by Susan Vance
“Jason, they got him. I can’t believe it.” Emma laughed in delight as she hung the phone up. “That was, Frank. They got Charlie. Our lives are going to be back to normal soon.”
Jason scooped her up and gave her a squeeze. She squealed and he kissed her. Emma called her parents and told them the good news. They were delighted. They had missed her and told her Sam would be seeing her soon.
“Mom, Dad, we have to wait until Frank calls back to let us know Charlie has been charged. As soon as we know he’s behind bars we can get on with our lives. I am so happy,” she cried.
Several hours later detective Barber called. As Emma listened her heart began to beat faster and faster. She lost her breath and she handed the phone to Jason. Frank explained to Jason that they had to let him go. Charlie was not Michael Dalton. He was not Henry Dalton’s son. He said he was very sorry and that perhaps Emma might want to see her doctor after all. They’d apologized to Charlie and released him. He was definitely not their man.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I’m not crazy. I’m not,” Emma insisted two weeks later as she paced back and forth across the carpeted floor in Dr. Williams’ office.
Dr. Williams shook his head in dismay. “Maybe you think–”
“Stop.” Emma held her hand up as she walked to the window. She looked out at the parking lot as she tried to gather her thoughts. More calmly she said, “Somebody was in my apartment. Somebody followed me and threatened me. I thought it was Charlie. I know that it doesn’t make sense to anyone but me, but I thought he was Henry Dalton’s son.”
“Emma, try to breathe. Relax and just breathe through this,” Dr. Williams said as he tried to calm her. Jason was with her and it was obviously breaking his heart. They had put off the wedding plans and she had completely moved out of her apartment. Her parents were worried, but Emma wasn’t acting out at all. She wasn’t having problems other than insisting that it was Charlie who had been following her.
* * *
Alan had been managing the shop. He had hired another woman to replace Marie since she had quit. Emma was glad to be going back to work. She had resigned herself into accepting that Charlie was not the mystery man. She and Jason had talked it over many times and they both finally agreed that it was trauma related. Emma hadn’t seen Charlie at all. It was as if he was gone for good and Emma was beginning to not think about it. Dr. Williams convinced her that it was best left alone and that her mind from time to time might play tricks on her. His advice was always, just to breathe. Emma was so sick of hearing those words. She thought it was ludicrous and it was Dr. Williams that needed to just breathe. She had refused to take any of the medications he’d wanted to put her on. Jason admitted that he didn’t think she would let it go, but she surprised even him. It was as if she had become indifferent to it all.
“Welcome back, Emma,” Alan said as she walked through the front door. “I want you to meet Stacy. She’s taken over Marie’s job. I have a feeling you two will become fast friends. She and Marissa are cousins. I thought we should keep it in the family.”
“It’s really nice to meet you, Stacy.”
“Thanks, I’m happy to be here. I love flowers and now that the kids are all in school full time I have plenty of time on my hands.”
Emma liked her right away just as Alan had said. Emma looked around and for the most part it all looked the same. There were a few things that had been moved around, but it looked good to her. It did her well to be back at the shop.
* * *
Emma and Jason began planning for their wedding. Between Marilyn, Brenda, Jody, and Teri there wasn’t a whole lot for Emma to do. Even Alan’s wife, Marissa was in the middle of the wedding plans. Marilyn and Howard were taking care of the reception and Jody was helping Emma with her gown and making the arrangements at the church with Pastor Ralph. Ralph Belmont and his wife Patsy were dear friends of Howard and Marilyn. Marilyn and Patsy went to the same elementary school together and they both met their husbands together in high school. They doubled dated many times and stood up for each other at their weddings. Jason’s mom, Brenda, offered to pay for the honeymoon. Emma and Jason decided on Hawaii. With the wedding just weeks away everyone was busy.
Emma wasn’t her old self though. She wasn’t bouncing back and it was noticeable mostly to Jason, but she needed time and he was going to give her all she needed. She still laughed at his jokes and giggled when he teased her, but something was off. She was different.
