by Peggy Slocum
“They beat up Maggie, and they’re on their way,” Symphony says.
Without hesitating, Beth floors the Jeep and speeds off down the dark street into the cold January night without a plan. “How did they know where to search?” Beth asks, driving north back toward the silhouette of the Boston skyline.
“I don’t know,” Symphony replies. “Maggie runs a tight ship. She’s the only one with access to survivors’ files.”
“They must have gotten to your friend Sarah,” Jade says.
“Sarah’s in the hospital, and even if they did, she wouldn’t say anything.” Symphony defends Sarah.
“They have their ways. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourselves into.” Jade warns them.
Beth presses speed dial number one on her phone, calling Elliot.
“Hey, this is Elliot. Leave a message.”
That’s odd. She calls Elizabeth’s number.
“I’m sorry your party can not come to the phone right …”
Beth hangs up. “What’s going on?!”
“Try Sarah’s number,” Symphony says.
Beth calls Sarah.
“Hello?” a voice answers before the first ring.
“Who is this?” Beth questions, not recognizing the voice.
“It’s Joanna. Is this Beth?”
“Yeah. Where’s Sarah?”
“I don’t know. I was with Dale Sutton doing the procedure on Chip,” Joanna says. “When I was done, I came looking for Elliot, and all I found was security asking questions and checking all over the hospital for Sarah. Apparently, she went for an unscheduled walk with an unauthorized nurse. I went downstairs to check the parking lot and Elliot’s car was still there. When I went back into the room, I did some checking around and found Sarah’s phone. I kept it, hoping someone would call. It’s been two hours.”
“What are the police doing?”
“We’re on it. We didn’t wait, since she was already abducted. We’ve got no leads because everyone involved either disappears or dies, except Chip. It wasn’t five minutes before the BOLO went out.”
“Who would want to take Sarah?”
“Mrs. Freedman would,” Jade interrupts, listening to half the conversation and guessing.
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” Joanna answers.
“I’ve gotta go,” Beth says. “Call me the minute you hear anything.”
After ending the call, Beth glances into the mirror to catch Jade’s eye. “Could you hear what was being said on the other end of the phone?”
“No, but I know what Mrs. Freedman is capable of. And that’s why she is after us.”
“A waitress named Kelly was abducted from Odell’s coffeehouse yesterday morning. It seems like whoever took Sarah is behind Kelly’s abduction as well.”
“I know her. She used to play with Vicky when we lived with Mrs. Freedman. We were supposed to get together last weekend, but I didn’t dare talk to her or anyone else who might be linked to Mrs. Freedman.”
“What happened?” Symphony asks.
“It was five years ago,” Jade says. “My husband and I came over from Ireland. Fresh off the boat is what you’d call us. Anyways, he was a hard-working man. Desperate, he was forced to take a job he wasn’t proud of. It was good money, or at least until he got busted. Those guys were bad news. He wanted us someplace safe while he was in jail. That’s when I met Maggie. Nate became a believer when he was in jail and gave his life to God. It changed his whole attitude on life. He became a loving and caring man. Not just to me and Vicky, but to everyone.
“After six months he got out and needed work. He ran into a guy named Grant that he had met on the boat over from Ireland. Grant told him about Mrs. Freedman and how wonderful she was, that she liked to help people in our situation. ‘Better people, better the world,’ was her motto. Grant said that Nate and I would like her because she believed in God too. She said, ‘If more people followed the rules of the Bible there would be less problems.’ ”
Jade continues, “Anyways, she offered to help Nate get a job and let us stay with her until we got on our feet, so to speak. All we had to do was help out with chores and follow her rules. Man! That was an understatement! The first week was tough, but expected—new place and all. We arrived on Monday and that Friday, when I went up to my room to change for dinner, all my clothes were gone. She had replaced them with ‘more appropriate attire.’ It’s how she put it. I was ready to leave then, but Nate said Mrs. Freedman was only focusing on the rules of the Bible and that the others that were staying there needed to see God’s love. Nate believed that’s why we were there. As the weeks went on, the nightmares started, and I began to wonder if more was going on than helping in the garden or with the meals. If I disappointed Mrs. Freedman by not cleaning or cooking in the exact way I was instructed, I would receive extra chores followed by horrible nightmares. It happened too often to be a coincidence.” Jade pauses to draw closer to her daughter.
