by L. Wilder
2
Madison
“Did you get the Evans order taken care of?” Clarissa asked with a smug look. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, making her face look overly taut and soured. “It needs to be out by noon.”
“Yes. Already took care of it. The courier came by and picked it up first thing this morning,” I replied with a forced smile. “I’m working on the Harrington order now, and once I finish that, I’ll finish setting up the Night’s Desire display.”
“Good. Do your best to make sure you stay on top of things. We have a busy week ahead.” I’d like to say that her voice sounded kind and sincere, but it didn’t. It was condescending, as usual, making me dislike her even more. When I first started working at the gallery, I had my fair share of hiccups, but that had been almost a year ago. Since then, I hadn’t had a single issue. Sadly, that didn’t stop Clarissa from constantly checking up on me. I wanted to tell her where she could stick it, but that simply wasn’t an option. She was the floor manager, so I just had to grin and bear it like I always did. “I’ll need you to have the new display completed before you leave for lunch.”
“Of course.”
As soon as she walked out of the room, I rolled my eyes and bobbed my head as I mocked, “Before you leave for lunch.”
“I don’t know why you let her get under your skin like you do.” Jessie, the office assistant and my closest friend, shook her head as she placed a cup of coffee on my desk. “You know she’s a rotten twat to everyone. No reason she’d be any different with you.”
“I know, but I keep hoping she’ll ease up a little.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, but I don’t see that happening.” Jessie took a sip of her coffee then said, “So, just do your best to ignore her.”
“Easier said than done.”
“I know, doll, but you gotta try.” Her eyes danced with mischief as she asked, “So, where are we going for lunch today?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I’ll make it to lunch today. I have to finish packing an order, then set up the new display.”
“Sorry, but that’s just not going to work for me.” She placed her hands on her abdomen as she complained, “I was up all night with cramps from hell, and I’m in dire need of eating something greasy and all kinds of fattening or my PMS is going to kick in. You know how bad that can be, so tell me how I can help you get all this done.”
“You could start by unpacking all the different parts of the display. As soon as I finish with this, we can figure out where to put everything.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thanks, Jess.”
“Don’t thank me just yet.” As she walked out of the office, she snickered, “You’re the one who’s buying lunch.”
“Totally worth it.”
I pulled out the pieces that needed to be shipped, and once I’d double-checked the order, I started packing the different paintings into the shipping boxes. Like many of our orders, they were being sent to a client outside of the state, and I needed to ensure that each one was carefully secured, so no damage would come to them during shipping. Once I had the paintings ready to be delivered, I called our courier to pick up the packages, then headed out front to help Jessie. Just as I’d hoped, she already had all the artwork out of the boxes and ready to be displayed. I walked over to her and smiled. “Man. You are really wanting that cheeseburger!”
“Damn straight, I do.” With her eyebrow cocked high, she asked, “Now, are we going to get this thing done or what?”
“Yes, Ms. Hormones. We’re going to ‘get this thing done’ and get you that burger.”
As she started to hang one of the pieces on the wall, she told me, “And cheese fries … and a chocolate shake.”
“You got it.”
We spent the next hour hanging each painting in just the right spot. Once we were done, I called Clarissa over to see if she approved, and much to our surprise, she actually liked what we’d done. Feeling rather proud of ourselves, we grabbed our things and headed over to our favorite burger joint at the end of the block. As soon as we sat down, Jess looked over to me and asked, “Was it just me, or was ‘rotten twat’ actually smiling?”
“Oh, yeah. She was definitely smiling.” I giggled. “So, maybe she isn’t so bad after all.”
“Let’s not get carried away, Mad,” she scoffed. “It was a smile. Nothing more.”
“Okay. You’re right. My bad.”
As I glanced down at the menu, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle against my skin, like someone just walked over my grave, and even after several seconds, I couldn’t shake the feeling. I took a quick look around the restaurant but saw nothing out of the norm. I was about to turn my attention back to the menu when I noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Jasper Nichols, the unbelievably hot guy who’d come into the gallery early that morning, was walking to the back of the restaurant, or at least I thought it was him. The man was wearing the same white button-down dress shirt and black slacks, but I couldn’t be sure. I would’ve called out to him, but I was afraid I’d look desperate and decided against it. I didn’t know if he was seeing someone or married. In fact, I knew nothing about the man, and as I sat there staring at the back of his head, I found myself wishing I’d asked more of those questions while I had the chance. I was still focused on him when I heard Jess ask, “Do you see someone you know?”
“Just some guy who came into the gallery.”
That perked her up. “Some guy, huh? Was he hot?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Damn, I hate that I missed him.” She leaned forward to get a better look. “Did you get his name and number?”
“I got his name, but not his number.”
She looked absolutely appalled. “Why the hell not?”
“Because … he was there to check out the art, not me!” I fussed.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Hoping to redirect the conversation, I looked back down at the menu and asked her, “Are you going to order that shake?”
“Absolutely, and I’m getting it with extra whipped cream.”
“That sounds really good. I might have to get me one, too.”
