by Gina LaManna
“Lacey can hear anything you have to say.” Anthony was coming after me, his voice getting closer.
I didn’t once stop walking. I couldn’t. Footsteps followed me, but I didn’t dare look back.
Another set of footsteps, these ones lighter and accompanied by the click of a sparkly gold heel, followed as well. When Leanne spoke, her voice was commanding. “You’ll want to hear this, Anthony.”
The familiarity with which she spoke twisted my heart. It only got worse when, after pausing for a moment, I heard Anthony’s footsteps slow. When he stopped, my eyes filled with tears, but I kept going.
Chapter 29
Moments later, I hurtled through the side door to the bar. The place was packed now, warm from the closeness of too many bodies in too small a space. Immediately blasted with Meg’s rousing rendition of Wild Women Do, my throat began to close, the lump making it impossible to speak.
Through blurring eyes, I spotted the bathroom sign and made a beeline towards it. Only when I’d made it safely inside and locked myself into a stall, did I let the tears flow. I leaned against the door, waiting out the initial burst of tears that’d taken me by storm. Two minutes ago, I’d been warmed by Anthony’s teasing gaze. I’d felt special, his eyes only on me. I’d felt wanted when he’d taken me outside for a moment alone.
But now...now there were no words to describe how my soul felt exhausted, my muscles limp, as if the tears were draining every ounce of my strength. I wanted nothing more than to find Meg, drag her into the stall, and force her to shake some sense into me. She always saw things more clearly, found reasonable explanations when I couldn’t. Made everything look better. She always did.
But I’d ruined enough of this vacation already for her, there was no way I’d steal her away from the microphone. Lyrics from Jump Around filtered through the stall doors, Meg belting it out from the bottom of her heart. She’d done at least three songs in a row and showed no signs of slowing.
What would Meg say right now? I blew my nose, telling myself to calm down. There was probably an explanation.
Last night...last night, Anthony had said he was working. Could she be a colleague? She sure as heck didn’t look like a co-worker from the sparkle of her boots to the coziness with which she slid her arm around my boyfriend’s shoulders. Feeling the anger bubble up again, I took a few deep breaths.
Maybe he had a very good reason for staying out with Miss Sparkle-Farmer until two in the morning. And if he did, I needed to find out. It was too small of a bar, too small of a cabin, too small of a town, for me to ignore the problem.
But not yet.
I took a long few minutes for the hot tears to dry into streaks of salt down my cheeks, and when they did, I snuck out of the stall and washed my face in the sink. A quick glance in the mirror showed red rims around my eyes and a washed-out expression.
All of Meg’s hard work on my makeup had rinsed away, and I scrubbed traces of mascara from behind my ears and under my nostrils. How the heck I’d managed to get black junk spread across my face like a clown, I had no idea. Apparently, I was a talented ugly-crier.
After a few deep breathing exercises I’d learned from a yoga DVD, I almost felt like a sane person again. I couldn’t find it in me to believe that Anthony had gone out with another woman before our relationship was even a week old. I refused to believe it.
I had one hand on the bathroom door, ready to let myself out and ask Anthony for an explanation, when I heard two voices on the other side of the door. Anthony and her – Leanne.
I’d thought I was ready to confront them both, but apparently I wasn’t, considering the squeamish feeling taking over my stomach. I retracted my hand from the knob and backed towards the large, master stall once more. Slipping inside, I locked the door and remembered Anthony’s emergency exit warnings.
The window. Sure enough, there was a window above the toilet. A large one. Easy enough to climb out, since it was already cracked open and the toilet seat was down. If I could just remove the screen…
The screen popped out easily enough. Thank goodness for small towns with minimal security concerns. I bet people didn’t even lock their front doors around here.
I hauled myself up, berating myself almost instantly for sneaking through a window when I should feel confident enough to walk right out the front door. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did I feel sick at the idea of going out there? One leg was through the window when I realized the answer: I just wasn’t ready.
