SACRIFICES (47 page)

              Jenny stands up and starts to pace in front of him. She chuckles and says. “So you thought that I killed these guys, raped those women and sent you all those letters threatening you and your son as well as everyone else you know?”

              Brad looks away. “I’m sorry. It’s just a lot of things kind of matched and my imagination got the best of me.” Brad smiles and shakes his head feeling terrible.

              Jenny chuckles and says. “That’s one hell of an imagination. What were you going to do, come down here and arrest me?” She shakes her head with a smile and a chuckle.

              Brad stands up and holds her in his arms. “I’m sorry about thinking that.”

              Jenny nods her head and says. “I’m in shock. I don’t know how you could even think that, what kind of person do you think I am?” She smiles again.

              He holds her close and squeezes. “I told you I was sorry.” He leans his face next to hers and softly kisses her cheek.

              Jenny sighs and cracks a smile. “I can’t believe because some girl confesses to all of this and I just so happen to work at a hospital I’m some killer and rapist.”

              Brad lets her go and takes a step back. “How’d you know it was a girl that confessed to this?” Brad swallows hard and begins to feel weak in the knees standing in front of her. Only Lyle, Todd and Brad knew what the letter said.

              Jenny takes a hold of his hand and says. “I don’t know, I guess I just guessed since you ask me if my name was Beth and then you started talking about the rapes and murders. I just thought that’s what you were talking about, I mean if you think me leaving around the time of the killer leaving the letter made you think something why wouldn‘t I think it was a girl that confessed?” Jenny smiles again and starts to walk toward him as he backs up.

              Brad slowly explains. “I never said the letter was from a girl. I said the letter the PERSON sent. I said THEY said good bye. I never said that anyone
confessed
in this letter. I just said it was a letter about the same time you left, how‘d you know it was a
confession
.” Brad stares her in the eyes as he starts to tremble.

              Jenny moves closer. Brad stops while she takes a hold of him and he holds her nervously. Jenny squeezes his hand with a smile and says. “I’m sorry Brad I guess I just assumed those things. You’re the one that made it seem like a girl did all of this not me. You have one hell of an imagination Bradley Jostler.” Jenny smiles again as she moves closer.

              Brad lets her go and moves toward the computer. He’s unsure if he misunderstood her or he’s just being paranoid. He did say all of those things and does make sense how she could assume those things based on what he said, but at this moment in time he can’t help but wonder. He looks at her computer and notices the door is slightly opened underneath. He looks at her and then pulls the door open. Jenny senses that there’s something wrong and she asks. “What’s wrong?” She follows him to her computer desk.

              Brad takes a deep breath and forces a smile. “Nothing, nothing at all.” Brad continues to tremble and he swallows.

              He leans down and looks at her printer and closes his eyes. “You have a pretty old printer.”

              Jenny smiles. “Yeah, I guess so.”

              Brad leans closer and reads the name on the front. “It’s an IBM Tri Star.” He swallows hard and closes his eyes. He quickly stands up and moves toward the door not knowing what to think at this moment.

              Jenny feels that he’s suspicious still so she asks again. “Do you think I did it?” She follows him to the door.

              Brad forces another smile not sure what to think. “Of course not I told you I was sorry.” He takes a hold of her hand looking away and shaking slightly, praying that this is all just coincidence and he‘s just being paranoid.

              Jenny grabs his other hand as she looks back toward the computer. “Why are you shaking honey, your sweating, you do think I did it, don’t you.”

              Brad continues. “NO, of course not.” He stresses then smiles still shying away as his heart pounds through his chest.

              Jenny wraps her arms around him and holds him tight.

“What if I did?
Are you going to arrest me? Tell me Brad. If I did it what are you going to do to me?” She looks up at him with those
big blue eyes
.

              Brad jumps back as his face lights up with fear. “Do you wear contacts?” He asks as he steps back covered in chills as he notices that her eyes aren‘t green.

              Jenny moves closer and asks. “Why Brad, why would you ask me if I wore contacts?” She moves a little closer as he backs himself toward the corner by the front door. She puts her hand into the pocket of her sweat pants.

              “Your eyes were always green before.” Brad swallows as she has him pressed into the corner staring directly into her eyes.

              “So what, you didn’t answer my question. Are you here to arrest me? Is this the reason your really here?” Jenny smiles and then takes her hand from her pocket quickly and pushes him into the corner.

              Brad looks down as she slowly moves toward him with a smile on her face. Staring into those eyes he fell in love with that are no longer green. He doesn’t respond.

              “If I did it, it would make you even more powerful and successful and you’d be promoted again wouldn‘t you?” She moves her body against his keeping her head back staring at him as he can’t move back anymore. “If you brought me in, who knows maybe mayor or even governor Jostler someday...” She presses hard increasing her voice as she starts to grit her teeth.
“TELL ME BRAD ARE GOING TO ARREST ME? TELL ME NOW I WANT TO KNOW?”
She screams in his face, as she appears to be growing angry by forcing her body against his. She reaches up and places her hands onto the side of his face squeezing hard and digging her fingernail in.
“BRAD ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST ME GODDAMN IT!”

              Brad takes and forcefully moves her hands from his face and squeezes her wrist. She looks at him with her mouth slightly opened and a tear forming in each eye. He let’s her hands go and forcefully moves her so she’s in the corner.

              Brad stares at her breathing rapidly trembling and he yells.
“What do you want me to say?“

              Jenny tries to move but he now has her in the corner with nowhere to move. She looks terrified. She swallows hard and looks down. He takes both of his hands and grabs her face forcefully holding her tight and glaring into her eyes watching and listening as she begins to feel scared by his forcefulness. She tries to move away but he won’t let her move.

              Jenny sniffles as tears slowly start to roll down her cheek. In a soft sweet voice she pleads. “Brad...please don’t hurt me...please Brad...I’m so scared right now...please don’t hurt me, I‘m, I‘m sorry...I yelled at you.“

              Brad closes his eyes as tears roll down his face. He swallows hard and stares into her eyes. “Honey...I’d never hurt you. All I’ve ever done is love you. Don’t cry baby...I’d never hurt you.“

              Jenny sniffles and looks away whimpering as tears flow down her cheeks. “Brad...what are you going to do to me...please tell me...I’m, I’m so scared right now,” Jenny looks up at him sniffling. “I don’t want to hurt anymore, just please tell me what your going to do with me...please.” He places his arms around her and explains in a whisper as he puts his mouth next to her ear.

              “I don’t need any more promotions. I’m fine where I

am,” He leans down and kisses her on the cheek. “What am I going to do with you?” He pulls back from the hug and grabs her face again. “I’ll tell you what I going to do with you,“ He grits his teeth and presses his body against hers as she swallows hard and sniffles. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy. I will spend every waking moment loving you and taking care of you.” He gazes into her eyes as a few more tears run down his cheek. He smiles and leans down to kiss away the few tears she has. “I will love you with every breath in my body and every beat of my heart. I will love you like you’ve never been loved before and I’ll make you anxious to wake up every morning knowing that this new day will be better than the day before. I’ll make sure that no one
ever
hurts you again. You’ll never as long as you live ever have to be afraid of anyone or anything. That‘s what I‘m going to do with you.”

              Jenny can’t control her tears. She looks at him with her bottom lip quivering. “I love you so much Brad.” She cries as she’s taken over by emotions.

              Brad pulls her close and kisses the side of her face.

“I love you too Jenny.” He looks up and closes his eyes as he holds her as tight as he can. “I’m going to love you for the rest of my life.”

THE END