The May Day Murders (40 page)

Ann’s heart was palpitating as she
stood there facing him, her wrists being nearly crushed by his
vise-like grip. Her body trembled in the chilly air of the solarium
as she attempted to rationalize what Jerry Rankin was
saying.

He had planted that book. She had
assumed that it was Amy’s book. She had read the book and related
so well with the character in the story and had been amazed at how
similar the story line followed her relationship with Jerry Rankin
…

He had planted that book, knowing
somehow that she would read it … Then he had proceeded to play
her like a fiddle—right into his trap!

But why? Just so he could rape her? But
he hadn’t wanted to rape her at first. He had wanted to simply make
love to her—to have her willingly and consensually make love to
him. ‘By the book,’ as he’d put it.

Or, the alternative …

In fact, he had wanted everything to be
“by the book.” and it had been just that, so far.

Until now.

Jesus! she thought in horror as it
suddenly sunk in: Jerry Rankin had set her up from the very
beginning! The ‘chance meeting’ at the supermarket hadn’t been a
chance meeting at all. Instead, it had been carefully planned out
and meticulously executed …

He’d left a six-pack of Coke at the
checkout counter knowing full well that she was going to rush out
into the parking lot to give it to him! Or, he had at least taken a
‘calculated hunch’ that she would.

“
You know, I can read your
mind, Ann,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “Right now, you’re
trying to sort out everything and you’re slowly but surely
discovering that you’ve more or less been had. And right now,
you’re no doubt probably wondering how I could possibly know so
much about you. Like, how did I know that you would pick up that
book and start reading it, for example? I’ll be modest and admit
that I didn’t know for sure that you would. But had you not chosen
to read that steamy little romance novel, I would have merely
executed an alternate plan instead. You see, there’s always a
back-up plan, Ann. It’s absolutely vital in this business. It can
make the difference between life and death, in fact.

“
The irony of all of this is
that it didn’t have to end this way. We could have moved on to
greener pastures by now instead of standing here freezing in this
goddamn hot tub, which, by the way, I installed solely for your
enjoyment. We could be submerged in this wonderful hot water right
now humping away. But I’m no fool, Ann. I’ve finally come to grips
with reality. You’ve already told yourself quite some time ago that
you don’t want me. I wasn’t sure of it until today, though. You’ve
eluded yourself into thinking that you’re too goddamn good for me,
just as all the others have. I thought you’d understand me, Ann,
but you don’t. You, like all the others, wouldn’t know a good thing
if it bit you on the ass.”

He let go of Ann’s wrists and stood
back from her, flexing his muscles and taking on a bodybuilding
pose.

“
Look at me, Ann. Check out
this bod. Not an ounce of fat, just pure muscle of steel. It’s
taken me fifteen years to get my body in this shape! Fifteen years
of working out tirelessly, methodically, and sticking to a proper
diet. What woman wouldn’t dream of being screwed by a man with a
powerful body like mine? Not too many is my guess.”

Jerry stepped forward and brought his
face a few inches from Ann’s. “And this mug, Ann. Check it out! A
pretty damn handsome bloke, eh? Forty years old and hardly a
wrinkle! A great head of hair, too. What bitch could possibly
resist me, once they’ve examined the merchandise?
What the fuck
more could they want?

“
But there you stand, plain
as day, telling me that I’m not quite up to your specs. Are you
trying to convince me that Sam Middleton is some kind of prize? Ha!
That skinny twerp sure ain’t getting any offers from Chippendale’s,
now is he? Yet you still want the son of a bitch, don’t you? You
miss the motherfucker; I can tell by the way you talk to your buddy
Karen on the phone all the time. Judas Priest, Ann, you’re fucking
blind as a bat!”

The mention of Sam’s name made Ann
tense up even more as something suddenly dawned on her.

“
You’ve never even seen my
ex-husband before—how do you know what Sam looks like? And how… How
the hell do you know what I’ve spoken to Karen about?”

