The Wicked Game of a Psychopath

by Stan Hendriks

  “Poisoned?”

  “Yes,” Jack nodded. “They’re not quite sure what kind of poison it was, but what we do know for sure is that either the killer or one of his associates knew that Lisa had crucial evidence and poisoned her. And speaking of the murderer, did Susan really trip or did she intentionally knock the phone out of Lisa’s hand?”

  “Well, after reading this I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe it was the murderer who called her earlier and told her that she had to get rid of the evidence?”

  “Maybe. You said it was a strange conversation, correct?”

  “Yes, I guess. She mentioned that she had little time and wasn’t sure if she was able to do what he asked of her. I don’t know what he asked of her, but I guess it was knocking the phone out of Lisa’s hands and getting rid of the evidence. And next to that, she… she’s different. Something about her has changed. She seems anxious all the time as if she is about to be murdered at any moment. And this morning when I arrived at her place, she smashed all the furniture in half and wrote, ‘Why?’, all over the walls with lipstick. And by looking at what she wrote and the state she was in, I believe she is being blackmailed or something by Kyle’s murderer.”

  “That is possible indeed. But then the question is, why? What is there to gain for the murderer?”

  “I don’t know, maybe he takes pleasure out of tearing Susan up bit by bit. I tried to call her about five times already, but she isn’t answering.”

  “Yea, she drove off quite quickly, I guess the murderer gave her a new task. But even if we do get a hold of her, she probably isn’t going to say a word about it since she wrote that if she would talk about it that the people who are close to her are put in serious danger. Which means that we’re forced to take the difficult route to find out what’s going on.”

  “Can’t you just tap her phones?”

  “I will have to make some calls, but I’m certain I will be able to get that done. Also—”

  But before Jack could finish his sentence, his phone rang. He picked up and walked a foot or two away from Marco. It didn’t take long for Jack to hang up again and with a concerned expression on his face, he said, “We have to go, now.”

  “What happened?” Marco asked as he got up and followed Jack to his car.

  “They found Susan’s wrecked car next to the road, but Susan is nowhere to be seen.”

  Chapter five Day five

  Number two

  Susan was woken up by a splash of water that was being thrown in her face by the bouncer. The entire room around her was spinning and it felts as if she was looking through fogged up glasses. The old lady was snapping her fingers inches away from Susan’s face and it didn’t take long for Susan to realize that she was in the circular room inside of the mansion. Her wrists and her waist were taped onto the red leather chair and her face—including her arms, neck, and legs—were bruised up. “Fill the bucket up again, Samson,” the old lady sighed as she shook her head.

  Samson then walked towards the stairs but as soon as Susan started mumbling something, the old lady raised her finger and called Samson back. “What is… what is this? What is going on?”

  “Can you hear me, darling?”

  “What have you done to me?”

  “You’re slightly disoriented after the crash. But there is no one to blame for that but yourself. You made the decision to drive off.”

  “I… I thought you were going to kill me.”

  “And why would you think that?”

  “Because everyone in this place is batshit crazy.”

  The old lady chuckled and winked at Samson. “But if that were to be true, then surely you are batshit crazy as well. I mean after all; you did join the club.”

  “I didn’t want to.”

  “I know, darling,” the old lady replied as she lied her hand on Susan’s knee. “From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were simply pretending to be something you’re not. At first, I thought that you were an undercover agent, but then you mentioned being invited by number two. Good old number two. So, here’s what’s going to happen. You either going to tell us where number two is and walk free, or you say nothing and get your throat slit by Samson. What’s it going to be?”

  “I would love to tell you where he is, but I have no clue.”

  “I see,” the old lady said as she took off her glasses. Samson then gave her a gold-coated dagger and as the old lady caressed the sharp blade of the dagger with her finger, she continued, “I don’t think you seem to understand how important it is to this club that we find number two. Let me tell you a little story. Years ago, a strong, wealthy, outspoken, and independent women created this club for like-minded people. People who shared similar interests and a rather uncommon and unique thought process. Or in other words, people who had become one with their darker side and who embraced their darker and often gruesome thoughts. This was a safe haven for those people, and it still is to this day. This club allows people to share their thoughts freely without the idiotic repercussions. Anyway, the club was a success, and many people joined from all over the world. But then number one introduced number two. A man who wore white gloves, a red suit, and a goat mask. When number two walked into this room, everyone got quiet and shivered with fear. He demanded respect and people treated him as if he was their king. He was so evil that he could even bring Lucifer himself to his knees. He rarely spoke, yet, he ruled this club for a prolonged period of time. Until one day, when we found out that number two had killed number one. The reason for that remains unknown to this day, but it made the club fell apart. People feared that they were going to be next and they all went into hiding. Now, we have rebuilt the club. However, the last thing we want is for history to repeat itself. So, I’m going to ask you one last time, where is number two?”

  “Wait, do you know his real name? Do you know what he looks like?”

  “Sadly, we don’t. But we’re certain that you know exactly who he is and where he’s at.”

