Chapter Nine

 

The next morning, she was fixing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror when she decided she needed a cup of coffee first. She went to the bathroom door and suddenly realized it was locked. She turned the lock, but it was still locked. That made no sense. She stared at the knob, it moved. She couldn't believe it. It moved! Someone was on the other side of her door! But how? And more importantly, who? Then she saw the tiny saw that went in a circular pattern and then it fell off in her hand. Someone had just sawed the doorknob off.

She jerked on the door, nothing happened. She gasped.

She dropped it on the floor like a hot pot from the stove.

The door wouldn't budge. She felt panic strike her. Bile rose in her throat. Her stalker was here. She knew it. Then she saw a shadow through the hole where the knob had been. It was someone moving away from the door.

"Who's out there?" she called.

Nothing.

"I know you are out there. Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" She banged on the door and tried to open it once more. She glanced around. She kicked at the door. It wouldn't open for anything.

She stared at the door.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried, leaning her head against the door now, trying to hear anything, something. Not even a smell to identify.

She whipped about, realizing she had brought her phone with her to the bathroom. She tried to remember Dex's number. She tried to remember the number for the apartment manager. She searched her list of contacts, but she hadn't called Dex yet. She found the manager's office number in the contacts and called it. No one answered, she left a message on the machine. Surely, someone would come. She couldn't focus.

Panic ran through her, and her body started to shake.

She jerked on the door again.

Nothing.

Panic welled quickly. Sweat trickled down her neck, down her back.

This couldn't be happening. Not today. She had to start a new job today. She needed to be calm and collected.

She began banging on the door, and yelling for help.

Finally, after a half hour of banging, someone was on the other side.

"Help?" She called through the door.

"Miss George? Is that you?" Earl, the maintenance man called from the other side.

"Yes, Earl, I'm in the bathroom and can't get out." she yelled. "I'm locked in." She cried, her arms slumped against the door as she beat it.

"Locked in? Turn the lock?"

"I can't the door knob fell off."

"Okay, don't panic, I'll get my tools and get you out of there." He told her.

"Thanks," she called to him, shakily.

Then suddenly Dex's voice called from the other side. "Mel, are you alright?"

"No, I'm locked in here. I can't get out." She cried.

"Hold on, honey. He's gone to get some tools." Dex explained. "How did you lock yourself in?"

"I didn't. I just closed the door, and it was locked from the outside." She cried helplessly.

"It's okay, babe. We'll get you out. Stay calm." He insisted.

She took deep breaths. Wishing she'd made coffee first. Wishing she'd checked around her apartment first. Wishing so many things.

Suddenly the door came open and there stood Dex and the maintenance man staring at her in her robe.

She tied the sash tighter, as she batted her eyes at the tears that threatened to fall.

"What happened?" They both ask her.

She shook her head, looking at Earl now for explanations. "How could the door lock from the other side?"

He shrugged. "It can't. Unless someone locked it from the other side. But they'd have to have a key and I'm the only one with a key."

She handed him the door knob.

Earl stared at it for a long moment.

"But I couldn't get out." She cried. "And I saw someone moving about through the hole where the knob goes."

He nodded. "Want me to call the cops for you?" He asked.

"No…it had to be some kind of weird accident. The knob was loose, maybe when I shut it, it locked itself or something." She said, not believing a word of it.

Dex looked worried.

"I'll fix it today, along with the patio," Earl assured her and left.

"Thanks," she called after him.

He waved.

"A door doesn't lock itself, Dex." She looked at him.

"No, it doesn't. Maybe you should call the police." He suggested as he watched her closely.

"No…not yet." She murmured.

He leaned to kiss her and she wanted to go into his arms and absorb him, but she knew better. This was the first day of work, and she had to have her mind clear. Kissing this early in the morning was mind boggling especially after such a scare. She wanted to curl up in his arms and stay there the rest of the day, but she had a job to go to today. This was not the time.

Her mind raced about her morning. She didn't remember doing much but getting up and going into the bathroom. She knew she had seen someone on the other side. Someone in a black sweatshirt and black pants.

