The second item was even more helpful to Payne because it explained why Ashley had been
He spotted it hanging in the corner, right above a card table she had used as her desk. Thumb-tacked to the wall, the calendar had been printed on a bright yellow sheet of paper. A black star filled the tiny box for Monday, 14 December, which was the following day. Next to it, she had written 8 a.m. in red ink and circled it more than once.
This was an appointment she couldn’t afford to miss.
Nothing else had been written in the box, so Payne didn’t know why it was so important until he noticed PBPP at the top of the paper. It was a set of initials he was familiar with.
Suddenly, several aspects of Ashley’s cover story started to make sense.
31
Payne rushed into the other room to share his discovery with Jones. Coincidentally, Jones had found something of his own that he had wanted to share with Payne.
‘Look at this,’ Jones said as he flipped through a stack of mail he had assembled on the kitchen counter. He handed an envelope to Payne. ‘Check out the name.’
The letter was addressed to Megan Moore in Apartment 617, not Ashley Henderson in Apartment 615.
Payne shrugged. ‘What’s the big deal? The mailman screwed up.’
‘If that’s the case, he’s retarded because all of these belong next door.’
‘All of them?’
Jones nodded. ‘It looks like a few days’ worth, maybe more.’
‘Ashley was stealing her mail?’
‘Not exactly a shock, considering her track record.’
‘When we came through the lobby, did you notice the setup? All the mailboxes had simple key locks. A good thief could’ve picked one of those in two seconds flat.’
Payne furrowed his brow. ‘Kind of ballsy to steal from your neighbour, isn’t it? Why not steal from someone you’ll never see in the hallway?’
‘Who knows? Maybe Megan played her music too loud, and this was Ashley’s way of getting revenge. Or maybe it was just a matter of convenience. If Megan’s mailbox was right next to Ashley’s, she could empty both without looking suspicious.’
‘Speaking of stealing,’ Payne said, ‘I think I know why Ashley booked a return flight for today. She had a meeting tomorrow morning that she couldn’t miss.’
‘Oh, yeah? With who?’
‘Do the initials PBPP ring a bell?’
Jones shook his head. ‘Should they?’
‘I figured a detective like yourself would know that type of thing.’
‘Apparently not. What do they stand for?’
‘Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.’
Jones smiled in understanding. ‘No wonder she had to get back today.
‘It also explains why she booked her flight under an alias. Many parolees have to stay within their county. If her name turned up on a passenger log, she would’ve been busted.’
‘Slowly but surely we’re getting a better understanding of Ashley’s background.’
‘Maybe so, but nothing about the letter. I was hoping we’d find something here. I’m guessing someone beat us to it.’
Jones glanced at the debris. ‘Either that, or she was the worst housekeeper ever.’
A loud knock on the door ended their conversation. Immediately, the duo shut up and scrambled into position. Payne hustled behind the door and readied his weapon while Jones did the same thing behind the counter. If the apartment had been a few floors lower or there had been a fire escape, Payne and Jones would have gone out the back window to avoid a possible confrontation with the police. But from this height, their best option was to stay put.
‘Open up,’ said a female in the hallway. ‘I know you’re home. I heard you in there.’
‘Come on, Ashley,’ she whined. ‘Open the door!’
He stayed perfectly still, controlling his breathing like he had been taught in the military. Not only to stay quiet, but also to manage the adrenaline that was surging through him.
‘I hope you’re decent,’ she said as she put a key in the lock. ‘Because I’m coming in.’
Payne cursed under his breath as he watched the doorknob turn. Obviously it was someone — maybe a relative or a friend — who knew Ashley well enough to have a key. Whoever it was, he would have to deal with her quickly, quietly, and without violence.
‘Ready or not,’ she called out, ‘here I come!’
The door cracked open a few inches before the security chain snagged against its fastener. The door stopped abruptly, and the female slammed into it.
‘Son of a bitch!’ she mumbled in the hallway. ‘I can’t believe I did that.’
Payne cracked a smile, realizing he wasn’t dealing with the most graceful person in the world. And definitely not an assassin.
‘Come on, Ashley! The chain’s on the door, so
Payne glanced back at Jones, who was standing in the kitchen, unsure of what to do. It was pretty obvious to both of them that this female wasn’t leaving anytime soon, and the longer she stood in the hall making a commotion, the worse it would be for them. Still, they couldn’t let her in because if she saw the wrecked apartment, she would freak out.
With that in mind, Payne decided to get creative. He quickly took off his shirt, shoes, gloves, and socks and put them in the corner. Then he placed his gun underneath the pile and messed up his hair — as if he’d been having sex in the bedroom. To look convincing, he slapped his face a few times to put some added colour in his cheeks, then crept towards the kitchen.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Jones whis pered.
‘Shut up, and stay hidden.’
‘Screw that. I want to see this shit.’
Payne signalled for him to duck behind the counter. Once he had complied, Payne was ready to start his charade. ‘Hold your horses,’ he grumbled. ‘I’m coming!’
From a distance, he could see the female
‘Can I help you?’ he said as he put his face near the door.
