Chapter 20

The shed drove him crazy. Marc Anthony knew there was something significant about it, something significant to why Keith spent time in the shed and it had nothing to do with changing oil or building shelves. He flipped his burger over and watched Nancy’s coming and going. He was starting to pick up on her habits, schedule and routine. He also noticed Keith had a routine that was not to be messed with.

He liked dinner served at a certain time, he wanted the housework taken care of before he got home and couldn’t understand why the children were taking so much of her time. Marc Anthony got to know his mark really well. Marc Anthony wanted to see what Keith was up to when he went to work. Luckily, as a private investigator, Marc Anthony learned how to follow a target without being made. Marc Anthony saw Keith meet with clients and potential clients, do paperwork, and, lately Keith has been taking walks in the south side of town. This was a new development, Marc Anthony thought. Keith walked the business streets along the area looking at some of the boarded-up buildings.

There was a reasonable explanation for that, Marc Anthony thought, he might want to purchase some of the buildings and start new businesses. But, Marc Anthony doubted it. Marc Anthony watched him walk back to his car and drive back home. The stormy expression didn’t look good for Nancy, Marc Anthony thought.

Keith got into his car, drove home and parked in the driveway. He sat there for a few minutes thinking about his next move. He knew that he shouldn’t try to take another girl, which just made the desire stronger. He spoke with Nancy about sending Christopher to bed every night at the same time, whether Keith was there or not.

“I know I said it was OK,” Keith told her. “I am saying now it is not OK. He needs to go to bed at the same time. It is healthier for him.”

Nancy just nodded. She knew Keith was in trouble and it was her fault. She couldn’t get control over her own son.

Keith would just look and imagine, until things calmed down. He had to take a sabbatical before, four years to be exact. He needed to grow his business and that took a lot of concentration. It was the panties of the first four girls that got him through those dry years. He would be spending more time in his shed, reliving every attack, smelling their fear and feeling something intimate that belonged to them. Nancy didn’t ask about his little hobby. She and the kids weren’t allowed in the shed. It was a man’s space, he told her. He didn’t want children in there; they could get hurt. He didn’t want her in there; it was his space.

He pulled his key from the ignition and walked into the house. Nancy had dinner ready and the kids were cleaned up and ready for the evening. Keith took off his jacket and Nancy hung it up and made his plate. She served him, made the kids' plates and served them. Then she was able to eat as soon as the kids were fed.

“Nancy,” Keith chided, “you didn’t ask me how my day was.”

Nancy took a deep breath, Keith was in one of his moods, “How was your day?”

“I don’t think you really want to know, I think you are asking because I told you to,” Keith said.

“I do want to know,” Nancy insisted, “I just thought I would get the children out of the way and we could have a nice, quiet conversation.”

“I don’t believe you,” Keith said as he threw down his knife. “I do everything I can to make a good life for you and you take it all for granted.”

“I am not taking anything for granted,” Nancy pleaded, “please, just tell me how to please you.”

Keith’s outburst made Clarissa cry, “Shut that brat up, now.”

“She is just a child,” Nancy said as she took the baby from the table to her room. She walked her and patted her back. “Shh, shhh, it is OK. Everything is OK.”

Christopher saw that Christina was through with her food and asked if she wanted to go play in his room. He didn’t want her around Keith when he was grumpy.

Both excused themselves from the table and went to Christopher’s room. They passed by Clarissa’s room and saw their mother. Christopher asked Nancy if it was OK if they all played in his room.

Nancy nodded.

“I will keep them safe,” Christopher said as he ushered them into his room.

Keith finished his dinner, ceremoniously dropped his knife and fork on his plate. “Clean this mess up,” he told Nancy as he got up and went out to the shed.

Nancy watched him go out, looked at the plates on the table and started to clear everything off. She made sure the dining room and kitchen were spotless before he came back in. He spent more time in his shed than normal and Nancy noticed.

Marc Anthony watched Keith unlock the shed and walk in, Keith stayed there for thirty minutes before coming back out. Marc Anthony noticed that Keith was pleasant enough around his clients, but his staff and his family were taking the brunt of his temper. If he was the Killing Fields Killer, he was starting to crack. Marc Anthony just needed to sit back and watch it happen.

He placed a call to his girlfriend. Strange that he was thinking of her like that. Melissa was the only one who knew who he was and didn’t run for the hills. Maybe all those articles talking about how women tended to go for the craziest men were on to something. After all, Keith was married, Marc Anthony thought.

