To Probe A Beating Heart (12 page)

             
“Hey Jack, how have you been?”

             
“Great, it’s a little early, but if you’re finished, we can get started, get a jump on the day” said Jack.

             
“Okay, all I have left is my coffee and—.”

             
“That’s what I came in for, I’ll grab a cup and we can get going.”

             
“Sure, okay.”

             
As they were walking, Jack said, “So how was your trip in this morning, heard there was an accident on 90 just north of here.”

             
“Didn’t see it, and I can’t seem to hold a station on my radio for more than a few minutes.”

             
“Yeah, I have a tape player in my car and I listen to whatever I want, no problems.”

             
Averell was thinking he was about due for a new and better vehicle and replied, “I’m going to look at new cars this weekend, I’ll make sure that I have a tape player in whatever I get.”

             
They turned into the store and went about talking about supplies and the specials that Averell had this month. Several times during the morning, Averell’s mind drifted off to a new car. “What should I get?”

             
That weekend back in Rochester at his town house, Averell scanned the newspaper for used cars. Nothing appealed. That was disappointing and he was about to pour another cup of coffee when his ever present companion chimed in,
“Well we could look at new cars.”

             
“I don’t think so, too expensive,” said Averell.

             
“We should look,”
said Stelian
“And we have enough money.”

             
After being totally frustrated by the listings in the newspaper, Averell got dressed and headed out to a dealer.

             
“I’m just curious, what do you have in a larger car? I’m in sales and travel a lot, want something that is big enough to carry my samples and get decent mileage.”

             
“You’re a family man, we have some mini vans that you can put the wife and kids in and have plenty of room for luggage,” said the toothy grin with the limp handshake.

             
“No, not married and I don’t like kids, I’m in sales and travel, and I don’t like vans.”

             
“Well step into my office and we can check the list, my name’s Earl, what’s yours?”

             
Averell thought a moment, he did not like this guy and wanted to get away from him.

             
“Davis, my name’s Al Davis” he said, thinking of someone who he

would like to see Earl meet.

             
“You liar,”
said Stelian.

             
They talked for another minute and Averell said, “oh look at the time, I gotta’ run, pick up the kids, bye.”

             
As he was walking away, Earl said “You don’t have any—, ah crap,

another jerk.”

              Averell got in his car and drove down the road looking for another

dealer.

             
“A mini-van, we should check them out,”
said Stelian.

             
He pulled into another lot and parked, “Good morning, can I help you?”

             
“Well I have a few questions.”

             
“Sure, my name is Tom Walters,” he said with an extended hand,               “Do you have anything specific in mind?”

             
“No, not really.” Tom’s hand was strong and dry, not overpowering, but firm. Averell felt better about this one and continued, “I travel a lot, up and down I-90, I’m in sales, office supplies.”

              “So do you carry samples and some demo spreads?”

             
“Yeah, that and my luggage, and sometimes I stop in those rest areas and take a nap, so I was thinking about a larger car.”

             
“Well I hope that I have something that will fit what you want. Have you thought about buying or a lease on a vehicle. There are advantages both ways, depending on your needs and the programs they offer.”

             
“I hadn’t thought about it. I’ve had that thing about three years now,” as he gestured toward the seven year old Chevy in the parking lot, “ I got it used in Georgia when I was stationed there. It has less than seventy thousand miles on it and still rides as smooth as ever. Mileage isn’t the greatest, but it has been good to me for the last few years.”

             
“Well then, why don’t we look at the several types of vehicles we have and you can narrow it down to type. We have a pretty good selection of each so, type first, then color and extras. Whatta’ ya think?”

             
“Okay, sounds good to me, by the way, my name’s Averell, Averell

Danker.”

              Tom took out a business card and handed it to Averell, “Just in case you want to come back and continue.”

             
“Come back?”

             
“Sure, If I read you the right way, you are going to hit a few places, see what’s out there and think it over. Hey this is not a box of cereal, It’s a serious financial commitment. You want to take your time and do it right.”

