by A. A. Dark
“No.”
“But you went looking for him, didn’t you?”
“Forget I ever told you that.”
“Forget? No, I don’t think I will. I want to help you.”
“I don’t want your help.”
I swayed, and not by intention. I blinked hard, trying to correct my double-vision. My adrenaline was wearing off, and with it, my condition was starting to sink in. I had lost a lot of blood. “Anna, I’m…not so well. Let’s talk about this on the way. Please?”
“What about Linda?”
“I’ll have to call her husband. I’ll call him right now so you can hear. This happens quite often, believe it or not. They actually know her by name in this town. Just…” I stumbled, a little from dizziness, a lot from the fact that I needed Anna to take me seriously. Calling Bill, my body was trembling as I hit the speakerphone.
“Dr. Patron. I—”
“Bill, it’s Linda. I can’t talk long. I’m afraid she’s had an episode. We were at the farmhouse having dinner and something happened. She attacked and injured me. A friend of mine just happened to drop by. She’s going to take me to the hospital, but you have to find Linda.”
“Oh God. Not again. Are you okay? Is she okay?”
“I’m not good. I’ve lost a lot of blood. Other than her state of mind, I think she’s okay. Let me call you back. Just…find your wife. She’s our top priority. I gotta go.”
Disbelief had Anna’s eyes wide as I placed my phone in my pocket. Her head shook, and I knew the moment she lost confidence in her Lucy theory. Hesitantly, her arm reached for me as I staggered in her direction. The moment she had a good grip on my waist, I pretended my legs buckled. Pressure pushed against my ribs as she held tight.
“Nothing funny or I shoot. I still…I mean…”
“You’re confused. Oh, Anna. I do like you. A killer with a sense of purpose to make other murderers pay. I could giftwrap you so many pretty packages. I’d make your wildest dreams come true.”
“I’m not interested. Besides, I don’t think I like you.”
“It takes time. I’ll grow on you. You’ll see.”
“I doubt that. Watch your step.”
We left the house, and I paused as she shut the front door. When I rested my head on top of hers and pulled her in closer, she stiffened, jamming the gun in harder to my ribs. I didn’t care. By the time the night was over, I’d own Anna’s mind. She wouldn’t have any other choice but to believe me.
Chapter 29
Detective Casey
“What do you mean there was no meeting at the station? Anna never showed up?”’
“No, sir.” Officer Harris shifted, uncomfortable under my hard gaze. I gave a nod, nearly growling as I paced the front yard. It was a little after two in the morning and there was no sign of Anna. Boston leaned against my cruiser, a look in his eyes I wasn’t sure of. The crazed jerk as he stared at the ground told me his thoughts weren’t good. Hell, maybe they even matched my own.
“You’re free to go. I’ll call when I know something.”
“We’ll keep looking for her car.”
“Thanks.”
I watched as the officer got in his cruiser and took off. Boston pushed to stand, hitting her number on his cell for the millionth time since we arrived. When his free hand shot up, I rushed to his side.
“Where have you been? Why haven’t you answered our calls?”
He paused, but I jerked the phone from his grasp.
“Anna?”
She stopped talking, exhaling loudly.
“Braden.”
“What the hell? We’ve been worried sick. Where are you? And before you give me some bullshit story about the station, I checked. There was no meeting.”
Hesitation.
“I’m at the hospital.”
“Hospital? Are you okay? Did you get in an accident?”
“No,” she rushed out. “Not me. I’m with Dr. Patron. He should really look into another line of work. One of his patients called me. She stole his phone and said she needed help. I finally found the location she gave me, but she wasn’t there. I managed to make it to her house, and Dr. Patron was inside. He’s really messed up. She’s schizophrenic, and I guess was going through an episode. There’s a man here now with the doctor. The husband, or something. They found Linda. Anyway, it’s been a crazy night. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier.”
“No,” I breathed out in relief. “It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay. Daniel Stracht was released a few hours ago. I thought—”
“Released! Why?”