  “I told you, I don’t know. I actually barely know anything about him. He forced me to come here and he said that I should tell you that number two invited me, that’s it. He’s playing this sickening game with me which I cannot get out of.”

  “Listen, darling, if you’re not going to tell me where he is then you’re forcing me to inflict a tremendous amount of pain on you,” the old lady said as she gave Susan a death stare.

  Susan was shaking and on the verge of crying. These people didn’t have any problem with taking someone’s life, and they would slit her throat without a shadow of a doubt if she didn’t speak up and they would laugh about it afterward. But she genuinely didn’t know what number two, Mr. Miller, looked like. Nor did she know where he was. This was it; she was going to die in the den of delusional, sickening, and malicious psychopaths. There was no other way around it. But then it struck her. These people feared Mr. Miller, and when she realized that, her whole demeanor changed. She lied back in the chair and simply chuckled. “Is this amusing to you?”

  “It actually is,” Susan replied. “Listen, lady, what do you think is going to happen if you kill me, huh? I don’t think you understand. If I die, I will no longer be able to participate in number two’s game. Meaning that all those years of planning and perfecting the game would have been for nothing. And oh boy, number two is a perfectionist and he’s going to be quite mad, to say the least. So, tell me, what do you think is going to happen to you when you kill me? Or let alone keep me locked up in this room? Believe me, you can’t even possibly begin to imagine how much pain he will put you through. He will drag you through every circle of hell. Each minute you will beg to whoever is out there to take your life, but no one will answer, and number two will simply keep on torturing you with a bright smile on his face. He will take a tremendous amount of pleasure out of it and all you will be able to do is sit there and take it. Is that really what you want? If so, then please, stick that knife in my throat and get it over with already.”

&nb
sp; There was a fleeting moment of silence. The blood of the old lady was boiling and with a trembling hand, she put her glasses back on. “Do you think you can intimidate me and threaten me in my house? In my club?!” she said as she stood up. “Do you honestly think that I care about what number two will think of it? Or how he will feel? If you do, then you’re dead wrong!” The old lady then lunged at Susan with the dagger and Susan closed her eyes and looked away. But to her surprise, nothing happened. And when she opened her eyes again, she saw that Samson had grabbed the old lady by her wrist and stopped her in her tracks. “What the hell are you doing?!”

  Without saying a word, Samson took the dagger out of her hand and slit her throat. The old lady fell to her knees in complete disbelief and bled to death right at Samson’s feet—who had a blank expression on his face. Samson then turned towards Susan who was hyperventilating with tears rolling down her cheeks. “No… please, I beg you. Don’t do it. Help me! Please help me!”

  Samson slapped her in her face and pressed his hand on her mouth to keep her quiet. But right at that moment, the alarm went off and an army of police officers, including Jack, came rushing down the stairs. They aimed their guns at Samson and Jack shouted, “Get on your knees, now!”

  Samson didn’t hesitate and dropped the dagger and lied down on the ground with his hands on his head. The police officers immediately jumped on top of him and cuffed him while Jack quickly freed Susan and helped her get up. He put her arm around his shoulder and walked her up the stairs and out of the mansion, where a worried Marco was waiting. As soon as he saw Susan, he embraced her and comforted her.

  Later that day, in the evening, Susan stood—with a blanket wrapped around her torso—underneath the doorpost of her house and Jack said, “Are you sure that you’re going to be fine?”

  “I will,” Susan replied as she embraced him. “Thank you for saving my life.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for that, it’s my job. And believe me, I would catch a bullet for you in a heartbeat. But listen, you’re not alone in this anymore, all right? We’re here for you and we’re going to help you.”

  Susan nodded and she knew exactly what Jack was implying. She was relieved and when Jack walked off—he had given Susan the keys to his car since her car was wrecked—and she closed the door, she felt that there was hope again. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She then walked back into the living room where Marco was seated, staring at the roses that were still in the vase on the floor, next to the pile of smashed furniture. Susan took a seat next to him and Marco asked, “This might be an odd question, but why didn’t you break the vase as well?”

  “I don’t know, I just couldn’t.”

  “I see. But where did you get these roses from? They are so unique, and Jack definitely took an interest in them as well.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, he couldn’t stop staring at the roses and he told me that his grandmother once said that if people didn’t have flowers either in their homes or outside of it, that they weren’t satisfied with their lives. I don’t think much of that is true, but it does make you think.”

  Susan looked at Marco as if he had just killed the pope and asked, “Are you sure that’s what he said?”

  “I’m fairly sure, yes. Why?”

  “I… well… never mind.”

  “Anyway, it’s a bit inappropriate to sit here and talk about roses after everything that just happened. It feels wrong. But I’m glad that you’re okay. I was so worried that they were hurting you. You’ve been through more than enough already and you don’t deserve any of this. Despite our issues, you’re a fantastic and incredibly strong woman and I just want you to know that.”

  “Thank you, I can’t possibly express how appreciative I am that to this day, you’re still here for me. I’m sure Kim is the happiest woman alive because of you.”

  “I hope so,” Marco chuckled. “But okay, I should leave as well and confirm to Kim that I’m fine.”

