by J A Whiting
“The killer was there when we got to the apartment.” Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself. “If we were a few minutes earlier…”
She and Melissa exchanged frightened looks.
“Did we just miss getting killed?” Melissa’s voice shook. “Hell.” Her face was pale. “Did you get a good look at that person in the hallway?”
Olivia’s face muscles tensed. “Not really. It was dark in the hall. He might have been a bit taller than me, but it was hard to tell. Slender. Dressed all in black, had the ski mask on.” She hesitated. “He looked me in the eye. I didn’t see his face but he sure got a good look at me.”
“Oh, hell,” Melissa breathed. “Do you think…?” She paused. Her forehead wrinkled with concern.
“He’ll come looking for me?” A shudder shook Olivia’s body. “I don’t know.” She rubbed her forehead. “Why would he? He knows I couldn’t make out his face. It would be too risky to come after me.” She tried to convince herself as much as Melissa. “Wouldn’t the best thing be for the killer to just lay low? Let things blow over.”
The tea kettle whistled and both women jumped. Olivia dragged herself to the stove, lifted the kettle, and poured the boiling water into the mugs. She carried the tea to the table and sank down onto the chair.
Melissa put her hands around her mug. “What about what Jack saw? Do you think there were two killers? Were the two people in ski masks together?”
“It’s possible,” Olivia said. “It’s also possible they weren’t.”
“Do you think the killer knew there was going to be a party?” Melissa asked.
“Seems sort of dumb to plan to kill two guys right before a bunch of people are going to show up for a party,” Olivia said. “But anything’s possible.”
“The killer must have known the guys,” Melissa said. “It couldn’t have been random. Could it?”
“I guess it could’ve been. The front door was open. It was easy to get in.” Olivia was thinking out loud. “The guys were sitting in the living room. The killer comes in. But maybe they knew him because they were sitting, like they were just relaxing. Or if the killer came in wearing a ski mask, then they maybe thought he was there for the party.”
“Yeah, they probably thought the ski mask was a costume. So either they knew the killer or they didn’t suspect anything because they were just thinking it was someone who came for the party,” Melissa said.
“Either way, the killer would have had to act fast. He could have taken the first guy by surprise, but the second guy would have tried to defend himself,” Olivia said. “He wouldn’t just sit there waiting for the killer to come over to him. That must be why Gary was on the floor in front of the couch. Christian was probably stabbed first, and then Gary stood up to fight the attacker. The killer had to attack before the guys could really react. Or maybe there were two killers and each one took out one of the guys?”
The girls sat in silence for a few minutes thinking over different scenarios.
Olivia said, “Was the killer after only one of them or did the killer intend to kill both of them? What was the reason?”
“What about Colleen?” Melissa asked. “Was she supposed to be a victim too?”
“When I found her,” Olivia said, “she said something like, ‘I heard them.’ She must have heard noises, bad enough noises that she hid in the closet.”
“I wonder what she heard. Words? Scuffling? Screams?”
“She wasn’t specific.” Olivia took a sip of her tea and sighed. “I think I need a shower. I just want to wash this whole night away.”
“I don’t know if I can sleep,” Melissa said. “Even though I’m exhausted.”
Olivia dumped her barely touched tea down the sink, rinsed the mug, and headed to the shower. When she came out and walked to her bedroom, she stopped short at the door. Melissa’s petite body was lying on the floor in a sleeping bag next to Olivia’s bed.
Melissa lifted her head from the pillow. “No way I’m sleeping alone in my room.”
Olivia nodded. She took off her bathrobe and slipped under her blanket.
“Can we leave the light on?” Melissa asked.
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Olivia admitted.
Both girls closed their eyes but neither one got much sleep. They were too alert, too focused on listening for any noise, like hushed footsteps or the click of a doorknob turning.
Chapter 3
On Saturday, Olivia, Melissa, Colleen, and Ynes arranged to meet for lunch to talk about the events of the previous night. Colleen’s parents were driving up from Connecticut and would arrive later in the afternoon to take her home. Melissa talked to her parents by phone and she planned to head back to western Massachusetts for a couple of days after meeting the other girls for lunch. Olivia made a call to her Aunt Aggie and Joe to tell them what had happened.
Aggie had raised Olivia from the age of one and Joe lived in the house next door to them in Ogunquit, Maine. He was like a dad to Olivia and had been there for her for the past twenty years. Until Olivia went off to college, Aggie and Olivia had lived in Cambridge and spent the weekends and summers in Maine. Aggie had recently retired from university teaching, and the Ogunquit house was now her permanent residence.
Aggie and Joe were in Paris so that Aggie could attend an international law conference and when they heard what had happened in Somerville, they wanted to fly home immediately to be with Olivia.
“No, no,” Olivia insisted. “I’m okay. I think it’s better to just stick with my normal routine.”
“I don’t know, Hon,” Aggie told her. “I don’t want you to be alone. We’ll come home and we can all go back to Maine together. Maybe you should take the rest of the semester off.”
“No way,” Olivia said. “I’m graduating in May and I’m not letting this interfere with my plans. And I’m not alone. My friends are around.”
