“What the fuuuuuck!” I yelled at the walls encircling me. They seemed to be closing in on me. Was this a panic attack?
I began taking short half- breaths. All of those bodies that popped on the screen...What was I supposed to make of it all? The short video snippets hinted at a gruesomeness but they would never show what I needed to see. They even showed the photos of the men as they existed before their bodies were indiscriminately sliced and mutilated. Just like in the last broadcast I had seen before, the men were so attractive. I couldn’t have picked them any better myself. They were young, vivacious and full of life. Their bodies were strong and exactly the type of guys I would have chosen for myself. I would have killed them with a bit more finesse but the end result would have been the same. They would have died a more enjoyable death but still death is death and I guess there really was no way to sugar coat it. But why was I freaking out? Why did this all matter to me? I had to admit, at least to myself, that I felt a twinge of jealousy entwined in the horror of it all.
Yet it hadn’t bothered me before. How strange that the murders near Bethlehem didn’t seem to concern me at all. In fact, I couldn’t have cared less for them. But now the killer appeared to have encroached and landed in Atlantic County. This was New Jersey and I didn’t appreciate another guy coming into my territory and killing my prey. This guy wasn’t killing random people; he was killing off my men specifically.
I’m sure there were more than enough men to go around for the both of us. But he wasn’t even trying to hide his garbage. He could at least have the decency to brush them under the bed or hide them in the closet. He was scattering them around for the whole world to see. The police, no doubt believed they were looking for the work of just one serial killer. Though I was a woman and the immediate attention would not fall to me, I feared the worst. The rightful authorities would lump most, if not all, of these kills into one killer profile and sooner or later they could hone in on either him or me. The bodies alongside the missing persons were piling up quickly.
I sank back into the cushioned couch and my breathing slowed. I was clueless what to do here. I couldn’t very well stop killing and lay low. It was unrealistic to even consider it. I was a killer and that wasn’t about to change overnight simply because someone was honing in on my turf. But it also wasn’t my style to hunt other serial killers the way I might hunt a typical victim. A fellow serial killer would be a horse of another color. It would not be business as usual. Was I up for the challenge?
I decided to call the only person I could think of that could help with the matter. Derek, though he was a new friend, seemed knowledgeable and I got the overall impression that he was a good guy. I hit his name on my phone and it rang three times before he picked it up.
“Jole-eene…What is up?” Derek answered the phone rather chipper.
“Hey Derek, what are you up to?” I asked.
“Nuthin’ really. Shootin’ the shit, ya’ know how it is,” he replied.
“Kill anyone good lately?” I snickered.
“Ah, here and there. Nothing too good,” he laughed. “What’s up?”
“So uh, I’ve got a weird question for you and I’m hoping you might be able to help me figure somethin’ out. I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to give me names or anything but maybe you could just clear something up for me?”
“Shoot,” he said. “What is it?”
Hmm. Where to begin? “Have you watched the news at all lately?”
“Not really. Why?”
“Well, maybe you should cuz there’s a bunch of bodies piling up in and around Atlantic City and its becoming a little bit of a nuisance,” I said. “Any idea who it could be?”
“What makes you think I would know who’s killing down in Atlantic City?” he asked. If he was acting dumb and trying to cover for someone I would find out eventually. It would only be a matter of time.
“Are you sure?” I paused unsure where to go from there. “Cuz I mean, isn’t this kind of what you do? Don’t you track serial killers, find out what they do and see if they fit into your little club? Cuz that’s kind of what I got out of our meeting the other day.” I wasn’t really in the mood for subtlety and I still had a shit load of number crunching I had to get through before I called it a night. The shorter this conversation turned out to be the better.
“Uh, that’s a lot of fuckin’ questions let me see if I was able to keep up. Do you always talk that fast?”
“Yes.”
“Well yeah, we track serial killers and we try to keep up with some of the stunts they pull off but we aren’t a database for every fuckin’ psycho out there. Me and the guys, we track the cool stuff, you know? A random serial killer who doesn’t do anything differently and who doesn’t have anything special to add to the table gets lost amongst the pros. Catch my drift?”
