Killer in the Dusk

By Tim Sweetsir

In a small little town bordering Vermont, an extremely violent man, Cameron Baker, starts his hunt. He is looking for his estranged wife, Kayla Cerone, and son who are on the run. She ran from him with her son to get away from the abuse that she had endured for the better part of five years. Cameron is ruthless and does not care whom he hurts or how he hurts them. He wants no witnesses left behind who can identify him. He is fixated with finding his ex-wife and son. Once found, he will make her regret her decision to leave him make an example of her. He chooses his victims carefully as he makes his way through several states, leaving a trail of death and violence that baffles the local police, state police, and the FBI. Law enforcement vows to get the killer off the streets and behind bars, but they make a few mistakes in their investigation when they jump to conclusions too quickly. He's bold and leaves a note behind on one of his victims. Cameron makes fools out of the police. He hides out on a private island. After meeting its residents, he decides to use them as pawns to lure his ex-wife to the island. His threats are taken seriously. But even Cameron can be careless, and his last victim just might have cost him his freedom or his life. Does he kill one too many for the thrill of killing before he is caught?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646281947

Book preview

Chapter 1

It’s been a long hot and humid July day, and the afternoon sun is on its journey down over the bloodred horizon as James Kelley drives home from his job. James is a forty-three-year-old factory worker. He has been on the job for about ten years and has been doing what he thought was a good job, even though his shift supervisor, Cameron Baker, thinks differently.

Arriving home from his job, he walks in the door and is greeted by his wife, Sarah, who has dinner on the table. He is hungry; the tasty smell of supper leads him directly to the kitchen where he plops down in his chair with a deep groan and starts eating.

Damn, I’ve just about had it with this shit, James complains to Sarah in between bites. Cameron has been riding me all week. That son of a bitch thinks he knows it all.

What seems to be his problem? asks Sarah.

He’s telling me I’m too slow. I’ve been doing this crap for ten years, James pauses again and takes a bite of his supper. I think I know what I’m doing. I may be slower than some of the other guys, but at least my work turns out top quality. I never turn out junk parts. Everything I do goes through quality control just like it’s supposed to, James says, getting more irritated with his job and his supervisor.

Sarah fixes her plate and sits down across from James. She looks up at James and watches his expressions as he unloads on her how his day went. This Cameron guy sounds like a real jerk to me, she says.

You don’t know the half of it. The AC broke down today, and the idiot refused to authorize maintenance to fix it.

Well then, how does he expect you all to get your work done? No one can possibly expect you to work in those conditions, Sarah asks.

Exactly, he wants the females to dress less. He is a pervert, James disgustingly replies.

James and Sarah finish their supper and head to the living room to have a beer and unwind. After silently sitting and watching TV for a while, Sarah looks at her watch and sees that it is getting late.

I’m gonna go upstairs, take a shower, and get ready for bed, she says as she rises from the couch and walks over to where James is sitting. I’ll be back down in a little while. Go have a beer or two and relax. When I’m finished, we can talk some more, she tells James as she gives him a peck on the cheek before turning around and heading toward the stairs.

While Sarah heads up to shower and gets ready for bed, James goes to the fridge for another cold one. He easily downs one beer and then another and another. He wonders what is taking her so long.

My god, it’s been five innings since she went upstairs, he mutters to himself. Hey, Sarah, he bellows. What the hell are you doing?

I’ll be down in a little bit, replies Sarah, quite annoyed with his impatience.

After about fifteen minutes, Sarah silently strolls back in the living room and walks over to the side window and closes the shade. She turns around and walks in front of her husband and over to the other window and closes that shade too. As she whisks by him, she creates a breeze, and he can’t help but get a good whiff of her freshly showered body. It’s a relatively warm night, and Sarah is wearing her red satin nightdress and robe, both of which are quite short and revealing. James relaxes back in his chair and puts his feet on his foot stool in front of his chair to admire the view.

As Sarah walks back by her husband, he takes her by the hand and pulls her in his lap, squeezing her tightly as he kisses her. She responds by trying to free herself from his grip. Frustrated, he grabs her by her hair and yanks her head back and forces a kiss out of her as he slides his hand up her leg and under her nightdress.

"Sarah, let’s go upstairs and have a little me time," he says to her in a low voice.

Sarah can tell that he has had a bit too much to drink, as his hands are all over her. James, what the hell are you doing? Stop being so rough. I said to have a beer or two and we would talk. I didn’t tell you to pound them down and become a jackass. I think you need to go to bed and sleep it off, she replies as she tries to pull away from him.

