PAYDAY Copyright 2013 RZEvans
Cheesy Chester lived not from payday to payday but from person to person. He was in his fifth floor flat contemplating the size of his wallet. It was getting slimmer, and he needed some action before long. The last two jobs had gone without a hitch. The wife on Third avenue had screamed, but she had the television going so loud that the neighbors never heard her or the squeal of the dog when he dispatched them. He even had time to raid her refrigerator, taking a six pack of Coors with him. Of course he had used gloves; only an amateur would leave prints. The husband had established a good alibi; he was a meek little rat and paid the last half of the fee willingly. Cheesy had told him what he would do if the geek didn't come across with the full amount. The other job had been almost as easy. The business partner wanted all of the growing business and had planned the details for him. He had simply waited in the parking lot after dark and given the victim a load of buckshot as he opened his car door. In all of his jobs through the years, Cheesy had only one accident. The husband in that case had gotten two for one. Cheesy had not only taken care of the wife but had gotten the boy friend also. It made for a slight complication because the dead boy friend gave the prosecutor a more sound motive. The husband's arrranged alibi, however, had held up. In that case one of the county judges had been sitting in on the friendly poker game.
Even though his wallet was getting slimmer, Cheesy wasn't worried about his income because something always came along. He finally got a call from a prospective client, and the job was a little different from the ones he usually took. The client had been referred from a reliable source, so he met with the woman at the Parrot, an unsavory little bar in a transition district. The woman was very adamant about the way in which her grandmother was to be dispatched. "It must be by suffocation," said the woman, "it has to look like she passed away in her sleep. If it can't be done that way, then we have to call the whole thing off."
"If I am in the process of performing the job, and something turns up to interrupt it, then I get to keep the first half of the fee," said Cheesy, "that's the only way I'll take it."
"Ok," said the employer, "but if something goes wrong, get out and let it just look like an intruder."
Cheesy watched the house for several days; the lights always went off about ten o'clock, and he figured he would perform his service around one. On the night he chose to do the deed, he popped a weak patio door lock and made his way to the old lady's bedroom. He was good at making no noise and had always prided himself on the fact. The bedroom door was standing open, and as he enterd the open doorway, he stopped and listened for the sounds of her breathing. He heard nothing and began to wonder if he was in the right room. With his tiny light he illuminated the bed; the covers were pushed back, and there was no one in the bed. He began to get a little nervous; what if the old bat was standing in the dark waiting for him with a pistol. He slowly turned the light and as it flowed past the rocking chair he saw a hand hanging limp on the right side and some hair showing a little higher up. Slowly he took the little pillow from inside his coat and slipped it over the chair to where the head was. He pulled back hard on the pillow and expected the old gal to start squirming, but there was no resistance at all. He let go of the pillow and shined the light into the face. The eyes were closed, and there was no breathing. He lifted one eyelid with his thumb, and there was no movement. He closed the eyelid, placed the pillow back in his coat, and retraced his steps to the pation door. He picked up the broken piece of the lock. Whoever examined the door would think that it had been broken for a long time. Well, he would collect the total payment, and the employer would never know that the old lady had died on her own.
Linda Stevens was a woman for whom things never seemed to go right. It never occurred to her, however, that the reason was because of the choices she made. She was given treatment for her bipolar problem, but she never stayed on her medication. She had given her mother all kinds of trouble through the years, but in spite of her problems and the trouble she had caused, she loved her mother. In the midst of her irrational thinking, she came up with a plan to leave her mother the proceeds of her insurance policy. Now she could of done that with no complicated planning, but she wanted to spare her mother the thoughts and knowledge that her daughter committed suicide, so on several occasions she called the police and told them that she had been receiving threatening phone calls. They knew her from her previous troubles and didn't put much faith in what she said, but they recorded the complaints. Linda had been dwelling on the plan for several weeks, but then she met Kevin and decided that life might be worth living after all. They dated several times and she thought at long last she had met a man who she really loved, and one who truly loved her. Every thing was rosy until Kevin stopped calling and she discovered that he was seeing other women. It was more than she could take, and she became even more moody and irrational than before.
