Chapter 2

Kevin felt as if he had received a sucker punch in his belly. Nothing would have prepared him for what the detective had just told him.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked. His heart was hammering wildly against his chest, and his hands were unsteady.

“It seems you don't understand what is at stake here ", Tomayo continued, noticing the frightened look on his face. “Those dead women you see in those photographs are known to you."

“You bluff!” Kevin snapped. He got to his feet and pointed a thick, manicured finger at Tomayo “Detective, you are a damn funny man. To me, this seems as if I'm auditioning for a comedy movie you are planning to produce. The only problem is that I don't wish to be in your film. For Christ sakes, what am I even doing in this place? "

Tomayo grimaced. This was not the way he had anticipated things. If the situation is not carefully curtailed, he might be out of a job in a few days. All this man had to do was put a call to his superiors, and he would be kicked out like a ghetto rat.

“Mr. Carter," Tomayo said in a quiet low voice, “I don't think you understand all this. Are you to tell me you don't recognize the faces of any of these dead women in these photographs? "

Kevin grinned mirthlessly.

“I don't, alright! Can I take my leave now? “He asked, already getting out of his chair and moving towards the door.

“Alright," Tomayo said tartly. “If that's what you want. I can't hold you. But please answer me; do you know a woman by the name of Jessica Hill? "

The name hit Kevin like a sledgehammer, and he froze in his strides. He peered back over his shoulders.

“How the hell do you know Jessica?” he demanded hotly.

“You heard me right ", Tomayo continued, seeing that a look of recognition had registered on Kevin's face “What of Ella Brown? Are you to tell me you don't know her too? "

In one swift motion, Kevin walked back to the desk

“What’s my private life got to with you, detective?” He said in a harsh voice. “How the hell do you know the women I'm going out with?”

“Mr. Carter “Tomayo raised his hands in exasperation.” It's not your private life I am concerned with. It's theirs,” he said, pointing his hands to the glossy photographs on the desk.

Kevin studied the detective's face for a moment then a sudden realization hit. It hit him so much that he felt cold; as if a Siberian wind had blown on him. He picked up the photographs and studied them carefully. That was when he recognized the dead faces.

“Detective!” he said in a low, shaky voice. “What in God's name are you talking about?”

Tomayo drew in a long, shuddering breath.

“Jessica Hill and Ella Brown are both dead. These are photographs taking from their crime scenes. Jessica had been dead for two days now. Her autopsy report showed she died from a bullet wound fired from 9mm Luger. She was shot in the head. Ella was murdered last night. She was found stiff and badly burnt in her bathtub. She was electrocuted by a hairdryer supposedly tossed into the bathtub. We figured the killer did that. We found some ID in their rooms; that's how we were able to identify them. We recovered their cell phones and went through the call logs. We saw some numbers, but the funniest thing is that your cell phone number stood out. It seems you're the only man these two dead women had been talking with. You've been calling these two women, especially Jessica Hill.” He paused and went on.

“Jessica does not have any friends, family or relations here in Miami. We found just only one number on her phone, and it belonged to you. From the look of things, you're the only one she talks with. Ella had just ten numbers on her phones. We found your number; two were her best friends, some belonged to her colleagues in the airline agency, and the rest were her long-distance families. The problem here is that two women, who by no chance are related to each other are dead, have your number on their cell phones. That's something we cannot even ignore. So, you see, Mr. Carter, everything narrows back to you."

Kevin legs suddenly felt boneless, and he dropped into a chair. His face was wet with sweat, and his hands were shaking. He fumbled inside his pockets for a pack of cigarette. With unsteady hands, he lit it and drew in smoke. Jessica! Ella! The names rang like a bell in his head. How could they be dead? Had he not taken Ella out just last night? How could she have wound up dead? Indeed, this detective must have gotten the whole thing mixed up.

"Are you alright?” Tomayo asked, watching Kevin's face curiously.

Kevin jolted back to reality and looked at Tomayo, who was looking at him with keen interests.

“Shit!” Kevin said his voice suddenly hoarse. He clenched his fist and slammed it into his open palm.

Tomayo regarded him for a long moment. Inwardly, he knew the names of the women he had mentioned had hit home. The deflated look on Kevin's face had told him everything he needed to know. Kevin noticed that the detective was watching him closely, and a dark scowl settled on his face.

“What do you want me to say?” he said, giving Tomayo a cold look.

Tomayo drew in a sharp breath.

“What I want from you is to tell me everything you know about these dead women, Mr. Carter. I repeat everything."

Kevin dipped his hand into his pockets and brought out a handkerchief. He wiped the sweat on his face and stubbed out his cigarette.

“I met Jessica at a nightclub. We've been together for some time now. Sorry, but I can't really remember for how long. We've been seeing a lot of each other. The last time I saw her was the day I promise to take her to meet my families though that was a lie on my part. The next day I nearly forgot to call her. And when I even did call her, there was no answer at all. "

“And you did not find this strange?” Tomayo asked.

Kevin nodded “Yeah! It was really strange to me. I've never known her cell phone or telephone to be totally dead. I guess it was because of how I really feel about her. That's why I didn't find out what was wrong. Sorry to say detective, I don't really like, Jessica. For me, everything between us was the sex. For her, it was marriage, and I'm not the marriage stuff kind of guy."

