by SUE FINEMAN
<>
The next day, Catherine began going through the uncut segments of the show, beginning with the opening segment, which came out better than she’d hoped. The four brothers serenading the girls had turned out to be a nice touch. Angelo looked and sounded so good on the screen, he’d probably get offers from other shows. If he wasn’t already married, they could use him as the bachelor on one of the shows. Maybe they could use Al when he finished school, if he was willing and the show was still on. All the Donatelli men were great looking guys, and Tony was the pick of the litter.
She barely recognized herself standing on the balcony with the other girls. The short girl with the bright red curls was just as pretty as the others. She was different enough that Tony couldn’t help but notice her. Remembering the surprised look on his face brought tears to her eyes.
Henry sat beside her. “What’s wrong?”
Catherine backed up the video and ran it again.
“You looked great, Cat. A rose among thorns.”
“More like a rose among lilies, with all those tall blondes around me.”
It took the rest of the day to go through the interviews and pick out the best parts. They wouldn’t all be shown or they’d bore the viewers. They’d have to mix parts of the interviews with the women’s private talks with the camera, the interaction between the girls, and Tony’s thoughts.
The next day, Catherine and Henry watched the parts where Tony made the first few cuts. They smiled at the expression on Tony’s face when he realized he’d cut the model. Chelsea wasn’t right for him anyway.
Henry laughed at the costume party segments, and Catherine knew he’d cut very little of her Little Bo Peep act or Tony’s reaction.
“I love the Humpty Dumpty part. I didn’t know you had it in you, Cat. You were great.”
Warmed by Henry’s compliment, she asked, “You don’t think we should have used more girls, like the other shows?”
“No, the viewers don’t get attached when there are too many. This time they’ll remember the girls’ names and everyone will pick their favorites.”
“Henry, I don’t want Rachel’s bones showing on television, and I don’t want Tony’s remarks about her being so thin on the show.” The girl was sick, and she didn’t come on the show to deal with a private problem on national television.
Fawn was another story. The camera caught her jabbing her heel into Catherine’s foot. It also caught the angry set of her jaw. Watching this, no one could say it wasn’t deliberate. The ugly scar on the top of Catherine’s foot would be a lasting reminder of that day. She could probably have it fixed with plastic surgery, but she didn’t want to forget.
Too bad the camera didn’t catch the little episode in the jewelry store.
Henry shook his head. “That one is a royal bitch. I hope the judge gives her hard time for the things she’s done.” He whipped off his glasses. “I should have replaced Mitzi years ago, after the first time she screwed up. There’s no excuse for this. She knew the girls had to have a security screening before we could take them into that house, and she didn’t get one on Fawn.”
Catherine sighed deeply. “It’s over, Henry. We can’t undo it now.” Lying about the alternates wasn’t the only thing Mitzi had done wrong. Telling Jenny who Tony was gave her an unfair advantage, but Catherine couldn’t really complain about that, because she’d had an unfair advantage herself. She and Tony had not only met before the show, they’d been lovers.
Catherine saved the segments from the final dates until after everyone else went home. She watched Jenny’s date first. Tony had already made his decision by then, and it showed on his face and in his eyes. He knew about Jenny’s lies by then, and he knew why she’d lied.
She watched it all—Jenny’s excitement at meeting Nick and Cara, the boat ride, talking about his job, seeing the house he shared with his mother and whichever of his siblings happened to be there at the time. Jenny couldn’t hide her disappointment. Tony went on as if nothing was wrong, and so did Jenny, but Catherine knew Tony better than Jenny did. She knew how he felt.
Although Tony made an effort to show Jenny the same consideration he’d shown Catherine, their final dinner date was a dud. Jenny had recovered and probably thought she’d won Tony’s heart. But her lies ruined her chance of a happily-ever-after with Tony. Maybe the exposure from being on the show would bring her more work, because Jenny looked terrific on the screen.
