Chapter 33
CHAPTER 33
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The moment Doctor Porter gives her a gentle smile, she stops worrying about Cole.
She’s here to work. To find out more about Erik and Ellie and allow the doctor to tell his story.
“Breana?” he asks from his desk. He’s an older Beta with greying white hair and glasses, dressed in dark grey slacks and a light blue long-sleeved button-up shirt. The openness of his expression instantly makes Bree feel at ease.
He seems genuinely happy to see her, and she gives him a smile in return.
“That’s me,” she says, walking over to shake his hand. “Thank you so much for meeting with me, Doctor.”
The corner of his eyes crinkle. “Your email was so well written and polite that I couldn’t help but agree to meet with you,” he says. “Unlike every other news outlet that seemed determined to get whatever crazy story they could.” He motions to the leather couch against the opposite wall. “Please, sit down.”
With her notebook open, she’s ready to start writing, but Doctor Porter asks about her first.
“So, you’re from Holden, right?” he asks. “I hope you didn’t come here all by yourself.”
Bree scoffs. “You’re probably the millionth person to say that,” she chuckles. “I did. Probably shouldn’t have, though.”
That’s an understatement.
“Ah. Ellie did the same thing,” he sighs. He must see something on Bree’s expression, and he waves his hand. “Sorry! I don’t mean that in a bad way. I adored Miss Winters. She was lovely. And so brilliant.” A smile crosses his face. “She had a lot of patience, especially with Erik.”
Bree perks up. “Oh. Could you elaborate on that? I’d love to hear more about it.”
The doctor regards her curiously. “I read your interview questions, Miss Hanson. And instead of answering them one by one, would you be alright if we just discuss them?”
She nods. “Of course. I’m just flattered you would even meet with me, Doctor Porter.”
The doctor’s light green eyes soften. “I’m glad. First, what I’m about to say may surprise you, especially if you’ve been paying attention to news outlets. But I think Miss Winters is alive. I don’t think Erik harmed her one bit.”
Her heart beats rapidly in her chest.
“That’s what I assumed too,” she says honestly. “But I felt crazy wording it to anyone.”
“Erik is…complicated, to say the least,” the doctor chuckles. “I’m not forgiving what he’s done. It was reprehensible. But I knew him for a few years, and something changed in him when he met Ellie.” His gaze grows distant. “My hope is that they’re together, somewhere safe. ”
“You don’t think he kidnapped her?” Bree presses. “Everyone else seems to think so.”
The doctor lets out a slow, deep breath. “It’s hard to say for sure,” he admits. “Ellie came off very confident, but I’ve been doing this job long enough to see when someone is in pain on the inside. She was hurting, just like Erik.”
Bree swallows and fidgets with her pencil. “How do you mean?”
He clears his throat. “This is all speculation, Miss Hanson. I could be completely wrong. He could have killed her, and I would look insanely foolish for having hope in such a tragic situation.” He shakes his head and peers at a notebook on his desk, sighing. “He’s a murderer. I try not to judge my patients, but even I know how ridiculous it sounds to think that a man like Erik deserves some type of happiness after everything he’s done.”
Bree swallows, doing her best not to think of Cole. “Do you think Ellie is with him willingly?” she asks, dreading his answer.
The doctor blinks and drums his fingers on his desk. “I think if she didn’t want to be there, Erik wouldn’t force her to stay with him,” he says slowly.
“Even after everything he’s done? There are some rumors that he wrecked her car,” she adds. “And that he was tracking her from inside the prison with a stolen phone and encrypted software.”
He makes a face. “I’ve seen people fall in love under stranger circumstances,” he mutters.
She blinks as her heart beats rapidly in her chest.
“Sorry…you think they’re in love ?”
The doctor shrugs. “Off the record?” he asks timidly. “May I be candid for a moment?”
She nods eagerly. “Yes, of course.”
