by Carly Winter
In-the-Buff Bob.
“Mr. Briston?” Bill asked, waving his hand in front of his face to clear the haze.
“Come in, come in, man,” Robert said, stepping to the side. “Even the fuzz can join us in our quest for peace and love.”
Two things struck me as I stepped inside. First, Bill hadn’t even introduced himself and he’d been labeled a police officer. Was it the suit? The short hair? The closely shaven jaw? Second, Bob had company. I counted ten people lying on towels where the living room furniture should have been, all naked as the day they were born, chanting something indecipherable. The lights had been turned off, the windows covered in black paper, and dozens of candles lit the room. I coughed as the smell of marijuana, wax, and body odor all co-mingled in one overpowering scent.
“Oh, my word,” I whispered as I tried to avoid seeing all the genitalia on display. No matter where I looked, I found more.
Bill held out his badge. “Are you Robert Briston?”
“That’s my Christian name, but I go by Liberty, man. I’m truly free of all the trappings of this world.”
Bill smiled and nodded. “Congratulations, Liberty. How lucky you are. I was wondering if we could talk somewhere private for a few minutes.”
“Sure, man. Follow me.”
The layout of the apartment was the same as mine. As he led us through the group of prone, chanting bodies into the bedroom, he bent over to pick up a lit joint. While I glanced away from that view, I recognized the people who lived on the other side of me—Dusk and Rainbow. They lay next to each other with their fingers intertwined, eyes closed. They seemed at peace, almost as if they were dead, but they contributed to the chanting. My stomach rolled and I tasted bile from the stench, so I covered my nose and mouth as we walked among the sea of bodies.
“It smells like you guys have been at the chanting for a while,” Bill said, closing the door and flipping on the light. The room held two bare mattresses and a dresser. A shame none of the clothing hanging out of the open drawers was currently being used.
“Yeah, man. Two days of harmony and peace, of trying to find our true inner selves, of connecting with each other on the spiritual plane. It’s been far-out, man. Enlightening, even.”
“I bet,” Bill muttered. “Way far out.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Po-lice?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the murder upstairs.”
Liberty took a long drag from his marijuana joint, held it for a good thirty seconds, then tilted his chin back and slowly exhaled. “Do you want some?” he asked as he tried to hand me the cigarette.
“No, thank you,” I said, unsure of what bothered me more: his nudity or the heavy fog settling in my head. Was I getting high for the first time in my life?
“You know, I could arrest you for that,” Bill said, pointing at the joint.
“It wouldn’t matter.” He tapped his forefinger to his temple. “No matter where my body is, no matter what you do to me, I’m free up here. Man, no bars can cage me.”
Would he feel that way while sober?
“What can you tell us about the murder upstairs?” Bill asked again.
“I don’t know anything but love and peace, man. Nothing about the murder of the baby killer.”
“That doesn’t seem like a very lovable and peaceful thing to call someone,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. An image of Charles asleep on the couch with Ringo popped into my mind, and I bit my lip in anger. Charles had suffered greatly for his part in the war and hadn’t needed to be reminded of it at every turn, which was exactly what In-the-Buff Bob continually did.
Liberty narrowed his gaze on me as he took another long drag. “Do I know you?”
“I lived next door to Charles,” I replied. “He was my neighbor.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ve seen you around. You and that other fox hang out together.” I assumed he meant Donna because almost everyone referred to her in that term, and they weren’t wrong.
“For the final time, what can you tell us about Charles’ death?” Bill asked, his voice agitated.
“Nothing. I know that guy went over to a land that doesn’t belong to him to kill women and children for a war we shouldn’t be in. I reminded him of it often to try to make him repent, but he never did. Dude used to freak out pretty hard.”
“I’d be upset if someone continually called me such horrible names as well,” I spat, realizing just how furious Liberty’s actions towards Charles made me.
“Do you have a job, Mr. Briston?” Bill asked.
“I go by Liberty, remember? I’m not working for The Man. I’m free.”
“If you don’t work and sit around all day doing drugs, then how do you pay your rent?” I asked, fisting my hands at my sides. I’d completely forgotten about his nudity and now wanted to knock his teeth in. Was it my fury or the marijuana smoke that had made me so bold?
Liberty smoked and eyed me through the cloud.
“It’s an excellent question,” Bill said as he walked over to the window and opened it. I prayed for a gust of wind to air out the room. “How do you pay your rent, Liberty?”
“My parents believe in my quest for eternal harmony and peace.”
“So your parents pay your way?” I asked, hoping I had deciphered that correctly.
“No. They believe in my quest.”
“They pay his rent,” Bill said, returning to my side. “I’ve seen it before. Kid comes from a wealthy family, becomes a hippy in search of love, peace and harmony, and the parents foot the bill for it all.”
My head spun so badly from the drugs and the spoiled brat in front of me, I needed to sit down. “Must be nice not having to work to keep the lights on or buy your stupid drugs.”
The man’s smile faded and his brow creased for just a second. The easygoing fella was gone and I caught a flash of anger and hatred directed at me. Or had I? He quickly regained his composure. Maybe the drugs were making me see things that weren’t there, or perhaps there was another side to In-the-Buff Bob—a dark killer.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked, his smile returning.
