Curiosity Killed the Kat (10 page)

“That’s great San
dr
a! I’m so proud of you honey. They’ll protect you and your family. They won’t let Charlie hurt you.”

I hugged her and then put the omelet on a plate for her to eat. Turning to get her a fork, I knew there was one other question I had to ask her before I let her eat her breakfast in a moment of peace.

“Sandra,” I said as I put the fork down in front of her. “Do you know the other man that was with Charlie yesterday?”

“Yes,” she said,
“that’s the man that first found me in Lima. That’s the man that gave me his business card and told me to come to the United States.
He’s the reason I’m here.
”

My heart stopped. I knew my expression was scaring her, but I couldn’t move.

Steven was the man who had first targeted this sweet, innocent girl. If he had found Sandra, he had probably found Sana too. When Charlie had let it slip that Steven and Sana had met, he was referring to their first meeting in Riyadh where Sana said she was from. I knew Steven had traveled there a couple of weeks ago for business. Staring at Sandra’s tear-stained face, I thought I probably was looking at the type of ‘business’ he had been doing. He had found Sana, he had told her he could make her a model, and then Charlie had killed her because he wanted her for himself. 

I felt sick. I had been so blind. I didn’t know the man I’d married at all. I wondered how many other girls they’d done this with; how long it had been going on; and who were the men that were ‘buying’ these beautiful women?

“Katherine, what’s wrong?” Sandra asked me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry honey, I’m fine.” Suddenly I didn’t want to tell her that Steven was my husband. I was too ashamed and I didn’t want to scare her. What if she thought this was all a trick and I was a part of a plan to hurt
her or bring her back. Of course I had been helping her, but telling her that Steven and I were married would scare her into distrusting me; I felt sure of that.

“I’m just very sad about what happened to you and to Sana. It should never have been this way for you, I’m so sorry.”

I felt an overwhelming urge to apologize to this girl. Although I didn’t have a part in it, I wanted to apologize for being so blind. Maybe if I’d realized what Steven was doing earlier, I could have stopped him before this girl became a victim.

“You helped me,” she told me earnestly. “You saved my life.”

I just hugged her to me fiercely, not trusting myself to speak. I was overcome with guilt and responsibility for her.

“Ok, first you eat and then we’re going to fix this.” I told her with a sense of false cheer.

She ate her food greedily and when I saw how hungry she was I gave her my omelet to eat as well. As she enjoyed her food I looked at my cell phone. I thought it might be time to turn it on and get the lay of the land. Now that I’d talked with Sandra and gotten some missing details I was even more frightened. Steven was deeply involved in this and I wasn’t sure why. I was positive it had something to do with money.

Steven had always been determined to live a rich life, but I wondered if his sudden need for extra money had anything to do with his desire to run for Congress this year. The conversation I had heard between him and Charlie yesterday certainly indicated that he needed money and he needed support from their powerful clients
in order for him to get into the Congressional race
. Was that enough for Steven to kill for, I wondered?

We wouldn’t be safe until the police were involved. They had to be called, and soon. But, I wanted Sandra to speak with her parents first. I knew they must be going crazy in Lima trying to find their daughter, and she was concerned that Charlie might be able to follow through on his threat to hurt them. They needed to connect with each other before anything else was done.
The question was, did we have enough time to make that phone call from the comfort of this kitchen or was Steven even now on his way to find us?

With a sense of fear, I turned on my phone. I had 5 voice mail messages: three were from Cecelia asking me to call her right away and I erased those with sadness; the next message was from an acquaintance, a wife of one of the men Steven worked with at the firm, asking me if I’d like to meet her for lunch next week. I erased that wondering if everyone at the firm was involved and if so, how much did their wives know about what they were doing? The last message was from Steven. My body tensed when I heard the familiar timbre of his voice and I had to cover my mouth I was breathing so loud in fear.

“Hi honey this is Steven,” the message went. “I’m in New York and checking in. Work is crazy here so I might not be able to call again, but I’ll be home on Friday and can’t wait to see you. Wear that sexy French maid costume for me and be ready because I’m aching to fuck you.”

I grimaced at his message and a shudder of disgust went through me at the thought of Steven inside of me. I took a deep breath to steady my stomach and calm my pulse, and smiled.
I thought we might be safe at my mother’s house for a few more hours. Of course I couldn’t be positive, after all Steven was a consummate liar; but, I hoped he didn’t suspect me yet. I prayed he didn’t know about my mother yet. If he hadn’t gone back to the house, we were safe for now.

Sandra was looking at me anxiously.

“Ok honey, let’s call your parents
.”

She started to cry again, but this time I was sure she was weeping with joy as
she eagerly grabbed at
the phone
I handed her
.

I stepped out of the room to give her privacy
as she spoke
to her frantic parents.

Nervously I walked to the living room windows and peered up and down the street. All seemed calm. The sky was blue, birds were singing, and I could hear the distant roar of a lawnmow
er. Everything seemed peaceful, but
I couldn’t help thinking it felt like the calm before the storm.

Sandra’s parents spoke no English so I didn’
t bother trying to join the conversation.

She told me when she’d hung up that her parents were buying her a ticket to fly back to Lima the next morning. They had been praying for her safe return every day and were so grateful that she had called and was safe.

I couldn’t help but hope that they continued to pray for her, because although she was still alive, neither she nor I would be safe until Charlie and Steven were behind bars. We could use all the prayer we could get now.

With the promise of a plane ticket home and the loving words of her parents ringing in her ears, Sandra seemed calmer and more enthusiastic about explaining her story to the police.

