Summer quickly covered herself with her woolen shawl, before rubbing Sunshine's head, giving her a kiss, and getting up to leave with Mrs. Johnson to her house. The curiosity was killing her, Summer had to know who that man was and something deep inside her told her that he was someone extremely dangerous.
"You want to come now Summer?" Mrs. Johnson asked surprised
"Ah...yes Mrs. Johnson if that's not a problem," Summer replied softly, not to showcase her hurried panicky face.
"Ah! I had to go back to my shop, but I need to pick something up from the house, so would 10 minutes be okay for you? Otherwise, feel free to come in the evening once I am back home from work."
Summer thought to herself, she knew Ralph would never let her out of his sight if he was around. This was her only chance to go out and find out about that strange man.
"10 minutes is good enough Mrs. Johnson," Summer replied smiling
"Okay, my love. Then come along"
The neighborhood now was eerily quiet. The police sealed off the house where the incident happened as a crime site. A few teenagers stood near the house holding their bi-cycles, probably making conspiracy theories about what could have happened. Summer faintly heard them talking
'You know. Mr. and Mrs. Pete used the pray the Satan, that's why a group came to kill them..." said the rough-looking older teenager.
"Really?" asked the younger boy curiously
"Yeah, they would hardly talk to anyone, listened to weird psychedelic music, nobody ever visited them, they always looked so goth-like. They were definitely Satan believers…"
Listening to what he said, even Summer started believing in their theories.
"Kids these days," Came Mrs. Johnson's irritated voice while she struggled to open her house door with shivering hands.
Summer released an icy cold breath before stepping inside, it was almost 3 p.m. now. Ralph would be home by 6 p.m., but her heart raced as if he was just standing outside, and he'd beat the shit out of her, if he knew she left home to someone else's house.
Mrs. Johnson's house was simple and minimalistic. And to say the least, it was extremely clean. The floor was the same, wooden, as in Summer's house. Mrs. Johnson has only one sofa chair and a small table. She lived alone in her house, her husband died 2 years back and her only daughter lived in Australia after marriage. She had three grandkids.
'The computer's in my room upstairs Summer, I'll just pack some of my stuff and then we'll leave in 10 minutes, cool?"
Summer nodded and then rushed to the upper floor, the wooden stairs didn't creak, like they did in her house. There were two rooms upstairs, she peaked and saw in the room that looked like Mrs Johnson's bedroom. The other room was empty and had a library with a rocking chair. That's probably where Mrs Johnson read books.
It was an old HP laptop that Mrs Johnson used, but it was in a fairly good condition. Beside the laptop on a small wooden table, placed right next to her bed near the window, was a photo frame containing her and her husband's marriage photo. She looked so young, and beautiful.
"Okay, I can't be distracted. I have to be quick about this." Summer mumbled to herself.
"SUUMMMEEERRRR…" Came Mrs. Johnson's voice from downstairs.
Summer stayed quiet, her heart pounding.
"I forgot to tell you, the password of my laptop is William24.." came Mrs. Johnson's voice.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, Mrs. Johnson.." replied Summer.
Summer carefully typed the password; it was after months she had gotten access to a laptop. She then opened Google Chrome and typed 'Gustav Fabiano' in the search bar."
Her finger shivered before pressing enter, her breaths were short, she couldn't let herself fall in this trap. That man looked dangerous and he had found her number, he knew where she stayed. She had to stay safe. She couldn't fall for this nonsense; but the she had to know, otherwise she wouldn't be able to sleep in the night.
With all the courage she could gather, Summer pressed "enter"
"Suuummmeeerrr…" came Mrs Robinson's voice again.
Summer turned around, before she could see the screen
"Yes, Mrs Johnson?"
"Look who's here…"
Summer froze, she felt so heavy in her chest, her already frozen face was now red, and flushed. She had a very bad feeling. Before Summer could say anything, she heard the footsteps of someone climbing up the stairs.
It wasn't Mrs Johnson, because she's usually slower in her stride due to her age.
Summer turned around and closed the screen, the only word she read in the search was a bold WANTED. So Gustav, Fabiano was a wanted man, but why? What for? Were questions she still had no answers to. She could not read any further. Just huge, danger looking photos of the man she saw in her bathroom that day.
"Hello, Summer…" came a familiar voice from the door of the bedroom.
The voice that made her shiver, the ever so familiar voice that creeped her out to her core, the voice she so desperately wanted to avoid.
Summer's head was down, her heart was in her mouth. She knew, there was no running now. This was exactly what she feared. Her mother's words came to her mind, before she was leaving India:
"Never answer back to your husband..."
"Always respect him and listen to him like a good wife.."
Her mother was the only one who supported Summer's wedding, because she wanted to better her daughter's life. It was her mother who helped her run away with a white man when the entire community was against it.
The man came near and held Summer's face in her hands, cupping it, he lifted it up and smiled at her. The kind of smile that Summer instantly recognized.
"Oh, oh, someone's caught in the act huh?"
"Ralph...I..." Summer didn't know what to say, it was as if her tongue was tied. She stuttered before Ralph pierced straight into her eyes, left out a heavy sigh and said.
"It's time to go home my love."