Rick Mofina - Full Tilt

“Right, so how many known homicide victims? Sixteen now?” a TV reporter, his hand cupped to one ear, repeated into his camera. “Right. Fifteen in New York. One here, right. Sixteen and we’re going live through New York.”

As Sanner caught up and reminisced with other news photographers, Kate searched the men in suits and jackets lining the walls near the side and back, hoping to see Brennan or Dickson or at least some official she knew from Rampart.

She felt a tap on her shoulder before hearing her name.

She turned to see Brennan.

“Ed, I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Come with me.”

“But-” She indicated the news conference was about to start.

“You won’t miss anything. Come with me.”

Kate left a trail of “Who’s that?” and “What’s that about?” and “She looks familiar…” from the few reporters who’d noticed she was being pulled aside in advance of a national press conference.

Brennan took her to a small office at the rear, crowded with several other FBI, state and county investigators. She looked at the grim faces watching her.

“What’s going on, Ed?”

“Kate, please sit down.”

Pierced by the sudden fear that it was over, she caught her breath.

“Kate, we’re going to identify two victims arising from the forest scene.”

“But you only found one?”

“The homicide victim has been identified and we’ll release that name momentarily. The identity of a second person has also been confirmed. In both cases we used expedited DNA analysis.”

Kate stared at him.

“Kate, one is your sister, Vanessa. There is no doubt. We’ve confirmed it by using the DNA you provided through analysis with the biological material found at the scene.”

“What?”

“It’s true.”

“Are you saying-” Kate swallowed “-my sister’s dead?”

“No, we’re confirming that she was at the scene. We don’t know her whereabouts. We don’t know if she’s still alive or has been hurt, but, until very recently, she was alive and at that scene.”

Kate cupped her hands over her mouth as she absorbed the news, her mind reeling, her thoughts rocketing through the years of pain.

“Both names will be released with pictures and information,” Brennan said. “Kate, are you hearing me?”

She nodded.

“Kate, Emmett Lang with the FBI. We met in Rampart.”

Kate had a vague memory.

“We know this is a lot to take in,” Lang said. “The evidence strongly points to a live prisoner situation, although we can’t rule out an accomplice. We expect our suspect will be watching the news. We walk a fine line between public safety and protecting an investigation. We’re criticized no matter what we do. In this case, given a safety concern, we’re going to release a lot of information as part of a public appeal. We have other solid information that we can’t disclose but we’re pursuing. We believe we’re very close to Carl Nelson.”

As Kate stared at Lang, at Brennan, at the others, something deep inside detonated a lifetime of pent-up anguish and anger. Kate did all she could to control it, to use it as a weapon, for she realized now more than ever, she was now truly in a battle for Vanessa’s life.

And they were losing time.

“His name’s Sorin Zurrn. He grew up in Chicago. His mother committed suicide because she believed he murdered a classmate.”

The investigators exchanged glances of disbelief.

“Kate, where did you learn this?” Brennan asked.

As she quickly related the results of her trip to Chicago and the links of Zurrn to Jerome Fell in Denver, Fell’s link to the Tara Dawn Mae abduction in Alberta with its ties to Vanessa and Rampart through a message in the ruins and the necklace, FBI agents took notes.

“Everything about Zurrn will be in the story I’m filing today. That will be my statement to you.”

Some of the investigators huddled and in hushed tones compared Kate’s information to their own confidential aspects of the case. A few had started making calls, when a knock sounded at the door.

“Excuse me, but the networks want to start, something about satellite time and going live.”

Kate returned to her seat in the hall.

The press conference was led by George Varden, the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge of Minnesota, who introduced state, local officials and those from New York.

As it began, Kate slipped into a surreal state, struggling to do her job while the painful truth about her little sister was unveiled before her.

Enlarged photos of Carl Nelson, age-progressed images of Vanessa and photos of a white woman in her twenties appeared alongside locator maps and timelines as Varden summarized the Minnesota aspect of the investigation, then its link to Rampart, New York. He outlined key points of the case, how bird-watchers had discovered the scene a few miles from here in Lost River State Forest. He reviewed matters chronologically with dates and locations but would not discuss vital, key fact aspects.

He acknowledged that the case now had sixteen homicide victims, many of whom had yet to be identified.

“Evidence leads us to believe that the individual known as Carl Nelson is our leading suspect in these crimes. Let me stress that this investigation is ongoing, and we continue to pursue a number of leads,” Varden said before identifying the Lost River victim.

“Brittany Ellen Sykes, aged twenty-four, who was reported missing while walking to her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, nine years ago, has been identified as yet another homicide victim in this case.

“We also found evidence that Vanessa Page, believed to be a kidnap victim of Carl Nelson, was also present at the scene and may be a prisoner in a hostage situation. Because of our concern for her safety, we’ll be releasing more information in our effort to locate her and Carl Nelson.”

As Varden outlined Vanessa’s case, whispers rippled among the reporters. Cell phones began vibrating. Some reporters took hushed calls while shooting glances to Kate.

Then the monitors came to life with footage of a van at Bishop’s General Store and Gas.

“The van is a silver Chevy 2013 Class B camper van. We’ve provided photos to you. We’re looking for that van.”

The driver, owing to glare and angles of light, was in silhouette behind the wheel.

“We believe the driver is Carl Nelson. We’ll provide this video along with other pictures to you. The scene has been released. We’ll have people there and we ask that you be respectful of it. Now, we’re asking anyone with any information about this case to contact us. We’ll take your questions.”

For the next fifty minutes Varden and other investigators took a rapid succession of questions that covered nearly every element of the case. During that time, Kate was passed notes and received messages requesting interviews, including those from the major news networks.

She didn’t respond to them. She had her own work to do first.

When the conference ended Kate and Lund hurried to his SUV and they drove to the scene.

“How are you holding up, Kate?” Sanner asked.

“I don’t know. I’m numb. I just need to focus on my story, update it and get it filed after we get to the scene.”

It was a half-hour drive to the state forest gate. From there it took another thirty minutes, following the trail marked by fluorescent tags conservation officers had put up to guide the press.

“Much of this area’s inaccessible,” Sanner said as they cut through the thick forest and stretches of fields, peat bog, streams, thickets and wetland. “A birder’s paradise.”

A number of news trucks had already arrived at the scene before them. Klassen County deputies were directing press to the site, which was accessible by foot.