The Paperhanger and the World Wide Web: Techs role in solving crimes- Part 3

Link to Part 1

Link to Part 2

“This guy called for you,” the off going dispatcher said, handing me a pink message slip.

It was from a detective at the Routt County Sheriff’s Office and gave his phone number. The message section read “Been chasing this guy for a long time! Welcome to the hunt. Call me.”

So, there was someone out there looking for this guy.

I got my case file, wrote the detectives name and number into it. and called him. As the phone rang, I mentally reviewed what had happened.

A few weeks before an unknown gentlemen came through. he cashed a money order that the face value said was worth $200.00. With that he purchased gas and goodies. Turns out the money order was actually worth $2.00.

I took the case and found out that Emily, the girl who ran the cash register remembered him very well. Being a pretty girl, she said he’d checked her out a little too closely. She said he was a “Total creep.”

I’d put a query out over NCIC\CCIC (National Crime Information Computer\Colorado Crime Information Computer).

The system was part of the Government internet system. It was a direct result of the ARPNET work done back in the late 1960s. Some of the things I could do with the system included:

• Serve as a bulletin board for questions. I’d already done that to ask if anyone else had any information on the case I was working.
• Hunt for wants and warrants on an individual.
• Check Drivers license information
• Check criminal history
• Communicate directly with other law enforcement agencies.
• Show hazardous materials information.
• Report road conditions.
• To name a few.

Years later I’d write this case up in my first novel, The Cross and the Badge. The detective that answered the phone would become Detective Andy Deshong. So, if you’ll forgive me, I’ll just keep calling him Andy.

“Andy Deshong,” he answered.

“Andy! Rich Muniz. Conejos County Sheriff’s Office.”

“Hey, Rich. I thought you’d be calling me back.”

“So, you’re familiar with Alan Hale Jr?”

“Him and the other one hundred and thirty seven names he’s used.”

“So, he’s been out there for a while.”

“About four years now. He’s hit almost every state in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain region.”

“How did you get involved in this?”

“Same as you. He passed a bogus money order here. I started asking questions, finding a case here, a case there.” He laughed. “Call it a hobby.”

That made sense. Some people collected stamps or coins. Others chased crooks.

That told me that Andy was a superhuman, also. His superpower? Dogged determination.

“And no one’s caught him yet?”

“No one seems to recall what he looks like. He’s rather unremarkable. No tapes we know of with him on them.”

Really.

“Then his luck has just ran out. I’ve a girl who remembers him.”

“You’re kidding.”

“She and I are going up to Adams State. Niles Pearson, an officer up there, is a police artist. We’re going to draw a picture of him.”

Andy almost dissed the idea. “How does she remember him.”

“He flirted with her,” I answered.

“That’s kind of out of character for him.”

“Trust me, Andy,” I said. “The only guys that don’t flirt with this girl are three days dead.”

That seemed to satisfy him, because Andy got excited. “This is the biggest break we’ve had in years,” he said. “Send it up to me. I’m already plugged into Seven-Eleven Security. They’ll get it out to every store.”

“I’ll get it to you.”

I hung up the phone,

I didn’t know it yet, but thanks to the Mark 1 Internet, Mr. Total Creep’s days were numbered.