Chapter 4 MASTER KEY
CLARA
The silence in 3B apartment is really luxurious because the first three days felt safe. There has been no blocked number popping up on my phone screen again, no unusual footsteps walking past my bedroom window in the dead of the night and I can finally heave a sigh of relief.
I had ran away from an ex who clearly ruled the town with blood-stained hands and somehow, I have found a safe space.
The loud knock at my door makes my heart jump as I freeze, rolling my eyes and gripping my camera tightly.
“Clara?”
The voice feels familiar. Deep and smooth and usual.
Julian, my good neighbor.
I let out a breath I had held for seconds and step towards the door in a bid to unlock the heavy bolt. He stood across the hallway, leaning against the wall and looking so handsome in a simple burgundy sweater.
“I saw the delivery truck parked outside earlier,” He said, his lips narrowing into a thin line that forms a smile. The coffee cup in his hand catches my attention too.
“I figured you were still unpacking, so I brought you some coffee. It’s black and I really hope you don’t mind.”
I blink surprisingly. Black coffee has always been my favourite, so thoughtful of him!
“No, I don’t.” My face beams with a smile “Thank you, but… you know you didn’t have to…”
“Neighbors look out for each other, don't they?” He says smoothly. Always quick to remind me that we are neighbors and that has a way of keeping me on track. I shouldn’t be falling for a man I have just met, especially because he is my neighbor.
His fingers brush against mine while he handed me the cup, sending a cold shiver down my spine for the second time.
I become numb. Damn it!
He glances past my shoulders into my living room.
“Settling in well? Have you been getting some sleep?”
“Yeah, I have…” I stutter, watching his smile grow a bit sharper.
“Good. If you ever feel some kind of way, remember I’m just a step away.”
He nods politely and walks back into his apartment, closing the door.
I turn the bolt back into its place and place the coffee on a stool. Julian is so polite and safe — everything Marcus isn’t and will never be.
I pick up my camera adjusting the settings while I walk into the bedroom. I lift it to my eye in a bid to test the lighting and, taking random shots of my large windows and the new furniture.
While testing the camera, my phone screen lit up on the desk, vibrating loudly. It’s an automatic email notification from the building security system. My jaw dropped as I read the message…
SECURITY SYSTEM ALERT: Main door entry. Mastercard used at apartment 3B. Time stamp: 9:46PM
My breath gets stuck in my throat. 9:46PM was literally two minutes ago. The Mastercard is used to open any door in the building. Did someone else walk into my apartment while I was with Julian?
I run over to the main door. The smart lock on the handle has a screen that shows a green light when a keycard is scanned. I tap it to check the recent entry logs, my heart pounding against my chest.
The screen lit up and it’s totally blank while the system show zero entry for the whole day. Someone must have wiped the digital log and reset it from the keypad. This person knows exactly how to clear the evidence so one wouldn’t know.
Staring at the blank screen and realizing that someone else can lock and unlock my doors whenever they wanted, made me freeze and terrified.
Right there, the front door handle jiggles all of a sudden…
I gasp, taking slow steps backward…
He has finally found my hiding place. Today might probably be the end of me.
The door swings open and Elena walks in, shaking her wet umbrella.
My chest tightens while I struggle to breathe.
“Elena…” I choke out, pointing the door handle with a shaking finger. “The … the lock… the security alert… someone used a master key to get into this place some minutes ago and… and … the record was wiped completely .”
Elena blinks before bursting into laughter. She deeps her fingers into her pants pocket and brings out a white, thick plastic card which she waves across my face.
“For goodness sake, Clara, relax! You are just being scared unnecessarily”, she says, pulling off her wet shoes.
“Don’t tell me you forgot the building manager gave this temporary Mastercard to me the day you were moving in, so I could help you carry the studio gear up and down the elevator. I didn’t remember to return it.”
Relief spreads all over me as I stare at the white card in her hand.
“I used it now because I had the umbrella in my hands and I couldn’t dial your security code.” She explained further, tossing the card onto my bed. “ You really need to stop letting your thoughts get the best of you. You are absolutely safe here, trust me.”
“Right.” I sigh, still pressing my chest with a hand. “I totally forgot…”
Elena walks over to the bed with a big grin on her face, ignoring how frightened I look.
“Anyway, forget about that. You won’t believe who I ran into at the Moore. Take a look!” She shoves her phone right of my face. On her screen was a photo of a guy with blonde hair and a familiar smile.
Drake!
Memories of the college begin to fly in. Drake was my high school crush back then. I would always blush whenever I walked past in. Seeing him again brings back a flash of nostalgia that loosen my chest for some seconds.
“That’s Drake.” My eyes widen as I whisper.
“Yes!” Elena exclaims excitedly. She rants about how he looked so good, how they talked, down to him asking about me. “He remembers you vividly, girl. And you know the funniest part? He literally begged for your number.”
“Did you give it to him?”
“Why not? I know how crazy you were about him back then.”
My face beams with a crooked smile. For a second, nothing else mattered except the fact that Drake wanted to speak to me.
My phone buzzes on the desk due to the message that had come in.
“Hello Gorgeous.”
It’s a message from an unknown number. My heart skips a bit as I grab the phone to check.
Oh goodness! I thought I was past the anonymous stalker phase!
Maybe I was wrong.