A gorgeous brunette was standing in the middle of the hallway. From her body language, he could tell that she had been caught off guard by the unexpected presence of a stranger.
‘Is, um, Ashley home?’ she asked.
‘Of course, she’s home. She’s in the shower. Who are you?’
‘I’m her neighbour, Megan.’
‘Hey, Megan. We’re kind of busy right now. Can you come back later?’
She took a step closer. ‘And you are?’
‘A friend.’
‘Yeah, I kind of gathered that. I meant your name.’
‘Jon.’
‘Nice to meet you, Jon.’ With a grin on her face, she reached her fingers through the crack and tried to shake his hand. He willingly obliged, just to speed things up. ‘So, have you known Ashley long?’
Payne cleared his throat. ‘Not to be rude or
Megan leaned in closer and whispered. ‘From what I can see, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.’
Payne laughed. ‘Okay, now I’m really embarrassed. Time for me to go.’
‘Wait,’ she said, giggling. ‘Don’t close the door. I was just teasing.’
‘Don’t worry, I wasn’t offended. I just need to get back to Ashley.’
‘Before you go, can you please do me a favour? Can you get my mail for me?’
‘Your mail?’
Megan nodded. ‘I’ve been out of town, and Ashley’s been picking up my mail. Can you grab it for me? My name is Megan Moore.’
‘Hold on. Let me see if I can find it.’
‘Look on her table. It should be there in a neat little pile.’
Payne turned around and mumbled, ‘There’s nothing neat in here.’
‘What was that?’
He called over his shoulder. ‘Something smells sweet in here.’
‘That’s probably my new scent. Do you like it?’
Jones whispered. ‘The goal is to get rid of her, not pick her up.’
‘I know that, but s
he won’t leave.’
‘Is she hot?’
‘Excuse me?’
Jones noticed Payne blush ever so slightly. ‘Oh my God, she is hot. Does she have a friend?’
‘Yeah, her name was Ashley, and she was shot in Pittsburgh.’
‘I meant another friend. I don’t like dead chicks. Does that make me a racist?’
Payne growled softly. ‘Just give me her mail.’
Jones handed him the stack, loving every minute of Payne’s embarrassment. ‘If the topic comes up, ask her about a threesome. Maybe we can do some ebony and ivory shit.’
Trying to control his emotions, Payne took a deep breath, then turned back towards the door. Once he got rid of the neighbour, he was going to take care of Jones. One way or another, he would make him pay.
‘Who were you talking to?’ Megan wondered. ‘Was that Ashley?’
‘Really? Do you know who else does that?’
‘No, who?’
‘Serial killers.’
Payne grinned. ‘Then I guess I better stop. I don’t want to tip off my victims.’
She returned his smile. ‘Nice talking to you, Jon.’
‘You, too, Megan.’
‘And thanks for my mail.’
‘You’re welcome.’
She started to walk away. ‘Wait! I think you’re forgetting something.’
‘I completely disagree. A goodnight kiss would be inappropriate.’
She laughed. ‘You know, you’re pretty funny — for a serial killer.’
‘I hear that all the time. So, what did I forget?’
‘There should be a package of some kind.’
‘A package?’
She nodded. ‘I was expecting a package.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t see any package. I’ll let Ashley know you’re looking for it, and she can drop it off later. Okay?’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Okay, I can take a hint. I’m leaving now. But please let Ashley know I stopped by.’
Payne nodded, then closed and locked the door.
32
Payne walked towards his friend, braced for the onslaught that would eventually come. ‘Go on. Get it out of your system.’
Jones started to laugh. ‘Man, I’ve seen a lot of crazy things during our time together, but the whole I-just-got-done-banging-your-neighbour tactic has got to be the craziest. Did you learn that shit at the academy or during SEALs training?’
He shrugged off the comment. ‘It worked, didn’t it? That’s all that matters.’
‘I guess worked depends on your distorted definition.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Which is?’
‘Miss Moore saw you and talked to you. Who do you think she’s going to blame for wrecking this place? I’ll give you a hint. He just finished boning a dead chick.’
Payne disagreed. ‘She saw three inches of me through the crack in the door. No way she can ID me from that.’
‘Dude, I’ve seen you in the shower. Three inches is all you got.’
Payne ignored the insult, trying to decide if he had anything to worry about. Ideally, he would have preferred not talking to anyone who could place him inside the apartment, but considering the unique situation he had been facing, he had utilized an unconventional tactic to do what he had to do — he kept Megan away from the apartment without harming her.
‘Listen,’ Payne declared, ‘it’s my ass on the line, not yours. So tease me all you want; I really don’t care. I made a gutsy, spur of the moment decision that proved to be successful. And if I had a chance to do it over, I would do the same damn thing.’
‘Are you sure? Because next time I’d suggest
Payne shook his head. ‘I swear to God, I need to get a new best friend.’
‘If you don’t mind, can you order one later? For the time being, it’s probably best if we get out of here as soon as possible. Megan might come back for a second viewing.’