“Sweet pea,” Joe said. He and Aggie were on speaker phone. “I think Aggie’s right. This sort of thing can be hard to deal with. It can take a toll on you.”
“If I have trouble dealing with things, then I’ll call you. If I need you, you know I’ll call. I won’t suffer in silence.” Olivia tried to lighten the mood. “You know I’m a wimp,” she kidded.
“You are many things, and not all good,” Joe teased.
“Thanks a lot, Joe,” Olivia said.
“But a wimp is not one of them,” Joe added.
Olivia smiled to herself. Joe had a knack of always being able to make her feel better. “I’ll be okay. If I need to, I’ll talk with one of the campus counselors.”
“Go speak with them,” Aggie said. “It might help you process the whole mess.”
Joe said, “Don’t be alone. Stay with your friends. Keep busy.”
“I never have trouble keeping busy,” Olivia told them. “I’ll be okay.”
“We’ll come back if you want us to,” Aggie said. “Just say the word, if you change your mind and need a break from school…if you want to get away from there for a bit. Or, come here and visit Paris with us. Joe and I will pay for your ticket.”
“We will?” Joe said in mock surprise.
“That’s quite an offer,” Olivia said. “But it’s mid-semester. I don’t want to jeopardize my credits. I want to graduate on time.”
“I understand,” Aggie said. “Call us anytime if you want to talk. Don’t worry about the time difference. Let us know what’s going on. And take care of yourself. Be sure to eat well and get rest.” She hesitated a moment before saying, “Be careful, Liv. Be alert. Lock your doors. The killer is still at large.”
“I’ll be careful,” Olivia said. “I promise.”
“We love you,” Joe said. “Call us if you need anything.”
“I love you both. Don’t worry.” Olivia ended the call. Just hearing their voices made her feel less sad and unsettled, but a sense of loneliness suddenly tugged at her. She wished they were at home in Maine, because desp
ite what she said, Olivia would have liked to have gone home for a few days to be around them. She sighed and went to her room to get ready to go out.
Olivia and Melissa left the apartment and walked to Davis Square where they caught the subway known as the “T” which took them to the Harvard University area of Cambridge. They walked down Massachusetts Ave to the restaurant where they would meet the other girls. They were ushered to a booth near the window. Colleen was waiting for them.
Colleen had checked into a hotel in Harvard Square even though she had been invited by friends to stay with them. She was completely devastated by her roommates’ murders and was struggling with having been in the apartment while the crime was committed. She preferred to stay out of apartments for the time being and thought that hotels provided more security. Olivia didn’t agree with that. She thought Colleen should be around friends, not staying alone in a hotel room, but she kept her opinion to herself.
Colleen had dark circles under her eyes and her face looked pale and gaunt. She had no makeup on and her auburn hair barely seemed brushed. It was a stark contrast from the way she usually looked, always so put together and polished. Olivia could see that Colleen was unraveling and it gave her a sinking feeling in her gut.
Colleen hugged Melissa and Olivia.
“How are you doing?” Melissa asked. She knew it was a lame question.
“I’m okay.” Colleen picked at the paper napkin that was under her silverware. Her eyes flicked about the room like a hunted animal waiting for a predator to strike.
“Were you able to sleep at all last night?” Olivia asked.
“Not much.” Colleen shrugged. “I slept a few hours this morning. I think.”
Olivia wanted to say something comforting but didn’t know what would help. “Your parents will be here later.”
Colleen nodded. Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away.
A waitress took drink orders just as Ynes came into the restaurant, spotted the girls and hurried over to the table. She sat next to Colleen and gave her a hug.
“Can you talk about it, Colleen?” Melissa’s voice was gentle. “Can you tell us what happened?”
“I want to, yes.” Colleen gave a slight nod.
“Were you in your room the whole time?” Olivia asked.
Colleen sipped from her water glass. She placed it back on the table but kept her hand clenched around it. “I had showered. I got home late from work. I went into my room to dry my hair. The hairdryer was on, so I didn’t hear anything until I finished and turned it off.”
“What happened after you turned off the hair dryer?” Ynes asked.
Colleen’s eyes widened. For a moment, Olivia didn’t think she was going to answer.
In a hushed tone she said, “I was in my room putting on makeup. I heard shouting. It was coming from the living room. My bedroom door was shut. At first, I thought the guys were joking or maybe had some sports thing on TV and were excited about whatever they were watching. But then, I don’t know, the voices didn’t sound right. I went closer to my door to listen. Something seemed wrong.” She wrung her hands together and glanced down.
The girls waited, not wanting to push Colleen. “You don’t need to tell us,” Melissa said.
“I want to.” Colleen sucked in a breath. “What I heard was over quick. Shouting. A scream.” She clasped her hands together to try to conceal their shaking. “I heard some footsteps coming down the hall. I thought of pushing my desk chair up against the door. My room doesn’t have a lock on it. But I was afraid I would be heard. I hurried over to the closet trying to be as quiet as I could. I got in and closed the door. I waited. I heard someone turn the knob and open my bedroom door. I held my breath. I prayed that no one would come to get me. I almost passed out.” She looked up. “Then Olivia opened the closet door.”
