During our meal, we decided to spend a good amount of time together and my suggestion about visiting different taverns went over well. Apparently, April didn’t like to frequent the same place all the time and looked forward to seeing how other rooms looked. I really didn’t want to say goodnight to her but at one in the morning, she had to return home or her parents would worry. I thought that in a short time, if things went well, she might be able to live with me in a nice apartment and not concern herself with curfews or any other parental nonsense. Should that occur, I knew that her life would be a lot easier than it was at the present time. April had a menial job at a department store and never really liked going to work. She assisted people with returns of merchandise and often took a good deal of guff from irate customers. She was aware that without college or some kind of trade school, there would never be many opportunities to find a job that held the promise of high wages and advancement. Her parents couldn’t afford to pay for schooling and rather than take out large loans, she decided to work for a few years and save money. The problem with her was that she liked to spend money also and the savings never added up to a significant amount. I don’t know if she was looking to get married and escape the rut but meeting guys in a bar was not going to provide the means for a better life. April seemed very confused about what she wanted and at this juncture, we were very similar in our lack of direction. I wondered if someone like her could actually join with me and take an active part in my plans. That would sure be a lot easier than telling my companions different reasons for my actions. However, I wasn’t ready to go that route until we had known each other awhile and really got along.
After dropping me off, I stayed up for another hour thinking about the night with April and how she could further my ambitions. I would see her later on today for a short time and then get back to thinking about profitable actions. If Bart had hooked up with the other girl from the bar, then we could start making rounds of potential places where cash laden victims could be located. Leslie had looked like a street wise female who had gone through many experiences and would also be an asset to us if she agreed to join in. At this moment, I wasn’t too thrilled at the prospect of bringing two women into our venture but if it could work out, we would all benefit. I didn’t see mother until morning and we spent a short time in meaningless conversation as usual. I really had to obtain an apartment soon because this arrangement was stifling me and it was time to change it permanently. I phoned April and we agreed to meet downtown for lunch and do some window shopping which gave me a reason to leave the apartment. Living there was really starting to get on my nerves and while I couldn’t fault my mother for doing the best she could, staying there much longer was going to bring out the worst of my temper and that was not needed right now. I took a bus to downtown and waited at our arranged meeting place for a few minutes until April showed up. Her promptness was something that I admired along with several other attributes that were desirable. We hugged and then headed for a nearby restaurant for a leisurely lunch and talkfest. She was also fed up with living in the parents’ house and felt a strong urgency to get money from somewhere and move into her own place. In my mind, I thought about the two of us pooling our money and moving in together but it was still too soon for that type of permanency.
We spent a few hours walking in malls and looking at all the items we wanted if more money was in our pockets. I didn’t bring up the idea of moving in together but it was chafing at my mind and if April was cool about my activities, then it would definitely come up very soon. I asked her if she would like to hit a few bars this evening in different parts of town just to see what they looked like. She agreed and would pick me up about nine and stay out until eleven thirty since tomorrow was work. That was perfect and I phoned Bart to see if he could make it with us as a foursome. He liked the idea and was going to call Leslie in a few minutes and let me know. Five minutes later, he called to tell me that she would come along and that made my scheme come alive. All we had to do was frequent a few places and look for big spending drinkers who left alone at a predictable time. On other nights, the two of us would return and watch for those people to leave so we could get on with our business. If we hit a few places in one night, the money should be rolling in and get me to where I wanted to go. I killed the next few hours by resting and watching television especially the news but no further mention had been made of our last assault. Well, it was to my advantage when today’s news becomes obsolete by the next day. I didn’t know how the police investigation was progressing but with any luck, it would go the same way as the newscast. At eight thirty, I was looking good and ready for the nights’ events. April, Bart and Leslie would meet me here and we would head out in one car to the taverns I had selected from the phone book that were previously unknown to me. Things were going better than I had ever expected.
