The Killer Beside Me

BY THE LOADING DOCK.

I WAS GROWING WORRIED THAT SOMETHING

WAS GOING TO GO VERY WRONG.

- I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW... - FLANK 11 MADE CONTACT.

...WHO MY FRIEND WAS ANYMORE.

HE WAS DANGEROUS. THERE WAS NO QUESTION.

PUT YOUR --

SHOTS FIRED!

EVERYTHING JUST CRUMBLED...

...AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST GONE.

YOU DON'T EXPECT TO LOSE YOUR CHILD.

MORNING.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2015, CAROLINE WAS 24 YEARS OLD.

SHE FOUND AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR A LOCAL GROCERY-STORE CHAIN.

- HI. - HI.

SHE WORKED IN THE PRODUCE SECTION.

SHE WAS THE ASSISTANT PRODUCE MANAGER.

SHE WAS VERY GOOD AT HER JOB.

YOU'RE WELCOME. HAVE A NICE DAY.

CAROLINE REALLY LIKED THE CAMARADERIE

OF PEOPLE SHE WORKED WITH,

AND SHE MADE NEW FRIENDS.

HEY.

IN THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER OF 2015,

I STARTED AT THE GROCERY STORE, AND THAT'S WHERE I MET CAROLINE.

I FINALLY STARTED THAT BOOK YOU LENT ME.

AND?

CAROLINE WAS JUST --

SHE WAS REALLY BUBBLY AND REALLY FRIENDLY,

JUST SOMEBODY THAT I INSTANTLY WANTED TO GET TO KNOW MORE.

SHE WAS VERY WELCOMING.

AS PEOPLE WOULD ENTER THE STORE AS EMPLOYEES, NEW HIRES,

SHE WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL AS THOUGH

THEY BELONGED A PART OF THE GROUP,

WHICH IS WHAT SHE DID WITH ME.

SHE CARED FOR EVERYBODY REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU WERE.

ANYWAY, I'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE.

OKAY.

NEW GUY.

NOT LONG AFTER STARTING AT THE GROCERY STORE,

CAROLINE MET A YOUNG MAN

BY THE NAME OF CHRISTOPHER O'KROLEY.

I'M CAROLINE.

HI. UM, CHRIS.

CHRIS GAVE OFF A SORT OF VIBE

THAT TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE

TO REALLY SEE INSIDE OF HIS HEAD.

HE WAS VERY QUIET, SOMEWHAT SECLUDED, FRIENDLY ENOUGH,

BUT REALLY JUST TO HIMSELF MOST OF THE TIME.

I'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE?

RIGHT.

THE STORE WAS A REALLY VERY SOCIAL PLACE.

I WORKED IN THE SMOOTHIE BAR,

WHICH WAS PART OF THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT

WHERE CAROLINE WORKED,

AND THEN CHRIS WORKED IN THE MEAT DEPARTMENT.

YEAH, IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND TURN RIGHT,

IT'S OUT THE DOOR ON YOUR LEFT.

EVERYBODY REALLY GOT ALONG AND BEFORE TOO LONG,

WE STARTED GETTING TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF WORK FOR DRINKS,

AND WE CALLED THEM OUR FUN NIGHTS.

...LIKE IT. IT WAS SO RIDICULOUS.

IT WAS INSANE.

CAROLINE WAS CERTAINLY THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO,

IN AN OUTING, IF SOMEBODY DID SEEM TO FEEL LEFT OUT,

SHE WOULD TALK TO THEM.

HEY, CHRIS.

LOOK, COME AND SIT HERE.

IT WAS REALLY JUST HER NATURE

TO REACH IN AND TRY TO PULL SOMEBODY OUT OF THEIR SHELL,

AND CHRIS WAS SOMEBODY WHO WAS VERY QUIET AND TO HIMSELF.

TO CHRIS.

CHRIS, CAROLINE, AND I BECAME CLOSE PRETTY QUICKLY.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF CAROLINE ON HER 21st BIRTHDAY.

CAROLINE WAS BORN ON MY 33rd BIRTHDAY, SO WE SHARED MAY 1st.

BEST PRESENT I EVER GOT.

CAROLINE KNEW A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE,

BUT SHE WOULD NOT CHANGE HERSELF TO BECOME PART OF THE CROWD.

SHE WAS ALWAYS AN INDIVIDUAL,

AND SHE WAS ASSERTIVE.

AND SHE WAS VERY TENDER-HEARTED AT THE SAME TIME.

SHE HAD GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL

AND WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR A YEAR OR TWO,

AND SHE DIDN'T REALLY CARE FOR IT,

AND SHE SAYS, "I WANT TO START OUT ON MY OWN.

I WANT TO GET A JOB."

I WASN'T WORRIED THAT CAROLINE WASN'T FULFILLING HER POTENTIAL

BY WORKING AT THE GROCERY STORE.

I WANTED HER TO HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES IN HER LIFE

AND WORKING FOR A LIVING WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG

IS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.

WELL, CAROLINE, SHE CAME HOME ONE TIME AND SHE SAID,

"DAD, I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT

MOVING ME UP WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS THE REST OF MY LIFE."

EVENTUALLY, I FOUND OUT SHE HAD BEEN ACCEPTED

TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

AND WOULD HOPEFULLY BE STARTING CLASSES THE FALL OF 2016,

BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO TELL ME.

SHE HAD TOLD MY WIFE AND HAD TOLD HER OLDER SISTER.

THEY WANTED TO KEEP THAT AS A SURPRISE FOR ME.

THIS IS YOU?

I LOOK GROSS.

NO, IT'S COOL.

WHATEVER.

