Page 9 of Pose for Me
I want Agent Bauer to feel unsteady.
While I want him to know someone was here, I don’t want him to immediately get it, not until his guard is down, not realizing he had a guest he didn’t invite.
So, I go over to side of the bed that’s opposite the door and pull out the corner of his sheets, letting the material hang. It’s not much, but with how precise he is, he’ll notice.
I smile at my work, then leave his apartment to prepare his next surprise.
My hands itch to sketch.
A white man, dark hair, pale skin.
A white shirt stained with blood and black pants that hug his frame.
One sock on his left foot, the other foot bare.
Lying face down, his brains exploded from his head.
A sledgehammer beside him.
Eyes open, mouth slack.
I look downat the man that I’ve posed, his eyes wide and peering up at me in fear. He can’t move, as I’ve injected him with a paralytic, but his gaze, full of terror, gives me what I need.
I heft the sledgehammer, weighing it in my hands. “I’ve never used one before,” I tell him, circling his prone body. I stop and tug one of his pant legs a little higher so it mirrors my drawing, then walk around his body once more to ensure his pose is perfect.
I got lucky. My current victim is almost the same size as me, so I was able to use clothes I already had, after I washed them several times to ensure none of my DNA was on them, of course.
“It’ll be messy. But it’s easier this way, don’t you think?” I ask, though I don’t expect a response. I circle back so I can see his face.
His eyes plead with me, his mouth open and slack, though I know he longs to beg for his life.
The sledgehammer is awkward, not feeling as good in my hand as my fifteen blade , but I’m not complaining.
I lower myself to my haunches and push some stray hairs off my victim’s forehead.
Liam Burns. We go to the same grocery store. I’ve seen him once or twice before but only felt the urge to pose him when I saw him two days ago after following my favorite FBI agent.
I didn’t even give myself time to stalk Liam to ensure he wouldn’t be missed. I just waited for him outside of his condo when he went grocery shopping.
When he pulled up to his home, arms laden with groceries, I injected him with a paralytic and dumped him in my trunk, along with bags. Like I always do, I kept him captive, watching him over the past two days as I dug into his background.
I found out later that he’s divorced and estranged from his family, so no one will be looking for him for a while.
I’ve never questioned how this…almost sixth sense of mine works when it comes to choosing my victims. There is hardly a time I find someone that doesn’t live alone or has little to no family. It just happens that way.
Tears leak from Liam’s eyes, even as revulsion enters his gaze when I touch him. I disgust him.
Good.
I rise to my full height and walk around his body again, dragging the sledgehammer behind me. Even though he can’t talk or scream, I know he’s afraid. I can feel the fear coming off him in waves, and I soak it up.
When I’m in position behind him, I say, “You’ll make a good gift, I suppose.”
I raise the sledgehammer and bring it down on Liam’s head. Once, twice, three times, until his skull gives way, blood and brain matter expelling from the hole in his head.
Panting, I step back and admire my handiwork. Liam’s body twitches, the last signs of life leaving him.
Smiling, I drop the sledgehammer close to his body, precisely how I drew it. I slide my gloved hands into my jacket pocket and pull out the sketch.
