LETHAL OBSESSION (27 page)

      "You
were stalking me, taking pictures.  No I don't understand any of this."

      "We
were close at one time, Ellen, very close. Do you recall that much?  You walked
right by that broken swing out there, remember?"

      "You
were married to Martha and I made it clear to you that nothing would happen
between us. Do you recall that much?"

      "Well
something happened for me. I fell in love with you," he growled.  With
lightning speed Gene pulled her against him and kissed her roughly. "Remember
now?  I was willing to give up my marriage for you.  I would've done anything
to have you in my life."

      "I'm
sorry, Gene."

      "If
you were that sorry you would've waited for me to get free. But no, you met
asshole over here and fell in love with him. Did you really think I would stand
for that?"

      "And
you think kidnapping Rick is going to solve this situation?"

      "I
think the three of us being here is going to make for a very entertaining
evening. Oh yeah, Richard will even get the privilege of watching."

      "So
you're going to rape me then kill us both."

      "I
haven't decided yet, but I will definitely enjoy your sweet ass tonight,
Princess."

      Ellen's
heart began to hammer. She looked at her love shackled on the bed and then at
the gun.  Gene was going to force her to commit unspeakable horrors and nobody
would be here to stop it.

Gene
moved to the bed placing the cocked barrel against Rick's temple. "I never
liked this piece of shit anyway.  Do you realize how easy it would be for me to
blow his brains all over this wall?  But I don’t want to do that yet."

      "Come
here, Princess.  Kneel down and unzip my pants.  I've always wondered how those
luscious lips would feel on my cock.  Gave me some mighty amazing dreams, ya
know that?"

      Ellen
was trembling as she fought back nausea.  With halting steps she went to Gene
and knelt.  She closed her eyes knowing she would do anything to keep Rick
alive.

      "You
don't have to do this, Ellen," said Rick.

      Gene
turned on him with a vengeance. "You, shut up if you want to keep
breathing."

      "Even
if I do what you want, Gene, will that stop you from killing us?"

      "Well,
it's for damn sure I'll kill your lover right now if you don't."

      Three
shots were heard at close range causing Gene to duck for cover and Ellen to
throw her body over Rick.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR

      "Damnation,
who the hell is that?"  With gun pointed, Gene stood and began to walk
slowly toward the kitchen. Suddenly he was hit in the face with a stream of
liquid that set his eyes on fire.

      "Agh...I'm
blind, I can't see."  Hands protecting his face, Gene's gun hit the floor
and Martha was right there to pick it up.

      "Martha!"
Ellen said breathlessly.

      "Oh
my God, Sis."

      "Martha?"
Gene held his hands out. "You fired those shots, you blinded me?"

      "Yes
and yes, you sorry excuse for a husband. I disarmed you to save my brother and
my best friend and now I'm going to tie you up."

      She
threw the duct tape as Ellen caught it.  "Come on Ellen, let's finish this
job. Then maybe we can think about rinsing his eyes out."  

      Unhooking
the keys from his belt, Martha gave the keys to Ellen. "Let's get Richard
out of those cuffs."

      Gene
was still standing with his hands over his eyes.  "Martha, help me
please."

      "I
certainly will, Gene, right into his chair."  She gave him a shove while
Ellen and Rick moved the kitchen chair under him.  The duct tape went round and
round until the sheriff was totally immobile.

      "What
did you hit him with, Sis?"

      "Wasp
spray."

      "Okay,
well we need to get that washed out pretty quick.  Get me a bowl and I'll start
irrigating his eyes."

      "What
the hell is this?  My wife shoots up my house then tries to blind me?"

      "Gene?"
Martha leaned close to his ear.  "Would you like a piece of this tape over
your mouth?  Then shut up."

      Once
Gene could see again he shot lethal looks at the three people standing in the
kitchen in front of him. "You can't prove a damn thing and this is going
to look like you three were the perpetrators."

