by BJ Wingate
* * *
Vanessa was furious. That bitch! Refusing her?? After all she had done?? And now that milksop was starting to get ideas into her head about things going on. She had to calm down and there was only one way she knew to really calm herself down. It was close to eleven p.m. when she drove to her storage space, went in, changed into a soft white dress and slipped on a platinum blond wig that was cut close to her head and shaped as if made for her alone. She added some red dangle earrings and a chunky red necklace to match. The bauble at the end of the necklace settled into her cleavage and she smiled. Red heels and handbag to go with it. She transferred over what she usually carried with her making sure the knife was secure. She applied her makeup carefully and then left to go to the east side of town. One of the bars over there had looked promising on her last excursion so that was where she headed.
Once at the bar, she got out of the car and walked toward the front door. A young man was leaning against a car as she did, and he whistled at her.
“Wow.” He said softly. “You are really something to look at.”
Vanessa smiled at him. He was maybe twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He had long brown hair that was in a bit of disarray around his face but on him it looked good. A leather jacket graced his upper body, hanging open to show a dark blue t-shirt. Tight blue jeans fit his legs perfectly.
“Thank you.” Vanessa said quietly. “You aren’t too bad yourself.”
The young man laughed and pushed off the car. “My name’s Dwayne, what’s yours?”
Vanessa moved toward him and away from the bar entrance. “Vanessa. You out here waiting on someone?”
Dwayne shook his head. “Nah, just came out for a smoke then saw you. Everything else sort of took a back seat.” He grinned and Vanessa smiled back.
“I know how that can happen at times.” Vanessa glanced at the bar then back to Dwayne. “So, you’re here alone tonight?”
Dwayne nodded and took a few more steps closer. “Yeah. Not much fun that way of course. Want to join me?”
Vanessa thought it over. Or seemed to at least. She was considering her options with this one. Was he too eager? Or was he just what he said, here alone looking for companionship. She walked over close enough to run a fingertip up his one arm and he watched as she did.
“Maybe we can just sit and talk out here for a time. To be honest I don’t really enjoy bars that much. All that smoke and stuff.” Vanessa smiled again and he smiled back.
“Sounds good to me. I even have something to drink with me. Hold on a sec.” Dwayne walked to the passenger side of the car he had been leaning against, reached through the open window and pulled out two bottles of beer. “A little warm but they are wet.” He twisted the cap off one and offered it to Vanessa. She didn’t really like beer, but she took it anyway. He then twisted the cap off the other bottle and took a drink.
Together they leaned on the fender of the car and talked about everyday things. The weather, news, even politics for a time. Vanessa sipped at the beer but never did really take a good drink from it. A short time later two people came out of the bar and wandered across the parking lot to a car then drove off. Vanessa and Dwayne stayed quiet while the couple passed by. Afterward, they both chuckled as if they were kids being caught by some adults. Dwayne finished his beer and dropped the empty into the back seat of his car. When he turned to look at Vanessa he smiled.
“How would you like to go somewhere a little more … private.” Dwayne watched to see what her answer would be.
“I’d have to follow you. I don’t like leaving my car in places like this.” Vanessa smiled a bit shyly.
“Oh of course. I’ll lead the way and you follow. That would be fine.” Dwayne walked Vanessa to her car first then ran back, jumped in his and pulled out. He made sure she was following him before he headed out of town.
Vanessa had a funny feeling with this one. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue or not. She could easily just turn a corner when he went straight to lose him, but she continued anyway. Men thought women were their playthings. Their toys or punching bags. They didn’t deserve to be treated nicely. Not a bit. She smiled and followed when Dwayne pulled off the main road onto a dirt road. About a mile down that he eased off to the side of the road and then opened his car door.
Vanessa got out of her car and walked over to Dwayne. He was still sitting in the car watching her. She moved in close, easing between his legs forcing him to look up at her. She leaned as if to kiss him and he smiled. But his smile was gone in a second as the slim blade she had hidden just behind her leg slid across his throat. She shoved him back into his car and watched as he choked on his own blood. Once he was still and quiet, she went back to her car. Reaching into the back seat she pulled out a full-length raincoat that she slipped on before getting into the car. She glanced at herself as she did. another nice dress ruined. Oh well, she would just have to go buy another one.
As Vanessa pulled out to head to her storage, she thought she heard voices behind her. She glanced back but didn’t see anything so just drove on.
Twenty-Seven
Jessica was getting tired of finding more and more bodies. She needed to catch this killer and soon.
Today Jessica and Tony were standing on a dirt road that led to what could only be called a commune. It was a place where young people, usually aged between eighteen and twenty-six, got together to live and harmonize with nature. How this young man fit in, Jessica didn’t know. But she would find out.
The call had actually come in late the night before when some of the older members had seen their friend’s car pull in then hadn’t moved. They had expected him to drive up to the door but instead he had stopped short. They thought another car had stopped with him, so they had waited a bit before walking out to check on him. That had been when they saw the other car turn around and leave. Finding their friend Dwayne dead in his car had been a bit of a shock.
