Heartbeats of a Killer

by Michael Merson

  I wasn’t followed.

  Jeramiah placed the vehicle into drive, and he slowly pulled out onto the dirt road with his lights off. Once he was on the main road, he turned on the lights; he was careful not to speed and ensured he used his turn signals appropriately as he watched police cars speed past him, going in the other direction.

  Jeramiah felt safe for the time being, and he began to think about the situation he was in. Like a soldier returning from a mission, he started to take inventory.

  My gun. I have it here in my waist, gloves are still on, I’m not cut or bleeding anywhere…My knife, where is my knife?

  Jeramiah forgot about the pain in his leg and shoulder as he became acutely aware that he no longer possessed his knife. He thought for a second about returning to where he parked in the hope that he dropped it on the road when he leaned against his door. He slowed his SUV down and started to pull over when he saw the red and blue lights approaching through the darkness in front of him once more.

  They’re setting up a roadblock! Jeramiah thought to himself.

  He then sped back up, turned right down the first available road, and shut his lights off. In the darkness of the sideroad, he sat there looking behind him through his rearview mirror. He reached down into his waistline and pulled his pistol out once more and waited with it in his lap.

  Another police cruiser flew by in a flash of red and blue lights. Jeramiah held his gun and closed his eyes for a moment.

  Chapter 21

  The vibrating sensations on her thigh from Axel’s pants, startled Amanda.

  “Damn…work’s calling,” Axel said as he reached into his front pocket to collect his phone. Amanda stood up and pulled her shirt down. Axel lifted himself from the sofa and squinted at the phone before answering it. Amanda sat down in the recliner and drank from her bottle. Outside, the rain continued to fall as water could be heard running through the rain gutter near the window. The television indicated with a message across the bottom of the screen that the game was now officially canceled.

  “Give me the address again please,” Amanda heard Axel say to the person on the other end of the phone.

  “Yes, I know how to get there. Has everyone else been notified to respond to the scene? Good. No, I’m not close. Tell Lt. Wilson that I’m on my way,” Axel ordered. He then stood there looking at his guest, not knowing what to say.

  “I guess I should go now,” Amanda said as she stood.

  “Wait. Uh... Can we get together tomorrow night for another dinner?” Axel asked as he walked over toward the garage door to put on his shoes.

  Amanda stood over him and smiled as she rubbed the top of his head.

  “Yes, we can. Where would you like to go?” She asked.

  “Where would you like to go?”

  “How about if I fix you dinner at my place? I make a mean casserole.”

  “Casserole, huh?” Axel asked as the two now walked toward the door leading to the garage.

  “Yes, casserole. My mother taught me how to make it along with other things an adult should know before leaving home,” she explained.

  You know something Amanda, you just don’t look like a casserole eater,” Axel admitted as he opened the garage door.

  The rain outside appeared to fall sideways as the wind blew it into the open garage. Amanda looked down at her car and saw that her left front tire was flat.

  “I need to change that before I go,” Amanda huffed.

  “No, I have a better idea. You should stay here tonight, and we can fix it in the morning,” Axel offered.

  “Where would I sleep?”

  “In my bed,” Axel blurted.

  “Your bed?”

  “Well… I… um… What I mean is that I can sleep in the spare room when I get back from this call. Besides, I’ll be gone most of the night, and I might not return until the early morning. You can stay here, eat the rest of the pizza, and we’ll get you on the road after breakfast,” Axel explained.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Ok, then. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Axel smiled at her and then ran out to his car. He sat there for a moment before running back inside. Amanda was still standing in the doorway when Axel reached her. For a moment, he stood and just looked at her with a smile. She smiled back, and suddenly they both leaned forward for a kiss.

  “I’ll see you later.”

  “Yes, you will, detective.”

  ***

  Streams of water flowed down both sides of Woodmen Road as Axel drove toward the scene. His thoughts should have been on what was waiting for him down the road. But his mind was on Amanda. He knew that they just met, but he felt so close to her already. She was beautiful, intelligent, and funny. Axel chuckled out loud as he thought of her incredible sense of humor. There’s just something irresistible about her.

  The rain was worsening as Axel approached a four-way stop, just as another vehicle approached from the right. Axel allowed the other driver to go first. The rain made it difficult for Axel to see, but Axel could tell that it was a dark SUV. He watched as the vehicle turned right onto Woodmen Road. He thought for a moment that it appeared as if the driver had covered his face as he turned, but he wasn’t positive.

  Axel turned right toward Black Forest and drove for about six miles before he started to slow down so that he could locate the right street. He was unfamiliar with the area, and the rain made it hard to see the street signs. The crime scene itself was in El Paso County, and he had been requested to assist with the investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.

  This wasn’t the first time Axel was called by an outside agency to assist or to lead an investigation that fell outside the city’s jurisdiction. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department had an agreement in place and the two agencies assisted each other in some investigations. All of which depended on the circumstances of the crime. Some of the other victims of PPK had been found in other counties as well.

