Mrs. Stanford in Apartment 3G

“Shut the front door!”  Aisha shouted.

It was Halloween night and Aisha was dressed up in her Mae West costume. She chose that costume because she had curves just like her idol, Mae West. She brought a bright red dress that was fitting her form just fine according to her husband, Fred. She found a blonde wig and a small red hat at a thrift store and paired it with some ruby red 2 inch heels. She looked fierce. Mae West had nothing on her. The boa she borrowed from her sister set the whole costume off and she was glad she chose it. Fred on the other hand was dressed as the Incredible Hulk. He had waited until the last possible minute to get his costume and that was all the party store had left in his size. Aisha laughed when he told her and she laughed even harder when she saw it on him. Fred was no hulk. He was only a little over 5’6 inches tall and barely weighed 145 pounds. Although he tells her he is in the 150 range. Aisha doubted that fact.

When Fred brought that telescope home three days before Halloween she thought he was nuts. They needed a telescope like he needed another Hulk costume. After all, they lived on the tenth floor in their condo and there was hardly room for a telescope except for out on the balcony which Fred hardly ever used. Aisha was even the one who put it out there on the balcony and star gazed more than Fred ever did. When she asked him why he brought it he explained that his best friend, Cary had one and he couldn’t be out done. Aisha shook her head and told him that one day he is going to get tired of trying to keep up with Cary.  

“What’s the matter?” Fred asked as he came from the bedroom when he heard his wife scream.

“Fred, look!” She moved out of the way so Fred could look through the telescope.

“What am I supposed to be looking for?” Fred asked looking through the telescope.

“You don’t see it?”  She asked almost in hysterics.

“See what? All I see is the building across the way. Windows? Shades? Lights? What am I supposed to see?”

“Fred, don’t you see the woman with the knife in her chest standing there near the window?”

“Aisha, I don’t see anything like that. All I see is windows and lights.”

“Let me look.” Aisha pushed Fred out of the way and looked and looked but she didn’t see what she saw before. Where was the woman? Where was the man that stabbed the woman? And why weren’t the cops coming. Where’s the sirens? She wondered.

“Aisha, there is nobody there. What did you see?”  Fred asked.

“Fred, I was looking out of the window and I saw a woman she was dressed as wonder woman and she was standing near the window talking on the phone with her back turned towards me and I was thinking that is a cool costume and I shouldn’t be nosey looking at the woman through her window. Just as I was feeling guilty about invading her privacy she turned around and there was a knife in her chest and she fell down on the floor and there was a man standing over her dressed in a bunny costume. I thought he was holding a carrot in his hand, you know one of those fake carrots? But, I think it was a knife now. He stabbed her in the chest. That is when I screamed and you came into the room. I turned around to talk to you and then she was gone, Wonder Woman and the bunny rabbit.”

“Well, it is Halloween. Maybe someone was just playing a trick on someone.” Fred said, adjusting his mask.

“I don’t think so. It looked real.” Aisha said.

“It can’t be real. If it was real the cops would be here by now.” Fred said.

“Not necessarily. Maybe they don’t know that she is dead.”

“She’s probably not dead. But, if you think you saw a murder than call the cops. They can go and check it out.” Fred suggested.

“OK, I will. I know I saw someone get killed.”

A few hours later there was a knock at the door. Aisha couldn’t think of anything else except what she saw. She couldn’t even enjoy her own costume party without replaying the murder in her mind over and over again.

“Aisha, the cops want to talk to you.” Fred said as he motioned for her to come to the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Parker?”

“Yes, Aisha Parker. How may I help you officers?”

“You were the one who called 911 about a murder or what you thought was a murder in apartment 3G in the building across the street from you?” 

“Yes that was me. Did you find the body? That poor woman. Did you find her killer?”

“No, Mrs. Parker. We didn’t find anything like that. The woman who lives there is alive and well.”

“She can’t be. I mean I saw her stabbed…” Aisha said, trying to make sense of what the officer just told her.

“She is not dead and there is no evidence any crime was committed over there.”

“Are you sure that you have the right apartment?” Aisha asked the officers.

“We knocked on every door in the building. Everyone is alive and well. Nobody saw or heard anything out of the ordinary.” One of the officers explained.

“I told my wife that it is Halloween and someone was probably playing a trick on someone. That’s all I think it was.” Fred tried to explain to the police officers.

