The Psychopath's Prisoner

by Darla Lark

  “There’s nothing pleasant about divorce. Nor is it easy.” She paused to study his face. He looked so sad. It was time to change the subject. “Do you know what you’re ordering?”

  With a grateful smile, he seemed relieved she was changing subjects. “I’m going to get the grilled salmon.” When Cheyenne made a face, he laughed. “I take it you don’t like fish.”

  “Heck no! Ew! I wouldn’t eat fish if it were the last thing on earth.”

  “You might if it were the very last thing on the planet if you were hungry enough.”

  “Maybe.” She laughed. ‘But,” she pointed out, “that would only be for survival purposes.”

  When their waiter interrupted to refresh their wine, they ordered and then resumed their conversation.

  “So, tell me more about yourself, Cheyenne.”

  “What else? There’s nothing exceptionally interesting about my life.”

  “I’m sure there is.” He leaned forward. “Where are your parents and how long have you lived here?”

  “Let’s see. I have only one sister. My mom and dad are deceased. Dad died when I was three, but don’t really remember him, though. My mom passed a couple of years ago. My dad was Cherokee and mom was Caucasian. We never really learned anything about dad’s culture. Mom moved us here not long after his death. She couldn’t handle being without dad and never remarried. We’ve been here pretty much all our lives. Now you tell me something about you.”

  “I’ve lived here all my life and I’m sure mom told you about my dad running out on mom, me, and my brother. I live to fish, boat, read sci-fi novels, and pretty much enjoy any outdoor activities.”

  “That’s awesome. I’m somewhat, well, reclusive. I used to be the outdoorsy type. After I married Tyler, I became a homebody. Not to mention, I don’t trust people. Though, if someone would be willing, I’d love to go camping. I haven’t been in years.” Cheyenne sighed and shrugged. “Besides, being by myself keeps the drama out of my life. Well, at least I like to think that.”

  Michael stared at her in a brief silence. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you told me about your neighbor. Please let me look into his background.”

  Cheyenne began to have second thoughts. “I don’t know. I don’t want to invade his privacy if he’s truly innocent.”

  “Cheyenne,” he started as he reached across the table and placed his hands over hers, “he could be dangerous for all you know. With him coming over the way he did and asking you to watch his cat like that, it concerns me. That’s not normal behavior.”

  She looked into his eyes and Cheyenne saw the concern. Not only that, but her heart began to beat so fast it almost took her breath away. No. This isn’t happening. It was much too soon. Just because they spent time together over the course of her divorce doesn’t mean that she’s developed feelings for him. Right?

  Cheyenne ran her tongue on her bottom lip. What should I do about all these feelings that I’m trying to fight? Should I let him investigate Daniel or would that be too personal between us? Oh God what do I do? She forced a feeble smile. “If it makes you feel better. Just keep in mind that I’m in as much danger with Tyler, whom I am more concerned about.”

  “It would make me feel better. I don’t believe Tyler would do anything. He doesn’t seem very bright.”

  “His name is Daniel Schindler.” You’re right. Tyler probably wouldn’t, but he did come over after I discovered my tires were slashed. That, in and of itself, is suspicious.

  “I’ll remember that name.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  “I will. Anyway, it really sounds like you could write a story about your life. Maybe even research your dad’s history.”

  “You know what?” Cheyenne’s eyes widened at the prospect. “That’s actually not a bad idea. It would be nice to find out about his culture.”

  “See? I can come up with good ideas every now and again.” Michael sipped his wine.

  “You sure can.”

  “I can be useful for something.”

  “Hey. Everyone is useful for something.”

  “Do you like art?” Michael asked.

  “I do. In fact,” she hesitated and sipped her wine, “I used to paint a little.”

  His eyes widened and he leaned forward. “You did? Really?”

  “Yes. I did.”

  “Do you have any paintings that I can see?”

