Spoilt (24 page)

“
We really haven’t caught any breaks so far. She may not
even know him and, if she does, she might not know where he lives.
She didn’t recognise his name so it is quite possible she has never
met him. Either that or it is an alias. If she has never met him,
it just makes it all the more confusing. Why would he be after her?
However, if she recognises him she might be able to give us his
real name,” Maggie said.

“
Yeah, maybe. I have been wondering the same things myself. It
doesn’t make any sense.”

“
It may be another dead end anyway. In the meantime let’s keep
looking. Throw me the files from Peterson regarding their
canvassing. I’ll see if there is anything we can follow
up.”

“
Do you want to read in the car? I’ve lined up some of the
victims' family and friends to re-interview regarding Chad
Wilson.”

“
Sure no problem.”

* * *

“
As much as I love having you both here, you have lives and
stuff to do at home. You don’t need to babysit me anymore. I’ll be
alright,” Chelsea told Sarah and Charlotte over
breakfast.

“
You really shouldn’t be here alone,” Sarah informed
her.

“
I won’t be.”

“
No, Mum, Chelsea has a permanent visitor now. He practically
lives here anyway so you may as well ask him to move in as I
suggested.”

“
Why would I have Officer Lewis move in here?” Chelsea winked
at Sarah.

“
Very funny, Chels
,
but we all know who I was talking about.”

“
Still too soon, Charlotte. I am crazy about him
though.”

“
Are you sure you’ll be ok?”

“
Yes, Mum. It’s a slow time of year for Bloom so I can take a
week or so off if I need to.”

“
You will be alone in the house all day. Wouldn’t you like the
company?”

“
I’ll find something to do. I have a ... new book I want to
read.”

“
I have to go back to Uni anyway, Mum.”

“
Alright we’ll go on Saturday then, which still gives us
another two days together.”

The phone rang and they all stared at it.

“
Did it ring when I wasn’t here yesterday or last
night?”

“
No.” Sarah said.

They let the answering machine pick up and the only message
left was a hang up.

“
Maybe he’ll stop ringing if I don’t pick up,” Chelsea said.
“I just don’t know who could possibly be doing these terrible
things to those poor girls. Lucas told me another girl has gone
missing.”

“
In that case, we're not leaving, Chelsea, not until this is
over,” Sarah said.

Chelsea went to protest until the thought of being in an empty
house all day depressed her.

“
I just don’t want everyone to put their life on hold for
me.”

“
We aren’t. Think of it as a little holiday together,”
Charlotte said.

“
Ok, I just hope they catch him soon.”

Determined to occupy their minds with other things, they chose
to watch a romantic comedy playing at the local cinema and follow
it up with lunch at their favourite cafe.

They arrived home feeling buoyant and relaxed until the
phone rang again. They were relieved when they heard Lucas’ voice
on the machine. Chelsea went to answer it.

“
Hey, have you been receiving more calls?”

“
How did you know?”

“
You didn’t answer the phone straight away.”

“
Only one and they hung up, or he did, if it was
him.”

“
Don’t answer it. You didn’t go to Bloom today?”

“
No, I have decided to take a week off.”

“
Good idea. Are your family staying too?”

“
Yes, I told them to leave but they won’t.”

“
Good, I don’t want you to be alone. I’m going to be later
than I thought tonight. We have a lot to follow up.”

“
Ok, I’ll keep some dinner for you.”

“
Thanks. You do look after me. I miss you.”

“
Me too.”

* * *

When a car pulled up out the front of the house, Officer
Lewis stood up. A man strolled towards him carrying a package. At
last something to do, he thought. Even though guarding Chelsea’s
house bored him, he knew how important it was. He took his duties
seriously and kept his mind occupied for the most part watching
diligently at the house and shop for any suspicious characters who
might be Chelsea’s stalker.

As the man approached, he rested one hand on his
weapon.

“
Good evening
, Officer.” The man with the package stopped and smiled. “I
have a delivery for,” he paused to check the clipboard in his hand,
“Chelsea Summerville.”

“
I can take that for you.”

“
Oh, it’s just that it says here she needs to sign for it
personally. I’m only helping out today for a friend and I really
think I should make sure. That’s why I’m in my car rather than the
usual delivery van.”

“
Sorry, Sir, but I’ll have to take it.” Lewis reached forward
to take the package and left his other hand near his
gun.

“
That really isn’t the answer I wanted.”

Lewis heard the quiet pop a second before he felt the
bullet tear through his flesh. Blood gushed from the wound in his
stomach. As he withdrew his weapon from his holster, the man
dropped the package to reveal his gun. Another silenced shot
sounded and Lewis gasped as the bullet hit his throat. He dropped
to his knees, trying to breathe as blood filled his lungs. He fell
heaving, drowning, as the man walked to the door and
knocked.

* * *

They were about to sit down to dinner, when the knock came.
Chelsea bounced happily to answer the call, excited to see
Lucas.

“
I thought you were going to be late,” she sang out as she
reached the entranceway. “I think you purposely turn up just as we
are about to have,” she opened the door, “dinner.” She
stopped.

“
Not who you were expecting?”

She was speechless for a moment.

“
Who are you?” Chelsea asked.

“
Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

“
No, why would I?” she said abruptly.

“
You’re polite and perhaps interested to know who I am and
why I’m here.”

