Friendly Neighbors

05. She's a Murderer Pt. II

RING. RING. RING.

"Hello?"

"Nathan, we need to talk, now," Theo whispered into his cellphone as he paced around his house nervously, feeling cold sweat crawl down his back. "We have a serious problem, we have a very serious problem." He continued, taking surreptitious looks over his shoulder.

"Dude, it's two in the morning." Nathan Jung cried out followed by a big yawn. "What is it? Make it quick, or I swear to god, I will kill you--"

"Funny you say that," Theo let out a nervous chuckle, settling down on his bed. "My neighbor's a killer." He blurted out. "Oh my god!" He shouted, the words sinking into his head. "My neighbor's a killer, Nathan! I live next door to a murderer!" Theo yelled, shooting up from the bed and pacing back and forth once more. "Oh my god, I-I live next door to a murderer. What if I get killed? Wh-what if she's listening to me right now?" And that's when he stopped pacing. He heard his door creak open slightly and his whole world went dark. His face paled and he dropped his phone, screaming.

But it was only just the wind.

Feeling as if he had lost ten years of his life, Theo shakily picked up his phone. "False alarm, it was just the wi ... Nathan?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows when he heard nothing on the other line. "Na-Nathan? Bro, where are you?" He asked again. Instead of silence, he heard heavy breathing from the other line. "Dude, come on ..." Theo moaned out in fear as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Bro, don't do that. I swear, Nathan, please, I am in a very fragile state right now and I can't be --" Before he could finish, a scream echoed from the other line into Theo's ear.

"DUDE!" Theo screamed into the phone, his face red from anger and embarrassment. "I swear to god, I think I just peed a little!"

Nathan laughed. "Bro, I had to do it. You set yourself up for that one." He responded, laughing again. "No, but seriously, man, what are you saying?"

Theo took a deep breath before sitting back down on his bed. "I think ... my neighbor is a killer."

"And why do you think that? Please, amuse me." Nathan said with a hint of mockery in his voice. And although Theo could just hear the smirk on his friend's lips, he decided to ignore it.

"You know that cafe two blocks down from my house? The one we went to before I first moved in?" Theo asked, his voice shaky uncontrollably. "Well, the owner - that nice lady who gave us free coffee - she died yesterday night. Her body was found this morning. Well, it's two am right now so not this morning but you know what I mean."

"Dude, no way? She was such a nice lady ..." Nathan's voice softened, all jokes and smirks out the window. "Why do you think your neighbor killed her? Di-did the police find the killer?"

"Okay, a few nights ago on my way back home ... I saw her." He gulped. "She-she was wearing all black - head to toe - just clad in black. And get this, she was holding this bag - just, I don't even know. I-I thought I was just seeing things but then I saw her eyes. She gasped and ran back inside before I could react. And get this: she dropped a knife right in front of her house. A knife, okay? And that nice lady was stabbed. Nathan, don't I have a pretty good point here? It was pretty late that night, a suspicious girl who rarely comes out of her house comes out when the whole freaking neighborhood is sleeping wearing all black! If that isn't weird and creepy, then what is!"

Nathan didn't say anything for a while. He simply sighed. "I-I mean it might've been a coincidence."

"Coincidence, Nathan? Really? Yeah, sure, seeing a girl wearing all black come out in the dead of night looking oddly suspicious and holding a mysterious bag full of who knows what and dropping a knife is just normal. Yeah, you're right." Theo snapped at his friend with sarcasm dripping with venom.

"No need to get sassy, you sassy pants." Nathan hissed and groaned. "Okay, fine, point proven - that is a little odd. But what did I tell you, she has a 4D personality."

"Your Korean slang does not get to make a valid point in your argument. I don't care if she has a 4D personality or a freaking 6D - she's up to something and I'm right!"

"First of all, there's no such thing as a 6D personality and aside from my Korean slang, you don't have any evidence. Look, I've watched my fair share of CSI and Law and Order. You need evidence - real, hard, cold, tangible evidence. I only hear words - assumptions, and that isn't good enough for you to start calling the cops or pointing fingers."

"You want evidence? Okay, fine. I'll gather some evidence." Theo's eyes widened as he nodded. "I'll get the evidence."

"And how will you do that, smart one?"

"For the safety of this country, I will be more than happy to violate any legal laws to bring justice to that poor woman - her death will not be in vain."

"Are you serious?" Nathan asked.

"Through any means of illegal acts, I will find justice and -- hello? Hello, Nathan? Bro, you there?" Theo looked down at his phone to see the call had ended. "Bastard, I was in the middle of talking." He muttered and shook his head, setting his phone down on his bed. "I'll find evidence." He said with newfound passion and determination.

+ + +

Theo called in sick to work the next day to which Dr. Maundy was not happy about. He opened his window, so that he could have a clear view of the girl's house and went straight to work. After running around his house all day long, Theo packed a flashlight, extra batteries, scissors, rope, tape, and some snacks into his black backpack for his secret mission that night. Now, all he had to do was wait - wait for the perfect timing.

He put on his glasses and his old black hat, then hauled his backpack over his shoulders and left his house. Casually whistling, he walked by the sidewalk and jumped at his first target. "Oh, Mr. Morris, right?" He asked, smiling at the mailman.

"1305?" The middle-aged man asked curiously.

"Yeah, 1305, though I prefer to go by Theo." He said with a chuckle, shaking hands with the man. "Are you ... uh, delivering mail?"

"Well, that's my job, son." Mr. Morris said with a nod.

"Here, you look like you have a lot to deliver, I can take mine and also 1303's as well."

Mr. Morris shot Theo a funny look as he stared at the mail in front of him. "You're uh ... friends with this young lady in 1303?"

"Yeah, we're friends." Theo lied quickly with a forced grin. He mentally slapped himself as he his hands grew sweaty.

"Really?" The mailman asked incredulously with a laugh. "Well, son, that's a funny joke! No one's ever seen that young lady come out of her house before."

"Oh, really? I've talked to her a few times."

"Well, I appreciate your offer but no can do, I'll stick to giving her her mail." Mr. Morris said, handing Theo a bundle of letters. "This is yours. Have a good day," He said, walking over to the girl's house and knocking on her door.

Theo sighed in defeat as he walked back into his house. Plan A had failed. "Plan B, it is." He whispered, closing the door behind him.

+ + +