Insatiable (31 page)

He sat back and watched her go into the bathroom. There was no doubt that he would take her with him, no doubt at all.  Once Aurora was taken care of he'd have no need for the fear of his Deena, and he'd no longer be in want of the fame. It would be enough that he alone knew and soon, so would everyone else. But by the time they figured it out, he along with Aurora, and Deena would be dead.

Their session with Jean had gone exceptionally well. Both Mari and Rosie talked about what they wanted to do and for Rosie there was no question. She wanted to take some culinary classes at Johnson and Wales University. Jean gave her a warm smile. "Rosie, that is something that Aurora and I can definitely help you with. You just say the word and we'll get to work on helping you get what you need. This is a great step Rosie, a great first step."

Mari nodded her head in agreement.

"And what about you Mari, have you decided what you want to do?"

"I have," she said and looked around the room. "I want to stay here and help Aurora. I want to learn the ins and outs of running a non- for-profit business, and I want to help you run it. I want to be able to be there for the women that need help. I know what it's like, and I think that I could be a great asset. Not to mention that I love living here." Mari's smile was genuine as she looked at Aurora. Aurora had been taken by surprise, she had no idea that Mari felt so strongly about wanting to help. But she was glad to hear it, she could use the help and Mari was a whiz at handling the books and the distribution of funds and donations. She was sure that she would be a welcoming comfort to the women who came through
Aurora's Place.

She placed her hand on top of Mari's. "Mari, I'm so glad to hear you say that. I would love to take you on as an employee. But first I have to run it by the board of director's, if they give the okay which I'm sure that they will, you're as good as hired."

Rosie turned and looked at her friends. "Wow, it seems like we're all getting on with our lives. It's a very surreal feeling to say the least. But Aurora, when I start taking classes, will I have to move out right away?" Aurora could see the look of worry on Rosie's face. 

"Absolutely not Rosie. You can stay here as long as you need to, you'll never have to worry about that. Not once since I've opened up have I had a full house and I'm very happy about that. I mean don’t get me wrong, I realize that there are plenty of women out there who are still too frightened to get up and leave. But for now I take comfort in knowing that the two of you found the courage to leave and have made great strides in rebuilding your lives. And don’t forget, I may be the only shelter in Huntington Cove, but mine is not the only one in the state of Rhode Island. So if there ever was an influx of
friends
from this area, they would be referred to another shelter," Aurora reassured her.

"But I'm sure the other shelter wouldn't be as awesome as this place," Mari teased.

"You're right about that Mari," Aurora smiled. "The other shelters are just temporary, but they still provide the same amount of safety and when it comes down to it, that's all that matters."

"You're right, but I'm still glad that we're all here and that we're together."

"Jean and I want the best for you ladies, and from the looks of it, I'd say that you are both going to achieve just that, the best."

Later on that night, Aurora received a phone call. This couldn’t be Liam, she thought to herself groggily. It was too late for him to call and besides, she'd already spoken to him earlier and said goodnight. It was on a rare occasion now that Liam found himself at home alone, but Aurora wanted a night to herself, she'd told him, and he reluctantly obliged. Realizing that it must be a woman in trouble she shook the sleep away and quickly answered the phone. She almost cringed when she heard the voice on the other end, the voice sounded so youthful that she had to ask the caller how old she was.

When Deena told Aurora that she was nineteen, she breathed a sigh of relief, she sounded much younger.  Of course no matter what age she was, Aurora was going to help her, it just soothed her to know that the young woman wasn’t a pre-teen who had run away from home.  Aurora spoke smooth and calm. "Deena, I want you to know that there are resources out there that can help keep him away from you. Is he your boyfriend or your husband?"

There was silence on the other end of the line and for a moment, Aurora thought that the call had been disconnected.

"Hello? Deena, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here. And he is my boyfriend."

Aurora shook her head. "Alright, that makes it a bit easier. Deena, do you have any children?"

"No."

"Okay, good. Now what can I do to help Deena? Would you like to leave right now? Is he there? Is he preventing you from leaving the house?"

"No, he's not here. I'm not ready to leave yet; he might come home while I'm packing."

Deena was beginning to sound desperate and Aurora felt for her, she knew that it was only a matter of time before things got worse.  But one of the things she'd learned in a course she'd taken years ago was to not criticize or force the victim into doing anything. Deena had to decide for herself whether or not she wanted to leave. Aurora was already up and pulling on her clothes when Deena told her that she had to hang up, that she heard him pulling up in the driveway. "Please, Deena, be safe. My phone is always on and if you can't get in touch with me please call 911. We're here to help, promise me that you'll call for help."

Before the young woman could answer, Aurora heard the muffled sounds of Deena's boyfriend in the background. "Hang up the phone bitch."  Those were the last words Aurora heard before Deena was forced to hang up the phone. After that phone call, Aurora made sure to keep her phone by her side. But Deena never called back, and Aurora feared the worst. When she told Liam about it, he'd asked her if she had saved the number on her phone. "There never was a number, it came up unknown," she told him.

There was something about the woman's voice that stuck with her. She heard the fear in her tone, it was a fear that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She desperately wanted to help Deena, but without a return call, there was nothing that she could do.

"You can't save them all," Liam told her.

"She has to want to get help Aurora. And all you can do for now is wait and hope that she calls you back. Until then, try not to think about it."

"I can't do that Liam. Somewhere out there is a woman who needs help and I can't give it to her. I wouldn’t expect you to understand," she scowled at him.

His turned his gaze towards her and cupped her face in his hands. "I do understand. I know what it's like to feel helpless. Especially when it's someone so young. But you told her that there was help available and that you'd be there for her. That's all you can do right now baby. She might have taken your advice and just up and left. So for now, take comfort in knowing that maybe you got through to her. That's all I'm saying, for now, take comfort in that."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "You're right, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. Forgive me?" She asked and kissed him.

