Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters)

by Satin Russell

  Memories came flooding back to her, both the good and the horrific, until her head begun to spin from too much thinking. Downstairs, she heard the faint trill of the phone before it was answered on the second ring. Mason’s deep voice drifted up through the floorboards.

  Groaning, she buried her head in her pillow and pulled the covers back over her. It would be so much easier to pretend the world outside her bedroom didn’t exist.

  A vision of the charred and hollowed-out shell of the café filled her mind and she thought of all she’d lost. Then she began to think about the man who had taken it from her. Had almost, literally, taken her.

  Resolutely, she gritted her teeth and lowered the covers again. Slowly, she fought to get herself back into a sitting position, and then took a moment to catch her breath.

  Every bone and muscle in her body ached in protest. She felt as if she’d been shoved into a dryer and set to tumble dry on its highest setting.

  With more determination than panache, she managed to swivel her legs over the bed and plant her feet on the cool floor below. Cautiously, taking care with her poor, abused head, she turned and viewed the alarm clock across the room.

  “Are you kidding me?” she muttered under her breath in shock. How on earth could she have slept past eleven o’clock in the morning?

  With that realization, she slid her feet into her slippers and shuffled over to the bathroom. For a moment, all she could do was inspect her face in the mirror. Her poor eye was a dark black over the entire socket, up to the brow, to both corners, and all along the top of her cheekbone. The eye itself was bloodshot in the outer corner. It made her ill to look at it.

  The large, goose egg of a bump in the middle of her forehead was hardly better. It was still very swollen and had also blackened. She suspected that was actually the culprit giving her the worst of her headache.

  In fact, from about the middle of her forehead all the way down the left side of her face was one big contusion. Unnerved, Olivia decided she’d seen enough and didn’t even want to see the damage to the rest of her body.

  Instead, she turned away from the mirror and headed out of the bathroom. On the way out of her bedroom, she grabbed her comforting, familiar robe and wrapped it around her like a cocoon.

  The warm, homey smells of bacon and coffee greeted her as she opened the door. It was such a stark contrast to the damage she’d seen in the mirror that at first Olivia felt she must have stepped into another world.

  Knowing Mason was in the house loosened a knot in her chest. She hadn’t wanted to verbalize her fear out loud, or even to herself, but she wasn’t quite ready to face an empty house this morning.

  Joints and muscles creaked as Olivia padded down the stairs, protesting the abuse of the day before. She carefully made her way through the dining room, and then froze in the kitchen doorway, enthralled by the scene that greeted her. Mason stood in front of the stove, partially turned towards her, and was carefully folding a layer of egg over a bed of veggies.

  She took a moment to let her eyes wander over his body, and admired the way his sweatpants hung low on his hips. She could see the muscles in his back ripple beneath the threadbare t-shirt he wore as he reached into the cupboard above him and grabbed the pepper.

  Passion had her mouth turning dry, her body restless just looking at him. As she shifted her weight, one of the floorboards squeaked and had him turning to her.

  “Oh, good. You’re up. I was just about ready to come and get you.” He moved to grab the pot of coffee and filled the mug he’d already set out on the counter for her. Dropping the pot back onto the burner, he reached into the fridge and poured her a small glass of orange juice.

  Olivia moved fully into the room and awkwardly climbed up on the kitchen stool. It seemed her whole body was going to protest every little action she made today; she felt like she was moving as if she was a hundred years old.

  “Ouch. You look like you’re feeling sore. The coffee is probably still too hot to drink, but the OJ can help you wash down some ibuprofen. It should help cut the pain a little.” He set two pills beside her.

  “Thank you.” She gulped the painkillers down. “Something smells really good.”

  He shrugged. “I figured you might like it if someone cooked breakfast for you, for once.” He gave her a boyish grin and pulled a plate down from the cupboard. “I hope you don’t mind that I kinda had to poke around your kitchen.”

