CHAPTER 3 (Round and round we go)
I was busy with the profile for the serial killer, when Roberto, brought me a cup of coffee. “Sorry about earlier on, all those questions, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I know how you are around death.”
“Don’t sweat it, I know you are only doing your job. I don’t see a connection between the serial killer and this death. This looks like a crime of passion, minus the passion. I think someone gave her too much of the “good stuff “, she OD’d, and they dumped her body. As for all the cuts, I can’t explain that at all. Have you spoken to the Aunt?”
“Yeah, she took it really bad. No boyfriend over here. From what the Aunt told us. Liz was supposed to meet, a friend at the Plaza, time unknown, she was only here, in Alvorada, for a week, then she and this friend were supposed to go to Bonito, for a week of camping. The Aunt has no idea who the friend is, so I have my men calling the parents, and her roommate back home. This is a mess, that is all I do know. And that the poor girl died a virgin.”
“Roberto, this serial killer, I stake my name on it, it is a man, not a young man. He has intercourse with all the older females, right? And never with his or her male victims right? This guy has Mother issues, or sister issues, he either relates to the young ones, and wants to keep their virtue intact, or he is hurting the older females, due to a childhood trauma. From what I have read thus far, your UNSUB, is not old and not young, middle aged. Females are his prime focus, if a male comes along, it is his back luck, but the UNSUB won’t seek out a male. He doesn’t rape, he has in his mind intercourse with the female. I see no samples, and no semen, thus far. You are looking for a needle in a hay stack my friend. But he might slip up, they become lazy, the longer they get away with it. So search the bodies again. Look for a mark, my gut says, he marks them, so they will be his even in the afterlife. Hey the UNSUB is mental, that’s why you have me.” We both stopped laughing when the Chief walked in. “Good to see you doctor Alvesio, so what can you tell us?” I re-told what I told Roberto. The chief slapped me on the back. “Well done, doc, that is more than we had an our ago.”
“Stupid, dumb bastard, why is there blood on your shirt? Did you fuck her? Was it good?” Slap-slap. “Stop it! Just fucking stop it….” I have never shouted at Mama.
“I need to go, I have passengers but I will come in later, and complete the profile, I think Marisa is working late, she went out late last night. Tchau Roberto.”
ROBERTO: I have known Ian all my life. I used to see the bruises he hid under layers of clothes. He always ran. By the time we reached Senior High, he was the best in Bonito, that Mother of his was something else. I never went into that house. We lived two doors down, and I could hear how she would cuss. She could make a sailor blush, and dirty, the woman was filthy, she slept with anything that would pay. When Ian was about thirteen, we came home late, from track practice. He said to me, just walk on I think my Mama has a man in the house, so he peeked through the window, so that he would not walk in on them, she saw him, and beat him like a dog in the street. Her neighbour had to pull her off Ian. Ian had a broken rib, two teeth missing and so many bruises, I could count them. She promised never to lay a hand on the boy, we were all dirt poor, and we didn’t want the Welfare and Child services involved, so the incident was never reported. We should have, it’s unbelievable, how. “What if I …” Can change the outcome of a situation. Well we studied hard, and Ian won a scholarship. He studied psychology, then went even further and got his Masters of Science degree. He always ran, that is how he met Marisa, he had literally run her over, they got married a few months after they met, and well twenty years later, and I am starting to notice a few cracks. I think Marisa, and that doctor sexy Grayston are having an affair, I can’t hurt Ian like this. He is not looking well, he reminds me of what he used to look like living with the wicked witch of das Flores road. No those were not good days, we worked to move up and to better our lives. But I am worried about Ian, that look in his eyes, I hope he is not off his med’s, not that he is violent, the guy saves kittens from trees, he becomes too quiet, too much of a recluse when his past comes back to haunt him. I can’t tell Marisa, and not now if they are having marital problems. I have to wonder if he did go to the beach, and if he didn’t play with Liz, and is too ashamed to tell me, hell I would understand, she was stunning and he is a very attractive man, I wish he would confide in me, that’s why I asked him where he was, he got the wrong impression, Ian, well Ian is very sensitive, years of abuse will do that to the strongest soul. I will keep an eye on him, as a friend. And I will have to have a chit-chat with Marisa, I will devastate Ian, if he ever found out, I think that will push him way over the edge, he is hanging on by one finger, per se’.
IAN: I decided to put last night behind me. Marisa phoned to say she is working late, so I prepared supper, I left it in the microwave oven, and a note, that I loved her. She got home in the early hours again. I thought things were better, but when I tried to kiss her, she said she was tired. She has never said that before, so I turned, and went back to sleep. I want to get up early and go for a run. I am off today, so I think I will go to the beach, I haven’t surfed in ages.
