The mayor left and the crowd thinned to volunteers and paid employees. Max stood and said, “Time for me to leave. I’ll see you soon.” He smiled, turned, and strode to the door.
Taylor could hear Kellie’s deep breath. She looked at Kellie and said, “I agree, and no words are necessary.”
Kellie blushed.
Chapter Sixteen
Kellie tried to concentrate on the paperwork in front of her, but the rain hitting the window was distracting. She didn’t like late summer storms; the rain was cold and chilled her. It was warm in her den, but she rubbed her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill--or was it anxiety she felt? The crack of thunder followed by a bolt of lightning that lit up the room made her jump from her chair.
“That was too close,” she said as she hurried to close the window blinds. “I hate thunderstorms,” she said to Rufus and he barked back from his hiding spot under her desk.
She smiled and said, “You’re more nervous than I am. It’s getting dark, and Taylor will be home soon. Maybe you can play with Penny to take your mind off the storm.”
Rufus barked and padded behind Kellie as she headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. The storm had blocked out the sunshine, and Kellie turned on the kitchen lights.
She glanced down at Rufus. “That’s better.”
Rufus barked.
#####
Wills had been in Malone Springs for a week. Staying in the newly remodeled motel out on the highway gave him quick access to town and kept him out of the public eye when he wanted to hide. He had driven around his old neighborhood and down Kellie and Taylor's cul-de-sac getting to know the neighborhood.
“Those big houses must have alarm systems,” he mumbled. “I’ll have to find a way to surprise them. It’ll be more like being shocked when they see me.” He laughed and let his mind wander making plans.
The rainy day was perfect. He knew Taylor usually arrived home a little after five o’clock, but Hunter would be at work until six. A drive down the cul-de-sac assured him Kellie was home. He could see her working in her den that faced the street.
“Perfect,” he said slapping the steering wheel. “Today’s the day we go to the cottage I found.”
He remembered back to his two-month visit at Sunshine Cabins. Wills enjoyed his time there and was able to occupy himself with fishing and canoe rides. Twice the urge hit him. He picked up a hitchhiker and left her buried in the woods a mile from the campground. The second was a sweet runaway until she began to scream. He left her in the lake. It had been a great summer. He checked out promising to leave a rave review on the cabin’s website. Wills took the back roads to the dilapidated cottage he discovered a few miles from Sunshine Cabins. The amount of dust and decayed wood assured him no one had lived there in years. During their many conversations, Polly had mentioned that there were several unused, old hunting cabins in the area. He stored up on food and supplies for Kellie, Taylor, and himself. He had lived there for two weeks, and no one had as much as driven down the nearest road.
“I’m sure they believe I headed East or West toward a big city where I could get lost in the crowds. I’ll do that as soon as Taylor, Kellie, and I have our party.” He grinned and began to chant his mantra: “Pain, misery, torture, agony, death.”
He parked his car in the lot of a large discount department store and caught a cab that took him back to Malone Springs and dropped him off across the street from the office building where Taylor worked. He walked across the street and to the parking lot behind the building. A large tree offered him secrecy and shelter from the rain that had begun to fall in torrents. When Taylor left the office, he would be waiting behind her car.
“Surprise,” he mumbled. It will be a great surprise. He leaned back against the tree and crossed his arms as a crack of thunder followed by a bolt of lightning shook the area. “I love storms,” he said aloud.
#####
Right on time, the back door of the office building opened, and Taylor rushed out into the storm. Heading toward her car with keys in one hand, her purse slung over her shoulder, and an umbrella in her left hand tilted to keep the rain off her face, she never saw Wills approach. They reached her car door at the same time.
Taylor’s eyes flew open, and before she could scream, Wills said, “Scream, and I’ll kill you right now. Open your car doors and get behind the wheel. As Taylor slid into the driver’s seat dropping her umbrella on the ground, Wills climbed into the back seat. He dropped down out of sight but had a perfect view of Taylor from the opening between the seats.
