Fishman Chapter Fourteen

The lift is jolty. I don’t think it’s been serviced for a long time. I wish we took the stairs. I feel like the lift would drop and shatter within seconds. I should tell Todd that I hate lifts the next time I see an elevator. He knows lots about me, but not the fact that I hate lifts.

I hope we don’t get stuck. I remember so many horror stories linked to elevators that I’m muttering prayers to myself.

“Did you say something?” Todd cries out. His voice echoes. The fact that he’s so loud doesn’t help much. Sometimes I wonder if he’s hard of hearing? He has everything loud, even his MP3 players. It surprises that the neighbours have yet to have words with me.

My lips quivered. “No.”

“What’s the matter? You look pale? You’re not scared of lifts, are you?”

“No. Of course not.” I’m embarrassed about my fear of lifts. Millions use them every day. The motion makes my stomach upset. Anything involving cramped spaces is an abomination in my eyes. Man, do I even need to give a reason for not liking lifts? I just don’t like them. End of story.

The doors open. To say I feel relief is an understatement. Todd runs out like a kid in a sweet shop. I take a brisk pace, so there’s time to absorb the surroundings. I feel sorry for the residents here. There’s just layers of cobwebs and dirt everywhere.

“Okay, I lied. Yes, I fear lifts.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“You did say you didn’t like the look of the stairs.”

The lights are so dim. Todd and I can see through it okay, but anyone with limited vision might as well live in maze. This is terrible. Now I know why Sarah hated Old Town Court so much. I didn’t think that it would be as bad as she said it was. The council estate me and Sarah lived in was lovely—a real community spirit.

“Why would anyone want to live here?” Todd yelled. “Oh well, at least we can’t smell the sewage on the ground floor.” He jumps at the sound of loud trump. “What was that?”

“Oh nothing, just farted.”

“Gross!” He pinches his nose. “At a time like this?”

“You don’t hear me complain about your floaters.”

“That’s not my fault!” He walks away, looking for around to see any signs of people.

Something crunches under my feet. Judging by what’s left of it, it seems to be the remains of a mouse. The whole top floor is a final resting place for rodents. There’s a black cat in the corner stating at me—but I don’t think he or she has an owner.

“Hello!”

“Who are you talking to?” Todd asks.

“I’m talking to the cat.”

“You’re a mad one. The cat isn’t going to talk back to you.”

“Maybe not, but it can play with me.”

“Leave the cat alone and start concentrating.” Todd’s serious. “Isn’t your sister more important than some stranger’s cat?”

I can’t understand why Todd smiles. I’ve told him time and time again that my sister is dead and she’s not the person that he’s been talking to online for all these years. What have I got to do to prove she’s dead? Do I have to physically drag him to the cemetery where she’s buried with my parents? That’ll be fun – he hates cemeteries just as much as I hate chocolate.

All the contacts for ‘Kathleen’ lead to flat 99 in Old Town Court. I feel like my hearts trying to pound out of my chest. To this day, I still have Kathleen’s mobile number and email address memorized in my head. The emails and phone number that Todd had are the same. Whoever this person is, it’s amazing how they know so much about Kathleen to impersonate her online and convince Todd that she was real. Maybe it’s a gift beyond the grave.

“This is it,” Todd says. “We’re finally going to do it. No more setbacks. Kathleen… I’m coming for you.”

I want to correct him, but the truth will only fall on deaf ears. He’s stubborn, that’s for sure. I don’t know how he’ll be able to handle the truth. I don’t know who’s behind the profiles, but I want closure. I want to know who this person pretending to be my sister and why?

“The door’s locked!” Todd moans. “There must be a way to open this door.”

“There’s a key safe by you.”

“How are we supposed to know the code?”

“Try 2011.”

Todd gaps as the key safe door drops on his nose. “Ouch! Did you do that on purpose? How did you know that was the password?”

“I guessed it,” I reply. “2011 is the year she died. The year you and her apparently started talking to each other.”

“I never thought of that,” Todd says snatching the key and opening it. “You’re the brain to my pinkie.”

I don’t get the reference. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve never watched Pinkie and The Brain? You know those laboratory mice that they take over the world? Jesus, what kind of life have you known, Bobby?”

“A pretty normal life by the looks of it.”

“Sitting on your arse drinking tea and playing video games all day.” Todd rolled his eyes. “Yeah, very normal indeed.”

I wish he’d leave the sarcasm to me. “Are you even nervous?”

He shakes his head. “Not really. I’ve been ready to meet Kathleen for a long time.”

“On a serious note,” I pause. I know it’s not Kathleen behind those doors, and I hope that deep down that Todd will come to realise and accept the truth whatever it is. “Worst case scenario that its actually a man. What will you do if it’s not Kathleen there?”

Todd pulls out a knife from his pocket. “Does this explain your answer?”

