“The couch? The Couch!” Harry yelled and continued,”I’d rather sleep under a God damned bridge than be in the same frigging house as you right now!”
It was midnight and Harry would have a couple of hours before last call. He hasn’t drank in 3 years, but he slammed the door loudly on the way out to the pub–which is where he would take refuge for the duration while he cooled off. Dora flew off the handle a lot on Harry lately. Harry did not like getting into conflicts, he preferred his days to be quiet and peaceful, he thought he married the perfect woman–everything so lovey-dovey between them the first few years. They raised 3 fine kids together and the last one was just about ready to leave for college in the fall.
He got in 4 glasses of gin and tonic before the bartender rang the bell for the night so sufficed to say Harry had put on a decent light buzz. He got into a cab at the corner speaking,”Driver, take me to the Denny’s off 110th and Pacific.”
“You got it, mister!” she responded back in her youthful cheery voice–she couldn’t have been more than college age, probably attended the university on the South end of the city. Either way though she was gorgeous. But just what the hell was she doing driving a cab in Tacoma in this neighborhood and this late at night? Harry noticed her glancing back at him from the rear view mirror, not suspiciously though–something else. For Harry’s age he was still quite a handsome man. He remembered that kind of look she gave from his younger days occasionally he still gets that look from women but usually none so much younger than him.
“Here we are! That’ll be $7.50″ she said as she entered into the side lot.
Harry exited the rear drivers door, and took out a twenty then asked her,”Keep the change. Say there, like to come in for breakfast Miss? On me?”
She laughed, but agreed,”Alright mister, I am done with my shift. I could use the time for a study break.” she paused and reached under the passenger seat grasping a textbook and followed him inside.
“Booth or the counter young lady?” Harry asked.
“Name’s Vicki, let’s go for that booth over there.” she said.
Henry returned introductions,”Pleased to make your acquaintance Vicki–I’m Harry, that’s a rather big book. What’s your study?”
They took their seats on the edges of the bench of the rounded bench as she replied,”I am a double major at PLU, I’m taking art, for a Masters while working on my Doctorate in psychology–haven’t decided which direction I want to take yet, but leaving my options open”
“…and you are reading?” Harry inquired.
“Oh this, I am in an advanced course on philosophy this term.” she paused,”Plato’s Republic is required reading before the mid term exam in three weeks.”
“Ah, I see. Then you must be familiar with his cave allegory.” he cleared his throat and continued,”I never got very far in college, but I did a couple of terms of philosophy back in my day too.”
Vicki perked up a little bit,”Really? What was your Major?”
“History, I earned my Bachelors degree, never went any farther, but it opened some doors though.” Harry said as he turned up his coffee cup for the waitress.
They paused the conversation and ordered their breakfast as the lady scribbled on the little green pad then poured the scalding hot coffee into the white ceramic mug. Pausing from moment to moment to decide what was good or not to eat making substitutions and additions. Apparently Both Vicki and Harry were famished, her from her long night running fares, and him from his night at home without much peace followed by quick imbibement. The conversation went on into the morning as the sun peaked over the hills to the east illuminating the nearby highway.
“So what do you do then.” She asked Harry politely as she sipped her cola.
“I am a retired shipyard supervisor from up in Seattle” Harry returned, causing a surprised look to form on Vicki’s face.
She was a little confused as to why a man with such an education would find himself working on the docks the rest of his life. A bachelors degree in that field would get him plenty of teaching jobs. She was compelled to ask how he got into that line of work due her instincts and training in psychology. Harry really didn’t like to reveal how things went wrong in his life to anyone. His wife of course knew all too well but he made little mention of her in the conversation either, because that night he left the house he left his ring. Not purposefully mind you he took it off when at home while doing daily tasks, such as tending the gutters and fixing things around the house. Being very conscientious of the ring and keeping it from loss or damage because it was important to him, but he did forget to put it back on last night when the fight started.
Thoughts were whirling around in Harry’s head this morning that if he wanted to at least for a few hours he could step out of his role as a faithful husband and enjoy himself and this young lady’s company. She seemed to signal her willingness flirtatiously overtly and attentively towards Harry while they sat down to eat breakfast that morning, but Harry was fiercely loyal to his family–he would head home and make up with his wife so things would cool off. There was a spark between Harry and Vicki though, they both could feel it as they parted ways. Harry paid the check and she got up from the booth reaching out to Harry,”Ever need a cab again, I’m your girl. Thanks for the extra tip!” giving him her business card and passing though the doors. He decided to walk home from the restaurant, just another 20 blocks to clear his head before setting foot in the house that day and things would be calm.
