Tenants

by Christopher Motz

  The sun was up, and although it was overcast, the light was bright enough to drill into the soft tissue of his brain. His cell phone said it was 11:13 in the morning. He hadn't received any calls or texts, which made him believe he was still in the clear. If there was a manhunt, and anyone had recognized his face, his phone would have exploded with questions and accusations.

  Maybe it was just that easy to get away with murder in 2019.

  The question now was if Linda had left her apartment since he'd fallen asleep.

  He stepped out onto the street and found himself completely alone. There was no traffic, no dogs barking, no kids playing. Christian had never seen a neighborhood so devoid of life before except for old news footage of Pripyat.

  You left me for this? He thought.

  He grabbed his phone and closed the car door, startled by how loud it sounded in the unnatural quiet. He thought of getting the gun from beneath the seat but knew he wouldn't need it. He didn't require a weapon to put Linda in her place, and it would be much more fun using his bare hands instead. He could almost feel the flesh of her neck giving way beneath his firm grasp, digging his thumbs into her windpipe as her eyes rolled back in her head.

  He instantly got hard.

  "First time you turned me on in a while," he said. "There's something wrong with you, my friend." But he didn't believe that, not at all. What was wrong was that Linda thought she could do better somewhere else. It wasn't his fault. Women always think the grass is greener on the other side of the hill, and he was here to remind her that it simply wasn't true. Whatever happened now was because of her actions, and she deserved every bit of grief she had coming.

  And if that wrinkled old bastard tried to step in again, he was in for a world of hurt.

  Christian walked to the end of the alley where it intersected Delaney Street and stopped. In broad daylight, this was the closest he wanted to get to Linda's apartment. He couldn't risk being seen sneaking around in the street. He knew she'd have no problem calling the police, and if it came to that, this was all for nothing. He stood on the corner and spied her Prius sitting in front of the Blackridge. It hadn't moved since last night.

  All he had to do was wait for nightfall. Under cover of darkness, he could sneak inside, hide in a maintenance closet until the coast was clear. The look on her face would be priceless.

  After another minute of getting familiar with his surroundings, he returned to his car and hunkered down in the front seat. He was in this thing for the long haul; if everything came down to the next eight hours, it was worth the wait. He only hoped the police wouldn't find him before he could take care of business. He scolded himself for his temper, wishing he'd had the control to do things differently. If only he hadn't killed that cop...

  The hours passed. Christian was lost in his own thoughts. He imagined a line of police cars rounding the corner and surrounding him as angry cops drew their guns, fingers covered in donut crumbs and mouths upturned in wet-dream smiles as they pulled their triggers over and over again. He wasn't going down without a fight. He'd come this far, what was one or two more dead cops?

  A little after five, he realized he hadn't seen a single car all afternoon. The inside of the Nissan was a hotbox. His shirt was plastered to his skin and he'd begun to stink. He cracked open the window and inhaled deeply, drinking in the fresh air and relishing the cool breeze that lifted his hair from his forehead. He grabbed an empty iced-tea carton from the floor, unbuttoned his pants, and relieved himself.

  He looked at his flaccid penis and said, "What's not to like? You're not going to find anything better, Linda. Maybe I'll give it to you one last time before I put your lights out for good."

  He was getting an erection again. He tucked it uncomfortably into his jeans and put the full carton on the passenger floor. The acrid stench of piss mixed with the smell of sweat made the interior of his Nissan almost unbearable, but he wouldn't have to deal with it for much longer.

  Another two hours and he could get this show on the road.

  It gave him time to plan the thousand ways he intended on making Linda suffer.

  ***

  Linda grabbed her phone from the nightstand and saw that work had called her over a dozen times since four that morning. She groaned and tossed it on the bed. She was in no mood to deal with work-related nonsense while on vacation, if that's what you could call it. The last few days felt like some permanent exile in Hell. She had no idea when she'd fallen asleep the previous night, but it was already after five in the afternoon and still she felt tired and lethargic.

  The phone rang again, this time from an unknown number.

  "What the fuck do you want?" she shouted. She picked up her cell phone and briefly thought of answering before changing her mind. She ran a hand through her mop of tangled hair. "Let someone else deal with it."

  She dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and poured herself a glass of orange juice. The apartment was quiet. Lifeless. She'd never felt so alone. She'd decided to notify Al Sterling that she'd be leaving as soon as possible. She'd made a mistake. This kind of solitude wasn't for her, not to mention the weird door in the pantry or the nightmares that had her questioning what was real and what was in her head. She had never been comfortable with change, but this experience had taught her several valuable lessons. She wasn't good on her own. She drank too much, to the point of blacking out and saying things she'd never say when she was sober. She'd lost her best friend over the situation with Lenny, and when she really thought about it, she could barely string the chain of events together.

  The experiment was over. She'd tried proving she was an adult, that she could do this on her own, but she'd failed miserably. Even moving back home would never be the same now that Theresa wanted nothing to do with her, but at least she'd have her parents to help her with these fresh wounds.