“Yeah. Guess so,” I said. But I really didn’t. “I just don’t get it, this guy, whoever he is, it’s like he’s like a copycat to me but not completely. I mean, I probably shouldn’t even be saying this over the phone but, I never leave remains. I always do something with the body. The less evidence the better,” I had lowered my voice considerably. I no longer spoke a mile a minute. I dialed it down to just above a whisper, for no reason at all. People tended to lower their voices when conversational topics turned awry.
“Whoa! Slow your horses there Sea biscuit. Hold up a sec.”
I couldn’t appreciate his horse humor given the nature of the conversation.
“Are you asking me if it’s a possibility that you have a copycat? Cuz that’s just ludicrous. You aren’t even on anyone’s radar that I know of. No offense.”
“None taken. How could you possibly even know about something like that?”
“Listen, you might be content living in your own little self- absorbed world but other killers, the kind of guys that do a lot of the shit that you do and sometimes worse, like to get together from time to time. Most psychos like us live secluded lifestyles and finding a way to meet other people like ourselves is the only option to have a semblance of friends and family.”
“K I get it. You guys like to get together on Thanksgiving to watch football while you roast a turkey. But how many of you guys really know each other and how do you find each other?” Derek had sparked my interest and I felt compelled to ask for more.
“I can’t really give you all that,” he said. “Bu-ut, I’ll tell you this. The internet is an interesting place that links different people if you knew where to look. But you already knew that.”
“So what, you guys hook up on forums and sites that only you guys know the access codes to?”
“Bingo!” he exclaimed. “I knew you were a smart cookie.”
“OK I think I get it. So you’re telling me you’re not aware of anybody in my vicinity who’s killing off my prime meat?”
“Nope. Most of the guys I know are on the opposite side of the country. I’m just in Jersey on some business for the next few weeks.”
“Got it. Guess I wasn’t expecting you to know much anyway. Call me this week and we’ll get together.
“Will do Jo.”
Chapter 23
BANG –BANG BANG—BANG BANG BANG
BUZZZ – BUZZZ - BUZZZ
The pounding at the front door and the cell phone blazing obnoxious sounds in my ear worked in unison to ferociously tear me out of my deep sleep. Silence, the one reason I absolutely had to live alone. Currently, I was being robbed of it and my much needed beauty sleep. I shot up angrily from the couch and ran at the door with every intention of bulldozing whoever stood behind it.
I finally interrupted the raucous banging when I opened the door but Olivia was standing there with her cell phone in her ear and a mutilated wrangled face of impatience.
She shut off her phone and the incessant ringing finally stopped.
“What fucking time did I tell you to be ready?” yelled Olivia impetuously.
She bum-rushed right through me into the apartment
and took a look around. The couch was in a state of disarray. My comfy gray blanket laid half strewn across the couch and floor. A small pizza box and a few crushed cans of Red Bull created a mess atop my large glass coffee table. The laptop I had been working on all night stood with an open screen and a Microsoft Excel spread sheet displayed its complex numbers brightly on the open screen.
“Well?” asked Olivia with her hand out over the mess like a school teacher yelling at a child waiting for an answer.
Still in a drowsy haze, I struggled to come up with an adequate excuse that would suit her and so I mumbled the only thing I could say. “Sorry, Liv. I overslept.” I pulled my hands up to my mouth to cover the shame written all over my face and cradled my right leg against my left like a child.
“Yeah, like always,” she went on. I stood there staring at her waiting for instructions on what to do next because Olivia was in one of her moods and you never knew what miniscule misstep might set her off.
“Jo move your ass. Go fix your face and I’ll pack your shit we’re leaving in 15 minutes. Let’s try to get there today not tomorrow.”
“Yes’ ma’am,” I said and rushed into the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth and hair.
