The Killer Among Us

Chapter 11

Fourteen days left

Jacob

I parked my car at the curb side of a coffee shop downtown, not wasting any time finding a parking spot. When I entered, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries invaded my nose and made my mouth water. "When was the last time that I ate something?" I wondered. Quickly pushing these secular needs away, I made my way to the counter. Luckily there wasn't a line.

It was just before noon on a Tuesday and most people were still at work, I assumed.

The lady at the counter looked at me with sparkling eyes. She adjusted her apron and fixed her curly hair, before saying "What can I do for you?"

Completely ignoring her flirtatious efforts, I asked, trying to not raise any suspicion: "Hey, I was wondering if you might have a printer that I could use?"

Back in the day all coffee shops had printers and I simply assumed this one would have one also.

Slight confusion was evident in her eyes but her response did not fail me.

"Sure, we have one in the back. But it's not for customers." Before I could come up with a lame excuse she continued, "But I can make an exception for a handsome stranger like you."

She clearly had other intentions in mind than providing good customer service. Nevertheless, I took advantage of her flirtation and nodded once, a smirk plastered on my face.

She walked around the counter and led me into the back of the shop. The hallway was dimly lit and the sound of her heels hitting the tiled floor echoed through it in a steady rhythm.

Once we reached the awfully ordinary break room, she pointed to the old printer that was standing in the corner.

"Do you need any help?" she asked while twirling a curl of her dyed purple hair through her fingers.

"Thanks, I think I got it from here," I responded nonchalantly trying to get her to leave the room.

There was no way she wouldn't call the police if she saw what I was about to print out.

To my surprise, she left with a coy "You know where to find me," swaying her hips whilst disappearing in the hallway.

I waited until I couldn't hear her footsteps anymore and then quickly got to work on hooking up my laptop to the printer.

After the call a few hours ago, I researched a horrendous amount of files and newspaper articles on the killer, whom they so fittingly named "The Solemn Serpent." Now I needed to print out as much of that research as possible to gain a better understanding of what I was up against.

Also, I thought it would help to print out the picture, just to be sure that I didn't miss any key details. After enhancing the picture on my laptop and using a program to unblur it slightly, I was able to determine the time and date that was displayed on Aria's radio clock: 6. December, 2:12am. That was a week before she was abducted.

Whilst the pages were printing, I thought about that day. Was there anything special? Did I see something subconsciously that could help me find Aria?

More than anything, my thoughts were still haunted by the fact that the killer knew me.

Then it dawned upon me. The phone call. Maybe there was a way to trace it and find out who was calling me. Maybe that would at least give me a name or a location.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching tore me out of my thoughts. Without waiting for the last few pages to finish printing, I aborted the process. After grabbing the remaining pages and stuffing them into my backpack, I left.

On my way out I ran into the barista, who lit up the minute she saw me.

She stepped in my way, blocking me from escaping as soon as possible.

"I don't have time for this," I mumbled to myself, clenching my fists and trying to suppress my anger. But she was persistent.

In one slick motion, she put a piece of cream coloured paper in the front pocket of my leather jacket and patted it with her long, slim fingers, saying: "Call me anytime."

With my right hand I removed her fingers from my torso and nodded once, a fake smile appearing on my lips.

Then I simply walked around her and left the shop swiftly.

Back in my car, I looked up the address of an old friend and made my way there. He was like a brother to me and I hoped that he could help me on my mission.

By the time I got there it was already noon, since he lived further out of town. The sun reached its highest point but the air outside was still chilly. I parked my car further down the street to avoid any unwanted attention.

Now on foot, I walked toward his apartment building. It stood tall in front of me, its brick walls surely held many secrets, including my own.

Hesitantly, I rang the doorbell and patiently waited. Mentally I beat myself up for not giving him a heads up first. "Heck, he might be in prison," I considered annoyed, "That would be an utter waste of time."

When I went to ring one more time, I finally heard his sleepy voice on the staticky intercom.

"Who is this?" he asked, slightly annoyed that I robbed him of his sleep.

"It's me - Jacob," I responded with a light chuckle. I quickly realised that I had really missed him, no matter how deeply messed up he was.

The door buzzed open immediately after and I entered the building. Once I reached his apartment, a little out of breath from climbing the numerous stairs, he swung the door open and embraced me in a tight hug.

He reeked of beer and cigarettes but I didn't mind.

We knew each other from High School and, like me, Eddie went down a destructive road after. He was in and out of prison for most of his life, for minor charges mostly. Still, he was a good friend and for the millionth time I was counting on his loyalty.

Once he released the hug, I entered the tiny, one bedroom apartment without a word and looked around. Nothing had changed since the last time I visited. Everything was still messy, empty dishes and makeshift ashtrays lined most of the surfaces. A cloud of smoke lingered and engulfed my senses instantly.

He walked to the fridge and retrieved two beer bottles. He offered me one of them and I took it, not necessarily because I was going to drink it but mostly because that was our tradition. The sound of the beer fizzing as Eddie opened the bottle comforted me.

His blotchy face held a small smile, his green eyes were still sleepy. Eddie ran a lazy hand through his ginger hair and leaned against the counter before breaking the silence: "So, to what do I owe this honor?"

Before I answered I put down the bottle of beer on the counter.

"I need your help with something, Eddie," I looked him deep in the eyes, hoping that my desperation would be evident since I truly wasn't skilled at expressing my feelings.

"I know you do, Jace. I was already waiting on you." I immediately scrunched my eyebrows in confusion before Eddie added, "I watch the news, man," he broke the eye contact, clearly uncomfortable by the weight of this conversation,

"The news?" I asked hesitantly.

"Hate to tell you but Aria is all over the news," he responded before carefully adding,"And so are you."

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Thank you so much for reading!!! Let me know what you think in the comments and stay tuned for the next Chapter on Monday.