Deadly Beast: A Case for Mr. Parks

By Ed Glasscock

In the early morning darkness, a swift and powerful assailant begins a campaign of terror, leaving a trail of broken and brutalized corpses. Eccentric criminal investigator J. Marshal Parks joins police detective Paul Ramsey in a desperate battle to end the senseless and violent murders.

Parks’s home is his refuge, his cosmos of resources and headquarters for his powerful analytical skill. His chauffeur, Jacob, is a capable and trustworthy partner. Martha, Parks’s household manager, somehow succeeds in maintaining a stable and safe haven for the wearied criminologist in pursuit of a deadly beast.

The price of ending this reign of terror may be too much for mere humans to pay. Parks’s battle against evil reveals the hazards of confronting the unknown and the severe consequences of facing the forces of hate and perverse genius.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Dec 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665700085

Ed Glasscock

Ed Glasscock lives in Talladega, Alabama, with his wife Gail. Having retired from college and seminary teaching, Dr. Glasscock continues in education, lecturing both nationally and internationally. He has published professional journal articles, magazine articles, and a technical commentary on the biblical book of Matthew.

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Copyright © 2021 Ed Glasscock.

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ISBN: 978-1-6657-0007-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0008-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020923861

Archway Publishing rev. date: 12/29/2020

I wish to acknowledge the significant

and valuable contributions of my wife, Gail,

in bringing this project to completion. She

has been my partner in life for fifty-four years

and without her encouragement, suggestions, and

corrections, this project would still only be an idea in my head.

PREFACE

T he world was rapidly changing in the late 1930s. While America was growing strong and moving toward economic recovery from the devastating 1929 stock-market crash, the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany stirred fear and concern throughout Europe. Following the great loss of life in the first world war, a deep isolationist attitude toward the troubles in distant lands was developing in the United States. Being involved with another war so far away did not have much support, and it appeared that Europe would have to solve their own problems.

But history teaches that no one can hide from the evil schemes of twisted minds and perverse greed. Unless those of integrity and courage stand together, there can be no hope for a safe and sane world. The madness of political fanaticism driven by irrational ideals of ethnic and national superiority can impact the lives of millions and bring devastation beyond rational imaginations. This evil, once again, was rising up in Germany. Many Germans were not sympathetic to the fanatical agenda of the Nazi Party, but from fear and a strong traditional sense of national loyalty, the nation began to move toward another violent world conflict, all to feed the ego of their charismatic but delusional Führer.

The United States desired to stay out of any new war and focused on regaining economic stability while enjoying the quietness of peace time living. But even in the stable and tranquil environment of 1938 America, evil can shatter the American dream. In one major city, an evil and powerful enemy began an attack on an unprepared society. In the darkness of the early morning hours, a new horror was unleashed on unsuspecting victims. The excessive brutality of the first murder alarmed even Paul Ramsey, a veteran police detective, who feared a sinister new force was prowling the streets of his city.

Immediately, he sought help from the one man he trusted to help unravel this mystery, knowing that together they must bring this violent and brutal murderer to justice. The man Detective Ramsey looked to was J. Marshal Parks, an oddity for the 1930s, a wealthy gentleman who was not obsessed with financial strategies and exceptionally intelligent, but humble enough to listen to the opinions and ideas of others. Some would describe him as excessively inquisitive, obsessed with understanding every little curiosity, but this was the very trait that Detective Ramsey thought was one of his great assets.

Detective Ramsey and Parks had met during a tragic string of murders carried out by a mentally deranged serial killer. Ramsey quickly recognized Parks’s unique talents, and soon their partnership had grown into an effective crime-solving force.

Parks’s natural abilities were strengthened by another unique partnership. Jacob Lewis, his chauffeur and closest friend, served as a trusted ally in their dangerous exploits. As a quick learner with excellent instincts, he was a great problem-solving asset. Ramsey understood Jacob’s contribution to the work and welcomed him to the team.

