Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Whiteleaf Manor. That’s where my uncle and the other execs decided to hold the party this year. An old historical site just on the edge of downtown Detroit, not even a mile away from the company building. Whiteleaf was a banquet hall for weddings and company parties, with rooms of different colors and themes, making it look like they had been frozen in time.
I admired the place from the outside where I parked in a side lot. The cold stone walls were covered in dark ivy, the windows filled with colored glass, little lights strung across the roof.
In a way, it reminded me of another building that sat on an island by the water…
I dropped my bag and coat in the car and crossed the lot past a gated garden that was also decorated for the occasion. Silver and black streamers and sunset orange lanterns hung across the space above decorated tables.
The place was already packed. People mingled around, faces covered in all kinds of masks—animal faces, feathers, masquerade. Men in fine suits and women in slim-cut, sexy dresses. A few shimmered when they passed. But it was obvious theirs were more modern and less theatrical than mine. If I felt out of place, I didn’t show it. Though I noticed eyes on me from several who could identify me even with the mask.
I slid over to the entrance and gave the doorman my name. He looked me up and down, then checked the invitation list.
“Welcome, Ms. Layne. There is a bar to the left by the refreshments. Enjoy your night.”
As I entered the foyer, to my left, was a small room with the bar where a group of attendees waited to receive special drinks, while the rest were making their way upstairs.
The whole place gave off a noir vibe. I could hear slow jazz playing near the bar. The place was decorated in silver and black—even the chandeliers had little silver streamers dangling from them.
Before I slipped up the stairs with everyone else I moved over to one side where a welcome table sat. On it was a neatly designed sign that read WELCOME SPECIAL GUESTS AND FAMILIES. I studied the lists of names below the sign. There were at least three dozen.
I took out my phone which I had stuffed between the side of my right breast and slid my finger over the screen. There was a missed call from an unknown number. Probably spam. I brought up my camera and took pictures to look over later.
As I took one last photo, I felt someone move close behind me, a great hulking shadow. I flinched and whirled around, then gasped as I found myself face to face with a smiling skull.
“Champagne, ma'am?”
I stared at the server. His face was painted up to look like a skeleton, only the color was silver-gray instead of white. His uniform was a simple black dress shirt and black pants like the other servers. His eyes were dark as he blinked at me.
“N-no, thank you.” He moved onwards, nodding at me. All the servers including the bartender had their faces painted the same.
I moved from the welcome table and headed upstairs where I expected my uncle to be. The walls were covered in paintings and there was a huge wide stained glass window just above the stairway. I tried to focus on the design along the glass instead of the people around me, who side-eyed me.
When I climbed the second floor, hairs along my neck stood on end. There was a bathroom to one side and an employee-only staircase. Through a wide doorway to my right was where the most people entered. I followed and stepped into the ballroom. The center chandelier was decorated with paper lanterns and streamers that stretched across the wall. There was a long table of food on one end and little tables and chairs to the back wall but most groups stood around on the dance floor.
The crowd parted, and I caught my uncle near a small bar at the back, talking with one of his company partners. He held his simple black mask in his hand so people knew who he was. I made a beeline for him. When he saw me, he went silent and there was no welcoming smile on his face.
“Eve…” he said when I reached his side. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“It was a last-minute decision,” I said honestly.
He nodded while eyeing my dress. “Well, you look the part at least.”
“You look lovely,” the man beside Uncle Wes said. A large burly man with a graying black beard. Mr. Foley who had started at the company after my father’s death. “It’s nice to see you again.” He looked at Uncle Wes. “We’ll talk later.”
He left us alone, walking into the crowd to pull himself into a group in the center.
“You should have told me you were coming,” Uncle Wes said. “You could have come with Aunt May and Megan. They’re around here somewhere.”
“I’m not staying long,” I said. “I just wanted to talk.”
He shifted on his feet. “This is not the time. We can get a meeting together with our lawyers and—”
“I’m pulling my shares out of the company,” I interrupted, wanting to just rip the Band-Aid off for good. “That’s all I wanted to tell you for now. I no longer want anything to do with it.”
“Eve…”
“I’m serious. Maybe things have changed, but I’m not going to stay silent.”
He sighed. “If that’s your decision, then fine. But there will be consequences.”
