LETHAL OBSESSION (9 page)

Everything
in and around the house was quiet.  With a sigh Ellen turned off the light, pulled
the comforter around her, and closed her eyes.

      After
a few minutes she sat bolt upright feeling the hairs on the back of her neck
stand up. A sound could be heard outside her window like someone was scratching
on the screen.  Her eyes flew to the window but she saw only black night. It
could be an animal in the tree next to the window.  She started to turn on the
light but hesitated.  If there was a person out there, better no light.                                             Ellen
sat very still and listened but heard nothing. Okay, she thought to herself. 
Calm down.  Your imagination is working overtime. The house creaked, but that
was a familiar sound. 

Ellen
took a deep, shaky breath.  She felt so alone. Over four long months had inched
by. Perhaps she was healing but in the middle of the night it didn't feel like
it. Was she ever going to get used to this solitary confinement? 

      Ellen
wanted Mark so bad. She needed to feel his arms around her in the night. They
had been so happy. Tears were stinging and the lump in her throat felt huge. 
No, Ellen did not want to have a crying session now. She would never get back
to sleep.

      She
peered at the window.  It was probably just the wind pushing a branch against
the screen.  Note to self, have tree trimmed.  Now, go back to sleep. 

      That
was when Ellen saw it through closed eye lids.  A flash of light at the window had
her sitting up and staring wild eyed.  Lightning?  No, it was definitely a
flashlight.  The scratching was louder now.  There was also another terrifying sound.
Somebody was tampering with the window lock. This was no wildlife, but a very
human kind of animal trying to get in through her bedroom window.

      Whoever
it was had to be on a ladder or up in the tree to get to this window. Oh
Jesus.  Her hair stood up on end and her skin prickled with sickening terror.
Ellen scrambled out of bed, flattening herself on the floor by the bed.
Somebody was trying to break into her bedroom. Maybe they thought an upstairs
window would be unlocked.

      She
reached up and threw open the bedside drawer, trying to find Gene's business
card.  Stay calm, she told herself.  Where was that damn card? Oh my God. She
lived so far away. 

      The
tampering was heard again. This time the light shone directly into her window
moving from place to place as if the intruder was searching. Ellen tried to
hide as close to the bed as she could. She would've crawled under the bed but
there wasn't room. 

      Ellen
pulled the drawer onto the floor with a thump.  The phone followed with a
clatter as it hit the rug.  Finally she felt the card in her hand but she
couldn't read the number in the dark.  "Damn", she whispered.  Then Ellen
remembered the tiny penlight Mark had on his key ring.  He always kept it in this
drawer.  With jerky movements, she fumbled and felt until her fingers closed
around something hard and cylindrical. 

      The
prowler's light was still scanning the room.  Sweat broke out on her forehead
and under her armpits. With a trembling hand she tried to shine the tiny light
on the card.  With the other hand Ellen threw the receiver on the rug and
punched in the numbers.  Then grabbing up the receiver, she huddled on the
floor next to her bed and waited.

      Sheriff’s
department, Gene Stone speaking.  How can I help you?”  His deep resonate voice
sounded like music.

      "Gene,"
she whispered.  Then the terrifying sobs took over and she couldn't utter
another word but she had to try. Her body was covered with goose bumps and she
knew she was hyperventilating.

"Somebody...is
outside...my window trying to break in...please hurry...Gene."                                     

      “Ellen,
listen to me.  Stay calm and quiet as possible.  Don't turn on any lights.  I'm
leaving now. Lock yourself in the bathroom. I'll get there as soon as I can.”

      "O..Okay...she
whispered breathlessly.  Ellen hung up the phone and crawled to the top of the
staircase.  Jumping up she ran downstairs to the kitchen on bare feet. She
opened a drawer and pulled out two lethal looking butcher knives. Ellen ran to
the downstairs bathroom slammed the door and locked it.  She then went to the
far corner and crouched down in the floor holding the blades in front of her
with shaking hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks.  Never in her life had
Ellen been this terrified.  

      It
seemed she waited for hours before the reflection of blue strobe lights flashed
through her bathroom window. “Ellen?  Ellen? It’s me, Gene.”  He continued
banging on the door until she got up and ran to open it.

      "Whoa,
wait a minute."  He held up his hands. The butcher knives were pointing
right at him. "Hand over your weapons."  Gene took the knives as she
launched herself into his arms. “It’s okay now.  You're safe."  He held
her, waiting until she could stop shaking.  "Are you okay if I take a look
around?

I
notified the police.  They know I’m responding.  Sit on the couch and I’ll be
right back.”

      "I
think he was up in the tree by my bedroom window. He was shining a flashlight
into the room.  God, Gene, it was awful."  She shuddered.                                                        

      Gene
put a protective arm around her shoulders.  I'm sure it was, Princess, but I'm
here now and there's nothing more to worry about, okay?"                                              

      "Okay."
Ellen pulled the silk robe tightly around her and waited for Gene to return. Soon
he was back stomping the dewy grass from his feet.

      “Well,
I didn’t see anybody out there but I didn’t expect they’d hang around after the
squad car got here."  Gene went to the liquor cabinet and poured them both
a drink. “Not much going on around the department and I'm off duty now, so if
it’s okay with you, I’ll just hang around and see if he comes back.”

      It
was definitely okay with her.  No way was she going to stay alone in this house
tonight.  Gene handed her the highball and turned on the TV.

      The
drink tasted good.  Gene was an excellent bartender.  They talked for awhile
then got interested in the late, late show.