“I think Erik cares for her deeply. I can’t speak for him, but when Ellie was working with him, it was the closest I’ve seen to him be happy during his stay at the facility. And when I read Ellie’s reports…I could tell that she saw more in him than just his past actions. I know I can’t speak for her, either…but I can tell there was a connection there. He was a different man when she was there. There was a softness to him that I’d never seen before. Again, this is all conjecture. But…I like to think that they’re somewhere together, happy.”
She’s shocked. “You don’t want to see him back in prison?”
He gives her a gentle smile. “The right answer is I do, so that’s what I’ll tell you.”
“That’s very generous of you, Doctor Porter.”
“I’m getting old, Miss Hanson, and I’ve seen a lot of things in my career. I either turn into a bitter old man about it, or I try to believe that most people have some inkling of good in them.”
“And that includes Erik Hart?”
He nods. “I’m not excusing murder, of course, but from what I know, Erik’s story is more complicated than just a few unprovoked deaths. I won’t elaborate, but I’ve learned people’s lives are nuanced.”
For a frightening moment, she has the urge to ask Doctor Porter for advice about Cole.
He’s a psychologist; he would probably have insight about what she should do.
The logical thing is to run from Green Woods screaming, get a new phone, and tell the police about him.
“If you could speak to Ellie, what would you tell her?” Bree blurts. “I mean, if she’s with him now, what would you say?”
The doctor tilts his head curiously. “I would tell her as long as she’s happy and safe to not overthink it,” he says slowly, his eyes narrowing. “Are you alright, Miss Hanson? ”
She realizes her hand is shaking. “Of course. You just have such a different insight than I was expecting.”
Cole was under her bed. He stole her panties. He hacked her phone.
There’s no happiness to be had with Cole, only destruction and chaos.
“People connect in all different ways,” he continues. “And some relationships are different than others. I would tell Ellie that I don’t judge her for being with Erik, and it doesn’t stop me from thinking she’s a wonderful person.”
He says it pointedly, and she bites her lips and scribbles nonsense into her notebook.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Of course,” she nods, and gives him a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “I have a few more questions though, if you don’t mind.”
“Ask away, Miss Hanson.”
Her hands grip the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turn white.
Cole doesn’t message her, and she tells herself it’s a good thing.
Even if she was entertaining the idea of being with him—which she’s not—she’s leaving tonight. She’ll leave her cell phone in the cabin so he can’t track her, and she’ll change her number when she’s back in Holden.
She will miss Darlene and Kyle, though. She plans to tell her goodbye after she’s double checked that she grabbed everything from the cabin.
But as she pulls up to the cabin, she hears a repeated high-pitched cry. She ignores it, thinking it must be a bird, but as she reaches the door, she stops and looks down .
A small orange kitten is meowing incessantly in front of her front door. It yells at her, tiny teeth and pink tongue giving off ferocious cries for her attention.
It’s a miniature replica of Oscar.
Her mouth falls open as she recalls Darlene’s words from the other day.
“He was a tomcat prowling around with those big cheeks. Probably the father of at least a million kittens, who knows.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time for you,” she tells the kitten, as she unlocks the door. It’s white and orange face weaves in between her legs, crying and whining. When it stands on its legs, digging tiny claws into her calf, she sighs and scoops it up.
“I can bring you to Darlene,” she whispers, as the kitten wiggles in her arms. “But I have to go.”
Her heart aches as she strokes the orange head. The cries subside, and the kitten’s blue eyes close in bliss.
“Darlene will have food for you,” she promises, as the cat climbs onto her chest and buries its face near her neck. “I can’t deal with this. I have to leave .”
But the creature clings to Bree, nestling its tiny body into her hold, and she sighs.
“Fine,” she mutters. “But after I load up the car, I’m bringing you to Darlene’s.”
She doesn’t have time for a kitten. She doesn’t have time for anything, except leaving Green Woods.
She’s about to grab a water bottle from the fridge when a figure approaches near the stairs, and she freezes.
The barrel of a shotgun is aimed at her as Eugene steps into view.