Chapter 10: The Stalker

“So, you say you have no idea what happened?" the detective asked sleepily. The human had the look of someone who just climbed out of bed which made sense given it was two in the morning. His clothes were wrinkled and disheveled, and his hair was all over the place.

David nodded, his eyes glued to the floor. He felt like vomiting, his tail wouldn't stop shaking, and his sweat was causing his t-shirt to stick to his body. He wasn't truly listening to what the detective had asked him. He couldn't even remember what the man's name was. The only thought running through his mind was that he needed to deny any and all involvement. Despite the role he played in tonight's events, he really had no idea what happened. He didn't know why Clarissa would kill her husband after nearly 30 years of marriage and shot herself afterwards. He answered all of the detectives questions with the same scared response: “I don't know."

Even if he knew otherwise.

The whole situation felt unreal. David pinched himself several times, trying to convince himself it was all a bad dream. He told himself that he was just being paranoid, but what other explanation was there? She shot him. Clarissa killed her husband, and for what? Some gambling receipts? It didn't feel right; things couldn't have been that serious.

Maybe it wasn't his fault. For Clarissa to fly off the handle like that, there had to be problems in their marriage no one else knew about. The whole situation was nothing more than a powder keg waiting to explode.

"That may be so, but you're still the one who lit the match," his conscience argued.

David grabbed his ears and squeezed as hard as he could. The pain was nothing compared to how he felt now, but he needed something to distract him.

The detective either was too tired to notice David's odd behavior, or he didn't care. He just made a note of David's responses, made a half-hearted comment about how “helpful" he was (although David knew he was being sarcastic), and left.

The moment the door was locked, David headed straight for his bedroom and snatched the phone off the nightstand.

The first person he thought of calling was Michael. The cops would've found the photos and receipts he slipped under Otto's door, and he didn't bother to wear gloves. Once they checked it for prints, they would be at his door.

But instead of calling the lawyer, he dialed Rob's number. Rob was the one who gave him the flash drive. Although his friend couldn't have known how Clarissa would react, Rob just happening to give him a flash drive with damning evidence on it when he needed it most was too convenient. David knew he should've questioned it the moment he saw the pictures, but he was too busy dreaming of revenge to pay it any real attention. Now someone was dead because he couldn't think beyond his own selfish reasons.

All he heard was Rob's answering machine. David hung up and dialed Rob's number again. He wasn't about to leave a message. Even if it took all night, he was getting his friend on the phone.

After the third attempt, his stomach knotted. After the eighth, he began to feel sick. It was pretty late, but it wasn't like Rob to ignore his calls. He continued calling and calling, but still received no answer. After looking at the time and seeing he had been trying for nearly two hours, he gave up. While he really wanted to find out what Rob had gotten him into, there were other things to worry about.

He needed to get his story straight. Regardless of Rob's role in things, David couldn't drag his friend into this. Rob didn't make him use the flash drive. Rob didn't make him print the pictures and take them downstairs to Otto's apartment. The fault was his, and he wasn't going to get anyone else involved.

But David couldn't focus on what he knew he needed to do. All he could think of was Clarissa standing in the middle of her living room with a gun in her hands, feeling rage and betrayal toward her husband. He tried to close his eyes, but instead he could see Clarissa's tear-soaked, pain-ridden face staring at her dead husband's body. He decided to keep his eyes open for the rest of the night.

He sighed and started pacing around the room, unable to even begin sorting through his emotions. He needed to talk to someone; thinking things through on his own wasn't working. But it was near four in the morning, who was he going to talk to, and what would he say to them? Rob wasn't answering, Michael was only going to tell him to keep his mouth shut, and after his conversation with Stephanie, the last thing he wanted was for her to find out.

There was one person he could talk to. Someone who always listened to what he had to say without judgment. He went to the computer and logged into Chatline, not caring how early in the morning it was. Just like every time before, he knew Eric would be there waiting for him.

Eric: Hey, how's it going?

CH27: I did something real stupid and I don't know where to go next.

Eric: What? What are you talking about.

CH27: I killed them. They're dead and it's my fault.

Eric: Hold on. Chill. What happened?

David told Eric everything that happened after he came home. The mysterious flash drive, how he used it to reveal Otto's secrets, how it got the landlord and his wife killed, how the police are investigating and would soon come for him, and the unbearable guilt he would spend the rest of his life dealing with. He kept out Rob's involvement, saying that he asked for the flash drive himself, nor the time with Stephanie. For some reason he didn't want to share that with Eric. David did share the details of the last time he and Stephanie got together, but now he felt strange telling Eric about it.

Eric's response was the furthest from what David expected.

Eric: That's funny. That is some grade-A comedy stuff right there.

David stared at the screen in shock. He just mentioned how two people died because he slipped a few pictures under a door. What the fuck could be funny about that?

CH27: Did you not hear what I said? People are dead.

Eric: So?

David fought the urge to end the chat then and there. Eric couldn't be serious. He wasn't expecting Eric to break down over it, but Eric had to understand why he was upset at least.

CH27: What the fuck is your problem? The guy was being a dick, but I don't think he needed to die for it.

Eric: Get over yourself. You really think this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't done anything? That ship was doomed to sink David. You just sped up the process.