I got up early, didn’t pack a suit. I had a text from Roberto. “Howdy, you must have gotten busy, please get to the profile ASAP.” Oh shit, I forgot about that, okay, after the beach then. I didn’t kiss Marisa, I know we are going through a bad patch, I blame both of us, all couples have their ups and downs. So I run. Run faster Ian, run. Slap-slap. Throb-throb, the same routine every day. I avoided the park, I think that is where I saw Liz, but why would I talk to a girl? I dislike girls. And she was a virgin, I would never disrespect a girl. Slap-slap. Did you screw her? Was it good?” I ran faster, pushed harder. Listen to your pulse Ian. Throb-throb. It is the only way, I can keep him at bay, I listen to my pulse. Throb-throb. I showered and changed, I shower a few times a day. Old habit. I checked the car for any traces of Liz. “Why would there be traces of Liz?” Gee Ian, maybe you do need to go back on your med. I know I saw her, but I cannot remember dropping her off at the Plaza. I can only remember glimpses, glimpses of her breasts. I stopped at the side of the road, and I puked. No, I never saw her breasts, I don’t know the girl.
I went down to the beach, it was still relatively cool. It will rain later. I surfed for about an hour, then showered, and I was on my way to the precinct. I switched on the radio. “My dream maker, my heart breaker…… hello Ian.”
BRENO: “Ola’ amigo.”
“Morning Roberto.”
“How far are you with the profile?”
“I am done, so what happened with the Campbell case?”
“Damn this is a good report, obrigado. Oh the chief closed the case, as a drug over dose, and some sexual crap that went wrong, the body is on its way home, one down, poor kid.”
“Yeah.” Poor kid my ass, that poor kid wanted me so badly I had to get her a life jacket. This is a massive albatross around Ian’s neck, he has no clue, and the idiot would have led the cops right to us, so I changed the profile, dumb ass. So Marisa is screwing around. I thought as much. Not that I blame her, Ian would bore a frog to death. I could smell it on her, Ian, oh Ian is too dense. Poor broken abused Ian, if I didn’t come along, he would never have achieved anything, and that bitch that he called his Mama, poor schmuck would still be abusing him, and he can’t see the trees for the woods, he can’t see what I made him. Well I need to get out of here, Roberto is a pal, but he is not mine, and seeing that Marisa has a fuck-buddy, I need to get some, before Ian dies of blue-balls.
“Roberto, have a good day, I am off, because I am off, I need to catch a few waves, and cook for my lovely wife, she is working overtime tonight, tourist season.” Roberto didn’t believe it either. I could see it in his eyes, I see everything Ian sweeps under the carpet. And I like looking.
Dispatch had sent me a job, well I deleted the details, and I went and picked up the client. Shit a guy, I don’t do guys, well I will have to improvise. He was a local, he wanted me to drive him all the way to Bonito. I drove him all the way to the boathouse. He was game after I drugged him, he was real fun, I like having fun.
IAN:” Breno, stop, this is not right, you do things that are morally wrong, please just stop.”
BRENO: “I do things that are morally wrong, and Marisa, what is she doing to us Ian?”
IAN: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
BRENO: “Why don’t you go check if she is at the hospital, when I am finished here….”
After a blowjob the boy bored me. So I tied him up. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to kill him, then I thought about it, I don’t think I want to kill him, I don’t feel inspired. So I drove him to Bonito, and logged it. He was still as drunk as a skunk, and he won’t remember anything. “I am glad you called me, you should never drive when you are so drunk.”
“I didn’t drink anything, Senhor.”
“Yeah that’s what they all say, now be safe.” And thanks for an amazing blowjob. That was my little secret. It was time to give Ian his boring life back, today was as boring as Marisa’s cooking. So I gave Ian his head back. He was so confused on the drive back to Alvorada, I had to smile, he did listen, he drove straight to the hospital, and asked for Doctor Alvesio. The nurse, said she had left, hours ago. “Then doctor Grayston?”
“No Senhor, he is off today, can any of the other doctors help you?”
“No, I don’t think a doctor can help me.” I drove home. Marisa would be home. I parked the car. “Hi babe, I am home.” Only silence greeted me. No, Breno is just messing with my mind. I called her cellular, it was off. Then I got into my car and I started looking for her, with a murderer at large, I feared for my wife. Why did I go to the hospital? What did I want there? Hell I am really screwed up, I have to go finish the profile, I am heading past the precinct, why am I looking for Marisa, she is at the store. I know, we just spoke on the phone. Silly goose. I am getting paranoid in my old age.
“Hi Roberto, I won’t be long, I just need to finish up the profile.”
“Ian, you handed it in a few hours ago, before you went surfing.” Roberto had a very troubled expression. “Yes, I know, I meant, I thought of something I wanted to add.”
When in the hell did I finish the profile. Oh my God, Breno. “Roberto, can I read over it quick?”
“I handed it in to the chief, don’t worry so much Ian, the chief is really impressed, so am I. With this new description, we will have him in no time.” New description? I waved and walked out of the precinct, I wonder what happened to that poor child. Liz. I hope they find who murdered her. So young, and so innocent. I drove home. “Hi babe I am home.”
“Hi babe, in the kitchen.”
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