An Innocent Murderer
Audrey Sterling walked through the small, cluttered office of Katrina Jones, an intern. It was barely an office, more like a cubicle with a window and a door. The scent of coffee infiltrated Audrey's nostrils as she approached the desk. It was lined with... Smurfs? This woman, this girl, Audrey thought. I've never seen someone this obsessed with toys since I bought my niece that train set last Christmas, and she's seven years old.
She slipped past the bookshelf to the right, heading for the storage closet door... when she caught her skirt on the pointed metal edge of the desk.
"Damnit," she muttered, trying to free the piece of fabric. She removed one of her leather gloves, tugging at the skirt, "I just had to buy...this thing catches the first time I wear it."
It seemed to be stuck on a piece of the metal that was bent backward from abuse. But criticizing Miss Jones' care of her desk wasn't the reason for this visit. She had much more important things at stake than a skirt.
Carefully, she pulled on her leather glove again. Audrey reached into the inside pocket of her blazer and pulled out one of her trademark daggers, still slick with blood. She was placing it in the intern's desk drawer when she heard a voice, a female voice, getting louder by the second.
"Yeah, I'll get right on it, Mr. Robins. Would you like some coffee or—" Katrina stopped at the door of her office. It had been locked when she left. A sudden rush of apprehension made her heart race, and she opened the door cautiously.
"Hello?" But in the eyes of Katrina Jones, there was no one in her office. It looked the same as when she had left it.
Audrey peered through the sliver of light left by the barely open door. The storage closet was stuffy, but sadly, almost as big as the office itself. She looked quickly at the intern and smiled. Miss Jones was heading for the desk.
Katrina noticed a handle of something hanging out of her top desk drawer. She didn't recognize it at all, and when she pulled at the handle...
A scream could be heard, so shrill and terrible, that several other Oscorp employees ran through the door of Katrina's office.
"What's wrong?" panted a young man in a blue suit. The woman behind him peered out with a look of shock. "Call the police! Have you been hurt?" Katrina was still shaking and didn't answer.
The man bolted out of the door again and down the hallway beyond.
"Which intern was it?" a voice echoed in the hallway. Oh... Audrey thought. Oh god... No, he shouldn't be here today... Not today...
"Mr. Osborn, let me explain–"
Harry stopped her, interrupting quickly. "...are you all right?"
"Yes, but–"
"Then that's all I need to know. Explain to the police when they arrive, and don't worry about your job...it'll still be here when you get back. Not like you did anything," Harry laughed. "You'll be fine."
Katrina laughed nervously, then looked at the long bloody dagger again. She dropped it onto the desk, following Harry as he left the room.
The woman followed Katrina out, giving the room a quick glance first. Once everyone had left, Audrey stepped out of the closet.
"A real mastermind comes prepared," she smiled to herself, taking her glider out from behind the bookcase. "And a flaky, frizzy little bleach-blond bitch like that never checks behind her furniture." She extended its metal wings and lifted a switch on the side, pushing it out of the window. It floated outside the window, and before the police had even arrived, she was flying into the woods nearest the Oscorp building.
Several days had passed since then, and the headlines were as such: "OSCORP INTERN ON TRIAL FOR MURDER", "MORE EVIDENCE IN THE JONES TRIAL", "HAVE WE FOUND THE MYSTERIOUS KILLER?" It was only a matter of time before the strategically placed murder weapons, clean of prints, were found throughout the city, even in Katrina's home. The outlook was bleak for the young intern, and with the newest murder weapon found... Peter Parker became more and more anxious to see what would be 'discovered' next. Rather, he hoped he could see a pattern before Audrey planted another piece of evidence.
"MJ?" Peter called from his room usptairs.
"Yeah Pete?" Mary Jane answered loudly from the living room.
"I was thinking of dropping by to see Harry today."
There was a long silence, punctuated by a sigh. "I don't know..."
"I need to talk to him."
Another long pause.
"Mary Jane?"
Silence.
He heard the last few steps creak, and before he knew it, Mary Jane was standing in the doorway. "...Are you gonna be long?"
"No, I don't want to stay there too long..." Peter didn't want to stay in the same house as Audrey. But then again, did he really want to leave Mary Jane here, alone? "Uh... Mary Jane?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you come with me to–"
"–I'll be fine, Pete."
"Just...do this for me, okay? I need you to come along this time."
Mary Jane answered with some thought in between. "...If it'll make you feel better... I'll go. But... I can take care of myself, you know."
Peter drew Mary Jane close to him and kissed her softly. "Not this time." He ran down the stairs, Mary Jane speeding after him as they made for the car.
"What's the rush?" she asked once they were in the car.
"I have to know this before she kills anyone else. I could solve this case if I can only catch Audrey planting evidence–"
"–Audrey? Peter, please! Don't do this. Did you ever think that Audrey might not be–"
"MJ, I have to do this!" he yelled, slamming on the breaks at the traffic light. A loud screech came from the car, and they were both jolted almost to the point of whiplash. "...I'm sorry...really I am, Mary Jane. But I know who killed Aunt May, and I won't let Audrey get away with this."
"Fine, Pete. But don't do anything drastic, okay?"
"I won't." He knew that it was a lie, but would he really upset Mary Jane by telling her the truth. Truth is, you'd kill Audrey if you had Harry's confidence. But that won't be acquired any time soon, will it? There's no way he'll believe you unless you give him proof, and even then it's probably a lost cause.
He pulled into the circular drive of the Osborn estate, heaving a sigh. This wouldn't be easy... Peter left the car, heading down the pathway.
Mary Jane followed closely, holding his hand. "Remember, Pete. Just talking for now..."
"I know." He gripped her hand tightly in return, almost jogging now. He could imagine that Audrey was ready to kill... that Harry had just kissed her goodbye as she walked out the door...
"Pete, not so fast, come on..."
There it was...the entrance. He rang the doorbell and used the door knocker once, twice...
"Get the door!" Harry called. Peter knew he was ordering a servant... There was something exciting going on behind those doors, he could hear laughing and the sound of something...someone..falling?
"I'm gonna get you..."
"Not if I can help it!" He heard Audrey's voice last. He peered through a break in the window shade. Oh god... it was Harry's number one date ritual– his dumb wrestling game. All they did was chase and tickle eachother to death until someone gave in. When was the last time he did this? Years... Too many. He used it only once or twice, but the girls got a kick out of it... sometimes. Sounded like it was going pretty well.. Christ... they sound very, very happy. This is going to be harder than I thought...
"Where is he?" Harry fumed. Peter took it that Harry was looking for the butler. "Never mind, I'll get it..."
The door opened.
"Peter, Mary Jane. Hey!" Harry looked very well, happier than ever... It was worse than Peter had thought. "Well come on in, Audrey's here too. Audrey!" he called to his...wrestling partner... "Pete and MJ are here."
Mary Jane entered ahead of Peter, and his first look around alerted him to the fact that Audrey was still on the floor, laughing. The smile left her face at the sight of them both... And she rose to meet them.
"Hello Peter– Mary Jane, I hoped I'd meet you again before..."
"Before?" she asked in a very friendly tone. Peter waited anxiously for this. Before what, Audrey? We all want to know.
"...Before the wedding, of course. Yours and Peter's. Well, I'd hoped you could stay for dinner... if it's fine with Harry."
"Of course," Harry said, kissing Audrey's hand. "I'll go talk to Priss, she's an amazing cook." Hired help, Peter assumed.
"Right this way," Audrey said, leading them both to the dining room.
Damned near impossible...she's asked us to be dinner guests. What's next? Mary Jane choosing her as a bridesmaid?