1 HIM :Preserving Beauty

I felt his gaze on me.

I've felt it for the past six months. Wherever I went, I felt it. It never left me. His notes were clear enough: I couldn't escape my unpromising fate. He was always there. Hiding in the shadows and watching.

Planning. Contemplating. Plotting…

I glanced up from behind the counter, the cloth clutched tightly in my hand. My eyes scanned through the empty café. I couldn't see him. But I knew he was there. Somewhere. How he always managed to get in, remains a mystery to me.

Oh, why did I offer to close up? I sighed and shoved my fear down, walking to the nearest table. The sound of the spray bottle echoed through the café as I nervously sprayed the soap onto the table. I wiped the table without paying attention to it.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose and I bit down on my lower lip. He's going to make his move!, I thought; panicking.

But the rational part of my mind told me that he wouldn't. He couldn't. The café was beside a busy street. The large glass window allowed everyone and everything to see into the café.

For a brief moment, that thought gave me confidence. But then I realized that I still had to go home to my apartment. Where no one could see.

No witnesses.

A soft chuckle made me swirl around.

He knew. Oh, he knew.

Another chuckle came from behind the counter. I walked towards it, clutching the spray bottle tightly in my hand. When I reached the counter, I stretched out to grab the pen lying behind the stack of papers.

He laughed loudly.

A knock on the glass behind me made me squeal. I swirled around and saw a man standing outside. I stood frozen, torn between chasing after him and going towards the man at the door. The man knocked again and gave a small wave.

I clutched the pen in my hand and placed the spray bottle and cloth down on the counter. I walked over to the door; from within the shadows, I felt his eyes burning into my back.

I opened the door and greeted the man.

The wind outside ruffled his dark hair. A smile tugged on his lips and a friendly expression graced his handsome face, but his blue eyes brimmed with concern.

"Excuse me, miss. I know the café's already closed but, could I trouble you for two cups of coffee? I'll pay double for it. My partner and I are working late night in this location and this is the only café nearby", he said.

I sighed. "I'd have to start the coffee machine and take everything out, just for two cups?" But I already knew I was defeated. I've always been a soft person. And this man had pushed all the right buttons to make my soft heart rule my mind.

I felt the gaze on me intensify and I knew he was angry. Was he really going to take the chance and do it in this place?

"Triple."

I snapped out of my thoughts and suddenly, I was confused. "Huh?"

The blue eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'll pay triple for the coffee. Plus a double on the tip… "

I lifted a brow at him before sighing in defeat. "Fine… I'll make it… " I opened the door wider and let him in. "Have a seat. Just put the chair back on the table before you leave, please."

The man chuckled.

I stared at the dark kitchen. The light switch was on the other side. I silently cursed the person who thought that the only switch should be right there, beside the backdoor.

I felt another pair of eyes on me and I turned to the coffee machine, tearing my gaze away from the kitchen. I plugged the machine into the wall and switched it on. I crouched and opened the cabinet door. "Regular coffee, right? ", I asked as I looked through the different bags of coffee.

"Yup. Regular coffee", the man answered. "The name's Vince, by the way. "

I frowned. Did his voice sound a little closer? No, he's still by one of the tables, I thought and shook my head slightly, dismissing the thought.

"Lydia", I said, speaking into the cabinet. I found the right beans and took it out from behind the others.

I closed the cabinet and turned towards the man's direction; my eyes glued to the bag of beans in my hands as I stood up.

I looked up, my mouth open and a question on my tongue. But a loud gasp is all that left my mouth. The bag fell from my hands as a wave of fear and shock went through me.

Vince rushed around the counter and I closed my eyes, squeezing them tightly. You've just made a fool out of yourself, I thought.

"Are you alright? ", Vince asked, concern lacing his voice.

I opened my eyes and looked up into his blue ones.

A moment passed.

I quickly glanced away and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "I-I'm fine. You just startled me. I thought you were still…sitting in the… chair.

His gaze burned on me. I could feel the anger radiating from him. But I couldn't place from where. Vince's presence clearly ruined any plans he had. Or changed them…

I bent down and picked the bag of coffee up. I smiled at Vince and turned away, focusing on the coffee.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you ", Vince said. I heard him walk away. I glanced his way and saw him standing on the other side of the counter.

From within the darkness, I heard a grunt of frustration.

I heard it clearly and I saw a frown tugging at the blue-eyed man's brows. Did Vince hear it too?

I felt the tension in the air and I racked my brain for something to say. "So… you mentioned a partner earlier… are you a cop or something?"

I felt Vince's gaze on me. "Pretty good guess. I'm a detective. But, erm… I don't have a partner, actually. He's just a newbie. I'm supposed to 'show him the ropes'."

I glanced at him. "Sounds like you're not fond of that idea", I stated.

"I mean… I don't mind helping the guy and all but… well, it's just that I'm used to working alone. " He leaned on the counter.

"Bad experience? "

"No…"

I glanced up at Vince and lifted a brow. That earned a smile from him.

