Lottery (38 page)

Tummy? This was how he talked to Ahna. “I’m not very hungry.”

He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, Ling saw the same crazed look in his eyes Caleb had when he’d slapped her. “I
said
it’s time to eat.”

She had to do what he told her if she was ever going to see Ahna and Sammy again. She turned her head and looked at the rope binding her hand. “Can you untie me so I can hold the glass?”

He smiled a crooked smile. “When you decide to be a good girl, I’ll untie you.”

“I will. I’ll be good.”

The boat rocked to one side and Caleb grabbed the table for support. “Whoopsie.” He stood. “Let me go check on where we’re heading and I’ll be right back.” He stopped in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder at her. “We wouldn’t want anything to spoil our vacation.”

Vacation? What was he talking about? Did he even know he’d kidnapped her? She had to get out of the ropes, but how? She rolled her head to the side and a sharp pain sliced through her left temple. Ling closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened.

She remembered trying to get away from him at the marina, and had tripped. She must have hit her head and was knocked unconscious. Caleb must have carried her to the boat, taken off her clothes, and put in the negligee.

Oh, God, had he raped her? The thought of him touching her made her sick. She hadn’t gotten back on birth control pills yet. If she got pregnant again … she couldn’t think about that right now. She had to concentrate on how to get away from him.

She wiggled her hands back and forth, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, as the thick course rope burned through her skin. She looked down and noticed traces of blood around her wrist. Damn it. There was no way she could get loose.

“Feeling better?” Caleb asked, frightening her when he burst through the door. He was wearing a Captain’s hat that Ling had never seen before. He hadn’t shaved in days, and she hadn’t noticed how tan he was until now. How long had he been planning this?

“I want to go home, Caleb,” she said cautiously.

“We
are
going home.” He picked up the glass of juice, sat down beside her, put his hand behind her head, and lifted it up. “Here.” He brought the glass of juice to her mouth. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel good as new.”

She took a sip, feeling a glimmer of hope. “I’m going home? To Ahna and Sammy?”

“Not
that
home, silly.” His eyes lit up. “Our new home.”

Had he purchased another house somewhere? “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said, and put down the glass on the tray, “the boat is our home for now. But as soon as you get used to the idea that we are going to be together forever, we’ll find another home.” He leaned over her, his face within inches of hers. Staring deep into her eyes, he caressed her cheek.

Ling turned her head away and Caleb quickly slapped his hands on her cheeks, squeezing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

He glared into her eyes. “Don’t ever pull away from me again,” he ordered, his angry spittle falling on her face. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she managed to say through his forceful grip. Terrified, she stared into his crazed eyes, trying not to break down. “I understand.”

He let go of her face, letting her head drop to the mattress. “Good.” He smiled. “Very, very good.” His glare went to the bathroom door. “What?”

Ling shook her head. “I didn’t say any—”

“Quiet.” Caleb put up a hand to silence Ling. “I need to hear what he’s saying.”

He’s
? What was he talking about? “Who Caleb? What who’s saying?”

“Jack Weber, that’s who,” he said agitated.

Jack Weber
? The one who’d died on his yacht? Oh God, this couldn’t be happening.

“No, I’m not going to kill her,” Caleb said, shaking his head. “Not yet, anyway.”

Ling’s heart beat through her temples … her throat. “Is Jack Weber here?” she asked cautiously.

“Of course. He’s my best friend, why wouldn’t he be here?” Caleb smiled, staring at the wall. “We weren’t that good of friends when he was alive. But that’s all past us now, right, buddy?” He stopped for a few seconds, his face turning an angry red. “Stop,” he yelled and shot up from the bed, covering his ears with his hands as he paced the room. “Don’t talk about her that way.”

Ling stiffened.

Caleb stopped pacing, uncovered his ears, and looked down at Ling. “He doesn’t like you.”

“Why?” Ling asked, not knowing what else to say.

“Says you’re a lying bitch.” Caleb shook his head. “But you’re not. You’re not a lying bitch.” He started to cry and sat down next to her. “You’re my beautiful, sweet wife who will never, ever leave me.” Tears welled in his eyes. “Right?”

“Yes,” she managed, trying to find her voice.

“Yes?” Caleb shouted so loud it made her flinch.

“Yes,” she said louder. “I’m never going to leave you, Caleb … ever.”

His laugh was manic. “Through richer and richer.”

“Is that what you think?” Ling had to somehow convince Caleb to trust her. “That I married you for your money?”

“Didn’t you?” He glared at her hatefully.

“We met before you won the lottery.”

He sat up straight. “Did we? I can’t remember.”

“At the Fairmont. The Tonga Bar. You opened the door and I ran into you.” She forced a smile, trying to think of what else to say.

Caleb’s chin trembled and she noticed the twitch above his left eye. “Did you fuck him?” he whispered.

She stopped breathing. “What are you talking about?” She paused, trying to think. “You mean Jack Weber?”

He nodded and bowed his head.

His mind was gone. Talking to a ghost … accusing Ling of sleeping with Jack Weber … how would Ling ever be able to reason with him? “I didn’t even know Jack Weber.”

Caleb pointed at the wall. “You lied, Weber. You said my wife slept with you. I knew she’d never betray me.” He was quiet for a moment. “Oh, quit the bullshit, Weber, you keep saying we’re the same person. Fucking nonsense.”

