The mystery writer looked at her strangely. “I like it when you call me Tyler, but usually you call me Robbie.”
She wanted to shake him. Trying to keep her voice steady, she said, “Robbie, please answer me. Where is Dade?”
“In the car where you left him.”
She dropped her hands and turned toward the doorway. “I’ve got to get him out of there.”
He pulled her by the arm and stopped her. “No, no, don’t you remember? That’s not the way it happens. He stays in the car, because you don’t need him anymore, only me.”
“I’m getting out of here.” She brushed past Tyler.
He followed beside her, keeping pace. “Don’t leave me alone. Please stay. I’ll let you do whatever you want to me. I won’t tell. I promise.”
He’d lost it. There was no reasoning with him. Was Dade really in the garage with the motor running? If so, was it too late to save him? Oh God, she had to. If anything happened to him, it would be her fault.
Julie dashed into the hallway and jabbed the elevator button. The doors swung open.
“If you go in there, I’ll make sure you never get out,” Tyler said, this time, in a deadly adult voice.
He knew about her fear of elevators. He knew what being stuck in one would do to her. He could use that knowledge to stop her.
She had to take the chance. Dade was part of her and more important than a phobia. Without him, her life would be empty. Ignoring Tyler, she stepped inside.
Sounding hard and mean and not at all childish, he said, “I warned you. I’ll teach you to choose him over me.”
Ignoring his menacing words, she concentrated on her task. She found the garage button and pushed it. The door closed. The elevator began its descent. Soon she’d be downstairs and would know for sure if Dade was there. Hopefully, not.
If he is, God, please, don’t let it be too late.
The elevator gave a strange lurch, stopped, then re-ascended. What was going on? She’d pressed the garage button, yet the indicator showed she was returning to the penthouse. The doors opened. Tyler stood there with a grim smile.
Before she could think, he’d reached inside, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out. She struggled to get free, but he was stronger.
Shaking her hard, he said, “Let’s do this again. He stays in the garage. You stay with me. Remember, I’m all you need.”
He pushed Julie in front of him. Losing her balance, she stumbled. He dragged her down the hall, then jerked her to the left into what appeared to be a bedroom.
She caught sight of a dark velvet comforter over a gigantic bed, before she was flung face down on top of it. The breath swished out of her and the bed rocked. The warm water inside, designed to lull a person to sleep, instead awakened her to her present danger. She was in bed with a crazy man. She had to get out before it was too late.
Intent on escaping, she turned. The water mocked her, trapping her in its folds, fighting her movements.
Tyler rolled beside her, then on top. His knees dug into the outside of her thighs, imprisoning her in their vice.
“Don’t do this, please.” In answer, he slapped her face. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“It’s my turn now. You’ll do what I say.”
With his left arm, he held her down. She squirmed in his grasp, but her efforts were futile. He unbuttoned and pulled off the right side of his shirt, then held her down with his right hand and unbuttoned the left side.
She swallowed hard at the realization of what would happen next. Soon it would be her clothes he’d remove. Then he’d take her, whether she wanted him to or not.
Before she knew it, he’d slipped the end of his shirt around her right wrist and tied it tight, sending shooting pain up and down her arm. She wriggled in his grasp, but he contained her as if she were a weak kitten.
“You’re not going anywhere until I’m through with you.” Tyler looked towards the head of the bed, as if perplexed. “It doesn’t have a bedpost. It’s supposed to have a bedpost.” He shrugged. “That’s all right. This once, I’ll improvise.”
He swung her face down on the bed, grasped her left wrist and tied the other sleeve around it tight, so both arms were bound behind her back.
“This isn’t right. I have to see you when I touch you.” He turned her over. “That’s better.”
He lay beside her, his face next to hers. She almost gagged at the smell of his breath. She wriggled, but he pinned her down, forcing his hard lips onto hers, smashing his tongue inside, invading her mouth.
