Web of Deceit (19 page)

Nearing the house,
she spies two men running out of the house and down the steps with flashlights.
Beth runs to a large snow-covered bush on the side of the house to stay out of
sight.
Great. Laurel and Hardy to the rescue.
She watches on as the two
head in the opposite directions.
Maybe they will lead me to Elliot.
“Huh,” a gasp escapes Beth’s mouth as something brushes up against her
shoulder.
Oh no, am I caught?
A hand clasps her mouth shut.

“Don’t say
anything and follow me,” Elliot says.  Beth relaxes as he leads her to a
window. “I can’t fit, but you can. And once you’re down there, you can unlock
the door and let me in. OK?”

No… who knows
what’s down there? But I have to do it for Sarah.
Beth nods, agreeing to
the idea.

Taking a roll of
duct tape out of his duffel bag, Elliot completely covers one of the glass
pains. Tossing the roll of tape back in the duffel bag, he locates a small pair
of bolt cutters. He pushes them against the thin glass pane until he feels it
give and start to crack. With a free hand he removes the tape with the broken
glass stuck to it. Elliot cuts the inside latch and opens the window. “Here,”
Elliot hands the cutters to Beth. “You may need these.”

Beth places the
tool in her back pocket and climbs through the rectangular window, feet first.
Dangling inside, the front of her body is pressed up against the cold basement
wall. Her hands have a death grip on the windowsill as she lowers herself as
close to the floor as possible. “I can’t touch the floor.”

“I’ll lower you
down the rest of the way.” Elliot grips both hands just above her wrists far
enough up so she is able to do the same and then lowers her as far as he can.
“Can you reach?”

“No, I’ll have to
jump and hope for the best. Let go of my wrists.”

“Are you ready?”

Beth takes a deep
breath. “Yes.” She forces herself to let go and drop to the floor.

“Are you OK?”

“Yes, just get to
the door,” replies Beth.
It’s cold and smelly and exceptionally creepy. Ugh,
I don’t even want to know what I just tripped over.

“
Hon, are
you OK?”

“Yes, as soon as I
quit running into things, I’ll be there.”

“Use the
flashlight I gave you.”

Oh yeah,
I
forgot about that.
Beth pulls the small light out of her pocket and turns
it on.
That’s better. Good thing I wore my cargo’s. I needed the extra
pockets today. There it is. Man! That’s a huge bolt.
Beth reaches up to
pull the metal bolt loose. “Are you out there?”

“Yes, hurry up. I
think I hear footsteps.”

She pulls the
long, thick, brass-plated steel bolt out of the catch and lets Elliot in.

“Turn your light
off and hide.” He closes and latches the door.

Footsteps approach
the basement door. “Jerry, where you goin’?” a deep voice asks.

“Quiet, Harold.
You’ll let them know I’m coming. I’m checking out the basement,” Jerry says.

“I think they
might have gone back to the other side of the property. Lou’s checking out the
other four-wheeler. Come on, she might need us,” Harold says.

“But I think I
heard something in the basement,” Jerry says.

“It was probably a
rat. Come on,” Harold says, losing his patience.

Elliot and Beth
remain motionless until the voices are far enough away that they are too
muffled to understand.

“I think it’s
clear,” Elliot says.

“Man! That was
close. Do you think there really are rats down here?”

“I don’t know, but
I think they’re the least of our worries.”

“Good point.”

Elliot turns his
flashlight on and scans the dirt basement. “It looks like a normal dirt cellar
to me.”

“I know, but isn’t
it kind of small for the size of this place?”

“Yeah.” Elliot
agrees as he continues shining the light around the stone walls.

“Wait, go back by
the stairs. I think I saw a door.”

“Good eye. Let’s
check it out.” Elliot leads the way to the door. “Be alert at all times. You
never know what might be on the other side of a closed door.” Elliot twists the
knob and opens the door small cracks at a time. Elliot opens the door wide
enough to poke his head inside.

“What are you
thinking?” Beth smacks him in the back of his head. “Don’t you watch movies?
Sticking your head through first is never a good idea.”

“Oh no.” Elliot
pretends to be sucked into the room.

“That’s not funny,
Elliot.”

“I know; I’m
sorry. I couldn’t resist.” Elliot smirks as he investigates the small room
shining the light on the paneled walls.

