All In A Day's Work

by Gary Resnikoff

  His mind shifted to Julia. Was she going to be a problem that needed to be dealt with? Constantly complaining and second-guessing him, she was annoying, but was she a liability? Her recent thirst and fascination with blood had concerned him. He was confident that he could shut off his murderous ways, but could she? He had his doubts. She felt like a loose end that could unravel and ruin the life he was building for himself. Torn about what or how to deal with her, he decided to hold off for now on any decisions. Whatever he did about her, he needed to make sure that she couldn’t be traced back to the Revengers. As cousins, that would cast aspersions on him. Cousin or no cousin, he wasn’t going to let her ruin his life. Even if she moved out of Denver once this was all over, could he be sure of her continued silence? It was a problem that needed more consideration.

  The line of cars was still stalled. He tried to will the road worker into letting his side move. It didn’t work. At least Julia and Tina were quiet, and he could think. He was actually proud of what he had planned and pulled off over the last few weeks. Sadly, it was an accomplishment he would never be able to share with anyone. One had to have pride in their work, but what good was it if no one ever knew about it? Knowledge of how he had manipulated everyone involved, from Jackson to Stein, and even the reporter, would have to be his reward. He imagined himself as a masterful director, moving actors around like chess pieces. They should give awards to people like him. The perfect crime committed by the brilliant police detective. How ironic. But no one else could have pulled it off. Certainly not Julia. She was incapable of the detailed planning an operation like this took. Her hatred toward Jackson might have equaled his own, but without him taking the reins, she would have lived and died a miserable little life, knowing she had failed her Uncle Ray.

  His mind was jumping around like a game of whack-a-mole.

  Then, the answer to the Tina, Jackson, and the alibi came to him: He had to stop trying to take Jackson down systematically through the law and public opinion. It was time to end the charade. Jackson would die today at the cabin. Tina and the alibi witness would die as well, in a scenario that would look like Jackson was planning on ambushing the detective, but it all went wrong. The scenario that he came up with involved Jackson duping a neighbor into helping him get Detective Baird up to the cabin. There never was an alibi, because Jackson was one of the Revengers, but he needed that excuse to get the detective alone, where he could deal with him. But it went wrong when the neighbor realized that Jackson and Tina were the Revengers. Maybe he spotted some of their equipment. Anyway, a fight broke out, and Tina and the neighbor were killed in the shootout. Jackson realized he was finished and was despondent over losing Tina, so he shot himself. Classic ending.

  Baird had the wig, tools, and extra gloves and booties in the trunk. It was a perfect ending to the crime spree. It tied all the loose ends together nicely while eliminating any possible witnesses. And it made Baird a hero.

  Once again, he patted himself on the back for his creative mind. Of course, he would save Jackson ‘til the end. To cap things off, Jackson had to know the who and why before he died. Jackson would suffer just a little longer as he watched Tina die, and then, the coup de grace would be knowing it was all because he’d ruined Uncle Ray. A fitting end to the life of a miserable human being. Jackson would feel what Uncle Ray had felt just before he committed suicide. Shakespeare couldn’t have written the script better.

  Baird was brought back to reality as the man in the orange vest finally started waving the cars forward. As he went from a crawl to full speed, he could feel the tension in his body beginning to release. His anger and frustration, both of which had been ready to boil over just minutes ago, were substituted with confidence and calm. The end zone was in sight, and Baird was going to win the game.

  “Keep the tape on her mouth but don’t kill her. Hopefully, we don’t need her for directions, but I’m not taking any chances.”

  Julia sighed.

  Baird couldn’t tell her the new plan—at least, not in front of Tina. If Tina understood what was coming, she might panic and try to thwart it.

  Meanwhile, Tina was paying attention to everything. She had no delusions about her or Bob’s future, but she needed to stay quiet until they reached the cabin. Hopefully, she would find an opportunity to make a move and warn Bob. She wasn’t going down without a fight, but for now, it was best to appear weak and frozen in fear.

