Lauren

by Laura Marie Henion

  * * * *

  Shelly Duvont was a friend of old man Timble. She traveled to his house to check on him, and did this every two weeks.

  Shelly entered the development, looking forward to seeing the old man and conversing. She enjoyed the little bit of time they spent together, and felt bad that he had no family around. He only had her visits to look forward to.

  She wished she'd made it there in the beginning of the week, but work was hell right now. It was busy, since school started again, and the continued heat waves made everyone feel miserable.

  Today was Sunday, and she would enjoy her time with Mr. Timble. Perhaps, she'd take a walk around the neighborhood with him. The temperature was nice for it, right now.

  Shelly got out of her car and rang the doorbell.

  Mr. Timble didn't answer.

  She had a key, but she didn't want to just barge in. She decided to check if his car was in the garage. She peeked into the side window and saw it there, safe and sound. Mr. Timble never went anywhere without it.

  Her concern grew, so, she decided to unlock the front door and check things out. As soon as she opened the door, the most horrendous smell assaulted her mouth and nostrils. She couldn't go inside. Instead, she called the police.

  Four minutes later, two patrol cars pulled up onto the scene. Shelly watched in disbelief, as the one officer returned and informed her that Mr. Timble was dead. They found Mr. him murdered in his bed. He'd been there for more than a week.

  They called in the detective squad, taped off the area, and one of the officers opened the garage door. He walked by the car, assessing the well-maintained Cadillac. The color was bold, shiny, like deep green seaweed. He touched the hood. His hand stopped

  "Hey, Jimmy, this car is hot."

  "I'd prefer a Mustang myself, but I guess Cadillac's are nice,” Jimmy said sarcastically.

  "No, you jerk! It's hot, like it's been used. Run the plates."

  * * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, old man Timble's place swarmed with cops. Eddie and Ken showed up and began their investigation. Tom and Jack were minutes away, hoping to find the hideout location. The forensics team found blood in the backseat and the trunk. Eddie was sure it would turn out to be Lauren's.

  The sick feeling filled his gut again. It was happening in cycles, the pulling and grabbing of his insides, then the release. He wanted to find Lauren. He knew they had to move fast.

  Eddie walked around the back of the car, and followed a trail of blood. There was a back door to the garage that led to the backyard. The blood continued its path across the grass, then disappeared.

  Tom and Jack pulled up in front of the house, while Eddie made his way on foot to the woods.

  "This looks like the place Salina described. Look at the cul-de-sac, and the woods over there,” Eddie heard Jack say, as they exited the car.

  Obviously not wanting to take the chance of calling out to Eddie, they quickly caught up.

  "What do you got?” Jack said.

  "There's blood, leaving a trail this way. Didn't you say Salina described Silver's place as hidden, like this? In the woods, at the end of a dead end street?"

  "Yeah, that's what we noticed, right away.” Jack said.

  "Let's move in slowly. See how many doors lead inside,” Tom added.

  "We better make it fast,” Eddie said, with his gun drawn.

  * * * *

  "You are even lovelier close up. My God, you're as lovely and as perfect as a porcelain doll,” Silver told Lauren, as he sat down on the floor, next to her. He brushed the hair away from her eyes. Then, he touched one of the lifelike dolls that sat beside the mattress.

  Lauren was conscious, and she waited for the right time to make her move. This was it. He screwed up by coming after her. There was no way he would get away with it. She needed to think things through, make some kind of plan, but also pretend she'd drank the bottle of water he'd left for her. More than likely, he'd slipped some Ecstasy in it.

  Silver had turned on the music, and the old rock and roll song blared through the basement. He untied her hands and feet. She fluttered her eyes open, acting as if she'd drunk the bottle of tainted water.

  "Where am I? I feel so dizzy.” She spoke slowly, just like she had seen and heard Lizzy do.

  Silver smiled, then dropped the chains and handcuffs he was about to restrain her with.

  He turned his head to look at her, blatantly absorbing the state she was in and prematurely celebrating. She attempted to sit up. Her head ached something terrible, and she used that feeling to make Silver think she was weak.

  He grabbed hold of her, pulling her to her feet. Lauren continued to pretend she was drugged, and couldn't stand on her own. She grabbed hold of him, and laid her head against his chest. She took this time to scan the room. She was horrified this was where so many women had been tortured and killed.

  There was a wall, to the left, containing numerous pictures. She couldn't clearly see the faces, but assumed they were of his victims. The thought that Sarah's picture was somewhere on the wall made her stomach churn.

  There were obscene posters on the walls, and photographs of the victims in horrible positions framed, set out in leather frames. Her heart beat rapidly, and she shook.