“This is Dr. Styles.”

“That is so sexy,” Marc Anthony said. “How are you? How did your day go?”

“Fine,” Melissa said. “I saw the girl you rescued from her mother and that man. She calls you an avenging angel.”

“How is she doing,” Marc Anthony sat down at his table.

“She is good, she is doing good.” Melissa said. “She understands a lot more than what children should need to understand. You did good work.”

“So what happens to her now? She can’t stay at the shelter forever,” Marc Anthony didn’t want her to get lost in the system. He didn’t go through dispatching a monster only to deliver her into the clutches of another monster courtesy of the state.

“There is an orphanage in Bulverde,” Melissa said. “It is run by an upstanding and responsible charity. They will educate her, train her and prepare her for adulthood. I have checked them out thoroughly. She might be a bit old to be adopted, but they will see her through.”

“That is good,” Marc Anthony nodded. “So, you want to come over for a while? Have dinner?”

Melissa laughed, “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“A little food, a little frisky fun,” Marc Anthony teased.

“How can I say no to that?”

An hour later, Melissa and Marc Anthony sat on his back porch enjoying the cool evening. They ate and both sipped on a smooth merlot looking at the fireflies dancing in the night.

“I want to ask your opinion about something,” Marc Anthony said looking at the shed. “We talked about Keith before, you said he has a dark side. I think he is responsible for killing those girls and I think he is hunting for his next mark.”

“Are you sure?” Melissa looks at him.

“Yeah,” Marc Anthony said. “You tend to see the signs of someone who hunts when you do some hunting yourself.”

Melissa just nodded, she understood, “the only reason I am asking is everyone is looking for this guy.”

“I know, it just makes things more intense,” Marc Anthony pointed out. “He knows he can’t do anything right now. Normally, not being active might not bother him much, but right now it is driving him crazy.”

“Do you think he will get sloppy or reckless?” Melissa took another sip of her wine. She let the warm liquid calm her fears. She personally didn’t have anything to fear from Keith, but she was worried about Veronica.

“He might,” Marc Anthony said. “You are worried about something?”

“Someone,” Melissa admitted. “Someone who means a lot to me.”

“I see,” Marc Anthony put his glass on the table in front of him, “want to tell me who she is?”

“How do you know it is a girl,” Melissa asked. She was always impressed with how astute Marc Anthony was.

“He doesn’t go after men or boys,” Marc Anthony pointed out. “So, this person you are worried about is a young woman who is part of his M.O.”

Melissa nodded, “Veronica Conway has caught his attention, as you well know. She gave him a mark to remember her by and I am sure that is not something he is likely to forgive.”

“No, I would have to agree, Ridgewood is not very forgiving,” Marc Anthony said, remembering a scathing dressing down he gave Nancy for not having dinner ready on time. “I am thinking about stepping in here.”

“Stepping in, how?” Melissa said carefully.

“I am going to invite Keith on a little trip to the farm,” Marc Anthony smiled innocently.

“You know, if I was any other woman who didn’t know better: I would think sure take him to the farm and give him a good talking to,” Melissa said sarcastically. “Luckily, I know better and I know that you wouldn’t bring him back.”

“I don’t see the issue,” Marc Anthony said.

“The issue is Keith Ridgewood is a family man with a family who will miss him,” Melissa said. “They will report him as missing and that will bring the authorities down on your head.”

“Not if he goes missing from the south side,” Marc Anthony said. “That would be a Lobos issue. As you said, police presence is not tolerated there.”

“Marc Anthony,” Melissa started to plead, “I don’t want you to get caught up in this. Let the police handle it.”

“The wheels of justice and all that?”

“I know they can move slowly,” Melissa said. “But if they catch him and convict him they would put him away for the rest of his life.”

“Until the state sets his execution date,” Marc Anthony said drily.

“Please promise me you will give the police a chance to do their job,” Melissa said.

Marc Anthony looked at her. She wasn’t doubting his ability, she just didn’t want anything to happen to him.

“I promise I will let Keith Ridgewood continue to breathe and the police capture him. But,” Marc Anthony held up his index finger, ‘if he kills one more person. All bets are off and he goes to the hogs.”

“Then I hope the police find him before he can kill anyone,” Melissa said.

