The Cop

I watched from the window as they rolled her lifeless body out into the ambulance. This isn’t possible, I ran outside. “Hey! You! Police! Stop!” I yelled attempting to catch my breath. 

“Sorry ma’am, you can’t be here.”

“Wait, no she’s my neighbor. I came to tell you that I saw..”

“Saw what? She died of natural causes, the woman was 85.”

“No! I saw them, there were people in her house. They killed…”

“Listen lady, as far as I’m concerned she died of natural causes. If I were you I’d stop talking.”

“But..”

“I said stop talking, or else. Now go!”

I stared at the man in uniform, what did he just say? He can’t be serious, I know what I saw. He shooed me away so I slowly walked back inside. I bolted to my kitchen window to keep watch of the officer. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black flip phone. It’s 2021, I thought those were extinct. The man quickly snuck around Mrs. Burton’s home away from the others, luckily it was the side facing my house. He aggressively dialed a number as he pranced in circles with fear running down his forehead. I opened the window slightly to hear the conversation. 

“We have a problem. I know what I said before but we have a witness. I know! what ? we can’t do that. If they find out they’ll kill me! Ok, I understand…”

The call ended, this isn’t good. I slowly go to close the window but right when I move the handle a massive creak lets out. The man whips around to make eye contact with me. I’m in shock, how can an officer do this? All I know is that he knows I heard him. I glance down at his name tag ‘Roy Parker’ it says. 

We stand there for a few seconds before he goes back to the front of the house and drives away with his partner. This isn’t good, I know what I saw and somehow a police officer is involved. 

A couple hours have passed and it’s now dark. I can’t stop thinking about this morning and how odd it was. Poor Mrs. Burton was such a nice old lady, I don’t understand why someone would want to hurt her. As I sit in bed I hear a car slow down and come to a stop in front of my house. Out of my window I can see a dark car and two men get out. Roy Parker, he’s one of them. They get to my door and pull their guns, I can’t stay here. I grab a bag in the corner of my room as the front door slams open. Clothes, snacks and my wallet is all I could grab before I hear them walking up the stairs. I pull the bag on my back and open my window, this is the only way out now. My bedroom door opens as I fall out of the second story window. I stumble onto my front deck and start running. I don’t know where to go or what to do, I just run. After making it past three houses I hear a car’s engine start. I have to think but I can’t. I turn a sharp left into an alleyway which leads to an open road. Just as I got out of the alleyway a taxi drove by. “Taxi! Taxi!”

I caught it just in time. Just as I get into the taxi the black car drives by, it slows down to look then speeds off in a different direction. “Take me to South street please.”

My grandpa has a place half an hour away from here. It’s supposedly nice and he’s been wanting me to visit. I’d feel bad if something ever happened to him but that’s the only place I can go. I can’t believe it, I witnessed a murder and now the cop’s and who knows who else is after me! They even tried to kill me. I need to call my grandpa, tell him I’m coming. No, I can’t take that chance, they might be listening for all I know. This whole thing has got me so paranoid that I can’t even mourn my sweet neighbor's death. A slight stream runs down my cheek as I sit on the ripped up leather seats in the back of the taxi.

I finally made it to my grandpa’s house. It’s a cute little green bungalow with white trim and a detached garage. His old blue Volkswagen sedan sitting in the driveway. I pay the driver then walk up to the front door. It’s 2 am and grandpa is probably asleep. I rang the doorbell and there was no answer. I rang again and knocked on the door as well this time. Still no answer. I hear a car slowly come up the street and I crouch behind a bush in front of the house. I can’t stop shaking, what if it’s them, what if they pull up into the driveway and see me. The car stops outside the house and through the bushes I can see them. The car is a big black SUV with about three people in it. They look intense and the guy in the back has a gun. They drive off just as grandpa opens the door.

“What in the hell are you doing here at 2 am in the morning! And why are you crouched behind a bush?”

“Grandpa. It’s me, Alice..”

“Oh my sweet Alice come in, come in. I thought you were my gardener.”