  With her mind made up, she slipped on a pair of sandals, walked into the hall, and locked the door behind her. She doubted Al would still be in his office this late, but she had to find out. If she had time to think about things, she knew she'd end up backing down and changing her mind. It had only been a week. Failure stuck in her throat and threatened to choke her.

  After riding the elevator to the lobby, she crossed the empty room and tapped on Al Sterling's door. She heard quiet movement before the door opened and Al's concerned face greeted her.

  "Linda, is there something wrong?"

  "Mr. Sterling. Al. I really need to talk to you."

  "Sure, come in."

  She stepped inside and saw Audrey sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Linda hesitated, turning around just as Al closed the door behind her.

  "What's the matter, Linda? You look like something's bothering you," Audrey said.

  "Nothing. It's nothing. I can come back another time."

  "Nonsense," Al said. "Take a seat. Tell us what's wrong."

  She sat next to Audrey and stared at the floor between her feet. She barely knew these people and yet was somehow disappointed to let them down. She felt them watching her, waiting for her to speak.

  "I have to... I need to leave."

  "Leave?" Al asked. "The apartment?"

  "Yes. I can't do this. It's so different and so lonely. I haven't seen anyone else besides you two. It's a little scary, if that makes sense."

  "Is that all?" Audrey asked. She laughed and put a hand on Linda's leg. "There's nothing to be scared of. I felt the same way when I moved in, but I've gotten used to it. Sure, it can be very quiet sometimes, but that's not a bad thing, is it?"

  "Maybe. I don't know. I just feel so alone here. And that goddamn door in the pantry..."

  "Is that still bothering you?" Al asked. "I assure you, there's nothing on the other side. I can show you if you like."

  "It's not just that. Sometimes, there's a smell, like something is rotting."

  "Damn raccoons must have gotten in the wall again," Audrey said to Al.

  "Raccoons?"

  "Y
eah," Al replied. "I should have told you, and for that, I apologize. They're always in the garden out back, and now and again one will find a way inside, looking for food. They get into the walls and they can't get out. It's very unfortunate, but it's an easy problem to fix."

  "Raccoons," Linda repeated.

  "Sounds silly, doesn't it?" Audrey said. "I drove myself crazy the first time I smelled it. I tore everything out of the refrigerator trying to find what had spoiled. Once I let Al know about it, he had the problem taken care of the next day. It's a nuisance, but nothing more."

  Linda nodded. She knew they were trying to talk her out of leaving, and the more they spoke, the more she questioned her decision.

  "It's not just that. I've had some personal issues come up that I'm not sure I can solve so far away from home."

  "There's nothing that can't be solved in time," Al said. "You're just struggling with adjusting to a new environment. We've all been there before. It's frightening being away from home. Once you leave, you see this whole new world and you wonder where you fit in. It takes time and patience."

  "Patience is something I've been short on lately."

  "You're young, but you're smart," Al said. "I knew that the first time I saw you."

  "It feels like someone has been in my apartment," Linda said. "Like things have been moved when I wasn't looking."

  "Just your imagination, dear," Audrey said. "Things like that don't happen in the Blackridge."

  "I'll sniff out your raccoon problem," Al said. "I think you'll feel better after that."

  "Common sense will prevail," Audrey added.

  "It's so much more than that..."

  Audrey got up and stood behind her, lightly massaging Linda's shoulders. Her first reaction was to get up and leave the office. She'd seen what Audrey had done to Theresa, or at least she thought she had.

  "You'll be just fine," Audrey said. "Nothing here will harm you."

  Al sat at his desk across from her and smiled. Linda felt calm, lost in his gaze, held in thrall by some power she couldn't understand. Audrey stopped kneading her shoulders and ran her hands through Linda's hair. It was soothing and somehow erotic, and before Linda could protest, she realized she was slightly aroused. Her skin tingled. She closed her eyes and allowed Audrey to caress her neck as Al looked on.

  When her eyes opened, she thought she saw his face change into some sinister mask before quickly reverting to its former appearance. She opened her mouth to say something, but Audrey lightly covered her lips with her finger.

  "Ssshhh. You've said all you need to say. All your problems will melt away and you'll feel silly for having such doubts."

  Linda opened her mouth to protest as Audrey put the tip of her finger in Linda's mouth and caressed her tongue. Part of Linda wanted to scream and run away, while another part, one much deeper and more primal, wanted to strip off her clothes and beg to be touched. She had begun trembling.

  "There's no need to be afraid, Linda," Al said.

  "We'll take care of you," Audrey added.

  Linda stood slowly, feeling as if her body was being controlled by someone else. She turned as Audrey embraced her. They kissed all too briefly, leaving Linda with a burning desire to do anything she asked.

  "Will you come upstairs with me?" Linda asked. Her breath came in short, shallow bursts. She heard what she'd said but almost didn't recognize her own voice.

  What are you doing? Get out of here!

  "Some other time, perhaps," Audrey said. "You need to be alone. Think about what you're leaving behind."

  "This is your home now," Al added. "We'll protect you."

  "You're one of us."

  "One of us."

  "I'm one of you," Linda agreed. "This is where I belong."

  Audrey nodded and opened the door, gently ushering Linda into the lobby. "We'll come to you soon."

