Miss Polly had a Dolly (Emma Frost #2)

by Willow Rose

  Patrick moaned and stared at the woman who was trying to perform CPR on his mother. She knew who he was so maybe he should just do her and then let the other two die on their own, a natural death. Get out of here before he was caught. Maybe stab his mother once or twice just to make sure she was really dead. It wasn't the perfect scenario that he had wanted, but it was the best he could get right now.

  Patrick exhaled. Oh how it annoyed him to not get it his way. He wouldn't get the same rush out of it now as he was hoping for. This was supposed to be his big fix, his big moment and now look at this?

  "You know I have to kill you, don't you?" he mumbled, but the woman didn't hear him.

  The woman breathed air into his mother's mouth, then pumped her heart. Patrick walked closer.

  It doesn't matter if you bring her back or not. You're both gonna die. Patrick stopped. That's it, he thought. That's the way to do it. Let the woman bring her back to life and then when they both think it's all good, you kill them both.

  Patrick giggled at the thought and walked closer.

  "She's breathing," the woman said with a sigh of relief.

  "Good," Patrick said. He walked closer to his mother who was coughing and moaning on the floor. The woman beside her looked at him with big eyes. "But we need to get her to a hospital right away."

  Patrick bit his lip, then he shook his head. "No," he said. "NO! This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to be mean and evil and I was supposed to make her suffer. Stab her in the chest, then in the stomach, then look into her eyes as she drew her last breath," he said and pulled out his butterfly knife. As he did the small plastic bag with sewing kit and a bowtie fell onto the floor. He bent down and picked it up.

  "Oh my God," the woman said and stared into his eyes. "You're the bowtie killer." Her eyes were filled with fear and Patrick finally felt the kick he had been searching for. He leaned over and started laughing.

  "Don't hurt us," the woman pleaded with shivering voice. "Please."

  Patrick knelt next to his darling mother who was fighting hard to breathe. Then he lifted the knife in the air getting ready to stab her in the stomach and hopefully crush and lacerate some of her organs. That was how he always did it. He always tried to not kill them right away. He liked inflicting pain, letting them suffer for a while before he stabbed them again, letting them know who was in charge, who was deciding if they should live or die. He smiled at the thought of finally being able to punish his mother for what she had done to him. He still didn't believe her little display of innocence. No, it was all just an act, it had to be. And Patrick knew all about acting. His mother looked at him and he finally saw the fear he had longed for in her eyes. It felt better than he had hoped it would.

  "Please," she mumbled between coughs. "Please, don't."

  "You sent me to hell, now I'm going to teach you what I learned there," Patrick said imitating Elizabeth Lace once again.

  As he got ready to stab his mother, he sensed movement behind him and turned just in time to see the dog jump towards him. Patrick screamed as the dog bit his arm and the knife clattered to the ground.

  He watched as the woman got up and grabbed the knife from the ground. Now she was standing in front of him with it in her hand, shaking all over, threatening him while fumbling with her cellphone in the other hand. She looked completely ridiculous. Patrick clenched his fist and slammed it into the dog's head. Its eyes rolled back and it began to whimper before it finally let go of his arm.

  Patrick heard the woman give the address over the phone. He considered for a second overpowering her and killing her right away, but the dog was getting back on its legs now and it had started growling at him. Patrick then decided it was time to leave. He sprang for the stairs and ran through the living room and into the street. In the distance he could hear sirens as he put the hood over his head and disappeared into the darkness cursing the woman and the dog, deciding to kill them as soon as he got the chance, which wouldn't be long given the fact that they were on a small island. With a little luck the police wouldn't believe her right away. It would at least take a while before they came for him and by then he would be gone. He would vanish like he was an expert at doing.

  But first he had a show to do. His last and final show, le grand finale.

  Chapter 64

  April 2013

  I was in shock, completely out of it when Officer Morten arrived. He stormed into the basement and saw Josephine and Asta on the floor. The dog growled a little, but Asta managed to hush him with the little strength she had left.

  "Doctor Williamsen is on his way with the ambulance," he said.

  I told him the entire story, even if it sounded a little too crazy to be true as the words left my mouth. The ambulance arrived and took both of them to be flown by helicopter to the mainland, they told us. I felt so relieved that it was out of my hands and could only hope that they would both survive. Officer Morten called the police in Esbjerg and told them to take care of Asta Kristensen and make sure she didn't leave the hospital.

  Then he looked at me. "Patrick, you say? The Patrick? Well I'll be damned. If I didn't know you so well, I would say you were nuts, but I can see how it could make sense."

  "So what do we do now?" I asked.

  "We don't do anything. I will. I'm gonna call the investigators working on this case, I do believe they're back on the island after questioning Helle. They told me they would be here for the big show tonight and to make sure the entire port was heavily guarded."

  "The show," I said.

  "You think Patrick is there?" Officer Morten asked.

  I shrugged. "That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"

  "You never know with this guy, apparently. We'll find him wherever he is hiding. He can't run far. But you go home and stay with your family, you hear me?" he said.

