The Killings (An Olivia Miller Mystery Book 1) (4 page)

Olivia was no gourmet cook but she knew her way around the kitchen having learned from Joe and Aggie. The three of them would often cook together or take turns making dinner to give each other a break from food preparation. Olivia decided at the age of ten to become a vegetarian and she had concocted many dishes that even meat lovers like Aggie and Joe enjoyed. She also discovered that cooking sometimes helped to calm her when she was having a problem or that it aided in clearing her head when she needed to think something through. Olivia would say she didn’t really like to cook but she sure enjoyed eating.

Last night she needed to focus on making dinner not only because she was starving but because she needed to keep busy to channel her nervous energy into something besides pacing around the apartment and worrying.

She ate her pizza with a salad while she sat in front of her laptop with a movie playing, but she couldn’t pay attention to the storyline and turned it off. She would have loved to have gone for a run but that was out of the question. She kept sidling up to the window to peer out at the street. Nothing looked suspicious and she started to think that maybe she had imagined that someone was following her along the sidewalk. Even so, her worry kept her from taking the long bath that she had planned, not wanting to be in the bathroom tub if someone broke into the apartment. She knew it was foolish to think that way and even chuckled at herself, but still, she decided on a quick shower instead, which wasn’t such a great idea either because all she could picture while lathering and rinsing was the shower scene from
Psycho.
She had ended her evening by putting on her pajamas and crawling into bed. She left the small lamp on her dresser lit all night and wished Melissa was back from her visit home.

Olivia stretched and crawled out of bed, went to the kitchen and ate a banana. The day was so bright and cheery and she was itching with excess energy so she put on exercise clothes, grabbed her keys and phone, and stepped outside into the crisp air. Perfect weather for a run. Olivia wasn’t fast but she could run for long distances. Not long after leaving her apartment and jogging down several streets, her muscles warmed and she settled into a comfortable pace as she made her way from Somerville through Cambridge and back again completing an eight-mile circuit. The exercise calmed her mind and pushed the images of the Friday night murders away from her thoughts. She was feeling more like herself and believed that being hyped up about the killings had contributed to her imagining being followed last night.

Her cell phone vibrated with an incoming text from Melissa.
Decided to come back this evening. Let’s go out
for dinner tonight and talk.

Relief at having Melissa back and not having to be alone in the apartment flooded Olivia’s body and she answered with a “yes!” They agreed to go to Davis Square at 7pm after Melissa returned from her family home in Stockbridge. After finishing her run, Olivia felt energized. She showered and dressed and ate a snack before she had to leave to meet the two middle-school students she had volunteered to tutor in math twice a week.

Before heading out, she opened her laptop to look at the news of the day. An article discussing the Friday night murders caught her eye and her heart thudded against her chest. She debated ignoring the article, but couldn’t, and began to read. The story reported that two university students had discovered the bodies around 10pm on Friday evening but did not name them.
Thank God they didn’t mention our names.
She didn’t want her name in the news article. She didn’t want to be linked to the events of that night and hoped to stay anonymous. She and Melissa thought it best not to alert the killer to who they were, but Olivia wondered how long it would take the media to print their names in upcoming stories.

The story had pictures of the young men, both smiling and looking happy and confident in their photos. They were just two young guys starting their lives, eager and optimistic about their futures. Olivia’s heart squeezed.
How could this have happened?

The story reported that Christian Wilcox, a native of Connecticut, had graduated from MIT with a degree in computer science and engineering and had been working at a start-up in Cambridge’s Kendall Square area. Christian was a nationally ranked tennis player, and had been active in several college clubs. Gary Sullivan had grown up in the same Connecticut town and had attended high school with Christian. Gary had graduated last May from Boston University with a degree in education and math and was employed as a teacher in an inner city school. Gary was on the track team and held some university records in the 5K and 10K distances. Working with disadvantaged young people had been Gary’s dream and he was thrilled to be starting his career. The article reported that a roommate who was home at the time of the murders had escaped injury. Olivia looked up and stared off into space. They sounded like normal, accomplished young men.

Why would someone want them dead?

