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I give her a nod. “Yup, just served the last customer and Sophie is already all set up with the till.” Brandi makes a noncommittal noise and I see a brief moment of nervousness cross her face before she hides it away.
Clearing her throat, she asks, “So, any plans for the evening?”
I try to hide my irritation. I’m grateful that she cares, really. After I’ve disappeared from work not once but twice, by Mick’s hand, I can understand her misgivings. She doesn’t know who we are to each other though, and there’s no way I’m about to explain it to her. Not if I want to stay out of prison or a psych ward. So instead I shrug. “Nothing big.” I lie.
“Hmm.” It’s obvious she doesn’t believe me. I brace myself as I see her make the decision to say something further. In a hushed tone, she rushes out, “I don’t like him, Paige. There’s something wrong with that guy.” My gaze turns icy as she speaks and she quickly throws up her hands, leaning back in her seat. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”
I let out a sigh. “I know Brandi. And thank you, truly. After what I’ve been through…” Brief images of being chained up flash through my mind and I suppress a shudder.
No one knows the extent of my captivity. When Mick let me go home the night of Nicholas’ murder, I decided the less people knew the better, for both of us. “Anyway, I appreciate your concern. But there’s really no need. Mick’s a great guy and he really cares about me. Once you get past his quirks,”Like the fact that he enjoys murdering people.“He’s a big sweetheart.”
Brandi snorts and gives me a small smile, seemingly having decided that she’s not going to press the issue today. “Alright dear. Have a good night.” Having been dismissed, I tell her the same and head out.
Let’s get this party started.
“Babe, you know I worry about you.” Taylor’s voice carries through the speaker of my car. Another pang of guilt hits me at the sound of her concern. It’s not fair to her that I have to keep lying. One time was bad enough, but now twice?
My mind swirls as I stretch my fingers around the wheel.
No point in beating yourself up, there’s nothing you can do about it. Not like you can say, “Sorry love, I swear I didn’t just go crazy and disappear for weeks without calling. No, I was taken again by the same man as before but this time was different. Like certifiably insane different. You know, he chained me to a wall, then released me and gave me limited freedom to exist while doing things to my body I didn’t even know were possible. Oh but that’s not the best part! He showed me that I might, sort of, possibly, be okay with murdering people. People who deserve it of course. So yeah, no big right? No hard feelings?”
Trying not to groan, I force myself to stay focused on my friend’s voice. “I really think you should come over tonight. I just have this, like, I dunno, bad feeling?” I wince, maybe she picked up more on things than I thought.
Keeping my tone soft, I try to reassure her. “I’m okay, I promise Tay. I know I disappeared for a while but I won’t do it again.” I can hear her huff on the other end of the line. “Why don’t we get coffee together on Sunday? I have a shift tomorrow that I can’t miss but let’s plan to catch up.” The desperation seeps into my voice, terrified of pushing away my closest friend.
Silence fills the car as I wait for her response, my heart beating erratically in my chest. A sigh precedes her quiet resignation. “Okay. Sunday. But be careful please Paige. I can’t lose you.”
My eyes fill with tears and I nod, even though she can’t see me. “I will Tay. I promise.” I pause briefly before adding, “And I love you. So fucking much.”
I can hear the unshed tears in her voice as it cracks. “I love you too bitch. Don’t scare me like that again.” She lets out a laugh at her poor attempt to alleviate the tension. Because I’ll take any excuse to move on from my own fuck-ups, I join in her laughter. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Beau is going to be here any minute. But text me later to plan Sunday, yeah?” I’m relieved the sound of her pain has lessened, even if it’s just barely.
“Yes dear. Sunday. It’s a date.” I confirm and we disconnect the call. I sit in silence for a good portion of the drive before deciding to switch on the radio.
“-confirmation that the body found has been linked to notorious serial killer, dubbed the Blood Shadow, who is still at large. We have reached out to the police department for an official statement and have been advised that the case is still ongoing and they can make no further comment. We, at News 27, will report back as soon as we have any further information.”
“Thank you Gerr-“
I click off the radio as I pull up to the small park. There’s not many people around, most likely due to the fact that the police discovered Nicholas’ body three nights ago.
I had flown into a panic when the alert popped up on my phone. Mick spent several hours comforting me and promising that there was nothing to lead back to us. I wanted to believe him, but I’ve seen enough crime documentaries to know that it’s being cocky that gets most people caught. After making him swear to be extra careful while the investigation was still fresh, he ran me a bath and I drank through an entire bottle of wine.
Circling the parking lot, I spot a space that’s partially obscured by trees.
Perfect.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I turn the car off and glance around. There’s a handful of other vehicles sporadically parked around the lot. My eyes roam until I zero in on the one I’m looking for. Because of the late hour, only a couple light posts provide any visual aid through the darkness. Despite the lack of proper lighting, I can tell this is the correct car. It’s an old van showing clear signs of years of neglect. Several dents line the body and the once shining gray paint has faded and begun to chip off from too much exposure to the elements.
I watch intently, my eyes straining to see if there is anyone inside. A bright light flashes next to me, drawing my attention away. I look over and see my phone has lit up with a text. Snatching it up, I quickly open the chat.
Mick:
You see her yet?
Me:
Not yet, found the van though.
Mick:
