Serial Separation (18 page)

Chapter
47

Lisa had time to
study her parents since she couldn’t drive her new Mustang. They were good
together and complemented each other’s ways. However, seeing them up close
increased her desire to be with Scott.

She had been
doing a lot of thinking about him and realized her last conversation with him
was out of character. What she had said to Scott was dangerous; she knew what
he did really did matter.

Talking to her
mother about her ordeal with Jimmy was a positive step. It was the last thing
she thought she would do, but it was so right.

It had been
quite a few years since she and Mom had bonded. School took her in one
direction, and the camp counselor murders had taken her mother in another.

Her mother
shared a secret with her. She wondered if the counselors would still be alive
if she had confronted all of them at the time of the camp incident.

She thought
about what her mom had shared. There was an incident one year getting Knotty
Pine Camp ready for the upcoming season. Jimmy was only fifteen. His job at the
camp was to winterize the facilities in the fall, and the reverse at the start
of the summer season.

He was in his
third year helping close and open the camp. The three, female, head camp
counselors would prepare the camp for the upcoming activities, which included
getting ready for the first wave of campers.

However, the
preparation left the four of them to complete those tasks without supervision.
Mom said she was pregnant with me.

Mom drove Jimmy
to the camp before the weekend and would pick him up late Sunday. It had never
been a problem in previous years, maybe due to Jimmy’s age, and other older
people helping. However, that year, the hormones must have been raging.

When she
arrived, a little early, she could not find Jimmy. She went to the counselors’
cabin and found Jimmy running naked from the back of the cabin. When she
confronted the girls about what was going on, they made excuses. She thought it
had been hormonal, thinking it best to let the whole thing pass. Negative press
would not be in the best interest of the camp.

It had been the
wrong thing to do. Mom said she should have found out what happened. It was
later learned the girls had found Jimmy spying on them. They caught and
punished him for the balance of the weekend, actually branding him with their
initials.

Years later, after the New England
Strangler rampage, Jimmy went after each of the women, seeking revenge, and was
successful in killing two of them. Punishment for her mother not investigating
that weekend was to go after me. She never knew any of this until Jimmy
explained things to her just before he was about to kill her.

* * *

She blocked many of the details of that ordeal. She did
everything she could to put it out of her mind. However, Jimmy’s image kept
coming at the wrong time when she was with Scott. Pushing it aside was the
wrong thing to do. Talking with her mom a while ago enabled her to deal with
that night more clearly.

She remembered the details of that night with Jimmy. Judy
and I were going to get a new dorm room on the fifth floor. It looked out on
the alley way. When I first checked out the room I noticed a man’s room with
lights on across the alley. The next time I visited, curiosity got the best of me
and I brought a pair of binoculars. When I focused the binoculars on the man’s
bedroom there was a note on the bed that read:

When you read this-

It’s Night-Night Time!

I smelled
something strange and heard a noise behind me, but it was too late. The cloth
was across my nose and mouth. When I regained consciousness, the room only had
flickering candle light. I realized I was on a bed naked except for my black
bra and panties. They were mine, but I hadn’t been wearing them. When I tried
to move, I realized my wrists and ankles were tightly bound to the bed corners.

We were
eventually both naked, and he tormented me for what seemed like hours. I can
now remember all of the details I had blocked out. I remember his threats on
Scott’s life if I didn’t obey his commands.

Later, just as
he was about to complete his rape, there was a loud crash. Immediately, Scott
and Jimmy were fighting. Scott was thrown against the wall. Jimmy tried to
escape out the window to the fire escape. The oil he had put on his body caught
fire from the candles. He slipped off the fire escape to his death.

I remember now—the
only man I’ve been intimate with is Scott.

She thought
Jimmy had raped her, but Scott found her and stopped him just in time.

Thanks, Mom. You
forced me to recall what had been unconsciously blocked. She knew she could
finally let go of Jimmy’s image. She felt sorry now for having words with Scott.

Scott, you
have been so patient with me, and I’ve been such an idiot.

She considered
what he had done wrong, and she still had some questions about that. But he didn’t
try to hide the facts. Whatever happened, she knew she might not like, but she
really had to let it go. He would have been with me for Christmas if he weren’t
so intent on helping with the task force.

She realized, if
he wasn’t on the last task force, she would not be alive. For that, she owed
him her life. No matter what happened at the cabin, it did not weigh against
the value of her life.

