Heartbeats of a Killer

by Michael Merson

  Matt looked back at the house and around the yard before extending his middle finger into the air toward his neighbor. Axel just continued to laugh and then walked inside.

  Standing there, he looked around the living room and thought, I have four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, a sitting room, a dining room, and a breakfast nook. This house is huge. Why did I ever buy such a big place? I’m single. Oh yeah, …wishful thinking!

  Upstairs he quickly showered and then debated several times over, Casual jeans or slacks, buttoned shirt or a pullover, tennis shoes or leather shoes, white socks or black socks?

  At seven-thirty the debate was finally over, and Axel left the house wearing a V-neck blue shirt, blue jeans, and a brown leather belt with shoes to match. The drive back into town wasn’t nearly as congested as it had previously been during his commute home. The sun was still setting in the West, and the evening shine that lit up Pikes Peak was now starting to grow dark as the light slowly descended behind the mountain.

  As he listened to the music pouring out of the radio, he began to think about the case, and one thing started to bother him.

  Who killed Sharon Douglas? Was it Richard Lambert? Did her own husband kill her, or was it PPK? Who benefited from Sharon’s death?

  Axel pulled into the parking lot of Mike’s Steak House right at eight o’clock with all the same questions and more running through his mind. He found a parking space in the back of the restaurant, and as he climbed out of his car, he once again felt the butterflies in his stomach preparing for an all-out attack. He straightened his clothes and looked around the parking lot for his date.

  “What am I doing, I don’t even know what she drives,” he said out loud and then took a deep breath. As Axel walked into the entrance of the restaurant, he wondered if he should really call this a date. Suddenly, he had a brief inclination that this could be nothing more than a business dinner for her where she would try to get more information from the detective to use in her story.

  No, she seemed sincere when she made plans with me. She never mentioned the killer or murders again after the interview was over," Axel thought.

  The aroma of steak grilling consumed the air around him. He walked over to the hostess and stepped on a peanut shell that was discarded to the floor by another customer. The peanuts were a part of the restaurant’s laid-back atmosphere. The steak house allowed customers to momentarily stave off their appetites with peanuts until they could be seated to devour a steak of their choice. Country music played in the background while the servers crossed the room, carrying large trays to different tables. They wore boots and cowboy hats and occasionally danced a two-step with an intoxicated guest.

  Axel didn’t figure himself a cowboy, but he did respect the all too familiar Colorado lifestyle that many people lived. After a few minutes of waiting he was greeted by the young hostess, a petite girl with brown hair and brown eyes. From her demeanor, Axel determined that she disliked her summer job.

  “How many are in your party?” She asked unenthusiastically.

  “Two, I’m expecting someone else, and I’d rather wait for her before I sit down if that’s all right.”

  The hostess huffed slightly but agreed to his request. She added his name to the list, and Axel took a seat next to a sizeable barrel that was overfilled with peanuts. He sat on a wooden bench where he watched others walk in and grab a handful of peanuts before being seated.

  ***

  Amanda made her way across town towards the date she had with Axel Frost. She was excited but nervous at the same time. She contemplated canceling the date more than once, but in the end, she decided to go for it. She hadn't been on a date in a long time, and deep down she wanted to go on one. She had decided to dress casually and chose the clothes that she felt that she looked good in.

  Does he think that I’m just going out with him for a story? Am I just going out with him for a story? Oh shit, what if he doesn’t consider this a date? Wait…is this a date? Amanda asked herself as she pulled into the parking lot and looked for a parking space.

  She saw a truck backing out of a spot close to the entrance and was waiting for it to back out when she heard the horn from the driver in the black SUV behind her.

  Impatient and rude! She thought to herself.

  ***

  Axel was distracted and failed to see Amanda enter the restaurant. When she came up and tapped him on the shoulder, he was surprised, and he began to choke on a peanut that he had just shelled and tossed back into his mouth. Clearing his throat, he dropped the shell and reached his hand out to Amanda.

  “Hello,” she said.

  He looked at the beautiful women and was amazed by how put together she looked. She wore a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt, and he noticed that her skin was bronzed brown. Her shirt was white with a blue stripe across the center. She wore tennis shoes with white ankle socks. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked comfortable, he thought, and he was glad that he had chosen jeans for the evening.

  “Hello. I’m so glad you made it,” Axel said as he released her soft hand and cleared his throat once more.

  “You didn’t think I was going to stand you up, did you?” She asked.

  “No! Not at all,” Axel answered.

  “Sir, your table is ready if you and your date are ready to be seated,” the hostess announced from her podium.

  Amanda smiled at Axel as she walked past him, following the hostess who led the two of them to a corner booth. The hostess placed the menus in front of the couple and walked away.

  “I didn’t tell her I was waiting for a date,” Axel said red-faced and embarrassed by the hostess’ assumption.

  “Oh. So…are we here on business?” Amanda inquired as she smiled and then raised her menu in front of her face to cover her expression.

  “Well, no. I just…” Axel started to say.

  “Then I guess it’s a date,” Amanda said as she dropped the menu down and winked at him.

