A Hired Killer

From what we could hear from the crowd outside the building, as we were standing there alongside them, the dead body they had found belonged to Yolanda Patheway. They found her dead, sitting at one of the restroom stalls. It looks like she suffocated to death, but the weird thing is that there were no traces of fingerprints around her neck and she died while smiling...

I shuddered at the description.

They also ruled out suicide because there were no traces of a suicide note to be found.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Cher whispered, who was still shaken up by the newly found dead body.

"That's what I would like to know." I said in a low whisper. Why did he kill again!? I have done nothing that would have triggered him in doing so.

I took out my phone.

April: "Why did you do it?"

Private Number: "Do what? Dream of you?"

April: "Don't act stupid! Why did you kill Yolanda Patheway!? I kept my distance from James just as you wanted. There was no physical contact at all!"

Private Number: "I have killed no one named Yolanda Patheway. I would most likely kill tan boy than anyone else at this point (I'm happy that you are keeping your distance tho)."

Wait what? He didn't kill anyone…?

April: "If it was not you who killed her… then who else?" Dread came over me when I realized I may not only be dealing with one crazy motherfucker, but two.

Private Number: "Baby girl, I want you to go home, now."

April: "No need to tell me twice."

I put my phone away and took one nervous glance around the crowd of people. The murderer could be still around here somewhere and even if that was the case, there's no way that I could nitpick him or her out of the crowd.

And the people who were one for one bumping against me and Cherry in a rush didn't make the nervous lump in my throat disappear, either. To make sure that we didn't get separated, I clutched on to Cher's hand as secure as possible.

"It's time to hit the road." I said. "Did you call Brandon yet?" I asked.

"No, not yet."

"Call him and tell him to pick you up, quick." I urged her.

She took out her phone quickly and called up Brandon. Not letting my guard down, I noted any suspicious person on my radar.

"He's on his way now." She said.

I nodded. "Good, I'll go on my way too."

She looked at me as if I suddenly grew a second head. "You're going nowhere if it is not with us. We will drop you off at your place and that's it." She pressed, not letting go of my hand. Pondering on what to do, I felt the vibration of my phone.

Private Number: "For this one time, go with them. I am not near you, so I don't want u to walk alone when I can't protect u from the shadows."

From my phone screen, I glanced at Cher, who was still looking at me with those penetrating eyes. I might as well go with them.

An idea suddenly formed in my head. Isn't this the moment that I have been waiting for? Jack is not in the area to keep me in check. Doesn't that mean that I could finally go to the police and tell them to put this asshole in jail? No, even better, an asylum; that's where his crazy ass belongs at. I get in the car with Cher and Brandon, spill to them the tea, we race then to the police station, Jack's ass goes behind bars and I'll go back to my perfec- uh scratch that, normal life.

I grinned. "Well, let's go then! Show me the way to the car!" I said. little thrown off by my change of mood. Cher gave me a weary look.

Don't worry Cher, everything will make sense soon.

Just as we saw Brandon's car pull up, my phone went off again.

Private Number: "Oh let me give u some heads up (seeing how excited you are suddenly which is cute), I bugged the car too just like your phone, so behave ;)."

Aaaaaanndd that's how my oh-so perfect plan was brought to ruins. I would have just thrown my phone in the trunk so that he wouldn't be able to hear anything, but now we can say goodbye to that, too. And when and how did he even do that!?

April: "Awesome…"

…

Sulking that my idea was useless now, I was sitting in the back seat of the car while Cher was sitting in the passenger seat, who was also trying to calm down the raging Brandon who had been going off this whole ride.

"What the fuck is wrong with the security there!" He slammed angrily at the steering wheel. "You would think that they would tighten up the security after the first murder!"

"Babe, calm down." Cher tried to calm down Brandon, whose neck was slowly turning scarlet red from all the anger.

Cher puts her hand on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. You could see his anger slowly subside from her touch. He runs with his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "How do you expect me to calm down when my woman's life is at stake supposedly because the company hires shitty securities?"