But the case of the deadly beast led these three friends into a dark and dangerous world beyond their years of experience together. Their foe was not an ordinary criminal, and the string of murders were disturbing because of their excessively violent and cruel nature. The rise of the deadly beast would challenge this tight knit trio and prove more costly and devastating than any of them could have imagined.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1     The Murder Of Mr. Levy

Chapter 2     The Pawn Shop Murder

Chapter 3     Possible Nazi Connection

Chapter 4     Melancholy Mystery

Chapter 5     The Rabbi And His Wife

Chapter 6     Attack On Parks

Chapter 7     Consideration Of Pug

Chapter 8     Close Encounter

Chapter 9     The Gala

Chapter 10   The Stakeout

Chapter 11   A New Lead

Chapter 12   Parks’s Household In Danger

Chapter 13   The Death Of The Young Athlete

Chapter 14   Preparing For Battle

Chapter 15   The Confrontation

Chapter 16   Showdown At The Secret House

Chapter 17   The Aftermath

Chapter 18   The Future

CHAPTER ONE

THE MURDER OF MR. LEVY

A aron was accustomed to the cold, dark mornings. His regular pre-dawn shift at the loading dock required him to make this uncomfortable trek five days each week during the chilled winter months. Though the broad, dense park could be a beautiful retreat on warm sunny days, at this dimly lit hour of early morning with the frosty air and dark shadows, it created an uncomfortable atmosphere. Aaron always hurried through this secluded segment of his walk to work. If it didn’t save him ten minutes, he would not travel this shadowy and isolated path. On this particular morning, feeling even more uncomfortable than usual, he quickened his pace. It may have just been his imagination, but Aaron sensed an unwelcome presence from the first few yards after entering the park trail.

Aaron Levy was a typical laborer of the 1930s, just pleased to have work during the depressed economic times. His modest income provided a small but comfortable apartment, food for his family, and an occasional night at the movies with his wife. The worst part of the Depression seemed to be past and, like most Americans, he was optimistic. In the dark early morning hours of this day, however, he was edgy and anxious to get back onto the better lighted streets. This time the sound behind him was not as questionable as the softer, more subtle hints of movement first noticed. Clearly someone or something was stalking him.

By the time this realization clarified itself in his mind, it was too late. Out of the shadowy darkness some unseen force crashed into him, knocking him to the ground breathless and stunned. Before he could regain his senses or his breath, he was pulled up and tossed around like a ragdoll though the stocky dock worker weighed close to two hundred pounds. There was no time for screams, no opportunity to run, no hope of help. Life was quickly crushed from his body by a violent and powerful beating. Now, the only sounds on this shadowy track of isolated walkway were the sickening thuds of a lifeless body being thrust against unyielding solid objects and the deep growls of some unknown creature relishing its power over this comparatively puny human.

Jacob answered the phone; Detective Paul Ramsey was asking to speak to Marshal Parks. Jacob turned in the direction of Parks’s bedroom to summon his employer when he realized that Parks had already picked up the extension. Following a short conversation with the detective, Parks informed Jacob, We’ve been requested to join Paul at the scene of an unusual and gruesome murder. Get dressed and warm up the car, Jacob. I will get my tool bag and be right there.

There were occasions when the local police used J. Marshal Parks, who had earned a reputation as a skilled independent criminologist, for consultation in difficult cases, especially those of rare circumstances. Parks and Ramsey had developed a friendship from these occasional consulting events, but a teacher and student mentoring relationship was also an evolving result of their collaborations.

In less than an hour, Parks and Jacob, his chauffeur, who was also his trusted personal assistant in many aspects, stood listening to Ramsey explain how the body was discovered and what few bits of relevant data had been collected from the scene. It was still early morning; a heavy frost covered the ground and a bitter chill hung heavily around this horrific spectacle. Powerful search lights had been set up to facilitate the police investigation and ropes had been used to block off the immediate perimeter around the crime scene. Detective Ramsey spoke to Parks, The victim is over here on the side of the path, and led him to the center of the area marked off to keep the onlookers from disturbing possible evidence. The body of the middle-aged man lay twisted into a grossly distorted posture, exhibiting severe trauma around the head and upper body.

Jacob, jot down notes, would you, Parks said, as he slowly circled the unfortunate victim, stooping to quietly and respectfully examine each wound. Ramsey and Jacob watched as he methodically expanded his scrutiny of the victim and crime scene in progressively widening concentric circles away from the body. Jacob used his notebook to draw a diagram of the body’s position and surrounding environment, marking any significant objects.

Parks spoke almost as if only to himself, but Jacob knew the difference between his private mumblings and important data, Note, the heaviest concentration of blood is not around the body but in the vicinity of the oak tree about fifteen feet from the victim. His spine appears to be broken in multiple places.

Occasionally, Parks would seem to freeze into a position of intense concentration and, using his large magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers, would extract some minute item and deposit it into an envelope. Uniformed officers mingled around the perimeter of this tragic scene which served as a dramatic stage for the brutal end of a man’s life. The setting was somber, cold, and impersonal.

