Girl in the Shadows

  "Tell your friend I'll be waiting for her in the morning," he said. He pulled back and returned to their bedroom. I closed the door completely, but left the chair there. I stood waiting for a while to be sure he wasn't coming back. I could hear them arguing in their room. Rhona was mad at him for going into my bedroom. He kept saying it wasn't a big deal. Finally, they were quiet.

  How fortunate for Echo that she couldn't hear what went on tonight. What a frightening experience it would have been for her, too. I thought, and returned to my bed. I was still shaking so hard, my teeth were clicking like an old typewriter. I had held my breath so long, my chest ached. I looked at Destiny.

  "Thank you," I said, and put on my nightgown again. I sat there for a moment just catching my breath and then I realized that in the morning Skeeter would be charging in here looking for her. Who knew what he would do when he discovered he had been frightened by a trick mannequin? In a rage he might damage or destroy her, I thought. Fear of that kept me awake. I had to think of something.

  A good half hour or so later. I got out of bed as quietly as I could and took the chair away from the door. I opened it slowly, inches at a time, to keep the squeaking of the hinges down to a minimum. Then I lifted Destiny from the chair and, moving almost in slow motion, carried her out and into Echo's room.

  She was fast asleep and of course wouldn't hear anything. I went to her closet and, first putting Destiny down softly on the floor, opened the sliding door, Then I pulled the clothes forward to make some room and as carefully and surgically perfect as I could, inserted her in the corner of the closet.

  "Just for a little while," I whispered, and slid the clothing back to cover her.

  I closed the closet door and tiptoed over the floor. It creaked. and I stopped often to listen and be sure neither Rhona nor Skeeter heard. They were in a dead sleep finally, thankfully. so I made my way back to my room. I got into bed. I was so exhausted, nervous, and frightened that I couldn't fall asleep for the longest time. I did just before morning and I was in a dead sleep, dead to the world. Echo had to shake me hard to get me to open my eyes.

  Her first question was, "Will Grandma be coming home today?"

  I told her I didn't know, that we'd see when we got to the hospital.

  She told me she was hungry and she would start breakfast for us. I nodded. groggy and achy. My eyelids wouldn't stay open. She shook me again to tell me she would bring up a cup of coffee for me. I smiled at her, but closed my eyes again and in an instant. fell back asleep.

  The next time she shook me, she had a cup of coffee in hand. I thanked her and pulled myself up to a sitting position. She wanted to know if I wanted scrambled eggs. She liked making them. I said yes, even though eating anything was the furthest thing from my thoughts. She turned excitedly and hurried out and down to the kitchen. I sipped some coffee and sat there with my eyes closed.

  "Where the hell is she?" I heard next and woke up again. I had fallen asleep sitting up. I looked at Skeeter. He was in his underwear, his hair falling around his face, his eyes bloodshot.

  "Huh?"

  "Where's who?" I said.

  "Very funny." He looked around the room and went directly to the closet, shoving the door open. "Where'd she go? Is she still in the house?

  Downstairs?"

  "No," I said. "No one else is here."

  "Skeeter!" we heard Rhona shout. "Get the bitch to bring me a cup of coffee."

  He stared at me. "Who was she? Is she related to Trevor, a sister or a girlfriend? I'm going to go ask him."

  "I wouldn't tell Trevor that you came into my room last night," I said. "That might not go over so well for you."

  Where I found the courage. I do not know, but I did know I had to put on a good act or I would be at his mercy. He pointed his right forefinger at me, but he didn't say anything for a moment. Then he nodded and smiled.

  "Too bad. She ruined a good time for you. I could have drilled you into ecstasy."

  "I'd rather have root canal work," I muttered, and his smile slid off his face.

  "You heard her. Get her a cup of coffee." he said, glanced around the room again, his eyes full of confusion, and then turned and left.

  I rose and got dressed as fast as I could. Echo had my scrambled eggs ready. I told her I had to bring her mother a cup of coffee and she insisted on doing it so my eggs wouldn't get cold. I didn't see how I could stop her. so I let her go up. but I waited at the foot of the stairway. I could hear them clearly.

