The Stalker.
It was a winter evening at Uxbridge, the 12th of January 1931, the night before had seen unusually heavy snowfall which brought the town to a standstill, roads were blocked doors were jammed. For Detective Alicia Lockheart, it meant a day wasted, she stands beside the window looking over the street below and cursing her luck. Just two days back she had landed herself a new case, it was the first in two months, she was supposed to start her investigation today, but mother nature seemed to have other plans.
Alicia wasn't in the best position in her life, it was four years back that she had decided to enter into the rather adventurous but risky world of a P.I, her family didn't approve, but she didn't care. For her part, she had enough from her late grandmother's inheritance to get her by, it was just about enough to sustain her rather adventurous life choices, from learning how to fly to horse riding. It was also enough to fund her trip around the world, and now her detective work.
Despite having no training in the field, she learnt fast, and was rather good at her job. However, it was not enough to pay for itself, after few years of success, the money was beginning to dry out, she needed clients now and there weren't nearly enough of it. Bills had kept piling and her old house, which she also inherited from her grandmother, had started to wear down.
Alicia could see the day wasn't going to get any better, the local fire brigade was brought in to clear the snow and they were going about their work slowly. She decided instead to go through the mail, there were about six unopened envelops lying with her. She sat at her study desk and went through them one by one. Five of them were either bills or notices from the municipality for payment of dues, but one letter stood out. There was something odd about the envelop, there was no sender's address written on it, the letter was marked confidential, and there was a stamp from Calcutta India, "A letter from India?" she asked herself curious about the letter.
She opens the envelop to find a folded parchment with a letter written entirely with cut out alphabets of newspaper articles pasted on the paper, at least she guessed it must be from a newspaper, being a diligent reader of the London Times, Alicia found the font rather familiar. What was most shocking however, was the content of the letter :
"Dear Alicia, you may not know who I am, but I am about to change your life. Over the past 4 years you have excelled as a detective, during which time you have faced many an adversary, did it ever occur to you perhaps, that you would win an admirer among them? Well, let me tell you, you have won me as an admirer. Ever since you caught me, I have fantasized about you, I imagine you completely in the nude, bound and gagged, under my possession and in that helpless state, I exact my revenge upon you as I thrust my dagger into your beating heart.
You see Alicia, you have been singularly responsible for foiling my schemes during this time, and while you may have forgotten, I did not. These past years, I have spent many nights plotting my revenge on you, soon you shall see my plan unfold, but you will not know when and you will not know where and you will not know how, I will strike. It seemed ungentlemanly of me to not warn you of your impending doom Alicia, hence I write this letter. Consider this a test if you will, if you are indeed as clever as I think, you may even be able to trace this letter, and perhaps reach me before I reach you.
Your Admirer, C.C "
lovely blue-eyed brunette puts down the letter in dismay. Never has she come across such profound depravity. And of all the fiends she's put away with her investigative skills, who would send such a twisted message to her, to anybody, or for that matter plot something so sick. As the message was compiled by letters cut-out from newspapers there'd be no way this could be traced. Unless.....
She takes the letter in her hand and examines both letter and envelop. It was a typical white letter the kind anyone can buy from postal stationery from the King's post, what really stood out was the stamp. It was a postage stamp from Calcutta India, that showcased the Jain temple, "There is no way that could come from here.." she reasoned it belonged to someone who had either gone to Calcutta or someone who received mail from Calcutta. It made her recollect an old case, two years ago..
2 years ago in London..
Alicia was at the Royal philatellic society, she was lucky to have friends in high places, especially for a case like this. She was seated opposite to Mr. Faulkner who was carefully examining the two letters placed before him, after a few minutes of examining the stamp he put down the envelops and stood up, he walked over to fetch a book from his cabinet, he opened it half way and pointed to a picture of a stamp dated 1901, "The stamp on this envelop dates from 1902 and the reign of King Edward VII", he said holding the first of the two envelops, "while the stamp on this one is from 1912, and the reign of our King George Vth."
"So the two are at least a decade apart from each other"
"I would certainly that, considering also the considerable wear and tear on this one having the the Edwardian stamp, I would say it is quite safe to make that presumption. In fact.. let me see the envelops again."
Alicia handed him back the envelops to examine, he saw the first envelop with the stamp of King Edward and then he saw the envelop with the stamp from George Vth's reign. The latter caught his attention and he compared it carefully with the portrait on the book. "As I suspected!" he exclaimed, "This is a forgery!" he exclaimed handing it back to Alicia.
"A forgery ? But why .."
"I don't know why someone would go to any length to forge that stamp and I would say it is quite a convincing fake, but I can assure you it is a forgery."
Alicia thought about it, a theory emerged in her mind as to the possible motives for forging a stamp, then it hit her, "Of course!" she said snapping her fingers, she got up from her seat, "Thank you very much for your services Mr. Faulkner, I shan't forget this debt."
The phone took a while before connecting with the operator, "Operator can you connect me with LON 2334",
"I'm sorry", the operator replied, "All lines to London have been temporarily disconnected due to heavy snowing."
"What! Ugh.. damn this", she hung up the phone in frustration.
She walked up to the window and looked out to the street below, she noticed the fire brigade cleaning the stretch of road in front of her house, "Just my luck.." she said banging against the window pane. She walks around the study with her arms crossed, there was nothing she could do now, the lines were cut, she was as good as trapped in her house, at least till the snow gets cleared out. She was understandably worried, "who could this man be.." she asks herself, in her mind she digs through her memories to find anything that could link this letter to any of her past adversaries.
"No sender address.. a stamp from Calcutta... and the initials C.C..."
Suddenly the phone rang, it took Alicia by surprise, she answered the phone, "Ms Alicia Lockheart?"
"Yes it is me."
"Call for you from LON 1119"
'that's Mrs Lethbridge's number.' she thought to herself,
"Hello Alicia?", said a familiar elderly voice on the other side
"Yes Mrs Lethbridge. How are you?"
"I have found an important piece of evidence about my missing son. I want to discuss it with you. Would you be able to make it in the evening, say at 5."
"Of course Mrs. Lethbridge, if the snow doesn't prevent me."
"If the authorities do their work it should be clear by then. So I will be expecting you at my residence at 5. Do not delay."
"Of course not Mrs. Lethbridge."
With that she hung up the phone.
Something about this call seemed to irk Alicia, Mrs Lethbridge sounded odd almost nervous. It felt strange of her to think so negatively about this, she tried to reason what could possibly go wrong, but nothing came to mind, nothing obvious at least. 'What new lead could she have?' she thought to herself, 'The only way to find out would be to go to her house..'
After the snow clears, Alicia saunters down to number 12 Grove Road where Mrs Leatherbridge resides. She approaches the front door and gently but firmly knocks.She wears a lovely coat that ends above her ankles, a nice elegant scarf tucked nicely around her neck and a hat.
ere were two things Alicia never travelled without, first was her trustee swiss knife, the second was her walther PPK pistol neatly tucked into her purse. "Mrs Leathbridge? Mrs. Leathbridge?" she called out and knocked the door once more, there was no answer. 'That's odd' she felt nervous about this silence, she began to reach for her pistol when she heard the sounds of footsteps from the other side, soon the door opened with Mrs Leathbridge standing behind it, "Sorry dear I was at the loo."
"That's quite alright Mrs. Leathbridge.", Alicia entered the house glad that she hadn't had to use the pistol.
Mrs. Leathbridge was an elderly woman, but even at 60 she could look quite attractive. She was a woman who had aged well bearing a rather austere beauty. Her home was well decorated as was befitting a woman of wealth, she and Alicia walked up to the living room filled with furniture of Burma teak and a lovely little fireplace to the side. "Take a seat", Mrs Leathbridge said while seating herself on one of the ornate wooden chairs.
"So Mrs. Leathbridge, you said you found some new lead for your son's disappearance?" Alicia asked,
"Yes and that is what I wanted to talk to you about. Earlier today I received a phone call from an anonymous source. He.. claimed that he held my son and that if I did not follow his instructions he would have him..killed" Mrs Leathbridge was understandably shaky when she spoke these words
"Mrs Leathbridge its alright you needn't worry, I assure you we will find out where your son is and rescue him. What were his instructions, if I may ask?"
"Please... give me a moment", she began to tear up
"Okay take your time ma'am"
"Please give me a moment I'll be right back.", Mrs Leathbridge got up and walked away.
Alicia thought over this new development, it was not quite a lead, but there may be a clue in this. She remembered that lines between Uxbridge and London were cut, 'perhaps lines to other cities were severed too, the call would most likely have come locally..' she reasoned, she made a mental note of this and planned to pay a visit to the local telephone exchange. Alicia waited in the room and admired the surroundings, the elegant lamps that lit the room, the paintings of Mrs Leathbridge and her family, there was a potrait of her son, her late husband and of London from the Thames.
"I do apologize for that", Mrs Leathbridge returned, she had a cup of tea in her hand, "Would you like some tea? It is Darjeeling tea."
"Oh I would love that Mrs Leathbridge, thank you."
Alicia took a sip of the tea, "Oh its exquisite!"
"It is from our family plantation in India." Mrs Leathbridge explained.
After another sip Alicia asked Mrs Leathbridge another question, "Mrs Leathbridge, can you remember what time you recieved the call?"
"It was at 9 in the morning, just when I had finished breakfast."
"I see..", Alicia started to feel strange now, her head was getting heavy she started to feel dizzy.."uhhmm.."
"Are you alright Alicia?", Mrs Leathbridge asked,
"no.. I feel dizzy"
"Oh, that's because I put sleeping pills in your tea.", Mrs Leathbridge explained,
"Wha.. why.."
"I am so sorry dear.. but I was instructed.."
Alicia fell on the couch unconscious.
Alicia
flutters her eyes, moaning softly. She wants to rub her head but she
finds her hands are tightly roped together in front, further roped to
her thighs which have been folded into her chest while her ankles
have been tied just as tight. "What have you done?" Alicia
tries to say but upon realising that a thick bandana has been tied
tight over her mouth and knotted at the back of her head she mumbles
pleadingly at Mrs. Leatherbridge.
Mrs Lethbridge looked at her apologetically, there was more than a hint of sorrow in her eyes, "I am so sorry Alicia", she said, "I did not want to do this, but.. he has my son", she explained. Alicia would have tried to talk her out of it, but all she could do was moan, "nmm mmrsmh llthbrdj mdmmnt"
Mrs Lethbridge shook her head and walked over to the phone in her bedroom next door, she called the number given by her mysterious tormentor, after two failed attempts the number finally connected, "Hello", the voice said at the other side,
"Hello, its me Mrs Lethbridge"
"Aah Mrs Lethbridge, I expect you have followed my instructions"
"Yes, to the letter."
"Is Alicia bound and gagged now?"
"Yes she is quite securely bound. Now, I expect you to keep your end of the bargain. Will you let my son go?"
"Not yet, there is one more instruction to follow."
"Please, don't make me do this, Alicia is a good gir.. she.."
"Pay attention! You are to take a scarf, tie it over Ms Alicia's nose and mouth and suffocate her to death."
"What...no! I can't do that.. I am not a murderer!"
"Murder Alicia Lockheart, or your son dies. I will send his remains to your address in small parcels".
The stalker put the phone next to Mrs Lethbridge's son, "Mother Please Save me!" he screamed into the phone,
"Mortimer.. yes I'm here I will save you! I promise I won't let you get hurt I.."
