Torque

by Glenn Muller

  Reis was still unconscious. Fenn trussed her wrists and ankles with the cords then carried her, fireman-style, to the Challenger. He dropped her onto the passenger seat and strapped her in. That would be good enough. They didn’t have far to go.

  == == ==

  Eileen Tillart went out to feed her chickens. It was a job she usually did earlier in the day but a good part of her morning had been spent talking to the missing persons division of the Hamilton Police Service. She’d told them what she knew about Kim’s date with Fenn, and that Kim hadn’t answered her calls, or turned up for work.

  Yes, it was out of character for Kim.

  No, I don’t know what she’s wearing.

  Yes, I will let you know if she gets in touch with me.

  And, she thought, I should check on her dog. She should also try to contact her parents, again. Neither one had answered their cell phone.

  A car came up the driveway and stopped in the large open space at the back of the house. She didn’t recognize the make, some sort of muscle car, but it must belong to someone familiar because only friends would know to come around to the back. The driver was male, his passenger a female. The man got out. Eileen could scarcely believe who it was.

  “Bloody Hell! You’ve got some nerve showing up here. And who’s that, your new girlfriend? Does she know what you’re like?” She swished out the rest of the seed and briefly considered throwing the pan at the car. Fenn raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

  “Eileen, please. I know what you’re thinking but I’m here to help. My ‘girlfriend’ here is responsible for Kim’s kidnapping.”

  “So Kim has been kidnapped. And you knew this!”

  “I just found out. Look, call the cops if you want, but this woman may be able to tell us something. Have you got a wheelchair?”

  “You know damn well I do, a couple in fact; but I’m fine with my cane.”

  “Not for you. For her. She’s a bit incapacitated and I’d like to keep her that way.”

  “Oh. Right. Just a minute.”

  Eileen’s rage was such that she hardly needed the cane to get to the back porch where she kept an old wicker wheelchair. It was quicker to get aboard and coast down the ramp rather than push it to the car, so she did. Fenn pulled Reis out of the Challenger and with a couple more bungee’s secured her to the chair. She stirred and her head lolled back.

  Eileen stared at the woman’s inert form with hatred in her eyes. “I don’t want this person in my house. Take her to the barn over there.” Fenn obeyed.

  Larry was out with the tractor so there was plenty of room in the barn. Fenn wheeled Reis inside then asked Eileen where Larry was working.

  “We rent a field across the road. You’ll probably find him there. Are you just going to leave her like this?”

  “I’ll be back shortly. Perhaps she’ll be conscious by then and we can get some answers.” Fenn got into his car and drove off, leaving Eileen to attend to Reis.

  As dust from Fenn’s departure settled, Eileen studied the woman in the chair. She raised her cane and poked Reis in the leg but there was no response. Eileen looked around. The barn had cats. They were feral but good for mouse control. She didn’t feed them but did keep a water bowl out. It was empty. Just outside the door was a hand pump and she carried the bowl over. The cats gathered round as she pumped, obviously thirsty.

  “Sorry, my dears. You’ll have to wait.”

  The cold water hit Reis like a slap in the face.

  “Wake up, bitch!”

  Reis gasped and shook her head. Eileen stood over her with the dripping bowl in her hand. She leaned on the walking stick but right now didn’t feel the least bit infirm.

  Reis looked up and tried to focus. Her head throbbed. She couldn’t move and the front of her silk blouse was wet.

  “Who the hell are you? Untie me this minute!”

  Eileen walked around the wheelchair and tapped it with the cane as she went.

  “I’m going to ask some questions and you are going to answer. I recommend you do so quickly and truthfully. Now, where is my sister?”

  Reis twisted against her bonds and gave Eileen the full effect of her steely eyes. Who did this gimp think she was? The woman couldn’t even get her shirt to match her chinos.

  “If you want your sister back then you need to release me. Mark my words, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

  Eileen held the stare then turned abruptly and walked away.

