Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

. Skeeter dropped me to my knees hard and then pushed me to the floor with his foot.

"Stay down," he said, keeping his foot pressed on my lower back. "Don't you move."

"What are you doing?" I screamed.

"Don't move. So where's your friend now, huh?" he asked, his foot twisting on me. "I don't know what the hell that was about. but I know I was right. There was someone here, but don't think she's going to help you now,"

He went over to the telephone and tore the wire out of its socket. Then he brought the wire to me and twisted my arms behind my back, wrapping the wire around my wrists and tying them tightly. I cried out in pain, tears coming into my eyes. I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

"Don't start shouting for that Trevor, either." he warned,

"You don't have to worry about him," I heard Rhona say from the doorway. "His truck's gone. He's off somewhere already."

"Oh, really? That was thoughtful of him," Skeeter said.

"What do you think you're doing?" I cried, still on my stomach on the floor because Skeeter had his knee on my buttocks. "Why did you lie to the doctor about my leaving?"

Rhona walked into the bedroom. I turned my head and looked at her feet and then up at her.

"You should have left when I told you to leave. Now you're going to be cooperative whether you like it or not." She smiled. "My mother ever tell you how she locked me up once for nearly three days? I got into trouble with the police when I was a little more than eleven, and she was so angry and embarrassed she decided to show me what it would be like to be in prison or something. I guess she thought the prison would be in a Third World country. She dug up one of her antiques, a chamber pot, and gave me a roll of toilet paper, water, and that was it. Nice mother. huh?"

"You probably deserved it." I said. squirming. The wire was tied so tightly. I was afraid it was shutting off the blood to my hands. Skeeter took his knee off me and stood up. I turned on my side.

"Sure. I deserved it. April. Just like you deserve this."

"You'll both get into serious trouble for this. You'd better let me go."

"As soon as I get what I want. we'll let you go," Rhona stated.

"In fact, we'll kick you out the door and if you go running to the police or anyone, we'll tell them how we caught you in bed with Echo doing all sorts of ungodly things." She turned to Skeeter, who was looking down at me with a satisfied, insanely sadistic smile on his face.

"Yeah. I'm sure Rhona can come up with them, too." he said.

"Never mind all that. Skeeter. You take her car and drive it to Bill. Tell him to keep it there for us and explain about the money. When Trevor comes back from wherever he is today. I'll tell him she left to go live with her sister. We'll tell Echo the same thing," she added. "She won't see her or of course hear her."

"Very good plan. Rhona," Skeeter said, smiling with admiration, as if she had come up with a cure for cancer.

"Get a sock or something and gag her so she can't shout loud enough for Trevor to hear her."

I debated telling them the truth just so they wouldn't gag me. but I was afraid of letting them know how much in control they really were and giving them more confidence.

"No one's going to believe you when you tell them I've left, least of all Mrs. Westington," I said.

"Oh, she will when I tell her what we learned from Mrs. Monahan and how when we confronted you with it, you just picked up and ran out of here because you were so embarrassed. She'll be so disappointed. With her health problems. I'll have an easier time taking charge of Echo and she'll know that. too. I'll tell her that either she'll sign what I want her to sign or well leave with Echo and she'll never see nor hear from her again. What do you think she will do then? Do you think she'll be so high and mighty and write 'NO' over my papers?"

"How could you be like this to your own mother?"

"She was never much of a mother to me as far as I was concerned, so don't even ao there. Now guess what I saw the other day in my mother's room. Yes, that's right." she said. "That same old chamber pot. Aren't you happy. You won't have to mess your panties."

She looked around. "Find something to tie her feet with. Skeeter, and put her in the closet and close the door. I'll bring in the chamber pot for her."

"How am I going to use that if my hands are tied?" I asked.

"No problem. Skeeter. would you be so kind as to remove her jeans and panties so she simply has to sit on the pot to pee. And do it all quickly and nothing more," she added. "I want you out of here with that car before Trevor returns.."

"I'll get right on it," he said.

She smiled as if he was doing her a wonderful favor.