The phone hung up before she could finish her sentence,
Mrs Lethbridge fell down to the bed broken and fearful, she did not know what to do now, her instincts told her to follow the man's instructions, if killing an innocent woman is what it took to save her son, then so be it. It took a while for Mrs Lethbridge to compose herself, she reached for her bedroom cupboard and took out a blue silk scarf made from the handlooms of Mysore, it was a birthday gift from her son, it seemed quite ironic that she should use this to take Alicia's life but she had already made up her mind, from now on no matter what, her son's life would be tainted with the cost of an innocent.
Noticing that her coat and purse have moved, she also sees that Leatherbridge failed to notice that her Swiss knife has dropped on the floor. Keeping as quiet as possible Alicia squirms towards it and starts cutting at the rope holding her thighs to her upper body.
Mrs Lethbridge walked over to the living room, her steps were slow and hesitant, she still had doubts in her mind about what she was doing, but her love for her son and fear for his life had overcome her ability to reason. She opened the door of the living room to enter, much to her surprise, she could not find Alicia seated on the couch, she could hear a faint grunting sound coming from the floor, and the sounds of struggle.
She walked ahead to see that her former captive had managed to cut her way through most of her ropes with a small knife. Alicia noticed Mrs Lethbridge standing over her, she had cut through every other binding except her wrists, the gag was still securely in place, "uhmmm", she grunted and got up pointing the knife at Mrs Lethbridge.
Mrs Lethbridge put up her hands and gestured her surrender, "I surrender.. I ... surrender."
Keeping the knife pointed in one hand, Alicia pulls the bandana down until it hangs loosely around her neck."Leatherbridge, you don't have to do this, not when I can trick whoever has your son and keep him safe."
Mrs Lethbridge calmed down, she placed the scarf down and took her seat on the couch, she breathed deeply and tried to compose herself, "Oh god what was I doing.." she whimpered and almost broke down.
Alicia hugs the troubled woman. "Don't fret, Mrs. Leatherbridge."
The two sat down on the couch, Alicia consoled her. "Mrs Lethbridge", Alicia said, resting her hand on Mrs Lethbridge's shoulder, "tell me everything that happened",
Mrs Lethbridge took a deep breath before speaking, "This stranger called me earlier today, at 9 in the morning, as I said. He left me a specific set of instructions to follow. He blackmailed me, saying he would harm my son if I did not follow them. I hung up the phone that moment, I had no reason to believe the man's word he could just have been a shameless prank caller. But then, I received another call, this was shortly before I called you."
"That was sometime around 1 in the afternoon."
"That is right, I received this second call around noon. This time, it was not the stranger on the call, but my son. He was in pain and screaming for help... he was crying.. oh god the screams and cries..", Mrs Lethbridge broke down and cried then,
Alicia hugged her to console her, she allowed Mrs Lethbridge a moment to compose herself. Once she had cried enough, she continued, "The kidnapper then came back on the call and left me with instructions. He told me, that I was to invite you over to my house, do so in the evening. Once you were here, I was to prepare a trap for you, drug you with sleeping pills, and then once you were indisposed, I was to tie you up, thoroughly, he was rather strangely particular about stressing that point. It was all very frightening Alicia, he knew where I lived."
"That is indeed frightening.. and telling.", Alicia rubbed her chin and thought about what that could imply, "but do continue, what did he tell last?"
"As I was told, after leaving you bound and gagged, I called him in the number he had left me with. He instructed me... to kill you, but not simply that, he specifically instructed me to kill you with a silk scarf. He wanted that I should suffocate you with it."
Alicia got up from the couch, she folded her arms and rubbed her chin, she was trying to analyze the identity and location of this man. "Mrs Lethbridge, I have a plan. We will trap this man, it should be enough to rescue your son, but we will need to be very very careful."
"I am listening", Mrs Lethbridge sat on the edge of the seat, she had her full attention focussed on Alicia and her plan.
some days later
Mrs Lethbridge made the funeral arrangements herself, it was a modest affair, there were a handful of well wishers along with Mrs Lethbridge herself, all in all there were a dozen people. It was the best that Mrs Lethbridge could muster under short notice, these were all people Alicia had helped at some time or another, thereby gaining their trust and friendship. She was moderately famed in the town for being a detective of some skill and repute, the news did surprise many, but for the most part, life went on for the town of Uxbridge.
The day was grim and grey from cloud cover that seemed to eerily compliment the snow. It was the most ironic settings for this funeral. Alicia's lifeless body peeked out of the open casket as the funeral went on, those few who knew her, who attended the funeral, looked on in shock at the deathly face of the once beautiful and lively lady.
The priest gave the final rites before the coffin was lowered for burial,
"We now commit her body to the ground;
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust:
in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life…"
Bit by bit, the coffin was lowered into the ground. It was finally burried under heaps and heaps of earth, hours later a tombstone was placed that read "Alicia Lockheart b.1902 - 1931 "
"Rest well sweet Alicia", Mrs Lethbridge said rubbing the tombstone and walked away.
Later that night,
Grave robbers weren't an uncommon sight in the graveyard near Uxbridge (location? name?) but there was something different about this team of grave robbers. For one they were lead by an elderly woman, "quick.. quietly. No one must find out we're here".
"Ok lady but you're payin' us extra for this!"
"I'll pay you double if you get this done, but do it fast and do it quiet!"
"Okay okay".
There were about three of them with shovels and with the lady the party numbered four. At 1 am, well past midnight, there was not a soul in the graveyard, except for the odd cat or rat scurrying around, there would be no other witnesses to their work. They went up to the tomb of Alicia Lockheart and started their work. It took about an hour of furious digging to get to the coffin, while they were at it, they banged against what looked like a steel shaft that connected with the surface.
"Wha da hell's this for?" one of them asked,
"That my good sir, is none of your business! Keep digging"
The lady led them on, she had brought over a hurricane lamp with her to show the way. It made matters worse that there was a light mist that night, it made visibility near impossible when coupled with the cold and snow.
It was another half an hour before the soil was cleared from the lid of the coffin, it allowed Mrs. Lethbridge to open the lid of the coffin, Alicia got up from it with a loud gasp. "Blimey! She's alive!", one of the grave diggers shouted out,
"Shh!" the elderly woman said loudly, "She was never dead! Now help me take her out"
Alicia was still gasping for breath, even with the air inlet for the coffin it was difficult to breathe in there.
"Ohhh.. Mrs Lethbridge?" Alicia called out,
the elderly woman came forth with the hurricane lamp, "Yes dear, it is me, come give me your hand."
She pulled Alicia out of the grave and she came to her feet.
The grave diggers were still dumbfounded by what they were seeing, they talked among themselves, giving confused stares to one another. An hour later they arrive at their destination in London. She got down from the vehicle and looked up at the elegant manor, it brought back memories of her first visit here.
2 years earlier ...
Alicia looked at the card and checked the address, 2Ap, Mayfair London, the address matched with the card. This was the residence of an old family friend, her grandmother would talk about the man sometimes, "Cyril was always the gentleman, I remember him after he returned from India, you could always trust in him to help you in your time of need", she would say. Alicia of course had a very particular need she had before her, the case of the missing letters was more complicated than it first seemed. The case of the missing letters had just become more complicated when she found out there was not one but two missing letters. She had learnt that Mr. Faulkner had taken up philately as a hobby when he came back to London, it was quite a fortuitous development for Alicia, she could use his help now.
She walked up the steps to the door of the house knocking at the door of his house and knocked with the large wooden knocker. Once, twice, there was no response, then the door opened, it was Mr. Faulkner clad in a robe and smoking a pipe.
The moment he saw Alicia standing before him he was flabergasted, "Oh my word.. is it.. Alicia?"
"In the flesh Mr.Faulkner".
"Oh it has truly been too long", the two approached to hug each other,"The last time I saw you, you were skipping ropes in the garden with two adorable pigtails. I see now, you have grown into a truly beautiful woman, and the spitting image of your grandmother, when she was younger."
"Granny would speak of you often."
"Please do come in", Mr Faulkner let her in. For a long while they talked and shared memories with one another... "
present ..
Alicia stood gazing at the house with a smile on her face, it was two years since she had come back here, and the wonderful terraced manor was just as lovely as she remembered it. She went to knock on the door, just as she was about to knock on the door it opened with a shocked Mr. Faulkner standing in front of her, "Alicia.. is that really you?"
"Yes Mr.Faulkner.. I am not dead",
"Oh by jove..", he said with a shocked expression on his face.
"Right now Mr. Faulkner, I need to pay these men", she said gesturing to the grave diggers in the van,
"Alright alright.. how much?"
"£20 guv'na !", one of the grave diggers shouted out "Tha's what she promised us"
"£20 pounds! whatever for?", Mr. Faulkner questioned angrily,
"Please Mr. Faulkner I need you to do this for me, I will explain everything inside. I really do not have the money to pay them...", Alicia explained, whispering the latter sentence,
"Alright alright fine, but you'd better explain yourself."
After paying off the grave diggers and settling into Mr Faulkner's home, Alicia began explaining herself, how she was being stalked, how she nearly lost her life, the strange letter and the elaborate charade she had to manufacture to throw off her stalker. At the end of the explanation Mr. Faulkner looked worried, though it served to relax his apprehensions a bit, "I am at a loss for words Alicia, truly this is a horrifying prospect, being stalked by this.. this depraved felon! I will help you in any way I can."
"and indeed you can help me here Mr Faulkner," she took out the letter she had received from the stalker and handed it to him, "This is the infamous letter I told you about. I had a bit of trouble identifying the stamp, but I am guessing it is from Calcutta India, I can't say anything about it beyond that. The letter itself was composed of letters cut out from what I think is a newspaper. I can't quite identify what newspaper though."
Mr.Faulkner studied the envelop first and took a deep look at the stamp, then opened the letter and examined it. Reading the contents brought a frown on his face, it angered and disgusted him, he put it down on the couch in disgust. "The stamp is indeed from India, if memory serves me it is quite a rare stamp as well, the Queen Empress head is erroneously inverted here. These were few in number but I recall it causing quite a bit of embarrassment back in India when I was posted there. It would be quite exceptional for someone to get their hands on such a stamp but I can't quite tell.. if this is genuine.. I will need to look at this more carefully, but for now, I think what you need is a well deserved rest."
"I should think so, the journey was.. quite uncomfortable."
Alicia lay in the guets bedroom of Faulkner's manor, clad in an elegant white gown. As she breathes softly, her breasts heaving, she finds herself in a locale akin to Japan, suddenl her wrists, ankles spread apart, tied by long curtain sashes while another wraps tight over her mouth. "HMM!" The startled brunette struggles and mubles into her silk gag, her blue eyes emoting as she tugs helplessly. the silk expands, covering her nose and as this hardly blocks her room to breathe, suddenly something hard, solid and cold, like iron or steel, clamps tight over where the silk gag covers her face, suffocating her nose and mouth super tight. Alicia's muffled screams, moans and mumbles turn into wheezing and horrific noises until....
Alicia jerks herself awake, gasping rapidly.
Mrs Lethbridge looked at her apologetically, there was more than a hint of sorrow in her eyes, "I am so sorry Alicia", she said, "I did not want to do this, but.. he has my son", she explained. Alicia would have tried to talk her out of it, but all she could do was moan, "nmm mmrsmh llthbrdj mdmmnt"
Mrs Lethbridge shook her head and walked over to the phone in her bedroom next door, she called the number given by her mysterious tormentor, after two failed attempts the number finally connected, "Hello", the voice said at the other side,
"Hello, its me Mrs Lethbridge"
"Aah Mrs Lethbridge, I expect you have followed my instructions"
"Yes, to the letter."
"Is Alicia bound and gagged now?"
"Yes she is quite securely bound. Now, I expect you to keep your end of the bargain. Will you let my son go?"
