The Psychopath's Prisoner

Chapter 31

"Do you feel better now that you've talked to your sister?" Michael asked as he made his way toward the couch.

"Actually, I do. A little, anyway. It was what I needed." Cheyenne took a deep breath. "Raina can usually lift my spirits."

"Good. I'm glad." Michael squeezed onto the edge of the couch beside her outstretched body and leaned against the couch's back.

"Me too. By the way, did you find out about Detective Johnson?"

"He didn't make that call to Tyler. They checked phone records from his precinct and when he worked. The call was made from his desk, but he was off duty that day."

"Really? Then who made that call?"

"I don't know, but Detective Lawrence is looking into it. He thinks it might be the guy who's been after you." Michael shrugged his shoulders.

"Strange." Cheyenne sat on the edge of the couch beside Michael. "I think I can eat now." She reached over and grabbed her plate from the T.V. tray and scarfed it down.

Michael watched with a grin. "See. I told you. You were hungrier than what you thought."

"I know and it tasted so good."

"Would you like to watch a movie now?"

She ran her tongue along her lower lip before responding. "No. Wish I could, but I have to work on my novel. If I don't get back to it, my agent will be breathing down my neck. I really need to keep my mind busy. Thank you, anyway."

"No problem. If you need to use my office, it's upstairs and to the right."

"I appreciate your offer, but I believe I'll work here if you don't mind."

"Be my guest." Michael scanned the area. "Are you sure that you're going to be comfortable here, though?"

"I'll be fine. Most of the time, I'm working on the couch at home. Thank goodness for laptops."

"All right, but the offer still stands if you change your mind." He stood and walked away.

Cheyenne decided to get to work, which meant that she had to go upstairs to fetch her laptop. She groaned and whispered, "Got to get up and get moving or nothing will get done."

~

Cheyenne sat and stared at the screen of her laptop. She tried to write her story, but all she got was a partial sentence. Why was she continuously getting writers block? She, of course, hadn't written much since her divorce. With things happening, she should be able to write something, but her mind would not let her. The only thing on her mind was Gaby's death and who could be doing all these terrible things to her.

"Ugh!" She groaned and threw her hands up. "I can't do this right now." She closed her laptop and set it to the side, Cheyenne pushed herself up and decided it was a good idea to accept Michael's movie offer. She went upstairs and knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

She opened the door and asked, "Am I interrupting you?"

"No. I just got off the phone." He glanced up from his computer and asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I can't write. Nothing is coming to me. All I can do is think about everything. I'm running on a dry spell. I have nothing to say."

"Anything I can do to help?"

She gave a sheepish smile. "Not really, but if the offer still stands, we could watch a movie."

He flashed a winning smile. "Yes. Of course. Let me finish typing this report up and I'll be right down. Go ahead and pick a movie out. I'll be down in ten."

"Okay." When she noticed his office, it looked like a library, probably his personal law library with rows and rows of books. The carpet was chocolate colored and walls were made of cherry wood colored paneling and his desk matched the walls. On his desk were two stacks of books and a couple of yellow striped notepads sitting next to his laptop. A printer sat at the end of his desk while a small desk lamp sat in between the laptop and printer. He had two red padded chairs sitting across from his desk and a couch that was against the wall opposite the bookshelves. Paintings lined the walls. They were perfectly aligned all the way across from wall to wall.

"You have a beautiful office. I especially love the cherry wood."

"Thanks." Michael flashed a smile as he glanced from the computer's screen.

"You're welcome."

Cheyenne shifted from one foot to the other and stared down at the floor. She cleared her throat and looked up. "Well, I'll take my leave now so that you can work in peace." She stared at him and smiled as she backed out the doorway.

"You know what? If you would like, you can grab a book from one of the shelves. It's not all law stuff."

"I appreciate that, but I have work to attempt to do myself. Thanks anyway." Their eyes locked for a moment. She clapped her hands together and closed his office door, leaning against the wall. "What am I really doing here?" she whispered.