Brooklyn's Song (19 page)

Chapter 70

Brooklyn parked her dune buggy on the beach right outside of Rose’s house. She ran up the stairs of the sundeck and knocked on the door, but no one answered. She heard muffled voices; it sounded like they were coming from the TV…And a tea kettle whistling. Brooklyn decided to go around to the front entrance. She stood on the porch, rang the bell and tried the brass door knocker. She listened, thinking maybe Rose was in the bedroom or the bathroom. When Brooklyn didn’t hear approaching footsteps, she tried opening the door; it was unlocked. Brooklyn tentatively entered.

“Hello...Is anyone home?” Brooklyn shouted.

Brooklyn looked around as she made her way through the foyer. “Rose, are you here? I saw your buggy out back and your car in the driveway.”

Brooklyn walked into the kitchen and noticed a mug sitting on the granite counter with a fresh tea bag still inside. She reached and took the steaming kettle off the stove and turned the burner off. She walked to the kitchen swing doors and pushed them open. Brooklyn stopped in her tracks and gasped.

“Rose! Rose!” she cried.

Rose was lying on her back in front of the dining room table. Broken China and silverware were scattered on the floor. Brooklyn knelt down beside her. One of Rose’s eyes was swollen shut and blood was trickling from her nose and mouth.

Brooklyn held Rose’s frail hand in hers. “Don’t speak... Don’t try to speak, It’s okay … I’m going to call 911. Just stay still.”

Brooklyn ran over to a corner table and snatched the cordless phone from the base and dialed 911. She listened, but there wasn’t a dial tone. She ran into the kitchen and picked up the old fashioned wall phone and repeatedly pressed the receiver button. “Come on! Come on!” she yelled.

Then she heard a familiar voice from behind her. “It’s not going to work; the cord has been cut.”

Before Brooklyn could turn, Harold grabbed her and placed a chloroform soaked rag over her nose and mouth. She dug her nails into his hand. She heard him let out a loud yelp. Suddenly her arms and legs felt rubbery. She couldn’t stand or keep her eyes open. Everything went pitch black.

Chapter 71

Mattice stared at Song and noticed his horrified expression. “Song, what’s wrong, what’s wrong?” Mattice said.

Song repeated to Mattice the information that Carla had just given him, and then shouted, “We have to find her now! I think Harold is the rapist who has been using chloroform on his victims.”

“Let’s try to stay calm, we’re going to find her, okay … We’ll find her,” Mattice said. Even he could hear the fear in his own voice. “I’ll get in touch with Skynyrd.”

Skynyrd was the lead detective at the Special Victims unit; they were unable to find any leads on the rapist. Mattice knew this was dicey; he and Song had conducted an illegal search, therefore any evidence found wouldn’t be admissible. Mattice decided to use *67 when he made the call so it couldn’t be traced; and he was going to disguise his voice.

“How the hell did he get inside Brooklyn’s apartment? Up until two days ago, she had round- the -clock security,” Mattice said.

“I don’t know,” Song said, as a thought occurred to him. “Spen, can you tell when the video feed was created?”

Spen typed on the keyboard and brought the properties of the file up. “It was created two days ago.”

Song remembered Brooklyn saying, ‘
My co-worker Harold gave me a lovely potted plant.’
“The camera is more than likely inside a potted plant he gave Brooklyn. Can you look at his search history?”

“Sorry Song, that’s been cleared. There are methods I can use to locate it, but it will take an hour or longer, and there’s no guarantee.”

“No! We don’t have time for that. I’m going to call the governor and find out if he has any idea where Brooklyn could have gone. Just clean up in here and leave everything as you found it.”

After leaving Harold’s apartment, Mattice, Song and Spen drove to Brooklyn’s loft.

Ernie the doorman was standing outside holding the pink leash of a white toy poodle when they approached. Ernie’s smile quickly turned to a frown when he saw Song.

“Ernie, we need to get inside Miss Peirce’s apartment?” Song said.

Ernie sighed. “She’s not home and I’m sorry, I can’t let you in.”

Mattice pulled his badge out. “Listen, this is an urgent police matter, we have every reason to believe that Miss Pierce is in grave danger.”

