“Ana, all I want is to have a little chat … get your side of the story. Some truly deranged women out there think you’re the true killer, considering you drove such a great looking man to kill all those poor women. I just want to set the record straight for them.”
The words fuck off are on the tip of my tongue, but I will them down. I am in too much shock to process all at of this at once. Women hate me? Women actually think I drove a poor, love-sick man to killing lots of girls? Do women actually think that shit?!
“Come on, Ana. Tell me your story so I can print it out there for the world to see. I’m pretty sure you want to get your side across. Well, this is your perfect opportunity.”
Quickening my pace, I shout at him to leave me alone before I’m practically sprinting back towards Jessie’s apartment. My mind races, and my heart still thunders as I push myself farther and farther away. After a couple of minutes, I take the opportunity to glance back, finding that he’s not there anymore. The relief of this should be palpable, but it’s not. I thought all this was over, but this asshole obviously has nothing better to do but harass me now. I guess two months isn’t enough to forget about that monster. No doubt media of all kinds have been covering his story, investigating his life and what possibly drove him to do what he did, but I had been completely engrossed in Jake all that time, that I’d failed to notice. Maybe all that time while Jake was handling me with kid gloves, he’d been shielding me from the bad, outside world. In a sense, that angers me, because I was completely unprepared for that near assault I just endured.
Betty.
Her name suddenly flits through my mind, causing me pain. She seemed like such a lovely, kind nurse. How much of my private, confidential information did she divulge? No doubt if I told Jake he would quite rightly report her and get her fired. She had no right, drink or no drink, to be talking to anyone about my business.
Frustration and anger soon turn to fear as that once nagging thought that Alan may have seen my photo in the newspaper comes flooding back to haunt me. If he’s looking and names are flying around the internet and all over social media, it wouldn’t take a genius to come across something that may disclose my whereabouts. It’s clear to me now more than ever that I need to put on my big girl panties and stop shielding myself from the rest of the world. I may not like what I find when I start digging, but in order for me to be prepared from the likes of the Phil Spector’s of this world, I need to be armed for the next time.
And no doubt there will be a next time. That arsehole seemed too determined to back down. Unless another huge story breaks soon, I will be the carrot on the stick that the donkey’s dead set on nabbing.
With that last thought in my head, I push on for the last ten minutes before winding back round to Jessie’s apartment. When I get through the door—still panting and sweating from my ordeal—I can hear Jessie’s landline ringing. I run to the phone to answer, almost tripping over my own feet in my haste.
“Hey, Ana, what have you been up to? You’re breathing heavily.” Michael gives a naughty laugh down the line.
“Hi, Michael, I’ve just been out for a run. You’re lucky as I’ve only just got through the door when you rang.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but Jessie gave me her number. I hear it’s someone’s birthday today.”
Oh, God, I want to die of embarrassment. Damn, Jessie and her big mouth. “Please don’t make a fuss. It’s just a normal day like any other.”
“Don’t be silly. If I could, I would take you out for dinner before the movies, but I can’t make it until eight. Is that okay? I’ll come pick you up once I’m done here.”
“That’s perfect. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll see you then.”
There’s a brief silence on the phone before he replies. “Is something wrong? Your voice sounds different.”
A brief thought that no wonder Michael is a detective darts through my mind before I answer. “There is something, but I don’t want to discuss it over the phone. Can we chat later once you’re over?”
I bite my lip knowing Michael will want to push it, but he has no other choice but to wait. I’m certainly not discussing that encounter over the phone—especially with Michael while he’s at work. Someone may overhear, or it could get to Jake which would have him storming around here like the bull that he is.
“Okay,” he answers hesitantly. “You are safe inside that apartment, though, aren’t you? No one’s there hassling you?”
I smile at Michael’s concern. There was a man hassling me, of course, but I’m fine now. “I’m safe inside the apartment. There’s no one here, I can assure you.”
“If that changes, you know you can call me straight away. Don’t you?”
I offer a small laugh down the phone, thinking how sweet he is. “Sure thing. You will be the first person I call.”
I hear him inhale before he answers. “Good. I’ll call you as later.”
We hang up, and I suddenly feel another shower is in order. I wouldn’t have taken one earlier if I’d known I was going for a run, but I wasn’t to know that Jake was going to text me those stupid messages of his and get me all wound up. In fact, if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have gone on the run and bumped into that asshole. I could grumble about that for hours, but at the end of the day, it was a good thing it happened. I needed to know.
I make my way to the kitchen to grab some fruit when the doorbell rings. It’s like Grand Central Station here all of a sudden. I swiftly turn around and make my way to the door. I take a look through the peephole, just in case the lovely Phil Spector has followed me home. To my relief and delight, it’s Matthew. Quickly swinging the door open, I see Cindy there with him, a big, beaming smile on her face as she holds a bunch of beautifully colored flowers.
“Hey, guys, it's great to see you. Come in.” Cindy hands me the flowers and gives me a hug.
“Happy Birthday, Ana!” she shouts.
My cheeks warming a little, I say my thanks, and when we pull away, they follow me through to the living room where I quickly grab an empty vase sitting on one of Jessie’s display cabinets. “I hope you’re doing okay?” I ask Cindy. She nods her head, her smile making her eyes twinkle. “I’ll quickly put these in some water and be right back.”
I rush to the kitchen to fill the vase with water then put the pretty pink flowers inside. It offers me a few moments to catch my breath and compose myself. If Michael could tell something was wrong by the sound of my voice, what could either Matthew or Cindy possibly pick up? Once I feel I’m calm enough, I walk back out and place the vase of flowers on the side cabinet. I stand back to admire them. “They look beautiful. Thank you, Cindy.”
When I turn around, they’re both sitting down on the sofa, holding hands. They look happy, and that makes me smile.
“You’re welcome,” Cindy responds. “I made Matthew bring me straight over after school once I heard it was your birthday. I hope you don’t mind? We weren’t disturbing you, were we?”
After my encounter, I’m secretly ecstatic that they’re here to take my mind off things for a while. “Of course not, I’m glad you’re here. All I’ve done is sleep in, lay around the place, and I just got back from a run—so nothing major.” I almost roll my eyes at the nothing major part. “I must admit, I’m actually looking forward to going back to work tomorrow as I’ve been a little bored. I need something to keep myself occupied.” Cindy looks at me, brandishing a sympathetic smile. Matthew—on the other hand—looks curious.