"Not yet, there is one more instruction to follow."
"Please, don't make me do this, Alicia is a good gir.. she.."
"Pay attention! You are to take a scarf, tie it over Ms Alicia's nose and mouth and suffocate her to death."
"What...no! I can't do that.. I am not a murderer!"
"Murder Alicia Lockheart, or your son dies. I will send his remains to your address in small parcels".
The stalker put the phone next to Mrs Lethbridge's son, "Mother Please Save me!" he screamed into the phone,
"Mortimer.. yes I'm here I will save you! I promise I won't let you get hurt I.."
The phone hung up before she could finish her sentence,
Mrs Lethbridge fell down to the bed broken and fearful, she did not know what to do now, her instincts told her to follow the man's instructions, if killing an innocent woman is what it took to save her son, then so be it. It took a while for Mrs Lethbridge to compose herself, she reached for her bedroom cupboard and took out a blue silk scarf made from the handlooms of Mysore, it was a birthday gift from her son, it seemed quite ironic that she should use this to take Alicia's life but she had already made up her mind, from now on no matter what, her son's life would be tainted with the cost of an innocent.
Noticing that her coat and purse have moved, she also sees that Leatherbridge failed to notice that her Swiss knife has dropped on the floor. Keeping as quiet as possible Alicia squirms towards it and starts cutting at the rope holding her thighs to her upper body.
Mrs Lethbridge walked over to the living room, her steps were slow and hesitant, she still had doubts in her mind about what she was doing, but her love for her son and fear for his life had overcome her ability to reason. She opened the door of the living room to enter, much to her surprise, she could not find Alicia seated on the couch, she could hear a faint grunting sound coming from the floor, and the sounds of struggle.
She walked ahead to see that her former captive had managed to cut her way through most of her ropes with a small knife. Alicia noticed Mrs Lethbridge standing over her, she had cut through every other binding except her wrists, the gag was still securely in place, "uhmmm", she grunted and got up pointing the knife at Mrs Lethbridge.
Mrs Lethbridge put up her hands and gestured her surrender, "I surrender.. I ... surrender."
Keeping the knife pointed in one hand, Alicia pulls the bandana down until it hangs loosely around her neck."Leatherbridge, you don't have to do this, not when I can trick whoever has your son and keep him safe."
Mrs Lethbridge calmed down, she placed the scarf down and took her seat on the couch, she breathed deeply and tried to compose herself, "Oh god what was I doing.." she whimpered and almost broke down.
Alicia hugs the troubled woman. "Don't fret, Mrs. Leatherbridge."
The two sat down on the couch, Alicia consoled her. "Mrs Lethbridge", Alicia said, resting her hand on Mrs Lethbridge's shoulder, "tell me everything that happened",
Mrs Lethbridge took a deep breath before speaking, "This stranger called me earlier today, at 9 in the morning, as I said. He left me a specific set of instructions to follow. He blackmailed me, saying he would harm my son if I did not follow them. I hung up the phone that moment, I had no reason to believe the man's word he could just have been a shameless prank caller. But then, I received another call, this was shortly before I called you."
"That was sometime around 1 in the afternoon."
"That is right, I received this second call around noon. This time, it was not the stranger on the call, but my son. He was in pain and screaming for help... he was crying.. oh god the screams and cries..", Mrs Lethbridge broke down and cried then,
Alicia hugged her to console her, she allowed Mrs Lethbridge a moment to compose herself. Once she had cried enough, she continued, "The kidnapper then came back on the call and left me with instructions. He told me, that I was to invite you over to my house, do so in the evening. Once you were here, I was to prepare a trap for you, drug you with sleeping pills, and then once you were indisposed, I was to tie you up, thoroughly, he was rather strangely particular about stressing that point. It was all very frightening Alicia, he knew where I lived."
"That is indeed frightening.. and telling.", Alicia rubbed her chin and thought about what that could imply, "but do continue, what did he tell last?"
"As I was told, after leaving you bound and gagged, I called him in the number he had left me with. He instructed me... to kill you, but not simply that, he specifically instructed me to kill you with a silk scarf. He wanted that I should suffocate you with it."
Alicia got up from the couch, she folded her arms and rubbed her chin, she was trying to analyze the identity and location of this man. "Mrs Lethbridge, I have a plan. We will trap this man, it should be enough to rescue your son, but we will need to be very very careful."
"I am listening", Mrs Lethbridge sat on the edge of the seat, she had her full attention focussed on Alicia and her plan.
some days later
Mrs Lethbridge made the funeral arrangements herself, it was a modest affair, there were a handful of well wishers along with Mrs Lethbridge herself, all in all there were a dozen people. It was the best that Mrs Lethbridge could muster under short notice, these were all people Alicia had helped at some time or another, thereby gaining their trust and friendship. She was moderately famed in the town for being a detective of some skill and repute, the news did surprise many, but for the most part, life went on for the town of Uxbridge.
The day was grim and grey from cloud cover that seemed to eerily compliment the snow. It was the most ironic settings for this funeral. Alicia's lifeless body peeked out of the open casket as the funeral went on, those few who knew her, who attended the funeral, looked on in shock at the deathly face of the once beautiful and lively lady.
The priest gave the final rites before the coffin was lowered for burial,
"We now commit her body to the ground;
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust:
in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life…"
Bit by bit, the coffin was lowered into the ground. It was finally burried under heaps and heaps of earth, hours later a tombstone was placed that read "Alicia Lockheart b.1902 - 1931 "
"Rest well sweet Alicia", Mrs Lethbridge said rubbing the tombstone and walked away.
Later that night,
Grave robbers weren't an uncommon sight in the graveyard near Uxbridge (location? name?) but there was something different about this team of grave robbers. For one they were lead by an elderly woman, "quick.. quietly. No one must find out we're here".
"Ok lady but you're payin' us extra for this!"
"I'll pay you double if you get this done, but do it fast and do it quiet!"
"Okay okay".
There were about three of them with shovels and with the lady the party numbered four. At 1 am, well past midnight, there was not a soul in the graveyard, except for the odd cat or rat scurrying around, there would be no other witnesses to their work. They went up to the tomb of Alicia Lockheart and started their work. It took about an hour of furious digging to get to the coffin, while they were at it, they banged against what looked like a steel shaft that connected with the surface.
"Wha da hell's this for?" one of them asked,
"That my good sir, is none of your business! Keep digging"
The lady led them on, she had brought over a hurricane lamp with her to show the way. It made matters worse that there was a light mist that night, it made visibility near impossible when coupled with the cold and snow.
It was another half an hour before the soil was cleared from the lid of the coffin, it allowed Mrs. Lethbridge to open the lid of the coffin, Alicia got up from it with a loud gasp. "Blimey! She's alive!", one of the grave diggers shouted out,
"Shh!" the elderly woman said loudly, "She was never dead! Now help me take her out"
Alicia was still gasping for breath, even with the air inlet for the coffin it was difficult to breathe in there.
"Ohhh.. Mrs Lethbridge?" Alicia called out,
the elderly woman came forth with the hurricane lamp, "Yes dear, it is me, come give me your hand."
She pulled Alicia out of the grave and she came to her feet.
The grave diggers were still dumbfounded by what they were seeing, they talked among themselves, giving confused stares to one another. An hour later they arrive at their destination in London. She got down from the vehicle and looked up at the elegant manor, it brought back memories of her first visit here.
2 years earlier ...
Alicia looked at the card and checked the address, 2Ap, Mayfair London, the address matched with the card. This was the residence of an old family friend, her grandmother would talk about the man sometimes, "Cyril was always the gentleman, I remember him after he returned from India, you could always trust in him to help you in your time of need", she would say. Alicia of course had a very particular need she had before her, the case of the missing letters was more complicated than it first seemed. The case of the missing letters had just become more complicated when she found out there was not one but two missing letters. She had learnt that Mr. Faulkner had taken up philately as a hobby when he came back to London, it was quite a fortuitous development for Alicia, she could use his help now.
She walked up the steps to the door of the house knocking at the door of his house and knocked with the large wooden knocker. Once, twice, there was no response, then the door opened, it was Mr. Faulkner clad in a robe and smoking a pipe.
The moment he saw Alicia standing before him he was flabergasted, "Oh my word.. is it.. Alicia?"
"In the flesh Mr.Faulkner".
"Oh it has truly been too long", the two approached to hug each other,"The last time I saw you, you were skipping ropes in the garden with two adorable pigtails. I see now, you have grown into a truly beautiful woman, and the spitting image of your grandmother, when she was younger."
"Granny would speak of you often."
"Please do come in", Mr Faulkner let her in. For a long while they talked and shared memories with one another... "
present ..
Alicia stood gazing at the house with a smile on her face, it was two years since she had come back here, and the wonderful terraced manor was just as lovely as she remembered it. She went to knock on the door, just as she was about to knock on the door it opened with a shocked Mr. Faulkner standing in front of her, "Alicia.. is that really you?"
"Yes Mr.Faulkner.. I am not dead",
"Oh by jove..", he said with a shocked expression on his face.
"Right now Mr. Faulkner, I need to pay these men", she said gesturing to the grave diggers in the van,
"Alright alright.. how much?"
"£20 guv'na !", one of the grave diggers shouted out "Tha's what she promised us"
"£20 pounds! whatever for?", Mr. Faulkner questioned angrily,
"Please Mr. Faulkner I need you to do this for me, I will explain everything inside. I really do not have the money to pay them...", Alicia explained, whispering the latter sentence,
"Alright alright fine, but you'd better explain yourself."
After paying off the grave diggers and settling into Mr Faulkner's home, Alicia began explaining herself, how she was being stalked, how she nearly lost her life, the strange letter and the elaborate charade she had to manufacture to throw off her stalker. At the end of the explanation Mr. Faulkner looked worried, though it served to relax his apprehensions a bit, "I am at a loss for words Alicia, truly this is a horrifying prospect, being stalked by this.. this depraved felon! I will help you in any way I can."
"and indeed you can help me here Mr Faulkner," she took out the letter she had received from the stalker and handed it to him, "This is the infamous letter I told you about. I had a bit of trouble identifying the stamp, but I am guessing it is from Calcutta India, I can't say anything about it beyond that. The letter itself was composed of letters cut out from what I think is a newspaper. I can't quite identify what newspaper though."
Mr.Faulkner studied the envelop first and took a deep look at the stamp, then opened the letter and examined it. Reading the contents brought a frown on his face, it angered and disgusted him, he put it down on the couch in disgust. "The stamp is indeed from India, if memory serves me it is quite a rare stamp as well, the Queen Empress head is erroneously inverted here. These were few in number but I recall it causing quite a bit of embarrassment back in India when I was posted there. It would be quite exceptional for someone to get their hands on such a stamp but I can't quite tell.. if this is genuine.. I will need to look at this more carefully, but for now, I think what you need is a well deserved rest."
"I should think so, the journey was.. quite uncomfortable."
Alicia lay in the guets bedroom of Faulkner's manor, clad in an elegant white gown. As she breathes softly, her breasts heaving, she finds herself in a locale akin to Japan, suddenl her wrists, ankles spread apart, tied by long curtain sashes while another wraps tight over her mouth. "HMM!" The startled brunette struggles and mubles into her silk gag, her blue eyes emoting as she tugs helplessly. the silk expands, covering her nose and as this hardly blocks her room to breathe, suddenly something hard, solid and cold, like iron or steel, clamps tight over where the silk gag covers her face, suffocating her nose and mouth super tight. Alicia's muffled screams, moans and mumbles turn into wheezing and horrific noises until....
Alicia jerks herself awake, gasping rapidly.
