Free Obsession by Maya Moss Page A

bad.  Really, I just want Monica to leave us alone.”  Rick expressed his opinion on the subject, now that he had finished his meal.
    “I spoke with her, and learned that Monica had a really bad childhood, after her parents died.  I think that after that she focused on her career and forgot all about the simple joys in life.  When she spoke about you, all she had to say was that you were perfect for each other, that I was not for you, that you and I were too different...”
    “I think that Monica has some kind of an ideal man in her head that she has to have at all costs.  I suppose your kindness and success in business had convinced her that you are that man.  Now she is unable to go past the thought that she had you and now I have you.”  Allison continued her tale, still unsure of how Monica’s mind was working.
    “Yes, I thought that much,” Rick agreed with her.  “What else did she tell you?”
    “Do you know that she had already planned everything about your wedding?  She even bought the dress!”  Allison shook her head, still unable to conceive Monica’s actions.
    “She did what?”  Rick choked on his drink.  “That must be the reason why a few people congratulated me on my future wedding.  I always thought that they confused me with someone else.”
    “No,” Allison assured him.  “Monica had it all planned out and if I understood well, she still thinks that the wedding is on.”
    “She is really disturbed then,” Rick said, feeling really sorry for the young and beautiful woman that had her whole life in front of her, but was not able to look past some old obsession.
    “I tried to tell her that everything between you and her is over, but she chose not to listen to me.  Rick, I think that you should go to the hospital and talk to her again.”  Allison took his hand and pleaded with him to understand her motives.  “Monica needs some kind of shock to help her return to reality, and I think that you are the only human being able to do that.”
    Rick agreed with her reluctantly, and after paying for their meal, they headed for the hospital.  The officer was still standing in front of her room, but when Rick opened the door, the bed was empty, and Monica was nowhere to be found.
    She had escaped!
    The officer was really surprised to see the room empty, and explained to them that after Allison left her, no one had either entered or exited that room.  He called the detective assigned to the case, and explained the situation.
    Rick and Allison were asked to wait for detective Martinez to arrive, and they sat down in the corridor.  Rick took her hand in his, and started to massage it gently, giving Allison a new kind of comfort.
    “She is again out there...”  Allison said out loud what both of them were thinking.  This sick woman who had tried two times to kill Allison was once again free to do so.  The fear was too strong to be dismissed, and all Allison could think about was the dark promise she saw in Monica’s eyes.
    “I would never let her touch you again.”  Rick promised her.
    “I wonder if that would be enough...”  Allison expressed her deepest fear.
    At that moment, detective Martinez appeared in front of them, and thanked them for waiting for him.  He went to speak to the officer first and take his statement, before returning to the two of them.
    “Do you want a cup of coffee?” he asked them.  “Because I am dying for one.”
    They agreed, and all three of them walked to the hospital cafeteria.  The detective waited for the coffee to be served, before asking the question they all knew was coming.
    “What are you two doing here?” Detective Martinez asked with a serious expression on his face.
    Allison was the one that answered him, after stopping Rick.  “After I talked to the woman, I realized that she is still living in the illusion that Rick is going to marry her.  I told Rick about it, and we decided that the best thing to do is for him to tell