Natalie stepped into the elevator carriage, imagining her evening to come. She never saw the man lurking around the corner, watching her, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Chapter 14
Natalie stepped out onto the street. Spring was in full force, the weather warmer and the days longer. In winter, she hated her building since there was no underground or close by parking, requiring her to park a block away. At night, the walk which usually only took three minutes, depending on what shoes she wore, always seemed longer. Her eyes were forever vigilant, her keys digging in her palms as she was ready to strike at any unsuspecting would-be thieves, carjackers, or rapists. Not that Harbour Bay was a hub of criminal activity, at least not the area she lived and worked in, but with the Butcher in town it would pay to keep an eye open.
Tonight, the walk was brisk and she felt her body begin to relax. Henry’s reaction to her questioning still ran through her mind and she tried to make sense of it. Sure, some people got their backs up when they didn’t like being told something, but this was a transformation she rarely saw.
Natalie frowned. If Henry made a change like that in a manner of seconds, like flicking on a switch, then there was something shimmering below the surface that she might not be able to treat. He had scared her and she thought momentarily about informing him she could no longer accept him as a patient as she did with all her clients that frightened her to this point, but she decided against it. How did she expect to be able to heal herself if she kept running from her own issues?
Natalie reached her car and climbed behind the wheel and automatically locked her doors. Even out of Coleani’s neighbourhood, it was best to remove temptation from those who would take advantage. Natalie felt that throughout her whole life she had been fighting to stay safe, whether from Gary or some unseen force. Her safety was always first and foremost in her mind. She didn’t like to be a victim and certainly didn’t plan on becoming one again.
She started up her car and after a quick look out the rear view mirror, pulled into traffic. After a few minutes she was engrossed in the latest new release from Katy Perry and happily singing along.
It was a few minutes later, when Natalie glanced at her side mirrors, that she spotted him. He was driving a white sedan. It was nondescript, but she was certain he was following her. She made a few turns she normally wouldn’t and wasn’t surprised when the sedan kept up. He wasn’t being obvious about following her but she was certain he was.
Her heart sped up and her palms became damp. Natalie couldn’t see the driver, not from this distance but she was certain it was a man, his features blurred. She grabbed her phone and while weaving in and out of traffic she dialled the emergency number, triple 0. The first thought that skittered across her mind was that the Butcher had yet to be caught. Her foot stamped down harder on the accelerator on its own accord and her breath caught in her throat as her follower did the same.
The emergency operator came onto the line and shakily, Natalie relayed that she was sure someone was following her. She tried to keep the panic from her voice but in the end doubted she had accomplished that.
The trained operator immediately began giving directions on how Natalie should handle the situation, the first being finding a public place. Without endangering the other motorists on the road Natalie managed to cut across two lanes of traffic and pulled into the off-road service station, stopping at a pump. She undid her seatbelt and hastily got out of the car. At this time of night the BP was packed with travelling families and truck drivers filling up before their shift. She looked over at the entrance to see the sedan follow her in.
Natalie squeezed the phone hard. Her stomach knotted and her inner voice told her to run. In her ear, the emergency operator was encouraging her, the words going in one ear and out the other as Natalie focused on not releasing her bladder. Her gaze flicked side to side in panic as the sedan pulled to a stop at a pump across from her and the driver got out.
He wouldn’t be so stupid to make a move here, surely?
No, he wouldn’t do that, she thought. You’re just overreacting and what do you expect from reading too many police files lately?
The man probably just needed petrol and following her was a coincidence, she lied to herself. So what if there were easier ways of getting there than the one she took?
Her panic became full blown and she tried to tell the operator what was happening but when she opened her mouth nothing but a squeak came out. Natalie backed away from her car, preparing to run. How she planned on doing that in three inch heels, she didn’t know, but she quickly glanced at the ground, checking to see if the path was clear from where she stood to inside the service station. She could make it if she ran real fast or if she managed to find her voice, could scream and have every eye on her in a second. As much as she hated being in the spotlight, she could make an exception.
If all else failed, she could always stab him with her stiletto. The man turned around. Her eyes locked on him and refused to leave.
Derek Butler looked back at her and winked, a cruel smile curving his lips. Anger replaced fear and she remembered what she had thought the night Derek had shown his true colours. He was an escalator and he was now proving her correct. She mentally smacked her head as she remembered she had planned on reporting him to police. She had become side-tracked and then had completely forgotten about filing the report.
“Leave me alone, Derek,” she said loudly so that he could hear. “It’s over.”
A possessive nature was a symptom of BPD, Natalie suddenly remembered. He had locked on her and no amount of persuasion would deter him. He would also want to punish her for her rejection of him. She had made several mistakes when it came to him and Natalie admonished herself for being so stupid.
He made a move toward her and she held up her phone, the display out to show she was connected to triple 0. She pressed the speaker button and Derek stepped back when he heard the operator’s voice asking Natalie if she was okay.
