How Little We Know, M J Marlow [love letters to the dead .TXT] 📗

“That’s why we were here in Minneapolis. He told me to let her goand or he’d kill me.” “We’ll talk to the Sheriff when we get to your hometown,” Oliver nodded. “It might be your attacker may have changed his mindand decided to take your wife instead.” “Why doesn’t that make me feel better?” Sean asked him. “Uncle Sean,” Bobby giggled, “the air is blowing funny in my head.” “Sorry, champ,” Sean grinned down at him. He took his hands away. “Better?” He stood up with Bobby in his arms. “We’ll go backand pack. I don’t have any trouble with flying home on your jet, but I am asking you to not come directly to the house.” “Agreed.” Mary knew she was awake but she felt like she was floating. She thought of getting up but her body didn’t want to listen. She heard a door openand someone came towards whatever she was lying onand touched her arm. They stroked her hairand she wondered what was happening. “You’re being a very good girl, Mary,” a familiar voice sounded in her ear. “Your husband should be back with your little boy soonand then I will bring him here to you.” “Don’t…hurt…” “I wouldn’t dream of hurting Bobby,” Sam assured her. “He’s your little boy, Mary. He belongs with us. He stroked Mary’s hair gently. “Once Sean divorces you, we can get married.” “No,” Mary shook her head slowly; her movements making her feel like she was swimming in molasses. “I want to go home.” “You are home, Mary,” Sam said to her. “My own darling Mary,” he sighedand leaned over to kiss her. “You know you belong with me. I’m the only one who can protect you.” “Sam, please let me go,” Mary pleaded with him. “I don’t belong here.” “You’re only saying that because you’re confused, Mary,” Sam said calmly. He ran his hand down her armand she felt him taking her rings off. “We’re going to remove everything that he put on youand then,” he continued as he sat her upand began to unbuttonand remove her blouse, “we’re going to remove his scent.” He kissed her. “We can’t be truly one until you are clean.” “Sam, don’t do this to me,” Mary sobbed as the man continued removing her clothing. He let her goand she flopped back onto the bed. She could hear the water running as he came back to get her. He put her in the tuband handed her a sponge. “Every inch, Mary,” he instructed her as he turned to go. “I don’t want to come in contact with any trace of the man.” Mary raised her arm slowlyand saw it shaking with the effort. If she didn’t have Bobby needing her she would have let herself slide under the waterand end this. But since she did, she shampooed her hairand took a bath as she had been instructed. Sam came back inand helped her into a thick terry cloth robe. Then he carried her to the bedroomand combed out her hair. “I used to comb Mother’s hair for her, Mary,” Sam said softly as he admired her in the vanity mirror. “You remember my Mother, don’t you?” Mary nodded slowly. “I have lots of her clothing here. You won’t need anything new.” He finished what he was doingand put her hair up in a ponytail like his mother used to wear. Then he turned her aroundand made up her face. When he let her look, she shivered. Her face was made up like Arlene Henry used to wear it. “Mother would have loved you, Mary.” “Sam,” Mary begged him as he picked her up, “you have to let me go. Seanand Bobby are going to be worried about me.” “No they aren’t, Mary,” Sam shook his head. “When they get home, there is going to be a letter waiting for them telling them that you don’t want to be married to Sean anymore. You are going to Reno to file for a divorce.” “They’ll never believe it, Sam,” Mary protested. “Then Sean will have to die,” Sam told her bluntly. He stroked her cheek. “We can never be together until he is gone.” He put his hands to his temples. “I’m getting a headache arguing with you. I need to make you quiet so I can rest.” He went out of the roomand returned with the bottle. Mary could smell the ether as he dumped it on a cloth. “Good night, honey.” Mary shook her headand tried to push him away. He fell backand the bottle went flying. She stumbled towards the doorand he grabbed herand clamped the cloth over her face as she screamedand fought him. But it was useless. He might be shorter than her but he was far stronger than she was. She collapsedand he put her on the bedand covered her with an afghan. “Pretty Mary,” he sighed as he took off his clothesand got under the afghan with her. He removed the robe she was wearingand held her as she slept, his hands shivering with the need to touch. “Not yet,” he shook his headand moved away from her. He woke earlyand left her something to eat while he went about his work. He could see her moving on the screen in his office hidden in the closetand he checked on her every few minutes. The thought of her in his homeand in his bed was quite heady. He wandered down to Sue Ellen’s at lunch timeand bought sandwichesand soup to go. “You’re mighty hungry today, Sam,” Sue Ellen smiled at him. “Got a hot date?” No,” Sam blushed. “I’m going to be working late on Old Hancock’s Olds, so I thought I’d stock up. You’re a much better cook than I am Sue Ellen. I should hire you.” She smiled at himand he was reminded of his mother. Yes, he thought as he made his way home; she would be a perfect addition to the household. There was small closet off the kitchen he could put a twin bed in for her use. “Hello, darling,” he called as he went upstairs with the food. “I thought I’d eat lunch with you.” He ducked as something came down towards his headand caught her around the waste as she tried to run. “You are feeling feisty today,” he laughed. “That means you want to play.” He set the food down on the table while she squirmed under his armand carried her into the bedroom. He knew she was still under the influence of the Evans’ man so he would have to secure her. He put the shackles he kept hidden behind the headboard on her wristsand pulled her down. He got the ether. “Just enough to quiet you,” he said as he measure it out, “but not enough to make you sleep.” He smiled as he saw her dazed look. