"I'll tell him the truth. I'll say I was there."
"But he'll put you in jail."
"I'll say he was alive when I left." I look to my left. I think I hear something bang but I dismiss it as a normal house movement sound. I slowly walk into the kitchen and place my elbows on the large island. It is complete with four burners and double sinks.
"I'm scared Sheldon."
"They can’t prove it." I think of the video again. "And even if they can, at least we have Tommy back." I hear the same sound again. This time it's a little louder and a little closer. "I better get going." I keep my eyes focused to the left of me, but I don’t see anything unusual.
"Please be careful Sheldon. Remember, I need you too." I quickly say goodbye and tiptoe through the kitchen into the dining room. I slide around the giant mahogany table that can easily seat a dozen people. I'm getting an uneasy feeling that I’m not alone in the house. I look behind me, it's probably too far now to head back out the door so I keep going. I walk into a large family room with a large screen TV and a pool table. I keep walking around and end up in the foyer with a double staircase in front of me. I choose the one on the right and slowly begin my ascent. I'm still convinced I'm going to find her body so my senses are on full alert. I reach the top of the stairs. I pause and look down into the foyer from the second floor and see the remaining sunlight sneaking through the window panes forming a large colorful prism on the middle of the foyer floor. I slowly turn around and continue towards the right side of the upstairs hall. There are many doors on both sides. I begin by opening the first door and look in and see and empty bedroom. I quietly close the door and back out. I suddenly stop. Something moves behind me. I turn around.
"Hello. Who's there?" I stand in place. I'm not moving and I’m holding my breath. I'm not sure if I should run or remain in place. I take two steps towards where I saw something move. Suddenly a man pops out of a door on my left on the other side of the hall beyond the staircase. I recognize him immediately, but my eyes focus on the gun in his hand pointed at me.
"Well…well…Sheldon, what brings you out here?" I remain in place. I can't believe I’m standing in front of him. "Looking for our good friend Mary?" I don’t answer. "She is long gone and well taken care of."
"Please don’t hurt her."
"Why the sudden interest in her Sheldon?" I grab onto the railing.
"I just think enough people have been hurt."
"I would agree. I thought I warned you what would happen if you didn’t mind your own business." I look into his face. I can’t see any emotion just blank eyes staring back at me. He's wearing a light blue polo with faded blue jeans and his hair is thick and styled off his forehead. He doesn’t look anything like the evil killer that he is. He could pass for a savvy successful businessman hanging out in his house after hours or a fashion model with his dark features. He is pointing the gun directly at me. We are no more than five feet or so apart. I can see his feet slowly inching towards me. "I think it is too late now Sheldon. You did not take my advice. Wouldn't you agree? I thought our business transaction was complete, but apparently I was incorrect because here you are barging in on my business again."
"Look I know this is all about money for you. Just please leave her alone."
"You do huh? You have it all figured out right Sheldon. You think you're so smart coming here and finding me." I squeeze the rail a little tighter. "So what are you going to do now Sheldon? It seems I have a gun and you are standing on top of the stairs it would be a real shame if you happened to fall down them don’t you think so?" I look down. I still see the prism.
"Just please let her go and I promise I'll leave you alone."
"You will huh? But it seems you have everything figured out now, so I can’t just let you walk away which is a shame because I make it part of my deal to never cause harm to someone I have had a successful business transaction with. We were successful wouldn’t you say?"
I watch him take another step closer to me. "If killing an innocent man is what you call successful?"
"I believe I gave you the choice in pulling the trigger." I laugh.
"Choice? Some choice."
"But I gave you the choice didn’t I? Which makes it a decision on your part and I believe it was the correct choice don’t you? I saw your property earlier and it seemed to be functioning correctly at the school." I take a step forward towards him, now we are separated by no more than three feet.
"Stay away from him. He already suffered enough. You got me now. You don’t need anything else to do with him." I feel my fists clenching into tight balls.
"Relax Sheldon my friend. I gave you my word I wouldn’t do any more harm to your property. I was just merely checking." I can see his finger on the trigger.
"Well don’t check anymore. Leave him alone." I watch a slight smile form on his face.
"You know Sheldon. I like you. You have spunk. I like that about you."
"I don’t like you. If you didn’t have that gun, I'd be the one throwing you down the stairs." I hear him laugh.
"But you don't have the gun now do you?" I shake my head. "So here's the question. What should we do now?" I look down again.
"I guess that's up to you." He smiles again and raises the gun and aims at my head. I close my eyes and the next thing I feel is a loud crash and severe pain on the back of my head. I feel myself falling on the floor and then everything goes completely black.
