"I'm so sorry that I'll miss your birthday. I'll make it up to you." Henry said as he kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry about it."
They stood outside the airport, saying their goodbyes and hugging it out. Janessa was in no frame of mind to hold a proper conversation but she wanted Henry to leave before she took matters in her own hands. She didn't want him getting hurt.
"I'll call you once I'm settled in, yeah?" He kissed her lips.
"Okay, I'll have an answer for you soon."
"Take your time. I understand now that I put you in a hard place to make a decision on spot and I apologize. Tell me when you're ready, okay?"
"Okay, be safe."
On her way from the airport she took a detour. Whatever was going on, she had to do something about it. The last time she had simply brushed it off as if it never happened but then the memory of Jennifer kickstarted her revenge plan again. Janessa was foolish to think they would get justice for what Reese did. His lawyers used the mental instability to their advantage and now he was free and walking about.
When she pulled up to the mental institution where Reese was admitted, she took a deep breath and left her car. She had to get answers. She needed them.
"Hi there, I had called earlier about meeting Dr. Oliver?" Janessa put on her best smile as she spoke to the receptionist.
"Sure thing, he'll be just a minute if you'd wait over there." The woman pointed towards a few plastic chairs attached to the wall.
Once seated, her right foot began to bounce up and down— a bad habit she had whenever she was nervous. What could this doctor have to say? Would she get actual answers to put her plan in motion?
Firstly, she wanted to know who the hell authorized his release and secondly, she wanted to know how much of their therapy sessions the doctor could divulge. Janessa wanted some insight of what goes on in that boy's mind. Her quick visits didn't do a thing.
"Miss O'Connor?"Her head snapped up as the receptionist called her name. "Dr. Oliver will see you now."
After she collected her visitor's pass, she was escorted to the doctor's office which wasn't that far from the reception area. She knocked twice before the door swung open and an older man stood on the other side. Janessa mentally placed him around mid fifties—maybe early sixties based on his slightly greying hair and the deep laugh lines. What surprised her most of all, however, was that he wasn't some old bald psychiatrist. This man was very handsome for his age— despite the wrinkles and greying hair.
"Dr. Oliver, thank you so much for seeing me—"
"Of course, of course! Come in," he gestured towards his desk, "have a seat."
Once she sat down, her eyes wandered around the office; taking in the many certificates on the wall behind his chair. Two small sculptures stood on his desk and she assumed it was a vague representation of a woman's body. His desk was made of a dark stained wood that added warmth to his office. The walls were an off-white color... or maybe it was more of an egg shell color? She wasn't sure.
"You wanted to discuss a patient of mine?" He said once he sat in his big leather chair.
She noticed his white coat seemed crisp and new with his badge sitting proudly on his left breast plate. Dr. George Oliver, senior psychiatrist. Ward 19.
"Yes, Dr. Oliver, if you don't mind."
George exhaled loudly. "I can't tell you much because that would be a breach in my license but I will say one thing— he always spoke about you."
"I don't understand why," she mumbled.
"Sometimes we don't need to know why."
"But I do. Please, doctor, I need to know why. Why me?"
"Reese's parents died when he was very young. He told me his aunt took him in and he always felt like he was the burden of the family. She even told him so."
"That's horrible but how do you know he's not lying?" She scooted closer to the edge of the seat. "He's lied before."
"I'd like to think thirty years of this job would teach me a thing or two." He winked. "Reese had no reason to lie at that point. He already lost what was most important to him."
Janessa looked away just then.
"When he met you, he felt accepted. You were the first girl to accept everything about him. He was an unemployed young man who only wanted to surf and lay by the beach. His aunt had kicked him out at just sixteen."
"He told me he moved out..."
"Truth be told, I would have said I moved out too. It sounds better when talking to a pretty girl."
"So because I accepted him, it drove him crazy? I still don't understand." Her brows furrowed.
George leaned forward as he placed his elbows on his desk and rested his chin atop his joined hands. "Have you ever been in a situation where you would do anything to keep it the same? That if anything ever tries to change the situation, you would try your best to prevent that?"
Janessa remained quiet— not wanting to understand what the doctor was trying to say to her.
"Emotions are a very strong thing. For some, it's extremely hard to control it. Add impulsive to the list and that sums up who Reese really is. He didn't want anything to change what you had with him. You were the only constant in his life other than his cousin." George offered a sad smile to the girl. "It does not excuse what he has done but it isn't completely his fault. He needed help and no one knew that— not even him."
"But it does excuse him. He's been released into the public!"
"He passed all of our evaluations. He's been taking his pills and is under strict order by the court to return for check ups."
"When?"
"I'm afraid I can't say for the safety of my patient."
"Safety? He killed Jennifer! He almost killed me!" She abruptly stood.
"Again, he needed help and once he realized he was losing you, he snapped. The situation was no longer in his control."
"Careful, Dr. Oliver. It sounds like you're taking his side." She scowled at him.
"I am doing no such thing. I only want to help people when they can't help themselves."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of his office. Clearly this man was not helping her case. The quack seemed as if he was defending a murderer!
"Wait, Miss O'Connor!" The doctor's voice stopped her as she was storming down the hall. "I'm not allowed to tell you this but if you want answers, start at the beginning."
