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  “Thank you,” Blackshear replied.

  “I’ll have her call you as soon as I get in touch with her,” Abby said.

  “Okay, stay safe.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Alex’s eyes twitched, as she started to come to. A heavy darkness engulfed her vision and for a moment she thought it was still night time. Her body physically ached and her head was throbbing.

  What a fucking lightweight, she thought.

  She started to get up, but couldn’t; which only served to further confuse her. It took a second for her to realize that she couldn’t move because her hands and feet what tied up.

  What the hell? she thought, as she struggled against the restraints.

  Now she realized that the darkness was merely the effect of a hood over her face and she tried to scream, but there was something large in her mouth which prevented her from doing so. The result was something akin to a barely audible moan.

  A wave of panic came over her, but she willed herself to remain calm. If she couldn’t see, she could still hear. There was a window open. She could hear birds chipping outside and could feel a slight breeze on the exposed skin of her hand.

  She fought to remember everything that had happened, but it was as if her mind was in a fog. She knew she’d gotten drunk the night before, but she also remembered waking up.

  I showered, she thought.

  She recalled getting dressed for the gym and walking out into the living room. She’d sat on the couch to put her sneakers on and……

  The fucking whiskey, she remembered. You were poisoned.

  Her mind was racing as she tried to pick up any shred of information, any small detail, which would make sense of it all. It couldn’t have already been in the alcohol when she bought it and she hadn’t left the house, which meant that someone had either come into her home while she was passed out on the couch or while she had been in the shower.

  Oh this is so not fucking good.

  She tried pulling on the restraints again, but it was of little use. Her arms and legs were splayed apart and there simply wasn’t enough give to provide her with any type of leverage.

  Just calm down, you’re still alive, so you have to play it cool.

  Alex listened intently, trying to discern anything that would help her situation. She could barely make out the sounds of a muffled conversation taking place.

  Okay, so there are at least two people, she thought. Now all you have to do is just figure out who they are and what they want.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Abby Simpson made her way out of City Hall and quickly headed toward the waiting patrol car.

  “Abby!”

  She turned to see Mildred Parker walking toward her.

  “Hi, Mrs. Parker,” Abby said. “How are you?”

  “Oh, doing well,” the woman said. “Each day that I wake up I count my blessings.”

  “That’s certainly the right outlook to have,” Abby replied.

  “Well, I guess I could complain, but that wouldn’t help matters much, would it?”

  “Unfortunately, there are a lot of folks who still love to do just that.”

  “Yeah and we have a name for them,” Mildred said. “They’re assholes.”

  Abby stifled a laugh. The former chief’s wife was quite a pistol, but she guessed that when you got to her age you no longer really had to worry about what you said or how you said it.

  “Were you coming to City Hall for a social visit or was there something you needed?” Abby asked.

  “Social visit? Here? Oh good Lord no girl,” Mildred replied. “If I came here for a social visit I might run into Sheldon Abbott. Then I would most likely end up in your jail and that wouldn’t be very social at all.”

  Abby could no longer contain her laughter at the image of little Mildred Parker beating up Sheldon Abbott.

  The man was certainly a galvanizing figure in Penobscot. It seemed like half the folks hated him and the other half loved him, although she wasn’t sure if it was love or fear. Either way, he always seemed to have enough of a majority to keep getting himself reelected and no one on the board would dare move against him to challenge him for the city manager position. Abby had always wondered just what kind of dirt he had on the other board members that kept them in check.

  “I was wondering if you had heard from Alex?” she asked.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Because she was supposed to come by my house for dinner last night and she never showed up,” Mildred replied. “Normally she’d call, but I haven’t heard from her since the morning of the shooting.”

  As Abby watched, Mildred looked around furtively and then leaned in closer.

  “I also ran into Dr. Bates this morning at the Y,” she said. “He didn’t seem very happy and I asked him what was wrong. He said he went out to Alex’s house last night and they had a pretty bad blow-up.”

  “Well, she’s probably got a lot on her mind,” Abby said, even as her brain was trying to reconcile what it was being told.

  “I’m sure that you are right, Abby, but you know how we motherly types get.”

  “Well, I’m heading out to her place now,” she replied. “I’ll make sure and let her know to give you a call.”

  “Do you mind?” Mildred asked. “I would really appreciate that.”

  “Don’t worry; as soon as I see her I will let you know.”

  “Thank you so much,” the woman replied. “Please tell everyone back at the office that I said hello.”

  “I’ll do that Mrs. Parker,” Abby said. “You really should stop in one day. I know everyone would love to see you.”

  “I’ll do that, Abby,” Mildred said.

  “Ok, you have a great day.”

  “You too, Abby.”

  Abby watched the woman walk away, wondering what was going on. If Alex had skipped out on dinner, that meant that she was the last one to see her before yesterday and it begged the question of why she was in town in the first place?

  She didn’t want to think it, but everything in her head told her that she was going to find Alex drunk when she got out to her place.

