“Are you okay?” Scott asks. “I got the call when I was already patrolling the area.”
When my eyes finally open, I sweep my hands over my body checking for any wounds, but I’m fine. The only blood is coming from the knife wound on my neck. He stares at me, not looking at the body, until he checks me out first.
“Let’s get you off the floor,” he says, pointing to the blood pooling around the body.
That’s when he gets a better look. His audible gasp makes me turn, and I see his eyebrows raised. “How do you know him?”
“That’s my partner... Larry,” he says, shaking his head, probably feeling like a damn idiot for not putting two and two together. “It all makes sense now. He probably took his picture out of the envelope, and why he took that leave right when all this stuff happened to you. God, I’m such a damn idiot.”
“His real name is Keith. You couldn’t have known. He’s done hurting me now.”
“But how many others have been hurt? It’s not like you can be the only one he’s done something like this, too.”
“I wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for you.” As inappropriate as it is, my hands fly around Scott’s neck. “You saved my life.”
Paramedics rush inside, heading straight for the body, as I wave them off. The first one checks Keith’s pulse and pronounces him dead on scene. The blood is now creeping its way toward me, so I back away further, and stare at the man that can no longer hurt me. A sigh of relief washes over me, knowing I won’t have to watch over my shoulder anymore, or worry every time I hear a noise. My life can go back to normal.