Harry walked home taking his sweet time making sure his hear was all clear before he was ready to make his apologies stopping at the lake to skip a few rocks. Unknownt to Harry a visitor had shown up the night before and with cruel intents. While Harry was skipping stones across the lake the police were just arriving at his home to find is wife’s limp lifeless corpse in the upstairs hallway on a carpet soaked in her blood. No one knows who made the anonymous 911 call a half an hour after Harry left the diner but given there were gaps in Harry’s alibi and the police would pin this one on him.
The killer was calculating and an opportunist they waited outside Harry’s house as the argument heated to a boil knowing this was the moment they had been waiting weeks for, with Harry gone the stranger could pick the door lock and slip inside unnoticed. The killer was a clever one wearing a black full body Tyvek suit, barefoot with booties, vinyl gloves, clean shaven face and hood tightly covering their scalp–they would leave no DNA no trace. There was even a get-away vehicle parked a block away with false plates and the interior was lined and sealed meticulously with heavy painters plastic and duct tape keeping the entire interior liquid proof right up to the edges of the glass and the drivers side door handle. When this stalker wearing the remote starter key around his neck, was finished with his business he need only press a button and his conveyance would be ready to go.
Only tonight he didn’t have any need to pick the lock, Harry stormed out of the house slamming the door behind him as his wife sat in the living room quietly crying, the neighbors heard everything up to that point but her weeping was too soft. The next morning when the cops arrived the neighbors account would be damning to Harry, as far as they knew everything was quiet before the door slammed for a number of minutes. Long enough it seemed to implicate Harry in her death. The stalker listened carefully as they quietly entered the house for the weeping to assure they crept in unnoticed, the living room was off to the left of the welcoming area and the kitchen and dining room were to the right out of view with the stair case just off the exit from the living room. The creeper would need a knife to start with then some of Harry’s clothes so they had to be quick and quiet. The drawer near the sink was slid open carefully and quietly as the killer listened while her soft weeping continued unaware of their presence.
This predator moved quietly from the kitchen to the stair case in the shadows catching a glimpse of their prey from her back as the ascended the stair case swiftly and quietly making for the bedroom where Harry’s clothes would be. A size smaller than Harry the killer donned his clothes over the Tyvek suit, undershirt, briefs, socks, pants, belt, long sleeve, and shoes. They were not taken from the closet–too clean. There was a laundry hamper in the master bath, the clothes needed obvious evidence of wear the shoes were the ones Harry kicked off and left by the bathroom door everything was worn over the Tyvek suit to give the impression that Harry was the killer. One more detail needed taken care of–adjusting the thermostat.
The killer turned off the heat it was a very cool evening and this would help lower her body temperature quicker which would throw off the time of death. The killer would wait in the hall on the stairs for her to come up stairs listening as her weeping changed pitch, still soft, she was stirring and coming toward the stairs. Turning past them in the darkened hallway unaware that she had seconds left to live. The killer cleared their throat, just as she turned toward the sound the knife stabbed into her severing her wind pipe and piercing her spine. One quick motion and the job was done, they would wait another hour as the house cooled down and reset the thermostat.
Walking through the blood pool to leave tracks for the cops to see and exiting through the rear door toward the alley way to the vehicle at the end of the block where Harry’s path crossed theirs just minutes before the bloody clothes were thrown in a dumpster along the alley way and an empty back pack was nearby giving the illusion that this was planned and carried out by Harry, the killer washed the Tyvek suit lightly that they wore using a neighbors garden hose after ditching the clothes giving the impression that Harry was covering his tracks leaving a puddle with diluted blood evidence. Police dogs would follow the scent the next day retracing the killers steps up to the cross point and then Harry’s up to the bar finding all the evidence along the way from the bloody clothes to the back pack. The blood trail would stop in the alley way but the scent from Harry’s clothes would misdirect. The Killer calmly got into the car and without even spinning a wheel in haste drove off into the night–laying rubber and making unnecessary noise would have been a bad idea, the set up needed to remain perfect–Harry would need to go down for this.
