How did I end up here? What time is it? Oh, not again…. This can’t be….Is she dead? ….I gotta get the hell out of here before someone finds me with this person, whoever she is. George picked-up his clothes off the floor, got dressed, and walked out. No one in the building saw or heard him. Five in the morning; everyone was asleep. That was fortunate for him but not the victim. He needed to figure out what happened. Who was this woman? Why does this keep happening? He doesn’t understand.
George arrived at his apartment, stripped, and took a long hot shower. There was some blood on his shirt. Better throw the clothes out. I’ll put everything in a garbage bag and drop it in the can in the alley. Today is garbage day. I can’t have anyone think I had anything to do with this because I didn’t. What happened??? Think…I left work yesterday and awoke in this woman’s bed. But she’s dead….who did it? …That’s it. Someone got into the apartment and killed the woman. Maybe a jealous boyfriend or husband? He left me alone. Phew…lucky….I didn’t know her. I don’t know how I got in her bed. I’m going to have breakfast, dress for work, and go in like nothing is wrong because nothing is wrong. I didn’t do anything.
George decided not to worry about it. Someone else did it and the police will find that person. But what about the other people? There were so many more. Everywhere I go….It must be a coincidence. Yes, that’s what it is…a coincidence. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
##
“Someone must have seen something,” said exasperated Detective Joe Miller of the Major Case Squad to his partner Bill Kelby at the scene of the latest murder.
“No one saw anything at any of the other murders. Why should this be any different?” replied Kelby.
The bed was covered in blood and a 6” hunting knife was stuck in the back of the latest victim. All the details were the same. Each body was nude; no struggle. There was what looked like semen on the dead woman’s back. “Call forensics and see what they can come up with. Maybe some fingerprints and ask them to check if this is semen like the others,” said Miller.
“How can this happen without someone seeing something? Would you please explain it to me?”
“Oh, someone saw something, like the murderer. He must be covered in blood. How did he walk out of here unnoticed? There are no bloody footprints. What did he do? Fly across the room?”
“Bring a change of clothes in a suitcase?” said Kelby sarcastically.
“Now don’t be funny. Seriously, where are the bloody clothes? He didn’t wash them or leave them behind. What’d he do? Bring a garbage bag in his pocket. There isn’t any blood in the shower. How’d he kill them and not get blood on himself? …Makes no sense.” Shaking his head, Miller said. “Unless he murders them in the nude. Of course that’s it! His clothes are on a chair. After he kills, he dresses and leaves. That’s why there isn’t any blood. Maybe there’s some on his body but he showers when he arrives home and tosses the clothes. We’re dealing with a sicko.”
“You’re just figuring that out now. This makes five dead bodies and we’re no closer to solving it than we were at the first murder. Different parts of town, different people, different races, and sexes. I’d like to know where they met. In an era of the swinging 70s disco, this twisted person has his pick of places and people. Seriously, this person must be out of his mind,” replied Kelby
“This is out of our league. We need to consult the department shrink on this one asap.”
“Let’s go see Dr. Delmonico.”
##
“Well, after reviewing the autopsies and evidence collected, what you have here, in my expert opinion, is two different personalities inhabiting the same body. One may know the other exists or may not. But you better find this person soon or he’ll kill again and again. You’re up to five. I suspect this isn’t new. He’s probably been killing in other cities. You need to put this on the wire and find out if any place has a string of unsolved killings that don’t match a pattern.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you know how many places there are to contact?” said Miller.
