CHAPTER 50
Several days after the incident with Ken, Rita was enjoying a rare day off, puttering around her apartment, and generally relaxing—doing nothing—when she heard a knock on her neighbor’s door. Without hesitating, she opened her own door and peeked out. She was just in time to see a new grocery deliveryman entering Mrs. Kelly’s apartment. She waited a while until the man left, and then walked the short distance to her neighbor’s door and knocked softly. Mrs. Kelly opened the door almost immediately.
“Oh, hi Rita,” she said. “Have you heard the news?”
“What news?” asked Rita. “I was just going to ask what happened to Ken?”
“That’s what the news is all about,” replied the old woman. “He’s been arrested.”
“What?!”
“Who would have ever thought that nice man was a rapist,” sighed Mrs. Kelly. “I always thought he was so nice,” she said. “He was a Vietnam veteran, you know.”
“When did all this happen?” asked Rita.
“Yesterday afternoon, around two—at least that’s the way I heard it from the new man; I think he said his name is Roy. I would have thought you would’ve heard about it.”
“Yeah, well it’s a small world, Mrs. Kelly, but not that small. Did they say where it happened? The rape, I mean.”
“Well, I don’t think he actually got to that part. Thank god. They say he was trying to tie her up when she got loose, ran out into the street, and flagged down a police car. It was up in the Bronx somewhere. But, I think he lives down in Chelsea. At least, that’s what I heard.”
Rita turned and rushed out of the apartment. “Thanks, Mrs. Kelly,” she called over her shoulder. She hurried back to her apartment to call Freitag.
“Apparently he met this woman on the Internet – in one of those chat rooms,” said Matt. “I can’t believe these women take chances like that. Imagine meeting a total stranger – just because he wrote nice things on a computer screen? That’s just nuts.”
Freitag, who knew a little about Rita’s Internet adventures, tried not to smile as he said, “Well, it’s not that crazy.” Rita blushed openly, and Matt couldn’t help noticing.
“What’s with you, Rita?”
“You mean Chris didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I know the guy,” said Rita. “He’s my grocery deliveryman.”
“Tell him the rest,” prodded Freitag.
“Oh, Matt, I feel like such a fool.”
“Rita, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Well, remember I told you I had finally gotten online?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Well, he was the one who helped me—this Ken. He showed me how to get online, and how to get into those chat rooms. He even helped me pick out a screen name.
“And that would be what?”
“For me to know and you to find out,” teased Rita. “Anyway, the creep used it to locate me in a chat room, and then kind of made a pass at me; got pretty gross actually, and I told him not to contact me anymore.”
“So, why didn’t you tell someone?” asked Matt.
“I was too embarrassed,” replied Rita. “Besides, I didn’t think any harm had been done, and I figured I had put the fear of god into him. Obviously, he didn’t take me seriously enough.”
“Well, maybe he’s our guy,” said Matt. “Did you ever think of that?”
“Not really,” replied Rita. “But, now that you mention it, it could make sense.”
“Yeah, well we need to interview him,” said Matt. “Check out his fingerprints, get a sample of his DNA. Christ, wouldn’t it be something if he’s the one we’ve been looking for all this time.”
Rita felt a chill go down her spine.