What sort of person would go so far to frame a man for murder with such meticulous detail? Harry was the only suspect and he was no where to be found that morning when the cops arrived to see the body lying there he had no decent alibi for his wife’s murder. Everything pointed to him from the looks of the scene he had killed his wife with the kitchen knife, scrambled down the steps, and out the back door, stripped down, tossed the bloody clothes, hosed off any blood still on him and changed into a fresh set before walking to the bar. The police interviewed the bartender that day and he said he saw the man they described stating that he came in a little ragged looking, but not too out of the ordinary of course the pub was a little crowded so he did not have time to make very deep observations. The bartender didn’t recall seeing when he left or how, while Harry was hailing the cab on the street outside of view from the exit. They didn’t even strike up any conversations he paid his tab and left without so much as a word.
Harry was calmly walking home to a red and blue hornets nest, a lot of guys wearing khaki uniforms and stars on their chests would have a lot of questions for him but he wouldn’t have any of the answers. Somebody had it out for him, but nobody knew, the scene was meticulously staged to look as if he were the culprit. By the time he had arrived everything fell into place just as the killer had planned it. The cops questioned Harry about the fight the neighbors had heard the night before keeping him in an interrogation room for 36 hours, but Harry didn’t crack. There was enough circumstantial evidence to point suspicion to Harry but there were no fingerprints to be found on the murder weapon, or latent blood traces on him to prove with certainty other than the bloody clothing. No traces of blood at the bar, in the cab or at the diner, but he was still the only likely suspect–Harry had no apparent enemies. Harry was released that evening and told to go to a hotel since investigators were still busy processing the crime scene they didn’t have enough yet to keep him in custody and didn’t manage to force a confession out of him.
He checked into a motel off the highway near a truck stop that night with just the clothes on his back, the unmarked police cruisers followed him all the way from booking as he hailed a cab keeping watch following from a distance. As he closed the door he sat down on the bed in that little room, and like his wife the night before he quietly wept. Thankfully, Harry’s youngest daughter was away on a year long internship before starting college–the news wouldn’t reach her for a few days.
The next morning Harry awoke got up from his bed and peeked through the shades. He spotted the tail across the street that had been following him since he left the jailhouse. Unmarked cop cars were obvious even without the light bar, the stickers, and the plastic wall between the seats. It wasn’t like those detective flicks where a plain clothed cop drove around in some kind of big old boat of a Cadillac and stuck a light to the top of it. Cop cars marked or not were of the same standard design primer black rims with small chrome hub caps, one small antenna over the trunk aside from the AM/FM and always had those faintly visible red and blue flashers inside the grill. Cops didn’t have a Hollywood budget and huge fleets of different vehicles. Once in a while they would use a drug seizure vehicle for undercover work but that was rare. Just a single unmarked vehicle keeping tabs on Harry, he would have to shake at some point today. First things first Harry would go out for breakfast and gather his thoughts.
The truck stop would do. Harry would sit down for coffee and toast then make his way through the kitchen and out the back alley way before the cops noticed anything. He would be on the run–no stopping now. In custody or under surveillance Harry would have no way of finding out who killed his wife or why. Time under the microscope or time in a jail cell would not help matters, the law believed they had their suspect dead to rights. If Harry didn’t make his move then he would never get the chance, his tail was keeping tabs while the detectives mobilized just miles away processing his arrest warrant, but as far as his pursuers knew he was in the truck stop waiting to be placed under arrest. Meanwhile he was blocks away 15 minutes ahead of the chase bearing down on him.
Harry needed to find a payphone and catch a cab, there was no one he could really trust except maybe Vicki. They had a clear connection that early morning sitting down to breakfast. The Dispatcher relayed the call to Vicki’s cab she wouldn’t notice the fare she was picking up until Harry was comfortable in the back seat.
“Take me to this hotel” the voice in the back said.
Barely recognizable without the slur to Vicki it took her a second to realize it was her fare from the bar that early morning before, all she knew was he was in trouble. The police tossed her cab for evidence while he was detained finding nothing, her conversation with him before had given no indication that he was anything more than a tired husband but certainly no cold blooded killer. The cab pulled away from the curb and headed north out of the county limits.
Vicki’s cab pulled up to the office of the new motel miles from the established search area where city and county officials were looking for Harry. News hadn’t even got out with his description yet on the news since they were hoping to have him contained before his disappearance went public. The only reports in the news up to this point had been about the stabbing death in Tacoma two nights before but it was a brief summary before anchors cued the weekend weather report. He would be certain to get at least one more decent nights sleep before his picture was all over the state and enough time to make necessary changes to his appearance, so as not to arouse further suspicion.
