Maybe I’m letting my own problems cloud this, and it has nothing to do with work. She might have wanted to tell me that it’s too much to be with a single dad, she wants to break it off, that she doesn’t want to sneak around anymore. I feel a pain in my chest when I think of Emma leaving me.
Why won’t she text me! This is driving me insane.
I check my phone again. It’s been an hour since she was supposed to get here. I ruffle Gracie’s hair.
“Come on, kiddo. Let’s eat. Emma just said she’s not feeling well and she’s so sorry. She said save her a brownie.”
Gracie’s little face drops with disappointment, and the anger bubbles up inside me. I can’t stand the thought of someone making her feel like this. I’ve let my own selfish desires get in the way of my daughter’s happiness. I’ve put myself first and I hate myself for it, and now I can see the consequence on Gracie’s face.
“Ok,” she says slowly. “I hope she feels better soon.”
“Me too,” I respond. The two of us sit down to dinner together, just the two of us like we have for the past seven years. Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be.
Chapter 50 - Elliot
Every step that takes me closer to the office makes my anger grow. When I see Emma’s face I know I’m going to explode. How dare she just leave me hanging like that! Not even a text or a call, no warning at all. She just doesn’t show up. She stood me up, but worse, she stood Gracie up.
I need an explanation.
Whatever she had to tell me yesterday isn’t important. What’s important is that my daughter was counting on her and she let us down. I’m carrying a brownie that Gracie packed up especially for Emma. All I want to do is throw it in the garbage, she doesn’t deserve any of Gracie’s kindness. She can’t let us down like that again.
I should never have let her into my life like this.
I fly through the door, ready to let my rage loose on Emma. I hope she’s sitting at her desk and I can tell her exactly what I think of her. My eyes laser in on where she usually sits.
She’s not here.
The niggling worry that plagued me early last night is back, but stronger this time. She’s usually the first one in the office. Something isn’t right.
Still, I can’t let go of the rage inside me. I stomp to the kitchen and check if she’s there. Not there either. I sigh angrily and go to my office, slamming the door closed behind me. I’m bristling, shaking with anger. I can’t stand the thought of being stood up and ignored like that, or of Gracie being dragged into this.
I pull out my phone for the thousandth time and check if she’s contacted me. Nothing. I text her again, hating that I’ve sent her so many messages without a response.
Where are you?
I consider typing out exactly how I feel right now, exactly how angry I am, how hurt I am, how much seeing Gracie’s face fall last night was like a punch in the gut. But no, I won’t give her the warning. I want to see her face when I ask her what the fuck her problem is.
The minutes crawl by and my blood continues to boil. I check and re-check my phone, willing it to buzz with a new text message.
Nothing.
I can’t take it anymore. I head out to reception again. She should be here by now. I walk out and turn the corner and to my surprise there’s another woman sitting there. She’s older, with thin blonde hair. She turns when I walk near her desk and smiles at me. Her mouth opens to greet me but I interrupt her before she can speak.
“Where’s Emma,” I bark at her. She looks surprised and her smile fades.
“I… I’m not sure. I’m from a temp agency, I’m just here to fill in. They called me this morning.”
A temp?! Where the fuck is Emma?? How can someone just disappear off the face of the earth like this, without a word of warning.
The worry inside me is growing. Something isn’t right. She had something to tell me yesterday, it was important. She didn’t want to talk about it at the office. My heart starts beating in my chest. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.
I glance down the hallway towards Stuart’s office, and then back to the receptionist.
“Sorry,” I say quietly. She doesn’t respond, and I turn around and stalk down the hallway.
Stuart better have a fucking explanation for me. I don’t bother knocking, just turning the handle and stepping inside the door. My rage is consuming me, and all I can think is that something is wrong, and Stuart is in the centre of it.
He’s sitting calmly at his desk when I walk in. I can feel the heat of my skin, burning up with the anger that’s boiling up inside me. Stuart glances up at me and leans back in his chair. He crosses fingers on top of his stomach as he looks at me from under his bushy grey eyebrows.
“Elliot,” he says with a smirk. “You’re probably wondering where your little girlfriend is this morning.”
Chapter 51 - Emma
My whole body is aching. I slowly open my eyes, my mind enveloped in a dense fog. I try to move and realise my hands and feet are bound to the chair I’m sitting in. The panic rises inside me like a volcano, suddenly jolting me awake. My head snaps up and my eyes are suddenly wide open.
I’m in a dark,empty room, alone. Completely alone. My eyes are darting back and forth, trying to see something, anything that will help me.
I struggle against the ropes, wincing as the rough restraints cut into my wrists. I whimper, and hate how weak I sound. The ropes aren’t loosening up at all. If anything, they’re rubbing my wrists raw and feel even tighter.
I glance around frantically, trying to see an exit. There’s only one door, and I can’t move towards it, let alone try to open it. I feel the despair rising up from my stomach and I try to ignore it. There has to be a way out of this.
This has to be Victor’s doing.