Tomayo heaved heavily.

“What about Ella brown?”

“Some girls I used to know in a club hooked me up with Ella. We went out together last night. But I did not take her home. I guess she took a cab home. Please, don’t ask me why I did not take her home myself, because the reason was simple even for a woman like Ella to know. I dumped her ass yesterday unofficially. I was planning to call her today and tell her about it. Ella is only interested in me for my looks. I get easily tired of women that do that."

Tomayo regarded him for a long moment.

“Jessica lives in an apartment in Millionaire rows. That apartment cost a whale of money. Unlike Ella, an air hostess, Jessica does nothing for a living, yet everything we found in the apartment must have cost a lot. I wonder how she could have got all those things. "

Kevin sniggered “Don’t stress your brain, detective. I got her the apartment, paid for it, and I got her the entire thing she had. She was very broke when I met her. So, I took care of her rent, bills, bought her clothes and stuff, and in return, she treated me well in bed."

Tomayo heaved heavily.

“Well," he said. “Everything you've said confirms what we've gathered here so far. You've got a strong, tight alibi for the two murder cases. On the night and in the time both women had died, you were in your home. That was the first thing we checked out. Anyway, it was Miss Hill's maid, who had come to clean the house, who discovered her body. She called us. Somebody tipped us about us, Miss Brown. We are bound to believe it was the killer. We tried to trace the call, but he cut us off before we could locate him. From the look of things, it seems this killer wants to start a game."

“A game?” Kevin said, puzzled “what kind of game?”

"It's a sick game, alright. A game of serial killing. We believe he's a serial killer, but we are not really sure yet."

Kevin arches an eyebrow.

“What’s this serial killing of a thing?”

Tomayo nodded his head.

"It's one of the worst forms of homicide crimes. It’s mostly caused by the oldest motive for murder in history which is revenge. Sometimes it's caused by an urge of releasing a kind of negative energy bottled up inside a person's mind. In serial killing, there's always a target or targets. Serial killers are always dangerous and violent. They are always out of control, and they can go on killing forever until they achieved their aim. A serial killer can kill scores of people in as much as it gives him satisfaction and conforms to certain codes he had set in his head. In your case, the women in your life seem to be the target."

Kevin drew in a sharp breath.

“And you really sure it's a serial killer?”

“Like I said, we're not really sure," Tomayo said gravely. “But since we don't really know who he is, then it's safe to assume he's one. He has killed two people who had got involved with you, and from the looks of things, he's going to kill more. I believe this killer is after the women in your life, and he's killing them to get at you. He knows your movements. So, you've got to keep watch and let your eyes stay open."

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Tomayo.

“If I'm to let my eyes stay open, what would you guys be doing? Or you're going to keep watch until this guy fixes me?"

Tomayo shook his head.

“I know their type. He's not interested in fixing you, at least not for now. I believe he wants to cause an emotional breakdown for you. That's why he kills those who are close to you. He seems to know you can't stay off women, and to him, that's your dead end."

Kevin regarded Tomayo's face for a long moment. His mind was like a whirlpool, and he could not assimilate what the detective had just told him. He brooded for a moment and rose to his feet.

“Look, I think I better clear myself out of here. I've got some serious work to attend to, and I still have to get my head wrap around these things you've told me."

Tomayo stared at him and nodded.

“Very well, Mr. Carter, I won't keep you waiting. Don't worry; from now on, my men will be on the lookout. Your house will be watched by two of my best men 24/7. But be very careful. You're a very handsome man, Mr. Carter, and women seem to be drawn to you like bees to honey. Stay off women for now. Because of your personality, we are keeping this confidential. We don't want to start a city-wide panic. If the press got a whiff on these recent killings, this could get a lot worse. "

Kevin drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. He pulled himself together, shook hands with Tomayo and walked out of the office like a man who had been hit with concrete of block on his chest.

Tomayo watched him go and grimaced. He would have loved to detain him for some time, but he had a feeling Kevin Carter was innocent. Detaining him would have been just a waste of time.

What did matter to him was what would happen if the news leaked out that the two dead women were related to Kevin Carter. The thought of the publicity, the scandal, the horror of the newspapermen, the effect on Kevin Carter's personality, the fear that a psychotic serial killer is running loose in the city, the frightful newspaper headlines that would go on and on, made Tomayo stiffen with fear. I just hope for his own sakes; he stays off women, he thought as he stared at the ceilings, his eyes black and lost.

***

In a dilapidated, clapboard apartment building fenced by rotting wooden fences was Razor’s apartment. His proper name was Bill Razor Turner.

This night, he was standing by the window, looking down into the dirty streets. His eyes surveyed the passing people and the crawling cars. Seeing nothing suspicious, he sighed. He was wearing a black silk dressing gown that had the pattern of a golden Cobra's head at the back.

The dressing gown showed his bare, barrel of a chest, covered with coarse black hair. He looked like a well-fed violent animal with his long, rugged face, amber coloured eyes, broken, flattened nose, crush ears and ugly hard mouth. Between his thick gnarled finger was a cigar which was burning anxiously.

He stood for some time, and when he lost interest in the view, he moved away from the window and crossed the room to his cocktail cabinet, which was made of rickety, croaked wood. He brought down a bottle of Jack Daniels, jerked out the cork and took a long pull from the bottle.

