Fugitive

Chapter 6: "Can it be? No!"

The next day Nicole wakes up to a phone call from a number she doesn't recognize. Today is her day off from the store so it's right around 10:00am. She sits up from her queen sized bed and rubs her slumberous eyes. She yawns and tries to come to life.
"Hello?." She answers but sounds questionable.
"Hey Nicole.. it's... it's JJ. How are you?" The man asks in a monotone voice.
"Oh hey JJ, yeah um, I just woke up." She yawns once more pulling the soft white sheets away from her. She begins to stand up in her compact bedroom.
"Oh haha, day off today?" He snickers
"Um yeah actually. " She starts to perk up.
"Well listen, since your off today. Want to maybe go have coffee?" He asks in a nervous manner.
"I would love to actually! Want to meet in about an hour?"
"Sounds good." He says. "Text me the address." He smirks over the phone. Just his gruffy voice is enough to give anyone chills.
"Ten-four you got it!" She says with excitement.
"Bye for now." He says chuckling
As Nicole hung the phone up she pauses for a moment and sits back down on her unmade bed. She can't believe how a good looking man wants to hang out with her all of a sudden. I mean Pineville is a quaint town don't get my wrong. But most of the time it can be extremely hard to find someone with the same interests as you. Nicole is so excited and can't wait to see how her coffee date goes.
She skips her way to the shower and follows her typical morning routine. When she gets back to her bedroom she rummages through her closet full of clothes. She stumbles upon a pair of black leggings followed by a teal cotton sweater.
As Nicole waltzes out the front door she stops by the kitchen where she sees her mom in her fluffy beige robe and her house slippers to match it. Her mom seems to be doing better today.
"Hey mom, how are you feeling?" Nicole asks leaning over the kitchen counter.
Her mom turns around to see her daughter bright and bushy tailed, "Better today honey, wow you look nice! Out and about today?" She smiles as she pours the smoking hot coffee into her "World's Best Mama" mug. 
"Well....." Nicole blushes she then proceeds to tell her mother "Well this guy named Joseph Jennings came in the store last night and he's new in town and I told him I would show him around." She smiles with excitement.
"Really? How old is he?" She questions
"He's about 28 or 30. He's super handsome and just moved her a few days ago."
"Do you know where from?" Her mom asks
"He didn't say." Nicole frowns a bit "But I'll ask him today." "We are going to go meet at Ms. Pat's Diner." She says.
"Well okay honey, be careful and tell ole Miss Pat I said hi. Me and her need to catch up soon. It's just after Aunt Janie's death things were never the same."
"Mom." She walks up and puts her hand on her shoulder out of comfort. "It's going to be okay. I promise. Aunt Janie is smiling down upon us right now." She smiles "I miss her too."
Her mother then nods.
The two ladies stood there in the kitchen when all of a sudden the local news comes on.

"Mary-Beth here with another story that has become nationwide. Just a few days a killer in the Orlando, Florida area took the lives of innocent people inside a bank as soon as they opened. Three of the victims lived. Nobody can justify who the killer was. One of the victims quoted that the killer had blue-green eyes and a tan complexion. He was around six foot tall and about 250 lbs. Police say he is on the run. We have no name but we have surveillance footage of the man entering the bank that day." The tv then switches to CCTV footage of the killer walking.
"Huh, that walk looks familiar." Nicole states
"If you or anyone finds this man please call the local police. Back to you Martin." Mary-Beth ends her story.
"Those poor people." Nicole puts her hand over her heart. "I feel so bad. It's just so awful to lose a loved one to a horrendous monster. I hope they catch the bastard!" She exclaims
"Language darling." Her mom puts her right hand on her hip.
"Sorry mom, I got to go. I'm going to be late!"
"Have fun!" Her mom yells kindly as Nicole exits the wood framed door.

