The next few hours flew by in a haze. Sam danced with her, Johnny, then Chad again and time and again she found herself twirled onto the dance floor until she thought her feet would fall off.
Finally, the band took a break. “If you’ll excuse me, Chad, I need to go freshen up a bit,” she told him, almost reluctantly leaving his side, but she needed to take her shoes off and change them for a pair of flats she’d brought along.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he said and to her surprise bent down and kissed her on the cheek. From the corner of her eye she could see the women whispering, the glances thrown her way, many of them filled with envy. And one filled with utter hatred. Rachel’s gaze was glued to her. If eyes could have spat venom, Topaz would be dead right there and then.
At the bottom of the stairs, she took off her shoes. Lifting the skirt, she hurried up to her room. Once there, she took off her pantyhose and washed her feet with cold water. It helped to relieve the ache. She’d no sooner dried her feet and put on her flats when she heard the bedroom door open and close. “Is that you, Corky?” she called out.
“No, it’s me. You sure as hell didn’t waste any time, did you now, you bitch!”
“Rachel, what are you doing here? I don’t appreciate this invasion of my privacy. Please leave.”
“Oh my, the little lady to the end.”
“I don’t know why you’re so angry, Rachel. You broke off the engagement with Chad.”
“That’s when I thought he’d have nothing. Then I found out that if you die, he’ll have it all anyway. So, I changed my mind. I want him back.”
“What if he doesn’t want you back?”
“Shut up, bitch. Once you’re gone, he’ll want me.”
The last thing Topaz saw was Rachel coming toward her with something in her hand. She backed away a bit, but the wall was behind her and still the woman came at her. “What are you—” Something jabbed into her neck. Her nursing experience told her right away that she’d been injected with something. Rachel’s face swam before her eyes just before she slumped to the floor.
* * * *
Rachel looked down at the crumpled figure. She kicked the dress aside and left the bathroom to go to the balcony. Opening the doors, she leaned over and whistled. “It’s done. You can come get her,” she hissed down to two shadowy figures waiting below. She rushed back into the room and found a carryon suitcase and a shoulder bag. Quick as a flash, she gathered whatever belongings of Topaz she could find and threw them into the bags, hardly paying attention to the two men who climbed over the balcony railing and came into the room. Scanning the room one more time, Rachel took an envelope out of her pocket and set it on the nightstand. Then she turned to check on the men. They had bound and gagged Topaz and one of the men had slung her over his shoulder.
“Won’t be easy going down that ladder,” he said with a scowl.
“You’ll manage. She’s a skinny little thing. Shouldn’t weigh much. And it’s not far down. You know what to do. When the job is done, bring me one of her fingers and I’ll pay you the other half. And get rid of the bags. Burn them or something, bury them. I don’t care.”
Rachel waited until the men were back on solid ground, the ladder gone and they had disappeared into the darkness. Quickly, she hurried out of the room and went downstairs to seek out Chad. She’d get him back. With the bitch out of the way, he’d inherit everything and she’d have everything she ever wanted.
“Hi, darling. You haven’t danced with me once tonight,” Rachel cooed, pouting.
Chad’s face became a mask. “I don’t want to dance with you. Have you seen Topaz?”
“Why no. Last time I saw her she was going upstairs.”
“She’s been gone a while. I hope she’s okay,” Chad muttered.
“Don’t be silly. She’s probably powdering her nose. Come on, Chad honey, dance with me?” she wheedled.
“Not on your life,” Chad retorted through tight lips. “Go find someone else. Plenty of single men for you to dig your claws into.”
More than an hour had passed. Sam, Johnny and Chad were all wondering about Topaz and why she hadn’t returned. “She seemed to be having a good time,” Johnny said. “It’s almost midnight. Time for the Bible reading, singing and gift opening.”
“Yes. I thought she was enjoying herself,” Sam agreed.
“Maybe she fell asleep?” Chad suggested. “I’ll ask Corky to go and check on her.” He left the ballroom followed by his brothers.