      "Think
again, husband dear."  Martha pulled out the tape recorder and hit play.

      Footsteps
were heard outside the cabin as deputies and police stormed in, their guns
drawn. For several seconds there was total silence as the lawmen took in the
scene.

      "What
the hell is wrong with you guys?"  Gene was yelling. "Arrest those
people, they did this to me.  My own wife maced me and shot up my house.  How
much more proof do you need?"

      Darrel
shook his head with a hand over his mouth trying to hide a laugh. "Yep
Gene, looks like you're in a mess alright."  He glanced at Martha and
winked.  "I knew that wife of yours was up to no good.  That's why I
followed her up here."

      Martha
put the recorder in his hand. "It's all there, Darrel."

      Darrel
nodded and went to stand in front of his former boss.  "Sheriff Gene
Stone, you have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can be held
accountable in a court of law.  You have the right to an attorney..."

      Gene
struggled to free himself.  "Damn it, Darrel.  You have the wrong
person." 

       "I
guess we need to unravel you, Gene. Hey Bill, get your phone out.  We need to
get a picture of this.  They did a good job. Looks like we found all our
missing people in one place and everybody is still breathing.  It doesn't get
much better than that."

      Gene
grimaced as the tape was ripped off his arms. "You can't charge me with
anything."

      "Let's
start with breaking and entering, hidden cameras, and kidnapping, then we can
take it from there."

      Court
proceedings involving Sheriff Gene Stone versus the state of Tennessee was
grueling. Everybody in town wanted to be there so the judge ordered the hearing
to be closed. In the charge of kidnapping, Gene's initial plea was not guilty. 

      The
testimony from Ellen and Rick plus Martha's tape made it an open and shut
case.  Sheriff Stone insisted under oath he was being framed by people who
wanted him out office. The photos were planted in his home and he had no idea
how they got there.     With the silken tongue of a sociopath, Gene swore that
Dr. Carrington was already cuffed to the bed in his cabin when he got there. 
He notified Mrs. Anderson with a note immediately so her fiancé could be found.

      The
proceedings were bound over to a jury trial to be held in Knoxville. Ellen,
Rick and Martha sat in the courtroom on the plaintiff bench.  Considering how
powerful Gene's influence was over the community, Ellen couldn't help but
wonder if the people on the jury could also be swayed by Gene. Was this monster
actually going to walk away free and clear?  Ellen's fear of that sat in her
belly like a lead ball.

      There
was one more witness to call. The district attorney eyed his notes. "I
would like to call Mrs. Martha Stone to the witness stand please."

      Ellen
glanced at her future sister in law who appeared pale and trembling. A wife
giving evidence against her husband, was it even legal?  But if it hadn't been
for Martha, she and Rick might be dead now. Single-handedly, she saved them.

      The
DA paced in front of her gathering his thoughts. "Mrs. Stone, are you
presently married and living with the defendant?"

      "I
am, or I was."

      "Explain
please."

      "I
discovered intimate photos among my husband's belongings.  They were taken of
my brother, Richard Carrington and his intended, Ellen Anderson. A hidden
camera was found in their bedroom."

      "Objection. 
I don't see how this has anything to do with this case."

      "Overruled. 
I want to see where this is going."

      "I
took the photos to my brother and Ellen.  We found the camera and called the
police.  They didn't want me to go home fearing my husband's anger, so I stayed
with them."

      "Was
the defendant angry at your discovery?"

      "I
don't know.  He never came home."

      "Okay,
let's move on to the night you found your brother in the defendant's cabin. 
Tell us what you witnessed when you walked in."

      "He
was holding a gun to my brother's head."

      "Were
you armed, Mrs. Stone?"

      "Yes."

      "What
was your intention?"

      "I
wanted distract Gene with three shots in the ceiling. I then used wasp spray to
temporarily blind him so he would drop the gun.  Then we tied him up until the
police came.  You also have a tape of my husband's voice stating his
intentions."

