by Joe Conlan
In an easily accessible front pocket of his suitcase, he had packed a rag and small bottle of ether. He placed the bag on the asphalt directly behind the open hatchback then returned the luggage cart to a stand located at the end of the row of cars. Before locking it in place, he wiped the handle clean with a handkerchief as he had done while the woman wasn’t looking with the cart he used at the airport terminal. Staying alert to his surroundings, he doubled back to the vehicle, picked up his bag and placed it in the trunk so the front side was accessible. He unzipped the pouch and removed the cloth and bottle of ether, aware his actions were being captured by a surveillance camera mounted on a pavilion just behind him. Careful to keep his face or profile from being recorded, he opened the cap and poured a generous portion onto the rag. With the sedative tucked safely in his left pocket, he slammed the hatchback shut. He walked to the driver’s side, checking in each direction to make sure he wasn’t being watched, always maintaining his vigilant attentiveness to the camera. The parking lot attendant was nowhere to be seen and there were no other customers in the vicinity. He opened the door, stepped into the vehicle, slipped the rag out of his pocket and forcefully shoved it into Hannah’s face. She let out a muted groan that was inaudible outside the car. Her eyes expressed a deep confusion, shock and terror that sent a shiver of ecstasy through Shem’s loins. Seconds later, her eyes rolled back into her head and she lost consciousness.
A blanket of fresh snow shrouded the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley. Dark clouds to the north and west threatened more precipitation. Shem was travelling north on Interstate 87, currently passing through the city of Newburgh. Hannah Richards was tied by a rope across her lap in the front passenger seat. For the first hour of the trip, he made sure she remained unconscious. Each time she began to stir, he reapplied the ether soaked rag to her breathing passages. At the moment, the effects of the tranquilizer had passed. She was sitting bolt upright and wide awake.
About a half an hour ago, he pulled off onto a deserted country road, grabbed some rope from his suitcase, and tied her legs to the seat. For further guarantee she didn’t do anything stupid, he kept a sharp butcher’s knife within her view, but out of reach. She wasn’t talking much now. Instead, she was doing quite a bit of whimpering and it was really starting to get on his nerves. He warned her that if she didn’t sit perfectly still and quiet, he was going to cut her tongue out. Every few minutes, he glanced over at her to take pleasure from the look of sheer horror on her face. He would allow her to speak later when they were far from the populated cities. He was very much looking forward to hearing her vain pleas for her life.
Tears streamed down Hannah’s face as she did her best to remain stationary and silent in her extreme discomfort. The ropes tying her legs to the seat were so tight, they felt as though they were penetrating through her pants and shredding her skin. The inability to shift in her seat sent jolts of pain across her lower back and down both legs. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest and her head throbbed with such torturous pain, she thought it was about to implode. The unadulterated terror she was experiencing caused her stomach to spasm with waves of intense nausea. She strained every muscle in her body in an effort to keep from vomiting.
Hannah had feared for her life on one previous occasion- when she was mugged while jogging in New York’s Central Park. The fright she experienced at that time was a trifle compared to the utter dread that now coursed through her veins. The gentleman who she thought was a holy man of God had transformed into a monster from the bowels of hell. She wondered how she could have been so stupid and gullible. Never in her life had she ever accepted a ride from a stranger. But, he was a rabbi, a man of faith who seemed so kind and courteous.
She struggled to fight through the panic and pain to think about the possibility of finding a way out of this nightmare alive. Perhaps she could offer him a lot of money to let her go. So far, there was no reason to believe he was going to hurt her. For all she knew, this was a simple kidnapping for ransom. That just reminded her of her sister who was expecting her call when she arrived at the hotel. Robin was going to be worried sick. Rather than dwell on the negative, Hannah tried to convince herself that the man just wanted money. After all, it was the root of all evil. But then every time she ventured a furtive peek over at her abductor, an ice cold chill raised the hair on the back of her neck.
Chapter 8
Robin Stein was trying to enjoy her after-dinner cup of decaffeinated coffee in the family room of her home on Long Island. She was beginning to worry herself sick. It was 8:30pm and her sister, Hannah, had not yet called from the hotel. She checked the American Airlines website and the flight supposedly took off from Ft. Lauderdale and arrived at LaGuardia ahead of schedule. Hannah should have had plenty of time to check into the hotel by now. Robin picked up the phone and dialed the Four Seasons number her sister gave to her. The receptionist answered on the fifteenth ring.
“Four Seasons Hotel New York, front desk.”
“Hi. Could you connect me with the room of Hannah Richards?” Robin heard the hurried tap dance of fingers sprinting over a computer keyboard. A few seconds later, the receptionist answered, “I’m sorry Ma’am. Mrs. Richards hasn’t checked in yet.”
“Are you absolutely sure? Her flight arrived over two hours ago.”
“Yes, Ma’am, I’m positive. Once a guest is assigned a room, it’s entered into the computer. Hold on a sec. There are a few women waiting to check in. I can ask if any of them are your sister.”