Her stomach turned. Her first instinct was to bite down on his tongue, but at the thought of his blood releasing itself inside of her, she hesitated. Bile rose in her throat. Afraid she’d smother, she forced it back.
She must think past her discomfort. With Tyler distracted exploring her mouth, she’d use the time to plan. Her legs were still unbound. Maybe she could use them as weapons. He lay beside her for now. Once he positioned himself on top of her again, she didn’t stand a chance. She mustn’t let that happen.
She inched closer to him and curled her legs slowly upward. Then, with a quick jab of her feet, she struck at his crotch. He grunted in surprised pain, releasing his hold on her mouth.
She rolled to the other side of the bed. Hoisting herself up on her right elbow, she somersaulted onto the floor. Off balance, she tumbled into the end table, knocking her crazy bone. Ignoring the shooting pain, she headed for the door.
Swearing and cupping himself with one hand, Tyler pursued her. In his present state, he was as dangerous as a wounded wolf.
She got past the door before he did. With a backward kick, she flung it closed in his face and was rewarded by his grunt of pain. Good, she must have connected with some part of him.
It was awkward running with her hands bound, but she didn’t have time to free them. Banging into the walls, she rushed down the hall.
She heard the door open behind her. Soon Tyler would catch up. Then it would be all over.
At the thought, a burst of adrenaline filled her. Her legs pumped faster. She stumbled into the elevator and leaned on the garage button.
The doors swung closed. She held her breath as the elevator began its descent. It got down about five floors, before it suddenly stopped. A crackling voice filled the cab.
“You shouldn’t have done that. You could have enjoyed yourself here with me, but since you seem to like it where you are so much, I’ll leave you there. You’ll be stuck all by yourself in that tiny little elevator for as long as I like. Nobody knows where you are but me. Unlike when you were a child at the Observatory, this time no one will come to rescue you.”
As she worked on loosening her bonds, she answered, “You’re wrong. The office knows where I went.”
“Is that right? Then I better call and relay your message. Let’s see, you’re too tied up to make it back today, right?” He gave a short laugh.
Where were her brains? She shouldn’t have reminded him about the office. Now no one would be the wiser when she didn’t come back.
Pulling at the shirt, she pressed her lips shut. She’d not make the same mistake twice.
“Playing coy? No matter. You can’t get out anyway. You’ll stay right where you are unless I decide to let you go, which I don’t think I will. How does that sound?”
As Julie gazed around the small cab, the walls closed in on her. Her worst nightmare had come to life. She was stuck in an elevator and couldn’t get out. Her heart pounded heavily against her rib cage. Her fingers and legs shook.
She glanced longingly at the corner of the floor. If only she could sink down there and give up, as she’d done as a child, hiding in a make-believe world where the horror did not exist.
It was not an option. No amount of cringing in the corner would make the nightmare end. She would not give in. She was not a small child depending on an adult to rescue her. She was a full grown woman and capable of thinking her way out of a mess. She must. The alternative was too fright
ening.
What about the panic button? She should have thought of that sooner. All she had to do was push it and the fire department would come. She reached toward the red button.
“If you’re thinking about pushing the panic button, it won’t do you any good.” Tyler’s voice filled the cab. I’ve already called the guard downstairs and the fire department about the malfunction in my alarm system, which my own service will attend to on Monday.”
He’d read her mind, but that wasn’t hard. Anyone with sense would push the button. Just in case he was lying, she pressed it, but no one answered the ring. Now what could she do?
“Ready to give up?” His voice mocked her.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of a reply.
“Be that way. I think I’ll retire to my cozy kitchen and make myself a nice big sandwich and a hot cup of coffee. And what about you? Do you want anything? Oh, I forgot. You can’t have any. You’re stuck in the elevator. My, my, going without food isn’t very good for your hypoglycemia. You might get dizzy or faint.”
Julie’s stomach growled in protest. Until Tyler had mentioned food, she’d not realized how hungry she was. Not bothering with lunch, she’d rushed straight over from the office. Just how long would it take before her blood sugar dipped to a dangerous level? Three days, a week? How long would she be trapped here?