“I know. I figure we won’t be talking much.”
He shook his head. “I’m really disappointed. Your father would be very disappointed.”
“Well, he’s not here. And I’d tell him the same thing if he was.”
“You don’t know what you're doing. We should talk about this later,” he said softly. “You’re just upset and aren’t thinking straight. Things happen, things we can’t control. It’s in the past now.”
“It’s not. How can you even—”
Uncle looked past me, his expression going from pissed off to friendly and, dare I say, nervous. “Kennedy, I’m so glad you could make it.”
I turned and saw a very tall man with striking gray eyes looking right at me, a black oni mask in his hand. He smiled when I caught his gaze. He was clean cut and I could tell he came from money. A nice black suit and a gold Rolex on one wrist. His dark hair was cut short and tattoos peeked out from the collar of his dress shirt. He was handsome, though something in his gaze made me feel odd, almost uncomfortable.
“Wes.” He stood beside me and shook my uncle’s hand. “Nice setup this year.”
“Had to dip my hands a little more in the donation box, but I think people appreciate it.”
“I think so too.” Kennedy dropped his hand and glanced at me.
“This is Eve, my…Roman Martel’s daughter,” Uncle Wes introduced. “Eve, Tyler Kennedy.”
He offered his hand, and I took it. “I never got the pleasure, but I’ve heard so much about you,” he said.
I forced a smile as I slipped my hand out from his. He was one of the donors. I remembered seeing his last name on the list.
“I don’t attend these parties often,” I replied. “And I’ve been very busy with—school.” I glanced at Uncle Wes, who smiled.
“I’ll bet.” He placed his hands in his pocket. “I’m a Michigan graduate myself but I heard State’s Psych program is well-acclaimed. And you've already got some impressive experience.”
My uncle shifted uncomfortably beside me.
“Yes, forensic psychology and psychodynamic therapy.”
“I might be in need of your services if you can believe it.” He took out a card from his suit coat and handed it to me. “When you're ready for work at least. School is the main focus, right?”
“Yes, for now.” The card had KENNEDY BIOMEDICAL AND MEDI-TEC ROBOTICS in bold letters. Interesting combination. “Robotics?”
“A newer project,” he explained. “AI is advancing at a fast rate. No better time than now to start testing. But that’s separate from our work with Martel, and we could never be happier with the results. But then Martel rarely disappoints.”
Yeah, well, prepare for that to change .
Just then, a sharp chill ran down my spine. I got that feeling like I was being watched. Uncle Wes made a passing comment but I didn’t pay attention as I turned my head around and looked behind me.
I noticed him in the back corner. A huge man in a server uniform, wearing a silver skull mask, staring at me. He stood there, unmoving. My pulse drummed. Something felt wrong by the way he watched me. I had a sudden strong urge to move.
“Eve?”
“I’m sorry, what?” I turned back to them.
“I was saying that you could possibly intern for Tyler once you're through school.”
“Oh…right.”
“Maybe even at his family's oldest facility, Severfalls,” he added.
I’d heard of that place; it had once been a sanatorium for illnesses like tuberculosis. Now it’s a famous rehab and psychiatric recovery center.
Tyler’s jacket started ringing. He took out his phone and studied the screen. “I’ve got to take this. Eve, it was really nice meeting you. Hope to talk soon.” He turned away to take his call and I took that moment to look behind me.
The man was gone.
My heart raced as anxiety dredged its way up to the surface.
“I need to mingle some more,” Uncle Wes said. “We’ll talk again soon, alright? We have a lot of good work we are doing now, innovative testing, assets that can help people. I wish you could see that. If you go through with your decision to undermine the company, you hurt far more than me and those who work at Martel. Think about that.” He started to move away, then paused, joining my side. “Also, someone left this for you at the welcome table.” He took out a small brown-wrapped package from inside his suit and handed it to me. “A gift from one of the families, I assume. Likely one of those who knew your father. They must have remembered your birthday is only in a few days, isn’t that nice?”
It had EVE scrawled in big letters.
If this was a way for Uncle Wes to make me feel guilty, it didn’t work. What was done was done, and I wasn’t planning on changing my mind.