Rankin chuckled vacantly. “There’s a
lot about me that you don’t know, Ann. I’m pretty amazing, though,
aren’t I? Christ, I know more about you than you know about
yourself! Makes me almost godlike, doesn’t it? Are you sure you
don’t want to reconsider?”

Ann’s mind was a whirr as she thought
back. Had she ever shown a picture of Sam to Jerry? No, she had
not. The only photo she had was the family portrait in her bedroom.
Had Jerry been up there? No, he most certainly had not.

And what about Karen? He had never met
her—he doesn’t know her from the man in the moon. Yet …

“
Think, Ann! Think! How
could I know so much about you when I’ve only just met you a few
weeks ago? Could it be that the man you’re seeing isn’t quite who
he appears to be? Could it be that perhaps Jerry Rankin, real
estate broker, is really somebody else? A master of surveillance—a
master spy? And could it possibly be that he went into your house
while you were away, gathering vital information and tapping your
phone, listening in on your conversations? And spied on you through
your windows while you were innocently going about your business? I
mean, how else could I have known all the juicy things that you and
your buddy Karen have chatted about? Including yours truly, of
course. And how about that tart, Shelley Hatcher, whose been
fucking your beloved Sam blind? You’d still choose him over me even
after he’s been screwing around with someone else—even after he
never learned his lesson the first time around. I just can’t figure
you women out!”

Ann felt as though she was going to
faint.

All of a sudden, Jerry grabbed her and
began shaking her mercilessly, his face contorted in a maniacal fit
of rage.

“
I went to all of this time
and trouble for you, you bitch! And what do I get in return?
Another turndown! You’re a big fucking disappointment,
Ann!”

Ann cried out in agony as she felt his
hands digging into her flesh.

“
Please, Jerry…”

“
Please fucking what?
Please let go of me? Please take me home?
Why, bitch? Why
should I do anything else for you? What have you done for me to
deserve any mercy? I’ve done everything for you—all of this—but you
haven’t given me one goddamn thing in return!”

He ceased shaking her and looked away
for a moment. Then he stared at Ann, his expression softer,
feigning compassion. “I’m sorry, Ann. I really need to get a handle
on this temper of mine. I get a bit irrational when I get angry and
then I start making mistakes. That’s not acceptable. Especially in
the spy gig. Do forgive me, please.”

Ann was trembling. She forgot the
excruciating pain in her shoulders while she struggled to figure
out how she was going to get away from this raging lunatic. She
realized that she was totally at his mercy, no matter what, and
that her only chance for survival, if only for a few minutes, was
to keep silent and do whatever he demanded. She simply had no
choice.

He brought his hands down and clasped
onto hers, smiled like a lover getting ready to propose. “Why,
you’re freezing cold, Ann. Let’s get in the water,” he said
gently.

Ann forced a nod, lowered herself down
into the steaming, churning water along with Jerry. The warmth
seeped into her skin and had a graciously sobering
effect.

“
There now, that’s better,”
he breathed softly. Gazing into her eyes, he said, “Do you know how
many times I’ve longed for this moment, Ann? To be with you like
this, holding your hands? Countless. It means a lot more to me than
you could ever imagine. A long time ago, I dreamt of a moment just
like this, to be with a beautiful woman, intimately, enjoying her
beauty, the softness of her skin and knowing that she wanted me as
much as I wanted her. Do you know what I mean?”

Ann nodded.

“
But I never had much luck
making that dream materialize. Women have never been able to
understand me for some reason. But you, Ann, you seemed different
ever since the first time I ever laid eyes on you. Yes, I admit it
now. I lied about my once having a wife. I was trying to make you
feel sorry for me. Do you forgive me?”

Ann nodded again.

“
A guy gets lonely
sometimes. He needs a release, a break from all of the frustration.
That’s what this is all about, Ann. I need a release. A little
female accompaniment that’s not forced—voluntary. I really don’t
want to hurt you. I just want you to play along—to let me realize
that dream. If only for just a few moments. Do you think you could
do that for me, Ann?”