Nicole drives to Pat's Diner. When she walks in she is greeted by the usual customers. She then peers to the back of the diner seeing JJ sitting there in a booth alone. She then smiles.
"Hey." She walks up greeting him in a friendly manner.
"Hey you." He says. "Wow you look great." He then stands up to give her an abrupt hug. Nicole then notices some cuts on his arm as his grey hoodie rises.
"What happened to your arm?" She asks sounding like a concerned mother asking a toddler a if they are alright.
"Oh yeah, I got it when I went hiking a few weeks ago. I tripped right over a rock and fell onto my arm." He laughs
"Oh gosh, we'll be careful next time." She laughs back.
The two sit down in the booth when darling Miss Pat comes walking up to the two in a white button down tee, her black slacks, and her famous pink apron that she loved.
"Well hello there Miss Nicole, how's the store?" She smiles with her pearly white teeth.
"It's coming along Miss Pat. Thank you." Nicole replies back looking at Miss Pat's pointy acrylic nails. The woman is seventy years old and she is still kicking it.
"Pat, this is Joseph but he goes my JJ." She points "He's new to Pineville."
JJ extends his hand, "How do you do ma'am?"
Miss Pat gets a sort of creepy vibe from him, but plays nice since the man is new to this town he might just be a little bit shy.
"Well hello dear, welcome to Pineville! Now it's a small town so everyone knows everyone." She laughs
"Oh yes ma'am." He says as he sets his hand back in his lap nervously.
"So, what can I get you two?" She asks clicking her pen.
"Just coffee today Miss Pat, black please." Nicole states.
"Coming right up." She smiles and walks away ever so dainty in her high heels.
Nicole then turns back to JJ after watching Miss Pat flaunt herself away from the table.
"So, where did you live before JJ? What made you come to Pineville, Kentucky?" Nicole asks putting her hand on her cheek.
JJ replies as he clears his voice, " Well long story short, my girlfriend and I were just not getting along and she turned into a dangerous person. I lived in Fort Myers, Florida. It was just getting too busy down there and I needed to get away. Luckily, they locked her up in jail for multiple charges of abuse towards me and drugs of course."
Nicole shakes her head in disbelief. "I am so sorry to hear that JJ. Where your parents involved?"
JJ puts his hand on his face and wipe it trying to hide any sign of emotions. "My mother is in jail for drugs as well and my father died when I was three years old. Ever since then my mother wasn't the same. She would come home back to our little apartment we stayed in and was just completely high and drunk all the time. My father was killed in a motorcycle accident."
"Yeah, my Aunt Janie died about six months ago from a car accident. She was my dad's best friend when it came to his cancer treatment a couple years ago. He has been struggling as well as my mother."
She puts her hand on his bruised hand softly "I get what your going through." She says with tears in her eyes not letting them fall.
"It's tough but we get through it. My short time here in Pineville I sure am happy and happy to meet such a beautiful hard working woman."
Nicole puts her hand to her mouth and lets out a "Hehehe." She giggles cutely.

"Alright coffee for the both of you!"Miss Pat says with excitement as she sets the two milky mugs on the table.
"Thanks Miss Pat." Nicole says.

The two sit there and chat about their lives and what they plan on doing in the future. The local news comes on in the diner again and it's the same story on repeat.
When JJ reads the tv he starts to get extremely nervous and sweats.
"Hey you okay?" Nicole asks concerned again
"Um yeah. I think I'm just coming down with a cold or something." He says
"Well come on. Let's get you home then. I'm sure your exhausted." Nicole stands up and helps JJ out of the booth.
The two exit the diner and as Nicole passes she hands Miss Pat the money. "Thanks again Miss Pat we will be back." She smiles
"Have a good day dear." She smiles with her ruby red lips.

JJ and Nicole make outside to the cool Pineville weather. "Well I had a good time." He says.
"Me too." Nicole smiles back.
JJ then leans in and gives Nicole a soft quick kiss on the lips.
Nicole then smiles "Text me."
JJ replies, " I sure will." He smiles and walks down the road catching the town bus in the nick of time.
Nicole climbs into her silver Toyota Corolla and drives to the store to go visit her dad.

When Nicole pulls into the store's parking lot she is greeted by two police cars parked out front. She then panics and runs inside. "Dad you okay?" She asks yelling with anxiety in her voice.
Her dad puts his hand out in assurance and says "Everything is fine, the police just came her for some questioning about an individual."
"What do you mean? We weren't robbed." She says putting her hands out.
"Nicole, was there anyone here that seemed suspicious the night you were here alone?" One of the officers ask in a deep voice.
"No? What do you mean?"
He replies, "Well, I'm sure you heard. The crime that happened in Orlando, Florida a few days ago there is some evidence linking the killer to this town. We aren't a 100% sure but there are some witnesses that come forwards this morning and we have been asking around." The officer looks at Nicole and her father back and forth.
"Well no, I didn't see no one. I mean this one man named JJ came in. But I just got done having coffee with him and he said he came from Fort Myers and he wanted to move her." She says looking at the tall and heavy set officer.
He takes our his compact notepad and begins making notes.
"What's JJ's full name?" He questions.
"Um, Joseph Jennings he's thirty years old. But he goes by JJ." She states and crosses her arms.
"JJ seem suspicious?" He asks lifting his left eyebrow.
"Not at all." She says with her arms still crossed.
"Well, thank you for the information. We appreciate your cooperation. Have a good day." He smiles and exits the store with his rookie partner who took notes as well.