She glanced at Dex, he was wearing jeans and t-shirt. The maintenance man had worn some worn out looking jeans and a t-shirt. It hadn't been either of them, that much she could believe.

"Are you alright?" He asked moments later.

"No, but I will be. I've got a job to start today. Got to get my head on straight. Want some coffee?"

"Got enough?" He grinned.

"Sure." She smiled and went into the kitchen to pour him a cup. She poured herself some and took a big sip, it was boiling hot and she burned her tongue.

"Oh wow, things are just going super today." She fretted setting the cup in the sink.

"Hey, I better go so you can get dressed, you don't want to be late your first day." He chuckled.

"You're right, see you later." She smiled.

"Hey, don't fret, we'll get to the bottom of this. And I'll return you cup, later." He came up to her, kissed her silly, "Good luck, babe." He clipped her lightly on the nose and left. "And good luck with the job."

"I hope so," she murmured under her breath.

She went into her bedroom and saw that the boxes she'd set above her closet on the rack were now sprawled out on her bed. They'd been gone through. Someone was looking for something, but what?

She had nothing here so she put the lids on the boxes and put them up. She'd worry about it later, she had to get to work. It was all too disturbing to even think about. If she dwelled on it, she'd be a wreck for her first interview.

Trying to put it behind her, she got dressed. She could not dwell on the bathroom incident. She would start her new job in less than an hour and she had to be calm and collected. She couldn't let her fears rattle her.

Earl came back before she left, he had his tool belt on and he went to check the door now that she was busy elsewhere.

"That's weird?"

"What?" Melanie glanced at him from the kitchen as she ran water in the coffee cup.

"The knob was cut out, with some kind of saw. Never seen anything like this. You say you saw someone through the hole?"

"Yes, someone in black sweatshirt and black pants. That's all I saw."

Earl nodded. "Who'd want to lock you in a bathroom?" Earl twisted his head at her.

"I don't know…It makes no sense to me. But they went through some boxes from my closet too, they were lying on the bed. It looks as though they were looking or something and just decided to lock me in the bathroom while they went about it."

"I really think you should report this to the police. This is vandalism if nothing else." He told her.

Melanie thought about it. "Maybe we should. But right now, I've got to get to the hospital, this is my first day of work, and I just can't be late."

Earl nodded, "You go on, I'll report it and see what they say."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. If they need in the apartment, will you let them in?"

"Yeah, well, I don’t appreciate someone coming in here and tearing my door up, and scaring you to death either." Earl muttered as he took out some tools and began working on the door. "You don't have any idea who it was?" Earl asked.

"No, but I'd sure like to find out." Melanie told him.

"Well, that's why we should call the cops. Whoever it was, had no right being here." Earl told her.

"That's for sure."

"About that patio, the other day I glanced up to see what I might need to fix it, and it was still hanging. But last night before I left, a piece had either fallen off or was taken off. The wind isn't that strong either. It's made of steel, it would be hard to blow that off, it would take a tornado, or a person dangling from it."

She thought about that and stared at him. "Call the police. Tell them I'll make a statement on my first day off. I haven't touched the patio, so maybe if anyone was out there they can get some prints."

He nodded. "Good idea."

She glanced at Earl and suddenly smiled. Although he was a character, she liked his protective nature. "Thanks Earl, I left a message on the machine, but I didn't think you'd get it so soon."

"I was showing an apartment, I saw a recording was left on the machine and the manager hadn't gotten to the office yet, so I listened. Good thing I did. I guess you haven't even met the manager yet, have you?"

"No actually, I haven't."

"His name's George. He's a little on the quiet side, but harmless I guess." Earl reflected.

"Well, I hate to run and leave you with this mess…"

"No problem, it's my job. Don't worry I'll report it, and they may want to ask you some questions later."

"That's fine. Although I don't know much more than you about it." Melanie nodded.

"Good luck," He smiled as she grabbed her purse and keys.

"Thanks, I'll need it today." She quipped.

 

***

 

The hospital was busy as could be. She had to slow down and present a calm appearance even though she didn't feel calm right now.

She had the jitters because she hadn't eaten this morning, but there were just too many things happening.

At least she wasn't late.