  “Not at all. I’m glad you made yourself at home.” She drained her juice and pulled the coffee towards her, hunching over and wrapping her hands around the warm mug. “I can’t believe I slept so late!”

  “You probably needed it.” He placed the plate of food in front of her. “I hope you like omelets. It’s one of the only things I feel somewhat confident feeding you.”

  Olivia picked up her fork eagerly and inhaled. “Are you kidding? This is perfect. Ooh, and home fries.”

  He turned back towards the stove and plated his own breakfast, then sat down beside her. “Yeah, I didn’t think I could recreate Tom’s amazing hash browns, but I can at least make decent home fries.”

  He watched her take her first bite and smiled when she dug right in. For a moment, the two of them ate quietly, taking the time to enjoy the meal and each other’s company.

  With the initial edge of her hunger appeased, Olivia sat back and took a sip of her coffee. She gave Mason a look over the rim. “Was that the phone I heard ringing earlier?”

  “I’m surprised it didn’t wake you up sooner. It’s been ringing non-stop all morning.”

  “Really? Who has been calling?”

  “Well, your sister, of course. Actually, both of them. Liz got a hold of Fiona and let her know what’s going on. Jackie and Tom…Jackie was beside herself and completely distraught about leaving you yesterday…”

  “But I insisted she go. There was no way either one of us could have known what would happen.”

  He placed a hand over hers. “I know. That’s what I told her. But I think she’ll feel a lot better hearing it come from you.”

  She nodded. “I need to call her.”

  “You do,” he agreed, “but it can wait for a bit longer. Let’s see, who else? Ah, well, your insurance agent tried to reach you. I took a message, but he said he would try back this afternoon.”

  Olivia sighed. “I haven’t even begun to think about the insurance or how to tackle that.

  “We’ll work it out,” Mason assured her. He hesitated. “I also got a very interesting and informative phone call from my captain that I need to tell you about, but I think it would be best to wait until Brad gets here.”

  “I’m assuming it has to do with Robert Mendez. Has it been confirmed?”

  “We’ll talk about it. Speaking of which, Brad also called and wanted to come over earlier this morning. I told him you were still sleeping. He said he’d be by around one or so.”

  Nodding, Olivia set her mug down and forced herself to take a few more bites of food, but all of a sudden she wasn’t so hungry anymore. There was so much she had to do. Most disconcerting of all was the call from Brad. She really wished she didn’t have to relive the events that had happened yesterday.

  In fact, she dreaded it.

  Sighing, she pushed her plate back. Mason watched her from the corner of his eye as he took another bite.

  “Decided you didn’t like my cooking after all?”

  Olivia blushed. “No, it was delicious.”

  He set his fork down and turned more fully towards her. “Sorry, bad joke.” Gently, he brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, then leaned over and feathered a kiss at her temple. “I know it feels overwhelming right now, but you have a lot of people who want to help you. We’ll just take it one step at a time, okay?”

  Nodding, she looked down at the counter. “I know. You’re right. I know it sounds silly, but I’m actually more concerned about having to recount everything that happened yesterday for the report.”

  “I underst
and what it’s like having demons. That’s not silly at all. Just know that everything you can remember is going to help us catch this guy and make sure you’re safe. Any detail, no matter how small, might make the difference between finding him quickly and you having to continue to look over your shoulder.”

  She leaned into him and sighed. “I know. I know. You’re right. It’s just going to be really hard having to relive it.”

  “I’ll be with you the whole time.” Mason cradled her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes. “You can do this, Olivia. You’re stronger than he’ll ever be.”

  Nodding, she pulled back and stood up from her stool. “Well, if Brad is going to be stopping by soon, I’d better get myself pulled together.”

  “Good idea. I’ll get the kitchen straightened up while you do that.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and took a moment to just stand in his arms. “Thank you, Mason.”