So do I, said the little voice in the back of her mind. The freckles weren’t so prominent, and she had good bone structure. Even her hair looked good, thanks to Angelo. Her boobs didn’t look as big on the screen as they did in the mirror at home. Her features weren’t perfect, she wasn’t tall and elegant like some of the others, but she was pretty. Maybe Tony was attracted to her.
She watched her date with Tony and the closing segments where he told Jenny he was in love with Catherine. Tears streamed down Catherine’s face. Jenny didn’t believe him, but she did. Tony did love her.
Catherine didn’t think she had any more tears left inside her until she saw the final segment, where Tony told her he loved her. He might not be the most articulate man in the world, but he’d handed her his heart that day, and she didn’t have the courage to tell him she loved him.
She had to tell him, but not on the phone.
She needed to tell him in person.
<>
Tony was on his way to the Plantation with a load of lumber when his cell phone rang. Catherine said, “I need to see you.”
“Okay.” It was about time. She’d promised to call, but that was several days ago, and he hadn’t heard a word. Each day that passed made him more fearful that she’d changed her mind, that she didn’t love him after all.
“Tony, where are you?”
“I’m at the property near San Simeon. Nick found a buyer, and I started work on it this week.”
“Oh, I thought… Never mind. I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Okay. Do you remember how to get here, or would you like me to come get you?”
“I remember.”
The cell phone gave out before he could tell her he’d be waiting. The heaviness that had weighed him down since the show ended had lifted off his shoulders.
Catherine was on her way.
<>
Catherine left the city at nine. In the past few days, she’d worked long hours and accomplished a lot on the editing. She’d even helped Henry hire a replacement for Mitzi. Sarah was fresh out of college and came highly recommended by her professors. Catherine felt confident she’d do a good job. Her first assignment would be to find girls for the next show. Unlike Mitzi, Sarah understood the concept.
Knowing Megan would be waiting up for her, Catherine called home when she took the exit off the freeway. “I’m in Santa Barbara, so I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
As she drove up the hill and through the gate, Catherine sighed deeply. Fatigue weighed her down and her head pounded from the smog she’d driven through. She needed a good night’s sleep before she began the drive to San Simeon.
She was halfway to the top of the hill when a man came out of the darkness beside the road, startling her. He leaned on a cane and waved for her to stop. She thought at first it was her father, but as she brought the car to a stop, another figure came out of the darkness.
Oh, God! Fawn.
The bimbo bitch from hell had a gun.
Chapter Nineteen
Catherine’s heart pounded like a kettle drum. She wanted to gun the engine and get the hell out of here, but if she did, Fawn would shoot her. The man had a gun, too. He slid into the front passenger seat and motioned toward her aunt’s driveway. “Park the car in the garage.”
Her hands trembling, Catherine did what he said to do. Fawn walked behind them, pulled the garage door down behind Catherine’s car, and stuck the gun in the waistband of her jeans.
The man said, “Do what we say, and you won’t be hurt.”
Catherin
e wasn’t so sure. These people didn’t have guns for nothing. Were they after money? Or did Fawn take her for revenge? Or both?
Aunt Emily’s house sat empty now that Emily lived in France with her husband. It could be days or weeks before anyone checked the house. Someone in the main house would hear a gunshot. Or did they have silencers? She wouldn’t have any idea what a silencer looked like. Catherine had never been around guns.
Fawn opened the car door. She didn’t look so pretty with the cruel scowl on her face. “Who did Tony pick?”
“Jenny,” Catherine replied without hesitation. Fawn wouldn’t have any way of knowing the truth, and if Fawn knew who Tony had really picked, it would only make her more angry.
“What do you want with me?”
No one answered, and Catherine knew she was in deep trouble.
