Alice watched his face incredulously, as he casually rattled off his observations not sure whether to be put out or relieved. That was the trouble with being friends with a detective, she supposed. She should have realized that he would notice things. At least he might be able to help her. Or so she hoped. She took a deep breath, and prepared to tell him the things that she had been holding back. “I had some trouble back home.” She admitted. “With a stalker. Have you heard of De Clerambault’s syndrome?” she asked.
Donny nodded. “Erotomania. The sufferer has a delusion that another person is in love with them.” He recapped what little he’d heard about the rare obsession.
“Right.” Alice agreed. “I was a local radio presenter. This guy stared following me, calling me, leaving me photos and notes. He said he’d fallen in love with my voice. He said he understood what I was trying to say to him.” She shook her head. “He thought I was sending him secret messages through my shows.”
“Sounds creepy.” Donny commiserated, not sure what else to say.
“I moved a few times back home. But he kept finding me. He thinks that I’m in love with him and I just won’t admit it.” She continued, her voice sad and quiet. “The last time he found me he almost killed me. He was furious that I wouldn’t acknowledge ‘our love’,” she scoffed bitterly. “He attacked me with a knife. Benji’s the only reason I’m still around to talk about it.”
“So didn’t the police catch him for assaulting you?” Donny asked.
Alice shook her head. “He ran off when Benji attacked him. I gave them a description but they were never able to find who did it.” She said. “I don’t even know his name.” Alice went on. “I left everything behind. I changed my name. I haven’t told you anything true about my past.” She whispered. Donny pulled his hand away from hers, and for a moment the terrible choking feeling in Alice’s throat grew tighter. She hung her head. She had known that it would be hard for him to forgive the secrets she’d kept. But Donny only wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her close to him. Her arms slipped easily around his shoulders and she turned her face in towards his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She breathed in deeply, her breath trembling slightly as she did. Donny drew her closer. She could feel him warm and close, the feel of her lips accidentally brushing against the skin of his neck sent an illicit tingle through her body. His hand stroked her hair gently and she took another deep breath, more steadily this time. “What is this about Alice?” he asked softly. “Has something happened?”
“I saw my stalker.” She said, her voice far more level than it had been minutes ago. “At the train station. This afternoon, on the way home from work. He’s found me.” Admitting it out loud sent a strange quiver down Alice’s spine.
Donny pulled back and Alice reluctantly relinquished his embrace. “Has he contacted you?” he asked seriously.
Alice shook her head. “He didn’t seem to see me.” She said. “He looked like he was looking for me though.”
“What do you mean?” Donny asked.
“He was staring at the commuters. Looking at people’s faces.” She described. “I think he was trying to see if he could find me.” She said.
“Do you think he saw you?” Donny asked.
She shook her head. “The train came and I got on. I don’t think he saw me.”
“The same train you get every day?” he asked.
Alice nodded. “Yeah it is.” She admitted. “I know. Routines.” She said before he could respond. “I shouldn’t have gotten into such a pattern.” The admission was a painful one. She had come here because she didn’t want to look over her shoulder anymore. Letting herself relax had allowed her to be followed. Alice didn’t like the look that had stolen across Donny’s face. His expression was calculating and it looked as though he didn’t like the way things were adding up. “It’s unusual for a stalker to follow their subject so far.” He told her, distantly. “Extremely unusual. How long was he stalking you for?” he asked.
“Three years.” Alice told him. “I moved a few times before. Different cities. Interstate. He kept finding me. The last time…” She paused, struggling to explain the painful memory. Donny’s hand still resting on her shoulder squeezed gently, encouraging her. He could see how difficult this was for her to talk about. “The last time, he almost killed me.” She said quietly. She pushed aside the horrific memory that was irrevocably attached to the jagged scar ripping across her body from upper thigh to just below her bust. “I don’t know what to do.” Alice admitted. “I thought relocating here was going to be the answer. I changed my name, I haven’t had any contact back home.” Alice shook her head. “I have no idea how he could even find me. I don’t know what to do.”
Donny drew her close again and Alice settled back into the same nook in his shoulder that she had found before. This time Alice wrapped one arm around his shoulders and her other hand rested on his chest. Her fingers felt the soft navy wool of his jumper and beneath that his heartbeat, hard and fast like hers. She pulled back and held her face close to his. He looked back, holding her eye steadily. “I’ve been holding you at arm’s length,” she admitted, her lips mere inches from his. “You have.” He agreed softly.
“It just didn’t feel right. Getting close to you and hiding things from you at the same time.” She said, stopping short of admitting the shame that she felt for her past and her secrets.
