Page 106 of I see you Beauty

Panic overwhelms me as I bitterly realize the full extent of what I've done. I've let a serial killer into my life—into my daughter's life, into my family's life! What have I done…?

“Cora darling, calm down! We don’t even know if it was him. Maybe she just slipped in the bath, and it was a tragic accident,” Kelly tries to reassure me, clinging to the hope that I haven’t been seduced and blinded by a murderer.

“You’re telling me Ezra had nothing to do with this? That he’s not contacting me because he’s respecting my decision? Or maybe he’s coming up with a sick plan to make me—or even worse, June—disappear?” I panic, my voice rising as I jump up and start pacing the living room.

“Cora, calm down, sweetie. You’re safe here. We’ll just keep looking. Or we give the police an anonymous tip that Ezra knew the dead woman and they didn’t have a good relationship. We’ll find something to nail him with, and then he won’t get out. I promise you, sweetie. He won’t hurt you or June,” she persists in trying to reassure me, but she’s doing the opposite because I realize he’ll keep talking his way out of it, just like he did with all the other poor girls before me.

“Kelly, I’ll kill him if he gets too close to June,” I say in a rage, hyperventilating at the mere thought of him hurting my daughter.

“Hey, calm down, Cora!” Kelly stands up and grabs my face so I can’t walk around.

She looks deep into my eyes and breathes in and out calmly and deeply with me. I follow her instructions and breathe with her so I don’t go completely crazy.

“Very good… He can’t even get close to June. She’s in the library or at college all day, preparing for her new classes. She’s always around people. So calm down, okay?”

I nod. Kelly is right. June is busy studying and then coming home in the evening. Ezra has no chance of catching her alone anywhere. That helps, and my breathing gradually returns to normal. June is safe. Nothing will happen to her.

“Kelly, I won’t forgive myself if something happens to her just because I got involved with him. I brought a psychopath into her life. That was stupid, and if he does something to her, then…” I break off and shake my head in panic.

“Shh! That’s not going to happen. Besides, June is a good girl. You’ve told her that Ezra is dangerous, so she’s been warned and knows that if he gets too close, she’ll have to leave quickly or get help. She’s smart and knows what to do,” Kelly continues to reassure me.

I nod and take another deep breath through my nose and mouth to finally calm down.

“Shit, I let a killer—no, a serial killer—into my life! I imagined what it would be like to have a future with him. To be with him when Thomas and I are separated for good, and June is in on it… I’ve been so stupid and naïve. How could I have let myself be so blinded by him?”

Tears sting my eyes because I feel so powerless. All those poor girls… they must have fallen for him too.

“Cora, it’s not your fault. He blinded us all. We’ll find something, okay? You’ll go to the police and tell them what happened between Jenny and him. Tell them about the newspaper article. They’ll believe she was with you if they find it on her. Then they might arrest him because of the old accusations from her best friend. He won’t get away with it again!” Kelly replies firmly and gives me another tight hug to give me courage.

I wrap my arms around her and nod. I just hope her optimism is enough because I’m terrified that something terrible will happen if we don’t put Ezra behind bars.

“Well then, come on. Let’s go straight to the police,” Kelly encourages, breaking away from me.

I nod again, wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes, and feel a new resolve to take action. I’m determined to see Ezra held accountable, to ensure that this psycho is locked up and can’t hurt anyone else. Especially not my daughter!

Chapter Seventy-Two

Oh, Beauty… That was a declaration of war!

Ihope you’re aware of that. But don’t worry, I’ve got the right counterattack ready to show you that you shouldn’t have messed with me.

I would have done anything for you and changed myself for you. I had a grip on myself like never before in my life, and you… you violently ripped my newfound control away from me. And now you seriously think there are no consequences? I’ve been perfecting my plan for days. Just a little more, and then I’ll hit you where it hurts. Then you’ll crawl out of your little hiding place all by yourself and come to me. And then… I’ll show you what I do to people who betray me.

Thanks to you, I spent the whole day at the police station. Cute, Beauty. You wanted to frame me for Jenny’s murder, but it’s stupid when you have no evidence, no fingerprints, simply nothing to hold against me. Unfortunately, the slight suspicion of the ridiculous story that you gave them is not enough. Sorry, baby!

“Wow. You’ve been busy,” I greet June as I walk in the back door and stand in the already homey kitchen.

She’s been working in my house for days, decorating and setting it up as we discussed. Of course, I have allowed her to continue working for me. After all, I had promised her I would, and I’m sticking to it. Completely unselfishly, of course…

I look around the kitchen. The room has a very special and warm feel to it. It’s cozy here and yet not too feminine. June has nailed my taste with the dark furniture.

“Do you like it?” she asks, looking at me excitedly with her green eyes.

“Yes, I really like it,” I murmur down to her as I step up close to her. “And I like the person who conjured all this up. Seriously, June, this is amazing,” I gush, looking around the room again briefly before my gaze catches hers, and I push a bright strand of hair behind her ear.

It doesn’t fail to have an effect because in an instant, June smiles cutely and blushes shyly. Bingo!

I step a little closer to her, my fingers continuing to caress her—your—high cheekbones. Fuck, Beauty, she looks so much like you I don’t even really have to make an effort to imagine you. Even if I don’t want to because the anger is taking over, I miss you—more than I’ve ever missed anyone. I don’t know how another woman will ever replace you. Not even your daughter—your image—can make me get over you. Yet she is so beautifully impressionable. June does everything I ask of her. I know that. But still, she’s not you. No one is like you, and that’s the problem!

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