Page 75 of The Stranger in the Mirror

“Julian, please, let me go,” I beg as he tightens his grip. Then I ram my knee into his groin with all I’ve got.

He cries out in pain, doubling over. I run to the door, but before I can open it, he grabs the back of my nightgown and spins me around to face him. He’s grinning like a madman, spittle running down the sides of his chin. I beat against his chest with my fists, and when he grabs my wrists to stop me, I start kicking, but he’s too strong for me. I’m panting. The next thing I see is his giant fist coming at me. It hits my face with such force that I drop to the floor, banging my head on the night table as I fall. Every inch of my body is throbbing in pain, and I am losing hope. I scramble into a half-sitting position.

Julian stands over me, his legs on either side. “I tried to make this easy for you, but you had to make it difficult, didn’t you? Just like she did.”

Suddenly I remember the knife I hid in the nightstand. I need to stall him. “I’ll take the pills, Julian. Give them to me.”

He squints at me. “It’s too late, Amelia. No second chances for you.” He takes my arm and wrenches me to my feet. As I rise, I close my other hand around the drawer handle, pulling it open and grabbing the knife. Before he realizes what is happening, I’ve plunged the blade into his thigh. He lets go of me and falls to the floor, screaming and cursing as he rolls around. There is blood on the floor, lots of it, and I think I am going to vomit. Forcing myself to turn away, I run to the door, out of the bedroom, and to the stairs. When I look behind me, Julian is dragging himself along the floor, leaving a swath of blood in his wake. His face is engorged with rage, and his mouth is moving, but the thundering in my ears is so loud that I can’t hear the words he’s screaming. I spring down the steps, grabbing the banister for help when I lose my footing near the bottom. Looking back,I can see Julian on the landing, one hand clasped around his leg, the other gripping a spindle. My breath coming in ragged bursts, I run to the kitchen and seize the cordless phone, dialing 911 as I rush into the bathroom and lock the door. And then I wait.

− 62 −

Blythe

Blythe’s heartbeat quickened as she spotted the flashing lights down the road. As they approached the gates, she took in the two police cars and an ambulance parked in front of the house.

“What the hell is going on?” Ed said, pulling over to one side of the circular driveway.

“I’ll kill him if he’s hurt her!” Gabriel flung his door open before the SUV had come to a full stop.

“Gabriel, wait!” Blythe jumped out of the car to follow him, Ed and Gigi close behind.

They caught up with Gabriel, who’d been stopped by a police officer. “Sorry, sir. I can’t allow you access. This is a crime scene. Only authorized persons are allowed.”

The EMTs shut the ambulance doors and started down the driveway. “Please move back, folks, and let this official vehicle pass,” the officer said.

The four of them stood there waiting in an eerie silence—Gabriel, his head down, walking back and forth; Gigi teary-eyed and leaning into her husband’s broad chest; Blythe doing her best to quell the increasing dread she felt.

The ringing of a phone ripped through the silence, startling all of them. Ed took the mobile from his pocket and put it to his ear. “Hello?” He was quiet a moment. “It happens that I’m in her driveway,” he said finally. Another nod and then, “There are a few friends of hers with me.” He listened another few seconds, then said thank you and hung up.

“What is it?” Gigi said.

“Addy’s okay. She’s in the house,” he said, and Blythe could tell that he was doing his best to hold back tears.

“Thank God.” Blythe let her breath out, realizing she’d been holding it.

“They’re taking her in for questioning,” Ed said. “When they asked if there was someone she needed to call, she told them the only people she knew were in Philadelphia and gave them my name and number—”

“Why didn’t she give themmynumber?” Gabriel cut in before Ed could tell them more. “She should have given themmine. Is she in trouble?”

Blythe put a restraining hand on Gabriel’s arm. “Gabriel, this isn’t helping. Let Ed finish.”

Gabriel scowled, but he was quiet.

“She’s not being taken into custody,” Ed said. “They just want to ask her some questions. When they told her we were outside, she asked if I could accompany her.” Ed put his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “So we’ll follow them to the police department and go from there, okay?”

Gabriel nodded just as Addison appeared in the doorway, an officer next to her. With her head down, she got into the police car. Ed pulled out right behind them.

“I knew that Julian Hunter was a lying shit from the very beginning, but nobody would listen to me,” Gabriel said. He stared out his window as Ed drove, his fists clenched and resting on his knees.

No one had much to say to that, and they rode the rest of the way in silence. They got out of the car outside the station just as Addison was being escorted inside.

“Addy!” Gabriel yelled to her.

She turned at the sound of her name but appeared not to seethem in the darkness, and then she was through the door, out of sight.

At the station, Ed was permitted to accompany Addison while she was being questioned, and the other three sat in the waiting room. Blythe was struck by the overwhelming dreariness of the place, with its green-and-black tile floor and rows of gunmetal-gray seats attached to the wall. It was cold and impersonal, intentionally so, she assumed.

When after forty-five minutes Ed finally emerged with Addison, Gabriel jumped up from his seat and rushed to her. “Are you okay? What did he do to you?” He tried to take her hands in his, but she shrank from him, holding her arms rigidly at her sides.

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