For the next hour I rehearsed what needed to be said to Jensen and looked forward with hope to favorable responses from him. I never had an impression of him as being a stubborn sort so if he listened to reason, things might still work out well. At the appointed time, I arrived at the eatery and saw him sitting in a booth toward the rear. There were few diners present so we could speak without fear of being overheard by prying ears. I sat down opposite him and started out by giving him my assessment of how a gambling problem could cause havoc to our operation. He listened to everything and then stated that his betting was occasional and it was none of my business if he wanted to be involved in the excitement that it gave him. That was not what I wanted to hear and continued presenting many logical reasons for dropping the habit because it would lead to situations that would end in a disaster. He merely repeated his former statements and said that anything done with his money was not my concern and that I should stick to business only. I could see that we weren’t getting anywhere and he couldn’t understand that being in the clutches of gamblers would make us vulnerable to their influence. I was never going to let anyone have control of my actions and could see that Jensen was now a thorn in my side and was not going to change his mind. I dropped the matter since it was going nowhere and told him that a few lucrative prospects were being considered for the next job but that a little time was needed to pare them down to the best target. His attitude changed completely and he showed a willingness to get moving right away. I said that as soon as the plan was better developed, we would meet again and finalize all details. Then I left with a feeling of calmness, relief and the knowledge of what had to be done. I had no hatred of Jensen or even dislike; this matter was strictly business to me and nothing else.
I had been very careful to separate my life from Jensen’s so that no connection between us was evident. Of course, he could have told someone about me but that fact seemed doubtful since former inmates learn to keep their mouths shut and avoid the chance of others knowing their business. He was pretty much of a loner who wouldn’t be missed by anyone so no one in my knowledge would make an attempt to look for him. All of this was to my advantage because after I took care of him, a respite of several months could be leisurely spent before having to undertake another job. If I needed another accomplice then Wesley could be a possibility but that matter could wait for awhile. It took me a period of deep thinking to work out all the details of my upcoming task and most of it was not very difficult to resolve. I could easily lure Jensen out to a lonely spot without arousing any suspicions from him since he knew that our plans had to be kept very private. Shooting him would be an easy matter to accomplish but it could not be done with my gun since the bullets could be traced back to the other killing and no use giving the cops any kind of lead. I had to use Jensen’s gun for the act since there was no possible way of connecting it to me. Bringing a pair of latex gloves with me would eliminate the chance of fingerprints when I asked him to let me see his revolver. I assumed that the gun would be loaded and after making sure that it was, would take care of the matter then and there. The body would be left where it hit the ground and I would dispose of the weapon some distance away where hopefully, it would never be found. My guess was that authorities would blame the shooting on people who Jensen owed money for gambling debts and they would only pursue that avenue of inquiry.
Killing someone who was known to me was not an easy task and I had to use all the discipline in my body to stay focused. Actually, Jensen was alright but we had come to a crossroad and there was no other way to move forward. I would phone him later and have a meeting this evening after darkness had fallen at a desolate location where we would be alone. I couldn’t guarantee that a witness wouldn’t be there but in the blackness of night, even if there was an unexpected intruder, there would not be enough light to identify me or the car. Later on that afternoon, I phoned Jensen and told him that the plans and location had been chosen and we should meet to discuss them. He was extremely eager to hear about the next job and didn’t utter one word of resistance when asked to meet at a street near the stockyards and to bring his revolver for me to see. Since we were not meeting until it was dark I had several hours to kill and decided to visit Allison for a relaxing respite. Fortunately, she was there and we spent a few hours together which did a lot toward keeping me calm by taking my thoughts off the evening task ahead. As dusk was starting to settle in, I left her apartment saying that my mother needed me to do something for her. I was not sure that Allison always believed that excuse but it didn’t matter to me; she never questioned anything I said. I didn’t think that she suspected me of cheating and as long as nothing was brought up by her, it was closed matter.
I went back to my place and went over the details again making sure to check them off from a list so nothing was forgotten. I took my gun and a pair of thin latex gloves that were similar to those used on heists, and headed out to our destination and what was an unpleasant but necessary action. I parked my car about a half block away from where we would meet and walked over to wait for Jensen to show up. Ten minutes later, his car pulled up and he came to where I was standing with a jaunty bounce in his step. There was no doubt in my mind that he was looking forward to knocking off another place and filling his pockets with cash. We spoke a few words and I asked to see his revolver before giving out the details of our next job. Jensen took a gun out of his waistband and said it was fully loaded and ready for action. I took it in my hand and made sure the safety switch was off and in a casual manner, aimed it at him and shot him twice in the chest. The look of surprise on his face is something I’ll never forget but he never got a word out as his body slumped to the ground. I made sure that he was dead, looked around to see if anyone was nearby and seeing no one, walked to my car and left the area. About two miles away, I stopped by a sewage slough and threw the weapon into the middle of the sludge where there was little likelihood that it would surface. On the way back to my place, I stopped at a tavern and had a few shots of vodka to take the edge off. After all, killing a friend is not the most calming thing one can do.