"What does that mean?"
"You seem like an intelligent girl; you'll figure it out," he said before going back into his office.
Throwing the visitor's pass on the counter, she exited the institution without a uttering a single word to the receptionist. The doctor's words played on her mind for the entire journey while she drove back into the city. There had to be a double meaning to those words but she couldn't figure it out.
For right now, however, until she figured it out, she would do something that would make her feel safe. Something she felt would help her case.
Janessa pushed the doors of the police station open and immediately felt the air conditioning soothe the sweat rolling down her back from the summer heat. At the front desk, sat a young man dressed in a blue button down shirt and an earpiece in his ear. He was busy filling out what seemed like paperwork when she approached him.
"Hi, could I speak to an officer or a detective please?"
"In regards to?" The man replied without raising his head.
"I need to find someone."
"Sorry, we aren't a lost and found agency. We're dealing with serious cases everyday." The sass was heavy in his voice and Janessa did a double take at his response.
She started to turn away when her conscience yelled at her, What the hell happened to the kick ass, sassy girl I knew?
Fear. That's what happened.
Well, not anymore. I refuse to be scared or intimidated anymore.
Turning back around, she rested her elbows on the table and waited until he looked up with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Last time I checked, the police were here to serve and protect civilians. Do you need me to remind your supervisor or is the channel five news okay?" She smiled sweetly at him.
Scowling, he pressed a button on his earpiece. "Detective Ryder, please."
Moments later, he pressed the buzzer to open the doors to her right and told her to go through them as one of the clerks will show her to the detective's office. She passed a few cubicles as she was being escorted and saw a few officers taking reports and complaints from citizens.
It wasn't long until she was in front of a wooden door with a large, frosted glass panel display Detective Marshall Ryder. She felt out of place and worried that she would be wasting this man's time.
"Have a seat, please." He said once she opened the door. The first thing she saw was a man standing by his filing cabinet, reading through a file and not glancing her way. His black hair was cropped close to his head and from her angle, she could tell he wasn't as old as she thought. He had the average build of any police officer—in her opinion, and he could easily be mistaken for Henry Cavill's cousin or something once he looked in her direction.
"Thank you for seeing me,"
"Coffee?"
"No, thank you."
"I'm gonna be honest and say I'd be lying if I didn't know you. My little sister adores you." A small smile stretched across his lips.
"Thank you," she blushed, "I hope I'm worthy of her admiration."
"What is it that you need?" He asked as he sat in his chair, file still in his hand.
"I need to find someone,"
"How long have they been missing?"
"Well, you see..." she trailed off while trying to compose her explanation, "this person isn't exactly missing but more so... hiding."
Marshall nodded. "Sounds like what you really need is a private detective."
"Do you know any?"
"Can't say that I do. Look, I deal with homicide cases so I don't think I can be of much help to you, miss."
"Alright, let me be honest now and say that I'm pretty sure you know about my story and what happened to me."
Marshall nodded.
"So, you can imagine my surprise when my worst nightmare has been set free and roaming the streets of LA. Detective, I'm not asking much here. I just need to know what can be done about my safety."
"Has there been any contact?"
"Only one. He cornered me at a party a couple of days ago."
"Whose party was it?"
"How would I know? It was just a regular house party."
"So, he followed you then?" Marshall took a pen from its holder and started jotting down something on his notepad.
"He must have. No one knew I was going to that party. It was a last minute thing."
"Who did you go with?"
"Just a few friends."
"I'm gonna need names," he gestured with his hand.
"I don't have their last names but they're kinda famous. I have a picture of us." She said while sliding her finger across her phone screen to unlock it.
Being shown the picture, Marshall spotted one person he knew right away. Barrington Prescott, or Barry as he liked to call himself these days. He was the little brother of an old girlfriend. That kid always hung out with the wrong crowd when he was younger. Being a rookie cop back then, Marshall had his ass handed to him everytime he would go out of his way to reprimand his girlfriend's little brother; whether from drugs or from gangsters.
The other two boys in the picture didn't ring any bells and the redhead he knew to be Barry's booty call every now and then.
"They all knew the owner of the house like they were old friends," she continued, "I left for a second to use the bathroom and Reese followed me inside."
"Did he try anything?"
"No, he said he had somewhere else to be then he left."
"Odd," Marshall murmured to himself.
He had heard all the stories and seen the tabloids exploit this young girl. If her ex-boyfriend was out of that institution then why wouldn't he try to get back with her? Why would he just corner her then leave?
Unless... unless, he wanted her to know he was out. He wanted her to watch her every move. He wanted her scared.
"My best advice," he began, "take some self defense classes. I'll give this a look but I can't promise anything."
"He mentioned a beach owned by his uncle. I never met any of his family but I'm pretty sure that house might be where he's staying." She offered. "Please, let me know when you find it."
"Why do you want to know where he is?"
Janessa stood then walked to the door with every intention of not answering when he asked again. Hand paused on the doorknob, she exhaled loudly and finally answered him.
"I need to finish what he started."
____________________________
Thanks for reading!
Prepare for some bitchy moments!
Janessa is finally growing a little backbone
xoxo