“Did you hear Olivia call your name?” Ynes asked.
“No.” Colleen turned her pale face to Olivia. “Did you call for me?”
“I think so,” Olivia said. “I don’t really remember.”
“You did,” Ynes told her. “I wondered why the hell you took off down the hall. I thought you were crazy. I worried the killer was still in the apartment. But when you yelled for Colleen, I knew what you were doing.”
“I was afraid you were hurt,” Olivia said to Colleen.
“That’s when you saw the killer in the hall,” Ynes said.
“You saw him?” Colleen’s voice was thin and high-pitched.
Olivia nodded. “I saw someone. I don’t know if it was the killer.”
“Who the heck else could it have been?” Melissa asked.
“I was just thinking. Maybe, it was someone coming to the party,” Olivia said. “Couldn’t they have come up the back staircase? It just jumped into my mind that it could have been someone else. Couldn’t it have just been another person coming to the party?”
They sat in silence, thinking.
“But he had a ski mask on,” Melissa said.
“It could have been his costume,” Ynes said. “We all had some Halloween thing on.”
“Why did he run then?” Melissa asked.
“Fear? Afraid to be blamed for the deaths? Not knowing who we were? He could have been scared by what he heard and took off,” Olivia said. “I don’t think we can assume he was the killer.”
“It’s certainly possible that who you saw in the hallway was just a party-goer,” Ynes said. “Or,” she hesitated. “It was the killer.”
They considered the possibilities.
“So maybe you didn’t see the murderer at all.” Melissa looked at Olivia and breathed out a sigh of relief. “That makes me feel better. I worried he might come after you.”
“A guy who was at the party, Jack something,” Olivia said. “He told us he was smoking at the back door of the apartment that night. He said he saw two people wearing ski masks leave the building.”
“Two people?” Ynes asked. “Together?”
Olivia shook her head. “Jack said they didn’t seem to be together. They left the building at different times.”
“How can we find out who these people in the ski masks are?” Melissa asked.
“I don’t think we can find out,” Ynes said. She looked at Olivia. “Did you tell the police you saw someone in the hallway?”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah, I told them. But there wasn’t much to say. I couldn’t see enough to give a very accurate description.”
“What could have been the motive?” Ynes addressed the question to Colleen.
“Were the guys into anything that would put them in danger?” Olivia asked. “Did they have enemies?”
Colleen shook her head. “No.” Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. Why would anyone do this?”
“Did either of the guys mention trouble with someone? A run-in with anybody? Online harassment?” Olivia pressed, trying to think of any little thing that could lead to finding the person who killed Gary and Christian.
“No,” Colleen said. “I never heard about any trouble.”
“How about at work?” Olivia asked. “What about Gary? Did he have any trouble with a student? A parent? Did either of the guys ever mention a clash with a co-worker?”
“No,” Colleen said. Her eyes filled with tears. “Christian got along with the people he worked with. He was moving out of our apartment on the first of November. He wanted to be closer to work, wanted to be able to walk to work. He was moving in with a friend of his from MIT. Luke Smithson. And Gary loved his job. He loved the kids he worked with. He never complained about anything.”
“You said your bedroom door was shut when you heard the commotion, when you hid in the closet,” Olivia said. “You heard your bedroom door open when you were hiding?”
Colleen nodded.
“The killer must have opened the door,” Melissa said.
Colleen winced.
“Did you hear any voices when you heard the bedroom door open?” Olivia asked.
“No. I didn’t hear any talking.” Colleen’s face scrunched up trying to hold back her tears. “Why would someone do this?” she whispered. “Why?”
***
Melissa and Olivia decided to walk back to their Somerville apartment thinking that maybe the crisp fall air would help to clear their heads.
“I’m exhausted,” Melissa said. “I barely slept. All night I kept listening for noises in the apartment.”
“Me, too. Every little squeak or branch blowing in the wind had me jumping.”
“What are you thinking about the murders, Liv?”
“I don’t know what to think. Maybe it was random, some crazy person, maybe somebody high on something. Gets in, goes nuts.” She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “Or maybe it was planned.”
“I just can’t stand thinking about it anymore. The police will figure it out.”
“Maybe we should talk to the guy Christian was planning to move in with. Luke Smith?” Olivia said.
“Smithson,” Melissa told her.
“Maybe he knows if Christian had an enemy or had a fight with someone.”
“That’s a good idea. We should wait a few days to try to contact him though. He must be pretty upset,” Melissa said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come home with me for a couple of days? Get away from here?”
“I’ll be okay. I have a lot of work to do. I’ll be busy, but, thanks.” Olivia wasn’t looking forward to being in the apartment alone while Melissa went home, but she had so much to catch up on that she hoped that work would distract her from the horror of the previous night.
Chapter 4
Olivia sat hunched over her laptop reading and editing the essay she had been working on for over three hours. The words swam on the screen and she leaned back and blinked several times trying to clear her vision. She rubbed her temples where an achy tingle pulsed under the skin. Checking the clock, Olivia was surprised at the late hour and that the time had flown by so fast. She hadn’t intended to stay that long in the library.
