Justin assisted Erin in entering her apartment and seated her on the couch before retrieving their takeout that they had acquired earlier.
'Would you like to discuss what has left you unsettled?' he inquired, taking a seat next to Erin, who was beginning to compose herself. 'No, there is nothing to discuss,' Erin replied quietly as she sipped her coffee.
'It's simply going to be a challenging case,' she added, her hazel eyes fixed ahead without fully meeting Justin's gaze.
Justin observed her skeptically but chose not to press further, focusing instead on unpacking the food from the bag. 'I still need to follow up on some leads now that I'm back home,' Erin mentioned, reclining on the couch.
'I'm sure Dad will manage fine without you,' Justin reassured her, handing over the breakfast sandwich. 'Plus, you yourself mentioned he advised you to take it easy.'
Erin sighed as she examined her meal, still pondering about the man and his intentions. 'How did he obtain those photographs?' she wondered aloud.
Erin was preoccupied muttering to herself and failed to notice Justin's presence. She stopped and looked at him with a haunted expression in her eyes, causing Justin to express concern by calling out her name.
'It must be a prank, right? Those calls, it's simply someone playing tricks,' Erin whispered nervously, fidgeting with her fingers.
She looked towards Justin, who observed her with a worried look in his blue eyes. Justin made an effort to comprehend Erin's words, asking 'Huh?' in confusion.
'Are you sure you're okay? You were muttering something,' Justin inquired, intrigued by Erin's mention of prank calls. Erin took a deep breath, shaking her head.
'No, I'm fine,' she responded, flinching at Justin's concerned gaze. 'Please, tell me what's troubling you, Erin. You have me worried,' Justin said softly, grasping her hand.
"Erin, please share with me any concerns you may have about someone bothering you," Justin expressed, gently holding her hand. "I am here to support you in case someone is targeting you and causing distress." Erin reassured Justin that it was just a couple of prank calls from a teenager, but Justin couldn't shake off the feeling of anger towards the prankster scaring his girlfriend.
"How many times has this person called you?" Justin inquired, peering into Erin's hazel eyes. "Twice," she replied.
"Do not fret too much, Justin, it's simply a prank call," Erin said, trying to ease his worries.
Justin sensed that Erin might not be revealing the whole truth, but he chose not to push further to avoid causing her distress. "Understood," he responded, deciding not to press Erin for more information.
Justin inquired whether Erin would inform him if the situation escalated beyond control, as he hoped to earn her trust once more, understanding that she relied mainly on Voight.
Erin assured Justin of her trust in him, despite her reluctance to see him endangered, stating, 'I trust you, Justin, and I will notify you if things escalate.' Aware of the possibility of not keeping her promise to Justin, she felt relieved when he accepted her words.
As Justin rose and headed to the kitchen, proposing that they unwind before his visit with his father, Erin, seated on the couch, agreed to the suggestion. It had been four hours since Justin departed to meet Voight, assuring Erin he would return after concluding their meeting.
Erin was idly browsing through television channels when she stumbled upon an episode of Vampire Diaries. Intrigued, she decided to leave it on and watch as she began to relax and her eyelids grew heavy.
Suddenly, a knock on the door startled the brunette awake from her brief nap. Rising from the couch, she pondered whether it might be Justin returning, though he usually let himself in with the spare key she had given him to avoid waiting for her response.
With a deep breath, Erin opened the door without checking the peephole and began to say, 'Hello-' before a startled cry escaped her lips as she was pushed backwards by a masked intruder.
Colliding hard against the wall, she whimpered when she felt his hand tighten around her throat, desperately trying to reach for something nearby to defend herself against the attacker.
Struggling to breathe, Erin's hand inched towards a knife just within her grasp as the intruder's grip grew stronger.
Erin emitted a faint whimper as the figure forcefully pushed her to the ground, causing the knife on the counter to fall after his shoulder collided with it.
The detective observed the knife landing just a few inches from her face as she attempted to grasp it, only to have the assailant intercept her reach.
His stern voice made Erin flinch, but she was relieved when he released his grip on her throat, allowing her to breathe.
After regaining her composure, she dared to inquire, 'Who are you?' before being struck across the face. 'Silence, you wretch,' he snarled while pressing the knife against her throat.
Despite her resistance, she couldn't deter him as he forcefully opened her shirt and proceeded with his assault. 'It will be over soon, madam,' he growled as he forcefully removed Erins' clothing, prompting her to struggle futilely underneath him.
Erin closed her eyes as the man began pulling his pants down, but her phone rang just in time, causing the masked man to stop. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt thankful for her phone.
The brunette attempted to stand up, but the man forcefully kicked her in the stomach, making her fall back to the floor in agony.
She watched as the figure fled the apartment, leaving the door wide open. Lying on her side, trying to catch her breath and overcome with fear.
Erin eventually managed to get up, pull up her pants, button them, wincing in pain as she moved the wrong way. Then, she buttoned up her shirt and picked up her phone with trembling hands.
'Hello?' Erin asked, trying to sound normal, though her voice was shaky. 'Are you okay?' Justin inquired from the other end. Erin cleared her throat, unable to disclose the attack to him. She made her way to the door, shut it, and fought back the urge to cry out in pain.
Erin falsely claimed to be in good health as she arose from a nap, proceeding to walk away from the door towards the bathroom to assess the soreness in her face and neck.
Concerned, Justin remarked, 'You seem a bit unwell.' Erin shook her head in response while holding the phone to her ear, reassuring him, 'I am well, I assure you.'
Upon reaching the bathroom and inspecting herself in the mirror, she noticed a bruise forming on her cheek and a split lip, discreetly wiping the blood away.
'Alright, I just informed you that I will arrive shortly,' Justin mentioned, prompting Erin to smile and reply, 'Understood, I will await your arrival.' She promptly ended the call before any further discussion could take place. Gently tracing her bruised and aching neck, which appeared dark and discolored, Erin pondered what explanation she would offer Justin upon his return.
Erin gazed at her reflection in the mirror momentarily before her phone rang, prompting her body to tense up. Without hesitation, she answered the call.
'Hello?' Erin listened as laughter emanated from the other end, recognizing the voice of her stalker. 'So, did you enjoy my latest surprise?' he inquired, causing Erin to inhale deeply.
'That was you?' she managed to respond, recoiling at his subsequent laughter. 'Oh, no, it wasn't me. I simply paid someone random to startle you,' he explained. 'And it seems to have worked.' Without waiting for her to retort, he abruptly ended the call.