  He must have felt the shaking, and he pulled her back away from him, to check her condition.

  She swayed side to side. “I feel sick. I think I'm going to puke."

  Silver grabbed her face. “No, no, no. Shhh ... You're going to be all right, because we have games to play,” His thumb and finger pinched her cheeks. He kissed her lips, then licked them. She shuddered in disgust.

  He pulled her back against him, making her dance to the music, and that song he insisted on playing “You're mine ... and we belong together. Yes, we belong together ... for ... eternity ... eternal ... eternity."

  "I have the perfect dress for you. It was my mother's dress,” he whispered. His hot breath brushed her ear. He continuously rubbed his hand over her hair, and down her back.

  She could feel the muscles in his arms, and his torso, while they danced, and he held her close to him. He was more than physically fit. He was stone hard, and getting away from him would take more than just strength.

  They swayed back and forth, side to side, to the music. He placed his mouth against her neck, inhaling her scent, as if imagining what it was going to feel like to take her, and do everything he fantasized about doing to her.

  Lauren couldn't take it any longer. She had to try and escape, but strength-wise, she would be no match for Silver. Instead, she continued to wait. Silver pulled her with him, and toward the wall, where a blue poodle skirt waited on a hanger.

  "Put this on,” he told her.

  She refused, still swaying, and pretending to be off balance. He put the skirt on the floor for her to step into. She grabbed a hold of Ben to steady herself, still pretending Ecstasy was in her system. She placed the skirt right over her pants, and was thankful he didn't argue. He gawked at her, looking pleased with what he saw. He reached out his hand to touch her face gently, at first, then he glided his hand over her skin.

  Lauren dropped her gaze and swayed a little. As she did, she didn't see the hit coming. Ben smacked her across the cheek, and she fell to the ground. Before she had a chance to stand up, he pulled her up by her hair. She shook, and was about to attack, when he grew gentle again, slowly running his fingers through her hair.

  Still, she waited, while he took a light blue scarf and tied her hair in a ponytail with it. He took her by the hand and twirled her around, while the music blared from the speakers. The sound echoed off the walls, her ears vibrated and ached from the volume. It was so loud. She put her head down a moment, and as she looked toward the floor, she saw bloodstains. She was sure that's what they were.

  Her heart beat faster, her breath caught in her throat, and images from each crime scene flashed, like photographs, through her mind. Each victim, each location they were found in, every disg
usting description, and injury, now blurred her vision.

  Silver was going down, and she would be the one to end it.

  Lauren pulled it together, and prepared for action. Silver reached for a pair of handcuffs, and started to undo the buttons on her blouse.

  This was it. She knew she had to take the chance, before he got those metal handcuffs on her.

  In one swift, hard motion, she pulled Silver down by his shoulders. At the same time, she brought her knee up, knocking the wind out of him. Then, she forearmed him over the head and neck. He hunched over, staring down toward the floor.

  Silver was in obvious shock and pain. Lauren ran for the stairs. She was nearly at the top step, her hand on the doorknob, when a blow came to her legs.

  The long, thick chain whipped against her calves, as her body tumbled down the steps. The skirt ripped on the railing. She covered her head, trying to protect it from injury.

  Silver grabbed hold of her hair, but Lauren wasn't giving up, despite her odd position on the staircase. She scratched at his eyes, then gave him a forearm to the face. He yelled at her, but she continued to fight for her life. There was no one to rescue her.

  They tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs. She banged Silver's head against the railing, at the bottom. He continued to wrestle with her, holding her down as he grabbed hold of her throat.

  Lauren lost her breath. She reached around with her hands, trying to find something, anything, to fight him off of her.

  She felt the metal handcuffs, grabbed them in her fist, and lunged at Silver's head. He rolled to his side, grabbing his temple in pain, when they connected. He scrambled for the gun that lay on the table.

  She ran after Silver, determined not to allow him to get the gun.

  The door to the basement opened. Eddie, Tom, and Jack headed down the stairs, as Lauren tackled Silver. Silver had the gun in his hand. Lauren wrapped her body around him, pulling him down to the floor.

  "Stop. Police!” Tom yelled.

  Silver pulled the trigger.

  The shot rang through the basement, and it hit the wall behind Eddie.

  Lauren quickly crawled, then ran, toward the side, as Silver pointed the gun right at her.

  The shot rang out, echoing through the basement.

  Three other shots followed, all hitting the target. Silver fell to the mattress, with two gunshot wounds to the head and one to the neck.

