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.The chart looked like this:THE MURDERS - FRANK DODDAlma Frechette (waitress) Then working at Main Street3:00PM, 11/12/70 Gulf Stationfile:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste.20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20deadzone.htm (232 of 370)7/28/2005 9:23:01 PM Stephen King: The Dead ZonePauline Toothaker Off-duty10:00AM, 11/17/71Cheryl Moody U.H.S.student) Off-duty2:00 PM, 12/16/71Carol Dunbarger (H.S.student) Two-week vacation period11/?/74Etta Ringgold (teacher) Regular duty tours10/29(?)/75Mary Kate Hendrasen Off-duty10:10 AM, 12/17/75All times are 'estimated time of death' figures supplied by State Medical Examiner'No, it doesn't prove anything,' Johnny agreed, rubbing his temples.'But it doesn't exactly rule him out,either.'Bannerman tapped the chart.'When Miss Ringgold was killed, he was on duty.''Yeah, if she really was killed on the twenty-ninth of October.But it might have been the twenty-eighth,or the twenty-seventh.And even if he was on duty, who suspects a cop?'Bannerman was looking at the little chart very carefully.'What about the gap?' Johnny said.'The two-year gap?'Bannerman thumbed the time cards.'Frank was right here on duty all during 1973 and 1974.You sawthat.''So maybe the urge didn't come on him that year.At least, so far as we know.''So far as we know, we don't know anything,' Banner-man contradicted quickly.file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste.20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20deadzone.htm (233 of 370)7/28/2005 9:23:01 PM Stephen King: The Dead Zone'But what about 1972? Late 1972 and early 1973? There are no time cards for that period.Was he onvacation?''No,' Bannerman said.'Frank and a guy named Tom Harrison took a semester course in Rural LawEnforcement at a branch of the University of Colorado in Pueblo.It's the only place in the country wherethey offer a deal like that.It's an eight-week course.Frank and Tom were out there from October 15until just about Christmas.The state pays part, the county pays part, and the U.S.government pays partunder the Law Enforcement Act of 1971.I picked Harrison - he's chief of police over in Gates Falls now- and Frank.Frank almost didn't go, because he was worried about his mother being alone.To tell youthe truth, I think she tried to persuade him to stay home.I talked him into it.He wants to be a careerofficer, and something like the Rural Law Enforcement course looks damn good on your record.Iremember that when he and Tom got back in December, Frank had a low-grade virus and he lookedterrible.He'd lost twenty pounds.Claimed no one out there in cow country could cook like his mom.Bannerman fell silent.Something in what he had just said seemed to disturb him.'He took a week's sick leave around the holidays and then he was okay,' Bannerman resumed, almostdefensively.'He was back by the fifteenth of January at the latest.Check the time cards for yourself.''I don't have to.Any more than I have to tell you what your next step is.''No,' Bannerman said.He looked at his hands.'I told you that you had a head for this stuff.Maybe I wasrighter than I knew.Or wanted to be.'He picked up the telephone and pulled out a thick directory with a plain blue cover from the bottomdrawer of his desk.Paging through it without looking up, he told Johnny, 'This is courtesy of that sameLaw Enforcement Act.Every sheriff's office in every county of the United States.' He found the numberhe wanted and made his call.Johnny shifted in his seat.'Hello,' Bannerman said.'Am I talking to the Pueblo sheriff's office?.All right.My name is GeorgeBanner-man, I'm the county sheriff of Castle County, in western Maine.yes, that's what I said.State ofMaine.Who am I talking to, please?.All right, Officer Taylor, this is the situation.We've had a seriesof murders out here, rape-stranglings, six of them in the past five years.All of them have taken place inthe late fall or early winter.We have a.' He looked up at Johnny for a moment, his eyes hurt andhelpless.Then he looked down at the phone again.'We have a suspect who was in Pueblo from October15 of 1972 until.uh, December 17, I think.What I'd like to know is if you have an unsolved homicideon your books during that period, victim female, no particular age, raped, cause of death, strangulation.Further, I would like to know the perpetrator's sperm type if you have had such a crime and a spermsample was obtained.What?.Yes, okay.Thanks.I'll be right here, waiting.Good-bye, OfficerTaylor.'file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste.20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20deadzone.htm (234 of 370)7/28/2005 9:23:01 PM Stephen King: The Dead ZoneHe hung up.'He's going to verify my bona fides, then check it through, then call me back.You want acup of no, you don't drink it, do you?''No,' Johnny said.'I'll settle for a glass of water.'He went over to the big glass cooler and drew a paper cupful of water.Outside the storm howled andpounded.Behind him, Bannerman said awkwardly: 'Yeah, okay.You were right.He's the son I'd've liked to havehad.My wife had Katrina by cesarian.She can never have another one, the doctor said it would kill her.She had the Band-Aid operation and I had a vasectomy.Just to be sure.'Johnny went to the window and looked out on darkness, his cup of water in his hand.There was nothingto see but snow, but if he turned around, Bannerman would break off - you didn't have to be psychic toknow that
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