Spike, Fawn’s chain-smoking cohort in crime, taped Catherine’s hands together and pushed her down on the living room sofa. Then he pulled her shoes off and taped her feet together. He wrapped it around her socks and then around her bare ankles, stretching it to hold securely. It was as if he were wrapping a package and wanted to make sure he’d sealed it properly. There was no way she’d get herself unwrapped without help, and she couldn’t run when she was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
He stabbed a finger at her. “One sound out of you and I’ll tape your mouth shut.”
Catherine tried not to make a peep, but the smoke made her cough and wheeze. If he put tape over her mouth, she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m allergic to smoke.”
“Tough.”
“Maybe we should put her in the bedroom,” Fawn said.
Spike’s answer was a slap that sent her flying into the wall. As she slid down the wall to the floor, he said, “Shut your fucking mouth, bitch. I’m the one in charge here, and don’t you fucking forget it.”
Fawn wiped blood off her mouth and stayed right where she was. Fear flashed through her eyes, which made Catherine even more uneasy. Fawn wasn’t the kind of woman who frightened easily. Why was she with this guy if she was scared of him?
Catherine pulled her shirt over her nose and breathed through it, hoping it would filter the smoke. She didn’t want that jerk hitting her because she was coughing.
She should feel sorry for Fawn, but she didn’t. Spike wouldn’t have known about this house unless she’d told him about it, and he wouldn’t have known how to get through the gate unless she’d given him the code. She’d undoubtedly brought this creep here looking for a way to extort money out of the Timmons family. Kidnapping Walter Timmons’ only daughter could have a big payoff, if they got away with it. But Father wouldn’t give them a nickel unless he was sure she was alive and unharmed.
Would Spike hurt her parents if they didn’t give the creep what he wanted? Her parents might be able to handle Fawn, but they were no match for Spike and that gun he was waving around.
No matter what they promised, she knew her life wouldn’t be worth spit after these people got their money. She could identify her captors, which meant they had to kill her. Icy tendrils of fear wrapped around her, and she shivered.
She was supposed to go see Tony tomorrow, but she might never see him again. Her heart ached knowing she might never have a chance to tell him she loved him.
Spike turned on the television and flipped between CNN, Fox, and MSNBC. “They didn’t call the cops yet or it would be on the news.”
“I have to use the bathroom,” said Catherine.
Spike motioned to Fawn, who slit the tape on Catherine’s feet and took her to the bathroom. As soon as she was finished, Fawn took her back to the sofa and put more tape on her feet. As if there wasn’t enough on there already.
The tape caused the skin on her hands and ankles to blister and burn, but she didn’t complain. She was afraid to open her mouth when Spike was in the room. He’d gone outside again, probably to make sure no one had found them.
While he was outside, Catherine said, “Fawn, you don’t need to ask my father for money. I’ll sign my trust fund over to you.”
Fawn’s chin came up. “How much?”
“Nine million and change the last time I looked. That should be enough for you to go to South America or somewhere and start a new life. I hear they love blondes down there.” She lowered her voice. “We don’t have to tell Spike, and I promise not to implicate you in the kidnapping.”
Glancing at the kitchen door, Fawn said, “If you do, the cops will lock me up for good. If Spike doesn’t kill me first.”
“Why is he so mean to you?”
“When I was fifteen, he beat the crap out of me for not giving this old man a blow job. So I stabbed him and ran away.”
“Good for you.” Too bad she didn’t kill him.
Spike opened the back door and stepped inside, Fawn moved away, and Catherine shut her mouth. Her stomach growled, but she had more important things on her mind than hunger, like how to get out of this mess without ending up six feet under.
“It’s clear outside,” he said. “Fawn, take the ransom note down to the mailbox.”
“Okay. Where are the keys?”
“Walk, and if someone spots you, keep right on going, and keep your big mouth shut. We’ll hook up later.”
Catherine looked from Fawn to Spike and back to Fawn. This guy wasn’t planning to split the ransom with anyone, and from the look on her face, she knew it. The big question was what she’d do about it. Would she walk away? Would she tell someone?
