by J A Whiting
She leaned back trying to stretch her shoulder and neck muscles and a gnawing sensation in her stomach made her realize she hadn’t eaten anything for hours. Olivia shut down her laptop, closed up her notebooks, and pushed everything into her backpack.
Melissa had gone back to her parents’ home for two nights to be with her family. Some of Olivia’s friends had texted inviting her to dinner or to meet for drinks later but she was looking forward to relaxing in her apartment and maybe watching a movie in her pajamas. Images of last night’s murder victims had unexpectedly flashed into her head throughout the day, and she didn’t feel like being upbeat or jovial this evening. She just wanted to take some time for a long bath and turn in early after her day of studying.
Olivia flung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped into the dark, cool October night. The wind tossed dried leaves around the sidewalk as she made her way down the hill towards the streets that would lead to her apartment. Last night’s events started playing through her mind, and as she walked, she pulled her jacket closer around her body. She tried to think of other things to distract herself from reliving finding the dead bodies and the gruesome scene in the apartment. She pictured herself summer kayaking in the river behind Ogunquit beach in Maine and she smiled remembering the icy water splashing on her sun-baked skin as she paddled. Olivia loved the water, whether sailing on the Charles River, or boogie boarding or kayaking in the ocean. When she was little, Aggie and Joe called her a fish because they could never get her out of the water.
Olivia turned left onto a tree-lined neighborhood side street. Two streetlights were out and the sidewalk was black. She slowed her pace so that she wouldn’t stumble over anything. No one was around, the area was deserted. There was no moon and the stars were hidden by heavy cloud cover.
Olivia started to feel a prickle of apprehension, and despite being chilled by the cold breeze, a drop of sweat trickled down her back. She thought she heard the rustle of footsteps behind her, but wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, since her feet scrunching the dry leaves muffled any other sounds. The weird and sudden sensation that someone’s eyes were on her back made her heartbeat speed up. Primitive instinct set off alarm bells in her head that danger lurked somewhere on the street. Olivia picked up her pace. She fought the urge to turn her head to look back, afraid to alert whoever was following that she was aware of his presence.
Olivia wondered if she should run. If someone was behind her, watching her, if she ran, would that make the person following her become more aggressive? Should she stay alert and just keep quickening her pace? Why is my apartment not closer to campus? Although Olivia still didn’t want to indicate that she was suspicious of someone following her by glancing around, she needed to convince herself that she was safe, so she stopped, bent down and pretended to be fixing her shoe in order to try to get a look behind. Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw someone on the sidewalk stop and step into the shadow of an apartment house. Olivia’s breath caught in her throat and her stomach lurched. She tried to squash the panic flooding her veins. Get a hold of yourself. Think.
She stood and hurried to the other side of the street, listening closely for any sounds behind her. She pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket and pressed the keys for 911 as she walked, but didn’t send the call. She transferred the phone into her left hand and grasped her keys in her right hand, placing one key between each finger. If anyone tried to grab her, she would press the button to send the emergency call and slash at the attacker’s face with the keys.
Olivia attempted to settle her breathing by adjusting her intake of air with long slow breaths. She listened for the sound of someone gaining on her, but the pounding of blood in her ears blocked out any indication of movement behind her. I know he’s there. I can feel his eyes on me. She was almost to the corner of her street. When she rounded the turn, she decided she would bolt for her building. If she screamed, then someone inside might hear her.
Three more steps, two more. Olivia sprinted to the apartment and tore up the stairs to the front porch where she plunged her keys into the lock and yanked the door open. Inside, she slammed it shut with her body’s full force and turned the lock. She stood there facing the door, gasping.
“Liv.” A man’s voice spoke behind her.
Olivia whirled.
Her first floor neighbor stood before her. “You okay? Is the devil chasing you or something?” he joked.
She collected herself and gave him a half-smile. “Maybe. It’s almost Halloween, you know.”
Olivia started up the stairs to her apartment breathing hard. Reaching the sixth floor, she unlocked her door, stepped inside, and slid the bolt and chain into place. She entered the apartment without turning on lights, slipped the backpack off her shoulder, and hurried to the front window to look out at the black street. She pressed against the wall and tilted her head to peer outside. Her eyes searched up and down, but she only saw her neighbor making his way up the road. Her hands trembled.
I know you’re out there. I felt you. What do you want?
Chapter 5
The sun’s rays slipped through the sides of Olivia’s window shade and illuminated her bedroom with bright October morning light. Olivia had been jittery all evening, keeping only one interior light on and staying away from the apartment windows so no one on the sidewalk below could see her moving about inside.
She had planned on ordering take-out to be delivered but decided against having to open the door to a deliveryman. Instead, she pulled out flour and baking soda, measured it into a glass bowl, and added a little salt, some oil and water. She mixed it together and kneaded it for a few minutes on the counter. Olivia roasted broccoli and cauliflower with some garlic in the oven and when it was done, she covered the pizza dough with sauce and some grated cheese, and topped it with the roasted vegetables. After a short time in the oven, the apartment filled with the mouth-watering aroma of warming fresh pizza.