He drank until the spirit burned his mouth and throat, then he rammed the cork back and returned the bottle back to his rightful place. He moved to one of his old shabby looking sofas and lowered himself in it. His face was expressionless as he began to think.

He had tailed Kevin to the police headquarters. He knew the police had got a whiff of his movements, and the hunt for him was on now. How he wished he had had the opportunity to understand what Kevin had gone to discuss with the detective.

It would have added to the excitement of these killing rackets. By now, he knew some of the police officers would be watching Kevin's movement. They would follow him like a fly following a corpse to his grave. He was not bothered. This will only add to the fun. Kevin has to pay for what he made me do, he thought, I'll make him pay.

He looked at the cheap wristwatch on his hand, and a wicked smile touched his lips. Kevin will be looking for another woman by now. He was sure of that. He had watched and studied Kevin for a long time now. He knew Kevin's characters and behaviours like the back of his hand.

He knew Kevin could not stay off women, and that gave him a lot of satisfaction. This night then, he was going to see the type of woman Kevin was going to hook, and if he was lucky enough, he might soon kill again. Probably this night, that's if luck was on his side.

***

Immediately, Kevin had left the Miami Police headquarters; he had gone to his office to check on Roxy. She had told him the deal with Williamson had fallen through. She had used her wiles on him, and Williamson, who had first declined to do a meeting without seeing Kevin, later agreed.

Kevin had then given her a few tasks to do, pecked her, patted her bottom, which made her squealed with excitement and ducked out of the office. When he got home, the full impact of what detective Tomayo had told hit him afresh, and he became sober.

He had stayed indoors, thinking hard, using a bottle of whisky to kill time. The thoughts of the dead women coupled with the idea that a killer was stalking him bothered him greatly, and he hit hard on the whisky bottles, drinking like a fish. In the evening, and seeing that he had been indoors all day, he dragged himself drunkenly from where he had sat, change clothes, slid into his Ferrari, and drove hard and fast to one of the murderously expensive nightclubs in Miami Beach to cool off.

It was one of those dim-lighted clubs which the millionaires and billionaires of Miami visited. Its main purpose was to cater for the needs of rich men and women with loaded pockets. Old rich men, lonely, rich widows, playboys, handsome gigolos, money loaded gays and lesbians, professional sex workers all visited this nightclub searching for one or two things and surprisingly, this nightclub catered for all their needs.

This night, Kevin sat on the sofa in the corner of the club, a cigar burning between his fingers, face deadpan, and cold.

He looked around the bar and grimaced. He could see the hard, professional faces of bosom girls, hanging around the club, waiting for an invitation for a drink or which rich men or women would require for their services. Some of the girls were looking hungrily at him. It gave him a great sense of satisfaction to see them fawning at him, and in other to spite them, he smiled smugly at them, dragged his eyes away and puffed hard on his cigar. He was feeling better now. Coming to the club had really paid off. It had lifted the weight of what the detective had told him from his chest.

Even though he knew he had to be careful, the thought of staying away from women bothered him. So selfish was he that the knowledge that two women had died because of him did not displease so much like the thought of him staying off women. To hell with that stupid detective, he thought angrily. No killer is going to frighten me. He didn't wrong anybody. So why should he be scared?

A little after midnight, just when he thought he had had enough for the night, there was a slight commotion at the entrance, and a girl with blonde hair came into the club. Kevin, like the rest of the men in the club, stared at her curiously. Kevin's loins quivered. This was the kind of girl you saw only in the Playboy magazines.

A girl who could resurrect a male corpse: a blonde girl gorgeously built with thick, wavy hair, large, violet eyes, and thick eyelashes. Her body made him feel as if his body had been sprayed with gasoline and light had been set to it. Her big breasts were straining hard against the front of her skimpy white shirt, and her jean shorts clung to her as if they had been painted on her. Her tanned thighs were sturdy, and it glistened in the low lights of the club. By now, Kevin was sweating violently.

He regarded her luscious body, and a stab of desire went through him. He became aware that all the men in the club were gaping at her, a lascivious look on their faces. This kind of girl could bring out primitive in any man. The girl stared around the room for a moment as if she did not know what to do. Then her eyes rested on a vacant seat next to Kevin, and she moved towards it with slow, purposeful strides. She slid into the sofa where Kevin was sitting and smiled at him. It was a hard smile, and he could see it took her a great effort to smile at him.

“Can I have a smoke?” her voice was husky, and there was a musical sound to it.

Kevin did not even waste any time. He fumbled inside his jacket pockets for his cigar case. He flipped it open and selected one of the well-blended Cuban cigars. He gave it to her. She took it from him, shoved it between her small white teeth and grinned a little as Kevin lit it for her.

“Having a nice time?” she asked as she pulled hard at the cigar, drawing in smoke.

“Nope!” He replied, staring at her. “Not until you came in.”

She arched an eyebrow and laughed. She had a rich, mellow laugh she had cultivated, knowing few men could resist it.

“Is it that bad?”

Kevin scoffed.

“Is it that bad?” he asked bewildered. “I mean, look around you; almost all the men are staring at you. It’s amazing, you know. Everything was cool before you came in, and you waltzed in, and all the men became starry-eyed and tongue-tied. You really must be something."

The girl shrugged indifferently.