We agreed that the police should come to us. The idea of leaving the house to go to the police station seemed to make us both quivery with nerves and fear. We both felt stronger and more confident safe in my mother’s home. Although, I didn’t relish the idea of police cars pulling up outside, I couldn’t imagine what Mrs. Foote was going to think, but I rationalized, if they came in unmarked cars the situation might not be as bad as I thought.

Sandra stood next to me holding my hand as I picked up the phone and dialed 911. The dispatcher put me through to a detective and I explained what had been happening to Sandra and Sana. I didn’t give Charlie and Steven’s names yet, I wanted to do that in person, especially since I’d have to explain my relationship to Steven, and that conversation was going to be complicated.

As I talked I could hear his voice on the phone becoming more and more interested in my story. I wondered when the last thing something this big fell into his lap. Danbury is a small town and I couldn’t imagine that the detectives there were often required to deal with such a major crime. We definitely had his attention. He promised to come out and get the details and meet Sandra; all we had to do was sit tight and wait for the calvary to arrive.

When I hung up I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made that phone call earlier. In fact, I felt so light and happy that I wanted to celebrate! Sandra and I danced around in a happy circle, both of us feeling that the worst just might be behind us. I was rooting through my mother’s pantry for a bottle of wine or champagne that we could toast with when I heard a knock on the front door.

“Can you get that Sandra?” I called over my shoulder.

I rationalized that if the visitor was Mrs. Foote I could explain Sandra’s presence by telling her she was a friend from home that was visiting me for comfort after hearing about my mother’s death. But, I thought, it was probably the police. Danbury isn’t a big town and it wouldn’t take long for an eager detective to drive here for such an important sounding case.

I heard Sandra cross the room and open the door. Barely perceptible, I could hear a man’s voice.

Good, I thought, the detective is here.

Perfect timing, I had found a bottle of wine. I thought I would put it in the refrigerator to chill for a celebration drink after he’d finished taking our statement. I straightened up with the bottle in my hand and walked back into the kitchen where Steven, Charlie, and Sandra waited for me.

In surprise and terror I dropped the bottle and it shattered on the kitchen floor; wh
ite wine spread across the tile, soaking my shoes.

“Honey,” Steven sing-songed with a dangerous smile, “I’m home.”

Charlie just stood next to him and stared at me with dead eyes. With one hand he had a grip on Sandra’s upper arm, and he held a gun in the other. It was pointing straight at me.

“We called the police,”
I said desperately. “They’re on their way here right now!”

“Well thank you for letting us know honey,” Steven told me. “We weren’t planning on staying long anyway. We’re all taking a little trip.”

“We’re not going anywhere with you Steven.” I answered him with a defiance I didn’t feel.

The truth was that Steven’s sudden appearance had scared the life out of me. Now that I knew more about his role in this horror I felt like I was looking at a stranger when I gazed at him. For his part, he was no longer even attempting to act like a loving husband.
Staring at him I knew he was a skilled liar. I wondered if anything had been the truth, and I suspected that the only time I’d seen the real Steven was when he was acting cruel during sex. My cheeks burned as I remembered how much that same cruelty had excited me.

“Yes Katherine. You are going somewhere with me.” Steven just kept smiling that awful smile. His voice was low and calm and I found I couldn’t look away from him. “I’m disappointed to say that you haven’t acted like a very good wife, and I know you remember what happens to girls that stick their noses where they don’t belong, right?”

I looked wildly around the room for something that would help us; a knife or something else I could use to somehow get us out of this room and away from these men, but there was nothing. We were trapped.

Roughly Charlie started to pull Sandra toward the front door and I blindly flew at him, screaming at Sandra to run; but, Steven had anticipated my movement and he moved in front of me and grabbed my arms, stopping me before I could get near Charlie.

“You’re feisty today Katherine. I’ve never seen you like this before.” He said.

In a fit of rage I spit at him and he slapped me hard across the face.

Stunned I fell against the counter and stayed there staring up at him.

“You hate me right now don’t you? Steven seemed genuinely interested in the answer to his question.

“
Yes, I hate you. I want you to burn in hell for what you did to Sandra and Sana.”

“Sandra and Sana?” He seemed perplexed. “Do you really think that this is just about those two sluts?” He looked at my confused face and laughed. “Of course you did. You’re so stupid and innocent Katherine. It’s what I’ve always loved and hated about you. This is about power, my sweet, stupid wife; power that will put me in the White House someday and the money to get me there in style.”

“What are you talking about?” I questioned.

I wanted to keep him talking to me, anything to stop them from taking us before the detective I’d called could arrive.

As if he’d read my thoughts Charlie shouted, “Steven let’s go!” from the front door.

Steven looked at me and shook his head a little regretfully as he yanked me away from the counter and toward the door where Charlie waited.

“I never meant for you to find out Katherine. I always pictured you as a politician’s wife. It all could have been so perfect.”

“Steven,” I pleaded. “Steven look at me. Everything can be the same again. Just let Sandra go home and I won’t tell anyone about this. I’ll be a good wife to you again. I promise.”

He just laughed and continued to drag me out the door.

I thrashed wildly, hoping that Mrs. Foote or another neighbor would notice and call the police, but the street was as calm and quiet as it had been earlier. We were alone with no one to witness our kidnapping.

We were thrown into the back of a car I didn’t recognize and Steven reached in and taped our hands and feet while Charlie kept us still with the gun pointed at our heads.