“Stay away, Derek, trouble only lies that way. You really should seek professional help. Just don’t call me,” she added.
Watching him cautiously, Natalie eased back into the car, once more locking her doors and began driving. She was relieved to see he didn’t follow her. She would need to be extra vigilant from now on. Derek knew where she lived and she knew he would not give up easily. She had no idea what his plan had been, but she doubted very much if she would’ve liked it.
After driving another three kilometres with her focus on her mirror, Natalie was satisfied that he was gone for the night. She put her phone to her ear and told the operator the situation had been diffused for now, and asked how she went about making a formal complaint.
The kind operator took down her name and address and said she would have an officer come and see her in the next few days to discuss her options.
Natalie thanked her and hung up, silently praying the rest of the trip home would be uneventful.
Chapter 15
Hallie lay on her bed. She couldn’t sleep, her rest disturbed. Usually by this time she was fast asleep, running and screaming, fighting for her life. Instead she stared up at the white ceiling and listened to the restful snoring of the person in the room next to her. She looked over at her roommate. Darlene was fast asleep and Hallie wished she could join her.
Natalie had told her the cops where still operating a state-wide hunt for the Butcher but the Harbour Bay LAC—or at least Matt—believed him to be still in the area. Hallie shivered and pulled up her blankets. There could only be one reason he would stick around Harbour Bay and that was her. She was the only one to survive, the only one who could ID him. Although, she didn’t know what he had to fear from her. She had given the police everything years ago and that hadn’t helped. He was still free to kill.
Hallie felt like he was punishing her, keeping her in fear. Because of him, she had stayed hidden. Afraid that one day he would find her and kill her exactly like he murdered her mother. L
ate at night, when the world was dark and silent, Hallie felt the cold steel of his blade against her skin which only made her cower more.
The blood of the women he had killed was on her hands. If she hadn’t allowed her fear to consume her, if she had fought against her mind harder, refusing to give up, the Butcher might be behind bars by now. Countless women would still be alive and she—well, she had no idea what she could be doing. Natalie was right. She did blame herself for her parents’ deaths even though her logical mind told her there had been nothing she could’ve done to save them. She had hated herself for so long for running, for surviving.
There had been a time, during her most dark moments, when she had wanted to die. Now she was thankful she was still alive and realised just how valuable her life was, how precious any life was.
Her own life would never be easy. Even if she was to combat the PTSD, to finally be able to accept the past, Paradise Valley carried a stigma that would follow her for the rest of her life. She would never be normal. There wouldn’t be a person alive who would not hear her name and know her history. She imagined the looks of pity and closed her mind on them. She couldn’t help her past but she could change her future.
She still feared the day she might come face to face with the Butcher once more but for the first time, the very acknowledgement didn’t incapacitate her. In fact she felt stronger, almost ready for the confrontation.
Hallie sat up. Sleep once more evaded her as thoughts spun around her head. Wrapping her blanket around her slender body, Hallie stood, the cold tile floor chilling her feet. She listened to the silence, only tarnished by the slight snores of a fellow inmate and Darlene’s shallow breathing. She shivered again as she thought two things—that Paradise Valley was as quiet as a tomb and as cold as death.
Hallie moved towards the window and looked out at the darkness. Since her parents’ deaths five years earlier she had changed a lot. She wondered if her parents would even recognise her today. At twelve she had cared nothing but freedom and independence. After years of being locked up, her basic human rights and privileges thrown out the window, she had become a shadow of her former self.
The state had provided her with books and learning tools and four hours each day she studied, which in her wacky life was the only sense of normalcy she had, providing her with a safe haven. Having been on the road most of the school year she had often been home-schooled, learning to cope without teachers and other support opportunities students got. Luckily for her she had adapted well and her studies hadn’t suffered. Today, she was well ahead of others her age. Her appetite for knowledge was insatiable and only hindered by the fact she couldn’t leave the hospital’s grounds. There was so much she wanted to do and experience and wondered if she would get the chance.
She listened to the thunder rumble in the sky. Once the sound had scared her but now it no longer bothered her. A lot of things frightened her but that was no way to live a life. There was a whole world out there and she desperately wanted to be a part of it. With that thought, Hallie opened the file Natalie had given her and took a deep breath.
Then she began to read.
Chapter 16
Matt pulled his unmarked grey Holden Commodore into Natalie’s driveway and made his way to her front door. He knocked and waited a minute before he tried again. After a few minutes he realised she was probably engrossed in her work and he moved around to the side of her house and stepped through the gate to her backyard. He spotted her right away. She was sitting at her dining table facing him. Her head was down and she was studying the papers displayed in front of her.
Her brunette hair was loose and spilled over her shoulder and she was dressed in sweat pants and a Harbour Bay Seagulls shirt, the local basketball team. He couldn’t help but think she looked absolutely delicious.
