See Me

by Nicholas Sparks

  "Sounds like it."

  "I bought my mom some fabulous cookware."

  "I'll bet she's going to love it."

  "Once she gets over the guilt, she will. But the real reason I'm calling is that I've decided that I'd like you to come over tonight. To my place."

  "Didn't we already agree that I'd come over? And that I'd call when I got off?"

  "Yes, but when we decided that, I wasn't in the mood to celebrate. Now I am, and I wanted to warn you in advance."

  "Warn me about what?"

  "Well, now that I'm sorta rich, I might make a few demands on you this evening. Physical ones, I mean."

  He laughed, and she could tell he liked what she was suggesting. "Okay."

  Up ahead, she saw Serena's car parked in front of her parents' house; on either side of the street, the sidewalks were deserted. Up and down the block, houses were lit from the inside, lamps on and televisions flickering, families relaxing at the end of a long day. "Whatever you do, don't let the anticipation ruin your concentration at work. I'd hate for you to get in trouble with your boss."

  "I'll do my best."

  She pulled in behind Serena's car and shut down the engine. "And one more thing. Remember what I told Margolis? When he asked why I was still with you?"

  "Yes."

  She got out and rounded the car to the trunk. "I just want you to know that I meant every word," she said.

  He laughed again. "Okay."

  She opened the trunk. "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to cut this call a little short. I'm going to need both hands to carry everything."

  "I get it. I've got to get back to work anyway."

  "Oh, before you go--"

  As she eyed the boxes, she registered movement in her peripheral vision and she turned. A man was crossing the street toward her, moving fast. There was a split second when she wasn't sure how to react. This was a safe place; in this neighborhood, she'd never so much as heard of a burglary or a domestic dispute that had gotten out of hand, and she'd never been afraid. She was only yards from her parents' front door, on a street so safe she used to camp out in the backyard on warm summer nights. And yet, the stranger's purposeful gait made the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly rise because she knew instinctively that whoever it was didn't belong here.

  Darkness made clear recognition impossible, but in that instant the man's shadowed face was suddenly illuminated by the lights that spilled from her parents' living room. She saw a glint of metal in his hand and with the sight of the gun, fear took hold. She couldn't move and could barely breathe; only vaguely did she hear Colin say her name on the phone.

  Colin repeated her name a second and third time, his mounting concern enough to finally bring her back.

  "He's here," she finally whispered.

  "Who's there?" Colin demanded. "What's going on?"

  "He has a gun," she said.

  "Who has a gun?"

  "Lester Manning," she said. "He's here at the house."

  CHAPTER 23

  Colin

  The shock of hearing Maria say Lester's name gave way to a surge of adrenaline, the fight-or-flight reflex kicking in. Colin vaguely heard Lester shout something and the call was disconnected.

  Lester.

  By then, Colin was already on the move, bursting from the back room and rushing past the bar. He wove around tables and guests even as he hit the redial button.

  The phone went straight to voice mail.

  Redial.

  Voice mail again.

  Maria is in trouble.

  Behind him, he heard the bartender call his name; waitresses looked over in confusion, and as Colin exploded out the entrance, the manager demanded to know where he was going.

  Lester has a gun.

  Colin raced around the corner of the building, his feet slipping on the lightly sanded sidewalk. Regaining his footing, he sprinted up the street, already calculating the most direct route to Maria's parents' place.

  Hoping the roads were clear.

  Hoping his car would start.

  Please, let it start.

  He'd call the police from the car.

  He swerved around an elderly couple and rocketed into the street, his car in sight.

  Precious seconds ticking away.

  Lester could have already shoved her into his car and driven off, just like Gerald Laws did to Cassie...

  It was twenty minutes to her parents'.

  He would make it in ten. Or fewer.

  Maria might already be gone...

  At the car now. Jumping in, jamming his keys in the ignition, careful not to flood the engine even as he turned the key hard, and the old Camaro roared to life. Colin peeled away from the curb, his eyes already on the cars ahead.

