Comatose

Suspect List

Chapter 17

Angelica stood on shaky legs still surprised by her husband's request. Her doppelganger remained beside her a scowl marring her face as she stared off into the distance arms crossed against her chest. While Angelica was stunned the other woman was visibly angry. Angelica's own reaction to the news was disconcerting. She thought her revelations over her marriage would have hardened her heart a little. Clearly she still had some distant feelings for the man she was married too.

"We need to get this started." Her subconscious stated matter of fact.

"Because of Kevin?" Angelica asked knowing there was a slim chance he could figure out a way to get what he wanted.

"There is that, but I was thinking more about those flowers. It's possible they're from the person that tried to take your life. If he's already figured out you're alive, then we're running out of time. Kevin may not have to find a way to end your existence." Angelica shivered in fear at the thought of having been found. She didn't know how it was possible but what was done was done.

"Let's get started then. The sooner the better." Angelica sighed the other woman nodding in the affirmative beside her. The noise from her hospital room faded away until silence enveloped the two of them once more.

"Remember what I told you. Pick a memory and concentrate." Angelica nodded turning to face away from her subconscious. The least amount of distractions she had the better. Picking a point in time she fixated every thought on making it as clear as possible. It didn't take long before the fog around her began to stir pushing out away from her once again. She closed her eyes to what was going on around her trying to maintain her focus.

It seemed to only take a small fraction of time. Peaking out of one squinted eye Angelica confirmed she had done it. Her eyes flew open in shock as she looked around her street in wonder. She had decided to start in the more recent memories and work her way backwards. If the killer has only been active for a short period of time she reasoned that it was more likely that she came into contact with him in her current day to day activities. Angelica glanced around trying to gauge what day it was. When she had picked her memory, it had been more about zeroing in on her routine then a specific time. Clearly she hadn't thought that part out very well. She chastised herself for the oversight knowing she didn't have the time to make such mistakes.

Voices from across the street caught Angelica's attention. Her gaze moved to the Miller's house just across from her own. Ashley Miller was talking to the mail carrier that had their neighborhood as part of his route. Angelica hustled across the street to get a better look. When she reached the Miller's front step she dismissed Mrs. Miller completely knowing without a doubt that the one who attacked her that night was a man and not a woman. Angelica turned to face Mr. Peterson their mailman. The height seemed right but she wasn't entirely sure. When her attacker approached her from behind that night she had seen his darkened image reflected in the window. If she had to make an estimate of how tall he was she would say he had been around Kevin's height. She had come up to about where his chin would be which is where she stood next to her husband. Facing the frozen postman Angelica came up to about his chin as well. Backing up a little she took in his physique. Mr. Peterson was in better shape then most for his age of 52. He still was slightly rotund around the middle which she knew her attacker had not been. Also, the skin of his hands while roughed had a younger feel to it. She knew from experience from shaking Mr. Peterson's hand in thanks many times before that his hands were more dried out then work roughened. The skin on them was also looser causing the flesh that covered them to squish and move slightly with pressure. Sagging in resignation Angelica let the scene move forward. She didn't know why she was so disappointed. It wasn't as if she had expected to stumble across him within the first memory she came to. She also really didn't want it to be Mr. Peterson. He was a well liked and respected man in their community and Angelica had always thought of him as a genuinely nice guy.