He didn’t think about changing his appearance Vicki would take care of that for him after dropping him off she headed for the pharmacy browsing the isles for some things. Trimmers, razors, scissors, hair dye boxes, a toothbrush, and reading glasses–low magnification lenses so that the distortion was minimal Harry would still need practice walking with them on to avoid bumping into things. She paid for the items at the counter in cash and avoided her face showing on the store cameras. One more stop and she would return to the motel–a small quiet thrift shop, the mom and pop kind of place with no cameras and picked Harry out of some informal wear. Good enough to blend in to the crowd she thought to herself.
Before heading back to the motel she would have to ditch the cab several blocks away and bus herself back to the motel. They would have one night to pull this off and find another place to hide.
Four hours after Harry checked in to the room as he was unwinding and calculating his next move a quiet knock came at the door. Surprised to see Vicki on the other side of the peep hole he let her in the room.
“It took a while to get all this.” she paused and commanded,”strip down and get in the tub, we’re giving you a makeover and we don’t have much time.”
He quietly complied still taken aback at the amount of assistance Vicki was giving him when all he expected of her was to remain quiet, but her plan was far better and would buy Harry more time to find the killer on his own terms. In the tub Harry would scrub himself clean while Vicki unpacked the items she had purchased from the pharmacy. Mixing bottles of dyes together and unwrapping the toothbrush which she would use to apply them each for a natural blending of hair colors.
Making it appear as natural as possible with subtle coloring changes which as combed would blend and seem natural entirely covering Harry’s gray without the obvious dyed look turning to a luxurious natural looking dark brown. She would blend every follicle while he sat in the tub in the process making him look 15 years younger at a quick glance detailed down to the brows and lashes-dying lashes is a difficult task but using a mascara wand she kept in her purse and a steady hand she was able to avoid getting any into the eyes themselves.
Nothing could be done about the subtle wrinkle lines on the face but the illusion was good enough to evade immediate visual detection. Harry rinsed clean and Vicki gave him a haircut to complete the look. When Harry left the bathroom to change clothes she also took a little time to alter her own hair as well using the rest of the red and black dyes then bagged the trimmings and packaging giving the bathroom a thorough once over to remove any evidence that a change had taken place.
They would leave just after sunset giving Harry another two hours to rest before making way to some longer term habitation where Vicki had a girlfriend who was away in Japan on business for 4 months was leasing giving Vicki a key to watch the place once a week. Harry would wake up and they would walk south about ten blocks before catching a transit bus heading north toward down town Seattle. While riding the bus Vicki was clutching the grocery bags containing Harry’s old wardrobe and the disguise kit which was immediately tossed right into the buildings running garbage incinerator before they made their way up the freight elevator.
“I don’t know why you are doing all of this for me.”Harry said as she closed the door behind them.
Harry had not said very much to her since answering the door at the motel. Vicki had taken charge keeping him on the move and from harm since meeting up with him again. The police in Tacoma were stumped over the vanishing act, and it only made Harry look even more guilty. By now his picture was all over the news as the manhunt began, his new disguise would only buy him so much time to find out who did this before the full force of the law bared down upon him. Time was still running out for Harry.
He laid upon the bed tilting his head to the side watching the second hand on the alarm clock ticking away the seconds as his eyes shut. The radio was on in the living room softly playing Robert Plant when the shapely silhouette of Vicki entered the doorway strolled over and lay beside him stroking his face while wiping his sleeping tears. Dreaming of his wife in her last moments seeing only a shadowy figure like a phantom stalking her. Dragging from the woman he long loved her very last breath, while watching helplessly the terror in her eyes silently screaming to him as he was restrained by the dark he peered through his life’s love slip away in slow motion. Watching the knife fall to the carpet as her body slumped down draining blood.
The dream had incorporated the soft sounds of the music as it played running along with the slow motion nightmare in his mind while settling into REM sleep,”Darkness, Darkness, Be my pillow, Take my head and let me sleep, In the coolness of your shadow, In the silence of your deep…” To tired from running for the disturbing visuals to stir Harry from slumber the only outward indications were the tears Vicki continually wiped from his cheeks. As the music played on Plant continues to sing,”Darkness, Darkness, Long and lonesome, Is the day that brings me here, I have felt the edge of sadness, I have known the depths of fear…”
His mind ran through every possibility why going through his past, he had no apparent enemies the only conceivable thing would be that it was a friend from a long time past he had chosen to disconnect from while turning his own life around. One name came to mind as he slept and that was Alex. They did not exactly part on the best of terms when they were younger they had been close since they were kids but went separate ways when Harry decided to get away from the kinds of trouble they usually found themselves in and started college. Harry longed for a life of stability leaving behind Alex to his wild child ways. While Harry was college bound Alex was prison bound serving his first term which would be the first of many.
