Connie could hear him walking around the bed, and heard the flapping sounds of the large, diaphanous wings. Suddenly a light focused directly into her eyes, and she was blinded. She winced and closed her eyes tightly against the glare. “You’re a stupid, ignorant cow and you need to pay for your sins.”
“Please tell me. What did I do to you?”
“You know what you did. And now you need to redeem yourself. I’m going to help you.”
“Oh, God. Please believe me. I’m sorry for whatever I did,” whispered Connie. “Whoever you are, I never meant to hurt you or anyone else.”
“Saying you’re sorry doesn’t change anything. Perhaps feeling some of the pain you caused others will help cleanse your conscience.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, desperate to keep her captor talking.
He let out a soft, low, deranged laugh that grew into a taunting, maniacal shriek as she felt a cold hand run slowly up one leg. “So soft. So delicate,” he whispered. “You’re mine now. Finally.”
Terrified tears streamed down Connie’s cheeks. The light went out and her captor walked away. She could hear him whistling out of tune as he busied himself with something. She closed her eyes, held her breath and tried not to contemplate the possible horrific tortures he might be preparing for her. Perhaps she fainted, because the next thing she knew, he was gently running a knife tip up and down her legs. She closed her eyes and held her breath. Suddenly he cut her hands free and she felt him throw something over her.
“This is our special night, Connie, and I want you to look your best.”
Connie was terrified and confused. In the darkness, it felt like a dress, a taffeta dress with a crinoline underskirt. The texture of it brought back the memory of a pink sweetheart topped dress she had worn to Andrew’s junior prom. “What is this?” Connie asked in a hushed voice.
“You wore it to the prom the year you were supposed to go with me. But you broke our date to go with someone else, and we both know who that someone was, don’t we, Connie?”
“Martin?” Connie couldn’t believe it. “You’re my friend, Martin. Why are you doing this?”
“You’re getting smarter by the minute, bitch. But you still got to get a little smarter.”
“Martin, we planned to go together since I was afraid my parents wouldn’t let me date Andrew. Don’t you remember? I confided in you. I wasn’t sure what my parents would say about going with an older black boy. You offered to take me so I could meet Andrew there. You and I weren’t really going to the dance together; you know that.”
“Put the dress on!” Martin yelled.
“I will, if you free my feet.”
“Of course, my darling,” Martin said softly. “I only want to dance with you.” Martin took the knife and cut the rope tied around her feet.
Connie’s mind was racing as she stood up and slowly unzipped her expensive couture gown and stepped out of it. Naked except for her panties, she braced herself for an attack. Connie believed Martin intended to rape her.
She stepped quickly into the taffeta dress and pulled up the zipper under her arm.
“No need to bother with that,” Martin said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her across the room with surprising strength for such a scrawny man.
Pinning her to the wall, he turned on the overhead light. It cast a dim, gloomy aura about the room, but Connie could finally see where she was. It was a bedroom decorated with unremarkable furniture, probably hand-me-downs with posters hanging on the wall. The light was too dim to distinguish what was on the posters, but it seemed like the room of a teenager.
Martin dragged her towards a boom box and pushed the start button. The old song, Goodnight My Love, began to play. Still wearing the long black robe, Martin held Connie tightly to his chest and pushed her head down against his shoulder. He swayed to the music and said in his whispery voice, “We dance so well together, my darling.”
Dancing slowly around the room with Martin, Connie looked out the window. Her stomach turned, and she would have passed out if Martin hadn’t been holding her so tightly. It was the view from her old bedroom window. Martin had made her a prisoner in her own bedroom.
Connie caught a glimpse of a doll in the corner of the room. The doll’s eyes were missing. Its cadaverous, smiling face was horrifying and mocking, but it was familiar to her. She realized it was the doll her Grandfather had given to her. She loved the doll and one day it suddenly disappeared. Connie realized now that her precious doll had been a victim just like her. Connie was certain she was going to die here, just like her parents. The shrill cry of the vulture mimicked her worst fears.
