“Oh, kitten. You’re so deliciously naïve! I didn’t send you any texts nor harmed a living creature.”
“Liar. My scars speak a different tune. Plus, there’s the carcass of a dead cat in my backyard.”
Richard chuckled. “Juvenile, childish behavior and I’m way beyond such trivial mind games. Oh, and we are far from over my pet. In fact, the game’s just begun.”
Sam could tell Richard spoke the truth. The triumphant look on his face was proof.
Stepping closer until only inches from Sam’s exquisite face, Richard inhaled the scent of her fear. The divine odor made his heart pound. “You caused me to leave scars, which is a shame, like marking up a Picasso or Monet. Now isn’t the time to discuss the topic. I know the identity of the person responsible for the texts and the cat, but you need not worry about her any longer. Dead people can’t cause trouble, except maybe to haunt you, if you believe in such things.”
Stunned by her worst fears about Richard taking things to the next level, Sam took a step backward. She remembered the watch was recording. “Sounds to me like you just admitted to killing someone.”
“I didn’t have to. She did that all on her own. The news reported this morning she overdosed. Sad. Some people don’t know when to stop.”
With one final smile, enjoying the look of utter confusion on Samantha’s face, Richard turned and headed toward his vehicle.
Sam didn’t say a word while trying process the disturbing encounter.
“Interesting family you have, Samantha. Go online and watch the news report. You’ll discover you aren’t the only one keeping secrets, and this one? Whew—what a doozy! Fun fact: I’m not the only person with a devious plan for you and your family. But don’t worry. We’ll talk about how to keep it under wraps and handle the other issues. Soon.”
Sam waited until Richard’s car pulled out of the parking lot before pushing the button on the watch. The words terrified her yet on the other hand, he had no idea she recorded the entire conversation, which was to her advantage.
Walking back inside, she grinned. “You don’t hold all the cards, you prick. Our little discussion sealed your fate. I don’t know how yet, but it doesn’t matter. I can feel it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
“WANT SOME COMPANY?”
Motioning for Resa to sit, Sam nodded. “Sure.”
Resa lit a smoke then took a hefty sip of red wine. “The funeral was beautiful. Caroline would have loved it.”
“Yep. She made sure to plan every detail, which was a godsend. Not having to make arrangements helped.”
“Suzy is taking her death hard.”
Sam stiffened. “They were quite close.”
Leaning forward, Resa glanced around to ensure they were still alone. “Uh-huh. Suzy’s acting like Reed died, not her nana. And you? You maybe said two words since the funeral. The minute we arrived here, you headed straight outside. If I counted those butts, I bet you smoked half the pack. I’m worried. Please tell me your mood isn’t because of Richard?”
Glancing at her lap, Sam sighed. “I wish I could, Resa. I do. I’m afraid I cannot.”
“Sonofabitch. What’s going on? Is he threatening to…?”
“Yes, he is.”
Tears welled up in Resa’s eyes. “I could kill him with my bare hands.”
“Join the club.”
“Did he show up at the funeral? Is that why you were gone so long?”
Sam nodded.
Wiping away a tear, Resa took another swig of wine. “Everyone’s inside and won’t hear a thing. You never told me what happened the night of the open house. In fact, we haven’t spent much time together since. Talk to me.”
Lighting another cigarette, Sam let the words pour out. She told Resa everything except Richard’s cryptic words regarding another family secret. The look of shock then terror on Resa’s face mimicked her own internal fears. Once finished sharing the news, the back patio was quiet for several minutes.
“I guess the agreement you made him sign isn’t worth shit.”
“I guess not.”
“We should have gone to the police when we had the chance.”
“But we didn’t, Resa. Now, we have to deal with the fallout.”
Resa couldn’t contain the tears. “I’m so sorry, Sam. What happened to us was my fault.”
Pulling her friend into a tight hug, Sam whispered, “His fault, Resa. He drugged us both. We had no control over our minds or bodies.”
