“It’s nothing,” I said finally, feeling like an idiot. “I’m probably imagining it. I’m sorry to ruin your evening. Tell Monica ... tell her whatever you think she should know. I really am sorry.”
He didn’t let me hang up. “Hold on.” I could hear him murmuring in the background, the sound muffled as if he had his hand over the phone. He returned to the call within a few seconds. “Is something happening?” His voice stronger this time.
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me what’s happening,” he growled.
“I thought I heard something by the sliding glass doors,” I admitted. There was no going back now. “The cat heard it, too.”
“What is it?”
“I’m too afraid to look,” I said. “What if there really is someone out there?”
He was silent for several seconds. When he spoke again, it was in a determined voice. “Don’t go to the door. Wait there. I’m about eight minutes from you. I’ll come up through the back alley with my lights going to scare whoever it is away.”
Eight minutes seemed a long time. “Maybe I should get a knife from the kitchen.”
“Or maybe you should go down into the restaurant and lock yourself in a bathroom on the main floor.”
That sounded like a terrible idea. “I ... .”
“Just stay where you are as long as you can,” he instructed. “I’m on my way. If someone tries coming through that door, I want you to escape into the restaurant. Don’t try to be a hero.”
What he said made sense and the fear coursing through me was real. “Hunter ... .”
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” He was insistent. “Just ... hold on. I’m on my way.”
FOR FOUR MINUTES AFTER WE disconnected I sat on the couch and stared at the dark kitchen. I didn’t hear a single noise, and the kitten went to sleep. I was starting to feel a bit foolish because I hadn’t heard the sound again — how was I supposed to explain that to Hunter? — when I heard it again.
This time the kitten hopped off my lap and stalked toward the kitchen. It was as if he intended to protect me even though he weighed less than a pound and had to struggle to climb the single step that led to the elevated room.
“Where are you going?” I hissed, hopping onto shaking legs as I found my voice. I couldn’t let the kitten cross to the sliding glass doors. Something bad could happen to him if somebody really did decide they were coming through. “Come back here.”
I felt as if I was walking on legs that had been somehow affixed to my body through shoddy means. My feet felt alien as they slapped against the linoleum and it was awkward every time I bent down in an attempt to scoop up the kitten. I couldn’t see him in the darkness, but occasionally I felt his tail brushing against my legs.
“Stop messing around,” I hissed. “I don’t have time for this. In fact ... .” I froze when I saw a hint of movement on the other side of the glass. I’d almost forgotten the fear until that moment ... and then it came roaring back with a vengeance.
I stared at the spot where I saw the movement and tried to will myself to come up with a rational explanation for what I was seeing. It was a plastic bag that had somehow gotten away from the grocery store and was blowing in the wind. It was one of my cousins — probably Alice — messing with me. It was my mother coming to tell me what a failure I was again.
There was someone else out there. Someone who could very well be a killer. And as I stared at the silhouette, I realized the noise I was hearing was someone trying to open the door. There was nowhere for the slider to go, though, because of the broom handle in the track.
The figure moved closer and beat a hand on the glass, causing me to fall back on my rear end. My heart hammered so hard I thought it might actually pop out of my chest and flee. I let loose a strangled sound that caused the cat to screech as the figure on the other side of the door doubled his or her efforts to get inside.
“Go away!” I bellowed in an attempt to scare my uninvited guest, but despite my best attempt, my voice came out in a squeak.
The figure started tugging again.
“Go away.” I didn’t know what to do other than search for the cat. If I could find him, we could flee downstairs. Hunter was only a few minutes away. He would scare away whoever it was. “Where are you?” I asked helplessly as I felt around for the kitten. Even though I wanted to run, I couldn’t leave him.
The figure on the other side of the door used both hands now to try to beat through the glass. The noise was enough to have my throat clogging. “Stop it!” I shouted. The feeling I’d had the night before, the sensation that something was trapped inside of me and was trying to get out, returned. This time the thing that escaped was a huge bolt of light ... and it barreled directly for the figure on the balcony.
I was so surprised I didn’t bother staring at the individual’s features. Instead I simply watched the light fly through the window unimpeded and collide with the silhouette.
There was a sound — a cry of pain maybe — and then the figure was staggering down the stairs. I remained rooted to my spot, watching with dumbfounded disbelief. After a few seconds, I crept closer to the door so I could look out. I could feel the stairs vibrating as my late-night visitor made his escape, and as soon as he cleared the stairs the figure bolted across the alley and toward the woods. That was the last thing I saw as the alley exploded in a sea of red and blue light.
It was Hunter. He’d arrived, just as he said.
His left the cruiser running in the alley as he threw open the door. He was too far away to see his face, but from the way he stared I was almost positive he’d seen someone flee into the woods. I thought he might follow, but instead he bolted up the stairs toward my balcony.
My fingers shook as I messed with the light switch, trying to flip it on. When I finally did, Hunter was at the top of the stairs. He looked relieved to see me.
It took me two tries to get the broomstick out of the track and open the door. When I did, I practically tumbled through the opening as Hunter pulled me in for a hug.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, stroking the back of my head.
“Someone was out there.”
“I know. I saw a shadow when I was pulling up. I was going to chase him, but ... I had to check on you.” He didn’t release his grip, instead rubbing his cheek against mine as he held me tight. “I don’t know what you did to get that big light to come on like that, but it was smart. It scared him away.”
I kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want to talk about the light. “Did you see who it was?”
“No. You don’t have to worry, though. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
I believed him and yet he couldn’t fix everything. He couldn’t explain what was happening. Things were spiraling now, and I wasn’t certain I would ever be able to get back to the way things used to be.
What was happening?
23
Twenty-Three
Hunter checked the woods, but by the time he got there the shadow was long gone. He prowled my apartment after, checking the sliding glass door at least ten times before declaring he was spending the night on the couch.