  She didn’t see the pained and tender look on his face as she walked back up the stairs.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  It didn’t take Olivia very long to get herself ready. She pulled on some yoga pants and a tank top, and then crawled into her favorite sweatshirt. She briefly considered trying to put some makeup on to help cover the damage to her face, before concluding that no amount of cover-up could help the situation.

  Besides, she had bigger concerns than what she looked like, at the moment. She couldn’t be bothered to care all that much.

  Tucking her feet back into her slippers, she headed downstairs and into the living room. Mason came in from the kitchen and found her curled up on the couch under a blanket.

  “Would you like another cup of coffee?”

  She looked at him. “You know, I’m already feeling a bit jittery. I don’t know if coffee is such a good idea.”

  “How about some tea?”

  She smiled as she leaned over and grabbed the remote. “That would be great, thanks.”

  Idly, she flipped the TV on and was surprised to find a reporter standing in front of the charred remains of her café. It was surreal watching them report on her life in such raw terms.

  How many times had she watched someone else’s misfortune fall from carefully lacquered lips, edited and choreographed to fit into a two minute news segment? The thought was unnerving.

  Thankfully, a knock at the door gave her the excuse she needed to switch the box off. Before she could get up, Mason went to answer it. Olivia could hear Liz’s voice at the door.

  “It’s so weird not being able to let myself in now,” Liz said.

  “Well, hopefully the extra security measures will only have to be temporary. This guy has already proven he can pick a lock. I thought it would be a good idea to get one of those safety bars installed, as well. That way, at least while you’re in the house, you know you’re protected.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great idea. It just stinks that it had to come down to this.” Liz dropped her voice a little before continuing. “How’s she doing?”

  “I’m fine!” Olivia called out from the living room. “Mason is already spoiling me by cooking breakfast for me and doing the dishes.”

  Liz stepped into the living room and took a look at her sister, curled up on the couch. “Well, that sounds like a pretty good morning.” She sat down next to Olivia and examined her face closely. “That’s quite a shiner you have there, Livvy.”

  “Tell me about it. I don’t think I’ll be winning any beauty pageants any time soon.”

  Another knock at the door had both sisters looking towards the entryway. Mason turned to answer it from where he’d been standing in the archway, watching the two women exchange greetings.

  “Brad, come in.”

  Brad stepped into the entryway, along with another officer who was holding a satchel. “Hi, this is our resident sketch artist, Officer Cynthia Carlyle.” He paused. “I’m also going to need to get some photographic documentation of Olivia’s injuries and thought having a female associate here would help.”

  She shook Mason’s hand. “Please, call me CeCe.”

  Olivia winced when she heard why Brad had brought CeCe. She was definitely not looking forward to that. Sensing her uneasiness, Liz patted her knee in commiseration.

  “Nice to meet you. Olivia is in the living room.”

  As they came in, she struggled to sit up a little straighter.

  “Hey, Olivia. It’s okay, don’t get up,” Brad said, bending over to give her a brief hug. “How are you feeling?”

  She gave him a small smile. “You mean other than looking like I ran into a couple of walls? I’m pretty sore, but I’ll be okay.”

  “Hello, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, even if it is under poor circumstances.” CeCe shook her hand.

  Olivia nodded at the two chairs, indicating they should take a seat. “Thank you for coming. CeCe, this is my sister, Liz.” The two women nodded at each other. “I heard what Brad said in the entryway. Sounds like we’re going to get to know each other intimately pretty quickly.”

  The other woman laughed. “I think I like you already.” Noticing Olivia’s discomfort, she continued, “I’m afraid it’s a necessary evil.”

  “Would you like anything to drink?” Mason asked from the doorway.

  “Oh, no thank you. I think we’re fine for now,” Brad answered.

  They both sat across from Olivia while Mason finished making tea. After setting the mug down in front of her, he squeezed in next to her on the couch, sandwiching her between himself and her sister. Casually, he took hold of her slightly damp hand.