  Can you really blame her? she wondered, as she made her way to the patrol car and got in.

  The answer to that question was a resounding no.

  She started up the car and pulled away from the curb. She made a quick a right onto Atlantic Avenue and headed out of town.

  Abby couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have been in a shooting in the first place, let alone one where everyone was questioning whether it was justified or not. The thought of being found guilty had to be weighing heavily on Alex’s mind, which made getting out to the house and finding her even more imperative.

  During the ride out of town her mind replayed the last conversation they’d had. While Alex had seemed fine to her, she couldn’t help recall the distant look in her eyes when she’d first pulled alongside her. She’d dismissed it, thinking that she’d have had the same look if she was going through what Alex was, but now she wondered if she might have missed something.

  As she left the confines of the city, she found herself cruising just a bit faster, feeling herself becoming more anxious with every passing minute. By the time she turned off the road, and onto the driveway that led to Alex’s house, her speed caused a spray of gravel to fly into the yard as the car’s tires fought to stay in contact with the road. A moment later she locked the brakes up and bounded from the car.

  The setting sun in front of her caused her eyes to squint as she made her way up to the front door. With her mind was racing and her thoughts becoming darker it was no wonder that she never saw the large, intricately woven spider-web until it was too late.

  As to just who was more afraid over the unexpected encounter, was up for debate, but the bloodcurdling scream followed by the flailing of limbs seemed to give Abby a distinct edge. Coming in at just under an inch in size the Cross Orbweaver spider was not what you would exact
ly call menacing, but at that particular moment it certainly looked a helluva lot bigger!

  Abby swatted away at her face, as she desperately fought to untangle herself from the silky strands of the once intricate web, while the aforementioned spider crawled up a dangling strand and disappeared behind the porches rain gutter.

  “Motherfucker!” Abby exclaimed angrily, her body shuddering, as she continued to pull the strands from her face and hair.

  She approached the door cautiously, as if the spider was preparing for a counter-attack.

  “God I hate those damn things” she said, as she began pounding on it with a sense of urgency.

  “Boss, its Abby, open the door.”

  When there was no answer, she slowly made her way around the side of the house, scanning for any other surprises that might be lurking nearby, and peered through the garage’s side door. Abby felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she spied the Jeep parked inside.

  “Oh shit,” she muttered under her breath, as she returned back to the front of the house.

  Abby walked over to a large, rectangular limestone ‘welcome’ sign, that sat off to the side of the porch step. Actually, the sign read: Go Away - Trespassers will be shot, Survivors will be shot twice, which was about the best greeting you could expect if you knocked on her door.

  She tilted the stone back and felt underneath for the plastic box. She opened it up and removed the key for the front door.

  A sense of apprehension gripped her, and she felt her heart skip a beat, as she slid the key into the cylinder and turned it. As the door slowly opened she paused and took in a deliberate breath. It wasn’t by any means scientific, but it passed the sniff test, so to speak. Even in her relatively short law enforcement career she had come to know the distinctly sickly-sweet smell of death all too well.

  “Boss?” she said, as she guardedly made her way into the home, her right hand resting against the Glock 22’s stippled back strap.

  “Hello?”

  Abby entered the kitchen, scanning it and the living room quickly. Next she moved into the bedroom. The bed was neatly made and everything appeared to be in its proper place. A quick check of the bathroom and the guest room / home office came up with more of the same. Nothing seemed amiss, yet nothing felt exactly right either.

  She walked back out into the living room and spied the empty bottle of whiskey sitting on the coffee table.

  “Uh oh,” she muttered, as she walked over to it.

  She noticed a piece of paper next to the bottle with a pen sitting on top of it.

  Abby picked it up and began reading it.

  With everything going on, I just needed to clear my head. I need some time alone so I’m going for a hike. I’ll be back soon.

  “A hike?” Abby said quizzically.

  She walked out the front door and stood on the porch.

  Off in the distance, Mt. Moriah rose up behind an endless expanse of pine trees; its upper ridges still adorned with patches of snow. It was easy to appreciate why Alex lived out here. Living out in the country, there was a sense of tranquility that customarily enveloped you, but not today. As Abby stood there, listening to the melodic sounds of nature, she could not help but feel a sense of dread. It was entirely possible that Alex had indeed gone out for a hike, and cell reception in this area was notoriously bad, but something about the empty bottle just gnawed at her.

  She reached into her pocket and checked her cell phone. She was greeted by zero bars on the display screen.

  She let out a sigh and headed back into the house. She located the house phone and placed a call to Hutch’s cell number.

  Abby knew that he was still at the office working. She’d never heard him clear for the day and she knew that Sheldon Abbott was doing all he could to keep him swamped with busy work. The phone rang a half dozen times before it switched over to voice mail.

  She returned the phone back to its cradle, then reached up and grabbed the mic from her shoulder.

  “M-11-6 to base.”

  “Base on the air, go with message.”

  “Base is M-11-3 available?”

