Where Are You Now?

21

S ometimes the best thing about the moment he took a life was when the scent of fear reached his nostrils. They knew they were going to die, and at that point they stammered out a few words.

One of them asked, “Why?”

Another whispered a prayer, “Lord, receive…me…”

A third tried to break away, then spat an obscenity at him.

The youngest pleaded with him, “Don’t, please don’t.”

He ached to go back to the Woodshed tonight, to listen to everything they were saying there. It was amusing to watch the plainclothes detectives at work. He could spot them a mile away. Their eyelids always had a hooded look because they were trying to conceal the fact that their bright little eyes were darting around the room.

An hour ago in Brooklyn, he had phoned the number they had on the poster, using one of his unsubscribed phones and prepaid phone cards. He’d made his voice sound excited, and said, “I just left Peter Luger’s Restaurant. I saw that girl, Leesey Andrews, having dinner with some guy there.” Then he turned off both that cell phone and Leesey’s cell phone and hurried into the subway.

He could just imagine the way the cops must have swarmed over there, disrupting the place, annoying the diners, querying the waiters… By now they’ve probably decided that it was just another nutcase calling. I wonder how many crazies have called in to say they’ve seen Leesey, he wondered. But only one person saw her. Me!

But the family wouldn’t be sure that it was a crank call. The family never is sure until they see a body. Don’t count on it, family. If you don’t believe me, have a chat with the relatives of the other girls.

He turned on the television to catch the eleven o’clock news. As he’d expected, the breaking news story was being reported opposite the Woodshed. There were crowds of people lined up trying to get into the place. A reporter was saying, “The tip that police received that Leesey Andrews was seen having dinner at a restaurant in Brooklyn has been largely discounted.”

He was disappointed that the police had not released the information about the tracking of her cell phone in Brooklyn. But later on, I’ll take Leesey’s cell phone to Thompson Street for a quick visit, he thought. That will really drive them crazy-thinking she might be being held so near her home.

He almost laughed out loud.