  “Hear that, sweetie? Just a little longer for you.” Julia had gone off the deep end. She was showing a perverse pleasure in torturing Tina. She wasn’t unaware of the change in her that had started with the first murder, and she had the presence of mind to wonder if she was plunging into madness. But she was surprisingly unconcerned. Were those urges to kill always within her? Had she been fighting against those urges when they first formed the Revengers? Was she only now giving in completely?

  She had hated Jackson from the first day they met, her desire for revenge notwithstanding. She’d realized she genuinely hated do-gooders. He was the ultimate bleeding heart, and it made her sick. It was all she could do day after day to keep from puking when she was in his presence. She could genuinely care less about the consumers who were ripped off, or the contractors who were damaged by him and his crusading ways. Seeing Bob and Tina die was going to be oh-so-satisfying.

  Baird was talking on and on, and she had totally tuned him out, lost in her own thoughts.

  “Did you hear me?” he asked.

  “What?” she asked.

  As problematic as it might be for Tina to hear the latest plan, he realized he needed to share it with Julia if it was going to be successful.

  “Pay attention, would you?” he chided her. “When we get there, you stay in the car with Tina while I take care of Bob and his witness. I’m going to shoot Bob with the taser gun, and before this Joel person can react, I’ll shoot him with the throw-down revolver. I want it to look like Joel discovered that Bob was one of the Revengers, and he shot him. Then, you bring Tina in, and I shoot her. Bob will be despondent over the death of his partner, and he’ll shoot himself in the head. The press will love the murder-suicide angle. I’ll get a recommendation for solving the case. Unfortunately, I won’t get there in time to save Joel. It’s a perfect ending to the Revengers. The city can relax again.”

  God I’m good, he thought. He even imagined how his conversation with Jake would go:

  “Jake, Bob called me up to the mountains to meet his so-called ‘alibi’. Turns out, it was a ruse to get me up there. He wanted to kill me because I was on to him. But the witness somehow realized he was being used. As they fought, the gun went off and hit Tina. I was just coming up the walkway when I heard the shot and saw Tina go down. I took cover, but I could see Bob turn on Joel and shoot him, too. I called out to Bob to surrender, but instead, he shot himself in the head. There was nothing I could do to stop any of it. I should have moved on Bob sooner. That would have saved Joel.”

  The last part was a little dig at Jake, whom he had grown to dislike. He wanted to take him down a notch in the eyes of the captain, and he thought one good way to do that was to show how he’d botched the case. Then, maybe he’d even see a promotion in his future.

  He had no qualms about killing anymore. Cops always talked about their first kill, and how it changed them. Well, he didn’t think he had changed after killing Stevens. He certainly wasn’t bothered by it, and now, truth be told, he liked it. The combination of power and control over another human being was intoxicating. And what greater power than life or death? As a Revenger, he had looked forward to each mission, but he knew his days as a Revenger had to come to an end. Preferably, when they completed their goal, rather than by getting caught. As a homicide cop, though, he hoped he would have other opportunities in the future.

  As they passed the lake, heading toward Jackson’s cabin, he thought back to how this all started.

  By the time Ray committed suicide, Baird was in the police academy, and Julia was in coll
ege. They were inconsolable for days after the funeral. They tried comforting each other with minimal success, and each swore that someday, they would exact revenge on Bob Jackson in a way that would make Ray proud. Whereas Julia was just letting off steam, Baird was serious. His studies in criminal procedures and serial killers eventually brewed into an actual plan for revenge. Eventually, he contacted Julia and told her he had come up with the perfect way to get even, and that he would share the details with her at a later date. After they each graduated, Baird shared the plan with Julia, and she signed on immediately. It would still take a little time for Baird to land a job in Colorado and work his way into the Denver Police Department, but while he was doing that, she would need to worm her way onto the staff at the Consumer Champion radio show. And she did. First, as an unpaid intern, and later, earning a paid spot on the team at about the same time that Baird joined the Denver PD as a rookie homicide detective. Julia was intelligent and good-looking, and determined to prove herself, which had made the decision to hire her easy. Baird knew she could pull it off, just like he’d planned it.