  Brad took out a little recorder, as well as a pen and small notebook. “Do you mind if I record this?”

  “That’s fine, Brad.” She shot CeCe a glance. “I mean, Officer Thompson.” She gave him a frustrated look. “You know, I never know what to call you. It’s so weird being on this end of things.”

  “Brad is fine, Olivia. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

  “Okay. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous. How do we do this? Do I just tell you what happened?”

  “Yup, that’s it. Just start from the beginning and tell me everything you can remember. I’m probably not going to ask a lot of questions at first, and just let you get it all out. Then, if I need any more details, I’ll follow up. Okay?”

  Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to wipe her palms on the blanket, then reached over and held Mason’s hand again. “It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. I know this, because the café was closed and Jackie had been staying with me, waiting for Liz to arrive…”

  It took her nearly an hour to go through the events of the day before. A couple of times, she’d gotten choked up and had to stop to collect herself, but overall, it hadn’t been as bad as she’d thought.

  “Okay, Olivia, you’re doing great. Let’s go back for a minute. You said you flipped the latch on the door when Jackie left, but then he told you the door had been unlocked. Was the door locked, or not?”

  Olivia closed her eyes and replayed the moment in her mind. “No, I’m sure I locked the door. I was being extra cautious because of everything that’s been going on.”

  Brad gave her an encouraging smile. “Okay, so I think it’s safe to say he has some experience with picking locks. That would coincide with the home invasion, as well.”

  He glanced back down at his notes. “I’m confused about your statement of what happened after you hit him in the face the first time. You described it as if his whole chin was ripped off…”

  “Yes.”

  “It seems like there would be a lot of blood involved.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “But I don’t remember there being a lot of blood.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I know that doesn’t make sense, but I swear it looked like I knocked his chin clean off.” She raised a hand to her temple. “Maybe I’m misremembering it, though. I did get knocked pretty hard on the head.”

  Mason had been quietly l
istening the whole time. “Well, actually, that might be related to the news I had to share with you all. The Captain called this morning with the lab results he got back.”

  Brad glanced at him. “Lab results?”

  “Yeah, I found a pile of cigarette butts outside Olivia’s house yesterday morning and collected a few to have tested in Boston when I went for my appointment. That’s where I was and why I was so late in getting back.”

  “Ah, okay. So? What were the results?”

  “What I’ve feared and suspected for a while now. I’m not sure how it came to be, but Mendez is definitely here, and judging by the number of butts piled outside her door, he’s her stalker.”

  Liz gasped.

  Olivia’s heart dropped at the news, but strangely, she felt an odd sense of relief, too. Now, at least, she could finally put a name and a face to her stalker. Before, it could have been anyone, and her imagination had been getting the best of her.

  “Wait, I don’t understand,” she said. “How does that have anything to do with me thinking I ripped his chin off?”

  “Well, Robert’s been known to use disguises in some of his abductions. I have a feeling he may have been using prosthetic makeup.”

  CeCe leaned forward. “Hmm, that could make things difficult, but if it’s all the same, I’d still like to try and put together a sketch.”

  “I agree. It couldn’t hurt. Maybe we could even get the basics down and have you make a few composite sketches using different chins,” Mason said.

  She nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.

  Brad turned towards Mason. “Okay, so, now we know who we’re dealing with, for sure. What can you tell us about him? This is the same guy that shot you, right?”

  Absently, Mason rubbed at the spot where the bullet had entered his chest. “It is, yes. That right there should tell you that this guy is not to be underestimated.” He looked at Olivia and then back at the officer. “But, unfortunately, there’s more…”

  Mason explained how Boston had connected a previously unsolved murder of a woman to Mendez. “What this tells me is that he’s taken the use of violence with his stalking victims to the highest level. Unfortunately, stalkers have a tendency to develop patterns. Which means, now that we know he’s killed someone at least once, he’ll have no compunction about doing it again.”