The only thing I need to do is take your pretty little ass up those stairs now. Do like I told you, let’s go now!

Sarah angrily pulls away from him and shouts out, I am not going to bed with you like this, James. Forget it!

James’s face turns red with a fury she has not seen before, making her wish she could take back her words. He glares at her with almost black eyes, nothing like what she is used too.

Who the hell do you think you are telling me no! he says, slamming his beer can down on the end table. I don’t need this shit from you. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be selling your ass off a bar stool for twenty bucks. I can still go downtown and get laid for twenty bucks too! he indignantly screams at her.

Frustrated and angry, James stands up, still glaring at her as he grabs his cigarettes off the coffee table and heads for the door. He slams it as he leaves. Sarah is left standing there in shock. She finds it hard to comprehend what just took place.

Having too much to drink, James figures it’s best to walk and not drive his truck; that would be all he needs after this bit with Sarah. He stuffs his keys in his pants pocket and continues walking. After a while, he finds himself walking along a riverbank, grumbling to himself and thinking about what he has just said to Sarah.

That was probably not the smartest move on his part, he thinks, although some of it was true. Sarah was in fact selling her body off a barstool for twenty bucks a pop when he met her. In fact, that’s how James first met her. He remembers all too well that first night with her. She was different, and he sensed it. She really needed the money; it wasn’t just for the sex.

Chapter 2

Patrolmen Tim Sanders and Mike Wilson are on patrol in the west district and spot James walking along the riverbank just this side of the covered bridge that carries Route 5 from Vermont to New Hampshire. By this time, it’s about ten thirty at night, and they observe that James seems to be staggering a bit. The patrol car comes to a stop before reaching James, and both the officers get out.

The senior officer, Tim Sanders, calls out to James, Excuse me, sir.

James looks up and sees the officers. Oh shit, just what I need right now, he mumbles under his breath. I’m okay. I’m just taking a walk, officers, he shouts back up to the officers.

C’mon up here a minute, let’s have a little chat, Officer Sanders replies.

James slowly walks up the riverbank to where the officers are standing next to the side of the road. He again tells them, I was just out for a little walk. Officer Wilson takes a small step backward as he smells a heavy odor of alcohol on James’s breath.

I just don’t want you to get too close to the river, that’s all. That river would sweep you away and you’d never be found, Officer Sanders says.

Is everything okay? Do you need a ride someplace? Officer Wilson inquires.

Oh, hell no. I’m fine, I just had a bad day at work and got into a little spat with the wife, that’s all, replies James, looking out toward the river.

The officers get a little information for their log and ask for his ID. James takes his wallet out of his back pocket and hands his license over. They run him and find he is clear.

Well, if you’re okay, we’ll leave you alone and head on down the road. You be careful now and stay away from the edge of that river, says Officer Wilson as he and Officer Sanders walk back to their cruiser.

Sure will. Good night, officers, James mumbles back.

As the officers drive off, James continues his walk. He finds a small path off to his right that heads down toward the river. Out of sight, out of mind, he says to himself. He follows the path to a small clearing next to the river where he knows he can sit and cool off before heading home.

He lies back against the soft lush grassy bank, staring at the stars and smoking a cigarette. It is a partial moonlit night with a dark sky full of stars. He lies there for what seem like hours. He must have counted a million stars lighting up the sky over his head and probably at the same time recounted a thousand times what went on between him and Sarah.

He closes his eyes and must have dozed off. A short time later, he is startled awake and sits up quickly, straining his ears, listening, not sure of what he heard. After a few seconds, he hears a ruckus coming from downstream, a short distance not too far from where he is sitting. He struggles to see off in the darkness but he can’t see anything. Absolutely nothing, no forms, no shapes, nothing but darkness and all he hears is the sound of the water flowing on by downstream. He is unnerved as his imagination starts running wild with thoughts that it might be a bear or maybe a bobcat. Knowing he is unarmed, he decides it might be best to just get out of there and go back home before he is confronted by an animal.

He stands up and looks down at his watch and he sees the time is well after midnight. He thinks to himself that it is a good thing it is the beginning of his weekend; he knows if not, he would surely have trouble getting up in the morning. He knows there was no sense in calling Sarah to let her know where he is and that he is headed home. She is probably fast asleep by now. Besides, she most likely won’t talk to him, anyway.

