t clear who’s responsible for what. Blame, guilt and responsibility get bounced around like ping pong balls,” she continued.

“So that happens
with other girls like me?” Gina asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Reinhardt nodded, “
When safety is compromised children are confused. Without safety there can be no trust. Does that make sense to you?” Gina nodded. “When you have no one to stand up for you, to validate you, to say something is right or wrong or to help you, the world is very dark and confusing. The child doesn’t know when something is their fault or not. Children rarely hold the parents responsible for what happens. They have to have someone to love even if that love is unsafe. They usually blame themselves. People need to be more emotionally mature before they can put family abuse into perspective.”

Gina thought about this for a few minutes then said, “You know I’ve seen that with some of the children I treat. Sometimes they feel responsible for their illnesses or for their parents’ tears or for the treatments not working. I talk to them about it all the time and try to make them see things more clearly. It’s funny I say to them what you are saying to me,” Gina said, “It’s like my patients are little mirrors for me.”

Dr. Reinhardt nodded.

Gina was silent for a moment before saying,
“I can’t imagine not being a doctor, not having children to help. Saving others is what I need to do. Do you understand that?”

“I think so,” Dr. Reinhardt replied, “Moving actively into the role of helper can give a person some sense of power over circumstances.”

“Do you think that’s why I became a doctor, to give myself a sense of power?’” Gina asked frowning.

“Does that seem so strange to you?”

Silence…

“I
t feels creepy, like I’m trying to manipulate things for my own needs.”

“I don’t think it’s a
s conscious or direct as all that. And power is not a bad thing you know. When you feel powerless the sense of having power over something is a natural response. You are working to help sick children but if it didn’t work well for you, as well, you would have chosen to do something else. Dedication, passion and drive come from within. There’s a reason why some people are driven to help others. They are good at it and they bring a wealth of understanding beyond anything they learn in a book,” the therapist answered.

As Gina thought about this
the therapist added, “There would be other factors as well guiding you to the medical profession. But given your personality and life experiences, you would probably have chosen some kind of a helping profession, something that benefited others.” They were silent for a moment looking at one another.

“Are you saying if I hadn’t been abused I wouldn’t have become a doctor?” Gina asked.

“No, I’m not saying that. People become what they become for many different reasons. We can’t make those kinds of conclusions, there are too many unknowns. We can talk about likely eventualities from what did occur, but not speculate about what might have happened if certain things had not occurred. You may have found your way to your profession anyway. You were bright and scientifically oriented. What is real and fair to say is that you are doing what you do because you care about others, you empathize strongly and that’s a result of many factors - not the least of which are your childhood experiences. It’s a combination of factors.”

“So my past led to my present, my abuse led to my caregiving role, is that right?” Gina asked.

“That seems a little too geometric. I’d say your family’s neglect and your cousin’s abuse led to the development of certain personality factors and those factors inclined you toward the helping professions. There were other positive influences as well. Many people cared about you and guided you in constructive ways, right?” Dr. Reinhardt said reasonably.

“Does it always work like that? Do most caregivers have bad childhoods?” Gina asked.

“No, but often people with difficult of traumatic childhoods are drawn to the helping fields as a way of balancing things out for themselves, perhaps, as a way of focusing their good intentions.” Dr. Reinhardt replied, “There are many factors that determine outcomes. Sometimes people with traumatic childhoods turn in the opposite direction. They might become criminals or killers. Lots of factors influence human behavior: biology, culture, psychology to name a few. It’s complicated and multi-dimensional.”

They were silent for a few moments as Gina watched her therapist
intently.

Then
Dr. Reinhardt asked “Gina? What are you getting at?”

Gina looked at her thoughtfully and then said “I’m not sure I’m allowed to ask but
, “What about you? Why did you become a psychologist?”

“Ah,” Dr. Reinhardt nodded, “I thought that was wh
ere you were going with this.” She leaned back in her chair a bit and ran her fingers over its arms, “My family and I lived through Nazi Germany. It had a great influence on me.”

“I’m so sorry, Dr. Reinhardt that must have been horrible, I can’t even imagine,” Gina said softly.

“In a roundabout way that’s how I met Gil McCray, Gina, and why I referred you to him.”

“
Gil’s been wonderful to me, I’m so grateful,” Gina sighed, “I feel so much better since I met him. It feels so different to think there’s someone out there who can help me. I think he really cares about what happens to me. I can’t count on anyone else to care about me that way.” She glanced up quickly, “Oh, except you, I mean. I know you care about what happens to me.” Dr. Reinhardt nodded slightly and Gina continued, “When I’m with Gil, I feel safer than I ever felt. He’s amazing. He knows so much about so many different things,” Gina giggled, “It’s like he’s the Bionic Man!”

Dr. Reinhardt was silent for a
long moment and then she said, “Gina, if the day comes when there is a real threat of danger against you, a real active threat. I know other people who will help you as well as Gil.” Gina frowned and looked at her quizzically. “I don’t want to go into detail about this now; I just want to alert you to the possibility that if the time ever comes and your life is in danger, there are others who will help you. I want your verbal permission to bring them into the loop were that ever to occur.”

“These are people who work with you and Gil?” Gina asked slowly.

“Yes,” said Dr. Reinhardt.

“I trust you to do what is right, Dr. Reinhardt,” Gina said. “You have my permission to do or say whatever you think is best at the time.”

Dr. Reinhardt sighed, nodded solemnly and said, “Thank you for your trust, Gina, I will handle it with care.”