I scanned the crowd again, still feeling uneasy, especially now that I was alone. I searched for that server but didn’t see a trace of him. Maybe I was just being paranoid, still jumpy from my experience at St. Agnes.
Trying to calm my nerves, I went over to the drink table and snatched up a champagne glass, draining it down. It was time to go.
I slipped out of the ballroom. Instead of heading for the stairs, I headed for the bathroom.
Inside was quiet, only an older woman sat on a cushioned chair by the sinks with tampons, pads, make-up correctors, napkins, and mints in a little basket. She smiled at me as I entered.
I set the little gift box on the counter and picked a stall. After I came out and washed my hands, the lady offered me a dry napkin.
“Thanks,” I said. Then I looked at her, a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I left my bag in the car. I didn’t think. Otherwise, I would tip…”
She waved me off. “Oh. Don’t worry, Miss.”
I took up the gift box and turned it over in my hand. I was close to just handing it over to her. It was a nice gesture from whoever had remembered, but I didn’t want anything from them. The small box told me it was probably jewelry and I knew I wasn’t going to wear it around without being reminded that that same family might have given money to my father to do his fucked-up experiments.
“What do you have there?” the lady asked. “A gift?”
“Maybe,” I said. If it was jewelry, I decided I would give it to her. I picked at the corners and tore the paper, finding a little gray box underneath. I pulled the rest of the paper off and set it on the counter. Carefully, I lifted the lid and found a little note on top of some thin wrapping paper.
See you soon. That’s all the note said.
Weird but okay.
Then, I studied the wrapping paper. Strangely, it seemed to be stained with some sticky brownish, red substance. Maybe it was candy instead. Curious now, I pulled back the paper. Blood drained from my face when I processed what it was.
“What is it?”
My stomach turned so violently I had no time to answer. I nearly dropped the box into the sink and flew into a stall. What little food I had in me went down the toilet. My body trembled, turning cold, and I thought I might get sick again.
Not jewelry or candy. But eyes. Two sets of them. A cloudy film coated the pupils yet the color was still there in both for me to recognize them.
Black as coal and sharp bright blue.
They were strung together by a crude fish-wire as if to make a bracelet or a necklace.
I took deep breaths, trying not to gag. I straightened, feeling lightheaded. I turned slowly out of the stall and felt the panic beginning to rise.
“Are you okay?” The woman held out a napkin, and I took it, wiping my mouth. “Boy, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone react over a gift like that.”
She hadn’t seen what I did. Before she could, I smacked the lid back on.
I thought of the man who had been watching me. Something about him had been all too familiar.
No. No, that wasn’t possible.
I went to grab for my phone, only for the lights to flicker and go out above us. Then I heard a loud bang—felt the sound vibrate in my chest—followed by screams from outside the bathroom.
“What’s going on?” the woman said, confusion and fear in her voice.
I started for the door and opened it, looking out. I could hardly see anything except for the streetlights streaming out of the wide window by the stairs. People were shouting and moving everywhere, most of them making for the stairs.
I reached for a man in a tux, catching his arm. “What’s happening?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said in a rush. “Some kind of attack.”
There was another loud pop and bang. Debris fell from the ceiling and the chandeliers began to swing.
“There’s a fire,” someone shouted.
The crowd panicked. They rushed the stairs. The man took hold of my arm. “You’re Martel’s daughter, right?” he said, keeping as calm as possible. “Come on, I’ll get you out.”
With him pulling me along and the crowd pushing me forward, I was forced toward the stairs. As we got half way down, the emergency lights came on, bathing the area in low white light, lengthening the shadows.
It was then that I saw him at the bottom. He glared at me in his silver mask, his body bent forward, one foot on the stair as if he was ready to lunge through the crowd to get to me. People moved around him, giving him a wide berth because of his size.
My heart lodged in my throat, a little cry moving past my lips. I tore my arm away from the man who—unbeknown to him—was dragging me toward the devil.
He turned on me. “What’s wrong? We need to go.”
Terror gripped me, and I started to back away, people bumping and pushing into me from behind. There was a brief moment between me and Emery where it was just us and no one else existed. He knew now I recognized him. He moved, taking long strides toward me.
Fuck.
I bolted back up the stairs, breaking through the crowd, pushing past them, seeing nothing but a sea of screaming, shouting masks.
