Johnny sat in Nancy Landgraab’s kitchen. The entire house had a very modern feel to it yet Johnny noticed that it also seemed cold. It was as if people didn’t actually live there. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair. Nancy stood by the stove staring out the large glass windows into the desert. She rubbed her growing stomach unconsciously.
“You’ve seen her everyday?” Nancy now turned her attention back to Johnny.
“Yeah, pretty much.” He fidgeted in the uncomfortable barstool chairs. He wondered what else she had wasted his inheritance money on.
“She’s really impressed the upper level bosses. When they found out I was pregnant they kicked me off and made her the ring leader.” Nancy laughed to herself. “I still don’t think she really realizes what she’s supposed to be doing or why she was brought here.” Nancy had to admit, Olive’s movement through the ranks was impressive for someone who had only been there for eight months. “We need to make sure she gets in with the Goth’s. And we need to make sure she’s going to fail.” Johnny sighed and buried his head in his arms. He liked Olive, a lot. She was only supposed to be a ‘mission’ for him to earn his allowance from Nancy, but the more time he spent with her the more he felt something growing and gnawing at the pit of his stomach.
“What are you going to do? Can’t Malcolm do it?” Nancy sneered at him and her blue eyes flashed as she paced around the bar.
“No, of course not. I wouldn’t subject my children to this.”
“My father wouldn’t have wanted me subjected to it either.” Nancy swung around and slapped Johnny. He nearly fell off the barstool. “What the plum Nancy!” He covered his cheek with his hand. “What the plum is your problem?!” She pulled her hair up away from her neck.
“I’m just hot.”
“You’re just plumming hot? You hit me because your internal temperature is too high? What the plum. You’re plumming crazy.”
“Get out of my house.” Anger pulsed through Johnny’s body. He curled his hands into fists, then released them, over and over. Unable to control it any longer he pushed Nancy against the wall, cornering her.
“You mean my house? Maybe you should get out of my house!” Johnny stood over Nancy, anger etched into his face. She felt against the wall, hoping to find something to use against him. If only she had a knife or gun within reach, she could easily say he attacked her. It was life or death. He’d been acting irrationally ever since his father died.
“You aren’t worth it.” Johnny spat the words at her as he backed away. A few seconds later Nancy heard the door slam. She leaned her head against the wall and blinked back tears. Pregnancy was making her too emotional, that was what her bosses said when they asked her to step back from the Goth project.
“You aren’t thinking clearly. We can’t have you making the wrong enemies.” All her years of hard work, pushed to the side because of an unexpected event. She hated Geoff for letting this happen, he as supposed to use protection. She was growing to hate Olive equally. The girl was like a sponge, absorbing everything she learned and regurgitating it in an even more impressive manner. “They chose her to be a fall guy and now she’s taking my place. In less than a year.” Nancy sighed. “That’s ok. It’s ok because I’ll make sure they’ll see that she’s too young and too new to be trusted.”
Nick pulled up a chair in Agent Davis’s office. He held up a finger while he finished typing on the computer. Nick shuffled through the papers in his lap.
“We’ve got big issues right now Herrick.” Agent Davis picked up a stack of photos and pushed them across the desk towards Nick. “I know I’ve asked you to put the Olive Rios situation on the back burner once already but this situation continues to need our attention.” Nick thumbed through the pictures. Agent Davis had asked him only a week after informing him of Olive’s presence in Oasis Springs to push it back. Newspaper headlines started surfacing on grisly murders taking place throughout Oasis Springs. There was panic that the murders would spread into Willow Creek if no one was caught. Nick flipped from one picture to the next. Some were small detail photos, trails of blood, holes in walls and broken fixtures in homes. Some were pictures of full crime scenes and dead bodies. Nick watched Agent Davis lean back in his chair. He dwarfed the chair, it was almost amusing to see him sitting in it. He had been offered a newer, larger chair multiple times. He always declined.
“First it was bars, seedy hole in the wall places. Then it was the park, back where no one would look. Now whoever is doing this has started breaking into houses. The murders are all similar with small deviations. We just can’t nail down a pattern of places. We can’t tell where they are going to strike next or when. Once a week for four weeks then nothing for two. Then two in one week and nothing again.” Nick paused on a picture of a trashed kitchen. Plates were broken, chairs tossed carelessly onto their sides and a whole table was flipped over.
“I’m going to go out in the field. I’ll see if I can’t catch something suspicious.” Agent Davis gave Nick a big smile.
“That’s just what I was thinking. We need someone with your experience on this. We believe it’s mob related. I don’t know what they’re trying to cover up but we need to do everything possible to find out.”
“I know you’ve asked me to put finding Olive on the back burner but, if she’s here for them, she could possibly help us.” Agent Davis scratched his balding head.
“According to you this girl faked her death so she could get away from a life of crime, yet here she is. Embroiled in the very institution of a crime family. I don’t know if she’d be a help so much as she’d be a hinderance.”
“I see your point. I really do. But I also know her. I think she can help us.” Agent Davis shrugged.
“I guess we need all the help we can get and if we can get someone on the inside then all the better.”
In eight months Olive had fallen into a pretty strict schedule. She worked nights, often getting home between two and three in the morning. She would sit and read, eat and take a shower to de-stress from the night of work. As the sun was coming up over the dusty horizon she would go for a run. She found the desert beautiful in the early morning light. After getting back, like clockwork, Johnny would show up at her door. While Olive enjoyed the solitude she also enjoyed the companionship. Over the last couple of months she had fallen asleep with Johnny next to her more and more.
As he flopped one arm over her waist she sighed. The sun was close to setting and she knew she had overslept.
“Johnny.” She pushed his arm away. He snored then rolled over. “Ugh, Johnny!”
“What!” He covered his eyes with his hands. “Why is it so bright in here?”
“I slept too late. Get up. You’ve got to go.” He rolled out of bed and leaned against the wall. “Get dressed and go home.” Olive liked the companionship but she didn’t like having to deal with another person all the time. Johnny slowly pulled on his clothes and stumbled through the small house. “I’ll go out with you, I have to get the mail anyway.”
After so long Olive was still struck with the heat in Oasis Springs. Even though it was autumn the air didn’t seem to be cooling off at all. Johnny kissed her forehead.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe you can come to my place and hang out.” Olive gritted her teeth through a fake smile. Johnny’s rusty trailer was the last place she wanted to spend any time.
“Maybe.” As she stood at the curb she noticed a small car moving slowly down the street. Olive squinted into the sun, trying to make out who was behind the wheel. As the car slowed to a stop she stepped back. Deep blue eyes stared back at her. Olive’s mouth dropped open as Nick stepped out of the car.
Sims Stories 