“Thanks so much.” In the background, Robin heard the front desk clerk address the women in line. Several seconds later, the clerk put the phone back up to her ear and said, “I’m sorry, Ma’am, your sister isn’t here. But, I wouldn’t worry yet. I’m sure you know traffic in the city can be horrible. It’s taken our guests up to several hours to get to the hotel from the New York airports.”
“Well, I hope that’s the problem. She’s never been this late.”
“I’m sure it is. Would you like to leave a message for her?”
“Yes, please. Could you have her call me at 516-555-2422 as soon as she gets there?”
“Sure thing. I’ll give her the message. Thanks for calling the Four Seasons.”
Robin hung up the phone and cursed her sister for being so stubborn for refusing her offer to pick her up at the airport. She couldn’t fathom any reason why Hannah couldn’t have stayed on Long Island with her. Hannah always had to stay at the finest hotels in Manhattan. To make matters worse, the pig-headed woman still hadn’t purchased a cell phone. Now Robin had no alternative but to sit home and worry herself into a migraine. She thought about calling Hannah’s friend in Florida, to see if the neighbor knew anything. Looking at her watch, Robin reconsidered, deciding she’d wait a while longer before she bothered Annie.
As Shem Chassar approached the village of Tannersville, New York, he could hardly contain his excitement. It wasn’t a matter of losing control of his emotions. Quite the opposite, he was as calm as a cool, clear mountain lake on a windless day. The sensation he was experiencing was pure exhilaration. Not being able to satisfy his sexual arousal was the only downside at the moment. They were on the road for more than two hours and the time of reckoning was rapidly approaching. The thrill of the anticipation of the kill was a difficult sentiment for him to describe. There was no doubt in his mind it was one of those extraordinary feelings that made life worthwhile.
He decided the deed would take place on the outskirts of a village with a population of less than five hundred people. As such, the woman’s screams of agony wouldn’t be heard by anyone. Heading west through Tannersville on 23A, he decided it was time to have a conversation with her. In a monotone voice devoid of emotion, he said, “You can speak.”
Hannah, whose body was in a state of shock, hesitated. She was confused by his comment and didn’t know how to respond. He repeated in a much more threatening manner, “I’m not going to say it again. You can speak.”
&nbs
p; Hannah began to sob, but managed to blurt out, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“It’s your ass, lady. I can’t help you with that.”
“Why are you doing this to me? I’ve never done anything to you.”
“You’ve done plenty. You’re nothing but a rich, ugly, repulsive cunt that makes me want to vomit.”
Hannah cringed at the intensity of disgust and revulsion in his delivery, more than the words. An unfathomable hatred exuded from every pore in the fiend’s body. His stare was steady and it seemed to her there was no soul behind his bottomless black eyes. She didn’t think she was going to make it out of this predicament alive. Somehow, it didn’t completely suppress her survival instinct. She wasn’t going to just lie down and die. She asked, “Who are you? Do I know you?”
“That’s irrelevant and you’re making me angry.”
“I don’t mean to make you angry. I’ll do anything you want. Please don’t hurt me. I have lots of money. I can make you rich.”
“I’m not interested in your filthy money.”
Hannah’s heart dropped into her stomach. She wanted to believe he couldn’t really be serious. The alternative was too scary to consider. In spite of her efforts to suppress them, the terrifying possibilities running through her mind like scenes from a horror film threatened her ability to maintain control. She considered rape, rejected kidnapping, and prayed he wasn’t planning to torture her. He found her ugly and repulsive, so rape hardly seemed probable. On the other hand, it was an exercise of power and dominion over the victim. It had nothing to do with attraction. She said, “I won’t fight if you want to have sex with me.”
Shem laughed in a loud, uproarious, and mocking howl. “I wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot pole.”
Hannah’s options were running out. She was beginning to understand that her situation was desperate. She pleaded hysterically, “Please don’t kill me. I don’t want to die. I’ll do anything you ask. Please let me go. I have family.”
“I couldn’t care less about what you want. And I know you don’t have any children. Your pleas for your life are pathetic and selfish.”
Hannah began to weep uncontrollably. She rocked back and forth in her seat banging her head forcefully against the headrest. She cried out in an ear-piercing scream. Shem backhanded her with a closed fist breaking her nose and rendering her unconscious.
Robin Stein was beside herself. Two more hours had passed and Hannah still hadn’t phoned. She called the hotel on several occasions and each time the end result was the same. Her sister had not yet checked in. The last time she called was just five minutes ago. She was able to convince the agent at the front desk to call her himself, the instant Hannah showed up at the hotel.
Again, she considered calling Annie, but she didn’t want to impose or make her worry if Hannah happened to be somewhere safe and sound. She stretched her imagination to the limits in an attempt to explain under what circumstances Hannah would neglect to call. There was the possibility she changed hotels. If that were true, it didn’t make sense Hannah wouldn’t have called to notify her. On the other hand, her sister was a scatter brain at times and could have forgotten her number or her personal phone book. Robin had an unlisted number, so she wouldn’t be able to get it from information. She thought about whether it would be worthwhile calling all the finer Manhattan hotels. Deciding it would make her feel better to do something rather than nothing, she ran to the kitchen pantry to fetch her Yellow Pages.
