His Dark Obsession

Chapter 45: The Chaos of the Chase

Ian lathered soap on Tara's back and rubbed her in slow circles. Her shoulder muscles retracted as his gentle movements unhurriedly lowered down her back side. He then took hold of the hand shower and rinsed the soap off her. As the white foam slid off and gushing water speckled all over her gleaming skin, Ian was reminded of the Three Graces, a sculpture in Paris of three women who each represented charm, beauty and elegance -- Tara was all three in flesh.
When Ian had bathed her fully, he let Tara enjoy the shower as he stepped out. Ian did so because he wanted to have a look at Jake's phone records. When he got to the bedroom and was putting on his clothes, he heard his phone ring. He looked at the screen - it was his sister calling.
Although she lived far away, Kristen always made a point to check up on Ian, especially now, after Jake's death, she called often just to see how he was holding up. After they had exchanged pleasantries, Kristen began questioning Ian as a concerned sister. "Ian, you look pale. Have you been eating well?"
"I am eating fine." Ian replied carelessly.
"Ian, you don't look fine. You have lost weight, it's showing on your face."
"Kristen you can't possibly know if I have lost any weight. You are sitting half way across the world!"
"Ian...how's Estelle holding up? How are you doing?"
Kristen had always been Ian's confidant; he had told her things he hated admitting to others. Him and his sister had always had a strong bond and even though she had a family of her own and he didn't live in England, they always stayed connected. She had called Ian once the news of Jake's death had spread like wildfire (owing to the prominence of the Cada name) and had let him know that she was there for him and he was always welcome at her place if he ever felt the need to get away from New York. Inside, he wanted to get away and take Tara along with him. The pain, guilt, sorrow and apprehension was all too much. Putting a safe distance between them and New York suddenly seemed like a desirable option. "I am doing fine. Estelle's trying her best to cope."
"Ian, it is ok to share. You have always tried holding the entire universe inside of you. If you feel pain why won't you share it with me?"
Ian didn't know how to tell her what he felt. He was a man who had (probably) robbed his best friend of the love of his life. Jake had been happy with Tara. Ian had witnessed it. Ian was also the man who had lost his best friend, the best friend he had betrayed. How could life be so shifty, duplicitous...dual? Or was it not the circumstances but he himself who was all that?! A man who was like a brother to him was murdered and the last thoughts in his brain were probably of how much he detested him. He felt like he didn't deserve to be with Tara but at the same time he knew he wasn't ever going to be able to give her up. He knew Tara had no fault in the matter; he was the one who had enticed her, made her aware of possibilities that would have never existed in her mind had he not lured her. Was he the devil incarnate? Inspiring lust, demanding betrayal, having illicit affairs, betraying friendships? Was he a man condemned to the depths of hell because he had never learnt to truly, genuinely care for those who were close to him?
"Kristen, I am in pain, my best friend just died. And I want to avenge him by finding his murderer. I want to ask for his forgiveness...."
"Ian, you don't need to get mixed up in all this, let the police do their job."
"Kris, I don't think they'll be able to find the killer unless I help the cause along!"
"Ian, it's the freaking NYPD! They know how to do their job!"
"Kris, I can't just sit and do nothing. The guy Kelly, heading the investigation...he is a piece of work. He is determined to prove that I murdered my best friend!"
"What? Why the hell does he think that?"
"I was the the one who discovered his body, that's why, and somebody heard Jake and I arguing at the office on the day of his murder....."
"Why were you guys arguing?"
"Because of Tara."
"Why because of her?"
"Jake found out that she and I had...slept together."
"Ian, are you serious? You guys slept together? Does...she like you too?!"
"She wouldn't have slept with me, otherwise."
"What happened then, when he found out? How did he find out?"
"I don't know how he found out, Kris. Long story short, Tara and I are together now. In fact, she is staying with me these days."
"I can't believe you are with the person you have wanted to be with for so long...if circumstances were different I'd be cheering right now."
"Yes, life is unpredictable like that!"
"Amen to that!" Saying this Kristen paused a little.
Ian decided it was time to move to light-hearted subjects, "Where are your kids? Put them on video, I want to see them!"
Kris switched the camera mode to front view and moved from her bedroom to the lounge; Ian saw the kids huddled close to the fire place, reading a book to their dog Bazzle.
"Hey guys! Uncle Ian wants to say hello!" Kris told her children as she moved her phone closer to where they sat.
"Hey guys! How's it going?" An inadvertent smile touched Ian's lips as his niece and nephew yelled 'Uncle Ian' in unison. Ian looked them over with fondness. What was a child's entire world? His naive optimism, merry possibilities and the safe haven that was his home. Ian wished for them to grow into happy adults and live fulfilling lives. He remembered being a child once; remembered being unconditionally loved. He remembered how his parents were there for him whenever he needed them...remembered the feeling of security and warmth....Ian heard a slight sound at his front door. He immediately said his goodbyes to Aaron and Beatrice, trying his best not to sound alarmed. He then quietly went to the main door of his apartment and endeavoured to open it noiselessly. Soundless air greeted him; he looked toward his right and then left. The hallway was uncannily quiet. He looked down at his feet, that was when he saw it. A transparent colorox bottle with a tiny amount of blue liquid left inside.
Ian looked to his right and left - this time frantically. He was here. He had left the bleach bottle at Ian's doorstep. He was in the building!