  "There's not enough sugar in it," Rhona complained. "Skeeter, tell her."

  "I don't remember how to say that," he said.

  "Damn it, why didn't April bring it up? Get April. Go downstairs and get April," she shouted at Echo.

  I hurried into the kitchen, grabbed the sugar bowl and a spoon, and ran up the stairs. As I expected. Echo was standing there confused and unsure of what to do next

  Skeeter was in bed beside Rhona, who was sitting up naked. I went to her quickly.

  "How much more do you want?"

  "A teaspoonful. Why did you send her up here? She's worthless doing these things."

  "She wanted to do something for you." I said. Of course I knew she really wanted to do it for me.

  "If she wants to do something for me, tell her to tell her grandmother to give me the money I need. Yeah, maybe if she tells her, she'll do it. What do you think, Skeeter?"

  "I think we're just going to have to wait around for her to die," he said bitterly.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to spurt out the news that Mrs. Westington was already in the process of preventing them from getting their hands on her money.

  "Make us some eggs, over easy, and some toast with my mother's jam and more coffee. You want anything else. Skeeter?"

  "Yeah, but I'll get it some other time," he said, smiling licentiously at me.

  "You and your one-track mind," Rhona said.

  "You like going down that tack, so don't complain." She laughed,

  I urged Echo out of the room and we went downstairs to prepare their breakfast. The faster I did what they wanted, the faster I could get us out of here. I thought. I didn't want to be around Skeeter any longer than I had to and I was really worrying about Echo now.

  I started on their eggs. Echo wanted to do it so I could eat, but I had lost any appetite. I told her to eat them and promised to let her make me some after I finished with her mother and Skeeter. She wasn't happy about it, but she sat and started to eat.

  Just as I broke the first set of eggs, the phone rang. I was in such deep thought and full of so much worry, it stunned me. It was as if it had rung in my heart. I stared at the receiver, too frightened to lift it. Before I got to it. Rhona had picked it up in her room. I lifted the receiver to listen in nevertheless.

  "Hello." Rhona said.

  "Hello, this is Doctor Battie, To whom am I speaking?"

  "Rhona Westington, Mrs. Westington's daughter."

  "I'm glad I reached you. Didn't you get my message to have you call me?"

  "Message? No.' she replied in outright lie. I was about to contradict her, but thought it better to simply remain undetected on the line. "I haven't been feeling well myself. I've been up there a few times but the nurses don't tell me anything and you weren't around. How is my mother today?"

  "I'm afraid Mrs. Westington has had a bit of a setback," Doctor Battie said.

  I held my breath. Setback?

  "What? Why? Is she dead?" Rhona asked quickly.

  "No, but she has had what we call a cardiac event. It looks like she's a candidate for a pacemaker. but I don't want her to have any procedures until we stabilize her blood pressure. I'm getting close to doing that."

  "What do you mean, she had a cardiac event? What happened to her?"

  "She has a heart block. The block effects the heart's electrical activity but the cardiologist believes that the pacemaker will help a great deal."

  I felt like I was going to melt into a pool of shock and disappointment.


  "Oh, really?" She certainly sounded

  disappointed. "Is that expensive?"

  "It's not the expense. Her insurance will handle it well, but she won't agree to our setting it up until she speaks with your houseguest."

  "House guest?'"

  "April. I'm afraid I don't recall her last name or even if Mrs. Westington told me,"

  "Let me get this straight. Doctor. My mother won't agree to do what she has to do unless she first speaks to April?"

  "Yes. Is she there? Do you know if she's coming up here to visit soon?"

  I was about to speak. but Rhona said. "Let me go look for her."

  I hung up the phone as quietly as I could and walked out of the kitchen, pretending to be busy with setting the table for their breakfast. Echo looked at me quizzically. I just smiled back, nodded at the table, and then waited in the hallway.

  "Hey. April," I heard Skeeter call.

  I walked to the foot of the stairway. "What is it?" I asked.

  He was still dressed only in his underwear and had already started down the stairs. "Come up here." he said.

