About two weeks after our heist, I received a phone call from Wesley who wanted to know how life was treating me and after giving him a few positive examples, listened to his compliments about my abilities. As we talked, it began to dawn on me that Wes was a guy who liked to impress people. I was somewhat pleased that he thought so well of me but didn’t want his praise to go beyond us and fall on unwanted ears. He had to learn to keep his excitability in check or there was a chance of blurting out some details to the wrong person. Many people who were jealous and spiteful would be very happy to provide cops with information on unsolved cases. They probably figured that if they helped the cops, then a get out of jail pass would be given to them. Since those kinds of people had no allegiance to anyone they didn’t know, they would rat on me without blinking an eye. I realized that there was no way to continually keep putting fingers in the dike if leaks sprang up without my knowledge. That was the problem with having another person work with me since I would never blab to anyone about my criminal activities. I didn’t want to lose Wesley over his loose lips so we would have to meet and go over my expectation very carefully in order to avoid a problem. I thought that he looked sensible enough to pay attention and heed my words. Only a fool would jeopardize his freedom or life by revealing what we did and I didn’t think that he was that stupid. I would call Wes and set up a meeting to discuss these matters and see how he reacted to my admonitions about disclosing our work to others.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I considered Wes’s loose talk serious enough to act on now and set up a time for us to talk things through. He might be the kind of guy who likes to brag about his achievements to other petty criminals and bask in their praise. I wasn’t certain that he told anyone yet but an ounce of prevention at this time might save me from future problems. I didn’t want to threaten him or even talk tough since that could be interpreted as disrespect and easily bring out a strong resistance that would be harder to deal with. I really wanted to let him know how precarious our situation was if word about our actions should reach the authorities. We would face murder charges and end up in prison for life or worse. That was an outcome that I would do anything to avoid even if it meant eliminating Wes in the same manner as Jensen. I spoke to him on the phone and we agreed to meet that afternoon at a secluded park. He wanted to know what it was about but I kept him in the dark by saying that it involved a matter of great importance to our future well being. The place we met was well secluded and free of prying ears so I began by stating the obvious facts. If we ever were caught by police, it would pretty much be the end of our lives as we know them to be and that was not an option for either of us. I went on by saying that having only two of us involved made our freedom much more secure as long as no one could identify or tie us to a crime. Wes was listening intently but hadn’t seemed to grasp what I was alluding to until the phrase “talking about our jobs to others” appeared in my speech. I could see a look of surprise on his face as if wondering how such knowledge came to be known. I waited to hear his response and the first reaction was to feign ignorance of the entire matter followed by uttering that he never spoke to anyone about our partnership. While saying that, his mannerisms had changed and I could see that he had taken a defensive stance. Wanting to put him more at ease, I said that he was not being accused of anything but merely receiving some crucial information about our status. My words seemed to reduce his annoyance and he then admitted that a few things about our work had been discussed with a close friend who had expressed a desire to join us.
Upon hearing his words, it took all of my discipline to keep from smashing his head open and I could see that Wesley comprehended the rage on my face. He jumped up from the bench and quickly said that my name had not been mentioned nor had any particular details of our work. His only remarks to this person had to do with making easy money by following a well planned robbery formulated with great intelligence and caution. In spite of his attempt to mitigate having done something so stupid, I would have killed him right there had there been a gun in my hand. Fortunately, that act of destruction did not occur and within seconds, I regained my composure and rational thinking. I was then able to calmly ask about this person who now knew about us? I could see that Wes was hesitating to name his confident but after a minute, he blurted out the name of a very close friend. I didn’t know who this person was but he represented a great threat to me and something had to be done about him. Wesley repeated his declaration of trust for this man and added that he was completely reliable to keep any knowledge learned a complete secret. I wish that the same degree of trust was ingrained in my mind but the entire situation did not feel right and was quickly moving out of my control. I wanted to meet with this person but by doing so he would know my identity which up to now, no one except my accomplices had been privy to. This was becoming a very painful dilemma to me and presented obstacles to my continuing freedom that had not been expected.
I let Wes know that a great deal of thinking would have to be done in order to resolve this new development and I would definitely contact him in a short time. I left him at the park and returned to my apartment where critical thinking could take place without interruption. He knew from the look on my face that I was not happy with his rotten behavior and said nothing more to me when we parted. The drive back to my place had calmed me down enough so I could clearly think about my options. Either I could bring this fellow in to our operation and risk having another loose tongue or he could be eliminated and erase any problem entirely. Of course, if I did that, then what would Wes’s reaction be and how could he be trusted to forget the fate of his close friend? I always hated to leave loose ends around and the answer came to me reluctantly that both would have to be killed in order to keep my secrets safe. Getting rid of people didn’t bother me since I had committed these actions several times but it doesn’t mean that there was any pleasure derived from doing them. The real pain in the ass was in whacking someone who I had trained to work with me and invested a good deal of time in. I couldn’t afford that degree of turnover because it meant looking for a new person or working alone again. Neither of those choices appealed to me at the moment but something very definitive had to be accomplished very quickly. My priorities were taking care of Wes and his friend promptly before any information about me leaked out to more people.