Connie prayed silently, so as to not raise Martin’s ire. She looked back over to the window and saw her mother’s face reflected in the glass. The vision didn’t scare Connie; instead it reassured her. Her mother didn’t say anything, but she smiled her kindly smile and silently communicated to Connie that she was there to protect her.
Chapter 16
Andrew was tired of waiting in the car. He turned the motor off and walked into the party. Julio was at the bar. Andrew walked over to him and asked, “Hey, where’s Connie?”
“I might be asking you the same thing,” Julio said.
“She came back to the party to tell you she was leaving with me and to get her purse. I’ve been waiting for over twenty minutes and she still hasn’t come outside.”
“If she came back into the party, she never told me she was leaving with you. I suspected it when I saw you both walk outside together and then rumors surfaced that you two were playing ‘kissy face’ in the car,” Julio said, smiling.
“Do you mean you haven’t seen her since Connie and I left about an hour ago?”
“No,” Julio said.
“And, she didn’t come in here to tell you she was leaving with me?”
“No,” Julio repeated.
“Where then…Where in the hell is she?” Andrew asked with obvious concern.
“She’s probably in the ladies’ room gossiping or having a cig with the girls.”
“Man, I hope you’re right. It seems kind of odd since she promised she’d be right out. Let’s walk over to the Ladies’ Room and send in a search party.”
As they walked toward the women’s bathroom, Andrew recognized Sally Mullins and asked her if she would go in and see if Connie was there. Sally came out a few minutes later and said no one was in there.
“Let’s check our rental car,” Julio said. “Maybe she left me a note there.”
When they found no note in the car, they went back inside and found Connie’s purse at the bar where she’d left it.
“Something is very weird here,” Andrew said. “I’m beginning to get worried. Where do we go from here?”
“Let’s head back to our hotel and see if she’s there,” Julio said.
“I’ll meet you over there,” said Andrew.
They walked into the lobby and asked the desk clerk if Connie had been back. He said he hadn’t seen her yet tonight and she would have to come by the desk to get a key. The clerk told Julio that he had an urgent message for him, but it wasn’t from Connie. The message was from Lily and she asked that Julio call her as soon as possible.
“Shit,” said Julio. “I don’t have time for her hocus pocus crap.” But he dialed the number anyway. “Hi, Lily,” he said impatiently, as he was eager to get back to locating Connie. “I’m in a hurry. What’s so important?”
“Well, this will sound odd,” she said with hesitation. “I know you’re skeptical about my psychic abilities, but I keep having feelings that Connie’s in trouble. I can’t tell you where, but I think she’s in danger. Tell me she’s okay so I can relax and go to sleep.”
“Lily, I can’t tell you that. In fact, right at the moment, she’s missing. I’m going to hang up with you now and call the Tilden Park Police. Thanks for your concern, Lily.”
“One more thing, Julio. Do you know anyone wi
th the initials J.R.? I feel you need to contact him.”
Julio remembered Connie talking about Sgt. Joe Reynolds and how he was taking an interest in their parents’ case. “I think the sergeant Connie met is Joe Reynolds. I’m going to call him right now.”
Julio quickly hung up and called the Tilden police. They said they would radio Sgt. Reynolds and have him call back immediately.
Chapter 17
Connie hadn’t yet had an opportunity to make a break for freedom. Martin was forcing her to dance with him. One arm stayed firmly around her waist, while his free hand wandered over her body, fondling her breast and then cupping her ass to pull her against him. She could feel his erection and her fear of rape had grown exponentially. She knew she had to get out. And soon.
Connie struggled to free herself from his grip, but he was too strong. Martin hummed to the music and seemed absorbed in his personal fantasy.