The heat was back on and Keith was feeling the pressure. His attorney called to ask him about going to the station and donating DNA, he told his attorney that he wasn’t going to submit any DNA, the police could get a warrant. He was short-tempered with Nancy and even took to screaming at the little twit who wouldn’t stop crying. The more he screamed the faster she would try to get breakfast or dinner on the table, the cleaner and quieter the kids got and the more she ran around making sure he was seen to, comfortable and sated. Keith’s disposition never improved.

Keith couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for her to just do what he wanted when he wanted. Right now, he wanted peace and quiet. He didn’t want to hear the children’s squabbles, he didn’t want to hear her try to soothe them, he just wanted to relax and watch some television.

“Can’t you shut those fucking brats up for five goddamn minutes?” Keith bellowed.

Nancy looked up from the dishes she was doing, the children weren’t particularly loud, they were just playing before bed.

“They will be in bed in fifteen minutes,” Nancy said. “They are just playing. They will be asleep soon.”

“I want them asleep now,” Keith got up and started yelling in her face. “Now, dammit, not five minutes from now, not fifteen minutes from now, but now.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hallway to the kids’ rooms. Christopher had his own room and the girls were sharing a room.

“OK, OK,” Nancy said as she quickly threw her hands up, “I will get them in bed. Just go watch the rest of your television show.”

“I will watch it in my room,” Keith flung her towards the door and stalked to his room.

Nancy nodded, rapped on the door and started the process of putting the kids to bed. Later she went back to washing the dishes, cleaned the living room and made sure the dining table was wiped down.

Nancy turned off the lights and decided to go out to the back porch for some air. She sniffed and hiccupped back a sob. She had been crying a lot lately. This isn’t the kind of life she wanted. She didn’t want to be afraid to walk into her own house, walk into her own bedroom. But it wasn’t her house, it was Keith’s. It wasn’t her bedroom, it was Keith’s.

“Children should be allowed to play. Children should be allowed to make noise,” Nancy said out loud in a trembling voice. “They should be allowed to make a mess and get dirty.”

“I agree,” came a soft male voice.

Nancy sharply inhaled, “Keith?” Her voice was a small screech.

“It’s Marc Anthony,” Marc Anthony came out from the shadows.

Nancy stepped back, this man was just as dangerous as her husband and she didn’t want to arouse Keith’s jealousy.

“I am sorry for disturbing you, Mr. Anthony,” Nancy said. “I should get going.”

“Nancy, I want to help you,” Marc Anthony said smoothly. “I think I can help you.”

Nancy shook her head, “I don’t need help,” she whispered.

“Then why are you whispering?”

“I don’t want to disturb Keith, he has been having a hard time at work,” Nancy explained. “The new house…”

“How is that going by the way?” Mark Anthony asked.

“Good,” Nancy said. “We should be able to move in in a couple of months.”

Marc Anthony just nodded, “I am a private investigator, Nancy, I can help you find the information you need.”

Nancy shook her head, “Like what?”

“For you, financial information,” Marc Anthony said. “I can tell you where he has every penny, right down to the change jar on his dresser.”

“I should go inside,” Nancy said softly. “Thank you.”

Marc Anthony nodded.

“I know who killed Casey,” Veronica said. She was sitting back in Shorty’s office with a Coke in her hand. Shorty greeted Veronica with his usual hospitality, he offered her a seat and then a drink.

“What?” Shorty said as he crossed the desk to sit next to Veronica on the couch.

“I have known for a while,” Veronica said. “I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Who killed her?” Shorty grabbed her shoulders. “Who killed Casey?”

Veronica nearly spilled her drink. She took a gulp of it and placed it down on the table. Shorty ran a hand through his hair and started to pace.

“His name is Keith Ridgewood,” Veronica said. “He killed Casey and all those other girls who were buried in that field.”

“How long have you known?”

“A few weeks,” Veronica admitted. “I thought the police would have him in custody by now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Shorty was about to cry. “I deserved to know.”

“I am telling you because I think you deserve to know,” Veronica said. “The police said there is not enough evidence to take him into custody. They need a DNA sample, they can’t get a warrant based on my testimony alone. I was hoping one of the “brothers” might have seen him hanging around the night Casey died.”

“I can ask,” Shorty said.

“Great, if anyone remembers anything, call me and I will set up a meeting at the coffee shop,” Veronica got up to leave.

“No cops,” Shorty said firmly.

“No cops,” Veronica conceded, “just me, my brother and you and your ‘brother’.”