Chapter 6

Hudson kept her eyes glued to the floor, half-aware of the conversation taking place around her. The back of her head pulsated, as if counting down the seconds to detonation. The older officer handed her a moistened rag and she touched it to the cut above her eye. The stickiness dried against her skin and hair, matting the strands together like dreadlocks.

She took a peek at the cops. The younger of the two had a kind face and gentle voice, while the man he called « Frank » was all business. Frank bombarded her with questions, barely giving her enough time to gather her thoughts.

« Ma’am, can you tell us what happened ? » she heard Frank ask again. She struggled to answer, but for some reason the words refused to leave her mouth.

When the warmth of a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, the shivers vibrating through her body began to cease. Through long, black lashes, she could make out the younger cop studying her. A tuft of light brown hair grazed his baby-blue eyes.

The younger cop tucked the heather-gray throw into place. « Frank, » he murmured, « I think she’s in shock. Let’s just give her a few minutes, okay ? »

The muscle in Frank’s jaw flexed as he swept a hand over his closely-cropped black curls. « Meanwhile, the suspect gets away … » He dropped his chin to the side and barked the words « Code 4 » into a small mic clipped to his shirt.

« I’m going to sit next to you. Is that all right ? » the young officer asked. Judging from the creases around the corner of his eyes when he smiled, he looked to be a few years older than her.

The cushion dipped beneath his weight. Hudson shifted away, refusing to make eye contact. « My name is Officer Myles Young. I introduced myself when you first came to in the bathroom, but I doubt you remember much. » He paused, then cleared his throat. « That’s some gash you have. Face wounds tend to bleed a lot, so don’t be too freaked out by all the blood. Once it’s healed, you’ll never even know a cut had been there at all. The paramedics will be here soon to look you over, just to be safe. »

Hudson’s eyes shot open with alarm. Did they really need to call the paramedics ? She didn’t want to see any more people than absolutely necessary.

Myles noticed her discomfort and smiled. « I’m sorry, it’s protocol. But don’t worry, you’re gonna be fine. »

For a few moments, they sat in silence. From the corner of her eye, Hudson watched Myles smooth nonexistent wrinkles from his pants. He smelled like soap and fresh air with the faintest hint of aftershave. The combination felt oddly calming. Frank paced back and forth in front of them, glancing in her direction every other breath. Several minutes passed before two uniformed officers walked through the kicked-in front door. Frank filled them in on what little information he had to go off of. When he looked back at her again, his lingering expression was a mixture of mild concern and annoyance.

« Hey, don’t let him get to you, » Myles said, breaking the silence. He nodded his head toward his partner. « He’s been doing this for a long time and hates to deviate from his routine—which basically consists of gorging himself on junk food. » He chuckled under his breath. « You talk when you’re ready to talk, and we’ll be here to listen. Can I get you a glass of water ? »

Hudson shook her head, taking in his entire appearance for the first time. Classically handsome features sitting atop broad shoulders. A straight nose, full lips, and a strong jawline. There was a seriousness in his manner ; an air of hidden knowledge and patience. She felt comforted having him there.

« If you don’t mind, I’m gonna check out your bedroom. Start looking for clues to help determine what happened here. » Myles stood from the couch and looked down at her, his voice soft. « You let me know when you’re ready to talk, okay ? » He turned and walked away, glancing over his shoulder before disappearing inside her room.

The other officers made their way around her apartment, inspecting the open window and whatever else caught their attention. Hudson sniffled and sat up straighter, stretching the tense muscles in her back.

« Oh my God ! What the fuck happened ? »

Annie barged through the front door wearing a fitted leather dress. Strappy black heels dangled from the crook of her fingers. She rushed to Hudson’s side and crouched down next to her, taking in the gash above her eye. « What the hell happened to you ? »

Hudson’s lower lip quivered. « He was here, » she whispered.

At the sound of her voice, Frank whipped around. « Who was here ? » He moved closer, towering over her head. « Do you know who did this to you ? »

Her breath hitched, the words refusing to come out.

« I found it ! » one of the cops called from across the room, his face triumphant. « Her name’s Hudson Caldwell ! » He held a stack of mail in one hand, waving it over his head.

Frank lowered his face to hers, his voice smooth and even. « Is your name Hudson Caldwell ? »

Hudson swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to the floor before flickering back to his. She nodded.

« All right, » Frank said with a slight smile. « Now we’re gettin’ somewhere. Can you tell me how old are you, Ms. Caldwell ? »

She pressed her lips into a thin line. « I’m twenty-three. »

« Who did this to you ? » Annie interrupted, her eyes filled with worry. « You need to tell the cops so they can find the son-of-a-bitch. »

Hudson sucked in a breath. She focused on a small flaw in the floor, avoiding the look on her friend’s face. « It was the man who’s been following me. »

« The man who’s been following you ? » Frank repeated.

Annie’s eyes widened. « Holy fuck. » She stood up, tossing her shoes to the floor. They thudded against the hardwood.

« Frank … » Myles walked from the bedroom holding a see-through plastic bag, his arm outstretched. « I found this under the bed. »

Frank’s dark brows shot up with interest as Myles handed him the evidence bag. « A Glock. » Frank turned to Hudson. « Ms. Caldwell, is this your gun ? »

Fear swelled inside of her and the palms of her hands began to sweat. She wiped them along the sides of her nightgown. Annie stepped into her line of sight and their gazes collided. For a split second, Hudson thought her neighbor’s head slid back and forth. But the movement was so slight, she wondered if she’d imagined it. Hudson opened her mouth to speak and Annie narrowed her eyes.