“
I don’t really care, to be honest. Perhaps you should
leave.” Her words belied the fact that her heart was pounding
wildly in terror.

“
I told you I was coming for you.”

“
It was you making those horrible calls?”

“
Yes, Chelsea, it was and it’s time you came with
me.”

She started to back away as Charlotte and Sarah rushed over to
come and stand behind her.

He reached behind him to pull a large pistol with a silencer
attached from the back of his waistband.

“
Back away you two,” he said, pointing it at her family.
“She’s coming with me and if you try to stop me, I’ll shoot you. If
you call the police, I’ll shoot her. I wanted to kill her slowly
but if I have to, I will shoot her now.”

“
Why are you doing this
?” Sarah asked. She guided Charlotte back with her
hand, as she took small steps backwards herself, as
cautioned.

“
You’re all spoilt rich bitches who deserve to find out what
it feels like to have nothing, to suffer loss. Now turn around,” he
said to Chelsea.

She turned her back to him, urging her family with her eyes to
stay where they were.

“
Now say goodbye to your family, Chelsea,” he told
her.

He grabbed her with his free arm, yanked her tightly against
his body and shoved the gun roughly against her ribs.

“
Please don’t do this
.”

“
Don’t beg, Chelsea. It doesn’t suit you,” he said.

He started to back out the door. Charlotte ripped herself free
from her mother’s protective arm. “You’re not going anywhere,” she
said.

“
I warned you,” he replied. He lifted the gun, aimed it at
Charlotte and fired.

Chelsea watched in dismay as Charlotte flew back as the bullet
penetrated her shoulder. She screamed her name in vain as he
dragged her out the door, urging her towards the awaiting car.
Chelsea bit back a scream when she saw Officer Lewis lying in a
pool of blood by the front door.

* * *

Sarah bent down to attend to Charlotte, who was conscious and
bleeding profusely. She went to retrieve some towels.

“
Press this hard against you,” Sarah said. “Try to reduce the
flow while I call the ambulance.”

“
He said not to call the police,” she said, her voice
strained. “He’ll kill her.”

“
I’m not calling the police, I’m calling an ambulance and the
police will come regardless. We have to take the chance, Charlotte,
or you’re going to bleed to death.”

Sarah called the ambulance, returned to Charlotte and
anxiously waited for the authorities to arrive.

* * *

There was a call over the radio about a shooting and Lucas
was only half listening. When the dispatcher stated the address for
the nearest officers to respond to, his heart plunged to the floor
and he thought for a moment he’d heard it wrong. He could have
sworn the dispatcher had just said Chelsea’s address. When the
address was confirmed by the responding officer, he fired up his
siren and drove like he was running from the gates of
hell.

He pulled up hastily and double parked beside a squad car.
An ambulance was already at the scene. As he leapt out of the car
he glanced towards the house and saw a body being loaded onto a
gurney. He bolted towards the house where he found a young officer
on duty at the door.

“
Officer Lewis?” Lucas asked.

The rookie nodded. “We were just about to call
you...”

Lucas ignored him now and stormed passed.

“
Chelsea,” he called as he ran in the door.

“
She’s gone,” he heard Sarah’s quiet distraught voice from the
floor.

He looked down to see Sarah kneeling near Charlotte’s head
while a paramedic attended to her.

“
Are you alright?” he asked Charlotte

“
I’ll be okay, but Chelsea, he took her.”

“
Who did?”

“
I don’t know. We’ve never seen him before.”

Oh God, Chelsea.

Chapter 27

Kidna
pped

Thursday

The man walked her casually to the car with the gun
concealed but wedged hard into her back. She thought about running,
screaming, but his restraining arm and the risk to her life and the
lives of her family kept her mouth firmly closed. The only
illumination came from dull street lights and Chelsea thought with
despair this would conceal their escape. Anyone witnessing them
leaving wouldn’t see enough to be helpful.

He loaded her into the car and warned her about trying
anything. Her mind screamed
'run'
as he walked to the driver’s side but her
traitorous fear kept her rigid and frozen in the seat.

After
he climbed into the car, Chelsea turned to him in
astonishment.

“
What the hell is wrong with you?” she exclaimed. “You just
shot my sister.”

“
I warned her.”

“
Who are you? Why did you kill all those girls? And Elle?”
She was angry now.

“
They looked like you and I was practicing to make it perfect.
As for Elle, at least I got a free ride from her before I sliced
her up.” He turned to her with a crazy look in his eyes. “No more
talking or I’ll shoot you right here.”

“
Go ahead. You’re going to kill me anyway.”

He continued to stare at her with a crazed look filled with
such malice that it kept her mouth firmly closed. She decided to
bide her time. She would talk to him, reason with him. She would
find a way to escape.

He drove around the block and parked outside a vacant building
almost directly behind her house. Had he been living behind her the
whole time?

He
hauled her from the car and dragged her back in the
direction they’d just come from. They crossed the street and he
continued to tow her towards a house two doors up but across the
road from her house. She cursed the darkness that concealed them as
fear seized her heart.

As they snuck up to the front door, she heard an ambulance
siren heading up the street. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe
Charlotte would be alright. She couldn’t believe he’d been living
here across the road the entire time, murdering those poor innocent
girls and Elle.

He dragged her toward a room in the rear of the house. The
walls were lined with some type of foam material. She was trying to
figure out exactly what its purpose was as they passed through the
hall.