The Video Store

by S J Sargent

  All she heard was murmuring. Behind the medical staff emerged Detective Bolin, whose head appeared in the crowd of nurses. His eyes widened as he tried yelling something at her, but she heard nothing.

  This was the end.

  Christine could feel it in a terrifying, metaphysical way. Only thirty-two years old. She never thought she would die this early. But she was helpless. Her body was attacking itself. It was winning and losing at the same time. Using all the strength left in her, Christine held back her cough long enough to say something. She locked eyes with Bolin.

  “C-c-co-”

  Another frantic gag. She felt like she was twenty feet underwater racing to the surface for air. Bolin leaned in, grabbing her hand. She had hardly any energy left, but she was desperate to communicate her new memory. She had to tell him about the shirt.

  “Christine.” He nodded.

  “Co-co-”

  She spit up vomit all over herself. Again, horrified looks from the doctors. Her eyes full of tears. Her hands trembled. Bolin stayed locked in on her, unphased by all of it. He nodded again.

  “Coworker,” she finally said with a nod. “Co-worker.”

  With one powerful cry, she screamed out the rest of the energy in her body. And then collapsed on the bed.

  Lifeless.

  Gone.

  Forever.

  But not before giving Bolin one final piece of evidence that her mind had gifted her in her last moments of life.

  Coworker.

  The clue that would give Bolin the final piece of evidence he needed to close out this case and bring in the suspect. Christine’s abduction came from her own staff.

  Part IV

  Coworker

  41

  The Walk

  Tuesday, December 21 – 4:15 P.M.

  Molly faked a phone call while she closely watched Ken from across the house. He sat on the couch next to Alex, watching one of those straight-to-TV Christmas movies that somehow keep getting made. Peter was preoccupied in the bedroom, being yelled at by his parents over the phone.

  “I’m just glad to be out of there,” Ken said while he shoved chips down his throat. Molly was completely off-put that he had somehow squeezed himself into their plans. She was disgusted, enraged even.

  Molly’s phone rang. Detective Bolin, for the third time. She ignored it and wondered what he might say when they finally came back in town. Molly tried not to think about the possibility that they might be breaking the law by fleeing Pecos after being specifically told to stay. What might be waiting for her when she got back?

  “Dude, it’s a madhouse there,” Ken continued. “The town is officially freaking out. Half the businesses are already closed for the holidays. Or at least, that’s what the signs on the door say. All I can say is, they never closed this early last year.” Ken gave a suggestive smile. “Driving up here, I saw three customers outside of Movie Madness. Pissed that they couldn’t get in. Probably wondering what the heck it’s doing closed on a Tuesday. And I’m thinking…look around. The town is falling apart. And all you want to do is rent movies and act like it’s not? Give me a break.”

  “It’s like a slasher flick,” Alex said as his attention went back to the TV movie.

  “…except this is real, Alex,” Molly reminded him from across the room. “This isn’t just another one of your scary movies.” They exchanged a look before Molly hopped up and went into the other room.

  Alex chased after her. “Molly.” She turned around, arms crossed. Done with everything. Especially Ken. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

  Molly nodded. “I know. I’m just…starting to break a little bit.” She plopped down at the kitchen table, burying her head in her hands. Alex put his arm around her. “Would you want to take a walk with me? I could use the fresh air.”

  “Absolutely.”

  Alex escorted her out the sliding back door. As they crossed the threshold, Alex could hear the rantings of Peter’s mother coming through the receiver. He looked up at Alex and shook his head. Defeated.

  The weather had cleared up. The sky offered a nice overcast with a winter breeze. Molly took hold of Alex’s arm as if they were walking into prom together. Molly snuggled up closely to Alex, for warmth. The snow crunched under their feet with each step.

  It felt like she’d stepped out of a horror movie and into their own version of a made-for-TV Christmas film.

  “Thank you. For everything,” she said as they headed toward a trail in the backyard. “You’ve been right by my side this whole time. I don’t even really know why. It’s not like I’ve been a great friend to you.” Molly laughed, nervous.

  “You don’t have to keep thanking me,” Alex said back, rubbing her hand on his. He led her into a wooded trail as they continued talking. “I think you’ve been a great friend to me. Every time we’re on the schedule together, I get excited to talk to try to convince you to watch more of my favorites…”

  “You haven’t been too successful so far.”

  “I noticed!” Alex looked at Molly before she looked away.

  “Don’t give up, though.” She gave an inviting smile. They quietly walked further away from the house. Further away from Pecos and it’s turmoil. “It’s funny,” she said. “I wouldn’t have guessed you were that excited to work with me. I mean, until the past few weeks, you hardly talked to me.”

  Alex didn’t respond immediately. “Well…I mean, I was intimidated,” he shot back. “It’s easy to talk to Ken because he’s not…” Alex stopped himself. Molly gazed at him with hopeful eyes. He shook his head and looked away.

  “…not what?” She asked.

  “Beautiful.” He smiled. She rolled her eyes, only because she couldn’t think of any other defense mechanisms. Molly wanted to say more but didn’t want her vulnerability to get the best of her. “In other words, you’re prettier than Ken.” They both laughed at this, taking them out of the moment.