“He lawyered up. Apparently, he has a good one. Anyway, we’ll be lucky to find him again. My guess is he’ll jump bail and disappear.”
“But…Lucy. Braden, we have to find him before it’s too late.”
“We’re doing everything we can. How much longer are you going to be there? Do I need to come get you?”
“No.” Footsteps echoed. “I drove. I’m going to see if Dr. Patron needs anything, and then I’ll be home.”
“We’ll be waiting. Drive safe. Call me when you’re on your way.”
Anna agreed, hanging up. I handed the phone back to Boston, not missing the mixed emotions on his face.
“Let’s go inside. She’ll be home soon.”
“What happened?”
“Our dear doctor was attacked again. This time by a schizophrenic patient named Linda. She called Anna, which led Anna to her house to find the doctor injured. Apparently, Linda was found. Anyway, she’s okay. The husband is there now. Anna’s going to call me when she’s headed home from the hospital.”
Silence followed us into the living room. Exhaustion pulled me under like I was drowning. Knowing Anna was okay, I was suddenly barely able to function. Questions came that I should have been asking myself, but I couldn’t even figure out what they were. I took a seat on the sofa, and Boston sat at the opposite end. Time passed as we both kept quiet. I dozed off and on, but forced myself to sit up. Boston was still staring ahead. Still lost in his thoughts.
“What are you thinking?”
At my voice, he slowly turned to face me. The emptiness in his stare had me becoming more aware. It was there, and then gone.
“I should probably go to the hospital to check on Dr. Patron. He has been there for me. I should be there for him too. I can check on Anna too. Send her home to you.”
“Um…yeah, okay. He’d probably enjoy the visit. You sure you just don’t want to wait until morning? He might be released before you even get there.”
“I can’t sleep. It’ll be good for me to get out on my own. I need some fresh air.”
Boston stood, and I followed. I was too tired to worry or argue. If he wanted to see his doctor, who was I to deny him? He couldn’t sleep as it was, and I could get in bed and wait for Anna to return.
“Be careful. If you get tired, find a room or something. Don’t risk driving back. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Boston grabbed his keys and nodded on his way to the door. I locked it behind him, kicking off my shoes on the way to the bedroom. The moment I stripped down and crawled under the blankets, unconsciousness beckoned. I floated in the in-between on the brink, seeing quick flashes of random moments. Anna was there, standing before me. We were talking, but I had no idea what it was about. Sleep was beginning to win, and I saw Boston. The possessive stare never left Anna…never missed a thing. He was always watching. Always seeing what I couldn’t. I didn’t even know what that meant, but it was fleeting. Dr. Patron came and went. Diego appeared, disappearing just as fast. Then…bodies. So many victims of heartless crimes. They moved through my mind like a black and white film playing at hyper speed. I groaned, turning onto my side, pushing them away.
Instead, I focused on Anna and the way I was forcing myself back into her life. If I left it up to her, she’d continue to turn me away. I loved her too much for that. She had to see I was here for her no matter what. With how she was behaving, taking on thes
e cases, would I be able to keep my emotions in check to allow myself to remain?
My heart answered before my mind could. I didn’t have a choice. If I wanted to stay, I had to let my actions lead, not my orders. And there were plenty of rules I wanted to enforce. Under this roof, I wasn’t the authority. She had the upper hand. Where it shouldn’t have been that way, I was willing to let go of control to keep any part of her I could. The broken man longing for her presence clung to that. He lost her once, and it had almost killed him. He’d never go through that again.
I grabbed my phone, rolling onto my back as I pulled up our text messages. Through the glow, I read our conversations. I held to the simple fact that we had communication—something we didn’t weeks before. It killed me then, not hearing her voice. It drove me crazy sleeping in my apartment when all I wanted was to be with the woman I loved and almost lost. But I was here now. I could smell her. Feel her when she climbed into bed with me. She was very much within reach to becoming mine forever. I couldn’t ruin that. But to continue, I had to come to terms with reality, and what it meant in the long term. Anna, the one for me, could murder or be murdered again. How did I deal with that? How did I save lives when I was harboring a person who could so easily take them? And what if she got herself killed by these damn investigations she was dead set to solve?
