Third Body Found at Devil's Bayou

He liked to get to know his ladies. He would usually pick one to follow for a few weeks. If she peaked his interest, he would learn her routine, routes, home, and the people in her life. He needed to know if she had pets, a husband, kids, or an alarm system. He always did his homework. Rarely did he act on impulse. And, that’s why he was so good!

As she entered her house carrying her groceries, Claire kicked the door closed behind her. She struggled to push the bags onto the counter. Though she was small in stature, she preferred to bring in all of her groceries in one trip. It had become a challenge for her to make one trip though she rarely had to carry the groceries in from the car. Her husband and son usually brought in the bags. But, they were out of town for the weekend on a camping trip. Her husband didn’t want to leave her alone but she had convinced him that this trip was important to their son.

“I’ll lock the doors and turn on the alarm,” she said as she waved goodbye that morning. “Besides, I have Charlie here with me for protection.”

“Charlie is so old, blind, and deaf,” shouted her husband through his open truck window. “A stuffed animal is more protection than that dog. Please just be careful and lock up. There’s a serial killer out there.”

“I will,” she shouted back. “Now, go have a good time. Don’t worry! Love you!”

Neither Claire nor her husband seemed to notice the man hiding in the side hedge. He already knew the alarm code from watching through the back window. It was Claire’s birthday. The dog was no concern. It never moved from the bed or alerted the family that he was there.

When he paid Claire a visit that evening after work, she was just pulling into her driveway as he turned onto her street. After he parked his truck and walked back, she was carrying groceries in through her garage door. That’s when he noticed that she had left her keys in the lock.

Claire put up the groceries, poured herself a glass of wine, and turned on the news. They were talking about the serial killer. His latest victim had been identified as a graduate student from the local university. She was found dead in the same spot as at least two of his other victims. This reminded her to check the locks on all of the doors and set the alarm.

The next morning, Claire called her mother to tell her that she was running late for their brunch date. She couldn’t find her keys. She had already dumped her purse out, checked every room, every drawer, and torn apart the sofa. She decided to retrace her steps from the night before. Maybe, she had left them in the door lock when she was carrying in the groceries. But, they were not there either. As she was checking the garage, her mother drove up to her house.

“Did you find your keys yet?” her mother asked through her rolled down window.

“No, I have no idea of where they can be,” she said exasperated. “I’ve looked everywhere.”

“I’m hungry,” replied her mother. “Let’s just go to brunch. You can ride with me. Just grab your purse. You can use my spare key to lock your door. I’m sure you’ll find them after we eat.”

When he was sure Claire was gone, he used her keys to let himself into the house. He turned off the alarm and sat down on the sofa to wait for her return. He had brought her a present wrapped in plain brown paper and tied up with string. He decided to leave the box for her on the coffee table next to her keys.

When he heard her return, he reset the alarm and hid. Claire opened the door with her mother’s key to her house and turned off the alarm. As she walked into her den, she saw her keys on the coffee table sitting next to a brown paper package. She froze staring at the table.

“Aren’t you gonna open the present I brought for you?” said an unfamiliar male voice from behind her.