“That won’t matter to Kendal, the school board or my dad. If Richard ever releases it, I’ll lose my spouse, my job, and my preacher father will probably disown me. What he made us do…it was so disgusting, so depraved.”
“The key word is what he made us do. I destroyed the flash drive he gave me. The original agreement and a copy of the video I made later are safe. He signed the agreement because he knows what I’m holding over his head will land him in prison. Ours won’t.”
Resa sat back, searching Sam’s face. “If you’re sure, why do you look so scared? What aren’t you telling me?”
Glancing back at her mother’s house, Sam sighed. “A lot, but now’s not the time. Call Kendal and tell him you’re staying here tonight. Once this is over and only my family members remain, I’ll tell everyone.”
“Everyone? No, Sam. I don’t want your family to know what we did. It’s too embarrassing!”
“You’re part of the family, Resa. What’s going on affects us all. Richard’s pulled us into this battle, and to defeat him will require all of us joining forces.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
Motioning for her to follow, Sam stood, drained her glass of wine and stubbed out the cigarette. “Don’t say a word and follow my lead. Okay?”
Resa blew out a huff of air. “Okay. Give me a sec. I need to text Kendal.”
“THANK YOU FOR coming, Ethel. Caroline treasured your friendship.”
Nodding, Ethel gave Charmaine a hug. “It was a beautiful service. You call me if you need a friendly face to jaw at, okay?”
“What a kind offer. Keep in touch.”
Closing the door, Charmee leaned against the cool wood, grateful the last mourner was gone. Glancing at her watch, she grimaced. It was almost eight p.m. yet it felt like midnight. The stress of the last four days had taken its toll. She was beyond exhausted.
Reed and the kids tromped down the hall, struggling to put on their coats.
Rachel hugged her grandmother. “Bye, Gram. I love you.”
Returning the warm embrace, Charmee smiled. “Love you, too, sugar. I’ll see you all Saturday.”
Reed, Jr., swiped a quick kiss on his grandmother’s cheek. “Can we go eat at Belle Arti before going to see the Christmas lights?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. I know the place is your favorite restaurant. As a matter of fact, I made reservations for us at five.”
“I don’t know how you do it, Charmaine.” Reed gave his mother-in-law a hug. “Handling all this and remembering to make reservations? You’re a rock.”
Charmee blushed. “Someone had to fill Caroline’s shoes, right?”
“Right. Looking forward to Saturday.”
Reed and the kids left. Bradford rounded the corner, snagging his coat off the hook by the door. “Don’t stay up too late tonight. You need to rest. Call me if you need anything. Love you, Charmaine.”
“I will. Thanks for being my rock this week. Love you, too. I doubt we’ll be up long. I think the girls need some Mom time, and I will enjoy every minute of it.”
“Save some of the delicious pecan pie you made for me.”
“Two slices hiding in the back of the fridge. I know how to take care of my man.”
Kissing Charmaine’s cheek, Bradford disappeared out the door.
Charmee headed to the kitchen to fix a hot toddy before joining the girls out back. The tension levels oozed off both daughters all day. Earlier, she assumed it ste
mmed from the grief of losing Caroline. Now she sensed something else was wrong.
Drink fixed, she grabbed a jacket then stepped out onto the deck, surprised to see Resa. Two bottles of wine sat in the middle of the table and each of them had full glasses. She noticed Samantha’s hands shook as she smoked and fiddled with her laptop.
The porchlight shone on their faces. All three girls looked like they were about to throw up.
“Will someone please explain to me why I feel like I’m walking into an ambush?”
Sam held up the wine glass. “Let’s begin with a toast to Nana.”
“May you enjoy Heaven with Big Sam and Pop. May the clouds always be fluffy, an endless supply of schnapps at the ready, Swisher Sweets at your fingertips and nonstop laughter.” Suzy held the glass to the sky.
“To Caroline! No finer woman ever lived.”