She knew what her
New Year’s resolution would be.

Chapter 48

The bottle of
Jack had become a new friend to Jeremy and Neil. They were just hanging around
the dorm, and Christmas seemed more than just yesterday.

Jeremy knew Neil
wanted to know more about the hockey league picture, but he couldn’t tell him. Since
three of the hockey players had been kidnapped and murdered, he knew now why he
had been snatched. His cousin JJ was the real target. He played in that hockey
league. Since their nicknames were the same, the men mistakenly kidnapped him.

Neil was still
downstairs, which gave Jeremy time to reflect. He wondered what he might
possibly know.
Did he possess knowledge beneficial to the murder
investigations? Why keep his nightmare a secret? Two months had elapsed, and
three men had been killed.

If he had
come forward, would they still be alive?

Would he be
crucified by the press when they learned he could have provided information
earlier? If he didn’t tell the authorities now, would his cousin be next? Why
be ashamed of what happened when he hadn’t done anything wrong? What would Neil
and Dottie think? Would he lose Dottie when she learned about this?

He thought about
telling Neil just enough to see what reaction or guidance he could provide.
Neil was a good friend and he could share anything with him. Neil knew
something was wrong and wanted to help. He thought about how Dottie had been
reacting. Dottie thought he had another girlfriend.

The door opened,
and Neil walked in. “Wow, you look like you are deep in thought.”

He looked at
Neil, considering his anguish. “Neil, I think you need to know what is
bothering me.”

Neil sat on his
bed and looked at Jeremy. “Buddy, you have been one weird duck for weeks now.
Did I do something wrong?”

“No, nothing
like that. It relates to the hockey league picture I showed you. My cousin
played in that league.” He went over to his dresser drawer, pulled out the
hockey article, and sat on his bed, staring at it.

“Okay, I still
don’t see why that is upsetting.”

“What if I told
you we share the same nickname—JJ?”

“So, big fucking
deal. Jeremy, stop beating around the bush and tell me.”

“What if I told
you he was going to be the next torso victim?”

* * *

Neil looked at Jeremy, not saying a word. Jeremy was still
looking at the article.

“Okay, you have my attention. How do you know he’s going to
be the next victim?”

“Neil, what I’m going to share with you—you have to keep to
yourself . . . at least for now.”

“You know I have
been acting strangely for some time now. It has nothing to do with anything you
or Dottie did.”

He put the
hockey article down, staring at Neil.

“Jeremy, I think
Alfred Hitchcock music should be playing right now. For Christ’s sake, spit it
out.”

Jeremy took a
deep breath. “You know that weekend in early November, you wondered where I
went.”

“Yeah, Dottie
and I talked about it.”

“Well, I was
kidnapped . . . I was kidnapped the entire weekend.”

“You have got to
be kidding me.”

“Prepare
yourself for this. I am not kidding.” He looked around at the room and his
things. “Friday night, a gang of men confronted me. Actually, they knocked me
out, and the next thing I knew I was tied up and couldn’t see anything. I was
cold and naked.”

“You’re serious,
aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. Neil,
this is just the tip of the iceberg. What I was subjected to is embarrassing
even for me. I don’t need to share all of the details. Suffice it to say that
it was an ordeal I wouldn’t want my enemy to endure. I was being held by
women.”

“They made me
pay for being a man. They inflicted pain to all parts of my body, especially my
lower body. I have some scars from it.”

“Holy shit,
Jeremy. I’m sorry you went through that. Don’t stop there; tell me what
happened.”

“The torture
lasted all weekend, and I thought they were going to kill me. Late on Sunday,
they had me tied to this platform. I think this was how they dismember the
men.”

“Anyway, along
comes a new female voice, and everything gets really quiet. They left me tied
up. About an hour later, they came back. They untied me and took me out of the
building to a car. I was still naked and freezing my ass off.”

“They got me in
the car and drove me to a wooded area. They left me there still tied up and
blindfolded. It took me quite some time, but I got myself untied and realized I
was in Medford.”

“When I got to
the road, fortunately, some guys picked me up, gave me something to wear, and
took me to Kenmore Square. They thought it was a hazing, but then realized I
was in shock. It was Sunday night when I got here. Do you remember commenting
that I looked like hell?”