I say nothing. A gentle nod will do. Sneaky git, that’s my kitchen knife! He charges into the room like a bull in a china shop. I creep up behind him, with my eyes on that knife. He can’t be serious. He wouldn’t bring himself to do it. Not Todd. He saved my life, why would he want to take one? “Please Todd, don’t do anything stupid.”

“HEY! WHERE’S KATHLEEN?” Todd screams echo through the hall.

I peak over. All I can see is a pale arm flopped over the mattress. Red matted hair covered all over the pillow. In the woman’s hand is a mobile phone: iPhone 4—the same model that Kathleen had before she died. All the woman does is sob and hover under the covers in a foetal position.

Todd marches over to the bed and yanks the covers off her. He pounces on top of her and pulls her nightie towards his chest. “You’re…YOU’RE NOT KATHLEEN! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER? ANSWER ME! WHY WON’T YOU TALK?”

“Now will you listen to me,” I plead. “This is what I’ve been trying to tell you. Kathleen’s dead!”

Todd yanks the knife out of his pocket. “YOU UGLY FAT BITCH! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME? YOU LIAR!”

“Put that knife down,” I demand.

“NO, WHY SHOULD I? I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS EVIL COW PAY FOR WHAT SHE DID TO ME?”

“And what you will get by killing her?” I ask Todd. “Is it really worth throwing your life away? You’ll be in prison for the rest of your life!”

“At least I’ll have a roof over my head.”

“That’s not the point. Look at her, Todd. She hasn’t said a word since we’ve got here. She hasn’t moved much either.”

“You don’t have to be here you know,” Todd tells me. “You can leave.”

“You didn’t leave when I tried to kill myself, why should I leave you?”

The knife slips out of Todd’s hands as he looks at me. The hand now occupies her neck. “This and that are two very different events.”

“I’m trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life!” I take my chance and try to retrieve the knife, but Todd’s too quick for me. Not fair, he has the advantage being in his 20’s. “Just give me the knife.”

“You’re suppose to be on my side,” Todd shouts at me. “Just let do what I have to do.”

It’s the same words I said to him when I tried to ram the knife in my throat last week. It’s time he got a taste of his own medicine. “Come on Todd, think about this! What about your family? What about your grandmother? They’d be devastated if they found out you were murderer. It’s not worth it!”

“I know! But they can always visit me,” Todd bellows. “God dammit, she needs to suffer the way she made me suffer.” He tilts her head so she’s looking at him. The puffy eyes streaming with tears is a sight that shakes me to the core. She’s sorry, she’s beginning to be spared. Her feelings for him are real. She’s been silent all this time, but her eyes say so much.

“SHE NEEDS HELP!” I roar. “MURDER ISN’T THE ANSWER!”

Todd strops and rams the knife into the mattress. He jumps off the bed and crushes me against the wall. “Bobby, give me one good reason why I should stop?”

“Hell is no place for great like you,” I whisper.

“Meh, Hell might even be a better place than Heaven.” He pulls the knife out of the mattress. “Who cares, I don’t believe in that rubbish anymore.”

“Well I do!”

“I thought you said you lost your faith.”

“I found it again – because of you.”

“Not good enough,” Todd says.

“What do you mean that’s not good enough,” I snap. I rarely raise my temper like this. I hate the feeling of breathlessness and boiling cheeks. “For goodness sake, Todd, why do you have to be so stubborn?”

“I don’t have time to listen to your religious bullshit.” He looks at her with evil eyes that I’ve never seen before. “Whoever you are, this day shall be your last!”

“WAIT!” I intervene. “I KNOW THIS WOMAN!”

“WHAT?” Todd’s frozen reaction is my chance to take the knife off him once and for all. “What do you mean you know this woman?”

“Her name’s Anita Joint,” I tell him. She’s always had health problems, but I can see it’s the shame and guilt that cripples her harder. Todd gives me an evil look. He can look at me anyway he likes. He can even choose to end our friendship, right here, and right now. I just want him to listen before he does something incredibly stupid. “She was Kathleen’s best friend from school. They were always together. Not a day they were apart. I understand everything now.”

“Well I’m glad you do? Because I haven’t got a clue what’s going on here.”

“After Kathleen’s death, Anita had nobody. She knew everything about Kathleen. More than I knew. I guess that’s why she was so convincing. My sister had a habit of leaving her phone at Anita’s house.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I was a naughty child,” I confess. “I used to steal her stuff. When she annoyed me, I’d flush her make-up down the toilet. I recon she left her phone at Anita’s on purpose, so I couldn’t flush it down the loo.”

“And all of that is meant to make me change my mind?” Todd gets his hands around her neck. One way or another, he’s determined to kill her. He doesn’t hold her neck tight, thankfully. He’s opening his eyes more.

“Umm…YES!” I pull him away from the bed, and then I try to make Anita more comfortable. All the money that Todd had been sending to her, it must have gone towards the upkeep of the flat. I hope she’s not paying for care, because it looks like nobody’s visited for a long time.

I can feel Todd’s hand reach my pocket. He’s got his fingers on the handle. He says to me, “The fact this beast is supposed to be Kathleen’s best friend makes it worse!”

