Her eyes looked into mine. I saw a deep fear there that almost frightened me. This girl was scared. I just couldn’t figure out what she was so terrified of and why she couldn’t tell me.
“I’m here to help, Marissa. Can’t you just tell me?”
She seemed to be contemplating it for a few seconds, and I almost thought she would, but then a dark shadow went over her face, and she shut down.
She shook her head, and said, “It’s all been a mistake. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come to you in the first place. It was stupid of me to think the police could help me. Just forget it.”
And with that, she left.
SIXTEENASHLEY
The evening went better than expected. Ashley Wittman had been slightly nervous before her date with the guy, Bryan. Not so much because online dating was new to her, it wasn’t; she had been trying to find love online for years now, with no luck. No, she was nervous, because she had been talking to this guy for several weeks now and she already knew she liked him. She liked his personality, and he was well-educated and, on top of that, he was very, very handsome. At least in the picture. She had talked to him on FaceTime as well, many times, and knew he wasn’t as handsome in real life as in the profile picture, but it was close enough.
He could be the one.This could finally be him, the man I have been waiting for.
She looked at herself in the mirror one last time, before leaving her condo. The thought was exhilarating. But it also terrified her. She was afraid to hope, she was afraid to think like that again, because she had been disappointed so many times.
But as the night went on, Ashley found herself becoming more and more attracted to Bryan. They talked about everything and anything, and she found herself laughing and smiling more than she had in a long time. The restaurant they had chosen was cozy and intimate, and the candlelight flickered across Bryan’s face in a way that made her heart skip a beat.
As they walked toward her car after a lovely dinner, Bryan took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I had a really great time with you tonight,” he said softly.
Ashley smiled up at him, blushing slightly. Why did she suddenly feel like a high school girl?
“Me too,” she replied.
Bryan leaned in closer, pushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. His eyes searched hers for an answer before slowly closing the gap between them. Ashley felt her heart flutter with excitement as their lips met for the first time. She melted into him, feeling a spark of electricity course through her veins as his hands found their way to her hips. He deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth as he pulled her closer. Ashley moaned softly, wishing that this moment could last forever.
They pulled apart, both of them breathless. Bryan leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Let’s go back to my place.”
Ashley hesitated for a moment. It was soon, but something about Bryan made her feel like this was the start of something special. She nodded, and Bryan took her hand once more, leading her toward his car.
The drive to his place was filled with anticipation, and Ashley couldn’t help but steal glances at Bryan as he drove. Was it just her or was he more handsome now than when they first met earlier in the night? There was something special about him and his confident demeanor only added to his allure.
It was getting harder to keep the hope down.
Easy now, tiger. He could be some weirdo who lives with his mother. Or maybe he collects dolls’ heads.
When they arrived at his condo, Bryan led her inside and immediately pulled her into a passionate kiss. There was no mother and no decorated dolls’ heads on shelves or on display in glass monitors under spotlights. Ashley decided maybe she had been too paranoid. This was it; this was the time to throw herself in, full blown, with no holding back. She decided, for once, to give herself over completely.
It’s now or never.
Ashley moaned into his mouth, her body pressing against his as he lifted her up and carried her toward the bedroom. The way he carried her made her feel light as a feather.
As soon as they entered the room, Bryan’s hands were all over her, pulling at the fabric of her dress and leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. Ashley’s fingers tangled in his hair as he undressed her, and soon they were both completely naked and tangled up in the sheets.
Bryan’s touch was electric, igniting a fire within Ashley that she had never experienced before. Not even with Alex, who she dated for more than three years. This was different. More intense. He knew exactly how to touch her, where to kiss her, and how to make her moan with pleasure. The way he looked at her, with pure desire and passion, made her feel beautiful and wanted in a way she had never felt before.
As they explored each other’s bodies, Ashley couldn’t help but feel like this was more than just a hookup. There was a connection between them that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it was undeniable. Bryan felt it too, she could tell by the way he kissed her and held her close.
Like he never wanted to let her go.
Hours passed by as they made love, forgetting the world outside of the bedroom. They were lost in each other, in the pleasure and in the moment. When they finally collapsed in each other’s arms, sweaty and exhausted, Ashley knew that this was just the beginning. There would be many more nights like these. Exhausting and exhilarating nights.
Later, Ashley opened her eyes to see him lying beside her, expecting the sight of his sleeping handsome face to make her smile.
Only he wasn’t there. His side of the bed was empty.
She searched the room for any trace of Bryan. Had she done something wrong? Her mind raced with questions, each one more terrifying than the last.
Just then, she heard the sound of water running from the bathroom. Relief flooded through her as she realized he was just taking a shower. She lay back down, her heart still pounding as she tried to calm herself.
You’re being silly as usual, Ashley. Just silly.
But as the moments ticked by, Ashley’s anxiety began to grow once again. Bryan had been in the shower for an awfully long time. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Finally, unable to take it any longer, Ashley got out of bed, put on Bryan’s T-shirt that he had thrown on the floor and walked to the bathroom. She hesitated for a moment before knocking softly on the door.
“Bryan?” she called out tentatively. “Are you okay?”
There was no response, no sound from inside the bathroom. Ashley’s heart sank as she pushed the door open slowly.
The sight that met her eyes made her gasp in shock.
SEVENTEENBILLIE ANN
We frantically searched for answers to Cassandra’s whereabouts before she was murdered, feeling our time and resources slipping away. Everywhere I went, I found people who had seen her the day before she was murdered, but no one had noticed anything amiss. The last person to have seen her on Saturday night was Mr. Cornwell, and so far, we hadn’t gotten anything out of him. Tom had interviewed him, but he was at work that day in Publix and several coworkers gave him an alibi, along with surveillance cameras showing him at the store on that day. But his shift ended at two thirty and he didn’t have any alibi for the time after, as he said he was taking a stroll on the beach before returning to his house at four thirty. He was still of interest to me.
