Jewel of the Classroom

“Hello, and welcome back. I hope you all read chapter four,” I said, greeting my criminology class. They nodded.

“Alright, pop quiz. Who was Wise Guy? I know you already know the answer to this, Jesse, you can put your hand down. How about, Sarah,” I said. Jesse crossed his arms and smiled. He was the smartest student in the classroom, but also had the biggest attitude. I wanted to make sure the other students were learning, so I didn’t always have him answer.

“Wise Guy was a serial killer from over thirty years ago. He was never caught, and the F.B.I said his counter forensics measures were brilliant. He was thought to have stopped killing after twenty three people,” Sarah said.

“It was twenty four, but otherwise correct. Very good, Sarah” I said.

“I say Eight Ball is better,” Jesse said.

“Eight Ball, he’s been in the news recently. Better isn’t exactly the best way to describe a killer. Regardless, what do you mean by better? Isn’t his body count only eight?”

“Yes, but all of his kills have been in a one mile radius of the same place, Tony’s pool hall. Yet no one has seen him. And this is despite the place being surrounded by several cameras. All of Wise Guy’s victims were spread across several states,” Jesse said.

“Well, you’ve certainly done your research. Good job,” I said. This made Jesse smile. I continued lecturing for another hour before I ended the class.

“Jesse, before you go, I’d like to talk to you later tonight. We can go over your work, you’re doing very well. I see a real future for you,” I said.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I got a girl coming over tonight,” Jesse said.

“Tomorrow then. I’d like to see you stay on track. Maybe we can go over a few career options,” I said.

“Alright, fine. Tomorrow. Coffee shop,” he said.

“I don’t like the coffee shop on campus. The coffee tastes cheap and salty. I’ll make you some coffee at my place,” I said.

“Are you hitting on me, professor?” Jesse asked snidely.

“That’s not at all how I meant it. I’ll tell you what, I’ll grab Starbucks and meet you at Tony’s, since you’re such a fan” I said.

“I prefer Coffee Bean,” Jesse said.

“Alright, I’ll get you something from Coffee Bean. Do we have a deal?” I asked.

“You got it, Tim,” Jesse said.

“I’d prefer Professor Hawkins, but I’ll let it slide,” I said and smiled.

“Ok dude, you got it. Sounds like a fun Saturday,” Jesse said and walked out of the classroom.

***

Saturday had come and I was waiting for Jesse at Tony’s. He walked in a few minutes late with his arm around a tall blonde girl. He sat down at the table.

“I was hoping it would be just us,” I said.

“You heard him, babe. Hit the road,” Jesse said and smacked her behind. She gasped, then giggled.

“Wow. Way to be disrespectful,” I said.

“She knows she’s my baby girl. Right baby girl?” he said to the blonde.

“That’s right. And you’re my baby boy,” She said and kissed Jesse’s cheek before frolicking out of the pool hall.

“So, what’s this about my future,” Jesse said.

“Well, I want to help keep you on track, make sure you stay out of jail. A smart, good looking ladies’ man like you would hate being locked up, trust me. I was arrested a few times myself on some misdemeanor charges, it wasn’t fun. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life in jail,” I said.

“And why would I spend the rest of my life in jail?” Jesse asked. I looked around to make sure nobody was listening and grabbed Jesse’s shirt to pull him in closer.

“Look kid, no need to play coy. You got sloppy on your last kill. I had to cover for you, get rid of the evidence for the great Eight Ball. You don’t have to deny who you are around me,” I said.

“How the hell did you… wait, are you…?” Jesse started to say.

“Ssshhh, you got to whisper. We don’t know whose eavesdropping. And yes, I’m Wise Guy,” I said.

“So, your tips and pointers, they’re to help me cover?” He asked.

“Yes, absolutely. You got talent, kiddo. It would be a shame to let it go to waste,” I said.

“So what did I do wrong the last time? How did you find me? I was sure nobody was following me,” Jesse asked.

“Your mistake was only checking for people on the street level. I was keeping my eye on you from an empty second story office building. That’s why the woods are always better to bury a corpse then an alleyway. The forest is less likely to have human inhabitants,” I said.

“That’s good to know,” Jesse said.

“Your second mistake was leaving the trash bag the body was in on the top of the trash can. If you’re not going to bury it in the woods, you should at least cover the body in other trash. If someone else throws something out, they won’t notice a trash covered bag and you’ll have more time to leave the scene,” I said.

“And you’re saying you did this for me?” Jesse asked.

“Yes, you’re the jewel of my classroom. You’re going places, as long as you cover your tracks. I’m here to make sure you get to your destination,” I said.

“Thanks for the help, professor. I guess Wise Guy really is better than Eight Ball, since he helped him cover,” Jesse said. I smiled and nodded.

“I know you like to stay around the pool hall, so I found a better location for you. There’s some woods a few miles south of here, you take the bodies there. Then you can call me and tell me the mile marker on the road. I’ll double check your work. You beat my record, I’ll concede you’re better than me,” I said.

“Sounds like a deal,” Jesse said.

***

Months had passed and it was now summer. I had been advising Jesse during this time, and he had now tied my record. My phone rang.

“Hello, Jesse. How are you doing?” I asked.

“Good, I wanted to go out tonight and celebrate. I’m about to beat your record. Meet me at mile marker twenty eight on old pass road. It’s right passed the bridge,” Jesse said.

“I know where that is,” I said.

“See you there at eight sharp,” Jesse said.

Eight came around. I drove to mile marker twenty eight, eager to celebrate Jesse’s record with him. I saw his car sitting on the side of the road. I parked behind him and got out of my car. He got out of his.

“Hey Jesse,” I said. Jesse smiled.

“Hey Professor. I got twenty five right here,” Jesse said and opened his trunk.

He pulled out a shovel and asked, “Can you hold this for me?”

“Sure,” I said.

Then he pulled out a stuffed trash bag. A car was passing us and he put the bag behind him.

After the car passed, I said, “Turn on your emergency blinkers. If anyone else passes, it’ll look like I’m helping you.”

“Sure thing,” Jesse said then turned them on.

“Let’s go for a hike,” I said. Jesse carried the bag several miles into the woods. We stopped at what looked like a good burial location.

“So, who’s in the bag?” I asked.

“You are, Wise guy,” Jesse said, then quickly pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the chest.

“Why?” I asked as I dropped to the ground.

“I couldn’t let you come out of retirement and beat my record,” Jesse said and smiled fiendishly.

“That was never my plan. You were my protégé,” I said. I grabbed a rock from the ground and smashed it on his knee.

“Aahh, you son of a bitch,” he said. I smashed his other knee and he fell over.

“You’re not going to win,” he said and stabbed me again. I smashed his face several times with the rock.

“Ok, ok stop. I give up,” Jesse said. I smiled, dropped the rock and laid on the ground.

“I don’t have the energy to move, do you?” I asked Jesse.

“No. And we’re losing blood. If no one takes us to the hospital, were going to die,” Jesse said.

“Ironic, if we both die out here, our records are tied again,” I said.

“Crap, I guess I won’t beat your record after all,” Jesse said.

“That’s a shame. I die with my record intact. What was in the bag if it wasn’t a body?” I asked.

“Coffee beans. Lots of coffee beans. I was going to empty them out on top of your corpse so the cadaver dogs couldn’t find you,” Jesse said.

“Smart,” I said and laughed. Jesse started laughing too. We both kept laughing until we lost too much blood to continue to make noise. We died with our records tied.

Copyright © 12/3/2022 by A.H. Mittelman. All rights reserved.