Authors: Carlie Sexton
***
Neil realized that he had his work cut out for him if he was going to convince Kate to move in with him. He knew it was way too soon, but he had already fallen in love with her. Now, with this whole Roger thing, he was going to have to be patient and not push her too hard. But he wanted her in his bed every night. He wanted all sorts of things from her. These thoughts surprised him a little.
“You are looking quite weary, my beauty. Let’s all go out and get something to eat and have a couple of glasses of wine. What do you say?” Neil said, beginning to stand. He felt a strong desire to get in control of their evening.
“That sounds great. I just need a minute to change clothes,” Kate said. “Charlie, would you help me pick out something to wear?
“I’d love to.”
The two girls retired to Kate’s room leaving Neil and Mitch alone.
“This gives us a chance to talk,” Mitch said, sizing Neil up. “If you make her cry again, I’m going to pummel you, dude. Kate’s been through too much already.”
“I know. I felt terrible about that. Fortunately that situation created an atmosphere of openness and trust because we had to be real with each other. We’ve both lost someone that we loved very much. Being able to share that with each other has created a strong bond between us.”
Mitch rubbed his forehead. “Man, I’m sorry. Who did you lose if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I lost my wife. We had been together for years, but she died only a few weeks after we were married. She had cancer.”
“Wow, man, that’s tough. It seems that you and Kate finding each other is just what the doctor ordered. She’s a great woman. I know that she made David very happy.”
“Sounds like you and David were very close.”
“He was my best friend since we were in the fourth grade. We lived next door to each other. Losing him was quite a blow for all of us. He was so young. It made me realize just how short life really is. I’ve watched Kate just exist over the last couple of years. With you, she seems alive again, like her old self. It’s great to see her this way. She deserves to be happy.”
“Believe me, I want her to be happy. She has brought me back to life too.”
Kate and Charlie came back in the living room laughing. “We’re ready to go,” Kate announced.
“Great! What’s good around here?” Neil asked.
“Marco’s is amazing. I think we could use some good old-fashioned Italian comfort food. What do you say?”
Everyone agreed. Charlie and Mitch rode together in his car and Kate and Neil took his. On the drive over, Neil had an idea. “Baby, why don’t you spend the next few nights at my place? You or Charlie can tell Roger that your mom needed you and you are staying with her a few days.”
Kate thought for a moment. “That’s a really great idea. I like how you think, counselor,” she said, suggestively rubbing his thigh with her hand.
Neil was so distracted that he nearly rear-ended the car in front of them. “Sweetie, I need to concentrate on the road, although I love the direction you were headed in.”
“I’m sorry baby. Turn left up ahead on 55th. Marco’s is just around the corner.”
Neil was quite satisfied with himself that he had gotten his way. Perhaps he could convince her to stay longer than a couple of days once they were together back at his place. He was willing to pull out all of the stops.
“Don’t think that I don’t know what you are thinking, counselor. I know that you are working at getting your way and having me move in with you,” Kate declared. “I’m beginning to realize just how your mind works.”
Neil’s huge smile reached his eyes. “If you only knew, baby. If you only knew.”
Chapter 15
Kate stayed at Neil’s house for three nights. She noticed that Mark wasn’t in class Wednesday or Thursday. On Friday, the police were on campus. Mark’s family had filed a missing person report. No one had seen him since Tuesday after class. The detective went to both of the classes that she shared with Mark and asked if anyone knew of his whereabouts. At first it didn’t register with her that she could have been the last person to see Mark. When she heard Officer Segura’s questions during her second class, she decided to follow him out and talk to him.
“Officer Segura, my name is Kate Simmons,” she said, putting her hand out to shake his.
“What can I do for you, Miss Simmons? Do you have some information about Mark for me?”
“Yes, I do. Mark came over to my apartment after class on Tuesday. We spoke for a few minutes and he left. That was the last I saw him. It dawned on me just now that I might be one of the last people who saw him before he disappeared.”
“I see. What was your relationship with Mark?”
“We were just classmates and friends.”
“Why did he go to your apartment on Tuesday?”
