Lottery (36 page)

“Grab your balls and get moving,” Weber spat angrily. “Or you’ll blow it.”

With Weber spurring him on, Caleb walked down the hallway and stopped at the stairs that led up to the third-floor suite. Listening intently, he heard Ling and Jenee’s muffled voices behind the closed door. He held onto the railing, and took out the gun. Stopping on each step for a second or two, he snuck up the stairs.

He drew in a deep breath and pushed open the door. Ling and Jenee were lying on the bed facing each other, their heads propped up on their hands. Ling’s back was to him, Jenee spotted Caleb first and snapped to attention.

“Jesus,” she gasped and put a hand over her chest. “What the hell are you doing?”

Ling whipped her head around and scrambled to a sitting position.

“He’s going to kill us.” Jenee slapped an arm around Ling and pulled her close.

“Don’t move and don’t scream,” Caleb told them calmly, taking a few steps toward the bed, the gun pointed directly at Jenee. Not taking his eyes off them, he closed the door with his sandaled foot.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, Caleb O’Toole?” Ling asked angrily.

Caleb put his finger over his lips. “Shut up, God damn it. I’m going to tell you exactly what to do and, if there’s so much as a whimper”—he waved the gun—“neither of you will make it out of here.”

“Get out, you fucking whacko,” Jenee ordered.

Caleb extended his arm, aiming the gun at Jenee’s chest. “I’m not kidding around here, bitch.”

Ling threw an arm in front of Jenee. “Okay … okay, calm down, Caleb. Tell us what you want us to do.” Her face drained of color, Caleb knew he was in control.

“Tell them exactly what you want, O’Toole,” Weber said. “Don’t leave anything out or this won’t work and you’ll fail … again.”

“Where’s your phone?” Caleb asked Jenee.

Jenee nodded at her purse. “In there.”

“Get it out,” Caleb said. “And no funny business like pushing a button to call your hick Kansas husband. Got it? I have someone watching your house now.”

Jenee gasped. “
My house
?”

“
My house
?” Caleb mimicked in a high tone. “I want to make sure you do as you’re told.”

Jenee crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t believe you.”

“I have all the money in the world. You think I can’t hire someone to go to Kansas and wipe out your family if you don’t do
exactly
as I say?”

“Oh Jesus. Please … don’t hurt Justin … my babies … please …” Jenee begged, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Do what I tell you and everybody will be just peachy.” Caleb smiled.

“Doing great, O’Toole,” Weber complimented.

“Caleb, you couldn’t hurt anyone,” Ling told him.

“Really?” He glared at Jenee. “You haven’t told her yet?”

Ling turned toward Jenee. “Told me what?”

“I don’t know anything,” Jenee said unconvincingly.

“Get your phone,” Caleb ordered.

Jenee scooted off the bed, found her purse, and took out her phone.

“Remember, if you push one button,” Caleb said, and pointed the gun at Ling, “your friend here is dead.” He nodded at Ling. “You and I, my lovely bride, are going on a trip.”

“A trip?” Ling’s face contorted in terror. “What do you mean … a trip?”

“Get up,” he ordered. Caleb felt empowered.

“What about the kids?” Ling flashed Jenee a fleeting glance.

“The kids are staying here,” he retorted.

“But … when will we be back?” Ling asked.

“No questions.” Caleb wiped the sweat off his forehead. He glared at Jenee. “Get your charger.”

“Charger?” Jenee stared at him blankly. “For my phone?”

“Are you fucking stupid or what?” Caleb’s anger rising, he wanted to hurt Jenee because of what she knew, but Ling would never forgive him. “Just get it.”

Jenee’s eyes raced around the room. “I can’t remember where …” She stumbled to the dresser and pulled the cord out of the wall.

“Turn the phone to silent,” he ordered.

Noticeably trembling, Jenee pressed a button.

Caleb waved the gun toward the door. “The three of us are going downstairs.”

“This is crazy.” Ling put her hand over her forehead. “Caleb, you’re not thinking right.”

“If one of you even so much as breathes too hard, you’re done.” He gave Ling a stern look. “And so is your mother.”

“Oh, God,” Ling implored, “leave Mom alone.”

Joining hands, Ling and Jenee walked out the door to the stairway.

Behind them, Caleb whispered, “Not a word.”

When they reached the second floor landing, Caleb said, “Go to our bedroom.” Caleb followed Ling and Jenee held hands as they walked down the hall and into the master bedroom. Quietly, Caleb closed the door, not taking his eyes from them. “I want you to stay with Sammy,” he told Jenee. “Plug your phone in.” He nodded at the switch on the nightstand closest to Sammy’s bassinette.

Jenee let go of Ling’s hand, walked to the stand, and clumsily plugged the phone into the outlet.

“You and I are going to have a lengthy conversation tonight,” Caleb said to Jenee.

Ling stared at Caleb, her silent tears unending. “But—”

“Shut up,” Caleb snapped. He couldn’t let Ling try to reason with him or he’d get all mixed up.

Caleb took his cell out of the pocket in his jeans. “Call my number.”

“I don’t know your number,” Jenee said tearfully.

“Dial it as I give it to you.”

Jenee opened her phone.

“415 … 457 … 8910,” Caleb told her slowly.

She pushed the numbers as Caleb gave them to her, and put the phone to her ear.

He opened his phone when he saw it light up. “Good,” he answered. “Do not get off this phone until I tell you, do you understand?”

She nodded. Her expression tortured, her eyes went to Ling.

“I know you have an old phone, so you can’t text and do all the fancy things some can do,” Caleb stated. “The power is now turned off to the Internet, land lines, and television in the house, so there’s no way you can use them. And … if I hear any kind of a
click, or if you stop talking”—he nodded at Ling—“you’ll never see Ling or your family again.” He glared at Jenee. “Do you understand?”

