Chapter 18

Ashley’s head throbbed. Her neck ached. She reached up to touch her neck and found herself feeling gauze instead of an open wound. Ashley felt her head and tried to sit up. The world began swimming and she laid back. She tried to focus her eyes and found herself staring at a white ceiling with a ceiling fan and odd light fixture. Where was she?
She tried to remember what had happened but had trouble. Did she get admitted to the hospital? Feeling underneath her, she realized she wasn’t in a hospital bed. Instead she was lying on a couch. A leather couch at that.
“Oh hey, you’re awake.” A male voice floated into her ears from behind her.
Ashley tried to sit up but everything began to spin again. The voice now had an arm and that arm was on her shoulder pushing her back. Her immediate urge was to resist but realizing she was too exhausted to fight, she lay back on the couch.
“Don’t try to sit up. You hit your head when you fell in the elevator.” Now she recognized the voice as belonging to Michael. It helped that his face had finally come in to view. His blue eyes held clear concern and his dark, black hair was smoothed back from his face as though plastered back with water or sweat. Had it been like that before? She didn’t remember it.
“What happened?” Ashley asked as she carefully pushed herself to a sitting position. By moving up very slowly she had been able to avoid another vertigo experience.
“Do you remember anything?” Michael asked.
“I remember a man in the elevator. He had a knife. He cut me.” Ashley grabbed at her neck again and pain shot through her. She had certainly touched a sore spot.
“He hurt you pretty bad…”
“Did you take me to the ER?”
“No, I figured I could take care of you here.” Michael flashed a large white smile which she was sure was supposed to make her feel better. Somehow it wasn’t working.
“Where is here?” Ashley’s heart began to pound even though she couldn’t explain why.
“This is my house. The cut didn’t look too deep and you were only out for a bit so I brought you home to fix you up.”
A bit? Then why didn’t she remember anything until now?
“Did you call the police?”
“No, I think you just need some rest. Maybe you can talk to Nate later,” Michael said and without waiting for a reply he disappeared back to wherever he had come from. Ashley’s head swirled again and she laid flat on the couch. Slowly, she turned on to her side and faced the coffee table. It was a large upholstered ottoman similar in style to the couch she was on but instead of chocolate brown like the couch it was a cream color. On top of the ottoman sat a tray with handles and vases. Flowers were arranged neatly in the vase. Ashley figured this was how Gina had left the house.
Michael reappeared in front of Ashley and this time he had a cup of tea in his hand. Gently he helped her sit up and then handed her the tea. She cupped her hand around the mug and breathed in the warmth and smell of cinnamon. Michael nudged back the tray on the ottoman and sat down across from Ashley. He looked at her intently and Ashley could feel the concern. He laid his hands on her knees and she felt shudders run up her legs and into her spine. The warmth on her knees was rivaling what came out of the mug.
“I’m concerned about you,” Michael said.
“I have no idea why.” Ashley sighed. She knew why but didn’t want to vocalize it or face it. Ten years ago Jimmy Livingston was put in prison for the murder of Donnie and Aidan. Ashley had hoped that that would be the end of him. But she knew that it wasn’t. Deep down she knew that there was more to it then an angry lover. Why wouldn’t he have just killed Ashley? Why take it out on Aidan?
“You know why.” Michael massaged her knee while Ashley started into her tea. Michael nudged Ashley’s chin up to meet his eyes. Reluctantly she looked up into Michael’s deep blue eyes. What she saw there gave her hope to cling to. Hope that she may possibly get out of this mess alive. But then a small turn of her neck brought more pain and she wasn’t so sure.
“I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t be here. I need to get back to Maryland.” Ashley frantically patted around her with her one free hand for her purse. She couldn’t turn her head for fear of pain but she had the need to flee. Michael was getting too close.
Michael grabbed her wandering arm and held it while removing the mug from her other hand. He brought her arms together in front of her. She tried to resist but he held firm, stroking her forearms as he did. “Ashley, you need to be here. What you’re doing is helping. Kyle seems to like you. I kind of like you.”
Ashley felt herself blush and averted her eyes. If Michael could see his eyes he would’ve seen that she liked him too. But what was she thinking? The man’s wife had just been murdered.
As if reading her mind, Michael added, “Look, you probably think this is odd and forward since I just lost Gina. But the truth is we weren’t much of a couple for a long time.”
“Because of the affair?”
A strange look crossed Michael’s face and then was gone. He nodded. “Right, I told you earlier. Yes, partly because of that but, well, Gina was getting into this religious stuff and I didn’t want to go along. She would get angry at me. We would fight about it.” Michael squeezed her hands again and then let go. “I’m not trying to be forward. This is a strange time but I like having you here. You get along with Kyle. When we find Kayla you’ll get along with her too…”
“We may not find Kayla alive…”
“No! We will find her. There is no other option. They promised…” Michael clamped his mouth shut but Ashley didn’t miss the slip.