  "Loud and clear," I said and didn't tell him I had actually promised my neighbor to be at the show and watch her daughter sing. Even if Patrick was stupid enough to go down there, there was no way he could ever touch me. The place was packed with police and they would be all over him as soon as he showed his face.

  I took my car and drove directly down to the port. I parked on a street not far from the area where the concert was going to be held. As I walked towards the entrance I texted Sophia and asked her where I could find her. I found her in the front, very close to the stage where she was standing with Jack and her son Christoffer. I elbowed my way through the crowd and joined them.

  "You're late," Sophia said.

  "Has it started yet?" I asked.

  "No," Sophia said and looked at her watch. "It was supposed to though, like fifteen minutes ago."

  I wondered if they were going to begin without Patrick or if they'd have to cancel it all if he didn't show up. "Did you see Maya here anywhere?" I asked and looked into the packed crowd. "She was supposed to come down here with a friend."

  "No," Sophia said. "But I'm sure she's here somewhere."

  "You'd think she would be here somewhere in the front," I said and looked down the line of people, mostly teenage girls who were screaming and looking desperately at the stage waiting for the show to begin. That was when I spotted Maya's friend Annika in the crowd up front. I looked and looked but didn't see Maya anywhere. Maybe she had gone with some other friends, I thought. Maybe she had stayed at home? I texted my dad and received a quick answer that Maya had left the house at five to go to the show. My heart dropped. I scanned the area around her friend again. There were several other girls next to her that she was talking to, but none of them were Maya.

  "I have to check something," I said to Sophia and started elbowing my way towards Maya's friend. "Excuse me. Excuse me, coming through."

  I stared at Annika. "Where is Maya?" I yelled, trying to outshout the screaming crowd. The girl leaned over and yelled back:

  "She is meeting Patrick. He promised to take her backstage."

  The blood in my veins froze. I stared at the girl. She was bl
owing bubbles with her gum. "Are you sure about that?" I asked, my voice shaking with fear. "A hundred percent. She didn't even ask him if I could go, too. Way to be a good friend."

  As Annika spoke the last words music blared from the stage and the light was turned on. A horrifying green light bathed the entire stage and an announcer started yelling.

  "Are you ready to rock? Are you ready for Shooooting Stars? Ladies and gentlemen, let's get this party started. Heeeeere's Patrick."

  The crowd went ballistic and I watched with my heart in my throat as Patrick entered into the green light that made him look as diabolic as I knew he was. But to my horror he wasn't alone on stage. He had his arm around someone's neck.

  It was Maya.

  Chapter 65

  April 2013

  "Helloooo Fanoe!" Patrick yelled in his microphone.

  The crowd answered with gusto. "Hello, Patrick." A girl standing next to me screamed so loud it hurt my ear. Some were even crying while reaching their hands up towards him, like they believed they could touch him. I stared at Maya with my heart pounding. She was smiling a shy little smile

  "Fanoe!" he yelled. "This is Maya. Isn't she beautiful?"

  The crowd screamed again. Most of them yelled yes while others simply just screamed. I felt sick. I wanted to jump onto the stage and stop this madness right now, save my daughter from the grip of this lunatic before it was too late. I looked to find a police officer but all I could see were security guards who probably would never believe my story. Where were the police? Why hadn't they arrested Patrick yet? What were they waiting for?

  As I wondered I received my answer. Two officers yelled and sprang up on stage. I recognized them as Officers Nyberg and Gammelgaard. They were aiming their guns at Patrick while walking towards him on the stage. Patrick grabbed Maya around the neck and held her tight. I gasped. Then he pulled out a knife and placed it on her throat.

  "Patrick, you're under arrest. Drop the knife," one of the officers yelled. "The place is surrounded. You'll never get away from here."

  Thinking it was all just a part of the opening act, the crowd screamed and started cheering for Patrick.

  "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick."

  I saw the fear in my daughter's eyes and it hurt like knives piercing my skin. My heart was racing and I felt so incredibly helpless.

  "Come any closer and the girl dies," Patrick yelled.

  "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick."

  The two officers stopped and lowered their guns. "Patrick," the older one said. "Let the girl go. She hasn't done anything to you. You've killed enough, don't you think? Let her go and we'll find a solution. We'll help you."

  "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick."

  The crowd began to grow silent waiting for Patrick's answer. Patrick laughed manically. The crowd laughed too, then the cheering continued. By that point I'd had enough. I climbed the barrier separating the crowd from the stage and before the security guards could grab me I climbed onto the stage. I screamed and silenced the crowd who was now beginning to realize this maybe wasn't part of some act or a part of the show after all.

  "Patrick! Let my daughter go."

  Patrick laughed when he saw me, then tightened his hold on Maya who was now whimpering and crying. "So this is your daughter, huh? Well that's just PERFECT, isn't it? Now I simply HAVE to kill her."

  That was when the crowd finally realized what was going on. Some screamed out of fear while others started yelling at Patrick. A man threw a shoe at the stage and hit Patrick on the arm.

  "Let the girl go!" he yelled. Then the rest of the crowd followed and started yelling at Patrick. "Let her go. Let her go."

  Patrick's face went red with anger. "No!" he yelled.

  "Let her go. Let her go."