“Where were you that day?” Bill asked.
“Don’t recall.”
“I would suggest you try,” Bill said. “Try really hard through that haze of smoke you have bathing your brain, Mr. Briston, or I may have to take you down to the station to sober up and remember.”
Did he have the authority? I had absolutely no idea.
Just as Liberty brought the joint up to his lips again, Bill grabbed it and stubbed it out on the carpet. “Talk, you worthless stoner.”
Liberty ground his jaw and stared at the burn mark. He probably wouldn’t get his deposit back, but if his parents were financing, what did it matter? “Fine. I was downstairs in the streets fighting for my cause, for the good of all mankind.”
The anti-war protest I’d been caught up in. Did he hear the contradiction of his words?
“Fighting for peace and love,” Bill muttered with a chuckle, shaking his head. “Okay, Liberty.”
“In fact, I was arrested.”
Bill stared at him a moment, then pulled out his paper pad and pen. In-the-Buff Bob had finally piqued his interest. “At what time?”
“In the afternoon, man.”
“Do you know what time?”
“Man, time is like water to me. It just ebbs and flows infinitely through—”
“If you had to guess, put a number on it,” Bill growled, losing his patience.
In-the-Buff Bob sighed, once again staring at the singed carpet. “Maybe three? Or five? I can’t be sure.”
“Thank you,” Bill said. “We’ll leave you to get back to your self-discovery.”
As we walked back through the living room, I held my breath. Dusk and Rainbow were now sitting upright and passed a joint between them.
Rainbow jumped to her feet when our gazes met. With long blonde hair down to her waist, big blue sparkly eye
s, and a never-ending smile that lit up a room, I’d always considered Rainbow the perfect moniker for her.
“Patty!” she exclaimed, taking me into a hug. “How have you been?”
I slowly wrapped my hands around her bare waist and tried not to cringe. With clothes on, the hug wouldn’t have been so uncomfortable to me. “I’m good. It’s lovely to see you as well.”
Bill cleared his throat and I eased myself from her embrace. “We’ll catch up sometime soon, okay?”
I trailed behind him and once we were out in the hallway, I inhaled deeply, thrilled to have fresh air in my lungs.
Bill checked his watch. “Listen, I’m going to head back to the police station and give them a report, then catch my flight out of here. Thanks for all your help during my stay.”
His brusqueness surprised me. I’d thought we’d have time for a cup of coffee and discuss In-the-Buff Bob. “Do you think he did it?”
“It’s possible,” he replied with a shrug. “The timing works out. He could have killed Charles, gone down to the protest, and gotten himself arrested for an alibi.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Well, they do say that great minds think alike,” Bill said, then gave me a quick wink. “Give me a call if anything comes up, Patty… or if you want to chat. I’d like that.”
“Good luck hunting your serial killer,” I said as he walked away and waved over his shoulder.
I returned to my apartment while tossing around the case. In-the-Buff Bob had the opportunity, but upon finding Charles, I didn’t remember any indication there’d been a scuffle of any kind. I couldn’t see him allowing Bob into his home and to get close enough for the man to kill him.
Engrossed in my thoughts, I tried the door without thinking.
When I’d left Donna at the library, she’d mentioned a trip to the grocery store, so when my apartment door opened without me having to use the key, I stared at it for a long while. Maybe more time had passed than I’d realized and Donna had made it home before me.
“Donna?” I called as I entered and closed the door, my heart thundering, but she didn’t answer.
I glanced around the apartment. Had I locked the door when I’d left with Bill? I tried to recall, but my mind drew a blank. The keys in my pocket dug into my hip, so I knew they were on me, but had I used them?
Goosebumps crawled over my flesh as fear gripped my chest. “Ringo?”
I moved into the kitchen and found a coffee cup on the counter, one that I was certain hadn’t been there when I left. The couch cushions had been straightened and the blankets folded in a tidy stack. Had someone broken in to clean up, or was it some type of message?
“Ringo?” I yelled again.
A faint meow came from the bedroom, and I raced in there. The bedsheets were still in a crumpled mess and clothing lay strewn across the floor. Donna’s suitcase hadn’t been unpacked. However, the door to the bathroom had been closed.
I opened it and Ringo raced out.
Someone had locked him in.
Chapter 15
I paced the apartment waiting for Donna to arrive home. My first instinct had been to call the police, but I had to be certain she hadn’t come back to the apartment, straightened up, then went to run her errands.
But why lock Ringo in the bathroom?
It wasn’t anything she’d done before, and I prayed it was some type of mistake she’d made instead of facing the possibility that someone had been in our home. Perhaps Donna had used the restroom and closed the door, not realizing Ringo had been in there?
When the lock clicked, I hurried over and threw open the panel.
“Well, I’m glad to see you, too!” Donna said with a smile. “I was hoping you’d be home to help me. My arms are about to fall off from carrying all this stuff. This is definitely a man’s work.”
I grabbed a few of her parcels and she sighed in relief as I lugged them into the kitchen.