I didn’t dare look behind me.
The Devil of Harper Pointe had come home, and he was looking to finish me off.
I saw the woman from the bathroom going through a door that said EMPLOYEES ONLY and I rushed for her.
I forced myself inside the little room with her and slammed the door shut, fumbling for the lock.
“Maam, what are you—!”
As I got the lock in place the door jolted off its hinges, the wood splintering on the side where he kicked it.
Thud. CRACK.
We both yelped in surprise. I stumbled back, pulling her with me.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” she shouted.
I turned around the room and saw it was full of storage supplies, but at the opposite end, there was a service elevator. “Come on.” I pulled her toward it.
“Why? Who is that?”
A monster in a man’s body . I shoved open the elevator door and the gate with it, then dragged her in and shut the door behind us, looking out to the storage room through a small circular window. I closed the gate just as the outer door burst open, wood splintering and flying everywhere, the door practically coming off its hinges. A scream tore up my throat as I jammed my finger on the down button. He came through just as the elevator buzzed to life and began to sink. He pulled open the elevator door and I backed myself into the corner as far from him as I could get. He tried to pull the gate aside but it was jammed in place. He tried to force it but it wouldn’t budge. By then the elevator was too far gone down for him to open the gate and get inside. He realized this and then watched me.
His gaze sent a shudder down my body. I hardly recognized them. I didn’t even know if he was in there or if something else had taken his place.
He backed away as the elevator sank down past the second level, disappearing from the room.
“Why is he after you?” the woman asked after a moment of silence.
“It’s a long story,” I murmured. The elevator sank to the first level and I wanted to shout at it to move faster, my hand clutching the gate. “Where is the nearest exit?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Just through the kitchen,” she said, “to your left.”
The elevator touched down, and I shoved the gate aside then threw open the door. The kitchen was dark and empty, smoke wafting in the air from a low fire on the burners.
“This way,” the woman said. She grabbed my hand and together we ran past metal tables and shelves and out the back door of the kitchen.
Behind the mansion, the alleyway was lit by a single orange streetlight above, empty, save for a dumpster to one side.
“If we go around this way, we can make it to the garden,” the woman said, pointing to the right. I followed her along, looking behind me every second, waiting to see him there, somewhere in the dark.
We rounded a corner and came to the back of the garden. The woman went over to a small gate by the wall and took out a gray card, pressing it to a scanner. The gate buzzed and she pulled at the handle but it didn’t open.
“Damn finicky thing,” she whispered, wiping the card and trying again.
I thought I heard something clatter down the alley, and I flinched. I slipped by the wall and peeked around the corner.
It was still empty. An old tin sheet on its side of the dumpster had tipped over.
Rats. Just rats or something. It isn’t him, we lost him, he can’t find me, please, oh god, please, open this fucking gate.
The gate buzzed again and made a soft click. This time when she pulled, it opened.
Quickly, we slipped inside. As I went to shut the gate, I heard the crunching of feet coming around the corner.
“Go!” I hissed. “Hide!” I shut the gate and he was there. I gasped as he came up to the wrought iron fence, gripping it and pulling.
The gate rattled but didn’t open.
I whimpered as I backed away. He pulled again and when the gate didn’t move, he looked around for another way in.
“Emery,” I whispered.
I couldn’t help it. I knew he was gone but I couldn’t stop myself from calling to him. He paused and looked at me. No, he looked right through me. Then he moved again as if he hadn’t heard at all.
I followed him with my gaze as he moved like a wolf along the fence-line. “Emery, please don’t do this.”
He didn’t listen, didn’t stop. No, there was no stopping him. I needed to run.
“Hey, this way!” the lady called.
I took a few steps back, then I ran.
We rushed along the walkways and into the courtyard where they had set up tables. Then we made it to the front gates where hordes of people crowded the streets.
I lost her in the crowd as we split away. Everything was too chaotic, too overwhelming. A fire truck slowly passed with three ambulances behind, followed by two cop cars. People moved aside to let them pass, packing the sidewalks. From the mansion, the smoke billowed from one end.
I didn’t know if he started the fire to hurt everyone or just to distract them to get to me.
“Eve? Eve! There you are!”