She
woke up the next morning a bit distraught, Mr Faulkner's maid had
prepared tea and breakfast for her and her master. Perfectly cooked
ham sausage and twinnings tea. Mr. Faulkner sat at the other end of
the table looking concerned at Alicia, "What's the matter
Alicia? You look distraught."
"I had a nightmare, its nothing."
"A nightmare? That is not nothing my girl. Dreams are a reflection into our subconscious."
"Are they now?"
"Yes, aside from my philately I have been dabbling in psychology of late. It is quite a fascinating subject and may offer some insights into your present case."
Alicia was intrigued by what she was hearing, she had harbored a secret from the world, an odd fascination with the Japanese art of rope binding called Kinbaku while she was in Tokyo. She often denied it herself, trying hard to suppress desires which even she in her moral conditioning had deemed deviant or sinful, but every now and then, she would be reminded of it in her dreams. She would sometimes wonder if her fascination with bondage was unique or it was something shared by others as well, then she recollected the vivid detailing of the letter, the strange instructions given to Mrs Lethbridge, and how the stalker was 'insistent' on having her tied up. Alicia looked up to Mr.Faulkner and asked, "What clues do you think a psychological perspective can offer here?"
"Well last night, I decided to re-read the letter in my study. While my initial focus was on studying the font in the hopes of uncovering the source newspaper, I later began to focus more on the content in the letter. There is an emphasis on seeing you in bondage, even more than the thought of murdering you. I could relate this with the stalker's instruction to have you tied up before being asphyxiated. Alicia, have you ever heard of sexual fetishes?"
Alicia looked confused but also curious, "no.. what is a sexual fetish?"
"Many thinkers have given different definitions of the phenomenon, but if I were to attempt at a succinct definition of it, I would say a sexual fetish is the act of attributing sexual properties into something artificial, which would be otherwise inherently non-sexual. In case of your culprit, the fetish appears to be towards bondage and asphyxiation."
"But what does that mean?"
"What that means Alicia, is that more than wanting you murdered, this stalker wants to see you bound and gagged. He is attracted to you, sexually, revenge is only a secondary goal."
Alicia was shocked by this analysis, "Oh my.. but this explains a lot..", she tried to remember any and all who she may have scorned, anyone who would have had the motive to do such a thing. "But what of the stamp and the signature?", she asked
"Ah yes, the stamp, you know I recollect from my days in the Indian civil service, not long after the stamps were recalled, reports of forgeries emerged in the press. The stamps you see, became sought after for their rarity, and some unscrupulous vendors began trying to make forgeries of it to make quick money. One in particular had a pattern, a pattern that reminded me of the stamp which you showed me two years back."
"Yes, in the case of the missing letters"
"I recall identifying the forgery by comparing with the original, I am certain that I can do the same once I get access to books at the library of the Royal society."
"Then we should not lose time, let us get ready to leave.", Alicia gets up from her seat,
"Oh but wait! Do finish the breakfast at least."
"Oh of course.."
"There is also the matter of your nightmare.", Mr. Faulkner said taking a bit from a sausage,
Alicia looked a bit shy after that, "I.. don't feel comfortable talking about it.."
"Its alright.. take your time, we can talk about it later"
As Alicia drives to the Royal Philatelic Society, her mind wanders to her mystery stalker and her nightmare could it be that deep down she has a liking for bondage, a deep-seated skeleton in the closet, a fetish as Mr. Faulkner describes it, that the stalker is hoping to provoke, or maybe a reason of attraction for them? Her dream of being snared in Kinbaku-style bondage must have been a surreal representation of such a dormant desire. Could this stalker be an "arch-nemesis" or a star-crossed lover, Alicia's other half? Perhaps this mysterious deviant is both? At present, it was hard for Alicia to tell but all she knew was that something about being tied up and in some form of helplessness excited her.
"Ah we're here", Mr Faulkner said, abruptly interrupting Alicia's day dreams. The Royal philatelly society was only a 10 minute drive from his house, Alicia didn't even realize how the time passed. "Oh that was quick."
"Its only a short drive from my house", Mr Faulkner stepped out of the car and opened the door for Alicia. They proceeded to the library, but unbeknownst to them a stalker spied on them. He hid inconspicuously leaning on a wall hiding his face behind a newspaper.
At the Royal Society library, the duo scanned through half a dozen books before finding the right one. Turning to the page of Indian stamps, they found the one they were looking for. Mr.Faulkner turned the pages till he came to a page dealing with the rare stamp in question and studied it thoroughly. He compared and contrasted the stamp in the light of what he had just read, using his trusty magnifying glass.
After several minutes of careful study he came to his conclusion, "I am quite certain now, this is indeed a fake. Not only that, the pattern is the same as in the King Edward stamp you brought to me 2 years back. Its apparent at the edges."
Alicia's eyes widened, "That means.. it could be the same perpetrator! Henry Morrison.."
"Perhaps it wouldn't be unwise to pay him a visit."
"But I remember quite well he was taken into custody. It was a five year sentence."
"Perhaps he is in league with this stalker."
"Perhaps..", Alicia thought over her next move, she now had three leads before her. The phone number, the forged stamp, and the possibility of the stalker having a bondage fetish. Of these three the phone number seemed to be the strongest lead.
Alicia concluded, "First I think I'll follow the phone number and try to cross check with what I know of Morrison".
Hello Operator, I need to identify the address of this number. LON4216", Alicia says to the operator,
"Please hold the line while we get back with your answer"
After waiting for a few minutes, the operator replied back with an address, "The number belongs to Mr. Severus Lestrade, of 5 Angel Road, at Harrow, London."
"At Harrow..." Alicia did not expect that, it meant Mrs Lethbridge's caller was indeed not in Uxbridge as she had previously thought.
"Thank you very much operator." Alicia kept the phone back.
Mr.Faulkner stood behind her eager to hear what happened, "Harrow is it?"
"Yes, it shouldn't be a long drive there, I am quite familiar with the streets. However, I should caution you going alone. I would rather you involve the police in this matter."
"I cannot take that risk Mr.Faulkner. The stalker is well prepared and I suspect he has henchmen around to do his stalking for him. If I go to the police now, he may do something drastic with Mrs Lethbridge's son or with Mrs Lethbridge herself."
"Perhaps, even so I would caution on going alone. It would be wise to go armed."
Alicia smiled and opened her purse to reveal her pistol, "I'm always armed"
"Clever girl", Mr.Faulkner remarked.
As the two walked outside they were noticed by the same stalker who noticed the two coming in. The man then followed them after giving them a head start. The road was filled with the usual morning traffic, the bus could keep track with them, it was the perfect cover for him, no one would suspect being followed by public mass transport. Just as the car turned left the man got off the bus and took a tram bringing him to the cafe where the two stopped over.
He walked over to the cafe and took a seat not far from where Alicia and Mr.Faulkner was, "Tea and some fish n chips please", he ordered before unfolding his newspaper. The paper was only a cover, his real intent was to overhear the conversation. "Some fish n chips and tea would do.", Alicia said,
"Should be enough to last us for the duration of the ride.", Mr.Faulkner replied,
"Fish n chips for the both of us and two cups of tea", she ordered.
The stalker kept reading his newspaper all the while hearing everything they said, he sat with his back turned to Alicia and Mr.Faulkner, making him inconspicuous to either of them. "You know I could have sworn the stalker would be at Uxbridge. He knew about my address, he even knew of Mrs Lethbridge. He must have been there to kidnap her son."
"Perhaps.. and this is just a hunch.. perhaps the man on the phone is not really the stalker."
"Then he was merely an accomplice. This means my hunch about the stalker having a network of henchmen was right."
"I think you are on the right path there. More will be learnt when we go to Harrow".
'Harrow', the man noted, he would inform his accomplice of it, Alicia Lockheart was going to Harrow. He got up from his seat after taking barely two sips of the tea, he got what he wanted. He walked to the nearest phone booth and dialed his partner. At the other end, a woman picks up the phone, "Hello?", she says in a sweet voice,
the stalker answered, "Harper calling, I got news for you. Alicia Lockheart is going to Harrow, she's got a partner with her, some ripe ol' geezer from the Royal society of Philatelly."
"I see", the woman replied, "Thank you for your services Harper. You are most valuable to me."
Harper smiled, "any time love".
The stalker left without being noticed sending Alicia and Mr Faulkner to their peril.
it took about an hour to get to the address in harrow. it was a nice two storied house in the suburbs, much like her own at Uxbridge. she walked up to the door, she took in a deep breath before knocking on it. she knocked three times not finding an answer. it felt strange, she saw the door and noticed a large lock hanging from the lock of the gate. a passerby cyclist went by them, when he noticed Alicia was knocking on the door of the house he called her out "hello there! are you looking for mr lestrade ?"
Alicia and mr faulkner turned around to the passerby, "yes do you know where we can find him?"
"I wish I knew the answer to that. we haven't seen him around these parts for .. well over six months now. "
Mr Faulkner looked at him curiously, " is that so? tell me my good man, how are you acquainted with Mr Lestrade?"
the man pointed to the house next door, "I happen to be his next door neighbour. last I remember of him, he was going to travel to his brothers place in Glasgow. he never did say when he would return though, I suppose it can be expected that he would be away for an extended period of time"
"does he live alone?", Alicia asked, "perhaps we may meet with his next of kin?"
"Mr. Lestrade lived alone, I was the closest he had to family in London. Barnaby jones is my name, but why do you ask? "
Alicia analyzed the situation it meant that the house was possibly vacant as of now, it meant someone could very well be using it. Alicia thought about asking Barnaby but that would mean revealing herself and her investigation, that wasn't a risk she was willing to take. " we are friends of a friend of Mr Lestrade , we were requested to meet him about a certain private matter, but seeing as he is not here I think we'll just come back later. "
"okay , I'll just get in touch with him over the phone or perhaps send a telegram."
"no no need for that, we will be on our way thank you", Alicia walked away with Mr Faulkner following her, looking a bit confused. They went back to their car and discussed, " So what do we do now? What's the plan?", Mr Faulkner asked,
"I know you won't approve but I believe the best way forward from here would be to break in to the house"
"you're right I do not approve. it is one thing to avoid the proper authorities quite another matter to break the law! Moreover i think Mr Barnaby Jones would soon inform Mr Lestrade that two rather suspicious individuals came looking for him. That only makesmatters worse for us."
" Mr Faulkner... please"
"look Alicia, you're a grown woman and I won't presume to order you, your parents could not and I am not even a blood relation. if you have made up your mind to break the law then so be it, but I will not be a willing participant in it".
Alicia looked away at the street, she gave a determined look, it meant she had made up her mind.
"Fine. I appreciate all you've done for me. Good day, Mr. Faulkner."
With that, once the old gentleman has gone, Alicia discreetly removes her lockpick and quickly but quietly picks the lock of the front door and sneaks in, gently closing the door behind her. With quiet steps she snoops around the house until she reaches upstairs. It's here where things appear suspicious or questionable at best. In the bedroom, there is a stakc of pin-up magazines, mostly bondage-theme publications. After skimming through them, Alicia notices newspapers featuring her previous cases. She notices a stream of dry blood from the bottom of the bedroom closet. Taking a deep breath, Alicia slowly pulls the closet doors open....
A dead body falls down from there on to her, his throat was cut with a knife, which was the source of his bleeding. He was still bound and gagged. "Aaaahh.." Alicia exclaimed in fear shocked at the dead body that just fell on her, she shoved the body away and stood up, taking a moment to compose herself. She could see who it was now, and to her shock it was Mrs.Lethbridge's son, Stuart. "No.. Oh no.."