Cheesy didn't like to cook, and half the time he took food home from the delicatessen on Greenwood Avenue. He drove a gray Honda Accord and would often pull up in front of the delicatessen, hop out, and get his order as quickly as possible. Linda Stevens also drove a gray Honda Accord and frequented the same delicatessen. On a Thursday afternoon, Linda parked behind another car at the delicatessen and in her confused irrational state got out of the car with her book bag containing her library card and five overdue books. As she stood in front of the delicatessen, she looked down at the books and walked back to the Accord, opened the back door, and threw them on the floorboard. She slammed the car door and entered the delicatessen. About that time, Cheesy walked out, opened the Honda door and sat under the wheel. When he tried the key, it wouldn't work, and he began to look around. On the seat he saw some women's apparel, said a string of curse words, and got out. He then got into his car, which had been parked forward of Linda's, and drove off. Later that afternoon, Linda uttered a few curse words of her own, plus some stomping and banging, and wondered how she could have lost her book bag. She was getting worse each day, and twice she called Kevin and gave him a cursing.
Two days later, Linda pulled up in front of the delicatessen and ran in for some chicken wings and potato salad. As she pulled out of the paarking lot in her latest frustrated state, she dented the left rear fender of the Honda in front of her. The owner ran out and waved at her to stop, and in Cheesy's anger and Linda's frustrated state they had a loud argument right in front of the store. Several regular customers came out and stood watching, wondering if they were going to have to call the police. Finally, Linda got in her car and drove off, nearly running over Cheesy. The traffic was heavy, and he didn't get a chance to follow her.
Although Cheesy broke the law himself routinely, to a much more serious note, he wasn't about to let a dame get away with not paying for his fender. He parked his car at the delicatesseen each afternoon and waited until Linda showed up again. The next week, on a Thursday,there she was in her usual parking spot. Cheesy jumped out of his car, and as soon as Linda was on the sidewalk he started haranguing her. She started shouting at the top of her voice that she didn't have any money or insurance and that he could go to hell. She jumped back in her car, locked the doors, and drove off. Again Cheesy couldn't follow her, but figured he would get even eventually.
Kevin called Linda and told her that if she didn't stop calling his house, he was going to call the police. This drove her into further depression, and she again called the police. She told them she received aniother threatening phone call and believed it was from her old boy friend. Then she figured she would get him good. She had read that a thin long sharp blade if pushed quickly would enter the skin with almost no pain. She went across town to shop for such a weapon, and then drove to Kevin's home. She parked on the street in front of his house, rolled down the window, wiped off the blade, held it with a plain white plastic bag, and with her last breath threw the bag out the window. Alas, Kevin was out of town attending a continuing education course on mental illness in the workplace. His Alibi was as they say
iron clad."
Sergeant Aldrich was very thorough, and he found in Linda's car several receipts plus some paper bags from the delicatessen. He inquired of all the employees if they knew the girl in a photograph he presented, and they all said she was a regular customer. Several people said they witnessed two scenes of dispute between her and a man who had an automobile similar to hers. Aldrich hung around the delicatessen until a likely suspect showed up. He ran the license plates, and of course It was Cheesy. Charles "Cheesy" Chester had a rap sheet going back to his teenage years before he even began his present profession. Also on one or two of his jobs, witnesses had placed him in the vicinity of the fatal crimes.
While Cheesy was in the delicatessen, Aldrich peered through the windows of the car. He saw a book bag that didn't look as if it belonged to a character like Cheesy. When Cheesy came out of the delicatesseen, Aldrich said, "Charles Chester, I am placing you under arrest on suspicion of murder in the case of Linda Stevens. You have the right to remain silent-----etc."
The prosecutor said to the jury, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mr. Chester's finger prints showed up on the door handle and steering wheel of Linda Stevens car, her book bag with her library card was found in Mr. Chester's car, and witnesses, on two occasions, saw the two arguing. He is going to tell you he got into her car by mistake, he is going to tell you he doesn't know how her book bag got into his car, and and he is making up a lame excuse about an automobile accident although there is no damage evident on Miss Stevens's automobile. As the prosecutor ticked off the evidence against Cheesy, Cheesy sat with a perplexed look on his face. He had uttered the words before, but never had he meant them, now he shouted, "I'm innocent."
Afer the jury filed back into the court room and took their seats, the foreman of the jury arose and read the verdict, "Your honor, the jury finds the defendent guilty of murder in the first degree."