Martin danced her roughly over to the bed and pushed her down backwards. Oh God. It’s going to happen. With one knee firmly wedged against her stomach so she couldn’t move and could hardly breathe, Martin pulled a long shiny knife out from under his robe. Slowly, but with enough pressure to cut through her dress, he ran the knife along the fold of her breast. “Did you like it rough with your nigger stud?” he asked, sneering down at her.
Connie was squirming and turning her head so she couldn’t see the twisted smile on Martin’s face. As Martin taunted her with the knife, he said, “You’re so pathetically stupid, Constance. You thought you came from the perfect family. Your mother was an idiot and your father was a womanizer,” he said bitterly.
“Martin, you know both of my parents really cared for you.”
“Oh sure,” Martin said. “Until they adopted that little wetback. Then the fatherless kid next door was out of the picture. Did you know the father you worshipped was cheating on your simple-minded mother? She was so busy feeding the poor and hungry that she didn’t even get the fact that her bookish psychiatrist husband was banging every slut in town.”
Connie breathed deeply in an attempt to keep herself focused. She knew Martin was a ranting mad man, and if she didn’t escape soon, he would have his revenge. Her only strategy was to play for time in the hope that something would distract him and she could run. She didn’t believe anything Martin said, but she needed to keep him talking. “Tell me what you know about my father cheating on my mother. How do you know that’s true?” Connie feigned interest, not believing any of his pathological ravings.
“Everyone knew about your father. It was all over town. People talked behind your backs and felt sorry for you. They also talked about you and your colored boyfriend, and how your bleeding liberal parents approved and even liked him. They had the audacity to invite his parents into their home. Yeah. Your family was the joke of the town—your dim-witted mother, your cheating father, and your shit-brown brother.”
Martin started laughing that high pitched laugh. The vulture started squawking again, and Connie couldn’t stop shaking with fear.
“Did you kill my parents?” Connie asked.
Martin continued to laugh. “No. I can’t take credit for that, but whoever it was did the whole town a favor. You and your family were bringing the neighborhood down. First it was that nigger family moving in and then it was the darkie-lovin’ Harrimans.”
Connie heard a door bang shut, then the sound of footsteps running up the stairs. Martin didn’t seem to notice. Connie feared it was her imagination until they both heard Nola’s voice yelling for Martin. Oh, thank God, Connie thought. “Nola, help me!” she screamed.
“Stay out, Mother!” Martin yelled. He turned and Connie grabbed hold of his arm to keep him from ostensibly locking Nola out. He backhanded Connie, forcing her to let go of his arm. He made for the door, but it was too late.
The door opened and Nola rushed into the room. “Junior, what’s going on in here?”
“Nothing, Mother. Connie and I were just dancing for old time’s sake. We’re enjoying what should have been, aren’t we, Connie?”
“Help me, Nola!” Tears ran down Connie’s cheeks. “Martin has a knife!”
“Martin, give me the knife,” Nola demanded, holding out her hand. “You don’t really want to hurt Connie, I know you don’t.
He hung his head, and after a moment, put the knife in Nola’s hand.
Nola looked with concern at Connie. “I’m so sorry, dear. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I think so.” Connie sat up on the bed and looked warily at Martin and then at Nola with growing anger. “Thank God you got here when you did. Martin needs help, Nola. Or he needs to see the inside of a jail cell for a very long time. He was going to rape and kill me.”
“I know. He’s always wanted you, and I plead guilty for encouraging him to keep trying to win you over.”
With that, Martin broke into tears and began wailing. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
Nola put her arm around him. “Martin has been under a lot of pressure. He needs help. Please don’t press charges against him. I’ll get him the help he needs and right now I’ll get him out of here so you can put yourself together. Come with me, son.” Nola spoke in a comforting voice as she led him from the room and down the stairs.
Connie stood in her old bedroom trembling. She couldn’t catch her breath. She wanted to run, but her feet felt like lead. In shock, she stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Still in her old prom dress, slashed by Martin’s knife, she darted down the steps and out the front door.