Chapter 6

After her session tutoring the students, Olivia headed for the library where she was going to meet Ynes. Ynes had texted Olivia asking to get together to talk about the killings. As Olivia followed the sidewalk leading to the front door of the library, she spotted Ynes coming down the hill towards her. They greeted each other and entered the library, choosing one of the study rooms off the main lobby for privacy. Inside the small room there was a large desk and two cushioned chairs. Before sitting down, Ynes closed the door.

“I can’t stop thinking about the crime,” Olivia said. “Even though I’d never met the guys, I feel connected to the murders because I found the bodies.”

“I know,” Ynes said. “I only knew Gary slightly. It’s just so disturbing. I haven’t been able to sleep much.” Ynes had grown up in London and her voice carried an English accent. She brushed her long, wavy, black hair away from her eyes. “The whole thing is just so terrible.”

Olivia nodded. “Melissa went home for a couple of days. I was alone last night. I can’t keep the images of the bodies from flashing into my mind. I think about who could have done it,” she said. “Do you think the killer knew the guys?”

“I can’t believe it was random,” Ynes said. “They lived on the second floor. If someone was randomly looking to kill someone, why would he choose that building? That floor? I don’t think it could have been by chance. I think someone deliberately sought them out.”

“What do you know about Gary?” Olivia asked.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Gary was a teacher. He graduated last May. Like I said, I didn’t know him well at all. But I know someone who did know him. Her name is Eva Flores. She works at her brother’s gym in Revere. Gary used to work out there. Eva had gone out with Gary a few times. She told me there are some tough characters who hang out at this gym. One of them had a thing for Eva. She went out with this guy once but didn’t like him and wouldn’t see him again. He was always pressuring her to go out with him and he didn’t like that Eva had started seeing Gary. Eva said that the guy and his friend showed up at a club one night when she was out with Gary. The guys approached them and tried to make trouble. The guy took a swing at Gary, but Gary ducked and punched the guy in the face. The bouncer saw the whole thing and kicked the two idiots out of the place. Eva said the guy cursed at Gary and told him that he better start looking over his shoulder because he was a dead man.”

“Wow.” Olivia’s eyes were wide. “Do you know when this happened?”

“Yes. The weekend before Gary and Christian were killed.”

“Oh, my God.” Olivia looked around the small room, her mind racing. “Did your friend report this to the police?”

“She’s afraid to,” Ynes said, her voice just above a whisper. “Eva says this guy is trouble. She is terrified of him.”

“Did she tell you his name?”

“Adam Johnson. He’s a semi-pro football player. Eva says there’s gossip about him being involved in nasty stuff. She says this guy beat up a former girlfriend but the girl wouldn’t press charges. There’s some talk of him being involved in a couple of murders. Drugs. Eva won’t go to the police. She’s afraid he’ll kill her.”

“Kill her? God. We should tell the police that he threatened Gary,” Olivia said. “We can leave Eva’s name out of it.”

“I don’t think so.” Ynes shook her head. “He’d suspect Eva reported it.”

“What about an anonymous tip?” Olivia asked.

“He’d still think Eva talked to the police. Eva says that Johnson or one of his goons is always watching her. They follow her places. Eva’s brother is afraid of this guy too. He’d like him out of his gym, but he knows he can’t do anything to make him leave.”

“Really? What do you think?” Olivia asked. “Is there some way we could tip off the cops to this information without putting your friend at risk?”

Ynes shrugged. “I haven’t been able to think of a way. It’s why I wanted to talk it over with you.”

Olivia sat back in her seat trying to think of a way to pass the information to the police and keep Eva out of it. “What if we say we were at the club that night? That we saw the fight? We heard the threat that Johnson made to Gary.”

“Then Johnson will come after us.”

“But how would he find out we were the ones who came forward?” Olivia asked.

Ynes sat quietly for several seconds, her face serious. “From what Eva says about this Johnson guy, it worries me to get involved. She says he acts like he’s above the law. I don’t trust many people, Olivia. I’ve had some experiences that make me very cautious. What if this guy has connections, with someone in law enforcement? Or knows someone who has a friend in law enforcement? What if he has guys who will do whatever he tells them to do? Do you want to take the chance? If he killed Gary and Christian, do you think he’d hesitate to kill us?"

