I SEE YOU an unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist

by Patricia MacDonald

  The nurse assured Frank that she would relay the message. He hung up feeling somewhat better. He started to go back to his paperwork but it was difficult to concentrate. He thought again about Anna, refusing to take his gun. He wished he could have convinced her but she was adamant. There was no guarantee she would be safe, even with Dominga living in her apartment. After all, Dominga had her own life to lead. She couldn’t watch over Anna twenty-four seven. Just to reassure himself, he decided to call. The phone rang and rang, and finally went to voicemail.

  Frank hesitated. ‘Anna, it’s Frank,’ he said. ‘Call me back.’

  Just then Kiyanna appeared in the doorway, holding her phone. ‘Frank. You better take this.’

  Frank set down his phone and took Kiyanna’s from her elegant hand. ‘Frank Petrusa.’

  ‘Frank,’ said a panicky voice. ‘This is Ha— Anna’s husband, Alan.’

  ‘Hey, Alan. I just tried to call Anna but there was no answer. Where are you? Anna told Father Luke that you were headed out west.’

  ‘She wanted me to take Cindy far away. Somewhere safe. But I didn’t go. I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave her alone like that. She thinks we’re on our way to Chicago. But we never left Philly. We’ve just been lying low. Listen, Frank, I just got a call. She called me.’

  ‘Who? Anna?’

  Adam hesitated. Then he spoke in a low voice. ‘No. Not Anna. Our daughter.’

  ‘Your daughter? Is there something wrong with Cindy?’

  ‘Not Cindy.’ Adam sighed and was silent for a moment. ‘Frank, Cindy is not our daughter. Cindy is our granddaughter. Our daughter’s name is Lisa. And she is . . . mentally ill. She’s with Anna. I’m on my way there right now but I called you because you’re right around the corner from our apartment. I’m terrified of what she might do. She’s very . . . unstable.’

  Frank hesitated a moment. ‘Anna said she knew the person who pushed her in the subway. I offered her a gun for protection but she said she could never shoot this person. Is that . . .’

  Adam sighed. ‘Yes. I think so. Anna recognized Lisa when the police showed her the surveillance tape.’

  ‘Oh my God.’

  ‘Frank, I hate to even ask you this . . .’

  ‘Hold on a second,’ said Frank. He put the phone to his chest and spoke to Kiyanna. ‘Go stop Dominga before she leaves the building. We need those keys. Anna’s keys. She has them. If she’s already left, call her and go after her. She’s on her way downtown. Hurry.’

  Kiyanna nodded, turned and ran.

  He picked up the phone again and held it to his ear. ‘All right. Tell me everything I need to know.’

  Lisa fiddled in her coat pocket.

  ‘You might as well take your coat off,’ said Hannah dully. Her voice was raspy from her bruised larynx. ‘They won’t be here anytime soon.’

  ‘How long will it take them? Where are they coming from, anyway?’

  ‘I told you, I don’t know,’ said Hannah. ‘I don’t know where they are.’

  Lisa shook her head. ‘Lies,’ she said.

  Hannah gazed at her daughter, feeling almost faint at the weight of her own failure. She was her only child and she had loved her so fiercely. ‘It’s not a lie. I know they were heading toward Chicago. I didn’t want to know exactly where. Your father didn’t tell me exactly where they are on purpose.’

  ‘Bastard,’ said Lisa.

  ‘I have to ask you something.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Did you . . . set up the explosion that killed Troy Petty?’

  Lisa looked at her mother in disbelief. ‘What are you doing? Working for the police? Recording me?’

  Hannah shook her head. ‘I just want to know. I know you were angry at him because he wasn’t interested in . . . children.’

  ‘He certainly didn’t turn out to be the man I thought he was,’ Lisa said tartly.

  ‘He wasn’t like those creeps you were writing to. You thought he was but he wasn’t. I feel so sorry for his family. His sister. I’m so sorry that his name got dragged through the mud in court. He didn’t deserve that.’

  Lisa shrugged. ‘Water under the bridge.’

  ‘But why didn’t you just walk away and leave him alone? He wasn’t hurting you. Why did you have to . . . ?’

  Lisa looked at her disdainfully. ‘Kill him? You can say it, Mother. I had no choice about it. The fact is he was a threat. He thought that everyone at the medical school ought to know about me.’

  Hannah shook her head.