  Eddie ran to Lauren, while Tom and Jack made sure Silver was dead. Eddie pulled her to him, and noticed her arm was bleeding.

  "Lauren, are you okay?” he said, out of breath. He looked at the blood oozing out of her arm.

  "Here, take this. Apply pressure to the wound,” Tom yelled, handing Eddie a cloth.

  He did as instructed, as he held Lauren in his arms. Jack called for an ambulance, then kneeled down next to Lauren.

  "You okay, gorgeous?"

  "I'm fine. Is he dead?” Her eyes fluttered open and closed.

  She was going into shock. She was sure of it.

  "He sure is, honey. You done good,” Tom told her, as the other patrol officers entered the basement.

  Lauren closed her eyes.

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  Epilogue

  The cars continued to pull up along the streets of downtown Ridgeburgh, and Hennessey's Irish pub. Everyone was celebrating the conclusion of the case, glad that Lauren had survived, and Lizzy had pulled through.

  They'd found more evidence in Silver's basement, linking him to two other unsolved murder cases from four years ago. There was enough evidence to charge Silver with the murder of Sarah Tennellie.

  Silver had displayed pictures of Eddie's wife, Sarah, as his first kill. The detective's figured Silver went after Eddie's wife knowing Eddie was a top detective, and that by killing his wife and getting away with it, Silver grew to feel he had power, and was unstoppable.

  Eddie was relieved his wife's killer was found and brought to justice. He, and the rest of the family, had finally found closure.

  He owed it all to Lauren.

  There wasn't a spot to stand in. People gathered on the sidewalk and parking lot area, where Patrick had set up a tent and music, outside Hennessey's pub.

  The band played numerous songs, and both family and friends joined in the celebration.

  Lauren had her arm and shoulder in a sling. She sat by the bar, alongside Tom, Jack, and Kelly.

  Eddie was behind the bar with Patrick, just watching Lauren from a distance.

  "She's a beauty, me boy. Ya done good,” Patrick said, as he gave Eddie's shoulders a squeeze.

  "Thanks, Pat.” He acknowledged the compliment, before taking a sip of his mug of beer.

  "Tough as nails, too. Just what ya needed,” Patrick added, then went back to serving some more drinks.

  Eddie made his way through the people, just as he caught sight of Lauren with her parents, along with her brother, Dave. They were hugging her close, as Eddie approached through the crowd of uniformed officers and plain clothes. Everyone was making a point of stopping by the pub today.

  By now, word was out about Lauren and Eddie's relationship, and both families seemed happy for them.

  "You gave us a hell of a scare. The more I hear about the way this case went down, the more I worry about you,” her dad told her.

  Eddie smiled. “I told her the same thing, but she doesn't want to listen to me. Stubborn as hell."

  "Stubborn doesn't describe her enough,” Tom said.

  "You should have seen the way she handled herself, tackling Silver to the ground, taking that bullet,” Jack said, holding his wife, Kelly, close to him.

  "You know what they say. Never underestimate the power of a woman,” Lauren's mom joined in, just as Eddie pulled Lauren close to him.

  He held her around the waist, staring into her eyes, not caring that everyone watched them. “I've never met a woman like you before. This is going to take some getting used to,” he teased.

  "What do you mean a woman like me?” She sounded defensive.

  "Hard headed, stubborn, a super cop..."

  Everyone around them laughed and listened. Lauren placed her good hand on Eddie's shoulder, patting it, then spoke with a thick Bronx accent. “Hey, Lieutenant, I'm just a cop's daughter. You can take it or leave it."

  Eddie smiled, then kissed her. “I'll take it."

  The hoots and hollers filled the bar, and Eddie and Lauren laughed, then hugged one another. They were surrounded by family and friends, and were grateful to be alive, relieved that another evildoer was brought to justice.

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  * * * *

  Laura Marie Henion is an imaginative, dynamic author of suspense and romance fiction. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and EPIC Authors, and has obtained many of her ideas and accurate information from family members, friends, and law enforcement personnel. She has always had an interest in the law enforcement field and enjoys creative writing.

  As a young adult, she created short stories and poetry to share with her family and friends. Laura integrated her creative writing skills in her professional career as both a sales centre manager and a social worker. Laura is also the office manager for her husband's business and a mom of three. She loves working with people and believes this stems from both her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work as well as her strong law enforcement family background.

  These factors add to the authenticity of her stories and the true to life qualities of her characters. She continues to work on multiple manuscripts including the new series Cop's Daughter. Laura Marie presently resides in Historic Hudson Valley, New York with her husband and three small children.

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  Visit www.lachesispublishing.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.

 

 

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