Jennifer was settling in nicely to the new routine in her life. Two and a half months had gone by and she was enjoying her job more and more.
She and Carolyn had proven to be quite popular among the student body and everyone wanted to join the journalism class.
They had the students working on various areas- ethics, writing, brainstorming, learning to take good photographs.
Principal Morris had given them the stamp of approval to start a school paper as well. Things couldn't be better. The students were working hard, and the paper, published weekly, was all run by the students.
Carolyn and Jennifer were proud of their eagerness to work so hard at this.
Jonathan was in the process of acquiring a new business and was busy traveling across the states to meet with the team and of course his attorneys about the acquisition.
He and Jennifer had been apart for nearly 5 days now and he was due home just before the event.
Jennifer was on her way to work when her phone began to ring. She picks up and presses the speaker button to keep herself safe as she drives to the school.
" Good morning my darling." Jonathan sounds chipper. He was happy to hear the sound of her voice. He misses the feeling of her delicate skin, the smell of her spicy yet sweet perfume, and her presence.
" Hi darling!" Jennifer greets him, equally as happy to speak to him.
" My bed was cold this morning," he playfully replies, knowing if he was beside her now, her cheeks would blush.
" Mine wasn't. Junior has taken over since you've been gone. You're going to have to bargain with him to get your spot back." Jennifer laughs.
" I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Jonathan plays along.
" Oh it better be good." Jennifer replies with a chuckle. " Are you going to make it home in time for the fundraiser?"
" That's why I was calling. I'll actually be flying in tomorrow afternoon. The team at the new company pushed the meeting up a day." Jonathan says, grinning through the phone, knowing his news would make his wife very happy.
He had been looking forward to filling her dance card and later that evening, enjoying the after party in their bedroom.
He couldn't wait to see his wife in one of her gorgeous evening gowns. His favorite part was taking it off. Just thinking about it made him wish he could get home that very afternoon.
" Really?" Jennifer smiles.
" Really." He affirms her.
" I've missed waking up with you." Jennifer's sultry voice melted him.
" I'm looking forward to being in your bed, Mrs. Hart." Jonathan says.
" As much as I'd like to continue our conversation, darling, I just got to the school. I love you." Jennifer doesn't want to hang up with him, but she knew she'd hear from him later.
" What a way to leave a man longing for more." Jonathan teases with a hint of sadness in his voice. " Talk to you soon, darling. I love you."
They hang up after saying their goodbyes and Jennifer gets out of her car. The school is buzzing about with students eager for their long weekend. i
The week had been a long one for both the students and the staff at the school due to a 3 day weekend approaching with no school that Friday. It was also the weekend of the Wildlife Center Fundraiser.
A big school pep rally was happening this particular afternoon to kick off the upcoming sports season for the various teams at the school. Fall was just a few weeks away and everyone was thrilled for all of the school activities to come.
The cheerleaders and jocks all showed up dressed up in their uniforms while the remaining student body was encouraged to wear school colors to show their support and school spirit.
The last class of the afternoon has just entered the journalism room.
Carolyn was all too ready for the intercom announcement releasing the students.
" Alright class, quiet down! I know you are all excited about the pep rally today. Principal Morris expects everyone to be on their best behavior. As the journalism class it is our responsibility to report on the events of the pep rally to share in the school paper and also have fun. Today's pep rally kicks off a very exciting time for our school. I want each of you to write about something that you saw at the pep rally and we will include some of your observations in the write-up. I have Gwen and Charlotte taking photos for us. Would anyone like to volunteer to interview Coach Donaldson?" Carolyn surveys the class, hoping someone will agree to interview the football coach. Luckily a few students raise their hands. " How about you…Mitchell. Being on the swim team, I know you have a bit of rapport with the Coach."
The blonde haired junior agrees by nodding his head, grabbing a spare notebook out of his backpack to record down a few questions.
" Mrs. Hart will be handing back your quizzes and then the bell should ring to dismiss, alright?" Carolyn gives the floor to Jennifer.
She hands each student their papers and just as she is handing out the last three, the bell rings.
The quiet classroom is now filled with chatter as the students stand up to leave, gathering their things as they exit the classroom.