It just seems that nothing ever goes right for me after something successful happens. It’s almost like there was a curse on my life that kept throwing roadblocks in my path that had to be circumvented time after time. Maybe other people have the same troubles but I always thought continuous problems were not going to happen in my life. After all, I don’t really bother anyone except for the few unfortunate saps who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I always felt entitled to anything in the world without going through the process of slaving away for it. Let the suckers do the work and provide me with what I needed to live well. After all, if I didn’t take it, then someone else would anyway. Now that I had reaffirmed the justification for my existence, it was time to deal with these two men who presented a menace to my fate. I would have to find out who the person of interest was and then eliminate Wes before going after him so he couldn’t receive a warning. Since I had no connection with the friend, there would be no way to tie me into his demise. I was fairly certain that Wes had been a loner and other than using prostitutes for his pleasure, had no one close to him. When his body was found, police wouldn’t know what to make of it and end up calling it a closed case. What amazed me about my solution was the simplicity of it and how my thinking allowed me to lead a charmed life. In fact, most of the time, I thought that the world revolved around me and everything in it was coming to me except when some kind of bad experience happened and my spirits went downhill fast. Luckily, I had the ability to shake off depressing feelings quickly and return to my usual optimistic attitude.
At this moment, I was fairly sure that my course of action was right and it was time to get moving on
my plan and talk to Wesley. I thought that meeting him in a public place where we could have a little talk would be the most opportune way to gain his confidence. Once his suspicions were erased, the chance was good that he would reveal the confidents’ name and location. Wes was not the brightest bulb around and once he trusted my intentions, he would voluntarily provide the information without question. As soon as I had the information, we could take a drive out to a more deserted place to discuss our next job and if the situation was right, I would eliminate him quickly. If Wes was leery of my intentions and resisted going to another place, I would put off that part of my scheme until the next day or so when he would agree to my request. Once Wes was taken care of, I would go after the other fellow. I would phone him and reveal that I was Wes’ accomplice in order to gain some modicum of trust. Since he already had expressed a willingness to join us, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to lure him out to a remote area and take care of him too Timing was very critical to killing both men without one knowing what happened to the other and it was going to take all of my skills to pull this double slaying off successfully. Now it was time to phone Wes and put the first part of my plan in motion. I had no doubt that this action would be the easier of the two but that didn’t mean it would be a piece of cake since killing someone was never a simple thing.
Wes agreed to meet me at the usual park and had expressed a hope that I had gotten over my anger at his stupidity. I told him that we could work it out and there might even be a spot for his friend in future jobs if the fellow seemed like a suitable prospect. That statement seemed to put him at ease and a few hours later we were sitting on a bench discussing the matter. Wes really wanted to bring this guy into the operation and presented many reasons why he would be an asset. I listened for a time and then asked him if this friend would meet with me to discuss his role in our operation and Wes jumped at the chance to give me his name and where to locate him. Now I had achieved the first goal and it was time to move to the second. I let Wes know that a new plan was in the works and if successfully done, would net us more money than ever. I hoped that he would react favorably in anticipation of making a terrific haul and watched as his eyes widened. I didn’t think it was wise to discuss our business here in the park where ears could possibly hear us but suggested that we go to a more secluded spot that posed no risk. Wes was so excited about the prospect of making big money that he proposed a place that would be perfect and I said, “Let’s go.” I followed him in my car as he led me to a location that was so isolated that it was not known to me. When I got out of the car, the gun was firmly concealed in my waistband and hidden from his view. We walked over to an area that looked like a gravel pit and after making sure that we were totally alone, I pulled out the pistol and shot him three times in the chest. The expression on his face was absolutely amazing as he instantly crumpled. After he fell to the ground, I pushed him over the edge of the pit and watched his body tumble a long ways down to the bottom. I didn’t know when he would be found but when that happened, police would probably think it was a gangland killing and give it little priority on their case list. Of course, they could retrieve the slugs from the body and tie them to the other shootings. However, I was not concerned since there was no connection between Wesley and me so the matter would end right there. That took care of the first problem, now it was on to the second one.