“Then you better get started because you haven’t seen anything yet. If it is repressive personality disorder, and I think it is, then the killer rears its ugly head after having a stressful day. But back to the murders at hand…. Let’s assume for a moment, he works for a tyrant or lives with a dominant parent or partner, one that abused him mentally and physically. Let’s also assume he is a submissive personality which means he takes the abuse. The boss puts him down or the mother yells at him for being late or his girlfriend or boyfriend says he can’t do anything right. ‘You lazy, good for nothing so and so,’ someone says for example. Whatever it is, he can’t speak up for himself. The dominant personality comes out. He goes to bars, dances, discos, wherever, and mingles. Wherever people congregate, he’s the life of the party. He isn’t a bad-looking person. In fact, I be he’s nice-looking. He’s a good conversationalist, fun personality, as five people found out when they asked him back to their place for sex. That’s the key. He goes back to their place, never his. He goes with anyone. Doesn’t matter the race or sex. Of the five dead people, four are women: Black, Hispanic, Asian, Filipina, and one white man. So far, four of the people were traced to nightclubs and bars in the area. The man was a prostitute. Maybe that was a spur of the moment thing because he couldn’t find someone to hook up with in a bar.”
“We checked the flop house where the man was found dead. They rent by the hour. The flop house manager was so drunk he didn’t know who was coming or going,” said Kelby.
“We’ve interviewed all the places that the dead people visited and nothing,” added Miller.
“Well, go back and interview again. Now you have a fifth person to add to the list. He’s an equal opportunity killer. The only statistics I can give you about him is he’s probably on the taller side because he has been able to subdue his victims. I’d say maybe 6’. He ties them up and stuffs a tie or ascot in their mouth so they can’t scream. It takes strength to hold someone down, bind their arms and legs, and shove a knife in their back. He has sex with each victim with no condom before killing them. One more thing….”
“More bad news?” replied Kelby.
“After he shoves the knife in the back of his victim, he has a second orgasm. Forensics confirmed it with all five victims. For him, it’s a better come if you will. Killing them completes the sex act for him. I believe after the second orgasm he changes back to the submissive personality,” said Delmonico confidently.
“Christ, not a dominant fetish,” said Miller rolling his eyes.
“He has sex with them. They roll over to go to sleep. He ties them up, murders them and gets off on it. Terrific, worse than kinky,” said Kelby.
##
“Hey Georgie,” said one of his co-workers.
“I asked you not to call me that.”
“The boss wants you.”
George picks up, goes into the office, and shuts the door.
“I reviewed your work and found it to be subpar. Why don’t you follow company policy?” George stares at his boss like he isn’t there while he goes on and on about what a poor worker he is. “Maybe you should consider going back to the home? Do you understand?”
“Yes sir, I understand?”
George emerges from the boss’s office with his head down. Everyone’s looks at him. They try not to laugh.
He goes back to his cubicle and works through lunch so he can leave early.
Four o’clock couldn’t come fast enough. George leaves. Thank God, I can get the hell out of there until Monday. I’m free. I can’t wait to go out tonight. I think I’ll quit this two-bit job on Monday. The boss can kiss my ass. I’ve never been to Phoenix. Maybe I’ll try my luck there.
The cycle continues.
George morphs into his other personality, Bennett. He takes a long shower and puts on his finest suit. He checks himself out in the mirror. Hey, good looking, head up, shoulders back, oozing confidence because I am one lucky son of a bitch. Money is no object. He lives frugally in a one-room place that has a bed, dresser, closet, and TV. He spends his money on clothes, having a good time, and being the life of the party. To hell with everyone! There are always new people to meet, to go to bed with, to kill….
##
“Hi, I’m Bennett. I’d like to buy you a drink if you are interested.”
“Sure, you’re cute,” said Jose.
“Come here often?”
“A few times but you’re new.”
“Yes, I’m not from around here but I decided to check this place out tonight. Well, let’s have a few drinks and dance some.”
“I’d love to.”
Bennett is the life of the nightclub. It comes upon closing time, 2 a.m. He buys the last round for himself and his new friend. “You know this party doesn’t have to end.”
“No?”
‘Well, I don’t live near here but if you want, we can take it to your place.”
“Love to. I live around the corner.”
They downed their drinks and headed off.
