Chapter 44

When William got to the morgue, he made sure he changed his smile into a look of seriousness. He and a few of the other attendants got to work giving the three women a resting place until their autopsies later that day.

William was on his way to book an autopsy room for a full day when Dr. Aspinall caught him.

“So, Dr. Devaroux, what do you think of this?’

“Think of what sir?” William had learned to ask pertinent questions to vague ones.

“The case I assigned you.” The senior man answered.

“I truly have no opinion, sir. I am here to observe and give my findings factually and if asked, to provide my documentation and expertise to the court. I need not have an opinion on this or any case.” William knew this would please his mentor and end the uncomfortable encounter.

“I see. What are you doing now, if I may ask?”

“Of course. I am going to book one of the autopsy rooms for tomorrow. I have three autopsies to perform and I don’t want to make simple mistakes like not booking instruments and rooms.” William walked forward not wishing to lose any more time.

“Carry on, Doctor.” Was all Dr. Aspinall said as he let William move on.

William knew his answers were the ones his mentor was looking for. Years of working under the man honed the skill of answering the questions most found redundant. After booking the instruments and room, William went to his office and started the needed paperwork for the tasks ahead.

As he filled out the papers he couldn’t help but think of the women he had committed to his God.

The first woman, Bridgette Westholm was an easy kill. He had heard her pray but he did not hear repentance. He only heard words. She spoke of contrition but he doubted that this one ever meant any of it. When she was offered the chance to repent and be free she said nothing. She was a fast kill. Too fast. He had felt the need to beat her all over before he killed her. He took her tongue first, he was sick of listening to her pray, and then he took his time and hit her with a kitchen mallet. When he finished with the mallet, he cut her heart out. After her death he tossed the tongue and heart into a bag then took the girl and placed her in the covered truck he had waiting.

The next woman, Kimberley Doyle was harder to give to his God. Kimberley looked similar to Vivian, when she was younger however; when the woman in front of him spoke he realized that Vivian was dead and that this woman was no more than a pretender. He again took the mallet to her then drained her of most of her blood. When he was done with her he took her eleventh rib, broke it off and then placed it in a bag, and took her to the truck.

When he got to Pamela Schmidt he felt exhilarated. When he heard she was resigned to die he went straight to work. In minutes he had her spleen and eyelids in a bag and was taking her to the truck with her other ‘cell mates.’

Joanne Horne was the fighter of the group; she fought her way up the stairs, clawing at Williams gloved hands. Screaming as he shaved her head. And taunting him as he beat her with the kitchen mallet he had used on the other women. When he finished beating her he asked his question.

“Do you repent?”

After Joanne spit the blood out of her mouth, she looked directly in his eyes and nodded her head up and down vigorously and spoke.

“YES!” She never broke eye contact with her attacker.

As William finished filling out his paperwork he gave a small smile of satisfaction knowing that he must go and collect more prizes for ‘his work.’

William tidied up and then prepared to go home. As he got his coat he felt something deep inside him stir. It was an odd feeling. William shook his head and went to his car in the parking garage.

As he drove home, the feeling he had had earlier got stronger. William couldn’t place the feeling he just knew something was off. He pulled into his garage, pushed the button to close the door, and got out of his silver Lexus SC430. When he entered the house he knew what the feeling was.

“When did you arrive?” William spoke into the dark kitchen.

“Three hours ago.” a voice responded.

“You are early,” William spoke as he put down his briefcase, took off his jacket and hung it up next to the door.

William turned on the light above the sink and saw the man sitting at the breakfast nook table. The man said nothing but motioned for William to sit.

As he sat, William looked at the man across from him.

“Does anyone know you are here?”

“No.”

“Why are you here?”

“You know,” was all the man said.

“She is in her favorite spot.”

The man got up, put on William’s coat, grabbed the Lexus keys and then left.

William heard his car start and the garage door open, the car leave and then the door close.

As William got up, he took a breath and then went and had a shower. When he was finished he grabbed the latest journal and began writing. When the man returned, William had just finished his journaling.

“Well?”

“Just as she wanted.” the man answered.

“Yes.” William paused then looked at the man,

“She knew!”

The man stared at William as the color left his face.

“What do you mean “’she knew’???”

“Just what I said. She told me before she died. She looked at me and told me. She wasn’t mad; she seemed more lucid, more analytical about the whole thing.”

“I see. Did you tell her?”

William rolled his eyes.

“NO! She already knew. She thanked me for her life. Do you understand that at all? She knew. We didn’t fool her. None of us. I didn’t, you didn’t, and he didn’t. She knew!”

The man looked at William.

“Andrew, why are you really here?” William asked his older brother.

“Is Thompson coming?”

Andrew shook his head.

“No, Thompson is not coming.”

Andrew grabbed the journal William had finished with and went and sat quietly in the large leather chair in the den. He switched on the lamp and opened the book to the first page. He flipped through the older writings and then stopped on the page 74, dated May 28^th. Andrew settled in and started reading. As Andrew read, William went and started to plan the next abductions. He had decided that the number of women who would be coming to meet their fate next would set a chaos in motion that would send the city into explosions of fear. With his time not divided, the work that needed to be accomplished was about to go into overdrive.