Read my Lips
Chapter 24
"Are you sure you want to do this?," Spencer asked.
Eliana flicked her eyes up at him. She was seated in a borrowed hospital wheelchair. He was pushing her down the hospital corridor, moving more slowly than necessary towards the area where the reporters and news crews were gathered. Eliana wasn't sure if he was moving slowly because of his own hesitation, or to give her time to think. But either way, she nodded to indicate she was sure about her willingness to make a public statement.
Spencer straightened out the wrinkles in his suit before they left her room. But his hair was still looking messier than usual. She sort of loved it. His untamed curls made her smile. Eliana felt like she'd been staring at Spencer from the moment she woke up in the hospital. Seeing him there next to her felt almost surreal, like something from a dream. She was afraid that if she blinked her eyes shut for too long, Spencer might disappear. Eliana knew her fears were unfounded. But she felt like she might be dreaming. And she was scared that everything she was seeing now was a hallucination from all the drugs Casanova gave her. Any moment, she might wake up back in that dungeon with the devil breathing his hot breath down her neck.
"I'm sure," Eliana confirmed. The thought of standing in front of a mass of reporters who all knew she'd been kidnapped and raped wasn't appealing. But Eliana agreed to do it. Partly because she felt she owed it to the women that were still being held captive. She wanted their families to know they were still alive. Her other reason for talking to the press was less altruistic. "You think this will help you catch him, right?," she asked.
"It might," Spencer confirmed. So far, the man's methods were impeccable. Casanova left no trace of himself behind. The only mistake he made so far was allowing Eliana to escape. He wouldn't like being confronted with his error. If they were lucky, it would make him angry. Anger would make him stupid. And stupid would get him caught.
"What will happen if he sees me on the news and comes after me again?," Eliana asked.
Spencer slowed his pace even more, moving one hand from the handle of the wheelchair to her shoulder. But it was her father that answered her question. "If that sick fuck even breathes in your direction again, he's dead."
"We're not going to let him get anywhere near you," Spencer agreed. Eliana lifted her hand, placing it over his and giving it a soft squeeze before she lowered her hand back down into her lap.
Spencer's hand was warm against her shoulder. It made her sad when he moved it back onto the handle of the wheelchair. All Eliana wanted to do from the moment she woke up was climb into his lap and bury her face in his neck. Once she was able to wrap her arms around him, she'd know for sure that he was real. This wasn't a trick or a dream. Her nightmare would finally be over. Facing the crowd of news reporters was just one more hoop she needed to jump through before they'd finally be allowed to go back to Spencer's hotel room and be alone. She tried to focus on that and not think about all the pictures of her bruised and swollen face that were about to be posted all over social media.
The news reporters had been vetted by the local police. And those that had the proper credentials were gathered in the hospital cafeteria. The sight of the uniformed officers outside the double doors eased a bit of Eliana's anxiety. But it was a man in a well fitting suit that stepped forward and introduced himself to her.
"I'm detective Nicolas Ryan," he said, flashing her a handsome smile along with his name. The detective had the same generic boy next door good looks that her ex Riley possessed, with wavy brown hair and dimples in his cheeks. He was the type of man that Eliana might notice in passing but never talk to. He might very well be a wonderfully kind person. Riley was. But guys like him reminded her of the boys that used to tease her and call her fat in high school.
Detective Ryan flashed his dimpled smile at her again before he continued. "Miss Kaminski, I want you to know we've checked the credentials of everyone in that room. I've got officers stationed at every entrance. Your safety and security is our utmost priority." He paused for a moment, his smile growing slightly wider as he offered her his hand. "...and I'd just like to say what an honor it is to personally meet such a brave and courageous woman."
Eliana smiled back, mostly because she felt obligated to. The detective was being so nice. And she felt a little guilty that such a fuss was being made over her. She lifted her hand with the intention of accepting his handshake. But suddenly, the thought of touching him was making her sick to her stomach. She remembered how the hard packed dirt floor felt cold against her bare feet when she ran. Flashes of the stone wall in the room where she was held flickered in her mind. When he was on top of her, Casanova smelled like ivory soap and disinfectant. Eliana's hand paused in midair, fluttering and shaking before she jerked it back. She cringed away from him, pressing herself against the back of her wheelchair.
"Thank you for everything," her father replied. He grabbed the detective's hand, diffusing the awkward scene and effectively backing the man away from her in one swift movement. Eliana breathed a sigh of relief. Spencer had his hand on her shoulder again. And his touch helped her to calm and ground herself. Eliana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her heart was still pounding in her chest. And she wondered how long it would be before she felt like herself again and stopped having such an extreme reaction to every man that got close to her.
"I'm sorry," she said, directing her apology to Spencer as he wheeled her into the crowded cafeteria. Eliana glanced over her shoulder at the officers that were stationed near the doorway. "I hope I didn't offend him. I shouldn't have reacted like that over a handshake. He was just being nice."
