CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

He loved hanging out in The Woods Park at this time of year. It was clean by the standards of most parks he’d been to and there were plenty of nice looking ladies doing their thing to keep him interested. But what he liked best about the park was that it offered plenty of areas where one could see and not be seen. And that would serve him well today.

Three hundred and fifty big ones to hunt him down, huh? The thought was amusing. He had little doubt that most people in town—including the rich ones—would turn in their own mother or father if they thought it would get them the money.

Hell, he’d probably squeal on his own folks for the cash if they were they guilty and not already dead, rotted corpses.

As it was, he would have to be even more careful in selecting his prey without being caught by some nosey-assed neighbor or other eager citizen of the community. Not to mention the cops. Everyone was gunning for him, so to speak. But he was too clever and unsuspecting to be fingered as The Woods Strangler.

Not this day anyway.

As far as anyone could tell, he was just another person taking a leisurely stroll in the park. Which was fine by him, but not for some unlucky bitch who might cross his path.

His movement along the tree-lined dirt path was calculating and deliberate. He had timed this to work around the presence of the newly formed citizens patrol group that made regular rounds in the park.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Well, well, well...what do we have here?

In the clearing was a blonde-haired babe in a one-piece bathing suit lying on her back on a towel, apparently asleep. A paperback was open, the pages resting against her ample chest. Judging by her golden tan, this wasn’t the first time she’d been sunbathing. Bored with her reading, the stupid bitch had simply dozed off.

Big mistake.

The desire to kill once again started to build in him like steam in an engine. Whereas the first time it had been entirely impromptu, the feeling of someone dying by his hands had struck a chord from deep within. He knew then that this was his calling.

He peered at the young woman from behind a big tree, guessing she was in her late twenties or so. Like the others, she was pleasing to the eye. Slim with nice curves, she looked like an angel at rest who was about to come face to face with the devil himself. She stirred a bit, as if sensing his presence.

He glanced about uneasily, fearing that this might be a trap. Could she be an undercover cop? He weighed the possibility, studying everything around him, but seeing or hearing nothing that sparked the slightest suspicion.

He was sure he was safe. That was more than he could say for the pretty lady.

Circling around her ever so quietly, he now stood at her bare feet, admiring her long, shapely legs. He could hardly believe his good fortune, which once again set off warning bells.

Didn’t she watch the news? Read the papers? Didn’t she know that women weren’t supposed to be alone in the park while a heartless serial killer was on the prowl? Not very smart.

Her loss would be his gain.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when she suddenly sat up.

“Hope you like what you see, perv,” she spat, narrowing her eyes at him.

He looked away. “Sorry, I’m not a voyeur. I was just taking a walk and saw you.”

She sneered. “Yeah, right. Well now that you’ve seen me, you can just keep on walkin’, freak.”

He grinned. Feisty bitch. “No problem,” he told her. “If you’re smart, you’ll get going, too. Haven’t you heard about the dude running around this city killing attractive women?”

If she had, she was not saying. Instead, her pouty lips became a straight line. “I can take care of myself, thank you.”

Don’t bet on it. You’ll lose.

He smiled, nodded, and said, “Okay, if you say so. I’m outta here.”

* * *

Karlene Sullivan watched as the man walked away and disappeared from sight. She breathed a sigh of relief. He was kind of cute, but there was still something creepy about him.

Maybe she was letting what he said about that serial killer get to her. Who didn’t know that some deranged man was killing women? It was the talk of the town. But the cops had also said people should go about their normal lives and just be more diligent and responsible in the choices they made.

So she was tanning in a crowded park in broad daylight. Or at least it had been broad daylight when she arrived. How much safer could it get?

Besides, she kept pepper mace in her purse just in case some asshole who was turned on by her body tried to accost her. Such as the creepy perv she’d just sent on his way.

Karlene decided it was probably a good idea to head home now. Her daughter had probably run the sitter ragged by now.

She stood up and was about to grab her clothes, when she heard a slight rustling sound in the nearby bushes. Karlene’s heart skipped a beat when she turned around and saw the man rapidly approaching.

* * *

He had scurried away nonchalantly, sensing her watching his every move like a hawk. It wasn’t until he was out of view that he doubled back just as she had gotten up. The scarf was outstretched and ready for her soft neck.

“You—!” she uttered in a frightened voice.

“Afraid so,” he said dryly.

She tried to dash towards her purse on the edge of the towel. But he would have none of it, moving quickly to wrap the scarf around her neck, twisting with raw determination. Her attempts to scream made barely more than a gasping sound as she clutched at her neck. She tried in vain to somehow kick him where it might actually do some good. But he warded off the blows as though nothing but a minor irritant.

Say goodnight, bitch.

He tightened the scarf till the veins in her neck threatened to burst.

Vacant eyes were soon frozen on her pretty face. He looked at them thoughtfully for a moment, imagining the horror she felt before breathing her last breath, then released the corpse to the ground. He ambled away without looking back.

It was time for him to keep a prior appointment.