Jenee stood frozen in place. “I understand.” She sniveled.

“Where are we going?” Ling glanced at Sammy. “I can’t leave my baby and Ahna.”

“Come on.” He motioned for Ling to go out the door, and then looked back at Jenee. “You might as well sit down. Remember, I’m not fucking around here. Your family is dead if you don’t do as I say.”

Jenee slumped down on the edge of the bed. “Ling, I—”

“Damn it, don’t talk to her,” Caleb said angrily, and then glanced at the door. “This door squeaks. If I hear even one tiny creak while we’re talking … if you so much as think about calling the police, the only thing you’ll hear is a gunshot.”

Jenee shook her head back and forth rapidly. “I won’t. I promise.”

Caleb opened the door slowly, the door creaking as he did. “Get going,” he said to Ling. As Ling started down the hallway, he closed the door. “Jenee,” he whispered into the phone, following Ling down the stairway. “Talk to me.”

“Okay.” Jenee’s voice was strained. “What do you want me to say?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just don’t stop talking. You’re good at that.”

Ling stopped on the bottom step and turned around, her eyes glaring into Caleb’s confidently. “You’re not going to hurt me or anyone else.”

“Set her straight,” Weber told Caleb. “Let her know who’s in charge.”

Caleb yanked back his hand and slapped her across the face, sending Ling to the floor. “Won’t I?” He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, trying not to look at the fresh red mark
on her cheek. Hating himself for the monster he’d become, if Caleb showed one sign of weakness, he’d lose Ling.

“Caleb,” Ling cried softy, “I’ll do anything. Just tell me what you want me to do. Just don’t take me away from my babies.”

Not answering, Caleb led her to the front door, opened it, and closed it behind them.

“Ling?” Jenee sobbed into the phone. “Don’t hurt her, Caleb, don’t hurt her, please.”

“Mind your own fucking business and start talking,” Caleb said between clenched teeth. He grabbed Ling’s arm and pulled her down the walk. She stumbled, but Caleb held onto her.

Ling looked over at him pleadingly. “Why are you doing this?”

Listening to Jenee’s incessant chatter, Caleb put the gun down to his side as he made his way to the BWM in the driveway. Although they lived on two-thirds of an acre, and their house was on a hill, he didn’t want to risk anyone seeing his wife being taken at gunpoint. “Get in the car.”

“I’m not going to leave you, Caleb, I promise,” she pleaded with him, as he pulled her with him to the car.

Caleb opened the passenger door. “I said get in.” Caleb shoved her inside, hurried to the driver’s side, and quickly slid in. He put his phone on speaker and set the cell down on the counsel between them. After he switched the gun to his left hand, he started the car.

“And then when I was six, Justin moved next door and …” Jenee’s teary ramblings served as a chilling backdrop as Caleb backed the car out of the driveway.

“Where are we going?” Ling pleaded. “I don’t understand why you are doing this.”

“She’s playing you,” Weber said. “Don’t let her fool you.”

Heading to the marina, Caleb was focused. “You think you can get away from me? After all I’ve done for you?” He felt a surge of anger.

“Caleb, please, just listen to yourself. You need help.”

Ling was pitiful; begging for help, imploring him to do what she wanted. “
I
need help?” He laughed insanely. “You think you can just use me and then throw me away like I am a piece of shit?”

“When we had Baileigh,” Jenee continued, “I looked down at her face and …” Jenee stopped talking and started to weep.

“Keep talking, damn it,” Caleb shouted.

“And … I … couldn’t believe how beautiful she was.” Jenee managed. “She …”

He parked the car at the marina, grabbed the phone, threw open the car door, and hurried to the passenger side. He thrust open her door. “Get out.” He couldn’t look at her. God, he hated being mean to the person he loved more than anything in the world, but right now, it was necessary.

“Call the police, Jenee,” Ling shouted, and jumped out of the car. Pushing past Caleb, she raced through the marina parking lot. “Call the fucking police!” Running in the pitch-black night, Caleb right behind her, she cried, “
Heeeeelp
! Someone please help me!”

“You do that,” Caleb shouted out of breath into the phone, “you call anyone, she dies.”

When he grabbed Ling’s arm forcefully and whipped her around, she tripped. The sound of her head hitting the concrete frightened Caleb, remembering the sound when Weber had fallen on his boat.

“Ling?” When she didn’t respond, Caleb sandwiched the phone between his chin and shoulder, bent over and picked her up

“Caleb?” Jenee shouted. “What’s going on? Please just tell me what’s—”

“Mind your own fucking business and keep talking.”

enee’s throat burned from talking so long.

“Okay, bitch, we’re done here,” Caleb told Jenee at two in the morning.

“Hello?” Jenee said, but Caleb didn’t answer. “Caleb?” she said a little louder. She closed the phone and sprung off the bed. Her heart skipping beats, she raced into the hall and stopped briefly to peek at Ahna. Seeing the child was asleep, Jenee flew down the stairs.

Her eyes hurt from crying. Was Ling alright? Where had Caleb taken her? Why hadn’t Jenee heard Ling after she called for help? She’d asked Caleb if Ling was alright, but he wouldn’t answer. All she could hear was his heavy breathing and, a few minutes later, the start of what sounded like an engine. A rancid taste rushed into her mouth … oh God … she was going to be sick.

Mei.
Jesus … had Caleb hurt her?

Phone in hand, Jenee sprinted though the foyer as she punched in 9-1-1 into her cell. Fumbling to unlock the front door
while holding the phone, she finally got it open and ran toward the carriage house.

“What’s your emergency?” a voice answered.

At Mei’s door, Jenee shouted out of breath, “Caleb … he took Ling … I …”