“Many men will stare, but only one man will the girl go home with. The only thing is that there's a catch to it. "

“What catch?” Kevin asked, thinking what a good lay she would be.

“Come on, handsome, you don't expect her to just go home with that one man without thinking of herself?” she said as she stubbed out the cigar.

He regarded her, and he could feel his blood moving through his body like a man moving through an empty house. This girl is dynamite! He thought. I wish I can have her this night.

As if reading his thought, the girl said. “I’m Debbie. I know you want me, but seeing you are tongue-tied, I best move on now”

Kevin watched her got to her feet. Alarmed that he was about to lose her, he caught her wrist as she was about to move away.

“What are you doing?” he asked, sweat glistening on his face.

“I’m taking my leave, of course ", she snapped.

“Don’t go,” he said huskily. “I’m not usually like this, but you've really stunned me."

Debbie studied his sweating face for a moment and curved her lips into a hard smile.

“What’s your name, handsome?”

“I’m Kevin! Kevin Carter”

“The millionaire?” she asked a greedy glint in her eyes now.

“Yeah!” he answered eagerly, thinking he must be mighty popular for her to know him.

“You think you've got what it takes to handle a girl like me, Mr. Carter?” she said in a way that told him she knew what his answer would be.

He moistened his lips with his tongue.

“I’ve got the looks and a whole lot of money. I think I could handle you, alright."

“Forget the looks; that are for suckers. Now, you do mention a whale of money; I think we could work on that. If you want me, there's a price to pay," she said, still watching him.

He regarded her, at first not comprehending what she had said. Then her words sank into his head, and he smiled. So, she's a whore, he thought, I should have known. She had spelt it out for him, but he had not caught on quick. But now, he knows. A goddamn whore!

“I’ll pay the price," he said after hesitating for some moment. He ran his eyes over her body, letting her know he was ready to follow her even to the moon.

“Then why are we wasting time?” She said almost impatiently.

Kevin inclined his head. He called the waiter who had served him and cleared the checks. Then, he grabbed her arm, and amidst the jeers, catcalls and whistles, the men in the room shot their way. , he steered her out to his car and drove fast and hard towards his penthouse.

***

“Gee! This place whiffs of money," Debbie said, looking around the apartment; her eyes were regarding the most expensive objects. Kevin noticed the hungry look in her eyes, and he knew she had said the words as a matter of fact and not that she really appreciated the decor job. Her mind was on the money. He was sure of that.

“All this stuff must have cost a heap of dough, right?” she said, looking at him now.

“Well, it's all money could buy ", he said warily, watching her face and seeing the greediness there.

She tossed her bag to one of the sofas and lowered herself into it. Then she crossed one leg over the other and rested her eyes on his face.

“Do you want me to get you anything?” he asked, just for the sake of saying something.

She shook her head.

“I don't want anything. I thought you wanted us to hit it off. I thought you were itching to slam your shaft into me?” she said, with a glint in her eye.

Kevin looked flustered now, despite himself.

“You needn't sound so aggressive about it,” he said “Well, isn't that the reason why I'm here?” she retorted.

He regarded her the way you regard a dead cat in a gutter.

“Debbie, you've got to use your head. Did it ever occur to you that I could really have wanted you, even knowing that you were some kind of broke ass hooker?"

She arched an eyebrow. Then she laughed a bitter hard one.

“You’re funny, Mr. Carter. A broke ass hooker! Is that what you call it these days? Alright, now that you know I'm broke, what the hell are you going to do about it, fool?"

Kevin face twisted with anger.

“Nothing!” he said harshly. “Absolutely nothing!” He moved towards the cocktail cabinet and fixed himself a drink.

All this while, Debbie was watching him the way a cat watches a mouse. There was a cold, hard look on her face, and her glossy red lips were drawn tightly. Kevin moved away from the cabinet, ignoring her as he moved towards his bedroom entrance.

“Hey!” she sneered. “Where do you think you are going?”

Kevin turned on her sharply.

“Are you still here? I've lost my appetite for you. Get the hell out. I don't want to see you!"

He went into the bedroom and stripped off angrily. He walked into the bathroom, sick bile of anger spreading through his body. The way Debbie had made it sound that he was about to bed a whore had angered him, and he felt soiled and rotten. That he could stoop so low to bring a whore to his house amazed him.

She had made it sound so bad, as if he was the one rushing to get her laid. Well, she can go screw herself, he thought, I must be really crazy to have brought her up here.

He stood tall, thick, and massive under the cold spray of water, and when he was done, he grabbed his towel, dried himself, twirl it around his waist, went out of the bathroom, and walked into the inner room. Then he stopped short in his tracks, startled beyond words.

Debbie was standing in the middle of the room. She was breathing heavily, and there was a strange, insane look in her eyes. She was clutching her handbag, and he could see her knuckles were white and taut. He felt a cold chill run up his spine “What the hell is this? What are you doing in my room?"

“You can't get rid of me easily,” she said the words in a quiet voice, but he had felt the steeliness in it.

“Look! I made a mistake, alright. I did a stupid thing by bringing you here. I'm sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight."

“But now that you are thinking straight, you don't want me anymore?”

Kevin felt the blood mounting up to his face.

“Get out of here! You want to make me puke! "

“I am not going anywhere!” She said curtly. “No man as ever refused my body. I repeat, no man! "

He was livid now. She had gone too far. As swift as a striking cobra, he moved towards her, grabbed her arms, and jerked her savagely.

