As I watched the clock, it was as if time had slowed to a crawl, each second taking more than your average one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two. I tried not to keep checking the time, but it was hard not to. Every minute that ticked by made me wonder where Nick was and what they were doing.
Were they in the detective's office again? An interrogation room? Or had they arrested him and put him in a holding cell?
Not being able to stand it anymore, I got up and walked across the police station's lobby to the same lady who'd been sitting behind the desk the last time I'd been here. "Hello," I said with a smile as she looked up at me, "I was just wondering if Nick Bradley was almost ready to go. I've been waiting a really—"
"Does the deputy who brought him in know you're here?" she interrupted.
"It was Detective Seals. And I'm not sure if he does or not. Could you let him know?"
"What's your name?"
"Amber Davis."
She picked up the phone that was on the counter in front of her. "Amber Davis is here for Nick Bradley." She stared up at me as the person on the other end talked to her, which was awkward, so I looked away, right back up at that stupid clock. "Okay, thanks." When she hung up, I turned my attention back toward her. "He'll be out shortly."
"Nick?"
"No, Detective Seals."
My heart sank. "Okay, thanks."
As I sat down, different scenarios went through my mind, each one worse than the last. What if he came out only to tell me Nick wouldn't be needing his car for a while and to take it back to his house? What if they'd found some type of evidence that proved Nick killed that man? What if... what if....
I took a deep breath, looking back up at the clock, yet again, refusing to let 'what ifs' be what made me lose it.
Blinking back the wetness from my eyes, I stood up to go outside and get some fresh air, but a voice stopped me. "You ready to go?"
When I turned to see Nick smiling at me, I almost ran and jumped in his arms, but just beamed back instead. "Yeah, I've been ready."
Once we were in the car, he told me all that the detective had said. "Luckily, they couldn't prove when my computer was stolen and exactly who had done all the research on it. The documents with the list of some of the murdered doctors had dates, but since I said I wasn't sure exactly when Erik had taken it, they couldn't prove I'd made them. So, now, it looks like they are pinning it all on Erik."
"Oh, no." As thankful as I was that Nick was cleared, for now, I didn't want the guilt falling on Erik, either.
"Well, with the condition he's in, his lawyer could plead insanity and it'd probably stick."
I looked out the car window, trying to process everything, when I heard Nick sigh. "What?" I asked. "Is there something else?"
He shrugged. "I just remember that there were several psychiatric doctors on that list; doctors who are still alive, as far as I know."
"So? Isn't that a good thing?" I asked, my mind too overloaded to understand.
"No, not really. Not with Erik in the hospital. Now, if that thing kills again, who do you think they'll come after?"
The realization of what he was saying hit me. Hit me hard. "Oh."
"Yeah." He reached over and grabbed my hand. "But I'm sure everything will be okay. Erik said...."
"Erik said what?" I asked when he didn't continue, his face becoming hard.
"He said it wasn't done. That it's not over." He suddenly hit the steering wheel, causing me to jump. "Shit! He said they'd know and come for him. He meant the police. He knew! He knew they'd find his car and that computer with all those doctor's name and info on it." He glanced over at me. "Do you think this was all a set-up? He said it slipped, so maybe... maybe something happened and it jumped into someone else, leaving Erik to be found. Then purposely dumped his car with the computer, which had the potential to incriminate us both." He started shaking his head like he couldn't believe it.
"What does it mean, though?"
"Well, it means Erik was right. It's not over."
***
For the next couple of weeks, I could tell Nick was worried. He tried not to act like it, but he was. Sadly, there was nothing I could do to help him. Not a freakin' thing.
Erik had been moved to another facility, since he'd been arrested for the murder of several local doctors, but wasn't stable enough to be tried, yet. The sad part was that even if he got better, somehow, returning to his normal self, he'd still be screwed, since he'd more than likely go to jail. It was a sad situation all around.
"What are you thinking about?" Nick asked, since I was staring at my plate, pushing my food around instead of eating it.
"Erik," I admitted.
He looked at me for a few seconds, like he was actually trying to get inside my head with his gaze. "Do you still have a thing for him?" His voice was quiet, sincere.
"No," I said truthfully. "I never really had a thing for him, necessarily." Or at least I didn't think I did. "I thought he was cute, but that's it."
"You mean hot," he corrected with a grin.
"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"
"I can't help it that I love teasing you. It's your fault, really."
"My fault?" I asked, knowing he was just trying to take my mind off things.
"Yes, it's totally your fault. When I tease you, it makes your face flush and the corner of your mouth turn up ever so slightly. A fire lights up behind your eyes and your eyebrow shoots up, arching like a cat's back. It's sexy as hell, and I can't help but want to see it. So, yeah, it's your fault."
