“I may not shoot to kill, but I will shoot, and I’m a damned good marksman.”
“You don’t have the nerve.”
“Try me. Pick up your weapon and see what happens.”
“All right. You have me.”
“One question: why?”
“I don’t take rejection easily.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Years ago I applied for a job. Had a lot of experience; had the right attitude. But I was rejected.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You all said I was too old.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I wanted to be your boy.”
“Our boy! But you would have been too old—”
“Age is an attitude; it has nothing to do with years. You do remember me don’t you, Dr. Barton. Just arrived in the Big Apple from Toronto. Well, after the rejection I vowed I’d kill every damned one of you.”
“That’s insane.”
“I’ve been called crazy before; it doesn’t bother me. And I’m tired of all the chit chat.” Suddenly, he raced to the door before Paul could even raise his weapon. “I’ll be back!” he called as he raced outside slamming the door behind him. Paul and Rob ran after ran him. They opened the door just in time to see Bill speeding away in a taxi. He gave them a grin and waved. “You’re all dead men,” he mouthed as the taxi turned the corner.
“I can’t believe it was Mr. Thompson,” Rob said. “But how did you know?”
“The accent, like I said, the personality that seemed just a little off. I don’t know, Rob. Mostly my subconscious, I guess.”
“I never would have guessed.”
“Had me stumped too. Especially since Cooper is hairy, and the man who applied to become the…”
“Boy”
“The only place he was hairy was in his crotch. And if I remember correctly, he had light brown pubic hair, but the hair on his head was much darker. That threw me.”
“Easy,” Rob said. “He shaved his body back then, and he probably used some hair dye.”
“Suppose we’d better call Mr. Carlton.”
Paul pulled out his cell. “We still have to be on guard. He said he’d be back.”
“How can he be? It’s a simple matter of changing the locks.”
“Like he said, he changed his identity and obviously his appearance once, why not again?”
Paul dialed Carlton’s number and told him what had happened.
“Bill!” Carlton said, “It’s hard to believe. I mean he was into torture, but it was mostly play with him. Who would have believed he’d go from that to murdering people?”
“And we have to be careful, Dale.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He threatened to come back with a new identity… well, and finish killing everyone else.”
“I’ll tell the other members,” Carlton said. “We’re all going to have to be on our guard. Or maybe even disband the club.”
The End
The Old Men's Sex Club Murders Page 11