"I prefer working alone. I can get things done. I don't have to wait for someone. I don't have to worry about someone else getting hurt, which gives the bad guys less leverage on me. And I can do things my way."

"Wow…I'm starting to feel sorry for your partner – the…other guy… " I reached for a container on the top shelve.

"What about you?"

I stood on the tips of my toes, stretching to reach the container. "What… about me? "I finally pulled the container halfway over the edge. It fell from the shelve and I caught it perfectly.

"Well, do you like working with others? "

I shrugged. "No…but I don't have a problem with it either. " I glanced up at Vince. "To-go cups?"

"Please. I don't want to end up cleaning porcelain cups before I leave."

"They're not porcelain ", I said and shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips.

"If you say so… "

I poured the coffee into the cups and a thought suddenly struck me. I have completely forgotten about him. For a brief few minutes, I haven't thought about him and I didn't feel his gaze; the fear was gone.

"Do you daydream like this often?", Vince's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

A blush tickled my cheeks. "I don't know what you are talking about " I opened the container and removed two cookies from it.

"Sure you don't… ", Vince said.

I shook my head and placed the two cups of coffee in front of him. He stared at the cookies on each lid and lifted his brows at me.

"What? They're complementary cookies…" I said with a shrug.

"Right… How much do I owe you? "

I pulled out my best thinking face. "Hmm… triple for the coffee and double for the tip. Yup…" I looked at him. "Okay, that'll be thirty dollars", I said and held my hand out to him.

"What!?", Vince cried out, indignance plastered across his face.

"You said triple… " I shrugged.

"Yeah but- "

I laughed. "That'll be five dollars, Mr Detective; I'll charge the normal price. "

Relief washed over Vince's face and he pulled out his wallet.

I suddenly felt a shiver run down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Wave after wave of fear rushed through me. I felt cold. My strength faded away and I felt weak.

He was so close. I didn't have to see him to know: he was furious. His patience was up and he no longer cared. He was going to do it!

Vince placed the money on the counter. When I didn't take it, he looked up. The fear must've been written all over my face because his voice was low when he spoke.

"Lydia?" Vince's demeanour had instantly changed and I saw his hand slowly moving down to his side.

"He's here", I whispered. "H-he's been watching me for months a-and…" I looked into his blue eyes. "…he's going to kill me. "

I swallowed hard, tears welling up in my eyes.

I saw Vince's expression relax for a brief moment and I knew he had just realised something.

He relaxed his body and grabbed the cups of coffee. A half-smile touched his lips. "Yeah… okay. Whatever you say, Lydia. Oh, uh… keep the change. "

He turned around and walked towards the door.

I stared at Vince, disbelief and shock filling my mind. Outside, he glanced at me for a brief moment. The realization that he didn't believe me, stabbed me in the heart. The tears trickled down my face and Vince disappeared out of my view.

He chuckled. "Such disappointment", he whispered from the shadows.

That instantly dried up my tears.

I swirled around and a muffled scream escaped my throat. His hand clamped around my mouth and I screamed harder.

His fist suddenly sank into my stomach and I stopped screaming, gasping for air as I sank to my knees.

"Oh my dear Lydia, look what you made me do."

I struggled to breath; the wind knocked out of me. His hand found my hair and he dragged me into the kitchen. I whimpered and felt the air gradually returning to my lungs. He suddenly let go of my hair and I clutched my head; tears welling up in my eyes at the pain.

I heard the soft click of the switch and light spilt around me.

"I've watched you for a long time, Lydia. I've planned an eventful night for your thirtieth birthday, you know? I wanted to do so much. But you ruined it."

"How did I ruin it?", I asked as I slowly sat upright.

"Beautiful, sweet Lydia. I had to plan carefully to fit everything I wanted to do into one night. I didn't want to rush things…but now I'll have to improvise. You took so long with that cop…Why? Why did you have to do it?"

I turned towards him and for the first time, I saw him. His delicate face held a sad expression. His slender yet thick brows were knitted together and a small strand of his blond hair hang loosely from the rest. I looked into his dark eyes and shuddered.

He crouched beside me. "You don't remember me?"

His words shocked me. We've met before!?

"You used to serve me. But you never noticed me."

My mouth dropped open. I couldn't believe it. "Y-you!? It cannot be…"

He nodded.

"You're that regular with the weird order? Ice cream and coffee -"

"With Raspberry Shortbread on the side…yes."

I didn't know what to say.

"You know, I have never seen someone like you. You looked like an angel. And somehow you still do."

Oh, no…no…no…please don't tell me he 'loves' me!? That is só serial-killer-cliché. "And I immediately stole your heart and now you what…want to show me your love by killing me?"

Surprise flashed across his face. "What? No. I don't love you. If I did, I wouldn't be hurting you, now would I?"

I shrugged. "I don't know the extent of your madness…"

He chuckled. "Oh, Lydia. I just want to preserve your beauty."

"Don't mock me." Long blonde hair and green eyes, rough features and make-up-less, freckled face…yeah, I was pretty, at best.

