“Yeah, no kidding.” Luke’s tone smoldered. “To be honest, Cheeto, I’m really troubled about this.” His voice dropped. “Let’s just hope our killer didn’t develop a taste for what he did. I’m gonna say it again. I have a bad feeling about this one.”
Chapter Fifteen
The bell rang and Gail Gonzales looked at the twenty-nine fourth graders sitting in their seats. “Okay students, class dismissed. Don’t forget about the book reports that are due tomorrow.” Immediately the scraping of chairs against the floor combined with the sound of young voices excited about the end of the school day. Soon, only one student remained in the classroom, standing next to Gail’s desk. Gail smiled at Hillary. “Yes, Miss Hillary, what can I do for you?”
The young girl bit her lip. “Miss Gonzales, I really didn’t get that about fractions today. I couldn’t do any of the problems that you told us to practice.” She looked down at the floor. “I was too scared to tell you in class,” she said in a voice that was almost a whisper.
Gail put her finger under Hillary’s chin and raised the young girl’s head. “That’s okay. Fractions are kind of tricky,” she smiled. “All you have to do is practice them a little bit and then you will get it. Do you want to practice with me right now?”
Hillary’s brown curls bounced as she nodded, relief evident in her big, blue eyes.
Gail pulled up a chair next to her desk and worked on some problems with Hillary. After about thirty minutes, a smile broke out on Hillary’s face. “I think I get it now.” She wiggled in her chair as she looked up at her teacher.
“Okay, Hillary. Just remember, the best way to get math is to practice it. And good job asking me for help. That shows that you are a very serious student.”
Hillary’s smile widened, and she scampered out of the classroom.
Gail sat back down at her desk and looked up her grade book on her computer. She got out a file of her students’ work and updated their grades one by one. Then she gathered her things and headed out.
At home, she stretched her arms to the ceiling ready for a break after a long day with her energetic ten-year-olds. It was starting to snow. She sighed. Today she just couldn’t summon the energy for a jog. First, a snack was in order, and then maybe a little Facebook. After getting comfortable on her couch with her laptop and her cat, Dewdrop, she chatted online. In no time, she sat up a little straighter. Wow. A great-looking guy who competed in ironman competitions wanted to be her friend. That sounded interesting – and so was his post: “Hi. I’m a guy who loves to compete and I saw your picture with your medal. Maybe we should meet and go for a run together.”
Gail stared at the screen for a minute and then accepted his request to be her friend. “Hi. Funny you should contact me now,” she replied. “I just blew off running tonight. I could use a little motivation. Running with an ironman could help, no doubt!” She held her breath.
“Me, too!” he wrote back. “Always harder to run when it gets cold. Where do you like to go?”
“I’m not too picky. Maybe we should meet at a coffee shop sometime, then head out for a few miles.”
“Sounds good. Name the time and the place and I’m there!”
Gail picked her favorite coffee shop and made plans. She signed off as her stomach started to growl.
She opened her refrigerator and rummaged around, which didn’t take very long since there wasn’t much to inspect. “Dang it, Dewdrop, I have to go to the grocery store!” With a groan, she put on her coat and grabbed her keys.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The killer saw Gail back out of her driveway. He shut the laptop he had been using to chat with her and followed her to the grocery store. He grabbed a small cart and trailed her, staying several feet away while keeping an eye on her.
A short time later, Gail picked through some apples in the produce aisle, putting those with any blotches or bruises aside.
“It’s worth the trouble to choose a good apple, don’t you agree?”
Hearing a man’s voice, Gail looked up and saw a thick red-haired man speaking to her. He grabbed an apple and moved very close to her with the fruit almost touching her mouth. His eyes seared into hers.
“Yes,” Gail replied as she turned away, dismissing his advances. Something about him gave her the creeps, so she didn’t want to encourage any further conversation. She shivered as she felt his stare burning a hole through her back. The store’s canned version of John Denver’s Colorado Rocky Mountain High suddenly sounded eerie. It was time to end this little outing and get home as soon as possible.
