Page 73 of Hello, Listener
His eyes shoot daggers into mine as he stalks back towards my chair. My body shakes from the intense amount of pain from the large gash he made in my leg. The burning pain of my large wound, ormarkas Alan calls it, stays constant against the cold metal chair. My arms and legs are nearly frozen by the lack of heat in Alan’sstorage unit. I wait for his response, and my earlier question goes unanswered.
“Who have you killed for me, Alan?”
He continues to look up at me while he kneels next to Jace’s unmoving body.
“Well, Jace, of course.” His eyes scan down my form while he removes Jace’s Vans. I can feel the bile start to climb up my throat after hearing the matter-of-fact tone in his voice. “I started with Ruban Ara.”
“Who?” I ask through my loud sobs.
“Ruben Ara.” Alan glares up at me. “He tried to touch you, Thalia.” He throws Jace’s shoe to the side, and my thoughts start to connect.
“You killed him because he hit on me?” My cries turn into yells.
“Look at you, Listener. Finally fucking paying attention. "
His attention moves back to Jace and removes his other shoe. He tugs hard on the sole and throws it out of the way.
“You killed him, removed his eyes and his fingers, and set him up in the alley because he wanted to sleep with me? Do you realize how ridiculous that is?” The volume of my tone gets louder, filling the tense space in between us. He lets out a small laugh and pulls off one of Jace's black socks.How is this at all funny?
“How long ago did you kill Jace?” Jace’s skin is no longer the golden brown complexion it once was. His outer layer of flesh is now tinted with a light hint of grey.
“How long has he been missing?” He throws the socks to the side near the shoes.How can this be so easy for you?“I killed him the night you thought he was ignoring your calls and your texts. Wrapped him up in that roll of carpet over there.” He points to a large pile of stained, tan flooring in the corner of the unit. “Afterthat, I stored him in the maintenance closet of your apartment complex.” The hot bile that I was once able to swallow fills up my throat. More vomit adds to the pile next to my chair. “And before you ask why, he was going to give you drugs, Thalia. There was no way I was going to visit you in prison.” He gently lays Jace’s feet down on the tarp.
Alan clears his throat and pulls at the waistband of Jace’s jeans. “I first used this saw on Ashley’s body.” He gives me a small glance in between pausing his thought process to notice my reaction. “Cutting into her flesh was something unexplainable.” The expression on his face is comparable to a man reminiscing over a happy memory.What the fuck?!
“Who’s Ashley, Alan?” My throat goes dry.Jace was one victim too many.
“She was my wife,Thalia,” he retorts, adding emphasis on my name. “She doesn’t matter. She never really mattered. Our marriage was more of a financial convenience.” He pauses again while sliding the denim down Jace’s thighs. “She was in my way of getting where I wanted to be with you.”
“You killed your wife?” I feel the tears start to form in my eyes.
“Yes, I did. I killed her so I could haveyou.” His face contorts into a new manifestation from him, one that I’ve never seen before. I notice the bright green eyes that have hooked me in so many times have become glossy.
He clears his throat and starts to move the bottom of Jace’s shirt up his chest.
“Anyone else?”
“One more, baby.” He rises up from his crouched position and walks to his phone, propped up on the black tripod.
“You killed four people?” My dry heaves mix with heavy cries.
“All for you, Listener.EverythingI do is for you.”
I study him as he scrolls through his phone as if he just told me about the weather forecast, not his admission to murder. He opens up the device to the local news source.
“Just in time. It looks like they found her just where I put her.” Alan turns his phone around and shows me the screen. Police surround the alley next to The Neon Rose. Her body is mostly surrounded by law enforcement, and I’m only able to see her pale, slender arm in the small space between people. “Let’s see what they have to say, shall we?” He turns up the volume, and the woman’s voice on the evening news grows louder.
“Police are reporting a new body discovered just outside The Neon Rose Lounge.” Her voice trails off, and I focus on Alan. He turns the phone screen towards himself and stares intently. He rubs his chin while looking at the scene as if he’s taking in constructive criticism from their news report. “Police have no suspects at this time, but are calling the killer The Shadow. The vic-” The news reporter’s voice cuts off as he locks the screen.
“The Shadow. That’s interesting.” He props the phone back into the tripod.
“Why her?”Do I want to know the answer to this question?
“Because she wasn’t you.” His emerald eyes go glossy again.
Aside from Jace’s boxers, all of his clothes have been removed. This will make the separation of his limbs so much easier for disposal. I reach for my charged mini saw and place the blade against the ashen colored skin on his ankles. Thalia stops the incision by asking more of her emotionally charged questions.What now?
“Stop!” She yells before I press the on button on the device. “What are you going to do to him?” She peers down at his body, and I can’t help the wide smile that moves across my face.