Sam smiled at Resa’s toast. “Thank you, Nana, for having such an impact on my life, and always knowing how to make me laugh, even when I thought smiling again was impossible. Watch over us from above as we muddle through life down here. I love you.”
“God rest your soul, Caroline. We love and miss you,” Charmee added.
All four women took a sip.
Sam broke the silence first. “Mom, sit please. We need to talk.”
Taking the seat to Samantha’s right, Charmee felt a chill of worry run up her spine. “Talk about what, dear?”
“Richard.”
Charmee’s gazed bounced between all three, finally settling on Resa’s face. She took a sip of the toddy, hoping it would help settle her nerves. “Pardon my rudeness, but isn’t this a topic better suited for the three of us?”
“Mom! What I’m about to share affects Resa too. She needs to be a part of this.”
Turning her attention back to Samantha, Charmee swallowed hard. “Did he make an appearance at the funeral today?”
Sam nodded.
“I’m so confused. Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
“Suzy, before I get into what happened with Richard today, I need to share some other things I kept close to the vest. Resa’s a part of the tale.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Suzy pressed.
“I told you about the pregnancy I ended and how Richard responded when he found out I went to the police. I also alluded I’m holding something over Richard’s head to keep him at bay. The something involves Resa, so tonight the four of us are going to figure out what to do next.”
Suzy started to speak but Charmee held up her hand. “Whatever you share stays between us. Go ahead, sweetheart.”
“Several months after the abortion and the beating he gave me that night in the bathroom, Richard was out of town on a case and I was at work. I had two days of freedom, so I planned on leaving him. I had some cases I needed to finish up before heading to my apartment to have the landlord change out my locks, etc. My plan fizzled. While gathering up my laptop, the most intense pain hit me. I collapsed on the floor of my office. My assistant heard me fall and ran in. I couldn’t move. She called an ambulance and I went to the hospital.”
“Oh, honey! What happened?”
Sam bit her lip to keep from crying. “Ectopic pregnancies in my right and left fallopian tubes. Both ruptured. Had my assistant not called an ambulance and got me to the hospital for emergency surgery, I could’ve bled to death.”
Charmee felt dizzy. “Both? You were pregnant…with twins?”
Suzy began to cry.
“Yes. The next day, I was groggy when the doctor came in. I remember asking him what happened. He said a lot of women experience ectopic pregnancies after having an abortion. He also said he removed both tubes since they were so damaged. The other great news he shared was both my ovaries were covered in tumors, so he took biopsies. The results were the reason I had a complete hysterectomy later.”
The sick feeling grew inside Charmee’s gut. “Richard found out about the pregnancies, didn’t he?”
Taking a gulp of wine, Sam lit another smoke. “Yes. I didn’t know until later, but he was standing outside the door to my room, listening. He didn’t come to visit me until hours later. He put on a great acting job. Hell, he even shed a few tears. I didn’t know he was aware of what happened so I lied, telling him I had an appendicitis attack and had it removed. He never blinked, never flinched. I found out a few weeks later he knew the truth the entire time.”
Charmee put her hand on Samantha’s arm. “I wish you would have told me or Suzy.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. If I could go back in time and make the right choices, I would.”
“How does any of this tie in to Resa?” Suzy asked.
“Several weeks went by without an argument or issue with Richard. In fact, he seemed to back off. His caseload increased, and he was out of town a lot. Less controlling. Distant. I got the sense the relationship was fizzling. Honestly, I thought he had someone else on the side. I made the decision to move back to my apartment for good and bought my first gun. Since Resa has more experience with firearms, I asked her to come with me and help pick one out. I started applying for other jobs, too, but not one firm contacted me. Not long after is when the idea about buying Lily Belle first bloomed.”
“I don’t understand. Why was he acting that way, and how did you find out he knew the truth about the pregnancies?” Charmee inquired.
Sam glanced at Resa, waiting for her to nod approval before continuing.