MY MOM.

I'D LOVED IT WHEN CAROLINE WOULD JUST POP IN AS A SURPRISE,

AND SHE WOULD HAVE A DAY OFF DURING THE WEEK SOMETIMES.

SHE ALWAYS HAD WORKED EVERY WEEKEND.

SO SHE WOULD NEVER CALL FIRST.

SHE'D JUST -- SURPRISE AND SHE WAS THERE.

- HEY! - HEY!

WHEN I FIRST MET CHRIS...

THIS IS CHRIS.CHRIS!

...SHE INTRODUCED US. I SHOOK HIS HAND HELLO.

HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING AT HER, NOT ME.

AND THEY STAYED JUST A FEW MINUTES

AND THEN WERE ON THEIR WAY.

ALL DONE.

PERHAPS HE WAS A BIT SHY.

YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW SOMEONE BETTER.

HE DIDN'T ENGAGE WITH ME AT ALL.

I DON'T EVEN THINK HE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE.

HE DIDN'T SAY MUCH OTHER THAN HELLO.

THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

CAROLINE WAS ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS.

I MET HER AROUND 2013, AND WE USED TO WORK TOGETHER,

AND WE JUST CLICKED RIGHT AWAY.

AND EVEN AFTER WE STOPPED WORKING TOGETHER,

CAROLINE AND I WOULD MEET FOR COFFEE.

SO, YOU HAVE TO MEET CHRIS...

THE FIRST TIME CAROLINE MENTIONED CHRIS,

SHE SAID THAT HE WAS PART OF HER NEW WORK CREW,

AND SHE WAS REALLY DRAWN TO HIM

BECAUSE HE HAD SOME, LIKE,

TRAGIC BACKSTORY I WAS LEAD TO BELIEVE.

HEY, YOU WANT TO COME PLAY VIDEO GAMES SOME TIME?

SURE. THAT SOUNDS FUN.

HOW ABOUT TOMORROW?

I CAN'T TOMORROW. MY SISTER'S IN TOWN.

MOM'S GOT ME DOWN TO COOK.

SHE'S NICE, YOUR MOM.

MY LIFE'S A MESS.

CAROLINE WAS REALLY CONCERNED

THAT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A SUPPORT NETWORK.

HE HAD RECENTLY BEEN HOMELESS FOR A TIME SHE HAD MENTIONED.

HE HAD RECENTLY GONE THROUGH A BREAKUP

AND HAD A SMALL CHILD AT HOME THAT HE DIDN'T SEE.

WOW, THAT SOUNDS INTENSE.

IF YOU EVER WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW I'M HERE FOR YOU.

I BELIEVE CAROLINE THOUGHT HE NEEDED A FRIEND.

SHE THOUGHT THAT, "WELL, IF I CAN BRING SOME FRIENDSHIP TO HIM

OR I CAN GIVE HIM AN EAR TO, YOU KNOW, VENT TO,

THEN THAT COULD HELP,"

AND I DIDN'T AGREE WITH HER 100% ON THAT.

LOOK, I'VE GOT TO GO, BUT WE'LL DO SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND.

COOL.

OKAY, SEE YOU.

CAROLINE AND CHRIS,

THEY STARTED HANGING OUT MORE OFTEN OUTSIDE OF WORK.

THEY WERE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER,

AND THEY WERE ABLE TO TALK FREELY.

I BELIEVE THAT CHRIS GOT ALONG WITH CAROLINE

AS WELL AS HE DID BECAUSE

CAROLINE WAS AN ADMIRABLE WOMAN WHO WAS VERY CARING, SWEET,

AND JUST GENUINELY WANTED WHAT WAS ACTUALLY BEST

FOR THE PEOPLE IN HER LIFE.

IT HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO ME

THAT MAYBE THERE WAS ANYTHING MORE TO IT THAN THAT.

BUT A FEW WEEKS AFTER I STARTED AT THE STORE,

WE HAD STARTED TO NOTICE SOMETHING

MAYBE A LITTLE OFF ABOUT CHRIS.

- HEY, HAVE YOU HEARD? - WHAT?

ABOUT CHRIS. ABOUT WHAT HE DID.

NO?

THAT WAS THE POINT WHEN I HAD REALIZED

THAT THINGS WERE NOT QUITE AS THEY SEEMED.

I WAS GONNA STOP BY THE MALL TOMORROW AFTER SHIFT.

WANT TO COME?

TO THE MALL? WITH YOU?

WHAT I HAD COME TO FIND OUT WAS THAT CHRIS

HAD BEEN HITTING ON MY FRIEND'S LITTLE SISTER,

AND SHE WAS ONLY 16.

HONESTLY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO BELIEVE

WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS TRUE.

THAT'S SO WEIRD. I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM DOING THAT.

ARE YOU SURE?

THE STORE WAS ALMOST SORT OF LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL

IN REGARDS TO DRAMA AND GOSSIP.

THERE WAS REALLY NO STOPPING IT.

IT WAS EVERYWHERE, WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR BAD.

SEE YOU LATER.

WE CERTAINLY GAVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

AND ASSUMED THAT HE WAS JUST A VERY QUIET PERSON

AND MAYBE HIS SOCIAL SKILLS WEREN'T UP TO SNUFF.

CAROLINE HAD GONE OUT TO THE BAR WITH HER BIG GROUP OF FRIENDS.

CHEERS!

LATER THAT NIGHT, SHE FELT LIKE SHE HAD HAD TOO MUCH DRINK

AND SO SHE ASKED TO BE TAKEN HOME.

INSTEAD, SINCE CHRISTOPHER WASN'T SURE WHERE SHE LIVED,