Deadly In Stilettos (9 page)

             
She would later learn that Anya Bankston, her old friend from Dallas who also attended Princeton, was one of the reasons for his strange behavior. After receiving a cold shoulder from Chauncey that day, Demi politely broke it off with him. That was when he began making her life a living hell. Chauncey would give her a hard time in class, ignoring her questions and responses to his comments, which pissed Demi off. She let it go, thinking that once he got used to the fact that they were no longer involved, he would get back to his normal self. The fact that he was still grieving the loss of his unborn child played a small factor in she brushed his behavior off.

             
When his rude behavior continued, and became too much that she wanted to deal with, Demi went to his office one day to try to talk with him about his treatment of her. Through the closed door she overheard him talking with Anya Bankston. Anya was making horrible threats regarding his relationship with her. At first, Demi was confused. She had never had any problems with Anya when they were kids, but when she left Dallas with Troy, their friendship slowly drifted away.

             
Sometimes Demi called to let her know she was okay, but one day Anya got really rude, telling her to never call her again, and that she hated her for leaving. Demi brushed it off, thinking they would rekindle their friendship someday. That never happened, though. In fact, when she learned Anya attended Princeton, Demi tried to keep away from her, fearing that Anya would try to make her life worse than what it already was. She never had any classes with Anya, and whenever they were at the same place at the same time, Demi either kept her distance or left. They knew some of the same people. Some of them thought Anya was strange, but Demi ignored those comments. She felt sad that people thought that of Anya. They had once been really good friends and she was really sweet and down to earth once you got to know her.

             
Demi wanted to talk with Anya to try and salvage what was left of their relationship, but when she peeked into Chauncey’s office that day, she saw he had his hands all over Anya. Demi knew that it was no help for her and Anya’s friendship at that point. Heartbroken, she waited to see how long they were in the office together, only to be saddened all over again. When Anya finally left Chauncey’s office, Demi saw the difference in her demeanor and appearance right away. She looked to be crying, but Demi did not care at that point. She knew then that things between her, Anya, and Chauncey would never be the same again. Rage ripped through her suddenly. She would make sure he never hurt her again. The wall she once had built up inside her slowly resurfaced. She didn’t try to reach out to him after that day.

             
Demi went into her senior year praying she did not have to take one of his classes. Unfortunately, she did as a requirement for her major. Chauncey did not bother looking at her, talking to her, or giving her any feedback on exams and other important class assignment. If it had not been for a fellow classmate, Gary Marks, she would have been lost entirely. When Chauncey saw how close she and Gary became, he got even more evil. That was when he crossed the line.

             
Demi cherished her grades, and getting a proper education was how she planned to repay her mother and Aunt Charlotte for taking care of her. That was the one thing Demi promised when her aunt was dying in the hospital. Demi always kept her promises, and she would never let Chauncey Stratton or anyone else make her break one of them. So once Chauncey began messing with her grades, Demi lost it. She took several incriminating pictures of her and him, love letters they exchanged, and bills for the apartment that he paid for, straight to the dean of students. When Chauncey found out about it, he called her into his office for a meeting. Demi was prepared for whatever he was going to threaten her with, but he simply apologized, catching her completely off guard. She thought everything was settled between them. Boy was she wrong.

             
Chauncey no longer changed her grades, but he continued to threaten to hurt her. He wrote notes on her test papers, telling her she would regret ever going to the dean about him. He would also draw pictures of her with blood falling from her head, with a gun pointed at it. Demi thought the behavior strange, but dismissed it because she was way too busy with her senior thesis and preparing for graduation. Demi also dared him. She welcomed anyone who was bold enough to act on their threats. She was not afraid, and would rip their heads off if she had to. Well, Chauncey was beyond psycho and proved that fact. On more than once occasion, he tried to kill her.

             
One night Demi was at home in the same apartment he got for her, putting the final touches on her thesis. She did not have a reason to move so close to graduation and she now paid the rent and other utilities, so she stayed there. She had known it was a bad idea to invite Gary over, but she would have never guessed what would happen after he left. When she heard a knock on the door, she thought Gary had left something and was coming back to retrieve it. She opened the door and there was Chauncey, smiling at her. Looking like a raged lunatic. Her first instinct was to close the door, so she tried to shut it but he quickly forced himself inside nearly knocking her into the wall. What took place next shocked Demi beyond anything she had experienced, although it wasn’t the first time he was physical with her, in a negative way. When she turned around, Chauncey was standing in her living room with a gun pointing straight at her.

             
Demi did not show any fear, but inside she was shaking uncontrollably. Before she could do or say anything he hit her hard with something causing total darkness. When she came to she was completely naked and so was he. Her head was throbbing and she knew that blood was the wetness she felt on her forehead. Forcing her to get up Chauncey pushed her into the bedroom, raping her with the gun still pointing at her, all the while promising that if she ever betrayed him again, he would not hesitant killing her. Tears rolled down the side of her face. The rage inside her was unbearable. It consumed her in that moment. That was when she made a promise to get revenge on Chauncey Stratton if it was the last thing she ever did. As weeks went by, her physical scars and bruises healed, but the mental damage was far too gone to forgive or forget. Revenge was infinite.

              As her plane crossed the pond into the UK, Demi concluded that she had waited long enough to pay Professor Stratton a visit. Now he would finally suffer for hurting her the way he had. Remembering the past reinforced the necessity of fulfilling that promise she made to herself that day in her off-campus apartment, her senior year at Princeton. That day had almost ruined her life. Missing her due date for her thesis, Demi had to relive the nightmare of the assault as she told the counselors at the medical clinic what happened to her. She was hemorrhaging badly, so she had to go to the hospital. They asked a thousand questions, wanting to know who had done such a horrible thing.

