to face him with a strangled cry, my head throbbing with dull pain from the sudden movement.
Mr. Coleman stands between me and the exit. I feel blindly behind me and wrap my fingers around a small tool handle—tiny screwdriver, maybe? I don’t know. It feels like the kind used on computers. I can’t look, not willing to risk drawing his attention to it.
It won’t do a lot of damage, but it’s all I feel behind me without continuing my search.
He reaches the bottom step, presenting me with the same necklace from the file half-spilled out of my purse on the dingy floor. It’s a gold heart dangling from a dainty chain.
“Mr. Coleman,” I try, my tongue sluggish. Maybe I can talk my way out in order to escape from this monster. “Why are you doing this?”
Ignoring my question, he glides across the floor. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but your eyes are all swollen and bloodshot. I know the result of crying when I see it. I’ll make it all better.” He speaks in a soft, reverent tone. “Princess, are you ready to take my hand?”
Fuck, what can I do? He has me cornered. He’s too far away to stab without losing the element of surprise, and too strong if I run without diverting him first. I need to get to those stairs.
“The other girl,” I whisper.
“Hmm, yes. I thought about keeping her, but then you came right to me. I’d much rather have my prize instead. I knew you couldn’t stay away forever. You don’t have to be jealous of the others.”
He’s not just manic—he’s delusional. He thinks I want him. A fierce wave of nausea upsets my stomach.
I need something to distract him. There’s a paint can on a bench next to the worktable, just out of reach while his attention is on me. An old rolling chair sits at the edge of the pool of yellow light. Maybe I can knock him off balance?
While I’m searching for something else to use against him, Mr. Coleman steps closer. I jump aside in revolt, but he traps me with a terrifying chuckle, his chest touching me as I lean back against the worktable until it digs into my back.
“Where do you think you’re going, pet?”
Another panicked noise catches in my throat as I try to edge away. My nails dig into my palm around the screwdriver’s handle.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, my mind clangs.
“You…you said your name was Henry,” I babble, mind racing to figure a way out of this without ending up like my mom’s sister. I’m so scared of what he’ll do to me, the fear making it hard to move. Whenever he was mad because I didn’t do what he wanted, he would flay me with words once I crawled back. Now, he could do so much worse. “And that you were only three years older than me. We stopped, I-I stopped answering.”
Mr. Coleman touches my hair and I flinch with a frightened sound. “Shh, my darling. I know it’s upsetting to find out I lied, but they were little lies. Necessary ones. You were so young, so I didn’t want to scare you off. Not when our souls were speaking so clearly to one another.”
Bile rushes up my throat.
His eyes dance back and forth between mine. He cocks his head. “I know you felt it, too. Every class, I longed to reach out.” His mouth curves into an ugly, lopsided grin. “You’re always so eager for me.”
I shake my head, unable to speak. The tears welling in my eyes wobble, blurring my vision. When I blink, they burn hot paths down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, pet,” he says in a light, haunting tone. “I got you this gift, see? I want to show you how special you are to me. You’ll wear this and know you’re mine.”
So special he has several other matching ones for however many girls he’s done this to.
As he leans back to fumble with the chain, he spots my purse on the floor with the file sticking from it. One of my photos peeks out far enough to see what it is. He lowers the necklace, staring at the picture.
Ice shoots through my veins.
“What’s this?” Mr. Coleman sounds annoyed, sending my heart tripping over a beat in fear I’ve made him mad. He snatches the bag, digging the folder of evidence out.
“No, don’t!”
His face turns to stone as he flips through the file while I’m plastered against the worktable in horror.
“Why do