  “And neither do you, Fraulein, but you’re about to find out.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Eileen returned to the barn towing a small wagon. It was an antique Radio Flyer like the one she and her sister used to pull each other around in when they were kids. Country auctions were great for stuff like that, and for other decorative items they’d found for the house such as the rooster weathervane Larry had installed on the roof, and the wicker wheelchair that Reis currently occupied.

  Reis, now familiar with her surroundings and situation, strained against the elastic cords that fastened her ankles and wrists to the chair. She glared at Eileen but said nothing.

  Eileen dropped the handle of the wagon and came toward her. Reis noticed a few bees in her wake, one even crawling on her shoulder. Hanging from a cord around Eileen’s neck was a strange pendant. It looked like a tiny cage with something moving inside. Eileen undid the bow holding it on and refastened it on Reis. The bees now hovered around the wicker chair but Reis didn’t appear overly concerned.

  “I take it you’re not allergic to bee stings, then.” Eileen had the sting kit in the wagon, just in case.

  “I’m not.” Reis gave her a bored look. “So if you think hanging one around my neck is going to bother me, then you’re going to be disappointed.”

  “Oh, she won’t bother you. That’s not her job. She’s the queen and her role is to be the focal point of the hive.”

  Eileen pulled the cart closer and Reis now noticed that the large wooden box sitting in it had several more bees crawling on the top and sides. Next to it was a smoker. Similar to a tall tin coffee pot, when stuffed with a combustible like burlap, pine needles, or twine it produced a smoke that made the bees less likely to sting. A trick that Eileen kept to herself.

  She produced a pair of tweezers and perused the insects crawling on the box. The forceps caught one around the midsection and Eileen brought her selection to Reis.

  “It really bothers me to expend the life of this beautiful girl on someone like you. She understands the bond between sisters.”

  The bee struggled in the tweezers. Close to her face, Reis could see the stinger protruding from its abdomen.

  “A sting in the eye will cause optic neuritis. More than one can make you blind. Several stings to the neck can close your throat and cause suffocation.” Eileen lowered the bee and Reis yelped in pain.

  “A sting to the hand is just irritating but should remind you of how painful it can be.”

  Reis flexed her hand and blinked back a tear. A red mark began to grow on the flesh near her thumb.

  “Just what the hell do you want from me?”

  “My kidnapped sister. And you’ve got one minute to tell me where she is.”

  “You want your sister? Then I want to talk to Fenn.”

  “I don’t give a shit what you want, Lady.”

  Eileen removed the lid from the box. Inside, stacked vertically, were several trays. She lifted one out and showed Reis that it was covered with a moving carpet of insects.

  “There are close to a thousand bees on this rack, and I have five trays. That’s an awful lot of stingers.” She stepped forward and with a sudden thrust shook the tray. En masse, the insects dropped off the tray and landed on Reis who lifted her chin and recoiled back against the wicker chair. The bees, attracted by the queen in the pendant, began crawling across her chest as if Reis were the new hive. Eileen pulled another tray.

  “Unless you’ve got something to tell me, you might want to keep your mouth
closed. Tongue stings can be just as fatal as those on your throat.”

  Eileen shook the tray and bees fell like rain onto Reis who began to protest through barely parted lips.

  “Nuh, nuh, nuh.” The insects crawled behind her ears and down her neck. Eileen shook another tray and the mass seemed to move with purpose.

  “Oh, dear. They are getting into your blouse. Let me see if I can get them out.” Eileen undid the top buttons and bees swarmed inside.

  “Nice bra. Victoria’s Secret?”

  Reis writhed as the swarm explored the new territory.

  “So sorry.” Eileen dumped the fourth tray. “I seemed to have made it worse. Try to keep your elbows out, a stinger in the armpit can be excruciating.”

  She pulled the last tray and scattered the remaining drones over her captive as if sprinkling raisins on a cake. Bees bumped into their hive mates and slid down the silky hair. Scarcely any skin was visible beneath the arthropods as they buzzed and bustled and explored ears, nostrils, and lips.

  Eileen stood back to take in the scene.

