Page 18 of Say Now
Three officers were on him instantly.
"Cuff him and take him to a holding cell.Marcus Webb, you are under arrest for the murders of Rachel Kent and Kevin Hartley."
Alison watched from inside the room as he was read his rights.Marcus struggled this time as three officers pinned him to the wall and put cuffs on him.He struggled as they led him away, shouting unintelligible things.He tried to kick one of the officers as they pushed him through a door.
Alison had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.He had all the anger and rage the killer should have, but none of the intelligent composure.She didn't believe he could be the same man who intricately staged both crime scenes.The killer would be precise when working and in his personal life.It just didn't feel right.
Which means the killer is still out there, and unless I can convince everyone otherwise, he’ll have free rein to kill while everyone is distracted by Marcus Webb
CHAPTER NINE
"Breaking news tonight outside of Missoula County.It has just come to light that the man believed responsible for the double homicide in the city has been arrested.A thirty-four-year-old male is now in custody after he was tracked to his remote cabin in the hills of Missoula.The man, dubbed the Hand of Vengeance, is now in custody, and we all wait with bated breath for what will be the trial of the decade.
A source within the department informs us that the suspect did not go quietly, both when he was found in his secluded cabin surrounded by animal carcasses, nor after questioning, with an escape attempt.It is believed that an anonymous tip led to the arrest of the alleged killer, and he will be held in a secure facility away from the general population, awaiting formal charges.We’ll have more on this developing story at ten."
The man smiled as he picked up the remote control and switched off the TV.It was an outcome he could never have foreseen, and it solidified his belief that he was on the right path.Fate had intervened in his life and given the police that distraction so he could continue his mission.
"The only question is whether I should wait or not.No one will expect another person to be killed.I have free rein to kill whoever I want, and they will not see it coming.The real question is whether or not he will be released any time soon.If I wait for that and kill again, he will surely be arrested again.Yet, he might not be released.I will have to pay close attention to my contacts and ensure they tell me what I need to know."
He went to his desk on the opposite side of the room from the TV, grabbing his water along the way.Above the desk, pinned to the wall so that every piece of paper was spaced exactly, were surveillance photos of Dr.Patricia Gates.She would be the next to die for her mistakes.
He knew that he could stop the killing now, and he would never be caught, but that was not his mission.His mission was to kill all the people who had made mistakes and caused the deaths of others.Only once he had killed them all would he stop.
I can't wait for them to decide what to do with Marcus Webb.I only need to plan what I will do next with Dr.Gates.
The man looked from photo to photo, and then to the street map laid out on his desk.He also had photos on his desk of the clinic she worked in.Dr.Gates didn't work the exact same hours every day, and neither did the other people in her clinic, but there was a certain predictability to her work.
She was the person in the clinic who put in the most hours, and that meant she was often alone.
Is that because you have a guilty conscience?Your decision led to unforgivable actions, and that must weigh heavily on you.Don't worry, I will put you out of your misery, and people will celebrate your eventual death.
The man picked up another photo from his desk and pinned it to the wall, making sure to space it equally from the last.This one wasn’t of Dr.Gates, but of Dr.Payne.She was the one variable in the equation that he hadn’t counted on.He knew everyone in the city, and he wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with them.It had been his only mistake not to expect them to bring in outside help.
She was a formidable challenge, but he had killed two people, and she hadn’t come knocking on his door.In fact, she had been a part of the team that had arrested Marcus Webb, and from what he had heard, she was none the wiser that he wasn’t the actual killer.
He tapped on her photo.
"I’m going to have to keep an eye on you."
He sat down in the chair at the desk and looked up at Dr.Gates.He had expected it to be hard to kill someone, and the first had been the hardest, but it was still far easier than expected.He took no joy from the actual act itself, but he took immeasurable joy from the message he was sending.
The Hand of Vengeance!That is exactly what I am.I thought I might have to dumb it down for the masses, but I must give them credit for seeing this for what it is.
He closed his eyes.He could smell the first crime scene and see the look of horror in her eyes as he had slashed her throat.The blood that had come from her was cleansing.That was what he smelled the most—the metallic tang from the blood.And the terror in her eyes.His mission was righteous.She had made a mistake, and it led to someone getting their throat cut.She deserved everything she got.A lesser man might feel guilt, shame, horror, but not him.
Then the second victim.The way his eyes had bulged, first in shock of being attacked, and then more as his airway was cut off.He felt exactly as the poor woman had felt when she was strangled inside her home, all because it was deemed that a known criminal should be released from prison early.
Perhaps they will understand my message, and this will never happen again.They will ban parole or early release completely, and lengthen sentences so people are actually punished for their crimes.Then, people won't die unnecessarily.
The man took a breath.He was dwelling too much on the past and the future when he should be more engaged with the present.He looked back at the photographs of Dr.Gates.He had followed her for a while and understood well the security weaknesses of her isolated clinic.He knew her semi-predictable routine.It would not be hard to get her on her own.
He picked up one of the crime scene photos from his desk.She had championed the release of William Harking for five years.She wanted him back in society after he had been arrested for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend.An anonymous tip had led to an old residence of his where six bodies were buried, all young women he had been engaged with at some point.When he assaulted his ex, it was obvious he meant to kill and bury her.
William hadn’t been released, but if he had, he would have surely gone back to killing people.If it were not for the hero who had tipped off the police, they would never have found the bodies.No one else had died, but it was still a massive mistake to demand his freedom when it was obvious to everyone around that William was guilty.
He was glad that he wasn’t released to kill someone else, but that didn't mean the mistake on Dr.Gates’s part was not a mistake.She needed to be punished for that.The only question was how he must present her cold, dead body once the deed was done.
She deserves to be buried deep in the ground and not dug up for years, but that isn’t quick enough for my purposes.I must think of something immediate and worthy.
