Obsession: Callie Douglas, Book One

Chapter Twenty

The next day I woke up late and hustled through my morning routine. Then I got dressed in a light blue linen sleeveless dress with a matching jacket, put on some wedge espadrilles, picked up my lunch bag and shoulder bag, and ran out the door. I got to work only five minutes late. Since I woke up twenty minutes late, I considered that a miracle.

I ran into my office, almost literally bumping into Addison as I did so. "I just made coffee", she said.

"Bless you", I replied as she laughed. "I slept in and didn't have time to make some at home."

"Did you not sleep well last night?" she asked.

"Not really. I was still unsettled over that note."

"Did you talk to Detective Taite about it?"

"I did. He asked that we don't tell anyone about it."

"My lips are sealed. You had a message while you were out. Blake Fisher called and asked you to call him back and, just so you know, Lucas Cooper called and made an emergency appointment for today."

I was thankful that I had time for my first cup of coffee before Brian Scott showed up. I was reviewing the notes on his previous appointments, sipping my second cup, when he arrived at the office. I started the recorder.

"Brian, in talking to you, I see a pattern emerging. Fear of rejection and rejection itself seem to guide everything you do. This could be when you're afraid to take credit for the poetry and letters and gifts but would rather send them anonymously. It could be when you assaulted those women in an effort to ingratiate yourself into their good graces. It could be when you killed them after you were rejected by them. Whatever you did with these women, you were guided by your fear and discomfort with rejection. Can you see that?"

"I hate it when people reject me. I try my best. I don't understand why that isn't enough."

"When you meet a person that you like, you work hard to treat that person right, don't you?"

"Yes."

"What could you do differently another time to perhaps change the outcome?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, right now you're sending anonymous letters and gifts, then you're asking them to go out with you, then you're assaulting and comforting them, then, when all that doesn't work, you're killing them. Is that correct?"

"Who said I killed anyone?"

"Brian, it's just me here. You don't have to lie to me. I know you killed those women. Why don't you tell me how you did it? I bet you were really clever."

"I didn't kill all of them."

"Which ones did you kill and how did you do it?"

"Sharon was a hit and run. I borrowed a car and then hit Sharon. I didn't intend to kill her. It was an accident. Andrea died of an asthma attack. I didn't give her the asthma attack, but I did hold her puffer out of her reach until she died. With Jennifer I did exactly what you suggested the other day. I took a tiny syringe and inserted nut oil in each of the chocolates, then took the box into work the next day. I didn't make her allergic to nuts, nor did I force her to eat the chocolates. She never knew what hit her. Hailey was allergic to bee stings. I didn't make her allergic to bee stings, but I did capture a bee in a container and dump the container down the back of her shirt. Then, when she got out her epi-pen, I took the pen away from her. She died in my arms. Vera honestly did fall off the roof. It was fortuitous. I was planning on killing her that evening and I was still coming up with a plan. And Cerise I was planning on taking away from here. Do you believe in fate, Callie?"