“That’s odd. Why
would you put an office in a basement?”

“A well-kept one
at that,” Elliot says. “Feel around. Maybe there’s a secret door.”

“A secret door?”
Beth questions, while second-guessing Elliot’s sanity.

“When’s the last
time you’ve seen an electric rod-iron fence?”

“OK… searching for
a secret door.” Beth searches a small, oak-finished desk located in the back of
the room. “Hey, maybe there is a secret button under the desk.” Beth says,
messing with Elliot as she pulls the chair out to search under it. “No way!”

“What?”

“There’s a red
button underneath the desk. Shall I push it?”

“No! It could be a
silent alarm.” He feels all over and around the brown paneling that covers the
wall on the left side of the room.

“Elliot, you are
ridiculous.” Beth draws closer to Elliot. “We are wasting time. Let’s go find
Sarah.”

Pop.

“I knew it.”
Elliot pushes a creaky door open. “They designed it to blend in with the paneling.
So, unless you’re looking for it, you won’t find it.”

“Yes, yes. You’re
very smart. Just go already.” Beth gives him a playful push through the door.

“Wait, we have to
close the office door. If someone comes down, we don’t want them to suspect
anything.”

“Got it.” Beth
shines herself a path to the door and closes it.

*   *   *

Symphony returns
the layers of coats to her cold, numb body while watching the paramedics load
Joanna into the ambulance. Symphony tightens her fists and releases them trying
to warm them up as she surveys the estate.
I
wonder which way Beth
and Elliot went. Hope they’re OK
.

As the driver
closes the door, he tries to catch Symphony’s attention. “We’re taking her to
Mercy Hospital. They have the best burn unit in this area. OK?”

Symphony stares at
the driver a moment before realizing he is talking to her. “Yeah … thanks.” She
gives an obligated wave good-bye as she turns towards the house to decide her
plan of attack.

Symphony watches a
four-wheeler approach from the direction of the farmhouse as the ambulance
speeds out of the field and onto the road, rushing Joanna back toward the city.

“Great, the
welcoming committee,” Symphony says.

“Hey! What are you
doing over there!?” An angry female nears Symphony on a Yamaha Rhino.

That’s a stupid
question. I’m obviously not gonna answer that.
Symphony runs for cover in
the trees near the edge of the road.

“Get back here!”
Lou says, Mrs. Freedman’s accomplice.

Yeah, let me
think about that for a moment.
She jumps over a fallen tree.
This path
seems bumpy enough to even the odds. Let’s see if Cruella can catch me now.
Symphony
glances back to see Lou closing in.
Wow! Those Rhino’s stand up to their
name. Sucks to be me.
Symphony runs as fast as she can to the road that
leads to the cottage where the cars are parked.
I’ll take Beth’s Jeep and
drive past the house. After I find a better hiding spot, I’ll sneak back to
help Beth and Elliot.

“Cut her off at
the end of the road!” Lou says loud enough for Symphony to hear.

That can’t be
good. Maybe she’s bluffing.
Symphony dodges a pine by jumping over a large
snow- covered log. “Ugh.” The hem of Symphony’s coat catches a branch on the
fallen tree. She trips and tumbles forward as the branch snaps at the last
second.

“She’s over here,”
a deep male voice says.

So much for
bluffing.
Symphony scrambles to her feet and runs away from the voices.
I
can still make it to the cars through those trees. It would be easier if the
moon wasn’t the only light I had to depend on, but I don’t dare use my
flashlight. I’d be handing myself over for sure.
Almost there …
just
the other side of those trees and
…

“Gotcha.”
A
small, skinny man jumps from underneath the low hanging branches of a snow
covered evergreen. He grabs Symphony’s arm, stopping her from getting away.

“I don’t think so,
Tiny.” Symphony kicks him in the shin, causing his grip to weaken.

“Howard! Quick …
she’s gettin’ away!” Another man hurries through the trees to catch Symphony.

“I got her.”
Howard runs along the side of the tall evergreens and snatches Symphony up by
her waist as she is running between the trees before she can reach the Jeep
Cherokee parked fifteen yards away. “That’s gotta be depressing.” Howard mocks
Symphony’s near escape.