  Amanda browsed the entrees. She continued to smile and peak over the top of her large menu, occasionally checking out her dinner date. When she was at the news station earlier, she found herself pausing the recorded interview with him on her computer screen just to look at his blue eyes.

  “What are you going to have Axel?” She asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Howdy, can I take your order?” The waitress asked as she stood there with her hand on her hip. Amanda ordered the special that consisted of a garden salad followed by a twelve-ounce steak with mashed potatoes. Axel was surprised by her order but ordered the same.

  “Who do you think killed the woman in the park today?” Amanda asked before thinking about what she just asked and to whom she had asked it.

  “I’m sorry, but I thought you said we were here on a date. It sounds like we're now on the record. I can't say anything about an ongoing investigation,” Axel replied in a sharp tone suddenly feeling ambushed.

  “We’re not on the record. I was just trying to make conversation. If you like we can talk about something else,” Amanda said embarrassedly as she pretended to wipe something that wasn’t there from her mouth with her napkin.

  “Well it’s just that I can’t say anything else about the PPK investigation that I haven’t already told you during the interview earlier today,” Axel explained now embarrassed by his overreaction.

  “I should’ve asked something else. Besides I didn’t know that today’s homicide was related to PPK,” Amanda remarked.

  Damn! I let that out all on my own, Axel thought.

  “How about we start over and pretend you haven’t said anything, and I didn’t hear anything.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Axel said in agreement.

  “Okay, are you married, or do you have a girlfriend?” She asked with a flirty smile.

  “No,” Axel answered as he returned a friendly smile of his own.

  “That’s good to know. A girl has to know who she
’s eating with.”

  “Do you have one?” Axel asked.

  “Well, I’ve never been married, and I don’t have a girlfriend. Although there was that time in college,” Amanda answered and then looked away.

  Axel sat there unable to speak, waiting for some thought other than the X-rated image that just came into his mind. Amanda turned back around and started laughing out loud as she looked at the expression on Axel’s face.

  “I was just kidding. I don’t have a husband, boyfriend, or girlfriend. I wish you could have seen the look on your face though.”

  “You caught me off guard. For a moment I was speechless,” Axel replied as he laughed along with his date.

  “What about the whole experimental thing?” He asked, jokingly.

  “A girl has to have secrets,” she answered back.

  Axel, once again, could not help but notice how beautiful Amanda was. When she laughed, her head tilted slightly to the left, and her long slender neck became more visible. Her eyes were moist from the laughing, and they now sparkled in the light of the restaurant.

  The two exchanged small talk that consisted of their personal histories from where they were born to the colleges they went to, and of course, how they ended up in Colorado Springs. Underneath the table, the two rested their legs against one another and never moved them through the entire dinner.

  The time flew by as the two exchanged stories and smiles. Their dinner came, and their conversation continued through dessert. When the check arrived, the waitress put it in front of Axel, and as he reached for the paper, Amanda reached out and pulled it out from under his hand.

  “I invited you to dinner. This one’s on me,” Amanda said as she handed the girl the check back with her credit card.

  “You know the man is supposed to pay,” Axel retorted.

  “Oh, and I bet you think women should be at home barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”

  "I didn’t mean anything like that. I was just trying to be polite," Axel said, defending himself.

  “I’m just teasing you, honey.”

  A warm feeling came over Axel when he thought about her choice of words. After Axel demanded he be allowed to leave a tip, the two of them walked out of the restaurant and began a slow stroll toward Amanda’s car. Both seemed to take their time, unconsciously extending the date.

  “I had a nice time,” Amanda said after unlocking her car door. She then turned to face her date.

  “I did too. Maybe we could do dinner again sometime…I mean if you wanted to,” Axel was uncomfortable, and the words seemed to fumble out of his mouth. He ran his fingers through his hair and then shyly looked away.

  “Are you asking me out on another date, Detective?” Amanda took advantage of the situation. She’d read Axel’s body language and decided to have some fun with it.

  “Well, I mean…” Axel didn’t know how to reply and once again looked away, this time out toward the street at the passing cars.

  “Because if you are, I’d probably say yes. I mean if you were to ask me.”

  “Yeah, I’m actually asking you out, and I’m beginning to think you’re playing with me. So, would you like to go out with me again?” Axel asked with more confidence this time.

  “When?”

  “How about this week sometime?”

  “I’m free tomorrow. Is that good for you?” Amanda asked as she scrolled through the calendar on her phone.

  “Yes, it is. Where would you like to go?” Axel asked.

  “I don’t know. What’s good? Wait! Tomorrow night the Rockies play,” she responded.

  “You’re right! I’ve been so busy that I haven’t seen a game in a while. Lately, every time they play, something happens, and I miss the game,” Axel explained.

  “Well, I wouldn’t want you to miss another game. How about we meet at a sports bar that serves a great dinner?” Amanda requested.

  “I dislike sports bars, but I do like pizza in front of the T.V. as I watch the game at my house,” Axel said, hoping she would agree to his suggestion.

