Page 14 of Beautiful Prey

No one. No one was there. I was alone.

I let out a slow, shaky breath. Then I wiped the sweat from my brow. Cursing, I went to the bathroom. The white light jolted my senses, but I didn’t care. I turned on the cold water and splashed some on my face, letting the water slide down my neck.

I looked in the mirror and saw dark green eyes staring back. Scared and dazed. A light brown lock of hair fell in my face.

I hadn’t had a nightmare about the Devil of Harper Pointe since…the incident years ago. I had them for maybe a couple years before they finally started to fade.

Until now. They were returning. And it was because Emery was making me remember again. Seeing him in the skull-mask was affecting me.

I peered out of the bathroom at the alarm clock, checking the time. It was nearing morning. No way I was going to bother going back to sleep.

I went to the bed and sat on the edge, letting my thoughts wander, recalling the dream. I shivered, seeing the skull that served as Emery’s face. I’d never seen the real thing, not on my birthday, and not with our meetings. I only ever saw his face as a child in the faded pictures of him and his sister from the foster care system. A little boy with cute features—bright eyes and tousled hair—who I imagined would grow into a handsome man. But who knew how he looked now. Who knew what he had been through.

I covered my eyes and rubbed at my temples. Do I want to see his real face?

Yes. Yes, I wanted to. It would solidify him in reality. A real human being, not some monster that could stalk me in my dreams.

And maybe then I could actually feel something other than fear.

“You know I still think this is a bad idea, right?” Jamie said, demanding to call me one night. I could hear music in the background and the clang of pans as he and Ben started dinner.

“I know, but I’m making headway.”

There was a pause, then the shutting of a door as the music quieted. “Don’t let him find out who you are, Eve.”

“Why? He can’t hurt me.”

“Are you sure? You have no idea what damage that could do mentally. And I mean for you both.”

I turned to the window and looked out at the water, leaning against the sill. “I’m not worried about it,” I said quietly. “And it’s my decision.”

“It sure is, but it doesn't mean I’m not gonna tell you it’s a dumb one.”

“But if and when I do say something, it won’t be until he tells me what I want to know. Plenty of time to still try to convince me out of it.”

“Remember the saying don’t meet your heroes? It applies with the villains too, just FYI. But you do you. I still want to know what he says though. Don’t leave me hanging. Talk to you later, twisted sister.”

I got ready to leave for St. Agnes, thinking about how Emery might act when I did confess to him. I decided I didn’t want to worry about it now. I just wanted a way into his head. I wantedto crack it open metaphorically and pick his mind apart. But I needed patience. I knew he wouldn’t spill easily. But I had a few ideas on how to make him.

The drive was calm and thankfully bright this time around. A day after our last session, I contacted Dr. Langley, asking to come earlier to give us more time. He was willing to make that work. Now as the sun set, I pulled into the drive. Red and yellow leaves covered the lawn. One of the maintenance men blew them out of the road with his leaf blower. A cool mist had settled, dampening my face as I walked up to the door.

John shook his head at me as usual when I entered. He didn’t say a word this time as I followed him up to the office.

“Ms. Eve, how are you?” Dr. Langley asked as I entered. He stood from his seat to gesture to the one opposite him.

“Doing fine,” I said, taking the empty seat, as John slipped away.

“Just fine?”

“As well as I can be.”

He nodded at that as if he agreed. “Well”—he set his hands on his desk—“I should warn you, Emery didn’t have a great morning. He had some unwanted visitors.”

“Oh?”

Dr. Langley peered at the papers on his desk through his thick bifocals. “Afraid so, and they may have upset him a bit, so he might not be in a mood to talk. Sorry, I had hoped he might calm down but he’s been moody all day.”

“Who were the visitors?”

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