With a moment alone, Carolyn and Jennifer welcome the silence as the sounds of students' voices fade as they move down the hall towards the gymnasium.
" What a day." Carolyn sighs deeply as she takes a seat at her desk, rubbing her temples.
She takes a look at Jennifer and notices she looks a little pale.
Carolyn was going to sit the pep rally out, but since it was her friend's first one at the school, she figured grading papers could wait until the weekend. Besides, the student body did have great school spirit. Cliff View High had a reputation for a heavily involved student body. There was strong support, especially for the athletes of the school.
" I've never seen them all so loud. Is it like this every time there is an event?" Jennifer asks as she sips the lukewarm coffee on her desk, hoping the caffeine will give her a boost of energy after the long school day they've had so far and the lingering exhaustion she had recently been experiencing.
" It's been like that for years. Anything to get out of school. I've never seen a student body population with as much school spirit as these children have. Even Principal Morris is the same way. During playoffs for our football team, if the team wins at a travel game, the students get the day off to go cheer on the team. He's a real hit with the freshman." Carolyn chuckles as she laments.
Jennifer can't stifle her laugh. She didn't realize the principal had that much school spirit.
" How times have changed." Jennifer replies, shaking her head.
She follows Carolyn's lead out of the classroom down the long hallway. They can faintly hear the loud sounds of students chanting and the school band in the distance.
" Will you be attending that gala this weekend?" Carolyn asks quietly, her eyes darting to make sure nobody is around.
Jennifer nods swiftly in reply. " As tired as I've been, it will be a miracle to make it."
Carolyn glances in Jennifer's direction, noticing her friend looks a bit paler than normal.
" Are you alright, Jen? I mean really alright?" Carolyn asks, slowing her pace and stopping to speak to her friend.
Jennifer shakes her head. " I'm fine. It's just the nerves of the article that have kept me up the past few nights."
" Are you sure? As a former journalist, I can still recall a lie when I hear one." Carolyn presses, with a raised brow.
Sighing, Jennifer decides to speak with her, candidly. " I-I haven't been feeling like myself lately. With Jonathan gone, I don't sleep as well. But really, I'm fine. As for the article, I still haven't decided yet how to broach the subject of exposing S-," Jennifer is cut off when she hears someone clearing their throat behind her.
Both Carolyn and Jennifer whip their heads around only to see the former Senator nearly hot on their heels. The two women stop short.
It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Jennifer felt the blood rush from her face as she made eye contact with the man.
Carolyn's stomach lurched in her throat, wondering if he had heard any of what they were saying and if he knew their very pointed conversation was directed at him.
" Hello ladies. Always a pleasure to see Cliff View's finest staff members." he tilts his hat towards the two women, whilst wearing an 'eat shit' grin on his face.
" Hello Senator Johnston." Jennifer quickly replies, hoping Carolyn will do the same, in which she returns the greeting with a flat 'hello'.
Jennifer swallows down the sudden rising bile in her throat, knowing that the senator wouldn't be passing out any more compliments her way after she exposes his little games.
" I'm so proud of my son. He's gotten a big scholarship offer for football. He's so talented. This is going to be his year." he boasts, pointing to the familiar trophy case that Carolyn had taken them too all those weeks ago.
" He's a wonderful player. I heard many of the students talking about him leading the team to victory this season. It will be great for the school." Carolyn remarks, with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
" That it will be. All that press will be wonderful for the school and all those considering a donation to our fine athletics department. Speaking of donations, Mrs. Hart, I saw your name on the list of attendees for the Wildlife Center Fundraiser this weekend. I didn't realize you were both so involved." He replies, referring to Jonathan.
Jennifer feels herself getting a little hot. " Yes. We are. Jonathan and I are very big supporters of wildlife conservation and the center. It does so much good work on educating and aiding people all over rural Kenya."
Her voice is no indicator on how she is feeling inside. She tries to remain level and collected, but inside…inside Jennifer felt nothing but anxious and nauseous?
She wondered where that came from.
" I'm glad you support such a worthy cause." he smirks.
Her blood ran cold at that moment. His deep set brown eyes pierced Jennifer's with a look indicating that he knew.
" Pleasure to see you ladies." he nods his head before leaving the two in his wake, continuing on to the gymnasium.
