Not Like Normal by Ava Strong

Author:Ava Strong [Strong, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ava Strong
Published: 2022-07-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Blue and red lights flashed across the dark green forest, illuminating branches and boughs, shifting in multi-hued spotlights over the shivering leaves.

Ilse leaned against the hood of the car, peering over the door towards where Sawyer was speaking with their suspect. Mr. Toman’s boyish features had creased into a petulant expression, complete with jutting lip and wide eyes. His intonation kept flitting to higher octaves, bringing to mind the cadence of the familiar phrase, “Who me?”

But Ilse wasn’t buying it. She’d seen the look in the ranger’s eyes. A predatory leer. If she hadn’t had her weapon, or if Sawyer hadn’t shown up, then Mr. Toman had intended to harm her. That much had been obvious.

Given her background, training on the mat, she felt as if she still might have been able to hold her own. But how many women out there, alone in the woods had encountered a similar predator, unable to defend themselves?

She could feel her fury rising now. A man like this... who’d used tranquilizers in an attempt to date rape a woman, was exactly the sort who might wheel helpless women about in wheelchairs.

Now, though, he was projecting a completely different image. A faint, pleading whine to his voice as he spoke to Sawyer. “I didn’t do anything, though. This—this is what’s most baffling, sir. I was just trying to help the nice little lady.”

As he spoke, his wide-eyes and trembling voice attempted to communicate innocence. And yet as Ilse stared through the glass of the open car door, she knew they’d found a predator. The only question: was he their predator?

Definitely a creep. But was he the man hunting women throughout Washington State?

“How come,” Sawyer said, his tone hard, “you’ve had three restraining orders against you in the last five years?”

“Wh-what?” The man blinked. “I don’t remember those.”

Sawyer raised his phone, reciting, “One against Regina Lopez. Another against Demi Greer. And the most recent one against Miranda Li. In fact, you’re in a pending trial over criminal charges on Miranda’s behalf.” Sawyer lowered his phone, his eyes hooded, his tone cold.

Nothing about Toman’s charade was working on Tom. Ilse felt a flicker of gratitude for this.

“Why don’t you drop the act, Tommy,” Sawyer snapped. “Where were you last night?”

“Umm... Working, sir. Working.”

“Don’t call me sir. That right is reserved for citizens. Did anyone see you working?”

Mr. Toman raised his cuffed hands as if presenting the forest on a platter. “It’s pretty lonely work, si-er... man. I don’t know what you think I can prove. I didn’t mean to scare your lady partner.”

“Hey—hey, stop looking at her. Look at me.” Sawyer snapped his fingers.

But Ilse took the askance glance as her cue. She slipped around the edge of the open door, and faced Mr. Toman, frowning.

“Did you want to rape me?” she said simply.

He stared at her, mouth gaping, blinking. Sawyer’s scowl only deepened. Ilse didn’t flinch. She knew the sorts of evil that people were capable of. Innuendo, inference were some of the best ways to hide what a person really was.

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