Connor was checking out the body still and CSI had the area immediately around the car cordoned off. They didn’t think they would find much however since at least ten other people had been there during the night. When the call had come in, units had been dispatched but others at the commune had woken up and wandered into the area before they arrived. So, no footprints to speak of just the body and the mess as usual.
Connor turned from the car and walked to where Jessica stood. Tony was talking to someone who claimed to run the commune, so she was free to deal with other stuff.
Connor shoved a hand through his hair. “Same MO, no mistaking that. Thin bladed knife, right-handed, the works. Facing again though. He was sitting in the car, killer walks up close, slits his throat and shoves him back on the seat. Let’s him bleed out in his own car. From the smell he was slightly drunk. Will know that for sure after I get him back, of course. That would make him bleed out a little faster though the killer is good at hitting the artery every time.” He looked back at the body as the gurney rolled up to get it. “This killer knows what they are doing. Man, woman or whoever, they are smart and now very experienced.”
Jessica nodded. “Any idea where he was before he came here? Somewhere we might find a witness or two?”
Connor was in the process of shaking his head no when Tony walked over. “Spoke to a young girl over there, says she is the young man’s cousin. His name is, was Dwayne Hudson. Age 23, no priors or so she says. She gave me the name of the bar he liked to frequent. It’s on the east side of town.”
Jessica nodded and watched as the body was rolled past them. “Then we head to the east side of town. Connor let me know if you find anything else on that body.”
Connor nodded as Jessica and Tony headed out.
* * *
An hour later, Jessica walked out of the bar with Tony following her. It was a dead end. Yes, Dwayne had been there the night before. He had played pool with a few guys, tossed darts for a time then gone outside for s smoke. No one saw him come back in after that. A woman? No. He had been
alone, no woman. And no single women had come into the bar either. Not last night at least.
Jessica stood in the parking lot and looked around. Could Dwayne have met her out here while smoking? And then gone off with her that way? Maybe she saw him drive off and simply followed and then acted like she needed directions or something? She was getting frustrated with all of this. Evidence was in short supply, and she would need it if she wanted to capture this killer. She was smart and so far, successful in what she was doing. Did she have a reason to hate men in general? Or did she have specific targets in mind. If she did have specific targets, how did she choose them? Did she stalk her victims in advance? And if she didn’t have specific targets, was she just going out and finding whoever was willing to get close? Or whoever would let her get close to them? It was not an easy task to figure this all out, but she would. She most definitely would.
* * *
Alyson went to work and found herself watching everyone else there. The incident with Charles was over and done with or so it seemed. No one mentioned him any longer, someone else was sitting at his desk now. All his things had been removed and disposed of, probably when she had been out to lunch one day. She did hear one person saying his sister had been by to get the stuff. Alyson hadn’t known he even had a sister. Then again, she didn’t know much about anyone she worked with. She had always stayed by herself and not bothered. That was how she had been raised for the most part too. It was part of her nature now she assumed. Her thoughts went to the money in her bank account again then to the blackouts she seemed to be having lately. She had called the place where her mother was to see about getting put on the visitor list only to be told she was not going to be allowed to return there. She found herself wondering what she had done. She had tried to ask but the person she was talking to sounded as if she didn’t believe Alyson wouldn’t already know that, so she hung up on her.
The sleep study would help. Alyson was certain of it. Someone would see or hear or something then she would know for sure what was going on. A week now from the time for it and she couldn’t wait. She almost called to see if she could do it sooner, but she held off.
* * *
Vanessa hadn’t felt the same thrill with the last one as she had all the others before. They were too … easy now. She needed something new, something … exciting. She just wasn’t sure what. Being spotted by that one guy had been scary and yet not going into the bar had been … bland. No excitement. Maybe the possibility of getting seen had been better. She wasn’t sure but she would wait awhile now … maybe. Then her thoughts turned elsewhere, and she wondered if she could do what she was considering.
Twenty-Eight
Jessica Roberts stood in the middle of her living room doing yoga movements. She loved the tranquil feel of stretching her muscles without over-taxing them. She thought about her brother, how he had gotten into bodybuilding, lifting weights and all the rest. He had started early while in high school and had even been on the football team. Sure, he had looked great outwardly, but inside he had been a mess. He had started taking steroids while in college and those mixed with whatever else he had gotten into had cost him his life.
Jessica moved into a pose on her mat, head down and forward, arms pulled back and held it. She remembered arriving at the scene of an accident just after she had gotten out of the police academy. She had been a raw cadet and here she was at the scene of her own brothers’ accident. It had been a three-car pileup with one car being t-boned basically from both sides. Her brother’s car had been the middle one. There had not been much left of it, or of him, by the time they got him out. Jessica had lost it and been sent home. She had feared for her career after that for a time, but it had slowly gotten easier.
Finishing up her routine, Jessica got up, rolled her mat to be put away and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Taking a long refreshing drink, she headed for a shower and got dressed. It was her day off again but this time she wasn’t going shopping. She needed to unwind and get a new aspect on the case. The slicer tended to go silent for several weeks before taking another victim. That gave Jessica another week to figure out a way to trap the killer.