“Don’t you understand?” he shouted into her face. “Get out! Scram! Whore!"

He was not prepared for what she did next. She jerked out of his hold, and in a swift motion, she swung the handbag and hit him violently across his face. The metal clasp of the bag cut him on his nose. Kevin started back, staring at her in angry astonishment, as he felt blood trickling down his face, then onto the white rug which covered the floor.

“You bastard!” She yelled. “You bloody fool! I'll fix your pretty face. You can't give me a brush-off and go away freely."

She swung the bag again. He caught her wrist and wrenched the bag from her hand. He threw it across the room and slapped her hard on her face.

“Get out!” He shouted, pointing towards the door. “Get out, or I'm going to break your jaw.”

She reacted as if she had been prodded with a hot iron; she flung herself on him and wrapped her legs tightly around his waists. Then she brought her lips hard on his mouth and thrust her tongue into his mouth. Her face became smeared with the blood from his face.

Something about what she did excite Kevin like never before. They remained like this for some time, straining against each other as they kissed, then he disengaged, peeled off her clothes and flung her on the bed savagely. He moved on top of her, loving the sight of her body.

“Quickly…quickly! Come into me!” she rasped, and she dug her nails into his flesh as he thrust his rock-hard maleness into her.

***

Bill Razor, in a dark corner of the streets, watched the penthouse with deep interest. Then he dragged his eyes to the streets, searching the whole area with thorough scrutiny. He spotted the figure of a man, standing in a pouch, the red tip of a cigarette pinpointing his face, half concealed under a pulled-down hat brim. He was not the only one.

He spotted another man, loitering around in a dark doorway, dressed in brown suits, his hat pulled down his dark face. Razor snarled. He was right. He knew the two men were keeping an eye on Kevin. From their looks, he knew these men were trained men, and their assignment was to monitor Kevin Carter's movement. The watch was on now.

He regarded the two men thoughtfully. Then he nodded to himself, and with the silence of a stalking tiger, he moved away from where he was and using the darkness of the nights and dark corners of the streets, he began to make his way towards the penthouse. He got to the fence and snarled, his lips coming off his yellow teeth.

He swung himself over the wall and walked silently and rapidly up the cinder path that led through the well-mowed garden then to the back of the penthouse. He moved towards one of the lighted windows and looked in. He saw Kevin and a woman kissing passionately on the bed, and he whistled to himself. He was right. Kevin had hooked another woman again. He watched as Kevin stood up from the bed, leaving the woman smiling at his broad back as he left the room. Hell, Razor nodded to himself. Everything was going on as planned. It was time to go to work.

Quietly, he moved away from the window side to another window side. He checked the leather skin cross bag slung across his massive chest. Inside were the items he needed; a thin silk gloves, a cordless roof saw and the long shiny chain in which the ninja blade was attached. He moved towards a window, and gathering momentum, he jumped on the window ledge. Swiftly like a ninja, he climbed up the edifice, using the window as his step foot.

When he got to the rooftop, he brought out the silk hand gloves so that when he put them on, they seemed to form a second skin on his hand. Then he brought out the cordless roof saw and looking around him furtively like a hungry owl, and he carefully trimmed open the roof of the building as noiselessly as possible. He then returned the saw to his bag and waited, his ear straining to catch any alarming sound. Satisfied, he grabbed the two edge of the open roof and jumped inside the building through the opening he had created.

He moved through the corridors of the house, knowing when to wait, retreat or move. It was as if the blueprints of the house were in his head, and he had no difficulty finding the door he was looking for. His gloved hand closed around the door handle. He waited for few minutes, and then he opened the door. He entered the bedroom and looked around, trying to see if he was in the right room. When he was sure, he grinned wickedly and listened.

There were movements and the running of the shower coming from a closed door. He crossed the room to the door and put his ear against the door. He heard the sighs and moan of a woman enjoying the spray of the shower tap, and he nodded. The woman was in the bathroom; he was sure of that.

He moved away from the door and stood stiff and motionless in the middle of the room. By now, he had brought out the flashing chain with its glittering blade, and he began to swing it gently. He knew Kevin was in the kitchen, and he knew he had to wait for the woman. He was a patient man. He snapped off the room light and waited in the darkness of the room. Then his ugly face lit up when he saw the bathroom door opened and the woman stepped out of the bathroom. ‎

***

At that moment, when Razor was about walking through the well-mowed garden, Kevin was looking at Debbie's, a satiated expression on his face.

“I’m famished ", she cooed, stroking his broad naked chest. Kevin grunted and flung her hands away.

“I’m hungry too," he said as he moved away from her, got to his feet, and twirled his thick towel around his waist. “I’ll fix something."

“Where do you think you are going?” she demanded, "We've still got four rounds to go!"

“No! We Don’t!” he answered, winking at her before moving out of the room.

Debbie stretched leisurely on the bed like an overfed cat. Feeling a bit tired, she got up from the bed and slid into the bathroom. She switched the shower tap on and stepped into the tepid water. She raised her face up, letting the water slap her gently on the front, and she cupped her breasts in her hand. When she was done, she turned off the shower and stepped out into the bedroom. Then she stiffened.