She fell down to her knees and put her palm on her forehead, she frowned, saddened that she could not fulfill her promise. what was worse, it was likely that his death was on her account, it was Alicia who had suggested faking her death after all, she was foolish enough to think she could outsmart the stalker who was obviously following her every step. Even if he did not, who could trust the word of a criminal? If that was the case then perhaps Stuart was already doomed the moment he was kidnapped, all because a stalker wanted her dead.
She felt overwhelmed with guilt at that moment, but there would be no time to wallow in her sorrows. Behind her an ominous shadowy figure emerged, the man had a scarf in his hand which he wrapped around Alicia's nose and mouth, "aauhmmmhhhh!" she moaned surprised at the attack. She tried her best to wrestle out of her captor's grapple, but with each effort her strength drained that much more, she could smell a strong but sweet smell on the scarf, it was chloroform.
In a matter of a few minutes she became unconscious, her captor tackled her to the ground and kept her there.
Soon, the statuesque blue-eyed brunette Englishwoman flutters her eyes and comes to, as she does she finds herself roepd to a chair and stripped down to her blakc bra, panties and dark pantyhose stockings. A strip of white tape covers her mouth from ear to ear.
The man examines her tied up damsel, he had her practically covered with rope, criss crossing over and under her chest, pinning her hands together and tying it to the back of the chair. Her legs were tied thoroughly in double knots at the thighs, knees, ankles and calves. Those in turn were tied to the legs of the chair. To make double sure she couldn't talk the man placed two more strips of tape on her mouth diagonally. After making sure she was indisposed the man goes to make a call.
"Hello operator? get me LON 2116"
"Dialing LON 2116.."
After a short moment the line connected, at the other end was a woman at a florist shop, "Hello?"
"Its me Barnaby Jones."
"Ah Barnaby, Is Alicia with you?"
"Yes, she's all tied up right now".
"Good, keep her there. This time I will make sure she's dead. Did you take care of boy?"
"Yes, he's as dead as a door nail."
"Excellent. Follow my instructions carefully. Arrange for a crate to be delivered to 12 Groves Street, Uxbridge. Put the boy in it."
"Can't use the post for that."
"Then don't, in fact, I'd rather you drive down here yourself."
Barnaby smiled at the thought of that, "Would you have a .. 'reward' for me over there?"
the woman smiled, "Come and find out". With that she hung up the line.
Alicia, finally fully wide awake, recognises Barnarby and mumbles inquisitively. "Wmy?!"
Barnaby pays no heed to her mumbles, he simply looks at her with a lecherous gaze and "I'd love to have my way with you now, but I made a promise to her, you're her kill. It is indeed true what they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned hehehe." he takes another look at Alicia tied up in her chair, "I can imagine why she's so smitten by you. You're absolutely gorgeous. It was a stupid move for you, trying to break in here. You should never have underestimated your opponent. Did you seriously think you could outsmart her so ?"
Alicia heaved in her bonds, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, she never expected to end up like this, but worst for her was that she still failed Mrs. Lethbridge. She had more reason than ever now to get this killer to justice, whether knowingly or unknowingly Barnaby had already revealed a massive clue, the culprit was a woman. This narrowed down her possible identities to only one possible culprit.
"I had a nightmare, its nothing."
"A nightmare? That is not nothing my girl. Dreams are a reflection into our subconscious."
"Are they now?"
"Yes, aside from my philately I have been dabbling in psychology of late. It is quite a fascinating subject and may offer some insights into your present case."
Alicia was intrigued by what she was hearing, she had harbored a secret from the world, an odd fascination with the Japanese art of rope binding called Kinbaku while she was in Tokyo. She often denied it herself, trying hard to suppress desires which even she in her moral conditioning had deemed deviant or sinful, but every now and then, she would be reminded of it in her dreams. She would sometimes wonder if her fascination with bondage was unique or it was something shared by others as well, then she recollected the vivid detailing of the letter, the strange instructions given to Mrs Lethbridge, and how the stalker was 'insistent' on having her tied up. Alicia looked up to Mr.Faulkner and asked, "What clues do you think a psychological perspective can offer here?"
"Well last night, I decided to re-read the letter in my study. While my initial focus was on studying the font in the hopes of uncovering the source newspaper, I later began to focus more on the content in the letter. There is an emphasis on seeing you in bondage, even more than the thought of murdering you. I could relate this with the stalker's instruction to have you tied up before being asphyxiated. Alicia, have you ever heard of sexual fetishes?"
Alicia looked confused but also curious, "no.. what is a sexual fetish?"
"Many thinkers have given different definitions of the phenomenon, but if I were to attempt at a succinct definition of it, I would say a sexual fetish is the act of attributing sexual properties into something artificial, which would be otherwise inherently non-sexual. In case of your culprit, the fetish appears to be towards bondage and asphyxiation."
"But what does that mean?"
"What that means Alicia, is that more than wanting you murdered, this stalker wants to see you bound and gagged. He is attracted to you, sexually, revenge is only a secondary goal."
Alicia was shocked by this analysis, "Oh my.. but this explains a lot..", she tried to remember any and all who she may have scorned, anyone who would have had the motive to do such a thing. "But what of the stamp and the signature?", she asked
"Ah yes, the stamp, you know I recollect from my days in the Indian civil service, not long after the stamps were recalled, reports of forgeries emerged in the press. The stamps you see, became sought after for their rarity, and some unscrupulous vendors began trying to make forgeries of it to make quick money. One in particular had a pattern, a pattern that reminded me of the stamp which you showed me two years back."
"Yes, in the case of the missing letters"
"I recall identifying the forgery by comparing with the original, I am certain that I can do the same once I get access to books at the library of the Royal society."
"Then we should not lose time, let us get ready to leave.", Alicia gets up from her seat,
"Oh but wait! Do finish the breakfast at least."
"Oh of course.."
"There is also the matter of your nightmare.", Mr. Faulkner said taking a bit from a sausage,
Alicia looked a bit shy after that, "I.. don't feel comfortable talking about it.."
"Its alright.. take your time, we can talk about it later"
As Alicia drives to the Royal Philatelic Society, her mind wanders to her mystery stalker and her nightmare could it be that deep down she has a liking for bondage, a deep-seated skeleton in the closet, a fetish as Mr. Faulkner describes it, that the stalker is hoping to provoke, or maybe a reason of attraction for them? Her dream of being snared in Kinbaku-style bondage must have been a surreal representation of such a dormant desire. Could this stalker be an "arch-nemesis" or a star-crossed lover, Alicia's other half? Perhaps this mysterious deviant is both? At present, it was hard for Alicia to tell but all she knew was that something about being tied up and in some form of helplessness excited her.
"Ah we're here", Mr Faulkner said, abruptly interrupting Alicia's day dreams. The Royal philatelly society was only a 10 minute drive from his house, Alicia didn't even realize how the time passed. "Oh that was quick."
"Its only a short drive from my house", Mr Faulkner stepped out of the car and opened the door for Alicia. They proceeded to the library, but unbeknownst to them a stalker spied on them. He hid inconspicuously leaning on a wall hiding his face behind a newspaper.
At the Royal Society library, the duo scanned through half a dozen books before finding the right one. Turning to the page of Indian stamps, they found the one they were looking for. Mr.Faulkner turned the pages till he came to a page dealing with the rare stamp in question and studied it thoroughly. He compared and contrasted the stamp in the light of what he had just read, using his trusty magnifying glass.
After several minutes of careful study he came to his conclusion, "I am quite certain now, this is indeed a fake. Not only that, the pattern is the same as in the King Edward stamp you brought to me 2 years back. Its apparent at the edges."
Alicia's eyes widened, "That means.. it could be the same perpetrator! Henry Morrison.."
"Perhaps it wouldn't be unwise to pay him a visit."
"But I remember quite well he was taken into custody. It was a five year sentence."
"Perhaps he is in league with this stalker."
"Perhaps..", Alicia thought over her next move, she now had three leads before her. The phone number, the forged stamp, and the possibility of the stalker having a bondage fetish. Of these three the phone number seemed to be the strongest lead.
Alicia concluded, "First I think I'll follow the phone number and try to cross check with what I know of Morrison".
Hello Operator, I need to identify the address of this number. LON4216", Alicia says to the operator,
"Please hold the line while we get back with your answer"
After waiting for a few minutes, the operator replied back with an address, "The number belongs to Mr. Severus Lestrade, of 5 Angel Road, at Harrow, London."
"At Harrow..." Alicia did not expect that, it meant Mrs Lethbridge's caller was indeed not in Uxbridge as she had previously thought.
"Thank you very much operator." Alicia kept the phone back.
Mr.Faulkner stood behind her eager to hear what happened, "Harrow is it?"
"Yes, it shouldn't be a long drive there, I am quite familiar with the streets. However, I should caution you going alone. I would rather you involve the police in this matter."
"I cannot take that risk Mr.Faulkner. The stalker is well prepared and I suspect he has henchmen around to do his stalking for him. If I go to the police now, he may do something drastic with Mrs Lethbridge's son or with Mrs Lethbridge herself."
"Perhaps, even so I would caution on going alone. It would be wise to go armed."
Alicia smiled and opened her purse to reveal her pistol, "I'm always armed"
"Clever girl", Mr.Faulkner remarked.
As the two walked outside they were noticed by the same stalker who noticed the two coming in. The man then followed them after giving them a head start. The road was filled with the usual morning traffic, the bus could keep track with them, it was the perfect cover for him, no one would suspect being followed by public mass transport. Just as the car turned left the man got off the bus and took a tram bringing him to the cafe where the two stopped over.
He walked over to the cafe and took a seat not far from where Alicia and Mr.Faulkner was, "Tea and some fish n chips please", he ordered before unfolding his newspaper. The paper was only a cover, his real intent was to overhear the conversation. "Some fish n chips and tea would do.", Alicia said,
"Should be enough to last us for the duration of the ride.", Mr.Faulkner replied,
"Fish n chips for the both of us and two cups of tea", she ordered.
The stalker kept reading his newspaper all the while hearing everything they said, he sat with his back turned to Alicia and Mr.Faulkner, making him inconspicuous to either of them. "You know I could have sworn the stalker would be at Uxbridge. He knew about my address, he even knew of Mrs Lethbridge. He must have been there to kidnap her son."
"Perhaps.. and this is just a hunch.. perhaps the man on the phone is not really the stalker."
"Then he was merely an accomplice. This means my hunch about the stalker having a network of henchmen was right."
"I think you are on the right path there. More will be learnt when we go to Harrow".
'Harrow', the man noted, he would inform his accomplice of it, Alicia Lockheart was going to Harrow. He got up from his seat after taking barely two sips of the tea, he got what he wanted. He walked to the nearest phone booth and dialed his partner. At the other end, a woman picks up the phone, "Hello?", she says in a sweet voice,
the stalker answered, "Harper calling, I got news for you. Alicia Lockheart is going to Harrow, she's got a partner with her, some ripe ol' geezer from the Royal society of Philatelly."
"I see", the woman replied, "Thank you for your services Harper. You are most valuable to me."
Harper smiled, "any time love".
The stalker left without being noticed sending Alicia and Mr Faulkner to their peril.
it took about an hour to get to the address in harrow. it was a nice two storied house in the suburbs, much like her own at Uxbridge. she walked up to the door, she took in a deep breath before knocking on it. she knocked three times not finding an answer. it felt strange, she saw the door and noticed a large lock hanging from the lock of the gate. a passerby cyclist went by them, when he noticed Alicia was knocking on the door of the house he called her out "hello there! are you looking for mr lestrade ?"