  "Everything will become clear."

  "Everything."

  The door closed behind her, leaving Linda alone in the Blackridge's lobby. Her head was fuzzy. She didn't remember why she had come downstairs in the first place or why she felt as if she'd just awakened after a vigorous session of passionate lovemaking. She felt dirty without any idea why.

  From the corner of her eye she thought she saw someone peeking through the glass entry doors, but when she turned her head, there was no one there. This building had a way of playing tricks on her, and although there was still a niggling fear of the Blackridge, there was also a newfound calm that washed over her. She knew things would turn out okay.

  She had friends here.

  When she returned to her room, she had no memory of having left.

  ***

  Bingo!

  Christian stared through the dirty glass door and could barely contain his excitement.

  Not only was he in the right place, but Linda stood only a few dozen feet away. She looked in his direction as he ducked out of the way and held his breath. When he remembered to breathe again, he peeked through the door and watched her disappear into the elevator.

  "Too easy," he said.

  He still hadn't seen another soul enter or exit the building. There was no time like the present to finish this.

  Christian opened the door and slipped inside, struck by the smell of old rot. The floors were cracked and covered in dust and clumps of plaster. The lights were out and the once-ornate chandeliers were festooned with thick cobwebs. The walls had been water damaged and never repaired. He couldn't imagine Linda being caught dead in such a place.

  But he reveled in the thought of her dying in one.

  He crossed the floor, careful not to step on debris that had fallen from above. He pressed the button on the elevator and waited.

  Nothing happened.

  He tried again, but the car wouldn't move.

  Goddammit!

  He eyed the staircase as his brow wrinkled. The steps ascended into the dark, disappearing in the gloom.

  This place is a fucking disaster, he thought.

  He wasn't about to let a few burned out light bulbs stop him from getting to Linda. This had to end, and it had to end fast. He had no idea how close he was to being apprehended for the things he had done, or if law enforcement had any clue who he was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that time was running short. He took the first few steps slowly, afraid to alert anyone to his presence.

  When Christian reached the first landing between the lobby and the second floor, he stopped and covered his nose. The smell was unbearable, a miasmatic stench of spoiled food and dirty diapers left to bake in the sun; a vomit-inducing thickness that made his head reel and his stomach clench. He couldn't imagine anyone living here. He'd bought drugs in an empty warehouse with more appeal than this.

  The air was damp and sticky. The carpet beneath his feet was saturated with greenish-brown slime and patches of gray fuzz. He reached out for the wall to keep from slipping in the thick sludge and pulled his hand away with a groan. The walls were as bad as the carpet, slick with layers of black mold that had become home to thousands of twitching insects he couldn't identify.

  For the first time since murdering Officer Scott, Christian hesitated and pondered what to do next. Water dripped from the ceiling and landed on his arm. He wiped it away but still felt it on his skin as if there were millions of microscopic worms writhing on his flesh and burrowing into his pores. He knew he'd never make it to Linda's seventh-floor apartment. Christian had a strong stomach and an even stronger resolve to see Linda take her last breath, but there had to be another way... one that didn't require him to climb through several floors of raw sewage.

  Maybe a rear fire escape?

  He turned and made his way back to the lobby, no longer worried about being seen or heard. If these people had no problem living in this cesspool, they certainly wouldn't think twice about a stranger walking the halls. When he reached the bottom, he scraped the soles of his shoes across the floor to remove the pasty gunk that had collected there.

  No
sooner had he turned the corner into a rear hall when he heard a voice from behind. He stopped and watched as a gorgeous, tall, raven-haired woman closed a door behind her and stepped forward.

  "Can I help you?" she asked.

  "No, I'm fine... I was just looking for someone."

  "Maybe I can assist."

  "Do you live here? What the hell is going on upstairs?"

  "You were upstairs? Can I ask exactly what you were doing up there?"

  "Trying not to puke," he said. "It's like a sewer line exploded."

  "That's not very nice," Audrey said. "Do I come into your home and say such things?"

  "My home doesn't look and smell like a garbage dump. You really should talk to your landlord. It's like the Middle Ages up there."

  Audrey smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

  "Right, anyway, is there some secret to getting the elevator to work? I'd rather scale the building than try the stairs again."

  "You weren't invited," Audrey said. "You have no reason going upstairs in the first place."

  "Listen, I'm here to see someone and I don't need you telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. What I need from you is a straight answer."

  "I don't particularly care for your tone of voice."

  "I don't particularly give a fuck what you care for. Either help me or get out of my way."

  Audrey stepped forward, the smile never leaving her face. Christian felt the hair rise on the back of his neck, but couldn't explain why he was suddenly afraid of this woman. She wasn't backing down, which pissed him off even more.

  "If you're looking for trouble, lady, you're going to find it. I have business here, and right now you're just getting in the way."

  "You have no business here. In a few minutes, when you look back on this conversation, you're going to realize that walking into this building was a fatal mistake. You only see what you see because that's how we want it. We can't have random people coming in off the street and causing trouble for the tenants. And that is why you're here, isn't it? To cause trouble? Good thing I found you before you made your way deeper into the building."