Persona (The 'Professional' series) by Ceri Bladen Page A

couldn’t ever be with
her in the physical sense, but he enjoyed her company and he had decided over
the last couple of days without her, that he was not going to deprive himself
of another minute with her. 
    He had gone
out this morning to buy red wine, thick, juicy steaks and beautiful prawns to
make a ‘Surf and Turf’ meal for them.  Eric had phoned him earlier on to
say that he had a date and so would not be home.  Usually, that would have
been the time that Daniel would make sure he wasn’t home either.  Today
was different, he felt different, sort of calm.  Tonight would be relaxing
and pleasant, just him and Ella.
    His calmness
vanished as he walked into the apartment.   A lamp was smashed on the
table.  There was something not right, he looked around searching quickly
for answers to what was going on.   Christ, Ella.  His heart hit
his toes quicker than a rollercoaster.  His stomach lurched.  What
happened if there was a burglary and Ella had been hurt?  He desperately
called out her name.
    Ella was
dazed, but she tried to muffle out a warning.  The ties around her mouth
were too tight.  It was no good, she couldn’t do anything.
    A movement
from his bedroom caught his eye.  He was confused.  Wasn’t that
Lindsey leaning up against the doorjamb, clad only in some sort of thin, black
negligee?  She smiled suggestively at him.  Now he was confused.
 Usually she looked at the floor when he was around. 
    He caught
his voice.  “Oh, Lindsey isn’t it?”  He tried to play a long, he was
an actor after all.  He hoped Ella was not back yet. “Not that I am not
over the moon of having a beautiful lady coming out of my bedroom, but what are
you doing here?”
    “Waiting for
you.”  She tried to answer sexily, her arm still draped up the door jamb.
    Daniel’s
brain was still tumbling wildly, trying to make sense on what was going
on.  He noticed something silver glinting in her hand, was that a knife or
gun?  Christ.
    “Well, you
seem to have caught me on a bad day.  I have a friend coming around
tonight.  So perhaps we could take a rain check?”  He noticed her
body stiffen and something unattractive flitted across her eyes. 
    Her eyes
darted towards Ella’s bedroom.  “I know all about your friends .”
    The same
time he noticed Ella’s suitcase, he spotted blood on Lindsey’s hand. 
    If he thought
he felt bad when he thought he was on his own with her, he now felt sick. 
What had she done to Ella?  He looked back at her. What could he do? 
If it was a knife, perhaps he could overpower her.  She was tiny, although
looking at her again, he realised that most of her was pure muscle.  He
kicked himself for not noticing her strength before.  She had hidden it
well under those frumpy clothes.  What if it was a gun?  Well he
wasn’t silly.  He would have to pretty much do anything she asked. 
    He had to
pretend he didn’t know Ella was here.  If she wasn’t hurt already, he had
to make sure that Lindsey’s attention was on him only.  He had to push
down the rage that was boiling at the thought that she had hurt Ella. 
Control things, control the situation his mind was telling him, through the
haze of fear.   He tried to think straight.  “Would you like a
drink?”  He started to walk towards the kitchen, plenty of knives there.
    “Stop. 
I don’t think so.”  Lindsey showed her hand - so it was a gun. 
    He swore
under his breath. 
    “The
bedroom, I think.  You normally take all your lovers there don’t
you?  I’ve been watching you for years, I know all about your
lovers.  Now it is my time to be with you.”  She rubbed her hand over
her body cupping her breast, it made him feel sick.
    Oh Christ,
she was delusional as well as psychotic.  How was he going to handle
this?  He did not have much choice; choices were taken away when she had
shown him the gun. 
    He took a
hesitant step towards her and the bedroom, hopefully away from