Epilogue
EPILOGUE
THE RIVAL
B unch of idiots, all of them. Proposing in public like that. I never understood the need to tie oneself down to one person. Never understood what it took. Oh, I was married once, but it didn’t stick.
In my experience marriages never stuck. Well, at least not the ones without some strong emotional bond. And even then, there was no guarantee. In fact, when emotions were involved, things tended to get messier. And when family was involved, messy did not even begin to describe the fallout.
That was why Marshall Felix had to be eliminated. He was not suited to the life of a doting father. He thought that just because some bitch carried his genes, he needed to do right by her. He thought he could waltz into her life and make it as if nothing was wrong. He wanted to come clean. She was a cop for fuck’s sakes. There was no way she would’ve let him get away with all the crimes he’d committed.
Not only would she have rejected him, she would’ve handed him over to the police and investigated the ever-loving shit out of him. And that was the last thing I needed. No, it was better to pin it on that little bitch.
I knew immediately she was targeting fathers who had somehow abandoned their kids. She also had all sorts of signatures and I managed to copy all of them. Of course, they never reported the marking on the back, which Marshall didn’t had. But that was explained away by both the press and the assistant district attorney. She ran out of time because the kill site was so far from where she stored the body and then needed to get it to the dumpsite.
All in all, that worked in my favor. Credit never bothered me. I didn’t need the accolades to know I was better than everyone else. The mere fact I got away with all I had for as long as I had, meant that I had won.
I watched as the couple’s friends and family dispersed. I started my car before anyone noticed me. The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself. Although they were such a big clan, they’d hardly notice an extra body. As soon as I arrived in my own driveway, I waved at my neighbor. Pretty girl, but nosy as hell. Not that she was interested in anything I had to say or do. No, she was more interested in celebrities. Like that Ryder chap who just got engaged.
The girl, maybe in her mid-twenties, waved back. I stepped through my front door, checking one more time if anyone was watching me.
As soon as I closed the door. I stepped over to my alarm panel to turn off the incessant beeping. Then I turned the key, clicked the latch and secured the bolt. I entered my code once more and pressed seven. That allowed me to walk through my house freely but the perimeter was still secured.
I debated between having dinner and checking on things in my basement. The grumbling of my stomach made the decision for me. Dinner was nothing more than leftover stew, with some fresh bread I had bought at Minty’s earlier that day. I sat in front of the television, checking all the news channels. One story in particular got my attention.
Apparently, Frederick Ripper had been granted parole. I wasn’t really surprised. The man would have been a model prisoner. He was easy to get along with and I could acknowledge he hid his inner demon well.
The only person who saw the wolf underneath all that fluffy wool was his wife. And that bitch had all the right people on her side. No doubt he’d already informed his ex he would be out soon.
I knew he had no obligation to do so, but the little fucker would’ve reveled in upsetting her and her children’s lives. I bet a recording of that conversation was available somewhere. Just like the one he received. Very little stayed off the internet. I couldn’t hack into the Salinger Security network and I had no doubt they would have both files. They were not the kind of people who could leave well enough alone. No, hacking them was a sure-fire way to bring them to my doorstep. And let’s face it, I was nowhere near ready for that.
The prison’s network was nearly impossible, too. It was surprisingly easy to hack into the federal prison system. Problem was that it was easily traceable.
As soon as I popped the last piece of bread into my mouth, I stood and took my plate to the sink. I ran some water and dish soap over it. Living alone, I didn’t have much use for a dishwasher even if it would make life easier. Quickly I dried my plate and placed it in the cabinet, eager to get down to my basement.
I entered the code into the keypad at the door. A different one to the one at my front door. When the door clicked open and a fine hiss of air escaped, I entered my private lair. One I’d had for decades.
Pushing the door closed behind me, I also flipped on the lights. Long tubes of fluorescent light flickered for a few moments before they illuminated the entire area.
Slowly, I descended the area into the basement. I moved the mouse on its soft little pad, and every single monitor came to life. Seven in total. Only four of them showed video feeds. None of them from around Marina De Ferrier. Damn towns folk were still opposed to the installation of CCTV around town despite the benefits it would bring.
Not that it mattered to me. No, I had my monitors for cameras that were actually important. One inside the office of each of the men who worked for me. Not that any of them would ever admit it. No, not them. They were CEOs, they didn’t work for anyone. And I was happy to let them believe that.
Yet, there I was, in the comfort of my own home, while each of them was still slogging away.
Well, all of them except the weapons guy. Yeah, he was on a mission for me. And hopefully he would return soon.
Getting a foothold in the weapons industry was not easy. And I still wasn’t sure if I could trust the guy I had recruited. All electronically, of course. I hadn’t had a face-to-face meeting with a work colleague years.
And it will be a while yet before I am ready to come out of the shadows.