BooksBarbecue
Back The Night Bird
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. Start Reading
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. FROM THE AUTHOR
  59. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  60. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“If you want to do something, talk to the police. Tell them your story.”

Todd bolted out of the chair. His voice got louder. “Are you kidding? Do you want them to arrest me? Don’t you get it? I’ve been doing terrible things to these women. I’m the Night Bird.”

“That’s not the only explanation,” Frankie replied.

“Come on, Dr. Stein, nothing else makes sense! You know it, too. You just want me to turn myself in. You can’t do it yourself, so you want me to go to the police and admit everything. Hell, maybe I should, but that wouldn’t get rid of the nightmares. Don’t you get it? I’m scared of what’s going on in my own mind.”

Frankie got out of her chair and came around the desk. She put both hands on Todd’s shoulders. “What I’m saying is, it’s possible that someone is manipulating you. He wants you to believe that you’re guilty.”

Todd’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What are you talking about?”

Frankie switched on the video player in her office. She didn’t need to go far to find what she wanted. She froze the screen on the image that Todd had taken in the bathroom of the bar.

“Do you recognize this video?”

He cocked his head. “Sure, it’s mine.”

“What about that man?”

Todd stared at Darren Newman. He took two steps closer to the screen without saying anything. He shouldn’t have recognized Newman. The man should have been one of thousands of strangers who passed in and out of a person’s life in a few seconds. But seeing him, Todd couldn’t let go. He inched closer to the television. Newman’s face held him with the power of a magnet.

“Who is he?” Todd murmured.

“Do you recognize him?” Frankie repeated.

“What’s his name?”

She hesitated. “His name is Darren Newman. Have you seen him before?”

“No, I’ve never seen him,” Todd said, “but I know him. Why do I know him?”

“He’s been in the news. Last year, a lot of people thought he was guilty of murder.”

“You think it’s him, don’t you?” Todd said. “You think he’s the one who’s been doing this to these women. And to me.”

“It’s possible.”

“It’s more than possible, isn’t it? That’s why he’s in my video. He’s been stalking me. Why don’t I remember him?”

“He may be using drugs and hypnosis to change your memory,” Frankie said.

Todd spun around. His face was black. “Like you do.”

“Yes,” she acknowledged. “Like I do.”