Killer
Dr. Paul Williams

After giving the FBI a stellar performance, my mind goes back to the reason, I mean reasons, that inconvenienced me in the first place—the two detectives who have ruined what I have spent hours and hours perfecting. The one thing that I can thank my father and grandfather for is that I'm an overachiever and perfectionist. I wasn't going to be anything like those two assholes. I was determined to make something of myself.

That's more or less why I became a doctor. Doctors are respected, and it takes a lot of work to succeed. I loved working my ass off in school. I felt in control at school; I never felt that at home. That hard work got me a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University. It was in school that I learned that hard work pays off.

My ex-wife and I met at the University. She was working towards being a nurse practitioner because she was too damn impatient to put in the extra work and the time necessary to become a doctor. But damn, she was wild in the sack while we dated. She even let me choke her to get off. That all changed when we got married. I went too far once, and that was it, no more chocking in bed. After that, I lost interest in her.

I apologized profusely and begged her to give me another chance, promising her that I would never let it go too far again, but she would have none of it. I could no longer get hard for her, and our marriage turned into a fucking disaster. I would work excessive hours to avoid going home to her. One day, I came home to an empty house, and when I said empty, everything was gone. She took the furniture, dishes, and everything we owned, packed up and moved out.

The only thing left was a pile of photos with us in them and our wedding album on the hardwood floor in the foyer. I tripped over it because I was too busy scanning my empty house. On top were divorce papers that she had already signed and a pen. I didn't even read it. I just signed on the dotted line and left out a full breath of relief that it was over. I went to our bedroom. She had my clothes piled in the middle of our bedroom floor, along with a box with my personal belongings. I loaded it all into my car and went to the nearest hotel.

Little did I know that when I signed the divorce papers, I signed away practically everything. Did I regret not reading it first or at least getting a lawyer to review it? Not really, because what she did for me was a huge favor. The night I checked into the hotel, I picked up a magazine lying beside the bed, and in that magazine was an ad for a ship's doctor on a cruise line. I tore it out, and I knew then what I wanted. I called, got an interview, and while they were shocked that I was leaving a lucrative career at a Johns Hopkins Hospital behind, they hired me that same day.

It's been a dream job. It wasn't long till I started killing. At first, it was just at ports we visited. After a while, I realized that the ship's passengers also made great victims. I had studied long and hard to map out cameras and learned to disconnect and reconnect the overboard sensors.

My life was fucking perfect until those detectives got up into my business. I worked hard to perfect my little game, and two nosy-ass detectives are messing it up. I can't wait to get my hands on them. The skinny blonde's thin, bony neck didn't interest me, which was good. I could be quick and done without having to fight my desire to choke her. God, I hate fucking skinny necks.

Unfortunately, I had to bide my time and hope that I would run into them. I don't know the detectives' names, and even when I asked the other staff members who they thought the detectives were, they had no clue either. All that I knew were their faces.

***

I was too restless to sleep tonight. I had scoped out the ship as much as I could today and tonight while continuing my duties. Nothing, I didn't see anyone that even resembled them. Shit! I've got to get some sleep. I decide to exercise my anxiety away. I leave bed and pull on gym shorts and a tee shirt. I put on my running shoes and go to the jogging path deck.

I about shit my pants when the two detectives pass in front of me as I start to make my way around the corner. I quickly return to the shadows; I can't believe my good fortune. I quickly form a plan. I have to take out the man first, that's for sure, but how? Then I see them stop by the railing. My mind made a split-second decision. The man's back was to me, and I could easily sneak up and surprise him by heaving him over the railing.

He'll take some effort, but I don't doubt I can handle him. Working out is an obsession with me, and the adrenaline running through my veins will give me the extra oomph that I need to get his ass over the railing.  The skinny blonde will be a piece of cake. I wait for my moment. I know that they're going to kiss and see the woman glance around, checking for others on this deck. She says something to him, and he leans in for the kiss I've been waiting for to make my move.

While quickly approaching the couple, I pray they can't hear my heart beating out of my chest. I see them begin to break the kiss. It's now or never. I rush the rest of the way to them and use my momentum to lift and propel him over the railing. I waste no time picking up the blonde and tossing her over.

She looks me right in the face before she plummets into the water below. She screams, but I don't waste any time watching her. I have to get the hell out of there when I hear the fucking overboard sensors go off. Fuck! I was too caught up in the moment to think this through like usual. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I take the stairs and run like hell to the crew deck. My breath is heavily heaving as I shut my cabin door quickly behind me. I promptly strip back down to my boxers and jump into my bed like a child caught being out of bed after a parent tucked them in.

My heart feels like it will explode right out of my chest. I take several deep breaths as I struggle to calm myself down while the MOB (Man Overboard ) internal alarm bell sounds off for three long rings to notify the crew that someone or something went overboard. At the same time, the ship's whistle blasts three long times to inform other vessels in the nearby vicinity.

I'm relieved that I served as part of the emergency squad on the previous cruise. I'm usually on one week and off duty one week because of my medical background. Therefore, I can stay right here and get my shit together instead of meeting the emergency squad at our assigned muster station.

Slowly, my heart begins to slow down to an average pace. My only hope now is that they broke their fucking necks when hitting the water and took my secrets to their watery grave with them. I turn over, and sleep immediately overtakes me.

*****