Chapter 18
Earl Lookey still lived in the same house he had lived in for over 40 years. He and his wife, Sue, bought it the year they were married, thinking it would be the perfect place to raise children. Unfortunately, they never had any and it was a great disappointment to them both. Sue fed her maternal instinct by teaching third grade, but Earl just got crotchety and rigid due to the lack of loving chaos that comes with children and grandchildren. Sue’s death several years back left him a bitter recluse with only his television and a basset hound named Sniff for company.
Earl had been dozing in front of his television when he heard something outside his front door. He went to the window to investigate and could see a woman collapsed on his front porch steps. She was disheveled, her fancy dress was torn, and she was crying as if she’d lost her last friend, but Earl was still leery of opening the door to a stranger, particularly at this hour of the night. He was always suspicious of pranksters. In his opinion, the behavior of kids today was appalling, even in this affluent suburb.
However, when the woman looked up and spotted him through the door’s beveled glass, the illumination from his outdoor light revealed her identity. Earl couldn’t believe his eyes. He stood there like a deer in headlights, unable to reconcile seeing Connie again. She was older now of course, but she still looked enough like the pretty young girl he remembered for sympathy and concern to fill his heart.
He opened the door and rushed to her aid. “My God, Connie, what’s happened to you, girl?” He helped her up and into the safety of his living room.
“Martin abducted me,” she explained, as he sat her down and she settled into the welcoming comfort of his well-worn sofa.
“What!” Earl frowned, noting she was shaking like a leaf. He rushed over to the sideboard in the attached dining room to pour her a stiff shot of scotch from a crystal Tantalus. “I always knew that boy had a screw loose,” he said, returning with the drink. “Here, take a big swallow. It’ll put some starch in your knees.”
Connie accepted the drink from him but she was shaking so hard, Earl had to cup his hands around hers to keep the scotch from spilling. She grimaced after taking that first bolstering swallow. The heat of it running down her throat and into her stomach worked quickly to calm her jangling nerves.
“Thank you, Mr. Lookey. I really needed that.”
Earl looked at the torn top of her party dress. She had obviously been through a terrible ordeal. “The bastard didn’t hurt yo
u, did he?”
“No, but only thanks to Nola finding us. Could I please use your phone, Mr. Lookey?”
“Of course.” He hurried into the kitchen and brought her the receiver off his wall phone. She dialed the Tilden Park Inn’s phone number and asked to be connected to her room.
Julio just happened to be at the front desk. When the clerk told him Connie was on the phone, he leaned over the front desk and grabbed the phone out of the clerk’s hand. “Oh, my God, Connie. I’m so relieved. Where in the hell are you?”
“I’m at Mr. Lookey’s house. You have to come right away. I’ll explain when you get here.”
“Which house is Mr. Lookey’s?” Julio asked. “Never mind. Andrew’s with me and he says he knows the house. We’re on our way.”
When Connie handed Earl the phone, he suggested she lie down and rest until her brother arrived. “I’m going to call the police too,” he said, beginning to dial.
“Ask for Sgt. Reynolds and have him meet us here,” she told him. The thought of Martin’s hands roaming over her made her nauseous. “I need to use your bathroom while you make the call. I feel sick to my stomach.”
“Go,” Earl said, still waiting for someone to answer his call. “Do you remember where it is?” he asked, but Connie was already running down the hallway. She pushed past the half open door to the bathroom and rushed straight to the toilet. She didn’t even have time to lift the seat before she threw up. She heaved until she was weak and there was nothing left inside her, except revulsion. Sitting on the commode seat, she washed her face and hands over and over again, trying to rid her skin of Martin’s foul touch.
“Are you all right, Connie?”
When she looked up, Mr. Lookey stood in the doorway looking concerned. “Is there anything I can do?”
Connie told him she felt better and would be okay. “I just need a few minutes, Mr. Lookey, and then I’ll be out.”
“All right.”
Just then the doorbell rang and Earl went to answer it.
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