Olivia let out a sigh. With her elbow on the table, she placed her chin in her hand.

Ynes went on. “Eva and her brother would like to see if Johnson has something stashed in his gym locker that could implicate him for some crime, a weapon, or some evidence that linked him to a murder, something that could get him arrested. Anything that would get him out of their lives. They’d love to check the trunk of his car, too, but they know that’s too risky. Eva asked me if I would look at Johnson’s locker. She won’t do it. Neither will her brother. She says Johnson monitors them all the time. It’s like he’s stalking Eva. She can’t look at the locker when the gym is open because of all the people around. She won’t stay there after hours because she doesn’t want to risk being alone there and having Johnson come in. Johnson has a key to the gym.”

Olivia sat up. “Why does he?”

Ynes furrowed her brow and gave a shrug. “Eva’s brother gave it to him. Johnson isn’t a guy you say no to.”

“Eva thinks Johnson killed Gary and Christian?”

“She thinks it’s possible, given the talk around Johnson, and because of the threat he made to Gary.” Ynes sat back in the chair. “Eva would love to have Johnson put away and if he has a weapon or something incriminating in his locker, well, then maybe it would be worth calling the police about that.”

“Could she get a restraining order against Johnson? If he’s always after her, isn’t that grounds for such a thing? Wouldn’t the courts help her?”

Ynes shook her head. “Eva says that she’s never heard of a restraining order that helped anyone. She’s afraid if she does something like that, it would just inflame Johnson.”

“Would he keep a weapon in his locker? If he did murder the guys, he must have dumped the knife somewhere,” Olivia said.

“Who knows? Maybe he isn’t careful.”

Ynes leveled her eyes at Olivia, her face somber, and didn’t say anything for a minute. Olivia straightened in her seat. “You want me to help you, don’t you?”

“Maybe.” Worry or sadness tugged at Ynes’ face. Olivia couldn’t determine which emotion it was that suddenly made her friend look a few years older.

“If we decide to check it out,” Olivia said, “Eva could let us into the gym after hours?”

“Yes. That’s the idea,” Ynes said. “I’m not sure yet if it’s a good one.”

Olivia leaned forward. “What about his car? Johnson could have something in the trunk. What if we broke into it while he was at the gym or wherever he hangs out?”

Ynes gaped at Olivia. “Do you know how to break into a trunk?”

“How hard could it be? There are probably instructions on the internet,” Olivia said. “Although, it’s probably larceny or something if we break into a trunk? I don’t want to end up in jail.”

“We’ll probably end up
in
his trunk. Dead,” Ynes told her. “I’m starting to worry that your sense of self-preservation isn’t intact.”

“Oh, it is,” Olivia said. “But someone killed Gary and Christian. Melissa and I found the bodies. I know I’ll never get that image out of my head. It’s seared into my brain cells. And, your friend. She must be living in constant fear of this Johnson guy.” Olivia sighed. “A monster like this shouldn’t be able to torment people or walk around living his life after robbing Gary and Christian of their lives. If there’s something we can do to figure out who killed them, or if we can help your friend, then I think we should try. Maybe we could find something that would get Johnson away from your friend.” Olivia inhaled a long breath and let it out. “If we don’t find anything on this Johnson guy, at least we gave it a shot. Aren’t we smarter than he is, Ynes? If we decide to look at his locker or at his car, I don’t intend for us to get caught.” Olivia narrowed her eyes. “And if we do get caught, well, I guess we’ll just have to outwit him.”

Ynes nodded. “Let’s try the locker. I’ll talk to Eva. Maybe she can get us a key to the gym. We could go there when it’s closed. We can get in, check out Johnson’s locker, and get out fast.”

“Let me know what Eva says. The sooner we can check this out, the better.”

Chapter 7

Olivia returned to her apartment taking the same route that she had walked the previous night, but this time she wasn’t spooked thinking that someone was following her. That probably had something to do with the fact that there were people walking in the area and Olivia wasn’t alone. And it wasn’t fully dark yet.