Page 13 of A Storm of Nightmares

Keith smirks. “No, I’m not Batman. He’s not real. You watch too many movies. But my great grandfather was a very successful gold miner. This was his home.” He gestures around the room. “It was passed down to me after my parents died. Along with a hefty inheritance. I became a cop because I wanted to, but really, I never have to work another day in my life.”

I didn’t know his parents were dead. I suddenly feel guilty for being so oblivious to his pain. I have been so consumed with the pain of Betty vanishing that I never notice when other people are struggling. “Keith, I’m so sorry. I had no idea about your parents.” I step closer to him and grab his hand. He doesn’t say anything. He just smiles sadly at me and tightens his fingers around mine.

With our hands intertwined, I follow Keith through the rest of the home. He gives me a quick tour, and I am totally consumed with the beauty of it. Every room is in perfect condition. It feels like time has stopped inside these walls. Nothing looks old or faded. Every detail is still as intact as the day the home was built. If Keith hadn’t been holding my hand, pulling me along behind him, I think I would have spent hours in each room.

We finally come to a stop in front of a closed door. I thought that was kind of odd, considering every other door in this giant house had been wide open. He grabs the doorknob but doesn’t turn it. Instead, he simply holds his hand to it.

After a moment, something beeps, and then something else clicks. I imagine it was the lock because suddenly Keith is pushing the door open. That was weird. My head is still spinning at the idea of this being his home, but whatever just went on with that doorknob was not normal.

I must have a funny expression on my face because Keith laughs. “The doorknob has a fingerprint scanner embedded in it. This room is completely secure. It stays locked until it reads my prints. The same goes for the keypad at the front gate. The buttons second as fingerprint scanners. Only the combination of my passcode and my prints can get that gate open.” I stare at him, completely dumbfounded. Maybe he isn’t Batman, but he is a rich, single man with crazy spy technology. The questions suddenly running through my mind make my hand fall from his grasp. Why so many security measures? What is he hiding? Who is he trying to keep out?

I don’t have time to ask any of those questions, though. Keith has already moved on from the topic as if everything he just told me was totally normal. I decide to drop it for now. Maybe he’s just overly paranoid, but I can’t deny that I do feel safe here. In part because of the crazy fingerprint scanners all over the place, but also because Keith promised he’d protect me. And I believe him. So instead of pushing the issue, I take a seat next to him at the cold metal table in the middle of this strange room. Unlike the rest of the house, this room isn’t charming or warm, or welcoming. It feels dark and sterile.

One of the walls is covered with monitors. Some of them are black, but some of them have pictures and videos. It looks like surveillance of the outside of the house and in front of the gate. On another wall, there’s a giant cork-board with pictures and newspaper clippings pinned to it. Under it stands a small desk that has boxes of files. One of the boxes is labeled “Elizabeth Bowers.” I guess Keith truly is looking into Betty’s disappearance still, even after all this time. The thought warms my heart.

“I set up cameras all over the place when I first started getting notes at work. I figured if this maniac was ballsy enough to send me things at the police department, he’d eventually start sending them here. I thought I could catch him sneaking onto my property.” He shakes his head like the thought is stupid. “Obviously, I haven’t succeeded yet. He’s never even tried to come here. He must know about my surveillance somehow. But if his threats are serious... Kat, if he’s coming after you, he might try to come here now. This guy is watching you. He broke into your apartment, and he found you at the motel. He’ll know that you’ve come back here with me. I wasn’t lying when I said you’re perfectly safe here; my security is top of the line. But I could disable it at the gate. If I let him in, we might be able to trip him up.”

Keith looks at me, and I can tell what he’s about to say just by the sadness in his blue eyes. He sighs heavily before adding, “I won’t do it if you’re not comfortable with the idea. My priority is keeping you safe. But if we lure him in, we might be able to catch him. We can finally figure out what happened to Betty. And—”

I cut him off before he can finish because I don’t care what else he has to say. His priority might be keeping me safe, but mine has always been finding Betty. “I want to do it. Use me as bait, draw him in. It’s a good plan. How do we do it, though?”