      The
DA looked at the judge.  "Your Honor, may I play this tape for the
jury?"

      "Go
ahead, Counselor."

       
He held up the tape and turned it on. Gene hid his face behind his hands as his
incriminating voice echoed through the court room.

      "I
believe that the defendant, Gene Stone had every intention of committing rape
and grave bodily harm to Dr Carrington and Mrs. Anderson. You heard Dr.
Carrington's testimony about how he was run off the highway, bound and placed
in the trunk of a car. We know the defendant was holding a gun to his head from
the three eye witnesses who were there. We have an obvious conviction of first
degree kidnapping as well as attempted murder."

      It
took the jury five hours to come to a verdict.  When they re-entered the
courtroom, Ellen tensed, squeezing Rick's hand.

      "Has
the jury reached a verdict?"                                

      “We
have, your honor.  We the jury find the defendant, Gene Stone guilty of
kidnapping in the first degree, attempted rape with grave bodily injury, and guilty
of attempted murder."

      There
were murmurs in the court room as Gene was escorted away in cuffs.  As Ellen
and Rick left the courtroom, Martha looked shell shocked. When they got in the
car, she refused to go home with them.

Looking
at her brother and Ellen, Martha began sobbing.

      "What
have I done?  I love Gene.  He's my whole life and I've just sent him to prison."

      Rick
stared at his sister with a stern expression. "Sis, look at me. 
"Gene sent himself to prison.  I realize you may always love him but you
did not cause any of this. If you had not come that night got the gun out of
his hand, Ellen and I might both be dead now and that's a fact."

      "You're
right. I just feel so bad."

      Rick
and Ellen both hugged Martha.  "You know it's going to take time, Sis and
we're here for you."

Two
weeks later..

      "Rick
are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

      They
were standing at the front door of Martha's home.

      "Come
on, Ellen, we can't let her just stay in there, shut up by herself.  She's not
answering the phone and you're as concerned as I am.  I know it's tough, but
Sis has had two weeks to brood and isolate herself. Now it's time to come out
and rejoin the world.

      Ellen
looked skeptical. "Rick, aren't you being a bit harsh. She might get mad
about us intruding like this."

      "She
probably will but it won't be the first time Sis has been mad at me. You want
to see the scars? Come on, let's go. Trust me, I'm a shrink."

      Ellen
rolled her eyes as Rick used his key to get in.  The place looked like a bomb
had hit it.  The house reeked of over ripe food and unwashed body.  Martha was
always so neat and clean.  This was bad.

      Ellen
started opening widows while Rick went in search of his sister.  He found her
in bed asleep and it was well into the afternoon.  Ellen pulled the curtains as
bright light streamed into the cluttered bedroom. 

      Pulling
the pillow over her head, Martha screamed, "Get out and leave me
alone."

      "Not
this time, Sis. You've had two weeks of isolation to cope with this mess.  Now
it's time to start living with people again.  Come on, let's get up and have a
shower."

      Slowly
the pillow came down as Martha stared with red eyes at her brother.

      "You
are one mean psychiatrist."

      Rick
chuckled. "Yep, that's what they pay me for."

      Ellen
sat on the bed and took Martha's hand.  "Nobody can cook quite like you. 
All I'm getting is complaints about the food at the shelter.  I need you and so
does everybody there."

      Martha
sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Well thanks a lot
Ellen for the guilt trip. You're as mean as this guy over here.  I guess I have
no choice in the matter."                             

      Martha
sat at her vanity staring at the packet of makeup.  Her husband was in prison and
her life in shambles.  She had provided the damning evidence.  She shook her
head as tears welled up.  How could she have done something like that to the
man she has loved all her life?  Martha forced herself to relive the scene as
she stepped across that threshold.  Her husband shoving a gun to Richard's
head, ordering Ellen to do unspeakable things, it was like seeing a horror
movie.