A black-clad figure was standing in the middle of the room. There was something so evil about this figure that for a few moments, she stood still like a statue, hearing only the beating of her heart, and fluttering of muscles in her legs. She wanted to scream, but the action seemed like an arduous task.

Razor watched the expression of stark terror on the face of the girl, and he snarled. He could even hear the rapid beating of her heart, and he could smell her fears. Swiftly, he moved towards her.

“I’m fixing you for life!” Razor said quietly, and a blade hooked to a long chain jumped into his hand as if by magic.

She gasped when she saw the glittering blade. Their eyes met. In that second of life that was left to her, she seemed able to read into his thoughts what he was about to do to her. Her mouth opened to scream. A vicious, frightening gleam came into her eyes, and her face, which was beautiful before, became white and taut, and she looked thirty years older. He shifted back, raised his hand, and slashed with the blade.

The blade sliced her throat, and something warm and wet sprayed his masked face. Her hand went to her throat, and blood began to slip through her fingers. She was making gurgling sounds now, sounds that an empty tap made when you turned it on. As she fell forward, she tried to cling to his chest, but he gave her a violent kick in the stomach. She fell on her side and roll over on her back and died in the pool of her blood.

***

Kevin was ecstatic as he walked to the bedroom. He had prepared bacon laced with jam, freshly squeezed orange juice and omelette, which was on a tray. “She’ll love this," he told himself. As he was about to reach the bedroom door, tray in hand, and his nose perceived something acrid. What is that smell, he asked himself? He entered the room. The room was in total darkness.

“Debbie! Debbie!" he called out, looking around the room, cold fear running up and down his spine. As he moved, something hard struck his leg, something human, and he stiffened. A body was on the floor.

Quickly, Kevin dropped the tray beside the body and groped around for the switch. He flicked the lights on and felt a pang of fear hit his chest. Debbie was on the floor, in a pool of blood, her face dead white. He moved towards the body, his movement dreamlike and knelt at her side. His eyes widen as he saw blood dripping rapidly from her throat, making a small pool around her head.

That moment, the sight of the blood really put the fear of God into him, and he suddenly felt more frightened than he had ever been before in his life. His heart was hammering wildly against his chest, and the muscles of his hands and thighs were fluttering. His mouth felt so dry and bitter.

He just knelt there, staring at the body. The whole situation took on a nightmare aspect. It was as if Debbie was practically playing a prank, and yet the sight before him was so real and vivid.

After a while, he pulled himself together, got to his feet and moved towards the telephone beside the bedpost, his movement slow and deliberate. He did not see the black-clad figure moving towards him. He was only dimly aware of it when something hard hit him on the back of his head. He felled down pole axed.

Razor looked at the body on the ground and grinned wickedly. He shifted his eyes to the truncheon in his hand. He dropped the bloody weapon and looked around the room for a long moment. Satisfied, he moved out of the bedroom, his movement swift and final.

***

"Are you alright, Mr. Carter?” a voice said.

Kevin remained still on the ground as he regained consciousness. Different voices were talking around him, knifing his senses as he tried to open his eyes. He finally opened his eyes and saw other men surrounding him, carrying a heavy flashlight in their hands. The beam of the flashlight blinded him momentarily, and he hurriedly shut his eyes and shielded his face with his hand.

‎"Take the lights off his face, Smith.” The voice sounded kind and worried.

Kevin removed his hand from his face. There was a throbbing going on inside his head with the violence of a hammer beat. He tried to sit up but fell back weakly.

"Please help him up,” the kind voice said again.

Two men came to Kevin's side and lifted him up. After a while, the hammer beat inside his head lessened, and he opened his eyes and stared around the room. There were four powerfully built uniformed men surrounding him; then he saw Detective Tomayo's grimed face. All were staring at him keenly. He could also see the police photographers, who were busy with their cameras and the fingerprint men moving in and out of the room like ants after a lump of sugar.

‎“Mr. Carter, what happened?” Tomayo asked, looking at Kevin's face curiously.

Kevin at first looked puzzled, and then the memories of what had happened came rushing back.

“I don't know,” he said quietly. “I think there was a body on the ground, and there was lots of blood too. Then something hard hit on the dead, and I blacked out."

Tomayo studied him for a moment. Then he turned to his four good, hard men who work specially with him.

‎“Smith, please be a good boy, and gets this man an ice pack. Rogue, Billy, and Jake, I want you to cover the parameters of this building. The killer might still be out there watching us, watching how things will go. "

‎The uniformed trooped out of the room in a single file. Kevin was not interested in all these. His turmoil mind could still not assimilate what had actually happened to Debbie. Smith came back into the room and gave Kevin an Ice pack. He collected it, nodded his thanks, and placed the ice on the spot the truncheon had hit him.

“Mr. Carter is there more you can tell me “Tomayo went on.

Kevin shook his head, a stupefied expression on his face.

“Where did you find the girl?” Tomayo said.

“I brought her home." Kevin said in a low voice." From a club."

Tomayo heaved heavily and nodded.

"It's all right. One of the men assigned to watch you called me. He thought he heard some strange noise from inside the house, so he made the call. My team and I came rushing down here. But all we found was a beautiful woman whose throat had been slit brutally and your unconscious body. We’ve searched everywhere necessary. There's nothing to show that someone had broken in and killed the girl. It all points back to you. It was as if you carried out the act."