  Closing the gap between his car and those ahead of him, he glanced toward his phone. With one hand he frantically dialed 911 and heard the operator ask the nature of the emergency.

  A man with a gun, threatening a woman, he said. Maria Sanchez. A guy named Lester Manning had been stalking her, and he'd surprised her at her parents'...

  He couldn't remember the address offhand, but told the operator Maria's parents' names, as well as the street and cross street. Identifying himself, he stated that he was on the way. When the operator urged him to let the police handle the situation without interference, he hung up.

  By then he was speeding along, the nose of his car practically on the bumper of the car in front of him. With the next lane blocked by a black Range Rover coasting along at the speed limit, Colin cut across the breakdown lane and zoomed past a cluster of cars before veering back onto the road. He hit the accelerator hard and within a few seconds came up on a pickup truck and a white minivan driving side by side. He passed them in the breakdown lane, too, this time barely slowing.

  Reaching the turnoff to the bridge, he jerked the wheel hard, tires squealing.

  Racing past more cars in the breakdown lane, he finally made it to a long stretch of road with less traffic and jammed the accelerator to the floor. Adrenaline sharpened his instincts behind the wheel, his body responding in perfect sync with the car.

  He hit eighty, ninety, and then a hundred miles an hour and saw a red light ahead, brake lights glowing as cars slowed. Unwilling to slow down, he gunned into a bike lane.

  Bursting through a gap at the intersection, still he pressed on, zigzagging around cars and using the bike lane when necessary. Making a turn, he accelerated toward a long line of cars, and with nowhere to go, he cut through a gas station parking lot at close to thirty miles an hour, making people jump out of the way.

  The police were on their way... but it still might not be soon enough.

  His mind raced frantically, wondering whether Lester had already forced Maria into a car, where he might have taken her...

  Or if he had already shot her.

  Another turn, this time to the left, and for the first time, he was forced to come to a complete stop at a crowded intersection. He pounded the steering wheel, then held his breath as he plunged into multiple lanes of traffic. He watched as another driver slammed on his brakes, missing him by only inches.

  Speeding through a residential neighborhood at sixty miles per hour, he scanned for children or other pedestrians or pets, houses passing in a blur.

  Another turn. Tires screeched and the rear of the Camaro fishtailed left and then right, Colin struggling for control. On this block, cars were parked on either side of the street, limiting visibility, and Colin reluctantly slowed the car. Just ahead, he could make out a couple pushing a stroller on the sidewalk; a kid playing catch with his dad on the opposite side of the street; a guy walking his dog with a long retractable leash...

  Another turn and a clear road with better visibility; Colin sped up again, finally recognizing the Sanchez neighborhood.

  It had taken him nine minutes.

  He began to bank into the final turn at top speed... and almost hit a blue Camry that was approaching fast in the middle of the road. Co
lin swerved automatically to the right, as did the other car, the Camaro fishtailing again, tires screeching. Colin felt another sudden adrenaline surge as his heart hammered. He briefly glimpsed two men in the front seat with startled expressions, their eyes wide as the cars slid past within inches of each other, too close. Way too close, and he gripped the wheel hard, regaining control. Barely.

  He was almost there, the Sanchezes' street up ahead. A single turn to go, and he didn't hit the brakes until he was almost there.

  Fear taking over now.

  Praying he wasn't too late.

  Shearing into the turn, he heard a siren behind him. In the rearview mirror, he saw the flashing lights on top of the squad car as it barreled around the same turn he'd just made. Colin slowed only slightly, but the squad car was closing fast and Colin heard a squawk from the loudspeaker.

  "Pull over!"

  Not a chance, Colin thought. No matter what happens to me.

  CHAPTER 24

  Maria

  Maria couldn't take her eyes from the gun... or the person holding it.

  Lester Manning.

  Margolis had been wrong. Lester wasn't in the hospital.

  He had been waiting for her here. The knowledge paralyzed her, and she watched as he snatched the phone from her hand. His face contorted into something she barely recognized.

  "No calls!" he shouted, making her jump. The tone was off-key, on edge. "No police!"

