“Do you hear it?” Gloria asked.
“Hear what?” Anna questioned with a frightened tone in her voice.
Gloria moved towards her sister’s closed living room window. “The police are here. Their siren sounds different than an ambulance,” Gloria said.
Anna kept one of her eyes on the peephole until the police came a few minutes later. Then she opened the door, and moved towards the middle of the living room to give the officers room to do their job. One of them bent down and touched the person’s neck.
FBI Special Agent Sanchez came near the door seconds later, and stopped next to the officers examining the body.
“He’s dead,” the officer informed him.
Sanchez nodded and proceeded into the living room.
“Your name rang a bell with the dispatcher, and I heard about what has happened,” he said.
“I was about to call you, but my first instinct was 9-1-1. Oh, I have never experienced anything like this in my life!” Anna said to him.
“Please calm down. Everything will be all right. The body will be taken to the medical examiner’s office, and an autopsy will be performed. We will get further information soon after. I do need to ask you some questions, though.”
“Yes, yes, of course, please come in!”
The FBI special agent walked into Anna’s apartment and glanced around.
Gloria sat on a couch while holding her cane. She got up and moved it towards him. “Mr. Sanchez, a lot of things are going wrong for my younger sister, and she has nothing to do with this,” Gloria volunteered.
“I understand you must be very concerned for your sister. Please understand that we have to go through proper procedures,” he replied.
“With all due respect, Mr. Sanchez, I don’t think going through step-by-step procedures will hold back a criminal, now a killer, from striking again. What’s the reason behind a dead body lying practically on Anna’s doorstep? It could be random, or it could be just the opposite. Step-by-step procedures will not do in this particular situation,” Gloria lectured him.
“Again, I understand your frustration. I had to inform family members in similar situations about our procedures to correctly find the suspect in time,” Special Agent Sanchez replied.
“I really want you to understand that my sister is not just case number 145! We came to the police department yesterday, and Mr. Henderson badgered her with ridiculous questions. Both of you suspected Anna. Now this just occurs, which is proof enough of her innocence.” Gloria put her hand on her face and breathed in deeply to release built-up frustration. She resumed speaking, but in a slow manner. “I would like you, Mr. Sanchez, to really speed things up. If there’s a good enough clue, just run with it instead of gathering more evidence.”
“Ms. Rank, we will do our best. You have every right to feel the way you do right now.” Special Agent Sanchez turned to Anna, whose face was turned to the side in an effort to hold back tears. He then turned back to Gloria. “While your frustration is understandable, we have to gather sufficient evidence to take the murderer into custody.”
The forensic investigators came to the door, put several plastic yellow squares with numbers on it in different places surrounding the body, and took pictures of the dead man before preparing to take the corpse away. Special Agent Sanchez turned to Anna. “Anna, I need to ask you more questions.”
Nodding, Anna wiped away the tears that finally ran down her face after she could not withhold them any longer.
“Did you know the person?” he asked.
“No. Not at all,” Anna responded.
Special Agent Sanchez kept quiet and wrote on his notepad. Special Agent Henderson walked into the room a minute later.
“What time did you come home?” Sanchez continued.
“Around three in the afternoon.”
“Was anyone walking in the hallway out there, on your apartment floor, during that time?”
“No, I certainly didn’t see or hear anyone,” Anna replied.
“Did your sister come with you?” Special Agent Sanchez asked.
“I came after,” Gloria responded. “Probably four-thirty this afternoon.”
“Aha, that’s very helpful to know.” Special Agent Sanchez glanced at his watch and wrote on his notepad. Seconds later, he fired off his next question. “Gloria, did you hear anyone?”
“No. Not until I heard the elevator door and someone rang the doorbell, which then led my sister to open and discover... this!”
The forensic investigators zipped up the body in a body bag and took it down the hall on a stretcher, then out of the building.
“When did you open the door again?” Special Agent Sanchez questioned.
“A few moments before I called for help,” Anna answered.
Special Agent Sanchez kept writing.
“You cannot stay here alone,” he informed her.
