by R. J. Belle
Her loud cries turned to sobs, and she heard the whip land on the soft hay on the stall floor. Nate leaned down next to her, tugged at the running pants she had on until they were down, past her hips. With one quick motion, he moved her panties aside and plunged a finger into her, and she let out another scream. Removing his finger, he leaned in lower, next to her ear, "You, Kali, your action, caused that punishment. I do not enjoy hurting you, but you like it, don't you? You enjoy the pain, and you cannot deny that, the wetness between your legs gives it away."
He pulled back, so he could see her face; lines began to swell on one side where the whip had struck repeatedly, forming red, raised lines on her cheek.
"I enjoy making you happy," Kali said.
"You do?" Nate asked, moving in close to her face, "why would you give yourself to another man, Kali? Do you think that makes me happy?"
Confused, she tried to figure out what he knew, or how he knew about Andrew. There was no time for confusion, and no time for her to try to piece together Nate's apparent knowledge of her private life; she had to focus on the task at hand, "I could never give myself to another man, I belong to you," she said. Sadness began growing inside of her; the conversation she had had with Sutton playing in her mind. In that moment she realized that she was not dealing with a rational human being, and that she could not allow her emotions to rule her right now. She gulped as she opened her mouth, knowing it was a brazen move on her part, "No man could do to me what you do to me, Nate, please hurt me, make me wet, make me feel your power, please, I need you, I need you to make me feel."
The second she stopped speaking the whip began striking, the crack so loud that her ears rang. Pain. Pain on her face and on her breasts. Pain between her legs. Closing her eyes tight, she escaped to a safe place in her mind, a soft, white, sandy beach, the blue sky above pouring sunlight down on her, enveloping her in warmth. Then, darkness. And then, nothing.
CHAPTER 37
Tessa Drake answered her ringing office line, "Hello dear, how are you this morning?" she chirped, assuming it was Kali as the call came from the rehab room.
"Um, good morning Tessa, this isn't Kali it's Bella. Actually, that's why I'm calling you. Kali's first patient came in this morning and, after he waited for over half an hour and I couldn't reach Kali, I took him. But, now her second patient is here and she still hasn't made it in, and I have been unable to reach her. Was she scheduled off today?"
"Can you hold on for a moment?" Worried she quickly hit the hold button and looked at her staff calendar to make sure Kali wasn't scheduled off, and she wasn't. Then Tessa checked her cell phone to see if she had missed a call or text from Kali, and there were none. She rang the front desk and asked the receptionist if Kali had called in, and she hadn't. Tessa hurriedly tried Kali's cell phone - it rang many times and then went to voicemail. Picking the rehab line back up she strove to sound calm, "Bella, would you take the patient and give me some time to try to track her down?"
"Sure Tessa. Let me know if you want me to try to get one of our part time staff members to come fill in for the day."
Ending the call, Tessa pulled up her email to see if Kali had sent her an email, nothing. Thinking back, she couldn't recall Kali telling her of any events going on today, and she hadn't seemed ill yesterday. Tessa walked to the front desk to see if the receptionist knew anything.
"Good morning," Tessa said cheerfully.
"Morning Dr. Drake."
"Did you see Kali Hanson yesterday?" Tessa asked.
"Yes, she came in and said goodbye on her way out. She left early. I think it was about 11 a.m."
"Did she by chance tell you where she was headed?"
"No, she just told me that she was done with her patients for the day and that she would be back in the morning, is everything okay?"
"Yes, I'm sure everything is fine." Tessa walked back to her office. She scrolled through her contacts and pulled up Colonel Carmichael's number hoping he might know where Kali was.
"Kali?" Andrew Carmichael answered his phone, instantly feeling relief when he saw the facility's number come up.
"Colonel, it's Tessa. I was calling you to see if you knew where Kali was. I can tell by the way that you answered, that you don't."
"She isn't there with you?" Andrew asked.
"No, she had patients scheduled, but she hasn't shown up down here, or called, and she hasn't returned any of our calls," Tessa said.