Chapter 26
I'm not sure where I am, but back of my head feels as though a truck has run over it. I'm able to slowly open my eyes, and as soon as I do, I see I'm lying on a rug in a large room that looks like it might possibly be a basement. The rug is an off-white realtor's color. It looks fairly new. My hands immediately go to the back of my head. I feel some kind of large bandage. I try and feel how big it is, but it hurts just to touch it so I leave it alone. It feels cold and thick. I wish I knew where I was, I vaguely remember being shot at. I carefully sit up, and as soon as my head becomes upright I feel dizzy so I quickly place my hands under my chin so I don’t fall over. I turn my head and look around the room and the first thing I notice is there is no furniture or anything, just four white walls and the tan-colored rug. Out of the corner of my eye behind me, I think I see someone lying down. It looks like a woman, but I can’t be sure because my eyes aren’t completely focused. I also can’t tell is she is dead or alive. I try and get to my knees to crawl over, but the vertigo forces me back on the floor so I continue to look. I think I see her back moving, I'm hoping she is just asleep. I don’t see any bandages on her head, but her hair is much longer than mine so I can’t be sure. There's a single fluorescent light on the ceiling above me, but other than that there is no way to tell if it is night or day. It reminds me of when I was in the hospital a few days ago. I quickly feel for my phone in my pocket, but it is gone; so whoever has placed me here has taken everything. I turn towards the woman and try to call out, but nothing comes out of my mouth. I keep trying until finally my vocal cords begin to vibrate and after about ten tries, I can actually hear my own voice and she rolls over. It's Mary Clausen. At first I try to smile, but the expression on her face causes me to stop. She slowly stands up and walks over to me and sits down beside me.
"How are you feeling?" I softly place my hand on the bandage.
"It hurts." She leans over me and looks at the back of my head.
"I bet it does. I saw the whole thing happen."
"What happened?"
"You don’t remember?"
"A little bit. I remember being shot and then I woke up here." She comes back around and looks at me.
"You weren't shot. You were hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat by Shane"
"What about the gun?"
"That was Frank holding that. He never shot it. You never saw Shane." I try and sit up some more. Mary helps me lean forward.
"Where are we?"
"Remember their mother's house I was telling you about this is it
." I look around the room again.
"There's no way out. I've already checked. They have the door upstairs locked and as you can see there are no doors or windows down here."
"How long have I been here?" She looks at her watch. It looks like an expensive Rolex.
"They brought you down here yesterday after Shane hit you. I helped bandage you up with Frank. You were really bleeding. I thought they had killed you." Her hand reaches out and touches the back of the bandage. "I have more bandages and pain killers for you over there." She points to where she was lying down. "Does it hurt?"
"Yes." I nod my head up and down slowly. I can feel the weight of the bandage behind me. She quickly gets up and comes back with a bottle of pills in a small brown-colored prescription bottle and places two in my hand. She hands me an unopened bottle of water that I quickly open and swallow the pills.
"Now turn around and let me check that bandage. You’re lucky. I was in nursing school before I inherited the money." I feel her hands carefully taking the bandage off and a minute later, I feel her pressing a new one on. The pain is almost bearable. It stings when she presses, but luckily she finishes quickly. "I made sure Frank got me the pain killers and bandages before he put us down here. I told him you weren't going to make it otherwise."
"You were in the house too?"
"Yes. They were holding me upstairs and then you came in. I couldn’t believe it. What were you doing there anyway?" I lean back down on my elbows.
"I was coming to warn you that you were next. I saw an email from one of them."
"Thank you. I'm so sorry this happened. You were really so brave standing there in front of the gun. I wanted to yell and warn you about Shane, but they had tape over my mouth so instead, I just watched the whole thing happened." She rubs her hand across her mouth. "Like I said, I thought you were dead. I kept saying we have to take you to and emergency room, but they said no way. Then they carried you out into the garage and loaded you up in your car." I shake my head. "That's where they let me bandage you. There was blood everywhere. I can’t believe you’re alive. I've been checking you all night. When I heard you speak just now, I couldn’t believe it."
"Thank you so much. I think you saved my life."
"You were coming to try and save mine. I mean I don’t know anyone who would just walk into a house like that not knowing what they were getting into." She softly pats my shoulder. "You're my hero."
"If I had done it right we wouldn’t be trapped in here. What do you think is going to happen to us?" She looks behind me towards the stairs leading upwards. "I know I’m not getting out of here. They want me to sign over all the money to them and then they will kill me. I know that is their plan."
"Are you sure?" I look at her closely. I can see the warmth in her eyes.
"That's what they were trying to do before they heard you walking around downstairs in my house. They really had no idea who it was."
"What happens if you don't sign it over?"
"They don’t get it, especially now that Doug Sorenson is gone. I really wish he was still here." I look down at the carpet. I see my shoes are all scuffed. "But part of signing it over involves me calling the firm holding the trust fund and giving them my code to release the funds."
"So just don’t give it to them."
"I haven’t yet, but you don’t know these two. They will do anything to get the money. They have been planning this for years and they will use torture or whatever is necessary to get me to make that call." She folds her arms. "It's just a matter of time now. Once Sorenson was gone everything changed because he was the only one that had full control of the money. Strange thing isn’t it. My money, but my attorney controls it."
"Why?" I am starting to feel the pain killer start to lower the pain, or at least remove the hard edge.
