Thin Walls

The police officer rocked back and forth on his toes and heels as he methodically chewed a toothpick. I watched it roll in small circles across his tongue. It was grossly hypnotic. His partner couldn’t keep his hands still, fiddling with his phone, his nightstick, his gun. They both looked so nervous. I wanted them to know that there was nothing to be worried about. I wasn’t who they were looking for.

“Come in,” I insisted and led them to my living room. It was buried in stacks of old newspapers and dog eared books. I cleared two couch spaces for them and sat in my armchair, the one with pen stains on the cushions and crumbs in the seat. I curled up with my feet across the side like I would normally sit. I had no reason to be nervous, just like the officers.

“We’re here to ask you a few questions,” The officer with the toothpick leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Did you know Eugene Macleby?”

I picked up on his use of past tense immediately. “Did I know him? Is he okay?”

“He’s dead,” The second officer met my eyes for the first time since I let him in. “He was found last night by a…” he checked his phone. “Lionel Eberts, a quarry worker.”

Sick curiosity overcame me. “How did he die? Was he murdered?”

Both policemen looked at each other then leaned back in their seats. “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“He was in the quarry? What was he doing there?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. Now, did you know Mr. Macleby?”

I tried to swallow. “Yes...yes barely. I knew of him I guess. He was my neighbor’s boyfriend, he was always coming in and out of her house. I met him a year or so ago. He was always humming the Twilight Zone theme song. I don’t know why. I guess he really liked the show. I never cared for it much. Most of the episodes weren’t very good.”

“What about yesterday? Did you see him then?”

“Yesterday?” I tried to remember what I did yesterday. My memories were clouded by drinking and boredom. “I think maybe I ran into him while I was taking out the trash. Yeah, he was leaving Polly’s house. They were fighting about something or another. They’d been fighting a lot lately. I kept hearing them. Thin walls, you know? Is Polly okay? She’s not a suspect, is she?”

The officers exchanged looks again. “Polly’s gone. No one has seen her. When you were taking out the trash, did you see Polly or just Eugene?”

“Only him I think. He was yelling into the house though. I didn’t hear her reply. Do you think he killed her?”

“Just a few more questions Miss Litman, if you could bear with me. What time did you take out the trash?”

“Maybe 4? And that was the last time I saw him. He left in that big truck he likes so much and he left.”

“Did you hear what they may have been fighting about?”

“I always hear what they’re fighting about. Thin walls, remember? Something about his mom coming to visit. They always seem to fight more when they have family over. Like around holidays.”

The officers made some notes on their phones and thanked me. I led them to the door and waved as they crossed the hall and knocked on Mrs. Filly’s door, Polly’s other neighbor. I hoped Polly was okay. I didn’t care much for her boyfriend but she’d always been nice to me.

I fished my computer out from under stacks of loose papers and searched decomposition rates. I had seen Eugene yesterday but I didn’t know when he died. If his body was stiff and maggots had laid eggs in him, he’d been dead for a day. I wish I could see it. Maybe they’d need me to identify the body. But no, they already knew the body they found was Eugene. Maybe I’d need to identify Polly’s, when they found her. She wasn’t technically missing for another few hours, if she’d disappeared around the time when I saw Eugene at the trash cans but maybe I could help with the search party when the time came. Then I’d be more likely to find her first.

Someone knocked again and I reluctantly went to the door. “Thin walls,” The officer spit out his toothpick. He showed me his badge and read me my rights. I was confused. Mrs. Filly was a snitch but…

I didn’t hide the body in the quarry.