No longer thick as thieves Harry was leaving that life behind trying to make a place for himself in the world while Alex ran amok. Briefly while still younger in adulthood after some separation they attempted to resolve their differences but the combination was like mixing matches and jet fuel. Harry was never a big fan of Alex’s behavior but Alex had a way of dragging Harry down to that level at times while Harry wound up trying to clean up the mess and keeping the both of them out of more serious trouble. Harry eventually had enough of it trying to help Alex and removed himself from Alex’s life, there was just no saving Alex from himself. Enough damage had been done that Harry found himself cleaning up his own mess while recovering from the remains of that friendship and it was during this time he met her.
Alex was out of the picture finding himself serving a second sentence in prison for aggravated assault with no connection to the outside world. And Harry was repaying society for a DUI he received while in the course of their dwindling friendship, he had managed to dig his own hole during all of Alex’s chaos while out seeking some sort of close female companionship. Harry was a handsome young man but the stress of remaining friends with Alex took its toll on him, he sought comfort in the naked embraces of strange women he barely knew just for a few moments of pleasure.
With that came the drinking, Harry’s addiction was not the alcohol but sexual contact. He had no chemical dependence, it just came with the territory that drinks and sex were associated–he was willing to take more risks just to get laid. Even to the point where his inebriation after a night at the bar and intense sexual activity in that parking lot had caused him to roll his car into a ditch on his way home.
For a number of years prior to this incident any stories Harry or Alex had to tell when in mixed company usually ended in the phrase ‘and then the cops came’–not exactly the statement Harry was willing to say for the rest of his life. Alex never grew up, finding himself in and out of prison, while Harry finished cleaning up his own messes eventually overcoming his checkered past. Alex was no enemy in any conventional sense, he was disturbed, it was hard to tell beneath various drug addictions Alex had dealt with in his lifetime which masked it. When he was clean he was still manipulative, calculating, and persuasive as he could be when he was high, but he was also severely manic and psychopathic the drugs usually masked that element of his personality as the cause but the drugs were not responsible.
Alex self medicated never seeing a shrink unless prison officials made him and in sessions he continued to be manipulative. He was great at making people believe differently about him, that it was the drugs and not biology which made him the violent creature society saw him as. Alex had advanced instincts as a predator making his surroundings adapt to him rather than adapting himself. Both Harry and Alex were good at sizing up a situation and taking advantage as young men. The major difference was that Harry had an honest streak Alex sometimes couldn’t stand while Alex seemingly lacked a conscience.
Harry continued to dream as the radio played, with Vicki now curled up beside him sleeping, Harry’s mind wandered from memory to memory piecing together the puzzles of his past. All that running, so they lay exhausted sleeping in until noon. Harry awoke first as the radio crackled updating the report on the manhunt that has now gone statewide. Harry stretched and walked to the kitchen to make a late breakfast turning on the TV in the living room to see the report and what picture police provided to the public. He wore the reading glasses as he fumbled around looking for a skillet and grabbed some eggs from the fridge There wasn’t very much food in the place but he found a dusty can of hash in the pantry and a few other things to pull together a meal and began to cook.
The smells from the kitchen stirred Vicki awake no coffee but there was tea and a pot. Harry made tea a bit stronger than most people he boiled 6 bags in the pot making it as black as any cup of Joe you could get at a restaurant poring the hot liquid into two cups as the toaster popped up and the hash and eggs finished cooking.
They sat down to breakfast in the dining nook listening to the news in the living room as police were interviewed and began their conversation.
“You asked why I would Help you yesterday?”she said inquisitively.
And Harry replied,” You gave me no answer, just had me rushing.”
Vicki responded, “Keeping ourselves on the move was critical to your safety, I believe you couldn’t have done something like this. I had you sized up in the diner–you don’t seem capable of such a thing. To use a poker term the tells were all wrong. You were definitely stressed out that morning but nothing I could see indicates any cause for violence.”
” I suppose I was having a bad day, yes.” Harry returned and continued,” But why help me this much?”
She sipped her cup of hot black tea and spoke,”The cops tossed my cab that night, at first I thought they were looking for blood evidence, but that wasn’t it.”she paused and played with the fork in her hash stirring then continued,”They were looking for an item and since I gave you my card at the diner the cops had cause to visit me that day, and a warrant to search my cab for it. A wedding band, your wife’s I suspect. From what I could gather in casual conversation they found yours at home and hers was missing.”