“Man, I knew there was something wrong with Mrs. Freedman, but I had no clue she was that twisted,” Symphony says.
“It’s a little much to take in, don’t you think?” Beth says, doubting Jade.
“That’s not even close to what was really going on,” Jade continues her story. “One night I was going downstairs to make a warm cup of milk. We weren’t supposed to wander around at night. But I figured no one would notice at eleven. If they were all following the rules, I should have been golden.
“I was walking past Grant’s room, and the door was ajar. So, out of curiosity I peeked in, and I saw Mrs. Freedman was injecting something into his arm. Then she started telling him stuff. I don’t know all of what she said because I got scared and ran back to my room. I woke up Nate and told him what happened.
“The next day, Grant had a bandage on his arm. He told Nate that he must have gotten bit by something. That day, Nate thanked Mrs. Freedman for all her help, but after three months we were ready to get our own place. She insisted that we stay in touch, and he kept the job she helped him get.”
“So, how did you get a hold of the newspaper clippings?” Beth asks, wondering aloud.
“Two weeks ago, Nate came home from work all excited,” Jade resumes. “Grant had become a believer and was coming to dinner and a Bible study. Vicky was at a friend’s house, and I had just gone shopping and went upstairs to put some things away. Grant had come in while I was putting things away in the bathroom. I heard him tell Nate he had something important to tell him. I didn’t hear everything that Grant said, but my husband said, ‘I don’t care who she is. I won’t break the law for anyone.’ I stayed upstairs because I felt Grant and Nate needed to talk. About a half hour later the phone rang. My husband answered it and gave it to Grant. I wanted to know what was going on, so I picked up the phone to listen.
“I heard Mrs. Freedman’s voice on the other end say, ‘Is he going to do what I asked?’ Grant told her no. Then she said, ‘Then kill him.’ Grant said, ‘No, he’s a good man and I won’t do it.’
“Mrs. Freedman suddenly spoke in a calm, but tense voice, ‘You must kill him now! When he’s dead your pain will cease.’ Grant began to scream and shout in such agony, like I have never heard before. He just kept screaming, ‘I can’t! I can’t!’ Grant warned Nate to stay away from him. I was in our bedroom, and I couldn’t hide any longer. I ran down the hall to the stairs. Nate shouted, ‘Don’t do it! Nothin’s that bad. Don’t kill yourself.’
“I ran down the steps. ‘Nate!’ I shouted, ‘Get out of here!’ Bang! My heart skipped beats as I ran through the living room to the kitchen, not knowing what was on the other side of the door. Part of me already knew, I guess, but I was still hoping.”
Tears are already streaming down Jade’s cheeks as she gasps for breath. “I’m sorry,” she pauses. “He was such a good man, and I miss him so much.”
“Don’t apologize,” Beth says. “It hurts when you lose someone, especially when they’re taken before their
time. It feels as though part of you is ripped out and killed as well.”
“Here.” Symphony hands Jade a tissue from the center console while sneaking a peak at Beth at the same time. Wow, I never figured a princess would know real pain.
“Anyways,” Jade continues after blowing her nose and pulling herself together. “When I walked into the kitchen, Grant was standing over Nate sobbing, and he kept sayin’, ‘I’m sorry/ I’m sorry.’ He told me, ‘Nate was trying to take the gun away from me and it went off by accident.’
“I told him, ‘I know it’s not your fault, Grant. I’ll call 911. They’ll fix Nate, and we’ll find out what she did to you.’
“He said it was no use. He had already checked. There was no pulse. He kept crying and then just like that he said, ‘She doesn’t know you’re here; you need to hide. Whatever she did to me, I think she did it to you too. She tried it on Nate, but it didn’t work.’
“A van pulled into the driveway, and Grant said, ‘Go! You need to pretend you know nothing.’