Alicia and mr faulkner turned around to the passerby, "yes do you know where we can find him?"
"I wish I knew the answer to that. we haven't seen him around these parts for .. well over six months now. "
Mr Faulkner looked at him curiously, " is that so? tell me my good man, how are you acquainted with Mr Lestrade?"
the man pointed to the house next door, "I happen to be his next door neighbour. last I remember of him, he was going to travel to his brothers place in Glasgow. he never did say when he would return though, I suppose it can be expected that he would be away for an extended period of time"
"does he live alone?", Alicia asked, "perhaps we may meet with his next of kin?"
"Mr. Lestrade lived alone, I was the closest he had to family in London. Barnaby jones is my name, but why do you ask? "
Alicia analyzed the situation it meant that the house was possibly vacant as of now, it meant someone could very well be using it. Alicia thought about asking Barnaby but that would mean revealing herself and her investigation, that wasn't a risk she was willing to take. " we are friends of a friend of Mr Lestrade , we were requested to meet him about a certain private matter, but seeing as he is not here I think we'll just come back later. "
"okay , I'll just get in touch with him over the phone or perhaps send a telegram."
"no no need for that, we will be on our way thank you", Alicia walked away with Mr Faulkner following her, looking a bit confused. They went back to their car and discussed, " So what do we do now? What's the plan?", Mr Faulkner asked,
"I know you won't approve but I believe the best way forward from here would be to break in to the house"
"you're right I do not approve. it is one thing to avoid the proper authorities quite another matter to break the law! Moreover i think Mr Barnaby Jones would soon inform Mr Lestrade that two rather suspicious individuals came looking for him. That only makesmatters worse for us."
" Mr Faulkner... please"
"look Alicia, you're a grown woman and I won't presume to order you, your parents could not and I am not even a blood relation. if you have made up your mind to break the law then so be it, but I will not be a willing participant in it".
Alicia looked away at the street, she gave a determined look, it meant she had made up her mind.
"Fine. I appreciate all you've done for me. Good day, Mr. Faulkner."
With that, once the old gentleman has gone, Alicia discreetly removes her lockpick and quickly but quietly picks the lock of the front door and sneaks in, gently closing the door behind her. With quiet steps she snoops around the house until she reaches upstairs. It's here where things appear suspicious or questionable at best. In the bedroom, there is a stakc of pin-up magazines, mostly bondage-theme publications. After skimming through them, Alicia notices newspapers featuring her previous cases. She notices a stream of dry blood from the bottom of the bedroom closet. Taking a deep breath, Alicia slowly pulls the closet doors open....
A dead body falls down from there on to her, his throat was cut with a knife, which was the source of his bleeding. He was still bound and gagged. "Aaaahh.." Alicia exclaimed in fear shocked at the dead body that just fell on her, she shoved the body away and stood up, taking a moment to compose herself. She could see who it was now, and to her shock it was Mrs.Lethbridge's son, Stuart. "No.. Oh no.."
She fell down to her knees and put her palm on her forehead, she frowned, saddened that she could not fulfill her promise. what was worse, it was likely that his death was on her account, it was Alicia who had suggested faking her death after all, she was foolish enough to think she could outsmart the stalker who was obviously following her every step. Even if he did not, who could trust the word of a criminal? If that was the case then perhaps Stuart was already doomed the moment he was kidnapped, all because a stalker wanted her dead.
She felt overwhelmed with guilt at that moment, but there would be no time to wallow in her sorrows. Behind her an ominous shadowy figure emerged, the man had a scarf in his hand which he wrapped around Alicia's nose and mouth, "aauhmmmhhhh!" she moaned surprised at the attack. She tried her best to wrestle out of her captor's grapple, but with each effort her strength drained that much more, she could smell a strong but sweet smell on the scarf, it was chloroform.
In a matter of a few minutes she became unconscious, her captor tackled her to the ground and kept her there.
Soon, the statuesque blue-eyed brunette Englishwoman flutters her eyes and comes to, as she does she finds herself roepd to a chair and stripped down to her blakc bra, panties and dark pantyhose stockings. A strip of white tape covers her mouth from ear to ear.
The man examines her tied up damsel, he had her practically covered with rope, criss crossing over and under her chest, pinning her hands together and tying it to the back of the chair. Her legs were tied thoroughly in double knots at the thighs, knees, ankles and calves. Those in turn were tied to the legs of the chair. To make double sure she couldn't talk the man placed two more strips of tape on her mouth diagonally. After making sure she was indisposed the man goes to make a call.
"Hello operator? get me LON 2116"
"Dialing LON 2116.."
After a short moment the line connected, at the other end was a woman at a florist shop, "Hello?"
"Its me Barnaby Jones."
"Ah Barnaby, Is Alicia with you?"
"Yes, she's all tied up right now".
"Good, keep her there. This time I will make sure she's dead. Did you take care of boy?"
"Yes, he's as dead as a door nail."
"Excellent. Follow my instructions carefully. Arrange for a crate to be delivered to 12 Groves Street, Uxbridge. Put the boy in it."
"Can't use the post for that."
"Then don't, in fact, I'd rather you drive down here yourself."
Barnaby smiled at the thought of that, "Would you have a .. 'reward' for me over there?"
the woman smiled, "Come and find out". With that she hung up the line.
Alicia, finally fully wide awake, recognises Barnarby and mumbles inquisitively. "Wmy?!"
Barnaby pays no heed to her mumbles, he simply looks at her with a lecherous gaze and "I'd love to have my way with you now, but I made a promise to her, you're her kill. It is indeed true what they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned hehehe." he takes another look at Alicia tied up in her chair, "I can imagine why she's so smitten by you. You're absolutely gorgeous. It was a stupid move for you, trying to break in here. You should never have underestimated your opponent. Did you seriously think you could outsmart her so ?"
Alicia heaved in her bonds, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, she never expected to end up like this, but worst for her was that she still failed Mrs. Lethbridge. She had more reason than ever now to get this killer to justice, whether knowingly or unknowingly Barnaby had already revealed a massive clue, the culprit was a woman. This narrowed down her possible identities to only one possible culprit.
Alicia
began recalling her cases in the short time she had in this abode,
scantily-clad, roped up and her rosy lips taped shut.She recalled a
woman from four years ago, years later she would find her again, this
time she was a detective and Margaret was a criminal. She hoped it
would not come to this, but she had sworn to bring her to justice,
and she would do her professional duty. Margaret had murdered a
woman, a crime of passion. She recalled vividly how she tried to run
away on the London bridge, and in course of the chase, the police
were forced to fire on her, it could not be said whether the bullet
hit her or not, but what she did remember seeing was the woman
tripping and falling into the Thames river. The body was never found,
and she was presumed dead, Alicia thought so too, after all she
hadn't seen her for three years, but she never fully accepted the
police version of the investigation. With the body never recovered
there was always a chance of her still being alive, biding her time
plotting her revenge.
4 years ago..
The ship had stopped in Tokyo harbour to refuel, they would be docked for two whole days before setting sail again. In the course of the cruise she had grown quite friendly with a woman on board, she made for interesting company, being an orientalist and learned in Japanese art and culture. Strangely enough, she had also an inexplicable fascination for various torture techniques from medieval times, but none fascinated her more than the Japanese rope art form known as kinbaku. So it was only natural that she would be absolutely giddy when she learnt that the ship would dock in Japan. "What a wonderful opportunity this is!", Margaret said holding Alicia's hand, "I can't wait to show you around!"
"And I would be looking forward to it", Alicia replied,
"Hmm perhaps I can take this opportunity to enlighten you about kinbaku", she said with a mischievous look on her face,
"Oh.. I'd rather you not"
"Oh do give it a chance, perhaps you may even get to like it"....
Present time
Half an hour had passed, Alicia was now faced with more than just one problem now, she had to come to terms with her own sexual desires, the very ones she had deemed sinful and unnatural once, and it was this that had scorned Margaret the most. "This whole thing.. all of this.. its all my doing.." she thought to herself.
Several minutes earlier...
Mr Faulkner had a peeved look on his face as he drove back home, he did not like the strategy that Alicia had adopted. There were risks beyond simply getting caught in the act, if the police were to get involved in this, she would lose her detective license, that would crush her. Beyond that, she would have to live the life of a criminal, the pitfalls were too great to warrant this misadventure.
However, what kept biting at his conscience was the fact that she was alone, while he drove away. If something were to happen to Alicia he could never forgive himself. Ultimately that got the better of him, he turned his car around and drove back to Harrow. He drove as fast as he could, but it would still take at least 20 minutes to reach the address.
He proceeded to the house and noticed the lock was open it looked as if it had been picked on, "Oh good god she really did it!" he told himself as he entered. He walked in very cautiously, upstairs he could hear faint moaning and grunting sounds. Later he heard someone come down the steps to the ground floor.
Alicia was wrapped up really well in a big rolled-up carpet, hiding her body as it was trussed up and her mouth still taped shut. But however faint her moanings were the old man could still make out a noise.
Mr.Faulkner reckoned there was something criminal afoot, he walked in cautiously. The moaning sound got louder as he entered, he could also hear the sounds of struggles getting louder. When he noticed the man coming down the stairs he hid beside the staircase. He crouched down, then noticed a large lead pipe on the floor, he picked it up hoping to use it as a weapon.
He waited for the man to come down, he wore a black overcoat and a hat that obscured his face. He held a gun in his hand with his aim at the door right in front of the staircase. Mr.Faulkner readied himself for the attack, he stealthily creeped up behind the man, at the right moment he assaulted him! But Mr.Faulkner mistimed his assault. Instead of hitting on the head the pipe fell on the culprit's shoulder, it disarmed him of his weapon but did not knock him out. The man turned around and attacked Mr.Faulkner, who was taken aback by the suddenness of his charge. He was tackled to the ground, his right hand pinned to the floor and his neck being choked. He tried to escape the hold but to no avail, this man was too strong for Mr.Faulkner. He flailed his right hand. He then managed to fold his right leg and kick the culprit off of him, that gave him the chance to attack.
Mr Faulkner assaulted him with all his strength, but the culprit blocked his attack then he punched back. Mr.Faulkner fell to the floor, the culprit fell down on him and began choking him, Mr.Faulkner managed to tackle him and they rolled on the ground for a moment till the culprit was yet again over him, now he had lost his hat and his face was clearly visible. Mr.Faulkner saw in shock that this criminal was none other than the friendly cyclist he had met a short while ago, it was Mr.Barnaby. He had no time to ponder upon this, if he did not move now he would be choked to death.
Mr.Faulkner looked to his left and saw the pistol he had disarmed from the culprit, he managed to reach for it and grab it, before the culprit could respond, Mr Faulkner shot him in the chest, twice killing him on the spot. He lifted and rolled out the now dead corpse of Mr.Barnaby and got up. He waited to take his breath and compose himself, this was overwhelming for Mr.Faulkner, he had never taken a life before, but this wasn't his first brawl, nor the first murderer he encountered.
He rushed upstairs to see where the noise was coming from. He kept hearing the thumping sounds get louder, he followed them to a bedroom where he saw among other things a squirming carpet. He approached it and unrolled it revealing the bound and gagged Alicia. "Oh my.. Alicia.."
Mr.Faulkner had come undone, his coat was stained with blood where the culprits' blood splattered on his chest, his well combed hair had come undone and he was still recovering from the exersion of the struggle against Barnaby. He shook his head seeing Alicia in her predicament, "Curse that that.. bastard.." he muttered as he went about undoing Alicia's gag and then her ties. There she lay, squirming her mouth taped shut, hands tie dbehind her, ropes all over her scantily-clad body. While whimpering gratefully, her eyes fluttered in embarrassment and he cheeks quickly turned red.Alicia gasps, wincing as her lips come free of the tape. "Mr. Faulkner, I'm so sorry. I...underestimated my stalker."
