"This is too much Helen. She's gone over the edge." Barry said later when
they'd left the hospital and were back at their hotelroom.
"She's crazy." He exclaimed pacing around in their small room.
Helen shook her head, she was sitting on the side of the bed, dialling on the phone.
"She's not crazy Barry. Don't say that!" She objected.
"Helen, she thinks there's a killer after her! Heck she even thinks there's a killer after us too. To me that justifies as crazy."
Helen held up a finger and hushed him. "Be quiet now, I'm trying to reach Ray." She said just as someone picked up on the other side of the line. "Hello, my name is Helen Shivers and I'm wondering if there's a Raymond Bronson there?" She asked with her polite voice.
Barry waited patiently with his hands at this sides. This was the third call she made trying to find Ray. They'd swung by Julie's place to get his last phone number, after being at the hospital.
When they'd called they'd been informed that Ray couldn't be reached at that number anymore. But the girl on the phone had been helpful and given them another number to call. And once more, they'd been given a new number.
Barry watched as Helen's hopeful face expression fell.
"Oh, okay...thank you." She hung up with a sigh.
"No Ray?"
Helen lifted her eyes and looked at him. "No Ray." She sighed again. "And no more numbers."
Barry also sighed when he saw how defeated she looked. He sat down by her and put his arm around her. "It's okay Heller, we'll find him and we'll help Jules. Before you know it, we'll be back home."
Helen leaned against him. "I'm worried Barry. You saw her, she looks awful and the things she said ...maybe you're right. Maybe she is crazy."
Barry kissed her blonde head. He didn't know what to say. He really did think that Julie was crazy and he didn't want to lie to Helen and say the opposite. He hated to lie to Helen, he'd made a promise to himself never to do it again.
Instead of saying anything he held her a little closer and kissed her head again.
"We'll work it out." He consoled.
***
The next morning Barry woke up before Helen. He stretched out his body but couldn't get rid of the crawling feeling under his skin.
He looked at Helen laying next to him, but decided not to wake her and gently rolled out of the bed and got into some clothes.
Most mornings he took a jog before buying breakfast for them. Helen would know where he was if she woke up. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and gently stroking some hair from her face.
Then he straightened his back and made his way to the door. He didn't really know the streets of Boston but he reckoned it couldn't be that hard.
As he got out a small frizzle fell over him but it didn't bother him, he'd been running in worse rainstorms then this.
He remembered chasing in Helen in the worst of thunderstoms. Must've been a little over a year ago by now. He'd chased her through half of New York. When she set her mind to it, that girl could out run him in heels. Then again she'd had a head start.
He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it, although he did and he knew she did too. He'd made another promise to himself, never to hurt Helen like that again.
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt like he was being followed. He glanced over his shoulder but there was no one there.
He frowned. 'I'm getting as paranoid as Julie.' He thought and decided to go back to the hotel. He stopped by a news stand to see if they had anything worth reading.
He got two papers before crossing the street to get them some coffee from Starbucks.
When he got it he made his way back to the hotel without hurrying his steps. It was still early, Helen was probably still asleep. He'd wake her up when he came back, he hoped she wasn't too upset about yesterday still. He hated to see her in pain when he couldn't do anything about it.
Sweet Helen, he could hardly wait to see her.
But as the hotel came into his vision he felt watched again. He hardly had time to turn his head around before somebody grabbed him and pulled him into a small alley, forcing him to drop coffee and papers.
"What the hell?" Barry roared angry but got a punch in his face and moaned painfully. He got another punch right on his ribcage and leaned over. But the beating didn't stop.
Barry tried to glance up at his attacker but he was masked and was moving to fast for Barry to get a clear view.
He kept beating until Barry fell down on to his kness, moaning in serious pain. It felt like his head was going to burst.
"You're next." The man said giving him a last kick on his ribs forcing Barry to sink down on the wet ground.
The masked man didn't give hum a second glance, he ran away fast, slowing down his speed as he got further away from the scene.
He looked like any normal jogger when he'd showed the skimask in his pocket. He rounded a corner and stopped by a pay phone. He put some quarters in it and then dialled with his soar hand.
