Chapter 3
Jenny sat on her couch eating a bag of chips and watching the evening news.
“This morning’s murder has so far yielded no suspects. The body of sixteen-year-old Natasha Jones was found in Gatlin Park around seven this morning by off-duty police officer Eric McGill during his morning jog. The victim was reportedly stabbed and had her throat cut. Anyone with any information concerning this tragedy is encouraged to call...”
Jenny clicked off the television. They had no suspects. She’d left no evidence at the scene. She was certain. The young woman replayed the attack in her mind looking for loose ends. She ignored the excitement it brought and instead focused on the specific actions and the risks they might bring. That increased the thrill, but she forced the sensation away for the moment.
“None. Nothing done wrong. All I have to do is follow my routine but make sure to carry some pepper spray like I’m worried about being a victim too and no one will think anything about me. I’ll be invisible as always.” She told her cat.
The black and gray striped feline purred as her human petted her and told her all about her day at work ringing up people’s groceries. Jenny rambled about stupid questions and technical problems until her cat wriggled out of her grasp. It sat by the scratching post until the murderer filled the scratcher with catnip.
“You’re right, Figment, I should enjoy the good part of my day and make some dinner.” She said as she scratched the cat’s head. “Today I got away with murder. And tomorrow morning, I’m going right back to where I did it and telling the cop who found the body that I didn’t see anyone suspicious on my regular jog. And then I’m going to come home and feed you before work; just like every other day.”
The cat purred as Jenny washed her hands and put a frozen pizza in the oven. She watched Figment playing with his feather toy while she removed the murder weapon from the bowl of bleach and rinsed it. She looked at the pocketknife. Its blade was only three inches long, but it was sharp. Jenny ran the tip of her finger along the tiny nick in the blade.
She remembered the way it cut through the girl’s carotid artery. The smooth way it went between her protruding ribs with one thrust to release her vital fluids. The steam escaping her body as the life cascaded out and over Jenny’s hands. A shiver of excitement rushed down the killer’s spine as she closed her eyes to immerse herself in the recollection.
The thrill of the hunt as she chose her target two weeks before. The teenager had been chosen simply from convenience. Everyone in the park had a routine. The girl was so easy for Jenny to outrun if overtaking her had gone wrong. But it hadn’t; the teen was so malnourished she’d been easy to kill.
Jenny listened to her cat tumbling with his toy as she remembered jogging beside her victim. Suggesting they mix it up and jog off the path for a bit to burn extra calories—she had noticed the girl wasn’t losing as much weight as she used to, she’d said. Her target took the bait eagerly. A look of insecurity and fear flashed in the poor girl’s eyes at the thought of gaining even a single ounce.
They had only gone a few paces off the path when Jenny had feigned an injury to her ankle. The girl bent to help her back up. She bit her bottom lip as the recollection brought out the smell of the girl’s citrus shampoo. Jenny had risen quickly to jab the weapon she’d pulled from her sock into the young woman who’d stopped to help. Jenny’s nose brought back the smell of copper washing out the aroma of oranges as she lost herself in the remembrance.
The killer opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. She’d seen the last ebb of the girl’s vitality disappear at her own doing. Jenny had never felt so happy to be a nobody. She was more powerful as an average person who could control the death of others than as someone important who could one day be her victim.
Jenny put away her pocketknife and dumped the bleach down the bathroom drain. Washing the tub with hot water, she swished a few cups of fresh bleach around the bowl and poured it into the tub. Jenny was smart; she would never risk leaving any trace of her crimes. And she would have more crimes to clean. So many more and better kills.