Rich Girl (Broken Wishes Series Book 1)

by Joanne Sexton

  “Time to wake up, babe. I want to get an early start.”

  She groaned and buried her face in the pillow before turning to look at him with desire in her eyes.

  “Your bed smells delicious, like you.”

  This time he groaned. “Have a shower with me.”

  Chapter 26

  Loss

  Thursday

  After reluctantly depositing Chelsea safely at home, Lucas drove to work in a dream and smiled at his whimsical behavior. He never thought he could feel this wonderful.

  At the station he read through the thick file of calls received on the hotline over the past few days to see if any of the information was of any use. As always, they mostly revolved around anonymous callers either falsely confessing to the crime or ratting out someone against whom they held a grudge. All calls would be followed up but, once he’d read through the entire file, experience told him that the majority of them were a total waste of time, again.

  Noting down what he thought were potentially legitimate tips, he placed them onto Peterson’s desk for follow up that afternoon, when he arrived for his shift.

  He was on the phone with the ME when Maggie came in. She’d called him earlier that morning asking him to cover her for a few hours as the return favor. He decided to use the time to get up to speed and organize the day.

  “Dave’s finished with Lindsay’s autopsy. He found a hair in the rape kit and it’s being processed as we speak, we should have the results by tomorrow.”

  “Anything else new?’

  “No, the rest was the same. I went through the tip line stuff but there isn’t much there. Still no file on Robinson and I cannot find anything on Chad Wilson. I placed a few calls but he’s not on any systems, so it has to be an alias.”

  “Did Chelsea recognize him?”

  “Dammit.”

  “What?”

  “I meant to do it this morning but got distracted. Sorry, my head hasn’t been in the game. I’ll show her tonight.”

  “We really haven’t caught any breaks so far. She may not even know him and, if she does, she might not know where he lives. She didn’t recognize his name so it’s quite possible she’s never met him. Either that or it is an alias. If she has never met him, it just makes it all the more confusing. Why would he be after her? However, if she recognizes him, she might be able to give us his real name,” Maggie said.

  “Yeah, maybe. I’ve been wondering the same things myself. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It may be another dead end anyway. In the meantime, let’s keep looking. Throw me the files from Peterson regarding their canvassing. I’ll see if there is anything we can follow up.”

  “Do you want to read in the car? I’ve lined up some of the victims' family and friends to re-interview regarding Chad Wilson and to show them the sketch.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “As much as I love having you both here, you have lives and stuff to do at home. You don’t need to babysit me anymore. I’ll be alright,” Chelsea told Sarah and Charlotte over breakfast.

  “You really shouldn’t be here alone,” Sarah informed her.

  “I won’t be.”

  “No, Mom, Chelsea has a permanent visitor now. He practically lives here anyway so you may as well ask him to move in as I suggested.”

  “Why would I have Officer Lewis move in here?” Chelsea winked at Sarah.

  “Very funny, Chels, but we all know who I’m talking about.”

  “Still too soon, Charlotte. I am crazy about him though.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

  “Yes, Mom. It’s a slow time of year for Bloom so I can take a week or so off if I need to.”

  “You’ll be alone in the house all day. Wouldn’t you like the company?”

  “I’ll find something to do. I have a... new book I want to read.”

  “I have to go back to Uni anyway, Mom.”

  “Alright we’ll go on Saturday then, which still gives us another two days together.”

  The phone rang, and they all stared at it.

  “Did it ring when I wasn’t here yesterday or last night?”

  “No.” Sarah said.

  They let the answering machine pick up and the only message left was a hang up.

  “Maybe he’ll stop ringing if I don’t pick up,” Chelsea said. “I just don’t know who could possibly be doing these terrible things to those poor girls. Lucas told me another girl has gone missing.”

  “In that case, we're not leaving, Chelsea, not until this is over,” Sarah said.

  Chelsea went to protest until the thought of being in an empty house all day depressed her.

  “I just don’t want everyone to put their life on hold for me.”

  “We aren’t. Think of it as a little holiday together,” Charlotte said.

  “Okay, I just hope they catch him soon.”

  Determined to occupy their minds with other things, they chose to watch a romantic comedy playing at the local cinema and follow it up with lunch at their favorite cafe.

  They arrived home feeling buoyant and relaxed until the phone rang again. They were relieved when they heard Lucas’ voice on the machine. Chelsea went to answer it.

  “Hey, Chelsea, you’ve been getting more calls.”

  “How did you know?”

  “You didn’t answer the phone straight away.”

  “Only one and they hung up, or he did, if it was him.”

  “Don’t answer it. You didn’t go to Bloom today?”

  “No, I’ve decided to take a week off.”

  “Good idea. Are your family staying too?”

  “Yes, I told them to leave but they won’t.”

  “Good, I don’t want you to be alone. I’m going to be later than I thought tonight. We have a lot to follow up.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep some dinner for you.”

  “Thanks. You do look after me. I miss you.”

  “Me too.”

