Fragrance of Revenge (23 page)

Chapter 68

He came running out the back door to see the Pontiac barreling backwards out the driveway. He could see a man driving and the woman in the passenger seat. He ran around the back of the house and Scott was not at the window. In less than a minute he realized they had taken Scott.

He looked in the cellar window and realized the man was beyond any help. He considered running to his car to give pursuit but it was parked too far away. He quickly ran in the house.
He thought about the new 911 system and wished it was implemented, but no such luck.
He dialed Paddy’s number instead.

“Hello.”

“Paddy, its Mike. We have a big problem.”

*.*.*

Paul Brosque was one of the early police officers to arrive. He had called and specifically asked for Paul to explain what happened. Ten minutes after his conversation with Paul the area was swarming with police cars and officers.

He spotted Paddy flashing his identification and went over to him.

“Paddy this is not a pretty scene. Like I said we have Doctor Adler dead downstairs and Scott kidnapped.”

“Any word on the vehicle they took off in?” Paddy asked.

“No there’s no sign of the car. They have the full description along with the plate number. The police have gone to the care facility in Belmont and have Chris Sullivan’s apartment in Jamaica Plain under surveillance. However, they don’t think he will be stupid enough to go to either location. Alexis Strong attacked Doctor Adler with a straight razor and then sliced him ear to ear.”

“What about Scott?”

“The doctor’s house was searched as a precaution, but they took him with them when they left.”

“What else can you tell me Mike?”

“Well, Scott and I staked out Dudley Street Station after Scott left the money for the blackmailer. After the guy, Chris Sullivan, picked up the money, we lost him, but came here on a possibility he would come here. When we checked out the property we witnessed Alexis Strong and Doctor Adler having sex while he was tied up. They spotted us and that’s when all hell broke loose and the doctor was subsequently killed.”

“Any other concerns?”

“You bet. Scott has a revolver with him and there’s no sign of the murder weapon. Paddy, this is Melanie Strong’s twin and we know how Melanie was hell bent on keeping Scott prisoner and almost killing him twice. This is the worst possible scenario for Scott.”

“This has certainly gotten out of hand.”

“Paddy, before she killed Dr. Adler, Alexis took his manhood and held it up for us to see.”

“Maybe, but maybe she was holding it up for Scott to see.” He watched Paddy thinking about things. “Mike, have you called Stephen Strong?”

“No.”

“You better call him and tell him what has happened and what he can expect the newspapers will do with this. His secret is no longer going to be under wraps, but will surely be front page fodder. You might want to tell him to make his twin daughter public information before it comes out another way.” Paddy looked at Mike. “Is something bothering you about calling him?”

“No, that’s not what is concerning me. I saw what Alexis did to the doctor. Her twin sister was Melanie and we know how focused she was on Scott…I just hope she doesn’t have the same infatuation.”

“Well, she has the other guy Sullivan with her.”

“Sure she does, and she had the doctor with her too. Did you hear anything about the status of Mercedes’ kidnapping?”

“Good question. I better try to reach Robert Damelio. He might have been trying to reach me. I think we better say a prayer for both of them.”

Chapter 69

I could feel my body being tossed around. I took stock of my senses. My head hurt something fierce. The last memory I had was the rock being swung at my head. I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on the back seat of a car. It hurt to open my eyes but I saw the long red hair hanging over the passenger seat and the blackmailer driving the car very fast on a highway.

I reached for the gun in the front of my pants and it was missing. I could smell the scent of Gardenia and without any question it was Melanie’s twin Alexis. Then I remembered what I witnessed and my thoughts quickly went to my own captivity. It’s happening again.

“Slow down Chris. The last thing we need is to attract attention.” She turned and looked at me. “Our guest is awake. She kneeled in the seat and waved the razor near my nose. “Don’t try anything funny or it will be the last thing you do. Now stay down and don’t stick your head up.”

I noticed they were both dressed. My head continued to throb.

“Do you have a headache Scott?”

I didn’t answer and I was surprised she knew my name.

“Yes Mr. Tucker I know who you are, who you love, and what my sister did to you…not once, but twice. Welcome.”

“Alexis we have to decide where we’re going. They will obviously be looking for this car.”

“You know what is around. I don’t even know how to drive. You pick it.”

“We need to get this car into a parking garage with a hotel nearby. I know where we can go.”

“Chris, don’t go too far from the city. I need to pay my parents a visit and you’re going to have to drive me.”

I heard what she said and wondered what they were going to do with me.
I didn’t like those thoughts.