Donny smiled, more amused than surprised by the confession. He ran one hand through Alice’s short, cropped hair. He shook his head, failing to find the words that he needed. He didn’t care if she had secrets. It didn’t really matter; he knew who she was. Alice’s heartrate climbed with the closeness of him and her own nervous anticipation. She leaned forwards, closing those last few inches and found his lips with hers. His hand slipped down and cradled the back of her head and neck, pulling her in and deepening the kiss until Alice could barely breathe. She broke away, breathless and giddy. She composed herself enough to ask if he would stay with her.
“Of course.” He ran his hand through her hair. “It’s going to be alright Alice.”
“You don’t know how badly I want that to be true.” She told him, ending the conversation with a kiss.
***
The alarm on Alice’s phone brayed on the nightstand and she stirred into wakefulness. She switched it off, hearing Donny sigh sleepily behind her and feeling his arm still draped across her waist. He pulled her closer and kissed her neck and shoulder. Alice smiled, biting her lip. “I have to go to work,” she protested without conviction.
Donny grumbled. “Me too.” He gave her one last squeeze before they both climbed out of bed and dressed themselves. Donny held her face and kissed her again. “We’ll sort this out Alice. It’s going to be okay.” He assured her. “Really.” He promised, seeing the skepticism on her face. “We’re going to come up with a plan and we’re going to stick to it.”
Alice nodded. She was still frightened, but feeling far more hopeful than she had the day before. “Keep your chin up.” Donny told her, stroking the back of her long neck with one hand and kissing her on the forehead. “I have to go and get changed before work. Wait for me, I’ll walk you to the station.” He told her, leaving her alone to get ready for the day. She met him in the hallway and they made their way down the long flights of stairs, the ancient elevator still unrepaired since it had broken some months before Alice moved in. They stepped outside into morning chill, and headed in the opposite direction to the way that Alice had gone the day before. “I want you to change up your routine from now on.” Donny told her as they walked. “Different stations, different times.”
Alice nodded. She hated being on her guard again but she knew that he was right. Despite Donny’s advice, she couldn’t shake the pessimistic sense that it was already too late. She took his gloved hand with hers and felt a small surge of encouragement as he squeezed it gently. Donny saw her onto her train before heading over to another platform to catch his own. Th
e train pulled in to the stop where she had waited yesterday. Standing by the window she couldn’t help scanning the platform. Her heart palpitated. There he was again. He must have followed her here. Her breathing grew shallow. She waited, telling herself that the train would pull out any second and she’d be speeding away again. All she had to do was wait. With relief she felt the train begin to move, but her stomach plummeted as the train pulled away. His eyes had found hers, separated by the glass of the train’s window. He smiled brightly, oblivious to the mask of horror that contorted Alice’s features. She watched him watch her away. His net was closing in, and Alice was the prey within it. The day and the evening passed in a fearful haze. The next morning, Alice stood barefoot and half dressed in her own kitchen making herself a strong coffee. She had hardly slept at all the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her stalker’s eyes boring intently into her own. In the here and now she heard Donny stir in her bedroom. He hadn’t left her since their first night together. Normally she would have found that suffocating, but Donny was different somehow. Their relationship was so easy and fluid that she didn’t seem to need the same space as she always did. Taking a pull on the hot sweet coffee that she had brewed, she noticed something lying just on the inside of the doorway. A large yellow envelope. Alice put her cup down on the bench and walked apprehensively over to the door to pick up the package. The envelope was blank all over. It had clearly never been in the post; it wasn’t even addressed to her. It was sealed. She tore it open with trembling fingers. She knew from experience what it would contain. She had received them before. The package contained photos. Photos of Alice, on the street, at the train station, entering and leaving the building where she lived or the newspaper offices. A few of them had been cut down. Judging by the disembodied hand on Alice’s shoulder or holding her hand These photos had contained Donny. She couldn’t imagine that the stalker was very happy about his presence in Alice’s life. She heard Donny padding out from the bedroom, summoned by the smell of coffee, his bare feet hardly sounding against the floorboards. Alice turned around and held the photos out to show him. Donny walked over and looked at the photos Alice held out but didn’t touch them. “Bring them over here and spread them out so we can have a look.” He told Alice, pointing to the bench where the pot of coffee already sat. She spread them out so Donny could see. She folded her arms protectively against her chest and glared off to the side. Donny cast his eyes over the dozen or so photos that Alice had received. There was no doubt that Alice was being stalked. These photos were almost textbook. “Can you put the photos back in the envelope please?” he asked, unwilling to add his own fingerprints to Alice’s and the stalkers. Alice fished a plastic bag out from under the sink and wrapped up the yellow envelope and its hateful contents. “You should make a formal statement about this.” Donny told her levelly. “We need to get a formal record of what’s going on.” He explained. “That way when we find him, we can actually prove that he’s done something.”
Alice smiled, sad and cynical. “When we find him. I like the way you say that.” She picked at her fingernails, not meeting his eye.