Hannah had previously stayed at the first five hotels she called. The response was the same at each of them. She didn’t have reservations nor had she checked in. For the next hour, Robin called hotels randomly from the phone book with no better luck. Now, almost five hours after Hannah’s plane landed, Robin’s panic was in full bud. She wished her husband was still alive. He would have known what to do. There was no way she was going to be able to handle this on her own. The only thing she could think to do was call her son, Steven, in California though she couldn’t imagine what he could do from so far away. She picked up the phone and dialed his number. His wife, Dory, answered.
“Hi Mom, what are you doing up so late? Is everything alright?”
“Oh honey, I’m worried half to death. Aunt Hannah was supposed to call me when she arrived at her hotel and I haven’t heard from her yet. Her plane landed almost five hours ago.”
“Are you sure she got on the plane?”
“Yes, Yes, I’m positive. She called me a half hour before she was supposed to leave for the airport. If she didn’t get on the plane, she would’ve called me by now. I can’t believe that stubborn woman still doesn’t have a cell phone. When I finally talk to her, I’m gonna give her the what for.”
“Let me let you talk to Steve.” Dory handed the phone to her husband who was standing next to her listening to her side of the conversation. He said, “Hi Mom, what’s Aunt Hannah done now?”
Robin repeated the story to her son. When she finished describing everything she had done to that point, she was dangerously close to breaking. In a trembling voice, she said, “I don’t know what else to do. Should I call the police? Don’t you have to wait twenty-four hours before they’ll do anything about a missing person?”
“Mom, you watch too much TV. I’m not sure that’s actually the case in real life. We don’t have to assume the worst yet. Maybe her taxi was involved in an accident either on the way to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale or the hotel in Manhattan. She could be in a hospital somewhere in Florida or New York. You call the police in New York and I’ll call Florida. They should know if there were any 911 calls for an ambulance. We can also ask if they can find out if she boarded the plane.”
“This is a disaster. I can’t stop shaking. I’m so worried about her. I hope I can manage to dial the phone.”
“Mom, it’s not gonna help if you have a nervous breakdown. Try to calm down. There are plenty of potential explanations. Don’t assume the worst. This doesn’t mean that she’s dead.”
“Steven, don’t even say that.”
“I just want you to try to relax. You know how crazy Aunt Hannah can be. She’ll probably wake up in the morning and call you with a thousand apologies.”
“I hope you’re right, honey. I just don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her.”
“Let’s get started with the calls. I’ll call you back when I know something. I love you, Mom. I’ll talk to you in a few.”
“Bye sweetie, I love you, too.”
Robin leafed nervously through the Yellow Pages to find the number for the New York State Police Department. Despite her son’s admonition to stay calm, she had a sinking and unnerving feeling something terrible had happened. On her first attempt to call the police, she dialed the wrong number. She cursed her unsteady hand and tried again. The staff sergeant answered, “New York Police Department, 115th precinct, Sergeant Patrick O’Reilly speaking. Is this an emergency?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Robin muddled through the events of the evening for a third time. By the end of the story, she was crying. She asked, “Is there any way you can tell me whether she’s been in an accident or taken by an ambulance to the hospital?”
“I’ll do what I can to help you, Ma’am. First, you need to try to get a hold of yourself. People go missing every day and more than ninety-nine percent of the time they show up in one piece without realizing the trouble they’ve caused their loved ones. I can check the computer for any accidents after 6:00pm. I’ll also contact Emergency Services and find out if an ambulance was dispatched to take her to the hospital. I won’t be able to require the airlines to give me information about whether or not she was on the plane. I can’t start a missing person’s investigation either until twenty-four hours has passed since her disappearance. Please hold on, Ma’am. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
Robin waited anxiously for the Sergeant’s response. She was annoyed that for once, the TV and movies got their facts straight. After what
seemed an hour, she heard the fumbling of the receiver as the officer picked up the phone. “I have some information for you, Mrs. Stein. You’ll be happy to know your sister wasn’t involved in an accident this evening. At least she wasn’t transported by ambulance to any New York hospitals and there were no accident reports turned in referencing her name. I’m sure that doesn’t totally resolve your concerns considering the circumstances. If you haven’t heard from her by 6:16 tomorrow evening, give us a call and we’ll start our investigation immediately. Hopefully, they’ll be a happy ending to this story before you have to make that call.”
“From your mouth to God’s ear. Thank you so much for your help, Sergeant. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Mrs. Stein and good luck.”
Robin felt as though her heart was going to burst through her chest wall. When the phone rang, she almost jumped out of her seat. She picked up the receiver and said, “Hi Steven. What did you find out?” Without waiting for a response, she continued, “The New York police said she wasn’t in an accident and there were no ambulances called to take her to the hospital. But, you were wrong about the missing persons rule. They can’t do anything for twenty-four hours.”
“I know, Mom. I got the same story from the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department. She wasn’t taken to the hospital as far as they could tell. The only thing we can do now is wait and hope and pray we get a call from her either tonight or some time tomorrow. Otherwise, we’ll have to report her missing.”