“You can put me
down now. We wouldn’t want your back going out. I’m not sure you’d wanna try
and get disability out of Mrs. Freedman. Her wages are deadly.” Symphony tries
to wriggle out of Howard’s strong grip.

“Get the Jeep,
Jerry. We got a smart mouth that can’t wait to see the boss.”

“Oh, good one,
Abbot. Did you think of that all by yourself or did Costello write it up for
you ahead of time?” Symphony says.

“Hey! There’re two
cars. Shouldn’t there be another person?” Jerry asks.

“Very good. You
are the smart one,” Symphony says as they put her in the passenger seat of the
Rhino. “You must have seen the ambulance take off just before you got here.”

“Yeah.” Jerry
waits for more information.

“My friend was
electrocuted by the fence.”

“And?” Jerry
questions.

“Two minus one
equals one. Where does she get you people?” Symphony loses her patience.

“She …” Jerry
starts to answer Symphony.

“Don’t answer her,
she’s just toying with you,” Howard says.

Symphony laughs
out loud, not able to hold it in. “I get it. You guys are her jesters. Even
Mrs. Freedman probably needs to laugh once in a while.”

“Enough!” The tall
woman in charge nears the four-wheeler. “Howard, get her to the house, and
don’t do any more talking. Jerry, you ride with me.”

“But Lou,
shouldn’t we tie her hands together first?” Jerry questions.

“What? That should
have been the first thing you did!” Lou pulls a roll of duct tape out of her
pocket and tosses it to Howard. “Tape her wrists together and slip a piece over
that mouth while you’re at it.”

“
Yes
ma’am.”

*   *   *

As Howard pulls
into the driveway, Mrs. Freedman hurries off the porch to meet them.

“Symphony, how
nice of you to visit,” Mrs. Freedman says. “I see you met Lou. She’s not big on
talking.” Mrs. Freedman reaches up into the Rhino’s passenger seat and grasps
hold of the duct tape and rips it off Symphony’s mouth.

“Ow.” A gasp of
pain slips out, but Symphony shakes it off fast.

“But I would love
to get more acquainted.” Mrs. Freedman folds the tape in half and then
continues walking toward Lou. “We may have more company on the way. You better
get the girls ready. Meet me in the garage when you are done,” she says quietly
enough so Symphony can’t hear. “Oh, and make sure they cannot escape. And be a
dear, put this in its proper place.” She hands the neatly folded tape to Lou.

“Yes, Mrs.
Freedman.” Lou hurries into the house.

“Symphony, I’m
sorry for the misunderstanding.” Mrs. Freedman helps her out of the Jeep. “Free
her hands at once,” Mrs. Freedman says to Howard.

“Yes, Mrs.
Freedman.”

“Are you here to
tell me good news about my daughter?” Mrs. Freedman questions while directing
Howard and Jerry to each take one of Symphony’s arms.

“Yes, Mrs.
Freedman,” Symphony says in an obedient tone.

“Good, you must
come in the house where it is warm.” Mrs. Freedman leads Symphony up the porch
steps and into the parlor. “Tell me, do you know where she is?”

“Yes,” Symphony
answers.

“Where is she?”
Mrs. Freedman forces her through the dining room that leads to the kitchen.

“The good news is
she told us everything, and we were able to help her. Don’t bother trying to
force the information out; hypnosis doesn’t work on me.”

“Don’t be too confident,
my dear. There is more than one way to skin a cat.”

“If you’re gonna
talk with clichés, then, please just kill me now,” Symphony says as Mrs.
Freedman pushes her through the door.

“I will not let
your nonsense bother me.” Mrs. Freedman follows Symphony through the kitchen
door.

*   *   *

Beth catches up to
Elliot who has already gone into the next room.

“This is
unbelievable.” He shines the light around the room. “It looks like a dungeon—a
very clean and organized one—but a dungeon nonetheless.”

“Knock it off,
Elliot. You’re creeping me out. I can’t believe how excited you are,” Beth
says.

“I can’t believe
you’re not,” Elliot says. “You’re the one that changed your last name to the
same as the author of ‘The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries.’ This place is like right
out of a novel. Only it’s real, so that part sucks.”

“I never told you
that.” The amusement disappears from Beth’s voice.

“I know. I did a
background check on you when we first met. You seemed too wealthy for a
detective.”