Olivia was no gourmet cook but she knew her way around the kitchen having learned from Joe and Aggie. The three of them would often cook together or take turns making dinner to give each other a break from food preparation. Olivia decided at the age of ten to become a vegetarian and she had concocted many dishes that even meat lovers like Aggie and Joe enjoyed. She also discovered that cooking sometimes helped to calm her when she was having a problem or that it aided in clearing her head when she needed to think something through. Olivia would say she didn’t really like to cook but she sure enjoyed eating.
Last night she needed to focus on making dinner not only because she was starving but because she needed to keep busy to channel her nervous energy into something besides pacing around the apartment and worrying.
She ate her pizza with a salad while she sat in front of her laptop with a movie playing, but she couldn’t pay attention to the storyline and turned it off. She would have loved to have gone for a run but that was out of the question. She kept sidling up to the window to peer out at the street. Nothing looked suspicious and she started to think that maybe she had imagined that someone was following her along the sidewalk. Even so, her worry kept her from taking the long bath that she had planned, not wanting to be in the bathroom tub if someone broke into the apartment. She knew it was foolish to think that way and even chuckled at herself, but still, she decided on a quick shower instead, which wasn’t such a great idea either because all she could picture while lathering and rinsing was the shower scene from Psycho. She had ended her evening by putting on her pajamas and crawling into bed. She left the small lamp on her dresser lit all night and wished Melissa was back from her visit home.
Olivia stretched and crawled out of bed, went to the kitchen and ate a banana. The day was so bright and cheery and she was itching with excess energy so she put on exercise clothes, grabbed her keys and phone, and stepped outside into the crisp air. Perfect weather for a run. Olivia wasn’t fast but she could run for long distances. Not long after leaving her apartment and jogging d
own several streets, her muscles warmed and she settled into a comfortable pace as she made her way from Somerville through Cambridge and back again completing an eight-mile circuit. The exercise calmed her mind and pushed the images of the Friday night murders away from her thoughts. She was feeling more like herself and believed that being hyped up about the killings had contributed to her imagining being followed last night.
Her cell phone vibrated with an incoming text from Melissa. Decided to come back this evening. Let’s go out for dinner tonight and talk.
Relief at having Melissa back and not having to be alone in the apartment flooded Olivia’s body and she answered with a “yes!” They agreed to go to Davis Square at 7pm after Melissa returned from her family home in Stockbridge. After finishing her run, Olivia felt energized. She showered and dressed and ate a snack before she had to leave to meet the two middle-school students she had volunteered to tutor in math twice a week.
Before heading out, she opened her laptop to look at the news of the day. An article discussing the Friday night murders caught her eye and her heart thudded against her chest. She debated ignoring the article, but couldn’t, and began to read. The story reported that two university students had discovered the bodies around 10pm on Friday evening but did not name them. Thank God they didn’t mention our names. She didn’t want her name in the news article. She didn’t want to be linked to the events of that night and hoped to stay anonymous. She and Melissa thought it best not to alert the killer to who they were, but Olivia wondered how long it would take the media to print their names in upcoming stories.
The story had pictures of the young men, both smiling and looking happy and confident in their photos. They were just two young guys starting their lives, eager and optimistic about their futures. Olivia’s heart squeezed. How could this have happened?
The story reported that Christian Wilcox, a native of Connecticut, had graduated from MIT with a degree in computer science and engineering and had been working at a start-up in Cambridge’s Kendall Square area. Christian was a nationally ranked tennis player, and had been active in several college clubs. Gary Sullivan had grown up in the same Connecticut town and had attended high school with Christian. Gary had graduated last May from Boston University with a degree in education and math and was employed as a teacher in an inner city school. Gary was on the track team and held some university records in the 5K and 10K distances. Working with disadvantaged young people had been Gary’s dream and he was thrilled to be starting his career. The article reported that a roommate who was home at the time of the murders had escaped injury. Olivia looked up and stared off into space. They sounded like normal, accomplished young men.
Why would someone want them dead?
Chapter 6
After her session tutoring the students, Olivia headed for the library where she was going to meet Ynes. Ynes had texted Olivia asking to get together to talk about the killings. As Olivia followed the sidewalk leading to the front door of the library, she spotted Ynes coming down the hill towards her. They greeted each other and entered the library, choosing one of the study rooms off the main lobby for privacy. Inside the small room there was a large desk and two cushioned chairs. Before sitting down, Ynes closed the door.
“I can’t stop thinking about the crime,” Olivia said. “Even though I’d never met the guys, I feel connected to the murders because I found the bodies.”
“I know,” Ynes said. “I only knew Gary slightly. It’s just so disturbing. I haven’t been able to sleep much.” Ynes had grown up in London and her voice carried an English accent. She brushed her long, wavy, black hair away from her eyes. “The whole thing is just so terrible.”
Olivia nodded. “Melissa went home for a couple of days. I was alone last night. I can’t keep the images of the bodies from flashing into my mind. I think about who could have done it,” she said. “Do you think the killer knew the guys?”