Grandpa leads me to his 80’s style living room. I sat down on his patterned couch which has seen better days. As he pours me a tea he asks, “So what brings you here, especially at this time.”

“Grandpa, I think I’m in trouble. I don’t know what to do and I didn’t know where to go so I just went here.”

“Oh my, what kind of trouble are we talking about because I myself was quite a trouble maker back in my day.”

“No grandpa, not like that. My neighbor Mrs. Burton died last night and the cops said it was from natural causes but I saw people break into her house that night. I think she was murdered.”

“Oh my dear, well did you tell the police? I’m sure they’d be able to help.”

“I tried and the cop seemed to be in on whatever happened! Then I overheard the cop on the phone with someone talking about me. He saw me listening to the call and they came to my house. They tried to kill me.”

“Oh my, this is just horrible. We need to do something. I might know someone who can help…”

Grandpa speed walks over to his old phone on the wall and calls a number. He tells whoever to meet him at his house in 20 minutes then hangs up. 20 minutes go by and we hear a knock on the door. Grandpa goes to open it but I nudge him back and open it. A wrinkled old man burst in rushing to the dining room.

“Carl I got all the things I was able to grab in time, I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to be looking at though.”

“Phil, this is my granddaughter Alice. Phil used to be a private investigator before retirement. I thought he might be able to help.”

“Don’t be silly Carl, I still do the odd job. Nice to meet ya.”

Phil throws his briefcase onto the table with force. For a small old man he sure has some strength. He presses a button and the case unfolds. Inside there is an old camera that looks like it hasn’t been touched in years, a note pad, and a few other odd machines. I fill him in on what’s happening and he creates a plan. 

“Now, the police may not be trustworthy but I know a guy in the FBI. His name is John, he’s the grandson of Fred. Remember Fred from down at the bingo hall Carl? Anyways, he’s helped me on a few cases and since they are separate from the local cops I figure this is your best shot.”

“Ok I’m in. Can you call him?”

“Ah yes let me just go through my notes here and find his number.”

Phil finally finds the number and calls him. He answers and Phil and him talk. 

“John says that you need to get to the FBI building right now! I’ll drive!”

Phil and my grandpa hop into the front seats of Phil’s car while I lay in the back so nobody can see. After 10 minutes we finally make it to the building where John is waiting outside. 

“Are you sure I can trust him?”

“Of course you can, he is as clean as soap!”

I get out of the car and rush my way over to the building. 

“Hello, Special Agent John Ruler. I heard you are in trouble?”

“I think that might be an understatement.”

John takes me inside and up about 20 floors to his office. He brings his boss in and I tell them everything. John asks about the men and what they look like. I tell them about the cop Roy Parker and they tell me they will be back. Once they come back they inform me that Roy Parker has been on their watch for another crime but they had no proof.

“We told all of our men about Parker and they are currently out on a hunt for him. We will find him.”

“Thank you. But what about the other guys?”

“We are going to try and get Parker to flip on them but we need to catch him first.”

John walks out of his office. If they find him, Mrs. Burton will be brought to justice. What did they even want with her? This makes no sense. After an hour of waiting, John bursts into the room.

“We found the cop, he’s coming in now.”

We both walk out of the office just as the cuffed Roy Parker comes in. He doesn’t break eye contact with me until he gets to the interrogation room. John tells me he will be questioning him and asks if I had any questions I wanted him to ask. 

“Why did he do it? I want to know why Mrs. Burton.”

John agrees and goes into the room. Half an hour goes by and after sipping on the horrible coffee an agent got me, John finally comes out.

“He told us who he’s working with and also why Mrs. Burton. Apparently she was a witness to a kidnapping by the same crew of guys. We located the victim and have people going there now.”

“A kidnapping? That’s insane. Did you get the guys Roy was working for?”

“Yes we arrested the group thanks to you. If you weren’t as brave as you are, things could’ve been a lot worse so thank you.”

I smile at John as I turn to the elevator. The lobby looks so much brighter than before. I exit the big FBI doors to the relief of freedom. Finally, the bad guys are caught and I’m able to go home safe. To think I could’ve ended up just like my neighbor.