The Psychopath's Prisoner

by Darla Lark

  Cheyenne hung up with Raina and immediately called Detective Lawrence. “Toledo Police Department,” a woman’s voice said.

  “Um, yeah. Is Detective Lawrence in?”

  “He’s at lunch.”

  “I thought this was his direct line.”

  “No. We transfer you.”

  “Can you tell him I called?”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  Cheyenne left her name and number, hung up and crossed her fingers that he would call soon.

  Ten minutes of silence passed when a rap on the door startled her and she jumped. She answered the door and was even more startled to see Tyler standing there. Cheyenne didn’t know what to say.

  “Hey.” Tyler tried to be chipper.

  “What do you want, Tyler?” Her brow furrowed and she felt a bolt of rage course through her veins. At the same time, her heart pounded and a sense of fear washed over her. “Why are you here?”

  He nervously shifted from foot to foot as if expecting her to say or do something about his presence. “I just wanted to check on you. I heard what happened.” He nodded toward the parking lot. “You’re car isn’t looking so good.”

  “I’m fine.” She tried to close the door, but Tyler put his foot between the door and door frame. She glared at him. “What Tyler?”

  He held up her purse. “You, uh, kind of forgot this outside by your car.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Thanks.” Cheyenne snatched it from him. “Why did you really come over?” She eyed him suspiciously. “By the way, how did you find out what happened to me?”

  “Let’s just say, I heard it through the grapevine. Would you mind if I come in?”

  “Actually, I do mind.” She scowled at him, upset that Raina obviously told him.

  “Okay. Well. Um…” He shifted his stance but kept his foot securely in the door. “Look, Chey, I’ve been thinking.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I know I hurt you and I am truly sorry.”

  “Stop. Please.” She pressed the door against his foot. “Look, Tyler, I have a lot to do today.”

  “I miss you.”

  “You…miss…me? How can you say that after everything? You made the choice to…” She wiped the tear away that slid down her cheek. “I gave you all of me. Yet, somehow, it wasn’t enough. Don’t come here expecting forgiveness, because it’s not going to happen. Now, remove your foot or I’ll take the hammer to it.”

  He stared at her for a moment before removing his foot from the door frame. “Chey…”

  “Goodbye Tyler.” She slammed the door and leaned against it while sliding to the floor. All she could do was think about Tyler and what he did. All she could do was cry. Why? Why her? Why did he even come by? Now it was obvious what she suspected: things were getting bad between him and Elizabeth. Why else would he show up at her place? Did he honestly think that she was going to wait for him? There was no possible way. Cheyenne was beginning to get used to being on her own and actually kind of enjoying it. No way would she give it up for the likes of Tyler. Their marriage was over. He needed to move on and leave her alone.

  Her phone rang, but Cheyenne remained on the floor. She didn’t feel like answering and let it go to voice mail.

  “Hey Chey. It’s me, your best friend and, uh…” Gaby cleared her throat. “And, uh, well, I have a request. I was wondering if perhaps I could borrow that green dress. I know it’s one of your favorites, but I promise to take care of it. That’s if you let me borrow it. Only for one night. I’ve got a date on Wednesday night. Please. With sugar on top. Love you. Give me a call later. Bye.”

  With tears running down her cheeks, Cheyenne wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. Gaby always had a way of calling at the most inopportune moments and making the worst requests. Why had Tyler shown up? Was he honestly asking her to take him back? After everything?

  “Well,” she said as she pushed herself up from the floor, “I should try to get more writing done. Gaby can wait. Her situations are never a real emergency. She’s always borrowing my clothes and I need to forget about Tyler. I think writing will help take my mind off things. I hope it will.”

  ~

  The phone rang. Cheyenne looked up at the clock. Almost an hour. It was probably Raina and she was stuck in traffic. She ignored the phone until she heard Detective Lawrence’s voice. She rushed to the phone to answer it, “Detective Lawrence. I’m so glad you called.”