“There’s a new clerk at the grocery store,” Donna continued. “Cute as a button. Tall, thin, the dreamiest brown eyes… he asked for my phone number! I was excited at first, but I’m also on the rebound from the cheating pilot and I’m not sure I’m ready to—”
“Did you come home before you went shopping?”
Donna set down her bags and glared at me, obviously annoyed with my interruption. She must have also seen my apprehension because then her brow creased with worry. “What’s going on?”
“Someone has been in our apartment,” I said. “I came home and it had been tidied up a bit and Ringo had been locked in the bathroom.”
Her eyes widened as she glanced around. “Are you sure? Was anything taken?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Who breaks into a place and cleans?”
“I… I don’t know.”
We stared at each other for a long moment, trying to come up with a logical explanation. I certainly couldn’t think of one. When a knock sounded at the front door, we both jumped and Donna squealed, then cursed as she placed her hand over her chest.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my racing heart before it beat out the front of my chest. “I’ll get it.”
I opened the door to find Beth, our fellow stew. She carried her overnight bag in one hand and a candy bar in the other.
“Hi, Patty!”
“Oh, my gosh… Beth! What are you doing here?”
“I’m on a layover and hoped I could crash here with you girls. So much more fun than hanging with the crew I was assigned. Ugh. What a bunch of downers!”
“Of course!” I said. “Come in. Donna! It’s Beth!”
Donna hurried out from the kitchen. “Are you staying with us?” she asked as she embraced our friend.
“I hoped to!”
“We’d love to have you,” Donna said, taking her bag. “Patty and I will take the bed and you can have our couch.”
“It’s very comfortable,” I said, following the two into the living room. “I don’t mind sleeping on it one bit.”
As we chatted about where she’d flown in from, I twisted my hands in my lap while uneasiness continued to swirl around me. We’d just discovered our apartment had been violated and yet, we acted as if nothing had happened. I tuned them out as I glanced around the space, my stomach churning with worry. Who had been there? And why? Nothing seemed to be missing. Donna had left some gold earrings out on the dresser and they’d remained. Our coin jar still overflowed on the nightstand. We didn’t have much of value, but none of it had been taken.
“Did you catch your killer yet, Patty?” Beth asked, bringing me back to the conversation.
“No, but she’s hanging out with an FBI agent,” Donna said.
Beth grinned and nodded. “Wow! How impressive. What does he have to say about all of it?”
“The case is still in the investigation stage,” I said. “But I think he’s got his sights set on Charles’ friend, Wayne.”
“What do you think?” Beth asked.
“There are a lot of other suspects who need to be looked into,” I replied with a shrug. “I don’t think Wayne did it.”
“Someone broke into our apartment today,” Donna blurted, and the mood between the three of us suddenly became heavier and more serious. Smiles faded and the air seemed to become thicker.
Beth arched an eyebrow, but then grinned and rubbed her hands together in excitement. “Really? Oh, gosh, I’m glad I decided to invite myself over. Tell me about it!”
When Donna had finished the tale, Beth’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Are there any signs of someone forcing their way in?”
“No,” I replied.
“So, did you lock the door when you left, Patty?” Beth asked.
I shook my head. “I can’t remember.”
“She’s got a terrible memory,” Donna said. “Can’t remember names, especially.”
“Okay, let’s pretend that you didn’t lock the door,” Beth said. “Who would come in here and straight
en up?”
I met Donna’s gaze and both of us shrugged.
“That’s the part the doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “Nothing was taken.”
“Very strange,” Beth said. “However, I do wish someone would break into my apartment and clean.”
Despite the heaviness of the conversation, the three of us giggled.
“If you did lock the door, who has a key?” Beth asked.
“Charles does… or did, I mean,” Donna said. “I didn’t give a key to anyone else. What about you, Patty?”
“No.”
“Is it still in his apartment?” Beth asked.
“As far as I know,” I said.
“Do you have a key to his place?”
“We do!” Donna said. “What are you thinking?”
“Let’s go over and see if it’s still there,” Beth said. “At least we’ll know if the key’s been stolen. If not, you can grab it. If it has, you better talk to your super and get some new locks.”
“Don’t you think we should call the police?” I asked.
Beth shrugged, then stood. “It’s up to you, but my guess is that all they’re going to do is take a report. Nothing was stolen and whoever was in here cleaned up your apartment, which, as far as I know, is not a crime. It’s just weird.”
“They locked Ringo in the bathroom,” I said when the cat jumped onto Donna’s lap.
“I don’t think anyone can go to jail for that,” Beth replied. “What law was broken?”
She had a point.
“Come on,” Beth urged. “Let’s go check out Charles’ apartment.”
I grabbed Charles’ key from the kitchen, and the three of us filed out into the hallway to find Mrs. Wilson leaving her place.
“Hello, girls!” she said. “What’s going on in your exciting lives?”
I introduced her to Beth, then said, “Our apartment was broken into. Well, sort of.”
“Oh, my word. Tell me what happened!”
Donna repeated the story, then said, “We’re going to see if our key is still in Charles’ apartment.”