This is a psychological thriller.
And a love story.
And it might be disturbing.
Bad Bugs
Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer Book 1
by Timothy Freriks
Genre
Psychological Thriller
This book is told through the twisted but rational mind of Michael Stammons, a serial killer. Stammons tells the story in a somewhat off-handed style, which might be creepy to some. But it is his story, justifications for his actions. He wants you to believe.
This is a psychological thriller.
And a love story.
And it might be disturbing.
Excerpts from Bad bugs by Timothy freriks © 2024
NARRATIVE FROM MICHAEL STAMMONS
(Using his father’s old typewriter)
Current time
(Excerpt 1)
YOU COULD CALL ME INSANE. Many people have, and I suppose I deserve that if you’re looking at the last six or so years—-or maybe just the last fourteen months-—through the eyes of Utah's ‘normal’ citizen. But it’s really, in my mind, like I’m the normal one. People have called me ‘twisted’, but, again, in my mind, I’m straight and narrow, just like the path I finally choose chose to follow. Anyway, I’m sitting here. Waiting for the inevitable. Typing.
flashback
Whatever made me come back here to watch from the top of the dumpster frightened me a little. I lay flat, invisible in the almost pitch black, the high-powered binoculars already raised. I focused on my victim, who lay on the asphalt between his car and the gigantic F-250 occupying the space next to his. I guess it was my demon, one of them at least, who made me bring the binocs in the first place. I didn’t consciously think about it.
Anyway, the parking lot was dimly lit by a single security light at the back of the bar. I couldn’t actually see my victim’s head because it was underneath the truck, in front of the enormous rear dual tires. I knew it was there because I had visualized and planned the event carefully; it is where I had laid him.
I waited
. At least, I assumed so.
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BACK STORY – BAD BUGS
Timothy Freriks
Several decades ago, when I was just starting out in my first career, real estate, I hired a man whose full name I’d rather not share. I’ll call him Robert. In those days, researching someone’s background was not easy; I didn’t think to consult the police department. He had the right attitude and history (I thought), was charismatic, seemed eager to learn and perform, and seemed trustworthy.
Robert’s version of his past experience, I would find, was total fiction. It didn’t matter at the time because he did have a considerable ability to gain the trust of prospective tenants.
For two years, we worked together. Although quirks—mainly of a sexual conquest nature—popped up, I ignored them. He appeared to be as normal as anyone else.
Then, he was gone for a month. When he came back, he was different, odd, and distracted. Coincidentally, or so I thought, a murder case was under investigation in Cleveland. I don’t know how it came about, but we got to talking about what it felt like to kill someone. Robert brightened oddly and became engaged. He then focused on how he would kill someone—and why.
To him, killing someone who, in his opinion, deserved death was an ‘act of love for the community’. To him, he was justified to believe that philosophy and act on it. Again, in his words: ‘A murderer might be called insane, but in his mind, he’s normal. Weird, right?’. The clear inference was that taking the life of an evil person was honorable and justified, and it was okay even though most people wouldn’t understand that.
I became quite disturbed, obviously. My partner and I decided to fire him, but we were afraid to do so. It didn’t matter: shortly after that, he was arrested for the murder I referenced above. And he was linked to another murder a year before we met.
He was found innocent by reason of insanity. The last I heard, he was still in a mental institution. But I never forgot—and never will forget—his chilling words. I have always wondered what being inside his mind must have been like.
Mr. Freriks is a multiple award-winning novelist now living in Nashville after 40 years in Tampa, Florida. An architect, a life-long entrepreneur, businessman, inventor, open-water sailor, pilot, and writer, he has authored twenty novels, mostly conspiracy and crime thrillers. However, some of his award-winning books are in the genres of historical fiction, science fiction, dystopian, and... well, hard to describe.
He is also the author of The Strong Startup, a clear and functional road map to starting a business from just an idea. It is a guide for early-stage entrepreneurs to make sure they have a salable product before they build a business.
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I'm definitely looking forward to checking this book out. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe title and cover look fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
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