  “Ready to head back?” she said. With a nod, Alex turned them around and headed back to the house. He had so much more he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to press his luck.

  They got off the trail and were now back in the backyard, heading to the house. As they were just feet away from the backdoor, Molly finally shared the plan she’d been dwelling on since they stepped outside. She knew Alex probably wouldn’t go for it, but this was her only shot.

  “Listen,” Molly said, stopping in her tracks. “I want to say something.” Before she could, Alex interrupted her with a sudden kiss. Right on the lips. Molly jolted back and stared at him with wide eyes. Then proceeded, what felt like, the longest moment of silence in Alex’s life. She blinked, but no words.

  “I’m so sorry.” Alex shook his head. “I thought…” He abruptly turned and started speed walking toward the house. When all else fails, just run away.

  Just five steps later, Molly’s grip stopped him. Afraid to turn around, he felt her hand on his wrist. His heart raced as he continued to look away.

  “Um…”

  Before he could stumble over any more embarrassment, Molly turned him toward her and rescued him out of his shame. She locked eyes with him, took a deep breath, and planted one right on his lips. The spontaneity almost caused Alex’s legs to collapse as he reminded himself to breathe. As she pulled back and looked into his eyes, the irresistible rush pulled her back in like a magnet and they kissed again.

  Alex put his hand on the back of Molly’s head, preserving the kiss even longer. Eventually, Molly leaned back. He rested his forehead on hers, cupping her neck in his hands. They both laughed together in what certainly was the most severe emotional pendulum swing of his life. Alex gently held Molly’s hand in his as they tried to come back down to earth.

  “That felt…”

  “…perfect.” She smiled, with a tear in her eye.

  They leaned in again for another kiss. And then, Alex again with a kiss on her cheek. Now that Pandora’s box had been opened, all the emotion flooded out. An
d neither realized how much had been boxed in. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a long breath, the kind that collapses your body. Completely content in the moment, all Alex could do was whisper.

  “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

  Molly smiled. “Me too.”

  He looked into her soft eyes, using all of his willpower to stop himself from trembling out of excitement. His nerves were completely shot. He shook like a driver who just barely escaped a car wreck. Unstable in the best of ways.

  Their starry-eyed moment was harshly cut short by Peter, who threw his head out the back door and yelled at them through panicked eyes.

  “Guys! Get in here! Hurry!”

  42

  New News, Old News

  Tuesday, December 21 – 5:07 P.M.

  “…Christine leaves behind a loving mother, father, and brother. All locals of Pecos. Her unexpected death came just four days after the confirmed death of Amy Powers. A case that is still considered unsolved…”

  Huddled around the TV, the four didn’t say a word. Peter was the most emotional of the bunch, wiping away tears. At this point, he didn’t care who knew about his relationship. What did it matter anymore? The one girl he had ever cared for was gone.

  “Have they talked about cause of death or anything?” Molly asked as she hugged the arm rest of the couch.

  “They don’t know anything.” Alex spoke up. “With Bolin leading the way, they might not ever.”

  “Please, Alex. Not now…” Molly gave him a look.

  “Wait a minute.” Ken stood up. “Wait. I thought that Bolin had determined it was Jonathan already. Isn’t that the latest theory we’re going off of? Isn’t he in a jail cell in downtown Pecos right now?” Ken started to pace around the room.

  Before anyone could answer, the TV cut to a press conference with Detective Bolin. He looked like a coach, right after losing the big game.

  “We’re still learning new things. And we are asking that if anyone has any information about this case to please report it to the police immediately. We do not know if this is connected with the…previous abduction. But we have reason to believe that it was the same cause of death…”

  “Poison,” Alex confirmed. The three looked over at Alex, all shaken up that he knew this so confidently. “No. Bolin, he told me all about it in our interrogation. I was asking him about it. He said that Amy was poisoned.” He nodded. They kept staring. “Didn’t he tell you guys that?”

  All three shook their heads.

  “I guess I just asked him more questions…” Alex shrugged and stood up as well to address the room. “He told me that at first they thought Amy died from the stabbings. But they were too old by the time of her death. That wouldn’t have killed her because they were from several days earlier. Then in the autopsy, they found… something in her system. A chemical. Some type of poison. I can’t remember the name. But Bolin told me that it could have been in her system for up to two days before it took effect.”

  “…so, in other words…” Molly jumped in. “If it was poison that killed Christine, it really could have been anyone that had access to her in the last forty-eight hours?” Alex nodded. Then she did. “Jonathan.”

  “Yes.” Alex agreed.

  Molly looked over at Peter, who was hugging a pillow for support. “I’m sorry, Peter.” Molly came over and gave him a hug, realizing how insensitive she was being. She cared more about solving the case than mourning the loss of her friend. “I know you were close with Christine.” Peter didn’t say anything. His mind was in denial of what he was watching.

  Sofia. And now Christine.

  Two women who they saw almost every single day. Now gone, forever. But not just gone.

  Taken.

  Murdered.

  Violently and abruptly killed.