  Tina stirred, trying to coax some blood into her legs and arms. The bindings were tight and uncomfortable, and she could feel her legs going numb. She had suspected their intentions, but hearing the detective verbalize them intensified her feelings of doom and helplessness. She’d always thought of herself as a strong woman. More than just capable, she was a fighter. Her career path had proven that, and now, it seemed like two lunatics were going to snuff it all out. But not without a fight, she told herself. Her father had taught her at a young age to take control of her life. “Don’t ever let yourself be a victim,” he would often say. Easy for him to say. She had fought hard to excel in a male-dominated industry, but none of that experience could have possibly prepared her for the predicament she was in now.

  Trying to stay calm and focused, she tried to come up with some options. She was determined to foil their plans and save herself and Bob. Somehow.

  Could she force a car accident before they reached the cabin? That would certainly derail their plans. Bound like a mummy in the backseat, she couldn’t come up with a way to pull that off. With a gag in her mouth and duct tape holding it in place, it was tough enough to breathe, let alone call out to other motorists or construction workers.

  Stay calm, she kept telling herself. If you panic, it’s all over. Her mind told her that people always make mistakes. These idiots would make one, and she wanted to be ready to take advantage of that. It was unlikely they would remove the tape from her mouth, now that they had directions to the cabin. She wondered if they would take the tape off if she started to hyperventilate, so she could breathe easier. Unlikely; they would probably just let her suffocate. For their plan to work, she guessed they needed her alive to walk into the cabin and fool Bob. If she was right, she would have an opportunity to make a move at that time, possibly when they were pulling her out of the car.

  She imagined the scene. Julia would have to cut the binds on her legs, so she could walk. As soon as she did, Tina could use that moment to kick her legs out and send Julia sprawling to the ground. During the commotion that would cause, she could alert Bob to the danger. It was all she could come up with that had a chance of working. She convinced herself that she would make it work. She allowed a small ray of hope to enter her mind as the car transitioned from the paved street onto a dirt road.

  ****

  Detective Stein, with red lights flashing, was flying up the mountain toward Grand Lake at breakneck speed with George by his side and Justin struggling to keep up behind them. Drivers who didn’t pull to the side lane fast enough were greeted with a short blast from his siren. If it wasn’t for the severity of the situation, George might have enjoyed the beautiful ride, but instead, he sat there, lost in thought, wondering if this was a wild goose chase. Was Bob really in danger? And, if he was, would they arrive in time?

  If speeding up I-70 wasn’t scary enough, Berthoud Pass was, with its narrow lanes and sharp curves, their tires screeching with each turn.

  At one point, Stein glanced over at George and could see him gripping onto the dashboard. “Nervous?”

  “About your driving or Bob?”

  “You tell me.”

  “Both. Do they teach you to drive like this at the police academy?”

  “If it makes you feel any better, yes, we had some defensive driving classes. Don’t worry. I’ll get us there in one piece,” said Stein confidently. “We may die today, but it won’t be from my driving,” he joked with a sardonic smile that did little to allay George’s concerns. The car screeched around another curve. George glanced back to see Justin struggling to keep up; the van he was driving was no match for Stein’s sedan.

  “Keep trying Joel’s house,” Stein instructed George. He wanted to keep George occupied but also hoped to get lucky.

  George tried the number again but with the same result. He left another message, imploring them to call back as soon as possible. They passed the construction site that had held up Baird just minutes before, but it was clear sailing for them.

  Stein hadn’t been up this way in years. When they passed Winter Park, he asked George how much farther.

  “Maybe ten to fifteen minutes to Frasier—and the way you drive, another ten to fifteen more, and we’re there.”

  “You sure Bob doesn’t have his cell?”

  “He never bothers to bring it up here. I’ll try Joel’s house again.”