Gloria turned to her sister. “You can stay at my place?”
“Oh, no. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Anna said, then turned to the special agent. “I don’t want my sister to become a target. I’m concerned for her safety.”
“I can walk and I can hear. Just because I cannot see doesn’t mean I can’t protect you,” Gloria responded sharply.
Ignoring her sister, Anna kept focused on the special agent. “Mr. Sanchez, my elder sister is trying to protect me the best way she can. I will stay at my parents’ house. Gloria tries to be protective of me, but...”
“Why do you keep ignoring me? That is rude,” Gloria interrupted.
“I’m not trying to be rude,” Anna replied.
“Yes, you are. You…”
“Stop!” Agent Sanchez held his hand up. “Both of you, please stop arguing. Gloria, you have to understand where your sister is coming from. With cybercrimes, these criminals have an address of where victims are; and in this case, they may attack someone close to your sister. You just never know. Being without sight is a big additional risk,” Special Agent Sanchez said.
“I cannot argue with that one,” Gloria said calmly. “Well, Mom and Dad is a good idea. You should leave this apartment and go to their house now. I will help you pack. Mr. Sanchez?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Our parents live further north in South Orange, I hope that’s not a problem.”
“About staying with family, that would not be a good idea either even if they lived in another state,” Special Agent Sanchez said.
Anna and Gloria stared at him with a perplexed look on their faces.
“What are you telling me?” Anna asked.
“You need police protection until we believe you are safe,” he responded.
“I will have police around-the-clock protection?” Anna asked.
“Yes.”
“How long will I be under protection?”
“I cannot really say,” Sanchez said. “Just know that you will be safe. That’s all that matters right now.”
Special Agent Henderson walked towards his colleague and Anna. He extended his hands, and Anna stared at him with a baffled look.
“We will need your cell phone,” Mr. Henderson said.
Anna kept staring at him, then at the palm of his hand.
“A security guard will be in the room while you speak,” Henderson added.
“But why?”
“Sometimes, you may forget and say where you are or reveal any other important personal information. Someone may actually hack into your phone,” Special Agent Sanchez contributed.
“At least, I can keep in touch with my sister,” Anna said.
“Be mindful of what words you choose on the phone,” Sanchez advised.
“We will need your cell phone,” Special Agent Henderson again requested as he continued to keep his hand extended.
Anna slowly gave it to him, then put both hands on her head and walked towards her couch and slowly sat down. “My life is over,” she said, staring at the rug underneath her feet. She looked up at th
e two FBI special agents seconds later. “Do I have a day to think this through?”
“I’m sorry, but there is no time. I will give you no more than fifteen minutes to pack,” Special Agent Sanchez said.
Anna was speechless. She looked up at her clock on the wall as it ticked away by the seconds. She then stared at her rug as if she were in outer space. There was a long pause of silence inside the room.
“Ms. Rank, you have less than fifteen minutes. Please cooperate with us,” Special Agent Henderson said. Anna went towards her bedroom to pack. Gloria began to move towards her sister, but her phone rang. Gloria then moved towards the chair, and fumbled inside her handbag until she found her phone. She answered it, and talked in a lower tone of voice. “Hello? Thank you for calling… Actually, you called at a tough time, but it’s still the right time… Your flight was delayed… That would be great! I’m sorry to disturb you... I can’t speak right now, but I will call in a half hour... Yes, I’m fine... I am trying to keep my composure for my sister’s sake... Yes, she is fine too, I will tell you everything... Thanks... Goodbye,” Gloria said slowly and hung up.
After ten minutes, Anna came back to her living room with her carry-on bag. She walked towards Gloria. “I’ve got to go now.”
“Benjamin, the IT specialist that I told you about, is going to help you. He called me just now, and I’ll give him more details later,” Gloria said in a very low voice.
Anna nodded.
“You’re in good hands right now,” Gloria added. Special Agents Sanchez and Henderson came towards the women.
“Are you ready?” Sanchez asked.
Anna hugged Gloria tightly. “I’ll be fine.”
