A Psychopath's Pause

Barry Greer of the smart set of West Side Massachusetts, is found dead on the same day as a homeless man leaving MCU Police Captain Rudy Beauregard reeling. Beauregard finds the position of the body from Greer's fall down stairs concerning. His gut tells him it's murder. The homeless man is murdered by a wire hanging around his neck, a method of death taught in training Army recruits. Greer's murder occurred in a locked alarm secured home with Greer's wife Laela and her sister Delilah as the other occupants. The widow grieves by traveling with a male neighbor companion. Her trip visiting various summer northeast NE fiestas. Beauregard receives a call from a Vermont Police Chief about a local woman's murder. He gets news informing him of Eastern Coast serial murders of women. Enter FBI Agent Bob Alcore who informs there are over forty bodies of murdered women with two different weapons used. The wire used in the homeless man's murder is used in about half the women killed while an army issued knife is used in killing and raping of the other half. Beauregard is confounded by the discovery of the real identity of the homeless man, an undercover agent. The agent frequented the West Side Open Pantry, where Beryl Kent, an inquisitive citizen involved in Beauregard's investigations and Mona Beauregard, the Captain's wife volunteer. Beryl finds the homeless man's body. Both women are friends of Laela Greer. Barry Greer's true identity becomes known. His first wife, a victim of the serial murderer, was the focus of his active pursuit of her killer. Murders occur near many of the sites that Laela and her companion Jad Morton are visiting. The perpetrator is brilliant. His history is difficult to discover. Early childhood experiences cast motive. Even when the Captain's gut and brain agree on a person of interest, there is not sufficient evidence for property search warrants. And then there is the closing in on the murderer and an ending involving two innocents, one a potential victim and the other an ordinary who bring the perpetrator to his final reward.