  “Look on the bright side,” Ken said. “He’s locked up already. We know it, now. Same cause of death means the same killer. Jonathan. There’s no way it wasn’t him. Case closed if you’re asking me.”

  No one did, Molly thought to herself.

  “Isn’t it crazy to think about, though?” Peter started to ponder. “That we were just two doors down from…that creep? For years. We had no idea what was going on his mind. What lies he was telling us while he was secretly dreaming up all of these disgusting schemes. It makes me sick…”

  “And we would’ve all probably been next, by the way!” Ken proclaimed. “That psycho was just going down the line. Peter, you were probably next on the menu!”

  Ken slapped Peter on the arm. Peter shook his head. “Not funny, man.” He wiped away a tear. “Not now…”

  “I know, I know,” Ken said. “But at least we know the guy is caught. There’s no way Bolin’s letting him get on the other side of those bars. Right? I mean, he’s not that dumb.”

  In the kitchen, Molly sat at the table looking at her phone. She wanted to process everything with Alex. But not with Peter and Ken there. Her heart had quickly moved on from the kiss and was now thinking about Christine. Even more, she was thinking about all of the ‘what ifs’.

  It could have been me.

  If she had closed on Saturday night instead of Christine, it might have been her. Jonathan followed Christine home after she closed and snatched her out of her apartment. Just like that. It was too easy. It was too…accessible. For once, Molly was relieved that she still lived with her parents and the safeguard of her overprotective father.

  Molly’s thought process was interrupted by another call from Detective Bolin. Ignored again. What would he want now? Was he just calling to say she could come home? She wasn’t about to answer to see. A text came through just a moment later from him.

  “Molly, please call me as soon as possible.”

  She closed it out and scrolled through her Instagram page to see if anyone had commented on Christine. There were just a few posts, mainly RIP Christine and The video store lady died! But sadly, that was it. Her death had barely made a splash on social media. Christine spent thirty-two loyal years in Pecos. And when her life was yanked from her in a sudden moment of rage, no one seemed to care. No one lamented her tragic, horrific ending.

  What they all cared about was not her death.

  It was their own life.

  Is this how it will be when I die? Molly’s mind dwelled on this morbid thought and the tragic notion that she was not as loved as she thought. People had already moved on from Amy. There hadn’t even been a funeral and yet her death was already being overshadowed by Sofia and Christine. Desperately trying to get out of such a depressing thought process, she shifted her attention to Peter, who was recapping his parental argument with both Alex and Ken.

  “She was trying to tell me that I needed to start getting together solid evidence to serve as my alibi since I was friends with Christine. She’s really concerned that they are going to try to pin it on me since I was closing with her.”

  “What physical evidence would you even use?” Alex asked him, now sipping a soda. Molly hated that he could stomach anything after such news.

  Peter shrugged. “I already told her that the bigger concern was them getting the culprit. Once they got ‘em, I had nothing to worry about. But she didn’t believe me. She’s so paranoid about me screwing up my future. She already hates that I work at Movie Madness. She said, ‘you waste your time at that…‘M.M.’ place!’ She could never pronounce Movie Madness in her broken English, so she would always abbreviate it.”

  Ken snickered. “Ha! Like it’s a cuss word or something…”

  “Well, none of us might have jobs to go back to after all of this anyway…” Alex pointed out.

  “Join the club,” Ken said. He laughed again.

  There was far too much laughter proceeding news that a friend had died. Molly had to get out of the room. She slipped into the hallway and sat on the old shag carpet. She opened her phone to escape the background noise of Ken’s obnoxious voice. She tried to make sense of Jonathan being
the killer. But it didn’t add up.

  She pulled out the small piece of paper that she had kept in the back of her phone case with all the numbers and letter combinations. Were they wrong about the clue? If it was Jonathan that had poisoned everyone, then the message meant nothing. It was all just a hoax.

  Help. No guy. From Amy.

  Why would Amy go out of her way to send an anonymous email to her that was this broad? If she really had taken the time to tell her something, it would have been for a reason.

  Molly looked over the paper again. It was all gibberish at this point. Certain things circled and crossed out. Two lone sixes in the corner that she thought had been typos because there were five of them in a row.

  The sixes. She’d remembered that she could never figure out why there were five of them in a row. She went back to all the different combinations.

  And that’s when she saw it, written over and over again.

  MM. MM. MM.

  Just like Peter’s mom called it.

  6-6. M-M.

  There had been two leftover sixes that she couldn’t figure out. She was so confident that she had it that she had forgotten about the leftover numbers. She had thought that they were just typos, but now she was seeing that they weren’t. They were a part of the message. Two leftover sixes.

  MM.

  She wrote it out again, this time with the sixes in place.

  Help. Guy from MM. Amy.

  Molly’s eyes grew wide.

  She immediately crumbled up the paper and shoved it in her pocket as she thought about the possibility.

  Guy from MM.

  Amy’s message to her wasn’t a broad message about the suspect being a woman. Amy was trying to describe who had taken her. And she had messaged Molly because she knew Molly would know who it was. It wasn’t just some random code. Amy was trying to tell her friend that her abductor, and eventual killer, worked with her at Movie Madness.