In the store’s parking lot, she loaded her groceries into her trunk, unlocked the driver’s door, and then heard “It looks like you made some good food choices. I’ll bet you are going to make a nice dinner.” Startled, she swung around and saw the red-haired man again. This time, he was standing right next to her.
“Yes, thanks.” Just then a couple rolled two carts out of the store and loaded their contents into an adjacent Suburban. When the man looked up to see who was making the noise, Gail jumped in her car and locked the door. The man just stood there staring at her as she backed out of her parking space and took off. She gripped the steering wheel as hard as she could to keep her hands from shaking.
Chapter Sixteen
Don felt the early morning air on his face as he got into his car with a bouquet of daisies in his hand. Thirty minutes later, he stood at Uelle’s marker. “Hi honey.” He placed the flowers in their spot and tossed the old ones. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Boy, Luke and I have a bad case. The crime was so violent and personal. He planted an axe in the back of a woman’s skull.” Don shuddered. “I want to find this guy ASAP. Problem is, we have a ton of interviews and Belinda won’t give us any help with them. We’re operating on the hunch that the motive is retaliation for jail time. It makes sense following up on these files is the right way to go. But what if we’re wrong? What if we’re wasting our time? I don’t want this guy to get away!”
Don sighed. “Enough of that. The Eagles are doing pretty well…” Don chatted a little longer and then drove over to Luke’s.
“How’s the arm?” Luke asked as he got in the car.
Don shrugged. “No big deal.” Don and Luke got to work on the files. Hours passed, but the only progress they made was to put a large number of files in the “dead end” box.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At Moore Elementary, Gail sat at her desk in her classroom while supporting her chin in her hand. She could not stop yawning. Her class was busy reading an assignment and she decided to slip out to the teachers’ lounge and grab a cup of coffee.
A pot of coffee was still on from lunch. Hooray! Another teacher walked in the small room as Gail poured a cup. “Hey Gail, what’s up?”
Gail smiled at Teresa. “I am so tired today. I couldn’t sleep last night.” Gail gave the Wikipedia version of the grocery store scene to her colleague.
“Ew, creepy.” Teresa wrinkled her nose. “Maybe you should change grocery stores.”
Gail sighed. “Yeah, I guess so. It stinks though, because the Safeway I go to is only a few blocks from my house, so most of the time I just jog over there.” She tilted her head. “It’s so weird. I keep thinking that I’ve seen him before.” She shrugged. “Oh well, hopefully I won’t ever see him again.” She glanced at her watch. “Time to get back to work.” Gail gulped the last of her coffee and hurried back to her class.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Out in the suburbs, the killer hung up the phone after working another lead from David. He cracked his knuckles as he studied an entry on his computer. The phone interrupted him. As he listened a smile crept over his face. “David, you’re doing a great job. Your church connections are working out splendidly. Keep the money coming. I believe this investment vehicle is going to turn out well for all of us. Email me those nam
es, drop off the money tomorrow, and I’ll take it from there.”
The killer got up and wandered into his kitchen. Some dirty dishes sat in the sink. He reached for a knife and polished it until it gleamed. Turning it this way and that, the light’s reflection on the blade was mesmerizing. He pulled Buddy out of his pocket and showed him the knife. “Buddy, that blade is fascinating, don’t you think? A little blade like this can cut into a thick piece of meat. You do that enough times, you destroy it. It’s powerful. And just wait until I show you what a bigger blade can do.” He whistled as he went to retrieve his axe.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Finally! The last bell of the day sounded throughout the school building. Gail breathed a silent sigh of relief as she smiled at her students while they departed. Hillary hung back for a few minutes. “Guess what, Ms. Gonzalez.”
“What, Hillary?” Gail’s fatigue vanished for a moment.