One afternoon Emma noticed Becky pacing as if she had something on her mind. “Becky? Is something wrong?”
“Are you and Jason going to keep the flower shop after you get married?” Becky blurted.
“Why do you think I would give up the flower shop? Getting married won't end my career. I hope I always have this flower shop. It’s a part of me now, and besides, I would miss you if I couldn’t see you almost every day.”
Becky sighed with relief. “That’s good because I didn’t want to look for another job.”
“Oh Becky, you are too much.”
* * *
Emma, Becky, Stacy, and Alan worked hard the week of Easter. Lucky for Emma, Sam had extra time to help with the deliveries. It was mid-week and the rush was just getting started. Customers were in and out and the phone kept Stacy busy without a break. Emma found that days would go by and she hadn’t thought about the stranger, she was grateful she hadn’t seen him either. She hadn’t conjured up any other strangers and she was starting to feel normal. She made it through the stress of another holiday at the flower shop and she felt good.
It was the Monday after Easter and it was very quiet in the flower shop. Jason had come by late that morning and invited Emma and Alan to go for lunch at Don Juan’s. It was a new Mexican restaurant in town that had just opened the week before. Emma wanted to go, but she was busy and Stacy had to go pick up a sick kid from school and drop him off at her mom’s. Becky was back in school and Emma didn’t want to close for lunch.
“You guys go ahead and bring me back something. I have a lot to do, anyway.”
“Oh come on, Emma, come with us,” Jason whined.
“I’m sorry, Honey. I really want to, but I better not. Stacy isn’t here. She had to run pick up one of her kids from school. Have a margarita for me and bring me two cheese enchiladas ala carte, okay?”
“Okay, you win. See you later, love you,” he said with a wink.
“I love you, too. Now scoot. I’ll be fine. Just send my lunch in with Alan so you aren’t late getting back to the station.”
Emma busied herself in the back and about half an hour later she heard the bell ring over the front door. She came out to the front to help her customer and gasped. There, standing in her shop, was Charlie. Emma recognized the fact that even though he resembled the man from her nightmares he really was Charlie Johnson. She took a deep breath.
“Marie isn’t here. She doesn’t work here anymore. I thought you would know that,” she said feeling like running. She felt nervous talking with Charlie. He looked so much like the monster of her imagination. The creep she saw behind her in traffic. The one who showed up uninvited all the time. The one she pretends isn’t there.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
Emma felt this alarming feeling within. She looked around hoping Stacy had returned without her knowing it. She wished Alan hadn’t left for lunch and was there with her. She didn’t understand this feeling, but she trusted it.
“Why do you ask? Is there something I can do for you?” she asked curtly. There was a tremor in her voice she prayed he didn’t hear.
“Are you okay, Emma? You aren’t going to freak out or something are you?” he taunted.
“I’m very busy right now, Charlie, we’re working in the back. I know you’re angry with me for accusing you of those things, but my mind told me it was you. I’m sorry, really, but if there isn’t anything I can do for you, then you need to leave so I can get back to work.”
She was t
errified. She didn’t trust him no matter who they said he was or wasn’t. Her gut instinct was to be afraid of him and she was.
“There isn’t anyone else here is there, Emma?” He reached around and locked the front door. “Why are you lying to me? I told you never to lie to me you little bitch. You need to learn a lesson once and for all. Get in the back before I drag you there by your hair. You remember what I told you I was going to do to you, don’t you? Get in the back, my little whore.”
Emma stood there not knowing what to do. She knew what she was hearing wasn’t really what Charlie was saying. She knew she was imagining the words of threats, but something wasn’t ringing true. She closed her eyes and told herself, I can’t let him win. He isn’t real. This is just Charlie. He isn’t the man I fear. I‘m hearing evil words, but this is just Charlie. This is just Charlie. Or is it? I think this is a delusion. She took a step back and then with all her might she screamed at him, “Get out. Get away from me. You aren’t real and I refuse to believe you are real. I made you up and I can wish you away. Get. Get out of here.”