  “Ms. Harrington. You called and left me a message.”

  “Yeah. I wanted to report someone slashed the tires on my car.”

  “I’ll be over. Please don’t go anywhere and don’t touch anything.”

  “Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.”

  ~

  Twenty minutes later, Detective Lawrence arrived. “Ms. Harrington.”

  “Detective.”

  “I’ve got my crime scene guys taking pictures and gathering evidence.”

  “Okay. Good.”

  “I know that you already answered this, but do you know anyone who would do something like this? Any enemies? Anybody?”

  “There’s no one I can think of. Although, my ex-husband was here earlier.”

  “Really? What did he want?”

  “I’m still trying to figure that one out. I think he wanted me back, but he did seem uneasy. You might want to speak with him.”

  “His name?”

  “Tyler Harrington.”

  “Anyone else?” he asked as he jotted something down in his notepad.

  “Just my neighbor whose acting strangely. His name is Daniel Schindler in apartment F.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “No one I can think of.” She shook her head to confirm her notion.

  “If so, let me know. In the meantime, watch your back, keep your doors locked at all times, and don’t tell strangers that you live alone.” He turned to go, but stopped before he left. “Oh. You might want to get a dog.”

  “Thank you. I’ll consider it.” Cheyenne went back to worrying. Things were getting pretty scary. If things weren’t bad, Detective Lawrence wouldn’t suggest getting a dog. On one hand, a dog would be good company and would be good protection, too. Unfortunately, her apartment complex didn’t allow pets. So that was out of the question.

  Cheyenne went back to her computer. No sooner had she sat down than someone knocked on her door. Thinking it was the detective; she quickly stood up and answered it. “Hello again. Oh. Hi. I thought you were someone else.”

  Daniel smiled. “That’s okay. So, what’s going on? I saw the cops out there.”

  “Oh. That.” Cheyenne shrugged her shoulders. “Someone slashed my tires.”

  “Wow. You don’t seem to have very good luck.”

  “Especially as of late. I just wish I knew who was doing this. It’s so frustrating.”

  “Who knows? I mean, some people are sick out there and sometimes the simplest littlest things can set them off. Sometimes you really don’t have to do anything.”

  Cheyenne shrugged again. “Yeah. I guess. But still….”

  “I understand and can empathize. I’ll bet it’s frustrating and scary. However, you’ve got your family, friends, and, well, me to be here for you. Don’t worry too much. It’ll be all right.”

  “I hope so. Would you like something to drink?”

  “No thanks.” Daniel stood there, suddenly awkward. “I know that you’ve been through a lot lately and I have no right to ask, but I was wondering if you would watch my cat for a few days.”

  Cheyenne raised an eyebrow and stared at Daniel. “How long is a few days?”

  “Maybe three or four days.”

  “Maybe?”

  “No longer than a week. I promise. Boy Scout’s honor.” He raised three fingers into the air.

  “A week?”

  “Yeah. Possibly.”

  “Possibly?” Cheyenne shook her head. “I see. Well, I guess I could as long as he or she doesn’t use my furniture or anyth
ing else as a litter box.”

  “Naw. Finnigan is good about using his litter box as long as you scoop it out once a day.”

  “Great! I get to scoop poop, too? How lucky can I get? When will you be bringing him over?”

  “In a couple of days.”

  “Okay then.”

  An uncomfortable silence ensued. Shifting from one foot to the other, Cheyenne nervously laughed. Daniel kept rubbing the back of his neck.

  Cheyenne cleared her throat. “Well, I really need to get back to work.”

  Daniel grimaced and nodded his head. “I’ll take that as my cue. See you later then?”

  “Yep. See you later.”

  She closed the door and locked it and decided to shut her cell phone off, unplug her home phone, and turn the lights off. I need some alone time with no distractions.

  Chapter 11

  A knock on the door broke the silence. “Is one day of peace and quiet too much to ask for? I wish to have one day without any interruptions.” Cheyenne mumbled as she stomped across the room to answer the door.