“I get fractions now. I got all of the homework problems right, every single one.”
Gail clapped her hands together in delight. “Way to go! I just knew you could do it!”
“Thanks. I really wanted you to know.” Hillary grinned up at her teacher. Gail held up her hand for a high five and Hillary giggled as she complied.
Gail cleaned up her desk and checked the time. She wanted to get home early so she could relax and get a good night’s sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The killer parked his car and pulled the axe out of the trunk, stuffing it under his coat. Closing the trunk, he bent down to study his handiwork on the license plates. That will work. The paint on the plates disguised the real numbers quite well.
He smiled and straightened, adjusting his dark leather gloves and pulling the wool cap down over his hair. Acting nonchalant, he strolled along in front of Gail’s residence. When he reached her place, he glanced over both shoulders and snuck around back to work on the lock. Let’s see if the video I watched on how to do this was worthwhile. After a couple of tries, it clicked.
He held his breath as he pushed open the door and looked around. His heart pounded as he stepped in, crept down a hallway, and entered her cozy kitchen. The oxygen felt thin suddenly, and he had to breathe through his mouth so that he could get more air. A cat peered at him as it crouched under the kitchen table. Turning around, he got his bearings. Some sunlight streamed in through the windows, providing a natural glow on the wicker baskets and other knick-knacks scattered throughout the room. It took him a while to decide what to do. Find her bedroom. Glancing through the house, he located the bedroom and tried to listen over the pounding of his heart. He closed his eyes. Man, this felt good! What a feeling! He was Superman with super powers.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thirty minutes later, Gail pulled into her driveway with the music blaring. She turned off the car and continued singing. Tommy DeLuce from Angels and Airways always got her rockin’. After she unlocked her door, she dropped her papers on the front hall table. Maybe she would grade them, or maybe she wouldn’t. “Hey Dewdrop, where are you? Did you have a good day?” Gail took off her coat and hung it in her front closet. Dewdrop strolled into the entrance and rubbed up against Gail’s legs, ready for some attention. Gail picked up her cat and stroked her as she walked into the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and ate a couple of crackers.
Walking back to the front door, she sorted through the mail and tossed it on the table next to her papers from school. She chatted with Dewdrop as she made her way to the kitchen once again. “I wish I could have been lounging around here napping with you today, Dewdrop. I’m beat. I’m ready to change into some sweat pants, pop some popcorn, and watch a movie.”
The killer waited in her bedroom behind a tall wooden dresser, hearing every step as though it was magnified ten times. He heard her stop at the sink and fill a glass with water. He heard her open a cabinet and rustle around. He heard her walk back to the entrance. Then, a door closed. What was she doing? A toilet flushed, and the door opened. He wiped his palms on his pants as he looked around the room. It was painted a sunny yellow and the drapes were white with yellow flowers. Running shoes and slippers were near the bed and her closet door was partially open. Maybe I should be hiding in there. He swept the back of his hand against his forehead.
Gail walked over to the kitchen table and stood over the newspaper. “Huh. What are the legislators going to do to the education system now?” She sat down and browsed the paper, reading occasional articles.
The killer rolled his eyes. How long am I going to have to wait? Alicia was so much easier than this. He stared at a shelf bristling with shiny trophies and medals with colorful ribbons. The glow from the trophies seemed to mock him. He rubbed the stuffed dog in his pocket. The sounds the pages of the newspaper made as she turned them was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Why don’t you read it in the morning like everyone else?
Gail’s doorbell chimed, and she disengaged herself from the kitchen table and her cat. “Why do you like to sit on my feet? One of these days I’m going to trip and fall right on top of you. Then you’ll be sorry!” Gail laughed as she walked to the front entrance.
Blood drained from the killer’s face. Is someone coming over? Didn’t she say she was going to watch a movie? Once again, his heart hammered in his ears so hard that he could hardly hear.