“They promised what?”
“The police promised they would bring her back alive. They have to.”
His answer sounded plausible but something about his actions made Ashley wonder if that’s what he really meant.
“At least stay for dinner. You’re too weak to go back to the hospital and talk with Kyle and after your attack I’d hate for you to be alone.”
“Don’t you need to be somewhere else?” Ashley asked. Surely the district attorney had something better to do, somewhere better to be. Like asking for warrants to suspects homes. Suspects who attack women in elevators.
“For tonight, I’ll make time for you. And if you need a place to stay, please stay here tonight. Tomorrow is Saturday. You shouldn’t have to work but if you want to talk to Kyle then I’ll take you over to him.” Michael smiled and flashed his perfect teeth. “You stay here on the couch for a few minutes, I’ll get dinner on the table and then help you get there.”
Ashley only nodded her response. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Wasn’t sure how she felt. Michael took that as an affirmative and left Ashley on the couch once again to return to the kitchen which Ashley assumed to be behind her since in front of her was a beige wall which she could see continued down a hallway into what looked like a bed room.
Ashley maneuvered herself closer to the ottoman and picked up her mug of tea again. She sipped the now warm liquid and let it slide down her throat soothing away her fears. A strange sound filled the air. It took a moment before it registered to Ashley that it was her cell phone.
“Michael, where did you put my purse?” Ashley called. No answer. The phone kept ringing. Ashley sighed. “Michael?”
When no reply came Ashley knew she would have to get the phone herself. She took another swallow of her tea as though she were drinking in her strength. She pushed herself to stand and only fell back once from dizziness. The ringing had stopped but Ashley knew she needed to find the phone. It could be Nate with information. Or Trish wondering when she was coming back.
Ashley looked around the couch but found no purse. The sound hadn’t been that far away. Where would Michael leave her purse? Ashley looked behind her and found the kitchen as she expected. It was a large kitchen with light maple cabinets and an expansive island. All the appliances appeared to be new and professional grade. Gina Fleming must have been a good cook. A lighter beige covered the kitchen walls which appeared to be a similar color to the granite countertops. All the decorating looked professional. Why not? Michael probably had the money.
She made her way to the kitchen and searched the countertops. Where was Michael? She thought he said he was going to be making dinner. The faint sound of the phone ringing hit her ears again. The sound came from further down the hall then the kitchen. She made her way down the darker beige hallway; Ashley was sensing a theme. Opening doors as she went she found the laundry room and then the garage. Obviously she was heading the wrong way. But where was the phone?
Groping the wall she made her way back to the kitchen. Her throat hurt and her head hurt. Things were swimming and she felt very alone. What had happened to Michael? Her heart began to pound. Had he come back for her? Had she been followed to Michael’s home? Did something happen to Michael?
“Michael?” Ashley knew she sounded desperate but it didn’t matter. Surely something had happened to him. He was making dinner. Then he was gone. Where was the phone?
The ringing had stopped again. Maybe the call wasn’t that important.
Ashley passed the kitchen and found herself back in the family room. She stopped at the leather couch to catch her breath. Was that movement behind her?
She stood still. Not daring to move. Not daring to breathe. He had found her. She was sure of it. Whoever “he” was. Did he have a knife again? Did he bring a gun this time? Where was Michael? Where was Nate? Didn’t he know she needed him? They’d had a connection once. Could they have one again?
A hand touched her back.
Ashley screamed.
“Are you okay?” It was Michael’s voice. She turned to face him and without thinking threw her arms around him and held on. “Are you okay?” He repeated his question as he patted her back.
“My phone. My phone was ringing and you weren’t here. I called you but you didn’t answer. I couldn’t find the phone. I thought something happened to you.” The words all ran together and were probably being muffled by Michael’s shirt. She looked up at him, ignoring the pain in her neck, to see if he caught any of it.
“Your phone? Oh, in your purse. I’m sorry; I set your purse in the guest bedroom. Sit back down and I’ll get it for you.”
Ashley did as Michael suggested and waited for him to return. This time he wasn’t gone long and reappeared with her red handbag in tow. Unzipping it she found her phone on top next to her car keys. Flipping open her phone she saw she had one missed call. She hit the send button and her phone automatically dialed the number.
“Zimmerman.”
“Nate, is that you?”
“Ashley! Where have you been? I tried calling you and got no answer. I was worried.”
“I’m sorry, something came up. What’s up?”
“I’m here with Kyle. You need to get back here right away.”
“Is everything okay?”
“No, Ashley, nothing is okay.”