I hesitated, my body hanging half out the window in the limbo of indecision, well aware that I looked like an idiot to anyone watching from the outside. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I should walk straight through the bar.
Then I heard the door open, Leanne’s voice clearly echoing around the bathroom. “I’ll check in here for her. Wait there, Anthony.”
Without another moment of hesitation, I let myself fall to the ground. But what I hadn’t expected was that someone would be waiting for me. A someone with handcuffs. The cold clink of metal around my wrist made my blood chill as I turned to face my attacker.
“You’re coming with me,” the deep, even voice said as I tried to twist away from him. “Hold still if you want to make things easy.”
I paused in my twisting, knowing I was much too small to use brute force to get away from a man with arms his size. I’d need to think. He assessed me with a cool gaze. “Though if you really wanted to make things easy, you should have just left us alone.”
Chapter 30
I started to scream for help, but the man’s hand clasped over my lips before I could cry out loud enough to be heard. Ironically, Meg had been such a hit that the ruckus coming from the bar was enough to drown out any calls for help and, though I was happy she’d been a wild success, I wouldn’t mind if she took a break and came looking for me at the moment.
Despite the volume radiating from the building, the voice in my ear was not drowned out by the latest rendition of Family Traditions.
I could hear him loud and clear as he spoke against my ear. “Don’t you dare try to scream.”
The metal pressing against my back punctuated his point. The trucker’s point. More specifically, Mr. Beefcake.
“You’ll walk with me out to your car. If you run or yell or act weird, it’s bad news for you. And your Super Star singer raising the roof in there.” Beefcake escorted me across the parking lot, a jacket draped over my wrist so nobody could see my un-fancy metal bracelet.
I gave a half-nod of agreement, my eyes scanning desperately for any human in the vicinity. Where was Anthony? Where had all the smokers gone – the ones who’d come outside with her? Was Meg’s remix of Friends in Low Places really so enthralling that nobody was outside at the moment?
“There’s a person up ahead. Wave and smile like a princess, or you’ll get a nice hole in your head.” Beefcake hardly finished speaking before giving a wave and a smile in the direction of a man in a cowboy hat and boots who was lighting up over in the corner of the parking lot. I don’t think I managed to smile, but I did lift my free hand and give the lamest wave ever known to man.
“I’m uncuffing you now. Get in the driver’s seat of your car, and then I’ll give you instructions. Understand?” Beefcake spoke softly, but the threat in his voice was believable.
“Wh-what do you want with me?” I cleared my throat and tried to take a step backwards.
“You’re not following directions.” He prodded me with his gun, and I slid into the front seat of the car without further question.
“Drive.” His face was grim, his eyes looking forward, with the gun pointed towards my chest. I turned the car on and accelerated from the parking lot, feeling all hope of someone discovering my absence slipping away. I signaled right and merged onto the main road.
“Good.” Beefcake breathed a bit easier now, but his shoulders remained tense, his finger taut on the trigger.
“Where to?” I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I struggled
to hold the steering wheel straight.
“We’re going right back to where you came from. The Luzzi cabin. Is anyone home?”
“Yes,” I said. It was a lie to my knowledge, but there was the chance that the three stooges had returned. Even if they were home, the chances that they’d notice something was wrong – and then help – were slim. But Beefcake didn’t need to know that.
“You’re lying to me, Lacey. I don’t like liars.” The gun twitched upward.
“We have three of my grandmother’s friends staying with us – that’s not a lie.”
“I know all about Mario Lopez over there. We’ve been watching you. But you failed your first test, which doesn’t bode well for you. So stop lying. I don’t take to failure kindly.”
“How do you know I’m lying?” I inhaled, trying to keep my voice even.
“Because my partner is already at the cabin, and he is telling me that your friends haven’t returned yet.”
My heart sank. Even if the chances of the men helping me were slim, it was better than nothing.
“Park in the driveway,” Beefcake instructed as we neared the cabin.