Cheesy Chester lived not from payday to payday but from person to person. He was in his fifth floor flat contemplating the size of his wallet. It was getting slimmer, and he needed some action before long. The last two jobs had gone without a hitch. The wife on Third avenue had screamed, but she had the television going so loud that the neighbors never heard her or the squeal of the dog when he dispatched them. He even had time to raid her refrigerator, taking a six pack of Coors with him. Of course he had used gloves; only an amateur would leave prints. The husband had established a good alibi; he was a meek little rat and paid the last half of the fee willingly. Cheesy had told him what he would do if the geek didn't come across with the full amount. The other job had been almost as easy. The business partner wanted all of the growing business and had planned the details for him. He had simply waited in the parking lot after dark and given the victim a load of buckshot as he opened his car door. In all of his jobs through the years, Cheesy had only one accident. The husband in that case had gotten two for one. Cheesy had not only taken care of the wife but had gotten the boy friend also. It made for a slight complication because the dead boy friend gave the prosecutor a more sound motive. The husband's arrranged alibi, however, had held up. In that case one of the county judges had been sitting in on the friendly poker game.
Even though his wallet was getting slimmer, Cheesy wasn't worried about his income because something always came along. He finally got a call from a prospective client, and the job was a little different from the ones he usually took. The client had been referred from a reliable source, so he met with the woman at the Parrot, an unsavory little bar in a transition district. The woman was very adamant about the way in which her grandmother was to be dispatched. "It must be by suffocation," said the woman, "it has to look like she passed away in her sleep. If it can't be done that way, then we have to call the whole thing off."
"If I am in the process of performing the job, and something turns up to interrupt it, then I get to keep the first half of the fee," said Cheesy, "that's the only way I'll take it."
"Ok," said the employer, "but if something goes wrong, get out and let it just look like an intruder."
Cheesy watched the house for several days; the lights always went off about ten o'clock, and he figured he would perform his service around one. On the night he chose to do the deed, he popped a weak patio door lock and made his way to the old lady's bedroom. He was good at making no noise and had always prided himself on the fact. The bedroom door was standing open, and as he enterd the open doorway, he stopped and listened for the sounds of her breathing. He heard nothing and began to wonder if he was in the right room. With his tiny light he illuminated the bed; the covers were pushed back, and there was no one in the bed. He began to get a little nervous; what if the old bat was standing in the dark waiting for him with a pistol. He slowly turned the light and as it flowed past the rocking chair he saw a hand hanging limp on the right side and some hair showing a little higher up. Slowly he took the little pillow from inside his coat and slipped it over the chair to where the head was. He pulled back hard on the pillow and expected the old gal to start squirming, but there was no resistance at all. He let go of the pillow and shined the light into the face. The eyes were closed, and there was no breathing. He lifted one eyelid with his thumb, and there was no movement. He closed the eyelid, placed the pillow back in his coat, and retraced his steps to the pation door. He picked up the broken piece of the lock. Whoever examined the door would think that it had been broken for a long time. Well, he would collect the total payment, and the employer would never know that the old lady had died on her own.
Linda Stevens was a woman for whom things never seemed to go right. It never occurred to her, however, that the reason was because of the choices she made. She was given treatment for her bipolar problem, but she never stayed on her medication. She had given her mother all kinds of trouble through the years, but in spite of her problems and the trouble she had caused, she loved her mother. In the midst of her irrational thinking, she came up with a plan to leave her mother the proceeds of her insurance policy. Now she could of done that with no complicated planning, but she wanted to spare her mother the thoughts and knowledge that her daughter committed suicide, so on several occasions she called the police and told them that she had been receiving threatening phone calls. They knew her from her previous troubles and didn't put much faith in what she said, but they recorded the complaints. Linda had been dwelling on the plan for several weeks, but then she met Kevin and decided that life might be worth living after all. They dated several times and she thought at long last she had met a man who she really loved, and one who truly loved her. Every thing was rosy until Kevin stopped calling and she discovered that he was seeing other women. It was more than she could take, and she became even more moody and irrational than before.