Kevin regarded the detective as if he was spewing rubbish from his mouth, but Tomayo ignored his look and continued.

“Mr. Carter, you are not a suspect here, and nobody is accusing you of anything. In fact, it would be stupid to accuse you of anything. My boys and I have combed the whole house. There was nothing to show that the killer had entered this room. In fact, nothing to show he was even in this premises. “He paused as Smith entered the room holding a pack of ice in his hand. He handed it to Kevin, who collected it from his hand and nodded his thanks, and then Tomayo went on. “The only evidence here that the killer had entered this room is the body of the woman we found here and this.” He produced a big plastic bag. Inside it was a truncheon. “This was found beside your body. I think the killer used this on you but not on her. Her throat had been slit, so this could not have killed her."

Kevin regarded the truncheon, and a sudden realization hit him.

“Please, detective, you've been yakking around for the past few minutes. Please, will Debbie alright? I need to see her.”

Tomayo regarded Kevin coolly.

“You seem not to have been listening to what I've been saying all along. Debbie is dead. The paramedics came to a while ago and took her body away. She had lost a lot of blood. By now, her body will be in the morgue."

Kevin's face was white with shock, and cold fear gripped his heart. Within a week, three women had been killed because of him. Who had he offended? He wondered, what has this crazy killer got to do with me?

All this while, Tomayo kept mute, allowing Kevin to battle with his inner emotions. He gave the plastic bag to one of the fingerprint men and turned to Smith.

“Smith, will you speed me up. What do you think happened here? How could—” He cut off abruptly as one of the men rushed into the room. It was Rogue. He was panting heavily.

“Hey!” Tomayo yelled. “Cool yourself, man, and tell me what the hell is up."

Rogue nodded frantically and said, “We found something, sir. A hole. A hole in the ceiling."

Tomayo darted out of the room, with his men and Kevin right on their heels. They got to a pitch-black room except for a ray of light that slithered through a wide opening in the ceiling. Jake and Billy were already there, cradling their rifles tightly in their hands ‎

“What is this?” Kevin asked, bewildered by what was going on around him.

‎Tomayo moved towards the ray of light and stood in its centre. He studied the opening for a long moment, a serious expression on his face. Then he turned to the men who had been staring at him expectantly.

“Gentlemen," he said. “Brace yourselves because I think we've got ourselves one hell of an intelligent killer.

Kevin was furious. He never offended anybody, so what did this killer or whoever he wanted with him.

Tomayo noticed the deadly look which had settled on Kevin's face,

“Mr. Carter, you don't have to worry. I will get you this killer that I promise you," Tomayo said and turned to his men.

“Guys, please let's move out. Jake and Billy, I want you on the rooftop. Smith, Rogue, you both stay with me."‎

“Roger that, sir", Jake and Billy replied in unison before moving out of the room.

Tomayo turned to Kevin, who was staring at the hole.

“Mr. Carter! Please come with me."

The detective moved out of the room, flanked by Rogue and Smith, while Kevin followed behind.

When they got to Kevin's bedroom, Tomayo looked around the room, allowing his eyes to ferret out anything unusual. Kevin was looking at Tomayo, different thought running around his mind.

“Who do you think this killer is?” He finally said.

Tomayo grinned mirthlessly.

“Mr. Carter, our killer is really crazy in the head, but he's good. I’ll give him that. From the sordid happenings which had been occurring these last few days, I think I can tell you a little about him."

Kevin narrowed his eyes.

“What do you know about him?”

“I’d say this guy is very tactical. He has different styles of killing. He killed Jessica Hill with a gun, Ella Brown with an electric dryer and Debbie throats must have been slashed with a kind of combat blade. Killing his victims in different ways would make him unpredictable. You see, serial killers have a unique pattern of killing their victims. They stick to these patterns like paper to glue. They rarely change their patterns. Yet, this guy has killed three people in three different ways. He's struck me he's not a serial killer. I think he's a professional killer."

“My God!” Kevin said in a shaky voice.

“There’s another thing," Tomayo continued, "He wears gloves. Think, Mr. Carter! Think! Why do you think we do not have his fingerprints by now? Because he wears gloves, of course, that is the simplest explanation. And I've checked the door handles and covered the parameters of this building. There is no sign of the fact that he had entered this room or force his way in. Yet, he killed someone in this room. The only evidence that he entered this house is the hole he had created on the rooftop. This is not a guy that loves to use the front door. He's the guy that loves the sneak in, take-you-by- surprise-kind-of-thing."

Kevin grimaced. He was not yet satisfied with the detective's explanation, but somehow, he knew the man was right.

Tomayo noticed the doubts in Kevin's eyes.

“Look ", he continued.” He seems to be familiar with the architectural plans of a house. Since we don't really know who he is, then the best explanation is that he's either a structural engineer or a professional killer. If he's an engineer of some sort, it's still okay, but if he's a pro killer, then we've got a lot of problem in our hand. I mean, this guy must be really good. Believe me; he must have been watching you for some time now. He seems to know so many things about you. Narrowing all the little evidence we gathered so far, and I would say this guy is a professional killer. He isn’t the mere serial type."

Kevin swallowed hard. The thought of someone watching his every move, much more a professional killer, frightened him more than anything.

“Detective, now we are getting somewhere ", he said.” Tell me, what does he want with me?

