Twisted Obsession

CHAPTER 1 A SOUNDING BOARD Liz Randiza rested back on her beige suede sofa, her laptop sitting on her lap as she clicked on icons to access information for a client. She didn’t normally work on the weekends, but she’d had a recent influx of cases at the centre where she worked as a social worker. She peered at the blue sky through the glass doors, finding comfort in her first-floor Altona apartment with a five-minute walk to the beach, gym, shopping strips, and cafes. She occasionally enjoyed a refreshing walk along the pine-lined beach foreshore or relaxing on the balcony on those warm balmy nights. Liz turned off her laptop and put it aside. She rose from the couch and reached into the fridge for a jug of water. Pouring it into a glass, she took a sip and stared at the date on her calendar. She flinched at the sudden reminder of what was happening today. No, it couldn’t be today, could it? Her hands suddenly shook as she closed her eyes briefly, squeezing her hands tight. In spite of the warm, spring air, a trail of coldness raced down her spine. He’s back and he’s coming for me. This will never end. Staring at the letter stuck to the side of the fridge announcing his prison release, she struggled to breathe. She had to get out of there. Liz grabbed her bag, stepped out of her apartment in a daze, and headed into the basement car park. Her sweaty hands gripped the steering wheel as she drove towards her friend’s home in Williamstown, not too far from her place. Her friend, Bella, lived in a cottage-style house that was inviting and cosy, and Liz always felt comfortable there. Right now, she needed company, but she had to get a grip on this. Maybe it wasn’t as dangerous as she first thought. But who was she kidding? On the drive over there, images flashed across her mind, but she couldn’t think about it now. She had to talk to someone, and Bella was always there to lend an ear. Clearing her mind, she remembered that her friend Jamie was working a late shift tonight, but Bella should be home. As a psychologist, Bella had ways to make people feel safe. She took calming breaths to ease her tight chest, turned into Bella’s street, and parked. She leapt out of the car and walked through the white picket gate. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she looked around at her surroundings. Making her way to the front door was physically exerting as her mind ran rampant about this particular day. She tried to control her shaky hands as she rang the doorbell and waited for Bella to answer the door. Within seconds, the door opened. Bella stared up at Liz. “Liz, are you alright? Come in?” Liz stepped inside and cleared her throat. “My ex-boyfriend was released from prison and I know he’s going to find me.” Bella remained silent for a moment. “Oh Liz.” She grabbed her hand and led her towards the living room. “Come and sit down.” “What am I going to do, Bella?” Tears swept freely down Liz’s face as Bella wrapped her arms tightly around her. Marco, Bella’s boyfriend who worked as a detective, intervened. “Surely he’d have conditions on his release, but I’ll try and get answers for you.” She pulled away from Bella. “Thanks, Marco. I’d appreciate that.” Marco watched her with concern. “If your ex has been a model prisoner and the court feels he’s served his maximum sentence, he may have minimal conditions upon release. Although, there are bound to be conditions such as not coming near you, Liz. And he won’t be able to apply for a lot of jobs out there.” Bella touched Liz gently on the shoulder. “Now you listen to me. He’ll be a fool to come near you, and we’ll be here supporting you all the way. He will never hurt you again, and we’ll make sure of that. Okay?” Liz nodded. “Thanks, Bella.” Marco leaned forward, watching Liz closely. “Bella’s right. If he steps out of line, most likely he’ll go straight back to prison.” He moved closer to Liz and smiled reassuringly. “Now, I’ll make us a cup of tea. As Bella taught me, you have to find comforting distractions when you’re upset.” Bella beamed in his direction and Marco gazed lovingly into her eyes. He whispered in her ear and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. “I’ll be back, honey.” Liz grinned, her mood slightly lifted. “I’m struggling to feel calm right now, but I’ll process this in time.” Bella nodded. “Come on, Liz. Let’s sit down.” She suddenly couldn’t breathe, experiencing a sense of entrapment inside the house. “Do you mind if we go outside, Bella?” “Of course not. Let’s go.” They ambled over to the courtyard and sat down, the fresh air brushing Liz’s flushed face. The air outside almost soothed her weary soul as she peered into the dark night. “Have you had anything to eat?” Liz shook her head. “I don’t have an appetite.” “Not to worry. I know Marco will, at least, bring us some light snacks. He’s great with guests and makes a good host.” Liz beamed. Bella had changed so much over the past year. She’d had her fair share of trauma from her abusive parents, unlike Liz who had loving parents but an abusive ex-boyfriend. Bella took a quick breath, leaning forward with a frown. “So when did you find out about this? His release?” Liz recounted the story with trepidation. “Two weeks ago.” She ignored the shock on Bella’s face. “I was flicking through bills, but this letter on the bottom came from the Victims Register. And I thought, ‘What the hell! It couldn’t be that time already.’” She remembered how her body had become rigid, her hands gripping the envelope tightly, the whites of her knuckles showing. She forgot how to breathe as she ripped open the envelope and stared hard at the typeface. No, no, no. Domenic cannot be released from prison so soon? Had it already been ten years? Bella shook her head. “Oh Liz. Why didn’t you tell me two weeks ago? I would’ve been there for you.” Liz shrugged. “I thought I’d be okay and didn’t want to burden you. I was just reminded of his release today, and seeing that letter on the fridge triggered me again. Now it’s so real. He’s out, but two weeks ago he was still in prison.” “Are you getting back into counselling now that he’s out?” Liz wondered about the same thing. “I’m thinking about it. That psychologist I saw a few years ago was great, and got me through a lot of that stuff with Domenic. I might see if she’s still around.” Bella clasped her hands. “Good.” Marco brought them a tray of savoury biscuits, cheese, dips, and small mugs of tea. He leaned in and kissed Bella on the lips. “I’ll leave you girls to it. You take care, Liz. I’ll be in touch. And Bella, I’ll call you tomorrow.” Bella eyed Marco with endearing love in her eyes. “I’ll talk to you soon, honey.” Liz nodded wearily. “Thanks, Marco.” A part of Liz felt guilt at what she was doing to her friend. Bella had faced enough trauma; she’d been tortured by a crazy person. For months, Bella had been stalked and terrorised until she had almost died. No amount of support by Liz and Jamie could help Bella at the time. That ordeal had been one year ago. Ten years before that, Domenic had gone to prison. Liz wondered if Domenic would try to find her. Surely he wouldn’t dare? But then again, Domenic always had a way of outsmarting her. He was very resourceful, and that’s exactly what she was afraid of.