James lights up a cigarette and silently walks away from the noises he heard and follows the path along the riverbed. Eventually he walks out of the woods behind the mini-mart. He finishes his cigarette and drops it in the drain and then he reaches inside his shirt pocket for another and realizes he only has two cigarettes left.

Well, this won’t last the night, he says to himself, and thinking that since he came out of the woods right behind the convenience store, he might as well run in and grab a pack before heading home.

When James returns home, he quietly opens the front door and locks it behind him and goes into the kitchen for a root beer this time instead of a beer. He figures he is in enough trouble with Sarah already and doesn’t need to add fuel to the fire. He cracks it open and heads toward the stairs.

James noiselessly walks up the steps to peek in on Sarah; he walks in their bedroom and sees she is asleep. He covers her up and takes the remote out of her hand and her glasses off her head. With a peck on the forehead, he whispers good night to her and quietly leaves the bedroom and goes back downstairs.

James walks back into the living room and sits down in his chair. He turns on the TV to catch sports and the Friday night baseball scores.

Oh, perfect 7–2 Red Sox. The Yankees lost, that just made my day, James says, staring at the TV. In fact, James is a diehard Yankees fan.

James has only three passions in life, one of which is Sarah and the other two are baseball, mainly the Yankees, and beer. He spends his free time with those three favorite things. He acts like the tough guy, but he really does love Sarah, even though he doesn’t show it often.

Meanwhile, Officer Wilson and Patrolman Sanders are continuing their patrol. The radio comes through with a call from dispatch.

Groveton 403, Groveton 403, comes across the radio from the dispatcher.

403 Groveton, go ahead, Officer Wilson replies.

Groveton 403, see the man at 216 Fellows Lane reference a missing person’s complaint. Time out 0115, dispatcher says.

10-4 en route, Officer Wilson responds.

A missing person’s report. Terrific, somebody’s kid doesn’t come home on time from a date and we gotta go look for him or her, Officer Sanders complains.

It could be worse Officer Wilson adds, chuckling as he turns the car around and heads for the address given by dispatch.

Really? And just how would it be worse? Officer Sanders asks.

We could’ve been dispatched to the nursing home, like, last week. Officer Wilson laughs.

Never mind, let’s just get there, Officer Sanders replies, remembering that bogus call.

Chapter 3

Officers Wilson and Sanders are on the overnight twelve-hour shift till six in the next morning. Their chief is very adamant about visibility with the police. He figures the more often you see the police presence, the less likely you’re going to be willing to go that extra step to commit a crime. They respond to the call and drive their cruiser down to Fellows Lane. They see two subjects, an older man and woman, anxiously standing in front of the given address.

Officer Sanders picks up the radio mic and keys it and says, Groveton 403 to dispatch, we’ll be off at that residence.

403 10-4, dispatch replies.

Officer Wilson gets out of the cruiser and walks to the distraught man, while Officer Sanders takes the older female to the other side of the driveway.

Officer, help us, please, pleads the visibly upset man.

Sir, calm down. What’s your name? Let’s start there, Officer Wilson says.

Waters, Chuck, I mean, Charles Waters, my daughter is missing. She should have been here hours ago, he says in a panic.

Officer Wilson tells Waters to calm down again and directs him to the porch and to have a seat. Mr. Waters, what’s your daughter’s name? Officer Wilson asks after Mr. Waters sits down in the porch chair. He sits down in the chair opposite him.

Allison, she’s twenty-four, she works at Edelman’s Deli on the corner of Fifth and Main, answers Mr. Waters.

Okay, when did you see her last? Officer Wilson continues while writing down all the information given in his pocket notebook.

I guess about eight this morning when she stopped on her way to work. Allison and Cathy Tucker, she is a friend that rides with Allison, stopped by to have a cup of coffee and a doughnut. Allison told her mother and me she would be here right after work for supper.

The interview continues on, and the officers determine that Allison is a twenty-four-year-old, five feet one or two petite female weighing about one hundred and five pounds. She has brown hair below her shoulders and brown eyes.

Wilson continues his questioning. Do you remember how she was dressed, Mr. Waters?

White shirt with her black skirt and she had her favorite multicolored silk scarf around her neck. I remember telling her that she was going to catch cold if that skirt got any shorter, but she just told me to relax Dad and left, Mr. Waters explains.

Was she driving a vehicle, Mr. Waters? Officer Wilson continues.

Yes, I just told you she picks up her friend, Cathy. They ride together just about every morning. Don’t you have to have good hearing to be a cop? Mr. Waters replies sarcastically.

"Mr. Waters, stay calm. We’re