  From the top of her head to below her breasts, Reis was covered with a layer of moving moss. The wicker wheelchair vibrated as she fought the impulse to shake and scream. It was hard to inhale and her breath escaped in a series of moans. The surreal sight mesmerized Eileen until her husband’s voice injected a dose of reality.

  “What on earth is going on, here?”

  Fenn appeared at his shoulder and also came to a halt. It was like stumbling upon a circus freak show. Reis was a faceless creature moving to an involuntary rhythm. Her hands opened and closed as did her thighs as she tried repeatedly to bring her knees together. Her moaning had now become, “Hhuh. Hhuh. Hhuh.”

  Fenn was about to speak when a trickling sound caught their attention. Reis had lost control of her bladder and the urine seeped through the wicker seat to puddle on the cement floor.

  Tight-lipped, Larry grabbed the smoker and began puffing it over the bees. His fingers undid the bow holding the pendant around her neck and he carried the queen from the barn. In silence, Eileen used a long-bristled brush to encourage the bees to fly after him. She cast an anxious glance at Fenn and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I thought it might get her to talk.”

  Most of the bees had now flown after their matriarch. Eileen flicked a couple of stragglers from inside Reis’s blouse but didn’t bother redoing the buttons. Reis slumped in the chair and dropped her head to her chest. She took one deep shuddering breath then in a low voice said, “Oh, fuck. That was amazing.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Fenn beckoned Eileen to follow and they left Reis in recovery mode. The bee beard, as such displays are called, had been dramatic but hadn’t garnered the result Eileen had hoped for. After his own experience with Reis, Fenn wasn’t all that surprised. However, he thought he might have uncovered the information he and Eileen wanted.

  He’d located Larry up the road, re-grading a driveway with the tractor, and got him to pull the BMW out of the mud. Fenn, driving the Challenger, had a few minutes to go through the car before the big John Deere 6400 arrived. Upended in the passenger side footwell was a briefcase that must have been open when it slid off the seat. Among the business cards, property brochures, and blank contracts, Fenn had discovered a page of handwritten directions to a location near Port Severn.

  On the back seat was an overnight bag containing a few clothes and toiletries; and an attaché case, the contents of which had brought Fenn’s rummaging to a sudden halt. The leather case was full of money. Wads of money. Large denominations. He’d wondered, briefly, if the cash was meant for him; an offer for the disc that he couldn’t refuse, until a quick count revealed the amount was vastly disproportionate to Reis’s first offer.

  Then he’d found a small carton filled with die-cut pieces of striped vinyl in plastic sleeves. He’d taken one from the box and it was like holding a key. In a flash the patch, the disc, the murders, offers of money and the attacks—everything—made sense.

  He led Eileen to the Challenger and showed her the sheet with the directions on it.

  “These roads will take me an hour or so north of Toronto but after the final instruction, turn right onto Little Chute Road, there is no address. I’ve no idea how long that road might be.”

  “Little Chute Road rings a bell,” said Eileen as she studied the paper.

  “I also found a cell phone,” Fenn said, and almost dropped it when it buzzed in his hand. He and Eileen stared at it, then at each other. It buzzed again. Fenn offered it to Eileen.

  “Answer it,” he said in a whisper, as if the caller could hear him. “Pretend you’re her.”

  Eileen flipped open the phone but hesitated. “What do I say?”

  “As little as possible. And be a bitch.”

  Eileen hit the talk button. “Reis here.”

  “It’s R. J. We’re at The Retreat. Harrowport’s on his way. The cops didn’t have a search warrant, and couldn’t hold him for anything. When will you be here?”

  “Uh. Soon.” Eileen squinted at Fenn who seemed to be mouthing words.

  “Ask if they have Kim,” he hissed.

  Eileen bit her lip and nodded. “How’s the girl?”

  “Trussed up like a turkey. Maybe later I’ll go pluck her.” A laugh.

  “Touch her and I’ll cut your balls off!” yelled Eileen.

  Fenn grabbed the phone and closed it. Eileen gave him a vehement look.

