Desired by a Lunatic

☠ Chapter - 22 ☠

Song: Afraid - The Neighbourhood

Jaine

            Walden stood up in a flash, his chair tumbling down making me and detective Arthur stand up too in alarm.

"What do you mean he is missing?" He seethed and my eyes widened.

I had never seen him get this mad with anyone.

"He just managed to somehow escape in front of the trained people?" He mocked, his eyes narrowed

I looked at officer Elroy and he looked shocked for a moment before bringing it back to his passive face.

"Mr. Austen, I totally understand how you feel" He said and I walked up to Walden and held his good arm to calm him down. He continued "What I have been told is, he hadn't returned home from the party and no one is able to trace his location."

"But you told us you had men on him..?" I asked him before Wald could say anything.

"We did. The guy who we thought was Ethan wasn't him. Ethan's 'house' was attacked, possibly by a rival gang and everybody ran out including the guy who we thought was Ethan except that it wasn't him" He said.

"What made you think it was him?" Asked Walden, now looking calmer than before.

"He resembled him. Black hair, brown eyes, almost the same height and facial features matched too upto a certain extent. Also, he wore the same clothes too. Now that I think about it... He must be his body double. A lot of Mafia Kings or Capo dei capi use them" He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Silence fell in between us and my mind raced in all directions.

So it has been Ethan all along right under my nose?

I still couldn't believe that it was him, that he was capable of sending me threats in a note, enter my house and turn out to be a mafia boss. Someone who I met everyday in my former peaceful life.

"Go home, kids" Officer Elroy sighed "The officers are stationed outside your doors. We will inform you if we get any updates."

I knew he felt really bad for us, that he couldn't help us.

I gave him a small smile and went to the car with my husband with him being completely silent.

"Wald" I called out his name after settling in the driver's seat.

He looked at me. "Your seatbelt" I reminded him. He looked at me for a moment like he couldn't understand and then put it on. The stress was taking a toll on him.

I started driving and then I remembered that we had to buy some of Walden's medicine.

"I'll be back in a minute" I said stopping in front of the nearest pharmacy.

When I didn't get a reply back I looked at him to find him fast asleep. The pain relievers made him sleepy all the time. I smiled seeing his face without any frown. That was a rare sight to see since the psycho decided to ruin our once peaceful life.

I entered the pharmacy to find literally no one in there. Thinking that the front desk person must have been inside somewhere, I went deeper in the store but still couldn't see a single soul in sight.

Feeling uneasy, I was about to head outside when suddenly the lights went out leaving me in darkness.

Feeling my heartbeat accelerate, I took out my phone from my jean pocket and just as I turned the flashlight on, a gloved hand snatched it making me scream and threw it away.

I managed to take a few steps away but tripped on something in the darkness. A hand clamped my mouth making me thrash violently in panic.

The psycho started to drag me with him backwards and I rammed my heel in his foot making him groan and lose his hold on me.

Before I could scream, he clamped his hand on my mouth again and with his other hand, he squeezed my throat in warning making me choke and claw at his hand desperately.

"Come with me Jaine" he bit out and started dragged me in a room.

When he turned his back on me for something, I lunged for the door but he turned around instantly and pushed me to the wall, hitting my head harshly and making me see stars.

"Shit" I heard him curse and he took a hold of my arms and I leaned my body against the wall.

"Fuck" He cursed again.

"Jaine, are you okay?" Even though the lights had came back on, I couldn't make out his face because of the dizziness.

"I didn't mean to hit your head. Can you see me?" I heard him ask.

I had no option but to close my eyes and hold my head so that I could get rid of the hazy view and stand on my own.

He suddenly made me sit on a chair which made me panic and I opened my eyes to now clearly see Ethan crouching down in front of me, staring at me and holding the arms of the chair he made me sit on.

"Are you okay now? I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"Ethan" I said in a low voice, scared "What do you want?"

"Look" He sighed "I'm not who you think I am and I'm really sorry for the way I had to bring you the way I had to, to talk to me but I didn't have much choice seeing you wouldn't have met me willingly."

I rubbed my head, feeling another wave of dizziness threaten to take over me.

He tried to touch my face but I somehow moved my head away from him.

"I am not the one stalking you" I heard him say as I regained my balance again.

"Why should I even believe you?" I asked, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"If I wanted to do something to you, I would have done it a long time ago when I had the chance. You were always around and it wouldn't have been difficult at all" he said to me, his face void of any emotion.

"How do you even know about-"

"I am sure you know who I am by now" he smiled "I have my resources to tell me everything. I've got police on my ass thinking I'm your stalker when I am not and that's the reason why we are here, having this conversation."

"I knew the cops were after me yesterday. I had my men find out why and the reason turned out to be you." He continued "I may look like a strong suspect but believe me when I say I am not."

"Believe you after what you just did? The notes, they come with the intials of your last name-"

"Because he's trying to get me to be the suspect which, as you can see, he's suceeded in, unfortunately for me."

"Wait" I gasped "You know who the stalker is?"

"He's a clever bastard, Jaine."

A/N: I sincerely hope that this update makes someone's New Year a bit better.