  Stein just nodded. He was having his own doubts.

  ****

  Jackson and Joel had taken a slow path back to his cabin. There was no point in hurrying. They assumed the detective wouldn’t arrive for another hour or so. They took turns tossing the stick for Amber, who never seemed to tire of the game. Each time she retrieved it, she would drop it at their feet and look anxiously to both of them to see who would pick it up and toss it again.

  On the hike, they got to know each other a little, discussing everything from sports to current events. Joel briefly told Jackson about his past business life, and eventually, they talked about the murders. It seemed both of them had tried to avoid the topic, but it was the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and they couldn’t avoid it. Jackson lamented about going from a local celebrity to a pariah in a matter of days. People who looked up to him now averted their eyes when he walked into a room. Local press and talk radio stations talked about how his style of trying to get consumer justice was almost as much to blame for the murders as the murderers themselves. And he didn’t even want to discuss the brutal treatment he was getting on social media.

  “The public turns on its heroes quickly,” said Joel. “They want someone to revere, but they also seem to love it when their heroes fall. People follow like sheep. Their ability to think for themselves is becoming a thing of the past.”

  “All I ever wanted to do was help people,” said Jackson sadly. “I gave this show everything I had. Tons of hours building it up. Building up my reputation. I was good at ferreting out bullshit. People need someone to turn to when they get ripped off, and I wanted to be that person.” He seemed to be holding back a flood of emotion. “I figured my show had some power to do good. Contractors and businessmen had to play fair, or my audience would make them pay.”

  “True. But doing that also makes enemies.”

  “I can’t believe it came crashing down so fast, though. I’ve been doing this for years. You’d think people would at least give me the benefit of the doubt and wait for all the facts before coming down on me.”

  “Would be nice,” Joel agreed. “It’s amazing the sacrifices we make for our careers. For what? More money? I had plenty years ago, and I didn’t realize what was important. I can easily say my ambition cost me my first marriage. My career soared, but she left, and I hardly knew my own kids. I missed recitals, soccer games, you name it. Work always seemed more important at the time. I justified it by saying I was doing it for the family. Providing for them. The reality was, I wasn’t
thinking right. I was doing it for me. There was no happy medium. There could have been one.” He tossed the stick again, and Amber chased after it. “But I’m working on making up for it. It’s hard. Can’t redo your past. I think my kids are starting to forgive me for being almost non-existent in their early years.” He smiled at that. “Lots of people like me—and maybe like you—make that mistake when we’re young and ambitious. Maybe you can learn from this. This might be your wake-up call. Your whole life doesn’t have to be your career.”

  Amber dropped the stick in front of Jackson and looked up at him expectantly. He didn’t disappoint her and tossed it a few yards away, near the lake.

  “How did you balance things in your business, Joel?”

  “I’m not one to give that advice. I never achieved a work-life balance. Now, I’m retired, and I realize I should have traded some of that success for more time with my family. I made more money than I knew what to do with. I might go back to work, but for other reasons now. And if I do, well, let’s just say I hope I learned from my early mistakes.”

  “I guess we all have regrets at some point,” Jackson concluded.

  “Only if you’re honest with yourself. Now, I can admit, I made lots of mistakes. I can’t take them back.” He shrugged. “Too late for that now. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish it had been different.”

  “So, you were happy to sell the business?”

  “Not at first. I thought I wasn’t getting enough money. I was worried what would I do with all my free time. Now, I realized I waited too long. It wasn’t like my career was changing the world or anything. I was just accumulating more money, more things. None of the extra money or things makes a difference in my life now.”

  “And now what?” Jackson asked, as much interested in Joel’s story as he was about how it might influence his own future.

  “Now, I try to enjoy life. I remarried a few years ago to a wonderful woman. We have an incredible life together. I do some volunteer work, and I donate money to various causes. I’m in a good place now.” He smiled. “What about you, Bob? What comes after all this stuff is straightened out?”