Chapter 12: Part 4

Richard checked the lump on his head. The bitch had hit him hard. He'd lost time too. It was full dark out. They'd probably sailed out on Sam's boat. The damage he'd inflicted hadn't been enough to disable them permanently, just enough to delay the pair.



The radio had been a plus. Now they couldn't call the main island and send the police out. It would take them a few hours, maybe even till morning to get to the authorities. He had time to escape.



His head throbbed and his eyes stung. He needed some Tylenol. If he were back at his boat he could take a vicodin. He found no pills in the kitchen. He made his way down the hall to a bathroom. Nothing.



Each step reverberated in his brain. The ache intensified. Next thing he knew he was face down on the carpet in the master bedroom. He pulled himself over to a bag sitting beside the bed. The contents spilled out as he pulled it to him. Lipstick, pens, hand sanitizer, a wallet.



He pulled the wallet to him and flipped it open. A California driver's license poked out of the top pocket. With his thumb he pushed it all the way out. Delynn Anne Stewart. The picture matched the woman he'd been watching, except in the picture her hair was much lighter.



He closed his eyes, thinking about the woman. He knew her face, and not just from studying her the last few days. Maybe she'd been at a bar or a restaurant he'd inhabited.



Her image popped up in his mind. Only this time she'd been in danger, holding onto a rope while swinging against a building. He shook his head, trying to clear up the mismatched images.



There were more papers in her wallet. He pulled out an airline ticket. Mysti Blake was the name on the ticket from California to Miami. There was paperwork for a chartered flight. A passport had Delynn Anne Stewart and a contract for this house for one month had Mysti Blake.



Delynn Anne didn't want anyone to know who she was.



Richard closed his eyes and let his head rest on the soft carpet. It would be so easy to pull down the blanket and spend the night curled up in a ball on the floor of this luxurious house, but he had things that needed to be done.



If he stayed till morning the cops could be here. Being caught by the cops wasn't an option. He could claim a misunderstanding for what happened here on this island but if they snooped they might figure out what he had done.



Using the last of his strength he stumbled into the bathroom and struck gold. A bottle of painkillers sat on the counter. He took three and headed back to the kitchen. Food would help to clear his head.



After eating a peanut butter sandwich his head stopped spinning. He threw open the freezer searching for ice cream. There was none. Anything sweet and sugary would make him feel better. The carbohydrate rush would give him the energy boost he needed.



The girl only ate healthy. Nothing decadent, nothing bad for your health. He settled on some fruit and another sandwich. It had been too long since he last ate. Maybe that's why his head spun, not the knock the bitch had given him.



He thought about her again. Delynn wasn't the right name. He scrolled through possible names but nothing seemed right. But the face wasn't just any old face. She was special. More special than a nobody. Damn, where did he know her from?



He checked the time. Ten after four. Hell, the sun would be up soon, possibly bringing the authorities with him. The house was a mess. The kitchen littered with broken dishes.



Decisions had to be made. Either burn the place or just leave. The DNA wouldn't be totally obliterated unless he doused the place with an accelerant where he'd spilled his blood thus ensuring a full burn. He didn't have the time to stick around and make sure the fire took. What if the place was outfitted with sprinklers? Some of the new buildings hid the sprinklers to be more aesthetically pleasing.



If he set the fire and a sprinkler system put it out he'd be screwed. The police would be sure to swab every surface for DNA.



It wasn't worth the time or the hassle to burn the place. Richard grabbed the loaf of bread and some fresh fruit. He needed to keep his strength up if he was to find the pair and do away with them both.

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011