No Hero

It all got worse Monday morning when he awoke from the terrible nightmare. This nightmare had begun to haunt him a week ago. James Patterson had not been able to get much more than three hours of sleep a night since he had witnessed the horrid event. James Patterson had been witness to a grizzly murder. He had been somewhere he shouldn't have been at the worst possible time.
That night one week ago he was out for a walk. He'd walked further that night then normal because the moon was so bright and the weather was so fine. He was strolling quietly along when he heard them. They were pushing an old man onto the ground. He looked like a bum, but that gave them no right to do that to him. James was no hero, so he just stood and watched them. They must have been drunk and out for a bit of fun. Then one of them had pulled out a big knife and sliced the old mans throat. He had gagged when he saw the blood. They must have heard him. They had seen him too. He had run away faster than he had ever run before.
He hadn't been able to bring himself to leave the safety of his apartment since that day, because they had seen him see them commit the crime. He spent his days looking out his windows trying to catch sight of them. Maybe they followed him home and were now trying to get to him. He would have to leave his apartment soon to buy food. He only ever bought enough for a few days at a time and he had run out of just about everything except peanut butter. He loved peanut butter, but it wasn't very good on its own.
Perhaps they hadn't followed him after all. He hadn't seen them out his windows. Perhaps, he thought he could go out after all. He would go out this morning, very quickly though. Straight to the shops and then straight back. What were the odds they would see him if he were quick.
He decided to go out, he needed the fresh air anyway. He could wear a disguise. That way no one would recognize him. Yes, that's what he'd do. He would go right now.
He decided to wear the big poncho he had bought when he went on holiday to Mexico. He had an old blond wig that he bought for the fancy dress party his office had, had before he got the sack. He remembered getting extremely drunk that night and taking of all his clothes. That was why he got the sack. Oh, and of course because the bosses wife happened to have taken all of her clothes off as well. The wig was a bit scruffy looking, that was probably because he had thrown it into the back of his closet and forgotten about it until now.
He brushed the knots out of the wig and put it on. He looked absolutely ridiculous. So, he decided to just wear the cowboy hat he had won at the sideshow last May. That proved to be a slight improvement. As a last thought he grabbed his dark sunglasses and shoved them on his face. Finally he was ready to go out.
He slunk out his door and down the stairs to the lobby. So far, so good. He continued out of the building and onto the street, walking very fast. This itself was enough to draw stares and laughs from people on the footpath. But he didn't catch sight of any of the murderers. This was a good thing, he decided.
When he reached the store he checked through the window first to see who was in there. Only about ten people were walking up and down the isles. Although this was not a big suburb, he didn't know any of the people except for the check out girl. She was the daughter of the man who owned the shop.
Lucy Greene was her name and Bill Greene was her fathers name. They were very nice people but they liked to know everyone's business and always asked a million questions every time he entered the store.But this was the closest store and he could not risk going any further up the street.
He walked into the shop with his head down and eyes straight ahead, so as not to look at Lucy. He jostled around the isles grabbing what he needed. He decided perhaps he should get more than enough food for a few days. He couldn't risk coming out fo his apartment that often. They were sure to find him that way. When he had grabbed his stock he pushed his trolley up to the counter and began unloading it. Lucy was looking at him weirdly, trying to see his face properly. He was trying to conceal himslef behind his hat and glasses.
"Do i know you mister? I'm sure I've seen you around before. You look awful familiar." Said Lucy, trying hard to get a close look at his face.
"I don't think so miss. I'm not from around here. Just passin' through." He replied gruffly, so she wouldn't recognize his voice.
"How long you here for then mister?" She urged grinning at him. He didn't know it but Lucy knew it was him. She just thought she'd humor him. He was a pretty weird guy anyway.
"Just passin' through." He repeated gruffly.
After paying for and collecting his groceries he looked out the shop door. Nope, no one there waiting for him. He took off at a double pace toward his building. When he reached the front door he opened it quickly and went in shutting it hard behind him. He would have run up the staircase if it hadn't been for the bags in his arms. Once he was safe in his apartment, puffing from exhaustion and panic he stopped. That wasn't so bad after all he thought, except for the constant fear and terror of being seen by the murderers.
He took off his disguise and put away his groceries. Then because he was rather hungry he thought he'd have some lunch. He put on the kettle and then checked the street in case they had seen and followed him home after all. He peeked out the window and there in the street right below him was one of the murderers. He was positive of it. He knew it was one of them because he had the same clothes on as last week when James had first seen him. He was the one with the knife covered in blood. He was the one who had killed that little old man who was trying to get away. Panic began to rise in James's chest. How did he know it was I? Not even Lucy knew it was he, and she knew everyone.
He wondered if he had locked the front door to the building. He couldn't remember doing it. He'd have to go and check right now before they came in and got him. Luckily no one but the people who lived there could get into the building. They all had their own keys.
There were ten apartments in this building. They were nice big apartments too. All had their own laundry and two bedrooms. He was lucky he could afford to keep his apartment. He had some money put away that his parents used to send him. They didn't send him money any more because they were retired and couldn't afford to.
If he was fast he could get down the stairs and to the door in two minutes flat. He decided to go for it. He opened his front door and closed it behind. Skipping three steps at a time he ran down the stairway. When he reached the front door he was glad to see that it was locked, but he made sure anyway. He peeked out the peephole to see if he could see the man out there. No one was there, thank God, he had left.
Back in his apartment James looked out his window. The man was definitely gone. He didn't care where he had gone as long as he was gone.
James finished his lunch and then settled to watch the midday news. He had been watching the news obsessively to hear if they had found any of the killers. He know they hadn't found one man yet and that man had just been outside his building.