  “Hey Chey. Sorry it took so long, but the kids kept asking fifty million questions. It was Mom this and Mom that. Ready to go?”

  Cheyenne smiled and allowed Raina into the apartment. “Let me go change clothes.”

  “I saw your tires. Wow.”

  “Yeah? Nice, huh? I would ask if anything else could go wrong, but I don’t want to know. After all, when I ask that, things usually do.”

  “I hear that. You better go get ready.”

  ~

  Cheyenne came back into the room and noticed Raina flipping through the channels on her T.V. “Would you like for me to get a bottle of water for the road?”

  “Nah. I’m good. You ready to go now?”

  “Yep. Just need to grab my purse and keys.” Cheyenne lifted the purse off the couch and snatched the keys from the small table by the door.

  ~

  “You’re awfully quiet today. What’s on your mind?” Raina continued to stroll the aisle with Cheyenne.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “Like?” she asked with a roll of her wrist.

  “Rain…” Cheyenne paused and took a deep breath. “Tyler stopped by today.”

  “What did he want?”

  Cheyenne felt her shoulders tense up. “I’m not sure, but I think he wants me back. He told me that he misses me. Apparently, things aren’t going the way he had hoped it would with Elizabeth.”

  “You’re not actually thinking about taking him back after what he’s done, are you?”

  “No. No, I’m not. It’s just ironic, but there’s also a small piece of me that still loves him and wants to. Maybe it is crazy, but I can’t help it. Part of me loves of him. Part of me hates him. Does that make me insane?” Cheyenne absently tossed a can of tomato soup into the cart.

  “No. It will take time to get past the array of emotions following a divorce. No one understands better than I do. You’re getting a fresh start. There are going to be a few bumps in the road, but I’m here to see you through it.”

  “I know, but seeing him again was hard.” Cheyenne tossed another can into the shopping cart.

  “Aw, sweetie. Things will get better.”

  “After what’s been happening lately, I hope so.”

  ~

  Cheyenne put her groceries into the cabinets and refrigerator. All the while, Raina expounded on the positive aspects of her younger sister moving in with them until these vandalism incidents had been resolved.

  Cheyenne stood in the doorway, hands on hips. “I’m staying here, Rain. Understood?”

  Raina nodded and reluctantly left. Cheyenne quickly moved to her desk. She breathed a sigh of relief and started typing. Finally! If I don’t get some writing done, my agent will have my head.

  ~

  Cheyenne woke up with her hands on the keyboard. She stretched. “Man! It’s been a long day. Maybe I should just go to bed. The last thing I need to do is to sleep at my keyboard. I don’t love my work that much.” She snickered. “Talking to one’s self doesn’t make it any better, either.”

  She stood, stretched again, yawned, and then went to the kitchen for a drink of water. She reflected on Tyler’s visit, Daniel’s request, and what had been happening lately. She grabbed the sleeping pills. The last thing I need is to toss and turn all night. Such a stressful time in my life. How much more can I handle?

  Chapter 12

  Alone, he stared out the window at the world beyond. Who the hell did that to my Cheyenne? She should never be that terrified. I need her to be focused on us. Perhaps someone else’s mistake will work to my benefit. She’ll come to me for help. The thought made him smile. What if she doesn’t turn to me? Then what? He frowned. I’ll give it my all, but if it doesn’t pan out, then things will turn violent. I love that woman too much to allow another man to take her from me. You belong to me, Cheyenne. I promise to find the psychopath who did this to you and make them pay. I love you, but you need to open your eyes to see the truth. I don’t want things to get unnecessarily ugly. No one else will ever be allowed to harm or frighten you. You’re far more deserving than that. Besides, that part is my job.

  Chapter 13

  Daniel brought his cat over to Cheyenne’s apartment. “How often do you feed him?” she asked.

  “Three small portions a day. I don’t want old Fin to get fat on me.”