“Drive straight home and don’t say anything or do anything to attract attention,” Wills’ voice growled from the back seat.
As Taylor pulled out onto the street, a co-worker hurried to her car and noticed Taylor’s bright pink umbrella with the white polka-dots had flown up against her car. “Hmm,” she mumbled, “It must have blown out of Taylor’s hand. I wouldn’t chase it in this weather either. I’ll give it to her tomorrow.” She tossed the umbrella in the back seat and headed home.
Taylor’s heart pounded in her chest, and her sweaty palms did their best to grip the steering wheel in the pouring rain. Lightening flashed followed by loud cracks of thunder increasing Taylor’s fear. Storms had always frightened her. Hoping someone would see her umbrella lying on the ground and know something was wrong, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her house ahead. She prayed silently, “please let someone notice Wills is in the car,” but her heart knew no one would be out in a downpour.
“Pull into the garage, but leave the garage door open.”
Taylor complied. She parked the car and turned the key off.
“Get out and take your purse and phone with you.”
Before Taylor could comply, Wills was out of the car aiming a gun in her direction.
“Drop your purse into the garbage can and put the lid back on exactly as it is now. Leave your phone out.”
Again she complied, but her knees shook as she walked to the garbage receptacle and back.
Wills scowled at her. “Listen closely and do exactly as I say. Call Kellie and tell her to come over to your garage immediately. You have something important to show her.”
“No, you’re going to kill us both. Just kill me.” She stood straight and stared into Wills’ eyes.
He began to laugh. “If you want, I’ll kill you now and then wait for Hunter to get home. Then I’ll kill him. After that, I’ll get Kellie, too. I don’t care who dies first.”
Taylor’s mind raced with possibilities. “Maybe between the two of us we can overpower him,” she thought. “I can’t have him kill Hunter, too.”
She took a deep breath and said, “Okay, I’ll make the call.”
“Don’t do anything to tip her off,” he yelled and Taylor jumped.
She nodded as she dialed Kellie’s number.
“Hi,” Taylor said. “Can you come over to my garage? Yeah, I’m okay. Someone hit my car on the way home and took off. I want you to see it and have some tea. I’m a mess.”
She hung up, and Wills smiled, “Well done.”
Kellie could hear the panic in Taylor’s voice and knew she was terrified by what had happened.
“She’s hurt and hasn’t realized it yet,” Kellie mumbled as she pulled on her boots and jacket. She didn’t give Taylor’s request a second thought beyond that she was injured, or her instincts would have told her to call 911 first. She left her cell phone on her desk as she rushed over to Taylor’s garage.
The front door slammed behind Kellie as she ran toward Taylor’s garage. She rounded the corner and into the garage and saw Taylor standing there next to her car with tears streaming down her face and fear in her eyes.
Kellie said, “You are hurt, I can see it in your eyes.” She hurried to Taylor’s side.
Taylor shook her head and looked toward a darkened corner of the garage. Kellie followed her gaze and saw Wills step out of the corner.
“Hello, brat,” Wills said.
His laugh made Kellie shudder.
“This can’t be happening;” Kellie thought. “No one has even thought about him for months.”
“You look surprised,” Wills snickered. “We’re all going for a ride. Kellie, you drive. Taylor looks a bit frazzled. I’ll be in the back, and I won’t hesitate to shoot either or both of you in the head if you do anything to bring attention to this car.”
Wills told Taylor to drop her phone in the garbage, and he checked to be sure Kellie didn’t have her phone. Convinced neither would be able to call for help, they headed for the department store lot where Wills had left his car.
#####
Wills told Kellie where to park, and the three walked down two rows to his green sedan. The rain had become a sprinkle, but the thick clouds caused the area to be darker than usual. The parking lot lights were on but did little to illuminate through the rain.
At his car, Wills said, “Kellie you’re driving again and I’ll give you directions.”
About fifteen minutes later, Wills directed Kellie to pull into a parking area adjacent to a jogging trail. It was empty. He had both young women leave the car and get into the trunk.