  ‘What?’ Lisa demanded.

  ‘What did I do? I just keep asking myself, what kind of a mother I was. How did you turn out this way — to be so heartless? And don’t say that it was because your father molested you. We both know that’s just not true.’

  Lisa burst out laughing. ‘Oh, Mom,’ she said.

  The utter normalcy of it made Hannah’s heart do a sudden flip in her chest. It was as if the years had vanished and Lisa was twelve again, and amused by her mother’s efforts to name her favorite singer. For a second, Hannah thought it was over. That maybe it had all been a horrible joke, meant to undermine her, to make her doubt herself as a mother. But if it was over now, that would be all right. She could live with that. ‘What?’ she asked hopefully.

  ‘You look so stupid with that bandage around your head,’ she said. ‘How was that when you fell on the tracks? Were you scared?’

  Hannah turned her head and looked out the window, wishing she could just fly away. Unhear what she just heard. Then she turned to face her child. ‘I talked to a shrink about you. She said you were probably a psychopath.’

  ‘Psycho-jargon,’ said Lisa. ‘She doesn’t even know me. Besides, shrinks are always trying to put people in little boxes. They don’t know how to cope with someone who knows what they want and won’t hesitate to get it. If they want to call me a psychopath, a sociopath, who cares? What does it really mean?’

  ‘Listen. I’ll tell you what it means,’ said Hannah evenly. ‘It means we are not giving Sydney back to you, Lisa. Not under any circumstances. Maybe your father already called the police. Maybe they’re on their way.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid, Mother,’ said Lisa. ‘He doesn’t dare call the police. He’s the criminal as far as the cops are concerned. Not me. And you are giving her back to me. She and I have adventures ahead.’

  Hannah shook her head. ‘We won’t. Look, if you just walk away I won’t tell the cops about the subway. Just leave Sydney with us.’

  Lisa stood up and glared down on her mother. ‘She’s mine. You can’t stop me. Nothing you can say will stop me.’

  Hannah stared right back at her. ‘I swear, Lisa, as long as I’m breathing . . .’

  ‘Exactly,’ said Lisa. She reached into her coat pocket and slowly pulled out a gun. Its dull black finish reflected the light.

  Hannah cried out. ‘Where did you get that?’

  ‘Mother, I’m not fourteen. I bought it. It’s all perfectly legal. I bought it and I’m going to use it on the people who kidnapped my child.’

  Hannah felt as if she had been punched in the chest. She struggled to catch her breath. ‘Lisa. You can’t do that. You’ll end up in jail.’

  ‘For doing what I had to do to get my child back from her kidnappers?’ said Lisa. She shook her head. ‘I don’t think people are going to see it your way.’

  Hannah stood up and started to approach her daughter.

  Lisa brandished the gun at her. ‘Don’t take another step. Do you think I’m not serious? I was going to wait until Dad got here but I could kill you right now. Why not? When he gets here I’ll just show him the corpse. I’d rather do it in front of him but I’m flexible.’

  Hannah looked at her only child, stunned. ‘Did you always hate us this much?’ she asked. ‘We did our best for you. We loved you so much.’

  Lisa shook her head. ‘I don’t hate you.’

  Hannah thought her ears were deceiving her. ‘You don’t?’

  ‘Well,
I’m angry at you but I certainly don’t hate you. You were an OK mom. And Dad. Well, all right, I’ll admit — just to you — that he was . . . a decent father. The fact is you were just ordinary people who weren’t really equipped to deal with someone with my gifts. It always seems so ridiculous to me to abide by your rules when neither one of you was my equal. You always were putting your heads together, comparing notes, trying to figure out how best to parent me. It was laughable, really. But none of that matters now. Whatever your mistakes, you compounded them by taking Sydney. You humiliated me by doing that. You made me look bad to the whole world. As if I were incompetent as a mother. As if the kid was better off anywhere than with me. I can’t just let that go.’

  ‘But if you don’t hate us,’ Hannah pleaded, ‘maybe we could talk . . . Maybe there’s some way . . .’

  ‘There’s no way,’ said Lisa brusquely. ‘This is the way it is. Don’t look so offended. Now sit down.’

  ‘I was going to get a glass of water.’ She reached up and touched the bandage around her head. ‘I have to take my medication.’

  ‘You don’t need your medication anymore,’ said Lisa coldly. ‘Sit down.’