At the wording 'my woman', I could see Cher's ears slowly turning red from behind.

"Just calm down." I said. "Nothing is going to happen to your woman. In all fairness, the company tightened up the security. They hired a bunch of security guards and believe me if I say that you wouldn't want to mess with them. Also, you shouldn't forget the fact that all workers need a pass to enter… the… building…" I trailed off. "Oh, shit." I said, figuring out something.

"What's wrong?" They both said simultaneously.

I looked at them wide eyed. "The murderer is working at the company. They are an employee there."

"What are you saying?" Brandon said, still not grasping what I was talking about.

"Yeah April. What do you mean they work there?" Cher asked.

"Just like I said. They work there." I said, but then continued. "Just think about it. You need an entrance pass to enter the building. If you don't have one, then that just means that you're a new worker there or a visitor."

They nodded in understanding. "Okay. I get where you're heading." Cher said. "But then, as you explained, the murderer could have been a visitor, right?"

I shook my head. "No, that wouldn't be possible."

"Huh?"

"A visitor is a 'stranger'. If a visitor really was the murderer, don't you think it would be strange how the cameras weren't able to pick up any weird or new activities?"

Brandon shrugged. "A security camera has its flaws too."

"Exactly!" I pointed. They both jolted as I was slightly raising my voice in excitement. I'm really getting in to this. "A camera has its flaws, but you wouldn't immediately know its flaws and even if you did, the most common flaw of a security cameras are their-"

"Blind spots!" Cher exclaimed. You could see in her expression that she was starting to understand where I was going with this.

I nodded. "Yes, and a visitor wouldn't only not know where all the cameras are positioned, but there's even a high unlikelier chance that they would know their blind spots too."

"You're right… knowing all that must mean that you would have been in the building multiple times, that's why it could also not be a new worker either." Brandon said thoughtfully.

I nodded. "That's right. That also brings me to Yolanda Patheway."

"What about her?" Cher asked.

"Don't you find the way how she died oddly calculated? They found her in one of the restroom stalls in a sitting position. They said that she died of suffocation, but there were zero strangulation marks found on her body and don't get me started about how she died smiling. I don't know about you guys, but if I was being suffocated, the last thing that I would do is smile..."

We had already arrived at my place, but they were still listening to me; finding it in their own way intriguing what I was saying was making sense.

"Yes? And?" Cher asked, urging me to go on, demanding me with their eyes to satisfy their curiosity.

I unfastened my seat belt and slowly opened the door. "Doesn't it all mean that she was a 'target' more than just a random victim? And that it wasn't a baseless murder?" I said as I exited the car. "But oh well, it's just a theory." I said, grinning at them, but their expression told me they were believing every inch of my 'theory'. "Thanks for the ride and see you Monday!" I said and went quickly inside before they could bombard me with more questions.

…

I plopped down on the couch, leaned back, and kicked off my shoes. "Well?" I asked, looking around with my phone already pulled out. "Am I right?"

Private Number: "My baby got beautiful brains too~. Yeah u r right, she was a target."

I leaned forward. "Why?" I asked, curious.

Private Number: "Why are u so invested in this? It was cute how you were rambling off in the car, but I don't really like how curious you are."

I was honestly trying to figure out how to catch that murder and hand him over to the police. I can't just sit still and let this happen, mostly if I can do something about it.

I shrugged. "No real reason. So what's the reason for her death."

Private Number: "It was an overdose of drugs. There are drugs that can make you feel like u r chocking. An overdose would obviously lead them to death."

"But they didn't find any needle mark." I said. Wouldn't they have said something if that was the case?

Private Number: "She was stung in a place where it's not visible to the eyes. Most likely under her ear also there's a possibility that someone could have forcedly fed her to swallow down some unknown pills."

I thought a bit more deeply. But why was she killed? Now that I think about it, she was known for something. What was it again?

"Was she done in by some type of hired killer?" I asked.

Private Number: "Yes. Now can you stop being so curious?" Ignoring what he said, I went on.