  “Don’t worry, he won’t.” She held the cat in her arms. He purred as she stroked his fur.

  Daniel winked at her. “I’m not worried because I know he’s in good hands.”

  “You barely know me. Remember? We only met a few days ago. I mean, come on. How do you know I won’t harm Finnegan? After what’s been happening here recently, someone else could hurt him, too. Or worse.”

  “He’ll be fine. It’s only a few days.” He reached out and scratched Finnegan’s ears. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll both be fine.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Well, I had better get going. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “Okay. Have a safe trip.”

  “Will do.”

  Daniel left. Cheyenne closed the door and turned around. The cat jumped out of her arms. “It’s just you and me for a few days, Finnegan.” Finnegan meowed at her. He began to rub himself around her legs. “Are you hungry?” He meowed again. She went to the kitchen and got a bowl to fill. Finnegan ran to his food.

  Cheyenne moved Finnegan’s things to the spare bedroom and then moved his litter box into the bathroom. Once she was done, she checked on Finnegan before she went to the couch. Cheyenne grabbed the phone and turned it over and over in her hands while she wondered about Mrs. Warner. They hadn’t spoken in a little while. She made the decision to call her.

  “Hello?”

  “Mr. Warner?”

  “Yeah. Who is this?” He sounded irritable.

  “Cheyenne Harrington.”

  “Oh! Hello Cheyenne.”

  “Hello. Is Mrs. Warner in?”

  “Yes. I’ll get her for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Cheyenne heard him put the phone down and call for Mrs. Warner.

  Moments later she heard, “Cheyenne. So good to hear from you.”

  “How have you been?” Cheyenne wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Warner had been in an argument for him to sound so grumpy.

  “Lovely, dear. Are you doing all right?”

  Cheyenne noted concern in Mrs. Warner’s voice. “Yeah. I’m doing really well. Would you like to go out for some lunch tomorrow? There’s so much to talk about.”

  “Good or bad?”

  “A bit of both, I’m afraid.”

  “Uh-oh.” Mrs. Warner deadpanned the reply.

  “‘Uh-oh’ is about right and then some.”

  “Oh, my, that doesn’t sound good.”

  “No it isn’t.” Cheyenne agreed.

  “You want to talk about it now?”

  “No
t really. Let’s talk over lunch tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Mrs. Warner agreed. “Why don’t you come over for lunch? I’ll whip something up.”

  “I can bring something. You needn’t worry about it.”

  “No, no, no. I’ll fix lunch here. Your company will be quite enough.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Cheyenne felt terrible about inviting her to lunch and now Mrs. Warner was making it.

  “Absolutely. I miss having you across the street. Just come over.”

  “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  “I’m looking forward to it, dear.”

  “Me too.”

  “Oh!” Mrs. Warner blurted. “One more thing. My son will be here tomorrow. So you’ll get to meet him on a personal level.”

  “Okay.” Cheyenne knew she was being set up but decided to go along with the situation.

  “He was coming over anyway before you called me. I’ve wanted you to meet outside his work. So it all works out. He’s quite a handsome boy.” Mrs. Warner’s voice oozed with pride.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing him outside the courtroom.”

  “I am too.”

  ~

  The security light outside her living room window turned on as the sun set. Curled up on the couch with Finnegan in her lap, Cheyenne absently flipped through the T.V. channels and stared at the screen before tossing the remote to the side. She couldn’t stop thinking about Daniel and what he said. How did he know I would be all right and why in the name of Finnegan, would he leave his cat with someone he doesn’t even know? What’s wrong with the man? She sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch. Guess I’ll have to be on alert at all times around him.

  ~

  Cheyenne knocked on Mrs. Warner’s door. The fancy lead glass revealed a blurred image of an elderly lady moving on the other side. The door opened and Mrs. Warner smiled.

  “Hello, my dear. I’m so glad you’ve come.” Mrs. Warner reached out and hugged her.