"There's nothing to forgive," he said and returned her kiss.

Chapter twenty

The morning of the Huntington High School holiday fundraiser, Aurora got a call from Detective Nelson. She thought it odd that he was calling on a Saturday, but when Liam told her that the guy was more than dedicated to his job, it put her mind at ease. They were still in bed when she picked up the phone. After the usual salutations were taken care of, Detective Nelson explained to her the reason for his early call. "Miss Collins, I've received a copy of the FBI's profile of the killer. Now what it says here is just an assessment, it could have some flaws and holes, but this is what they came up with."

"Go ahead detective and if you don’t mind I'm going to put you on speakerphone. Liam is here with me."

"That's fine. Now as I was saying, this assessment states that the likelihood that this person is a serial killer is a good one. There's a pattern with almost every serial killer. But why they start, what kicks off the impulse, no one knows. Could be a traumatic event in their childhood or even in their adult life. But once they start, that need must be satisfied again and again. That's his pattern, stalking and getting rid of men who have crossed paths with you Miss Collins."

"If that's true detective then why hasn’t he come after me?" Liam asked.

"It may just be a matter of time Mr. Hunt. Right now he's going after abusive men; he may see them as more of a threat. I'm not exactly sure why he hasn’t gone after you, but if this killer was planning on framing Miss Collins, then getting rid of men who she dislikes and or has threatened in the past would be the first step. It also says here that the perpetrator is a white male between the ages of 25 and 40. And that his killings aren’t always regular. There have been no known cases like this here or anywhere near here in over twenty years.

Something had to happen to make him want to go out and actually commit these crimes. Now so far there have been two murders, and although the manner in which those men were killed is different, a knife was used in both crimes and the wounds that were inflicted told us that the killer exhibited no hesitation whatsoever. After the first murder, it seems as though the need to kill built up inside him, killing is almost like a drug for this person. It's as if after the first murder, he gained some sort of tolerance for it, and the only way to get the proverbial
high
is to become more calculated in his killings and to do it more frequently."

"So what are you saying detective?" Liam was sitting up now and was listening with intent.

"What I'm saying is that unless they catch this guy and soon, he might go into overdrive. He might start picking victims indiscriminately and no one wants that to happen. Now you need to think Miss Collins, is there anyone in your life, from your past perhaps that would have it out for you?"

Aurora shook her head. She didn’t know a lot of people and the ones that she did know certainly weren’t serial killers.

"I'm sorry but I don’t know anyone like that," she said.

"Well you think about it, and if anyone comes to mind you let me know. And I'm talking anyone, even if it's the goddamn mailman I want to know. In the meantime, I need for you and everyone around you to take care and be wary of your surroundings."

"I will," she said. "And thank you for calling."

"That's it; you're not leaving my sight." Liam got out of bed.

Aurora followed suit. "I really don’t want to think about it anymore, but I think you forget, I'm packin', and I know how to fight." She tried to ease his mind.

"Aurora, this isn’t a joke. This guy is for real, I think it's time you reconsider and get some armed security."

"No! I'm not going to live like that. I'm not! Now if this guy wants me then he'll have to go through you right? And you're not going to let anything happen to me are you?"

Liam took her in his arms and kissed her neck. "You know that I won't."

"Well then, that's all the security I need. Now let's get showered and ready for the fundraiser. Today is supposed to be about helping others. I just want one day where I don’t have to think about this person, whoever he may be, can we do that?"

By the time Liam replied, she had already made her way into the bathroom and had turned on the shower.

With Liam's help, Aurora was able to donate a ton of items. They'd gone shopping and purchased several winter coats and accessories in every size imaginable. When they finished loading up the cars, they made their way to the high school. An hour later, Aurora and her group were almost knee deep in donations and having a blast.

While Aurora was having fun, Deena sat tied to a chair. He had taken care to dress her appropriately today. This was the day that she'd lure Aurora away from her group of friends and her meddlesome boyfriend. He'd planned this day very carefully and if all went well, by the time it was all said and done, he'd have two bitches to take with him. He knew that this was going to be his last day on earth, ever since he started planning, he'd known it.

He decided to keep it a secret though from Aurora and Deena. He was saving that for when they were all together. He'd tell them the good news right before he did the deed, Aurora of course was going to be hanged, and right before he would kick the chair out from under her, he would tell her about his plans for himself and Deena. Deena would go after Aurora; he'd make sure of it. He'd slice her throat and watch the blood ooze out of her before taking his own life; it was only fair that he see it all through to the end.

No loose ends today, he told Deena. He fished in her backpack until he found what he was looking for. He removed the tube of lipstick from its case and began applying it to Deena's swollen lips. He'd done a number on her, had to make it look authentic for when Aurora came to her rescue. His plan was almost too perfect, he'd scoped out the perfect bungalow in the woods. The place had long since been abandoned and every day he watched just to make sure. He and Deena stayed in the run down motel room because he was saving the small bungalow for Aurora.

From the outside, the place didn’t look like much, but it was the inside that grabbed his attention. Inside there was a high beamed ceiling, hard wooden beams that he had no doubt would hold Aurora Collins as she hanged from them. He also knew that soon after she was captured that company would be coming.  And that was all well and good. "The more the merrier, ain't that right Deena?" He asked the young woman.  He planned to check out of the motel first then head over to the bungalow. He'd already checked to make sure that there was cellular service there and that the address was accessible via GPS. "Once I check us out of this shit hole, then we'll head on over to where all the action's gonna take place. You'll have until night fall to get yourself ready to convince her to come get you, do you understand?" He ran his fingers through her hair before wrapping his massive hands around the base of her neck.