“I can’t believe it was random,” Ynes said. “They lived on the second floor. If someone was randomly looking to kill someone, why would he choose that building? That floor? I don’t think it could have been by chance. I think someone deliberately sought them out.”
“What do you know about Gary?” Olivia asked.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Gary was a teacher. He graduated last May. Like I said, I didn’t know him well at all. But I know someone who did know him. Her name is Eva Flores. She works at her brother’s gym in Revere. Gary used to work out there. Eva had gone out with Gary a few times. She told me there are some tough characters who hang out at this gym. One of them had a thing for Eva. She went out with this guy once but didn’t like him and wouldn’t see him again. He was always pressuring her to go out with him and he didn’t like that Eva had started seeing Gary. Eva said that the guy and his friend showed up at a club one night when she was out with Gary. The guys approached them and tried to make trouble. The guy took a swing at Gary, but Gary ducked and punched the guy in the face. The bouncer saw the whole thing and kicked the two idiots out of the place. Eva said the guy cursed at Gary and told him that he better start looking over his shoulder because he was a dead man.”
“Wow.” Olivia’s eyes were wide. “Do you know when this happened?”
“Yes. The weekend before Gary and Christian were killed.”
“Oh, my God.” Olivia looked around the small room, her mind racing. “Did your friend report this to the police?”
“She’s afraid to,” Ynes said, her voice just above a whisper. “Eva says this guy is trouble. She is terrified of him.”
“Did she tell you his name?”
“Adam Johnson. He’s a semi-pro football player. Eva says there’s gossip about him being involved in nasty stuff. She says this guy beat up a former girlfriend but the girl wouldn’t press charges. There’s some talk of him being involved in a couple of murders. Drugs. Eva won’t go to the police. She’s afraid he’ll kill her.”
“Kill her? God. We should tell the police that he threatened Gary,” Olivia said. “We can leave Eva’s name out of it.”
“I don’t think so.” Ynes shook her head. “He’d suspect Eva reported it.”
“What about an anonymous tip?” Olivia asked.
“He’d still think Eva talked to the police. Eva says that Johnson or one of his goons is always watching her. They follow her places. Eva’s brother is afraid of this guy too. He’d like him out of his gym, but he knows he can’t do anything to make him leave.”
“Really? What do you think?” Olivia asked. “Is there some way we could tip off the cops to this information without putting your friend at risk?”
Ynes shrugged. “I haven’t been able to think of a way. It’s why I wanted to talk it over with you.”
Olivia sat back in her seat trying to think of a way to pass the information to the police and keep Eva out of it. “What if we say we were at the club that night? That we saw the fight? We heard the threat that Johnson made to Gary.”
“Then Johnson will come after us.”
“But how would he find out we were the ones who came forward?” Olivia asked.
Ynes sat quietly for several seconds, her face serious. “From what Eva says about this Johnson guy, it worries me to get involved. She says he acts like he’s above the law. I don’t trust many people, Olivia. I’ve had some experiences that make me very cautious. What if this guy has connections, with someone in law enforcement? Or knows someone who has a friend in law enforcement? What if he has guys who will do whatever he tells them to do? Do you want to take the chance? If he killed Gary and Christian, do you think he’d hesitate to kill us?"
Olivia let out a sigh. With her elbow on the table, she placed her chin in her hand.
Ynes went on. “Eva and her brother would like to see if Johnson has something stashed in his gym locker that could implicate him for some crime, a weapon, or some evidence that linked him to a murder, something that could get him arrested. Anything that would get him out of
their lives. They’d love to check the trunk of his car, too, but they know that’s too risky. Eva asked me if I would look at Johnson’s locker. She won’t do it. Neither will her brother. She says Johnson monitors them all the time. It’s like he’s stalking Eva. She can’t look at the locker when the gym is open because of all the people around. She won’t stay there after hours because she doesn’t want to risk being alone there and having Johnson come in. Johnson has a key to the gym.”
Olivia sat up. “Why does he?”
Ynes furrowed her brow and gave a shrug. “Eva’s brother gave it to him. Johnson isn’t a guy you say no to.”
“Eva thinks Johnson killed Gary and Christian?”
“She thinks it’s possible, given the talk around Johnson, and because of the threat he made to Gary.” Ynes sat back in the chair. “Eva would love to have Johnson put away and if he has a weapon or something incriminating in his locker, well, then maybe it would be worth calling the police about that.”
“Could she get a restraining order against Johnson? If he’s always after her, isn’t that grounds for such a thing? Wouldn’t the courts help her?”
Ynes shook her head. “Eva says that she’s never heard of a restraining order that helped anyone. She’s afraid if she does something like that, it would just inflame Johnson.”
“Would he keep a weapon in his locker? If he did murder the guys, he must have dumped the knife somewhere,” Olivia said.
“Who knows? Maybe he isn’t careful.”
Ynes leveled her eyes at Olivia, her face somber, and didn’t say anything for a minute. Olivia straightened in her seat. “You want me to help you, don’t you?”
“Maybe.” Worry or sadness tugged at Ynes’ face. Olivia couldn’t determine which emotion it was that suddenly made her friend look a few years older.