Cheesy didn't like to cook, and half the time he took food home from the delicatessen on Greenwood Avenue. He drove a gray Honda Accord and would often pull up in front of the delicatessen, hop out, and get his order as quickly as possible. Linda Stevens also drove a gray Honda Accord and frequented the same delicatessen. On a Thursday afternoon, Linda parked behind another car at the delicatessen and in her confused irrational state got out of the car with her book bag containing her library card and five overdue books. As she stood in front of the delicatessen, she looked down at the books and walked back to the Accord, opened the back door, and threw them on the floorboard. She slammed the car door and entered the delicatessen. About that time, Cheesy walked out, opened the Honda door and sat under the wheel. When he tried the key, it wouldn't work, and he began to look around. On the seat he saw some women's apparel, said a string of curse words, and got out. He then got into his car, which had been parked forward of Linda's, and drove off. Later that afternoon, Linda uttered a few curse words of her own, plus some stomping and banging, and wondered how she could have lost her book bag. She was getting worse each day, and twice she called Kevin and gave him a cursing.
Two days later, Linda pulled up in front of the delicatessen and ran in for some chicken wings and potato salad. As she pulled out of the paarking lot in her latest frustrated state, she dented the left rear fender of the Honda in front of her. The owner ran out and waved at her to stop, and in Cheesy's anger and Linda's frustrated state they had a loud argument right in front of the store. Several regular customers came out and stood watching, wondering if they were going to have to call the police. Finally, Linda got in her car and drove off, nearly running over Cheesy. The traffic was heavy, and he didn't get a chance to follow her.
Although Cheesy broke the law himself routinely, to a much more serious note, he wasn't about to let a dame get away with not paying for his fender. He parked his car at the delicatesseen each afternoon and waited until Linda showed up again. The next week, on a Thursday,there she was in her usual parking spot. Cheesy jumped out of his car, and as soon as Linda was on the sidewalk he started haranguing her. She started shouting at the top of her voice that she didn't have any money or insurance and that he could go to hell. She jumped back in her car, locked the doors, and drove off. Again Cheesy couldn't follow her, but figured he would get even eventually.
Kevin called Linda and told her that if she didn't stop calling his house, he was going to call the police. This drove her into further depression, and she again called the police. She told them she received aniother threatening phone call and believed it was from her old boy friend. Then she figured she would get him good. She had read that a thin long sharp blade if pushed quickly would enter the skin with almost no pain. She went across town to shop for such a weapon, and then drove to Kevin's home. She parked on the street in front of his house, rolled down the window, wiped off the blade, held it with a plain white plastic bag, and with her last breath threw the bag out the window. Alas, Kevin was out of town attending a continuing education course on mental illness in the workplace. His Alibi was as they say
iron clad."
Sergeant Aldrich was very thorough, and he found in Linda's car several receipts plus some paper bags from the delicatessen. He inquired of all the employees if they knew the girl in a photograph he presented, and they all said she was a regular customer. Several people said they witnessed two scenes of dispute between her and a man who had an automobile similar to hers. Aldrich hung around the delicatessen until a likely suspect showed up. He ran the license plates, and of course It was Cheesy. Charles "Cheesy" Chester had a rap sheet going back to his teenage years before he even began his present profession. Also on one or two of his jobs, witnesses had placed him in the vicinity of the fatal crimes.
While Cheesy was in the delicatessen, Aldrich peered through the windows of the car. He saw a book bag that didn't look as if it belonged to a character like Cheesy. When Cheesy came out of the delicatesseen, Aldrich said, "Charles Chester, I am placing you under arrest on suspicion of murder in the case of Linda Stevens. You have the right to remain silent-----etc."
The prosecutor said to the jury, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Mr. Chester's finger prints showed up on the door handle and steering wheel of Linda Stevens car, her book bag with her library card was found in Mr. Chester's car, and witnesses, on two occasions, saw the two arguing. He is going to tell you he got into her car by mistake, he is going to tell you he doesn't know how her book bag got into his car, and and he is making up a lame excuse about an automobile accident although there is no damage evident on Miss Stevens's automobile. As the prosecutor ticked off the evidence against Cheesy, Cheesy sat with a perplexed look on his face. He had uttered the words before, but never had he meant them, now he shouted, "I'm innocent."
Afer the jury filed back into the court room and took their seats, the foreman of the jury arose and read the verdict, "Your honor, the jury finds the defendent guilty of murder in the first degree."