Plan ahead. If you had planned ahead you wouldn’t have to rely on others to determine your future. Those words of wisdom were seared in his memory and the person who said them would be forever in his crosshairs. Click…click. It was such a habit now he barely realized he was doing it. It helped him to think. Click…click. When he fell into a rhythm it almost sounded like a metronome.
He watched her movements on the other side of the pond. Three times a week, rain or shine, she always jogged around the park ending with a slow stroll around the pond. The landscape was painted in fall colors and the brisk air required a jacket. She was dressed in a silver and gold warm-up suit with silver running shoes. As if to match her platinum hair, she had made a recent purchase of a silver Lexus. He knew she met friends for brunch on Wednesdays, volunteered at the hospital once a month, dropped off orders at the Art Center on random days, and liked to shop at the outlet mall in Michigan City, Indiana. With a Masters Degree in art theory. What the hell was that? she preferred playing the social butterfly and attending functions that would get her name and face in the Sunday newspapers.
The small object at his feet barked, then whimpered. He saw a movie once about guys using puppies to pick up girls. It had worked well for him so far. Just walk into any Humane Society and offer to take a dog for a walk. Women like the cute, cuddly puppies. This mixed mutt looked like a poodle and a cocker spaniel. It had tight curly fur and large brown eyes.
The puppy sprang to life as the woman approached, its tail wagging furiously. It seemed to have springs for legs as it bounced up and down and yipped in a high squeal.
“That’s it. Work your magic.” It wasn’t as though he needed help finding women. He wasn’t a total dog. Just average. His was the face of a priest or accountant without any scars or tattoos that would make him memorable. “He was average, Officer. Average build, average height, average weight, brown hair, brown eyes, I think.” That was always his problem. He was too average. Not GQ material, not rich enough.
The woman slowed to a walk. He knew every detail of her face as it exploded in his binoculars when he watched her daily from a block away. She was definitely a beauty.
“Awwww, look at you.” She knelt down and held out her hand. “Can I pet him?”
“Sure. He’s had all of his shots.” Click…click.
“What’s his name?”
“Timber. He thinks he’s a wolf.” Click…click.
She took a seat on the bench next to him. Timber followed, placing puppy paws on her knees and licking her hand. “Hi, Timber. I’m Crystal.”
How like her to have some exotic name. “Do you have pets?” Click…click. He dropped the leash, then placed his foot on top of it so his hands were free.
She laughed, and god help him if it didn’t sound like the tinkling of crystal chandeliers. “We don’t have time for pets, unfortunately.” She grabbed Timber’s face in both of her hands. “Pets need a lot of attention, not owners who are rarely home.”
He waited for that right moment, when her eyes met his, swam in the pool of darkness. Click…click. “Sure is a hot day. I bet you are parched.” Her eyes met his. Click…click. Truth was the sun was low on the horizon and the temperature was dipping to fifty degrees. He watched her tongue move around in her mouth, trying to assess the dryness. “Could use something ice cold to drink.” Click…click. He had her now. He could see it in the way her eyes were swimming. He pulled a bottle of water from his jacket pocket. “Here.” He unscrewed the cap. “You feel like you just walked out of a desert. “ He handed it to Crystal but she hesitated, her tongue still trying to work up some saliva. “It’s a fresh bottle.”
“Thanks.” She grabbed the bottle and drank long gulps, gasping at the icy liquid, although it was barely room temperature. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, color rising to her cheeks. “Sorry. Guess I was thirstier than I thought.”
He gently placed a hand on her neck and leaned in. “Now, I have to tell you something and you need to listen very carefully.” Click…click.
It only took five minutes to explain his instructions and for Crystal to repeat them. Afterwards he helped her to her car. She staggered a little as they walked but he pulled her close and laughed so onlookers would think they were lovers out walking the dog. It would have been so easy to convince her to climb into his van. This one he would love to have his way with but there would be telltale signs. Women have a way of knowing when they’ve had sex, whether the man used a condom or not, and then they would suspect there were some time gaps, pieces of their day they couldn’t quite recall. For now it was far better to walk Crystal to her car, help her in, and tell her to close her eyes and rest for a bit before driving. She obeyed and closed her eyes. He unclipped her phone from the holder, checked her cell phone number, and wrote it down.
His victims usually slept for thirty minutes or so and woke up refreshed without a hint of meeting anyone on the walking trail, of petting a dog, or remembering anything he said. At least not until he made his phone call. And he always called.
<><>
“Wow, look who’s home, Dillon.” Sam watched as her son’s eyes lit up and his hands and feet started pumping. He was sitting in a carrier on the coffee table in the study.
“Hey, sport.” Jake grabbed fistfuls of fabric in much the same way he grabbed Davey before dragging him out of the booth. He lifted Dillon out of the carrier and up in the air. The baby squealed with delight. “What have you been doing?” He planted a kiss on Dillon’s cheek.
“Napped too long for one thing. Doesn’t want to go to sleep.”
Jake took a seat next to Sam on the couch and set Dillon in his lap. “How are you doing?”
“Still have a headache. Would love to take a bottle of aspirin but I can’t.”
“Let me.” Jake placed one hand on the back of her neck. Dillon watched, his mouth gaping in a wide yawn.
She felt fingers gently kneading her shoulders and working their way toward the back of her neck.
“What are those?” Jake nodded at the printouts on the coffee table.
“School newspapers from our suspects’ college days. Jackie did the computer search for me.”
He kissed the back of her neck. “Good. Anything to keep you home and safe.”
Sam ignored his comment. “Anything new on your end?”
“Andy and Maury took over reviewing the videos from Bailey’s. They are looking for any customers who looked like they were giving Donna a hard time.” His fingers were on her scalp now, kneading and massaging the pain away. “What about you? Have plans for tomorrow?”
“If I’m feeling better, I promised Mom I’d go grocery shopping with her.”
“Take Alex with.”
“Alex is canning tomatoes.”
“Then take Mister Taurus with you.”
“I’ll definitely be armed with Mister Taurus.”
She closed her eyes and let the tension drift. The house was silent and outside only the hooting of an owl could be heard in the distance. Abby was on her laptop in her room answering emails.
“How are the nightmares?”
“I wouldn’t call them nightmares anymore. They are more like dreams with great special effects.” That got a chuckle from Jake. “The thing is Doctor Collier told me to think back to when this new version started. He wanted me to go through old newspapers to see if some headline triggered it. But when I went through the archives of previous suicides, there were photos from the Nina Logesta case, when her body was found. It was the same image that was framed by the car fragments in my dream. The date on the report is around the date the new dreams started. Someone was trying to tell me something back then.”
“Hmmm.”
Sam knew that hmmm. It used to mean skepticism. Now it meant skepticism with an open mind.
Jake leaned close and whispered in Sam’s ear. “You know, there are other things I can do to make your headache go away.”
“Unfortunately, your son won’t cooperate.”
“You underestimate my abilities.”
Sam looked at Dillon resting against Jake’s arm. He was sound asleep.