I feel the tears welling up in my eyes and for once I don’t try to stop them. I blink and they drop down, carving wet paths on my cheeks. I was so close, I could have gotten the money. I just needed a few more days.
Now I’m here, tied up, bound, alone. My heart starts pounding as my panic rises again. I still had a few weeks! Why did he take me so early? I try to swallow, to calm myself down but the dampness of the dark room and the tightness of the ropes around my wrists and ankles only makes me panic more.
They’re going to kill me.
Elliot’s face appears in my mind and I close my eyes, trying to imagine every detail. I wish he was here right now. I wish he’d burst through the door and untie me, wrapping me in his arms and telling me I’m safe, I’m ok, he’s here. I close my eyes and imagine his muscular chest, and the place between his chest and his shoulder where my head seems to fit perfectly. I take a deep, ragged breath to calm myself and try to imagine his smell, his taste, the way it feels to be in his embrace.
I missed dinner with him and Gracie last night. Or is it still nighttime? I have no idea what time it is, or even what day it is! Even though I’ve been kidnapped, tied up, isolated, the thought of hurting Gracie and letting them both down makes me feel even worse. I can handle myself, I’ll find a way out of this situation, but the thought of disappointing either of them makes me feel sick.
I shake my head and look around the room again. Neither Elliot or Gracie are here right now. It’s up to me to get myself out of this situation, and then I’ll tell him everything. All about Victor, and my father, and Dr. Yates and the files. Everything. I’ll tell him the three little words that have been floating on the tip of my tongue ever since I had dinner at his house the very first time.
Right now I need to focus on where I am, and how to get out of here. I close my eyes and put Elliot and Gracie out of my head. I need to be strong now.
Think, Emma.
If they wanted to kill me they would have done it already. They want something from me. Money. They won’t kill me until they get what they want.
Then it hits me. Victor knows where I live, he knows about Val. He could hurt her if he wante
d to.
Oh my God.
Does he know about Elliot? Does he know about Gracie?! Did I put them both in danger by spending time with them?! If I’ve endangered the people I care about most I’ll never be able to live with myself.
My heart starts beating again and I struggle to regain control of my emotions. The tears start streaming down my face again and I find my voice. I scream and scream and scream. I scream for help, for anyone. My screams bounce off the walls and echo around me, reminding me that I’m completely alone.
I hang my head against my chest as the despair floods my veins. All I can do is wait.
Chapter 52 - Elliot
“What the fuck is going on Stuart,” I growl at him. My hatred for this man is growing daily, and all I can think about is how I have to figure out what’s going on with Emma. I have to help her.
“What’s going on is that your new girlfriend got a little too close to the truth. Look what I found in her work files.”
Stuart spins his computer screen around and I see a detailed spreadsheet. On it is dozens of patients that I’ve worked with over the years. I frown, reading through the columns. She’s written down so many details about them all.
Then I see the three words that make my stomach sink like a rock:
Aesthetics Management Fee.
“I didn’t charge these people that fee!” I protest. Stuart grins.
“But you did,” he says.
“My debt was repaid to you years ago, Stuart. These patients came through the practice long after that. Look! This one was just two months ago.”
“Looks like you’ve been up to something naughty, Dr. Davis. The medical board will have to do some serious investigation. Maybe even the IRS. Looks like your medical license will probably have to be revoked. We can’t have this type of fraud happening at a prestigious practice like ours.”
“You’ve set me up,” I growl. The rage I felt about Emma is pumping through my veins. Just the sight of Stuart’s face makes me want to strangle him.
“Yes, I did. And unfortunately for you, our clever new receptionist stumbled on it. Then she started asking silly questions about the people that we deal with.”
“Melodie Sanders.” My blood runs cold.
“Yes, her. Emma got a little too curious for comfort.”
“Where the fuck is she,” I bark.
“Well, your little girlfriend got a little too close to the truth and I had to make a phone call. Turns out she had skeletons of her own. She didn’t mention any of that to you, did she?”
Stuart’s laughing and it’s only making me angrier. She had skeletons of her own? What is he talking about?
“Yes, looks like she had dealings with some unpleasant people. Anyways, she’s gone now, dealing with her own issues. Don’t worry, she hasn’t tattled on you for all your fraud and embezzlement. Not yet, anyways. Some shitty accountant she must be,” he laughs.
I walk out of his office in a daze. I don’t even go back to my office, I walk straight out the front of the practice and onto the street. I’m not even sure how many appointments I’m supposed to have today, but right now I can’t think clearly. I can hardly breathe. I feel unsteady on my feet, and stumble down the road until I get to a bench.
I collapse onto it and put my head in my hands. I have no idea what’s going on. The only thing I know is that Emma is in trouble. If she’s dealing with people like Melodie, I need to help her.
What if she thinks I was involved in this?! And she either doesn’t want anything to do with me because she thinks I’m a fraud or she’s in serious trouble. These are dangerous people, and it kills me that I don’t know where she is.
I need to find her.
I should have told her about Stuart right away! If I’d have opened up to her that first night she could have been prepared! The guilt is rising in me and I’m having a hard time fighting it back. We could have faced this together.