Carolyn grabs onto her friend's arm, squeezing it gently. Jennifer felt as though the room was spinning. She pulls away and hurries to the bathroom.
She feels sick. Grabbing onto the sink, Jennifer splashes a bit of cool water onto the back of her neck, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
" Jennifer, are you alright?" Carolyn asks. She too had been startled by the Senator's presence, but she wondered if it was something more?
She takes a few breaths and tries to calm herself as best as she can.
" I think he knows." Jennifer replies, running a hand through her hair.
Jennifer's mind raced, wondering how he could've found out about the article. The only way he would have known was through Charlie.
" Carolyn, is it alright if I leave a little early?" Jennifer asks, once she gains her bearings.
" Of course. Where are you going?" Carolyn asks.
" To see Charlie. The event is two days away and he hasn't called. I'm just worried." Jennfier bites her lip.
" I'll go with you. We won't be missing much anyways." Carolyn follows Jennifer down the hall, trying to keep up with her pace.
The school day would be over anyways by the time the pep rally was finished.
Jennifer grabs her blazer and her purse and Carolyn locks her classroom up before the two head for Jennifer's car.
" Jen, should we phone the police? Do you think he's…dead?" Carolyn gulps not wanting to think about seeing a dead body or stumble upon a crime scene for that matter. She couldn't lose her job but she also couldn't let her friend go by herself.
Jennifer shakes her head. " We'll know when we get there."
That response did not sit well with Carolyn. She knew that wherever her friend went, trouble would follow.
" Why am I not surprised?" Carolyn laughs nervously at Jennifer's nonchalant response.
Carolyn sits back in her seat, taking in the view as Jennifer drives.
She remains quiet as she zips out of town, easily weaving through what little traffic was on the road at this hour.
Most people were at work or in school so it made it easier for her to reach her destination.
" Jennifer? About our conversation earlier…what did you mean by feeling off?" Carolyn asks.
Jennifer, having been lost in thought, turns briefly to look at Carolyn. " I don't know how to describe it. I think it might be stress. My stomach is never settled."
Carolyn looks at her friend, nodding. She had been very busy lately. " Have you seen your doctor?"
Jennifer shakes her head no, before replying. " I haven't had time. I thought about making an appointment after the fundraiser."
The Wildlife Center was surrounded by miles of vegetation and was located in a pretty isolated spot out of town.
Carolyn stares out the window as they drive, the roads suddenly narrowing and winding around. She hadn't been out this way in ages and wasn't very familiar with the lay of the land.
" The last time I was out here was on a field trip- 20 something years ago. None of this looks familiar." Caorlyn says, finally breaking the silence as they slowly drive up a dirt path.
" So much has changed since then. The school should really utilize this place for field trips, especially for the science classes." Jennifer replies.
She thought of this place as sort of a second home. She had been spending quite a lot of spare time here.
They pull up to the gates and Jennifer is surprised to see them wide open. Normally Joe would be operating the gates but she didn't see his car or Joe for that matter.
She slows down and grips the wheel. She peers inside the little attendant window and still doesn't see a thing. She doesn't alert Carolyn to anything just yet but something didn't feel right.
As they head up the winding and steep path past the gates, Jennifer rounds the corner and sees an unmarked white van parked next to Charlie's older truck.
Beside the truck are rolls of red carpet, which calms Jennifer's nerves a bit.
She parks the car and decides to head inside.
There are two men that greet them as they walk in, their hands full of decorative supplies.
Jennifer doesn't pay them too much attention as she heads for Charlie's office.
Carolyn makes eye contact with one of the men and instantly the hair on the back of her neck stands up, and she knows from years of journalism, that isn't a good sign.
" Jen. I think we need to leave." Carolyn whispers as she tries to match her friend's long steps.
" Relax, we're fine." Jennifer waves her hand, dismissing her friend and her own worry.
Jennifer knocks on the door. " Charlie? It's me! Jennifer Hart!"
She opens the door and sees a few papers scattered on his desk as normal and hears the sink in the little ensuite bathroom running. She figures he is in the restroom.
" Charlie! It's me. Mrs. Hart. I don't want to startle you." Jennifer knocks lightly on the light oak door.
