The Bully of Ocean Side

        Darkness was ebbing.  The pungent smell of fresh blood filled the air so much that Ronald was sure everyone could smell it.  Fear caused large droplets of sweat to form and rain on his forehead. In the distance a dog barked at something.  Other dogs in the neighborhood must have picked up on the first dog and now there were more than six dogs barking according to Ronald’s count.  He looked around to verify he was still alone at the self service car wash then looked up at the moon and saw it was beginning its decent over the horizon.  The sun would be up soon and his endeavor would be exposed.  That was unless he could find a good way to dispose of things.  Seeing the hose and nozzle on the side wall of the car wash, Ronald rushed back into the pickup and pulled the truck through the stall and hurriedly got out. Opening the tailgate he pulled the last two latex gloves out of his back pocket and then reached in his front jean pocket and pulled out two quarters.  Putting the quarters in the coin slot the nozzle came to life with water pressure.  Ronald picked up the nozzle by the trigger and pulled it to the back of the truck.  He grabbed the ankle of the body in the truck and pulled it out. The body hit the ground with an eerie thud. Ronald looked around again to make sure there was no one about.  He took the nozzle and sprayed the truck bed out real good.  Then he washed the bumper, tailgate and even the undercarriage.  Next he aimed the nozzle at the dead young man lying on the cold wet concrete floor of the car wash.  Pulling the trigger he methodically washed all the evidence off the now very dead body.  The body temperature would be changed now to making it harder to get an accurate time of death Ronald thought to himself.  Ronald examined the body one more time carefully to make sure that there were no possible traces then hosed down the floor of the wash bay until there was very little dirt at all. 
         Ronald placed the nozzle back in its holder as it died out.  He took the gloves off and went to the cab of the truck, reached onto the passenger side seat and grabbed the zipper plastic bag. Placing the gloves inside them and sealing the bag, he got into the truck.  Ronald had to fight the urge to speed out and race home.  Instead he headed east on the highway and away from the car wash.  As the rain started he said a silent thank you to the rain.  It would help hide anything he had missed.  As he drove to the fishing camp off in the county, he wondered if anyone would miss Butch. 
         Butch Hopkins lived up to his name for most of his life as far as Ronald knew.  Ever since fifth grade Butch had been a bully to anyone smaller or having more money or more intelligence than he did.  Unfortunately for Ronald, he had fit all three categories.  And so thus, all through school Ronald was beaten up and harassed by Butch. At High School graduation Ronald really expected for Butch to grow up and leave him alone.  It had not happened quite that way and in a way Butch had gotten worse.  Butch had cost Ronald two good paying jobs that would have led to an internship.  But the clincher for Ronald was the last horrible act that Butch had done, raping Maggie. 
         Maggie Thomas was the only woman that ever had even given Ronald the time of day.  From the first day they had met in the Library at the High School in Ronald’s Senior year both had felt the magic.  The two of them would take long walks and talk about everything under the sun.  Ronald had felt like he could be himself around Maggie and she felt the same.  It was actually quite logical to both for them to get married and have a life together. The first year and a half was magical.  They rarely even disagreed not to mention did not fight with one another.  Then entered Butch.  Like a bad nightmare Butch started his tormenting Ronald and horrid treatments. 
         The first victim on Butch’s list was Tails. Tails had been a gift from Maggie, a mut puppy that was so cute and affectionate that Ronald carried Tails almost everywhere he went.  For starters Butch made his way into Ronald and Maggie’s house one Sunday.  He shaved the poor dogs entire body horridly leaving bleeding sores all over the poor dogs body.  Butch had waited for Ronald and Maggie to get home from church and then bragged about Tail’s new hair style.  With an evil laugh he got in his car and sped off before Ronald and Maggie could discover his evil deed.  It was only 2 weeks later on another Sunday that Butch did the unmentionable, and killed Tail’s leaving the body in the kitchen floor, signing his name in the blood. 
         Ronald and Maggie had performed a small funeral service for their poor dog with tears and emotions.  Ronald had wanted to call the police.  Maggie had implored him not to.  Butch was so evil and hateful; Maggie feared it would only make matters worse.  Butch’s own parents had come up missing after trying to send him away for a mental evaluation and to get the disturbed young man some help. 
         The local police never found any traces of what might have happened to the couple, but the whole town suspected Butch.  The result was that Butch was given run of the town, out of the township being terrified of the man.  There was only one silver lining in this storm; the evil in Butch’s soul was ebbing to his physical body.  Very thin, eyes sunken into their sockets and his face almost an ashen gray, Butch was undertaking the look of the evil that dwelled within him.  Many horrid acts to the town’s people had occurred, and everyone knew that Butch had to be to blame. Even the burning of the school; Butch’s fingerprints had been all over the gas cans that had been found, at the scene.  There was no mistaking it; Butch had added another abhorrent act to his long and growing list.  The police of course did little; Butch was too powerful for even Fred and Tommy to mess with.  A small town was no place to start an investigation into Butch.  It would have only lead to more disastrous acts and the entire town’s people knew it. 
         Ronald finally pulled into the driveway of the small fishing camp.  The sun was beginning to rise as he got out of the truck.  When he reached the door, Fred and Maggie met him with weak smiles.  Maggie had been so very quiet after Butch had forced himself on her.  The bruises on her face were still so black.  Swelling of her lip had gone down to practically nothing and only the gash in it remained.  She winked at Ronald as he walked into the small cottage. 
         “Well?”  Fred asked looking inquisitive at Ronald. 
         “Honey, could you go make us some coffee?  I don’t wantcha hearing any of this.”  Ronald said giving her a light kiss on her cheek.
         “Sure.  You okay baby?”  Maggie asked softly looking up at him with the delicateness of a rose pedal.
         “I’m fine now.  We all are.”  Ronald spoke with a strong smile.
         As Maggie left to go into the kitchen, Ronald turned to Fred, the chief of police.
“Everything went according to plan.  Even the ice knife we made worked so perfectly that I was almost worried it had not done enough.  But, yea the problem is dealt with.” Ronald spoke with a tone of assuredness.
         “You have done the town a great service Ron.  Really and I thank you, my wife and kids thank you, hell if the mayor could know he probably give ya a medal.”  Fred said clapping Ronald on the back.
         “Well, you live by the sword you die by the sword.” Ronald said.
         “Yea, and if there ever becomes of any of this, each of us has two witnesses, that we were here all night playing cards and visiting consoling Maggie.”  Fred said with a grin. 
         “So much for the bully of Ocean Side.” Fred spoke then waved goodbye as he walked out into the sun and got in his truck.