“Harrison, hey. What are you doing here? Is everything okay at the office?”

“I’ll explain in a minute. If you ever let me in, that is.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Come in, won’t you?” Marissa stepped back and swung the door open for him to enter.

Harrison entered the house and began walking towards the kitchen. Marissa followed him.

“What is it, Harrison? What’s going on?”

He paused by the island and turned to face her.

“I’ve got something to tell you, Marissa. Something you’re not going to like.” His voice was serious, his pale blue eyes staring, unblinking. “I’m the killer everyone’s looking for.”

“What? You’re the killer?”

“Yes. I’m the realtor killer.”

Her first impulse was to laugh. Harrison, meek, mild Harrison, the realtor killer? Impossible.

“You think I’m kidding, Marissa. Well, guess what, I’m not. What’s more is that you are going to be the next victim.” He moved his hand under his suitcoat and pulled a huge knife from his waistband.

“There is no Dr. Cooper, Marissa. Sorry.”

Marissa’s eyes opened wide when the knife came into view. She blinked, but the view didn’t change. Harrison still stood before he r with that dagger like shaft clutched in his hand.

“No,” she breathed, he muscles tensing.

“Yes. I bought a prepaid cell phone and told them I lived in Chicago. That way I had an out of town number. Now, let’s get this over with. Come here.” He reached for her and she backpedaled away from him.

No. He wasn’t going to touch her. She wouldn’t let him. He was crazy. Keep him talking. That’s all she could think of to do.

“Harrison, surely you don’t expect me to believe you’re the realtor killer. Come on…the last victim was your mother.” She kept walking backwards as she talked, trying to gain space between him and her.

“My mother,” he scoffed, his eyes taking on an angry glare. His voice rose as he spoke until he was yelling. “She’s why I did all this. I hate women because of her, always bossing me around, treating me like a retard. Wouldn’t let me join the sales force, said I was a loose cannon. She was crazy.”

“But she was raped,” Marissa gasped.

“She needed to be taught a lesson. She was such an arrogant bitch.”

She was stunned by his heartless words and the cold hatred in his tone of voice.

"B…but…" All she could do was stutter and stare at the man before her. Gone was the confused, hesitant man with the stooped shoulders. She now faced a man who stood tall and straight and she realized he was much bigger than she'd thought. He was at least six foot tall. His face was no longer woebegone, no longer wearing an expression of helplessness. Instead, he now had a sneer on his countenance, an ugly scowl tugging his pale brows down.

Fear started to burn deep in her gut while at the same time her mind tried to deny the truth. She let her gaze slowly drift to the dagger in his hand then back up to his face.

“Why…Why me?” She could barely stammer the words out.

“I didn’t plan on killing you. I planned on killing my mother, the bitch. I did the first woman for practice.” He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal. “That went great.”

She felt her mouth drop open again. This was Harrison? Harrison Hart, the meek and mild milquetoast of Hart Homes ? No, it couldn’t be.

But it was.

Keep him talking, she told herself again. Keep him talking and let her buy some time to think. She just hoped her throat wasn’t so dry she wouldn’t be able to speak.

“What about ?” she asked, her voice sounding like sandpaper.

“Oh, she was your fault.”

“My fault?” Her hand flew to her throat in shock.

“That’s right. I loved you, Marissa. I’ve loved you for years, but of course you never noticed.” A cold flame burned in his eyes. “I thought I could win you over once Mother was out of the way. I heard you on the phone that day way with Staci. That day you argued with her. She made you so angry and hurt your feelings so I decided to get back at her for you. I decided to kill her next.”

A wave of nausea rolled over her. God, Staci was dead because of her. The guilt nearly knocked her off her feet.

“If you loved me what happened, Harrison? Why are you going to kill me now?”

“Because,” he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth. “Because you accepted a date with me and that same day you fucked somebody else.”

His words hit her like ice water. How the hell did he know that? Then she remembered the spilled flowerpot. Had Harrison knocked it over? ”

“Were you spying on me?”

“Yes, I was watching you, you little slut. You and that big jock, fucking right there on your couch.”

Anger began to swell in her, shoving out the fear. He’d killed Staci. He killed his own mother. He’d watched her and Aaron make love. What a sick bastard.

“I thought I’d give you one more chance. That’s why I called you and told you about your boy toy being with another woman. I saw him. Then what did I see when I came to your office this morning? You kissing all over the SOB. That’s when I knew you had to die.”

Not today, you dickhead. The thought raced through her head as her gaze shot around the room looking for a weapon. Any weapon.

“Time to get started, Marissa. Don’t fight me and I’ll make sure you die almost painlessly. It won’t hurt more than a few seconds.” He suddenly lunged for her and she leaped backwards. She spun on her heel and ran, Harrison right behind her.

She cursed her slender skirt and high heels for the way they hindered her movements, but now wasn’t the time about worrying about appearances. She jerked her skirt up and pumped her legs as hard as she could. If she could just get outside…

“Now that wasn’t nice, Marissa, not nice at all.” His hot breath streaked across her cheek as he bent his head close to hers. “Now let’s head to the bedroom.”

She fought him every step of the way but he turned out to be surprisingly strong. He managed to drag her to the staircase and start upwards when she landed a solid stomp of her stiletto into the arch of his foot. She ground it with all her weight.

“Bitch!” he roared. And then his big meaty fist slammed into her temple.

Everything went black for a second as her head rocked from the blow. Bells rang in her ears and she went limp in his arms, one of his meaty arms wrapped around her neck, one gripping her waist, the knife hovering just inches from her torso.

Even when her head stopped spinning she didn’t straighten up. She hung there, limp in his arms and made him drag her up the stairs. She let her heels slide off her feet so she could get rid of the hindrances to her escape. She could run much faster without them.

He dragged her further up the stairs, muttering curses and panting from the workout. She decided to stay limp, make him work, wear him down. If he was exhausted from towing her dead weight up the stairs he’d be easier to overcome.

He seemed determined to make it to the master bedroom. She dragged her heels as they passed through the loft area and on down the hall. By the time they reached the luxury suite Harrison was panting and gasping for breath. He flung her on the bed and Marissa flopped down, continuing to keep her eyes closed.

“Wake up, bitch,” he hollered and shook her by the lapels of her suit jacket. “Wake up, dammit. I want you awake for this.”

She felt her teeth knocking together he shook her so hard. And she couldn’t help it; her eyes popped open.

“Now I’m going to take your clothes off, Marissa, and you’re going to let me. Otherwise I’m going to cut you.” Just to prove his point he raised the blade of his knife to edge against her throat. She felt the blade nip into the delicate flesh.

When his hands reached out and grabbed her breasts she couldn’t sit still anymore. She screamed, long and loud. Her hands began to flay, her fingertips brushing against the vase full of flowers she had placed on the nightstand earlier. Sudden hope sprang in her heart.

Harrison wanted to shut her up. Wanted to shut her up more than anything. He raised his right hand and backhanded her across her face.

She lunged to the side when he rose up to begin fumbling with her skirt, shoving it up her legs. There. Her fingers wrapped around the glass cylinder. Without stopping to think she took hold of the vase and raised it up. She brought it crashing down on his skull sending glass, water, and blooms raining down upon them.