Once again, Hudson’s gaze dropped to the floor. « No. The gun’s not mine. »

« I also found a knife under the pillow, » Myles said.

Both men stared at her, waiting for a response.

« It’s for protection. Just in case … » Her words trailed off.

Fragments of sentences like « collect evidence » and « check for prints » made their way through the fog clouding her thoughts. How had everything gotten so far out of hand so quickly ? A few weeks ago, she’d been happily preparing for the art show. Now she had a deranged stalker after her and an illegal firearm in her possession. And to top it all off, she’d just lied to the cops !

Myles returned to his seat next to her. « Can you tell us what happened tonight ? »

Hudson watched helplessly from the corner of her eye. Myles wanted to help, she could hear the pressure of concern laced in his words.

« We can’t help you if you don’t tell us everything you know. »

« Tell them, Hudson, » Annie urged. « Tell them about the creepy feelings you’ve been getting. And how you called the cops and they basically laughed in your face. »

Hudson raised her eyes and looked at her friend. Annie was right. Annie was always right.

She swallowed again, trying to relieve her parched throat. « For the past few weeks, I’ve had this feeling like someone’s been following me. » She glanced at Myles, meeting his blue eyes. He nodded his head in encouragement. « He’s never approached me, but I can feel him studying me as I walk down the street. It makes my skin tingle. Annie, my neighbor, » she said, giving her friend a weak smile, « she convinced me to call the cops. But he didn’t take me seriously. He thought I was crazy. » Hudson grit her teeth as her mind spiraled over the phone conversation. She turned to Frank, heat swamping her cheeks. « I’m not crazy. »

« Of course you’re not, » Frank soothed. He removed a small notebook from the chest pocket of his shirt and flipped it open, pen in hand. « Now tell us what happened here tonight. »

She folded her hands and set them in her lap, squeezing them together until her knuckles blanched. « I heard a noise shortly after I went to bed. I couldn’t remember if I’d locked the front door so I got up to check. Only, I never made it that far. » She paused. « I could feel him standing in front of me in the dark and I froze. That’s when he spoke. »

« He spoke ? » Frank asked, quickly scribbling everything she said down. « What did he say ? »

« He said … he said it was time for me to meet my maker. »

Annie exploded. « What the fuck does that mean ? »

Hudson caught the look of confusion exchanged between Frank and Myles. They ignored Annie’s outburst and focused on Hudson. « Do you know what he meant by that ? » Myles asked.

« No. » Her head dropped into her hands and her shoulders began to shake. « He told me he was The Shepherd, and said something about letting a woman learn with all submissiveness. He said it was God’s plan. » She let out a muffled cry. « He knows my name. »

The tip of the pen raced across the paper as Frank wrote everything down.

« He knows your name ? » Annie repeated. « What kind of sick, twisted shit is this ? I hope you guys find that bastard and chop off his balls. »

Frank let out a heavy sigh. « Do you have anywhere you can stay tonight ? » he asked. « A significant other, or perhaps your family ? »

Hudson shook her head. « I’m single and my family’s not … around. They passed away when I was young. » A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and slid down her cheek. « But I think my neighbor could probably stay with me. » She held her breath and looked at her friend.

Annie nodded. « Of course, I’ll stay. Absolutely. »

Hudson breathed a shaky sigh of relief.

« Shhh, it’s okay. » Myles wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she stilled under his touch. « We’ll figure out who did this and we won’t let it happen again. »

Much to Hudson’s surprise, she found herself turning into Myles’ embrace. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. « Please, don’t let him hurt me, » she said, her voice a near-whisper.

Myles brushed a tangle of hair from her shoulder and held her closer. The warmth of his breath grazed her ear, sending a shiver down the length of her spine. « Don’t worry. I won’t let him hurt you again. I promise. »

« What the fuck was that ? » Frank asked once they were back in the car. He placed the bag of evidence inside the console between them. « You can’t go making promises you don’t know if you can keep. »

Myles shrugged one shoulder. « You heard what she said. The poor girl has no one. Her family’s dead. And she’s obviously terrified. I don’t mind checking in on her from time to time. It’s the least I can do. »

Frank looked at him sideways. « No, the least you can do is what you’ve already done. » He twisted the key in the ignition and pulled onto the dimly-lit street. « I saw the way you looked at her ; the soften-spoken damsel-in-distress. Don’t go tryin’ be the hero. The chief won’t wanna hear about that. »

« Then don’t tell him. » Myles leaned back and buckled his seat belt. « Look, that crazy fuck got away, for Christ’s sake ! Who knows if he’s planning to come back. I can’t in good conscious let her go through this alone. And just because I said I’d check in on her doesn’t mean I’m planning to get involved. »

« You’re already involved, rookie ! Look, I’ve been a cop for twenty-plus years. You think I haven’t heard that one before ? » Frank snorted under his breath. « If I tried to save every victim in this city I’d drive myself fucking insane. You’re gonna need to grow some balls if you plan to last in this line of work. I’m tellin’ you right now, don’t get involved anymore than you have to. »

« So, you’re saying I should just forget about her and walk away ? »

« That’s exactly what I’m saying. »

Myles shook his head. « Not gonna happen. »

Frank let out a huff of resignation. « Don’t say I didn’t warn you. »