      Ellen
did not remember falling asleep, but she remembered the dream.  Mark was
holding her, loving her, his hands on her body, sensuous and arousing.  She
snuggled deeper in her husband's warm embrace.  His body felt so wonderful,
safe and secure.                                                                    

      “Oh
Mark” she whispered.  “I love you so much.” It was her own voice that woke
her.  Warm, loving arms were around her but they were not Mark’s.  Groggy and
confused, Ellen stared into icy blue eyes filled with passion.

CHAPTER TEN

      She
was pinned between Gene's hard body and the couch. Their legs were entwined,
her nightgown bunched up to her waist. His fingers stroked her moist womanhood
as his mouth suckled her breasts.  Ellen felt trapped and struggled like a mad
woman to free herself.

      "Gene,
let me up, now."

      He
moved to kiss her lips but she avoided him.“Ellen you know I have always loved
you.  You want me, I know you do."

      With
his hardness pushing to replace his fingers, and his urgent words, Ellen's
heart thudded in her chest.  She struck out with knees and fists, fighting with
everything she had.  Was he going to rape her?  Sheer panic made her fight with
intense frenzy.  Gene was getting a pummeling.

      When
he finally moved away, Ellen bounded off the couch.  She pulled the robe around
her with trembling hands.  Her aroused body stilled tingled with sensuous
pleasure from his touch. She was sexually turned on like crazy but she thought he
was Mark.  Disgusted with herself, Ellen accepted all the blame.  Tears were
threatening to spill over.                                     

      Her
words came out in anxious spurts. “I'm sorry, Gene.  I don't want to appear
ungrateful. I called and you came to help me."   She was pacing the
floor.  "I feel like this is my fault.  I shouldn't have been drinking and
falling asleep with you on this couch in the middle of the night.  I thought
you were Mark and I was responding to you.”

      “It’s
okay.”  His voice was hoarse as he winced where her knee had caught him in the
groin.                   "No, it's not okay."  She noticed his
expression.  "Did I hurt you?"

      Gene
gave her a pained expression.  "I think I'll live.  May not ever have any
more children but don't want any anyway."

      "I'm
sorry.  I got scared. You came out here to protect me.  I owe you, but I can't
do this.  I feel miserable about it."   

      "Don't,
you needn't blame yourself.  I need to say something and you may not want to
hear it."

Ellen
turned to look at him. "When I said I love you, I meant it.  I want you in
my life whatever that takes."

      "I
don't understand 'whatever that takes.'  You are married.  I don't know why you
are even telling me that, because you know how I feel. You are going to have to
deal with your own feelings because what you want is not going to happen."      

      "I
don't know how to make it stop."                           

      Ellen
walked to the window.  The sky was already showing a purple pink glow.  She put
her face in her hands, wanting to cry her heart out. Has loneliness made all
her decency and common sense disappear? Is all this her fault?      

      Gene
came up behind her.  He lightly laid his hands on her shoulders but when she
flinched, he moved away. "I'll make out a report and have one of my
deputies patrol this area for the next few nights.  Good night, Ellen."        

      "Good
night, Gene." She didn't turn around as the door closed softly behind him.

      When
Gene finally got home and slipped into bed next to a sleeping Martha, he laid
awake for a long time. Somehow Ellen has invaded every cell in his body and it
was making him crazy.  No woman ever got under his skin quite like this.  It
was downright scary.

      Gene
could still feel her wet silkiness under his fingers.  The more he thought
about it, the harder he got. His rigid arousal was beginning to ache.  He
looked over at Martha but knew this yearning could not be quenched by taking
his wife. So Gene punched his pillow and turned over hoping to get at least a
couple of hours of shut eye before he had to go back to work. But his mind
refused to be shut off. What happened last night did not exactly go down as
planned. The frustration of that had Gene laying awake until it was time for
work.

      Idiot,
he berated himself.  The woman just lost her husband whom she was obviously
quite attached to.  What did he really expect?  Yeah, he was hopeful.  He
wanted her and he wanted her bad.  He wanted to feel himself buried inside her
but he had to remember that with Ellen he wanted so much more than to just
slake his lust.  He wanted to share her life, to be a part of her world and he
knew with patience he was going to have it all.  But this lady was not going to
be rushed and he'd better keep that in mind.

      Stop
thinking with your little head, Boy.  He could almost hear his daddy's voice
coming to him from the grave.  Don't let lust and impatience ruin it for you, Son.
All good things come to those who wait. If he wasn’t careful, his horniness was
going to blow the whole deal.

      Sitting
at his desk, Gene was hoping for a quiet, peaceful day at work since he had
gotten no sleep. His balls ached, more from need than Ellen's knee.  He had
wanted her so bad and had come so close. 

 Gene
shook his head with an audible sigh.  With idle hands he began to sort the
papers cluttering his desk.  Might as well try to settle down and get some work
done before lunch.  Gene had been tempted to pick up the telephone all morning
but he held himself back.  Better give her some time to settle down or she
won't ever let him back into her house again, much less her heart.

      When
Gene heard the man’s voice out in the waiting room, he cringed. Oh shit. He’d
almost forgotten about that little deal. Stupid jackass didn’t waste much time
getting over here, he thought. The whiny voice grated on Gene's nerves.

      “I
need to see the sheriff, now.” 

      Gene
could see the unkempt man from his door that was slightly ajar. He wrinkled his
nose and could smell his body stench already.  Gene hated to bring him in the
office but it didn't look like he had any choice in the matter.  This was a
private deal.

      The
homeless, whiskered man was standing over the dispatcher in a threatening
manner. With a sigh, Gene got up from his chair. Better get this bit of
unpleasantness over with now, he thought.  Gene walked to his office door with
a clenched jaw.

      “Jason,
get in here.”

      With
a smug leer at the dispatcher, Jason walked through the door and Gene locked
it. Without another word, the sheriff took out his wallet and peeled off a wad
of bills. The street man looked at the money in his hand and scowled.