Silence settled in.
"Colonel?" Tessa said.
"Andrew, please call me Andrew, and yes, I'm still here."
"Andrew, do you have any idea where Kali might be? Have you seen her since yesterday?" Tessa asked.
"No, and no. Tessa, let me look into it, I'll call you back if I hear anything," Andrew said, and hung up.
Andrew felt sick. He walked out the front door of his temporary housing to get some air. He felt light headed and struggled to clear the frantic thoughts running through his mind. His biggest fear being that Nate Warner had gotten to her, or worse, that he had hurt her. Andrew couldn't go through this again. He dammed himself for wasting time parked on Nate's street; he should have gone to her, he thought. Sutton told him how upset she was, he should have driven to her condo the night. Pulling his phone out of the pocket of his khaki's, he dialed Sutton's number and listened as it rang and went to voicemail. He hung up and dialed it again, and again, it went to voicemail. Andrew left a message stating that Kali was missing and asked that he call him back right away. The next step was an easy one to figure out. Andrew went back into his place, gathered up his briefcase and his keys, got into the rental car and headed back to Nate Warner's residence.
Tessa Drake sat in her office looking once again at the call log on her cell phone, at her emails, at the staff calendar. Concern had taken over and she called human resources, "Hello, this is Tessa Drake, and I need an emergency contact number for one of my employee's, please," she said.
"Sure, Dr. Drake, what employee?"
"Kali Hanson, she is a rehabilitation specialist," Tessa said.
"Hold on for a moment, Dr. Drake," the woman said, "Okay. Do you want me to email it to you, Dr. Drake, or would you like me to give it to you now?"
"Now, I have a pen," Tessa said, becoming impatient.
"Meg James, and her numbe-"
"I have her number, thank you," Tessa said, clicking the line off, and immediately dialing Meg's number.
"Hi, K!" Meg answered.
"Meg, it's Tessa, do you know where Kali is?" Tessa asked.
"Hi Tessa, is something wrong?" Meg asked.
"I don't know, I need to reach Kali, do you know where she is?" Tessa asked, again.
"No, is there a reason that she's not at work?" Meg asked.
"I don't know Meg, that's why I'm calling you. When is the last time you saw her?" Tessa asked.
"Yesterday, we had lunch." Meg said.
"Any idea where she was going after you had lunch or if she had plans last night?" Tessa asked.
"I know she had an appointment after she left me, but other than that, no I don't know of any plans she had," Meg said, sensing that something was wrong, "Tessa, what's going on?"
"I don't know, she didn't show up for work this morning, none of us can reach her and I just want to make sure she's okay."
"Has anyone gone to her condo?" Meg asked.
"Not that I know of."
"I'm heading there now. I'll call you if I find her, and thanks for calling me, Tessa," Meg said, as she ended the call.
CHAPTER 38
Nearly two hours had passed since Olivia had fallen asleep. Her breathing had become shallow and her face was now absent the tense, pained look that she had worn since Sutton met her. Sutton looked at his phone display. Andrew was calling again; he had been ringing Sutton's phone repeatedly over the past hour. Beginning to think that he should answer for fear something might actually be wrong with Kali Hanson, he eased himself off of the couch. Stepping outside onto the small, encl
osed patio off of Olivia's living area, he dialed Andrew's number.
"Hey Andrew, what's the fuss all about?" Sutton asked quietly, before Andrew had the chance to say anything.
"Kali is missing. She was supposed to call me after her run last night but, she didn't. She didn't show up to work today either, and hasn't returned my calls or the ones placed by Tessa Drake today. I think he has her," Andrew said, his voice rich with trepidation.
"He?" Sutton asked, knowing precisely whom Andrew was referring to.
"Nate Warner, I think he has Kali," Andrew said.
"Why do you think that?" Sutton asked.
Andrew explained that she didn't call him after her run the previous night, and not being able to reach her today then relayed the details of his conversation with Tessa Drake. He left out his visit to Nate Warner's neighborhood.