“Is there any way that you and I could talk alone?” Ling stared up at Caleb. “Can you make Weber come and go whenever you want?”

“Sometimes.” He grinned. “I know that sounds crazy.”

Sounds
crazy? “If I promise I won’t try to get away, will you untie me?” She glanced down at her wrist. “The ropes … they hurt.”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Oh, God.” He knelt down beside the bed. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He wiped his eyes with his hand. “Ever.” He stood and walked out the door.

What was he doing? Asking dead Weber if he should untie her? Kill her?

When Caleb strode back into the bedroom carrying a knife, Ling stiffened, praying he wasn’t going to slit her throat.

Caleb knelt down next to the bed and carefully pushed the knife underneath the rope on her left wrist. “We need to get you out of these.” He began to move the knife back and forth slowly.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“It was Weber, you know.” Caleb continued to saw gently through the rope.

She was quiet, her focus on the knife.

“He tied these.”

She eyed him, trying not to show any expression. “I thought so. I know you would never do something like this to me.” When her wrist was free, she felt the blood rush back into her hand.

“He’s the one. Weber’s the one who makes me do bad things,” Caleb said tearfully and moved to the other side of the bed.

“And you listen to him?”

“I don’t have a choice,” Caleb said angrily, positioning the knife between her skin and the rope. “You don’t understand.”

If she said the wrong thing, he might slit her wrist. Her other wrist unbound, Ling massaged her tingling hands. “Thank you, Caleb.”

Caleb shrugged a shoulder. “I just don’t know why Weber would want me kill you, but he’s been right about everything else.”

Terrified, she used her elbows to prop herself up and watched him saw through the ropes on her ankles. “Everything else?”

“Like you moving out,” he said, his tone agitated.

“Moving out? Why would I move out?” Did Caleb know she’d signed a lease?

When her feet were free, Caleb went to the top of the bed. The knife still in his hand, he leaned over her and asked, “You mean you weren’t going to leave?”

If she wasn’t so afraid, she might feel sorry for him. He was child-like with his wide eyes, asking his mommy to love him. “I have no idea where Weber got that idea.”

“But I saw you,” Caleb countered.

He had followed her? She had to think quickly. “Oh, you mean when Jenee and I went into the apartment building?”

Caleb nodded, waiting for an answer.

“Jenee has a friend moving to San Francisco.” Ling laid a hand on his shoulder. “She asked Jenee to look for an apartment for her while she was here.”

“Really?” Caleb blew out a breath. “Whew.” He flicked his hand across his forehead. “Sorry.”

Was he sorry enough to take her home? Or was he sorry and planned to never take her back?

“Come on, sleepy head,” Caleb said. “Get dressed so you can enjoy the beautiful view.” He walked to the closet and opened it.

Slowly, she stood. On unsteady legs, she stumbled to the closet. She took hold of the sleeve of a rain jacket. “Did you buy all these clothes for me?”

“Sure.” He walked along the wall, opening each drawer. “Underwear,” he said and opened another drawer. “Jeans and shorts.” He smiled and opened the drawer underneath it. “Swim suits.”

“That’s very thoughtful.” Ling now knew that his intentions were to never take her home. Why hadn’t she seen how sick he was?

“You get dressed and I’ll see you on deck, matey, okay?” Caleb marched to the door, and walked out. Ling heard his footsteps go up to the upper deck.

Frantically she searched the room for a phone, turning over cushions, tossing the spread to the floor.
Nothing
. Even if she called someone, she had no idea where they were, or where the
boat was headed. The part that terrified her the most was that she didn’t know when Caleb would turn on her again.

Had Jenee called for help? Even if she had, how would anyone find them? Ling had to find out where they were. But then, how would she relay the information? If Caleb had brought his phone, she needed to find it. Somehow, she had to trick him; convince him to let her use his phone to tell her mother she was okay. But if he really did hear Weber in his head, Ling not only had to convince Caleb, but his alter ego. She’d only read briefly about these types of mental illnesses in her freshman psychology class, but had no idea how to deal with it.

She took out a pair of shorts from the drawer and then a gray T-shirt. After she dressed, she washed her face in the bathroom, and then used a scrunchie that she’d found in one of the drawers to wrap her hair into a ponytail. She pulled open another draw and found lotion, lip gloss, even blush. Caleb had lost his mind, yet had thought of everything she’d need.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she saw a large purplish-black bump on her forehead. She remembered falling, and knew that she’d had to have been out for days, or at least several hours for a bruise to turn this color. How far away were they from San Francisco? How long had they been on the boat? She had to somehow believe that she’d get home safely.

The most important thing was that Ling had to be strong … for Ahna … for Sammy.

enee rolled her stiff neck around to try and ease the tension. Just when she thought there were no more tears left to cry, they’d start again. She glanced at the clock on the stove in Ling’s kitchen. It was almost eleven in the morning.

Detective Alvaraz looked across the kitchen table at Jenee. “I have a hunch Caleb’s on his way to Mexico,” the female detective said who’d been sent to the house to stay with Jenee and Mei.

“Why?” Jenee asked.

“It would take a while to bring him up on charges, do the paper work, and then extradite him back to the US. By the time that was done, O’Toole will have taken his wife to another country that the US doesn’t have an extradition treaty with.”

The lack of sleep, and not being able to find Caleb and Ling for over twelve hours, had left Jenee numb. She stared blankly at the handsome woman detective, whom Jenee guessed to be in her mid-thirties.