Gail opened the door and spotted the familiar brown of a UPS truck driving away. She grinned as she picked up the package on her front step. “Christmas is arriving early!” She trotted back into the kitchen and ripped open the box.
The killer dropped his head as relief flooded his body. No visitor.
Gail pulled some gleaming red and gold Christmas tree ornaments out of the bubble wrap. “Oh, these are going to look so much better than my old stuff. Maybe I should go out and buy a tree tonight and decorate it while I watch that movie.” Gail hugged herself as she looked down at her cat. “That actually sounds like a lot of fun. That will cure me of the creeps from that guy at the grocery store.” She picked the cat up off of her feet and rushed to her room to change clothes.
Okay, this is it! Remember what a rush it was last time? As Gail stepped into her bedroom and walked by the spot where he was hiding, he raised his arm over his head and buried the axe into the back of her head. It tore the bone in two and the soft brain tissue was destroyed as it sprayed everywhere. Gail dropped, and Dewdrop went flying out of her arms, yowling. The killer stood and watched in satisfaction as Gail’s blood pooled out onto the floor from her lifeless body. Then he wrapped the beaded chain around her neck and squeezed it tight, just as he had done with Alicia. He put the chain back in his pocket, wiped the axe off on her sweater, and left.
Chapter Seventeen
Don and Luke walked out to the Crown Vic and Don opened the trunk and looked at the next file. “Let’s check out the address on our next interview and grab a burger on the way there.”
“Okay, Cheeto.” Luke sighed as another long night of pounding on doors loomed ahead.
The next morning, Don pulled into Luke’s driveway and greeted his partner as he got into the car. “I have an idea. I think you’ll like it ‘cause it’s sure to piss off Belinda.”
Luke raised his eyebrows. “Sounds like a step in the right direction.”
Don continued, “We both want to explore other paths but can’t because Belinda doesn’t support spending any time looking for one.” Don paused. “I get it that it takes a lot of legwork to solve a crime. I don’t have a problem with that. It’s just that the killer is still out there and if we just had a couple of guys to help us get through these files we could cover other angles as well.”
“Agreed.”
“I think we should talk to Adam again and dig deeper into Alicia’s relationships and activities. Adam was in shock when we talked to him the first time. Let’s turn over different rocks and see what crawls out.”
“Sounds good, Cheeto, I’m in.”
“I knew you’d say that. I already called Adam. Alicia’s funeral is in a couple days and he has to make some runs out to the airport to pick up Alicia’s relatives. He said we could come over at three. So, let’s put as big of a dent as we can in that box of files until then.”
At the stroke of three, the detectives sat around the kitchen table at Adam’s house with Don’s tape recorder in the center of the table.
Don began, “Adam, our first guess on motive was the revenge of one of the criminals that you prosecuted. But that just isn’t playing out. We’re still working that slant, but we also wanted to take a deeper dive into Alicia’s activities. Maybe there’s something out there that could provide some kind of a connection. Maybe you were in such a state of shock that you forgot something. Or perhaps you just didn’t recognize something as a problem.” He paused and inclined his head in empathy. “That would be normal. It happens all the time.”
Adam’s shoulders slumped. He stared at the table without seeing it. “She was such a good person. She never did anything to hurt anyone. There’s just no way…”
“Adam, there’s no doubt your wife was a good person,” Don reassured him. “This isn’t going to wind up being about Alicia. It’s going to be about a madman who’s out there and can’t function in society. We’re trying to figure out what triggered him. Somehow, somewhere, some way, something happened that drove this guy over the edge. Please help us answer that question. We have to find him and get him off the streets.”
Adam blinked. “Okay.” Adam started counting on his fingers. “She was the PTA president at Moore Elementary. She was involved with our kids’ soccer clubs and science clubs. She was a member of the Bible study group at church and they did a lot of community service.” He looked up. “That’s about it. Her big thing was taking care of us.”
Deadly Gratitude Page 8