  "Why?" I demanded. I could pick up the phone down in the kitchen just as easily. Why didn't he just tell me to do so?

  He moved quickly until he had his right hand on my neck, his fingers squeezing like vice grips sending incredible pain into the back of my head. With his other hand, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me so I would go forward up the stairway.

  "Ow!" I screamed. "You're really hurting me. I'll go up. Stop it," I said.

  I stepped up, but he kept his grip on the back of my neck. What did they want to do, listen to what I said to the doctor? When we reached the top, he shoved me hard to the left instead of toward Rhona's room as I was expecting.

  "What are you doing?" I cried.

  He put his left hand over my mouth and grabbed my hair with his right hand, forcing me to walk toward Mrs. Westington's bedroom.

  As we passed Rhona's room. I could see her standing by the night table, holding her hand over the mouth of the receiver and looking out at us. I tried to resist. but Skeeter had a very firm grip on my face and my hair felt like it was being ripped out of my skull in clumps.

  That were they doing?

  "Oh, Doctor Battie." Rhona said. loud enough for me to hear. "I'm sorry I took so long. but I've just learned that April has left. Yes, she went off to meet her sister and live with her. She's no longer here.

  "But tell my mother I'll be up to see her as soon as I get dressed."

  I tried to shout. but Skeeter's fingers pressed down on my tongue and made me gag. I squirmed and twisted to get out of his gasp.

  Rhona hung up the receiver. "No!" I finally managed.

  "Yes,," he said. He lifted me and carried me into Mrs. Westington's bedroom., and he shut the door behind us.

  13 Bound and Gagged

  . Skeeter dropped me to my knees hard and then pushed me to the floor with his foot.

  "Stay down," he said, keeping his foot pressed on my lower back. "Don't you move."

  "What are you doing?" I screamed.

  "Don't move. So where's your friend now, huh?" he asked, his foot twisting on me. "I don't know what the hell that was about. but I know I was right. There was someone here, but don't think she's going to help you now,"

  He went over to the telephone and tore the wire out of its socket. Then he brought the wire to me and twisted my arms behind my back, wrapping the wire around my wrists and tying them tightly. I cried out in pain, tears coming into my eyes. I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

  "Don't start shouting for that Trevor, either." he warned,

  "You don't have to worry about him," I heard Rhona say from the doorway. "His truck's gone. He's off somewhere already."

  "Oh, really? That was thoughtful of him," Skeeter said.

  "What do you think you're doing?" I cried, still on my stomach on the floor because Skeeter had his knee on my buttocks. "Why did you lie to the doctor about my leaving?"

  Rhona walked into the bedroom. I turned my head and looked at her feet and then up at her.

  "You should have left when I told you to leave. Now you're going to be cooperative whether you like it or not." She smiled. "My mother ever tell you how she locked me up once for nearly three days? I got into trouble with the police when I was a little more than eleven, and she was so angry and embarrassed she decided to show me what it would be like to be in prison or something. I guess she thought the prison would be in a Third World country. She dug up one of her antiques, a chamber pot, and gave me a roll of toilet paper, water, and that was it. Nice mother. huh?"

  "You probably deserved it." I said. squirming. The wire was tied so tightly. I was afraid it was shutting off the blood to my hands. Skeeter took his knee off me and stood up. I turned on my side.

  "Sure. I deserved it. April. Just like you deserve this."

  "You'll both get into serious trouble for this. You'd better let me go."

  "As soon as I get what I want. we'll let you go," Rhona stated.

  "In fact, we'll kick you out the door and if you go running to the police or anyone, we'll tell them how we caught you in bed with Echo doing all sorts of ungodly things." She turned to Skeeter, who was looking down at me with a satisfied, insanely sadistic smile on his face.

  "Yeah. I'm sure Rhona can come up with them, too." he said.

  "Never mind all that. Skeeter. You take her car and drive it to Bill. Tell him to keep it there for us and explain about the money. When Trevor comes back from wherever he is today. I'll tell him she left to go live with her sister. We'll tell Echo the same thing," she added. "She won't see her or of course hear her."