"Can't you like… use your stalker skills to track this murderer down or maybe get some evidence for the police?"

Private Number: "No, I don't want to. Why should I?"

I gave him a scornful look. "You're really going to let a killer loose?"

Private Number: "Baby, I'm also a killer, so why should I mind another killer's business? I'm only invested in you. Also, I am not going near any fucking police stations."

I groaned. "So you really can't search him up or something?"

Private Number: "Do you think that there's some forum where killers are posting their next kills or something?"

"Isn't there?" I asked hopefully.

Private Number: "No. Drop it."

I threw my arms up being fed up with his blatant ways of keeping me in the dark. "Fine! Then I will just try to look him up myself!"

Private Number: "For the last time April, DROP IT."

With my arms crossed, I gave a defiant look. "Why? I am curious to know who this killer is and seeing how you don't want to lift one fucking finger to put this person behind bars, I've got no choice but to do it myself."

Private Number: "Oh no you don't. Curiosity killed the cat and you know what? You're mine fucking cat."

"I'm not a cat." I grumbled.

Private Number: "Not a cat, but mine cat."

And that makes it better how?

I started to nimble at my right thumb fingernail. Something that I would do whenever I'm in distress or whenever I'm deeply in thought. A terrible habit, but it's sadly the only thing that can calm me somehow down.

How can I get Jack invested in this? He obviously wouldn't do something if it had nothing to do with me or with himself.

Hmm? Himself? That may work.

Private Number: "Stop biting your finger."

I just stared at the screen, still deep in thought, not registering what he just said.

If he himself would be in trouble because of something, then I'm sure that he would deal with it quickly, but what now if it is something that could get him out of trouble?

Private Number: "April! Stop it! You're bleeding!"

I blinked a few times, slowly coming back from my thoughts. I looked at my thumb.

"Oh…" I am bleeding.

Private Number: "That's why I hate that habit of urs if no one is there to stop u then u would just keep biting until it bleeds and even just move on to another finger!"

"Hehe…" I laughed guiltily.

Private Number: "Don't think that u laughing so cutely would get u out of trouble. I swear I would have spanked u for that."

Really unsettled by what he said, I shifted around uncomfortably. Let's not say anything about that and move back to the important subject. Even if I said something about it, I am sure that I would just end up regretting it.

"Say back to the murder." I started.

Private Number: "April, what did I say?"

"To drop it. Yeah, yeah, but hear me out. They all think that one person did both the murders, a.k.a you, not like they know; but what now if you could put the blame of both the murders on this murderer. If they catch this killer, then everybody would think that everything would be over and you get to be scot free!"

I was appalled by myself for even suggesting this to him, but I really needed his help and support on this one.

Private Number: "I love your sexy ass and brain! I'll gather so many proof for the police that they wouldn't have a choice but to get him."

"Where are you getting the evidences from? And so you know who it is?" I asked.

Private Number: "That's both none of ur concern. I will be gone for a little while, so behave."

After that, no matter what I would say, he wouldn't respond. Well, I guess that matter would be soon resolved. Scratching my head, I looked around in the still dim lit living room.

'Should I watch some TV?' I asked myself, but was already quick to deny that option. Who even still watches tv when we got YouTube or Netflix around?

Or maybe I should work on some documents and type some e-mails for work since the 'accident' suddenly interrupted our day. I still got a lot of stuff to do and who knows how long we'll be staying home this time?

I tried to search around for my work laptop case, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

Hmm? That's strange. I'm sure that I took it with me back home, right? Racking through my memories, searching for the answer, I realized I had left it on top of my desk in a rush to get out of the building.

I groaned, frustrated. Good job April. Now you must go back and get it. I basically drove back with Cher and Brandon for nothing. I glanced through my curtains to see the still blue clear sky. Not even three hours had passed since the discovery of the dead body. I wonder if I can even enter the building to begin with. The police must be still surveying the surroundings.

I shrugged. I will just go back there at night.

No harm to that, right?