CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The killer sat in the basement, thinking about the new direction the case was taking.
"I didn't plan it all out from the beginning," they said.
"No, that’s not true. I did plan what I might do, and that was to kill enough people to get them to listen.
That was the best way to go about it. There was no timeline, no numbers, no nothing except what needed to be done to get the message across. "
The person in the chair facing them grunted in reply.
The killer picked up the remote and turned on the TV to check what news was being given to the masses. They knew what would happen if too many details were released. People would panic. They would wonder if they were next.
The killer didn't want that to happen, but perhaps it needed to happen. The more coverage the case got, the easier it would be to get the message across. It wasn’t the populace who needed to listen, but those in charge.
And if the public were afraid and asking questions, it would force those people to listen and make changes.
Too many mistakes had been made, and things needed to change. It was no longer enough to be good at what you did. It was more about luck and opportunity. They lived in a world where one mistake could ruin your career, and one set of fortuitous circumstances could make a career.
"I see it all before me now," the killer said.
"I want them to see the mistakes they make, but I need something more powerful. I didn’t understand that until today.
She must be the one to fall for it to come to a climax.
Do you understand what that means? She has to be the last great mistake for them to finally see they are the ones who make mistakes, and not us. "
Another grunt from their companion.
"I knew you would see it that way, but you might not be in a position to see it any other way, right?" they asked.
Their companion didn't say anything this time.
The killer watched the TV screen as they covered the latest double homicide in the museum.
They hadn’t released the names of the victims yet, but the deaths have been connected to the other two murders.
It had finally become a national case, with media in multiple states reporting on the serial killer who was making his way across the country.
Not the entire country. I can't travel too far, or I won't be able to remain incognito. That is one way they will be able to trace me. If I go too far and have to be away for a noticeable amount of time, it makes me look suspicious.
The killer smiled as they listened to a prominent psychology expert from California. She was talking about the type of person who could commit the crimes, and the consensus was that it was someone with a background in criminal psychology and a grudge.
Very good. You are on the right track, but there are so many of us that fit that bill that it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Look for me all you like, but by the time you get close to figuring it all out, I’ll already have diverted your attention elsewhere.
"I see it now," the killer said, talking to their companion once more. "I see that it needs to be here, and you’ll help me take her down. Then they’ll see that they’ve made too many mistakes, and the system will be changed."
Her companion grunted again.
"I know, I know," the killer said. "It looks like I bear a grudge against her, but that’s not the case at all. I need to use her because of her celebrity status. If it were anyone else, the media would cover it, of course, but not in the same way they’ll cover Dr. Payne. She’s not only famous in California, but across the country.
Once her name is attached to this, and all of the details are finally released, they will be forced to look at it, like directing a child’s attention by grabbing the back of their head and turning them.
And the beauty of this part of the plan is that when they look at the evidence of past wrongdoings that I’ve left for them, they’ll look at them more seriously with her name attached. Don't you see the brilliance?"
Another grunt.
The report on the screen changed. They still focused on the case, but they interviewed law enforcement to talk about past crimes where killers weren’t caught or weren’t caught quickly enough.
Law enforcement scrambled to check they hadn't made any mistakes that were now obvious.
Past case files were being pulled from old storage rooms to determine whether the serial killer could recreate them.
To try to figure out where the killer might strike next.
"Don't worry about that," the killer said. "I’ll show you exactly where I’ll strike next. That’ll come soon enough."
They looked over at their companion, holding his gaze for what seemed like an eternity, and the companion didn't look away, as if he needed to prove he wasn’t scared in the least about where he was.
"You don't know her as I do," the killer said. "You have no idea why this must be done. This will make the world a better place, even if they won't see it for a long time. That will be the burden I’ll carry. They won't ever know it was me who brought the change to the world, unless…"
A wicked grin spread across the killer’s face.
"Perhaps the change will come, and if they ever slip back into mediocrity and ineptitude, I’ll show them that it wasn’t her after all, but someone else.
Someone they overlooked. They won't know what to think. They’ll only know that she wasn’t able to figure it out.
Perhaps she will right at the end, but by that time, it’ll be too late. "
The killer reached over to the desk and picked up a clear bag, holding it up for their companion to view.
"This will help me now. I didn't see it at the time, but I understood it could be important, so I took it to muddy the waters. Instead, it will become a stepping stone. It will lay the foundation for what comes next. Do you see that?"
The companion looked at the clear bag and its contents.
It was hard to decipher if he knew what it meant and who it belonged to, even though the killer had spelled it out for him.
There had been some resistance in the killer’s mind when they had taken him, but the ineptitude that he displayed made it easy to want to kill him.
"You don't have a clue about anything, do you?
" the killer asked. "You had an entire career consulting with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, but you don't see what’s right in front of you.
You might be the biggest criminal of them all.
You worked to help them for decades, but did you ever do that, or did you bluff your way through it?
No one will mourn your death. How does that make you feel? "
The companion grunted again. That was all they were able to do.
The killer placed the plastic bag back on the desk, then switched off the TV.
There was nothing on there at the moment worth viewing.
They talked to expert after expert, but no one had a clue who the killer was or why they were killing.
They all made guesses, but they were all as inept as each other.
Go ahead and make your guesses that will ultimately be shown to be wrong. I don't kill to create fear but to right the wrongs of the past, starting with my own. Yes, I’m not immune to making mistakes. If only…Perhaps I’m fooling myself.
"It doesn’t matter," the killer said as they rose from the desk. "The wheels are in motion now, and they won't ever find me. I know I’m doing the right thing."
They walked over to the companion who was tied up in the chair, a tight gag in his mouth so he could only grunt.
The killer checked the ropes and zip ties keeping Kenneth Sterling in his chair were still tight.
The killer didn't worry about Kenneth escaping but about getting out of his bindings enough to be able to make noise. The killer had neighbors, but they weren’t extremely close. Still, they couldn’t take any chances.
"Good," the killer said. "And don’t worry, this will all be over soon. We don't have long to go. In less than forty-eight hours, they’ll find my best present for them." The killer leaned close and whispered in Sterling’s ear. "Another dead body."