“Gloria, do you live close by?” Henderson asked.
“Yeah, a few buildings down,” Gloria replied.
“Then let me walk you home,” he requested.
Gloria released herself from her sister’s grip, and left with Mr. Henderson. Mr. Sanchez took Anna’s bag from her, and Anna then turned off her light, locked her door, and stepped around the slowly drying blood stain that remained on the floor.
Once Gloria reached her place, she thanked Special Agent Henderson for escorting her home safely. She locked her door and stood behind it, not bothering to remove her coat and purse as she dialed Benjamin’s number. She breathed a sound of relief at the tone of his voice. “Hello Benjamin, I apologize...”
“No need,” Benjamin said on his end of the line. “You sounded a little shaken when I spoke to you.”
“My sister had a dead body in front of her door, and the FBI took her to a secluded location.”
“How dreadful! I’m so sorry this has happened. Did she know the person who stole her identity?”
“No, I don’t believe she did. She was a victim of identity theft – but not a random victim, it now seems. That’s all I know.”
“I see. It sure sounds like someone is harassing her. Gloria, I am offering my help, free of charge. I just want your sister to stay safe and for you to not let this dreadful affair take over your everyday routine. I know you’re very worried for her safety, but she’s in good hands right now.”
“I know. I know. I told her exactly what you told me,” Gloria chuckled nervously.
“I will be in New Jersey for a short while, and will touch base with an IT professional located in New York, who is also a friend of mine,” Benjamin said.
“That will be excellent. You don’t know how much your help means to both of us.”
“Don’t thank me. Just get some rest. I will contact you sometime this week and update you with information.”
“That will be great. I will let you go, goodbye!” Gloria said.
“Talk to you soon,” Benjamin said.
Gloria hung up her phone and breathed a sigh of relief again. Despite utter confusion, she was glad there was at least a silver lining with help from Benjamin and the FBI.
CHAPTER 4—UNSAFE
Three days later, at the radio station, Gloria was distracted by the positive and negative thoughts that played back and forth inside her head. Her partner, John, kept glancing back at her, noticing the tense body movements as she shifted several times in her chair. He also noticed Gloria’s unusual one and two word responses, which compelled him to add something a few times to please the caller.
“Thanks for your calls. We’ll be back after a commercial break, stay tuned,” John announced to the listeners.
Once a commercial came on, John took off his headset, whereas Gloria’s earphones remained on her head. She stood still, facing forward.
“Gloria. Gloria,” John called.
She slowly turned towards his voice.
“I rarely see you distracted.”
Concerned, Gloria reflected on her actions. “Me? Did the listeners notice?”
“I don’t think so. A listener asked you a question, but you gave her a different answer. It was only one error, which is quite an accomplishment given that you looked like you were in deep thoughts.”
“I just have a lot of things on my mind, but that’s no excuse,” Gloria admitted.
“No need to be hard on yourself. It happens to everyone sooner or later. I seldom see you this way, that’s why I asked,” John said reassuringly.
“Gloria,” another co-worker said outside the door.
“Yes.” She turned.
“Benjamin Taylor is just outside. He’d like to speak with you.”
Gloria took off her earphones, then made her way outside the on-air room.
“Benjamin,” she said waiting for his voice to appear in her left or right ear.
“Hi Gloria,” he responded.
Gloria moved her cane to the left, where she heard his voice. “Did you get any strong leads?”
“Can we talk in the meeting area?”
Gloria frowned at his statement. They moved towards the meeting area, and Benjamin pulled out a seat for her. She heard that, but continued to stand.
“I don’t think I can sit for this,” Gloria said.
“All right. About your sister being safe, I said to you that I will try everything possible.”
“I remember it clearly,” she replied.
“My company does an excellent job, and I’m not exaggerating,” Benjamin declared.
“I believe you,” she said, then noticed his short gasp of breath.
