Silent Night 2 Page 9

  The footsteps grew louder.

  Pam heard them too.

  She jerked her head up, her eyes wild with fear. “They came back!” she cried in a choked whisper.

  Chapter 24

  WHO’S WATCHING

  REVA?

  Both girls froze, their eyes locked on each other as they listened.

  The footsteps were in the back hall now.

  Pam uttered a low gasp, her shoulders still trembling.

  Reva pulled a copper frying pan off its hook on the wall. Gripping the handle tightly, she held it high, preparing to use it as a weapon.

  The footsteps drew closer. Closer.

  From the hallway Reva heard heavy breathing. “Who—who’s there?” she managed to stammer.

  A few seconds later Victor appeared in the kitchen doorway. At first he saw only Reva. Gesturing to the hall, his eyes narrowed in confusion. “The front door—it was wide open,” he said. “I was worried—”

  “Victor!” Pam cried. She dropped down from the stool.

  “Pam! I don’t believe it! You—you’re okay!” Victor’s handsome face showed surprise, then happiness. He ran across the room and wrapped his arms around Pam, and they hugged.

  A happy ending for all, Reva thought, watching them. Pam is so innocent. She doesn’t even wonder why Victor came over here.

  This works out fine, Reva thought, a pleased smile crossing her face as she watched Pam and Victor hold each other. This saves me the trouble of dumping Victor.

  “Hey, break it up, you two!” Reva cried. “We’ve got to call Pam’s parents!”

  • • •

  On Saturday afternoon Reva got a postcard from St. Croix from her brother, Michael. On the front was a white beach shaded by palm trees. On the back Michael had printed:

  We took a boat and went snorkeling at Buck Island. Then Josh and I rode the waves into the beach for two hours! My bathing suit got filled with sand. I miss you. NOT!

  Reva stared at the palm trees. It looked like a nice beach. She imagined the sound of the soft waves rolling onto the sand. She pictured the turquoise water. She could almost smell the coconut suntan lotion.

  “That little creep Michael has all the luck!” Reva cried bitterly.

  She glanced out the living room window. The sky was nearly as dark as night. A freezing rain was being blown in all directions by a howling, swirling wind.

  Reva sighed. It’s the Saturday before Christmas, she thought wistfully. I have no choice. I have to go out and buy presents.

  Pulling on her hooded poncho, she made her way to the garage. Then she drove her red Miata to the Division Street Mall.

  The storm hadn’t kept the shoppers at home. Reva had to circle the underground parking garage three times before she found a place to park.

  She pushed her way impatiently through the crowded stores. The smell of wet wool filled the air. Babies were crying. People juggled bulging shopping bags and umbrellas. Everyone looks so rain soaked and bedraggled, she thought.

  Bouncy Christmas music jangled from loudspeakers in every store. Reva wandered into a long, narrow shop called The Cozy Corner. It had an entire wall of earrings, mostly plastic and glass.

  Reva knew she would never shop in a store like this for herself. But when it came to buying presents for others, she never liked to spend a lot of money.

  She stared at the wall of earrings. These earrings are all so tacky, Reva thought, examining a pair shaped like little Hershey bars. But they’re perfect for Pam.

  She saw plastic earrings shaped like food. She picked up a pair of peanut-butter-sandwich earrings, then quickly replaced them.

  Moving sideways, she made her way down the long display. A pair of plastic banana earrings caught her eye. No, she thought. Those are too gross, even for Pam.

  Reva was nearly to the end of the display wall when she noticed a dark-haired man in a black trench coat. He was standing a few yards away, leaning against a low display case filled with silver and plastic bracelets.

  His round, blue-lensed sunglasses caught the light. Hands shoved in his trench coat pockets, he had been staring at Reva, but he glanced away immediately when she stared back at him.

  His straight black hair fell over his forehead. He was good-looking, Reva thought. He looked a little like Elvis Presley. She wondered what his eyes were like behind the blue shades.

  He doesn’t seem to be shopping, Reva observed. Maybe he’s waiting for someone.

