章節 5: I Know Where You Sleep
Why was he there?! At her job no less?' Janice Johnson closed the door of the glass office and turned the key in the lock until she heard the click. She hated leaving late from work. She should've taken her best friend's advice and left with them to get dinner. She smiled to herself as she remembered Isabel's puppy dog eyes as she declined her ofter to go for drinks; her boss had already left early and he had left her with a large stack of documents to sort and file.
The halls of the building were still lit but it was eerie quiet as she only heard the dull click of her heels on the tiled path to the cluster of elevators. She pressed the button to the ground floor and waited patiently for the bell to ping. Shuffling into the space of the elevator she nearly jumped as a hand reached out to stop the door from closing.
It was Travis, an old flame.
"Going down?" he smirked at her shaken expression.
Janice paused for a moment and nodded. It felt awkward being around him now. They'd broken up a few years ago before she started working here. She became close friends with Isabel that it almost surprised her that they'd been messing around for a few months. It never got anywhere serious, but the passion was there. She looked at Travis Cage and stared. He was still a good looking guy. His sharp nose, his thick arched brows, the gentle curve of his lower lip, the broad shape of his shoulders. Her eyes didn't stop there; his tall and slender body that was deliciously built under all those layers of clothing. Just because he was well proportioned in his upper body made the energy of the second half that more unpredictable. She flushed as she remembered the wild nights they tumbled and blessed almost every surface of her apartment. It was almost nostalgic. Janice was so deep in thought she hadn't noticed how quickly they reached the lobby and Travis was getting her attention to step out of the elevator.
"I'll see you around." He said softly before leaving her alone at the ID checkpoint. The turnstile was off but it still rotated when someone was leaving the building.
The evening air was wet and bitter; stained with cooking oil and tobacco smoke from the Italian pub down the street. It was musty and dull as she let the large sidewalks of Manhattan crackle beneath the click of her heels.
It was then when she felt it. Someone was watching her, following her. She glanced over her shoulder. Empty. The streets were quiet. Unusual for this part of the city. She heard footsteps in the distance and her own quickened against the surface of the concrete. Her apartment wasn't far on foot, but it seemed to take longer to get there.
She reached a tall building on the next block. The light from the lobby illuminated her face as she walked through the doors and passed the security desk. Mr. Clark was keeping watch on the monitors today.
"Anything interesting happen today?" she smiled as she gazed upon the balding middle-aged man sitting quietly at the red mahogany desk. He was a stout man in his early forties that always arrived on time and never left a minute late. 'Punctuality is the politeness of princes, ' he would respond. Mr. Clark glanced over his glasses at the slender woman. He chuckled.
"Nothing yet. I hope you had a productive day as well? I know how trying this city can be."
Janice smiled at him and nodded before walking around the corner to check her postbox. It was empty. She stepped to the elevator and pressed the button to go up. The door pinged and opened. She quickly walked in and pressed the button for the ninth floor. She hummed as the floors pinged and passed until the elevator finally halted and opened onto a brightly lit hallway.
She walked to her front door and jingled her keys in the lock. She frowned when the door opened easily with a gentle push, and squinted into the darkness before she felt the wall for the light switch. The room softly illuminated with a warm glow but the entryway was empty. She sighed and shook her head. 'I must be paranoid.'
Janice clicked several of the locks installed on the door breathing nervously. She turned to undress, placing her coat and heels on the rack. A bath. That's what she craved. Stripping down to skin she drew a warm tub of water. Rose petals sprinkled in the bath gave an image of luxury. Tranced by the scent of roses it almost immediately enhanced her mood. Dipping in, the rosewater soothed her irritated skin, and brightened her complexion, tightening pores for a smooth appearance. She leaned against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes.
After a long ten minutes, she heard something, almost like a creak coming from the living room. She opened her eyes and peered through the doorway into the dark abyss. It was quiet for a few moments, and then she heard it again. She hesitated before standing slowly and reaching for her bath towel, wrapping it around her tightly before stepping onto the cork bath mat. She poked her head out with dark wet hair dangling in front of her face. She stepped out into the foyer crouching and looked around before sighing. The sudden click and the feel of a cold metal barrel made her freeze.
He put the gun to her temple and cocked the spring back. Janice panicked.
"Don't shoot! Please don't shoot!"
He smiled. The gun still at her temple, he squatted in front of her and smiled wide, it frightened her. His eyes raked the contour of her face before landing on her slightly opened mouth and leaned forward to kiss her quivering lips. She froze and stared at him, her round eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. She tried to avoid his second attempt but went rigid as his eyes stared into hers coldly, she hesitated, then kissed back. He paused, then lowered the gun. Suddenly she pushed him backward and grabbed the pistol. He chuckled and looked up at her trembling figure.
"Go ahead, Janice. Pull the trigger."
"How do you know my name?"
"I know a lot about you, Janice."
"Wha-"
"I know where you eat." Janice started to shake. "I know where you sleep."
"Shut up!" she hissed.
"The way you get dressed after you shower, " he continued, not hearing her.
"That night....that was you?!"
"What?" he smiled crookedly. Janice squeezed the trigger.
Click. No bullets.
"Dammit!"
With one swift movement he knocked her to the ground. She triggled to wriggle free, but he had her by the ankles. He dragged her right under him.
"I don't want to hurt you, Janice, but you're not leaving me any choice!"
She was trapped and couldn't move her arms and legs. She struggled to get free as she panicked. Her towel was coming loose, but she didn't care as she tried to crawl into the bathroom. She almost got to her feet when a gloved hand covered her eyes and mouth. She let out a muffled yelp and tried to break his hold.
"I'm sorry, " he whispered softly before removing a silenced pistol from his inside pocket and pressing the barrel to her head. He kissed the top of her hair and pulled the trigger.
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