As the morning evolved into another busy day, growing numbers of curious onlookers struggled to see all they could while not lingering so long as to be late for work. Parks seemed oblivious to all the murmuring and gasping of the crowd as he analyzed every detail of the gruesome site. Jacob noticed that he had begun exhibiting thoughtful interest in the mid-sized oak tree several feet from the body where he had earlier noted the copious pool of blood. Parks’s focus moved from the victim to the tree and back again several times. He marked off the number of paces between the tree and the broken body.

The interest in the tree was apparently confusing to Ramsey. In a quiet voice, he spoke to Jacob, What do you think that’s all about?

Jacob responded, He always seems to see significance in things that others miss and usually to a good end.

Yeah, you’re right. That’s one reason I asked him to look at this with me. Of course, I take a lot of guff from the guys at the station who think he is some kind of clairvoyant I naively rely on. However, I fail to see what is so significant about that tree.

Well, his techniques can seem a bit mystical at times, said Jacob, but it is more fanatical diligence than spirit intervention.

Ramsey admitted, He confuses me at times, but I have become a better detective from watching him. Has Marshal ever explained how we met?

No, at least not in detail. I think he helped on some serial killer case.

Yep, the detective said, watching Parks carefully as he examined the ground a few feet from the cold and stiff body of Mr. Levy, A few years back there had been some rather puzzling murders of young women. We had released only a few basic details to the papers and made an appeal for women not to go out alone at night. There were precious few clues, but two of the girls shared similar appearances and both were last seen coming out of bars on Broadmoor Avenue. Our investigation was focused on these two victims almost exclusively. A third girl, about the same age, was found with similar marks of abuse and type of death. My partner and I were trying to find a connection with the other two girls and did not recognize the broader issues.

We were pretty much stumped. Ramsey added with a light chuckle, Me and my partner, a grizzled old-style cop named John Kellogg who cared little for formal procedures, were sitting at our desks, fussing about the lack of evidence and the pressure the chief was putting on us. The desk sergeant brought a posh looking uptown gentleman, you know who, to speak with us. Parks took a seat next to my desk with Kellogg behind him. He introduced himself, and then said he had some thoughts on the murders. Marshal had asked to speak to me because my name was in all the papers as the lead detective on the case. To be honest, we had a lot of people coming by to offer advice, so we were prepared to politely dismiss him and send him on his way. My partner was making faces at me, mocking this amateur sleuth behind his back.

However, he got our attention when he started giving accurate details we had not released to the press. I remember the shock when I heard him say, ‘there are actually five victims, all in their late twenties and all missing at least one of their shoes.’ I saw John sit upright, nod at Parks and smile. I knew what he was thinking: it would not be the first time in criminal history that an arrogant killer would come in to taunt detectives with a pretense of helping solve a case. But we soon realized this was not the situation. Parks had been following the various cases for a very long time. His folder had newspaper clippings, articles from similar cases, and even opinions of criminal psychologists. To make a long story short, he explained his process of reasoning which led him to suspect we were looking for a mentally and emotionally disturbed person. He even indicated that the killer might have a foot fetish and possibly worked at a high-end ladies’ shop selling shoes. Later, we made the arrest, but Parks was not interested in getting any credit or publicity. After that, I called him on another case and found he was very ‘gifted’ in his perceptions and easy to work with. Thus, a great friendship and partnership began.

Jacob smiled. Well, that is a little more dramatic than what Marshal told me. Someday I will explain how our relationship began.

He did not just hire you through an agency?

Oh, no. It is quite a story. We met while trying to knock each other out of our shoes. We started off as sparring partners in a run-down gym on the far side of town. It would take too much to explain at this point.

Sounds interesting, Jacob, I look forward to hearing all about it, Ramsey said.

Eventually, Parks joined the two men. Who discovered the body?

Detective Ramsey offered the details of how another man on his way to work came across the body, but had not heard or seen anything. The man was visibly shaken and could not give any helpful information, so I sent him on his way. We have his name and address, as well as how to contact him at work if we need him.

With a nod, Parks suggested that nothing more could be learned from the scene at this time. He knew he would have to return after there was sufficient sunlight to see the whole scene. Paul, why don’t you join me and Jacob for some breakfast at my house? We can pool information and process what we know.

Sounds great. I will let headquarters know where to reach me, Ramsey said as he moved toward his squad car to radio in.

Jacob stepped over to a nearby pay phone to call Martha Perkins, Parks’s house manager and cook, to give her a heads-up about the three coming for breakfast.

