to stomp his lights out.
Eleven
Emily burst through the gate at the station, rushed onto the train, and headed straight for home. She was out of breath and sweating profusely as she took a seat so upset that she almost sat on the little old lady who was sitting there.
“I’m so sorry.” She said, but the woman just looked at her with tired eyes. Embarrassed and blushing, she moved to a different seat. Once she was seated, she tried to plan her next move. She knew that it would take two or three times as long to drive across town than it took by train. She tried to calculate the distance of the walk from the station to her apartment and how long it would take to get home. She figured she might have about thirty minutes from the time she got to her apartment, to get some clothes and things together. The thugs would be driving and dealing with traffic. It would take them longer to get there.
She wondered if they would actually come after her. It would be easy since they had her address from the résumé, but was it really worth it to them to follow through? Kill her? Probably, since she was the only real witness to the murder. The only thing she could do now was run. Run and try somehow to get someone to help.
Leaving the station, she briskly walked down the street toward home. She looked in every direction for parked cars that might look unfamiliar, suspicious, or had people sitting in them, but all was clear.
Arriving home, she crossed the street and walked up the front steps of the old apartment building sliding her key into the lock of the lower entry door. Before going in, she looked around again to verify that all was clear. She checked her mailbox and found a few late bill notices as usual. Tucking them under her arm, she climbed the stairs to her apartment.
When she got to the landing on the second floor, she stood outside the door and carefully pressed her ear to it to see if she could hear anything inside the apartment. It was quiet. She inserted her key into the lock, turned the doorknob carefully and slowly opened the door.
Ralph leapt at her from behind the door and she screamed, scaring him. The large orange tabby ran for the bedroom. “Ralphie, I’m sorry baby. You scared mommy.” She closed the door and followed him to the bedroom and reached under the bed to get him. He always hid under the bed when he was nervous or when she was angry with him for scratching the furniture or eating the houseplants.
She picked him up and sat down on the bed. “Mommy has to go away for a while, but we’re going to get someone to take care of you...” She stroked his short fur and he purred loudly pushing himself into her hand. “But who are we going to get right now? Shit!” and Ralph cringed again in her arms.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her directory until she came to Diane, her neighbor. She pushed the call button and waited. After two rings, Diane answered. “Hello?”
“Hey Diane, it’s Em. Thank God you’re home! I have a big, big favor to ask.”
“Yeah, honey? What’s that? You sound upset.” Diane was from the South, born and raised. Along with her slight drawl, she called everyone ‘honey’, a real giveaway.
“Well, I’m going to be out of town for a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you could take care of Ralph while I’m gone.”
“Ralph? Oh, you mean your kitty cat. Sure thing, honey. He’s no trouble at all, but if you’re gonna to be gone for a couple a weeks, I should probably bring his supplies on over here, instead of leavin him up in there all by his little self. He’s gonna miss his mama, bless his heart.”
“Thanks, Diane. That’s perfect. Can you come and get him?’
“Sure, honey. When’d you want me to stop on by?”
“Well, now would be a good time.”
“Ya mean, right now?”
“Yeah, right now, I don’t have much time.” She looked at the clock. She had already wasted ten minutes. “I hope
Eleven
Emily burst through the gate at the station, rushed onto the train, and headed straight for home. She was out of breath and sweating profusely as she took a seat so upset that she almost sat on the little old lady who was sitting there.
“I’m so sorry.” She said, but the woman just looked at her with tired eyes. Embarrassed and blushing, she moved to a different seat. Once she was seated, she tried to plan her next move. She knew that it would take two or three times as long to drive across town than it took by train. She tried to calculate the distance of the walk from the station to her apartment and how long it would take to get home. She figured she might have about thirty minutes from the time she got to her apartment, to get some clothes and things together. The thugs would be driving and dealing with traffic. It would take them longer to get there.
She wondered if they would actually come after her. It would be easy since they had her address from the résumé, but was it really worth it to them to follow through? Kill her? Probably, since she was the only real witness to the murder. The only thing she could do now was run. Run and try somehow to get someone to help.
Leaving the station, she briskly walked down the street toward home. She looked in every direction for parked cars that might look unfamiliar, suspicious, or had people sitting in them, but all was clear.
Arriving home, she crossed the street and walked up the front steps of the old apartment building sliding her key into the lock of the lower entry door. Before going in, she looked around again to verify that all was clear. She checked her mailbox and found a few late bill notices as usual. Tucking them under her arm, she climbed the stairs to her apartment.
When she got to the landing on the second floor, she stood outside the door and carefully pressed her ear to it to see if she could hear anything inside the apartment. It was quiet. She inserted her key into the lock, turned the doorknob carefully and slowly opened the door.
Ralph leapt at her from behind the door and she screamed, scaring him. The large orange tabby ran for the bedroom. “Ralphie, I’m sorry baby. You scared mommy.” She closed the door and followed him to the bedroom and reached under the bed to get him. He always hid under the bed when he was nervous or when she was angry with him for scratching the furniture or eating the houseplants.
She picked him up and sat down on the bed. “Mommy has to go away for a while, but we’re going to get someone to take care of you...” She stroked his short fur and he purred loudly pushing himself into her hand. “But who are we going to get right now? Shit!” and Ralph cringed again in her arms.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her directory until she came to Diane, her neighbor. She pushed the call button and waited. After two rings, Diane answered. “Hello?”
“Hey Diane, it’s Em. Thank God you’re home! I have a big, big favor to ask.”
“Yeah, honey? What’s that? You sound upset.” Diane was from the South, born and raised. Along with her slight drawl, she called everyone ‘honey’, a real giveaway.
“Well, I’m going to be out of town for a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you could take care of Ralph while I’m gone.”
“Ralph? Oh, you mean your kitty cat. Sure thing, honey. He’s no trouble at all, but if you’re gonna to be gone for a couple a weeks, I should probably bring his supplies on over here, instead of leavin him up in there all by his little self. He’s gonna miss his mama, bless his heart.”
“Thanks, Diane. That’s perfect. Can you come and get him?’
“Sure, honey. When’d you want me to stop on by?”
“Well, now would be a good time.”
“Ya mean, right now?”
“Yeah, right now, I don’t have much time.” She looked at the clock. She had already wasted ten minutes. “I hope
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