I was fairly confident that all the loose ends had been gathered up and there was no way in the world to trace any of this business back to me. The rest of the night was spent by relaxing in front of the television and having a few snacks. The late news cast had nothing to say about a body found near the stockyard and the chance was good that Jensen had not even been discovered yet and wouldn’t be until morning. I think that my planning and execution was pretty good and it was always to my advantage that solid thinking was an asset in my development. If genetics were responsible then that was something I could attribute to my mother and father but no use giving credit to them without a definite certainty. By morning, any thoughts of regret over Jensen were gone although I scoured the newspaper for some indication that a body was found but nothing was mentioned. There was no doubt in my mind that bodies are found daily and attributed to drug deals that went bad or gangland slayings so that no one gets overly concerned when another cadaver turns up. It was quite possible that his killing may never make the news and if that’s how it turned out, then better for me. Jensen never mentioned having relatives in the area so there shouldn’t be any interest in his disappearance or death. I saw the situation as eliminating a potential problem and now could look forward to many months of trouble free existence.
What I hoped for was exactly how things turned out. I spent the next several months in total bliss by spending time with Allison, sleeping in every day, eating out a lot and living a life that contained no responsibilities. We took short overnight trips to scenic places and had nothing but laughs and fun each day. Allison was the most wonderful woman I ever knew and never seemed to give me a moment’s aggravation. The best part of our relationship still consisted of her leaving town at least twice a week and giving me time for privacy. While there were times that I wanted to spend every day together with Allison it was better for someone like me to keep a certai
n distance from others. By doing so, there would always be a newness and excitement when reuniting. I still had a certain degree of leeriness in the back of my mind that warned against becoming too involved as if to protect me against some potential harm. That was a part of my mind that never changed. I had never been able to trust people very much nor remained concerned about their welfare unless it suited my purpose to do so. I knew that there would be a time when Allison would no longer be needed and discarded like the others but that was no concern to me right now. In this world, it’s every man for himself and if people don’t like that attitude, then tough shit on them. There will never be a time in my life when someone comes before me and that’s the way I intend to keep things forever.
It was just amazing that over the last few months, nothing had appeared in the news media to suggest a story about Jensen’s body turning up. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth and it was hard for me to believe that no one had come across a dead person lying near the stockyards. It didn’t really matter to me if they found the body or not but then I supposed that these events are so common that no one makes a fuss over them. The only thing I missed about Jensen was his assistance when needed and the inconvenience of having to look for a new person to train. I had been spending quite lavishly and began to wonder how long my cash would last. I still could go several months on what was left but it didn’t seem right to let the amount dwindle down before adding to the pile. It was getting time for business to take priority and a new accomplice was needed for a continuation of my successful operations I had kept Wesley in mind and decided to look for him at the address that Bart had given me months ago. With any luck he would still be there and open to my propositions. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake with him as I made with Jensen and would look carefully into his habits particularly those involving gambling and drugs. If Wesley was addicted to either of those problems, then we would go no further. I certainly wasn’t going to find myself in the same situation again even if it meant having to keep looking for another accomplice.
I phoned the firm at the address that Bart had given me and confirmed that Wesley still worked there. It was a package shipping outfit and probably was very busy because I couldn’t speak to Wes but they did give me the time that he quit for the day. I decided to wait at the door and speak to him when he emerged. I was pretty sure of recognizing him and arrived at the building ten minutes before his exit. A few minutes after six, Wes came out into the afternoon sun and his face was immediately recognizable. As I approached him, he looked at me and then did a double take while letting a broad smile cross his face. There was no doubt that he knew who I was and as we stood next to each other and shook hands, a sense of comradeship crossed over between us. I asked him if he had time to go for a drink and his head nodded so we walked to a nearby tavern which didn’t look crowded and afforded some privacy. We spoke for about twenty minutes on past matters before coming to his present situation. Wesley had just been released from jail a few months earlier for a domestic violence charge and had taken a job offered by his probation officer just to keep her happy. He hated the work but had little choice in the matter since his job experience was not very good and many firms conducted background checks before hiring. I told him about my present life and he was impressed that things were going so well for me. I let him have the impression that a sizable amount of money had been inherited that allowed me to avoid working while living fairly well. No use going too deeply into details until I was surer of his status. Ten minutes later, I told him that it was time for me to go but wanted us to get together again soon. Wesley said he looked forward to it and we separated for the time being. So far so good since my first impression of him was very positive.
