The Admirer: The Doll Collector Sequel

Chapter 8: Kristopher

Maria stared at me from the kitchen table as I said goodbye and locked the front door. My heart was pounding in my chest. I couldn't bear the idea of leaving her alone in the house without having locked her in the doll room.

I didn't know what she was trying to prove, but she was stealing my peace of mind.

She wanted me to trust her. For what reason? I couldn't find a benevolent reason for it. Maria was toying with me and I would have to remain one step ahead of her always.

My time to ponder her suspicious behavior was short, and my anxiety regarding my secret identity surfaced the moment I walked into the station.  Agents Backstrom and Trotz were standing around holding boxes of files. I recognized it to be all of the evidence that had been gathered during The Doll Collector investigation.

Backstrom felt my presence, and turned her body to face me. Her eyes cut right through me, as if she knew everything about me. I looked at a point other than her eyes, just a little to the left, so it would still spear as though I were looking at her.

What she could see in me didn't scare me much, it was rather, what I couldn't see in her. A shield was behind her eyes, seemingly around her entire body. She sucked the energy out of the room and commanded all attention.

Women like her were dangerous.

She greeted me, dropping the bomb that Lieutenant Carter had given them my office. I was stunned as she placed the heavy box in my arms.  Backstrom already had the key, it was wrapped around her wrist with a rubber band, but she wanted me to see that she was entering my personal space.

I looked over at Lieutenant Carter to find he had an expectant look on his face.  Maybe I should start killing men too. It at the least run a pen through that damn free yoga ball. Let's see if he's strengthened his core enough to withstand me kicking him in the guts.

I settled for rolling my eyes at him and turning to face the entrance of my office.

Backstrom and Trotz were already seated inside of, having moved all of my files and desk ware and dumped them on a filing cabinet.

Hear burned under my skin. I hadn't felt this much anger since I was a teenager. It would usually evaporate when I cause some damage, however pinching a wall would not sit well with my superiors.

I entered the office, the space already feeling foreign to me. Backstrom asked for the box to be set on the desk where Trotz had already dropped his boxes.

"I'm surprised that Lieutenant Carter would place such a beautiful woman in my office." I said, hoping a little charm would go a long way.

"Cut the bullshit, Kris. We don't like each other, so let's just stay out of each other's way until this is over. Got it?" She snapped.

More heat. More anger. I wanted to curl my hand into a fist and take it out on a piece of drywall.

"Whatever you want, as any choice suits me, but keep in mind that that's my chair, and you can sit on the other side of that desk, and if anyone comes to talk to me, you have to leave." I told her firmly.

"The FBI trumps whatever status you think you have."

Her eyes were as sharp as knives, but mine were sharper.

"Not in this office. Now kindly park your ass on the other seat. And you too."

That was directed at Agent Trotz. He seemed the type to not enjoy office tension, so he moved over willingly. Backstrom glared at me, but sat on the other side.

I always did like an obedient woman.

With the tide having turned in this situation, I sat down in my chair, placing my phone on the desk beside my keyboard.