Midnight Rambler

CHAPTER TWELVE

Linderman went to the blinds and darkened the room. I like to work in the light, and he was obviously someone who gravitated toward the dark. When he sat down, I saw weariness in his face and offered to get coffee from the bar.

“That would be great,” he said.

While waiting for my order, I called Jessie and got voice mail. I wished her luck in her basketball game tonight and told her about a dream I had where she was hitting three-pointers from all over the court. The bartender delivered a steaming pot and two mugs on a tray, and I went upstairs and served my guest.

Caffeine takes ten seconds to hit your bloodstream. Linderman's face sparked to life, and I topped off his cup without being asked. He nodded his appreciation and began.

“I happen to share one of your theories, which is that sexual killers like Skell start out as sexual predators and over time evolve into killers,” Linderman said. “This evolution is one of the reasons they're so difficult to apprehend. They often become experts at deception, learning to hide their impulses from society for many years.”

“So my assumption that Skell was a pedophile is probably true,” I said.

He placed his empty cup on the tray. “Oh, it's definitely true. I started looking at Skell the moment I came to Florida. He's lived all over the state. While living in Tampa he was suspected of being a pedophile. The police saw him in his car near several schools. He was also caught frequenting teenage girl chat rooms on the Internet. It wasn't enough to enable us to arrest him, but he was definitely on everyone's radar.”

“Why did you start looking at him?” I asked out of curiosity.

“He lived in Miami five years ago,” Linderman said.

The same time Linderman's daughter lived there, I thought.

“Part of my job is to analyze killers like Skell to find recognizable behavioral patterns,” Linderman said. “These patterns usually explain motivation, which is essential to prosecution and conviction. Recently, I began examining the transcripts of Skell's trial. I believe I may have uncovered something.”

I grew rigid in my chair.

“Something I missed?”

“Yes. I'm sure it did not seem significant at the time, but that's because you're not trained in criminal psychology. But it was significant to me.”

“What did you find?”

“Melinda Peters testified that ‘Midnight Rambler’ was constantly played during her imprisonment in Skell's home. The song she heard was a different version of the song you just played for me. Skell played the live version for Melinda Peters, taken off an album called Get Your Ya Yas Out.”

I knew this, having listened to the live version as well. The lyrics were the same as the album cut, and I hadn't given the detail any weight.

“So?”

“The live version has a unique lineage,” Linderman said. “It was recorded during the Stones' 1969 tour of the United States and is part of the soundtrack of a documentary called Gimme Shelter. The film chronicles a free concert given at Altamont Speedway in California. The concert was a disaster, with eight hundred and fifty people injured, three killed, and a black man murdered by a gang of Hells Angels hired as security in plain view of the band.

“The resulting publicity nearly destroyed the Stones' careers. If you watch the film carefully, the band appears to want something violent to happen during their set. When it does, the Stones are playing ‘Sympathy for the Devil,’ and they continue to play.”

“Goading the violence on?”

“It certainly looks that way on the film. Vincent Canby, the film critic for the New York Times, was so outraged that he called the movie an opportunistic snuff flick.”

“And you think this is what fuels Simon Skell's rages.”

“No. They fuel his rituals,” Linderman said.

“What's the difference?”

“Psychosexual disorders are defined as paraphilias, which are recurrent, intense, and sexually arousing fantasies that involve humiliation or suffering. The partners in these fantasies are often minors or nonconsenting partners.”

“I'm with you so far,” I said.

“The presence of paraphilias in sex crimes generally means highly repetitive and predictable behavior patterns focused on specific sexual acts. The repetitive nature of the paraphilia is the ritual. To become aroused, Skell must engage in the act.”

“And Skell's paraphilia is to listen to the live version of ‘Midnight Rambler’ while torturing his victims,” I said.

“All evidence points to that,” Linderman said. “Gimme Shelter was released in 1970, when Skell was seven years old. That's the age when paraphilias usually develop. My guess is, he saw the film and was sexually stimulated by the song's violence toward women and the film's violence. Over time, the two became linked.”

“And a deviant was born.”

“Precisely. But that's the problem with this case. Based upon everything we know about sexual killers, Skell should have been caught long ago, and with far more evidence than what was presented at his trial.”

I swallowed the rising lump in my throat. The faces of the victims were staring at us, and I could almost feel their shame.

“Did I screw up the investigation?” I asked.

“Far from it,” Linderman said. “If not for you, Skell would still be murdering young women.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“What I'm saying, Jack, is that it's amazing you did catch him.

Most people who engage in sexual rituals cannot change their habits, even when they suspect law- enforcement scrutiny. As a result, they make need-driven mistakes and are their own worst enemies. But this isn't true with Skell. He chose his victims with utmost care and made them disappear in a way that so far has defied detection.”

“Why is Skell different?”

Linderman paused to give me a probing stare.

“That's a good question. You believe that Skell is a pedophile who evolved into a serial killer. I think he's evolved even further. He's used his superior intellect to become organized and ruthlessly efficient. A killing machine, if you like. Only he can't do any killing from behind bars, so he's now orchestrating his own release from prison.”

“You think he's behind this smear campaign against me?”

“Absolutely.”

“What do Leonard Snook and Lorna Sue Mutter stand to gain, besides seeing themselves on TV?”

“A million-dollar movie deal.”

“But that's illegal.”

“Skell can't profit from his crimes, but his wife can, and she's signed a contract with a Hollywood studio,” Linderman said. “According to the FBI's sources, she's cut Snook in on the deal. He's getting a 20 percent cut and is executive producer.”

“Did you tell the police and the DA?”

“I briefed Bobby Russo and the district attorney yesterday,” Linderman said. “They both felt that unless more evidence was found linking Skell to his victims, he'll be released from Starke.”

Linderman was describing my worst nightmare, and I slowly came out of my chair.

“What can I do?”

“Keep digging for evidence,” Linderman said. “You should also be thinking about what you're going to do if Skell is released.”

His words were slow to register.