Charlie began to laugh and Emma was confused. He laughed harder and louder as he came towards her. She held her ground as if to prove he really wasn’t real. He grabbed her and threw her down to the floor. He kicked her in the side and she felt the pain radiate throughout her whole body. Suddenly she thought, if he isn’t real then why did that hurt so badly? She cried aloud, “Oh God, he is real. Help me.”
“God isn’t going to help you. He never helps you, does he? He doesn’t help little whores like you. Now you will know what a real man can do.”
Emma tried to stand, but he kicked her again, then he grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet.
“Now get in the back,” he demanded.
He pulled her hair again and began to drag her to the back. Her shirt ripped and buttons began to pop off. Emma screamed and he slapped her face.
“Shut up. Get your clothes off and shut up. When I’m done with you I’m going to do what I should have done years ago. I said get your clothes off. If I had only known you were there hiding in the closet. I would have killed you first.”
Emma reached up and scratched his face. His face began to bleed and Emma freaked out. The sight of the blood was more than she could tolerate. She started to fight like she never fought before. Her arms were waving and she was kicking and screaming. This startled him and he punched her in the face and pushed her down.
Alan came in the back door with his arms full of Emma’s lunch. He had come to the front, but the door was locked. He’d assumed Emma was busy in the back and locked the door for a few minutes. He heard the commotion first, then he heard Emma sobbing. Quietly he set the food down and crept through the back to where the noise was coming from. Charlie was ripping at Emma’s clothes and slapping her in the face with his hand.
“What the hell is going on?” Alan screamed as he rushed out and grabbed Charlie by the shirt. Slamming him against the wall Allan punched him in the stomach, then brought his knee up into Charlie’s chest with a solid thump.
With a whoosh of air, Charlie dropped to the floor.
“Call 911, Emma,” Allan yelled. “Hurry, Emma.”
She didn’t move. She lay on the floor, sobbing.
Alan yelled again, “Emma, call 911. Emma? Do you hear me? Emma? Emma?” he screamed louder. He had a hold of Charlie and was struggling to keep him pinned to the floor.
Emma looked up at Alan, then stood up just as Charlie managed to get up on his feet. Alan, fighting with Charlie, suddenly lost his footing and landed flat on his back on the floor. Emma ran for the phone but Charlie grabbed her, knocking her down. Alan got up and slammed Charlie in the back of his head with a wooden stool. Charlie fell to the floor, out cold. Alan found some rope and tied him up. He called 911 then called Jason and Emma’s parents. He told them she was hurt, but she was okay.
She reached for Alan and he held her. “Alan, he was real. All this time I thought I’d imagined him. Even when I thought he was real, everyone convinced me that he wasn’t. He was real. He was, wasn’t he? This is real, right? Alan, you saved me. You have to tell everybody that he is real. Please Alan, tell them,” she cried.
“Yes, Emma, this is very real and you are going to have the bruises to prove it.” He smiled. “I think you’re going to have a black eye, too.”
“My side hurts where he kicked me. I think he broke a rib. It hurts to take a breath.”
“This will pass. You’re going to be okay. Believe me, you will be just fine.”
She was trembling and sobbing when Jason arrived and she fell into his arms. “Jason, it’s over. It’s finally over. I can breathe for the first time—no, I can’t breathe, ouch,” she cried putting a hand to her ribs and wincing in pain.