“My husband was just murdered. How do you pretend you know nothing? Anyways, we heard the doors to the van open, and he begged me to go because they’d kill me too and then who’d take care of Vicky? That’s when he gave me the envelope with the newspaper clippings.
“ ‘You need to go,’ he urged me as he opened the back door for me to sneak out. When I ran outside, I hid in the garage until they left. Once they were gone, I snuck back in, being sure I wasn’t seen. There was no sign of a struggle, and Nate was gone. It was as though nothing happened. I started second guessing and hoping that it was a bad dream until I saw the letter on the table. It was a ‘Dear John’ letter from Nate. Can you believe the nerve? Killing my husband and planning to make me think he ran out on us.”
“Is that when you went to Maggie?” Symphony asks.
“What about those clippings?” Beth asks. “Did he say why he gave them to you?”
“Yeah,” Jade says. “While I was waitin’ for Vicky to come home, I called Maggie to see if she had room for us. Grant called me about an hour later. I was grabbing stuff to get out of there. He said that he found those clippings in her desk, and he was hoping that someone could use them to stop her. He said he didn’t know how many people she has under her control, but they need to be freed. She’s hurting a lot of people who have done nothing wrong. He was gettin’ out of town because he’s scared. All it takes is one phone call and her voice command and you’re stuck doing her dirty work. He told me he was trashing his cell and that I should do the same. Shortly after I got off the phone with him, Vicky came home. I told her not to answer the phone because Mrs. Freedman was trying to hurt us. I sent her to her room to pack her bag and then we got out of there.”
“Wow,” Beth says. “Have you ever heard of anyone using hypnosis like that?”
“Yeah, I have,” Symphony responds, “especially if it’s drug induced. If they convince the subject they’re on their side and win their trust, they let their guard down and open the door up for false memories and all kinds of travail.”
“There is one thing that bothers me. When Frank went to Kelly’s apartment yesterday, it was empty,” Beth says. “But by the time I got there, everything was back, and there was evidence that proved Frank was telling the truth. Why would they do that?”
“Lots of times when people would come to Mrs. Freedman’s they would move everything out of their apartments and store the stuff at Mrs. Freedman’s house. Maybe not everyone moves to Mrs. Freedman’s by choice like we did.”
“Yes, and maybe that’s what happened to Kelly. She stayed the night at our place instead of going home where they could find her. What’s more, Elliot went to work with her. So, they could no longer make it seem like she moved out. Wow, this lady is dangerous,” Beth says. I have to find Sarah. Beth dials Sarah’s number again. “Hey, this is Beth. Hear anything yet?”
“No, nothing,” Joanna answers.
“I’m just around the corner,” Beth says. “Meet me at Elliot’s car. I think I know where Sarah is.” Beth disconnects the call and says, “Symphony, I need you to drop me off at the hospital. Take them to the Barstow. They’ll be safe there.” She dials a number. “Hi, this is Beth Doyle from suite forty-two. I need a suite for a client and her daughter. My assistant Symphony will be bringing them over. We’re going to need security out front.” Beth disconnects the call and eyes Jade in her mirror. “You’ll be safe there. Once this is over, I think they have a position in housekeeping if you are interested. Your house was impeccable.”
“Thank you for everything,” Jade says as the Jeep pulls to a stop in the hospital’s parking lot.
Beth passes a notepad back with a pen to Jade. “Write down Mrs. Freedman’s address for me.”
“Thanks for the help,” Beth says to Symphony. “Just bring the Jeep in with you on Monday.”
“I want to go with you,” Symphony says.
“It’s dangerous,” Beth warns. “I’ll call you when I find Sarah.” She reaches back and takes the pad with Mrs. Freedman’s address. “Make sure the desk knows they will be needing room service for everything. It will be safer that way. They may even feel better if you stay with them. Well, you guys decide. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Day by day …” Symphony says with a smirk as she skooches into the driver’s seat.
Chapter 17: Sunrise
Edwin drives north across the bridge toward Malibu beach park with Elizabeth watching the red-orange sunrise across the bay.