  When a car pulled up out the front of the house, Officer Lewis stood up. A man strolled towards him carrying a package. At last something to do, he thought. Even though guarding Chelsea’s house bored him, he knew how important it was. He took his duties seriously and kept his mind occupied for the most part watching diligently at the house and shop for any suspicious characters who might be Chelsea’s stalker.

  As the man approached, he rested one hand on his weapon.

  “Good evening, Officer.” The man with the package stopped and smiled. “I have a delivery for,” he paused to check the clipboard in his hand, “Chelsea Summerville.”

  “I can take that for you.”

  “Oh, it’s just that it says here she needs to sign for it personally. I’m only helping out today for a friend and I really think I should make sure. That’s why I’m in my car rather than the usual delivery van.”

  “Sorry, Sir, but I’ll have to take it.” Lewis reached forward to take the package and left his other hand near his gun.

  “That really isn’t the answer I wanted.”

  Lewis heard the quiet pop a second before he felt the bullet tear through his flesh. Blood gushed from the wound in his stomach. As he withdrew his weapon from his holster, the man dropped the package to reveal his gun. Another silenced shot sounded, and Lewis gasped as the bullet hit his throat. He dropped to his knees, trying to breathe as blood filled his lungs. He fell heaving, drowning, as the man walked to the door and knocked.

  They were about to sit down to dinner, when the knock came. Chelsea bounced happily to answer the call, excited to see Lucas.

  “I thought you were going to be late,” she sang out as she reached the entranceway. “I think you purposely turn up just as we are about to have,” she opened the door, “dinner.” She stopped.

  “Not who you were expecting?”

  She was speechless for a moment. “Who are you?” Chelsea asked.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

  “No, why would I?” she sai
d abruptly.

  “You’re polite and perhaps interested to know who I am and why I’m here.”

  “I don’t really care to be honest. Perhaps you should leave.” Her words belied the fact that her heart was pounding wildly in terror.

  “I told you I was coming for you.”

  “It was you making those horrible calls?”

  “Yes, Chelsea, it was and it’s time you came with me.”

  She started to back away as Charlotte and Sarah rushed over to come and stand behind her. The man reached behind him to pull a large pistol with a silencer from the back of his waistband.

  “Back away you two,” he said, pointing it at her family. “She’s coming with me and if you try to stop me, I’ll shoot you. If you call the police, I’ll shoot her. I wanted to kill her slowly but if I have to, I will shoot her now.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Sarah asked as she guided Charlotte back with her hand, while she took small steps backwards herself, as cautioned.

  “You’re all rich bitches who deserve to find out what it feels like to have nothing, to suffer loss. Now turn around,” he said to Chelsea. She turned her back to him, urging her family with her eyes to stay where they were. “Now say goodbye to your family, Chelsea.”

  With rough hands, he grabbed her with his free arm, yanked her tightly against his body and shoved the gun roughly against her ribs.

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “Don’t beg, Chelsea. It doesn’t suit you,” he said.

  He started to back out the door. Charlotte ripped herself free from her mother’s protective arm.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” she said.

  “I warned you,” he replied.

  He lifted the gun, aimed it at Charlotte and fired.

  In dismay, Chelsea watched as Charlotte flew back when the bullet penetrated her shoulder. She screamed her name in vain as he dragged her out the door, urging her towards the awaiting car. Chelsea bit back a scream when she saw Officer Lewis lying in a pool of blood by the front door.

  Sarah bent down to attend to Charlotte, who was conscious and bleeding profusely. She went to retrieve some towels.

  “Press this hard against you,” Sarah said. “Try to reduce the flow while I call the ambulance.”

  “He said not to call the police,” she said, her voice strained. “He’ll kill her.”

  “I’m not calling the police, I’m calling an ambulance and the police will come regardless. We have to take the chance, Charlotte, or you’re going to bleed to death.”

  Sarah called the ambulance, returned to Charlotte and anxiously waited for the authorities to arrive.

  There was a call over the radio about a shooting. Lucas was only half listening until the dispatcher stated the address for the nearest officers to respond to. His heart plunged to the floor and he thought for a moment he’d heard it wrong. He could have sworn the dispatcher had just said Chelsea’s address. When the address was confirmed by the responding officer, he fired up his siren and drove like he was running from the gates of hell.

  He pulled up hastily and double parked beside a squad car. An ambulance was already at the scene. As he leapt out of the car he glanced towards the house and saw a body being loaded onto a gurney. He bolted towards the house where he found a young officer on duty at the door.

  “Officer Lewis?” Lucas asked.

  The rookie nodded. “We were just about to call you...”

  Lucas ignored him and stormed passed.

  “Chelsea,” he called as he ran in the door.

  “She’s gone,” he heard Sarah’s quiet distraught voice from the floor.

  He looked down to see Sarah kneeling near Charlotte’s head while a paramedic attended to her.

  “Are you alright?” he asked Charlotte

  “I’ll be okay, but Chelsea, he took her.”

  “Who did?”

  “I don’t know. We’ve never seen him before.”

  Oh God, Chelsea.