Tomayo shrugged.

“Maybe it was a business deal gone badly. Maybe you cheated him in some business transactions, or perhaps it has to do with women. Since he's bent on killing all the women in your life, then it's safe to assume you might have cheated him based on something that has to do with a woman. That was why I gave you a strict warning to avoid women for now, but you wouldn't listen. "

Kevin drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced.

“Detective! I've never hurt anyone in my life, let alone a woman, but I think I've learnt my lesson now. I will stay off women for now," he said in a grave voice.

Tomayo eyed Kevin for a moment. Even though Kevin had said the exact words he had wanted to hear, he had an odd feeling the man was not completely honest with him.

“You just do that!” Tomayo said a bite in his voice. “It will be a shame to see another woman's death. I have an odd feeling that something worse could still happen if you don't cease from seeing women for now, and I would hate to bring you in for questioning regarding the death of anyone”

Kevin nodded, feeling cold sweat on his face.

Tomayo dragged his eyes to the fingerprint men and told them to round things up. Then he turned to Kevin again.

“Mr. Carter, you have to relax your mind, alright? The boys and I are going now. If you noticed anything dials this number. “He took out a pen from his breast pocket and a notepad from his back pocket. He scribbled a number on the notepad and gave the note to Kevin.

Kevin took the note and stared at it.

“It’s my cell phone number," Tomayo said. “Please don't hesitate to call.” Then he shook hands with Kevin, signalled to Rogue and Smith, and they strode out of the room.

After Tomayo and his men had left, Kevin looked around the room and grimaced. His mind was busy with thought. He knew the detective was right when he had told him to stay off women, but inwardly, he knew he could never bring himself to do just that. Telling the detective, he would avoid the woman was a total lie. He had known many women in his life. Women were very essential to him. Staying off women would be like telling him to stay off foods for days. I guess I'll be more careful now, he thought; if I'm more cautious, then that nut case will stay off my back for good. Though his instincts told him to listen to the advice of the detective, his cravings for women brushed off the cautions. After reassuring himself that everything was going to be alright, he stood up from the sofa, crossed the room to his bedroom, flopped hard on the bed and within seconds, he was fast asleep.

The following day, after a quick breakfast of ham and eggs, Kevin, looking immaculately dresses in a white linen shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of Louis Vuitton loafers, got into his Bentley and drove to one an expensive shopping store in Miami Beach to get some food supplies for his kitchen. He got there, slid out of his car, and strode in.

He looked around the store, his eyes searching for the stuffs he needed. After putting all the essential items he needed inside a store cart, he wheeled the cart towards the salesgirl and paid for the items. Then he bought a big shopping bag, put all the things he had purchased inside it, winked at the salesgirl who was smiling at him and moved towards the exit door.

As he reached the revolving door, it suddenly slid open, and his body collided with a woman who was rushing in. The shopping bag in his hand dropped to the tiled floor, thereby spilling the contents of the bag onto the ground.

“My bad!” the woman said in a hard voice.

On hearing the voice, Kevin, who had already knelt to pick up the items, dragged his eyes up. The woman was in her early thirties and slightly above average height.

She had copper-coloured hair; her eyes, which were large and dark, were expressionless and impersonal. She had full sensual lips, and there was an arrogant, determined tilt to her chin.

She was wearing a white silk shirt tucked into black tight-fitting pants. Her body was full-breasted and narrow-waisted, and her full hips tapered down to long, slim legs. She was not really beautiful, but the sensuality oozing from her caught his attention the way a hook caught a fish. He stood up abruptly and stared at her.

“Watch the way you dig into guys, sister ", he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.” Anyways, I'm Kevin Carter”

“Who’s asking? “The woman said, regarding him coldly.

The sudden scorn in her voice made Kevin flinch, and his handsome face turned red.

"I'm just being friendly,” he growled, “After all, you were the one who bumped into me."

The woman regarded him for a very long moment, and then she said in a hard clipped voice.

“You want friendly? Alright! This is friendly. My name is Wynter, and right now, I want you to get the fuck out of my way.” She walked past him and moved towards the store shelves.

Kevin felt as if he had been giving a punch in his belly. He had expected her to be at least remorseful for what she had done, but her indifferent words baffled him. No woman had ever talked to him this way. Didn't she know he was Kevin Carter? He thought angrily.

He stood on the spot, bought items forgotten, a shocked expression on his face as he watched her do her shopping. When she was done, she walked towards him and regarded him how you would regard a fly in your tea. Then she said to him.

“I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, My God! This woman is so hot, how I wish I could have her right here, right now, well mister, I will tell you this, you are dealing with the wrong accessory ", and she gave him a cold smile and sashayed out of the store.

Kevin stood nonplussed, and he looked as if he had been hit on his head with a hammer. The salesgirl who had heard all the conversation was giggling to herself, and there was a jeering look in her eyes as she looked at him. Kevin ignored her. My God! He thought, what a cold beauty, and he moistened his lips with his tongue. Then he shrugged his shoulders and strode out of the store into the hot afternoon sun.

He was so occupied with his thoughts he failed to notice a black Porsche across the street. Neither did the two detectives watching Kevin as they drove after his glittering Bentley.

A cigarette hanging from his thick lips, his callused hands resting on the wheels, Razor set the Porsche in motion and drove back to his apartment.