Lucifer's Apostles

Lucifer's Apostles Episode 11

Jacko had returned in the early morning hours with a brand-new delivery van stolen from a car yard. After replacing the barrel in the ignition, he would take it to a friend who would configure the remote keyless system and put a set of cloned number plates on it. It would be ready to go before the day was over.

Jacko’s name was Phillip Jack. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama, in the US of A, as he called it. Jacko’s parents moved to Australia when he was fifteen, so he still had a strong American accent. His father was employed as a station hand in Queensland before getting a job at a dairy farm on New South Wales’s south coast.

Jacko did not enjoy school in America. He was regularly bullied in his early school years. As he grew older, he became more prominent in size, and soon, the fat kid became the big kid who did the bullying. He was often in trouble with the police, so much so that his father said, enough is enough. His uncle on his mother’s side owned a large cattle station in the Northern Territory and offered his father a position.

Trouble with the law was no problem at the cattle station, but trouble with his cousins was. He bullied his uncle’s two sons and tried to kiss their daughter. The family packed up, and his father found employment on the dairy farm. It was work that he had excelled at in America years before. Jacko did not want to go to school on the south coast. He dropped out without a job or a care. The time at the dairy farm was short-lived. He left home and headed for Sydney.

Jacko stayed on the wrong side of the law and was incarcerated for eight years after a charge of grievous bodily harm. He bashed a man to within an inch of his life and then attacked the man’s wife. While in prison, he became a model citizen and was paroled three years before his original sentence of eleven years.

Once released, Jacko did not take long to find himself in trouble. He was soon involved in a car stealing racket. Despite his size, he had finally found his niche. He discovered that he could steal any vehicle. He was caught after a tip-off from a colleague trying to avoid prison himself and spent a further three years behind bars.

Being a big man, Jacko never had problems on the inside, and when he returned to the streets, a hardened criminal emerged. The man who informed the police about him was found dead less than a month after Jacko had been released. A friend he had made from his first stint repaid a favour he owed Jacko. His friend also pointed him toward a church that could help turn his life around.

His new friend had been right. He not only started attending their services, but he also found employment. He enjoyed the fact that he got to watch naked women all the time. He knew he was not allowed in their rooms alone with them. There were cameras always recording. He could amuse himself in the office while watching them on the monitors.

***

After lunch with Katie, the day had picked up a little. A van was stolen from a local car yard, and a young woman was reported missing. The woman’s name was Maria Vardalos, aged twenty-four. Her parents had reported her missing after Maria’s work had contacted her to see if she was unwell. It was not like Maria to have a sick day, and her boss was concerned because Maria had been depressed after being given her notice.

Maria’s mother, Katia, had tried to ring Maria’s phone several times the night before. After hearing from Maria’s work, she tried again this morning before driving to Maria’s apartment. Maria’s car was in the car park, but when Katia went to her apartment, there was no answer. She used her key to get into the apartment, and there was no sign of her daughter. Katia rang Maria’s father, Spiros, at his workplace, and they met at the police station to make the report. Both Maria’s parents were of Greek heritage and had lived on the southern beaches of Sydney since they were married.

Ned entered all the details into his algorithm, and her name came out as a positive match. The other names were not discarded, although most of the investigation team’s efforts concerned Maria and Nadia. It was always the same procedure. Interviewing neighbours and work colleagues and checking CCTV footage, as well as following Maria’s daily routine, not once but five times. Her old boyfriend Christopher was brought in for questioning. Uniformed police officers were at the train station, getting names of potential witnesses as they exited the train she usually caught.

Pete Hogan interviewed a couple who had witnessed a white Nissan van speed out of the driveway at around 6 p.m. the previous night. The male witness was sorry. He did not see the driver that well. He did notice that he was a huge man. Neither of the witnesses got a good look at the number plates.

Detective Constable Martin Davies from the Wollongong Police Force entered Tank’s office. He had personally brought up all his files for the Jacinta Tyson case. The description was nondescript, black clothing from head to toe. Jacinta had no idea of his height or weight, “just normal”, she had said.

CCTV was no assistance, although it did capture a white delivery van. Unfortunately, the van was delivering parcels in the area. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be more helpful, Tank”, Davies said. Marty had worked with Tank two years ago before transferring to Wollongong. “I thought I’d come for a drive to see my old mate. I haven’t seen you since I left”.

“It has been a while”, Tank replied.

“The murder scene shook me a little. There was blood everywhere, and this poor young woman just lying in it. The unsub slit her from ear to ear”. Marty sat in a chair while talking, looking at Tank occasionally. Most of the time, he looked at his feet. “The general theory is that the unsub tried to mug Jacinta while she was jogging. It makes no sense. What would she be wearing of value? A Fitbit or a pair of running shoes? I know some joggers wear bum bags with their phones and some change, but still, nothing you would mug someone over. The boyfriend had a solid alibi. He was driving a truck interstate”.

Marty stopped and looked at Tank, “It looked like he’d been stalking her. Somehow the mugging gone wrong has been the tack that police in my department are still keen to follow”. He walked towards Tank’s desk, holding his hand out from his sides, “The evidence proves different. When I saw that you were investigating a murder, I thought this unsub had tried to abduct her before she got away. The general theory is that the unsub believed she could identify his van. I’m suspicious that there’s a coverup. Whoever the unsub is, he has a friend or two in the force”.

Tank looked at Marty, thinking intensely. He raised a finger to Marty, gesturing for him to wait as he picked up the telephone and dialled a number. “Tank”, Inspector Clements said on the other end.

“Sorry to bother you, Bill, I have an old friend in the office. You remember Marty Davies, don’t you?” Tank asked.

“I certainly do. What’s he been up to?” Bill replied?

“No doubt getting everyone around him in trouble like always”, Tank said with a little laugh. “He has just brought the files on the Jacinta Tyson case up from the Wollongong with some interesting findings. Could you arrange a place on the task force for one more? I’ll fill you in on his findings before the day’s over”.

“I’ll run it past Joe Hawkins and then contact the Chief Superintendent at Wollongong. It won’t be a problem. Get him settled in straight away and say hello to him from me”, Bill answered and hung up.

Tank looked at Marty, “You’re in our task force with us, mate. I’ll give you a list of everyone else on it. You can send everything you have to them, except for the last part. I want you to see how far you can get on your cover-up theory while you’re here. Is it okay to travel for an hour, or have you got somewhere to stay? You can stay at my place if the answer to both is no”.

“I’m sure my uncle will let me crash with him. He lives around the corner and up the road”. Marty answered.

Tank looked at his watch. The day was going too quickly. He stood and walked around his desk before he instructed, “Follow me”.