Carolyn has wandered over to the desk and her blood runs cold. It's copies of the papers she has given to Jennifer.
" Jennifer." Carolyn's voice is barely above a whisper as she tries not to faint out of fear.
" Just a second I-," Suddenly Jennifer notices a puddle of water at her feet, coming from the small crack under the door.
" Charlie?" Jennifer knocks again. " I'm opening the door."
Pulling the door open, Carolyn nor Jennifer were prepared at the site they saw before them.
Jennifer fell backwards as Charlie's limp body crashed into her own.
On the bathroom floor was the body of Joe. He had been stabbed.
There was blood everywhere. It was evident the two had both been stabbed and how long they had been there, she couldn't tell.
Carolyn let out a scream before cupping her hands up to her mouth. " J-J-Jeniifer! Oh my God! He-he's dead!"
A thin, but lanky man, Charlie's weight was still crushing to Jennifer.
She is in shock but manages to roll him off of her as Carolyn helps her up.
" Thank you." Jennifer shakily replies as she comes to stand by her friend.
The two women stare at each other in shock. " I think I'm going to be sick." Carolyn gags, covering her mouth as she tries not to hurl.
" Don't. Just turn the other way." Jennifer encourages her to take a few deep breaths before she spots the papers on the desk where Carolyn once stood.
Her eyes glance over them and she recognizes those documents anywhere…it was the information she had given to Charlie.
As Carolyn leans against the wall, taking some deep breaths, the sound of screeching tires startles the two.
Peering out of the window of Charlie's office, the mysterious unmarked white van takes off and Jennifer can make out the two men that were just there.
Jennifer picks up the phone on Charlie's desk to call the police when she realizes there is no dial tone.
Tears fill her eyes as she suddenly realizes that two people she knows are dead. Poor Joe wouldn't harm a fly and Charlie…poor poor Charlie. It was all her fault.
Before she could speak to her friend, Carolyn was already grabbing her arm.
" Let's get out of here. We should wait for the police in your car." Carolyn says, keeping her gaze focused on the door and not at the floor.
Jennifer nods in agreement. As the two women hurry out to the lobby, an explosion sends them to the ground.
Glass shatters around them as Jennifer's car goes up in smoke and flames.
…
Law enforcement arrives nearly half an hour later along with a firetruck and ambulance.
Carolyn is up and does her best to flag down the officers. Her brown hair is sticking to her forehead where a cut has formed just above her brow.
Her clothing was tattered and covered in various pieces of rubble and glass from the broken windows and concrete.
The explosion had taken out nearly all of the lobby to the conservation center, seeing as though Jennifer's car was parked so close to it.
She has never been more relieved to see help.
Coughing, she can barely manage to point where Jennifer is still lying unconscious about 15 feet from her.
" Please help my friend. Two people were murdered. She's the one that called." Carolyn says with labored breathing, trying to clear her lungs from the smoke.
" Where are the bodies?" an officer asks as medics load her up onto the stretcher.
In a coughing fit, Carolyn points inside.
The medics place an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth before closing the door, to privately examine her.
She can't see very much outside the small windows of the vehicle, but she sees someone knelt by Jennifer's side.
" Call Jonathan Hart, now. He's her husband." She pulls the oxygen mask off her face briefly to tell the medics information.
" I'll go tell one of the officers. In the meantime, let's get you to the hospital and treated for your wounds." a female medic says.
Carolyn leans back on the stretcher and nods her head, praying that Jennifer is going to be alright.
The ambulance takes off down the path, the loud siren echoing in Jennifer's mind. All she can see is white all around her. She doesn't feel anything but numb, until she begins to regain consciousness.
She hears someone speaking to her and feels a bit of pressure on her arm. It startles her awake and she gasps as she opens her eyes, not expecting to see law enforcement at her side.
" Don't move ma'am. You've got a nasty cut on your head." She is in and out of consciousness as she tries to murmur Jonathan's name.
" We've contacted your husband, ma'am. We are taking you to the hospital. You and your friend are lucky to be alive." a medic says.
Jennifer only manages a slight nod before shutting her eyes as she feels dizzy.
Jonathan. Jonathan, where are you?
TBC…