“Ok, Mr. and Mrs. Parker we just wanted to let you know everything is okay over there. Thank you for being a concerned citizen. Happy Halloween.” The taller officer said as they walked away from the door.

“Something is wrong. I know what I saw.” Aisha said to Fred.

“Aisha, you heard what the police said that everyone is fine. What you saw was a trick, nothing more. Now, come on and enjoy the party.” 

The next day Aisha called her best friend, Betty. Betty was a private investigator and she knew that she would believe her. Betty parked in the parking lot next to Aisha’s car and rang her bell and waited for Aisha to buzz her up.

“So, what is this about you saw a murder last night?” Betty asked her friend.

“Betty, I swear I saw Wonder Woman getting killed by a big bunny. They were in costume and the woman was dressed as Wonder Woman and the guy who killed her was dressed as a bunny. I was looking through the telescope and saw it as clear as day.”

“But, you said the police went over there and found nothing.”

“They didn’t find anything. They said that they knocked on every door.” Aisha explained.

“So, what don't you believe them?” Betty asked.

“I do believe that they knocked on every door and the people that they talked to were okay but what if they didn’t get an answer to the door where the murder took place?” Aisha asked.

“So, you are saying that maybe one person didn’t open the door?” Betty asked.

“What I am saying is that they missed something. They had to because I know what I saw.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Betty asked.

“I want to go over there and find out for myself.” Aisha said.

“Now, how are you going to do that? You know that people aren’t going to open their door to you, a complete stranger.” 

“That’s why I have to think of a plan.” Aisha answered.

“A plan?”

“Yes, Betty, a plan and that is where you come in. You have to think of something so that we can get inside that apartment and prove that something happened.”

“Aisha, you know that is illegal right? The cops didn’t find anything so why do you think that you can? And why do you think I want to be a part of it and end up in jail with you?” Betty laughed.

“We won’t do anything illegal and you know I don’t want to go to jail either. We are just going to ask some questions.” 

“Aisha, okay, but if you cross the line we quit. We are done okay? You stop immediately and we leave and never talk about this again. Agree?” Betty asked.

“I agree. I won’t cross any lines. I just want to see for myself if there was a murder. If we can’t find any evidence that there was one I will drop the whole thing.” 

“Good. Now you will follow my lead and if we don’t find anything we leave and that is that.”

Aisha and Betty talked to every person who opened the door to them. Most of the neighbors were nice and older in their 60’s and 70’s. Most had been living in the building for years and said that nothing ever went on in the building. 

Aisha asked about the apartment that she thought she witnessed the murder in and one of the residents of the building, Mrs. Taggert, who knew everything that went on in the building, told her that a new woman moved in about a month ago. Her name was Paula Stanford and she was married but separated from her husband. They had one teenage son who lived with her husband and visited her on the weekend’s. He wasn’t there on Halloween. She was alone as far as Mrs. Taggert could tell. Mrs. Stanford only went out once and that was to check her mail that day. 

“By any chance was she wearing a costume?” Aisha asked.

“When she checked the mail no. But, later that evening my grandson was over and he trick or treated in the building and she was in a costume.” The neighbor said.

“What was the costume?” Aisha asked.

“Well, I can’t tell you. See, I only saw her boots.” The neighbor continued.

“This is what happened. My grandson as I said went trick or treating in the building. He is only 5 so I felt it was safer for him to trick or treat in the building. We always have candy for the kids every Halloween. So, when he got to her apartment she had the security chain on the door and the door was only cracked a little bit. I didn’t see her face, just her arm when she handed him the candy and her boots.” 

“Can you describe her boots?” Betty asked.

“Well, let’s see. They were red and white or blue and white. I can’t remember which but they might have been gold too. I just don’t really remember. “ The neighbor explained.

“What about her arm?” Aisha asked.

“Her arm?” The woman asked, confused.

“Yes, what kind of sleeve did her arm have. Like a long sleeve? Short sleeve? Color?  Anything you can remember about the sleeve or her arm?” Aisha asked

“Now that I think about it she had long sleeves but she also had a tattoo on her wrist. A heart tattoo. Her sleeve had stars and stripes on it . I remember that much.” The woman continued.

“Did you tell the cops this?” Betty asked.

“Nope they didn’t ask. All they asked me if I heard anything unusual coming from her apartment. I told them I didn't and they left.” 

