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“Time to rise and shine sleeping beauty. You’ve got a wedding to get ready for.” She knocked once, then turned the knob. Lacey’s bed was unmade. The bathroom door was ajar and she could smell the overpowering scent of apple body wash.
“Ah, you are up, good. I see you enjoyed the soap, I love that scent. Fresh sweet apples, perfect for a lovely bride.” She looked around, shrugged her shoulders and went to check the porch.
“Lacey? Where you at? I’m back.” Shesawsmears of a white powderby the door. She turned her shoes over and saw a small smudge on her heel where she had walked through it. The two empty capsule halves lay on the rug next to her Crocs.
“Lacey? Are you here, Lacey?” The hair on the back of her neck rose, and she flung the front door open and glanced over to the blue bungalow. The drapes layopen in the front windows. Hisdoor was ajar. She yelledfor Lacey but heard nothing.
She picked up the phone and dialed Lacey’s number, but it just rang non-stopbefore going to voicemail. She dialed Belle, who answered on the third ring, out of breath.
“What’s up Studlove? Is the bride getting prettied up for her moment?” Stella felt the tears well up as she listened to Belle’s buoyant voice.
“I can’t find Lacey, and she’s nothere.Thewedding dress is, though. I found an open pill capsule by the door and there’swhite powder on the floor at the entranceway. The blue bungalow looks vacant, but I found out some nastyshit aboutFred. I’ve gotto figure itout, and I’m not going in the blue bungalowalone. You haven’t seen her or heard from her today, have you?” Belle took a deep breath and glanced over at Sal, who was sitting in bed waiting for her.
“No, I haven’t talked to her since last night. Did Fred dosomething to her? I know he creeped you out, but wasn’t he supposed to leave today? Maybe he’s just gone. Maybe Lacey went over to her house to see Philippe. Pregnant women do strange things, maybe the pill is something for pain from the injuries. Take a breath and I’ll be right over, okay? I’ll bring Sal and he can check the bungalow.” Stella calmed downand nodded.
“Thank you,something’s notkosher. She took a shower, but she’s not here, she’s not answering her phone, either.” Belle hung up andglancedat Sal.
“Stella’s freaking out over there. We’ve got to go check out the blue bungalow. Fred might be out of there, but she can’t find Lacey. Oh, and she found a pillnearthe door. I’m sure Lacey just went home to see Philippe, but get dressed, I told her we’d head over to help.” Sal nodded and slid out of bed, grabbed his shorts and slid them over his hips.
“I wantanother go-round,but a busy day beckons, sweets. Maybe later tonight you and I can play more. I can never get enough of your sexy body, my beautiful wife.” Belle giggled and threw on her clothes, ran a brush through her hair, and yawned.
“I’ve got to get some coffee first, Stella can wait a few minutes. I need to wake up or I’ll be useless.” She walked out into the kitchen and fired up the coffee maker. Picking up the lamp she ran her fingers across the surface and made a wish for a beautiful day filled with love and peace.
∞∞∞
Stella paced the living room and jumped when the phone rang. She looked at the number and realized it was Laceys.
“Where the heck did you go? You’ve got a big day ahead of you and where are you? You do realize the house is ripe with the smell of apples, right? Lawd alive, I hope you didn’t let Horst see you...” She stopped when she realized Lacey wasn’t responding.
“Lacey, sweetheart... Are you there?” Lacey watched Fred warily while trying to actout of it. He motioned her to speak the words he wrote out for her.
“Um, Stella...I’m so confused...I don’t know if I’m ready to get married... Could you come to get me? I need to talk to you.” She sniffled and Stella felt her heart plummet.
“Honey, where are you? I’ll come to you... Can you tell me where you are.” Lacey cleared her throat, and she looked at Fred. He held the knife up to her throat, and she quivered, then swallowed.
“I...I’m over at the freaky beach... Stella, I’ll wait right here... Oh, and could you bring Belle, too? With her recent... Wedding to Jeffery, maybe she can calm my jitters, I don’t know if I’m ready to get married.” Stella felt the hair in her neck rise.
“Give me a half-hour sweetheart, and I’ll get Belle to talk you through this nervous-nelly nonsense. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to… Jeffery, too?”
“No... Just you and Belle, please. I need a ladies chat to calm my wedding nerves.” Stella’s mind whirled as Lacey disconnected the call.
“He’s got her. No one calls it the freaky beach and Jeffery...Good God, thank you for that, I’m coming baby girl, Mama will take care of it.” She picked up the phone, then hung it up when she heard the knocking on the door. Opening it, she burst into tears when she saw Belle and Sal standing there.
“Come oninside. Oh shit, we’re in a pickle, and I have littletime to explain. Fred has taken her. That maniac has her, and she’s over at the nudie beach. She gave me clues that something wasn’t right. I stopped bythe police stationand got the lowdown on Fred. It’san alias,the real Freddied in prison in Miami. Damn it! I knew his voice. Now I know why he gave me the creeps. It’s the same guy who raped meyears ago. It’s him, I swear it, and that means he has kidnapped his own daughter. He will kill her, and he wants you and me to go meet Lacey. What are we going to do? If the cops show, he will kill her. I have no doubts. We’ve got torescue her.” Belle listened and imagined the fear that Lacey must be experiencing. She looked at Sal and nodded.
“Sal, get your Glock and bring extra ammo. Oh, and grab me my sneakers and a sweatshirt, too.” Sal nodded and rushed out as she turned to Stella.
“I won’t let him hurt her. I’m the one he wants. It has got to be Dick. Please, don’t alert Horst. He’ll rush in like a crazed fool and muck up the whole, thing. He’s a businessman, not Rambo.” Stella took a deep breath and hugged her.
“I’m sorry, but if you’re his target, why would he involve me?”
“I’m not sure, but we willfigure it out. Here comes Sal.” Sal walked through the door and gave Belle her things. He handed her the sheathed knife she kept in the bedside table.
“You’re going there armed, sweetheart. This saved you before, andI have a plan.What we need to do is this…”
∞∞∞
Chapter Twelve
