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“There is enough up there for the police to run DNA tests. If he’s in any criminal database in the world, they’ll know who’s stalking you.”
She nodded, but it was a horrible jerk of her head as the level of this person’s obsession began to sink in for the first time. “It sounds stupid, but I had no idea he could go this far. Taking things from me is one thing, but this is—,” she started to tremble from head to toe, any feelings of contentment impossible to imagine now. “How could he have known where I was?”
“Grieg’s looking into that.”
She shivered. “My phone?”
“He’ll let me know.”
“So that’s all the information you have?”
His expression was grim.
“What is it?” She leaned forward. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“There were things in the roof space, things he evidently didn’t have time to remove.”
“Like what?” She leaned forward. “What things?”
He stared at her for several minutes then expelled a slow breath. “Cable ties. A photo of you.” A slight pause. “A knife.”
She gasped, then dropped her head to her hands. “I can’t believe it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What for? This isn’t your fault.” She swallowed past a throat that was inexplicably dry. “I can’t believe it.”
He moved closer, his expression one of stone. “There is one thing I know for certain, little thief. Here, you are safe. Here, no harm can befall you. I promise.”
His words rungin her ears as she fell asleep, reassuring at first, but that was short lived. As night crept in, wrapping around her, swallowing her in darkness, so too did doubt. Doubts that she’d ever be safe again. Doubts that she could believe him.
She dreamed vivid dreams, of thick, angry forests and lost paths, of a faceless, black beast in pursuit of her, and when she tried to run, she couldn’t. It was as though her legs were in cement, heavy and immovable, and when she tried to scream, her throat wouldn’t work. She couldn’t make a sound. Her face was hot and red. She dashed wildly at tears, still trying to push one foot in front of the other. At the end of the forest, there was a cliff, bathed in milky moonlight. She wanted to stop, to stare at it, to marvel at its beauty, but all beauty was fleeting, all goodness destined to meet its end. She pushed her feet forward as the darkness engulfed her, and fell, right off the precipice. For a moment, she flew, and then, she was in freefall. Finally, she found the will to scream, the terror in her lungs giving rise to a cry that was barely human, and it felt good to finally be able to express her fear, to push it from her body in an animalistic cry for help.