  “Bitchy enough for you?” She turned away but Fenn could see the arm that leaned on the cane was shaking. He had to ask.

  “What did they say?”

  “Some guy called R. J. said he had Kim trussed up. It sounded like she was okay though. She’d better be!”

  “Anything else?” Fenn pressed.

  “He said they were at The Retreat.” She fazed out for a moment, in thought. “Hey, these guys are connected with Harrowport & Dynes Funeral Home, right?”

  Fenn nodded.

  “That’s why Little Chute Road rings a bell. My dad’s construction company poured the foundation for that Retreat place a few years ago. I remember it now because the invoicing got complicated.” Eileen held out her hand. “Give me the phone.”

  She punched some numbers on the pad.

  “Hi Janet. Eileen Tillart calling. I’m fine, and you? My father’s not working you too hard, is he? Listen, I need an address off an old invoice.”

  While Eileen helped Janet locate the file, Fenn thought about the connection between Eileen’s father, Jack Klaasen, and the owners of Harrowport & Dynes. Both being Burlington businessmen they would probably habit the same business and social circles, which made it probable that Klaasen Enterprises had also been involved in the construction of the funeral home. He wondered what Klaasen would think of Harrowport snatching his daughter.

  “That’s great, Janet. Now, is my dad there? Vegas? Really? Okay, I’ve got his cell number. Thanks.” She handed the phone back to Fenn. “The Retreat is at 16 Little Chute Road, Port Severn. Now what do we do with Reis?”

  “Wait for the police.” This from Larry, who had appeared on the porch with a hunting rifle in his hand. “I just called and told them we were holding a person of interest.” He raised the rifle and aimed it at Fenn.

  “Put your hands up, Chas.”

  “Why? You know I’m not armed.”

  “Whatever. Just give that paper to Eileen and head into the barn.”

  “No.”

  “No?” Larry adjusted the gunstock to his shoulder and peered along the sight.

  “We both know you’re not going to shoot, Larry. And it’s not like the police won’t know who I am if I take off. So ease up and lower that thing before you accidently wing me.”

  “He’s right, Larry. Honey.” Eileen moved toward her husband. “We’re caught up in something, here, but Chas is not the villain. In fact, we think we know where Kim is.”

  Larry held the rifle on Fenn another few seconds then lowered it.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t shoot you to protect my family.”

  “Fair enough, but I’m not a threat. Look, we don’t have long before the cops arrive. I’ll tell you all I know and then I’m heading north to find Kim.”

  “Why not wait for the police?” said Larry.

  “Because, as you said, I am a person of interest. While the cops waste time grilling me, and figuring out which tree to put the SWAT team in, anything could happen to Kim. As long as I have what the kidnappers want, and they think I’m available to make a trade, they probably won’t harm her.”

  “Okay, but I’m coming with you.”

  “You need to stay with Eileen and keep an eye on Reis. Her you can shoot. I’ll be in Port Severn within a couple of hours and I’ll take the cell phone. That way, whether the cops show up or not, I can let you know what’s going on.”

  “At least take my rifle, Chas. I’ll get you a box of ammo.”

  Fenn shook his head again. “I’m better off without it. I could use a couple of water bottles though.” He calculated he now had about five minutes leeway to outline what he wanted them to tell the police. He gave Eileen the briefcase, a couple of the vinyl patches, and the jade hairclip.

  “Be careful with that needle thing. I don’t know what’s inside but Reis tried to tattoo me with it.”

  Eileen took a pen and one of the blank contracts from the briefcase and jotted down the number of Reis’s cell phone. Larry brought out two water bottles and allowed him to fill the Challenger’s tank from the farm gas pump. Fenn put the car in gear and rolled down the window.

  “Phone me when the Fuzz get here.”

  I may not be able to answer, he thought, but at least I’ll know they’re in the game. According to the dash clock it was two minutes past two. If he could find The Retreat before dusk he wouldn’t have to stagger around unfamiliar woods in the dark. One hand on the steering wheel, the other on the shifter’s pistol-grip, Fenn scanned the road ahead for openings.