Rick dozed and dreamed, reminiscing, dozed again. He was startled awake by the sound of a vehicle's tires crunching the sparse gravel of the driveway.  Showtime! he wriggled himself into a more comfortable position.  Shoot! The guy,tall, thin, blond, long haired, got there first.  Well, Rick  wasn't anywhere near ready yet anyway.

As the evening progressed Rick could see glimpses of her arrival home. He was glad to see her. The guy "Scott "called her by her name, "Deb" Rick heard the greetings clearly. Deb undressed, tossing her clothes on the bed, pulling on pajama pants and a skimpy top. She was small, curvy, tanned,with a long brunette ponytail.

Good! Rick was pleased with his prospects. The dinner, some kind of stew or such, served with rice. Maybe gumbo.Maybe chinese. They gulped it down watching T.V.

Then a discussion of her job woes, his  gripes. The T.V. was on blaring a re-run station. Hard to follow conversation. She complained of blisters, she wasn't getting along at work. He had something making a noise on his truck. Ordinary conversation, Everyday living. It would be boring, to most.

Rick  was excited though, the old cabin's floorboards allowed a lot more viewing than he had even hoped for. A couple of phone calls, her Mom, Her work friend.  And on to the bedtime, when she crawled in still dressed. He was disappointed at that. Scott, turned the light out as he got in bed. 

He heard everything though, every creak, every exhalation, every grunt, and whimper.
All of it. It was so better than any movie ever made. He was an audience of one. Bravo!
His imagination was on fire. He scooted out of the space long after the sounds reverted to regular breathing, and then, snoring.

He crept out through the back of the property,skirting the old cars, and sheds around on it. and then around the area, just looking at things. Making a mental checklist, went by to check on the truck. Still there. He walked on and before dawn, was back in his "bedroom".  Neatly arranged with his comforts, water bottles, chewy granola bars, jacket, backpack.  It was in the far corner of the crawlspace, so as not to give himself away with any noise.
 
As it got  full daylight, and the occupants of the house left separately for thier jobs, he rolled up his jacket, for a pillow,and allowed himself to drift off in the musty coolness.

The B.O.L.O. went out, for a white truck with Arizona plates." Possible connection to a double homicide". All law enforcement were aware, but his one also ran on public service announcement.
The Arizona Murders were on the news. Where Rick was, he wasn't getting the news.

Second evening, similar to the first, except the dinner came in a bag. Telephone calls,small talk, and crunchy snacks. They had an argument about his plans to go to the beach the following weekend. It was not resolved. When the mind numbing program was over they went to bed ..and that was all..
 
Rick felt cheated. He did his prowl, stepping into the shadows when the occasional car drove by. 
The sound of dogs barking followed his route. So what?  Dogs always bark  as things pass by, like car alarms in a parking lot, who even looks up anymore?  When the barking intensifies, as when someone is IN thier space, then, yes, doors open. Lights go on,best keep moving.

The days went on much the same. They were so totally unaware. Work, home, T,V. and live for the weekend.They were gone all weekend.  They didn't even go outside on weekdays.  Rick scouted other places a lot, at night, late. Light through windows drew him like a magnet. On the outskirts though, town was off limits for now. Too much activity, it didn't feel quite right.

He snuck into campsites a couple of times. Grabbed a backpack for clothes, took a cooler, while the campers slept nearby. He would come back before daylight, footsore, and sleepy to his safe spot under the cabin.

He snuck, trembling with anticipation, into the house, and made a sandwich a time or two. Leaving Scott short for lunch, and pissed at Deb. She figured he forgot. Wouldn't be the first time.
Rick used thier bathroom,went into thier bedroom. Inhaling her scent, he caressed her pillow. A big thrill. But he wasn't forgetting what he was there for, and it was coming up.

After a week or so this,someone came in to report a truck left on his property.
Hud got an afternoon call. He roused himself,  dressed, and met the property owner, who paced  impatiently, waiting for him. "Hope there's a re-ward, if you ketch him"  The man left after he was questioned, I.D.'d, photo'ed, and prints were taken.  No call for THAT! he huffed out afterwards. Steaming.

No marked cars, no uniforms, no helicopters.Two men, plainclothed,on foot, from one direction, two more from another direction.YES! it was the Arizona truck. Covered in dust, plates off, they left it where it was. He was close, he was here. They were itching to catch him. Now the truck was being watched too. another couple of borrowed men off patrol.

There were stolen camping gear reports, stolen clothes reports, and people were talking about ,maybe a killer was hiding in thier woods. A girl called in,said she had a picture of some "weird guy", taken  Saturday, week and a half ago. At the campgrounds. "Okay"," pictures of a weird guy, can you e mail them"?

Hud was sick knowing what the killer was there to do. He had never forgotten the gruesome scenes of twenty six years earlier.  Agonized faces, frozen in thier final screams. One had been a woman he had been close to. If things had worked out, they might have married.  He had solemnly promised her, over  her dead body that the killer would be caught. 

He never said  he would get to trial though. That was a secret between him, and her. She still reminded him sometimes. 
Hud would get a pain in the neck, literally, and remember, that was how Angie died.  "I'm working on it, cut me some slack woman" 

And then, the email.  A familiar face, older, more dangerous. "Yes it was him". Erich, who used to kill cats. The  lodge owners nephew. Here most summers of his childhood. Not seen in town in many ,many years.
"Went with his Dad, when his parents split up". "THAT Rick". He was the killer. After all this time. "Mr. Nobody" had a name.

The news media were nosing around,sensing a story.Hard to keep things on the Q.T. Seemed like it was going to be a lost cause to just trap him.

Things were  a little "off" in the cabin, Deb had weird dreams, trouble sleeping. 
Waking up, Deb thought she smelled something...animal?  Asked Scott, if he did too.  He did, kind of. And that was that. It was morning, rushing for work, Scott said he would look around, when he got home.
Deb had something nagging  in the back of her mind. What?

Rick didn't hear the exchange that morning. He had begun moving into the next place. He was ready to conclude his business with Deb, and Scott.


Things in town seemed different, tense, Deb went to her job, at a real estate office.
Couldn't concentrate on anything. Something... something...animal noises, smells...  food...something.

And then she knew! It was a shocking thought,but, she KNEW! She bolted from her desk and ran out to her car. The sherriff's substation wasn't far, she didn't feel safe anywhere else.  Scott! call Scott!

Hud was unable to sleep, good thing. He got the call. THE Call he was hoping for.


                                                           8.