Mr. Foley jogged over to me. “Are you alright?”
“I…I don’t know,” I said honestly.
He frowned, looking me over. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “Where is Uncle Wes?”
“Come.” He put a hand at my back and I followed him over to one of the ambulances.
The EMS were putting Wes in a stretcher; he had a brace around his neck and his hair was dirty with ash and smoke.
“Uncle Wes!” I went to move closer.
“Eve!” Aunt May took hold of my arm, her silver dress stained with dirt. Megan was right beside her, looking pale. “You're okay, we saw you going back up the stairs, what were you thinking?”
“I was…” I looked around me but didn’t see Emery in the crowd. I felt too open and I needed to go. I needed to put as much distance from him as I could.
“We need to go to the hospital,” she said. “Megan is taking the car, you can follow her if you want.”
I didn’t answer. If I went, Emery would follow. Nowhere felt safe.
They rolled Uncle Wes into the ambulance and Aunt May climbed in. She took her daughter’s hand. “See you there.”
They shut the door and the lights flashed on, the horn sounding to warn people to clear away.
As it disappeared, I searched over by the cop cars parked on the other side of the street, but the officers were gone.
Some people still wore their masks and a few of those people were workers from the mansion. They started to blend together, heightening my panic.
“I-I guess I’ll see you there,” Megan said, starting to walk away.
I grabbed her shoulder. “Wait.” I didn’t know what to say or do. I didn’t want to be alone but I couldn’t keep her with me either.
“I’ll come to the hospital as well,” Mr. Foley said. “I’ll take you to your cars.”
As we got to the front of the lot, I was relieved to see one of the officers, talking to what I assumed was one of the managers of Whiteleaf. I told Megan and Mr. Foley I’d be right back as I jogged over to them.
“I’m sorry to cut in,” I said, “but you need to get more police out here. There’s a very dangerous man, who’s responsible for the fire.”
The officer glared at me curiously. “You saw him?” he asked.
“Yes, he’s wearing a server uniform from Whiteleaf with a silver mask.”
The officer looked over at the manager, who shook his head. “I-I didn’t notice anything suspicious about our servers,” he said.
“No, she’s right.” The woman who had helped me before reappeared, coming up to join us. “I saw him too. He was after…her.” She gestured toward me.
The manager looked shocked. The officer gazed suspiciously at me.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Eve.”
“Eve what?”
“Eve…Layne. And he’s out here right now. You need to call in backup, help get these people off the streets to safety.” I waved my arm toward the street still full of people heading out through the dark.
“Why would he set the place on fire if he’s after you?” the officer asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe as some sort of distraction.”
He looked back at the older woman who was pulling her jacket tighter around her. “You saw him too, you said?”
“That’s right,” she answered. “He broke the storage room door to get to us. Followed us down to the garden.”
“But you didn’t see him start the fire,” the officer asked us both.
“Well, no,” the woman replied.
“It was him,” I said after. “I’m telling you. He will hurt more people.”
“Why would he do that if he's after you?”
“He just would. Please, you have to—”
There was another thunderous boom, fire shattering several windows. I could suddenly hear the loud sizzle of an electric line and the shouts of more people close by. The officer put out his arm to have us back away as he talked into his walkie.
“Eve!” Mr. Foley called. “We have to go.”
The officer was calling for backup and I was out of time. People were rushing everywhere, the street was becoming congested with cars and if I didn’t leave now I could be blocked out. Any moment he could appear. I fell back and the woman nodded for me to go, to get out and run.
I returned to Megan and Mr. Foley. Megan’s car was parked closer. We saw her off before heading back toward mine.
“Be safe, Eve,” Mr. Foley said as I got in my car. I shut the door and locked myself in as he walked off. I quickly shifted into drive, my car jerking as I backed out of the space.
I was so tense getting out of there my neck and back started to hurt. I waited to see Emery coming at me, shattering my window and dragging me out. I checked all around me, my knuckles white on the wheel, honking a few times for someone to move. When I thought I caught someone moving behind my car, I jerked forward and cut across the corner of the street in my desperate need to get away, almost colliding with an oncoming vehicle. I looked back behind me and saw it wasn’t him.