  Chapter 27

  Kidnapped

  Thursday

  The man walked her casually to the car with the gun concealed but wedged hard into her back. She thought about running, screaming, but his restraining arm and the risk to her life and the lives of her family kept her mouth firmly closed. The only illumination came from dull street lights and Chelsea thought with despair that this would conceal their escape. Anyone witnessing them leaving wouldn’t see enough to be helpful.

  He loaded her into the car and warned her about trying anything. Her mind screamed 'run' as he walked to the driver’s side but her traitorous fear kept her rigid and frozen in the seat. After he climbed into the car, Chelsea turned to him in astonishment.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” she exclaimed. “You just shot my sister.”

  “I warned her.”

  “Who are you? Why did you kill all those girls? And Elle?” She was angry now.

  “They looked like you and I was practicing to make it perfect. As for Elle, at least I got a free ride from her before I sliced her up.” He turned to her with a crazy look in his eyes. “No more talking or I’ll shoot you right here.”

  “Go ahead. You’re going to kill me anyway.”

  He continued to stare at her with a crazed look filled with such malice that it kept her mouth firmly closed. She decided to bide her time, talk to him, reason with him and find a way to escape.

  He drove around the block and parked outside a vacant building almost directly behind her house. Had he been living behind her the whole time?

  Hauling her from the car, he dragged her back in the direction they’d just come from. They crossed the street and he continued to tow her towards a house two doors up but across the road from her house. She cursed the darkness that concealed them as fear seized her heart.

  As they snuck up to the front door, she heard an ambulance siren heading up the street. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Charlotte would be alright. She couldn’t believe he’d been living here across the road the entire time, murdering those poor innocent girls and Elle.

  He dragged her toward a room in the rear of the house. The walls were lined with some type of foam material. She was trying to figure out exactly what its purpose was as they passed through the hall.

  “The walls are sound proofed. It’s so no-one can hear you scream.”

  Her blood went cold.

  He took her into a room containing plastic on the walls and floor. The only furniture was a dirty mattress. He hauled her towards it and she was relieved to see it was free of blood. Pointing the gun at her, he told her to lie down.

  “Why are you doing this to me, to them, to Elle?” she choked the last name out.

  Fear crept up her back chilling her and her skin prickled. Cold shivers ran through her veins as her imagination ran rampant at what he wanted to inflict on her. With a resolve buried deep inside her, she urged herself to stay alive long enough for someone to find her. Lucas.

  “You need to know what it feels like to have nothing. All your life you’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted. I never had anything. I wanted you to see what that was like.”

  “My parents worked hard for everything they had, as did my grandparents. What’s it to you?”

  “It’s everything to me.”

  “Who are you? What am I to you? I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

  “I’m not surprised you don’t remember me.”

  “Why would I know who you are? Have we met?”

  “Oh yeah, we’ve met, many times. But of course, you don’t remember me at all you, rich bitch. I’m nothing to you.”

  “But I don’t know who you are.”

  Tears welled in Chelsea’s eyes from the combination of the terror and frustration.

  “Well, I’m sure going to make an impression on you this time. Now shut up and lay down or I’ll kill someone else you love.”

  With reluctance, she took her time laying on the filthy mattress, hoping to prolong wha
t she feared was to come. Telling herself the whole time to remain calm. She didn’t want him to see she was afraid.

  He tied her wrists and ankles to the mattress with a nylon rope already fastened to the sides. From underneath, he pulled out a long thin knife. With slow movements, he cut open first her t-shirt, then her skirt, but left her underwear untouched. She was thankful for small mercies. He started to undo his pants and the fear rose to rest in her throat.

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “I’ve been waiting a long time for this, a very long time, and nothing is going to stop me from enjoying doing what I did to those other girls with you. I promise it’s going to be a whole lot better with you.

  “Please don’t.”

  He emitted a short manic laugh. “I told you not to beg it really doesn’t become you, Chelsea.”

  Trying to place his face, she studied him. Something about him reminded her of…. no, it was her imagination, she couldn’t think straight.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because you’re a rich bitch and need to be taught a lesson.”

  “I never did anything to you.”

  “Oh, but you did.”

  “What?”

  His expression changed. The wild look suddenly returned to his eyes. His stare caused her heart to beat frantically but she continued on, hoping to reason with him.

  “Tell me why you are doing this….”

  The blow surprised her. Her cheek burned, and she could taste blood in her mouth where she’d bit her tongue. Tears pooled in her eyes and stung her face as they fell. As the ringing in her ears cleared, Chelsea heard another voice calling. Although faint, it was definitely a call for help coming from somewhere else in the house. The other missing girl!

  “Dammit, I guess I better go deal with her. Don’t you go anywhere.” He laughed snidely.

  Screams and cries followed, and Chelsea couldn’t block them out no matter how hard she tried. She tugged at her wrist restraints until they tore her skin, as she tried to pull them to cover her ears with the inside of her arms, anything to block out the pleas for mercy. The horror behind those screams was something she didn’t even want to think about as her blood crawled and her skin went cold. Abruptly the sounds ceased, and Chelsea knew what this meant. It was all over.