Justice by Oleander - 2012 Watty Awards, Finalist

Chapter 18

© Carey MacLean, 2012

Chapter 18

He knew he had taken a chance a month before with that doctor he had gotten rid of.  He hoped that in the end, Mika would see that he had done it all for her.  A week had gone by since he had seen her – one hell of a long week at that.  He had signed the divorce papers his bitch of an ex-wife had sent his way and he never felt better about his status in life.

Watching as she kissed that detective goodbye, he waited until he drove off before he made his move.  She had gone back inside.  Judging by the obvious nature of her routine, he knew she was on one of her days off.  Getting out of his car, he walked up the front walkway and smelled the beautiful bouquet of pink, orange and red lilies he had hand-selected especially for her.  Setting them down against the door, he rang the doorbell and darted straight for his car.  Jumping in, he wondered what was taking the woman so long to open the door.

When the door opened, he noticed that she wore a terrycloth bath robe.

She must have been about to take a shower, he thought to himself.

Oh how he wished he could have been the one running his soapy hands over that smooth porcelain skin of hers.  She looked around in confusion before taking notice of the bouquet on the ground.  Picking it up, he hoped that she’d notice the card – and she did.

She wondered who that could be when the doorbell rang.  Xavier had just left to tend to a bit of office work and promised to be back by lunch time.  He had said he had a surprise for her when he’d get back.  When she got downstairs, clad in Xavier’s bathrobe, Mika opened the door and whoever it had been was now long gone.  She looked down and noticed a beautiful bouquet of lilies.  Picking them up, she smelled and smiled at their pungent perfume.  She noticed the card and took it out of its envelope before reading it.

I do it all for you, Love

Something about the little card gave her the creeps.  Immediately, she looked around to see if there was anyone around, watching her.  She locked the door and activated the security system.  Leaving the flowers on the kitchen counter, she ran upstairs and jumped in the shower.

Later that morning, the mail-man had come.  She looked through the stack of mail and noticed a small envelope addressed to her with no return address included.  Opening it, she was curious to see who it was from.  It wasn’t her birthday or any other special occasion but there, in her hand, was a card.  As she opened it, something fell from it and onto the floor.  Picking it up at first, she read the card.

He’s not for you.  Until we meet again, Love

Immediately, she proceeded to look at the pieces of paper that she had picked up.  They were photos and not just any photos.  Photos of her and Xavier and as she leafed through them, she noticed something else.  There was one more photo.  One that turned her stomach and made her want to wretch.  It was a photo of Xavier with another woman.  They looked comfy at the same restaurant he had brought Mika a while back.

She heard the front door open, the alarm being disarmed – Xavier was home.  Forcing the bile that was climbing back down from her throat, she waited until he came to her.

Xavier walked into the kitchen to find a stark raving mad woman.

What the hell?  He thought and then he noticed everything on the kitchen island.

“I have a stalker.  He seems to be taken with the both of us,” she spat.

Xavier was confused.