David started to type a response and froze. He read Eric's response again. His entire system locked up as if he jumped into a freezing cold lake. He re-read the line again and again, but the result was always the same: Eric knew his real name. But how? He knew for a fact he never used any identifying information, he couldn't have. He was very careful not to.

His first instinct was to end the chat immediately. He moved the cursor to the red x in the top right corner of his browser. He had no idea how Eric found out who he was, but there was no way he could continue talking to him.

Just before he could press down on the mouse, Eric sent another message.

Eric: I wouldn't do that, David.

David froze. Could Eric see him? Impossible. He didn't have a webcam connected to his computer. But instead of comfort, that thought sent a chill up his spine. That would mean there were cameras in the apartment. But where? As small as the place was, if there were cameras stashed somewhere he would have seen at least one by now.

Another message from Eric appeared on the screen, and David did not want to read it. But his eyes were drawn to it. His eyes moved slowly over each word, feeling his heart drop another inch each time.

Eric: David, don't think of closing the browser or canceling your account. That would be a very bad move.  After all we're just talking. You wouldn't think of doing to me what others have done to you, right?

David stared at the screen in horror. He couldn't believe what was happening right now. He was being held hostage by some random person on an online chat room. Why was this happening to him? When did Eric become involved in his life? How much did Eric know about him?

Unfortunately David had no time to think about it. He needed to respond to the message or else.  With shaking fingers, he typed a response.

CH27: Yeah. Of course I wouldn't.

Eric: Oh good. You had me worried for a minute. Now tell me who else is bothering you.

David cocked his head in confusion. Up until now, Eric never asked for a name. Of course he also never mentioned David's real name. What was the point in mentioning anyone by name anyway? If Eric was stalking him, he already knew who everyone was. David's tail ducked under his seat as the realization of why Eric wanted a name hit him like a punch to the gut.

CH27: It was you. You killed them.

It seemed outrageous, but David felt it in his gut. Eric somehow killed Samson Thomas and drove Pepper to kill her brother.

Eric: Whoa! That's a pretty outrageous accusation. How can you say that? Those people simply got what they deserved.

CH27: Bullshit.

Eric: That's harsh. Although, this is more your fault than mine. This whole thing was your idea.

CH27: It was not! I didn't do a damn thing.

Eric: That's where you're wrong, David. You wanted those people to suffer. You  wanted them to feel the pain and anger at being betrayed by those closest to them.

David wanted to type in a counterargument, to tell Eric that he was wrong. He wanted to say it, but he couldn't. His mind couldn't figure out how to phrase it, and his hands were frozen on the keyboard. No matter how he looked at it, wasn't that what he wanted? Wasn't that the reason for slipping the envelope into Otto's apartment.

Eric: I didn't think so. If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't trying to kill anyone. Things just ended up that way.

CH27: Don't give me that shit! Was this all part of the “plan" you came up with?

Eric: Careful, Davey. I don't care if you're upset. Don't call me a liar. As for my plan, no comment. Just know that everything will be okay.

CH27: No it won't. I'm calling off the plan.

Eric: Don't do that David.

CH27: Or what? It's my life. If I want to live in misery, I can.

Eric: I won't let you destroy yourself, David. I'm not the enemy here, they are.  

CH27: I don't care. I'm done.

Eric: I don't need your permission. But you have a point. Not being in the loop gives you plausible deniability. Good idea.

David cupped his mouth to keep from screaming. His tail ran under the chair, quivering like a scared child. There was no way out. Eric already had a list, and he wouldn't be talked out of scratching off every name on it. But why tell? If Eric really didn't need permission, why bother contacting him in the first place?

But again, David didn't have time to speculate. If he wanted answers, if there was to be any hope of stopping Eric's spree. there was only one option. He typed his response, fighting back the bile building in his throat.

CH27: Wait. I want to be in the loop. I want to know which one of those bastards is next.

He hated writing the message. It left a twisted feeling in his gut that made him want to vomit. But he needed to stay on the inside so he could tell the police. If he knew who was next on Eric's hit list, they could be warned, and the cops could set up some kind of operation to catch Eric in the act.

All he had to do was figure out how to tip off the cops without Eric catching on.

Eric: Sweet! I knew you wouldn't let me down. So who do you want to go after next?

David grabbed his ears again, squeezing so hard, he started to hear ringing. He needed a name. If he didn't give one, Eric would pick his own. David came up with the idea of getting back into the fold,  but he couldn't shake the thought that he was basically dangling someone like a piece of meat in front of a hungry beast. The plan was flimsy at best. What if the police didn't believe him? Someone would die if he couldn't convince anyone there was a psycho stalking them. Then there was the threat of jail time.

Flimsy or not, the plan was all David had. He swallowed and forced his fingers to type a response, praying that this crazy idea wouldn't come back to bite him.

CH27: Brent Caldwell.

Eric: That's the prick who picked a fight with you so he could fire you right? That's one for the record books. I've seen some asshole bosses before, but that guy makes number one. I'm surprised karma hasn't kicked him in the ass yet.That'll change soon.

David didn't respond. His body refused to do anything he told it. He still wrapping his mind around idea that for the last several weeks, he'd been ordering hits on people and didn't know it. There was no telling how many lives have ended because he complained to someone on the internet. People he knew, hung out with, once called his friends. Even now, knowing the cost of his actions, he had no choice but to keep sentencing others. All in the hopes that he might be able to put an end to it before someone else was hurt.

David vomited onto the floor.