Howard and Marilyn arrived and watched as Charlie, the monster, was hauled off to jail. Soon the story began to unravel. Charlie, not Michael, was with Henry Dalton the night of the murders. As it turns out, Charlie was Henry Dalton’s brother. He had taken part in all of the murders that night. Why he confessed, they will never know, but after only a few hours of interrogation he did confess. He’d left Clayton County the same night his brother Henry was arrested, he decided to never come back. When he read in the paper that one child had survived he feared the kid would rat him out. When he heard she didn’t know what happened or couldn’t remember he stayed away and changed his name. He returned to Clayton County a few times when Emma was young and watched her. She had seen him, but he always put his finger to his lips to tell her not to tell anyone. Later he wanted to see what she looked like as an adult. Soon he became obsessed with her. He followed her and when she bought the flower shop he decided to be closer to her. That was why he wanted to apply for the job. It pissed him off that she wouldn’t let him in that morning. He watched her and wondered if when she saw him that day if she hadn’t recognized him. He watched her even closer until it began to drive her mad. He was there the day she attacked her neighbor across the street. He wanted to push her over the edge in case she was remembering anything. He tried to show up wherever she was and was careful not to be noticed by anyone else. He took a chance coming into her apartment, but he had to know if she knew who he was. Somehow, he got pleasure out of frightening her. A sense of satisfaction came over him when he tormented her. He said he almost broke down laughing the evening at the restaurant when he was with Marie. That, “fat cow” he called her. When Emma almost gave him away that day at the flower shop when Marie forgot her keys he vowed to shut Emma up permanently if he got the chance. When he was alone with her something stirred up inside of him and he had to have her. He hadn’t planned on raping her. He was going to kill her, but he knew he had to have her.
“She was so terrified,” he gloated, “but I knew she would love it once she stopped crying.”
One of the detectives in the room slapped him hard in his face for saying that and he laughed loudly saying, “She wanted it. She has always wanted it.”
Emma was at the emergency hospital when the detective called to let her know that Charlie Dalton had confessed to killing her parents. He explained that Dalton would have no bail and that he would be locked away for this lifetime and the one to come. Her nightmare was over. The detective had no idea how right he was.
“Emma, you’re safe now,” Jason said. “He’ll never hurt you again. He’ll be locked up for the rest of his life and he’ll never scare you again. You’re safe, Sweetheart.”
Marilyn and Howard stayed for a while, then Jason took Emma home, to their house. He helped her get undressed and put her to bed. She was in some physical pain, but that would pass. He lay down next to her and held her throughout the night. He comforted her when she awoke and made her tea in the morning. It was over. She’d been delivered from a past of torment and pain to a future full of love, compassion, and fun. And it started now.
Also by Susan Vance
Jillian Connors knew she didn’t have it all, but she was satisfied wit
h the way things had turned out for her life–that is until she met Tom Bentley. She found him handsome and charming, but there was something more to him than the other men she had known. The first time they met she felt drawn to him. She loved his dark hair and his green eyes spoke volumes. In Eyes Like Mine–author Susan Vance takes a deeper look into the present and delves into the past, which, for Jillian Connors, she discovers a secret that could change everything. Anger, betrayal, lost love and a pair of eyes she could not forget. Once the secret is out Jillian must find a way to make it right and risk the love of her life.
Eyes Like Mine is a heartwarming journey wherein many lives are held in the balance. Susan tugs at the rawest emotions one can feel with the heart. Loving someone and being in love and knowing the difference and she bring this all to life in Eyes Like Mine.
www.eyeslikemine.tateauthor.com
The sequel to Eyes Like Mine
In Eyes like Mine, Jillian struggles with wanting a life with the son she gave up for adoption as a newborn and being with the love of her life, Tom. In Danny, Jillian and Tom get married and begin their lives together until tragedy strikes. Jillian has lost the will to go on and not even Tom can penetrate her darkness. She had hardly recovered from tragedy number one when she receives a phone call that Danny is ill and Jillian is asked come to Denver. Can she save him? This is what everyone wants to know. Her marriage has suffered and although she knows she is on thin ice, she can only think of Danny. Tom is getting tired of forgiving her. He runs into an old lover and must either stay strong or give into his weakness. Will he abandon Jillian, or will he be there for her in her time of need?
