Page 42 of Bred

"Can you describe the man?"

With a sigh she leans back, "No, he was wearing a black ski mask. Honestly, I was so freaked out, I just took off. He was big though, he struggled to get out from underneath the bed."

"Big like Holden or smaller? Larger?"

Her eyes set my skin on fire under their intense gaze. "Yeah, actually. Pretty much the same build." Her voice comes out breathy.

Her eyes drop to the floor contemplating saying something.

“What is it sweetheart?”

“I uh… don’t know for sure but I think someone has been watching me on campus for the past few months. Weird things have happened and I feel like I’m being watched almost constantly. It’s why I came out here honestly. To get a break from feeling like I’m going insane.”

Tom and I share a silent knowing look.

“What kind of things are you talking about?” Tom asks, studying her slumped shoulders.

Handing her the cup of tea, she smiles gratefully at me before gracing me with a polite and shy "Thank you."

“One night my car wouldn’t start after a late-night class. Someone was standing across the parking lot, watching.”

“Are you sure he was looking at you and not somewhere else?”

“Sheriff, my car was the only one left in the parking lot. When he started walking straight towards me, I panicked and locked myself inside until my friend showed up. Then, he just suddenly disappeared.” Her body slumps and it takes everything in me not to hold her and tell her everything will be okay.

“Sometimes I would get home to find things out of place, definitely not where I had left them. My doors would be unlocked, or cracked open. I felt like I was going crazy not knowing for sure if I was imagining it. It felt like someone’s been messing with my head. Until my underwear started going missing….”

“Did you report any of this?” Tom asks as he writes everything down in his notebook.

Shaking her head, she stares down into her tea. “No.” Looking Tom dead in the eye, she asks, “Do you really think I would have been taken seriously for reporting missing underwear?”

The grimace on Tom’s face says it all. She’s a college student, a young beautiful woman. She would have been accused of leaving them somewhere and more than likely would’ve been dismissed or even humiliated for taking up their time.

“There’s something else.” She bites her lip, hesitating. “One night a couple of weeks ago, I was attacked in the alley behind the restaurant I work at. It’s all a blur and I never saw the guy that grabbed me. He ended up shoving me into the wall but the other guy…” She takes a deep breath before slowly exhaling. “The other guy had the same build as the one from the parking lot, same height too. He saved me, I think he got me home. My head hit the wall so everything’s a bit hazy. I don’t remember much else.”

Lies. Her eyes are downcast, refusing to meet ours. She does remember but isn’t saying anything else. She’s protecting me.

“You didn’t report that either did you?” Tom asks. She shakes her head no, refusing to make eye contact. With a sigh, Tom taps his notepad with his pen. “It’s out of my jurisdiction anyways. I can make some calls though. See if there’s been any other similar cases.”

Her bottom lip trembles as she stares into her cup.

Clearing his throat, Tom pockets his notebook. "Well, I can take a look around but I'm sure whoever it was is long gone by now. Do you have anyone to call that can stay with you or can you stay somewhere else maybe?" Tom rubs the back of his neck uneasily.

"No, I don't. Not this late anyways." Her shoulders slump. "I guess I could manage until morning. I'll head out then."

My body stiffens at the thought of her leaving.Not when I’m so close to getting what I want.

"I know you don't know me but if it would make you feel better, I'd like to stay the night & sleep on the couch. I would offer to take you to my place but I have a feeling you wouldn’t be comfortable with that.” I offer her a gentle smile. “I hate the thought of you being here alone and scared with some perv out there that could possibly come back."

Staring into her contemplative eyes, I can tell she's getting as lost in me as I am in her. "Please, let me do this for you."

With a dip of her chin, I almost miss her soft "Okay."

"Alright, well I'll get out of your hair then, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Holden, it was good seeing you, come by the house for supper before you head back to town."

Walking him to the door, I clap him on the back. "If Holly knew I was in town and I left without saying hi, she'd skin me alive.” I say with a light chuckle. “No one wants to face that woman's wrath."

Tom’s face grows serious making my hackles rise. “Holden, if you see or hear anything give me a call. I’m pretty sure that sweet young thing has a stalker and it sounds like he’s escalating. He’s a monster messing with her head like that.” He says, glancing back at her in sympathy.