By the time I was done with the quickie version of my morning routine, Olivia had taken the liberty of grabbing everything I needed for the spa including my favorite bikini. “Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed by bags and headed out the door. Olivia never bothered to wait for anyone to accompany her. You followed at her pace or you got left behind. It was just another one of her lovable quirks.
The ride over was over fairly quick considering we almost didn’t make it there alive. Olivia drove like a madwoman on roids. The other cars on the highway were mere obstacles she had to avoid as she veered in and out of multiple lanes. Once or twice I actually believed I might lose an arm or a leg in a multiple car collision. I could only bring myself to exhale once she pulled the gear into park and all vehicular movement stopped. If I had believed in a higher power I would have shouted an enthusiastic ‘Hallelujah.’
We shuffled in with our totes filled with soaps and shampoos in hand and headed towards the front counter. The man sitting behind the counter wore a Hawaiian T- shirt and long khaki shorts. His face was sunken in and as I smiled at him in a salutation gesture, all he could muster was a minor grimace. It was like a smile, only slightly more painful.
The man handed us our locker keys and we lugged our totes into the changing room. The locker room was full of rows of glossy wooden gym-style lockers. There was another row of showers alongside the furthest wall from the door.
“Thanks a lot for getting up on time today,” Olivia said. “I really appreciate it.” Obviously she was still sour about my sleeping in this morning.
“I said I was sorry Liv,” I said. I was still tired and in no mood to spend the entire afternoon watching her sulk at me with her big green eyes. After all, I had just spent the night getting through a massive work load and I did manage to get it all done. It took 2 large red bulls on top of an entire pot of coffee but the work was done. I planned on fully immersing myself in the relaxation experience.
It was 11 a.m. and I wanted some tea. Olivia and I walked over to the bar and she couldn’t help but order the tallest beer they served.
The spa had tables and little enclosed nooks for eating scattered around the area. They often housed large parties of old men and women who came to dine and bathe on the weekends. I hated those days. I’d been coming here long enough that I knew exactly when to come and when to stay the hell away. Early evenings and weekends were a no-no. The sauna would be filled with business men wrapped in robes lounging around while their wives and children ran about splashing water in every which direction. Olivia and I knew this would be the perfect time of day to do what people who came here enjoyed. This was the perfect time to enjoy with a friend to relax and rejuvenate our bodies.
We grabbed some towels and brought them over to a tiny table in a nook over by the Jacuzzi. This was my favorite part of the spa. I couldn’t speak for Olivia. I didn’t have the mildest clue as to what she enjoyed the most. It was probably the obvious male gazes as she walked to and fro from shower to bath. She was every bit as vain as I was. Albeit, in my opinion, Liv’s was a bit misguided.
Adjacent to the Jacuzzi was a big room filled with a decent sized swimming pool but we rarely ever went in there. They did have comfortable cloth chairs to rest after a swim. But it was often filled with children and mother’s gossiping with other women as they watched their kids. Olivia and I tended to stay away from the child-friendly areas. We were here to relax.
Across the hall from the swimming pool and off to the left was a door that seemingly led into a dark, empty room. This was the relaxation room and I loved it there. You could grab a towel, and once inside, you would lie on the heated floors and drift off to a warm far away place for a while. The room, plain as it was, provided the perfect environment so as to permit legitimate tranquility. Not too many people, from what I gathered, took full advantage of this room. Perhaps it was too plain and empty and seemingly, had nothing to offer. I begged to differ.
Yet still, nothing beat the Jacuzzi. There were two standing showers right next to the Jacuzzi and we each stepped in and ran cool water over our bodies without wetting our heads. I had worn a black string bikini while Olivia had chosen to wear a pink and white polka dotted one. Neither of us bothered to dry off before slowly descending down the small steps into the hot bubbling Jacuzzi.