Benjamin spoke quickly as he continued. “But it is difficult to catch whoever is trying to harm your sister. Now, we CAN catch them, but it may take a little while. Whoever is doing this is an advanced professional. We have to track every detail and piece it together. Cybercriminals usually make one mistake that will cost them, and one mistake is all we need. If the culprit happens not only to be focused on your sister but on other victims as well, that will be very helpful. Of course, I do not want others to be victimized, I am merely stating the facts concerning how to go about catching this type of criminal.”
“In other words, if the culprit is solely focused on my sister, that leaves less room for mistakes,” Gloria concluded.
Benjamin didn’t utter another word, and Gloria held her cane tightly to her chest.
CHAPTER 5—UNKNOWN
Anna was in her secluded hotel room on her third day. The room contained a floral couch and wooden furniture with two sets of flowers on a table, which held her attention and eventually made her relax. She closed her eyes, opened them seconds later and stared at the ceiling, then shut them once again and began to doze off. An hour later, she opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly from the pillow to the sound of keys outside her door, several feet away. The loud noise led Anna to believe that one of the hotel janitors was doing work, and she fell back into a relaxed state. Outside her door, there were more noises as someone dropped a bucket and water poured out while the bucket rolled until it hit a wall. Anna opened her eyes, but closed them again after she heard the familiar voice of her security guard.
“Do you need help? You look hurt,” he asked someone, a few
feet from Anna’s door.
She did not hear the other person’s voice.
“Let go,” the security guard then told the unknown person. “I don’t know what you’re looking for.”
A scuffle began, and Anna quickly opened her eyes, then abruptly stood up from her bed. She tiptoed towards her shoes and put them on, took the hotel key on the table next to the television, and moved towards the door. As she stood near it, momentarily there was a sound of keys dangling slowly towards her door, which made Anna hold her breath. The security guard was now silent, so she became even more frightened. With the sound of footsteps getting closer to her door in a steady pace, Anna turned away from the door to search for an object. She found a lamp near her table and unplugged it. Then she turned off the bathroom light and went inside the closet on the opposite side of the entrance. Holding the lamp tightly with both hands, she tried her best to control her breathing. Sweat was accumulating from her palms, yet she clung onto the lamp to prevent it from slipping. The sound from the drenched sole on the stranger’s shoes rubbing against the floor came closer to her door.
Looking down, Anna saw a shadow block the light in the hallway. The shadow stopped moving, and stood still in front of the closet door. Anna kept her eyes on the doorknob, held her breath, and clamped her hand around the lamp even tighter. The doorknob did not turn. The sound of the door being kicked almost playfully by the stranger outside made Anna jump, yet she managed not to scream. She stuck her head out further, and looked at the phone by her bed. She closed her eyes for a second to reflect on whether to use the phone to call for help, but quickly realized she wouldn’t know whom to trust at this hotel. The person on the opposite side of the closet door started to move, and the now familiar sound resumed. She saw the shadow disappear, the hallway light reemerge. After hearing the elevator, Anna decided to escape, so she stepped out of the closet, dumped the lamp on the bed to prevent a loud noise, and quickly grabbed her purse.
She opened the door and ran toward the elevator until she tripped and fell over someone’s shoe. Her hair now covering her face, Anna felt immense pain all over her body, yet managed to move but only slightly. She quickly brushed aside her hair, and looked out. No one there. Then she heard footsteps coming towards her, one step at a time. She closed her eyes, her heart beating fast. “Don’t kill me, please!” she said, almost wailing, to the person behind her. “Please don’t!” she repeated, slowly turning her head around to see who was behind her. At that moment, the elevator door emitted a signal and opened, followed by three people stepping out into the hallway. As she turned her head again to see behind her, the stranger wasn’t there. Two of the three people offered her help, but a fearful Anna quickly got up by herself and forced their hands away from her. She ran down the exit stairs, then stopped suddenly and found a sign that read ‘Stairway’ with an arrow underneath the text. Moving in that direction, she opened the door towards the stairway. While running down, Anna glanced up several times as she gripped onto the rail. There was no one to be seen. She continued to run down the long flights of stairs, almost tripping twice. She finally reached the first floor, where she opened the door to find herself at the lobby area.
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