Instead, I was furious at her when I should have been looking for her, getting her out of this mess that she shouldn’t have been a part of in the first place. I lift my head out of my hands and I know what I need to do. I need to go straight to the heart of the problem. I need to go to Melodie.
Chapter 53 - Emma
“Well, well, well. Look who’s awake.” Victor is standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the light streaming in behind him. His huge frame looks even bigger. I try not to let my fear show, sitting up as tall as I can and holding my head up high.
“Did you have a good snooze?” he asks, smirking. I don’t answer, I only glare at him from my seat. “It looks like you’ve caught the attention of some important people,” he continues. He takes a few steps closer and I can see the scar on his face and smell the stench of his breath.
He walks closer and without warning, hits me across the face with the back of his hand. My head flies over to the opposite shoulder and my cheek stings with pain. I cough, trying to catch my breath from the shock of the hit. Victor laughs.
“That’s enough, Victor. You can leave now,” a voice calls out behind him. My eyes dart to the door and I see her.
Melodie Sanders.
My mind is racing. What is she doing here? Why is she here?
“Well, Emma,” she starts. “Remember me?”
I nod.
“Good. Dr. Yates tells me that you’ve been asking some… delicate questions,” she says slowly, looking me up and down. “You see, we’d prefer it if you didn’t.”
“What’s going on? Why am I here?”
Melodie waves a hand and Victor comes back with a chair. She sits down gracefully across from me, crossing her long legs and flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. She places her hand in her lap and looks at me curiously.
Her eyes are bright, but hard. She fills me with a deep sense of pure, unadulterated terror. This is a dangerous woman.
“Emma, you see, Dr. Yates and I go way back. Way back.” She pauses, looking at me some more. “When he told me you were causing trouble, I didn’t connect the dots with the Emma Thompson that Victor had been dealing with. Looks like you’ve been causing a few people some trouble. I was going to let you rot in here until you came to your senses, but then I had an idea.”
She waits for me to answer but all I do is just stare at her. She grins and continues.
“See, Emma, now I see that we can help each other out.”
“How? What help could you possibly provide me?!” I blurt out. Would she help get rid of Victor? She stares at me curiously.
“You have no idea who I am, do you?”
“No! The first time I ever heard your name was when you walked into the practice three weeks ago.”
She laughs, and her delicate, tinkling laugh fills the room. The almost joyous sound clashes with the pure evil that I see sitting in front of me.
“I knew your father, you know,” she starts.
“Don’t talk about my father,” I spit. She raises an eyebrow.
“Oh but he and I were very well acquainted. You see, he owed me a great deal of money.” I take a deep breath as the realisation sets in. She continues: “And when he met his unfortunate end, that debt was passed onto you.”
She shifts in her seat, crossing the other leg overtop the first. I try not to fidget, but I strain against the ropes at my wrists. The ropes send shooting pain up my arms as they rub more against my raw skin. I wince.
Melodie raises a hand. Victor comes forward and she waves to me.
“There’s no need for this. We’re not animals, after all.” Victor nods and moves towards me. He pulls out a knife and I inhale sharply. I close my eyes as his stench fills my nostrils and I wait for the searing pain of the knife. I wonder where he’ll stab me, how the blade will feel when it slides into my flesh.
Instead, he slips it between my hands and cuts me loose. Eyes wide, I bring my hands forwards and rub my wrists tenderly.
“That’s better,” Melodie says. “Now, what was I saying? Oh, your debt.” She pauses.
“I’d be willing to forgive your debt completely. Wiped clean, no need to ever talk to me again. Would you like that?”
My eyes narrow. “What’s the catch.”
She grins. “Smart cookie. Only one small detail. Those discoveries you made about the files at the practice, you turn them into the authorities. Tell them everything.”
I frown.
“Everything, that is, except my name. You’ve never met me, never seen me, never seen any files with my name on them.”
I watch her silently while my mind whirls. If my father owed her money and not Victor, that means she’s running this gambling operation. Suddenly it dawns on me. The Aesthetics Management Fee isn’t tax evasion, it’s money laundering. The realisation must be apparent on my face because she chuckles.
“Looks like someone knows that two plus two equals four,” she says in her silky voice. “Now, I’m prepared to let you go. You can walk out of here, a free woman. Debts completely wiped. All you have to do is provide all the evidence of fraud at the practice to the authorities.”
“You want me to frame Elliot,” I say flatly. She smiles.
“Not so much frame as… expose. He’s not the angel you think he is.”
“How do I know you won’t come after me when all this is done? What’s stopping you from getting rid of me once this whole thing blows over.”
“Money laundering is one thing,” she says. “Murder is quite another. With murder come detectives and investigations and trouble. If you do exactly as I say, and keep me out of this, then I have no further business with you. You have no proof of my involvement and your life isn’t worth the trouble it would cause if it ended.”
She speaks of murder so casually, and it sends a chill through my spine. I say nothing, and she stands up.
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