“Edwin, look at all those people down there! They’re gathering around something or someone. We need to see if it’s Sarah,” Elizabeth says.
“The construction up ahead has backed up the traffic and I can’t get over,” Edwin says. “I’ll have to turn around, unless someone lets me in, which doesn’t seem likely.”
Elizabeth unbuckles. “Stop the car, dear. My gut feeling tells me I must go now. I’ll meet you there.” She gets out of the vehicle and hurries between the stopped cars and irritated drivers. Oh my dear sweet Sarah, I should have never left you with that nurse.
As she nears the crowd, she notices an officer standing in the midst. She pushes forward. “Excuse me, sir.”
“Please stand back, ma’am. We …” the officer says.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” she interrupts. “But I’m looking for my daughter.”
“What does you daughter look like?” he asks as he puts his arm around her shoulder and directs her through the crowd to a young woman with blond hair, wearing a hospital gown. She is lying face up on the sand.
“Sarah!” She runs to her daughter’s side. “Oh, my dear, dear child, I’m so sorry that I left you with that nurse. Please wake up.”
Sarah opens her eyes. “Mom, is that you?”
“Oh yes, Sarah. I’m so glad you’re OK. Do you remember what happened?”
“Kinda. I remember being chased by you. And I remember the people in the car said, ‘This ain’t worth prison.’ They opened the door and threw me out. I can’t remember what they looked like. It’s weird. It’s like I can see them but their faces are blurry.”
“I’m so sorry that I left you with that nurse.” Elizabeth apologizes again.
Still groggy, Sarah says, “Don’t talk like that, Mom. Jesus was with me the whole time and still is. Actually, it’s not like you to …” Pain squeezes Sarah’s head like a vice and she cries out, “Oh, it hurts.”
“What’s wrong, dear?”
“I remember hitting my head on a big rock when I landed, and the pain is unbearable.” Sarah touches her head.
“You must relax and lie completely still,” Elizabeth suggests, “until the ambulance gets here. Why don’t you close your eyes.”
She closes her eyes, and soon Elizabeth determines that she’s fallen asleep. After a while, she says, “Sarah, Sarah, wake up.”
Sarah opens her eyes. “Mom?”
“Yes, dear. You fell asleep. Does your head feel better?” Elizabeth asks.<
br />
“Yes.”
“Elliot has reason to believe that Jade and Vicky are in trouble,” Elizabeth says. “He wants to get police protection for them right away.”
“Oh, no. I hope I didn’t cause this.”
“Of course not, dear,” Elizabeth says, assuring her. “Put that thought out of your mind. Elliot needs the address.”
“Why didn’t he get it from Beth? Oh, my head,” Sarah says, in agony.
“Oh, you poor dear. Is it hurting again?”
“Yes.”
“Close your eyes and rest them.”
“Sarah … Sarah.”
“Mom?” Sarah asks.
“Yes, dear, you dozed off again. Jade and Vicky are in trouble. Elliot needs their address. He tried to get it from Beth, but he couldn’t get ahold of her.”
“Oh, I hope Beth is OK.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Elizabeth says. “But Jade and Vicky are in horrible danger.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. Tell him they’re at Maggie’s, 151 Fulton in Dorchester. Oh, my head.” Sarah raises her arm to rub her head. “Why can’t I lift my arm?”
“Close your eyes and relax. You must sleep and your pain will go away,” Elizabeth says, comforting her.
Sarah closes her eyes and goes to sleep.
* * *
“OK, guys. You heard her. Find out who is closest to 151 Fulton and have them bring my lost daughter home,” Mrs. Freedman says with a sinister smile crossing her face as she reaches down and strokes Sarah’s blond locks. “You need to get a good night’s sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow. I think you’re going to be a wonderful addition to my family, my dear,” Mrs. Freedman says as she flicks off the light in the bedroom and locks the door behind her.
Chapter 18: Road Trip
As Beth reaches Elliot’s car, Joanna is coming up the walkway. She pulls out a spare key to Elliot’s Vette and waves it in the air as Joanna approaches the car. “In the mood for a road trip? I think I know who is behind all this.”