“You still love Kathleen, don’t you?”

“Yeah, she was my dream girl.”

“Then would Kathleen really want you to kill her best friend?”

Todd lets the knife go. “No, she wouldn’t. She was kind.” He goes over to Anita and holds her hand. “I’m sorry Anita, I didn’t mean it, just so you know.”

“It’s okay!”

Anita’s voice was gentle and sweet. A lot like Kathleen’s. She’s been impersonating Kathleen for so long she doesn’t even know she is anymore. Poor soul. When Anita is feeling better and ready to talk, I’m sure she will.

I think my sister would have been happy about this outcome. The truth is out. Nobody dies and both Anita and Todd are free from this web of madness. Anita smiles first, then Todd does. I don’t know what they’re actually smiling about, but I join in.

It feels great. Great to forget out this depression that comes in and beats you up every day. Depression is not going to win anymore. Because I am Bobby Fishman, and every day I live is going to be a great blessing.

“Thanks Todd.”

He looks at me as I’m speaking another language. “What for?”

There’s a lot I could tell him. He saved me from drowning. I’m one of the lucky ones. Not everyone who’s suicidal has somebody there to save him. What if Todd was never catfished? Would he still have saved me if I jumped in? I think he would.

In another life, I think we’d still get on well. I owe him everything. If Todd had succeeded killing Anita, I don’t know if I could ever forgive myself or him.

I feel like I’m on the right path again. I’ve got the urge to contact the girls again. I’m daydreaming about a nice hotel coated in flowers. It’s all thanks to him.

So much I could say to him, but I just smile at him and pat his back. The only thing I could think of saying without making me sound like a lovesick puppy was, “I’m thirsty. Let’s go to the pub – drinks on me.”

“We’ll see you later,” Todd says to Anita. “I’m going to have a well-deserved pint. But we’ll be back. And you will talk to us.”

When we walked out of Anita’s flat, Ruth is waiting outside cradling Kathleen’s old handbag and glasses from the bin. Todd takes a step back and grits his teeth at Ruth.

“You’re late,” He tells Ruth. “We know the truth.”

“The truth?” Ruth appears surprised. “You mean it was Anita the whole time, I don’t believe it! Why are you trying to blame me?”

There’s a possibility that Kathleen did abuse Annie. I love my sister and she’s still the best sister anyone could have, but if she’s guilty, I can’t deny that she was in the wrong. It’s difficult to prove or take sides when Kathleen is unable to defend herself.

“We’re not blaming anyone,” I reply. “Anita is behind the profiles.”

“I should have known it was her. She missed Kathleen, she didn’t believe me when I told her what Kathleen had done.”

“You’re just as guilty,” Todd snaps, throwing his arm out ready to knock the living daylights out of her. I push his hand down and he stays still. “If you knew she was guilty, why didn’t you tell us. Anita’s not talking to us, so we’ll ask you. Why? Why me?”

Ruth bursts into hysterical tears. “I don’t know, maybe revenge.”

“Revenge? But I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Anita loved Kathleen, but Kathleen loved me. She wanted to get back at Annie for her accusations against Kathleen. And she wanted to get back at me for not proving her innocence. Annie was going to speak up, and it was stressing Kathleen out. She blames Annie and I for her death.”

“Annie has every right to speak up.” I can’t believe I’m defending my own cousin. She’s not the kind of person you want to have a cup of tea with, but I believe she’s telling the truth.

“You really think Annie was telling the truth?” Todd asks me.

“Yes, and I know where it happened too.”

“Oh, do you?” Ruth’s sincere tone from the other day still resides in her. “Where did Kathleen supposedly abused her?”

“By the tree.”

Ruth still clings onto the illusion that Kathleen is innocent. “Are you kidding me? She wouldn’t do a thing like that?”

“It makes sense,” Todd tells me. “Why else would she be yelling at us not to go near that tree in Woodburn?”

“It explains Annie’s actions. I don’t condone it, but I don’t condemn it either.”

“She made one silly mistake!” Ruth declared.

“A mistake that destroyed Annie’s life. But it’s a lot more than one silly mistake. It was one mess up after another. You couldn’t take it anymore, so you broke up with her.”

“And who do you think you are, some sort of detective?”

“Maybe. I don’t really know who I am anymore.” I look over to Todd. “I think it’s time we call the police.” Ruth tries to run, but I pull her back. “You have to talk to them, Ruth. You know more about Kathleen’s misdeeds than I do.”

“I hope they hurry up,” Todd moans. “I want my pint!”

“Have some patience. The pubs are going to be open all night.”

“If it’s all right with you,” Ruth says, “I think I’ll join you for some drinks as well.”

“Then who’s looking after the kids tonight?”

“Oh, your grandpa and grandma.”

“My grandma?” I raise an eyebrow.

“No, Todd’s grandma.”

“Oh shit,” Todd hisses, “she’s bloody gone and done it again.”