Chapter 2

"Not knowing the thing that's chasing you is a lot scarier than seeing it right in front of you." - Oren Peli

"Miss Taylor..." The officer sighs with defeat brushing his fingers through his hair. All these questions is making my head spin. Who is he? What happened? Why were you there? With him?

Soon after I passed out I woke up in the hospital where they kept me over night. There was a police man dressed in blue, constantly at the door that let to my private room. Thank goodness for medical insurance otherwise I wouldn't be so lucky to have a private room.

"Miss Tay..."

"Lilith." I interrup the doctor fiddling with my fingers. I just want to go home, lay down and try to piece everything together. What happened? Why did the guy assaulting me change his mind. It is like he had multiple personalities. First assaulting me then calling the police for... himself?

"There is no serious injuries. You might need a bit of rest, but you will be fine in a day or two." He place my file on the table standing at the food and end of my bed. "It is possible to not remember everything, don't let it keep you up. You have been through a lot." He let out a sympathetic sigh, but my eyes only caught the police man at my door. Pacing up and down. Gaurding the door like there was something of value inside. Why is there a police man at my door.

"Miss Taylor." The officer slam his hands on the table infront of me snapping me out of my thoughts. "I need to know what happened. That is the only way I can help you."

"It's Lilith. My name. It's Lilith." I remind the officer leaning back in his chair. "I told you what happened. He was on top of me. Feeling me up. I tried to fight him off, but I couldn't. Then I passed out." I answer shrugging my shoulders.

"That was Mister Kuznetsoc's son who you claimed was doing that to you?" His voice is bold. I am unsure if that was a question or a statement. Claimed? It happened. Why doesn't he believe me? Am I not the victim? I just want to go home and pretend none of this happened.

"Like I said I don't know him. I had an appointment with a Mister Ivanoh." I throw my hands in the air. "He wanted to buy the place. I screwed things up." That I did. Shrew things up. How could I meet someone in a place like that. I should have known something was wrong.

"Listen to me Miss..." He clear his throat stuttering before he speak again. "Lilith. Mister Kuznetsoc junior is dead. I need the person who is responsible for his death. Who shot him?" His voice instantly filled with irritation. I don't remember anyone being shot and maybe if I saw who shot him I sure has hell am not the one telling them. He saved me. The things that was about to happen if he didn't show up... My body tense at the thought. He deserved it, but there was no one other than me and him there. I only saw him. Kuznetsoc or whatever. He had a sudden change of heart. I think, but I am not telling him that. No one believed me this far, why would that change now?

"I don't remember anything after I passed out. If you are not charging me with something I am leaving." I abruptly stand up gathering my jacket and handbag storming out of the police station.

I fall down on the couch as soon as I get home to my apartment turning on the television and flicking through the channels until I come across something worth watching without any violence. Nothing like a good old soppy love story to ease my mind of things happening in real life. Real life like I ever had a life until today.

I don't have many friends. Actually I only have one friend. Isabella. I met her the first day I started working at Golden Properties. She was there looking for an office space to rent and since then everything just kind of happened. We went out for lunch a few times, which turned into dinners then sleepovers and finally we moved in together. We became best friends, 'sisters' she called us.

Isabella is a very talkative person. She love stories and reading is her passion, maybe that is why she is so good at her job. She is a publishing agent with lots of fans. Anything from Sci-Fi to Rom-Com. She is a multi genre girl, she sometimes called herself that.

One would think that it made her non-social, but on the contrary. She loves a good gathering and is as much an adrenaline junky as the next sporty and outgoing, adventures person.

I jump up at the sound of a noise coming from my room grabbing the vase on the table infront of me. I tip-toe towards my room holding both my hands a few inches away from my head with the vase between them. The dark hall is quiet and I slowly walk around the corner, but my knees grow weaker at the second. I press one hand over my chest hoping to calm my racing heart. If there is actually someone in my room I am afraid they would be able to hear my heart pumping viciously.

I peak my head slowly into my room then forward my body until I was standing in the doorway. The certain flap against my desk at the window calming my body in the prosses. I must have left open the window before. I am so clumsy, I shrug my shoulders turning around on my heels.

"What the Fuck!" I scream almost hitting Isabella over the head with the vase, but thank God for fast reflexes she quickly move away. "What are you doing here?" I finally breath.

"I live here." Obviously you live here. I meant... right now... In my room... oh I don't know what I meant. "You okay?" She glare at me wide eyes searching for some answers.

"Yeah... fine." I brush her off with the shake of my hand. "You just scared the shit out of me." I pass by her heading back to the living room. Why am I so paranoid. I am perfectly save in the apartment. The reception desk won't let anyone into the building without permission. Although there was this one time when Isabella picked up a fight with a really angry looking guy. He was covered in tattoos and really drunk. They did let him pass...or did he threaten them? He was quite threatening, but of course Isabella the adrenaline junky she is wasn't scared. I am not sure how, but she managed the situation.

