1:38 PM

7
May 5, 1986
1:38 PM

     There was a knock on the door and Panzer and Squeak went crazy.
     "Now who in the hell could that be? Jehovah's witnesses, probably."
     Trudy pushed back her glasses onto the top of her nose. The knocking continued.
     "Hold your horses. I'm'a coming!"
     Trudy decided to put the dogs in the backyard just in case, but the knocking was too constant. She opened the door just a crack.
     "Hey, Trudy."
     "Sheriff. What can I do for you?"
     "I got to talk to you."
     "Oh yeah?"
     "We've got to find Sam's killer."
     "Oh yeah. What you need to talk to me for? You think I had something to do with you."
     "Well of course I don't. But I still got to talk to you."
     "I see. What about?"
     "Well, think about it Trudy, wouldn't the person who did this be someone that he knew. Someone that he saw, maybe, or someone else that hassled him."
     "There were plenty of those, Sheriff."
     "Well, I need to know all those people, and I got to sit down with them and have a chat. I need records, too, Trudy."
     "You mean, health records?"
     "Yeah."
     "Well, Sheriff, I understand the man's died, but you and I know there's a whole lot of information in those records that this town ought not to know."
     "Yeah."
     "And you've got no right to ask after them either."
     "Well, Trudy, I don't disagree with you, but you've got to understand this is an ongoing murder investigation. Other people may be in danger. We've got to do what we can to catch this killer and bring him to justice."
     "Well, I'm not giving them up, Sheriff. I won't. When I think about all the struggles these young women went through, and possibly making them go through it all over again, no, not for anything in the world. Dr. Jones wouldn't want me to, no; he'd be dead set it against it no matter what."
     "Well, that's fine then, Trudy, don't you worry about that, then. Why don't you tell me about some people that maybe gave the doctor a hard time."
     "Ben Damand."
     "Reverend Damand, sure."
     "Ginger, too."
     "Okay, some of his parishioners. Can you think of anyone else?"
     "We had a guy, used to hang around the outside of the place. Maybe about six months ago. For two weeks, he's parked outside. I told the doctor to call the police on him a bunch of times but he said he'd talk to him but it never happened."
     "You think this was the guy that did it?"
     "Could be. I never got a good look at him, though. I didn't go out for lunch. The girl we had to help us some days, Helen, she saw him. She said she recognized him from some place. She said he had a cold, dead look in his eyes like he had some axe to grind."
     "That's a good place to start. Where is Helen, Trudy?"
     "She goes to Nursing School now. University of Texas."
     "You know which branch?"
     "I wouldn't be able to tell you."
     "What about her parents? You know where they live?"
     "You know I don't. Neighboring town, I think. She was kinda embarrassed of her upbringing, if you know what I mean. She was a good girl. We tried not to ask too many questions. Her teachers, though. They may know what school she went to. At the community college, I mean."
     "That the last school she attended before transferring?"
     "Yes. She was maybe about twenty-five."
     Sheriff Donnelly's eyes twinkled. "Well, thank you Trudy, you've been a big help."
     "Sure. And Sheriff?"
     "Yes, Trudy. You think that I'm in some danger right now."
     "I think you are, Trudy."
     "I still can't give you those records, Sheriff."
     "I'm not asking for them, then, Trudy. You tell me what you want to do. But I think everyone connected with your practice is in some danger, until we can say for certain why the doctor was killed."
     Trudy nodded silently, tears forming in her eyes. "Sam would know what to do."
     "Yeah, that's the terrible thing about it, Trudy. They took him from us."
     "Still can't do it, Sheriff."
     "I'll see you later, Trudy. You call us if you see this guy or anyone suspicious, and you let us know if anything else comes to your mind."
     "Thank you, Sheriff. I will."
     The Sheriff got into his car and wrote down meticulously some of the things she had said. So he was looking for a nursing transfer student at Central Texas Community College. Simple look into records and he'd find her. Problem was, last known address and phone number. Following up on that could be difficult, if the girl had a rocky upbringing.
     And Reverend Damand, and Ginger Spitz. The Sheriff didn't make either one for the killer, but Trudy had mentioned them, and he would have to have a chat with one or the both of them.
    Figured the FBI agent would be happy though. A lot of things for him to work on.