Chapter 70

She had the operator try to reach Scott at his apartment, but there still wasn’t any answer. It was 2 am and Scott was still not home. She had the operator try her apartment without any answer.
Where are you Scott? More importantly what are you doing? She thought of their conversation and if he is with Maggie, she is going to kill him.

Despite her better judgment, she needed to have the operator try another number.

“Hello.”

“Mr. Strong, your daughter Mercedes Strong is calling from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Will you accept her collect call?”

“Yes I will.”

“Go Ms. Strong. Your father has accepted the call.”

“Dad, its Mercy.”

“My God, are you okay? You never call in the middle of the night like this.”

“I’m still in Venezuela and there have been some…complications. I’m headed home later this morning. However, we have made some progress on finding the missing people. Look, do you have any idea where Scott is? I have tried him at his apartment, and at mine, but I can’t reach him.”

There was dead silence on the other end of the line. “Dad, do you know where he is?”

“No, not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

“I can’t elaborate. Just a minute. Go back to sleep honey, its Mercedes. She’s calling to tell me she’s coming home from her Venezuela trip. Now, go back to sleep. I’m back. Where were we?”

“You were in the midst of what sounded like you knew where Scott was, but you were covering for him.”

“You don’t stop being an investigator, do you?”

“Please dad, I’m concerned about him. This isn’t like him at all. I need to talk with him.”

“I understand. Let me try to track him down and have him call you.”

“You can’t reach me here. Why do you think you can track him down? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Mercy I will explain everything when you get home. In the meantime I will try to track him down. Call me before your flight leaves and I’ll either have him here, or I will let you know where he is.”

She was trying her best to hold her emotions back. “Dad, I’ve had a very trying day here, and I really need to talk with Scott. If you could get him there when I call back around 9 before my plane leaves that would be great.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks Dad. I’m sorry I was so short with you. How is mom doing?”

“The same. Things are very fragile here. We’ll talk when you get home. There’s much we have to talk about.”

They said their goodbyes but she knew her dad well enough that he wasn’t telling her the whole story. She never told him she had discovered who he was having an affair with and wondered now if that was what he was going to share with her.

She thought about her mom. She hasn’t been the same for several years and when the news came out about Melanie and the other women keeping and killing men in Boston, well she had a nervous breakdown. When Melanie’s exploits were reported in Bermuda and then when she killed herself that caused her to have a heart attack. If she knew what her father was doing, it might just cause another. She knew she could never tell her mother she was kidnapped and molested twice, but knew she could share it with her father.

Could she ever share that with Scott?

Chapter 71

“Hello Mercy?”

“No, Stephen its Mike Miller, Scott’s work associate. You were expecting a call from Mercedes?”

“Well she just called a minute ago to tell me she was coming home later this morning. However, the real reason she was calling was she couldn’t reach Scott, and wondered if I knew where to reach him.”

“That’s why I’m calling Stephen.”

“About Scott?”

“Yes. Look, I know that Scott was doing an investigation for you to find out who was blackmailing you.” There was dead silence on the other end. “Here’s what has happened. Scott has been abducted. We know it was the guy who was blackmailing you. His name is Chris Sullivan and he works at the Lighthouse Manor where you have hidden your daughter.”

“Please hold for a minute, I need to pick this up in my office. No honey, its Mercedes calling back and I need to talk with her in my office. Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s very early, so please go back to sleep. Everything is okay.” There was a pause on the phone. “Mike, I’m back. So, Scott has told you what he was doing?”

“He only told me about the blackmailing. I went with him for the money drop tonight and Chris picked up the money but we lost him. We located him at Doctor Adler’s house.”

“Why was he there?”

“It gets more complicated. Here’s the bottom line…I’m calling to give you a heads up. The press will be reporting what I’m about to tell you and I want you to do what you need to do ahead of them. Your daughter Alexis was torturing the doctor who was tied up in his basement. After they both discovered Scott and I observing what she was doing, she killed the doctor. Before she did that she said something to him and took his manly parts with a razor.”

“You have to be mistaken.”

“I wish, but I witnessed it first hand. She held up what she cut off before she sliced his throat. All three of them were naked.”

“Three?”

“Chris was there watching her have sex with the doctor before she took his parts and slit his throat. Chris and Alexis took Scott before they left in a car.”

“That’s why Mercedes couldn’t reach Scott.”

“Look Stephen, I know Scott was trying to help you find out who was blackmailing you, but now we know and it has gotten a lot more serious. This was a courtesy call to tell you some of what you might hear.”

