12:48 PM

6
May 5, 1986
12:48 PM

     Agent Danley met the kind smile of Sheriff Donnelly from across the parking lot.
     "Howdy, gentlemen. Thank you for being here. I trust you had a nice drive?"
     Agent Danley shook his hand. "Howard Danley, Sheriff."
     "Please, call me Horace." He smiled again. "Why don't you gentlemen come inside?"
     Inside the small structure, that appeared to be nothing more than two conjoined mobile homes dropped on top of an unassuming pile of concrete and weeds, the hum of air conditioning broke the silence of the mid-90s afternoon that was otherwise punctuated only by the dull hum of cicadas some distance off and the rumbling of big rigs kicking into gear. No one was inside. Sheriff Donnelly check his messages.
     He pulled up two chairs, and they all sat down in the middle of the room.
     "So, gentlemen," the Sheriff said. "What's our plan of attack?"
     Agent Danley looked at Lieutenant Cantroux, who made a motion that he was deferring to the Agent.
     "Well," Agent Danley starting, unsure of his initial line of attack, "basically we've got to look through all your files, try to get a feel for who had the motive, means and opportunity. Do you have your files at least partially computerized?"
     "Well, see," the Sheriff started. "We bought a computer. Maggie--that's our dispatcher but she's on leave at the moment--she uses it sometimes when we have to fill out certain forms."
     "But you don't have any files on it."
     "No. We got files, though. Pretty well sorted, I think. I don't know. You'd have to ask Maggie."
     "It's okay, Sheriff. This is not an interrogation. But you know there are quite a few programs to get you started, lot of resources out there won't cost your department a penny. I can ask my secretary to fax you over some of the easiest programs to access."
     "That would be nice, Agent Danley."
     But he gave that smile that said he wouldn't be doing any such thing.
     "Well, anyway, what we're looking for, I think, is we're looking for aberrant behavior. People that have been arrested for drinking, drugs, domestic abuse, assault, everything, the past couple of months, maybe even back a year if we wanted to be really thorough about it. Then we've got to get everybody connected with that doctor's practice under the microscope, see if there is anybody with an axe to grind. Same thing with the man's family, though it doesn't seem like that could be much at fault."
     "Dr. Jones was loved by just about everybody. Heck, most people didn't even know that he was an abortionist. Well, I mean, some could have suspected it, given his line of work."
     "And, as if that wasn't enough, we've got to talk to all the churches and other faith-based institutions in the surrounding area, see if they can think of anyone that's come to them with radicalized thoughts or feelings, anyone that has mentioned Holy War or Christian soldiers."
     The Sheriff laughed. "That won't narrow things down much, Agent Danley. Hell, the title of the Sunday sermon at my church was 'Christian Soldiers' and I got to tell you, the most offensive thing the pastor there has ever done is have a luau theme for our church picnic."
     "Well, we've got to look at the noise and see what we can find."
     The Sheriff didn't understand what Agent Danley was talking about, but both men decided to leave it alone.
     "How forthcoming do you think his practice will be with patient records?"
     "Well, we haven't asked."
     "Let's get on the phone and see if anyone's there. Do we have any contact information for any of his staff?"
     "No, I don't think so, but Trudy's his nurse or assistant whatever. We can go knock on her door."
     The phone rang. Sheriff Donnelly spoke. "That must be the county coroner. I told him to give us a call and fill you guys in."
     The Sheriff put the coroner on speakerphone.
     "Rudy, is that you?"
     "Yes, Horace. Who am I speaking to?"
     Sheriff Donnelly looked at his compatriots.
     "Agent Danley, FBI."
     "Lieutenant Cantroux, Texas Rangers."
     "Dr. Rudolph Samuel. Most people call me Dr. Rudy."
     "Afternoon," Agent Danley and Lieutenant Cantroux retorted.
     "So adult male, 54. You want the bullet wound information first guys or you want toxicology?"
     "Whatever order you want it, doctor. We got all day."
     "Toxicology then, just to get it out of the way. Doctor had a mild sedative in him, some amphetamine of some kind (common pharmacological traces of psychological medication). Otherwise no drugs or alcohol. Heightened levels of blood sugar. Otherwise fine."
     "That consistent with anti-anxiety medication?" Agent Danley said.
     "Very."
     "Subject 6'4", 250 pounds, musculature and bone structure normal."
     "Big target!" Agent Danley said.
     "I'll say so," Cantroux joined in with. "Guy's a linebacker."
     "Then, the bullet wounds. Subject died of hemorrhaging of the brain from two close headshots from a distance of at least 100 feet.  Entry point A above right temple. Exit point back of the head 1 inch right from the base of the brain. Entry point B almost spot on left eye. Bullet ricocheted got lodged in subject's skull. A third bullet struck the collarbone but did not contribute to subject's death. Bullets retrieved are consistent with a high-powered though not military grade rifle. K-mart bullets. No modification was made to the rifle."
     "This guy's a professional damn assassin," Sheriff Donnelly called out.
     "Right you are, Horace. A damn dog, too. Didn't even fire a second volley to make sure he was dead. He knew the man was going to die the instant he got him in the cross-hairs."
     "So we're upgrading our search a little then, huh," Agent Danley said gravely. "Got to have some professional training, though it sounds like not military, or if military, perhaps someone discharged not long after training. This is a symphony played by a man on a two-dollar violin."
     "Thank you, Rudy. I'll see you later."
     "Goodbye Horace."
     "So I think we've got three lines of attack. I'm going to stay here and look through records, get some things organized in my mind. I'd like one of you to follow up on Dr. Jones' practice, see if we can get into some of those records. If we have to, we should subpoena those records, because I think the answer is somewhere in those files. I guess that will be you, Sheriff, if you don't have any other things to do today."
     "I'm all yours," Sheriff Donnelly said. "I mean to find this man's killer, and we will."
     "Then Lieutenant Cantroux, I guess that means you've got to start knocking on the doors of churches and see if there are any militant churchgoers out there talked about starting holy wars.
     Agent Danley turned to the Sheriff. "What you have for churches in this town?"
     "Well, there's the Methodist church in the center of town. There's a Lutheran church off of Pike Street There's a Baptist church South of town, and then there's the Seventh-Day Adventists. Real small congregation, shoe box really.
     "There's a Seminary in town, too." 
     "Worth a try."
     Agent Danley looked at the Sheriff. "Anybody else working for this department today?"
     "I'm sorry to say, no," the Sheriff said. "But first thing tomorrow morning everybody's reporting. Except Maggie of course, whether they can stand or not."
     "That's good to hear," Agent Danley said. "We need some proper discipline."
     Sheriff Donnelly smiled weakly. Discipline did seem to be this man's weakness.