  “I only have one, but it’s not very good.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  “Okay. Sure. But I’ll have to find it before I can show it to you.”

  “That’s fine, but you promise to show me?”

  “Of course I promise.” Cheyenne eased back into her chair as the waiter placed her plate on the table.

  ~

  This was one of the best evenings of my life, Cheyenne thought as Michael walked her to the front door.

  “Well, I had a great time.” Michael stood awkwardly watching her.

  Cheyenne smiled. Her heart was racing. “So did I.”

  “Would you like to go out again?” Michael moved closer to her and leaned in for a kiss.

  “I would like that.” Cheyenne pulled back and cleared her throat. “I better get inside.”

  Michael stepped back and nodded. “I’ll call you.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  He turned and walked toward his car while Cheyenne watched him. I wish I would have let him kiss me. Michael pulled out of the parking space and waved at her. I can’t wait to see where this is going. She sighed, locked the door, and went to her room. How am I going to be able to sleep with him on my mind? Michael is wonderful. He could be the one this time. Her heart fluttered. I think I’m falling in love.

  Chapter 18

  I watched to ensure Cheyenne was safe in her apartment, alone. I know they couldn’t see me, because I was well hidden from their view. The unknown man was now back in his car and driving away. I thought after I ransacked her apartment and slashed her tires, she would turn to me. No. She turned to her sister and friend. Now this creep. How could she be so stupid? I’m the only one who has ever been there for her. Why doesn’t she realize I’m the only one who truly cares about her? How dare she go out with another man!

  Now I have to do something drastic. It’s a shame she has to force my hand like this, but the end result will be worth it. She will come running to me. When I have her, I will never let her go. Never. If she ever tries to leave me, I will punish her severely. I’m in love with her and I will make her see that I’m the only one for her. I’ll always be there for her. She’s the one for me and me alone.

  I had to make a split second decision. Do I follow him or don’t I? I have to know who she’s dating and whom I’m up against. It’ll help me figure out what to do with him. He won’t take her from me. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll cut him out of the picture one way or the other.

  Chapter 19

  Cheyenne awoke to a loud knock on the door. She remained on the couch wishing whoever it was would go away. Another loud knock followed. She tossed the blanket to the side and reluctantly answered the door. Much to her surprise, Daniel stood there.

  She folded her arms in front of her. “Daniel. I wondered if you were ever coming back.”

  “I got back a couple hours ago.”

  She looked at the clock on the wall.

  “You do realize that it’s three twenty-five in the morning, right?”

  “Sorry. It’s just that I missed Fin and wanted to see him.”

  “Sure.” She motioned for him to come in. “Let me get Finnegan’s things.”

  He stepped inside the room and closed the door. “Okay. I’ll wait here.”

  She brought Finnegan’s food, litter, litter box, and carrier out and set them on the floor by the door. Then she went to her bedroom to get Finnegan because that’s where he always seemed to run to when he wasn’t on the couch with her. She called his name when she didn’t find him on the bed and looked under
the bed, closet, and everywhere she could think of.

  “I can’t find him,” she told Daniel as she came out of the bedroom. “It’s weird. He’s always either on the bed or couch with me.”

  Daniel shrugged and smiled. “Maybe if I come back later, he’ll be out. It’s okay.” Then with a laugh, he added, “Fin really likes women. I can’t blame him.”

  Cheyenne shrugged. “Typical guy, I guess.” She was glad that she couldn’t find him, yet all she really wanted was to get Daniel away from her and out of her life for good. Every time he was around, she felt uneasy. “Come back later. Okay?”

  He smiled and laughed. “See you later then.”

