She said, “You’re not buying a gun.”
“It’s for our own good.”
“We’re not buying a gun. If you want to buy a gun, you’re going to have to convince me. You have to tell me the truth. Why are you so scared of that serial killer?”
‘Because I created her.’ Adam gritted his teeth to stop himself from uttering those words.
He responded, “You don’t want me to buy a gun? Fine. It would take too long to get one anyway. At least let me go buy a home security system.”
“We already have one.”
“Not an alarm in case someone breaks a window or kicks open a door. I’m talking like a… a surveillance system. We need cameras.”
“We don’t have the money for that. I mean, you’ve been saying it for weeks. In a couple months, we might not even have the money to pay for this house. And you’re thinking about doing that now? During a pandemic? You can get sick, Adam. You could get us all sick. Think about your daughter. Please, Adam, just stay here and relax. Get out of your office and get your mind off this. I’m begging you.”
For the first time in weeks, Adam wasn’t worried about money. He was willing to destroy his credit to save their lives. He looked at Riley and felt her pain. He was disappointed in himself. He wanted to protect her, but he couldn’t do it by jeopardizing her safety. He was engaged in a two-front war—a vengeful woman on one side and a deadly virus on the other.
He said, “If you don’t want me to go out there, you lock that door behind you and you keep it locked. You keep every door and every window locked from now on. You don’t even go out to the backyard, okay?”
Without looking back, Amber reached for the doorknob. She turned the lock above it.
Adam said, “And the chain.”
Amber reached over her shoulder and blindly secured the door chain.
“Thank you,” Adam said as he walked away.
Amber asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to order some surveillance cameras.”
“Adam, what about our savings? We don’t have the money for that. Adam, talk to me.”
Adam turned the corner into the hallway and headed to his office, disregarding his wife’s concerns. He was determined to protect his family by any means necessary. Amber wiped her tears, forced a smile onto her face, and then hurried to Riley’s side to soothe her. She was terrified, her whole world was turned upside down, but she refused to share her fear with Riley.
18
A VISITOR
“I’m sorry about the delay, sir, but mail carriers are experiencing intermittent delays due to the ongoing pandemic,” the customer service representative said over the phone.
“I don’t care,” Adam snapped, pacing back and forth in his office. “I paid for expedited shipping. My order should have been delivered by now.”
“I understand that, sir, but it’s out of our hands at the moment. There’s also a notification on the website concerning this issue.”
“I. Don’t. Care. I paid for expedited shipping because of that notification. My order was supposed to be delivered overnight. It should have been here on the seventh and now it’s the ninth. What are you going to do to fix this?”
Adam could hear two hushed voices on the line.
The customer service rep said, “Sir, we can’t expedite your delivery at the moment.”
“Goddammit,” Adam muttered.
The customer service rep continued, “Mail carriers are prioritizing essential deliveries. If you’d like, we can refund your shipping cost. You can also refuse the delivery and have it sent back to us. Afterward, we’d be happy to process your full refund.”
“Essential deliveries? My family’s safety is essential!”
“I understand that, sir, but—”
“No, you don’t understand a thing.”
“Sir, I’m just trying to—”
“You’re just trying to endanger my family, huh? Is that it? You’re a selfish bitch, you know that? You should be—”
Amber yanked the phone out of his hand. She held it up to her ear and said, “I’m so sorry.” The customer service rep was still trying to calm Adam down when Amber ended the call. Amber said, “You promised you weren’t going to act like this anymore.”
Adam sighed, then he said, “I’m sorry. I lost my cool, you’re right, but… I paid to get those cameras delivered as soon as possible. We need them, Amber.”
“Calm down. I don’t want you to upset Riley again.”
Adam pulled his lips into his mouth and nodded.
Amber said, “Listen, you haven’t heard anyone outside recently. We haven’t unlocked—we haven’t even touched—any doors or windows in days. There hasn’t been any news about that serial killer. And I’ve called our neighbors every day. No one has seen anything suspicious. We’re fine, Adam. Okay? Can you say it?”
“We… We’re fine,” Adam said reluctantly.
“We’re fine,” Amber repeated while holding her husband’s hands. “Dinner’s almost ready. Will you join us tonight? I’m sure Riley would really love to spend time with you. She… She misses you, you know? She really does.”
“I’ll… Um… I’ll be there in a minute. Can I… I just have to check the windows and doors one last time. Okay?”
“You don’t have to do that. They’re locked already. I promise.”
“Please, Amber. It’ll help me relax.”
Amber was afraid of encouraging him, but she didn’t want to argue with him, either. She was tired of the fighting, and she knew the arguments weren’t good for Riley. Their daughter’s health was her primary concern.
“Be quick,” she said. As she exited the room, she said, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Adam looked out his office windows. Rain pattered on the glass. Wind pushed the trees and bushes outside. Every light in his backyard was on, keeping the darkness of the night at bay. There was nothing unusual out there, but he had to be absolutely positive. He walked through the house and checked every lock on every door and every window. He examined the backyard and the street in front of his house from every angle.
It took him over fifteen minutes to check everything.
As he checked the locks on the front door a second time, he whispered, “We’re fine… we’re fine…”
Adam sat at the end of the dining table, staring vacantly at his plate of chicken Alfredo. His bloodshot, puffy eyes were surrounded by dark, wrinkled skin. His cheeks and forehead were flecked with acne. The stress—the anxiety, the fear, the guilt—took a toll on him.
Amber sat at the other end of the table, eating while feeding Riley. Like her husband, Amber was stressed and afraid. But she put a smile on her face for Riley’s sake. Adam appreciated her resolve just as much as he hated it. She was too good for him, and that fact amplified his guilt.
Adam’s stare wandered to the window over the sink. He mistook the pitter-patter of the rain for footsteps.
As he leaned forward to stand, Amber said, “Adam.” He looked at her. Amber asked, “How’s the food?”
Adam looked at the window, then back at her, then back at the window. He knew it was locked, but something inside of him told him to check again. He fought off the urge and sank back into his seat.
He scratched the nape of his neck and said, “I don’t have much of an appetite, but it smells and looks great.”