A Selfish Moment

22 - Everett - 1:00 PM

Of course Jubilee is not answering her cell phone...that would've been too easy.

I've spent the last hour driving up and down Queens Boulevard, looking for anything that looks remotely familiar from last night. I should've paid more attention when Jubilee was directing me to her building. Everything looks different in the daytime. I recall the Midway movie theater but not the church. I can't remember if she's two, three, or four blocks further. The police tape is nowhere in sight.

Her home phone and address are unlisted, and she hasn't replied to my friend request on Facebook. Maybe she won't ignore my texts.

Everett: I'm sorry about earlier. Call me back.

Everett: I'm driving around Queens looking for you.

Everett: If you don't want to meet, that's fine. Just call me back or text me.

Everett: This is Everett, in case you didn't recognize the number. :-1

Hold on. Sophie was on the news. There has to be something in one of the news videos that has a landmark, or a street sign, something that I can use to give my navigator some direction instead of just driving up and down Queens Boulevard like an idiot. When I Google Sophie Ramirez I find over a dozen news links on her attack. Bingo. Five minutes later I'm in front of Jubilee's building.

I ring the bell to her apartment several times with no answer. I call St. John's and ask for Sophie Ramirez's room and am told the patient didn't setup a phone account. Of course she didn't. I call Isaac, and I get his voicemail.

I can't believe, in today's day and age, after the weekend Jubilee and I have had, that I can't get in touch with her. Maybe Jubilee just went to pick up Aryana and take her to the park or maybe shop for cookie dough or something else to burn. The possibilities are endless.

I spot a small coffee shop across the street from her building and decide to wait for her there. If she doesn't show up in the next hour, I'll pay Sophie a visit at the hospital. I'm certain she'll be there for a few days.

After about twenty minutes, I notice a guy dressed in jeans, a leather jacket and beige work boots walking back and forth between Sophie's and Jubilee's building. He peeks inside intermittently, and then rests against the parked cars until he repeats his routine. It looked like he pressed the button to Jubilee's apartment, but I can't be sure from here. Our eyes meet for a second and I'm instantly suspicious.

What did Sophie's attacker look like? I search the news sites on Sophie's story and find that witnesses described the attacker as in his thirties, five foot eleven, jet black hair, and tanned olive skin, wearing a black leather jacket. Could this be the guy? Why is he sticking around the entrances of the buildings?

I dig into my pocket and pull out Officer Quintana's business card.

"Quintana here."

"This is Everett, from last night's attack. We met in the E.R."

"Yes. Isaac's friend. What can I do for you?"

"Did you make any progress with the guy who attacked Sophie?"

"Yes, we did. He was turned in this morning by his own girlfriend: a Rodolpho Gomez, from Corona. His girlfriend said his room was littered with photos of Sophie. She recognized her from the news. It seems like he had an obsession with her. Anyway, he's being booked as we speak. Why do you ask?"

"Well...I'm waiting for Sophie's friend, Jubilee, in front of her building and I see a guy hanging around their apartment buildings. I read his description on the news and it matches. I just thought it could possibly be the guy who attacked Sophie."