  THIRTY-SIX

  Frank took the gun from the box in his car. Stuffing it under his jacket, he hurried in the direction of Mamie Revere’s house. Dominga’s keys jingled in his hand, and he used his prosthetic hand to hold them steady and muffle the sound. He moved quickly, lightly, like a cat. He had been a recon marine, and he knew how to traverse a landscape with hardly a sound. He also knew what could happen if he miscalculated. The lasting effects of his injuries were a reminder of that. He mounted the steps lightly, and crouched down by the front door. He turned the key in the lock as silently as he could. He heard the deadbolt click, and he slowly, carefully turned the knob and pushed the door open.

  The foyer was dark. The only illumination came from the streetlamps, and some light filtering down from the top of the staircase. Frank tiptoed to the foot of the stairs and listened. He could hear the intermittent, inchoate sounds of voices. He looked up at the two flights which lay ahead of him. How could he get all the way up there without someone hearing him? What if this crazy daughter opened the door and saw him? Shot him? She could easily have a gun. I should have called the cops, he thought. Why try to be a hero? But then he thought of the despair suffusing Anna’s features beneath her bandaged head, and Alan’s anguished confession about his daughter. They were still trying to protect this daughter of theirs. Despite what she had done to her mother, they still wanted to shield her. And here he was, idiot that he was, going along with it.

  Kiyanna had begged him to call the cops before he left Restoration House. He had made her promise not to do it. She had threatened never to speak to him again but he put his good hand up to her smooth brown face and held it there. Trust me, he said. I’ll be careful. I’m coming back to you. She had turned away from him, fuming, but he knew she would honor his wishes and not make that call.

  So, here we are, Frank thought. Now what? He started up the steps, trying each one before he put his weight on it, moving as slowly and carefully as possible, so as not to make the stairs creak. He reached the first landing, and felt an intense relief.

  Just as he was lifting his foot to begin the second staircase, he heard a click below him. He turned abruptly, and saw the front door starting to open. Kiyanna, he thought. What did you do? Just then, a man let himself into the front door and started to cross the foyer.

  Frank recognized him at once. Alan made no effort to be silent as he moved across the foyer and started up the steps. As he neared Frank, who was hiding in the shadows, Frank whispered his name.

  Adam started and stifled a cry as he discerned the figure of a man in the shadows. Their eyes met. ‘Frank,’ he said.

  At the same moment, the door to their apartment opened.

  Lisa stepped out into the hallway, holding a gun. ‘Who’s there?’

  Adam could see that Frank was gesturing for him to hide, but there was no way he was going to do that. Lisa was up there with Hannah, and a gun. No way. Adam went to the foot of the last flight of stairs, and looked up at his daughter.

  ‘It’s me,’ he said.

  Lisa’s face lit up at the sight of him. ‘Well, well. What a surprise. Did you sprout wings and fly here from Chicago?’

  Adam did not answer. He started to climb the stairs.

  ‘I asked you a question,’ Lisa insisted, and her voice was razor-sharp. ‘How did you get here so quickly?’

  Adam ignored her and climbed to the top of the steps. ‘May I come in?’ he asked politely.

  Lisa stepped back. ‘Oh, please do. This is just what I’ve been waiting for.’

  Hannah gasped as Adam walked in, shadowed by Lisa who was holding the gun on him. ‘Adam!’ she cried, and started to get up.

  ‘Sit,’ Lisa barked.

  Hannah sat back down as her husband came toward her. ‘How . . . ?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes,’ said Lisa. ‘Tell us how you did that, Dad.’

  ‘We never left the city,’ he said.

  ‘Oh, Adam!’ Hannah cried.

  ‘I couldn’t,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t go without you. I know you wanted me to but I couldn’t.’

  She reached out a hand to him but Lisa glared at her and swung the gun around so it was facing her. ‘Don’t,’ she said.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Adam.

  Hannah shook her head.

  ‘So, the gang’s all here,’ said Lisa. ‘Minus one. Where is Sydney?’

  ‘In a safe place,’ said Adam.

  ‘Do you think this is a game? Where did you leave my daughter?’

  Adam took a deep breath. ‘Lisa, put that gun down. Let’s talk about this.’

  ‘Oh, sure. I’ll do whatever you say.’

  Adam shook his head. ‘There’s no reason for this. We can discuss it.’