  As he backed away, her senses heightened and she saw it all: the unkempt hair and ratty canvas jacket, faded red shirt, and torn jeans; the dark holes of his pupils and the rapid rise and fall of his chest. In her head, the words ran together: delusional disorder; acute phase; persecutory delusions.

  And the gun. He was holding a gun.

  Her mom and dad were inside, as was Serena. Her family was in danger and it was dark and no one in the neighborhood was out...

  She should have run as soon as she saw him coming, sprinted for the front door and locked him out, but she'd stood there like her legs belonged to another person...

  "I know what YOU DID!" he hissed.

  The words came out fast and almost unintelligible. As he continued to back away, she saw the phone light up and heard it ring. Colin. Lester startled, staring at the phone in his hand. She watched Lester end the call with the press of a button. Saw the phone light up and ring again. Lester frowned as he ended the second call, talking at the phone as though it were alive. "I said no calls!" he called out. "No police!" Then mumbling: "Think straight. It's not real." His hands were shaking as he muted the phone and shoved it into his jacket pocket. "They're not coming."

  Please God, let Colin have already called the police, she thought. The police are coming and will be here soon. I'll just ride it out until they get here. I will not be like Cassie. If he so much as touches me, I'm going to scream and fight like crazy.

  But...

  Margolis had said that Lester could function normally sometimes; he'd been able to work a part-time job. And when she'd met him, he was... odd, but not psychotic, even when clearly struggling. Maybe she could talk to him... She just needed to stay calm.

  "Hi, Lester," she began, trying to keep her voice steady and pleasant.

  His eyes flashed up, his pupils huge.

  No, not huge. Dilated. On drugs?

  "'Hi, Lester'? That's all you can say?"

  "I want you to know I'm sorry about Cassie--"

  "No, no, no!" he said, raising his voice. "You don't get to say her name. She died because of you!"

  She raised her hands instinctively, expecting him to lunge at her, but Lester instead moved yet another step farther away. As she waited for him to go on, she realized that he sounded less angry than... afraid?

  Or paranoid. And the last thing I want is to set him off.

  She lowered her eyes, her heart hammering. She could hear Lester's labored breathing as long seconds passed. The silence stretched out until she heard him sniff and then say, "No," in a softer voice. She could hear his breathing finally begin to slow, and when he spoke again, his voice was shaky but subdued.

  "They're safe," he said, nodding at the house. "Your family. I saw them through the windows. I watched your sister go inside. What happens next is up to you."

  She flinched at his words but held her silence. His breath continued to slow in what seemed like a conscious effort, his gaze never wavering.

  "I came to talk. You need to hear what I have to say. You'll listen to me this time, won't you, Maria?"

  "Yes."

  "The doctors tell me it isn't real," he explained. "I tell myself it's not real. But then I remember the truth. About Cassie and my mom. The police. And what they did. And I know you're the one who started it. The doctors can tell me it's not real and that I'm making it up, but I know the truth. So tell me: You've been talking about me, haven't you?"

  When she didn't answer, she watched the muscles begin to tighten in his neck.

  "Don't bother lying. Remember that I already know the answer."

  "Yes," she whispered.

  "You've talked to the police about me again."

  "Yes," she said again.

  "That's why the detective came this morning."

  Where is Colin? she wondered. And the police? She wasn't sure how long she could keep Lester calm--

  "Yes."

  He turned away, wincing. "When we first met you, I wanted to believe you when you said you were doing your best, and that Cassie would be safe. I came to understand that to you, Cassie was no one. Just another name, another nobody. But she wasn't a nobody. She was my sister, and it was your job to protect her. But you didn't. And then..."

  He squeezed his eyes closed. "Cassie used to take care of me when my mom was too sick to get out of bed... She used to make me chicken noodle soup and we'd watch television and she'd read me books. Did you know that? She wasn't a nobody." He wiped at his nose with the back of his hand, and when he went on, his voice was almost childlike. "We tried to warn you what was going to happen, but you didn't listen. When Cassie died, my mom couldn't stand living anymore. Because of you, she killed herself. Did you know that? Tell the truth."

