Love In A Nick Of Time (15 page)

When Samantha pulled into her driveway, she didn’t feel like she was home. It felt as if she were visiting a stranger’s house. No doubt about it Allen’s condo felt more like a home than her own house. She unlocked the front door and headed upstairs to pack some more clothes. She was gathering shoes out of her closet when she heard a noise in the kitchen. Someone was definitely in her house. She didn’t have a phone in her bedroom and she left her cell phone in her purse downstairs.

Samantha was in no condition to run or fight. She had to find a weapon that might aid in her escape. Her eyes scanned her dresser she looked at the bronze elephant sculpture Kevin gave her for her 25th birthday. She put the small sculptured in a sock and hid in the closet. She heard the intruder coming up the stairs and she waited patiently for her opportunity to hit him in the head. Hopefully it was only one intruder.

The intruder finally entered her bedroom she couldn’t get a good look at the person. Whoever it was stared at the suitcases she got out for a long time before going into her bathroom. Samantha slowly opened the closet door. The bathroom door was open and she rushed into the bathroom swinging the sock containing the elephant.

She hit the intruder at least three times; Samantha knew she landed one solid blow to the intruder’s head. Her side was killing her but she ran down the stairs and almost made it to the front door when she was tackled onto the floor. “Let me go!” Samantha tried to kick at the intruder but he was laying on top of her now.

“Stop it before I hurt you!”

Samantha stopped struggling, her assailant’s voice sounded familiar. “Who are you and what do you want?” The man took off his hood and pulled a roll of duck tape out of his pocket. She’d only seen him in pictures, but she would recognize Brian’s cousin anywhere. “Bernie, why are you doing this?” He ignored her question and proceeded to tape her wrists together.

“You’re coming with me and if you fight me I’ll have to hurt you.” Bernie pulled a gun out of the waistband of his jeans. He picked Samantha up and headed for the backdoor. He had a van waiting in the alley, he was going to take her to the warehouse and wait for Brian to call him.

By the time Samantha made it to the van she’d lost both shoes, Bernie climbed in the van behind her and laid his gun down before he took the duck tape out again and taped her ankles together. “Why are you doing this Bernie? What have I ever done to you?”

Bernie put two pieces of duck tape across her mouth. “I’ve got to get you and Brian back together that’s the only way I can get my own shop.” Bernie got into the driver seat and drove Samantha to the warehouse; Brian said to call him when he gets there. Brian will make everything right like always.

***

Allen was getting worried about Samantha she should have been home by now. Were in the hell was she at and why isn’t she picking up her phone? He called the office to speak to Jenna she told him that Samantha left work hours ago. Allen dismissed Mary and decided to go looking for Samantha. They never found the person who rammed her car; she isn’t picking up her phone, and she forgot to call him, oh hell something was definitely wrong.

By the time he got to Samantha’s house he wasn’t angry anymore he was afraid. The rental car was in the driveway, but the front door of her house was unlocked. Allen walked into the house slowly, nothing looked amiss downstairs besides Samantha’s purse and car keys were on the bureau next to the front door. He went upstairs there was blood on the floor and one of Samantha’s shoes. Allen went into Samantha’s bedroom where in found signs of a struggle. There was more blood in the bathroom and there were toiletries all over the floor.

He called the police from his cell phone, and then he called Michael. “Mike its Allen, something’s happened to Samantha.”

“Have you called for a squad car?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Samantha went to work today, but she was supposed to be home before noon. She called me as she was leaving to tell me she was going to stop by her house to pick up some stuff. I’m at her house now, there are signs of a struggle and there’s blood in the bathroom and on the stairs.

“Allen I need you to step outside of the house and wait for the police. I’m on my way so don’t lose your temper!”

“I’ll try not to, but no promises.” Allen hung up the phone and walked to the back of the house. The backdoor was broken; this must be where the intruder got in, and probably how he took Samantha out. He went out the back door towards the alley. He found another one of Samantha’s shoe’s in the back yard.

“Sir did you call the police to report a missing woman.”

Allen turned around to face the police officers. “Yes I reported my fiancée missing. She never came home from work.”

“Is that unusual?”

Allen could feel the steam coming out of his ears. What kind of asinine question was that? “My fiancée was in a near fatal car crash a month ago and today was her first day back to work. She was only supposed to work half a day, she decided to stop at this house to pick up some of her things before coming home.”

“Sir, what is your fiancée’s name? Who owns this house?”

“My fiancée owns this house and she’s been living with me ever since she left the hospital. Her name is Samantha Graham. She’s not picking up her phone, so I decided to look for her. When I got here I found the door unlocked and the backdoor was wide open. There is blood and signs of a struggle in the upstairs bathroom and on the stairs.”

“Sir, could we please have your name for our report?”

“My name is Allen Archer.”

“Thank you sir could you please wait outside while we check out the house.”

“I’ll try.” Allen couldn’t just stand around waiting for the police to pull their thumbs out of their asses. His woman was in trouble, and if the police didn’t get it together soon he was going to visit the first person on his list of suspects.

He’s rich and powerful, but right now, he felt like the most useless man in the world. Allen pulled the diamond engagement ring out of his pocket and gazed at it. He planned to take Samantha to dinner tonight and make their engagement official. He forced himself to believe that Samantha would be found alive and well, and everything would be all right, it had to be.

***

Samantha didn’t know where Bernie had taken her; she felt the van stop and heard Bernie walking on gravel around the van. He opened the back doors of the van and pulled her out and hoisted her over his shoulders as if she were a bag of laundry. This let her know that Bernie was very strong and could have really hurt if that was his goal. She would have to do everything she could to convince Bernie that she wanted to help him. Then maybe she could get out of this predicament alive.