“He called me one night, asking to come over and drop off some things I left at his place. Said he realized his actions of the past pulled us apart and he felt it was time to end the relationship. He even said he was attending anger management classes. Like a fool, I bought into it. He arrived about an hour later and I helped carry the boxes. I had to pee and made the mistake of leaving him alone in the living room. The rest is foggy. I remember coming out of the bathroom, taking a few sips of wine as he stood in the doorway ready to leave. The rest is a blur.”
“He drugged you, didn’t he?” Suzy asked.
Sam nodded.
“Allow me to fill in some blanks?”
“No, Resa. You don’t have to…”
“Yes, Sam. I do. The mess you’re in is because of me.”
“Wrong. Richard started the nightmare, not you.”
Resa ignored Sam’s response. “I got a text from Sam—er, well, I thought it was from Sam—asking me to come over and bring wine. Said she had an uncomfortable visit with Richard and needed to vent, so of course, I rushed right over. I didn’t know about all the violence in their relationship, I swear. All I knew for sure was Sam seemed worried every single time she talked about him. Like an idiot, I thought it was because she was having trouble letting go of a long-term relationship.”
“We were all in the same boat,” Charmee added. “For so many years, we all were selfishly lost inside our own private worlds, never really connecting with one another, and we can’t get those years back, no matter how much we long to.”
Reaching over, Sam clasped hands with her mother. “Yes, we can. We will.”
Resa took a deep breath as the worst night of her entire life burst from the hidden place she tried to contain it. “When I arrived, Richard opened the door. I was shocked to see him and even more shocked by his appearance. He was sweaty, face all red, and it looked like a scratch mark down his cheek. He said Sam was in the bathroom, throwing up because she was drunk. She called him, begging him to come over. He did and when he arrived, she flew into a rage, accusing him of being unfaithful.”
“Slimy bastard!” Suzy muttered under her breath.
Resa started to cry. “I…didn’t know what kind of monster he was…I was worried about Sam…I love her…he offered me a glass of wine while waiting…I took it…then…oh, God.”
The sound of leaves rustling as a light breeze swept through the backyard and Resa’s sobs were the only noises. All four women sat, each grappling with their feelings.
Reaching across the t
able, Sam grabbed a bottle of wine then poured another full glass. “We were out for nearly two days. When we woke up, Richard was gone—and each of us had IVs in our arms. My laptop had a note on it reading ‘Play me.’ My mind was a hazy mess and my entire body ached. Resa and I were both naked on the bed.”
Suzy gasped.
Charmee closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer for strength to continue listening without losing her mind.
“I didn’t want to turn on my computer yet was drawn to it. He recorded the entire night of the three of us…I couldn’t believe what I was watching. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. When I came back, Resa was staring at the screen, sobbing. The second the video ended, a weird skull appeared and then the screen went black. My cell buzzed. It was a text from him. He said he enjoyed our evening and was so happy we were back together. Seconds later, he called. I didn’t say a word, only listened. He told me if I left him, he planned on ruining Resa’s life—and my reputation—by releasing an edited version of the video minus his appearance on screen.”
“Why didn’t you go, right then, to the police? Do a rape kit? Take the laptop? Have them test your blood for drugs?”
“Because right after he called, the screen lit up, the skull was back, and boom! Hard drive wiped clean. He installed some sort of computer virus. He had this all carefully planned to the minutest detail, Mom. I don’t know what type of drug he used to subdue us, though I’m guessing it was Rohypnol. Not that it matters. The fluids given in the IVs flushed out our systems. Both of us had been bathed. The sheets and items he brought with him…” Sam swallowed hard, trying to control her emotions. “The sheets were new and the props he forced us to use on each other gone.”
“Good Lord. Sick freak doesn’t even begin to describe him,” Suzy whispered.
“He laughed on the phone when reminding me he edited out his voice and appearance as he controlled us from off camera. The last thing he said to me was, ‘Tell a soul or go to the authorities, and I’ll upload it to YouTube. You two were so hot it’ll go viral in hours.’”
Fatal Agreements Page 17