CHAPTER NINE
Both cars arrived almost simultaneously and after a brief discussion, we decided to take Bart’s vehicle since it was a roomier car. Everyone was in a good mood as we headed for the first stop on my list which was only a few miles away. The tavern was located in a middle class part of town and looked a lot more modern and newer than the bar we usually went to. Inside the building, I noticed the same arrangement as other places except that everything was in better shape. The band had not started playing yet so in between all our talk, I was carefully perusing the clientele who were drinking liquor by the shot or sipping some type of exotic concoctions. I noticed several patrons who had a sizable pile of bills in front of them and made a mental note of remembering when they left. When the band started playing, we danced many times which gave me a chance to move around the floor and check out others who looked like potential victims. There seemed to be many prospects but to narrow it down, I tried to note those who not only had the cash but were also drinking heavily. It seemed better to attack an inebriated guy who probably wouldn’t have the coordination to fight back and thus, make the robbery easier and quicker. I recalled that on our last job, someone had yelled out at us and limited the amount of time we had to complete the job successfully. I not only wanted to bash the man but also do it more efficiently. We stayed at the first place about ninety minutes and then drove off to the next one which was about eight miles away in another decent part of town. This bar looked very new and had a swanky appearance to it. Many people were already inside and a band was blaring country western music to which people were gyrating to in the usual zombielike fashion. We found a table and I spent our time there in the same fashion as the other place. I was very satisfied with the way that customers were spending money and thought that many of them carried lots of cash. We spent about an hour in the second bar and then decided that the scene was getting boring and left. Leslie had to get home soon so we didn’t stop for a bite but went straight to my apartment before splitting up. April was not ready to go home so I invited her into the apartment since my mother would not be home for a few hours. We had a few snacks and drinks before getting into a hot and heavy romantic interlude. This girl really liked her sex which was fine with me. About an hour later, April drove off and within minutes, my mother showed up. With almost a clairvoyant sense, she asked if someone had been here with me and I gave her an honest answer. No use trying to fool her and it made little difference to me anyway if she knew I brought girls to the apartment. She wanted to know something about April and I told her a few things to satisfy her curiosity. I could sense that she was already thinking that it was time for me to find my own place and act like a man. I couldn’t tell her but in a short time if things worked out, that’s exactly what was going to happen.
I stayed awake that night thinking about the details of our next caper and even considered doing two of them on the same night which would double our profits. It was kind of daring but this was the time to think in more grandiose terms and accumulate cash at a very rapid rate. I drifted off to sleep without working everything out but it was a certainty that Bart would go along with any type o
f plan. The next day was the usual dull routine of work but even then, I was thinking about doing the two robberies on the same night and becoming more excited as the plan progressed. I phoned Bart in the afternoon and told him what I had in mind. His response was “let’s do it.” We would commit one job at the first place and immediately head for the second while police were driving around in circles looking for us. All we had to do was casually drive to the next area and remain inconspicuous. Once we completed the nights’ work, it would be very interesting to see what kind of cash haul we made. It could be enough to put me over the top of the amount needed for a move. I was hoping to commit the two robberies real soon and decided that Wednesday was a good night since people are starting to frequent taverns again after the early weekday lull. If the same men who were there on the weekend showed on that day then our work should be very simple. I didn’t want to wait too long at the first bar if no one suitable showed up before heading to the next place. It was all a matter of timing and luck if we were to accomplish everything as planned. Bart was ready for our Wednesday action and now I only had to continually upgrade the plan and wait two more nights.
My body buzzed with supercharged excitement at the prospect of accomplishing both of these hits within a short time but I needed to calm down a bit before they came about. Of course, I always had April to keep me content and in a way, liked being with her. I didn’t know how long it would last or if we would actually move in together but at this particular time the relationship was satisfactory. I knew that she was pleased with our romance and was staying true to me which was very important. If I thought a woman was cheating on me, my rage would be uncontrollable and violence would most likely result from it. Not that a cheating woman didn’t deserve a beating but I didn’t think that a guy like me would have to worry about an unfaithful girlfriend. After all, I was a decent looking fellow who treated his women well and if there ever came a time that someone else interested me in a fling, what was the harm? I would still return to my primary woman unless the new one turned out to be so much better than her that the situation called for a change. I truly believed that the man is entitled to fool around a little and have it be accepted as something a male does naturally. In my way of thinking, what a female does is a different story. Well, it was nothing to be concerned with right now since no other girl had entered my life. The only other woman of significance who had been involved in my life was Jane and I hadn’t heard from her since hanging up the phone abruptly. At some future time, she might be worth a call again just for the sex which as I recall had been pretty good. However, it would take some type of desperate situation to make me humble myself for a woman. If she happened to call me and wanted to make up, that would be different but that didn’t seem to be happening. As for Valerie, I couldn’t care less about her and had no plans for a future contact.
