Page 10 of The Debt Collector

The doors opened directly into his apartment, and he stepped out. His guest remained in the elevator, which wouldn’t do her any good as only another code would allow the elevator to go down again.

Locke removed his coat and put it on a hanger in the closet. He didn’t offer to take hers as in its current state, it would need a major clean or a one-way trip into the trash.

His apartment was mostly open plan, with the living room leading to the dining room and kitchen. To the left the hallway led to the bedrooms, office, and gym. He had designed the entire place to his liking, the wide one-sided windows free of curtains providing plenty of light. The interior was mostly clean lines and rough material in black, charcoal, and white. He never tired of the sight, and it perfectly reflected him and his personality.

Bypassing the black velvet modular sofa, he went into the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink, Doctor, before you have a shower? Maybe something to eat?” Locke opened the fridge and scanned the contents. He had no clue what she liked but could whip something up.

Doctor Freeman didn’t answer, and when he checked, she had finally left the elevator and was making her way into his living room.

The sight made him pause. Not that he didn’t have women from time to time here, but those women came for very clear reasons, and a very short span of time.

It was unsettling how she turned around, examining everything, arms crossed and hair in a tangle.

“What I want is an explanation. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

Locke closed the fridge door and crossed his arms, debating where to start. And how much he could reveal. There was a matter of trust, as he wasn’t the only one involved in the secret.

“The beginning starts with you, Doctor. Any idea why you were taken?” Right there he saw the hesitation on her face. Not surprising, so he continued. “It had to be caused by the sudden disappearance of a certain girl named Allison. Is that correct?”

Still no answer from her, but there was a certain acknowledgment in her body’s reaction.

“Nothing to say? Well, I will continue then, doctor. I had been invited by Luther to meet lovely Allison. Luther’s words, not mine. And in her place, I see the very doctor who most probably treated her when she escaped from the man’s clutches. That’s the rumor anyway. You may keep silent, but I can connect the dots. And when Allison completely vanished just after, it’s no surprise Luther’s men came after you.”

“So, you say. And let me tell you, you have an amazing imagination.”

“You never treated a girl named Allison before?”

“I see so many patients, how am I supposed to remember them all? And once I’ve treated them, I have no clue where they go. I don’t keep track of them.”

Locke nodded, amused, but not showing it. “I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit. You wouldn’t have become a doctor, with all that study, without having a fantastic memory. Especially since Allison appeared at your ER the same night I was there.”

“As I said, I didn’t say I never met her. But I have no idea where she went.”

Locke nodded. “Good.”

The look of disbelief on her face almost made him smile. It was as if she couldn’t compute the word and he wasn’t making sense.

The more he looked at her, the more he saw deep signs of fatigue etched on her face, with the clear outline of bruises deepening as time went by.

Uncrossing his arms, he pushed himself off the counter and took a step in her direction. Immediately, the doctor stepped back, stumbling into a defensive stance.

“I mean no harm to you, Doctor.”

“How can I trust you?”

And there it was. He couldn’t avoid it any longer if he wanted the good doctor to trust him. “Because I didn’t come to rescue you, but to rescue Allison.”

---