Ethan
She was clinically insane. There was no other explanation.
Even as she lost consciousness, there was a smile curling her lips.
If I woke up to a needle in my neck I would have been furious—or at least attempted to lunge at my attacker.
I shook my head and went to the hallway to wheel the suitcase in.
I rolled her over to make space for the suitcase and unzipped it, before lifting her and placing her inside. I arranged her limbs, tucking them in carefully, admiring her foetal position.
“Don’t make me kill you,” I whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.
I closed her door behind me and pressed the button for my car. The boot opened slowly and I placed her inside. There were holes drilled into the suitcase to allow air to circulate—she would be fine for the hour’s drive home.
I eased out of her driveway, creeping along the street until I reached the turning onto the main road.
This was it.
I’d taken Anne Selbourne.
There were hardly any cars out. I focused on the route, forcing myself not to exceed the speed limit.
It was time to test her pressure points. I needed to know what made her tick. The cracks had already formed from my presence alone, and I had no doubt she would try to kill me. Had our positions been reversed, I’d already have a scalpel in her throat.
I was a highly respected plastic surgeon and had a reputation to uphold.
I tapped the screen on the dashboard and classical music filtered through. The drive home was uneventful, yet the excitement began to build as I approached. It was time to cage my little project and observe.
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The other two stared as I transferred Anne into her cage. Eva was torn between fear and relief—she thought that with another woman present, I might leave her alone. She was wrong.
Gareth was straining through the bars to see Anne.
They all had blankets, water and portable toilets. But did I get any thanks for my efforts? No.
I double-checked Anne’s handcuffs before placing the blanket over her shoulders.
“Please let me go. I won’t say anything. My son—” Gareth rasped before choking on his words and burying his face in his hands.
I’d removed their gags because I wanted all three to converse. I was beginning to regret it already. I never understood the logic of their having children and my granting them freedom on that basis.
I closed Anne’s cage and locked it. Even with the handcuffs on, I was taking no chances.
“Please,” he whispered as I walked away.
The lights would switch off automatically.
It would be interesting to see Anne’s reaction when she met Gareth again. I chuckled to myself as I climbed the stairs. I’d replayed her stabbing that canvas too many times to count. All that murderous rage simmering away was exquisite.
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My hand was never far from my phone that night, even knowing I had work in the morning. I didn’t put it down until I’d heard every foul name she called me. Every delicious threat she uttered was like a confession.
Eva and Gareth tried to calm her down, afraid I would come.
Their words fell on deaf ears for a good twenty minutes.
When silence finally fell, the whispers began.
“Hello?” Eva whispered.
Silence.
“Hey, new girl. Please don’t make him mad,” she said, more urgently.
“We need to try and get out of here,” Gareth added. “What’s your name?”
Silence.
“I’m Gareth. This is Eva.”
“Gareth?” Anne asked abruptly.
“Shhh,” Eva hissed.
“Gareth from Moorbeck?”
“Uh, yeah. Do you know me?”
Anne snorted.
“We fucked on someone’s grave last weekend.”
“Anne?” he gasped.
“Wait—you two know each other? Aren’t you married?” Eva said. Not even whispering now.
I chuckled with delight. I should switch the lights on just to see their expressions.
“Yeah, Gareth. Are you married?” Anne said, and I heard her yanking on the cage door.
Silence.
“Did you think it was okay to deceive me like that?” Anne asked. I heard the amusement beneath the mock indignation.
“My wife wasn’t giving me much attention,” he muttered.
I adjusted my pillows and switched the lamp off.
“Poor you,” Anne said drily.
“Never mind that. We need to coordinate an attack and get out of here. That guy is not stable. He’s a nutter.”
“Are you a psychologist, Gareth?” Anne asked sweetly.
“What? No.”
“So you’re not qualified to make any kind of mental assessment.”
Silence.
“He has us locked in cages at an undisclosed location. I’ve been here a week,” Eva hissed. “The man is not fucking right in the head.”
Anne chuckled. “Sure.”
She wasn’t defending me. She was defending herself.
Interesting.
Eva and Gareth continued to whisper, but Anne didn’t speak again.
I closed my eyes and wondered what tomorrow would bring.