Chapter 40: Paranoia's Grip I stared at Noah, a strange intensity in his eyes that didn’t quite match the sheepish apology he’d offered earlier. There was something…off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but my gut was screaming. The lingering threat from the anonymous caller, the one who seemed to know everything about my life, Valeria's, and even Ms. Hanover, kept replaying in my head. It was like a broken record. "Stop meddling," the voice had rasped, and now, looking at Noah, I couldn't shake the feeling he was connected to it all. The caller had specifically mentioned Ms. Hanover. It felt personal, targeted. And now here was Noah, seemingly out of nowhere, a childhood friend with a hidden past and a creepy intensity that made my skin crawl. Coincidence? I didn't think so. I shifted my focus to Demitra, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression was a mixture of concern and frustration, directed mostly at me. But I needed answers, and I needed them now. “Demitra,” I began, my voice low and deliberate, “you said Noah’s a childhood friend. How well do you *really* know him?” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Jim, what is this about? I told you, we grew up together. He’s… like a brother to me.” “A brother who dyes his hair that color?” I shot back, instantly regretting the dig. It was petty, but I was running on adrenaline and pure paranoia. "That's not fair, Jim. And it's none of your business," Demitra snapped. I pressed on, ignoring her rising irritation. “Has he always been… this intense? This… *method*?” I gestured vaguely towards the prop gun on the table. Demitra hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. “He’s always been passionate about acting,” she said carefully. “He gets… invested in his roles.” “Invested enough to get a mugshot?” I blurted out, watching her closely. Her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a tight line. “Where did you hear about that?” “Doesn’t matter. Is it true?” She avoided my gaze, confirming my suspicions. “It was a long time ago. A stupid mistake.” “Disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Doesn’t exactly scream ‘stupid mistake,’ D.” “It was a bar fight, Jim! He was defending a friend.” “A friend? Or maybe he just likes to fight? Maybe he has a short fuse? You said he gets invested, what if he took that to far?” I pressed. Demitra’s voice rose. “You’re twisting this! It was one incident, years ago. People change.” “Do they? Or do they just get better at hiding who they really are?” I challenged. “Jim, stop. You’re being ridiculous.” “Am I? Or am I just the only one who sees that this guy is bad news?” “He is not bad news!” Demitra shouted, her voice echoing in the small apartment. “He’s…complicated. He’s had a tough life. But he’s a good person, deep down.” "I don't know about that, D," I say honestly. "But I know he's scaring me." I softened my tone, trying a different approach. "Look, all I’m saying is, be careful. You don’t really know what people are capable of.” Demitra crossed her arms, her expression hardening. “I can take care of myself, Jim. I don’t need you to protect me.” "I know D," I say, stepping closer to her. "But if there is even a chance, even a slim one, that he's going to hurt you or someone you care about, I need to stop it before it gets there." My phone began to buzz in my pocket, but I ignored it. My focus was solely on Demitra, on getting through to her, on making her see the danger I felt lurking just beneath the surface. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Something you’re not telling me. Something about Noah.” She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely audible. “He… he can be a little intense sometimes,” she admitted reluctantly. “He gets… fixated on things.” “Fixated how?” I pressed, my heart pounding in my chest. Demitra swallowed hard. “He… he had a crush on me in high school,” she confessed. “It got… a little out of hand. He was always there, always watching. It made me uncomfortable. I had to make it obvious, very clear that it was just friends.” Stalker-like behaviour. That’s all I needed to hear. My suspicions were confirmed. The pieces were starting to fall into place. The anonymous calls, the threats, Noah's creepy intensity, Demitra's reluctance to talk about him – it all added up to one terrifying possibility: Noah was involved. He was the one behind it all. He was obsessed with Demitra, and he saw me as a threat. He wanted me out of the picture. "Demitra, you don't see it do you?" I pressed, my voice barely a whisper. "This is so dangerous, you need to listen to me." “Why are you doing this Jim, you make me so angry, I hate you," she snapped. "D, he knows all of this, he knows everything about me and he isn't even that close to me. Do you know how he would know to threaten all of that?" "You don't believe in me, you never have you think I'm stupid." "That's not true, you're the only one that I trusted." "But you don't believe in me now, I need you to support me!" "I can't do that right now, I need you to trust me when I tell you that he is bad news!" "I hate you Jim Feder, you never understand." "I don't understand, why would you defend him? What is he doing to you?" I pulled away, needing to get out of there, to clear my head and figure out my next move. I couldn’t trust Demitra right now; she was too close to the situation, too blinded by her loyalty to Noah. "You're a bitch Demitra," I said, starting to tear up. "Leave me alone Jim," she responded. "I need you to promise me that you will be okay, I just need to know." "I can't, you're never there, never understand. Just leave me alone." I turned towards the door. "I'm not going to leave you alone Demitra, I need to make sure you are safe. "You are not going to tell me what to do Jim." I hesitated at the door. “I’m going to do some digging,” I said, turning back to face her. “I’m going to find out the truth about Noah, whether you like it or not.” Demitra’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t you dare, Jim. Stay away from him. Stay away from me.” “I can’t do that, D. I’m sorry, but I can’t.” “Then get out,” she spat. “Get out of my apartment and get out of my life.” I opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. “I don’t want to do this, D. But I have to protect you. Even if it means going against your wishes.” I walked away, leaving her standing there, her face a mask of anger and hurt. I knew I was hurting her, that I was breaking her trust. But I couldn’t stop. I had to know the truth, and I had to protect her, even if it meant losing her in the process. I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts. Andre. Greg’s homie. Greg knew Noah, had known him for years. He might have some useful information, something that could help me piece together the puzzle and expose Noah for who he really was. I hesitated for a moment, glancing back towards Demitra’s door. I knew she wouldn’t approve. She’d be furious. But I couldn’t let that stop me. I had to do what I thought was right, even if it meant going against her wishes.