Page 13 of Shrouded Past

“It wasn’t how he managed to subdue you?” Bryce’s frown deepened.

“No, I don’t think so. He was gentle with me. He treated my injury and took care of me.”

Bryce appeared doubtful. “What do you remember about the man? What about his place?”

Piper struggled to put into words the nightmare she’d lived through for more than three years. The absence of memories was almost as scary as being held hostage. “I just woke up and he was there. Standing over me and telling me he’d protect me.” She had no idea what he was talking about. “He was an older man—probably late fifties—or early sixties. Thinning gray hair. His clothes were stained with something like maybe he spilled every single meal he ate on them . . . and he smelled bad.” Garlic and BO permeated every pore of the man.

“Tall or short? Thin or overweight?” Bryce shot the questions out at her like someone who had done this before. Which she supposed he had plenty of experience with as a cop.

She wondered why he wasn’t a police officer anymore. But now wasn’t the time to ask.

“Five-five, I’d guess, and slightly overweight.”

“Did he . . . ?”

She knew what he meant. “No, he never hurt me. He was always kind. He’d talk about philosophy and the Bible, but he refused to answer any of my questions about why he’d taken me—only that he was protecting me from the devil.”

Bryce’s eyes widened. “The devil? You have any idea what he meant by that?”

“I think he meant my family. One time when I asked him to take me home, he told me they were the ones he was protecting me from. He told me I’d be safe with him, but there were people looking for me that would do me harm.”

“Why would this man take you and claim to be protecting you? And you have no memory of your family?”

She’d lived in a shadow world for so long. “Nothing. He told me my name was Piper Alexander, but I always wondered if he made it up.”

“If you had suffered a blow to your head that would explain the temporary loss of memories, but usually they come back over time.”

“But they haven’t.” She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. She’d feared what darkness lay hidden in her past that was waiting to pounce when her memories did return.

“I’m so sorry,” Bryce said quietly. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”

“He told me that he was my only family now and that he would take care of me.” She’d been so confused and frightened. Living without a past she had no idea what type of person she’d once been. Was she happy? Had she been in love? Maybe she’d been married? If so, surely someone was looking for her. “He scared me even though he’d never once hurt me. I think he was suffering from some mental illness. He had to be to keep me prisoner in the basement of his home for three years.”

“You’re probably right. He never let you leave the home in all that time?”

“No, never. He told me it would be too dangerous even to go into the yard for a little while.” None of it had made sense. “There was a small window above my room. I could see a little of the outdoors. Enough to determine the time of day and the seasons.”

Bryce’s mouth thinned. “Unbelievably cruel. How did you manage to get away?”

Piper still couldn’t believe her luck. “He’d forgotten to lock the basement door,” she said softly. “I don’t know why I even tried it. So many times, in the past I’d hoped it would be unlocked only to find it wasn’t. But this time when I turned the knob it opened.” She’d been so certain he’d be waiting for her when she left the basement, only he wasn’t.

“Most days, he was home all day. When he wasn’t down talking to me, I could hear him moving around upstairs. He rarely left the house. He was there when I escaped. I didn’t see him, but when I went out through the garage, his car was still inside. When I saw it, I was so afraid he’d come after me. I opened the garage door and ran.”

The darkness had soon swallowed her up. She ran toward the woods behind the house, constantly looking over her shoulder expecting Protector to appear at any time.

After a while, she’d begun to slow down. The lack of exercise through the years was catching up with her. She’d used the ten steps from the basement to the landing above to exercise but it wasn’t enough to stay in shape. Winded, she’d stopped to gather her breath. The lights of his house were still visible. No sign of a flashlight searching around for her. Piper couldn’t believe her good luck.

Until it ran out.

“I reached a road and started walking alongside it. There were lights up ahead from a row of houses. I started running again, but before I could reach the first one I was attacked from behind.” Her stomach turned.

In the past, she’d tried so hard to escape Protector. She’d taken the pins out of the door hinges but before she could remove the door Protector had stopped her. Another time, she’d tried to run past him only to find the house doors locked from the inside.

“The man who kidnapped me wore a skull mask over his entire face. All I could see were his eyes. They were dark and dead and full of evil.”

“It wasn’t the same person,” Bryce concluded. “Keep talking. I’m going to make us some breakfast.” He took out a frying pan followed by bacon before looking over his shoulder for her answer.

She shook her head. “Not at all. Skeleton Man was much taller and thinner. And his voice appeared to be younger. He didn’t smell like Protector either.”

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