"It's done." He said shortly before hanging up and jogging away.
"She's crazy." He exclaimed pacing around in their small room.
Helen shook her head, she was sitting on the side of the bed, dialling on the phone.
"She's not crazy Barry. Don't say that!" She objected.
"Helen, she thinks there's a killer after her! Heck she even thinks there's a killer after us too. To me that justifies as crazy."
Helen held up a finger and hushed him. "Be quiet now, I'm trying to reach Ray." She said just as someone picked up on the other side of the line. "Hello, my name is Helen Shivers and I'm wondering if there's a Raymond Bronson there?" She asked with her polite voice.
Barry waited patiently with his hands at this sides. This was the third call she made trying to find Ray. They'd swung by Julie's place to get his last phone number, after being at the hospital.
When they'd called they'd been informed that Ray couldn't be reached at that number anymore. But the girl on the phone had been helpful and given them another number to call. And once more, they'd been given a new number.
Barry watched as Helen's hopeful face expression fell.
"Oh, okay...thank you." She hung up with a sigh.
"No Ray?"
Helen lifted her eyes and looked at him. "No Ray." She sighed again. "And no more numbers."
Barry also sighed when he saw how defeated she looked. He sat down by her and put his arm around her. "It's okay Heller, we'll find him and we'll help Jules. Before you know it, we'll be back home."
Helen leaned against him. "I'm worried Barry. You saw her, she looks awful and the things she said ...maybe you're right. Maybe she is crazy."
Barry kissed her blonde head. He didn't know what to say. He really did think that Julie was crazy and he didn't want to lie to Helen and say the opposite. He hated to lie to Helen, he'd made a promise to himself never to do it again.
Instead of saying anything he held her a little closer and kissed her head again.
"We'll work it out." He consoled.
***
The next morning Barry woke up before Helen. He stretched out his body but couldn't get rid of the crawling feeling under his skin.
He looked at Helen laying next to him, but decided not to wake her and gently rolled out of the bed and got into some clothes.
Most mornings he took a jog before buying breakfast for them. Helen would know where he was if she woke up. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and gently stroking some hair from her face.
Then he straightened his back and made his way to the door. He didn't really know the streets of Boston but he reckoned it couldn't be that hard.
As he got out a small frizzle fell over him but it didn't bother him, he'd been running in worse rainstorms then this.
He remembered chasing in Helen in the worst of thunderstoms. Must've been a little over a year ago by now. He'd chased her through half of New York. When she set her mind to it, that girl could out run him in heels. Then again she'd had a head start.
He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it, although he did and he knew she did too. He'd made another promise to himself, never to hurt Helen like that again.
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt like he was being followed. He glanced over his shoulder but there was no one there.
He frowned. 'I'm getting as paranoid as Julie.' He thought and decided to go back to the hotel. He stopped by a news stand to see if they had anything worth reading.
He got two papers before crossing the street to get them some coffee from Starbucks.
When he got it he made his way back to the hotel without hurrying his steps. It was still early, Helen was probably still asleep. He'd wake her up when he came back, he hoped she wasn't too upset about yesterday still. He hated to see her in pain when he couldn't do anything about it.
Sweet Helen, he could hardly wait to see her.
But as the hotel came into his vision he felt watched again. He hardly had time to turn his head around before somebody grabbed him and pulled him into a small alley, forcing him to drop coffee and papers.
"What the hell?" Barry roared angry but got a punch in his face and moaned painfully. He got another punch right on his ribcage and leaned over. But the beating didn't stop.
Barry tried to glance up at his attacker but he was masked and was moving to fast for Barry to get a clear view.
He kept beating until Barry fell down on to his kness, moaning in serious pain. It felt like his head was going to burst.
"You're next." The man said giving him a last kick on his ribs forcing Barry to sink down on the wet ground.
The masked man didn't give hum a second glance, he ran away fast, slowing down his speed as he got further away from the scene.
He looked like any normal jogger when he'd showed the skimask in his pocket. He rounded a corner and stopped by a pay phone. He put some quarters in it and then dialled with his soar hand.
"It's done." He said shortly before hanging up and jogging away.