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Gravidational Force by Barry Ergang
"A serial groper?" Detective First-Grade Brad Kendrick asked.
"Wait," Lieutenant Rigsby said. "It gets worse."
Kendrick, just back to work after a week's vacation, reposed in the chair across from Rigsby's desk. Rigsby had called him into the office two minutes after he arrived in the squad room and, after they exchanged pleasantries and Kendrick answered questions about his trip to Colorado末what sights he and his wife saw, and where they stayed末Rigsby had informed him about the department's open high-profile cases.
"I want you up to speed on this one," Rigsby said after sipping some coffee. "The perp's not your ordinary groper. All seven of his victims have been pregnant women."
Kendrick's brow lowered, but he kept silent.
"He hasn't hit in our precinct末at least, not so far末but the media got hold of the story and the mayor ran with it. His oldest daughter is expecting her first kid."
"I'm sure His Honor is milking this for all it's worth."
"You got it," Rigsby said. "Never seen a political opportunity he wouldn't take. He's been leaning hard on the commissioner to catch the perp. Now the commish is making noises about putting together a special task force to concentrate on nailing this guy." Rigsby snorted in disgust. "His own brand of politicking to keep the mayor and the media happy. He's already said he wants the best men from different squads on the task force. What with your arrest record, he's sure to tap you."
"Has he noticed we have a lot more serious crimes in this city?"
"That wouldn't be convenient."
"Any descriptions of the groper from the victims?"
"None of them got a look at his face, but they know for sure he's white male, six feet tall, give or take an inch or two, and slightly stocky. He wears a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans."
"What about witnesses?" Kendrick asked.
Rigsby shook his head. "There haven't been any. The guy catches them when they're alone."
"Which means he has to be stalking them. Where'd you say he's hit?"
"Seven women, seven different precincts."
Kendrick chewed his lip contemplatively. "That suggests that either he knows his victims and follows them, looking for a chance to get them alone, or that he spots and then stalks random women." After a pause: "Could be a cab driver or someone working for a courier service末someone whose job takes him all over town." Another pause, then he murmured, as much to himself as to Rigsby, "But he doesn't seem to want to actually hurt them."
"Yeah. So far, all he's done is cop feels and run away. That still amounts to assault. Who knows what else he might be capable of?"
"But why pregnant women?"
"The commish asked the department psychiatrist the same question. She wouldn't commit to a definite answer."
"They never do."
"That's the truth. She said she'd have to spend time talking to him to arrive at a diagnosis, but her guess is that he has some sort of deep-seated fixation about preggos."
Kendrick rolled his eyes. "It doesn't take a medical degree to figure that out. The guy obviously has an obsession with pregnant women末a potentially dangerous obsession."
"Yeah. The shrink called it a 'natal attraction'."
THE END Barry Ergang ｩ 2007 |
Barry Ergang is Managing
Editor of Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine (www.fmam.biz) and an
assistant editor for Mysterical-E (www.mystericale.com/). His fiction,
poetry, and non-fiction have appeared in numerous publications, print and
electronic.