  Lisa grabbed Hannah by the neck of her sweater and yanked her to her feet. She put the gun to her mother’s head. ‘There’s nothing to discuss. Sydney belongs to me. Tell me where she is.’

  Adam raised his hands, as if pleading for calm. ‘Stop it. I’ll take you to her. Just leave your mother alone.’

  ‘Like I believe you,’ said Lisa.

  ‘Why, Lisa?’ he said sorrowfully. ‘Why has it come to this?’

  ‘How can you ask me that? After what you did? Left me in jail and absconded with my kid. I got out of jail, expecting a homecoming celebration, and found that you two had gone and taken her with you.’

  ‘I’m sorry we had to do that,’ said Adam wearily. ‘But we felt that we had no choice.’

  ‘You had a choice!’ Lisa cried. ‘You could have minded your own business. It was none of your business what I did with my daughter.’

  ‘She’s our granddaughter,’ said Adam. ‘She’s a helpless, innocent baby.’

  ‘She’s not a baby,’ said Lisa. ‘That was always your excuse for trying to tell me what to do. Thinking you knew better than I did what was best for Sydney. What was best for me. Thinking you could control everything. Well, you can’t tell me what to do. I hope that’s clear to you now. I’m in charge now. I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you both what to do.’ Lisa turned to her mother. ‘Get up. Go on. Move. We’re going.’

  Hannah looked helplessly at Adam. She could see a warning in his eyes but she could not read what he was trying to tell her. ‘Adam?’

  ‘Don’t ask him,’ said Lisa. ‘Stand on your own two feet for once. Move.’

  Hannah felt the cold barrel of the gun against her temple. Lisa was so close to her that she could feel her breath on her neck. She wasn’t sure her legs would carry her but Lisa was not giving her any choice.

  ‘You go first,’ Lisa instructed Adam. ‘We’re going to get Sydney. And once we’ve done that . . . I won’t have any further use for you. For either of you. Go on. Out!’

  Adam opened the door of the apartment and stepped out onto the landing. Hannah followed behind him, with
Lisa holding a wad of her sweater in her hand, and the gun to her head. As they stepped out, Adam stopped.

  ‘Go on,’ Lisa insisted. ‘Down the stairs.’

  Suddenly Hannah saw there was a man hidden in the dark corner of the landing, holding a gun. She peered into the shadows and recognized Frank. Come to the rescue. He held her gaze and shook his head, warning her to stay quiet. To pretend he wasn’t there. She should have been relieved. Grateful. But her instinct had a will of its own. A voice inside her heart was screaming that he was a soldier and he knew how to kill someone with a gun. It was an impulse — irrational, undeniable. A desire, in spite of everything, to protect her child.

  ‘Frank, don’t. Lisa!’ she cried. ‘Look out. He has a gun.’

  ‘Who has a gun? Oh, please, Mother. I’m not a gullible child.’

  ‘Listen to me. I mean it.’

  ‘Put it down, miss,’ said Frank.

  Lisa looked away from her mother into the darkness just beyond where her father stood. ‘Who are you?’ She turned on her father. ‘Did you call the cops?’

  ‘Do what he says, Lisa,’ Adam pleaded. ‘Let’s put an end to this.’

  ‘I’ll put an end to it!’ she cried. She turned the gun sharply from Hannah’s head toward Frank.

  In that instant, her father saw her intention — her intention to kill Frank, this good man, who only came to help. Adam threw himself in front of Frank as, without hesitation, Lisa fired. Adam reeled backward and collapsed as the bullet entered his body.

  ‘Adam!’ Hannah cried, rushing toward her husband as he crumpled on the stairs. ‘Oh my God. Adam.’

  ‘No, stay down,’ he said, clutching his shoulder.

  In that instant there was another gunshot. With a cry, Hannah turned away from Adam.

  Frank’s gun was smoking and Lisa stood there for a moment, looking surprised.

  ‘Lisa!’ Hannah called out, as if in warning. ‘No.’

  Then Lisa’s eyes rolled back and her limbs seemed to turn to rubber. She pitched forward, collapsing on the stairs. ‘Lisa!’ Hannah cried, and tried to scramble toward her daughter. She tried to grab Lisa’s jacket, got her fingers on the fabric and tried to grasp it. But Lisa’s body was limp, a dead weight falling. The jacket slid from Hannah’s fingers. Her body tumbled down the steep staircase and came to rest on the landing.