I was very eager to resume my money making opportunities but not enough to use Wesley without as thorough a check of his life as could be made. The only other person who knew him in some way was Bart and I needed to question him without arousing any suspicion that Wesley was joining me in future heists. I could also ask Wes directly to his face and make a determination of how honest his responses were. These were not the best methods of gathering information but they seemed to be the only way to find out about him. I let those problems reside in the back of my mind and decided to take Allison out for the night. A little pleasant diversion would hit the spot right now and give my brain a chance to sort things out. Allison was home and happy to be going somewhere with me. After all this time spent together, I was somewhat surprised that she never hinted at a more permanent commitment. Not that I wanted such a thing but it still was an amazing reaction that would never be expected from any woman. We had a good time that night by drinking and dancing the hours away until the club closed. I wouldn’t be seeing her for a few days due to a long travel schedule so we spent the entire night together and the best part of it was forgetting about other problems for awhile. Of course, everything has to end sometime and she left in the morning. I returned to my apartment and resumed thinking about the next steps to take. I was going to call Bart today and wheedle some information out of him about Wesley that mostly had to do with any habits that spelled trouble. This matter had to be settled quickly so I could get my agenda in order.
I phoned Bart that afternoon and found him to be home as usual. We chatted for a few minutes and I casually mentioned meeting Wesley downtown and having a drink with him. I thought that he might have a drinking problem and asked Bart if he knew something. His response was very good news for me because according to him, Wes had never really liked alcohol or drugs very much although, there were times he used them. Bart thought he was kind of strait laced and not much fun to be around. I said that we didn’t really talk about much and didn’t have a lot in common other than spending time at the camp so there was little chance of seeing him again. A few more minutes were spent inquiring into Bart’s social life and listening to his bragging before I ended the call cordially. My next step would be to contact Wes and see how much interest he had in joining up with me as a way of enhancing his cash flow. My impression leaned toward him jumping at the chance due to a lack of any other money making opportunities available. He had given me a phone number and I didn’t want to waste any time before contacting him and setting up a meeting. Now was the time to get down to business because money was out there to be made. I particularly wanted to know how he felt about carrying a piece and actually using it in the event that a situation arose. He seemed like a tough enough man but it didn’t cost me anything to make sure that his actions were in line with what I thought they should be.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I didn’t let much time pass before calling Wesley and setting up a meeting to discuss some interesting money making propositions. His reaction to my initial statements gave me good cause to believe that he would find whatever I brought up very agreeable. I didn’t let too much out on the phone but dangled a few tantalizing hints about obtaining quick cash which really whetted his appetite. We would meet late in the afternoon at a park and go over details of potential sites and methods of satisfying our needs. If Wes kept on agreeing with my plans and looked really eager to join up, I would reveal more of what was to come and see if he continued to find it interesting until the last detail was known. I was probably being overly cautious but it was better than having to scrap the operation if something turned up later that could spell disaster for me. With Allison out of town for a few days, I had nothing much to do except relax at home and watch television. After all this time had passed, there was still no word of a body found at the yards and I began to wonder if Jensen was really dead. Ridiculous I thought, people don’t survive bullets and why even bring this matter up; he was dead and that was that. I’ll bet that the body was found immediately, taken to the morgue, identified and buried in some Potter’s Field cemetery. My mind was wasting time and energy by dwelling on his death when there were more important events to attend to. At this time, the most compelling task was to meet with Wesley and get cracking on m
y next job.
When I arrived at the park, it was sparsely populated which suited me just fine and it took only a few seconds to spot Wes sitting on a bench. I joined him and immediately began to talk about the need for money and ways of acquiring large amounts of cash with minimal risk. From the look on his face, I could tell that he wanted to know more and continuing on, told him about a few heists in my past that paid off very well. Wesley than admitted that he had tried a few small time stickups at knife point and while having done them successfully, had not made much money committing them. He hesitated and then disclosed that planning more intricate jobs was the main problem although if given a plan, it would be followed to the letter. I assured him that all robberies committed by me had been well thought out and went off without a hitch. Of course, I neglected to tell him about the few people who were killed but that could be brought up at a future time when his commitment to our work was unquestionable. I asked him how he felt about carrying a gun and his response indicated that it would not be a problem although one would have to be obtained. Apparently he didn’t know anyone who could sell an untraceable weapon and that was a chore that I would have to resolve quickly. A second firearm was necessary to keep people from trying to attack us or running out the door. Without both of us being armed, any threatening postures would amount to a bluff and could invite resistance which was the last thing I wanted. I told Wes that he should make every effort to obtain a pistol but not at the risk of anyone knowing his identity. I would provide the cash for the purchase and would also see if anyone in my small circle of acquaintances could help with this matter. We had accomplished a great deal today and other than locating a weapon, all I had to do was get busy and find a suitable business that would allow us to utilize our many talents.
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