The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Chapter 16

The Cypress Guardian

Wednesday, July 20th 1977

Once more, a vicious animal attack has struck Cypress, this time at Jimmy's, a roller rink on the corner of Harrison Ave and 18th, on the city's Northeast end.

Authorities are not giving many details as of now, but they are saying that it is definitely an animal attack.58 year old Clavell Diggs, 57 year old Anita Lunsford, 31 year old Marvin Reeve and 28 year old Lucius Turner were all found mutilated inside the basement of the rink last night.

Those questioned at the site said they heard nothing in the basement of the rink, while some say gunshots could be heard, but that it was so loud inside the building that it was hard to tell.Police, however, did happen to discover multiple grams of cocaine, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia down inside the basement where the murders took place.

When sought for questioning, the rink's owner, James Tolliver, was nowhere to be found. But needless to say that the rink will be shutdown indefinitely, or until at least Mr. Tolliver can be located.

While authorities have not been able to pinpoint just what kind of animal could be responsible, it leads them to believe that perhaps this all could harken back to similar animal attacks in the past. Mainly those that took place in Cuyahoga Falls this past February.

***

"You gotta be kidding me." Ortega sighed in dismay before folding his newspaper and looking around at the busy floor of the police station.

"C'mon, pal, and get in here!" A white, plain clothes officer shouted as he and another plain clothes officer who happened to be black dragged a raggedy looking black man into the area before planting him down into a chair.

Ortega, forgetting that he had his newspaper tucked underneath his armpit, nonchalantly carried himself over to the scene where he managed to keep himself somewhat in a partial distance, just close enough to hear but not appear as being nosey.

The man seated in the chair wore nappy dreadlocks and a scruffy beard. His shorts had a huge hole in the side while his tank top shirt had grease stains plastered all over. Judging by his appearance, he looked to be in his early to mid-thirties.

"Okay, buddy, we're gonna keep going over this until we get it right." The black officer stood above the young, overconfident looking man. "Is there a rival gang here in town?"

Growing a grin, the man sat and said, "Hey, mon, I know nuting about any gangs."

Rolling his eyes, the white officer stood on the other end and said, "C'mon, George, how many times are you gonna tell us that? You know about the murders from last night, as well as the guy in the alley just the other night. There has to be a connection."

Pointing at himself, George asked, "Why ya ask me?"

"Because some of the folks at Jimmy's said that there were two Jamaicans that entered that club last night, and no one ever saw them again." The black officer stated. "Let's face it, my friend, there aren't too many of you guys in this city to begin with. You folks have to be networking."

Still wearing his grin, George replied, "Look, mon, I was at home all last night. I don't even know how to skate."

"Wipe that stupid look off of your face." The white officer grudgingly ordered. "You want us to bring up that little charge you had so mysteriously wiped away a month ago?"

Promptly, George frowned before wiping the sweat from off his face. "Look, mon, I know nuting about no murders."

"We never asked anything about any murders." The white officer gritted his teeth. "We want to know if there are any Jamaican gangs in this city. Any drug rivals."

With his hands outstretched, George pleaded, "It's hot, mon. Too hot for murder."

"You people should be used to the heat." The black officer said. "Now, tell us what we need to know and you can go back home to your nice, cozy fan."

George sat back in the chair and exhaled before saying, "Okay, mon, in de streets, I be hearing about a woman and a mon."

"Keep going." The white officer said.

George then shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I hear dat dey live down in Hollis Estates."

"That does it!" The white officer irately exclaimed before lifting George to his feet. "Get this comedian outta here before I crack him in half!"

Ortega just stood and watched as George was carted away, all the while pleading his so called case to anyone who would listen.

Once the man was out of sight, Ortega approached the white officer."Tell me, uh...why did you just have that man taken away when he was giving you the information that you needed?"

The officer just stared back at Ortega as though the man were growing a new set of ears right before his eyes.

"And you are?" the officer grimaced.

"Inspector David Ortega," Ortega snapped back.

"Oh, so you're the new Inspector." The man cracked a grin.

"Yeah, I am. Now, what was all that about?"

"Just a Q and A, that's all."

"But he sounded as if he were giving you a tip on a lead."

