By Andy Betz
Dexter knew where Milhaus lived. He knew where Milhaus worked. Dexter knew every aspect of the life of Milhaus. He even knew that Milhaus had to die today.
What Dexter didn’t know was how he could kill Milhaus.
It couldn’t be by any conventional means and it most certainly had to both quick and clean.
This last detail was the only reason Milhaus was still alive. For if Dexter killed Milhaus in any other manner, Milhaus knew Dexter would die also. Dexter also knew this fact as a certainty.
So began an extended game of cat and mouse. Remembering the how was of far more importance than the when, Milhaus frequently walked past Dexter frequently smirking, frequently laughing. Dexter had to frequently wait patiently.
But, Dexter could not wait too long.
And Milhaus knew this also.
It took a team of doctors and a battery of exams to verify that Dexter required a new heart, a new liver, and at least one (preferably two) new kidney. That was their prognosis for Dexter to live to see 50. If he wanted more time, he would require bone marrow and a pancreas.
Time was not Dexter’s friend. Neither was chance. Dexter was AB negative and without the means to purchase his position at the front of the organ donor recipient list, his chances were bleak to say the least.
But, it wasn’t always this way for Dexter. Just one year ago, all of these organs, all of these NEW organs, by pure serendipity, befell the waiters on the list, all in a single night.
These organs, the doctors told Dexter, would be a perfect match for Dexter.
Unfortunately, the time between the availability and his diagnosis was 52 weeks. Too early for Dexter to realize his need. Too late for him to have 20/20 hindsight.
Dexter seethed in rage each time he saw Milhaus drink another martini or smoke another pack of cigarettes. Milhaus took care to consume rare roast beef, salted heavily, in restaurants with tables near the windows that Dexter would surely walk by. Milhaus rubbed it in every chance he could get because Milhaus knew what Dexter knew.
Milhaus was also AB negative. Milhaus also required all of these fresh NEW organs for his survival. Milhaus also thanked his lucky stars his doctors diagnosed faster than Dexter’s doctors. To Milhaus, it was all about the money. To Dexter, it was all about his daughter.
Dexter learned his daughter, Grace, had AB negative blood on the day he signed her organ donor card. She was only 8 years old when she died from a congenital blood clot in her lungs.
At the time, Dexter didn’t need what Grace had to offer.
But Milhaus did.
And it made Dexter mad as hell to think Milhaus was squandering all his daughter had to give. In essence, Milhaus was stealing Grace. At the rate Milhaus was going, he would die in less than 10 years. Dexter could live with the thought of his shortened lifespan. He just couldn’t watch his daughter die twice. Once was a trial. Twice was a tribulation.
So, Dexter had to kill Milhaus and he had to do it soon.
With brick in hand and an icepick at the ready, Dexter found Milhaus eating his usual prime rib with garlic bread and his third draft beer. Milhaus saw Dexter moving forward and signaled the members of his dinner party (all gluttons and drunkards the lot) to watch Dexter cower in fear (as he always had) of ruining Grace’s precious organs.
However, this time was different.
Dexter did not cower in fear.
He ran toward that restaurant window.
Dexter raised his hand.
And in a single instant, Dexter took a shot at Milhaus in front of all of the establishment’s patrons.
Correction.
And in a single instant, Dexter took a shot of Milhaus in front of all of the establishment’s patrons.
Dexter used his camera phone to record for the medical board a series of pictures of Milhaus the glutton, Milhaus the drunk, Milhaus the smoker, violating the terms of agreement all organ recipients must sign prior to the donation.
Dexter also recorded Milhaus choking on a large piece of prime rib.
None of the friends of Milhaus knew CPR.
None of the establishment’s patrons knew CPR.
Dexter knew CPR.
But Dexter came to see Milhaus and not Grace, die.
And in a manner of speaking, Dexter could thank his daughter Grace, every day thereafter for the rest of his life.
Bio: The works of Andy Betz are found everywhere a search engine operates. Andy has written many great things that have been posted to The Yard: Crime Blog. His works can be found HERE.
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