  She bought a pair of long, dangly glass earrings, paying for them with her American Express card. Then she made her way out to the center court to look for a menswear store.

  A nice, boring tie for Dad, she thought, ducking out of the way of a swinging umbrella. Poor Dad. He spends a fortune for his clothes. But everything he buys is so dull and conservative.

  A few moments later she was sifting through a table of ties at Brooks Brothers. Gazing up, she was surprised to see the guy in the blue sunglasses again. He stood outside the store, staring in at her through the window.

  Why is he looking at me like that? Reva wondered.

  And then she had a chilling thought: Is he following me?

  No. No way. She scolded herself for being so jumpy.

  You’re still a little freaked because of Pam, she told herself. But you’ve got to cool it, Reva. Just because you see the same guy twice doesn’t mean he’s following you.

  And just because he’s staring into a store window doesn’t mean he’s staring at you.

  As she handed a blue- and black-striped tie and her American Express card to the clerk at the cash register, she glanced warily to the window. The young man was gone.

  See? she thought, feeling foolish. You scared yourself for no reason.

  But a few minutes later, as she was examining blouses at Silk Casuals, she saw him again. He stood a few aisles away, hands in his trench coat pockets, head lowered, black hair falling over the front of his blue glasses.

  He is staring at me, Reva realized. I’m not imagining it.

  He followed her to CD World.

  Walking fast, bumping people out of her way, she tried to lose him in the crowd at the Food Court. But glancing back, she saw him steadily making his way toward her, keeping his distance, his dark glasses trained on her.

  As she hurried down to the parking garage, Reva realized she was trembling all over.

  Who is he—one of the kidnappers? she wondered.

  Did they tell Pam they were going to Canada just to throw everyone off? To make us lower our guard?

  She kept glancing nervously behind her, her boots clicking loudly on the hard concrete floor as she started to run through the rows of parked cars.

  Did they lie to Pam?

  Are they following me now?

  Are they planning to grab me next?

  Chapter 25

  BIG SURPRISE

  AT PAM’S

  Reva tapped her long purple fingernails on the glass perfume counter. She raised her eyes to a woman who had been trying to get her attention for nearly five minutes. Look at the nose on this woman, Reva thought scornfully. You could hang a coat on it. Haven’t you ever heard of plastic surgery, lady?

  “Can you recommend a fragrance?” the woman asked, smiling anxiously at Reva. “Something different. My husband is tired of my old fragrance.”

  Then maybe you should take a bath, Reva thought. She almost burst out laughing. I really crack myself up, she told herself.

  “Try this one. It’s brand-new,” Reva said, picking up a small sample spray bottle. “Hold up your wrist.” Or should I just spray it on your nose?

  She sprayed a mist of the cologne on the woman’s wrist. The woman sniffed it, tilting her head in concentration.

  Don’t sniff too hard, Reva thought. You could inhale your entire arm!

  “It’s very flowery,” the woman said. She sniffed again. “I like it.” She lowered her wrist, smiling at Reva. “What’s it called?”

  It’s called Eau de Skunk, Reva thoug
ht.

  “It’s called Black Rose,” she said. Gazing beyond the woman, she saw Pam making her way through the crowded aisle.

  “Well, could you tell me the price?” the woman asked, sniffing her wrist again.

  “Not right now,” Reva said, her eyes on Pam. She pointed to Francine, who was handling three other customers at the far end of the counter. “She’ll help you. I’ve got to run.”

  “But—but—miss?”

  As the woman sputtered her protest, Reva hurried away to meet Pam. “Hey, Pam—you’re back at work?”

  Pam nodded, smiling at Reva. She wore a short black dress over dark green tights. Her blond hair was tied behind her head in a ponytail.

  “I can’t believe you came back so soon,” Reva exclaimed. “Why didn’t you take a few more days to rest and get your head together?”

  “I couldn’t,” Pam replied, lowering her gaze. “I really need the money.”

  “Don’t they have kidnapping pay or something?” Reva demanded. That was a thoughtless thing to say, she thought. Pam has been through a really terrifying time, and here I am making dumb jokes about it.