You’ve got to stop thinking that way, Murphy, he chastised himself.
He stepped closer to the window, his face almost against the glass. His shadow fell over the table. Natalie glanced up as she sensed the change in light and looked in his eyes. Her eyes widened and she screamed right before her hands covered her mouth.
He jumped back from the window and waved at her. He saw the look of recognition enter her eyes and she lowered her hands, straightening out the imaginary wrinkles in her shirt as she did. She then pointed towards her front door. He nodded and she walked out of room.
Matt retraced his footsteps back to the front door and arrived just as she opened the door. He flashed her a sheepish grin before dragging his hand through his hair, feeling the shaggy length. He really needed to get a haircut.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. I guess you didn’t hear me knock,” he said.
Natalie shook her head and crossed her arms under her breasts before leaning against the doorjamb. “No. I didn’t.”
He frowned, remembering the reason he had come to her home.
“Heard you had some trouble last night.”
Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Did you now? I suppose you’re the officer sent with the paperwork?”
“I volunteered. Are you all right?” he asked. He didn’t care if his tone was more personal than professional. He looked her up and down. He caught sight of the fading bruise, hidden beneath a light coating of foundation, and he felt a rage unlike he had known before boil inside him.
Natalie blushed. “I’m fine, Detective, thank you.”
“Let me guess, you walked into a door?” he said, with a trace of sarcasm.
Natalie briefly touched her bruise which was a garish yellow. He knew in a few more days it would be gone.
“I handled it,” she replied simply.
“So who’s the jerk?” he demanded.
Matt pulled out his notepad. He wanted to know everything about the dirt-bag including where he could find him. He had a few ideas about teaching the bastard how to properly respect a woman. He had been livid when he’d found out Natalie had been so terrified that she’d called triple 0. His mind had leapt bounds as he feared for her safety and that sick feeling had lasted the drive over until he had seen for himself that Natalie was all right.
Natalie looked past his shoulder, her eyes unfocused. “Derek Butler. We went out a couple of times. I broke it off when I realised it would never go anywhere. My issue, not his, and obviously he didn’t take it well.”
She fell into silence and he wondered at what was going through her head.
“We all make mistakes,” he said softly.
Natalie met his eyes. “Yes, but I should’ve seen it.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve said the same words? Unfortunately we aren’t perfect.”
She gave him a sweet smile and his heart kicked up a notch and his stomach fluttered. He seriously had to get a grip on himself. Otherwise, before he knew it, he would have her beneath him and doing each and every thing he had fantasised doing with—and to—her. As much as he wanted that, he still had a case to solve and she was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
“Would you like me to have an officer drive by?” he asked as he moved away from the idea of her stretched out in bed, waiting, beckoning to him. It could only bring trouble. “We can let our presence be known. I’ve found that to be the most effective deterrent.”
Natalie shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, Detective. He’s just one man, not an army. I wouldn’t even bother filing a report if I wasn’t worried about the next woman he becomes obsessed with.”
He frowned. “He’s one of those, you think?”
Matt had dealt with men who couldn’t give up the idea of one woman. Every subsequent woman was usually a carbon copy of the last and when the fantasy didn’t work out they became physical. The thought of someone getting rough with Natalie had his stomach knotting painfully.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked. Steel underlined his words. He couldn’t help it being heard. He was pissed off and if he ever found the man who’d laid a hand on her he would rip the man’s balls off and feed them to him until
he choked. “Other than your cheek?”
“No. I got rid of him pretty quick after that.”
He nodded sharply and his hands became fists. He forced himself to relax. “If you see him again I want you to call me first, you understand?”
Natalie shot him a look. “I don’t anticipate that being a problem anymore, but should I see him again, your number will be the first I’ll dial. Happy, Mr. Testosterone?”
Matt made himself calm down and gave her another sheepish look. What had gotten into him? Well, he knew the answer to that. She was standing right in front of him, her hands crossed beneath her breasts and he wondered if she realised the action caused her breasts to plump. He knew he did. He hadn’t been aware of much else since.
“Sorry, I just can’t stand those who beat women. It makes me angry and sick.”
Natalie smiled and patted his arm lightly. “That’s because your mother raised you right.”
His mother hadn’t really raised him. He’d raised himself. His mother had been too wrapped up in her grief coma for active parenting. He didn’t blame her. In fact he was in awe of just how much she had loved his father. Enough to never look at another man and he wondered if he would ever experience the same feeling. Hell, he swore silently. He was already halfway there. Natalie had gotten under his skin big time. He still looked at other women. He would be a fool and a liar to say he didn’t. But he only ever thought of being with just one.
“Will you be okay? Would you like me to stay for a while?”
Natalie swallowed. “I would. But I think it best that you don’t.”
He nodded, his mouth dry. “Yeah. I agree. Call me if you need anything.”
Not Forgotten Page 12