Keith’s eyes search my face. It feels like he’s trying to figure me out. But I’m worried about what would happen once he did. I have always been simple, shy, Kat. Betty was the one who lived her life like every day could be her last. She had hopes and dreams of a bright future. She was a big ball of happiness, and just being near here made anyone feel elated.

I had always been hiding in her shadow. Not that I ever minded. I didn’t have whatever Betty did that made her so perfect. I’m not fun or daring, and I certainly never get guys like Keith. Betty was the sister that deserved a long life. I should have been the one that vanished. And I’m afraid if Keith studies my face much longer, he’ll see that. He’ll see through the walls I’ve put up and realize I’m not what he wants after all. It’s only a matter of time. But until that realization brings whatever this is to a screeching halt, I am going to do everything in my power to keep Keith close. He’s my last hope at finding Betty. And Jess. Also, maybe I really like looking at him. And feeling his touch and tasting his lips on mine and…Stop it.He will never fall for a broken girl like me.

Finally, Keith seems satisfied with my answer. “I thought we should go back to your place, and I’ll set up a few cameras. Even if you’re not sleeping there, you have case files and clothes and whatever else you need in your apartment. Which means he might deliver more threats there. In the meantime, I’ll lower my defenses at the front gate, but your apartment is a lot easier for him to access. I won’t be surprised if we catch him there first.”

That seems easy enough. My confidence in this plan grows with each word Keith says. If all it takes is catching this sicko on camera, then what could go wrong?

Chapter 7

I’m standing in a dark room, but I can’t remember how I got here. I squint my eyes to try to make out some of the dark objects surrounding me. It’s no use. The room is far too dark. I reach my hands out and start feeling around the space. My knee hits something as I step forward. I reach my hands down, and a small whimper sounds from my throat when they touch something warm and wet.

My eyes finally adjust to the dark, and I can see what my hands are touching. I pull my hands away as quickly as I can, but it’s too late. They are now covered in a red, sticky substance. I stare down in horror at Betty’s bed in front of me. It’s completely drenched in deep red blood.

I run over to the door, but I can’t get out. It must be locked from the outside. Large tears start to fall down my cheeks. I spin back around, trying to avoid looking at the bed. It looks like something is written on the wall just above it. That wasn’t there a second ago. I hesitate before getting closer.

Why didn’t you find me, Kat?

The words are written in blood. It’s still wet, and it’s starting to drip down the wall in the most disgusting way. I put my hand to my mouth but then immediately yank it away. I just smeared the blood on my hand all over my face. I want to scream and cry and throw up, but I can’t manage to do any of it. My body is frozen. All I seem capable of doing is staring at the bloody mess in front of me and wish it had been me that was taken, not Betty.

“Kat?” I hear Keith’s voice. Wait. No, I don’t. He’s not here. I’m all alone...

“Hey, wake up.” I feel his warm hand caress my cheek, and I open my eyes. Jesus. Another nightmare. I look around the guest room I’m staying in. It’s still dark outside. Why is Keith in here waking me up?

As if he could hear me ask that question in my head, he says, “I heard you crying out, and I thought something had happened. I rushed in here, but you were asleep. I didn’t know whether I should wake you or not, but then I saw tears sliding down your face. Are you alright?” He looks at me with so much concern in his deep, blue eyes that it makes my chest ache. How is he so sweet and good, and I was so broken? It isn’t fair. All I want is to have him hold me, but I don’t want to drag him down into this darkness with me.

“I’m fine. Sorry for waking you.” I can’t meet his gaze. If his eyes looked too deeply into mine, he would know what I just said was a lie. I haven’t been okay since the night Betty disappeared. My sleep has been plagued with nightmares for four years.

Keith doesn’t say anything. He just sits on the edge of my bed, looking down at me. I turn away from him and close my eyes. I try willing sleep to come, with no luck. But then I feel the comforter lift and the heat from Keith’s body radiating towards me. He wraps his strong arms around me, pulling me in close.

Neither of us speaks a word for the longest time. I start to cry because of the overwhelming mix of emotions I’m experiencing: fear and grief and loss over Betty. But safety and happiness right now next to Keith.

“Why are you crying?” He whispers.

“You shouldn’t be here, Keith. I’m broken. I don’t know how to love.”

“Have you ever tried?”

---