The Routine
Dan woke up when the alarm clock went off. He hit it quickly and looked over his shoulder. Brianne hadn’t moved. He looked at her in the early morning light, stroking her hair fondly with a loving smile on his face. He slipped out of the bedroom as quietly as he could.
He showered before eating, as he always preferred. Breakfast was a bowl of cereal – not his favourite brand. Plain Shreddies. Brianne’s choice. Smothering the coffee grinder with a dish towel to dull the sound, he brewed himself a single cup of coffee and enjoyed it as he flipped through the morning paper pulled from the front porch.
Dan skimmed over the local news, then international news – more violence everywhere (what was the world coming to?) – before poring over the sports section and finally ending, as always, with the comics. He liked to start off his day with some light humour.
He checked his watch. Time to get to work. He tidied up, pulled on his sports coat, grabbed his heavy briefcase – a new project started today – and locked the front door behind himself.
Forty-three minutes later, the door was broken in with a ram, SWAT making a quick, efficient sweep of the entire premises.
“All clear,” the captain said as Special Agent Jamieson stepped over the threshhold. “Proctor reported something you should see in the bedroom.”
Jamieson made a sweep of his own, scanning around the living room and dining room from where he stood. “Thanks,” he said.
Brianne Tremblay, Jamieson knew even as he stood at the bedroom door and saw her in the bed. Forensics was already at work on her body, but he knew what they’d find: the same thing they’d found each time. Like the cereal bowl. Like the coffee and newspaper and hair in the shower drain.
Now fourteen victims and counting.
They were getting close to catching Daniel Hayes. But not close enough.
Not yet.
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good stuff.
At least they have his name & DNA from the hair! Nice job inserting serial murder into a mundane morning setting.
Chilling how killer went about his morning routine AND got his laughs with the comics.
Of course, there might come a time when he won’t be laughing so much…
Good story.
Loved all the little details. And here I was, thinking he was a nice guy ’cause he was considerate enough to muffle the coffee grinder noise. It’s always the ones you least expect; isn’t it?
Lovely. I now have whiplash from the abrupt change in direction.
It’s a great story.
Nice! I like your idea about silencing the coffee grinder. Nice leaving the cause of death out too.
Good work Reay!
@Rob - Glad you liked it!
@Shannon - Oh, sure, they know who he is, but that only makes the chase even more of a tease. Evading capture by hiding is one thing. Evading it while knowingly leaving evidence lying around in your wake is a different animal altogether…
@Marisa - Thanks! Glad you liked it. And yeah, I’d say that some of the scariest serial killer characters are those who don’t get worked up about it but instead treat their grisly work like a normal, everyday thing.
@ganymeder - Thanks, and nice to hear you noticed the details. And yeah, sure he muffled the coffee grinder. Even a serial killer should have manners.
@Angela - I’d recommend a heating pad.
As per some very good advice I recently got, I’m trying to avoid doing merely twist ending-type stories with these Friday posts. Flash fiction does lend itself to that, however - quick set-up and then pull the rug out from under the reader - so I’m definitely going to be going back to that well for stories I think are strong enough to deserve it.
@Jackie - You liked the coffee grinder bit, eh? Yeah, I picked up that bit from my wife, who does that same thing while trying to let me sleep in some days. Happily, I’m at least alive while she does it.
Love you, hon.