back its cover, her arm seemed to freeze.
“Don’t.” Roy slipped the blade through Karen’s hair until its point stopped against the back of her neck. She sucked a quick breath. Keeping the knife at her neck, Roy bent down. He reached over her shoulder and lifted the hand ax out of the pack. Its haft was wood. A leather case enclosed its head. He tossed the ax behind him. It thumped heavily on the carpeted floor.
“Okay, now get the other rope.”
She searched inside the pack and brought out a coil of clothesline much like the first, but gray and soft with wear.
“Get up.”
She stood.
Roy swung her around to face him. “Hands out.” He pulled the rope away from her. He slid his knife under his belt and tightly bound her hands together. He stepped away from her, paying out rope. Then he picked up the hand ax and the spare coil. Pulling the rope, he led her out the doorway and into the hall. He found the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He pulled her into it.
“Guess what happens now,” he said.
“Aren’t I too old for you?”
He grinned, remembering Joni. “You’re way too old for me,” he said. He led her across the carpeted room to a closet. He opened its door halfway and shoved Karen against the wall. With the door between them, he passed the rope over its top and pulled.
“Damn it!” she muttered.
“Shut up.”
“Roy!”
He yanked the rope. The door knocked against him as Karen hit its other side. He saw her fingertips over its top. No doorknob on the inside. Shit! He ran the taut line down to the bottom of the door. Crawling, he brought it under the edge to the front. He lifted one of Karen’s feet. She kicked at him. He punched her behind the knee, making her cry out. Then he brought the rope up between her legs and crossed it over her right leg. He tied it to the knob, next to her hip.
He stepped back and admired his work. Karen stood pressed to the door, arms stretched to the top. The rope appeared at the bottom of the door, near the center, and angled to the right, passing over her leg to the doorknob.
“Now tell me what I want to know.”
“What’s that?”
“Where’re Donna and Sandy?”
“At their place?” she asked. In spite of her situation, her voice maintained a sarcastic edge.
Roy sliced through one shoulder strap of her bikini, then the other. “They aren’t there, and you know it.”
“They aren’t?”
He cut through its back. He reached to her side, and tugged the bikini top from between her body and the door. “Tell me where they are.”
“If they aren’t at home, I wouldn’t…”
He sliced through the left side of her bikini pants. The edges flopped away. She clamped her legs shut to keep the pants from slipping down.
“What time does your husband get home?”
“Soon.”
“What time?” He pulled the pants down to her ankles.
“Maybe four-thirty.”
“It’s only three now. That gives us lots of time.”
“I don’t know where they went.”
“Oh?” He laughed. “You may be able to take a lot of pain. I’ll be happy to give it to you. But let me tell you something: If you love that husband of yours, you’ll tell me what I want to know before he gets home. When you tell me where they are, I’ll leave. I won’t hurt you, I won’t hurt your husband. If I’m still here when he gets home, though, I’m going to kill you and him both.”
“I don’t know where she is.”
“Sure you do.”
“I don’t.”
“Well then, that’s too bad for both of you, isn’t it?”
She said nothing.
“Where did they go?”
Crouching, he drew a question mark on the white flesh of her left buttock, and watched it bleed.
C HAPTER N INE
1.
From his position on Front Street near the south corner of the wrought-iron fence, Jud watched half a dozen people leave Beast House. The final tour of the day was over. He looked at his wristwatch. Almost four.
Maggie Kutch left the house last, and locked the door. She made her way slowly down
“Don’t.” Roy slipped the blade through Karen’s hair until its point stopped against the back of her neck. She sucked a quick breath. Keeping the knife at her neck, Roy bent down. He reached over her shoulder and lifted the hand ax out of the pack. Its haft was wood. A leather case enclosed its head. He tossed the ax behind him. It thumped heavily on the carpeted floor.
“Okay, now get the other rope.”
She searched inside the pack and brought out a coil of clothesline much like the first, but gray and soft with wear.
“Get up.”
She stood.
Roy swung her around to face him. “Hands out.” He pulled the rope away from her. He slid his knife under his belt and tightly bound her hands together. He stepped away from her, paying out rope. Then he picked up the hand ax and the spare coil. Pulling the rope, he led her out the doorway and into the hall. He found the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He pulled her into it.
“Guess what happens now,” he said.
“Aren’t I too old for you?”
He grinned, remembering Joni. “You’re way too old for me,” he said. He led her across the carpeted room to a closet. He opened its door halfway and shoved Karen against the wall. With the door between them, he passed the rope over its top and pulled.
“Damn it!” she muttered.
“Shut up.”
“Roy!”
He yanked the rope. The door knocked against him as Karen hit its other side. He saw her fingertips over its top. No doorknob on the inside. Shit! He ran the taut line down to the bottom of the door. Crawling, he brought it under the edge to the front. He lifted one of Karen’s feet. She kicked at him. He punched her behind the knee, making her cry out. Then he brought the rope up between her legs and crossed it over her right leg. He tied it to the knob, next to her hip.
He stepped back and admired his work. Karen stood pressed to the door, arms stretched to the top. The rope appeared at the bottom of the door, near the center, and angled to the right, passing over her leg to the doorknob.
“Now tell me what I want to know.”
“What’s that?”
“Where’re Donna and Sandy?”
“At their place?” she asked. In spite of her situation, her voice maintained a sarcastic edge.
Roy sliced through one shoulder strap of her bikini, then the other. “They aren’t there, and you know it.”
“They aren’t?”
He cut through its back. He reached to her side, and tugged the bikini top from between her body and the door. “Tell me where they are.”
“If they aren’t at home, I wouldn’t…”
He sliced through the left side of her bikini pants. The edges flopped away. She clamped her legs shut to keep the pants from slipping down.
“What time does your husband get home?”
“Soon.”
“What time?” He pulled the pants down to her ankles.
“Maybe four-thirty.”
“It’s only three now. That gives us lots of time.”
“I don’t know where they went.”
“Oh?” He laughed. “You may be able to take a lot of pain. I’ll be happy to give it to you. But let me tell you something: If you love that husband of yours, you’ll tell me what I want to know before he gets home. When you tell me where they are, I’ll leave. I won’t hurt you, I won’t hurt your husband. If I’m still here when he gets home, though, I’m going to kill you and him both.”
“I don’t know where she is.”
“Sure you do.”
“I don’t.”
“Well then, that’s too bad for both of you, isn’t it?”
She said nothing.
“Where did they go?”
Crouching, he drew a question mark on the white flesh of her left buttock, and watched it bleed.
C HAPTER N INE
1.
From his position on Front Street near the south corner of the wrought-iron fence, Jud watched half a dozen people leave Beast House. The final tour of the day was over. He looked at his wristwatch. Almost four.
Maggie Kutch left the house last, and locked the door. She made her way slowly down
Similar Books
