Chapter 42
After spending the day in the northern Kettle Moraine State Forest, Alex headed back to Milwaukee.
He’d run across a handful of hikers on the trails, but for the most part, he was completely alone.
He’d decided to focus on one of the trails directly off the parking lot, and he walked all of them for a quarter mile before making up his mind.
His final destination, and his victim’s final resting place, needed to be a short distance from the parking lot on a trail that didn’t seem overly used.
After finding the trail he liked best, he began to bushwhack into the heavily wooded terrain.
He intended to bury victim number four in that wooded area.
The grave had to be far enough off the trail that no odor would be detected and no obvious mound of dirt would be seen.
The person’s clothing and belongings would be removed before transport so none of it would ever be found.
Clothing took years to deteriorate, so leaving it behind wasn’t an option.
Alex found the perfect spot. It had plenty of tree cover, deadfall, brush, and leaves on the ground. He could easily bury a body then toss brush, fallen logs, and leaves over the dirt to keep animals away and people from noticing. The grave would blend in with nature and the surrounding landscape.
As he drove home, he thought about what he needed to do prior to the actual killing of his next victim.
The grave would have to be dug in advance and camouflaged by downed branches until it was needed.
The less time he spent there with the body, the better.
Plus, he was sure that the county’s deputies drove by state parks on occasion to make sure nobody was there after closing time.
Under no circumstances could he linger, especially in the parking lot, where the Jeep would be fully exposed.
He thought again about the previous victims and how the disposal method had worked out.
There were a few hiccups with body parts washing ashore, but that wouldn’t be the case anymore.
Alex would again use the bathtub as his workspace.
He’d drain the blood, remove the fingertips, and smash the teeth before removing the legs and putting them in the backpack with the body.
I need to buy a new backpack since my old one is in the boat.
Maybe a larger one would be good. I can put the entire body in it then bury the backpack.
That’ll hide the odor of a decomposing body to a degree and keep the animals from digging it up.
I’ll double bag the body in garbage bags first then stuff that into the backpack.
No blood evidence and no mess. It’ll be perfect.
Before he got home, Alex pulled into a drive-through restaurant and bought supper and tomorrow’s breakfast. He would have no reason to leave his apartment or be seen again that night.
Tomorrow will be interesting. I’m looking forward to finding out who victim number four is.
I'll need a couple of days before I can carry out the killing since I have to dig the hole when nobody else is at the park. The Jeep goes back to the rental agency on Thursday, but if I need to keep it longer, I will. I’ll do anything to stay in my client’s good graces and get my final payment.
Safe and sound in his apartment, Alex ate his double cheeseburger and large fries and drank his Coke. The egg sandwich and hash browns would be saved for breakfast. Tomorrow before he met with his client, he would drive to a big-box store and buy a new backpack.
Alex looked at himself in the mirror that sat on the fireplace mantel. Sprouts of black hair had popped up on his head over the last few days, and his beard and mustache were coming in nicely. He would keep shaving his head, but he liked the way the beard and mustache were starting to look.
Changing my appearance all the time has worked well for me, and the glasses? They’re the perfect camouflage. I look nothing like that driver’s license photo.
He’d planned a night of relaxation, yet he couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive.
Alex watched the ten o’clock news before calling it a night. He wanted to make sure that the news of him had died down and no new broadcasts had come up. He was relieved to see that it was news as usual, boring local events, but at least his face wasn’t front and center.
After powering off the TV, Alex went to bed knowing that in a week or so, maybe less, he would be moving on to a new location and hopefully another well-paying contract. The thought excited him.
Hours passed as Alex slept soundly. He woke to a door opening and closing in a nearby apartment, likely the people across the hall. They seemed to slam doors for whatever reason. Alex squinted as he tried to adjust his eyes. It was Sunday and almost eight a.m., which surprised him.
I can’t believe I slept that well. This contract has been good, and I have to make sure I don’t screw up anything on the last leg of this journey.
Alex started a pot of coffee then showered while it brewed. He would head out at noon to shop in a big-box store twenty miles south of Milwaukee. Playing it safe was always key. Alex needed a large backpack, a shovel, and more heavy-duty garbage bags.
At two o’clock, he would meet with his client, show the pictures of Torrie’s demise, and find out who the next target would be. Alex needed two days of preparation before victim number four could die.
He sat on the balcony of his apartment overlooking the lake and ate breakfast. He sipped coffee while gazing out at the boats leaving the marina. Speedboats, luxury boats, and sailboats headed into the deep water.
I wonder how many bodies are in that lake? How many people are dumped daily, weekly, and monthly into that deep cold water? People whose families thought they ran away and moved on in life when, all along, some lunatic killed them and tossed them into the lake.
Alex sighed.
Am I that lunatic? As far as I’m concerned, I’m doing the job I got hired to do. It isn’t personal. I’m not a crazed murderer killing people for the fun of it. Not that I couldn’t or wouldn’t, but the money is my real motivation.
I’ll miss this view, that’s for sure, but if I relocate to Chicago, I’ll have a similar view. Good thing my month-to-month lease here is up in two weeks. I’ll leave after this hit then pay the last two weeks’ rent even though I’ll already be long gone.
Alex headed to Racine at noon. Shopping there would give him enough time to buy the items he needed and drive back to the apartment.
From there, he would walk to the art museum, hat and sunglasses on, and wait behind the building for his client to arrive.
He planned to send a text when he got there.