Demi made up a fake boyfriend, leading the police on a wild goose chase. She knew that Chauncey wouldn’t be brought to the standards of her justice, so she never mentioned his name. She would later get far and beyond any level of convi
ction the law could provide. Once her body was healed and able to return to school, with a note from the doctor who cared for her, she was allowed to turn in her thesis late and still graduate on time after several hours of waiting to hear from the dean when she went to speak with the board.

             
Graduation was one of the best and yet saddest days of her life. The only person who was there for her was her friend Sidney. Seeing everyone else with their families bought back terrible memories from her childhood. If Sidney had not surprised her by attending, Demi would have spent that special day alone. When the day was over, she packed up her apartment, putting several important things in storage, while giving away the other. Then she and Sidney left for Italy on a trip before she was to be in New York. Demi landed a merchandising job that would later offer her a life of lavish amenities and great connections.

             
Demi stopped her flight down memory lane, and focused on her forth coming reality. In a few hours she would be in Paris, the city of love. If only she had someone special to share her trip with. Maybe one day she would find someone who would love her unconditionally, and only her; someone who would be there for her no matter what, and return.

             
Once the flight landed in Paris, Demi went to her rented loft in the city. It was a cozy yet small apartment. The view was remarkable. The Eiffel Tower was in plain sight. The lights lit up the entire city like Christmastime all year long. If Demi did not love her life in Las Vegas, she would have quickly relocated. Something about being in the city of love touched the depths of her soul. All the emotions she locked away clouded her mind, and tears streamed down her face. She was so lonely. All her life she had wanted someone to share it with. Her business successes were great, but whenever she was home, her heart ached from the loneliness.

            
 
‘Enough of this
’
, she told herself. She had a job to do, and then get back on a plane to New York. Demi thought about spending another day in Paris to shop for stilettos, but thought better of it. Once her task was complete, she didn’t think it wise to stick around. She didn’t want to put any unwanted attention on herself in case the authorities found a link between her and Chauncey. Being in the same city, during the time of his death, simply wasn’t a wise option.

Demi suddenly missed Makei like crazy. She would have loved coming to Paris with him. They could have made love under the lights of the Tower. Too bad their relationship e
nded on a sour note. Yet, she still missed him unbearably.

             
Before she arrived in Paris, Demi learned everything she needed to know about Chauncey Stratton and his family. That would make her visit quick and easy. No unexpected run-ins, no worries. Although she never worried about getting caught, Demi was always careful. She did not need to attract any extra attention, most certainly not from the police. Later that night, Chauncey would be at home alone. His wife and two daughters were leaving for Africa that evening to visit the wife’s mother and father. Since Chauncey taught school at the local college, he could not make the trip with them. That night would be the last time he would see his precious family. His date with danger, whose name was Deminis, was long overdue. She simply could not wait to see the look of his face.

             
She showered, dressed and put on her Kate Spade Gracious satin stilettos with ribbon and box detail. The purple and hot pink color combination looked great with her hot pink minidress. Once again, Demi admired herself in the mirror before heading out to Champs-Elysees just off of Rue Royal, an upscale neighborhood that many wealthy people in Paris called home. Chauncey Stratton had done extremely well for himself and his family. His wife and kids would soon appreciate the upscale life of luxury without him.

             
It was after ten o’clock at night. Even with the street lights on, the street was dimly lit. Demi looked around. She knew that the city had surveillance on a constant live feed. Big brother would be watching, so her movements had to be times perfectly. Otherwise, she would be in jail before the blind of an eye.

             
Arriving at the Stratton’s house, Demi slowly walked up the front steps. She watched the cameras before she picked the lock. When the coast was clear, she slipped inside the house quietly. The foyer was beautiful, full of bold, bright colors that gave the house a livable feel to it. The living area was immaculate. Mrs. Stratton was a perfect housekeeper, Demi acknowledged. Demi knew from her research on the family that the woman didn’t like anyone else cleaning her home but her. She wanted to explore the rest of the home, but reminded herself of the main reason for visiting the Stratton home in the first place. She did not have long, so Demi needed to pick up her pace. From her research, she knew Chauncey would be in his study, as he was every night before bed.

             
Walking upstairs, Demi passed by several closed doors until she reached the study. The door was slightly ajar, so she was able to see Chauncey sitting in front of his computer, deep in concentration. The smell of expensive cognac and cigars filled her nostrils. He hadn’t changed in that area. He always enjoyed and appreciated those two indulgences.

             
When Chauncey saw his study door open, he looked up. He wasn’t expecting anyone, so he was startled. The first thing he saw was the intruder’s shoes. He immediately knew who wore them, because he had taken Demi to Italy with him one weekend and bought that particular pair for her. That was also one of the things he loved about her when they were together so long ago. The first day he saw her sitting in one of his classes at Princeton, he noticed her shoes before anything else. He confessed that fact to Demi after they began their affair. He told her that they were always beautiful, sexy and unique, and he would later find out how expensive they were. Deminis Bradshaw was a woman with many interests, and having beautiful shoes was the greatest of them.

             
As she smiled at him, he thought that she was still a beautiful, even more now all grown up. He started to speak, but paused when she lifted her hand and put a long cylindrical object to her mouth. She blew, and he barely glimpsed an object flying through the air before it struck him in the neck. The sharp dart pierced his carotid artery, and he stared in shock at her as blood poured from his wound.