  “Okay Axel, then maybe we can have dinner some other night,” Amanda replied, slightly embarrassed that he would rather watch a game alone at home instead of meeting her for dinner. She did not catch on to Axel’s suggestion for her to join him at his place, and she started to turn toward her car.

  “No, you misunderstood me. I want you to come over and eat pizza and watch the game with me at my house,” Axel said quickly as Amanda started to climb into her car.

  “Do you think that I’m the type of girl that would go over to some man’s house on the second date?” Amanda responded once again, taking advantage of the situation.

  “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you and I would umm……”

  “Axel it’s fine! Give me the directions,” Amanda said, quickly saving him from another embarrassing moment. She enjoyed the taunting but knew when enough was enough.

  Axel wrote down his address, drew a map, folded the paper, and handed it to Amanda.

  “The game starts at seven. I’ll try to be there at six if that’s okay.”

  “Six is good with me, and I’ll start the pizza at about six, too.”

  “You make your own pizza? You’re just a man full of surprises now aren't you, Detective?”

  “Yep. It’s my grandmother’s recipe.”

  “You know it’s supposed to rain in Denver tomorrow.”

  “No. I didn’t, but if the game gets called, maybe we can just watch a movie or something.”

  “Sounds great. I’ll bring my favorite movie of all time.”

  “Really, what kind of movies do beautiful reporters like to watch?” Axel asked in the hopes that it would not be something that required a box of tissues for her and a lot of caffeine for him.

  “Commando,” she responded quickly.

  Axel’s mouth dropped. He was leaning in through the window, and her answer had caught him off guard.

  “I watched it with my brothers when I was a little girl,” Amanda said as she leaned over, kissed Axel on the lips, waved goodbye, and quickly backed out of the space before he could say anything.

  Axel was still in awe as he stood upright and watched as she drove away. He wondered if she had heard Gary’s comment earlier. He walked back to his car, shaking his head, smiling. She was mysterious, and she excited him. For the first time, in many years, he felt good, and he enjoyed the many thoughts that he had of Amanda Crosse.

  As he reached his car, he started to put the key into the door when he noticed a large scratch along the side of the door panel. He stepped back, bent down, looked at the marks in the paint, and then read the words out loud.

  “I’M WATCHING.”

  Chapter 16

  70’s music blasted from the speakers of Jeramiah’s radio as he drove home. He hoped the loud music would block out his father’s voice, who was just a few moments ago screaming at him. His plans were a bust. He had set out earlier in the evening, arriving at Ms. Crosse’s home in the hopes of spending time with the beautiful reporter.

  His thoughts wandered back to the moment he arrived at her home, where he had parked on the street a few houses down. The neighborhood residents were out walking along the sidewalk, which forced Jeramiah to park under a large Spruce tree that obstructed the light shining down from streetlight that was positioned over it. He had watched from the dark confines of his SUV. It didn’t take long after his arrival, for Jeramiah to observe his new-found fantasy walk out of her garage and get into her car.

  She backed out of the driveway and then drove past him while he ducked down out of view. He waited for her to pass by and then he quickly put his car in drive, turned around, and sped away after her.

  After a few blocks, he had caught up with her and followed her for a short time until she came into the downtown area of Colorado Springs. He was careful not to get too close, keeping at least two cars in between them. He watched and followed her into the parking lot of Mike’s Steak House. He sat beh
ind her while she waited for someone to back out of a parking spot.

  He grew anxious at having to sit there, and he honked his horn at her. He wanted and needed her to park somewhere more private and darker. When she finally pulled into the empty spot, he drove past her car and found an empty parking space across the way where he sat and watched her.

  Jeramiah decided to wait for her to go inside before he got out of his car. When he felt that it was safe, he got out and walked across the parking lot. He then entered the front door of the restaurant. He passed the hostess podium and sat at the bar where he was partially concealed in the dimly lit room. From there, he watched as she sat with Detective Axel Frost.

  Jeramiah became jealous, and after one drink, he ordered another, and then another until he heard the voice in his head once more.

  Look at her! She’s cheating on you! You are such a fool. If we’d left earlier, we could be with her now and not him. Go on over and let them know you see them together. Or don’t. They’re probably talking about you right now. You should feel like an idiot, his father’s voice said tormenting him once again.

  “Shut-up! Shut-up! Damn you!” Jeramiah shouted, disturbing the other patrons around him.

  “I think you’ve had enough,” the bartender said.

  Jeramiah looked up at the bartender who was standing in front of him. He did not say anything to him. He just watched as the bartender took away the half-empty bottle of beer in front of him.

  “This one’s on me, but you need to leave now.”

  Jeramiah was angry. He got up, walked from the bar, and then into the parking lot. Once outside, he walked to the back of the restaurant, where he started to feel sick. He vomited next to the building, and as he began to wipe away the residue from around his mouth, he looked up and saw the Detective’s vehicle.

  How nice!

  As he walked over to Detective Frost’s car, he pulled his knife out from under his shirt and looked at the blade in the light. He was fascinated by its allure once more. Standing next to the car, he looked inside. He then bent down out of sight and scrawled his message along the door. When he was finished, he walked over to his car, where his father started speaking to him again.