Corky returned to the kitchen fast with a worried look on her face. “She’s not in her room. There was a note on the nightstand with your name on it, Master Chad.”
Chad tore the envelope open and took out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it and scanned it quickly. Frowning, he looked at Sam and Johnny, then at Corky. “This doesn’t seem right. Did anyone see Topaz leave the house?”
“What does it say, Chad?” Johnny asked.
Without a word, Chad handed it to Johnny. Sam read it over Johnny’s shoulder as Johnny read aloud.
Dear Chad,
Thank you for the lovely party. I’ve decided I don’t fit in here. I’ll contact Terry and have him make arrangements to give the estate back to you and your brothers. It wasn’t really fair in the first place.
Topaz
Johnny crumpled the note into a ball and threw it on the kitchen table. “None of this sounds right. First of all, why would she leave at this time of the night without saying goodbye to any of us? She’s not chickenshit. She’d tell us herself.”
“Exactly. And someone would have seen her leave. And how did she leave? She has no car. Walking? Not likely. It’s fishy. I’m going up to her room to check things out.”
He was about to go upstairs when Rachel sidled up to him. “Chad, darling, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Dance the last one with me? Please?” she wheedled.
“Have you seen Topaz?” he asked, ignoring her question.
“Oh, yes. She left a little while ago pulling a small suitcase behind her and carrying a shoulder bag.”
“What the hell did you say to her to make her leave?” Chad shouted.
“Why, nothing, darling. Whatever makes you think I said anything?”
“It’s near midnight for God’s sake. How did she leave?”
“There was a car waiting for her. I saw it.”
“You lying bitch!” Johnny yelled.
Chad bounded up the stairs to Topaz’s room. He threw open the door and opened closet doors and drawers. All were empty of Topaz’s belongings. It was as if she’d never been there. He checked the bathroom and found nothing there. Just as he was leaving the bathroom, he spotted something in the wastebasket. “A hypodermic,” he muttered. “She’s not a druggie or diabetic.” Kidnapped, was the first thought that came to mind. He ran out of the room locking the door behind him with the master key and then down the stairs.
“Well?” Sam said. “Find anything?”
“Yes. Corky, lock the front doors. Don’t let anyone leave. I’m going to call the sheriff.” He looked for Rachel, but she was gone. “Where is Rachel?”
“She went back to the ballroom for the last dance,” Johnny said.
“She’s got something to do with this, I guarantee. Why would it be her especially who saw Topaz leave?”
“What did you find, Chad?” Sam asked softly, but Chad was already on his cell phone to the sheriff.
Guests started to pile into the entrance hall curious why the usual tradition of the Bible reading was delayed, only to be directed back to the ballroom by Corky. Annoyed mutters sounded. Sam took charge and quickly headed for the leader of the band. The musicians were just starting to pack up their instruments. “I’ll pay you double if you’ll play a while longer,” he offered.
“Man, it’s Christmas. Our families are waiting for us,” the young man said.
“I’ll triple it then.”
“That’s an offer I can’t afford to refuse. Okay, fellas, we play a while l
onger. About how long?” he asked Sam.
“I don’t know. An hour, maybe two. We’ll make it worth your while.”
When the music started, some of the guests settled down and started to dance again. They realized something was up and the whispers continued. Some stood in little groups sending furtive glances to the entrance hall.
When the sheriff arrived with two deputies, the murmurs grew louder. The guests knew something serious was up.
Rachel said in a loud voice, “Maybe there’s been a theft and we’re all suspects. How exciting!” her laughter was shrill.
The sheriff motioned the band to stop playing. He took the microphone off the stand and spoke to the guests. “Evening, all. I need to ask y’all some questions. Did anyone here see Topaz leave the house?”
“I did,” Rachel said. “She left with what looked like her luggage. There was a gray car waiting for her.”
“Did anyone else see her leave or see the car?”