“Hey,” Donny told her sternly, clasping one arm gently. “None of that. We’re going to do everything we can. Starting by talking to the rest of our neighbors.” He said. “We want them to know that if they see anyone they don’t recognize here, hanging around your apartment or whatever, that it could be important. They’re more likely to take notice then.” He told her.
Alice was reluctant. It had been hard enough to explain her situation to Donny let alone the other neighbors that she barely knew. Donny wished he felt the same confidence that he tried to project for Alice. “Come on,” he said, downing the rest of his coffee. “Let’s get gone. We’ll talk to the neighbors tonight.” He gave her one last kiss on the cheek before leaving her to get ready for the day.
***
Alice trailed after Donny as he knocked on the third door down the hall from the end where both of their apartments stood. Alice had already had enough but Donny was adamant that this was important; they needed to do this. The wizened face of a small elderly lady filled the narrow gap between the doorframe and the door, which she opened only a small distance on a chain. Her face brightened when she saw them. “Donny,” she said fondly, “How nice. And... Annie.” She hazarded.
“Alice,” Alice corrected.
“Alice. I’m sorry dear. I’m not so good with names. Would you like to come in?”
“Actually Mrs. Prowdy, we just need to have a quick chat.” Alice briefly laid out her situation.
“Oh dear,” she said, taken aback by the revelation. “How terrible.”
“It looks like he dropped it off by hand. So we just wanted to let you know what’s going on. If you see anyone dropping off anything to Alice’s place just let us know would you? See if you can get a look at him and tell us what you can remember about him. But don’t go anywhere near him alright? Don’t talk to him.” Donny cautioned.
Mrs. Prowdy nodded. “It’ll be alright Alice,” she smiled kindly, promising that she would do what she could to help. Donny and Alice made to leave, but Mrs. Prowdy hesitated before closing the door. “Actually,” she said. “I did see someone here yesterday. I thought it was a little odd. I went to say hello to him but he ran off.” She pondered absently.
“You spoke to him?” Alice jumped at the information.
“Yes. Only because I recognized him.” She began, launching into a lengthy description of the local cafe where she liked to go for breakfast sometimes. “He’s always there. I see him of a morning. Nice fellow I thought.” She said. “A bit shy.”
“Do you know him?” Alice asked incredulously.
“Only to say hello to.” She reflected. “He had an accent like yours.”
Alice stared incredulously while Donny thanked Mrs. Prowdy and they went their separate ways, the name of the cafe and description of Mrs. Prowdy’s acquaintance tucked away in Donny’s notebook. “That could be him,” Alice said hopefully.
Donny nodded. “We still need to talk to the others though.”
“Oh goody,” Alice groaned. Donny smiled wryly as he knocked on the next door.
***
Saturday morning, Donny sat alone in his car, parked opposite Mrs. Prowdy’s cafe. He watched the people entering and leaving the shop as closely as he dared, looking for the man that she had described. Alice had wanted to come, but they couldn’t risk the stalker recognizing her. He already knew far too much about Alice. The last thing they needed was to hand him another chance to watch her. Donny wasn’t even sure if he would avoid being seen. From the photos that the stalker had sent, it was likely that he already knew Donny’s face. He sat alone at the corner table, his back to the wall so that he could take in the entire room, discreetly comparing the men in the shop to the description that Alice and Mrs. Prowdy had both given. There was no one so far. Donny tried not to think about how many failed missions like this one that it might take to find anything out. If it got them a result at all. Alice didn’t need to know that. She also didn’t near to hear that his department wasn’t working on the report that she had made to the police. There was too little to go on, and too much else to do. So here he was on his day off on a possibly fruitless fishing expedition. He berated himself for thinking that way. Alice was frightened, and with very good reason. She didn’t want to have to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life and Donny didn’t want her to move away again. He cared about her. A man heading down the street towards the shop caught Donny’s attention. Large and heavy set with curly blonde hair and freckled skin, he looked just like the man that Alice and Mrs. Prowdy had described. Donny watched him, careful not to be seen. Donny readied the digital camera that he had brought. Ten minutes later his target reemerged from the cafe, takeaway cup in hand. Donny snapped a few quick, discreet photos before watching him in the side mirror, heading back the way he had come. He allowed him to gain a safe distance before climbing out of
the car and heading in the same direction, watching him from the far side of the street. He didn’t seem to realize that he was being followed. Donny followed him around the corner and halfway down the block before he entered a hotel. Donny hesitated outside the door. This was where it would get difficult. He couldn’t very well follow him up to his room. Perhaps there was something else that he could do. He waited until the elevator doors had closed to enter the foyer and make his way up to the desk where a prim and polished clerk smiled brightly at him. “How can I help you sir?”
You Can Run (Harding-Callow Short Stories Book 1) Page 2