"Why are you so shaken-up, honey?" Isabella place her hand over mine the moment she sit down next to me. I couldn't help it. I tried stopping myself, but I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. I broke down and started crying. Letting out an unlady-like snort. Crying until my eyes burnt and my throat tightened. I was helpless leaning on Isabella's shoulder unable to speak. All I could do was cry.

After a few minutes of non-stop sobbing and snorting I sit up wiping the tears and snot from my face. "Look. at. me." I breath through hiccups. "I am such a mess." I state taking the next tissue from Isabella's hand. She was quiet the whole time shushing me while I let it all out patting my back in a matter of comforting me.

"Why don't you start at the beginning. I'll pour us a glass of wine while you settle on the couch, okay?" I nod and then she gets up obeying her promise. Isabella loved drinking wine. She is the one who persuades me the first time to drink wine. I would usually have coffee while she took to the cold bottle in the fridge, but coffee won't make me relax. Maybe if I have three glasses I might get some sleep tonight. It seemed pretty easily last night.

"So...?" She motion leaning her head in an awkward position after I told her what happened. I told her everything. I told her about Mister Ivanoh phoning me to meet him about his interest in 'The hub'. I told her that I haven't met him before and that all I was sure about was that he is Russian. Little unorthodox how most people in my life were Russian...or had somehow some connection or trade of a Russian. I myself am totally Italian, but I am not opposed to the idea of going to Russia one day. Vacation of course. Call it a dream. Something on my bucket list I didn't scratch off yet. In detail I told her what he did... try to do to me. I explained every last detail to her until I left her with a 'Then they asked me who he was.'

"So?" She glare, waiting in anticipation. Her eyes locked on mine when she freezes on the spot.

"What so?" I question the look on her face. It wasn't a 'so' like So you are fine now don't worry. It was a question. And that confuses me. What is she asking?

"Who was he?"

"Haven't you been listening to anything I have been saying?" I look at her in disbelieve. Unbelievable. I just poured my heart out and her mind wasn't even near me. Urgh... I gulp down the glass of wine eagerly. "I told you. There was no one!" I yelled glaring at her with my mouth open.

"Let me get this." She cups my face closing my mouth with her thumb. "You were led to a place unaware of whom you are meeting. Yet you went..." I nod tempting to punch her for treating me like a toddler. "Then you went up the stairs with a stranger in a drunken state of mind?" I nod again. Get to the point Isabella. "Then he started feeling you up asking you questions like if you were trying to sell him the place and if you knew who he was?" I glare at her nodding again. Didn't I just tell her this? "And the next thing you remember you were on the ground with him on top of you and just before you passed out he told you that you will be okay and the police are on their way and when you awake they told you he was shot, dead?" I nod for the final time. What is your point, Isabella?

"That is what I told you, yes." I try hiding the irritation in my voice unsuccessfully taking the bottle of wine in my hand and pouring another glass.

"Who shot him?" She frowns frantically throwing her arms in the air.

"I don't know." I sigh. "Maybe he isn't even shot. That should have wakon me upright. I wouldn't... couldn't be unconscious through all that. I" Isabella place her hand over my mouth so I can stop babbling.

"Colour me curious." She whispers silently taking her hand from my mouth. "Who is the guy that got shot?" She finally asks after a whole thirty agonizing seconds.

"Uhm... Some Katnez... No... Kuzento..." I stutter over my words trying to remember what the police officer said.

"Kuznetsoc?" Isabella interrupt me with a questionable sigh. I nod immediately with the recognition of the name. "Do you even know who that is?" She asks astonished just like the guy himself was asking. I should know who he is... was... I don't know a lot of people. Is he important somehow? He must be. Right, that is why everyone is acting like this.

"The son of another Kuznetsov? The police did say, junior..." I try to brighten the mood, but it did exactly the opposite. Isabella started pacing up and down the living room floor scratching her head. This was how she thought. That much I learned from living with her. She usually did this when she had too many things on her plate or when her boss was giving her a hard time.

"Lily..." She states placing her hands on my shoulders bending over in front of me. Her face was pale as a sheet and her eyes wide. "You need to leave..."

"Bella, you are scaring me what is going on?"

"You should be scared." She throws her hands in the air muttering to herself and start pacing up and down again. "Ooooh, you should be so Fucking scared right now." She repeats herself seeming more scared than me. Isabella never got scared. This scared me. I am scared to see her scared. What? Great now the both of us is scared for no particular reason. Why should I be scared? I did nothing wrong. I am the victim. Why is everybody blaming me? I didn't ask for this. I didn't want any of this. I grab my handbag while Isabella is still pacing a path into the living room floor and head out the door.