  Cheyenne locked the door before she went to the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate. Her stomach began to churn. Daniel was an incredibly odd man. There was something about him. Something in his eyes seemed much darker than she remembered. His demeanor was pleasant, but his eyes… There was something there and it terrified her. Why would he come over at three twenty-five in the morning just to get his cat? And why did he seem to get upset over her date? It was odd. She turned the cup in her hands. Cheyenne thought about how things kept getting weirder and creepier with him. Something was off. Now she was grateful that Michael had his name. Maybe he would find something out and she would get answers. Everything about Daniel bothered her and nothing made sense. He gave her the jeepers’ creepers. Then again, Tyler made her nervous when he unexpectedly showed up at her door and tried to prevent her from closing it.

  She finished her hot chocolate and wondered if she would be able to fall asleep again. She still had to find Finnegan, but if he didn’t show up, she had the inclination that her sister had taken him for the night. Raina had seemed quite taken with him. But then again, she herself had become quite attached to him. Who wouldn’t?

  Eyes closed, Cheyenne leaned back in the chair and put her hands on the sides of her head. Why did it seem that when she took one step forward, she wound up having to take three steps back? Her life was starting to shape up and yet things were becoming complicated again. What ever happened to the quiet, simple, drama-free life she had planned after the divorce?

  “Such is life, I guess. Another example of unfairness.” She sighed with exhaustion. “I guess I’ll try going to sleep again. Who knows?”

  ~

  Cheyenne tossed and turned. After hours of useless attempts to sleep she took a sleeping pill. Daniel, Michael, and everything else whirled within her head in attempt to keep her awake. Hopefully the pills would kick in soon. It was becoming more and more tempting to disconnect her phone. Though she wished there was a shut off button for the door too.

  ~

  She slept until noon, but would’ve slept longer had her phone not rung. When would that stupid phone quit ringing and everyone quit knocking on the door? What was wrong with some peace and quiet?

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Cheyenne, it’s me, Daniel. I wanted to know if you found Finnegan yet.”

  “Nope. Not as of yet. I’m still trying to find out where he is.”

  “Oh.” Daniel voice carried a hint of dejection.

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s just hiding. I’ll find him and get him back to you. I promise.”

  “Okay. Thanks. Call me when you do.”

  Cheyenne pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “I will. You have my word.” She hung up and the phone rang again.

  “Hello?” Cheyenne tried to hide the exasperation.

  “Hey Chey,” Gaby said cheerfully.

  “What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

  “Um, Gaby, you sound awfully cheerful. What’s really going on? Don’t lie to me. Remember; I know you.”

  “I met someone and he is amazing! Oh Chey! He wants to travel the world. He is an insurance salesman and is settled in his life. He makes me happy and I feel special. I think I’m in love.”

  Cheyenne wasn’t convinced. “Be careful, Gaby. You just met him. For all you know, he could be sweet talking you. Telling what you want to hear.”

  “Chey, have a little faith in people. Not everyone is bad. Not all men are bad. My Kyle isn’t bad.”

  “Whatever you say. I went on a date last night.” Cheyenne waited for the sentence to finally hit Gaby and she realized what had been said.

  There was a moment of silence. “Oh yeah? With who?” Gaby seemed genuinely surprised.

  “Guess.”

  “I don’t care as long as you don’t tell me it was Tyler.”

  “That is not even a possibility. So, to answer you, heck no! I went out with Mr. O’Neill, er, Michael. He is so down-to-earth and we have a lot in common.

  “Oh, Chey! I’m so happy for you!”

  “So you’re not mad?” Cheyenne was surprised by Gaby’s giddy reply.

  “Why would I be?”

  “Because you’ve been asking about my attorney a lot. I wasn’t sure how you would react when I told you that we had a date.”

  “Girl, you know me better than that. I could never be mad at you. Besides, I don’t think I could be with him. He’s too settled in some ways. Kyle is much more exciting and adventurous. Mr. O’Neill is more your type than mine. How was your date?”

  Cheyenne felt the giddiness of a school girl. “Wonderful! We’re going out again. Neither one of us really wanted the date to be over, but knew it had to end at some point. If I would’ve been thinking, I would’ve invited him in after we got back here. Oh well. Maybe next time.”

