The Neighbor

Suspicions and Surprises

James kept impaciently tapping his foot as the ringing from the other line continued. He was waiting in the chiropractor's office to get his back adjusted, but had a favor to ask someone first. Just as the other line picked up and a man's voice said, "Hello?", a nurse walked in and called, "James Parker?" James followed the nurse, while saying to the phone, "Hey, Adam, it's me." James was led into a room and the nurse quietly told him that the doctor would be in in a moment. "James? Hey, man, what's up?" James glanced up at the door before saying, "I need to ask you a favor." "Sure, what is it?" Again, James made sure the door didn't open and said, "I need you to look into someone for me. His name is Ben Carlton. He's from the UK." He heard some typing in the background, then Adam say, "I pulled him up. What do you want to know?" "...Everything." There was a moment of silence, but then Adam asked, "Why? I'm sorry, but you know I have to ask. You were dishonorably discharged, which means I have to stay on high alert around you." James sighed, "I know, I know. Listen, Cassie is dating this guy and I have a really bad feeling here. He almost beat the living shit out of me the other night and threatened to skin me alive! You know I don't take threats seriously, but this guy...the tone and the look in his eyes told me he would actually do it and probably enjoy it." He heard Adam sigh. "I'll fax the files to you."

**

Cassie flipped through endless channels, staring emotionless at the TV with beer bottles and pizza boxes surrounding her. Anyone would think she was going through a break-up or something, but truth was, she was bored. Ben's been gone for a few days in Phillidelphia for a meeting about another building. He's supposed to be home tomorrow night, but Cassie missed him. She tried to fill the void with Walter White and Jessie Pinkman, or Robb Stark and Jon Snow, but none of it was working.

Her doorbell rang at about nine o'clock, which was odd because she wasn't expecting anybody. She lazily pulled herself up from the couch and dragged her feet to the door. Without looking through the peephole, she opened the door and gasped at who was behind it.

"BEN!" She leaped into his arms and he caught her in his big strong arms. He laughed and held her tight against him, releshing in the feeling of her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. He sighed contently, but then felt a hard slap against his back. He looked curiously at Cassie as she said, "You could have called!" He chuckled, "But, baby, that would have ruined the surprise! And I knew you would be mad about that, so..." With her still wrapped around him, he bent backwards and picked up a bouqet of flowers and held them to her. They were a combination of all sorts of colors like blue, red, yellow, purple, orange...they were beautiful. "Awe, Benny," she cooed and gave him a sweet smooch.

After a few minutes, he set her down and followed her into the house. "I've got to pop by my place for a bit and grab a few clothes," he told her as she placed her flowers in a vase. She turned to him and said, "We can stay at your place if you want. I know you probably want to sleep in your own bed at your own home after being gone." Ben wrapped his arms around her, kissed her cheek and said, "Wherever you are, I am home. And right now, you're here, so this is home." He pecked her lips and said, "Be right back."

**

James slowly pulled up to the curve in front of Cassie's house. He turned off the engine and looked around to see if there was any sign of Ben being around. He saw the lights on in his house and some movement going around in the upstairs bedroom. Now or never, he thought. He grabbed the files from the passanger seat and tightly held on to them as he got out of the car. James never took his eyes off of Ben's upstairs window until he got to Cassie's door. He quickly knocked and started tapping his fingers nervously against the files. He heard footsteps running to the door before Cassie swung open the door with a huge grin. But that grin fell immediately. "What are you doing here?" She spat. James held up his hands in surrender and said, "I just want to talk. I don't have a lot of time until your psycho boyfriend gets back, so just take this." He tried handing her the file, but she took a step back and said, "You need to go. Ben is going to be back any second and if he sees you--." "Then take this! Cassie, please, I know I have seriously screwed up in the past. I put you through a lot of shit and regret it every day. At the bar, I know I shouldn't have grabbed you like that, but when you told me to get over it, something in me snapped. I don't want to get over it, over you because I love you. And I'm sorry. This," he held up the file again, "seems to be the only way I can make it up to you. If you won't take it now, then meet me at Lou's. I know you can't deny their pizza."

