The Skin Worshipper
Page 24
Chapter 24
Hawk is watching TV late at night; well that’s what he calls it anyway. He is smoking and drinking bourbon and the TV is on. His living room is hot and even though all his windows are open there is no breeze through the house. He is naked apart from his boxer shorts. He reaches for his glass and sips the amber colored liquid. It burns when it goes down and he smacks his lips.
During the last two days he has spent with Sandy Holmes showing her the town. Mrs. Winters found her a room to rent at one of her neighbors. Their son who is in Afghanistan built a small cabin on his parent's lot for himself, and they have let Holmes rent it for almost nothing.
He took her up to where Maria was found and they hiked in the woods around the area for an hour or so without finding anything interesting. This morning she had left for Seattle to meet some friends and would be back the next morning. Hawk likes her, she is smart and inquisitive. She had asked him about his work in LA, but hasn’t asked about his ear or the scar around his neck and throat.
Hawk stands up and turns off the TV. Taking the glass and the bottle with him, he walks into the kitchen and leaves the glass in the sink and the bottle on a shelf.
While he brushes his teeth, his other hand runs along the scar tissue from the rope and he remembers how it felt like when the rope tightened and he didn’t get any air. He shivers, spits and drinks some water from the faucet.
In his bed he lies naked with his hands behind his head, and then he reaches up and turns off the reading lamp above him. The room is in complete darkness, and there are no sounds. This is the time he hates. Before he falls asleep the memories of Vivian and Victor comes back. Sometimes he can see them lurking in the dark corners, staring at him with accusing eyes, "I’m sorry," he mumbles before turning into a fetal position. His body shudders while hot tears run down his cheeks.