Nerves made her mouth dry, reminding her that she hadn’t had anything to drink either. She must get out. That meant using the time Tyler was gone to her advantage. Frantically, she worked with the fingers of her right hand to loosen the bonds on the left. The knot only grew tighter. She must be patient and go slow, though all she could think of was fleeing this box.
“When I get back from lunch, maybe I won’t leave you there, after all. How’s that?”
Her heart lifted. Thank God he’d come to his senses. He’d been teasing her all along, employing an exercise to illustrate how she could use it in a book.
“Let’s see. I’ve got one of those knives somewhere in the kitchen, you know, the ones they advertise on television that cut through steel. I wonder if it’s sharp enough to saw through a cable or two. It might take a little while, but we’ve got plenty of time. When I come back, we’ll get started. Oh, I almost forgot, you don’t need those lights anymore.”
The cab plunged into darkness. This was no lesson or game. She’d get no reprieve. She’d have no opportunity to rescue Dade, who this moment might be dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. She’d gotten him into this mess and couldn’t get him out. She’d failed him. He didn’t deserve this.
Desperation proved the final impetus. She fumbled desperately with her bonds. The knots on her left hand loosened. That made it easier to free the other. She rubbed her fingers and palms to get back the circulation.
Her hands were free, but what good did it do her? She was still trapped.
This can’t be happening, her brain said. Instinct told her, yes, it could. All along the mystery writer had seemed odd, as if something was missing. It was too late to realize the ingredient was the conscience she’d mentioned at the mystery conference.
How long had Tyler teetered on the edge of madness?
It didn’t matter. Right now she had to figure out how to escape. She would not let Tyler win. This opulent cab would not be her coffin. The only route left was up through the hatch. First, she better push the stop button in case Tyler came back before she got the hatch open. It would be dangerous climbing one of the wall ladders inside the shaft, but staying here could be just as deadly.
Getting up to the hatch was another problem. The brass hand rails lining the sides of the cab were low, but the hatch was high. She was tall, so that should help some. Well, maybe the chandelier which didn’t shed light at the moment might be useful for something else. Also, the shirt, which Tyler had provided for his own purposes, might come in handy.
She flung her shoes with the two inch heels on the floor, peeled off her slippery nylons, then threw Tyler’s shirt over her shoulder.
Using the shirt as a lasso, she threw it up in the direction of where she could barely make out the chandelier. It fell off. The second time it caught, with one of the sleeves falling down. If she jumped up, she should be tall enough to grab it. Thank goodness the ceiling was low. That would work in her favor.
She frowned, wondering if the chandelier’s bolts could hold her hundred and twenty pounds. She’d soon find out.
Jumping up, she grabbed for the shirt. It slipped off. The chandelier teetered and she fell to the floor. Though the carpet was plush, the jolt still rattled her tailbone.
She’d try again. Her plan had to work. She lassoed the chandelier and jumped up to reach for the shirt. This time, she caught the sleeve and held on with both hands. The chandelier creaked and started to give from the pressure of her weight. She had to get this done fast.
She swung back and forth, let go with her right hand, then forming a fist, pounded at the hatch opening. It wouldn’t budge. She felt the chandelier loosening more. In desperation, she swung back again and pushed forward to gain momentum. Putting every muscle she’d earned from her fitness pump classes into play, she attacked the hatch’s opening.
Her knuckles protested as the hatch gave. She pushed it up, then grabbed at the opening, ignoring how the edge scraped her hand. She held on to the edge as tight as she could, let go of the shirt with the other hand and then grasped at the hatch with that hand also. As she looked up, she detected the dim light from the penthouse above. At least she would not be in total darkness during her ascent. She had little time for more investigation, since already her wrists ached from the strain of holding on.