Finally, I thought as I absorbed the piping hot water and felt the ferocity in which it boiled. The water might even have been a few degrees too hot but I didn’t care. The pain invigorated me. I lowered myself, ignoring Olivia, and brought my head down so that my neck rested on the edge of the tub. I shuffled over a few inches to the left so as to align the jets to my back. My eyes fluttered down to a gentle close and I blissfully delved into another realm where the only thing that mattered was me and my own existence.
“Don’t pass out Jo,” she said loudly.
I exhaled deeply to convey my irritation.
I didn’t often get the itch to kill women but Olivia was hastily forcing me to reconsider my preference for killing only men. I loved her with all my heart but I more than half-heartedly entertained the idea of gutting her and leaving her body hanging from a shower head.
“I mean it! Don’t fucking go to sleep,” she said.
“Come on Liv! I’m tired,” I pleaded with exasperation. “I worked most of the night making sure I could come here today. Let me chill,” I demanded.
“You can’t chill in a Jacuzzi smart ass.”
“You’re hilarious,” I said.
“I haven’t seen you in forever, I need girl talk. I don’t even know what the fuck is going on in your life anymore…” A skinny waiter interrupted us and handed us our drinks then scurried back towards the bar. The tea was a bit too hot to sip while sitting in the scorching tub but I just needed a taste. I took a sip as Olivia downed half her beer.
“Sooo, tell me. Who are you fucking now? I’m dying to know” she said nonchalantly.
“Umm, my boyfriend?” I said.
“Fuckin’ liar” she said. “I always ask you who you’re fucking and you always say your boyfriend but we both know you’re lying. You’re a dirty little slut just like me, you just won’t admit it.”
“Firstly, I’m not a dirty little slut just like you,” I said pointing my index finger at her. “I can’t help that you’ve made it you’re life’s mission to never allow me to catch up,” I laughed. “And secondly, I swear I’m only having sex with Eric.”
Olivia stared at me repulsed.
“You, Jo,” she now pointed her finger angrily at me. “may not be a dirty little slut like me but you are a nasty little liar. Say what you want, you’re a sick and twisted little piece of shit waiting to expose yourself.”
“I guess you’ll just have to wait till I declare it myself, then,” I shot ba
ck.
The heat was getting to be too much. I stood up and slowly stepped out of the tub. I grabbed a towel and placed it on the hook next to the shower. I took a quick 20 second shower cooler and took my seat at the nook where Olivia had already sat down. She perused the menu as I took my seat across from her at our tiny table and smeared a small amount of butter on the whole wheat bread that had been placed at our table. In between small bites of bread and tiny sips of piping hot tea I rubbed a second towel against my wet hair.
Olivia began violently punching the letters of a message into her phone. Someone or something had ticked her off.
“Dish,” I said sipping my tea.
“This fucking Mexican, man,” she said. “I told him I needed a grand to fix my car and he’s not budging.”
“What’s wrong with your car?”
“Nothing,” said Olivia shrugging her shoulders carelessly. “I just want some moolah. He usually coughs up money no problem. He says he wants me to suck his dick a little more. I told him that I’m not a fucking whore and if he’s only giving me money every time we have sex then it’s fucking over!”
“You mean you don’t have sex with him for money?” I asked. I found the whole situation extremely comical.
“Hell no, bitch,” she retorted. “I’ve only had sex with this mother fucker twice and he’s given me like six grand in the past two months.”
I choked on my tea. “Geez what the fuck Liv? Can I get a glimpse of your pussy and see what I’m lacking?” I joked. “Do you have specs of gold oozing out of your snatch or somethin’?” We both laughed loudly and the massage lady who was knitting in her chair shushed us. Apparently our laughter distracted her from her muted Chinese program on the flat screen.
Olivia shot her the finger when she turned back around.
“Anyways, it doesn’t matter,” she continued. “I’ve got so many other SD’s I don’t give a shit if he gives it to me or not. Check this out,” she said with non- chalance. “I got this Jew from New York right. His house is huge, I mean huge. He’s got like six kids and he gives me two grand a month just to keep me around.”
All of Her Men Page 14