Ernie quickly stepped aside letting them through. They raced through the lobby to the elevator.

Spen picked the lock of her apartment. Once inside, Song located the plant sitting on the island. He picked it up and lifted one of the leaves; there inside was a mini spy camera.

“Hello beautiful,” Spen said, as he studied the camera.

Song walked into the bedroom and switched the light on. Nothing looked out of place. “Where are you,” he whispered.

His cell phone rang. “Detective Kai, this is Governor Peirce, I’m spending time with my very pregnant daughter. Is everything okay?”

“Brooklyn is in danger,” Song said, with desperation in his voice.

“What are you ...What are you talking about?” the governor anxiously said.

“Where would she go to get away from everything?”

“I don’t know...Maybe our home in the Hamptons or Cape Cod.” He gave Song the addresses to both homes. ”What the hell do you mean my daughter is in danger?”

Song told the governor everything they learned about Harold. “I’ll be back in the city in about two hours. Find my daughter Detective Kai and bring her home. I will give you every resource I have at my disposal.” His voice broke with emotion. “Find her, please.”

“Song, she’s in Cape Cod,“ Mattice yelled.

“I found the number to the rental car agency she Googled. I just got off the phone with them; they confirmed that Brooklyn rented a car. I asked them to check the GPS; the car is on the Cape,” Spen said.

“Spen, thanks man, I owe you. Lock up, when you’re finished. Mattice and I have to leave,” Song said.

Chapter 72

Brooklyn tried to lift her head from the sofa, but the room was spinning too fast. She closed her eyes trying to will the nauseous feeling away. She felt as if her nasal passages and throat were on fire. More than anything, she wanted a cold drink of water. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on something, anything, but her vision was fading in and out. Brooklyn waited a few minutes and then slowly opened her eyes again, this time things seemed a bit clearer. She glanced at the mantle over the fireplace and saw a portrait of her parents and realized she was back in her beach house.

Everything started to come back to her. She quickly sat up and it felt like she was on a ship, the furniture in the room seemed to sway back and forth. She looked in front of the sofa and noticed the clothes she was wearing were all over the floor. Brooklyn looked down and was shocked and horrified to see that she was now dressed in a long white negligee and her hands were bound with duct tape. She smelled the aroma of Italian food and then heard footsteps walking towards her.

“Good, you’re awake.”

When she saw Harold’s face, her heart was beating so fast and so loud she could hear it pounding in her ears. Harold wore an apron and was staring down at her smiling.

“The gown…It fits you quite nicely…Just the way I pictured it. You’re so beautiful. Don’t worry, I didn’t take advantage of you. I bet you’re thirsty.”

He held a glass of water with a straw to Brooklyn’s lips. She finished the entire glass of water.

“Harold,” she said, her voice sounding raspy. “Harold…Why? Why did you hurt Rose and why are you doing this?”

Harold sat the glass on the table and brushed Brooklyn’s hair back with his hand. He ran his fingers over one of the lace straps on the negligee. Brooklyn instinctively flinched when he touched her.

“Brooklyn, I just wanted to spend time alone with you. I wanted our first night together to be romantic and special.”

Brooklyn thought about the self defense classes she’d taken, and realized the best way out of this was to stay calm and not show him that she was afraid.

She forced herself to smile. “That’s sweet of you Harold, but I’m disappointed that you hurt Rose.”

“She told me she was going to call the police when she saw me peering through your window. I’m sorry…I panicked and struck her. In any case, it’s just the two of us now.”

Brooklyn looked out onto the deck and Bella hadn’t moved. Brooklyn knew something was wrong. Harold followed her gaze.

“Bella will be out for quite awhile; I gave her enough tranquilizers to take down a horse.”

Brooklyn fought back the urge to scream, but she knew if she were going to make it through the night, she had to keep her wits about her. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from coming to the surface. Song, find me, please find me.

Chapter 73

Song and Mattice flew in a private helicopter provided by the governor to Cape Cod. They called ahead to notify the local authorities they would be arriving in pursuit of the suspect and provided them with all the details of the crime. They met the local lead detective, Oriana Dixon, a middle -aged woman with weathered skin, a buzz cut and eyes as blue as the ocean water.