“I know I didn’t take her wedding ring. The cops made no mention of it being missing” Harry started back.
Vicki finished,”I kept an eye on you while we were driving, it’s a tough neighborhood so I was cautious. I didn’t notice any strange movement I didn’t see you drop a ring because your hands were always in plain sight. Even when the car got tossed by the cops they found nothing–not a damn thing.”
“Then my wife’s ring is still missing?” Harry asked.
She responded,”No, whoever did this has it, and its the only thing that links them to your wife’s death.”
“Alex.” Harry said.
Vicki responded,”Who is Alex, can he help?”
“Oh hell no! He is of no help, but he is someone I need to find.”Harry returned.
“You think this Alex may be involved don’t you?” she asked.
Harry didn’t just think it he knew it.
Their conversation continued on into mid afternoon started as Harry said,”Let me tell you a little more about Alex…”
He then began his story as he recalled it from the memories still fresh on his mind from sleeping through it all that morning.
Vicki had access to her girlfriends car so they had a mode for mobility. Harry couldn’t safely drive himself wearing those damn glasses and her girlfriend had a laptop computer on the bookshelf in the living room. Harry needed to dig up some quick information on Alex to work from, so Harry and Vicki left the apartment that evening to do some good old fashioned war driving. War driving was a term for hacking wifi spots while on the move.
Hackers left marks in chalk or stencils and spray paint where nodes could be accessed to get on the web in public places with little to no detection or security–nearly a lost art some say. Harry would need to find Alex’s state DOC record to make certain of his release dates and last known whereabouts before planning a shake down of anyone who might be close to him, as well as the records of other convicted felons and acquaintances from their shared past. There was minimal risk that any of these guys would go to the cops more than likely some of them would find Alex for Harry without ever realizing it, believing that they were just warning him.
Vicki would park the car along a side street near some large public building while Harry established a link with a Wifi router. Harry accessed it using command line code to take advantage of the vulnerabilities and gather data specifically targeting the department of corrections web sites, to find court case summaries and state inmate rosters. Allowing themselves only a few minutes before moving on to the next node gathering lists of Alex’s associates and cellmates. Who was out, who was in, who was on probation who was fully released, whoever has crossed paths on record with Alex in every conceivable way was copied to the hard drive.
Harry and Vicki would go back to the apartment and she would just wait listening to the news, cooking something or go out to the market to stock up a little fresh produce and meat running errands. He sifted through the lists taking down names with a pen and paper eliminating associates until he had two he was positive could point him in the exact direction of Alex. She returned from her last errand picking up a few odd things Harry had requested, four small wireless CD/MP3 adapters for a car stereo which transmits to FM bands, a micro cassette recorder (very hard to find in the age of MP3’s) watch batteries, a soldering iron, a police scanner as well as other miscellaneous odds and ends she couldn’t make heads or tails of. Harry was building some simple spy equipment using some knowledge he had picked up through the years tinkering with electronics as a hobby being a licensed HAM radio operator.
He stripped the adapters from their plastic casing removing the plug socket and replacing it with tiny ultra sensitive microphones and taped two button cells to the lead wires to power up the listening devices when they were switched on. Harry soldered an insulated wire to the printed board antenna and bypassed their limiting diodes doubling the transmission range. Adjusting variable resistors to change the transmission range to just outside commercial broadcast where the scanner could pick it up from a half a mile away, By using the air traffic radio bands near the FM spectrum but far from the regularly used channels listening and whistling as he tuned the devices to exact frequency. When he finished he wrapped them in black tape leaving only the switches exposed. They would need to use the laptop once again but rather than war driving from spot to spot he needed a prepaid cell to act as a receiver for the modem so he could dial out to the internet to find locations.
It had a standard phone jack going into an almost antiquated piece of hardware still sold by computer manufacturers to dial out to service providers connecting people to the internet. He took apart the phone removing its microphone and speaker wiring the line into it then closing the case back up before hooking it to the lap top. Manually dialing out to a free service provider timing his connection to the clicks and screams of the modem.
Everything was ready to go except Harry, he wasn’t certain he was out just to clear his name or kill the man responsible for his wife’s murder. Every other thing was in place perfectly, he would hunt Alex down it wouldn’t fail. What would happen to Alex was unknown.