Payne wiped down the door, making sure his prints had been removed, before he peeked into the hallway. He glanced left and right and saw nobody out there. Jones stood behind him, waiting to exit the apartment, but he wouldn’t leave until Payne was holding the elevator at the far end of the hall. In their minds, it was the best way to minimize their exposure time.
Moving quietly, Payne slipped out of the apartment and turned left. He clutched his gun inside his coat pocket, ready to fire at all times. The odds were against the intruders returning — they had already trashed Ashley’s apartment — but he was prepared, just in case.
He pushed the down button and watched the numbers move above the three elevators, trying to time things perfectly. The one on the right had been in the lobby but was now climbing towards
Jones heard the signal and opened the door softly. Wasting no time, he slipped into the hallway and closed the door. Unfortunately, his timing couldn’t have been worse. A split-second after the lock clicked shut, Megan stepped out of her apartment, carrying a large bag of recyclables. Years of training had taught Jones to trust his senses, so he immediately pivoted towards the noise behind him and raised his gun in a shooting stance fully expecting to see an armed gunman. Instead, he saw a gorgeous brunette wearing a silk robe and bunny slippers.
Their eyes locked for a full three seconds before all hell broke loose.
Stunned by the development, Megan dropped her bag and unleashed a scream that caused dogs to bark a block away. Realizing his mistake, Jones tucked the gun into his pocket as quickly as he could and immediately started to apologize, but Megan was too frazzled to comprehend what he was saying.
‘Take the bag,’ she screamed. ‘You can have it! It’s just garbage!’
‘Then what do you want?’
‘Jon!’ he yelled, realizing he needed backup. ‘Come here!’
One by one, doors started to open throughout the sixth floor as nosy neighbours stuck their heads into the hallway like prairie dogs looking for predators. Completely exposed, Jones was tempted to run, but realized that would result in twenty people dialling 9-1-1 before he even reached the lobby. So he followed Payne’s lead from before and decided to improvise, even if it meant exposing himself to several potential witnesses.
Of course, his exposure would involve less nudity than Payne’s.
Jones whipped out his credentials, issued by the Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators, and held it above his head. ‘Relax, everybody, I’m a detective. The woman startled me, and I overreacted. It’s completely my fault.’
Despite his apologies, Megan backed away from Jones, not willing to trust the man who had just pulled a gun on her. She stared at him the entire time, reluctant to shift her gaze from him until her neighbour across the hall opened his door. Brad was a scrawny man with a large Adam’s apple that bulged from his neck like a massive
Meanwhile, Payne hustled down the centre of the hallway, trying to calm everyone else on the floor. As he did, he held his wallet in the air — even though he didn’t have a badge of any kind. He did it all for show. ‘Don’t worry, people, everything is fine. We didn’t mean to disturb your evening. Please go back inside, and we’ll get things settled.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Jones assured her. ‘I didn’t know it was you.’
She slid behind Brad, who didn’t seem pleased by the development. ‘Who did you think it was?’
Jones shrugged, not sure how to answer. ‘I heard a noise behind me and my instincts took over. I’m sorry if I scared you. I really am.’
‘Who let you in?’ she demanded.
‘Excuse me?’
‘This is a secured building,’ she explained. ‘Who let you in the building?’
‘Yeah,’ Brad said, puffing out his chest. ‘Who let you in?’
Jones stammered. ‘I, um, don’t—’
‘I did,’ Payne said as he stepped in front of Jones.
Payne pointed to Ashley’s apartment. ‘I’m Jon. We talked earlier.’
She blinked a f
ew times, trying to absorb the information. ‘Ashley’s friend?’
‘Yes, Ashley’s friend.’
She stared at Payne, sizing him up. ‘And you know this guy?’
Payne nodded. ‘Yes, he’s a friend of mine. He came to give me a ride.’
‘A ride? Why does he have a gun?’
‘Like he said, he’s a professional detective.’ Payne grabbed Jones’s ID and showed it to Megan and Brad, who was now standing behind her as if he was the one who needed protection. ‘He’s fully licensed and has a permit for the weapon. I assure you, he’s not a threat.’
‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ she said tersely. ‘He pulled his gun on me in my hallway.’
‘I know he did, and he’s obviously sorry about it. Just look at him. He looks like a puppy dog that peed on the carpet.’
She stared at Jones, who appeared mortified by everything that was going on. ‘He does look kind of pathetic.’
Payne nodded. ‘Completely pathetic.’
‘And you’re willing to vouch for him?’
‘Yeah, well, he seemed pretty dangerous with that gun in his hand.’
‘I bet he did, but I swear to you he’s not a threat. In fact, if you want, we can take him into the alley and kick the shit out of him together. Will that make you feel better?’
She smiled. ‘No, that isn’t necessary. But thank you for asking.’
Payne took a step closer and lowered his voice. ‘Megan, if it’s all right with you, please do me a favour and tell everyone you’re okay. The sooner that happens, the sooner everyone will leave the hallway, and we can get out of your life for good.’
She glanced at her neighbour. ‘What do you think, Brad?’
Payne glared at him. ‘Yeah, Brad, what do you think?’
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