Although her head was reeling, Ann
managed to appear relatively calm. What was her alternative, she
thought, if she didn’t play along?

She stared into his eyes and pretended
that Jerry Rankin was still the tall, dark stranger she had thought
him to be.

“
Yes, I can,” she
replied.

His eyes lit up. He looked like an
adolescent who had just gotten the go-ahead to kiss his first girl
ever. He let go of her hands and reached around her back. Ann
clenched her teeth as she felt him unfasten her top then watched
hopelessly as it fell into the swirling water.

He smiled nervously again, like a
schoolboy who had just scored his first adolescent victory. Ann was
immediately reminded of the first and only awkward kiss he had
given her on their date that Friday night.

He brought his hands around and
gingerly cupped her breasts. Even in the weak light, Ann could see
the tiny beads of sweat forming on his brow as he merely stood
there for a full minute, fondling. Ann had the impulse to run but
thought better of it. She would have to wait.

“
God, they’re so soft! And
firm!” he gasped, nearly choking on his own words. “Please stand
up, Ann. I want to see them.”

It was difficult to compose herself as
she stood up. Jerry removed his hands from her breasts and stared
at them in utter fascination—as if he’d never seen a woman’s
breasts before. Ann was so taken aback by his childish behavior
that she nearly broke out laughing. He was just like a little kid
in a candy shop.

Ann ever so subtly began inching her
way slowly toward the other side of the tub, praying that he
wouldn’t notice. He grasped her breasts again, brought his head
down and kissed one of her nipples, as one would approach a
spoonful of hot soup.

“
I’m getting really excited
here, Ann,” he murmured gutturally. “I never knew it could be this
good.”

Ann took a gamble. “Are you ready to
make love to me, Jerry?”

He paused and thought for a
moment.

“
God, I don’t know! I don’t
know if I can wait any longer. It’s so different—
you’re so
different!
I’m so used to women whining at me, ‘Don’t do that
to me, please!’ And fighting me off. Jesus, Ann, I don’t know how
much more of this I can take! I think I’m going to pop my fucking
cork! We’re fucking made for each other, don’t you
think?”

Jerry had grasped her breasts again and
hadn’t noticed that Ann had ever so gradually led them to the other
side of the tub. Ann stared down at him, in awe and contempt, Jerry
Rankin’s eyes gaping at her boobs as if he were examining a rare
archaeological find.

He suddenly whisked one of his hands
away and crammed it down into his trunks. He was playing with
himself! He glimpsed at Ann with a hideous, apologetic smirk just
as Ann snatched up the wine glass and smacked it into his cheek
with all the force she could muster.

For a split second, Jerry Rankin merely
stared at her dumbfounded, not certain of what had just happened.
Blood gushed out from a deep gash near his temple and streamed down
his right cheek. Ann sprang up and out of the water. She instantly
realized in horror that her only escape was back through the
house—there were no exits to the outside.

“
Come back here, you fucking
bitch!” she heard him scream as she bounded across the solarium to
the door and bolted into the house. She spotted the front door and
made a beeline for it, the living room carpet feeling soft and warm
beneath her bare feet. When she reached the door she turned the
knob and pulled but the door wouldn’t budge. In a hysterical panic,
she fumbled with the latch, unlocked it and pulled again. The door
refused to move. Ann could hear Jerry cursing at her and the sound
of splashing water as he climbed out of the tub just as she spotted
the keyhole for the deadbolt. He had locked the door from the
inside and taken the key!

She was trapped inside the house—there
were no other doors!

Jerry bolted into the living room and
sprinted toward her. Ann darted over to the spiral staircase and
stubbed her toe as she scampered up the wrought iron stairs toward
the second floor. She glanced down in terror as she eyed Rankin,
racing up toward her holding a bloody towel against the side of his
head.