  “Standby.”

  A moment later she heard his voice over the radio.

  “M-11-3, go with message.”

  “Trying to contact you direct, M-11-3,” Abby said.

  “I’m 10-73,” Hutch replied.

  Abby frowned at his use of the code they used for unavailable due to administrative duties.

  “Copy that, standby on landline.”

  She picked the phone back up and dialed his cell again. A moment later she heard him pickup.

  “This better be important, Abby,” he said with more than a slight bit of annoyance in his voice.

  “I need you to come out to the Chief’s place.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, now.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “I’m not sure,” Abby said. “I came out here to talk to the boss and she’s not here.”

  “Well, maybe she just went out, Abby,” he replied. “It’s not like she has to notify us of her every move.”

  “Look, I really don’t want to get into this over the phone. Can you just take a run out here?”

  “Can’t you just come here and tell me?”

  “No, I can’t,” she replied forcefully. “When was the last time I called you about bullshit, Hutch?”

  “Fine,” he replied, with an exasperated sigh. “I’m on my way.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Alex awoke from her nightmare with a start, her body jerking violently, as the vivid images of being restrained in a cold, dark prison cell slowly fled from her mind. She tried to move, but felt the restraints tugging at her skin.

  So much for it all being a bad dream, she thought.

  Her brain still felt more than a bit sluggish, as if her thoughts were being muffled inside her head. She chalked it off to being the lingering after-effects of whatever drug they had used to knock her out.

  Everything was quite now. The voices she thought she had heard previously were gone now and she was acutely aware of the fact that she had absolutely no time reference to go by.

  Was it day or night? she wondered. Hell, for that matter, was it even the same day or another?

  Without any warning she heard the familiar snap of a Zippo lighter. The sound immediately sent a chill throughout her body, as she realized someone else was in the room with her. She struggled in vain against the restraints, as fear coursed through her body. Then she caught a whiff of smoke in the air.

  While she couldn’t see, it was as if every other one of her senses had been kicked into overdrive. She could hear the sound of the rolling paper burning, as whoever it was took a drag on the cigarette. Then she heard the slow, deliberate exhale and once agent the pungent aroma of the burnt tobacco filled her nostrils.

  If they were watching her then they would have known she was awake. They would have seen her body pulling against the restraints that held her in place.

  They’re toying with you.

  Time passed by agonizingly slow until she heard the sound of the cigarette being crushed out.

  A moment later she felt something brush against the back of her head and without any warning the hood was removed. Immediately she shut her eyes tightly as the overhead ceiling light blinded her. It felt like an interminably long time before she was able to slowly reopen them in an attempt to identify her captor. It was only when she was finally able to open them that she understood the true extent of her situation.

  “Hey, baby,” Tatiana cooed.

  As Alex watched, the women leaned over and undid the gag, then slowly removed the large, ball shaped device from her mouth. She fought the urge to scream as she knew it was probably pointless. The woman would have never removed it if there was anyone nearby that could have heard her.

  Her immediate instinct was to say something smart, but her jaw ached and she was incredibly thirsty. Tatiana must have sensed her distre
ss, because she reached down, picking up a bottle of water and opened it.

  Tatiana leaned over, guiding the opening of the bottle toward Alex’s mouth, but she recoiled.

  “Oh, stop,” Tatiana said admonishingly. “Do you really think I’d knock you out again after waiting all this time for you to wake up?”

  Alex watched as the woman took a sip from the bottle.

  “See? Are you satisfied?”

  Alex nodded her head.

  Tatiana leaned over and put one hand under Alex’s head, lifting it up slightly, as she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips.

  “Drink slowly,” she warned.

  Alex wanted to desperately lash out, but it would be a futile gesture. For the moment Tatiana had the upper hand and she knew that she needed to obediently play along; at least until she figured out what the heck was going on.

  The water felt amazingly good going down her parched throat and tasted even better, as she slowly drank from the bottle. When she had gotten enough she raised her head slightly and Tatiana withdrew it, placing it back down on the ground next to her chair.

  “So, did you miss me, darling?” she asked with a big smile.

  “I can’t believe you’re still alive,” Alex replied softly.

  “Aw, you didn’t think that I was going to let you waltz into my life and then just disappear, did you?”

  “I’ll be honest,” Alex said. “I was pretty okay with that.”

  “Really?” Tatiana replied, as she lit up another cigarette. “As I recall, you were pretty much ready to jump into bed with me back then.”

  “I’d like to say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I’m pretty much over the whole psychotic-murderous bitch infatuation.”

  “You have no idea how much that saddens me,” Tatiana said, as she slowly ran her fingers along Alex’s forehead, brushing away several stray strands of blonde hair. “And here all I have thought about was you.”

  “I’m touched,” Alex replied, “but, then again, so are you.”

  “Eh, I’ve been called worse,” Tatiana replied, as she lit up another cigarette. “Over time you’ll grow to adore my idiosyncrasies.”