Seconds later, the waiter came over and took our order, and to my relief, Jess started telling me about some crazy movie she’d watched over the weekend. That story led into a shopping trip with her sister, and by the time she was done talking, our food was on the table. As I reached for my burger, I glanced over to the back of the restaurant’s bar area and there was no sign of the man from the gallery. Ignoring my disappointment, I took a bite of my food, and it wasn’t long before the delicious taste of the greasy burger erased all thoughts of Jasper Nichols.
Jessie and I continued to share a little idle gossip as we ate, and it wasn’t long before it was time to get back to work. We were on our way to the gallery when I spotted Rose, a young homeless girl who lingered in the area. She was standing next to several large tin cans that were filled with various flowers. Most girls in the area would be selling their bodies and not beautiful flowers, so I always tried to do what I could to support her. I looked over to Jess and said, “I’ll meet you back at the gallery.”
“Madison, you know you’re just throwing your money away with that girl. She’s probably—”
Knowing I was about to get a lecture, I cut her off. “I’ll be there in just a second!”
I rushed across the street, and as soon as Rose noticed me coming towards her, a bright smile crossed her face. “Hey, Ms. Brooks. How are you this afternoon?”
“I’m good, Rose. How about yourself?”
“I can’t complain.”
It was hard not to be moved by her upbeat attitude. The poor girl had no family, no home, and yet she hadn’t given up on life. For that very reason, I’d made a conscious effort to buy flowers from her whenever I had a little extra cash. I reached into my wallet and pulled out twenty-five dollars. As I offered it to her, I said, “It’s y
our pick today.”
“Hmmm.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “Are they for work or for your place?”
“The flowers I bought a few days ago still look great, so I’ll probably put these in the gallery.”
“Okay. That’s easy then.” She chose a few from each bucket, then offered them to me. “Maybe these would brighten things up a bit.”
“Thank you, Rose. I’m sure they will.” I brought them up to my nose and inhaled their scent. “They’re really beautiful today.”
“I hope you enjoy them.”
Turning to head back across the street, I told her, “I know I will.”
When I got back to my office, I filled a vase with water and slipped the flowers inside. I took a second to arrange them, then placed them on the front counter. With a satisfied smile, I went over to my desk and got to work. I’d been filing orders for hours when I came across an invoice that didn’t look like the numbers had been added correctly. I needed to check the weight calculations, so I reached into my desk for a calculator. That’s when I saw it—the piece of paper that had troubled me since the moment I’d found it.
I had stumbled across it when I was preparing an order for shipment. We were all surprised that someone had actually bought it. The painting had been purchased from an estate sale in Liberty, New York, and over the past couple of years, no one had even given it a second look—until two weeks ago when an older gentleman came in and bought it for his wife. He paid cash and requested that it be sent to their home in Georgia immediately. Tickled that the old magnolia tree had finally found a new home, I’d taken the painting back to my office and started preparing it for shipment. Just as I’d started wrapping it in bubble wrap, a piece of the frame had dropped to the floor. Worried that I’d broken it, I quickly picked it up and tried to fit it back in place. That’s when I’d noticed a slip of paper wedged inside the hollowed edge of the frame. Carefully, I’d eased it out and found a full page of indecipherable numbers.
I’d been trying to make sense of it when I heard Clarissa’s voice coming down the hall. I could’ve asked her what she thought about what I’d found but decided against it. Worried that she might blame me for the broken frame, I hid the paper in my desk, then quickly fixed the frame and had placed it inside the shipping box. Without telling a soul about the paper I’d found, I sent the package to Georgia. It had been over two weeks, and thankfully, there had been no word from the painting’s new owners.
I took the slip of paper out of my desk and studied it once again. Just like all the times before, I couldn’t make heads nor tails of the different numbers. I was so focused on trying to figure it out that I didn’t hear Jess when she walked up behind me.
“What’s that?”
I quickly folded it and answered, “Oh, it’s nothing. Some puzzle I was trying to solve.”
“Want me to give it a try?” she offered.
“No, that’s okay.” I leaned over and slipped it into my purse. “It’ll give me something to do when I get home.”
“Okay. Are you about ready to go?”
I looked up at the time on my computer and couldn’t believe that it was already after seven. “Absolutely. I just need to finish this up, and then I’ll help you lock up.”
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you out front.”
I grabbed my calculator, and after I’d made sure all the numbers were correct, I filed the final invoice. I shut down my laptop, slipped it into my bag, grabbed the rest of my things, and headed out front to meet Jessie, who was waiting impatiently at the door. “Move it, girl! The Bachelor comes on in less than an hour!”
“I’m coming!” I raced over to the door and followed her outside. Once she’d finished locking up, I told her, “Have fun watching the sex-capades tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You want to share a cab?”
“No, thanks.” I only lived a few blocks away from the gallery. “It’s a pretty night. I’ll just walk.”
“Suit yourself.” As she raised her hand to hail a taxi, she snickered and said, “You know, I’m thinking of submitting your name for the next season of The Bachelor! Might be the only way I find you a man!”
