She was beautiful, friendly, and, after this was all over, the police let me know she was very, very deadly.

I’ve been a locksmith for 21 years. Our shop locks up at 5:00 but I usually stay late to finish up the next day’s invoices and routes for my boys. We live in a not too terrible part of town, so it’s not uncommon to see people walking around the neighborhood after dark. <br><br>It was around 8, the sun had just barely gone down, I was taking some trash out to the dumpster when I saw a woman walking down the street. It was rare to see a woman walking alone, especially at that hour. She smiled and waved at me, and I thought nothing of it.<br><br>I came back inside and started to work on the routes. When I hear a knock at the door, which I thought was odd. Nobody comes after 5 and I didn’t remember making an appointment for anyone. I looked to the side of the door, and there she was, the same woman who had waved and smiled. She waved at me through the glass.<br><br>There was something strange about her waving, I don’t know if it seemed off or what. But my gut was telling me something major. Against every logical thought in my brain, I did not open the door. I stood there frozen. My brain told me to open the door, my gut told me not to. Eventually, she let her hand drop and walked away.<br><br>I thought nothing of it. No big deal. I sat back down and started to work on the invoices again, still feeling like something was off. I looked to the side of the door and she was back, waving at me. Frozen in place, my heart pounding. My brain screamed at me to open the door, my gut screamed at me not to.<br><br>She dropped her hand again and walked away. It was then I decided to call the police. Shaking, not moving, I called them and let them know a strange woman was outside my shop waving at me through the window. They said they’d be there soon. She was back, waving at me, smiling, walking away. <br><br>I thought about the back door and knew if I ran I’d make myself look like an idiot, but my body decided for me. I ran through the shop, my heart pounding, and my hands shaking. I saw her through the glass of the front door, and my heart skipped a beat. She had walked around the building. I made it to the back door and ripped it open. I slammed it shut and locked it. I could see her through the small glass window at the top of the door. I stumbled through the parking lot, tripping and falling. I got back up and ran. <br><br>My house was about 3 blocks away. Tearing down the street, not looking back. I got in my house, locked the door, and called the cops. They said they were still on their way. Inconsolable and crying, my fiancé called my best friend who lived down the road. When he got there, he went to the shop, looking for the woman. The police showed up, and they found her a few blocks away. My friend described her to the police, they asked me if that was the woman, and I said yes. They took her down and read her her rights. <br><br>It was then one of the officers said “Ma’am, is there anything on you we should know about?” And without missing a beat she said “I have three knives on me.” The cops were shocked and asked where. She said one in her waist, one in her bra, one under her arm. They cuffed her, searched her, and took her away. <br><br>The next day one of the officers called me and said she had no ID on her, but they figured out who she was. She was wanted in three states, and had outstanding warrants for attempted murder and assault with deadly weapons. Her name is burned in my memory. I will not forget her name, ever.<br><br>She was beautiful, friendly, and, after this was all over, the police let me know she was very, very deadly.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>She was never in my shop, customer or otherwise. No one knows what she was doing there that night.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Validate your gut, your body will let you know if something feels off. Listen to it.