  Since PPK’s first murders were in the City of Colorado Springs, Axel had been given all of the cases that followed, even if they took place in other counties. The other agencies helped in every way possible but were generous enough to allow Axel to carry the full weight of the investigation and all of its responsibilities.

  Through the rain and darkness, Axel eventually found Rolling Hills Drive, where he made a right turn and drove down the dirt road toward the flashing lights. The road was filled with water that had collected in puddles. Axel came to a stop in the road and was greeted by a uniformed officer with a flashlight.

  “The road is closed sir. You’ll have to drive up to Lange Avenue and come in that way,” explained the deputy as he shined his light into Axel’s car with one hand and covered his weapon with the other.

  “I’m Detective Frost with CSPD,” Axel answered back, holding his badge out the window with one hand and shielding his eyes from the flashlight with the other.

  “Oh. Then you’ll need to park over there and walk into the house from the other side. The crime scene goes from the house out into the woods, and then out to the road somewhere. The others are waiting for you inside,” the deputy explained before retreating to the dry interior of his cruiser.

  Axel pulled over to the side of the road and used a paper towel from an old lunch bag on the floorboard to wipe the rain away from his door. He looked at the mass of cars in front of him, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sat quietly for a minute.

  He let the air out from his lungs, opened his eyes, and then pulled the door latch as he shut the motor off. The rain fell onto his head as he stepped out into the night air. He used a flashlight to help him dodge the mud puddles as he walked closer to the house.

  ***

  “Are you Detective Frost with the city?” A voice asked from the dark doorway leading into the house.

  “Yes, I am,” Axel replied.

  “I’m Detective Harris wi
th the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Harris was a tall in his sixties. He extended his hand toward Axel as he entered the house out of rain.

  “I was just about to fall asleep when I got called.” Gary shouted as he approached the house.

  Axel turned to see Gary walking into the house out of the rain holding an umbrella over his head.

  “I should be on the beach somewhere with a beer in one hand and a fishing pole in the other,” Gary said as he shook out his umbrella and looked at the two detectives.

  “This is my partner, Detective Gary Portland,” Axel said a she introduced his partner to Harris.

  Harris reached out and shook Gary’s hand. He looked him over for a minute and noticed that the Gary was wearing blue jeans, boots, and a shirt that had images of sail boats on it. Gary quickly looked at Axel who was also casually dressed but slightly better, as usual. He noticed that Harris was also dressed better.

  “I’m sorry for my appearance, but my wife took my clothes to the cleaners and forgot to pick up the other ones that were ready,” Gary explained.

  Axel and Harris looked at each other and grinned.

  “Oh, forget it! Screw you guys for judging me!”

  Axel and Harris began to chuckle.

  “Call me Bill,” Harris said.

  “What we got here is a double homicide. The two victims are boyfriend and girlfriend. The girl was stabbed in the kitchen. The boyfriend was shot in the garage,” Bill explained as he walked Axel and Gary through the crime scene.

  Axel looked around the room and started to get angry. There was a mass of people he observed standing around, possibly contaminating the scene and any evidence that may have been left behind by the suspect. He decided to put his frustration aside for now.

  Until I’m asked to take over the investigation I’m not in charge, he thought.

  He stopped at Shannon’s body, and he knew from his previous investigations that PPK was the monster that was responsible for this gruesome murder as well. This scene wasn’t like the others, though. Something had gone wrong here. PPK never used a gun in any of the other murders.

  This time he was surprised by the boyfriend who now lay in the garage dead,” Axel surmised to himself.

  “Are you guys giving this to me?” Axel turned and asked Harris.

  “Yeah, if you think it’s tied to your guy. We want to be kept in the loop though. If you guys get anything on a suspect, we want to know about in. I’ll be your contact at the Sheriffs’ Office. If there’s anything, I can help you with just call me. Here’s my card,” Harris said as he handed Axel his business card.

  “I got everything I need for my report. I’ll type it up and send it to you concerning my actions upon arrival here tonight, which isn’t much,” Harris explained.

  “Thanks, Bill,” Axel said as Detective Harris walked out.

  Axel looked at Gary and whispered, "ROD."

  “Yeah. Retired on Duty. I don’t think Harris is going to be much help,” Gary said quietly.

  Axel looked around the home and estimated that there were probably twenty people inside doing nothing important except staying out of the rain.

  “Everyone stop what you are doing!” Axel yelled to the uniformed officers standing around him.

  “I’m Detective Frost, and I’m in charge of this scene. Everyone needs to exit the home now. Whatever you brought inside here, you take back out with you. Before anyone speaks and tries to explain that there’s a good reason for them being here, I’ll tell you now, I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY! I’m going to start writing names down that will go in my report. I don’t care if you are a supervisor or the Chief or Sheriff himself. This is my case, and I will not allow anyone to screw it up with a cup of coffee from the local diner,” Axel announced to the room.

  The officers whispered their frustrations to each other and slowly started to gather their things.

  “Detective Portland, will you please stand at the front door and write down the names of the people who are inside here right now as they begin to leave?”