"We both did.. I should not have let you come alone. This is as much my fault as it is your's.", Mr Faulkner spoke gasping as he finished untying her bonds. He opened his coat and covered Alicia with it, "Where did he keep your clothes?" he asked.
"I don't know. He must have hidden them away while I was unconscious." She replies tucking her coat over her practically naked form.
"Such depravity.. it is indeed impossible to judge a book by its cover. I would never have thought that Mr.Barnaby of all people.. but why?", Mr Faulkner asked himself.
"That I'm afraid is a mystery for another time. Right now, we have bigger concerns.." Alicia said turning her stare to the dead body of Stuart Lethbridge.
"Oh my word!.. Who is that?"
"That.. is Mrs.Lethbridge's son, Stuart."
"Oh mercy!....", Mr. Faulkner fell into a chair shocked and dismayed by this, he put his palm on his face in an expression of despair.
Alicia looked sorrowfully at Mr.Faulkner then noticed the blood on his abdomen, "How did that happen? oh .. where is Barnaby?"
"He's dead, downstairs. The blood you see, is his. I killed him, in self-defense", Mr.faulkner explained in a dry matter-of-fact way.
Alicia only shook, "Could this get any worse.."
Alicia sinks to the floor, still cluthcing the front sof Faulkner's coat over her scantily form. "How can I tell Mrs. Lethbridge...?
"Somebody will have to", Mr.Faulkner explained, "and I think it is time we involved the authorities. Your initial concerns are .. no longer valid... in the light of these changed circumstances."
Alicia nodded, "yes.. and I'm afraid the truth of my 'death' has been exposed by now.."
"Let us leave this place Alicia, and let me find your clothes."
For the next half an hour Mr.Faulkner helped find Alicia's clothes, he dressed her back and the two walked back to the car. "What should I do now?" Alicia asked, looking wistfully out the car window."Let us get back to my house, let us refresh ourselves and take stock of the situation", Mr.Faulkner explained, "and one of us will have to inform Mrs. Lethbridge about her son."
The duo drove back to the Faulkner manor where they recuperated from their drubbings. Alicia pondered over the death of Mrs Lethbridge's son and the potential fallout from the break-in and death from self-defense. While defensible in court, it would still give the police a prima facie case to arrest them, that would end it for Alicia, and it would be a huge cost to Mr.Faulkner as well. However, the more Alicia thought over it, the more she realized that all was not lost.
With Barnaby gone, the stalker, whoever she is, has lost an important accomplice. Moreover, Barnaby left an important clue to the identity of the stalker, it was not a man but a woman. Alicia could remember only one woman who fit the bill, Margaret O'Reily.
4 years ago in Tokyo..
Margaret says angrily, "When you hear people tell you No, do you just hear it in an utterly foreign language?"
"But only a moment ago you said you would consent to this? Now you tell me no?", Margaret stood with ropes in her hand and a beautiful ornate silk scarf the two recently bought from a market. She was ready to take Alicia through the intricacies of Japanese bondage art, but it was becoming clear that she had misread Alicia's words, perhaps even deliberately.
"Isn't bondage for kidnappers and criminals?" Alicia asks.
"That is the stereotype yes", Margaret said brandishing her ropes, "but I believe there is also a pleasurable side to it", she kept the rope in the bed and unfolded the silk scarf, "If only you will let me show you. I promise, I will not do anything which might cause you discomfort"
Alicia shrugs and sits on the bed, though deep down she has her reservations.
Margaret takes the scarf and gently ties it over Alicia's nose and mouth, not as a gag but merely a mask, the scarf was scented with lilac, a scent that Alicia much loved, "To relax you my dear", she said a bit mischievously. Then she began unfolding the ropes for the ties. Alicia flutters her blue eyes after raising one brow in confusion. "Relax your body and let me take charge", she speaks in a sensuous voice now, she takes the soft cotton ropes and slowly weaves it around Alicia's body, first wrapping her arms folded at right angles and tying them at the wrist. She takes the surplus rope and keeps wrapping it around Alicia's upper body making intricate knots in diamond shapes, "This isn't an exact replication but a variant of a tie called as a karada", Margaret explained as she tied Alicia's upper body. Alicia not understanding the real purpose of her "mask", just keeps silent and watches Margeret.
"Now gently, stand up, don't be shy Alicia, I will need to remove your petticoat to complete the tie", Margaret said slowly removing her petticoat.Alicia lets out a low, soft moan in the hope of pleasing Margeret as she stands up for her. With the petticoat removed Margaret completed the karada tie into her crotch. Once on it, she pulled the crotch rope tight with a mischievous look on her eyes and a sly smile, it would make Alicia moan out with pleasure, and moan she doe,s though it's hard to tell if its from pleasure or something less consensual. She looks down at her 'captress'. "Come lets walk", she says taking Alicia bound and masked to stand in front of a mirror, "See the binds? Quite artistic is it not? See how the knots criss cross in beautiful symmetry?" she says rubbing her finger on the ropes criss crossing Alicia's body
Alicia nods; this woman is truly amazing not just in beauty but in such skills.
"And its just as beautiful behind you", she says holding up a vanity mirror behind you to show you, "and if I may be so bold to say, you look quite lovely yourself, this way.", she says it with a sly smile on her face".
Alicia flutters her eyes again, bashful and nervous all at once.
Margaret noticed the fluttering eyes, "I do adore you when you flutter your eyes", she says embracing Alicia, she slowly and sensuously moved her hand over the ropes that bound her body, till it reached her crotch, "You know, it has been said that restriction can, under the right conditions, cause arousal. Mine own observation, shall I put it to the test?", Margaret said pulling at Alicia's crotch rope.
"Hmm?"
Without a word she tightens her embrace around Alicia and starts penetrating Alicia with her finger, pleasuring her. She gently rests her head on Alicia's left shoulder kissing over her masked face. A long sensuous kiss. Feeling uneasy about this level of affection from a perosn she's only just met, Alicia mumbles while tyring to move out of Margeret's grip. Margaret feels a rush in her as she pleasures Alicia, its a rush that takes her over and compels her to up the ante. She grabs Alicia and pushes her on the bed, and climbs on the bound up Alicia kissing her vigorously over the mask on her lips her hands move deeper and faster into Alicia's vagina and reaches for her clit.
Alicia screams and kicks Margaret off her before rubbing the maks off her face. "That hurt! What the devil was that anyway?!" She looks at the elegant green-eyed lady in disgust and shock, panting. "I'm sorry I kicked you. I just..." She sits back down. "This is all too overwhelming for me and we only just met." Margaret had a stunned look on her face, it hid the anger in her being rejected in this way, she was heaving, still in a state of arousal from the aborted sexual intercourse. "What did you just say?" she says rubbing on her coat and getting up on her feet, she walks to Alicia and grabs her by her shoulders, "Look at me Alicia, look at me and tell me truly. Did you not have feelings for me? Did you not feel the same attraction towards me as I felt to you? For the past six months that we've known each other!", she says shaking her body.
"Margaret, you're really beginning to frighte nme." Alicia replies, her voice shaking.
"Don't lie to yourself!", Margaret shouts in a shrill voice and slaps Alicia, "I was scorned by Henry, and I will not be scorned by you too."
Alicia shrieks in pain upon beign slapped and looks at Margeret with teary, scared eyes
"You!..", just as she was about to slap Alicia again she paused, she saw her teary eyes and scared look, something in her seemed to stop her from slapping her. She breathed heavily, and sat down. For a long moment she simply did nothing but close her eyes and calm herself. "Fine.. have it your way," she began gruffly undoing Alicia's ropes and threw it on the ground, "take your petticoat and leave", she said to Alicia sternly.
Alicia leaves but before she does she suggests, "Maybe you should just pleasure yourself." She then leaves.
Present time..
Alicia reminisced on that occasion, in her own deduction she could swear her fascinations with rope and restraints begins with this rather odd and disturbing episode. She recalled seeing herself in the karada, and she recalled the scent of the scarf. Most of all, she recalled the woman, both charming and disturbing, 'Henry Morisson' she thought to herself, 'the man who had scorned Margaret, the source of her madness..' she remembered how the connection with Margaret had helped her get to the con artist and fraud that Henry was. She also remembered quite vividly how bitter the woman was towards her former lover, "but if there was anyone who would know her whereabouts, it was him", Alicia reckoned.
Just then Mr.Faulkner arrived with some water, "Some water? Alicia?"
"Thank you..", she said taking the glass and quenching her thirst,
"So..", he says taking a seat on one of the ornate chairs in his study, facing Alicia, "what is your next course of action?"
"My next course of action Mr.Faulkner.. is to leave you be."
"What? but .. you can't possibly face this threat alone?"
"But I must Mr.Faulkner. You have indeed done more than your calling."
"Will you at least involve the police?"
"I'm afraid I must."
"If so, I have a contact at Scotland Yard.", Mr.faulkner says reaching for a card on his study desk, "Contact him".
The card he handed Alicia read 'Detective Alex Moore Senior Detective, Scotland yard', "I will bear this in mind Mr.Faulkner. Again, thank you for everything you've done."
"There is still the matter of informing Mrs.Lethbridge."
Alicia thought for a moment, he turned to Mr.Faulkner and said, "I feel it would be better if I were to inform her in person."
"That would be wise."
"I shall leave for Uxbridge in the evening. I do hope you can arrange for a transportation?"
"No problem at all Alicia. Do take care of yourself."
"Thank you again, Mr.Faulkner", with that Alicia walked away, her first destination, Scotland Yard, and then the penitentiary where Henry Morison was jailed.
4 years ago..
The ship had stopped in Tokyo harbour to refuel, they would be docked for two whole days before setting sail again. In the course of the cruise she had grown quite friendly with a woman on board, she made for interesting company, being an orientalist and learned in Japanese art and culture. Strangely enough, she had also an inexplicable fascination for various torture techniques from medieval times, but none fascinated her more than the Japanese rope art form known as kinbaku. So it was only natural that she would be absolutely giddy when she learnt that the ship would dock in Japan. "What a wonderful opportunity this is!", Margaret said holding Alicia's hand, "I can't wait to show you around!"
"And I would be looking forward to it", Alicia replied,
"Hmm perhaps I can take this opportunity to enlighten you about kinbaku", she said with a mischievous look on her face,
"Oh.. I'd rather you not"
"Oh do give it a chance, perhaps you may even get to like it"....
Present time
Half an hour had passed, Alicia was now faced with more than just one problem now, she had to come to terms with her own sexual desires, the very ones she had deemed sinful and unnatural once, and it was this that had scorned Margaret the most. "This whole thing.. all of this.. its all my doing.." she thought to herself.
Several minutes earlier...
Mr Faulkner had a peeved look on his face as he drove back home, he did not like the strategy that Alicia had adopted. There were risks beyond simply getting caught in the act, if the police were to get involved in this, she would lose her detective license, that would crush her. Beyond that, she would have to live the life of a criminal, the pitfalls were too great to warrant this misadventure.
However, what kept biting at his conscience was the fact that she was alone, while he drove away. If something were to happen to Alicia he could never forgive himself. Ultimately that got the better of him, he turned his car around and drove back to Harrow. He drove as fast as he could, but it would still take at least 20 minutes to reach the address.
He proceeded to the house and noticed the lock was open it looked as if it had been picked on, "Oh good god she really did it!" he told himself as he entered. He walked in very cautiously, upstairs he could hear faint moaning and grunting sounds. Later he heard someone come down the steps to the ground floor.
