Page 33 of So Deadly
“Maybe he sold a vest to the owner of a fake service dog,” Faith said.“I know it’s a bit of a grab, but since we can’t move forward with Mitchell right now, I think it’s worth looking into.This level of violence doesn’t just pop out of nowhere.Something prompted it.”
“I’m not gonna lie,” Jessica said.“I think you might be overthinking the violence angle.I don’t think it symbolizes anything but our killer being violent.But we can look into it.It beats sitting around doing nothing.”She thought for a moment, then added a little more hopefully.“If we narrow the search to attacks by dogs proven to be fake service animals, then maybe we’ll come up with something.”
“Like you said,” Faith agreed.“It beats sitting around doing nothing.”
As they got to work, Faith tried to imagine what led their killer to his breakdown.How long did that rage fester in their minds before it finally boiled over?What was the final straw?When did they finally decide they’d had enough?
And after killing Thomas Webb, had they continued because of a need to find revenge or because, as Jessica suggested, they’d simply gotten the taste of blood and wanted more?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Robert Crawford pulled his shoulders back and held his head high.He was a big, imposing man, tall, muscular, and thanks to a scar earned during a knife fight with an ISIS insurgent in Syria four years ago, intimidating.
Achilles was just as intimidating.Robert’s Rottweiler was one hundred thirty pounds of pure muscle with gleaming white teeth, perfectly cared for by Robert himself, and just as muscular as Robert was.He had a deep, imposing bark which he wasn’t afraid to use.
And use it he did.When the slow-moving couple in front of Robert stopped in front of a fruit stand and intentionally blocked his way, Achilles barked loudly enough that it echoed throughout the farmer’s market and pulled dozens of eyes to them.
The male half of the couple, a heavyset gentleman with a sour face, jumped.He looked at Achilles, then at Robert.For a second, he remained where he was, clearly upset to realize that the world didn’t move at his speed.
Achilles growled.Robert stared coldly at him.The older man decided it wasn’t worth the risk and shuffled to the side, mumbling to himself.Robert walked past him, catching a “damned assholes need to slow down,” as he passed.
He chuckled to himself, then chuckled again when a younger couple wisely sidestepped the man and his dog without needing a warning.See?What was so damned hard about that?Just get out of his way.
Robert liked that.As a kid, he’d constantly been told to watch out for other people.Wait your turn, Timmy’s not done yet.Be gentle with Julie, she’s a girl.Don’t play rough with the little kids, that’s not nice.Just because you’re bigger and stronger doesn’t mean you just get to do whatever you want.
And he listened.He respected his parents, and they wanted him to respect his teachers, so he meekly followed the rules.He played gently with the little kids.He was nice to the girls.He waited his turn.
Achilles growled at a little rat shaped like a dog.Some sort of fluffy breed that posh bitches carried like purses and fed berries out of their triple acai gluten-free low glycemic index smoothies or whatever.The little dog yelped and hid behind her owner, who, wouldn’t you know it, was a posh bitch with a triple acai gluten-free smoothie.
“Can youwatchyour dog?”she said in a snotty voice.
Robert stopped and smiled at her.“I’m watching him.”
Achilles barked, causing the girl to jump and spill smoothie on her shirt.“Seriously?”She looked at Robert.
“Yep.”
She stared at him, and he smiled back pleasantly.A flicker of fear crossed her eyes when she understood Robert wasn’t going to stop his dog.The little rat figured out that her owner was afraid and poked its adorable little nose in between the woman’s legs.She yapped, something that reminded Robert of those little pink toys they sold in department stores with those fathead dolls and their bigeyed pets.Something little girls played with.
Achilles barked again, snapping at the rat-dog, who finally realized it was one bad move away from being eaten in one bite and pumped its tiny legs away.The owner gasped, turned, and ran after her, calling, “Trixie!No, wait for Mommy!”
When “Mommy” felt she was far enough away to be spared consequences for idiocy, she turned around and flipped Robert off.Robert returned the gesture, still smiling.
A wide path had cleared for them now.Robert began to whistle, pleased.He was eighteen when he finally figured out he didn’tactuallyhave to play nice just because he was bigger and stronger than anyone.He could do whatever he wanted.What were they gonna do?Whine?
Well, they did whine, but he didn’t care.If they needed to lick their wounds, so be it.He would get what he wanted, and the rest of the world would have to deal with it.
“Excuse me, sir, is that really a service dog?”
Robert turned to the voice and stared incredulously.The security guard who asked the question couldn’t have been a day above twenty.He was at least eight inches shorter than Robert’s six-four, and Robert was pretty sure he could throw the kid over his head with one arm.
Achilles was just as shocked.He stared at the kid without barking, blinking as though to make this clearly ridiculous hallucination disappear.
“You’re shitting me, right?”Robert said.
“May I ask what service he’s trained to perform?”the guard continued calmly.
Robert’s eyes narrowed.There was no way this kid would be so brave unless he had some sort of trick up his sleeve.
