Chapter 9
Brenda
We enter the lobby, and there are Ben and the detectives. Dane has me in his arms and Ben takes my bag of food from me without a word. He squeezes my hand before we all get on the elevator to our condo. I’m not too afraid because Dane is with me, but I can’t stop the shiver. Dane carries me into the condo, then Ben locks the door behind us. As we get to our bedroom, I stiffen in his arms.
“Baby, I just want to get you dressed in some clean clothes then we can get out of here. I’ll get your clothes.” He sits me down on our his and hers counter in the bathroom. As soon as he walks out of the room, I’m shaking. I refuse to take my eyes off the door. He rushes in, and I jump back, bumping my head on the mirror.
“Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, Brenda.”
“No. It’s not your fault.” He hands me the clothes, and I put them on. I don’t have the time or the energy for a shower. We walk out, and he sits me down while Ben brings my food to me on a plate with a Pepsi.
“Thanks.” I take a bite of chicken and let out a moan. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. After a minute, I start to talk, “I know you have a lot of questions. I’m not sure I can tell you more than I have.”
“We can try, Mrs. Harris.” I happened to enjoy him calling me that. I love being Dane’s wife.
“Well, I wasn’t feeling too good, so I went to bed early. I don’t know what time it was, but I know that the sun wasn’t up yet when I was startled by a noise. I looked toward my bedroom door which was normally closed, and there was a man standing in my doorway. From the build, I knew it wasn’t Dane coming home early to surprise me. I didn’t have anything to grab to hit him with, so I reached for my phone to send a message. And that’s when I saw who it was. He was too fast and shot me with a taser. I collapsed then he carried me to one of those white delivery vans that you see everywhere. I wasn’t conscious until he tossed me inside and cuffed me. That was when I threw up. He told me there was someone else before me.”
“Do you know what he said about this woman?”
“Only that she didn’t behave and submit, so I was his next pick as a sex slave.” I feel the tension radiating off my husband, but I have to get this over with while I can get it out of me. “He didn’t get that far with me. He had to go to work and locked me in the storage of the bar he wanted down there.”
“What happened with the face? The officer told us the man was wearing some sort of prosthetic makeup?”
“Yes, I tried to get away when he uncuffed me at the house, so I pulled on his face, and it tore off a piece. He hit me in the face, then dragged me off to the basement, giving me water and a bag of chips to last until he got back.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” Dane says, wrapping his arms around me.
“No, you found me fast. I didn’t know if I would get out of the basement before he got back. I’m just scared of who he really is. I caught his voice change a little, and I recognize it, but I don’t know who it could be.”
“Did you cut the man when you clawed him?”
“I’m not sure. I might have. He shocked me again. It’s hard to even remember anything else.”
“Can we get a list of men you know? That you would recognize the voice of course.”
“Sure. I don’t know many. The crew at Rough Hands, a couple of clients. Can you think of anyone else, Dane?”
“There’s like two male neighbors and the building manager.”
“Oh don’t forget that creepy basement guy we saw the other day. He wouldn’t stop trying to hit on you. I almost decked him. Davis is his name,” Ben adds.
“Oh yes. I can’t think of his voice. I’m not sure if it’s him.”
“I’m glad you quit.”
“You know?”
“Ben told me.”
“I thought you…never mind. It’s not important.”
“Well, ma’am, I would recommend that you listen to people you know. I understand that it can be scary, but if your husband doesn’t leave your side, he may not reveal himself. We will keep that little tidbit out of the news until we have him in custody. By the way, we will have a detail at a distance. Also, we need to speak with the building security so we can see the cameras.”
“Okay, I can call down to the building manager. It’s early. He should still be here.”
Dane dials his number. “Hello Dane, how can I help you?” I start shaking immediately. Everyone is looking at me.
“I have the police here, and they want to take a look at the camera footage for the condo.”
“I’ll have to contact the owners, but according to the policy they need a warrant.”
“Please, Mr…”
“Miller. And you are?”
“I’m Detective Capronigri. I’m investigating Mrs. Harris’s abduction.”
“Have you found her yet?”
“Yes, she’s home now.”
“Okay, well I’ll call the owners of the building and get their approval.”
“Thank you, Mr. Miller. You don’t know how important it is in cases like these.”
“Welcome.” He ends the call, and I scream, wailing away. My body racked with sobs.
“It’s him. I’m sure of it.”
“It would explain why he could get into your condo without your notice,” Ben adds. Dane wraps me up in his arms, holding me so tightly that I can feel his muscles constrict around me.
“We’re going to call it in to keep tabs on him.”
“You both can’t stay here.”
“Come to the estate. We have plenty of rooms.”
“Thank you, Ben, but I don’t want to bring any trouble to your family.”
“That bastard isn’t getting anywhere near my family. And remember you’re my family, too.”