"Call Ryan Bradley and have him do a welfare check at her residence, and I'll be in touch later this afternoon," Sutton said, his mind already back on Olivia and hung up. Ryan was there and could handle anything that might come up.
When he stepped back into the small apartment, Olivia was sitting up on the couch rubbing her red, swollen eyes. She looked up at Sutton and gave him a small smile, "Hi detective, sorry I dozed off," she said.
"Don't worry your pretty little head over that, Ms. Foster, you needed some rest. How are you feeling?" Sutton asked.
"Better, thank you," she answered.
"If you're feeling up to it, I would like to know what happened the night that you followed Meg," he said, as he moved towards her and sat down next to her.
"Will you make me go back?" she asked.
"Back to San Diego?"
Olivia nodded her head, yes.
"Why would I make you go back, Olivia?" Sutton asked.
"I don't want to go back," she said, tears welling in her eyes again.
"Please finish your story Olivia, and then we can discuss why you think I would make you go back to San Diego."
She took a deep breath, crossed her legs, and continued, "I didn't know it was Nate's house when I watched Meg park and go inside. I sat in my car parked half way down the block. I didn't know what I would find; I just felt like I needed to stay, and watch. I didn't have anywhere else to go. It was Christmas Eve I figured sitting there, parked on the cozy little street with all the decorated houses and people coming and going carrying piles of presents into decorated houses, listening to the sound of laughter, and rain; well, I figured that was as good a place to be on Christmas Eve as any. So I stayed. I had been there for about an hour and a half when I noticed commotion near Nate's driveway, so I picked up my binoculars, and got a better look.
I saw a beautiful, blonde haired woman getting out of a cab parked in Nate's driveway. She was holding an umbrella, and a small box wrapped in bright, glittery, red paper. Just as she started up the path to the front door, I saw Meg come out of the front door of the house headed towards the driveway. The two of them almost ran into each other. Then, I saw the blonde woman's umbrella fall to the pavement, and it looked like Meg was giving her a talking to. Meg left in a huff, peeling out as she pulled onto the street. Since I didn't know whose house it was, and I was curious about what I had just witnessed, I stayed and I watched. A moment later another car pulled up, near mine, and parked on the street. I got caught up in watching a mother welcome her son home for the holidays. I was mesmerized watching the family re-united through their large, front window. It really was a lovely sight, and I looked on getting lost in it, wishing I had a family to go home to. I'm not sure how much time passed, but I watched that family for quite a while. I was pulled away from watching the family's celebration when I noticed headlights coming down the street; I realized as the headlights grew closer, that it was Kali's SUV. I was scared for a minute because after she passed me she stopped, reversed, and sat idle near my car for a minute before continuing down the street and pulling up into the driveway. I was confused, and it seemed strange to have three different women come to that house within hours of each other. That's when I guessed it was probably Nate's house. The whole reason I had followed Meg to begin with that evening came back to me. So, I decided to stay and see what other events would unfold.
Kali didn't stay for long. In fact, I never saw her enter the house. Through my binoculars, even with the pouring rain, I did see Nate Warner standing there in the doorway of the house, talking to Kali. Then, I watched Kali leave, visibly upset. As she pulled her SUV out of the driveway, and back down the street in my direction, I crouched down in my seat, hoping she didn't recognize my car. I stayed low in my seat for a few minutes, then sat back up and tried to sort out all that had happened. It didn't make sense, but I felt like there was a good chance Meg would return to the house. Since I knew by then that it was Nate's house, I wanted to stay and snap some pictures to show Kali, to prove to her what a wretched woman Meg truly was. I wanted to take her friendship away from Meg. I figured staying parked where I was might be risky, so I drove down to the cross street and parked there. I had a great vantage point from where I parked. Through the binoculars, I could see the driveway at Nate's house, and I could see traffic coming in either direction on the street that I was parked on. I knew Meg would have to come up that street to get to Nate's house, so I waited."
Olivia stopped for a moment, got up from the couch, and walked into the kitchen for another glass of water.