  “Deputy!” Axel yelled to the garage.

  “Please make a list of everyone in there. I want a written report from you with all of their names and their assignments listed. I want to know who they work for and how they came to be here, what they touched why they touched it, and why they were here. If anyone has a problem with the way I’m doing things, don’t speak up. You can contact my Lieutenant in the morning. But you will provide the information I’ve asked for before leaving this crime scene,” Axel ordered to the crowd.

  “No need to contact me in the morning. I’m here right now if anyone has a problem with Detective Frost’s instructions,” Lt. Wilson barked from the front door.

  The crowd began to whisper once more. Then they slowly started moving around as if they weren't included in the group who had to leave.

  “People, the only people I want to see in that house alive are Detective Frost and his team. That means you need to start moving toward the door. If you don’t think it includes you, please come and ask me. Also, if I find fingerprints or footprints belonging to any of you, I’ll have your ass. CLEAR THIS HOUSE NOW!” Wilson yelled, and this time it was in his command voice.

  The whispers stopped as the crowd of uniforms finally made their way out of the house. Axel stood alone as it got quieter around him. He started running scenarios through his mind of what could have happened. There was no sign of forced entry at the front door. The sliding glass door leading to the deck out back was latched shut. The air conditioner was on, so the windows around the house should be closed. The detective pulled a notebook out from his pocket and started writing his observations down.

  “Detective!”

  Axel turned toward the garage and saw Beck, who was standing there in a raincoat.

  “Axel, I got something out here you need to see,” Beck said as he walked out toward the driveway. Beck walked with a limp most days, but it seemed to be worse when the air was wet and cool like it was tonight.

  “Yeah, what you got?” Axel asked as he slowly followed Beck outside where the rain had eased to a slight sprinkle.

  “When the uniforms got here, they were told that the suspect may be injured. And, that he ran into the woods.”

  “So, did they catch him?” Axel asked, hopefully.

  “No, but they did find a knife near the driveway,” Beck smirked as he held a plastic evidence bag in the damp air. Inside the bag, Axel observed a black knife with a long blade.

  “Does it have any unusual marks on it?” Axel asked quickly.

  Beck used his other hand and held up another bag that had a piece of putty pressed into it and an “X” mark carved into that. Axel smiled upon seeing the first good piece of evidence that had finally been found.

  “Finally, the X. That’s great, Beck.”

  “It’s not an X. It’s a skull and crossbones. Look at the knife again,” Beck instructed.

  Axel grabbed the bag and looked at the base near the blade. Sure enough. There sat a skull and crossbones.

  “Wow. You got anything else?”

  “I give you a murder weapon, and you ask for more?”

  “Well, I….”

  “Hold that thought. I do have more. I got some of my guys pulling a plaster from a footprint found outside the garage window. We’ll also have some bullets from a gun shortly. And he dropped his bag with the trophy he took from the victim.”

  “We’re getting closer Beck. He’s slipping. We’re so close!”

  “I know, finally,” Beck said in agreement.

  “Let’s finish this one,” Axel shouted as he walked back into the house where Shannon lay on the floor.

  He squatted down, staying on his feet and looked over her body for anything else that could help. He was pleased that PPK wasn’t afforded the opportunity to do anything else to her. She was dead, but she hadn't been raped and left lying in the woods.

  ***

  Jeramiah opened his eyes and was ca
reful not to move too fast. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then he surveyed his surroundings. After he saw that he was still alone on the road, he glanced at his watch and was surprised to see that he had slept for so long.

  He turned his lights back on and quickly placed the SUV into drive, and then he turned around on the road. His weight shifted as the vehicle spun around and his leg moved slightly. The shooting pain in his leg returned. He reached down and rubbed his now stiff and swollen thigh. He drove toward Woodmen Road, approached the intersection, and stopped as another vehicle came to a stop to the left of him. He turned right and used his left hand to conceal his face from the other motorist.

  He made it back home without incident and pulled into his driveway about forty-five minutes later. After shutting the engine off Jeramiah opened the door and stepped out slowly. He attempted to stand on his right leg, but it refused to bend entirely like it should have.

  Limping to the rear of his vehicle, Jeramiah opened the back of it and took out a screwdriver and a set of Colorado license plates. He slowly bent down and removed the rear plate and replaced it with the other one that he had in the back of his vehicle. He then did the same to the front. When he finished changing the plates over, he walked inside his house and laid down on the couch and lightly massaged his sore leg and shoulder.

  “Well, I guess you screwed up, again, didn’t you? What the hell are you going to do now? Am I supposed to fix your leg for you?” Jeramiah listened to his father carry on until he fell asleep. He was too tired, too angry, and too hurt to argue with him.

  Chapter 22

  Thursday, July 5,

  Axel turned in to his driveway and smiled as he saw that Amanda’s car was still there. He noticed that the flat tire had been replaced with the smaller spare tire. He parked beside her car and went inside the garage. It had been a long night, and he was exhausted. As he took his shoes off at the door, he wondered if she was still asleep and if she had slept in his bed.