“Why? Won’t that be obvious?”
“Nice try.” Beefcake gave a quick shake of his head. “I don’t like your little clever tactics, Lacey. If someone suspects foul play, they’ll expect your car to not be at home. Right now, it looks like you had a little disagreement with your boyfriend and went home. If anything, they’ll assume you’re in your room and won’t bother you.”
“That’s not true. My friends would check on me.” I told myself it was true. They would check on me...if they realized I was gone.
Ironically, the part that bothered me most of all with this kidnapping was not that I’d been whisked away against my will. That was annoying, yes, but it had happened before. What made my stomach roil with guilt was the thought that Anthony would think I’d run away from him, that I hadn’t given him time to explain.
At the bar, I’d had every intention of finding Anthony and hearing what he had to say. Despite my initial feelings of jealousy and anger at Leanne, I wanted to make this relationship work. I’d just needed a moment to calm down. To let myself feel the flood of uncertainty, to feel the thoughts that told me I’d never be good enough for Anthony.
Because now that I’d acknowledged my insecurities, I could look at the situation with a calmer eye, a less…hasty reaction. If our relationship didn’t work out, I wouldn’t let it be because of a miscommunication. I cared for Anthony, and I wouldn’t let him slip away so easily, despite my through-the-window stunt.
I still disliked Leanne and her fancy boots, but I didn’t want Anthony to know that. I wanted to apologize for running away, to have him explain away my fears and pull me tight in his arms. But now – I glanced over at my captor – now, Anthony would be left wondering if I’d assumed the worst. I’d disappeared, leaving Anthony to think I didn’t trust him.
“You heard our disagreement?” My stomach turned over at the thought.
“Not all of it, but enough. And I heard more than enough of your friend’s karaoke. Honestly, she’s your biggest ally. If she’d kept singing, I’m not sure I could’ve stayed there much longer, even to escort you back.”
“You’re not escorting me.” I turned into the driveway, noting that the other parking spaces were blatantly empty, the house devoid of lights. “You’re kidnapping me.”
“Call it what you like. Now, put this hunk-of-stolen-junk in Park, and walk quickly down to your grandfather’s yacht. My partner is waiting for you there. I’ll be close behind, so don’t try anything stupid.”
I slid from the car, dragging my feet in the sand. Hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would notice my absence.
Chapter 31
“Oooof! Watch it,” I snapped, as I swung one leg up onto the boat. “People once paid good money to cop that kinda feel.”
“If you wore baggier clothes, my “helping hand” wouldn’t feel so invasive.” Beefcake grunted with the effort of heaving me onboard. He shoved my rear end upward, and I was a little annoyed at how hard he seemed to be breathing while helping me onto the boat.
“Gah! Your thumb. The placement. Not okay,” I growled, tipping unceremoniously onto the deck of Carlos’s expansive yacht. I found it ironic that he’d specifically forbade me not to step foot on the boat. Yet here I was, forced against my will, to land on the boat in a heap of latex shorts and thigh-high boots.
“Welcome aboard, skipper.” Beefcake’s partner, the skinny trucker from the bar, pulled me the rest of the way on board, sitting on my legs as if I were the log ride at Camp Snoopy. He quickly re-snapped handcuffs around my wrists.
“Greoff,” I groaned. “Can’t breathe.”
The beefy escort hauled himself onboard and stood behind his partner. He looked down at me in disappointment. “Why you gotta be so uncooperative?”
“Because you’re kidnapping me!” I struggled to roll over. “I’m not supposed to help you.”
“We’re not kidnapping you,” the lean one said.
“Then what are you doing? You’re holding me against my will. I’m supposed to be watching my best friend, who’s on stage at karaoke kicking butt and taking names.”
“If you had just cooperated from the beginning, things would’ve gone much smoother,” Beefcake said. “Don’t know why you had to get involved.”
“From the beginning?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”
Beefcake rolled his eyes at his friend.