Another morning came as Vicki and Harry awoke and started packing their gear to return to Tacoma. The manhunt had cooled down with the police assuming Harry had fled the state. Even possibly the country to avoid prosecution with an accomplice, but Harry was keeping in relatively plain sight. And looking for the first of two on his list, this sick fat bastard Harry and Alex knew as teenagers named Jerry–he was the towns biggest dope dealer and also now a registered sex offender who liked creeping on teenage girls he let get high with him.
Jerry was still dealing from a house in the same part of town, and if Alex was still using habitually that fat bastard was a regular supplier of his. According to the records Alex has been out and finished with probation now for 3 months so there was no doubt he knew directly where to go for a fix if he wanted one. After a short Search on Jerry’s new address where he had set up shop. They would arrive and Harry would kick in the door. Jerry was taken by surprise, too fat and too slow to reach over for his revolver used as protection before Harry had the fat mans throat clenched.
And in an enraged tone Harry spoke,”I’m looking for Alex!”
The fat man with tears running down his face began to whimper and moan before passing out pissing in his chair. Harry checked his pulse to make sure he was still alive knowing that he wasn’t going to get anything out of him in that state or that way. Jerry didn’t recognize Harry, he just saw some man in glasses coming at him in a split second as the door came off its hinges screaming about Alex. Jerry awoke to find his pistol missing and the place ransacked. He assumed it was another dealer Alex had stiffed, so he began placing phone calls unaware of the bug his attacker had planted.
Harry and Vicki sat in their car two blocks away listening as Jerry spoke on the phone trying to track Alex down to see what was going on and why as he believed another dealer busted in his front door. Harry kept the pistol in his pants pocket concealed without Vicki’s knowledge still pondering whether just to clear his name, or kill Alex. As they listened in the second name on Harry’s list came up Jerry had called a cellmate of Alex’s who was next in line for questioning and he knew where Alex could be found. They would drive further out towards the sticks to find this man. Ernie was an old biker living in a single wide trailer behind a country bar He was Alex’s cell mate some ten years back and a serious drunk when they got out Alex occasionally did deals for Jerry using Ernie as a runner Harry pulled up his pic from the stolen files and studied it carefully so he knew who to look for.
Vicki pulled up to the tavern parking lot and they stepped out going inside casually ordering lunch and making polite conversation with the owner. Harry had a beer while Vicki sipped a soda sitting at the middle of the bar as Earl entered a little shaky putting his utility coat down on the stool closest to her ordering a double shot of gin. Harry switched on and slyly passed the second transmitter to Vicki to place in the coat. Vicki had to observe Ernie’s movements to establish the proper placement right side pockets were a bad spot for right handed people those pockets were more likely to be used and searched by the wearer.
She had to place it as far from his dominant motions necessary to prevent immediate detection where it would remain long enough to get them where they needed to go following from a safe distance. Her mind calculated as he pulled money from his left lower outer pocket his cigarettes from his right lower and lighter from the upper right when he walked in the door. His inner left pocket he drew out two scratched lottery tickets and handed to the cashier. Once she was handed the bug her choice was clear the unused outer left breast pocket she would need to carefully place it while he was distracted for a moment as the bartender poured his shot. With a single motion Vicki slid the small transmitter into the pocket as they waited while Ernie drank.
They had lunch and for a change to remain seemingly casual continued their conversation from the diner just days before, while keeping an eye on their increasingly drunk unwitting decoy. An hour would pass before Ernie had enough of that liquid courage coursing through him to go to Alex about the situation he thought Jerry had clued him in on, thinking there was just another dealer out there with a grudge, not knowing that he was the bait to get Alex and Harry together for one last moment together. Harry held the grip of the gun in his pocket still silently debating his intended actions waiting a couple minutes winding down their conversation and getting to the car, as Ernie exited the bar, walked to his trailer to grab his bike keys and ride off for Alex’s current hiding place.
This worked out perfectly, the sound of the motor turning was sufficiently loud enough to act as a homing beacon allowing them to stay in range as they followed behind at safe distances when Ernie was out of direct site. Harry was just minutes away from the decision he needed to make–kill him or get him put away for good? Vicky looked over at him seeing the muscles in Harry’s jaw clenching aware now he was struggling.
“What are you going to do if we do find him Harry?”she asked with concern in her voice.
“When we find him, I don’t know.” he said still clenching his jaw stating the ‘when’ assertively and in certainty and continued,” just say safe here in the car away from it whatever happens while it goes down and have the recorder ready to take down everything that’s said. Okay?”
She responded slightly shaking her head,”Okay.”
