This story is part of an ongoing series.
The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.
Feedback and
constructive
criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.
This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.
Part 1 - Prologue
"Here's what we know." said the lovely athletic blonde Alison McFarland into the microphone of her podcast. "Twelve years ago, on a late April evening, University student Susan Dawn Phillips disappeared. She was a Sophomore, a Pi Omega Sorority pledge, made good grades, and was well-liked by those who knew her.
"A week later, after an intensive search and an anonymous tip, her body was found in the woods behind a large field in Nextdoor County, in the northwest part of the county, a field where high school and college students often went to fool around. The autopsy revealed that Susan had been raped and severely beaten, then shot in the back of the head. DNA analysis suggested she'd been sexually assaulted by several men, and the Coroner's report noted that her injuries to her vagina as well as her head and body were extremely severe.
"Susan's dorm roommate said Susan left for a sorority function that evening, and never returned. The roommate went to the library to study, and so wasn't there if any phone calls had come in. Susan's sorority sisters all said she never arrived at the Sorority House for the dinner function, and calls to her had gone unanswered.
"Because the crime potentially crossed county lines, the State Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist. They found that one phone call to Susan's dorm room had been placed, but had gone unanswered. Susan had a cell phone, but it was never found, and her purse was not with her body when it was discovered, nor anywhere in the large field.
"The case went nowhere. The Nextdoor County Police had no leads, the University Campus Police and Town and County Police Departments, which would merge a year later into one unit, took no interest in the case, as it wasn't in their jurisdictions. They were also essentially blocked by the SBI, with whom they were feuding... and still are to this day.
"Eight years ago another young woman, Kitty Summers, claimed in an interview with KXTC News that she was a pledge with the Pi Omega Sorority, and was taken to a field for what was called an initiation ritual. She said that she and other pledges were left in the field, where boys from a Fraternity hunted them down and forced them into sex. Kitty said that she resisted and fought them, as she was a virgin at the time, but she was held down, repeatedly slapped in the face, and then gang-raped.
"She said she did not go to the Police because she didn't know who the boys were, nor to where she'd been taken... and that she was threatened by the Pi Omega Sorority, who told her she would be killed if she said anything to anyone. When KXTC followed up with the story, the Pi Omega Sorority denied Kitty's accusations, saying she made it up because she was denied membership in the sorority.
"Kitty was traumatized by the incident, and turned to drugs. She dropped out of School, and only the help of family and friends got her into rehab. She says the incident destroyed her life. There were no investigations by law enforcement at any level, and KXTC, owned at the time by now-State-Senator Katherine Woodburn, did not follow up on the case."
"Just recently, former University women's basketball player Jayne Hallerton, who accused U.S. Senator Samuel Russell of raping her, brought up Kitty Summers's story. She said that U.S. Senator Russell had helped suppress several accusations of rape during Fraternity and Sorority hazing rituals. Senator Russell denied the accusations, saying they were made by a 'worthless prostitute' that tried to extort money from him after giving him consentual sex."
"So what is the truth? We're going to explore these cold cases, and find out what's there. I'm Alison McFarland, and this... is '
Unresolved
'."
Part 2 - In The Beginning
This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" said the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, April 17th, from the KXTC anchor desk. "U.S. Senator Samuel Russell has threatened to file a lawsuit against Jayne Hallerton after she accused him of using his political power to suppress investigations into rape allegations on the University Campus!"
Bettina: "Ms. Hallerton, a former University basketball player, accused Senator Russell of violently raping and beating her months ago, and a Grand Jury returned an indictment in the case. Russell's son Billy Russell also accused his father of having security personnel beat him and Ms. Hallerton after the alleged rape, but Russell's wife contradicted the accusations, saying the sex between Russell and Hallerton was consentual, and that Billy is the one who beat up Jayne. Senator Russell's daughter, Ruby Russell, a hostess on the popular show 'Point Taken' that you can see here on KXTC, has defended her father and attacked her brother and Ms. Hallerton many times."
Bettina: "In the latest accusation, which was first revealed on Alison McFarland's popular podcast 'Unresolved', Jayne Hallerton accused Senator Russell of helping cover up the investigation of the alleged rape off Kitty Summers, then a University student. Senator Russell denies the accusations and threatened a lawsuit, but that suit has not been filed as of the time of this report."
More Bettina: "And a spokesperson for MegaTech Industries, the powerful technology company that makes the popular 'Alicia' home smart device, has said it will cooperate with Federal authorities in the investigation of the murder of David Lang, an employee of MegaTech subsidiary Audial Security Solutions. Three other employees of Audial Security Solutions reached plea deals with District Attorney Miriam Walters after an investigation by the Town & County Police Department into Lang's murder."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"She's working hard not to give you credit, Don." said Cindy Ross as the Command Group and Our Sheriff drank coffee and watched the broadcast in the Chief's Conference Room.
"Credit goes to all the Detectives." I said. "They did a good job with four cases at once. And I was very pleased with Julia Rodriguez's interrogations."
"They did do well," said Sheriff Griswold, "but it was you, Crowbar, that connected all four cases together and unearthed the mole Shimono inside MegaTech."
"How did MegaTech take that?" asked Teresa. "Did they know she was embedded in their company?"
Tanya Perlman said "Jack said they acted shocked when the FBI informed them of who she was and her presence in their company." referring to her fiancΓ©, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone. "The FBI did try to go find her at the MegaTech offices in the Cannon Building in the City before notifying MegaTech, but she hadn't been seen by anyone since early last week."
"She's in the wind. Again." I said. "Still one step ahead of me..."
"Think MegaTech knew?" Teresa asked.
"Yes." I said. "And it is no coincidence that Bettina is basically doing P.R. for them by saying they're cooperating with the Feds."