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"Dirty dishes in the sink. And I'm sure the refrigerator is not well stocked. I have a feeling she manages her home poorly. I sensed it last time, although when people are off for a week's vacation, it's always hard to tell."
To make sure, he opened it and peeked inside.
"An empty carton of milk? Don't you just hate that? And that takeaway looks positively congealed," he murmured.
It was such a shame when people didn't respect the fine abodes where they lived. Really, such a disappointment.
"Still, you had your chance, and there will be no second chances," he said firmly, gazing around at the messy kitchen. "No second chances, and no excuses for you."
This Mama Bear worked mornings and that meant she'd be home in about an hour. It was enough time to prepare for her, and he intended to make it an absolutely splendid welcome.
Just to make sure, he checked her social media again, looked on that little community group that he'd found so very useful and had referred to more and more often. That group surely was a little goldmine.
Sure enough, there she was, replying to someone on the group.
"I get home at 1 pm weekdays, and I can always bring something from the grocery store for you if you need it. I mean, I work at the kindergarten just a block from the shops."
He found himself smiling. How very considerate of her to set out her schedule so clearly and then to return home for him.
He was going to have to destroy this bear, too, of course. No way could he let her live. But he wasn't going to let her die quickly like the others. He'd decided that the story now needed to become more complex and dramatic. Plus, he still needed payback for the last bear who'd attacked him. So, this time, he was not going to be quick. Being quick was far too kind. He was going to make her suffer.
It was certainly going to be fun.
For this bear, he decided to keep the catering simple. He would prepare nothing more than a nice pot of tea, and he'd take it upstairs, ready for when she arrived in the bedroom. What a lucky bear she was to have this visitor. Because it was a smart home, and he’d managed to get a handle on the kitchen electronics from the living room controls, all he had to do was program the console, and the kettle would be set to boil at the time he chose. All without leaving his armchair. So very convenient.
He was looking forward to playing host to her.
While he waited for the kettle, he made himself comfortable, sitting in what he knew was her favorite armchair, and dusting the arms of the chair where he saw a few cookie crumbs remained.
He was feeling calm, relaxed, and good. He was looking forward to the story unfolding.
When the kettle boiled, he got up to make the tea. That was the problem with a smart home. It might boil a kettle for you but making a good brew of tea was beyond it. He rolled his eyes, thinking that was rather amusing. It had its limitations, that was for sure.
Then he took the tea upstairs, noticing that she was a few minutes late. That was all right. He could wait. He'd be happy to wait for her. Patience was most definitely a virtue he strongly possessed.
There was her car, now. She drove a lovely red sports car. He was sure the kindergarten kids enjoyed her wheels, bright and eye catching as they were. And he was going to enjoy her. As he always did, he felt his excitement rise, suffocating in its intensity, causing him to breathe deeply and feel a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. This time, it would be perfect. And he was so looking forward to it.
But as he watched her pull up outside the garage, his eyebrows shot up. The driver's door opened, but then the passenger door opened too.
Glancing out of the window, making sure to keep out of sight, the killer saw that something unexpected had happened.
Her husband had come home with her. He recognized him instantly from the photos, of course. She was blonde, petite, and delicate. He was a taller man, somewhat rotund, with a good-natured face.
Was this going to be a problem? He knew that he had only a couple of short minutes to make a critical decision. He could not jeopardize what was going to happen.
The killer thought carefully about it, but even though he looked at every scenario carefully, he couldn't see that it would. He was confident in his own ability to handle two. In fact, it would provide him with double the fun. And this time, double the torture.
"Mama Bear and Papa Bear," he whispered to himself, smiling widely as he stepped back into the bedroom to wait. "Come to me. I'll take you both."
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
As Connor escorted Mario back to the car to take him into the police department, Cami looked at the time and saw to her consternation that it was already after lunch. The day was accelerating, and she had a horrible sensation that they were losing control of time.
If this man was not their suspect, then they had reached a dead end. But hopefully he was. Surely, he had to be.
Cami felt grateful for the neighborhood group, with its accessible logs, that had allowed her to identify this lurker who'd flown so much under the radar.
As she thought that, a strange pang went through her mind. It was a twist of pure anxiety and uncertainty, and it was so strong that Cami felt unsettled by it. She wondered if there was something she’d missed.
