Do My Part
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Four
Jackson slipped inside Lisa Reisert's apartment using the spare key that she kept hidden under the 'Welcome' mat. She was somewhat careless when it came to security, which was only to his advantage. A black bag was slung over his shoulder and he was dressed in casual clothes. Had he come near her home wearing his usual suit, he would have attracted unwanted attention. Blending in was essential for this job.
Once inside, he breathed in the sweet scent that a candle warmer circulated throughout the small apartment. What it was, he did not know, but it clearly said 'Lisa' to him.
He set down the bag by the door and pulled on his leather gloves before coming any farther. She could not know that he had been there. Everything had to stay the same, but if he was careful enough, he could examine her belongings and house without her ever knowing that he had done so.
A person's home gave great insight to their character. Knowledge that could very well alter the plan could be concealed inside her cramped apartment. His job was to find it and build an accurate profile of Lisa Reisert.
"The devil's in the details," he whispered to himself.
Jackson entered her bedroom first, eager to get to know her a bit better.
A search of her closet reveal work clothes, work clothes, and — surprise! — more work clothes. High heels littered the floor of the closet and there was not a sensible shoe in sight.
He moved on to the dresser. On the top were a few framed photographs of her and a man. She looked extremely young in the pictures. There was also a picture of her and her parents, and one of her and her father.
"Daddy's little girl, huh, Lisa?" he asked the photograph.
He began rifling through the drawers. Sensible, no frill underwear (disappointing) filled the top drawer. The middle drawer contained comfortable pjs, once again nothing fancy or sexy. The bottom drawer was empty except for a small velvet box. Jackson retrieved the box from the depths of the drawer and flipped it open.
A small gold band greeted his eyes. A woman's wedding ring. Lisa's wedding ring.
He was startled. Why did you keep this, Leese? You and I both know it was a sham.
The phone rang and Jackson snapped the box shut. He briefly considered keeping it — surely she would not miss it if she kept it hidden away? — then replaced it in the drawer.
"Lisa? It's dad. I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner somewhere tonight, or lunch tomorrow depending on your schedule. Well, let me know," the answering machine recorded.
He kept searching the bedroom. The nightstand held a lamp, a new tear-jerking Nicholas Sparks book, along with the latest James Patterson book. A strange combination to be sure.
Despite how unprofessional it was, Jackson reclined on Lisa's bed. He breathed in her sweet, flowery scent from the pillows and picked up a strand of reddish hair. He pocketed the hair and reached his hand under the pillow. His hand felt something hard and cool. Pulling it out, he discovered that it was a knife.
What kind of woman slept with a carving knife under her pillow? Was Lisa afraid of something?
He slipped the blade back in place and carefully hopped off the bed. He headed into the bathroom and checked out Lisa's medicine cabinet first.
The usual cold medicine, cough drops, aspirin, first aid kit, anti-itch cream, ace bandages, and band-aids filled the cabinet. There were no prescription bottles except one for a sleeping aid. Lisa Reisert either had trouble sleeping or was an insomniac.
There were the normal female belongings, hair products, hair brushes, blow dyers, curling irons, and such in the bathroom.
Ordinary, ordinary, ordinary… the only thing special was that wedding ring!
"Why are you such a boring person, Lisa?"
The rest of the apartment revealed nothing important and Jackson set to the mind-numbing task of installing his surveillance equipment. He planted miniscule microphones around the various rooms, as well as his carefully concealed cameras. He was sorely tempted to place a camera in the bathroom, but opted instead for just a microphone. She deserved a hint of privacy, plus not all women only dressed in the bathroom.
Focus, Rippner, focus. You have a job to do. Stop getting carried away.
He tapped her phone, feeding it directly to his high-tech laptop. He would now know everything that she did at home now, without having to try observing her from the outside. There was nowhere for her to hide from him.
You're mine, Lisa. You and all of your secrets. You belong to me.
Author's Notes:
Jackson is having just a little too much fun, isn't he? Such a sick person… Anyways, enjoy and the next chapter should be up soon.