The officer stood and smiled at Ortega like he was looking at a simple child. "Inspector, Hollis Estates is a rundown slum. Not even the rats go down there. The place is a ghost town. Completely empty."

to himself in the middle of the floor. Just before he was about to go back to his own

after the man until he was able to catch up

"Hey, fella," Ortega called out. "You're

Brice only kept walking until he reached a door and

Mr. Ortega." Brice greeted

a tiny office littered with shiny, silver utensils, cameras and boxes of papers from one corner to the other. Just trying to find a place to step was nearly

Appearing out of sorts, Ortega shut the door behind him and said, "I, uh, I'm glad I was

off his glasses. "Look, Inspector, I apologize for being so...unorthodox, yesterday. I just had a lot of things on my mind." Brice explained, looking as if he hadn't slept

didn't open a can of worms, you threw a bag of snakes at me." Ortega said. "You just can't toss all that at

man with the most depressed glaze on his face, as to say that he was at a

Brice said as he sat himself down in his old, wooden chair that was placed just a couple of feet away from where Ortega took his own seat. Taking off his glasses

right back at the man, Ortega asked, "You

back on his face, Brice pressed his

"A cop's job is never done." Ortega humbly

again." Brice said while fiddling with a ballpoint

happened there last night?

Brice exhaled before saying, "Just imagine your worst horror movie, and

"That bad, huh,"

me something, Inspector, how

I guess."

his pen. "There's something wrong here in this city, Inspector. And it all seemed to

"Keep going."

year, a wild animal, presumably, broke into a home and murdered three grown men. There was hardly anything left of them. Then came this past

Ortega pondered for a moment. "I

caught, but tore

paper. He was killed

family that lived right down the road from the guy." Brice replied. "Now, tell me, Inspector, do you recall hearing a story about a young man by

more, Ortega had to stretch far back in his mind to grab at something. "The

case files on the third floor; I'm just giving you the abridged version. Isaac apparently tried to kill not only his fiancée, but also their own son before

finally snatched out the first thing that came to mind. "Now I remember." He inhaled. "Wasn't he supposedly high

Inspector with scrupulous precision. "Is that all

Chuckling, Ortega asked,

couple that lived right next door to where the Mercer incident took place. If you've ever seen this neighborhood, the houses are so small and close knit they might as well be apartments. This same elderly couple swore up

seen people on drugs do some pretty crazy stuff. Sounding like an animal wouldn't be too out of the ordinary. Crazy people don't know restraint, Mr. Brice. They tend to be a lot

Brice's eyes would not stop staring endlessly

"Inspector, in each and every incident, I discovered two things. Number one, these people were by no way murdered by a pack of dogs or a bear. Neither beast is as destructive or strong. Number

sat and looked on as Brice turned around and reached into his desk to pull out a shoebox. The man then

"These are strands of

examined it from end

held back for a second or

Ortega's eyes quickly went for Brice's face.

kind you're thinking of, but

the fur back to Brice and asked, "What kind

shoebox and said, "Inspector, I just happened to gather more fur from not only the alley incident, but also from last night. You saw the guy inside that car. No normal wolf could have or would have ever caused that much destruction. Last night, inside that roller rink, I saw bodies torn

Ortega pleaded, "Okay, okay, I need for you to stop beating around the bush, Mr. Brice. You've been up all night long looking at death. I get it. But I need for you to come clean with me right now. What are you getting

top of his desk before

she was, as naked as a jaybird. One guy, who wanted to get his jolly's, just happened to take out his camera, but when he

Brice handed Ortega the pictures, but David was entirely too wound up with anticipation to even try

"I...I can't make any of this out. What am I

"Look at the woman's face, Inspector." Brice insisted. "The

the black woman's face as closely as his vision would allow.

"These Polaroid's all have discolored

at her

I supposed to be looking at?" Ortega asked in

was growing

the longest of moments both men just sat and stared at one another in complete and utter

still not going to tell me just what you're getting at,

"I know, I sound like Leonard Nimoy, but you're an educated man. I'll let you figure it out. But this is no

Ortega continued to study the man before asking, "What about Mercer's fiancée? She was

much," Brice nonchalantly shrugged. "No one has heard from her since the

but I have to admit that this

"We're not dealing with gangsters here, Inspector. I happen to believe that there may be more than one of

eyes grew two sizes at that point. "What

a solid brick wall. I refuse to

"You actually enjoy all this, don't you?" He grunted at

after Cummins was killed. He asked me about something concerning

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