"Would you like something to drink, detective?" she asked.
"Sure, a glass of water would be great, unless you have coffee," he said.
"How do you take your coffee, detective?"
"Strong," Sutton replied, laughing at himself, and starting to miss his partner. He wished Ryan had been able to hear the story unfold, alongside him. It was quite a story. In the twenty-two years he had been a detective, he had never heard a story quite like this. And, to have it completely narrated by an eyewitness, step by step, was like a gift wrapped, winning lottery ticket.
Olivia came back into the living area, set a hot mug of coffee on the glass table in front of the couch, and sat down on the ottoman on the other side of the glass table, directly across from him. She was calm, and as she looked across the table at Sutton, she flashed a big smile. It was the first time he had noticed her beauty in person. She had remarkable features: her blue eyes the size of saucers, a small upturned nose, and deep dimples on both cheeks. Her hair was in shoulder length ringlets that bounced around when she moved and, even with the badly done dark brown dye job, she was a gorgeous young lady.
"So you waited," Sutton said picking up his mug and sipping the black coffee, the aroma filling his nostrils.
"Yes, I waited, for hours. At one point, a police car circled around the block, flashing its spotlight a few times on Nate's Street, and that briefly piqued my interest, but other than that it was quiet. I could barely keep my eyes open any longer, and I was starting to think Meg wasn't coming back. I imagined her at her parents' home snug and sleeping soundly, awaiting Christmas morning. I got out of my car during a break in the rain and walked a little ways up the street I was on to stretch my legs, and get some fresh air on my face before making the drive back home. Just after I returned to my car and pulled my door closed, I saw the garage door of Nate's house open again. I couldn't believe it. I had to know where he was headed. I prayed he was on his way to Meg's house. Knowing that pictures of him sneaking into the James estate would have been even better than the reverse, and my camera has the time and date feature. There would be no way that Meg could have talked her way out of a photo of Nate arriving at her house in the wee hours of Christmas morning. So, I followed his truck. I was excited when he got onto the I5 south and even more so when he continued driving south for a ways. But, when he turned off towards Point Loma, I knew it wasn't Meg's house he was on his way to. Still, I was too curious to give up at that point, so I kept my distance and continued on.
When he parked in such a secluded area, I couldn't stay on his tail without being found out,
so I went on, doubled back, and parked in a small lot near the lighthouse. I got out, walked to the edge of the rocks with my binoculars, and looked down at the beach area. It was dark, but it wasn't pitch black. The rain had momentarily subsided, and the moon was shining through an area of broken clouds, right above the stretch of beach that Nate was lingering in. I looked on as Nate removed what looked like a body from some sort of blanket. I saw him lift the object up, and as the moonlight caught her hair, I could tell it was the same blonde woman who had come to his house earlier that night, the one with the umbrella and the present. Initially I thought maybe they had gone to make love on the beach, my mind couldn't comprehend what I was witnessing."
Olivia stopped again, Sutton could see her heartbeat pounding in the veins of her neck, and her face was flush.
"What did he do to the blonde woman, Olivia?" Sutton asked.
"I saw him lift her up, and throw her to the sand. Hard. Then her started cutting her, here," she said, pointing to her own chest, "I accidentally made a loud noise. I was just so shocked, and I got scared. He looked up to the area where I was standing, and I know he saw me. I left. I just got in my car and left. I know it was wrong, I know I should have called the police, or tried to help the woman or - I don't know, something. I should have done something. Instead, I just ran, like a coward, oh God, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her hands now covering her face, as she began to rock back and forth.
"Olivia, you did what you had to do, you saved yourself, and that's the right thing," Sutton murmured knowing that Laura Carmichael had already been dead when Nate took her down to the beach. Not wanting to push Olivia anymore, and being able to fill the other pieces in, he felt a sudden urgency to get back to San Diego. And, now he was worried about Kali. Focusing his attention back on Olivia, he had to break it to her that she was indeed returning to San Diego with him.