Bernie took Samantha to his uncle’s warehouse where he keeps his cars. He liked working on cars it made him happy. He was careful not to drop Samantha; he didn’t want to hurt her like the last time when he crashed into her car. “I’m gonna put you in my comfy chair until Brian comes.” Bernie took the tape off Samantha’s mouth. “Sorry if I hurt your mouth. Do you want some water?”

Samantha looked around the warehouse, it looked like an auto body shop, but it was very neat and organized. “Bernie is this your workshop?”

Bernie scratched his head, not too many people asked him questions about the shop or even cared about him, except for his Uncle Charles and Brian. “No, it belongs to my uncle, but I work on my cars here.”

“Bernie what type of business did you want to open?”

“I like working on cars. I can fix any kind of car. Brian told me once you marry him he would give me money to open my own car shop. I need to open the business soon because my Uncle Charles says I don’t give him enough money to stay with him.”

Samantha knew without a doubt that Brian was behind her accident; he’d been using poor Bernie to get to her. “Why do you have to give money to your uncle?”

Bernie sat down in a rickety chair across from Samantha. “When my momma died my Uncle Charles took me in, fed me, bought me clothes, and he says I owe him a lot of money for taking care of me. So I need to make more money.”

Samantha was beginning to get angry. “Bernie I’m sorry but I’m not going to marry Brian because I love someone else. But I do have money and I want to help you open your business.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

“I want to help you because you’re a good person and I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Will I get into trouble for making you have an accident?”

“Who told you to make me have an accident?”

“Brian said if I made you have an accident, you would like him again and get married. That didn’t work so he asked me to bring you hear so he could pretend to save you.”

Samantha had to think fast, Brian was clearly setting his cousin up for a prison sentence, but not if she could help it. “Bernie are you hungry?”

“Yeah I didn’t eat today. I’ve been waiting around for you to come back home. Brian said I had to keep waiting every day until you showed up.”

Bernie why don’t you take me back to my house before anyone finds out that I’m missing. I’ll make you something to eat and we can make plans for your new shop. I would like to be your friend; I think you could use a good friend.”

“I don’t know, Brian said I had to wait here until he comes.”

Samantha had to tread carefully or this whole thing could blow up in her face. “Bernie what are your favorite foods that your momma used to make for you?” Bernie smiled at her as he began to tell her his favorite foods.

“My favorite is macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and Kool-Aid. My uncle never lets me have Kool-Aid.”

“What kind of desserts did your momma make?”

“My momma used to make peach cobbler and chocolate cake, those are my favorites.”

“Bernie, friends are like family they take care of each other. Since you’re my new friend I want to take care of you. Why don’t we go back to my house? I’ll make macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and chocolate cake. I think I might even have some Kool-Aid. Then we’ll talk to my fiancée about finding you your own auto-body shop that will let you make more money. Would you like that Bernie?”

“I’m not supposed to leave or Brian will get mad.” Bernie wanted to believe Samantha, but why would she want to help him. He was just an ugly man that women couldn’t stand to look at.

Think Samantha think. “What if we go to my house and eat and then come back later? That way you can get some good food and maybe a little nap.” Samantha hoped that her promises of good food and the opportunity to open his own shop outweighed his fear of Brian.

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Bernie I’m not mad at you. I never even met you before today. I just remember talking to you on the phone a lot when you called Brian.”

“Brian said you’re a pretty woman and pretty women don’t want to meet ugly men like me.”

Samantha studied his solemn face, his deep chocolate eyes were so sad; his skin was a little darker than Brian’s. He had freckles and many scars on his face and hands. He looked like a different person when he talked about his mother’s home cooking. “When I look at you I don’t see an ugly man, I see a friend.”

“Okay, I’ll take you home so we can eat.”

“Bernie could you please take the tape off my wrists and ankles, the tape is hurting my skin.”

Bernie cut the tape off Samantha wrists and ankles. He was excited about macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. He hadn’t had home cooking like that since his momma died. “Do you want me to carry you back to the van?”

“Do you have something I can put on my feet?”

Bernie scratched his head, “I got some thick socks.”

“That would be fine Bernie. We have to hurry before anybody finds out that I’m missing. I don’t want you to get into trouble okay.

“Okay.” Bernie found the socks for Samantha and then he put her back in the van to take her home. “Thank you for being my friend Samantha. I never had a friend before.”

“You deserve to have a lot of friends Bernie and I plan on being the best friend you got.” Samantha felt the tears in her eyes. This poor man had been used shamelessly and she planned to rectify the situation soon. If she knew Allen he probably came looking for her when she didn’t show up at his condo. By now the police were at her house, they undoubtedly would take Bernie into custody. She had to make sure that they didn’t hurt him. Bernie dropped the so-called gun on the floor when he went to get her a pair of socks. It was a toy gun. Thank God!

***

Brian couldn’t believe this shit. Where was Bernie going? He was supposed to sit tight at the warehouse until he showed up. He pulled in front of the van blocking Bernie’s way; he got out of the car and started shouting orders. “Get back to the warehouse right now!”

Bernie was scared. Brian looked like he was really mad. “Okay Brian I’ll go back to the warehouse.” Bernie reversed the van and turned around towards the warehouse.

Samantha was losing ground quickly, who knew what Brian was capable of doing. “Bernie what are you doing I thought we were going back to my house.”