"Given that handshakes transfer an average of one hundred and twenty four million colony forming units of E. Coli bacteria, I think your reaction was completely justified," Spencer replied. "People carry over three thousand bacteria from one hundred and fifty different species on their hands."
"Is that true?," her father asked, glancing at his recently shaken hand with what appeared to be slight concern.
Eliana buried her face in her hand and willed herself not to start laughing as Spencer regaled her father with an unnecessarily lengthy tirade about his strong dislike of handshaking in general. Not only did it hurt Eliana's face and jaw to laugh, but she didn't want to start losing it in front of the news reporters. Especially when they were already snapping pictures of her.
There was a small podium set up. And Eliana was relieved when one of Spencer's coworkers stepped up to it. The woman talking to the press was JJ. She's the one that prepped Eliana on what to include in her statement. Eliana listened as the pretty blond fbi agent gave the press what information she could about Eliana's attacker. It wasn't much. He was white. He was probably in his early thirties. They thought he might be working in the medical field. Given that there were three major medical centers in the area and multiple colleges, that didn't exactly narrow the suspect pool by much. When JJ was done talking, she let them know that Eliana would be making a brief statement and that was it. She wasn't going to be answering any questions.
Eliana gave Spencer's hand one more squeeze as he helped her up out of her chair. She fought back the urge to lean into him, not wanting their embrace to be featured on the evening news. Walking was slightly awkward, given the painful cut on her foot. But she made it the few steps to the podium and then stood with her weight on her other leg. Lights were flashing in her face. Everywhere she looked, there was a camera or a phone being held up.
"Hi," Eliana said. "I'm Eliana Kaminski."
Eliana swallowed hard. And she ignored the rude personal questions that were being hollered at her.
"I'd like to start by thanking the brave young man that risked his own life to pull me out of the river. His mom asked me not to give his name. But I'm sure his friends and family know who he is. And if his teacher or principal is watching, I'd really appreciate it if you'd excuse his absence from school yesterday." Eliana paused, smiling as the crowd of reporters laughed at her little joke. "I'd also like to thank the doctors and nurses that have been taking such good care of me. I know I haven't been the easiest patient."
Eliana knew what she wanted to say next. What she needed to say. But her face was already feeling hot. She pressed her palm against her cheek as she glanced behind her. Before she could turn, she felt Spencer's hand on her lower back, steadying her. She threaded her arm around his waist, tucking herself into his side. Seeing him next to her brought on a barrage of questions from the eager reporters. Eliana heard one of them holler out above the rest, asking if the two of them were sleeping together.
"That's none of your business," Spencer barked. "Have some respect."
"It's okay," Eliana whispered, hoping her voice was quiet enough not to be picked up on the microphone in front of her. Then she leaned closer to the microphone and raised her voice. "I have a message for the families who are missing loved ones," Eliana announced, waiting for the room to quiet again before she continued. "There were other women alive where I was being held. Please do not give up hope."
"That's it," Spencer said. Eliana could feel his grip on her waist tighten. But she pulled back against it. She actually wasn't quite done.
"Wait," she urged. And before Spencer could stop her, she leaned in towards the microphone again. "I have another message," Eliana said. "This one is for the man that calls himself Casanova." She straightened her back up as she looked out over the crowd. "I broke your rules. I ran away. Just me. None of the other women helped. They love you. And if you love them back as much as you say you do, you'd let them go."
The room started to spin around her. And though she didn't actually faint, her legs went shaky. Elaina wrapped her arm around Spencer as he helped her back into her wheelchair. She felt the air rush against her as he pushed her much more quickly through the hospital corridors. There was a rush of humid heat when they exited the hospital. And then the secondary rush of cold air as he helped her into the back of an air conditioned suv.
"Did I screw that up?," Eliana asked. She knew the last part of what she said wasn't part of what JJ talked to her about. But Eliana knew other women were still being held down in that dungeon. And she was terrified that her attacker was going to hurt them worse than he already was because she was now safely out of his reach.
Spencer was quick to shake his head. But Eliana had a feeling he wouldn't tell her even if she did mess everything up for him and his team. So she focused her attention on the black man that was sitting behind the wheel. He looked like someone that was ready to tell her the truth. And then she repeated her question.
"Did I mess things up for you?," she asked.
"Naw," Derek promised. "You named him to the press. We try not to give them a name. It causes more of a media circus. But this is already a fucking circus. And they were going to get his moniker one way or the other… I think you did good."
Eliana gave him a grateful nod, noticing that he stayed turned around in his seat a little longer than necessary. His gaze lingered on her. But it felt curious rather than leering. And his eyes were flicking between her and Spencer, watching the subtle interaction between them. Eliana slid her hand down, wrapping it around Spencer's. When Derek saw that, the corners of his lips turned up. And before he turned back around in his seat, Eliana caught his eye and smiled back.