Fawn grabbed the ransom note. “If you screw me out of my share…”
“You know where to find me when this is over.” He peeled a few hundred dollars off the roll from his pocket and slapped it down on the coffee table. Fawn picked it up, counted it, and stuffed it in the back pocket of her jeans. Then she snagged her purse and jacket off the chair and walked toward the door.
Without a backward glance, Fawn opened the front door and walked away, leaving Catherine alone with Spike, the scariest man she’d ever known.
She curled her body in a fetal position, shoved a throw pillow under her head, and tried to make herself invisible. Her parents must be worried sick by now. Did Tony know? Would he come looking for her? He was solid and strong, but he was no match for a crazy man with a gun.
Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
She didn’t want to die.
<>
Fawn walked down the dark drive toward the mailbox below the gate. She walked slowly, hugging her arms against the damp night air. She should have brought a flashlight. It was dark out here, and every little sound made her jump.
Feeling for steps on the rough terrain and walking down the steep drive made her legs ache, but she kept going. Going down was bad enough. There was no way in hell she’d walk back up that steep driveway in the dark.
Did she want to go back? She desperately needed money, but would Spike give her what she needed to leave the country? He said he would, but after spending a few days under his thumb, she had her doubts. He’d probably kill Catherine and then her, so he didn’t have to share the money. She’d be better off walking away, hitchhiking down to San Diego, and finding a way to finance a trip to Mexico.
She could call the cops and tell them where to find Catherine Timmons, but if she did, they’d know she was involved. If she went to prison again, they wouldn’t let her out in this lifetime. No, she couldn’t tell the cops.
The Timmons bitch was on her own.
Fawn tripped and fell to her hands and knees. Her hands stung from the rough pavement, and she felt like crying. As if that would do any good.
It took nearly an hour to get down the hill and through the gate. She put the note in the mailbox and looked up at the mansion on the mesa. Once she thought she’d marry Walt Timmons and live there forever. Now she had no home and no one to take care of her. Catherine ruined her chance with Walt, and she ruined things on the show. Tony should have chos
en her, and he would have picked her if not for Catherine Timmons.
So far the bitch with the red hair was all right, but no woman was safe with Spike. He could be brutal, especially with women who didn’t do what he wanted them to do. He’d beaten nearly every one of the girls he ran, and one girl had disappeared. Everyone was sure he’d killed her, but the cops never found the body.
If Catherine Timmons died, her friends and family would mourn her death. No one would care if Fawn Daley disappeared. No one would look for her and no one would mourn her death. She’d counted on beauty to find a man to love her and take care of her, and she ended up right back where she was at fifteen.
Running from Spike.
<>
Tony had already gone to bed when the phone rang. He glanced at the clock before answering. Nearly midnight. He picked up the phone and mumbled something.
Walt said, “Sorry to wake you, Tony, but we’re worried about Catherine.”
He sat up and blinked away the sleep. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“She called when she left LA, and she called again when she got off the freeway in Santa Barbara, but that was hours ago, and we haven’t seen or heard from her since then. It shouldn’t have taken her more than a few minutes to get here, so where in the hell is she?”
Tony turned cold and a band of fear squeezed his chest. “She couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air.”
“I think someone snatched her, but the police think she met a guy and changed her plans.”
“No way. Catherine wouldn’t worry you like that. She’s a responsible person.” She wouldn’t have gone off with another guy anyway, not when she had him in her life.
“Have you heard from her in the last few hours?”
“She called this morning from LA to say she’d be up to see me tomorrow, but I haven’t heard from her since then.” He’d die if anything bad happened to her.
Tony’s feet hit the wood floor with a thump. “I’m on my way.”
He threw a few clothes into his bag, padlocked the gate, and looped the new sign over it. Then he drove toward Santa Barbara, breaking every speed limit along the way. He wanted to be there when they found Catherine. And they would find her. She’d be okay. Maybe she had car trouble and stopped to have someone look at it.