##
“Damn it. Number six. This man was not a prostitute. In fact, he was a businessman: a pillar of the community. If we don’t solve this soon, we’re going to be walking a beat in the kiddie park.” said Detective Miller. “Tonight I want every available detective and off duty cop, I don’t care if you have to pull them off of sick leave, vacation, or whatever else they’re doing, to go undercover in every bar, nightclub, and dance place in the surrounding area. Dr. Delmonico believes whoever it is, will be out Someone has seen something.”
The wire lit up. Delmonico was right. There have been unsolved murders in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas that fit the pattern: six, five, and seven to be exact.
“It looks like he moves a lot.”
“We have to catch him tonight before he decides to leave town,” said Miller.
##
Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week. Oh, yeah for some people, but not for me. Yeah, baby, Yeah. I’m going out and have some f-u-n. Fun. I heard Aladdin’s is exciting. Yeah…Aladdin’s. That’s where I’m going tonight. This fellow is off to get some action.
##
“Now you get this through your heads, he’s going to be out there tonight. We don’t have a clue what he looks like but we’re looking for a guy who’s the life of the party: self-assured, charming, charismatic, probably spending lots of money on drinks. A good dancer who talks to women as well as men. He likes everybody. He kills everybody. We’ve got six dead bodies in the morgue each one with a 6” knife wound in their back and semen where he stabs them. He may be carrying a small bag or the knife is in his pocket. We checked knives shops in the area and came up empty but he could have bought them at hunting shows or sporting goods stores so that doesn’t mean anything. He ties up his victims but in two of the murders, he used his tie, not rope. Gags them too. He’s evolving. Take nothing for granted. You see something, you call it in. We’ll probably be hauling in innocent people but we don’t have a choice. Go with your gut. If someone is not acting right, move in. Got it? Got it!
##
“Your name is…..?
“Francine.”
“Francine? Pretty name. I’m Bennett. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Yes, that would be great.”
“Waitress?” Bennett motions to her.
“Yes?”
“I’ll have a Screwdriver.”
“And you, Miss?”
“I’ll have a Manhattan.”
“So you drink Screwdrivers. Is that a subliminal suggestion?
“Maybe….I just like vodka. Are you from Manhattan?
“No, but I am from New York. Ever been?
“No, but I’d like to go someday. Let’s dance.”
##
Two detectives enter Aladdin’s checking out the bar and dance floor and they immediately pick up on Bennett. They watch intensely as he dances with the young Asian lady he’s with. He’s quite the showman on floor. They go back to their table to drink their drinks and stay a couple the whole evening and as the bar starts to empty at 2 a.m., she asks him home. The detectives follow them out to her place. They have no evidence yet. They are another couple making a connection on a Saturday night. It’s the 70s…. Bar hopping, discos, dancing, free love, murder….
Miller and Kelby stared through the window while Francine offered Bennett a drink. They watch intensely while he drinks his drink and she starts to undress. He finishes his drink and drops his clothes on the floor and he makes passionate love to her.
“You know, I feel like we’re a couple of perverts,” said Miller.
“Well, there are ten other teams, peeking in ten other windows, so they must be perverts too,” replies Kelby.
“But if he’s our guy, then we aren’t, right?”
“Right!”
“What a stinking way to spend a Saturday night,” complains Miller.
Miller and Kelby think they have their man. They watch as Bennett and Francine finish making love. She rolls over on her side to go to sleep. He rolls over the other direction and goes for his necktie and the knife in the coat pocket. He stuffs the tie in her mouth and begins to tie her hands behind her back with some rope when the detectives bust in through the window and hold him down.
Bennett screamed, “What are you doing? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What’s your name?” said Detective Miller.
Bennett’s gone and George has taken his place. “My name is George Watkins. I don’t know what I’m doing here. Who is this woman? Why am I in her bed? I have no clothes on. Please, please let me get dressed. I didn’t do anything.”
“Just like Delmonico said,” said Kelby, shaking his head.
The detectives look at the woman while they untie her. “You’re a very lucky young lady. You were almost his seventh victim,” said Miller.