Murder Seen

Sarah was pacing around her apartment trying to think of an idea for a story. She was always trying to think of an idea for a story. It was what she did.
She went to the window and looked down on the street, five stories below. Even though it was dark, people still bustled about, rushing anywhere and everywhere all at once. She loved it. The electric atmosphere spawned so many of her ideas. Her creativity thrived here. She had been lucky to get this apartment because of its proximity to the village. She was scanning the view and looking at one of the nicer hotels that was across from her apartment. All of the scattered open windows. All with stories to tell.
As she was lost in that thought, she noticed a commotion behind one of the half opened curtains in the next building. She stopped and stared a minute, not sure what she was seeing. Then like a good, nosy, neighbor, she quickly turned off the lamp and went back to the window to investigate. The curtain in the window was flapping voraciously, causing the room to be illuminated where she could see the action. There were two men who were obviously fighting. Suddenly, Sarah saw the knife blade as it plunged into the chest of one of the men. Before the man could fall, the other man stabbed him again in the chest and then let the body slide to the floor.
Sarah was transfixed by the scene. She stepped back from the window but continued to watch.
The man stepped to the window and took a quick glance out then shut the curtain. A few seconds later, the room went black.
Sarah stood there staring. Did she really see that? Was it real? She didn't know what to do. So, she did what she always did when she had a problem she needed help with. She went next door.
#
Michael had been living there a couple of years when Sarah moved into the apartment next door. They had immediately hit it off and before long they were best friends.
“You have got to call the police. It's murder for god's sake,” Michael said.
“But, what do I tell them? I don't know for sure it was real. What if it was a joke?,” Sarah asked.
“Well, you can't just do nothing,” Michael said.
“Maybe we can find out who it is and if it was real. We know what room he was in,” Sarah said.
“You want...me and you...to go next door...to look for a murderer? Are you crazy?” Michael asked.
“Probably. But, what could it hurt? He doesn't know what I look like.. We could just go and see if we see him,” Sarah said.
“What if he did see you and is coming over here right now to kill you? Why can't we just call the police and leave it as one of those, 'you'll-never-believe-what-happened' stories that people tell at parties,” Michael said.
“Come on. Let's try to see what we can find out,” Sarah said, ignoring him.
“OK, Nancy Drew, if we must. Let's go,” Michael said reluctantly.

Sarah ran next door to her apartment to grab her jacket. She walked over to the window and took one last look out. Nothing had changed. The window was still dark. Maybe she had imagined it all. Maybe. They were going to try to find out, she thought as she closed the door behind her.
#
Sarah and Michael crossed the street and entered the front of the extravagant hotel. They looked around and realized they were under dressed. Suddenly, Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. Michael almost ran into her as Sarah saw the man coming out of the elevator.
“That's him,” Sarah said as she elbowed Michael in the ribs.
“Ow,” Michael huffed. “OK, then. Let's see what he does.”
They watched the man cross the lobby and go into the hotel restaurant. He sat at the bar as Sarah and Michael slipped in behind him and took seats across from him.
The man was ordering a drink when another man in a business suit came over to the bar and sat down next to him.
“Well, well, well. Who's this?” Michael almost cat called with a raised eyebrow.
“Down Tiger. Remember he's talking to a murderer,” Sarah warned.
“Yeah. But he's still cute,” Michael said.
“Don't stare. They'll notice us,” Sarah said as she caught Michael in the ribs again.
“Stop doing that,” Michael whispered intensely.
“Look, they're leaving,” Sarah said as she started to get up.
“Wait a minute. They'll see us,” Michael said. “You have to stay incognito.”
They paused until the men were out of the restaurant. Then they followed them outside and watched as they got into a black town car.
#
“Now what?” Michael asked. But Sarah was already in action and hailing down a cab.

“Come on,” Sarah almost shouted as she grabbed Michael by the arm and pulled him into the cab. The they instructed the cab driver to follow the black town car.
“OK,” the driver said as he looked at the two in the rear view mirror suspiciously.
“Where do they think they are going?” Sarah asked quietly.
“Probably to kill someone else,” Michael tensely smirked.
“Shush!” Sarah said as she looked at the driver and hit Michael with her signature rib jab.
“Ow!” Michael said, looking offended.
“Besides what are we going to do if we catch them? Make a citizen's arrest?” Michael asked.
“If we see anything go down, we can just call the police then,” Sarah said.
The black town car pulled into a garage attached to a multi-storied warehouse.
“Pull over here,” Sarah said about a block from the warehouse. The driver pulled over to the corner around the block.
“Can you wait for us here? We'll be back in a minute,” Sarah asked.
“Hopefully,” Michael said under his breath.
“Sure thing. You two be careful. This can be a sketchy place. I'll be here waiting,” the cab driver told them.

Michael and Sarah got out of the cab and looked toward the warehouse building. They walked down the block far enough out of the cab driver's sight to sneak down a side alley behind the warehouse.
“Come on,” Sarah urged Michael.
“OK, I'm coming,” Michael said.
“I saw them go into that building over there,” Sarah pointed.
They saw lights come on the warehouse down the alley. Michael and Sarah slipped between two
buildings and found a window to look through. As they were walking toward the window, Michael slipped and fell into a group of trash cans. The noise echoed in the alley. The two froze looking at each other in horror. They heard a door crash open and several sets of footsteps come rushing from the building. It took no time for Sarah and Michael to decide to do anything other than run in the opposite direction of the enclosing footsteps. So, they ran to the end of the alley, then stopped and turned around to face several men dressed in business suits. All of them with guns drawn and pointing at Sarah and Michael.
“We're screwed,” Michael stated under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
“Who are you two?” one of the men asked as he approached Sarah and Michael.
“Nobody. We were just walking down this alley and tripped over these trash cans. But, we didn't see anything. Especially not men in suits with guns,” Michael stammered.
“Shut up Michael!” Sarah said.
“Yeah. Shut up Michael,” the man said as he raised the gun.
All of a sudden, there was the sound of screeching tires and the distinctive blue lights of the police surrounding them. The started men froze and frantically looked around at each other while trying to decide what to do. Before they could make a decision for their next move, they were surrounded by uniformed cops on all sides, guns drawn.
“Freeze! This is the police! Drop your weapons!” a bull horn screamed.
The men in suits slowly put down their guns and put their hands in the air.
Out of the commotion came a man and woman dressed in plain street clothes. They walked over to where Michael and Sarah were standing in awe of the situation that had unfolded in front of them. Shocked, they watch the two approached.
“Ma'am. Sir. My name is Special Agent Karen McKinney and this is Special Agent Charlie Watson. We understand that you two are the ones who happened upon this scene?” McKinney asked.

“Yes. But how did you know...? Sarah asked as Michael looked on.
“I called them,” the cab driver said as he approached suddenly out of the dark. His hands in his pockets.
“I don't normally mess in other's people's business. But when I overheard some of your
conversation and then the commotion in the alley, I thought it might be time to step in and call somebody,” the driver said with a shy smile.
“We're certainly glad he did,” Agent McKinney said.
“Me too,” Michael finally spoke up as he was still watching the scene in front of him.
“I'm not so sure they would have gone for our citizen's arrest.”


THE END