I glance around in a panic – what can I do to get Mrs. Barnes' attention? I turn to the night table and wonder . . . perhaps I could wriggle my way over to the side of the bed and somehow make the lamp fall over . . .
After tremendous effort, I succeed in worming my way over closer to the edge of the bed and start rocking it, hoping that the bed will knock the night table and then the lamp . . .
It falls with a crash.
"Eve? Is that you?"
Silence.Damn. She mustn't have heard the sound and has gone away. Resignation fills me. Julien said he’d call this in, but in how long? Then I hear keys at the lock and my hopes rise. My heart races and I feel a surge of adrenaline as the door opens and . . . it’s the Super! He has a master key.
He takes one look at me and picks up a cell phone from his belt.
"Send the police over to number 3b, 14 Parkside Lane. I just found Eve Hayden and it looks like she’s been harmed."
Relief floods me and tears filled my eyes, obscuring my vision.
Now I have to act all scared and surprised that Julien would kidnap me. This worries me. I am not an actor.
The Super removes the duct tape with a quick tug and it hurts like hell.
"Ow," I say. "Thank you. I thought I was going to die here."
Ed arrives and rushes in to me.
"Are you OK?"
I nod. "Just a bit raw where the restraints were."
He stands with hands on hips and glances around the room. "I don't understand why he brought you here. We would have eventually checked out your apartment as a matter of course. In fact, I had a few men scheduled to come over here in the morning. It's like he wanted you to be found."
He looks me over.
"Did he," Ed says, his voice soft. "Did he harm you in any way? Did he assault you," he hesitates, "sexually?"
I shake my head. "No. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that," he says and points to my face. "Your lipstick. It’s smeared."
"Oh," I say, wiping my mouth with my fingers. I shake my head. "It must have been when he was putting the duct tape on."
"Why would he take you hostage?"
I shrug. "He said it was just to show you that he could and that I wasn't safe."
"Yeah," Ed says. "He likes rubbing our faces in our mistakes. I'm glad your neighbor saw someone leave your apartment and thought to come and check. She said you never had men over."
Being a spinster had some benefits after all.
"No, I," I say and falter, embarrassed to admit it. "I'm not very . . . active socially, what with finishing my degree."
"Well, it's lucky for us you have such a good neighbor and we were able to get here before he returned."
I rub my ankles, the skin red and raw where the plastic chafed.
"What happens now? Do I need to hide? Should I go to stay with my foster parents or something? They live in Ipswich in the summer."
Ed helps me off the bed. "We need to debrief you and then yes, please, stay with a friend or family member. I think you should take some time off work until we get Julien back into custody."
"Do you think you'll be able? He escaped from the SCU."