Ian stepped out of his apartment and sprinted in the direction of the elevators. One of the elevators was occupied and going down. Ian waited to see which floor the elevator stopped at. It stopped on ground floor. He immediately punched the button to get into the empty elevator. He planned on following the killer to the ground floor but he paused mid-action. What if the killer had taken the emergency exit? Used stairs instead of the elevator, just like the day of Jake's murder. Ian ran to the staircase exit and stared down the flight of stairs and that was when Ian saw him. A person was quietly climbing down, wearing a navy blue hoodie and trousers, carrying a crossbody duffel bag.
Ian yelled, "Hey, asshole!"
The hooded figure jerked his face up and their eyes met -- it was as if two runners were sizing each other up just before the big race. They both began to climb down the stairs in a mad frenzy.
The killer was three floors lower but Ian was catching up to him fast and then Ian heard the click of a door. He looked down to see and the killer was disappearing behind a door two floors beneath him. Ian picked up his speed and ran to get off on the same floor and rushed out the same door on to the floor. He saw Hood enter one of the elevators on the floor. Ian quickly rushed to him in order to stop the door from closing but as Ian neared the elevator, the door shut the last inch. They both stared into each other's eyes with the closing door. Ian's were ice blue and the killer's amber brown. Ian punched the button to stop a second elevator on his floor and impatiently waited to see where the killer's elevator stopped - first floor. He got into his elevator then and punched one. Ian saw the elevator's control panel and it was lit for the tenth and the fourth floor.
"Goddamnit!" Ian cursed out loud in the empty elevator. After the two stops going down, the elevator finally reached the first floor. Ian got off and did a quick round of the hallway and then rushed straight for the emergency exit knowing full well that the killer would never make the mistake of leaving the building via the main door. He, however, didn't see anyone there and so he hurriedly climbed down the steps. Ian realized that the time his lift spent making the two stops, gave the killer just enough margin to make his escape. Ian still went out to check the emergency exit and the side alley and found it empty. He dashed to the front of his apartment building from the side alley, darting across the road to the cop car parked in a discreet corner. He frantically knocked on the window as one of the two cops, who were busy munching on some take out, slid down the window. "What?!"
"Did you see? Did you see the the man in the hoodie?"
"Blaine, the streets are pretty empty at this hour. Do you think if we had seen someone in a hoodie walk by we wouldn't have stopped him?"
Ian nodded in frustration and looked around himself, there were only a few people walking by and none seemed suspicious or were in the same attire as the killer. Ian banged his hand against the hood of the police car in frustration. The police man yelled, "what the hell was that?!"
Ian's reply was a look of utter disregard and disgust.
"Piss off, Blaine, before I put you in for vandalising government property!"
Ian gave the cop a finger as he moved back to the main entrance of the building all the while looking around himself for any sign of the killer.
When Ian reached his apartment and had a look at his clothes in the mirror next to the main door, he realized that his shirt was drenched in sweat. He was ablaze with anger and heat. He went into his guest bedroom for a quick shower, intending not to disturb Tara and worry her with his appearance. He could hear her on the phone with her mom.
Ian put his soiled clothes in the laundry bin; he kept pondering over what to tell Tara about what had just happened.
Ian stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. As he went to his bedroom, Tara was just finishing talking to her mom.
"I will come see you tomorrow, mom. But trust me everything is fine." Ian heard her say.
Ian went to Tara and hugged her from behind, her nearness and breathing in her scent, calmed him a little. She smelt of lilies in a serene, Japanese garden.
"Your mom seemed really worried about you." Ian remarked, trying to appear calm so as not to alarm Tara. She told him about her plans to go see her mother tomorrow. Ian didn't want to leave Tara alone - the killer had been able to reach his doorstep, who was to say he wouldn't be able to infiltrate Tara's parent's home.
"How about I come along?"
"You want to go see my parents with me?"
"Yes, I would really like that."
Tara seemed really happy about his decision. When Tara went to the nightstand to plug her phone into the charger she discovered Jake's phone records; Ian had to let her know that he had hired a PI. A discussion about Jake seemed like the appropriate time to bring up the bleach bottle which Ian had hurriedly dumped near the door as he ran out to chase Hood. He was going to prepare Tara for how dangerously serious things had become.
"I need to show you something," said Ian and went to retrieve the bleach bottle. He held the bottle in his left hand as he brought it to his bedroom -- Tara saw it and was immediately horrified.
"Why is this bleach bottle empty, Ian?" Tara questioned him in agitation. "Don't tell me it's the same...."
"It is the same bottle, Tara." Ian confirmed and then told her the news he knew she was going to dread. "He was here, Tara."
He could see her color drain, "the bottle..."
"He put it in front of our step and was leaving through the emergency exit."
"You saw him?!"
"I tried to catch him. But he escaped."
Tara immediately grew concerned, "you tried to catch him? What if he was carrying a weapon, Ian? Why did you behave so recklessly?"
"I didn't want him to get away!"
"Didn't the cops outside catch him?"
"They weren't paying attention!"
"...Did you see his face?"
"He was wearing a mask but I know his eyes now."
"What color are they?"
"A faintly fimiliar shade of brown."
"How are they fimiliar?"
"I am sure I have seen these eyes before, Tara," and after this chilling revelation he paused and then continued, "I just can't seem to place them...yet."