  "Yes," she admitted.

  "You know all about us, don't you, Maria? You know all about me."

  "Yes."

  "And you sent the police after me after Cassie died."

  Because you sent the notes. Because you were threatening me. "Yes."

  "And your boyfriend... He is your boyfriend, right? The big guy at the club? I saw how angry he got after I sent over the drink. He wanted to hurt me, didn't he?"

  "Yes."

  "And then, this morning, you sent the police again."

  Because you slashed my tires! Because you're stalking me!

  "Yes."

  He stood a bit straighter. "That's what I told the doctors. All of this. But they don't believe me, of course. No one ever believes me, but at least you're being honest. I knew, but now I really know... and I can feel the difference in my whole body. You understand, don't you, Maria?"

  No. "Yes."

  "It takes over--fear, I mean. No matter how hard you try to fight it, it takes over, crushing the life out of you. Like right now. I know you're afraid of me. Maybe like Cassie was afraid after you failed her?" He looked at her for confirmation, waiting.

  "Yes."

  She watched him tap the gun against the side of his leg. "Can you imagine how it feels? To lose your sister? And your mom? And watch people like you go after my dad? And then me?"

  "I can't imagine how awful that was."

  "No, you CAN'T!" he shouted suddenly, and in that moment, she heard the faint sound of a police siren in the distance.

  Lester snapped to attention, recognition dawning as the sirens grew louder. He refocused on Maria.

  "I said no police. I said NO POLICE!" His voice cracked, whipsawing between anger and disbelief as he took a step toward her. "I'm NOT going BACK! Do you HEAR me? I'm NOT going BACK!"

  Maria retreat
ed, holding up her hands. "Okay..."

  "They HURT ME!" he cried, taking a step in her direction. His cheeks grew mottled as he thrust his face toward her. "They SHOT ELECTRICITY INTO ME! And they put me in the cage with ANIMALS who beat me and they didn't DO ANYTHING! They ALL laughed at me and to them it was just a game! AND YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW WHO PUT THEM UP TO IT?"

  Oh, God... He's losing it...

  "YOU DID!" he screamed, vibrating with rage.

  Maria retreated, trying to maintain the distance between them. Her gaze kept flicking to the gun, then back to Lester again. He continued to advance as she backed away, her back almost to the garage door now.

  "YOU called the POLICE! You keep coming back, but this time I'm NOT going to let you GET AWAY WITH IT!"

  Serena had to have heard him that time, she thought. Or my parents. They'll open the front door any second now and Lester will turn and fire...

  Through the static of her racing thoughts, Maria realized that the first siren had now been joined by another, more distant one, both of them drawing closer. Lester's jaw clenched and his eyes burned with the anguish of betrayal. His finger began inching toward the gun's trigger and a single impulse flashed through her body.

  Go, go, GO!

  She turned and rounded the car, sprinting toward the house, through the yard. She heard Lester shout her name in surprise, heard a grunt as he started after her, clipping the car.

  GO!

  Ten yards. Maybe five.

  The front door began to open and a slash of light fell across the porch. Maria was sure she could hear him behind her now.

  Run!

  She strained forward, surging toward the light. She could feel Lester reaching for her. In what seemed to be slow motion, she watched Serena step out onto the porch.

  He's going to kill us both...

  Standing in a pool of light in front of the open door, Serena didn't understand what was happening. She stared at Maria in confusion as Maria hurtled toward the porch.

  Are those his fingers skimming the back of my shirt?

  She willed herself to move even faster, sprinting with everything she had.

  "Maria?" Serena called out.

  Only later would Maria realize that Serena had shouted her name. Almost there...

  And then, she made it.

  Grabbing Serena, she pushed the two of them through the still open door, slamming it shut behind them.

  "What are you doing?" Serena cried, bewildered.

  Maria locked the door and grabbed Serena's wrist, jerking hard. "Get away from the door!" Maria screamed. "He's got a gun!"