The name that Wesley had given me was Steve Briskow and his address was a small hotel in the downtown area. I looked it up in the phonebook and called the number but Steve was out and the desk clerk had no idea when he would return. Leaving a message saying that I was Wes’ friend and wanted to discuss a matter with him made no sense so it seemed like a better idea to drive to the hotel and wait inside for however long it took. The hotel was a rundown seedy building that had seen better days and was probably frequented by drug dealers, prostitutes, newly released inmates and very low income residents. The lobby was not clean and I hoped it was safe to sit in a chair while waiting. I sat there for a few hours without speaking to anyone and would have been completely bored except for watching the cast of characters who walked in and out. These were truly the dregs of society and if Steve was anything like them, his demise would not be missed in any way. I was starting to get restless and wondering if he would ever show up when a man walked in the door and approached the clerk for his key. This guy looked like he could be my man and after a few minutes, I used the lobby phone to call his room without giving my name to the desk clerk. Steve answered and after stating how l came to know his name, agreed to meet me outside and talk about business. I left the hotel and sat in my car for a few minutes until he rapped on the window and joined me.
I immediately drove away from the area and headed for the suburbs while talking to Steve about his background. As I had surmised, he was recently released from prison after serving four years for a burglary and needed money desperately. He hadn’t known Wes very well but had made his acquaintance while both were in jail, awaiting sentencing. Steve appreciated the information from Wes about becoming involved in a potential money making opportunity but added that the guy seemed too talkative. The more I heard from this guy, the better suited he seemed as an accomplice. He was an experienced felon, seemed to know how to keep his mouth shut, had no loyalty to Wes, wouldn’t miss him, and wanted to make gobs of dough. I could sense my plans changing as we talked and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to knew more about him before deciding whether to continue with my original plan or not. We drove for about an hour and a half before I suggested that stopping for a drink might be in order. I was impressed by his attitude and thought that here was a guy that came into my life by accident and could be the best partner who ever worked with me. What a twist of fate this was and it happened without my having to be in total control of the situation. As we sat in a dimly lit bar, I let Steve know about some of my prior escapades and listened to him extol the virtues of my planning and execution. He had committed several burglaries and robberies alone and with a partner but they were randomly selected and hardly planned out at all. He admired a man with intelligence that was able to cover all contingencies and minimize the risk of apprehension. I asked him how he felt about carrying a piece and Steve replied that wearing one was more often the rule and would present no problem. He went on by saying that should it have to be used for protection or to menace someone, there would be no hesitation. He further added that shooting someone was a last resort and would only occur if absolutely necessary. Steve had never been involved in a murder and would like to keep it that way because that type of crime could result in a very long sentence if caught and authorities were always more persistent when a death occurred.
By the time we finished our drinks, my mind was made up about this guy and he was going to be my new accomplice in bigger and better jobs. Not only had I found a new ally but no longer had to consider whacking him and worrying about the implications of another murder. I had several killings to my credit but never really looked to add to the total unless absolutely necessary. There had been no rush to commit another heist but with a new eager partner, there seemed to be no reason to wait. Steve had mentioned that he could obtain an untraceable piece from former prison acquaintances and I told him to do so quickly. While I had spoken of some of the jobs that had been committed, no mention was made of any slayings involved since I thought it was better that some details remain unsaid, at least until I was more sure of his allegiance. The only restriction on Steve’s freedom lie in the fact that he made a monthly visit to the parole office but he apparently had no problem deceiving the parole officer. Since there were no polygraphs to contend with, he could lie to the officer with the straightest of faces and get away with not revealing all his activities. All that he was ever asked at the office was where he lived, were any drugs being used, employment status, and who his friends were. Other than always being asked the same stupid questions, he could do anything as long as there were no incidents that brought him to the attention of the a
uthorities. I drove Steve back to his hotel and let him know that he would be notified as soon as a job was in the planning stage. As we parted, he once again expressed his appreciation for trusting him even though we didn’t know each other.
I normally don’t let down my guard but Steve was a fellow whom I could actually like and in many ways was similar to me. I didn’t know his early background but it wouldn’t surprise me if much of it was close to my experiences. This day had turned out to be a good one and now I had to get back to business and figure out what the next heist would be. Before and even while planning an operation, there was a little matter I had been neglecting and that topic was Allison. She should have arrived home this morning and it was time for me to get involved in a little pleasure after the last few days events. I phoned her from my apartment to make sure she was in and her bright sunny voice brought out a powerful sexual arousal from my loins that demanded immediate fulfillment. I rushed over to her place and was greeted at the door by Allison in a sheer negligee that generated more heat throughout my body. I spent a wonderful three hours in bed with her that sapped my strength to the fullest and left me as limp as a rag doll. How strange it was to me, when she is gone, no thoughts of her permeate my mind but when we are together, the feelings of pleasure that occur are boundless. The best that I took from these thoughts had to do with liking my own space when she was gone and feeling no sadness by her absence. I had achieved the ability to cut off any loyalty to people and merely think of them as toys or temporarily useful objects. It was a marvelous way to get along in society that enabled me to have my way while feeling little for anyone else. There would never be a time in my life when someone had the power to hurt me emotionally and bring me down to nothing. I had circumvented that possibility by exercising sheer willpower and strength of reason. It was an accomplishment that made me feel proud and omnipotent.
I, Psychopath Page 23