  "Very good plan. Rhona," Skeeter said, smiling with admiration, as if she had come up with a cure for cancer.

  "Get a sock or something and gag her so she can't shout loud enough for Trevor to hear her."

  I debated telling them the truth just so they wouldn't gag me. but I was afraid of letting them know how much in control they really were and giving them more confidence.

  "No one's going to believe you when you tell them I've left, least of all Mrs. Westington," I said.

  "Oh, she will when I tell her what we learned from Mrs. Monahan and how when we confronted you with it, you just picked up and ran out of here because you were so embarrassed. She'll be so disappointed. With her health problems. I'll have an easier time taking charge of Echo and she'll know that. too. I'll tell her that either she'll sign what I want her to sign or well leave with Echo and she'll never see nor hear from her again. What do you think she will do then? Do you think she'll be so high and mighty and write 'NO' over my papers?"

  "How could you be like this to your own mother?"

  "She was never much of a mother to me as far as I was concerned, so don't even ao there. Now guess what I saw the other day in my mother's room. Yes, that's right." she said. "That same old chamber pot. Aren't you happy. You won't have to mess your panties."

  She looked around. "Find something to tie her feet with. Skeeter, and put her in the closet and close the door. I'll bring in the chamber pot for her."

  "How am I going to use that if my hands are tied?" I asked.

  "No problem. Skeeter. would you be so kind as to remove her jeans and panties so she simply has to sit on the pot to pee. And do it all quickly and nothing more," she added. "I want you out of here with that car before Trevor returns.."

  "I'll get right on it," he said.

  She smiled as if he was doing her a wonderful favor.

  "We'll keep the door closed, but you're banging or knocking anything won't help, since poor Echo couldn't hear you anyway. My advice to you is to be as cooperative as you can be, otherwise you'll make it even more difficult for yourself, understand?" she added, her eyes cold and her lips tight. She turned to Skeeter. "Gag her first," she decided. "I don't want to hear any more of her lip. I'll bring her some water when we return. I'm getting dressed and getting over to the hospital to break the news to dea
r old Mom." she told him, and left.

  He searched one of the dresser drawers and found a pair of socks. I shook my head and tried pushing myself away from him, but he gabbled my ankles, straddled me, and then put the sock to my lips. I kept my mouth locked shut.

  "Rhona's not going to like your resisting like this," he said. "She's very imaginative and clever. She can come up with worse and more painful things for you," he warned.

  He grabbed my jaw between his fingers and thumb and squeezed. It was so painful. I couldn't keep up the defiance. As soon as my mouth opened a little, he shoved the sock into it and then, using a belt, he wrapped my face so I couldn't spit it out. It was hard to breathe and I began to panic.

  "Relax and it won't be so bad," he said. "If you struggle, you only make it worse for yourself. I know, Something similar was once done to me by this girl I met in New Orleans. but I enjoyed it."

  He began to undo my jeans. I tried to make it difficult by twisting and turning, but he sat on my ankles and then began to lower my jeans and panties together. Once he was below my knees, he rose and pulled off my shoes, and then the jeans and panties. He tossed them across the room and stood there, smiling down at me.

  "I kind of like your tummy." he said. "It turns me on."

  He located another belt and wrapped it around my ankles. Then he lifted me under the arms and pulled me to the closet. He took clothing out to make room for me. I tried desperately to keep him from getting me into the closet, but it was a useless effort with my hands and feet bound.

  "I'll be back." he said, smiling, and closed the door.

  I tried to push out the sock with my tongue. I managed to get a little more breathing space. but I couldn't get it out far enough for me to make any loud sound. The belt was too tight around my face. Who would hear it anyway? I thought, and fell over on my side. The tears from my left eye ran over the bridge of my nose to join the tears from my right. I squirmed and struggled against the wire around my wrists. It loosened a bit, but not enough to get my hands free and it hurt terribly to pull and push against it. I had skinned off my wrists a bit and it was raw beneath the wires. Helpless. I stared at the little light coming from under the closet door.