The Admirer: The Doll Collector Sequel

Chapter 24: Kristopher

I'd been laid up in bed since getting here. My shotgun wounds would be taking quite a while to heal, and to regain mobility was going to take a lot of physical therapy. Lieutenant Carter had already set me up with a physical therapist many offer worked with, as well as the department psychologist. He felt I needed someone to speak with after everything that had happened.

Maria had been back a couple of times to visit me, and her mother had tagged along. She was very thankful that I had saved her daughter, again. You're welcome.

My last day at the hospital had finally arrived and I was being equipped with pain killers, and my care routine for my gunshot wounds. I couldn't wait to get home. I was sick of being in this place with oddly delicious green jello.

I also missed Eloise and the privacy of my home. My girls would no longer be there, and their absence would be palpable, but I had to try and move on. Maria and I had discussed tearing the room apart to help with the process.

She was trying to help, but sometimes the things she said filled me with rage. This would take months maybe years to break apart. My identity as a killer had taken just as long to form. She couldn't unravel it just like that. Yet, I had to remain open to her ideas and be cooperative.

I was finishing up with my change of clothes that Maria had brought over the day before. My wounds were especially rabid today, and it took much longer than expected to slid on a shirt and a pair pf pants.

A knock on the my room door preceded Adrian's entrance. He was carrying a white orchid in his hand.

"Hey, how ya feeling?" he asked.

"Great, now that I get to leave this place." I replied.

Adrian set the orchid down and didn't continue the conversation. The tension was building so rapidly, I had to look over at him. His eyes were turned to the floor, as if he were avoiding what was to come. Odd.

I finished sliding on my shoes and turned to face him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"We have to talk, Kris." he said quietly, continuing to avoid my gaze.

From all the years I had known him, this was unlike him. He was always straight forward and certainly didn't hold back from telling me what to do.

"Adrian." I prodded, sternly.

"Kris... I... I don't even know where to begin." he replied, finally looking at me. "I know."

My heart plummeted into my stomach and surely began to roast in my stomach acids.

"You know what?" I asked, nonchalantly.

My voice quivered and I mentally kicked myself for being so quick to give into emotions. There was no way Adrian knew who I was.

"I know who you are. I've known ever since you let Maria go."

Or maybe he did. Adrian's eyes were trembling with disappointment and betrayal. In this moment, he would love to hear that it wasn't what he thought. He'd gotten it mixed up, or that Taylor had framed me. I could lie.

"... How?"

But I decided not to. Running was exhausting.

"Little bits and pieces. You were always on your fishing trips right before mannequins popped up. It coincided perfectly every time. I cross referenced your trips with the dates mannequins were discovered. It had to be planned. One or two times was a coincidence maybe, but three, four times? Barbara disappeared right after we interviewed her, and she was supposed to be on a date with you. Carole was killed shortly after she gave me a description of your disguise. It was also evident that you and Maria had a previously established relationship, yet she'd been missing all this time. The looks you two exchanged made it so clear to me, not to mention how quickly she ran off to your house after I told her to stay away from you. That tension between you two had been building up. Taylor was using Maria to get to you because he knew that she was probably the only thing that you cared about. That's also the reason that the dolls ended up on your front porch, right? He pulled them from your own home while you were with Maria. He was bringing all of this to light, to torture you..."