  “Talk to Uncle Robert about that,” Pam replied dryly. She cleared her throat. “I wondered if you’d like to come over tonight. To my house.”

  “Huh?” The invitation took Reva by surprise.

  “We’re trimming the tree tonight. I thought maybe you’d like to come help.”

  “Well . . . is Victor coming?” Reva asked.

  Pam shook her head, the ponytail wagging behind her. “He can’t make it. He has to go somewhere with his parents.”

  “Well, yeah,” Reva said. “I’ll come. It’ll be fun.”

  I feel guilty, I guess, Reva realized. That’s why I’m agreeing to go over to Pam’s and be bored out of my mind.

  “We’ll have popcorn and egg nog and a fire and everything,” Pam gushed, squeezing Reva’s hand. “It’ll be like an old-fashioned Christmas.”

  “Great!” Reva replied, trying to imitate her cousin’s enthusiasm. “Great, Pam!”

  • • •

  A little after seven-thirty that evening, Reva pulled her car onto Fear Street and headed toward Pam’s house. The rain had finally stopped that afternoon, but the road was still wet and slick. The old trees that bent over the street on both sides glistened in the pale streetlights.

  As she drove past the burned-out Simon Fear mansion, which overlooked the Fear Street Cemetery, Reva shook her head scornfully. How can Pam live on such a creepy, rundown street? she wondered. Surely, Uncle Bill could find a better house, even on his pitiful salary.

  Pam’s rambling old house came into view. To Reva’s surprise, the porch light wasn’t on. Probably broken, she thought, like everything else in Pam’s house.

  She pulled the Miata up the gravel driveway, stopping at the cracked and rutted flagstone walk that led to the front stoop.

  She grabbed the shopping bag on the passenger seat. It contained the presents she had bought for Pam and her parents. As Reva climbed out of the car, Pam appeared on the front porch.

  “Right on time! Hi!” Pam called cheerily, waving as Reva started to make her way along the front walk. “Hey—you weren’t supposed to bring presents tonight!”

  “Just a few things to put under your tree,” Reva called.

  She slipped, turning her ankle on a crack in the walk. “Ow.”

  “Be careful. The flagstones are all loose,” Pam said, stepping down.

  Out of the corner of her eye Reva saw something move from around the side of the house.

  A darting shadow.

  She heard a scraping sound. Hard breathing.

  Before she could turn to see what it was, a gloved hand clamped hard over her mouth.

  The shopping bag dropped from Reva’s hand.

  Something heavy was pulled over her head. Something wool and scratchy.

  A blanket?

  “Hey—I can’t see!” she cried, her voice muffled under the weight of the blanket.

  An arm swept around her waist, grabbed her tightly.

  “Stop!” she heard Pam shriek. “Hey—help! Help!”

  With a choked gasp Pam’s cries were cut off.

  Reva thrashed her elbows back hard.

  “Ow!” Her attacker cried out as an elbow made contact. “My mouth!”

  Reva felt his arm slip away.

  This is my chance, she thought, gripped with panic.

  She tried to squirm out from under the blanket.

  But her attacker recovered quickly. He wrapped his arm tightly over the blanket, around her throat, tightening, tightening.

  Choking off her air.

  Then a hard shove from behind sent her sprawling forward.

  “You’ll pay,” he whispered coldly. “You’ll pay.”

  Another hard shove. She realized she was being pushed down the driveway.

  This isn’t happening, Reva thought, overcome with terror.

  This isn’t happening.

  “Help! Pam—help!” she cried.

  Reva struggled and pulled up a corner of the heavy blanket.

  She got a quick glimpse of Pam. Pam had been taken too.

  But before the blanket was jammed back over her head, Reva got a quick glimpse of the car they were being dragged toward.

  A beat-up old Plymouth.

  Chapter 26

  BODY BAGS IN THE

  TRASH DUMP

  Before Reva saw her attackers, the wool blanket was pulled back over her head, blinding her, choking her.