  “That’s fine,” Susan replied as she walked him out. She waved Marco goodbye as he drove off and then she went back inside and took a good look at herself in the mirror. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was all over already, and that everything was going to turn back to normal. But when the phone rang in the living room, she quickly realized that the game was in fact far from over. Everything in her told her not to pick up the phone, even her body resisted, but she had no other choice. “Why are you doing this to me? I thought I could trust you, but I guess I was wrong.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Quit the bullshit already, Jack! How could you?!’

  “Jack? I’m beyond confused right now.”

  “You made a crucial mistake by telling Marco the story about the roses.”

  “What… ah, I see. Well, it’s either that or I completely copied and stole Jack’s grandmother’s story and made it sound as if it came from my mother. Knowing that one day, Jack would tell the story and it would make you suspicious of him. Tell me, which one is it?”

  “Well… I… what do you want? And do you even know that I almost got killed by your mentally-ill friends over at the club?”

  “How do you think the police found out about your location? I think a thank you will be in place.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Relax, Susie, let’s not do this again. And for your information, those people are not my friends. They’re pathetic pretenders. The club was close to my heart because I took a remarkable amount of satisfaction out of making their hearts beat rapidly out of fear. They were petrified of me. But instead of going against me, they adored me. They literally kneeled in front of me. Can you believe that? They’re simply a bunch of washed-up old losers. However, I did not expect that good old Trudy would actually chase after you. Her hatred towards me goes far deeper than I initially thought.”

  “Well, she’s dead now. Samson killed her after she tried to kill me.”

  “Ah, Samson, also known as the sociopathic giant. He always hated Trudy, but she was like a mother figure to him, hence why it took so long for him to actually take her life. He needed a reason and you gave him one. You actually improved his life; you should be proud of that.”

  “Number one was your aunt, right? And you killed her why?”

  “You shouldn’t be around Jack so much. I’m afraid that you’re slowly turning into one of those alcoholic detectives whose lungs are darker than my soul from all the cigarette smoke. All these questions are actually giving me a headache.”

  “What is holding you back from simply answering me?”

  “Absolutely nothing, but where is the fun in me answering immediately? Exactly. But if you’re dying to know, I murdered my aunt because she distracted me from my purpose. She was like that friend who constantly drags you to yet another party filled with depressed souls and takes your mind, focus and attention off your purpose. I simply had to get rid of her. She was a roadblock on my path to my luminous destiny. Would you also like to know how I murdered her?”

  “You’re… you’re beyond insane.”

  “Are we going to do this again? Let’s not waste our time, okay, Susie? Because we have a more important matter to discuss. I thought that at the beginning of this game I made the rules clear. And one of the rules was that you would not mention anything related to this game to anyone.”

  “What are you talking about? I’ve told no one about this.”

  “Not directly, no, but indirectly, absolutely.”

  “No, I… I didn’t.”

  “Oh, well, maybe I’m wrong then. I really thought that before you left the motel, you saw Jack walking towards you and being in the desperate state you were in, flooded with various emotions, you grabbed a map and wrote something on it. After that, you threw it out of the window and drove off, knowing that Jack would pick up the map and read it. And now… now they’re trying to eavesdrop on our conversation. Oh, Susie, you’ve made things a lot more complicated for me now. What am I supposed
to do with you now? What would be an appropriate punishment?”

  “I… just please do not hurt anyone else. If you want to punish me then be my guest. But leave my friends and family out of this, please.”

  “Do you like snakes?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Snakes are mysterious, ruthless, fierce, and fascinating creatures, aren’t they? Especially the venomous ones. Can you believe that a King Cobra has the ability to kill an elephant by simply biting it? It’s obvious that an elephant is much bigger than a King Cobra, yet, one bite is enough for the elephant to drop to the ground like a bag of salt. And all it takes is a few hours. Just let that sink in. It’s astonishing. However, the King Cobra is not my favorite snake. My absolute favorite is the Echis carinatus, the saw-scaled viper. They say its venom is only lethal in five to ten percent of untreated victims, which is quite disappointing. However, what makes this snake so special is its aggressiveness. Come close to it and it will lunge at you without a shadow of a doubt. And it gets even better, the saw-scaled viper is known to bite often. Meaning that whenever he decides to attack you and bite you, his goal is to kill you, not to warn you. Just thinking about it makes my heart skip a beat.”

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “We both know that Marco has diabetes and without insulin, he’s done. It’s as simple as that. Therefore, he has multiple insulin pens. One in his bedroom, one in his living room, even one in the kitchen, one in the toilet, and, of course, one in his car. In the glove compartment of his car to be more specific. And because of your little adventure to the motel and to the club, he will soon realize that he is in desperate need of insulin. But when he will open the glove compartment, he will realize that a saw-scaled viper is protecting the insulin pen. And by the time he realizes this, it will already be too late. He might make it out alive, or he might not. I couldn’t care less to be honest. However, I do hope that this will prevent you from making any impulsive emotion-based decisions in the future as they negatively impact the game. I will speak to you soon. Goodnight, Susie,” Mr. Miller said as he then hung up.