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mary, but you can’t do that again. You could harm yourself trying to run away.” He stroked her hair as she cried softly, her eyes filled with tears. Sam pet herand caressed herand kissed her as she struggled weakly. Her struggled only excited him moreand he raped her with a great deal of enthusiasm. Her moans of pain sounded like cries of delight to his demented mindand he left her to return to work with a pleased smile on his face. Sam was driving past the Sheriff’s Office the next morning when he saw Sean inside with his brother. The man looked very angryand he attacked Ericand had to be pulled off of him. Sam smiled at that. It was good to pit the enemies against each other. They would destroy themselvesand he would be free to enjoy his pretty Mary undisturbed. He stopped in back of Sue Ellen’s, made certain that no one was looking,and then knocked on the door. As he waited, he prepared the cloth. “Hello?” Sue Ellen called as she opened the doorand peered out. “Norman Sands, is that you playing tricks again?” She stepped out into the alleyand Sam was on her. She collapsed quicklyand he put her in his trunk. “Mary, darling,” he called as he carried Sue Ellen upstairsand put her in the closet near the kitchen on the bed. He shackled her ankleand made certain the chain was secured. Then he went to get Mary. She was boundand gagged. He freed her anklesand took her to the kitchen closet. “I brought you a servant, darling, so you don’t have to cook for us.” He leaned his cheek against hers. “Wasn’t that thoughtful of me?” He turned her eyes to his. “Wasn’t that thoughtful, Mary?” She noddedand he was appeased. “She’ll keep you company when I have to work,and help you take care of our children.” He sat Mary down at the tableand freed her wrists. She was horrified at his latest act. She had never believed the other kids when they had said Sam Henry was insane. Mary had thought they were just being cruel. But his actions of the past couple of days told her plainly that he was unhinged. It had been bad enough when it was only her, but now Sue Ellen was in danger as well. Mary had to figure out how to get them both out of here before he snapped completely. “We’re moving now, darling,” he said as he drugged her again. He carried her downstairs to his panel vanand laid her on the bed in the back. He went back insideand returned with Sue Ellen. He made certain they were both boundand gagged,and then backed the van outside the garage. When his employees showed up, he told them he was going on an extended vacationand left Homer Simon in charge until he got back. Five minutes later, Sam pulled up in the alley behind Mary’s houseand snuck in. He got Bobbyand a few toysand carried him out to the van. He laid the boy next to his motherand left him free. A four year old boy was not going to be any trouble. Oscar ran into the Sheriff’s Officeand banged on the door. Robert glared at the brothersand they moved away from each other. The alarm on Oscar’s face told him that something bad had happened. “Sue Ellen is missing, Sheriff,” Oscar told him. “I went over to pick up our morning doughnutsand the front door was lockedand the lights were out. So I went around back to go check her apartment. The back door was standing wide openand this was on the ground nearby.” He pulled out a plastic bad with a cloth inside it. The ether smell was quite evident as he cracked it open. “Why would anyone kidnap Sue Ellen?” “Can’t blame this one on me, brother,” Eric snapped at his twin. “You have friends,” Sean retorted. “Perhaps you decided Mary needed a housekeeperand cookand Sue Ellen’s name sprang to mind.” “We have a perfectly competent cook housekeeper up at the farm, Sean,” Eric replied. “If I had Mary there, she’d be taken care of.” He sank back, frowning. “This is getting ridiculous. Who has Mary?” He looked at Sean. “I’m starting to feel very uneasy about all this, brother. Our Mary is in troubleand whoever took her is more than happy to see us at each other’s throats.” “It has to be someone who knows Sue Ellen’s schedule,” Oscar was saying; his worry for the woman. “That means someone whose morning hours are as early as hers are.” “You get a list together, Oscar,” Robert nodded to him. He looked at the brothers. “All right, gentlemen,” he said as he sat down; “seeing as you both appear to be in the clear, I want you to sit downand try to think of someone in this town who would want Mary enough to kidnap herand make it look like one of you was responsible.” They looked up to see Lillian’s car squealing to a halt in front