Not one of the other guests spoke. They looked at each other, at their neighbors, shook their heads and then riveted their eyes on Rachel who fidgeted uncomfortably.”
“Rachel, what do you know about this?” her father asked loudly. “Come on, girl, speak up. We all want to go home.”
“Nothing. Just that I saw her leave. That’s all,” she answered in a snippy tone.
“Alright, young lady. Come with me. I’d like to ask you some questions,” the sheriff said.
“Sheriff, I hope this won’t take long,” Rachel’s father said. “We need to go home. Christmas morning comes early at our house.”
The sheriff didn’t answer him as he escorted Rachel out of the ballroom to Chad’s study.
“Sit down, Rachel.” He waited until she was seated, then paced the floor. “Did Topaz say anything to you at all this evening?”
“Yes. She told me she didn’t fit in here and couldn’t wait to go home.”
“Don’t you think it’s odd she’d go home near midnight on Christmas Eve?”
“Maybe she planned it that way.”
Chad was listening to the conversation just outside the door. If Topaz had really left, she’d have booked a flight. Should I go to the airport? Are there even flights this late at night? It would take him a couple of hours to get there. All wasted time. He was sure Topaz had been kidnapped. The hypodermic was a telltale sign. But why? For ransom? Will we get a call soon demanding money?
Chapter Eight
Topaz woke up with her head pounding and her mouth dry. She lay on a cot, her hands tied behind her back and her ankles bound. As her eyes became accustomed to the dim light from a couple of candles, she saw two men sitting at a little table, a half-empty bottle of whiskey stood on the table and an ashtray filled to the brim. They were playing cards and talking.
“She’s not paying us enough,” one of the men said.
“Not enough to face a murder charge if we’re caught,” the other agreed. “And I’m not prepared to chop off one of her pretty little fingers either!”
“We could go for a hefty ransom instead, Jake.”
“What if Rachel opens her mouth? Don’t forget, she’s got the goods on us.”
“I’d rather go to jail for rustling than for murder. And she won’t say nuthin’ because her old man is involved in the rustling. She’s the one who masterminded this kidnapping. If she blabs, she’ll go to jail right along with us and so will he, because I sure as hell wouldn’t keep my mouth shut.”
“I told you from the start it was a stupid deal. And she can tip off the sheriff without him knowing who gave him the tip.”
“She wouldn’t do that either because she’d be scared shitless we’ll talk. We know too much. We never should have gotten involved with that family. First the rustling, now this. Her daddy is rich. Why did he need us to steal that cattle from the Douglas ranch? And how did she find out about it?”
“I don’t know how she knows about the rustling. As for the old man, maybe he’s not as rich as he pretends.”
“So what are we going to do with the girl?”
Topaz closed her eyes and tried to shift carefully, but the cot creaked. She heard one of the chairs move and lay as still as she could. Heavy footsteps came toward her.
“She’s still out cold, but shouldn’t be too long before she comes out of it. We can’t afford to have her see us. Pretty little thing. Wonder what’s under that frilly affair,” the gruff voice said and she felt him yank at the neckline of the dress. Cold air hit her braless breasts. Mortified, she tried not to move. If only her hands were loose and her feet. She’d give them a run for their money.
“Don’t add rape to the list,” the other man said loudly.
“How’s anyone gonna know if she’s out cold?
“Jake, put that hungry cock of yours back in your pants. Leave her alone.”
“I can look, can’t I?”
The man called Jake lifted her skirts. She felt his breath on her belly and then his fingers as he pulled her panties down. Next, she heard the fragile fabric rip. It sounded like he was cutting the dress with a knife. The beautiful dress, her Gone with the Wind dress. Is this to be my fate? To be raped by a foul, stinking, rustling cowboy turned kidnapper? His hands were all over her, squeezing her breasts, his fingers between her legs. Lips sucked a nipple. Inwardly, she cried. Desperately trying not to move, to pretend she was still unconscious, she lay perfectly still, hoping the other man would interfere. And he did.
“Jake, get the hell away from her. Leave her alone.”