  She cried out as someone again shoved her hard from behind.

  “What do you want? Leave us alone!” she heard Pam scream, her voice shrill.

  “Shut up!” a girl snapped in a loud, raspy whisper. “Just shut up—both of you.”

  Reva stumbled, but a strong arm grabbed her around the waist and kept her moving.

  She heard a car door open. “Put them both in back,” she heard the girl order.

  How many were there? Reva wondered.

  “What are you going to do to us?” Pam cried.

  “I told you to shut up!” the girl cried furiously.

  Reva heard a hard thud. Pam cried out in pain.

  “Get them in the car. I’ll drive,” the girl said.

  “I’ll drive. I’ve got the keys.” A man’s voice. No. A teenager’s voice.

  “Just move!” the girl shouted angrily.

  “Get in there!” Another man’s voice. The man holding Reva. He shoved her. She stumbled forward, thrusting her arms out to break her fall.

  She landed on a car seat. She fell into the car, tangled in the blanket. Her knee bumped the car floor.

  She could hear Pam struggling behind her. Another thud, the sound of a fist landing a hard blow.

  “Move!”

  “Let us go! You can’t get away with this!” Reva heard Pam cry.

  And then Pam was shoved in next to her. Reva could feel her trembling body.

  Reva heard Pam sob. “Not again! Please—not again! Let me go!”

  Then there was a flurry of movement.

  Someone opened the car door next to Reva. Someone pulled the blanket off her head. Reva got a glimpse of a pudgy-faced, dark-eyed man in a denim jacket.

  A glimpse. Then everything was dark again as a scarf was tied around her eyes.

  She wanted to resist, to fight, to make it tough for them. But there was no room to struggle. And her fear made her muscles weak. She could barely raise her arms.

  Reva’s hands were pulled roughly behind her back. Then they were tied with some kind of cord. “Ow—no!” She cried out as the cord cut into her wrists.

  Her cry was ignored.

  The car door slammed shut.

  She could still feel Pam’s trembling body beside her.

  “Reva—are you okay?” Pam whispered.

  “Shut up! Shut up!” the girl rasped from the driver’s seat. “Hurry up, Pres!”

  “Hey—no names!” the boy shouted angrily.


  Pres? One of them was named Pres?

  Reva figured there were three of them. The woman, the pudgy-faced man who had pushed her into the car, and the teenage boy. The one named Pres.

  She heard a front door slam.

  The car engine roared. The car shot forward, throwing Reva back against the seat.

  “Sit back and enjoy the ride,” the man said. Reva could tell he was sitting next to Pam.

  “You can’t do this!” Pam cried in a weak, trembling voice.

  Reva remained silent. Staring into the blackness behind the blindfold. She realized she was too frightened to speak.

  She coughed. Started to choke. Her throat felt tight and dry.

  “Stop coughing, Reva!” the girl snapped from the front seat.

  She knows my name, Reva thought. A cold chill ran down her back.

  They know my name. They’ve planned this. They’ve been sitting somewhere, planning this, talking about me.

  Reva had read about kidnappings. She had seen movies about them on TV.

  But the movies never showed the real fear, she thought, feeling her whole body convulse in a shudder.

  The movies never showed the darkness. Never showed the panic that choked you, that made you gasp, that made your temples throb.

  The movies never showed the horror of being helpless, of being at the mercy of someone who wanted to harm you.

  To hurt you. To kill you, maybe.

  Someone who knew your name . . .

  This is what Pam went through, Reva realized. This is the fear Pam felt.

  And now it is happening all over again to her.

  Why? Because of me?

  If they wanted to kidnap me, why did they take Pam again?

  The answer came to Reva at once. They think they can get more money if they have both of us.

  They’re probably right, Reva realized.

  Daddy will gladly pay them whatever they want.

  And then what?

  The question flashed uninvited into her mind.

  And then what?

  Reva didn’t want to think about that question.

  What will they do to Pam and me once Daddy has paid them? Will they return us to our homes? Will they simply dump us out on my driveway the way they did the first time?