  “You sound a lot happier. I’m glad. You deserve to be happy. Even though you just finalized the divorce, this is one step closer to moving on with your life. And even find a new man. You deserve nothing but good things after what you’ve been through.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Cheyenne breathed a sigh of relief. “The one thing that worries me is that it feels too soon. Like you said, I just finalized my divorce. I’m not sure if I should be dating so soon. With that said, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you and Raina throughout all of this. To be honest, I don’t think I would be here. I’d probably be in a mental hospital.”

  “All we ever wanted for you was happiness.”

  “I know and I am happy. My life is coming together except for one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  Cheyenne twisted a lock of hair around her fingers and furrowed her brow. “Daniel,” she whispered.

  “Your neighbor?”

  “He creeps me out. Three twenty-five this morning, when I was sleeping, he came over claiming he wanted to get Finnegan. It was just so odd. Who does that? He’s not right. I know that. Hopefully Michael can find something out about him. Seriously, I can’t take much more of Mr. Daniel.”

  “After what’s happened, Chey, you’ll be suspicious of everyone. I’ll admit that it’s an odd time to get his cat. He could’ve waited, but he could simply be eccentric.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I may be overreacting. It’s still so odd that he randomly shows up at early hours. My apartment is ransacked and tires are slashed. It could be him, but then there’s Tyler, too. You know?” Cheyenne shook her head in disbelief.

  “I’ll admit, it does seem a little suspicious, but you need to think first.”

  “You know what? I need to go. I’ve got things to do.” Cheyenne slammed the receiver down. She snatched a pillow off the couch and sent it flying across the room and watched it stop mid-room. “Why doesn’t anyone but Michael believe me? This is so frustrating.”

  There was no way she would be able to work today. With everything that’s happened, she has tried to be strong and keep herself busy so she didn’t think about it, but now, she began to really believe someone was targeting her. Who was it? Was it Tyler? Or was it Daniel? Or someone she wasn’t thinking of? Cheyenne fell face down onto the couch and cried. Everything had become so overwhelming. If it were Tyler, was it because she was the one who filed for divorce? If it was Daniel, why? What did
she ever do to him?

  The phone rang again. Cheyenne wiped a tear away and ignored the sound until the click of the voice mail. It was Gaby. She listened between sniffles.

  “Chey! I’m sorry if it sounded like I didn’t believe you. Please pick up! Please. I believe you. I’m sorry.” There was a pause and finally Gaby hung up.

  Cheyenne stared at the phone and shook her head. “I don’t care what anyone thinks about or even if they believe what I say. I’ve got to get out of here for a little while. I need some air.” She grabbed the car keys and left.

  ~

  Cheyenne stood in the parking lot with her mouth open. Raina’s car was on fire! Immediately, she ran back into her apartment and dialed nine-one-one. Someone really had it out for her. What was she going to do now?

  Chapter 20

  I listened in on her conversation and quickly realized things weren’t looking so good from her point-of-view. She will eventually quit talking to everyone. My mind raced with the possibilities. Maybe things aren’t so bad for me. Maybe I won’t have to do as much to get her to turn to me after all. It’s not like she has anyone else to turn to. She would have to rely on someone. Might as well be me. There is, however, only one person standing in my way.

  Michael O’Neill. Having seen what this guy looks like and where he lives, I can understand why she could fall for such a guy. The man obviously has money. I listened to my breath in the silence as I made my decision. Michael has to be eliminated and there’s only one way to do that. Once he’s gone, she’ll be running to me for comfort. She will cry on my shoulder and I will be the good boyfriend. Yeah. Things are looking up for me. She’ll never know that everything I’m doing is for her—no, for us. I wondered if my plan would work, and it is. The euphoria of what would be engulfed me. Soon she’ll be all mine. Thank you, Detective Johnson, for telling me who Michael is.

  Chapter 21