“Emmons road is the only road that leads to the island,” Detective Dixon said, with conviction and authority,” You ain’t gonna make it there in a sedan or even a truck. We’re going to have to use four wheelers. They can get a little loud, so we’re going to drive up and walk the rest of the way “

“What about a boat?” Mattice asked.

“The way this house is designed; he will see us coming a mile away. I don’t know what this guy’s state of mind is; I certainly don’t want to spook him. I know the two of you have invested some time into this case and it’s personal, but this is my jurisdiction, so fellas, I’ll be running the show. Do you guys have a problem with…”

Before Detective Dixon could finish her sentence, a police car with its lights flashing followed by a Town Car sped through the parking lot and abruptly came to a stop. The governor quickly exited the car and ran over to where Song, Mattice and an army of detectives and police officers were gathered.

“I want an update now!” he shouted.

Detective Dixon introduced herself and explained her plan to the governor.

“Detective Dixon, I want Detectives Blake and Kai to play an active role in rescuing my daughter. I have complete trust that they’ll return my daughter safely to me.”

“Governor, with all due respect, this is my jurisdiction, and I’m calling the shots.”

“I don’t give a damn whose jurisdiction this is, that’s my daughter!” the governor shouted.

FBI agent Waters stepped forward and showed his credentials.

“I’m FBI agent Waters and we are treating this as a kidnapping case across state lines. We appreciate any support that your department can provide. Detective Kai and Blake you’re with me. “

Chapter 74

Harold sipped a glass of wine while he sat across the candle lit table from Brooklyn.

“Honey, you really should eat your salad. I went through a lot of trouble finding the freshest ingredients at the market,“ Harold said.

“I appreciate that, really, I’m just not ... Not that hungry,” Brooklyn said. Harold cut away the duct tape so that she could eat.

Harold quickly stood, snatched Brooklyn’s plastic fork from her hand and shoved it into a pineapple spear. He grabbed her by the hair.

“You know, you women are all the same; you never appreciate the nice things we do for you! Now open your fucking mouth! Show me how much you appreciate the hard work I put into preparing this for you!”             

Brooklyn tried to pull away, but he gripped her hair tighter. She kept reminding herself that she couldn’t show him fear. She hesitatingly opened her mouth.

“Now isn’t that just yummy?” Harold said.

Harold reached and caught a droplet of pineapple juice running down Brooklyn’s chin with his finger and seductively put it in his mouth. Brooklyn felt the bile rise in his throat and wasn’t sure if she would be able to keep the pineapple down.

“I bet you taste as sweet as the pineapple.”

Brooklyn closed her eyes as the thought of what was to come began to set in.

He traced his finger over her lips and smiled. “We’ll have all night to get to know each other better. First, let me get our main course.” Harold walked to the counter and brought two plates filled with pasta and chicken parmesan to the table and sat them down.

“I used fresh herbs in the sauce; I really think you’ll like it.”

“Harold may…May I please have a knife to cut the chicken?” Brooklyn nervously asked.

A maniacal smile spread across Harold’s face. Brooklyn could sense pure hatred beneath the surface. He walked over carrying a steak knife. Brooklyn was frightened to her core. His expression showed he was more than capable of killing her.

He knelt down beside Brooklyn and proceeded to cut her chicken into bite size pieces. When he finished, he licked the sauce off the knife and stared at Brooklyn. This knife is very sharp; I wouldn’t want you to cut yourself. “

He carried the knife back over to his placemat and laid it down. Brooklyn picked her water glass and gulped down the water. Her throat still felt raw.

“I’ve been in love with you from the moment I saw you. You were different…Not like the other women.”

Brooklyn forced a smile. “I like you too, “Harold.”

Harold’s expression turned dark. “That’s what I used to think until you came to school with your neck marked up. I stood outside the classroom when you were on the phone. I heard you telling that detective that I ‘wasn’t your type.’ You slept with him, didn’t you?” he shouted.

The doorbell rang. Brooklyn’s fear grew more intense. Oh no, please, not Lonette, Brooklyn thought.