“Well, actually, he followed me home without my knowledge. He was upset that I am dating someone he knows and he wanted to warn me. We talked briefly and he left.”
“Did you see anyone else talk to him or follow him?”
“The only person I can think of is my next-door neighbor, Roger Wilkins. They met each other when we were walking up the stairs.”
“Roger Wilkins, you said?” Officer Segura asked, writing down the name.
“Yes, Roger Wilkins,” she said, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.
“Okay, I need you to write down your name, address, and phone number right here,” he said, handing Kate his clipboard. “We’ll be in touch. I would like for you to come to the station in the next day or so to give a formal statement. Is there anything else that you can remember?”
“No, but I do have one more piece of potentially relevant information. I think that Roger might be obsessed with me. He knows my comings and goings. His door is open all the time and he is always trying to get me to come in and have a drink with him. One night when I didn’t come home, he texted me to see if I was okay. He questions me a lot about what I am doing and with whom I’m doing it with.”
“Okay, has he done anything other than be overly friendly? Tried to force you into anything that you weren’t comfortable with? “
“No, it’s all been verbal communication.”
“Has he threatened you in any way?”
“No, but he has scared me. His interest in me makes me very uncomfortable.”
“I suggest that you be careful around Roger and we’ll be in touch,” he said. “Here’s my card if you think of anything else. Don’t hesitate to call me.”
***
Kate decided to go home on Friday night after work to have some time on her own. Charlie hadn’t seen Roger all week. She assumed that he had gone out of town. But, of course, as she ascended the stairs, Roger’s door was open. Her heart started beating faster. She wasn’t sure if Charlie and Mitch were home.
She reached her door before Roger realized that she was there. She slid the key in the lock and he magically appeared out on the landing before she could get inside. It seemed that he had bionic ears. As she opened the door, she saw that the lights were out, so she knew that she was alone. Charlie must have been out with Mitch having dinner. Roger asked her if she had seen the news lately. She had been so busy between work, school, and her new boyfriend she hadn’t watched it in the last few of days. When he began to explain what happened, she knew she was going to need to sit down.
“Do you mind if I come in?”
She couldn’t come up with a good reason why he couldn’t so she made a welcoming motion with her arm. “Please make yourself comfortable,” she said as she placed her purse and keys on the sofa table. She then sat on the sofa because he had chosen the love seat.
“Rose is dead,” he said matter of factly. “She’s been murdered. Parts of her body were found in a trash bag up north. The police are not sure what happened, but they think that I did it.”
Kate sat on her sofa frozen, trying to assimilate the information in her head. The chills running up and down her spine told her that the police were probably right. But she couldn’t let him know that she thought he was a cold-blooded killer. He had access to her any time he wanted. He knew her schedule. She thought quickly and decided she needed to behave like he was a victim in this whole thing.
“I can’t believe they actually think that you could hurt Rose. That’s impossible,” she said with all the indignation she could muster. “I’m so sorry that you are going through this. I know how much she meant to you,” she said in her most sincere voice.
“Yeah, I know. I am still in shock about the whole thing. It hasn’t sunk in yet what has happened.”
“What do the police think has happened?” she asked gently. “Well, on the day that Rose disappeared, she had taken $2,000 out of her savings account to buy a new refrigerator for her parents. I think someone followed her from the bank, killed her and took her money. The police think that I followed her, stole her money and killed her. The killer tried to hide the evidence by dismembering her. Her parents called the police and reported her missing when she didn’t return home Monday night. Her arm and leg were found in Valley Center by the dogs that were searching with the police,” Roger said like he was discussing the weather forecast.
Kate rested her head in her hand. “I can’t believe that she has been murdered and dismembered. Her poor children. They must be devastated to lose their mom. Especially after all you said they have been through with their dad’s abuse,” she empathized. “Have the police charged you with anything?”
She treaded carefully, knowing that any slip-up could cost her life. Since she had lived her life walking on egg shells with her mom, she was fairly good at tactful communication. “No, they don’t have any evidence linking me to her murder,” Roger shared. “I do need your help though. I was planning on visiting Jacob in Germany in about two weeks. I already bought my airline ticket and have taken money out of the bank for traveling. I am concerned that if the police search my apartment and find the ticket and money they will arrest me or keep me from traveling. I don’t want to miss out on seeing my son. I need you to keep these along with my passport and ATM card here in your apartment until things settle down,” he said, pulling the items out from his back pocket.