As they started to separate, Ramsey turned to Parks, Hey, how about having Jacob drive my squad car and give me a chance to chauffeur you back in that fancy Packard Super Eight of yours?

That is up to Jacob, replied Parks.

Jacob laughed quietly at the detective’s obvious passion to drive such a unique, sporty car and swapped keys with him, adding, You don’t mind if I play with the siren, do you?

Just don’t wreck the car, and, no, don’t play with things. I could get in a lot of hot water if something happens to a squad car while being driven by a civilian, Ramsey responded.

Hey, Detective, you do realize that I am a professional driver, don’t you? And, by the way, should you dent that Packard you will find out that Mr. Parks can be pretty nutty about that car as well, Jacob replied.

The good-humored bantering by these now familiar friends seemed out of place to Parks at this solemn scene.

Before getting down to breakfast or the business of the mysterious death, the three men relaxed in Parks’s study. The conversation was not concerned with the murder, as Parks preferred to allow the data he collected to settle in before having various opinions cloud his thoughts. Instead, the three focused on other significant events taking place, such as Hitler’s uncanny rise to power and England’s hesitation to intervene in Germany’s intention of occupying Czechoslovakia. Germany’s aggressive acts were in the news daily and had become a serious matter for Americans, as well as all of Europe. Such heady world events seemed to make the death of one unfortunate man pale by comparison. The latter stages of a serious economic recession was also a matter of somber discussion among the three, though it was obvious that Parks was in no danger of suffering financial impairment by the fiscal downturn, or that Detective Ramsey’s job had ever been in jeopardy, with crime being so prevalent during these difficult times.

It was not long before Martha announced, Breakfast is ready, gentlemen. Will you be eating in the dining room or the kitchen?

Parks replied, The kitchen will be fine, Martha.

The three friends, along with Martha, settled down to a relaxed meal. Following the typically satisfying breakfast, the three men were anxious to begin processing the data from the crime scene. When the men left the kitchen, Martha took care of the clean-up duties and poured herself another cup of coffee for a short break before beginning her other daily chores.

The trio moved into Parks’s large, well-stocked study, which also housed his impressive private chemical laboratory. Earlier, Martha had thoughtfully started a fire in the large fireplace which was surrounded by comfortable chairs. Then an earnest processing of the data collected at the scene began. All three realized the event being discussed was an unusually violent and disturbing murder.

The autopsy results should be available in four or five hours, Ramsey said, but in the interval, maybe we should try to reconstruct the events of the murder. After identifying the body, we immediately sent officers to the victim’s home. Police questioning of friends and family has confirmed the victim’s routine use of the city park’s shortcut, but beyond that, we have little to work on.

So, what is your impression of the body’s condition? asked Parks.

Apparently, a very savage attack, replied Ramsey.

Paul! Really? Parks response was slightly exaggerated to take a friendly verbal jab at the detective for such an obvious understatement. When one considers the position and grotesquely twisted shape of the body, it is apparent that excessive force was used. You surely noted that his back must have been broken in at least two places for the body to have been twisted and curved backward as it was. What kind of person can shatter a man’s spine like that, and why would the attack be so brutal?

Jacob raised another issue. What was your fascination with the tree that you examined so closely?

I consider it the murder weapon, Parks responded, stuffing his pipe with a favorite tobacco. His two companions sat in silence as though waiting for the punchline of some ambiguous joke.

Seriously? asked Ramsey.

Perhaps I am being a bit facetious, responded Parks, but I am confident that the bark chips I removed from his head, neck, and even from his jacket, where they were deeply embedded in the leather, came from that tree. My best notion is that our victim was at least twice swung violently against the trunk of the tree.

Boss, I rarely question your observations, but I must confess I think you are way off base on this one, Jacob responded. The victim weighed close to two hundred pounds, and how could any man pick him up and swing him around?

Of course, that has already crossed my mind, admitted Parks, and I confess that at this point, I have no logical answer. However, the evidence seems to demand this scenario or something similar.

I agree with Jacob on this one, Marshal added Ramsey, Perhaps the killer used a large branch from that tree.

Okay, responded Parks, but was there a bloody branch anywhere in the proximity of the body? Can we find a witness who saw a man walking out of the park carrying a large, bloody tree branch? Is there a limb missing from the trees in proximity to the body? I think in such a crime of passion, using a large branch as a weapon would not include a refined plan to dispose of such a clumsy and easily seen murder weapon. Thus, I see no reason to believe a tree limb could be the weapon.

The three continued