Looking toward my house, however, I find the window closed. When I left my room, it was open.
Fuck, am I losing my mind?
How could he have gotten in and out with them sitting right here?
Even if they weren’t paying attention, his hulking form had to create shadows or movements against the house that should’ve drawn their eyes.
Thinking about what he did this time for my telling the cops anything has me hesitant.
Will the next punishment be worse?
“Look,” Detective Shaw steps closer. “We can do this here or at the station, but by then, the evidence will be gone.”
I swallow. “We can do it here.”
Tugging up my nightgown, I bare my ass. The frigid, temperate breeze skates over where the Nightstalker had staked his claim and spanked my ass raw.
I hiss.
“Turn around,” Shaw orders, clicking on his Mag-Lite and beaming it in my direction.
With a shaky breath, I do so. My eyes lock onto the unlit bar of lights on the top of the cruiser, trying to ignore the way the two detectives are scrutinizing my backside.
“Get photos of this,” Shaw says, clearing his throat.
In rapid succession, I hear Detective Fortescue snap photos of my ass, which means the marks have to be visible. Which is good. They won’t think I’m fucking insane. I couldn’t have done it to myself.
“Do you have somewhere we can take you tonight?” Shaw asks, stepping forward and tugging my nightgown back down.
“I—” My glare flicks toward the small house that’s always been my solace, my heart tugging at the unfortunate turn in my life. I feel like I’m being held upside down and can’t free myself.
“I do. To my lawyer’s house. Allison Cheney.”
“I’ll take her to pack a bag. Get a report drawn up, and then we’ll drive her to Cheney’s house.” Shaw doesn’t get pushback this time, not since Frotescue witnessed the evidence my stalker left behind.
“Did the man say anything to you while he was in the room? Did he speak? Do you have any indicators of who he was? It was a man, right? Those handprints are too large to be female.” Shaw’s rambling only has my heart racing faster.
I’m itching to tell them what he said to me, but I would implicate myself if I were to do that.
Part of me wonders if I’d be more secure inside a prison. They’d hide me from him, and he’d have no way to get to me.
But my life would be over.
“It was a man. And no, he didn’t say anything.”
Shaw leads me inside, watches while I get Bear and me ready, and then helps me load everything into the cruiser’strunk, including evidence collection kits and roadside assistance equipment.
“We’ll get you safely to Ms. Cheney’s house and then send another unit over to watch you. We’re taking your case in shifts.” Shaw’s eyes meet mine in the rearview, and I give him a solemn nod.
When we pull away from the house, my gaze travels out the window to watch the passing tree line.
I gasp and press my forehead to the glass when I think I see a distinct male shadow lurking in the murk. It’s a split-second, and then he’s gone.
It could be my mind playing tricks on me, or the man who has me in his sights is a fucking ghost that they’re never going to find.
“God, are you alright?” Allison pulls me into a tight hug after closing the door on Detective Shaw.
He was still talking, but she didn’t care.