“Thanks for the call Mike. I hope Scott is going to be okay.”

“You know Stephen, if Melanie tried to kill Scott twice, and did some other horrible things while he was in captivity, her twin might just pick up where she left off. You better pray for his safety. Do you have any idea where she or Chris might go?”

He heard a click. “Did you hang up the phone in the bedroom?”

“Shit,” Stephen answered.

He heard the dial tone next.

Chapter 72

He slowed the car down realizing Alexis was right about drawing attention. It was hard to believe what Alexis did to the doctor. Not the part about torturing him and then making love to him. It was cutting his manhood off and then slitting his throat. All while she knew he was watching her and while she knew there were others outside the window.

He stole a glance at Alexis who was sitting back in the passenger seat. She seemed to be in a trance and very quiet. She was staring at the straight razor blade which he noticed was still covered in blood. He looked back at the road and then saw something out of the corner of his eye. It couldn’t have been what he saw. He confirmed what he saw—she actually licked the blade.

“What?” Alexis asked.

“Are you okay?”

“Why…because I wanted to taste his blood?”

“Yeah. Don’t you feel bad about what you just did?”

“Should I? He treated me like a slave for years. It was a good thing I enjoyed what he was doing, but that doesn’t forgive him for how he took advantage of me. Speaking of what I did…you didn’t take pictures did you?”

He didn’t like where this was going. “No, you did everything so fast I never had a chance.”

“Are you sorry about what I did to the doctor?” He didn’t respond. “Be thankful it wasn’t you.” He saw her turn to look in the backseat. When she turned back around she turned the razor over and licked the other side.

He thought about how casually she took killing the doctor. He wasn’t a stranger to her at all, but she doesn’t seem to be regretting what she did. He remembered being tied up and it could have been him that she parted. He was glad they had company who she might focus her attention on. He remembered she wants to go to her father’s house. That doesn’t sound good, but the good news is that she needs him to drive her there. He had planned to kill her parents at some point. Maybe she was going to do it for him. That would leave her other sister Mercedes…what about her?

*.*.*

He pulled into the Burlington mall covered parking area. He noticed a few cars parked on the third level and backed his up against the wall.

“Nicely done Chris. This is just what you were looking for.”

“There’s a hotel right next door. We just need to get Scott into a room without attracting attention. It is early in the morning and checkout time is in just a few hours.”

“Just tell them you’re from out of state and staying more than one night. You need to check in, you know I can’t.”

“Are you going to be okay alone with him?”

“You have got to be kidding. I have a razor that is still very sharp despite its recent use, and I have his gun. He wouldn’t dare try anything…would you Scott?”

There wasn’t any response.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Still no response.

“That gives me an interesting idea. I wonder what he values more, his tongue or his…”

“Should I go now?” Chris asked.

“Yes, and Chris…relax a little. You look like you were the one who would be using the ladies room today.”

“What name should I give them?”

“If you were with a girlfriend, or somebody’s wife, what name would you use? Oh, and Chris…we need two double beds, one for our guest. In your travels see if you can find something to tie him up with.”

“At least he doesn’t have a door to get out since this is a two door.”

“That gives me another idea.” He watched her climb over the seat still with the razor blade exposed. “We’ll be getting acquainted while you’re gone. There are some things I’m curious about.”

He looked in the rear view mirror. She was seated way over on his side of the car, and Scott was still lying down on the seat. He could feel a tinge of jealousy.

“Well, the quicker you get us a room, the quicker we can get settled in. Hi Scott, we haven’t been properly introduced yet, I’m Alexis. You’ve seen me before, but I had a different name. Aren’t you going to welcome me back? Didn’t you miss my attention, or was Mercedes satisfying all your needs?”

“Alexis, don’t kill him in my car.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, giving orders again are we? Scott won’t be much use to me dead. You can leave now. I have some research to do.”

The light came on in the car as he opened the door. He heard her ask, “So when you were watching the good doctor and me, what part did you like most?”

There was no answer.

“Cat still got your tongue, huh? Fine, stick out your tongue.”

He was still standing by the car and saw her hit him in the groin, fortunately with the hand without the razor. He heard Scott yell.

“Okay Chris, the shows postponed for you. You were going to get us a room.” He watched her turn back to Scott. “Now stick out your tongue.”

He walked away from the car, but wondered even more what she was capable of. He could also feel some jealousy forming, but knew he shouldn’t show it to her.