“I remember
that. You looked terrible, and you were dressed strangely.”

“Neil, I think
the group that held me that weekend was the same group that is killing those
men. The only reason that I’m here and not dead is because they realized I
wasn’t my cousin.”

“Jeremy . . . I
believe you, but it’s almost unbelievable.”

He went to his
closet, picked up the shirt, pants, and sneakers the guys had given him. “I’m
lucky to be alive, but I’m struggling with what happened.”

“Jeremy, you have
to tell the authorities about this.”

Chapter 49

She studied her
reflection in the mirror. “Lisa, a new chapter in your life has just begun.”

She had a new
outlook on things. She had finally dealt with her ordeal. Realizing she had not
been raped was a significant revelation. She felt like she could finally be
with Scott without Jimmy’s image appearing at the most inopportune moments. She
could hardly wait to see Judy to share this latest development.

She went to the
garage to inspect her new Mustang. It was more beautiful than she had
remembered. It was all registered and waiting for her, but she could not bring
herself to take it out in this weather. I can’t wait to show this beauty to
Scott, and just maybe I’ll give him a special present.

She told her
parents she wanted to return to Boston to be with her friends. She thanked her mom
for helping her deal with her situation.

The ride back to
Boston in her old car provided sufficient time to consider her last phone
call with Scott and how she was going to approach their next conversation.
Regardless of what Scott had done, she still loved and could forgive him. She
was committed to getting back what they had.

Scott had made
her a woman. Jimmy’s ghost wasn’t going to take that away. Judy was right when
she told her that Scott would be a good catch, and she vowed not to let someone
else take him away.

When she arrived
at the dorm, she was excited at the prospect of seeing Judy. However, Judy was
not in the room. Checking with the others, she learned that Judy had gone out
with someone . . . possibly bowling. Back in the room, Lisa emptied her bag and
found the Mustang keys at the bottom. She sat on her bed, staring at the keys.

She thought of
Scott and their drive up to the Balsams. It was a very long drive. She
remembered
driving
Scott crazy on the way up. She smiled, recalling the
image of shaking a bottle of soda—that was what he was like when they finally
got to their room.

She stretched
out on the bed and closed her eyes. She wanted to remember all the details of
their weekend. They had hit the slopes early and were tired by the end of the
day. They went to dinner to see some new friends they had met. Later, in their
room, they had both promised surprises for each other.

She had been
first. He was told to undress and lie under the sheets while she got ready in
the bathroom. When she came out, she was dressed in a teddy that was easy to
see he more than liked. He had asked if that was her surprise and she said “No!”

She was getting
excited just recalling the scene.

She placed a
kerchief over his eyes and pulled the sheets off him. She dripped warm melted
chocolate on his body, taking her time licking and biting it off. He had
finally pleaded for her to stop so he could give her his surprise.

Remembering
their time together like that—she had been such a fool not to be with him.

They had
reversed positions; he removed what was left of her clothing and blindfolded
her. She remembered the cold air blowing in the window, being greeted by a
snowball. He had teased her, letting the snowball drippings fall all over her
body. However, she remembered having almost an immediate orgasm when he ran the
length of the icicle over her lips.

She closed her
eyes now, reliving the wild passion they shared the entire night. When they
arrived for breakfast the next day their new friends commented on how tired
they looked. She remembered Scott’s comment: ‘the slopes, along with the snow
and ice, can really weaken the body.’

She continued to
keep her eyes closed, remembering how special that time was together. She wondered
now if Scott was going to call.

* * *

She had fallen
asleep for over an hour. Judy hadn’t returned, and Scott had not called. She
thought about her memory of the Balsams Hotel. She knew she was now beyond the
Jimmy ordeal but wanted to visit the room where Jimmy had attacked her.

The guard
normally on duty for the dorm was off for the holiday weekend. She knew where
the keys were kept. With the key in her hand, she went over to the connecting
staircase, leading to the annex.

She had a
strange feeling as she headed up the first flight of stairs. There was pressure
in her chest, like someone was sitting on it. She persisted, climbing the
stairs to the fifth floor.

There were no
lights in the stairway, and her flashlight was not as bright as it should have
been. She heard a noise and froze. She could hear her heart beating and tried to
hold her breath. She didn’t move, but also couldn’t.