I felt myself doing exactly what he'd just described, never having noticed it before. "You're impossible."
"Maybe, but you love it."
He was right. I totally loved it.
"Amber!" I heard a loud voice say, looking up to see my co-worker, Tori, who just happened to be Tanya's sister. "Why would you come here on your day off? Don't you get enough of this place, already?"
"No, I like it here. And the service is impeccable," I added with a wink.
"Of course it is," she agreed. "Who's got your table tonight? Devon or Carter?"
"Actually it's Gracie."
"Oh, I didn't even realize she was here. So, if she's got this section, where does that leave me?"
"I'm off duty, so...." I shrugged.
"Lucky you," she said, turning her attention away from me. "And you must be Nick. I've heard a lot about you, and not just from Amber." Her smile made me want to smack her, even though I knew that's just who she was and that she didn't mean anything by it.
"She's Tanya's sister," I explained when he gave her an odd look.
"Oh," Nick said. "Yeah, how is she? I've not talked to her in a while."
Actually, we hadn't talked to her much since the investigation at the asylum. Between some of the stuff I heard she'd experience, as well as what happened to me, I guess she just wanted to distance herself from the whole thing. Couldn't really blame her.
"She's just as crazy as ever. Dropped out of school and started working in a factory down on the West end of town."
"Tori, you've got customers waiting," our hostess came over and said, quickly smiling at me before hurrying back to her podium at the door.
"My fans beckon," Tori said, fanning herself as she walked off.
"Lord, she doesn't seem anything like Tanya," Nick noted.
"Nope, not at all. But I do like her." I took a sip of my drink, watching as she chatted with the people at one of her tables. "Wonder if Tanya told her anything about me." I'd assumed she hadn't, since she'd never treated me differently--like a former mental patient.
He shrugged, but didn't answer. "Are you gonna eat? If I'd have known you were just gonna play with your food I'd have bought you a few containers of Play-Doh and saved a few bucks."
"Maybe I wasn't as hungry as I thought."
He smiled, his eyes turning soft. "Let's get it to go. I think I know something you'll like more."
I could only imagine what he was talking about. "Um... okay."
Once we had our food boxed up and was ready to go, Steve, the owner of the restaurant, came over, stopping us before we left. "I just wanted to tell you what a great job you're doing here at the restaurant. Several customers have talked about how pleasant you are and I wanted you to know that we're all glad you're a part of our team here."
"Thanks," I said. "I appreciate that." I really did. This was the first real job I'd ever had, and surprisingly enjoyed, and his words meant a lot.
"There was a woman in just the other day, actually, asking about you. She wanted to know when you'd be working again so she could ask for one of your tables." He laughed nervously. "Very friendly woman. If Linda had been here, she wouldn't have liked her very much." Linda was his wife, and even though she was super sweet, she ran the restaurant like a tight ship when she was here. "No, she wouldn't have liked her at all," he added as his face got red. Was he blushing?
"She must've been a doozy," I said, trying to keep the conversation from turning weird, which I was afraid it was about to do. "Did she mention what her name was? I'll make sure to thank her for requesting me if she comes back in."
"No, she didn't. All she said was how an old friend—Eleanor, I think her name was—had recommended you. Kept going on and on about Eleanor and how she missed her."
At the mention of that name, my heart stopped. I looked at Nick and his face said everything I was unable to.
"Eleanor?" I asked, my mouth suddenly dry.
"Yes, she kept talking about her. Do you know or remember that name from anywhere?"
"Um... yes... yes, I think I do." I swallowed hard. "What did this woman look like?"
"Oh, she was very pretty. Flirty and well dressed, making me think she worked in one of the local offices. Blonde hair, kind of big—her hair, not her—with bright red lips. That's one thing that kind of stood out. Not in a bad way, of course, just... stood out." He was blushing again.
"Maybe I'll see her when she comes in again," I relied, praying to God I didn't.
"I'm sure you will," he said, patting my shoulder. "You've got a great girl, here," he told Nick. "And don't worry about dinner tonight, kids, it's on me."
Nick smiled, looking from me to Steve. "Thanks. That's nice of you."
"Just showing my appreciation for my workers. See you tomorrow, Amber."
"See you tomorrow," I replied as he walked off.
"I can't believe he called me kid," Nick joked.
"Really? Was that the high point of that conversation for you?"
"What?" he asked defensively. "I'm almost thirty and find it funny to be called a kid."
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. "Eleanor? Do you find that to be just a coincidence?"
He slid out of his seat and grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's talk about this in the car."