             
“Yeah, yeah you’re right.”

Tom showed him economy cars, mid size and full size sedans and then
suggested that they just look at the mini-vans, if for no other reason than to knock them out of the game.

             
“Okay, sure let’s look.”

             
The first was a loaded van with a sound system that was out of sight. The second had full tinted windows and a tape player, each had fold down seats in the rear that would allow hauling of rather large loads. He looked a number of mini-vans and after an hour he said, “You were right, I have to sit down and think this through.”

             
“Okay, no problem, let me give you some printed info, you don’t want to carry all this in your head.”

             
“I’ll get something on everything we looked at.”

             
“No, just the full size sedan like that silver one and the mini-vans.”

              “Ah, see we have already narrowed the field, just remember this is going to be YOUR car, so get it for yourself, not for anybody else.”

             
Averell took the info, thanked Tom and drove off the lot. He got about a mile down the road and pulled into a McDonalds, got a cup of coffee and started to look through the brochures. Within another hour Averell was back at the dealership looking for Tom. Another hour and he was driving off the lot in a new 1990 mini-van with tinted windows and a tape deck / CD player.

             
“I like this.”

             
“Yeah, me too,”
said Stelian.

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Averell pulled the knife from his back pocket . . .

The van handled rather easily, more so than Averell had expected. His first few calls that next week were extended by his bragging about his new “ride” to his customers. “Yeah, it handles the road better than we thought, I mean better than I thought.”

             
“Thanks pal,”
said Stelian.

             
Always in a planning mode, Averell offered a several people a ride in his van to see how easily someone would hop in and be contained. Most declined the invitation but the few that did accept seemed to feel obliged to look at and touch almost everything. They were at one point or another, completely distracted and could easily be overpowered. “Very interesting,” he mumbled to himself as he dropped of the last of his guests.

             
“Interesting.”

             
Averell was again at the top of the heap with his new toy, and Stelian’s voice stayed quiet. Then, one night in Erie again, he had finished early and was debating whether to take in a movie or hit the road. He decided to check the local listings for theaters. Nothing interesting.

             
“Damn it, I have a whole day to kill before I have to be in Mentor, a small town outside Cleveland. And I can be there in an hour and a half.”

             
He checked his fuel gage and noted he was still at about 3/4 tank. He decided to drive to Mentor and if nothing else, there might be something on television. The road was virtually empty, it was a beautiful July day, six days after the holiday and he cruised along on the speed control set right at 65, “No tickets for this boy.”

             
He arrived in Mentor as he assumed he would, in practically no time at all, and the tape player had lived up to its billing, great sound and no in and out or static like his radio. Not sure what to do Averell decided to drive around to a few movie theaters and see what was playing. He found one at a mall and pulled into the parking lot. As he was putting a few of his papers away, he noted a bar near the theater and in the parking lot was a man, sleeping in his car. The sun had not gone down yet and the sleeper was very visibly drunk.

             
“We could do him,”
said Stelian.

             
“No, not safe.”

             
“C’mon, we can catch this flick another time,”
Stelian argued.

             
“No!”

             
Averell got out of the van and crossed the parking lot to the theater.

             
“Theater two, please,” and handed the kid a ten.

             
“Thank you sir, it will begin in eleven minutes.”

             
Averell took his change and went to the snack bar where he bought a box of chocolate covered raisins and some other hard candy. He got a large drink and headed for theater two. When the movie was over and he left the building it was dark, street lights were turned on and he paused to think about which way he should go to find a motel. As he was pondering, the sleeper staggered up to him and said, “Hey, Buddy, could you do me a favor, that som’ bitch in the tavern won’t sell me no more drinks. An’ I need another drink.” He was several years past middle age and a bit overweight. His light gray suit was rumpled, stained and smelled of spilled, cheap whiskey. His tie was pulled loose and his tousled, graying hair was matched with a two day growth of whiskers.

