A Dallas Suite

Chapter Fourteen

Jeff was standing behind the barricade of officers, trying to get a view of anything like all of the other people were. He was planning on Michael being found quickly, but not before he had even made it into work. He was expecting to hear about the story breaking on the morning news.

He accounted for the top floor being closed and empty, but he had forgotten about the janitor who cleans it every night. After going home to change his bloody clothes, he was walking back to work when he saw the commotion. Not even an hour had passed. It was a small mistake that he would be sure to not make again.

He had a list of people to work through and he wouldn't be able to finish his work if he made careless mistakes like this one. He'd have to go over his planning to ensure there were no more flaws.

Jeff looked around at the crowd of people he was standing with. He was pissed about his error, but took a moment to appreciate his work. He wasn't supposed to have a second name crossed off of the list for two more days. In less than 24 hours he had already taken out his first two victims.

This one may have been discovered sooner than he liked, but the killing itself still went flawlessly. No one had seen it happen and he was sure no one saw him leaving the garage after. He reflected on his work and how much progress he had already made. He was originally worried about starting all this, but it seemed like it may be easier than he had originally imagined.

As long as he could keep the secrecy and avoid leaving behind any clues, he might even get away with it all in the end. Knives weren't like bullets, there was no way they could be tracked down and linked to an owner. And up to this point, he didn't need to worry about any DNA being left behind. There was probably hair and fingerprints from every hotel employee somewhere around Diggs' body. If forensics found anything and questioned him, working there was an easy defense to that.

Jeff was almost smiling as he fantasized more about his plan all coming together when an unmarked car pulled into the other side of the barricade. A tall, handsome man got out. He had longer hair than most cops that was combed over into a stylish side part. He was wearing a fitted gray suit and it was obvious that he was in great shape under the threads. He was without a doubt a very handsome guy and he walked past the cops into the parking garage with his shoulders pulled back, taking long strides for steps. There was a confidence there that people generally lacked nowadays.

He had been around cops a lot, but Jeff didn't recognize this man. He didn't like how confident he appeared. A confident, go-getter detective could put a big stint in his efforts if they were to find any leads this quickly. But again, Jeff was sure he had nothing to worry about. Not yet anyways. He was too good at what he did to worry.

Jeff decided enough time enjoying the chaos caused by him had passed. He turned away from the garage and started the short walk back to work.