I picked up our left-over food and followed him out, not bothering to wait until we made it to the car. "Nick, it was here. It's her. It's her and it came to my work looking for me. Why? Why is it looking for me? How does it know where I work? What if it—"
He jerked me around towards him, cutting off my words. "I'll never let anything happen to you. If I have to sit outside your work during your shifts, that's what I'll do. Until you're old enough to legally carry a gun, you'll have a taser on you. Pepper spray. Whatever it takes to make you feel safe." He pulled me against his chest, almost smooshing our food. "And you have my cross. Never take it off."
The belief I had in him to protect me calmed me, but only slightly. As we headed toward his car, I couldn't help but wonder who she was and why it had made her pay me a visit. What did it want from me? And why did it choose a female to possess?
Surprisingly, we didn't talk about it anymore. Even while we ate frozen yogurt at TCBY, silently watching all the other carefree people come and go around us, neither the 'lady' nor her 'old friend', Eleanor, was brought up. I guess, at this point, talking about it wouldn't do any good, anyway. From here on out, we were just going to have to live each day cautiously, always watching our backs, and each other's.
It had been right, back when I was in the hospital and asked who it really was. It truly is my worst fears.
I always thought things that lurk in the dark were scary; ghosts, monsters under my bed, things that hide in my closet, peeking at me through the cracked door—the unseen. Those were supposed to be my worst fears. But no, they're not... not really.
The unknown, that's my worst fear. Not knowing what lurks in the dark. Not knowing who, or what, is waiting for me around the next corner. Not knowing if I'm being stalked by something far more evil than I'd ever imagined, or if it's watching me—right now. Those fears, unlike ghosts and monsters, are warranted.
The ride home from TCBY was quiet. Nick tried to take my mind off things, talking about everything from some amazing half-court shot in a basketball game he'd watched, to a co-worker getting his finger ripped off jumping out of a bucket truck at his work. I tried to pay attention, but my mind didn't want to cooperate.
"Are you okay?" he asked as we pulled into my driveway.
I nodded, not wanting to lie out loud. "I have classes in the morning and then have to go to work at three."
"I guess I'll see you for supper, then."
I tried to smile. "People are gonna think you're a stalker or don't trust me if you come eat at my work every night. Not to mention that you'll have to start dipping into your savings just to pay for it."
"I don't care what people think." He grinned. "And I'll just eat the bread and a salad. Drink water. Unless you don't want me to."
I thought about that for a minute, laughing when someone, probably Dad, cut my porch light on, since we were still sitting in his car. "You know, I don't think I do. I'm not living my life like that, always needing a baby sitter."
"Body guard," he corrected.
"Baby sitter, body guard, whatever. I'm not doing it. I won't let this... this thing do that to me. Or you."
He smiled—one of those smiles that made me wonder what he was thinking. "If that's what you want."
"Well, no, it's not what I want. What I want is for all this madness to be over. I want to be able to turn back time to the day we first went to that stupid asylum. I want Erik to go back to normal. You to stop having nightmares." I shrugged. "Since none of that can happen, this will have to do."
He squeezed my hand. "Alright."
"Well, I need to get inside before Dad comes out and drags me in."
"He still hates me?"
"No, he doesn't hate you. He just hates the fact that I'm growing up—can make my own decisions—and he's taking it out on you." I let go of his hand and grabbed my purse out of his back seat. "Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow." I kissed him, but just a quick one, since I assumed we were being watch, which made it feel really weird.
"I love you, Amber."
"I love you, too."
"Don't hesitate to call me. For any reason. Even if you're just scared or feel paranoid. Call me."
I got out and smiled down at him, the one good thing that's come out of all this. "I will."
As soon as I shut his door, I felt it—eyes on me. I looked around my dark yard, down the empty street, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"You okay?" Nick asked as he rolled the passenger side window down.
No, I wasn't fine. I was tired... tired of always feeling like this. The roller-coaster my life had become was making me sick and all I wanted was off. I wanted off right now.
I got back in Nick's car, ignoring the surprised look on his face. "No, I'm not okay. I want this over. I want it over now. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for something to happen. I don't want to have to worry every day of my life that some evil piece of shit, pardon my language, is going to jump out from behind some bush or something and get me," I fumed, waving my hand toward the yard. I took a breath and turned toward him in my seat. "We're gonna end this."
"We are?"
"Yes, we are. Right now." I buckled my seat-belt back up a bit too hard, pinching my finger but ignoring the pain. "Let's go."
He laughed, shaking his head as he put his car in reverse. "Well, if your dad doesn't already hate me, I'm sure he will now."