Kellie began to complain, and Wills said, “One wrong move brat and I’ll shoot Taylor. You get in first Kellie. I don’t trust you. Don’t get any bright ideas about screaming or banging on the trunk lid. If I get stopped, the first thing I’ll do is shoot the cop. Then I’m coming back here to shoot one of you. If I stop and you hear a gunshot, start figuring out who will die.”
His grin made both women shudder when he slammed the trunk lid.
With both young women safely locked in the trunk, Wills climbed into the driver’s seat and headed for the cabin.
#####
Hunter was surprised to find that Taylor’s car wasn’t in the garage. She always arrived home first. The house was dark, but Kellie’s house was bright. “Maybe Kellie knows where she is,” he mumbled as he unlocked the door leading to the laundry room.
Penny met him at the door barking and whined.
“What’s wrong girl. You don’t like being home alone.” Penny barked.
Hunter walked into the kitchen and was surprised that Penny’s food and water bowls were empty. It was the first thing Taylor did when she would arrive home. She was attached to Penny, and if she weren't coming straight home, she would call Hunter to make sure he would go home and feed her. He filled both bowls and walked out the patio door headed for Kellie’s.
“Where is she? She would have called me. Maybe her cell died.”
He knocked on Kellie’s patio door. The kitchen light was on, but the only response came from a barking Rufus. He ran in circles and then into the living room and back again. He ran up to the patio door and barked again.
Hunter mumbled, “Something feels off.” He headed around the side of Kellie’s house and looked in the garage window. When he saw Kellie’s SUV parked there, he knew he was right. He didn’t hesitate and called Detective Stellion.
By the time he was connected to Detective Stellion, Hunter had entered Kellie’s house using a spare key. He related the situation to the detective.
“Yes, sir, both houses look fine, but neither dog had food or water. I’m not sure where they could be. Taylor’s not answering her phone. Oh, wait sir; Kellie’s cell phone is sitting on her desk, and her purse is hanging on the doorknob. She never goes out without them. Yes, I’ll be at my house, and I’ll take Rufus.”
Hunter left through the front door with Rufus at his heels. He tried to call Taylor’s phone again and heard it ring as he neared his garage. He dialed again and ran into the garage. The ring was coming from the trash. He found the phone and Taylor’s purse. He knew not to touch them. Hunter let Rufus in the house to play with Penny, and waited in the garage for Detective Stellion.
The thought of Wills Berner crossed his mind.
“Something’s terribly wrong,” Hunter said aloud. “Taylor wouldn’t put her phone and purse in the garbage. Berner kidnapped them.”
Hunter stood and paced until he saw Mike’s car pull up.
He ran out and said, “I think he took them. Taylor’s phone and purse are in the garbage. He came back. Wills Berner kidnapped Taylor and Kellie didn’t he?” He threw his hands up to his face and rubbed his forehead.
“Calm down Hunter, and tell me everything again. If he took them, we’ll find them. I refuse to give in to the idea that he’ll get away with this.” Detective Stellion patted Hunter on the back. “Let’s go inside and talk.”
#####
Kellie and Taylor lay close to each other in the trunk. It was a tight fit, but they were able to move a bit and talk.
“I’m glad he didn’t tie us up before he made us get in the trunk. Maybe we can figure out how to overpower him when he opens the trunk,” Kellie said.
“We can hope,” Taylor answered between sobs. “I just wish we were in my car.”
“Please don’t cry, Taylor. I’m scared, too. We have to keep our minds set on escape and save our strength.”
“Okay,” Taylor mumbled.
“Why do you wish we were in your car?”
Taylor did her best to take a deep breath. “Don’t you remember how worried Hunter was when Wills first escaped, and he bought an extra cell phone to keep in my trunk just in case this happened. I thought he was crazy, but he still checks it every other day and charges it. What good does the phone or GPS do now? It’s sitting in a parking lot.”