James saw tiniest smile creeped up on Cassie's lips, before she made it dissapear. Cassie peered her head out the door to look over at Ben's place. The lights were still on. She sighed and looked at James. "Lou's tomorrow, one o'clock, don't be late," she told him. "What is that anyways?" He looked down at the files, then back up to her. "Let's just say your boy toy has a few skeleton's in his closet that you really need to worry about. And look, if he...tries anything before tomorrow...call me. I'll be here in a flash, all right?" He was starting to worry Cassie, but she didn't show it. Whatever Ben had in his closet, could be dealt with between them. This wasn't James' place. "James, whatever Ben has hidden, he has it hidden for a reason. If he wants to tell me, he can tell me, but that's his choice. This really isn't any of your buisness." James almost looked hurt, but quickly composed himself. He nodded and started to walk back to his car. As he was walking, he called to her over his shoulder, "One o'clock." He heard Cassie shut the door after that. He continued to his car, completely unaware of the glare he was getting from the large figure leaning up against the side of Cassie's house.

James got safely inside his car and tossed the files in the backseat. He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. He shouldn't let her be the same house with that guy after what he's read. He doesn't know why he's letting her, but the smile on her face when she thought it was Ben at the door made him crumble down. Shaking away his thoughts he grabbed his keys and started the car. Suddenly, his door opened and he was being pulled out of the car by his shirt. He tried prying the hand off of him, but then he found himself pushed up against his car and staring into the eyes of the man who had promised to kill him.

"I told you to stay away," Ben growled, "and you didn't listen. What did I'd say I'd do? Skin you alive?" James couldn't answer if he wanted to because his mouth was being crushed by Ben's large hand. Ben continued, "That would be too messy at the moment, wouldn't it? Besides, I don't want to keep Cassie waiting long. So, I am going to make this quick. I am going to snap your neck. Then, I'm going to put your cold, lifeless body in your car and make it roll down the street, crashing into that sweet old lady's house at the end of the block. I've met her a few times, she really is nice. Too bad you're going to kill her, I really like her cookies." James closed his eyes and started breathing heavily. "Look at me as I say this next part. Look. At. Me!" James opened his eyes and Ben told him, "After I see you crash, I'm going to go back inside and fuck that girl senseless. She'll be screaming my name so loud that even you--who will be dead, just so we're clear--will be able to hear her. I am going to fuck her until my dick bleeds and the only man she'll ever remember feeling inside her is me."

James' eyes started to droop from lack of oxygen. Ben's hand was pressing against his mouth and nose, not allowing him to get any air. Ben started chuckling and loosened his grip. "Don't want any bruises for the poliece to find, do we?" James sucked in a huge breath of air through his nose and closed his eyes again. "Before I kill you, James, I would like to clear some things up. Those files you have, they are true. Every single one of them. The animals. Therapy. My parents. The orphanage. My previous lovers. But I would never do that Cassie. No, I am planning much more with her. See, I need her around and you made her doubt me. Well, no more." He put his hands in position, making James try to fight and break away, but Ben was too strong. He didn't even nudge. "One more thing. That file," he leaned into James' ear and said, "That's not even my best work." James' screams were muffled, but were quickly replaced by a loud SNAP!

Ben let go of James' mouth and let it fall open. Ben took a quick look around and put James back in the car. He buckled him up, started the engine and put it in drive. Before he let it go, he pulled it out into the middle of the street and aimed at the house at the end of the block. There was a chance the car wouldn't hit it, but either way, his plan would work. People would think the seat belt snapped his neck. Ben put the car in park and reached in the back to grab the files. He flipped through them and smiled at the photos. Continuing with the task, he put the car in drive, shut the door, and watched as the car went down the street at full speed. He started walking back to the house when he heard the car crash. He couldn't resist looking to see where it hit. A sly smirk crept up on his lips and he said, "Bullseye."