It wasn’t until I reached a stop light on a wide main road about to head onto the freeway that I reached inside my dress to take out my phone, ready to call—who? I couldn’t call Uncle Wes of course. I thought about 911 but I figured half the police were on their way to the mansion now. Plus, what could they do if I was driving? For now the only one I could think to contact now was Jamie.
As I unlocked the screen of my phone, I was met with twelve missed calls, five texts, and three voicemails. Four calls were from that number I hadn’t recognized. The rest were from Jamie.
“Jesus, Eve, I thought the worst,” Jamie picked up at the first ring. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m about to get on the highway. I-I’m not sure what to do.” I tried to keep my voice from cracking but couldn’t help it. “He’s out, Jamie. Somehow, he got out.”
“I know,” he said.
“How?”
“Liam told me,” he said. “He got wind of Emery’s escape from work. The department in Bayville was trying to keep it secret to not create a panic so no one outside their jurisdiction got informed until a few hours ago. He got out this morning. Killed two of the security guards on the bus and one of the doctors who had been following behind.”
I remembered the eyes in the little box and knew exactly who. The light turned green and I floored it. “He came to the banquet,” I said. “He set the place on fire and came after me. He nearly caught me.”
“Shit, Eve.”
“Uncle Wes is in the hospital, I thought to go but…but I’m scared he’ll go there too. I don’t know what to do.”
“Did the police show up?” he asked.
“Yeah, I told them he was there. They called for backup but I was too scared to stay. I thought if I got as far away as I could…”
“That’s a start,” he said. I could hear the dull sounds of laughter and music in the background, then the shutting of a door, making them grow quiet. “Liam is on his way. He was out near Bowling Green, but he just left a half hour ago.”
“I’ll head back to my apartment then, let the building staff know and call the police from there—”
“No. Do not go back there. Not tonight.”
“I need to change anyway, then pack some things and get out of dodge or something. Find a safe place.”
“Just come here. We’ll call the police when you get here and Liam will be right behind to protect you until we can figure something out.”
“Jamie, why can’t I go back to my apartment?”
He sighed. “When I couldn’t get a hold of you, I tried calling the complex and they told me a neighbor reported your door being open. But when they peeked inside…”
My body went cold. “What?”
“I rushed over there to see myself, knowing you would freak if I didn’t check on Sammy,” he said, and I could tell he was trying to work his way around what he was about to tell me. “She’s okay, don’t worry.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “So it’s trashed then?” I imagined Emery forced his way in, looking to wait for me to return. When I didn’t, he went on a rampage before driving whatever car he must have stolen and making his way to the banquet. I remember leaving the invitation on my desk so there was no chance he didn’t see it. How he found my apartment was another story. Best I could guess was he had stolen Ethan’s phone after killing him and got my number, tracing it for my address online. Or just using the phone to look me up some other way. It wouldn’t be hard. Not for him.
“No,” Jamie said. “Not trashed. But some items were missing.”
I cursed, slamming my palm against the wheel. He got my laptop. I was sure of it. But Jamie implied more than one. “What items?” I said, almost too scared to ask.
“Your laptop and the external drive are gone,” he confirmed. “But also…”
“What, Jamie? Tell me.”
“Your kitchen was nearly cleaned out except for stuff in the freezer.”
“Great, he got hungry.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. Why?”
“Your closet and drawers were cleaned out too.”
It took me a second to understand. He wasn’t planning to kill me just like that. He wanted to kidnap me. Where he could make it slow, and no one could hear me scream.
“Eve, you hear me?”
“Yes,” I choked. “Yes, I heard you.”
“So you need to get here. Don’t go back, he knows how to get in. But he doesn't know about Lena’s. Assuming you never told him…”
“No, I didn’t.” I took a deep breath. “Maybe I shouldn’t come there though. I mean if he finds out where I am…”
“We won’t stay long, okay? Just borrow some of her clothes and whatever else you need. And we’ll get the police here. Liam will take you somewhere safe, I’m sure of it.”
I heard Lena’s voice, and Jamie sighed. “Lena says she’s got a revolver and she’ll blow the dude away. Not that I’d want that situation. At all.”
“Okay. Love you guys, see you soon,” I said.
“Love you too. They’ll get him, Eve, don’t worry.”