             
Averell looked at him with disdain and was trying to think of a way to escape this sad excuse for a man when he said, “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have one, you are loaded.” He had seen this type before, in the Army. There were guys who drank just because they thought they were supposed to and others who drank intentionally to get “smashed”. Either way, it was disgusting. He helped the man maintain his balance back to his car and pushed him through the door. His keys were still in the ignition and ‘Sleepy’ slumped over in the front seat, closed his eyes and didn’t move.

             
As Averell was positioning ‘Sleepy’ in the front seat, he mumbled to himself, “Why don’t you stay here and I will get you a bottle of wine from that drug store.” Averell never intended that ‘Sleepy’ would hear him, or that he would actually buy him the bottle.

              “Okay, I’ll wait here” came a surprising reply.

             
Averell waited a few minutes and decided to leave, Sleepy was out

cold in his car and not his problem. He got into his van, pulled out of the
parking lot and started toward the highway where he had booked a room in a motel for the following night, thinking that he might be able to get in this evening. He pulled up to a red light, stopped and was waiting for the signal to change to green. Then he heard it, somebody was pissed off and laying on the horn. Then there he was, Sleepy. He had gotten out of his car and came up to Averell’s door.

             
“Hey, where’s that bottle? I gotta’ have a drink.”

             
Averell thought for a moment and said “Sorry pal, the store was closed and I gotta’ go.” Averell pulled away, turned onto I-90 and sped up the road to a rest area. He pulled in and waited. If ‘Sleepy’ flew by, he would wait a bit and go to the next exit. If not, he would do the same. One way or the other he would be rid of the drunk ‘Som’ Bitch’.

             
As he sat there waiting a car pulled in behind him and parked. It was ‘Sleepy’. He got out and came over to Averell’s window. “Where’s that damn bottle?”

             
Averell got out and led ‘Sleepy’ over to a bench near the toilet rooms. “Sit down and let me look in my van, I might just have a little

something.”

              “Okay, I’ll wait here.”

             
Averell scrounged through a plastic container that he had kept in his car and had transferred to the van. He had a few tools, jumper cables, some duct tape, a roll of paper towels, a few plastic garbage bags, two quarts of oil, some brake fluid and fuses that fit in his old car. The tools included pliers, two screw drivers, a knife and a set of wrenches. He took the knife and put it in his back pocket and the duct tape and walked back to the bench. ‘Sleepy’ was half asleep, seemingly more tired than asleep. Averell said, “I don’t have anything to drink. Nothing. And I have to go. Do you understand what I said?”

             
“Yeah, you said you were goin’ to get a bottle an’ you don’t got it.”

             
He stood and started at Averell. Averell said “Hey, back up! I don’t want to do this.”

             
“You said—.” and he lunged, very clumsily, but a lunge nonetheless.

             
Averell pulled the knife from his back pocket and thrust it into ‘Sleepy’s’ mid section. He pulled the knife up and out creating a large gaping wound and allowing blood to flow freely. Sleepy slumped, staggered and looked at Averell.

             
“Why’d you do that?” and he fell to his knees grasping his belly. Averell thought it over quickly, he had to finish this. He stepped behind Sleepy and with one hand grabbed ‘Sleepy’s’ hair and with the other he drew the knife across his throat. A short throaty gurgle and Sleepy fell to the ground in a pool of blood.

             
Averell looked around, nobody. He grabbed ‘Sleepy’s’ ankles and dragged him into the bushes. He did not see any cars on the road coming into the rest area. It was late, dark and traffic was light. Averell went to ‘Sleepy’s’ car and with a handkerchief he took the keys and closed the door and locked it up. He then went back to Sleepy, rolled him over and took his wallet out, still using the handkerchief. There were only two singles, he took them and looked through the wallet, pulled out the credit cards which he couldn’t use, wiped clean and dropped them on the ground for someone else to find and use. He then tossed the wallet into the bushes along with the keys.

