The Prophecy

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.’

‘I guess not.’

‘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. She had a meeting with her parole officer. If she missed that, they would’ve sent her back to prison.’

‘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.’

Payne raised his gun in front of him, prepared to use it, if necessary.

‘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 I know you’re home. If you’re busy, that’s fine. I just came for my mail.’

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 trying to peek through the crack in the door, but the angle didn’t give her a clean view of the apartment. If it did, his ruse wouldn’t have worked.

‘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 anything, but I’m half-dressed here and kind of embarrassed. Can I have Ashley call you later?’

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?’

‘It’s wonderful,’ Payne said as he walked towards the kitchen where Jones was grinning and shaking his head. ‘What?’

Jones whispered. ‘The goal is to get rid of her, not pick her up.’

‘I know that, but she 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?’

‘Nope,’ he said, handing her mail through the crack. ‘Just talking to myself.’

‘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?’

‘Megan, I swear, there is nothing on the table. Absolutely nothing.’

‘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.