“What are we doing here?” A note of desperation seeped into my voice. “Tell me what you want from me. Money? I don’t have it. But I’ll give you my Lumina. There’s some boxed wine in the backseat. I’ll throw it in as a favor.”
“I don’t care about the boxed wine. Or that death trap on wheels.” Beefcake frowned. “My six-year-old cousin has a higher tech Barbie car.”
“Don’t knock it if it gets the job done,” I retorted.
Beefcake gave me a skeptical glance.
“Usually it gets the job done,” I grumbled, revising for accuracy.
“Enough small talk. Get her below deck,” the thin man instructed. “We don’t have time to waste.”
I protested as they brought me downstairs, but neither of them appeared to listen. I eventually fell silent, since it was clear they didn’t want to hear what I had to say. I distracted myself by taking the opportunity to bask in the beauty of Carlos’s extravagant yacht.
In a way, I was a tiny bit not sad that I’d been kidnapped; I would’ve never had the guts to disobey Carlos’s instructions and climb aboard his yacht against his will. But thanks to my two captors, I now had a legitimate excuse to take in the forbidden sight.
And what a sight it was. The interior must have been decorated by a designer; it didn’t contain the normal traces of Nora’s family photos, or the arrest warrants that lined the Hallway of Infamy, or even the warmth of her kitchen’s yellow walls and aged wooden picnic table. Instead, the furniture was modern: black, white, and sharp metallic shades all around.
Beautiful wood lined a bar counter along one wall, while the floors were covered with a luxurious layer of plush, white carpet. A small waterfall trickled behind the bar into a miniature fountain. The place oozed extravagance in the style of Carlos. I flinched, just wondering about the price tag.
“Take a seat.” Beefcake gestured for me to climb aboard a bar stool.
With a slightly awkward gait, I managed to scoot my butt onto the chair despite my hands being cuffed behind my back.
“I want information,” the lean kidnapper said, standing behind the bar, while I sat on the stool as if waiting to order a drink.
“Can I get a vodka soda?” I asked with a smile.
“Shut up,” Beefcake said. He stood close behind me. As if his presence wasn’t intimidating enough, I could sense the gun tucked somewhere on his person.
“If you answer everything honestly, we probably won’t hurt you.�
� The lean man rested his elbows on the bar and looked me in the eye.
“Probably?” I said wryly. “How comforting.”
“Depends on your answers, lady,” he said. “Don’t try to lie. We’ll know.”
“I’ll do what I can.” I managed a slight shrug. “But I’ll warn you, I have no idea what’s going on here. Or at all. This whole weekend, really.”
“Why did you have Facelli killed?” The lean man’s first question caught me off guard.
“What?”
“Facelli. Why’d you have him killed? And where were you going to get rid of him?” he asked.
Stunned, I opened and closed my mouth a few times. “What are you talking about? I’m the one who called the police when I found the body in my trunk.”
Lean man looked at Beefcake, and I saw the first sign of disbelief.
“Seriously,” I said without hesitation. “I have no idea what you mean. I went out to the car to get my pajamas. When I opened the trunk, I found Facelli face-planted in Meg’s leftover sour cream. Not a good way to go out, if you ask me.”
Lean kidnapper stared at me for a minute.
“What incentive do I have to lie to you?” I asked. “You have me locked away in a boat. If you want to get rid of me, it’d be very easy, as much as I hate to admit it.”
“But if you didn’t kill him, then who did? And why would they stash the body in your trunk?” Beefcake asked.
I shrugged, a bit of annoyance creeping into my voice. “That’s a great question. One I’ve been trying to figure out this whole weekend, as a matter of fact. I had never heard of Facelli in my life until after he died.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” the lean one said.
“Believe me, I know,” I said. “I came up here for a vacation. A weekend away with my girlfriend, which did not go according to plan. So oddly enough, I’m as frustrated as you. All I want is to be singing karaoke and sipping margaritas. Instead, I’m locked up here.”