  "Fuck you!" Patrick yelled and put his finger up in the air. But it didn't work any longer. Not now that he was actually giving them the finger and not just the media. Some people started booing. The rest of the crowd soon followed. Some were still chanting.

  "Let her go. Let her go."

  Patrick was fuming with anger now. "NO," he yelled at them. "You love me, remember? I'm Patrick. You scream for me, you love me."

  "We hate you, Patrick," someone yelled from the crowd. The crowd applauded and cheered.

  "We hate you. We hate you," they chanted.

  Patrick looked truly perplexed. He looked out on the people chanting and tried to yell back, but no one could hear him anymore. He was drowned out by the booing and the chanting.

  Then something happened that I had not seen coming. At first it was just the guy who had thrown the shoe who crawled up the stage, but soon hundreds of people followed him and literally stormed the stage. They ran towards Patrick with such speed and force he didn't even manage to react. They pulled Maya out of his hands and overpowered Patrick. Maya ran into my arms crying, and I held her tight while tears rolled down my cheeks.

  "Are you alright?" I said and stroked her cheeks gently.

  She sniffled and nodded.

  Right before Maya and I jumped off the stage, I looked back to cast one last glimpse at Patrick getting what he deserved. I heard him scream from somewhere inside the crowd of people, but I could no longer see him.

  Epilogue

  "I wanted to be the one to tell you this," Officer Morten said on the phone. I was sitting in my living room with my family. My dad was playing a game with Maya and Victor on the floor and was smiling and laughing for the first time in days.

  I smiled and walked into the kitchen to better hear what he was telling me over the phone. I sat down. "Okay, I'm ready. What is it?"

  "Well first of all, I think that after this you'll have plenty of material for a new book," he said.

  My eyes grew big and wide. "You've got my attention."

  "You were right. All the children that disappeared were kidnapped. They didn't drown as we thought at first."

  "Have you got evidence to back that up?" I asked.

  "Yes. Polish police just dismantled a ring of trafficking criminals working together all over Europe. They arrested a guy who told them that back in the late nineties he had people helping him get young girls from Scandinavia and bring them to Poland where he sold them to different brothels. Scandinavian girls are worth a lot down there with their blonde hair and fair skin. But anyway, he had a contact in Denmark who worked out of Fanoe. The contact spotted girls around six years of age, blonde and with blue eyes, and stole them. Lured them with free ice cream from an ice cream truck at the playground. Then the contact would drive them across the border and into Germany where the girls were picked up by eastern European men and brought into Poland to whomever would buy them. Patrick, who was Nina back then, was the first to be taken like this. He told his story himself when he was interrogated and finally broke down. The Fanoe contact worked for them in the years between 1997 and 1999 and was paid huge sums of money for a child."

  "Wow," I said. "That's some story. I have a feeling you also know who this contact was?"

  "I do and that's what is a little unpleasant for you and your father."

  "Helle," I said.

  "Yes, I'm afraid so. We confronted her with this and she denied everything, but the money in her account speaks to her guilt. Plus, Patrick has identified her as the one who kidnapped him back then. We're guessing she stopped when she became pregnant with her own child. It was the same year that the disappearances stopped."

  "That sounds plausible. But that means…" I paused and let the final pieces fall into place. "That Helle took Asta's daughter and sold her and…"

  "Asta took Helle's daughter and stuffed her like a deer, yes. Asta didn't know it was Helle who had taken her daughter. She lost it after losing her daughter and was desperate to get her back. She started making dolls but none of them seemed real enough. Then she saw Helle's daughter one day and something went click inside of her. She convinced herself it was her Nina. Helle's daughter looked a lot like Nina and she tells us that she knew she wasn't Nina to begin wit
h but somehow she wanted her to be so badly that she started believing she was actually her. She killed her and stuffed her to be able to keep her forever. It was the same with Josephine. When she saw her in the water she was convinced it was Nina that had come home. Asta had been searching for her daughter ever since sensing that she was still alive, which was right I guess."

  I leaned back in my chair with a sigh. I heard my dad laugh in the living room and Maya whine with joy.

  "What about the other kids that were stolen?" I asked.

  Officer Morten sighed. "Polish police are helping us try to track them down, but no luck so far. We have notified the parents and they're trying to raise money to conduct searches themselves."

  "Both Asta and Josephine are being released from the hospital tomorrow. Asta will go to jail and so will Helle and Patrick."

  "Hmm. I'm not sure anyone will ever believe me if I write this story, though."

  "Then make it fiction," Officer Morten said and laughed. "Listen, I gotta go. Let me know if you need anything else. For your book or…well, or maybe if you'd like to have dinner some time."

  "Well, Officer Morten. I guess I'll think about that."

  "You do that, Emma. See you around."

  "See you."

  I hung up and walked into the living room where Maya was tickling my dad making him scream and whine like a schoolgirl. They stopped when they saw me.

  "Victor, you should be in bed now. Go upstairs and get ready. I'll be up to tuck you in later."

  "Who was that?" my dad asked.

  I sighed wondering if I should tell him the truth, tell him everything about Helle. I was about to do it, when Maya suddenly screamed.