There had to be a way to protect her and those she might set her sights on. It was worth the risk so long as she was mine. As heartless as that was, that damn beating thing in my chest refused to accept anything that didn’t involve her. If she killed, I’d try to stop her. I’d…protect her. If she was getting in over her head with a case, I’d be there. Communication. We had to keep it so I knew her next move. That was the key.
I licked my lips, vowing to be more open as I drifted off. And I wouldn’t stop. I’d keep forcing myself into her life and her every waking thoughts. She’d depend on me. She’d trust me—and for real this time. I wouldn’t accept anything less on my part. This would work. It would, because I was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Chapter 30
Anna
“Are you sure you’re okay? I can stay.”
Dr. Patron cocked his head to his friend. “It’s a few stitches, Bill. It’s nothing. Besides, I’m in good company. You can go. I’ll call you later.”
“Yes, please do. I can’t thank you enough for being there for my wife. These out-of-town trips leave me away from home so much. I was just lucky to come home when I did. She was a bit disoriented when we found her, but Julia was kind enough to stay so I could check on you. Linda is going to feel horrible for what she’s done.”
“It’s my fault, Bill. She seemed upset. I shouldn’t have pressed her to open up. Had I known she neglected her medication, I would have proceeded with more caution. Please make sure she doesn’t forget to take it again.”
“You have my word. I should be getting back to the house. Take care of yourself, and come see us when you’re better.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The man gave me a nod and headed for the door. For the life of me, I couldn’t believe how this had turned out. I was so sure the woman I was talking to was Lucy. I thought Dr. Patron was responsible, but I was wrong. So wrong.
I stood from the chair, stepping closer as my lips pursed through my thoughts.
“I can’t believe you slept with a married woman. And to be so friendly to that man’s face as if you didn’t do anything wrong…”
“I didn’t. It’s complicated. I assure you, he knows.”
“Does he? And he doesn’t mind?”
“He has his own life away from home. He and his wife have agreed on an open relationship. You’d be surprised at how just open they are.”
I shook the confusion away, moving in next to the bed. “I don’t want to know. I owe you an apology.”
“No. You don’t.”
“I do. I could have killed you. I thought about it.”
He smiled, groaning as he lifted his hand to the bandage over his cheek. With his other, he reached toward me. Caution led my fingers forward to pause just over his palm. He didn’t wait. He moved up to grasp them, even though it made me uncomfortable.
“You’ve been so driven to find Lucy. You thought I was the one who had her. It’s completely understandable. I actually admire you for it. You have such passion, Anna. It’s all over the spectrum, covering every angle of humanity. You leave me in awe.”
“You’re very odd. You know that, right?”
The laugh had me reaching to place my hand on the back of the one holding his face as he winced in pain.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you laugh. I should go.”
Dr. Patron left the bandage to hold both my hands. My mouth opened, and before I could break away, the door swung open. Boston jerked to a stop, not moving as he took in a deep breath and glared in our direction.
“Boston. I’m so glad you came to see me.”
Dr. Patron dropped his hold on both of my hands, and I immediately stepped back, putting distance between us. I knew how it must have looked, but there wasn’t anything I could have done about it. I shouldn’t have been so close to begin with.
“Yeah,” Boston said, looking between us. “Hope I didn’t intrude on anything.”
“No. Not at all. I was just telling Dr. Patron I should go.”
“Were you now?”
“Yes. I was.” I grabbed my purse while Boston stepped in front of the door.
“Stay with me, Anna. I won’t be long. I just wanted to see if everything was okay.”
Dr. Patron eased the bed into more of a sitting position, but it didn’t draw Boston’s attention. He kept his eyes one me. It was only when I put my purse back on the chair that he turned to the doctor.