Ernie arrived at the place where Alex was hold up approximately 5 miles east of the tavern at an abandoned school house. Alex was squatting on the property driving the same vehicle he had used to get away from the scene that night. A burn barrel was nearby where the Tyvek suit and the painters plastic were parts of the charred remains within it. Alex had planned on planting the wife’s blood covered wedding ring in Vicki’s cab as he followed them to the diner.
He waited too long, so he was still stuck with the ring not even thinking of tossing it in the burn barrel and just melting it down. He tried to keep track of Harry at the motel after the cops released him and planned on slipping into the room unnoticed but the cops were already there too watching the place then tossing it for any evidence of his disappearance. Alex held on to the ring keeping it wrapped in cellophane from a cigarette pack until he could get back on the trail of his prey and somehow manage to plant it and tip off the cops. Alex held deep resentments for Harry’s abandonment of him and their friendship so long ago. Eventually focusing obsessively on Harry’s new life seeing it as the reason for his own turning out so horrible. All of the damned luck Harry had, Alex thought to himself, and Alex wanted to see it taken from him.
Alex didn’t know where Harry was but Harry found him. They did not immediately approach Alex’s hideout. They listened in as Ernie and Alex fought about some sort of dope deal that went wrong a month ago ending in Alex slugging Ernie and Ernie stumbling to get to his bike making a hasty retreat. He kick started the engine and rode away as Alex picked up a piece of lumber throwing it hitting Ernie in the back. Things calmed down as sunset came Harry would walk to the old school house where Alex sat. He removed the reading glasses and opened the door
“I should have known it would be you” Alex said and continued,”You tailed Ernie, and roughed up Jerry didn’t you, made them believe some other dealer was out to get me, but I know why you came here. You want to know why I killed your wife for starters?”
“That would do to start with”Harry snapped back.
Alex stood up,”Oh, that’s it isn’t it? You want to kill me? Well maybe I want you to, but I’d have rather seen you in prison first so you could see how good you had it all of those years. I kept a watchful eye on your life Harry. I saw what you made of yourself! You stepped on me and left me in the gutter. I wanted you to see life through my eyes!”
“That’s a load of crap Alex!”Harry yelled back,”If anything I did my best to pick you up, but your instincts only dragged you down further and tried to take those closest to you with it. I had enough with cleaning up your messes, now you want to drag me down with you again?! I am done! No more of this!”
Alex sprung forward at Harry screaming,”Then let’s end this here!” grabbing Harry’s throat knocking him to the school room floor trying to crush Harry’s wind pipe.
Vicki rushed from the car leaving the recorder running listening in as Harry and Alex fought. Harry threw a hard right at Alex’s jaw breaking the grip on his throat. Then with his left hand grabbed a clump of Alex’s hair punching him in the chest while his arms flailed wildly trying to make contact with Harry getting in a couple of lucky hits just long enough to break free and resume his melee he began clawing at Harry’s face. Harry kicked Alex in the stomach knocking him back ten feet Alex a bit disoriented stumbled forward.
“Why did you kill her and not me you bastard!” Harry yelled.
Alex growled like an animal responding,”Because you deserved to die, but I just didn’t like seeing you get the things you deserved anymore, not even that! I wanted you to suffer!”
Alex lunged toward Harry one last time as Harry side stepped him swatting Alex with the butt of the revolver on the back of the neck putting Alex to the floor, as Vicki ran toward the schoolhouse and began shouting,”Harry, No!” when one shot rang out.
She came running into the building seeing Harry standing over Alex in tears.
“You killed him?” she cried.
“No, He’ll live.” Harry said as he dialed out to 911, there was no tone other than the flashing screen saying it connected since the phone had been altered so there was no sound but the police would be on their way within 20 minutes to investigate the signal tracking it through GPS.
Harry did not end Alex’s life as he wished for. Once Alex was on the floor Harry drew in close with the revolver sure not to miss and put one slug directly into Alex’s spine between the lungs but below the heart. Alex would live the rest of his days in a wheelchair in prison still blaming Harry for all his problems.
“I really thought you were going to kill him Harry.”she said.
Harry answered back,”me too, but I couldn’t.”
“Did you get her ring back?” She returned.
He bowed his head,”Not yet, I’ll have to let the cops sort it all out first.”
Harry unloaded the pistol barrel throwing the bullets out a window tossed the gun in the corner. He walked out and sat on the schoolhouse porch. It was dark, now he could see faintly off in the distance the red and blue lights closing in. Vicki stood behind him as they waited.
The voice recorder in the car finished its loop finishing with a click as the first police car turned on to the field.