Bile rose to the top of her throat. She swallowed hard and clenched her teeth to push it down. Now he wanted to involve her in his despicable scheme. She didn’t want to be pulled into his web. But he wanted her tangled up with him and she didn’t know how to get out of this. His request confirmed her thoughts that there was a strong possibility that he was guilty. He wasn’t even visibly upset over Rose’s death. What was she going to do? Refusing his request could cause problems for her and Charlie. Would the police think that she was somehow involved? In this moment, she had to make a snap decision. It needed to be a decision that wouldn’t send up any red flags.
“Of course I would be happy to hold onto your ticket and money,” she said calmly. “But I can’t imagine that they are going to search your place. They have no reason to suspect you. They’re not going to be able to charge you with anything. You’re probably just being a little paranoid.”
“I know you’re right,” Roger replied. “It’s just precautionary in case the over-zealous cop on this case gets a warrant to search my apartment. Rose did spend a lot of time with me. It would mean a lot to me if you would hold on to these things until I know that I am no longer a suspect.”
“Well, you have been such a good neighbor to us, I am happy to help you in any way that I can,” she said with a smile. She took the money and the ticket. She figured she would hide them somewhere in her room. Where would be an unsuspecting place she wondered? Then it hit her.
“I’ll put these in a Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. She got up and walked to the kitchen. She opened the drawer where they kept the Ziploc bags and put the items inside one and sealed it. Then she opened the freezer and put the bag inside. Roger had followed her but was in the dining room watching.
“This seems like a good hiding place, don’t you think?”
“That’s a perfect spot. I knew I could count on you.”
Kate strolled over to Roger. “Again, I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said, placing her hand on his arm. “Rose was a wonderful woman. I’m sure that you miss her terribly.”
In her attempt to act like she believed his innocence, she gave him a hug. As she tried to let go, he held on a little longer than she wanted him to. She was going to have to take a shower after this to wash off her disgust. When he released her, she started moving toward the door, indicating that it was time for him to go.
“Well, I hate to cut things short, but I have a paper due on Monday for one class and an exam in another to prepare for. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
He nodded and left her apartment.
When she closed the door behind him, she slid down the door to the floor as tears streamed down her face. She hugged her knees to her body. This was worse than she could have imagined. He wasn’t just obsessed with her, he was most likely a killer. A killer who had murdered someone that he supposedly loved. He had killed Rose. She could feel it in her heart. Roger was a murderer. Why did he have to kill Rose? She was a kind, sweet, caring woman. There is nothing that she could have done to justify this.
Grief overcame Kate as she realized that his obsession with her might have driven him to hurt Rose. If it wasn’t for her, Rose could still be alive.
The guilt over what happened to David rushed back over her like a tidal wave, combining with her guilt about Rose. She not only feared for her own safety, but also Charlie’s safety. This was way too much to process. She was going to need to see Dr. Cox and soon.
She had made it through the most uncomfortable interaction of her life without showing how afraid she was of him. Now the trick was going to be to continue acting normal every time she saw him over the next two weeks. She went to the kitchen to check the date of departure on the airline ticket. He was leaving in exactly twelve days. Twelve extremely long days.
She went to her purse and took out her cell. She called her mom and explained what was going on. Her mom’s first reaction was to have her move home immediately. But Roger knew where she worked and could easily follow her to her mom’s house.
“Mom, moving back home may not be the best solution at the moment. But moving is something I am strongly considering,” she said.
“You need to get in touch with the detective in charge of the case and tell him what’s going on. He will be able to advise you on what to do with the money and ticket,” her mom said, her voice shaky despite her efforts to appear calm.
“You’re right. I will call the police as soon as we hang up and schedule an appointment with the detective in charge of Roger’s case.”
“Okay, honey. I will be praying for God to keep you and Charlie safe. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom. Thanks for the prayers.”
With that, they said goodnight and their conversation ended.