TEN

JACK

I knew it was a risk, leaving her loose down there. But I doubted she’d try and escape again. For one thing, I’d checked every inch of the place and there was nothing down there other than the bed. For another thing, I had her scared of me, I had her ready to submit to me. All I had to do was play things carefully and she’d be mine by the end of the day. It was an exhilarating thought.

I slept well that night, thinking about her down there, having her company, having her ready for me whenever I wanted to use her. It was a thought that made me smile. The next morning, I called in sick to work, putting on my best ill voice. It worked fine. I’d not been off before so nobody would mind me taking a day. It might have been outside the norm but if I went in, I wouldn’t get much work done. And by the time I was finished for the day, most of the shops would be shutting. If I was being honest, I also didn’t want to leave her that long. I had work to do and it was better to get it done quickly.

I drove to the city centre, parking up in the multi-storey near the department store I knew best. It had the blandest clothes and the blandest customers, perfect for me. No one would bat an eyelid at me for buying women’s clothes. I’d just look like a father buying for his daughter, or a sleazy businessman buying for his mistress. Either way, no one would care.

I started in the underwear department. It wasn’t easy, working out her size. In the end I decided not to bother with bras, she’d have to survive without one. I bought a dozen pairs of panties in a range of sizes from eight to fourteen. She had to be somewhere in that range. She was pretty small and her hips were slender enough. I went for plain black thongs, the thought of seeing her wearing them enough to send me out of that section to calm down.

I did the same thing with the dresses, choosing a range of sizes. Then with some socks and a couple of pairs of flat shoes, I was done. She might not look like the most fashionable person on the planet but at least she’d be dressed. It would be a shame not to have her naked any longer but this would build the trust between us. Plus it gave me an additional means of punishing her if she misbehaved again. I’d be able to take them away as easily as I gave them to her.

“Two hundred and twelve fifty, please,” the girl behind the counter said. She was looking at me with a grin on her face. I smiled back, no reason to be memorable. Just let her bat her eyelids and then forget me. It was the best way.

I carried the bags out of the shop and back to the multi-storey. A short drive got me to a supermarket and I loaded up on food. Beyond sandwiches, I didn’t have much idea what she liked. Again, I could use what I bought to train her. Do well and be fed well, do badly and a spanking might start to look pretty nice next to starvation.

I got back to find Claudia on my doorstep again. I was already out of the car and carrying the bags, too late to turn back and hide them. But as she turned round to face me, I realised it wasn’t Claudia. It was another woman, someone I didn’t recognise. “Mr Rutherford?” she asked, taking a step towards me.

“That’s me,” I replied, best smile fixed on my face. “Can I help you?”

“My name’s Detective Rikers. I understand you’ve just moved in here, is that right?”

I looked at her more closely, scanning her face in under a second. Forties, no physical threat, good control of her body language, hint of suspicion around the eyes. It was enough to put me on edge. “That’s right,” I said. “Is something wrong? Am I in some kind of trouble?”

“No, Sir, nothing like that. I just wondered if you’d seen your neighbour recently?”

“Why, has she still not come home?”

She straightened up, a giveaway. “So you know she’s missing?”

“Well, not really.” She wasn’t going to trap me that easily. “Her friend asked me to keep an eye out, told me she was looking for her. She gave me her number. It’s inside. If you want, I’ll get it for you.”

“What was her name?”

“Who?”

“The friend you spoke to.”

“Oh, Claudia something, I think.”

“What time did you see her?”

“Last night, I’m not sure when. Look, what’s this all about?”

“We’re just trying to establish where your neighbour might be. As you’re next door, you’re most likely to have seen her.”

“Sorry, I can’t help you. I haven’t seen anything.”

“Live on your own, do you?”

“I do. You’re welcome to come in if you like. I can make you a cup of tea. I’ve just bought some more Earl Grey.”

“Thank you but no, I have a lot to get on with.”

“Of course. Well, if there’s anything else I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Mr Rutherford.” She walked past me, stopping as she did so. “Been shopping?”

“My niece’s birthday’s coming up.”

“Oh, how nice. How old is she?”

“Twenty-one next week.”

“What’s she called?”

“Sandra though she insists everyone call her Sandy for some reason.”

“I had a daughter like that, refused to answer to anything but Kitten for two years.” She smiled. “Got any kids yourself?”

“Need a wife first.”

“It does help,” she said with a smile. “Well, look, here’s my card. Give me a ring if you hear anything, won’t you?”

“I will. I hope you find her.”

“Oh, I will,” she replied, already walking away. “I’ve no doubt about that.”

I headed inside, forcing myself not to look back until I heard an engine starting. Only then did I glance over my shoulder and see her driving off in an unmarked car. Detective involved already. Claudia must have kicked up a stink. Better not take any more sick days, I thought. And no more shopping. Play it safe, don’t get complacent.

I was glad she hadn’t accepted my invitation to come inside. I knew it was a risk, suggesting it, but what better way to allay her suspicion. If she had come in, it wasn’t just the cellar door she’d have been interested in. She might have seen the box in the living room. If she’d looked inside that and seen the whips and canes, the cable ties and handcuffs, the bundles of rope, she’d have perhaps have taken a bit more of an interest in me. She might have wondered if I’d been waiting for the right person to come along who’d join me in using every single item in the box. Or if I had used them on countless people and might be ready to go to the next step and use them on someone who didn’t want me to. Tricky to get consent from someone you’ve got trapped in your cellar.

I took the box upstairs, emptying the contents into the wardrobe in my bedroom. Touching the cane brought an image into my mind, an image of it lashing down onto Bella’s ass. I walked back downstairs with a smile on my face, hoping she might try and attack me again. It would give me the perfect excuse to use it on her.