I didn’t see April until Tuesday night and in a way, missed her presence. We went to a movie and afterwards stopped at a café for a snack. I really didn’t want her to leave me but she had to get home and prepare for some nonsense at work tomorrow. There was no way I could see her tomorrow night so I made plans to get together on Thursday evening. Our big night was approaching and I wanted no complications to mar our plans. My mind was racing that night with thoughts of the robberies and sleep did not come easily. Regardless, I felt rested in the morning and looking to get through the hours until my real day started. I had a close call at work when the manager asked me to work a few extra hours after my shift but giving him a story about my mother being sick and needing me put an end to that. I could have still managed to meet Bart on time if the extra hours were worked but it seemed better to go home and rest before starting out for the bars. When I got home, my bed was very inviting for a short time and the relaxation did me good. I made a quick meal just to give me the energy for the nights’ doings and watched television while waiting for Bart to show up. At eight forty five, the car pulled up and I went outside to meet Bart before he could even get out of the car. I probably was acting a little hyper but this night was the biggest event in my life and the anxiety over it was showing. Bart seemed calm and I hoped he wasn’t high on something that would dull his senses or make him less alert. We needed every ounce of our alertness and intellect from this moment on.
Bart drove to the first bar we had visited and parked about one block away in a dark spot. When we entered the bar, it was about half full but I could see that several people were already well into their normal drinking night. I didn’t see the few people who had seemed to be the best prospects but it was still early so we sat at a table, had a beer and watched the entrance. It wasn’t even twenty minutes later that the fellow I had hoped to see, walked in with another man. That was a disappointment to me and put a crimp in my plans unless someone else was there who might be a substitute. We watched the man drink quite a lot of shots and continually throw bills on the bar. The other guy wasn’t drinking as much and it looked like he wasn’t paying for his drinks. Call it good luck, but after a half hour, the second man left and our mark remained at the bar alone. We could only hope that he would stagger out soon and have a good amount of cash left instead of spending it all on drinks. By about ten, we were starting to lose hope that he would ever leave when I saw him pocket the bills still on the bar and start to walk out the door. I was amazed that he could stand up after downing all that liquor but his condition sure made it an easier job for us. Bart left through a side door to watch the direction that the victim headed while I stayed a few more minutes so as not to arouse suspicions. When I walked out the door, I could see the man walking unsteadily toward the direction of Bart’s car and followed quietly behind him. Bart was already waiting by the car and in just a few more feet, we would make our move. When the drunk nearly approached the car, I quickly ran up behind him and punched the back of his head. He let out a little cry and fell to the ground where Bart and I really pummeled him for a few minutes until no movement was detected. I looked around the area to make sure that no one had seen or heard us and then went through his pockets to remove anything of value. After delivering a few more kicks for no reason, we ran to the car and Bart sped away toward the other part of town where our second target was located.
We were amazed at how easy the entire operation had been and the short amount of time it took. Now the first part of our scheme was complete and having it go so well gave me a confidence that never had existed before. I felt that nothing could stop my progress now and that the law would never catch me. We didn’t speak much while heading toward our target but I was gloating and it looked like Bart was also. The amount of bills I removed from the victims’ pockets felt like a sizeable wad and if we did as well on the next job, the amount of my stash should soar. I never heard one police siren as we drove to the next place and pulled into the usual dark space about a block from the tavern. When we walked in, the place was jumping and people were everywhere. There wasn’t a table to be had so we stood at the bar and surveyed the customers for any familiar face from our last visit. It was hard to see features in the dim haze of cigarette smoke so I actually walked behind people sitting on stools to get a better look. Two of the drinkers looked familiar but I couldn’t be sure until noticing that both of them were drinking heavily although only one of them had a stack of bills displayed on the counter. I wasn’t quite sure that he was the man who was there on Sunday night but it looked like he would do. Bart and I stood at opposite ends of the bar and carefully watched the fellow to see if he was preparing to leave. I was becoming impatient as time passed and was getting into an ugly mood when the mark finally picked up his money and made for the door. Both of us watched him leave and then made for the door a few minutes later. I waited until he started walking down the street but unfortunately, his direction was not toward the car. I walked behind him while Bart drove the car about a block ahead and parked with the lights off. When the victim approached the dimly lit area, I ran up and pounced on him. As he fell, a loud scream emanated from
his lips that not only surprised me but would most likely draw the attention of others. We beat him mercilessly for a moment before removing all the money he had. As we were running toward the car, I heard someone yell “robber” and footsteps came up behind us. We were in the car and leaving the area in a split second and only hoped that no one had got the license number even though the car lights were not on.
I, Psychopath Page 10