Free I Can See You by Karen Rose Page A

He might have enjoyed
that fact, except that the car he was driving was too small, even for him. But
the little car was part of the plan, just like the choice of this particular
diner. More “clues” for the Hat Squad. It was going to drive them crazy. That
Christy had consumed food while she’d waited seemed an unfair autopsy freebie,
but he couldn’t change that now.
    With a defiant tilt of her chin, she pulled down her
visor mirror and slashed on fresh lipstick before capping the tube and throwing
it hard at her windshield. He hoped her anger would carry her home faster. He
got a shiver of anticipation, just thinking about what lay ahead, and pulled
out of the diner’s parking lot behind her.
    Monday, February 22, 4:35 a.m.
    Christy slammed her car door, the noise echoing in the
night. I am so stupid. How many times had she heard about lies online? You
should know. You tell them yourself. That was different. That was
Shadow-land. This was real life and he’d lied.
    Maybe he was there. Maybe he took one look at you and
ran the other way.
    “Goddammit.” She stumbled up the sidewalk, tripping in
the heels she’s spent next month’s grocery money on. You’re a stupid idiot,
just like Jerry said . She struggled with her keys, hands shaking as her
ex-husband’s voice rolled through her mind. Clumsy, ugly . You’ll
never find anyone else willing to look at your face every morning .
    He’s right. There’s nobody out there for somebody like
me . She’d been suckered tonight,
waited like a fool for an online asshole that never showed, who’d probably
never intended to show. “John,” whoever he was, was probably laughing at her
right now.
    Just like Jerry had when she’d caught him with that
slut. In my bed.
    She shoved the front-door key into the lock, her eyes
narrowing at a new thought.
    “Jerry.” It made sense. Her ex knew computers, but he
wouldn’t even have needed to hack in. She hadn’t logged out of Shadowland in
God only knew how long. She’d changed the locks, but that wouldn’t have kept
him out. He’d broken into the house. Her cheeks flamed. Read my Ninth Circle
conversations . Why on earth had she saved them? So, like a loser, she could
read them again and again, pretending to have a life.
    “He set me up,” she hissed. “Sonofafuckingbitch set me
up.”
    She pushed the door open, furious. She’d get him, the
lying, screwing SOB, if it was the last thing she— A hand clamped over her
mouth and her heart froze. Jerry. Fury supplanted the fear. This was
taking it too damn far. I’ll kill you for this .
    Then fury evaporated away as she was viciously yanked
back, her head smacking against a hard shoulder. Not Jerry , she thought
wildly. It’s not Jerry .
    “Hello, Gwenivere,” he crooned into her ear and she
thrashed against him. Get away. Get away . She felt the jab of a needle
into her neck. “Welcome to Camelot.”
    She could hear him calmly counting back from ten as
her body went numb. He let her go and she teetered for a split second before
collapsing on the floor.
    “Snakes,” she heard him say, from a distance. She was
floating now. Get away. Must get away . But she couldn’t move. She heard
him kneel beside her, felt his breath in her ear. “A pit of vipers slithering
over your skin, Christy. No escape. No escape.”
    No. No. Everywhere, they’re everywhere. It was a deep pit. Twisting snakes, all around.
Hissing. Her heart pounded and cold sweat drenched her skin. Don’t move.
Don’t breathe. Oh God . One slithered across her foot, and she clenched her
eyes shut. Another dropped from above to her shoulder and she screamed. Run.
Get away .
    Help me .
Christy Lewis heard the shrieking and was suddenly aware it came from her own
throat. She opened her eyes, heart pounding, lungs gasping for air. Just a
dream . She was in her own living room. But not . Her eyes darted side
to side as she took it in. Her furniture was moved. Pushed against the wall.
She lunged. But not.
    I