Page 35 of The Neighbor

Staying away from the streetlights, I walk over to Sara’s side of the street and duck into her backyard. A vegetable garden spans nearly the entire space, surprising me. I guess since she’s into running that I shouldn’t be shocked she’s growing healthy food to help her stay fit, but I didn’t expect she’d be a gardener.

I’m careful to not step on any of the plants as I tiptoe up to her back door. Looking in, I see her sitting on the couch where I left her hours ago after I helped her home. I scan the room and begin to turn the doorknob to walk in as suddenly Jared appears from the hallway.

What’s he doing here? She said they had a huge fight, and she was done with him. Typical woman. He’s cheating on her while he’s cheating on his wife, and still Sara gives him another chance.

I watch in disgust as he crouches down on one knee in front of the couch like he’s some knight in shining armor come to rescue her. Ten to one he’s stripping his clothes off in less than five minutes and they’re having sex, even with her busted up ankle.

To think I was having second thoughts about what I plan to do tonight. Now she deserves it even more. Foolish woman.

As I wait to see if my prediction comes true, they start yelling at each other. His face turns bright red as he bends down to bellow at her, and then I see her sit up and angrily jab her finger toward his face. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it’s obvious they’re both upset.

After a minute, she falls silent, but Jared continues to yell at her. I watch as he grows more and more furious, his eyes filled with rage. I wish I could hear what he’s saying, but I’m willing to bet it has to do with her insisting he give up his second side chick.

When he finally stops barking at her, he stands up to his full height and shakes his head. So much for that couple. I expect him to storm out, but then as I watch, he balls his hand up into a fist and cocks his arm back.

It all happens in what feels like slow motion, but when he brings his hand down, it hits her face hard. She flies back against the couch, her hands frantically trying to defend her as they cover her head, but he’s like a man possessed. He hits her again, this time connecting with her nose, and blood spurts everywhere. It’s like a gusher, but that doesn’t stop him either.

I’ve never seen anyone hit another person like this, and I stand watching it frozen in place. Over and over, he punches her until he finally steps back, nearly falling over the coffee table behind him. His hand and arm are covered in blood, as is his green T-shirt.

For a moment, he stares down at her as she lies there on the couch motionless, and then he shakes his head with a look of disgust before walking out of the room. I stand on my toes to get a good look at Sara, and I know from the moment I see her that she’s dead.

Jesus Christ! He killed her. And I’m a witness.

I need to get the hell away from here, so I run back through her yard, not as careful this time and stepping all over her lettuce plants. When I reach the street, I quickly look to see if anyone’s around, but like before, the street is deserted. I bolt over to the vacant house’s yard and tear along the dark path to reach my house in a matter of seconds, desperate to be back in my home.

Slamming my back door behind me, I rush inside and wash my hands. I don’t know why because I didn’t touch anything, but after seeing Jared covered in blood, I feel dirty.

Good God! I saw him kill her. Did he see me? I think about that for a few seconds and then decide he couldn’t have. I was hidden, and the only time he could have noticed me was when I was running away, but he was somewhere else in the house.

My hands shake uncontrollably as I replay the scene over and over in my head while I pace through my house. He beat her to death. There’s no way he’ll get away with that. Even if his DNA isn’t all over that house, which I’m sure it is since they’ve been sleeping together, he’s covered in hers. That much blood doesn’t disappear easily. That’s why I would never bludgeon someone to death. Too messy. Better to strangle a person and be done with it.

The memory of the moment he slammed his fist into her face the first time fills my head, forcing every other thought out. He killed her. He beat her to death with his own hands.

I walk over to my front window and pull back the curtains just enough that I can look out. There’s not a soul on the street tonight. I crane my neck to look down at Suzanne and Jared’s house, curious to know if he went there afterward, but the place is dark. She’s probably still at work, so he could wash up without her knowing.

The cops will find Sara by tomorrow. Someone will miss her and call them to say she’s missing.

Then a thought stops me cold, and I step back from the window in pure terror. I’d be the person who would see her next on our run tomorrow morning. We’ve only gotten together to exercise for two mornings straight, but people have seen us. I can’t suddenly stop now.

But she got hurt yesterday so it’s okay.

I rub my hands together nervously. The last thing I need is the police in my business. Maybe I can lie and say she told me she was planning on going away for a few days.

No, that won’t work. There has to be at least one person who saw me help her back to her house.

Fuck! That means my DNA is there too. Not as much as Jared’s, but it’ll be there since I wasn’t trying to be careful this morning.

I shake my head at my sloppiness. I knew what I planned to do to her tonight and didn’t even try to hide my presence at Sara’s house. If I had actually gone through with what I intended to do to her, the cops would have figured out it was me in a heartbeat.

Then again, with all of Jared’s hair and God only knows what else lying around that house, they may have logically assumed he could be the killer. I can only hope that’s what happens now.

You need to be more careful, Adam. This neighborhood isn’t like the one you grew up in or Tess’s. People talk here. A grown man living alone who suddenly turns out to be the last person who saw a murder victim alive? You’ll be lucky if the police don’t haul you down to the station for this and lock you up.

Fucking Jared! What the hell could she have said that would make him want to kill her? The guy isn’t a murderer. Well, now he is, but he wasn’t before. I’d stake everything I own on that fact. I know when someone’s like me. There are telltale signs, and he didn’t exhibit a single one of them before tonight.

She probably threatened to tell his other mistress all of what was going on. If only she hadn’t sprained her ankle on our run this morning, she would have been strong enough to fight him off or at least run away.

Stupid woman.