Karen Rose - I’m Watching You

„Stand up, Mr. Kaplan. Put your hands in the air.“

Kaplan froze, then slowly straightened, his hands coming up. „Who are you?“

„Turn around, Mr. Kaplan. Slowly.“

Kaplan obeyed and even in the dim light of the dome light, he could see terror in the man’s eyes. Terror was good.

„Who the hell are you?“ Kaplan hissed. Kaplan’s terrified eyes dropped to the gun in his hand and then took a quick trip up to the ceiling to where Mrs. Kaplan moved about above.

For an instant he wavered, then stiffened. The wife would be better off in the end. Being a widow would be far better than to be the wife of a monster.

„Kristen Mayhew,“ he said, and waited.

„What?“ Kaplan shook his head in bewildered panic. „Who is Kristen Mayhew?“

He didn’t even remember. He stole the innocence of a beautiful young woman who trusted him and he didn’t even remember her name . „Think back, Mr. Kaplan. College. Summer. The county fair.“

He watched Kaplan desperately processing the information. „Kristen May – “ His head came up, ever so slightly. „Oh, yeah. I remember her. She was just a girl I dated in college. So what?“

Just a girl? So what ? „You raped her.“

Kaplan’s eyes widened, then narrowed. „She said that? That little bitch.“

The tire iron swung up out of the darkness, hitting Kaplan just above the right temple. Kaplan sank to his knees, moaning.

„Watch your language, Mr. Kaplan.“

Kaplan held his head and in the dim light he could see blood oozing between his fingers. „I didn’t rape anybody. I swear it. She’s trying to ruin my career. That’s all.“

That’s all . „And why would she do a thing like mat?“ he asked tightly.

Kaplan looked up, furious. „Because I’m leading in the polls, that’s why. Every bimbo I’ve ever fucked is comin’ out of the damn woodwork.“

Bimbo . Kristen’s face crystallized in front of his face, then everything faded to red and the tire iron swung again and again and again.

„Daddy?“

He paused, the weapon above his head. His vision slowly cleared. And he heard the little voice again. „Daddy? There’s a van parked behind the barn.“

Panicked, he lurched to his feet, the gun and the tire iron dangling from his hands.

And over the car he looked into the horrified eyes of a child.

He looked down at himself. He was covered in blood. Her father’s blood. She’d seen him covered in her father’s blood.

She’d seen him. She’d run. She’d tell. He’d be caught.

I can’t be caught. I’m not finished yet. Leah.

Slowly, he raised the gun.

Friday, February 27,

10:00 P.M.

From his half-lounging position on her bed, Abe watched Kristen get ready for bed. It was the first time he’d had the opportunity. Every other time they’d ended up in her bed-room, they’d stumbled in, shedding clothes along the way, falling into bed to make incredible love. Now, tonight, he could just watch her. He used to love watching Debra get ready for bed. He’d missed the closeness, the knowing that soon she’d lie beside him.

That he’d found that closeness again was almost too hard to believe.

Kristen paused, her fingers stilling on the middle button of her blouse. She could feel the steady pressure of his eyes from the bed. He’d piled some pillows behind his head and sat up against the headboard, his long legs stretched out. She looked over her shoulder and shivered at the heated look in his eyes. „Why are you looking at me?“

His smile was at once sensual and beatific and stole her breath. „Because you’re beautiful. Don’t mind me. Just keep going.“

She looked back down at her blouse, focusing on the buttons, willing her hands not to shake. She needed to tell him. Now, Kristen . Instead she concentrated on her clothes, taking them off, hanging them up as was her habit until she stood in nothing but her bra and panties. There was a rustle from the bed and he was behind her, almost scorching her back with his heat. He covered her shoulders with his hands and kissed the side of her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access and shivered again when he ran his tongue down her neck to the curve of her shoulder.

„Cold?“ he murmured.

„No,“ she whispered.

„Mmm. Good.“ His hands capably kneaded the tight muscles in her back, then guided her to the little chair at her vanity. „Sit.“

She sat and from under heavy lids watched in the mirror as he pulled the pins from her hair, knowing that he was creating traditions. One by one the pins dropped to the vanity surface until her hair sprang free. He picked up the brush and ran it through her hair, gently scraping her scalp. Her eyes drifted closed. It felt so good .

„Good,“ he said softly. „I’d stop if it felt bad.“

Her eyes flew open and she stared up at him. „How do you do that? How do you make me say what I’m thinking out loud?“

„I think you say it out loud because in your heart you want me to hear it.“ The brush paused and he sobered. „What’s wrong, Kristen? You’ve been so quiet tonight“

Now, Kristen. Don’t be a coward now . She stood up, slipping around him to shrug into her robe. „I need to talk to you. I need you to listen, because it’s hard to say.“

His brow creased in a frown, he set the brush on the vanity and went back to sit on the bed. „I’m listening.“

She opened the vanity drawer and found the little album. Holding it to her chest, she turned and looked into his very worried blue eyes. „I know about your baby.“

He visibly blanched. „How?“

„Aidan let it slip. He didn’t know I didn’t know. Then your father showed me a picture of Debra right before… You know.“

His nod was jerky, his skin pale beneath the dark stubble on his cheeks. „I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you, Kristen. I just don’t talk about it.“

„I know.“ She sat on the bed facing him. „I understand.“ She swallowed, then put the album on the bed next to his hip and shot to her feet. He picked it up, looked at the first photo, an infant with tiny red curls and big green eyes. Instant recognition dawned.

„She’s yours,“ he said dully. She said nothing and he flipped to the next photo and the next until he came to the end. „Eleven pictures.“

Kristen’s body was trembling and she couldn’t make it stop. „One at birth and one for every birthday thereafter.“

„She’s pretty.“

„Thank you.“

He looked up, his eyes unreadable. „What’s her name?“

She hugged herself, hoping to control her shaking. „They named her Savannah.“

He nodded, still looking at her. „Where is she?“

„California.“

„So far away.“

„Her parents moved from Chicago when she was four.“

He looked back down at the album and traced ten-year-old Savannah’s smile with the tip of his forefinger. „What did you think I’d say, Kristen?“

She bit her lip. „I don’t know.“

„Did you think I would blame you?“

Hunching her shoulders, she dropped her gaze. „I didn’t know. I blame myself.“

„That I can believe.“ The warmth in his voice made her look up. He opened his arms and she crawled across the bed and into them. „Kristen, honey.“

The tears came then and he pulled her onto his lap. „Oh, Abe, I didn’t know what you’d say. You lost your baby and I gave mine away.“

„No, you didn’t. You gave your baby a chance to have a normal life.“ His hand was on her hair, stroking. Holding her until her tears slowed and his shirt was soaked. „I take it you got pregnant after…“ He kissed the top of her head. „After.“