"It's a long story. It's all in how the money was left to me. At this point, though all that is necessary is me calling and giving that code and the money is free. I used to wonder if Doug was going to be the one who was going to do me in because the way it was set up. He would get all the money if something happened to me." I close my eyes in confusion. I'm not sure it it's the pain killer or if the story is just confusing, but she seems to pick up on my confusion. "Well technically he wouldn’t get the money, but the trust would get it which means he basically gets the money, but I can override that with the code." She smiles. "It is confusing I know, but Doug was a good guy because he helped me invest it and put it in charities, which is my real passion." She quickly snaps her head towards the stairs. "Sorry I thought I heard something, I'm a little on edge."
"I certainly understand. Are they up there?" I point at the stairs.
"They were, but they left a few hours ago, I heard their footsteps and then I heard a car engine." I nod.
"So what is your charity that you’re passionate about?" I see her face light up.
"It's for underprivileged kids. You know kids that are living in poverty and going to bed hungry, not getting the care they deserve. I love children, probably because I could never have any of my own."
"That's great!"
"I like it. You came to our office a few times. Sorry if we were a little apprehensive around you at first. A lot of times we will have kids in the back who have escaped homes where they were violently abused and one of their parents will come looking for them."
"I can certainly understand. I think that's wonderful you do that."
"I wish I could do more. I think we were just starting to make an impact and now this. It will all be over in a matter of hours once they get a hold of me and get the code."
"There's got to be something we can do." She shakes her head.
"There's not. Now that Sorenson is dead, all we can do is wait. Like I told you, these two guys are the most ruthless people I have ever met. The worst part is Frank is also probably the smartest person I have ever met." I think back to all of our conversations and agree with her. "I don’t think he made it past tenth grade, but he didn’t need to. He could probably complete high school in a few months if he wanted to. He's that smart. That's why I know he'll get the code from me. I might as well just give it to him to save myself the pain." I shake my head.
"We need to think of something. We have to for all those kids you have helped."
"I agree, but we better think of something quick because our time is running out." I look towards the stairs.
"What time do you think they'll be back?"
"I don’t know. I suspect it will be soon. I know they were involved with Doug's death, so they'll want to get out of here before the police catch on. They were so surprised you found them at my house that you probably scared them. By the way, you never told me how you know them?
"I don't actually know them. The first time I met them was the other night they bashed me with the bat." I feel the back of my head again.
"You came to my office asking about Frank." I look up at the ceiling and then back at Mary. Her long dark hair has fallen over one of her big brown eyes.
"I was there when Frank was killed. I didn’t see it, but I know they did it." I look up at the stairs again.
"Did he suffer?" I see tears welling in her eyes.
"Not that I could tell. I think he died quick. I actually have Buster at my house." She wipes her eyes and tries to smile.
"Buster…how is he? Frank loved that dog. They were best friends."
"He's doing well. He’s bonded with my son"
"Wait a minute. We're Frank and Shane involved with your son?" I nod.
"Frank had him hidden an hour or so south of here by two guys."
"We're they rough looking and big?"
"Yes."
"Those were probably his brothers. I think there are five of them." She looks at me closely. I touch the back of my head again. "How's the pain?"
"Much better, thanks. I think he killed his brothers because I found the house." She shakes her head.
"Doesn’t surprise me, he'll remove anyone that'
s in his way. He always has ever since I have known him. You should hear what he did to his own mother."
I shake my head. "I heard, with the car right?"
"Yep, so now it sounds like he's killed both his mom and our dad…Oh do I hate him. Frank did not deserve that, he was just trying to live a quiet life. I was just there a few weeks ago for dinner. He was so nice.
"I'm glad your son came back safe and sound. You’re lucky." I nod. "I remember reading about that, I had no idea it was Frank and Shane's doing. Even after you came by, I didn’t pick up on it."
"How would you know?"
"I just feel bad. I probably could have helped more. So tell me the whole story. It looks like we have some time to kill." I spend the next hour or so explaining everything from how he was taken at school to the calls I received on my phone. I left out the part about killing Sorenson. She listens to the whole thing with great intensity. I see how the kids are lucky to have someone like that working for them. She gets us both another bottle of water and we drink silently until we hear the sound of a car engine and loud bang above us.
Chapter 27
"They're back." We both look up towards the stairs. I can hear loud footsteps pounding on the ceiling above us. I watch as the softness leaves Mary's face replaced by tension. I'm not sure what's going to happen to me, but in some respects I feel like I probably deserve anything that happens now that Tommy is safe, so I don’t care that much anyway, at least that's what I’m telling myself. I'm sure Michelle and Tommy are home worried sick about me, but there is nothing I can do. Everything is out of my control. My life is in the hands of the monster upstairs. I'm finally able to sit all the way up straight now that the pain killer is fully functioning in my system. I watch as Mary jumps when we hear a click at the top of the stairs and the door opens. I can’t see the door because of where I am, but the light from upstairs beams down the steps from the open doorway. We both turn our heads. I watch as Frank Harris slowly descends the stairway. He has a small gun out in front of him. I watch his dark eyes focus first on me and then Mary.
Fatal Decision Page 20