She turned off
her light. She heard the noise again and turned on her light in the direction
of the noise. She covered her scream. It was a rat on the landing up ahead. She
recalled a similar situation the night of the ordeal.

She was
determined to get this behind her and continued up the stairs. The rat was not
at all concerned with her approach.

She made it to
the fifth floor, unlocking the main annex door. It was cold as she stepped into
the hallway. She shook the flashlight to get it brighter and examined the room
numbers. She knew where room 516 was, even if she had to find it in the dark.

She unlocked the
door and pushed it open. She examined the room from the hallway, trying to take
in the dark room content. That was when she recoiled, holding back another
scream.

The bed where
Jimmy held her hostage was still there. The ropes and sheet were gone, but the
single bed was still waiting for company. She reacted to the sight by turning
off the light.

The wall was
cold as she leaned against it. Her eyes focused in the limited light. She could
see the lights from the alleyway through the only window.

Taking a deep
breath, she slid her feet, one after the other, while she maintained contact
with the wall. She looked out the window at the fire escape and where Jimmy had
slipped to his death. Her hand felt the beating of her heart, and she had to
close her eyes again.

The memory of
the man’s room—Jimmy’s room—across the alley caused her to open her eyes and
look in that direction. The light was on, and she could see a naked man.

She closed her
eyes and retreated from the window, falling to the floor. Although it was
freezing in the room, she could feel herself sweating. She got up her courage,
knelt at the window, and looked again. She recalled Jimmy’s image from months
ago, but this time the light was not on.

The night of her
ordeal she remembered hearing something. Before she could turn, the cloth was
over her mouth.

She panicked
now, turning the flashlight back on to look behind her. There was no one there.
She directed the light to the counter, and two eyes lit up. She screamed, and
her scream echoed in the empty building.

It’s going to
happen again
, she thought, but when she reopened her eyes, it was another
rat. She felt trapped and went running to the door and down the hall. She was
hyperventilating but needed to go back to lock the door. That’s when she heard
another noise. Her flashlight died.

* * *

Her back was
against the annex door. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to listen. When
she opened her eyes, she could see in the dark hall. Jimmy wasn’t there anymore.
No one could sneak up behind her. She had no idea what made the noise.

She gave the
flashlight another chance, but it only provided a very weak light. Knowing it
wouldn’t last, she ran back to 516, tried to lock the door, but the door swung
open slightly as she tried to insert the key. Then the flashlight died again.

She heard the
noise in the room again and fumbled to insert the key. It went in, but
something ran across her foot, and she let out another scream.

She pulled the
door closed and locked it. Now she had to make it to the annex door in the
dark. There was at least one rat in the hall, that is, if her scream didn’t
scare the hell out of it.

Frozen in place,
she tried to remember how many rooms she passed to work her way back to the
annex door. Just then, she heard the annex door bang against the wall.

“Hello. Who’s
there?” a girl’s voice called.

Lisa took off
running to the door. “It’s me . . . Lisa.” She covered the distance in just a
second or two. The girl jumped back, seeing her charging at her.

“Lisa, what are
you doing in here? I heard a scream and was scared to death to open this door .
. . I didn’t know what I was going to find. I was ready to take off running
myself.”

“I don’t know
what to say. I was just going back to the room . . . that Judy and I were
scheduled for. I got scared when my flashlight crapped out, and something ran
across my foot. Thanks for rescuing me.”

“Lisa, I
wouldn’t go back in there again alone.”

Lisa nodded. “I
don’t need to go in there again.”

She closed the
annex door, locked it, and pulled on it to make sure. Being alone, she
remembered, was how she was almost killed the first time.

Lisa replaced the keys and went to
her room. Approaching her room, she saw a light shining under the door. She
remembered specifically turning the light off when she went exploring. She froze,
staring at the door for what had to be minutes—could Jimmy be waiting in the
room for her. Suddenly, the door opened.

Lisa immediately
woke up.

“My God, Lisa,
you’re soaking wet. You’re white as a ghost.”

Lisa took a deep
breath and realized she was having a dream. It took her a few seconds to clear
her mind and verify she was indeed in bed, and Judy was sitting beside her.

“I’m sorry,
Judy; I guess I was having a weird dream. It was about that room with Jimmy . .
. but he wasn’t there. I was visiting the room. It was so real. I’m sorry.”

“Lisa, I heard
you yell, so I decided to check on you.”