Chapter 2

He must have dozed on the sofa, due to lack of sleep no doubt, when he heard the knock on his door. Who could that be? He never ever had visitors. He kept to himself most of the time. Who ever was at the door must have the wrong apartment. He looked through the peephole and there just outside his door stood the man from the street. He had found him. How on earth had he found out which apartment he lived in? He couldn't possibly know that. He didn't know what to do. He decided to pretend he wasn't home.
"Hello," Said the man. "Any one home? I was just wondering if i could use your phone. Mine seems to be out of order. I know you're there, I heard your television."
The man stood there for a minute as if he were listening then he turned and let himself into the apartment across the hall from James and closed the door.
James didn't know this man lived in the same building as him. He'd never seen him here before. What was he going to do now? He could run into him at any time.Then he would be finished for sure. He decided to call the police.
The man was still in his apartment when they got there, he knew this because he stood watch the whole time, through his peephole of course. The police knocked on the mans door and he opened it for them. James could hear what was said.
"Excuse me sir, but we've just been given some information that you may have been involved in a murder. Can you tell us where you were last Friday at eleven thirty-five in the evening, sir?" The police officer asked the man.
"Well yes officer,' Began the man. 'I was out with the boys at the club on Fifth Street. You can ask any one of them. You can ask the bar maid there too. She was with me all night." He added grinning smugly.
"Well sir we will be asking these people, but we'd like you to come to the station with us now to answer some more questions in relation to this matter. Do you think that would be possible sir?" The officer asked expectantly.
"Well, I'm a little busy at the moment. How about I get back to you about that? Perhaps next week or something would be a better time for me." The man replied casually.
"Well sir that just won't do I'm afraid.I think you had better come now." The officer said forcefully.He grasped the man by the shirtsleeve and coaxed him out the door. Relieved that they had taken the man away, James slumped against his door and sighed heavily with relief. He hoped they would arrest him right now, but they needed evidence he guessed. He wondered if the door to the mans apartment was locked. He decide to take a look. After all, the danger was gone for the moment right?
James slipped out his door and walked casually over to the mans door. He tried the knob, it was unlocked, so, he opened it and slid silently through and looked around him. This place was no where near as good as his. This place was a mess. This bloke must be a total a pig, he thought.
James entered the main bedroom pf the apartment. Funny looking bed clothes for a bloke to have. He must be gay, he decided. He thought he'd look in the closet and see what sort of clothing he had. He expected to find dressed but he did not expect to find what he did. There in the closet was the body of an old lady. James ran gagging from the room trying hard not to vomit. He ran all the way back to his apartment and was sick in the toilet.
What was he going to do now? There was a body in the next apartment. He was just about to dial the police again when he heard a noise behind him. Standing in his doorway knife in hand was the man. The police had let him go.
"Well, well look what we have here. I thought it was you this morning running around like a weirdo. Was you who called the cops too wasn't it? So, you been in the apartment? You find the old lady in the closet?" He asked clucking his tongue.
James could only shake his head. "No, you must be mistaken, I don't know anything." He blubbered
"Oh come now, you know i killed that old man last week. I seen you watching my boys and me. I been looking for you all week. Lucky for me you come out this morning. Bad for you of course, seeing as i know where you live now, huh? Yep I seen you at the shop, not a good disguise." He edged closer to James. " followed you and then i had to wait to get in. So you see this old lady comes along and what do you know, she lives in this building." He waved his arms in the air. "She even lives right across the hall from you. I told her I just moved in and offered to help with her bags. I just asked her a few questions and what a coincidence, her living across the hall from you. Old ladies are so fickle. Well you know the rest. So, you been waiting for me huh? Here I am. Now what do you suppose we do about this situation you got yourself into?" He asked as he walked closer to James.
James backed up nearly tripping over the phone table. He thought he might mess himself.
"I told you, I don't know anything. Please just leave me alone. I wont tell any one, I promise. I don't even remember what you just told me. I have a very bad memory." He begged, on the verge of tears.
"I don't think so. You already called the cops on me once. I better end this here and now." He smirked at James and closed in on him, knife flashing.
"Besides, I'm in the mood for a bit of fun." He added.
At that moment James was sure he was going to mess himself.