Not Who You Say You Are

Chapter Twenty-Five

1996

Dismembering the human body is not an easy task, but he has become quite efficient at doing so. The man has learned through trial and error. He has had fourteen opportunities to perfect his craft, so the man lying unconscious on his garage workbench should be a piece of cake. He had given Reggie enough sedatives to knock out a horse, but when the sawing begins, the drugs may quickly wear off. He's used a multitude of tools over the years. A cleaver, a scalpel, an axe, even a chainsaw, but the hacksaw has proved to be the most efficient and causes the least mess. It's important when separating limb from limb, to miss any vital artery, especially when the victim is alive. If you hit an artery, that's more blood. And if there's more blood, that's more of a clean-up. He places the tool right on the joint and begins to saw away. Surprisingly, Reggie doesn't wake up. Maybe he put too much in his drink. Usually, finding the victims is the hardest part for him, but he and Reggie have a history. Sometimes, he uses fake accounts on dating apps which seems to work a lot. But with him, all it took was sharing that he knew about Reggie's affair with his wife. It was one phone call;

'I know about the affair. We need to talk.'

Of course, Reggie being the spineless weasel he is, met with the man as soon as he could. He wouldn't want his dirty little secret getting back to his wife now would he? Because that would mean losing everything he has. His daughter, his money, his lifestyle. As for his own wife, he'd deal with her later. He had always hated cheaters. He didn't understand it. It's inhumane. Why hurt the person you love? The two met up at Stephen's house whilst his wife was away with her father. Reggie pleaded with him not to tell Ruby, and that the affair had ended a year ago. But it didn't matter. Faye still loved him, that much was clear and because she did, she was in danger of leaving him. Like Reggie, Stephen was scared of losing everything he had. He didn't come from a nice, loving family like Faye did. He didn't come from money. He knew he couldn't go back. He had to make sure she would never try to leave again. This was the only way. So, Stephen fixed Reggie a drink and slipped in a few too many Rohypnol. It didn't take long for him to sleep. Reggie didn't know what he was walking into. Of course, he didn't think Stephen would kill him but as Stephen starts to work on the other leg, Reggie wakes up and quickly understands what is happening. He tries to fight back but the zip ties tied around his wrist and ankles stop him from doing so. The pressure obviously loosens once the legs completely detach from the body and drop to the ground, but there's not much fighting a torso can do. Eventually, Stephen gets tired of the incessant screaming and decides that the next limb to go will be the head and after only a few saws, Reggie stops screaming. In silence, he removes the arms and places them, along with the legs and head, into a large suitcase lined with a trash bag. He would proceed to dispose of the parts around Ocean Drive. Then, he would be found and nobody will ever know what happened to him. Well, they would know he was chopped to pieces but they wouldn't know why or by whom. Nobody except him, and his wife. She will know why Reggie ended up the way he did. It will serve as a reminder, as a warning. Reggie's insufferable wife will never get closure. He doubts that Reggie even told her where he was going that night. It's a good thing too, Ruby never liked him. He will simply vanish and only be found once it's too late. The thought brings a smile to Stephen's face. But he's getting too hasty. Before he can bask in the glory, he pulls out his Polaroid camera and takes a few pictures of Reggie's torso. He even gets a little cocky and decides to snap a picture of himself. It's not like anybody will see it. He drops the photos into a brown leather duffel bag, along with the hundreds of others he has already collected. Here the photos will be safe. He did a risky thing but the temptation was too strong to resist. Stephen decides to never let the bag out of his sight no matter where he goes.

And his secret will die with him.