             
Back at his van, he opened the door and noted that he was covered in blood, his shirt, pants and shoes were all partially covered in blood. This was bad. Again he thought. First things first. Get out of these clothes and into something else. He went into the toilet room and washed his hands and face. Then back at the van he got a clean pair of pants and shirt. Back in the toilet room he undressed, cleaned off what blood he could see and put on the clean clothes. He put everything with blood on it into the plastic bag and loaded it in the van. Again he looked around to be sure nobody else was around and he drove out of the Rest Area.

             
“Wow, that was cool,”
said Stelian.

             
“I don’t think so.”

             
“Sure you do. We should go back to Erie and turn around. Maybe spend the night,”
said Stelian.

             
“Now, I agree.”

             
He drove north on I-90 and pulled off at a motel near Erie.

             
“Just one night, and I will be on the road early, I want to be in Mentor by 8:30,” said Averell.

             
“Yes sir, I got you in 108, the door to the lot is right across the hall,” said the clerk.

             
“Thanks, good night.”

He went to his room and once again undressed, looked at his underwear
and noted a large, light blood stain. Again he made a bag of bloody things and stood in the shower for about fifteen minutes with the knife, cleaning both himself and the fatal blade. He sorted out everything, washable stuff and trash. He double bagged the trash and took it back out to the van, got two more plastic bags and back in the room, he double bagged the clothes. Before going to bed Averell made some notes in his log book. Anyone reading the log would think that he had spent the entire day and night in Erie. The tricky part of this was getting the mileage recorded correctly so that his extra miles to and from his episode with Sleepy was blended in over the next few weeks. He started a separate record of the additional 175 miles he had driven going to Mentor and back to Erie that he had to hide in his log. He kept it on a sheet of paper folded in the log book. Each leg of every trip over the next several days or weeks whether to the drug store or to Toledo would be increased until the 175 excess balance was down to zero. Thus the additional 175 miles he put on his car was spread out over the next three weeks.

             
In the morning he was on the road by 6:30. As he passed the Rest Area he saw ‘Sleepy’s’ car but nobody else. He kept driving. When he was a few miles outside of Mentor, he spotted a 24 hour coin operated laundry. He pulled in and looked through the windows, nobody. He took the bag of clothes and put them in a machine, pants, shirt, underwear, socks and his running shoes, adding bleach and soap. The bleach ruined the clothes, but had the desired effect. He ran them a second time again with an excess of bleach. An extra few minutes in the dryer and the clothes were ready to be disposed of in a Salvation Army donation box. Almost done. He then drove to his appointment in Mentor.

             
After the first appointment, Averell found a dumpster completely out of view and disposed of the bloody paper towels. He took the knife and dropped it in the dirt and rolled it around. He then placed it on a block and stepped on the blade breaking it at the hilt, perfect. He picked up the knife and went back to the van, and drove to his second appointment. There he saw another dumpster and tossed the knife away. After his final appointment that day he drove west to East Cleveland and up into Cleveland Heights. He liked this area and drove through whenever he had a chance looking at the homes and thinking that he might just move here, to live.

             
He found another motel and signed in for the night.

             
“Nicely done,”
said Stelian.

             
“Yeah, very messy, but we were lucky.” He turned on the television and sat on the bed to watch the news. There it was, the Rest Area, ‘Sleepy’s’ car, his wallet and keys and a stretcher with a full body bag. The police sergeant being interviewed said it was a robbery gone bad. A man killed, his wallet empty but credit cards still there and his car locked in the lot. They assumed that he had stopped to use the facility and when threatened, he tossed his keys in the bushes and let them take his wallet. Throwing the keys probably made the robber or robbers angry and that probably led to his being killed. It happened on the north bound side and they were looking for suspects as far north as Erie.

             
Averell relaxed and thought about dinner.

             
“See, I knew we could do it. And you liked it, didn’t you?”
said Stelian.

             
“It was messy.”

             
“Yeah, and—?”