"Oh come now, Lydia. How can you be that oblivious to your beauty? Sure, you are not the breathtaking beauty. No. To see your beauty, one must look closely."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Were you a shrink or something in your previous life?"

He gestured at me."Precisely what I mean. What a shame I cannot preserve your personality forever."

"You can preserve it for 50 plus years if you let me go."

He laughed at me. "No. I will make you a part of my collection."

"Collection?", I asked, a powerless feeling settling in my stomach.

"I will preserve your beauty forever, Lydia. That is my birthday gift to you." He smiled and stood up.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" He walked towards the sink. "You know, I've practised and experimented and finally! I've perfected my method", he said; reaching into the cupboard under the sink. "I had a lot of trouble getting these in here. "

He removed two large, white bottles and placed them on the counter. "Do you know what this is?"

I shook my head.

"This, my dear Lydia is formalin. And it is going to flow through your veins soon."

Cold. I felt cold. I glanced at the bottles and then at him. His smile was mocking me. He was mocking me.

I jumped up with all the speed I could muster and sprint out of the kitchen towards the front door.

But he caught up to me and grabbed me by the hair. His hand snaked around my throat and he tossed me down to the floor. My head hit the hard floor and I saw stars dancing around me.

He grabbed my arm and held it above my head. I tried to grab ahold of him but my vision was blurry. I felt a sharp sting in the crook of my arm. Panic ripped through me and I struggled.

He suddenly let go of my arm and I jumped up, stumbling around. I leaned against the counter to steady myself. I saw the pen on the counter and reached for it. I swirled around and when he entered my sight, I charged at him. He grabbed my hand, stopping the punch aimed at his face.

Ha! You fell for the oldest trick in the book, sucker!, I thought gleefully.

I stabbed the pen into his shoulder as hard as I could. He cried out, not releasing my other hand from his grip. He glanced at the pen in his shoulder and then at me, malice edged in every line of his face.

My vision blurred and I lost my strength.

He twisted my arm behind my back and I heard a loud crack. Searing pain ripped through my body. My legs gave in beneath me and I fell to the ground.

What did he do to me?

Anger flashed across his face and then he was on top of me, his hands closing around my throat. He was slowly choking me. And I couldn't move. I tried to scream but I couldn't even open my mouth.

"Are you enjoying the ketamine, Lydia?", he said through gritted teeth.

He let go of me and dragged me back to the kitchen. He grabbed the bottles and knelt beside me.

Panic came over me and fear choked me. I felt the sting in my arm and I knew I was done for.

Suddenly the back door flew open and a deafening shot sounded through the air.

I saw him fall down.

People entered my line of sight but my vision was blurred. They became countless figures.

Through the ringing in my ears, I heard a familiar voice.

"You're okay… you're okay. "

***

The constant beeping sound irritated me.

Can someone please turn it off!, I thought.

When nothing happened, I tried to open my eyes; they felt so heavy. When I finally had them open, I found myself lying in a bed in a white room.

Hospital, I realised.

My eyes caught sight of a figure beside my bed. I turned my head to get a better look.

Sitting in a chair with his head resting on his hand and closed eyes, was Vince.

I gave a hoarse chuckle and his eyes instantly flew open. His blue eyes met mine and he smiled.

"You're awake. Finally."

I smiled. "Aww. You were worried about me", I teased, my voice sounding like a chainsaw in my ears. I frowned. "Why do I sound…like this?"

"Concussion, swelled vocal cords, broken arm…among other injuries." His face turned serious."You nearly died, Lydia", he said softly.

I chuckled. "Duh…I think I know that." My smile faded. "Why didn't you believe me?"

Vince leaned over and took my hand. "I did. But I couldn't just do something. We've been looking for this guy for a long time. We needed to catch him, I needed to fool him. And it worked."

I frowned. "Who is he?"

Vince sighed and leaned back into his chair. "His real name is Roy Watts. But everybody knows him as The Embalmer."

My brows knitted together. "The what?"

Vince frowned and tilted his head to the side. "The Embalmer…don't you watch TV, read the news…social media?"

"I don't have a TV and my cellphone might as well have come from the middle ages. And I hate newspapers."

Vince stared at me, amusement and disbelief taking turns to appear on his face.

"What?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Roy is a serial killer, Lydia. He's killed many. Women, all around thirty years of age. And they died of formalin. He drugged them and then basically embalmed them alive."

I frowned. "I wonder if he knew that the formalin wouldn't 'preserve' them forever."

"Yes, he did. We busted his 'lair' and found his previous three victims in separate baths of resin."

"Right. He mentioned that he had perfected his method."

"When you said that he had been watching you for months and that he's going to kill you, I figured it out." He frowned. "We found his little notes…Why didn't you go to the cops before?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. He's caught and I'm fine."

Vince looked uncomfortable. "Lydia…he. Well, he told me that, he'll…"

"What?"

The blue eyes met mine. "He'll be waiting."