“I do remember that. He called me from your trunk to be sure it would work. He was happy as can be when I hurried over and watched you open the trunk to let him out. He loves you, Taylor, and Uncle Mike and Hunter will do everything to find us,” Kellie said keeping her voice as controlled as possible. “Also, the GPS will locate your car quickly. Maybe there will be security camera footage of Wills’ car at the store.”
“I know both of them will do all they can, but what if it isn’t in time? Wills is crazy and a serial killer. He wants both of us dead.” She couldn’t fight her tears, and her voice broke. “He’s going to kill us or rape us and then kill us,” her voice raised in pitch.
“We’ll fight for our lives. I’m not letting him just kill me without a fight. We’ll kill him first if we get a chance.”
“That sounds like a good plan, but how do we do that. All those hours at the gun range and my gun is in my house. It’s horrible, Kellie. It’s my fault. I called you, but he said he would kill Hunter and you.” Taylor reached over and grabbed Kellie’s arm. Her hand trembled, and she could barely hold onto her friend’s arm.
Kellie said, “I know, mine is at home, too. We both know how to shoot, and it might come in handy. If we could get his gun, we could shoot him. I understand why you called me. I don’t blame you.”
Taylor trying to keep her tears from starting again whispered, “Do you think you could kill him? I’m scared I would panic.”
“Without a second thought,” Kellie answered. “I’m angry and I intend to use this anger to do what I can to save us.” She balled her fists in the small, dark trunk wishing she could use them on Wills.
Taylor’s trembling turned into tremors that shook Kellie’s body, as well as Taylor’s.
Kellie called her friend’s name, “Taylor, Taylor, are you all right? Taylor answer me. Taylor, please.”
Kellie heard guttural moans coming from Taylor. She tried to bang on the trunk lid, but there wasn’t enough room. “God help us,” she screamed. “Taylor, relax and breathe.” She wrapped her arm around Taylor as tightly as she could.
Taylor’s tremors slowed down a bit. Her broken words were barely audible. “Kel … Kellie … I, I … don’t want to die like this. It is over isn’t it?”
“No, not as long as we can breathe. I promised I would kill him if I have to and I could do it right now with my bare hands. Stay with me, Taylor. I need you.”
“Okay,” Taylor whispered. Her breaths were coming in small gasps as she began to relax.
Kellie fought tears in her eyes and thought, “Thank you, God. Please keep us safe.”
#####
Wills fiddled with the radio control knob, and the rear speaker’s sound reached the trunk. Kellie and Taylor listened to him change between pop, rock, and easy listening. They heard a country preacher speak about hell and damnation. Kellie wished Wills would go there at that moment. She tried to count the number of songs played to gauge the time spent in the trunk, but Wills changed the station too often.
Wills, ignoring the fact he had two women in the trunk, hummed along to the music. He agreed with the preacher that evil people would find themselves in hell. He imagined Taylor and Kellie would head there soon. Wills did pay attention to the speed limit. The nearly empty roads would be the ideal place for an officer to catch him speeding, and that could ruin play time.
#####
While Mike was putting out an APB on Taylor’s car, Hunter called Taylor’s boss at his home and asked what time Taylor left work.
He dropped into a chair and looked at Mike. “He said she left at the usual time. He’s going to call the other employees and ask if they saw anything.”
A tech arrived to fingerprint the garage. Mike walked out to speak with the tech and Hunter called Taylor’s parents. Mrs. Stewart wouldn’t stop crying and assured Hunter they would be over as soon as she phoned her husband at work. He received the same response from his mom. Trying to console both women was impossible as he couldn’t find any words to make them or himself less apprehensive.
Taylor’s boss called back and said no one had seen Taylor leave work, but one of his employees found Taylor’s open umbrella in the parking lot. “Yes, she’s sure it’s Taylor’s. We all know how much she loves hot pink, and no one else carries a polka dot umbrella.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll let Detective Stellion know immediately.”
Hunter rushed into the garage to explain the situation to Mike, and Mike called in for an officer to retrieve the umbrella and take the woman’s statement.
SUMMER OF EVIL Page 15