“But, you know come to think of it. They never got an answer when they knocked on her door.” The neighbor continued. 

“But, they said that they checked with everyone and everyone was fine.” Aisha said.

“They tried but she didn’t open the door and they left.” The woman said.

“So, they never got inside her apartment?” Betty asked.

“Not as far as I know.” 

“Thank you.” Aisha said as she walked away with Betty giving her a look. 

“Oh I know that look.” Betty said.

“No, we aren’t going to do it.” Betty continued.

“Betty, we have to get inside that apartment. That is the only way that we are going to know if anything happened there.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?” 

“Don’t you have a lock picking set like in the movies?” Aisha asked

“No, no, no. I don’t have one and that would be breaking and entering and that is a crime.”  

“Okay, Okay, but we have to find a way to see if she is okay.” Aisha said.

Aisha watched the telescope night and day looking for any sign of Mrs. Stanford. She figured if anyone came in or out she might see her or someone. She watched for days when she was at home and she saw nothing. Nobody came in and nobody came out. So, Aisha had no other choice; she went across the street and knocked on the door. She waited and waited and she heard footsteps coming towards the door. Her heartbeat quickened and she even started sweating a little as she waited. 

A few minutes later the door opened. It opened just a crack and she saw an eye looking at her. One big brown eye. 

“Yes, can I help you?” The voice said from behind the door.

“Hi, I am selling girl scout cookies for my daughter. Would you like to buy some?” Aisha lied.

“No, not interested.” The woman’s voice said.

“Well, maybe  you can make a donation anyway?” Aisha asked.

“Ok, hold on.” The woman closed the door and a few seconds later she came back and through the crack in the door she handed Aisha a $10. She then closed the door and didn’t say another word.”

“The heart tattoo.” Aisha said.

Aisha ran home and called her friend Betty. 

“Betty. Guess what?” 

“What?” Betty asked.

“The woman opened the door and has a heart tattoo on her wrist.”

“ So, she is not dead?” Betty asked, almost spitting out her hot coffee.

“She’s not dead but someone is dead.” Aisha said

“How do you know this?” Betty said

“Well, I went over there and the woman with the heart tattoo opened the door and guess what I saw or what I smelled?”

“What?” Betty asked

“There was a smell of death in the air. Someone is dead in that apartment.” Aisha said.

“It is not the woman, Mrs. Sanford and how do you even know what death smells like?” Betty asked.

“No, it isn’t Mrs. Stanford. Remember I told you that Wonder Woman got killed that was true Wonder woman was killed but it wasn’t Mrs. Stanford because she was the killer. She was dressed in the bunny costume and she killed the woman and the woman she killed was her twin that is why nobody suspected anything. They didn’t know she had a twin sister.” Aisha explained.

“How do you know all of this?” Betty asked

“I know because  Mrs. Peterson told me.” 

“Who is Mrs. Peterson?” 

“Well, she is her next door neighbor. Mrs. Peterson told me that  Mrs. Stanford has a twin sister. She knew this because one day Mrs. Peterson thought she saw Mrs. Stanford but when she saw the two of them together she put two and two together and figured she had a twin sister.”

“So that doesn’t prove that she killed her twin or anyone else.” Betty said.

“Don’t you see? All the police have to do is get inside that death trap of an apartment and they will know.”  Aisha explained.

“They don’t have a reason to go inside her apartment.” Betty explained.

“Yes I know.” 

The next day as Aisha was leaving for work an older woman dressed in a jogging suit that looked like it was straight out of 1978 stopped her before she could get in her car.

“Are you the one that thought you saw a murder at Mrs. Stanford's apartment?” She asked.

“Yeah, but there was no evidence that a murder took place and I couldn’t prove it.” Aisha said unlocking her car door.

“Well, Miss, they sure have it now. You were right. There was a murder committed in that apartment. The cops just put some of that crime scene yellow tape around the door and they took out a dead body about an hour ago. The person was stabbed in the chest on Halloween.” The woman said.

“How did they find out?” Aisha asked.

“From the smell of death coming out of that apartment.” The woman said and walked away.

“Betty, guess what?” Aisha screamed into the phone.

“I already know. You were right. Maybe you should quit your job and join the police force or at least become a private eye since you already solved one case.” Betty and Aisha both chuckled at the possibility.