“Not a chance. I’d rather live with a house full of cats and maybe a parakeet or two.”
Shaking her head, she shouted, “Sorry, but there’s no way in hell I’m gonna let that happen! See you tomorrow, bachelorette!”
I would’ve protested further, but Jess had already headed towards the cab. Besides, my long day was starting to catch up with me, and I was ready to get home. I started walking towards my apartment, and it wasn’t long before an uneasy feeling washed over me, just like it had in the restaurant. I stopped and took a quick look around, but just like earlier, I didn’t see anything out of the norm. Hoping that it was just in my head, I continued forward, but the feeling stuck with me, making me feel the need to pick up my pace. I assumed it was just my imagination, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I started walking faster, and every time someone came up behind me, I’d quicken my pace. By the time I made it to my apartment, I’d gotten myself worked up into a bit of a panic. I whipped open the front door and gasped when I found Mrs. Collins, one of my elderly neighbors, blocking the doorway. Her little wrinkled eyes were peering over the handful of boxes she was carrying, and it was clear from the way they were trembling that she was about to lose her grip.
“I’m sorry if I startled you, child.” She was trying to keep her balance as she spoke. “I was taking a few things down to the Goodwill.”
“That’s mighty sweet of you.” After making a quick adjustment with my bags, I eased the top two boxes out of her hand and said, “Let me give you a hand with those.”
“Aren’t you just a doll.” She smiled brightly and added, “If you could just help me get them over to my car, I would be eternally grateful.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you so much. I’m parked right over there.”
“No problem.” I followed her over to the curb, then waited for what seemed like ages as she opened the trunk. Once I’d placed the boxes inside, I took the remaining one from her hand and wedged it next to the other two. As I closed the trunk, I told her, “You’re all set.”
“Thank you again.”
“I was glad to do it. You know that.” I gave her a quick hug then said, “Now, you be careful driving over to the Goodwill.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After she’d gotten in her car, I turned and headed towards the front door. As I entered, I found myself checking to be sure that no one followed me. I had no idea what had me so rattled, but thankfully, I started to feel better the second I stepped into my apartment. Once I’d locked the door, I dropped my things on the floor, then headed straight to the bathroom for a hot bath. An hour later, I got out of the tub and put on my comfy clothes before going into the kitchen for a bite to eat. I made myself a bowl of cereal and carried it into the living room. Piled up on the sofa, I turned on the TV to one of my favorite sitcoms, and it wasn’t long before I started to doze off. As I lay there sleeping peacefully on my couch, I was completely oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t alone in my apartment, that there was a man standing just a few feet away from me—and life as I’d always known it would soon be over.
3
Jasper
As I sat there watching the steam roll off my cup of coffee, I knew she was awake; I could feel it, and by the way Nanook was whining as he paced back and forth, he could too. I was hoping I’d have a little more time to figure out my next move, but clearly, that wasn’t going to happen. I walked over and sat down at my desk, checking the monitor, and just as I’d expected, she was moving around in the bed. Her eyes were still closed, but it was clear by the way she was tossing and turning, the meds were starting to wear off. My focus was still on the monitor when I thought about how badly I’d fucked up my day three. Hell, I’d fucked up my entire routine. It was day four, and by now, my assignments were usually done. A
ll loose ends had been tied up, and I was doing what I could to put it all behind me. I’d blown that all to hell by bringing Madison here. This time, my day four wasn’t the end, it was the beginning.
Nanook walked over to me and placed his head on my knee. He glanced up at the video stream of Madison lying in the bed, and I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I know, but I just couldn’t do it.”
Without looking away from the screen, he let out a slight grunt. Feeling the need to defend myself, I explained, “She isn’t like the others. Just look at her. How the hell was I supposed to kill someone like her? I just couldn’t do it … not without knowing why, so I brought her here. I thought I could use the time to figure this shit out.”
Nanook looked up at me like he understood exactly what I was saying. Hell, there was no way a dog could understand when I didn’t understand it myself. I shook my head as I muttered, “I know. I know. This thing is about to bite me in the fucking ass, but it is what it is.”
It was an easy job; one I could’ve completed without breaking a sweat. But after meeting Madison face-to-face, hearing the sound of her voice, and seeing her beautiful smile, there was no way in hell I could go through with it. I’d spent the entire day watching her, searching for some indication that she wasn’t who she portrayed herself to be, but there was nothing. It just didn’t make sense, so instead of pulling the fucking trigger, I drugged her as she was sleeping. While Madison was out, I positioned her body like I’d completed the hit and then took a picture for proof of the kill. Once I was done, I started packing her a bag. I knew I was taking a huge risk, but I couldn’t just leave her there—not when I knew that Charlie would send someone else to complete the job I failed. As soon as I’d finishing packing, I carried her down to my car and drove straight to the airport. Since it was a private charter, I didn’t have to worry about pre-flight checks or security, but I still had the pilot to contend with. I didn’t want him asking questions, so I feigned a hangover and demanded that I not be disturbed during or after the flight.