Pretending she was doing a push up, she exerted more pressure on her wrists and forced her body up further until she was resting on her elbows, half in and half out of the cab. She quickly caught her breath, then hoisted herself further up with her elbows until she’d cleared the opening. She scrambled on her knees until she was sitting on the top of the cab. Her stomach lurched at the sight of the shaft in the dim light with its cables and guide rails staring back at her. Could she make it to the ladder on the wall without falling? Once there, she’d have to somehow get to a door that would open. Was there one before the penthouse? If not, Tyler would be the one greeting her and she’d be in a worse position than before. He could push her down the shaft and no one would find her for a long time.
She had to think positive. Somehow she’d get out of this. Thank goodness, the elevator would be stationary, since she’d pushed the stop button. Also, with the hatch open, she didn’t think it could go anywhere either. She’d heard somewhere that open doors and hatches made the safety brakes kick in.
“I’m back.” Tyler’s sing-song voice over the intercom sent fresh chills up and down her spine.
About to clamber up to the cable, instead she flattened herself on top of the cab. Would he try cutting the cable as he’d mentioned? Maybe if she said the right combination of words he’d switch back to being normal. It was worth a try.
“Did you have a nice lunch?”
“It would have been nicer if you’d shared it with me.”
“We could still do that, but at the moment I’m not hungry.”
“You will be, that is, if I let you live that long.”
“Tyler, why are you doing this to me? I never did anything to you.”
“You’re a big fat liar. You’re the lousiest mother in the whole world. You left Dad in the car and it killed him. That’s why I killed you. Why aren’t you dead?” Tyler’s voice rose in an anguished wail.
Surprise made her gasp. He’d killed his mother. How horrible. What was worse, he seemed to think that she was his mother. He was psychotic. No wonder. Apparently, as a child he’d witnessed his Dad’s murder. The event had probably eaten at him, until in desperation he’d retaliated by murdering his mother. Tyler was sick. In other circumstances, she might have felt sorry for him. She didn’t have that luxury with hers and Dade’s lives at stak
e. She’d try again to talk some sense into him. “Listen to me. I’m not your mother. I didn’t do anything to you. I’m Julie, remember?”
“You’re not fooling me. You look just like her. Of course, you’re my mother.”
“A few minutes ago, you wanted to make love to me. You wouldn’t do that with your mother, right?”
“Of course I would. Mother, don’t you want me anymore? You did before, but now I’m not good enough for you.”
Good grief. It was worse than she’d thought. Tyler must have been sexually abused as a child. She didn’t want to hear more.
It was time to begin her climb. As she’d planned before he reappeared, she’d try to get up to a landing door that would open.
“Answer me. Don’t you want me?” His screaming voice echoed down to her.
No more mind games. Time for action. She reached down into the cab from her perch on top and fumbled in the direction of the chandelier. Her fingers closed on the cloth of the shirt sleeve. She pulled it up and tied it around her waist.
She crawled to the left side of the cab, then slowly stood up. The iron ladder lay against the wall, but it could only be accessed by crossing over the cables and the guide rails. She reached for the nearest cable to her left and held on tight with her fingers, knees and toes.
“How dumb do you think I am? I know what you’re doing and it won’t work.”
The cable shook. She reached for the guide rail and almost fell as she slipped over to it. At the last minute, she caught her balance. The man was satanic. He’d do anything.
She could give up and not try at all, but that meant almost certain death. She had no choice but to go on.
She loosened one end of the shirt and tied it to the rail. Gritting her teeth, not daring to look down, she grasped the guide rail with both hands and wound her body around its coldness. The cable to the right gyrated as if it had a mind of its own.
Tyler’s laugh echoed down the shaft. “Are you enjoying yourself? Tell me, which is more fun? Today, or when you were a little girl stuck in the elevator at the Observatory?”
Fresh terror hit her. She clamped her lids tight, trying to block out the horrible memories. He showed no mercy, attacking her on all sides, physically and psychologically, not leaving one unused weapon in his arsenal. Like a god on Olympus, he watched from above, mocking her efforts. She must ignore him and concentrate on escaping.
Killer Career Page 23