“Who do you think you are telling me what to do?”
“We’re in enough shit as it is. Don’t add any more to it.”
The hands left her body and she heard Jake step away from the cot. His breathing was heavy. She could smell his whiskey-soaked breath from where she lay, mingled with the stench of unwashed male. Then she heard flip-flop noises and she knew what he was doing. Without opening her eyes, she could feel his boring into her, drinking in the naked sight of her while he masturbated. Her stomach churned. Sour bile welled up into her mouth.
“You fuckin’ sick bastard!” the nameless one said.
The heavy breathing slowed and Jake’s footsteps told her he went back to the table. The chair creaked as he sat. Carefully, she looked through slitted eyelids and saw them resume their card game and taking turns drinking from the bottle of booze.
“You made up your mind what we’re gonna do with her?” Jake asked.
“Dunno. I’m not into murder. Maybe we should just leave her here and bugger off. No one will find her here in this forsaken shack. She’ll die from exposure anyway and by the time they find her body, we’ll be long gone. We’ve got the twenty-five grand Rachel paid us already. I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna hit the border into Mexico. Now!”
Topaz saw him stand, shove his chair back and taking one last swig from the bottle, he stepped away from the table. After putting his hat on, he strode toward the door.
“You’re probably fuckin’ right, as always. I’m with you,” Jake said. He, too, picked up his hat, put it on, but instead of going to the door, he swiveled toward her. Quickly, she closed her eyes.
“Fuckin’ shame. That’s one piece of pussy I’ll dream about for the rest of my life,” he muttered.
“Forget about her. Plenty of that where we’re going and willing. Especially now that we have money to burn.”
“We could take her with us.” Jake hesitated.
“Are you out of your fuckin’ mind?”
“If we leave her here and she dies, we’ll have a kidnap and murder charge slapped against us anyway.”
“And how are they gonna know it was us? Rachel won’t talk. She wouldn’t fuckin’ dare. Let’s go.”
They scampered out of the shack and Topaz finally dared to open her eyes properly. She heard a horse whinny, the sound of hooves as they rode away. She waited until the sound of the riders faded, then wiggled and wrenched her wrists to try and get loose, but they were bou
nd so tight the cord cut into them.
The candles sent eerie shadows over the ramshackle walls. She appeared to be in a small one-room shed. There were no windows, just a creaky, crooked old door that they’d left open. Cold night air poured inside causing her to shiver uncontrollably. And not just from the cold. The fear she’d felt finally surfaced. A hot tear trickled down her cheek.
The gag stifled her. Swinging her head from side to side, she managed to loosen it a little. How the hell am I going to get out of here? And where am I? She hoped that by now the Douglas men had discovered her disappearance and were out looking for her. Or maybe they are just happy I’m out of their lives? That thought was devastating. She’d thought for sure that Chad was softening toward her.
Even if she managed to loosen her bonds, it’d be too dangerous for her to go out there with no horse, especially not knowing where she was and totally unfamiliar with the territory. Somehow, she wriggled enough to sit up with her back against the wall. If she could get off the bed, knock over the table, she could try and burn the cords off her wrists. There were only two stubs left. The candles would soon burn out and then there was the danger they’d go out when falling to the floor. She scanned the shack for something, anything she could use to help. The empty bottle. Will it break if I knock over the table? Maybe. Maybe not. It wasn’t a stone floor.
While she was thinking, she kept wriggling her wrists and thought the cord had loosened a little. It didn’t hurt as much. By now, she was freezing cold. The days might be beautiful in Texas, but the nights were frosty. If she couldn’t escape from her bonds, she’d start suffering hypothermia. Her teeth chattered, she shook uncontrollably. Chad, Sam, Johnny, where are you? If you’re looking for me, you could be looking for a needle in a haystack. Did you call the police? Do you even know I’m missing? Maybe you didn’t notice that I’m not at the party anymore. Maybe no one will realize till tomorrow morning. Her thoughts were chaotic.
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