Police officers were going to various bars in the same areas as the victims had been on weekend nights. Some had to travel across town to do so. A lot of those were going while off duty to try and find the killer. Jessica admired their single-mindedness in doing so. Even she intended going out to a few that night and just watching. If she thought she saw someone leave with a woman she would follow at a distance just in case.
As she was toweling off, Jessica’s phone rang. She settled on the side of her bed to answer it.
“Hello? Yes, this is Jessica Roberts. The institute? Yes, I remember. What happened? Someone tried to break in? Why would someone … yes, I understand. Yes, I’ll be there shortly. Did you report this to the police? You did. So why …? Oh, I see. Very well. Thank you for calling.” Jessica hung up and dialed another number before setting the phone down.
“Tony, do me a favor. Meet me out at that institute. Yes, the one that deals with mental patients. No, I’ll drive out by myself and meet you there. Twenty minutes? Great. Thanks partner.” Jessica hung up again then hurried to get dressed and out the door. She chose soft dark blue slacks and a pull-over lightweight blue and white sweater and tennis shoes for this trip.
Twenty minutes later, Jessica and Tony walked into the lobby of the institute and were met by the head nurse who looked a bit frazzled. Before either of them could even speak, the nurse waved them to follow her and led them through the lobby and out a back door where she had to input a passcode to open it. Once outside the nurse kept walking so Jessica followed with Tony hot on her heels.
Half of the way down the building, three men were standing and staring at a window where the metal grill was slightly loose. Jessica went closer and looked at it. The bolts had not been undone, instead the concrete around the base of the bolts had been chiseled a bit and there was loose powder from it on the ground at the base of the wall. She stayed back some so she wouldn’t mess up the scene.
Jessica glanced at the nurse. “Any idea what time this might have been done?”
The nurse shook her head. “Not really. We keep staff on site twenty-four seven but at night there aren’t as many as during the day. Our grounds keeper noticed it when he came out here to work which was around ten a.m. or so.” The nurse shook her head. “I can tell you it had to have been done from outside. There is no way a patient can reach down that far from the window, even if they wanted to.”
Jessica nodded. “Tony, call the precinct and have CSI come out here. I want the bars printed and any other traces checked for.” She turned back to the nurse. “Whose room is this?”
The nurse crossed her arms in front of her. “Mary Elizabeth Harding, the lady you recommended for help. That’s really one of the reasons I called you. Figured it might have been of concern to you and after that incident we had a week or so ago …” She left the sentence unfinished, and Jessica frowned.
“What incident was that?” Jessica glanced at Tony then back at the nurse.
The nurse humped. “The daughter of course. She was here to see her mother. Mary Elizabeth had asked us not to let the girl in, so we didn’t. Next thing we know the girl is screaming and threatening our receptionist. Despicable.”
Jessica blinked. “Alyson Harding was yelling and screaming? From what I remember of her she didn’t seem the type.”
The nurse shook her head. “They never do at first. All I know is we had to basically threaten to have her arrested if she didn’t leave. She finally did but said she would be back. Haven’t seen her since that and now this.” She raised one hand to indicate the loosened grill work then re-crossed her arms.
Jessica nodded. “CSI will have to clear this area before you can fix that grillwork, I’m afraid. Shouldn’t be too long.” She glanced at Tony.
“Should be almost here. There was a minor situation in town that
they were at, so they weren’t too far away.” Tony was looking at the grillwork too.
Jessica nodded then looked around the area. The back of the place had a nicely manicured lawn with benches every so often, probably for the people that came here voluntarily. As she did the nurse turned and told the men who had been waiting to fix the damage to just go do something else for the time being then she excused herself to go back into the building.
Jessica wandered to the nearest bench and sat down. Tony joined her a minute later. “I was looking at that grill. From what I could see someone might have been using a screwdriver to do that. Too small an area for a normal sized chisel if you ask me.” Tony sat at the other end of the bench leaving a little space between them.
Jessica looked over at him. “So, you know something about that sort of thing?”
Tony shrugged. “A little. I used to like doing wood working back in the day. Haven’t done a lot of that recently though.” He sat there thinking for a bit then glanced sideways at Jessica. “Is there some significance to whose room it was?”
Jessica took a deep breath. She had been wondering about that herself and realized where all the incidents had been pointing. She just hadn’t put two and two together before this. “I think so. Mary Elizabeth has one daughter, Alyson. She is around the right age but short unless she wears heels that is. Her mother has run around with different men over time, never staying with any one of them for any length of time. Could be that something happened with one or even multiple men to give Alyson a complex about men in general.”
Tony leaned forward and rested both arms on his knees as he looked into the distance. “You think she might be our killer?”
Jessica sighed. “Before today the thought occurred but I dismissed it since she doesn’t seem the type. Now though, after this and hearing how she went off on someone else prior … maybe. I don’t know. We are going to have to see if Alyson Harding has any connection to our victims.”
