“Yeah, I’m good now,” Sully whispered.
“His name wasn’t Leon Lerfeld,” Charley said to him and Groves while shaking her head in confusion and certainly with a good deal of shock. “He said it was Dorian Fester.”
“Dorian Fester?” Grove repeated immediately as though he recognized the name.
“Yes,” Charley said.
“You heard of him?” Sully asked Groves. Seeing the maniac with a knife pressed to Charley’s throat had been the single most terrifying thing Sully had ever witnessed in his entire life. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly.
Holding on to him as well, Charley asked, “How on earth did you find me, Sully?”
“I called Detective Groves and told him what was going on,” he said, giving the cop a nod of appreciation. “He gave me the address of Leon Lerfeld.”
“Custis, here, took off like a bat out of hell after you,” Groves said. Staring down at the bloody corpse, he told them, “There’s an APB out on Dorian Fester.”
“For what?” Sully asked.
“An all-points bulletin went out after he escaped from the mental institution about forty miles from here, down in Pueblo,” Grove said. “He murdered his mother and two sisters years ago by strangling and stabbing them. Obviously, we’ve kept an eye out for Fester, but using Lerfeld’s identity and that shack in the woods he stayed hidden.”
“I think he murdered his uncle and aunt too,” Charley said.
“Fester had no living relatives. The Lerfeld address was never on our radar. The Lerfelds were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m sure my team checked out the Bleak Road house,” Groves said. “But if one or both of the Lerfelds had dementia, along with age and seclusion out in the sticks, they were easy prey for Fester.”
“Fester said he was held in the institution after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. He pretended to be catatonic after murdering his mother,” Charley said. “He never mentioned killing two sisters too.”
“Officially, they had him for three murders and who knows how many more,” Groves reported.
“Let’s get out of this rathole,” Sully said.
“Yeah, let’s go.” The detective nodded. “CSPD should be here by now with a couple of our best K-9s.”
Sully pulled Charley’s glove out of his pocket and gave it to her. Having dropped her glove had allowed her to strike a defensive blow against Fester. Charley’s eyes glittered in silent confirmation as she stuck the glove in her pocket. Grasping herhand and trailing her behind him, Sully shooed rats out of their way and entered the same tunnel he’d traveled to get here.
“The rats will have a go at Fester by the time I get back here with my team,” Groves said, following close behind Charley. “That’s karma for you.”
“People can feel safe again in Old Colorado City,” Charley said quietly. “That makes me happy for the couple who bought my property and for everyone else in Colorado Springs.”
Sully agreed, keeping a grip on Charley’s hand. He never wanted to let go. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Had Fester murdered her…with every step through the tunnel, Sully thanked God for keeping Charley alive. Nearing the ladder they had descended, he heard voices before he saw the flashing lights.
“Police!” somebody up in the house yelled into the pit.
Detective Groves stepped in front of Sully and Charley, and called, “Detective Burt Groves.” A light flashed into the hole, and Groves shielded his eyes. “The Cave Killer has been killed in his cave. I’m coming up with the two people who helped us catch him.” Turning to Sully, he said, “I’ll climb out first, and you send Charley up after me. Together, we’ll make sure she escapes this cave in one piece.”
“Yes, sir,” Sully agreed.
When Groves was out of the pit and in the house, he turned and looked down at them. “Okay, Charley, come on up.”
“Okay,” Charley said and took hold of the ladder.
“Careful,” Sully said with a pat to her fanny before placing his hands to her waist. He watched her climb and saw Groves assist her to safety. Sully followed her out of the pit.
Police and other first responders filled the old shack. Sully wrapped an arm around Charley as they paused beside Detective Groves. Advising them he would take their statements the following day, the detective escorted them out of the house.Outside, Sully took a welcome breath of fresh air. He felt Charley do the same as he took her hand and gently squeezed.
Narrowly cheating death, they had achieved freedom from stark raving madness.
As the snow continued to fall, red and blue lights flashed from the police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks parked around the wooded area surrounding the rundown residence. While one officer used yellow tape to identify the house as a crime scene, another policeman moved his patrol car to allow Sully and Charley access to his Jeep. Walking her to the Jeep, Sully opened Charley’s door and pulled her into his arms. Amid the blizzard and chaos, he kissed her for the first time since finding her, loving her with all his heart. Then he helped Charley into the Jeep and hurried around to the driver’s side. Charley was buckling her seat belt as he turned on the windshield wipers and heat. Sully buckled up, too, and turned to her with a smile.
“I love you, Sullivan Custis,” Charley whispered.