“You seem okay. What happened?”
“Just a patient off her meds. I’m seriously done for a while. After the last week, I’m in major need of a vacation. I’m getting too old for this.”
“Are you leaving then?”
At Boston’s question, I turned to Dr. Patron.
“Oh, no. I just meant I’m done with taking cases while I’m here. You always have me, Boston. You know that.”
Concern and care were laced with every word. It matched the sudden emotion in his eyes. I didn’t doubt his declaration. It let me relax as Boston seemed to calm as well.
“Good. I’m glad you’re staying. So, she got you good, huh?”
“Yeah. With a ceramic lamp. I tried to calm her down, but our scuffle caused the end table to fall over. The lamp shattered, and she managed to get my wrist and cheek. Pretty deep, but I’m alive. That’s what matters. I guess I passed out at some point and she took off and called Anna. It was a mess.”
Boston blinked a few times, grabbing his phone from his pocket. “Wait…” His brow drew in. “I got a few calls from you. I think she might have tried to call me too.”
“Did she?”
At Dr. Patron’s nearly breathless question, my heart jumped to my throat.
“Yeah…there are a few of them. There’s even a voicemail.”
“What? I mean, lord knows what it says,” Dr. Patron rushed out, laughing nervously. “You should have heard the story she told Anna. Pretending she was Lucy. It was cruel actually, but you can’t hold schizophrenics accountable for the things they say or hear.”
“Excuse me? She was acting like Lucy? My Lucy?” Boston’s head shook forcefully, and his hands trembled as he hit a button on his phone and brought it to his ear. Dr. Patron threw the sheet back, moving to the edge of the bed.
“You shouldn’t listen to that. You’re not stable enough. It’s—”
His hand shot toward the doctor, and I moved in, hearing nothing but inaudible screams. One sounded like Boston’s name. Wind drowned out most of her words, but still, she came through. Boston took a ragged breath, going pale as sobs merged with more screams.
“She’s sick. Please don’t hold this against Lin
da. She would never, and I mean never, intentionally do something to hurt anyone. One of her personalities is a victim. She goes by the name Lydia, but after my mention of Lucy and needing to cancel next week’s appointment, I think it might have triggered her episode.”
“Shhh!” Boston replayed the message, turning up the volume as he put it on speaker phone.
“Boston? B—ston! H—me! He has—Help...Boston!”
The wind was so bad, combined with the panting as she fought to catch her breath, but that didn’t seem to affect Boston. One minute, he was by the door, and the next, he was lunging for the bed. Dr. Patron moved so fast, it was clear he was ready as he began to wrestle Boston.
“It’s not her. It’s. Not. Her!”
“It is! You took her. You took Lucy! I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you!”
My arms wrapped around Boston’s waist, and I pulled with everything I had to try to break them apart.
“It’s not her,” I yelled. “Boston, it’s not Lucy.”
“It is! I’d know her voice anywhere. That’s Lucy!”
He thrashed, trying to get a grip on Dr. Patron, but the doctor managed to keep them from around his throat.
“Listen to me,” I said, jerking hard. “I thought so too, but I was wrong! Linda’s husband was here. I met him Boston...stop!”
I let go, kicking just above his calf and putting him in a choke hold from behind as he crashed to his knees. He could have easily thrown me off, but the action left him spinning to bury his face in my stomach. Crippling sobs left him as he harshly dug his fingers into my back.
“It was her. I swear, it was Lucy. Anna, please. You have to believe me. That was Lucy.”
“No. Boston, it was really hard to understand what she was saying. I know you want it to be Lucy, but it was Linda. Her husband even said so. He came by to check on Dr. Patron. It wasn’t Lucy. She convinced me too, but I was wrong. This woman is sick. It’s not her fault.”
“It’s Lucy.”
“No.”
The sobs grew, and Dr. Patron frowned as he stared at us.