STALK....Chapters Five and Six

                     CHAPTER FIVE..................

Carolyn sat staring into a cup of muddy looking coffee in the break room on the sixteenth floor of the Evans Building.  She had given her presentation to her boss, hoping for an immediate reaction that would put her on the Play Land Pools and Spas account she wanted so much.  Instead, Wally had listened politely, nodding at the right places, then he put the bright orange folder into his top right desk drawer “for safe keeping”.  Carolyn left his office without a hint of what his decision might be, but as she rounded the corner she saw Gary Bowers heading into Wally’s office with his own folder.  She knew they were going head to head for the account, and she also knew that he had an advantage because he had a penis.   For just a few seconds she allowed herself the luxury of fantasizing about following Wally into the men’s room, maybe shouting at him while he stood at the urinal.   She imagined him cowering in a white tiled corner as she coldly explained to the cringing executive her plan to leave the men’s room to go from office to office to inform every staff member about his lack of endowment…..

A familiar voice pulled her out of her reverie, “Hey girl…..what are you doing in here?”  Marion, Wally’s personal secretary, was grinning at her from the doorway.  “You know Gary’s in Wally’s office, and his nose is so brown he can hardly breathe right now,” she laughed.  “I cannot for the life of me see what use Wally has for that guy.  He’s a major suck up. “

Marion was a statuesque black woman, with hair in loose, black patent leather curls that framed a face attractive enough to grace any magazine.  She was sharp, and everyone in the company knew Wally wouldn’t last six months in his current job if she decided to leave.  Marion gave him an hour by hour list of what he was supposed to do every day of his working life.   Without her he’d be lost, and at least he was smart enough to know that.   Marion Davidson was the highest paid personal secretary in the company for a very well thought out reason.

“I’m just sitting here pouting and plotting,” Carolyn couldn’t help but smile.  “You headed out for lunch already?”

“Already?   It’s twelve fifteen, girl.  You know how cranky I get when I’m hungry.  Come on!  Go with……”

Carolyn thought for a second, and then said, “What the hell.   Let’s get Chinese, I’m heading to the gym after work and that’ll be long gone before I start to work out.”

As the elevator doors closed Carolyn thought to herself, “Gary may be able to follow Wally into the men’s room, but I’ve got the real power in that office in this elevator with me.”  She couldn’t help feeling better as she and Marion laughed and talked on the way down to the first floor.

                                 
                                   CHAPTER SIX.......................

Marco woke with a start, the sunlight had shifted and he knew he’d slept longer than planned.  He looked at the clock on Carolyn’s night stand and realized it was nearly one o’clock.   Slapping his forehead he stomped into the bathroom, relieving himself and putting the lid down without flushing the toilet.  Let her wonder about that.

Bounding down the stairs, Marco knew he’d have to rush now to get to the hospital, then on to his night job at UPS.    From seven pm till five am he loaded the big, brown trucks.  He much preferred working in construction; he felt trapped indoors and working on a building site was a great release for his energy and, sometimes, a good place to hide a problem.  He had given up construction work after Carolyn moved to Brainard Road.  Working nights at the UPS warehouse was boring and repetitive, but it paid well and it gave him his days free to keep watch on the house and Carolyn. 


Marco Gianetti was forty six years old but looked to be in his early thirties.  At five eleven he was physically fit with the kind of dark good looks that make women take a second look.  The last of six boys, Marco had been his Mama’s baby; he could do no wrong in her eyes, and she’d had plenty of opportunity to change her mind as he grew up.

Marco lived with his Mother till her death eight years ago.  Since then he had been in and out of relationships with several women; some would be lucky to escape with their lives.  Two had not.  Marco knew the two women who “died on him” were not his responsibility.  Both had been leaving him even though they knew better; both had disappeared without a trace. 

Marco had been part of the construction crew on the houses where the two women had been hidden.   One was a huge house at the edge of town that kept Marco employed for eight months; first dry walling and then brick work.   Susie Master’s body was wrapped in plastic and placed in a lime filled bag.  Marco custom made the bag himself out of heavy canvas, then tied the top with plastic clothes line.  Susie would stand in the corner of the laundry room as long as the house stood.  Marco was careful to place the body away from any plumbing or heating that might need repair at some point.  He remembered laughing as he installed shelves from floor to ceiling on that wall; if they only knew what they were really storing.

The second property was a summer house eighteen miles from town.  Marco thought the huge fieldstone fireplace was his master piece.  If they ever tore it down they would find Marilyn Anson’s corpse in a brown leather suitcase he had entombed in the back wall of the firebox.  He especially didn’t feel bad about Marilyn because she had made a very rude comment about his relationship with his Mother.  No one spoke evil of Marco’s Mother and lived.

As he passed JuJu’s dog bed he dropped two more treats beside her, bent to scratch her ears, and said, “Enjoy it while you can, little girl.  You’re a very sick little doggy.”  JuJu wiggled with glee and grabbed one of the treats in her mouth as she rolled at Marco’s feet.  “Yes, sweetie….a very sick little girl.”

JuJu watched adoringly as Marco crossed to the refrigerator.  Rummaging in the crisper drawer he came out with an apple, then grabbed a handful of grapes for good measure.  Smiling, he picked up a container of black cherry yogurt, then carefully replaced it on the wire shelf.  Carolyn lived on yogurt and fruit.   He had never found much in the way of leftovers in the fridge; sometimes he would heat himself a can of soup or make a sandwich.  When he and Carolyn were together for good that would change.  He was an excellent cook and he looked forward to making meals with her in this big kitchen.     He tucked the fruit into a sandwich bag he pulled from a kitchen drawer, then headed down the basement stairs to get on with the day. 

Marco gingerly pulled himself out the window,  then turned back with the screwdriver to force it back into the frame, leaving everything just as he’d found it.  He jogged to his car, and soon he was headed back down the hill toward Mercy Medical Center.