Alicia was wrapped up really well in a big rolled-up carpet, hiding her body as it was trussed up and her mouth still taped shut. But however faint her moanings were the old man could still make out a noise.
Mr.Faulkner reckoned there was something criminal afoot, he walked in cautiously. The moaning sound got louder as he entered, he could also hear the sounds of struggles getting louder. When he noticed the man coming down the stairs he hid beside the staircase. He crouched down, then noticed a large lead pipe on the floor, he picked it up hoping to use it as a weapon.
He waited for the man to come down, he wore a black overcoat and a hat that obscured his face. He held a gun in his hand with his aim at the door right in front of the staircase. Mr.Faulkner readied himself for the attack, he stealthily creeped up behind the man, at the right moment he assaulted him! But Mr.Faulkner mistimed his assault. Instead of hitting on the head the pipe fell on the culprit's shoulder, it disarmed him of his weapon but did not knock him out. The man turned around and attacked Mr.Faulkner, who was taken aback by the suddenness of his charge. He was tackled to the ground, his right hand pinned to the floor and his neck being choked. He tried to escape the hold but to no avail, this man was too strong for Mr.Faulkner. He flailed his right hand. He then managed to fold his right leg and kick the culprit off of him, that gave him the chance to attack.
Mr Faulkner assaulted him with all his strength, but the culprit blocked his attack then he punched back. Mr.Faulkner fell to the floor, the culprit fell down on him and began choking him, Mr.Faulkner managed to tackle him and they rolled on the ground for a moment till the culprit was yet again over him, now he had lost his hat and his face was clearly visible. Mr.Faulkner saw in shock that this criminal was none other than the friendly cyclist he had met a short while ago, it was Mr.Barnaby. He had no time to ponder upon this, if he did not move now he would be choked to death.
Mr.Faulkner looked to his left and saw the pistol he had disarmed from the culprit, he managed to reach for it and grab it, before the culprit could respond, Mr Faulkner shot him in the chest, twice killing him on the spot. He lifted and rolled out the now dead corpse of Mr.Barnaby and got up. He waited to take his breath and compose himself, this was overwhelming for Mr.Faulkner, he had never taken a life before, but this wasn't his first brawl, nor the first murderer he encountered.
He rushed upstairs to see where the noise was coming from. He kept hearing the thumping sounds get louder, he followed them to a bedroom where he saw among other things a squirming carpet. He approached it and unrolled it revealing the bound and gagged Alicia. "Oh my.. Alicia.."
Mr.Faulkner had come undone, his coat was stained with blood where the culprits' blood splattered on his chest, his well combed hair had come undone and he was still recovering from the exersion of the struggle against Barnaby. He shook his head seeing Alicia in her predicament, "Curse that that.. bastard.." he muttered as he went about undoing Alicia's gag and then her ties. There she lay, squirming her mouth taped shut, hands tie dbehind her, ropes all over her scantily-clad body. While whimpering gratefully, her eyes fluttered in embarrassment and he cheeks quickly turned red.Alicia gasps, wincing as her lips come free of the tape. "Mr. Faulkner, I'm so sorry. I...underestimated my stalker."
"We both did.. I should not have let you come alone. This is as much my fault as it is your's.", Mr Faulkner spoke gasping as he finished untying her bonds. He opened his coat and covered Alicia with it, "Where did he keep your clothes?" he asked.
"I don't know. He must have hidden them away while I was unconscious." She replies tucking her coat over her practically naked form.
"Such depravity.. it is indeed impossible to judge a book by its cover. I would never have thought that Mr.Barnaby of all people.. but why?", Mr Faulkner asked himself.
"That I'm afraid is a mystery for another time. Right now, we have bigger concerns.." Alicia said turning her stare to the dead body of Stuart Lethbridge.
"Oh my word!.. Who is that?"
"That.. is Mrs.Lethbridge's son, Stuart."
"Oh mercy!....", Mr. Faulkner fell into a chair shocked and dismayed by this, he put his palm on his face in an expression of despair.
Alicia looked sorrowfully at Mr.Faulkner then noticed the blood on his abdomen, "How did that happen? oh .. where is Barnaby?"
"He's dead, downstairs. The blood you see, is his. I killed him, in self-defense", Mr.faulkner explained in a dry matter-of-fact way.
Alicia only shook, "Could this get any worse.."
Alicia sinks to the floor, still cluthcing the front sof Faulkner's coat over her scantily form. "How can I tell Mrs. Lethbridge...?
"Somebody will have to", Mr.Faulkner explained, "and I think it is time we involved the authorities. Your initial concerns are .. no longer valid... in the light of these changed circumstances."
Alicia nodded, "yes.. and I'm afraid the truth of my 'death' has been exposed by now.."
"Let us leave this place Alicia, and let me find your clothes."
For the next half an hour Mr.Faulkner helped find Alicia's clothes, he dressed her back and the two walked back to the car. "What should I do now?" Alicia asked, looking wistfully out the car window."Let us get back to my house, let us refresh ourselves and take stock of the situation", Mr.Faulkner explained, "and one of us will have to inform Mrs. Lethbridge about her son."
The duo drove back to the Faulkner manor where they recuperated from their drubbings. Alicia pondered over the death of Mrs Lethbridge's son and the potential fallout from the break-in and death from self-defense. While defensible in court, it would still give the police a prima facie case to arrest them, that would end it for Alicia, and it would be a huge cost to Mr.Faulkner as well. However, the more Alicia thought over it, the more she realized that all was not lost.
With Barnaby gone, the stalker, whoever she is, has lost an important accomplice. Moreover, Barnaby left an important clue to the identity of the stalker, it was not a man but a woman. Alicia could remember only one woman who fit the bill, Margaret O'Reily.
4 years ago in Tokyo..
Margaret says angrily, "When you hear people tell you No, do you just hear it in an utterly foreign language?"
"But only a moment ago you said you would consent to this? Now you tell me no?", Margaret stood with ropes in her hand and a beautiful ornate silk scarf the two recently bought from a market. She was ready to take Alicia through the intricacies of Japanese bondage art, but it was becoming clear that she had misread Alicia's words, perhaps even deliberately.
"Isn't bondage for kidnappers and criminals?" Alicia asks.
"That is the stereotype yes", Margaret said brandishing her ropes, "but I believe there is also a pleasurable side to it", she kept the rope in the bed and unfolded the silk scarf, "If only you will let me show you. I promise, I will not do anything which might cause you discomfort"
Alicia shrugs and sits on the bed, though deep down she has her reservations.
Margaret takes the scarf and gently ties it over Alicia's nose and mouth, not as a gag but merely a mask, the scarf was scented with lilac, a scent that Alicia much loved, "To relax you my dear", she said a bit mischievously. Then she began unfolding the ropes for the ties. Alicia flutters her blue eyes after raising one brow in confusion. "Relax your body and let me take charge", she speaks in a sensuous voice now, she takes the soft cotton ropes and slowly weaves it around Alicia's body, first wrapping her arms folded at right angles and tying them at the wrist. She takes the surplus rope and keeps wrapping it around Alicia's upper body making intricate knots in diamond shapes, "This isn't an exact replication but a variant of a tie called as a karada", Margaret explained as she tied Alicia's upper body. Alicia not understanding the real purpose of her "mask", just keeps silent and watches Margeret.
"Now gently, stand up, don't be shy Alicia, I will need to remove your petticoat to complete the tie", Margaret said slowly removing her petticoat.Alicia lets out a low, soft moan in the hope of pleasing Margeret as she stands up for her. With the petticoat removed Margaret completed the karada tie into her crotch. Once on it, she pulled the crotch rope tight with a mischievous look on her eyes and a sly smile, it would make Alicia moan out with pleasure, and moan she doe,s though it's hard to tell if its from pleasure or something less consensual. She looks down at her 'captress'. "Come lets walk", she says taking Alicia bound and masked to stand in front of a mirror, "See the binds? Quite artistic is it not? See how the knots criss cross in beautiful symmetry?" she says rubbing her finger on the ropes criss crossing Alicia's body
Alicia nods; this woman is truly amazing not just in beauty but in such skills.
"And its just as beautiful behind you", she says holding up a vanity mirror behind you to show you, "and if I may be so bold to say, you look quite lovely yourself, this way.", she says it with a sly smile on her face".
Alicia flutters her eyes again, bashful and nervous all at once.
Margaret noticed the fluttering eyes, "I do adore you when you flutter your eyes", she says embracing Alicia, she slowly and sensuously moved her hand over the ropes that bound her body, till it reached her crotch, "You know, it has been said that restriction can, under the right conditions, cause arousal. Mine own observation, shall I put it to the test?", Margaret said pulling at Alicia's crotch rope.
"Hmm?"
Without a word she tightens her embrace around Alicia and starts penetrating Alicia with her finger, pleasuring her. She gently rests her head on Alicia's left shoulder kissing over her masked face. A long sensuous kiss. Feeling uneasy about this level of affection from a perosn she's only just met, Alicia mumbles while tyring to move out of Margeret's grip. Margaret feels a rush in her as she pleasures Alicia, its a rush that takes her over and compels her to up the ante. She grabs Alicia and pushes her on the bed, and climbs on the bound up Alicia kissing her vigorously over the mask on her lips her hands move deeper and faster into Alicia's vagina and reaches for her clit.
Alicia screams and kicks Margaret off her before rubbing the maks off her face. "That hurt! What the devil was that anyway?!" She looks at the elegant green-eyed lady in disgust and shock, panting. "I'm sorry I kicked you. I just..." She sits back down. "This is all too overwhelming for me and we only just met." Margaret had a stunned look on her face, it hid the anger in her being rejected in this way, she was heaving, still in a state of arousal from the aborted sexual intercourse. "What did you just say?" she says rubbing on her coat and getting up on her feet, she walks to Alicia and grabs her by her shoulders, "Look at me Alicia, look at me and tell me truly. Did you not have feelings for me? Did you not feel the same attraction towards me as I felt to you? For the past six months that we've known each other!", she says shaking her body.
"Margaret, you're really beginning to frighte nme." Alicia replies, her voice shaking.
"Don't lie to yourself!", Margaret shouts in a shrill voice and slaps Alicia, "I was scorned by Henry, and I will not be scorned by you too."
Alicia shrieks in pain upon beign slapped and looks at Margeret with teary, scared eyes
"You!..", just as she was about to slap Alicia again she paused, she saw her teary eyes and scared look, something in her seemed to stop her from slapping her. She breathed heavily, and sat down. For a long moment she simply did nothing but close her eyes and calm herself. "Fine.. have it your way," she began gruffly undoing Alicia's ropes and threw it on the ground, "take your petticoat and leave", she said to Alicia sternly.
Alicia leaves but before she does she suggests, "Maybe you should just pleasure yourself." She then leaves.
Present time..
Alicia reminisced on that occasion, in her own deduction she could swear her fascinations with rope and restraints begins with this rather odd and disturbing episode. She recalled seeing herself in the karada, and she recalled the scent of the scarf. Most of all, she recalled the woman, both charming and disturbing, 'Henry Morisson' she thought to herself, 'the man who had scorned Margaret, the source of her madness..' she remembered how the connection with Margaret had helped her get to the con artist and fraud that Henry was. She also remembered quite vividly how bitter the woman was towards her former lover, "but if there was anyone who would know her whereabouts, it was him", Alicia reckoned.
Just then Mr.Faulkner arrived with some water, "Some water? Alicia?"
"Thank you..", she said taking the glass and quenching her thirst,
"So..", he says taking a seat on one of the ornate chairs in his study, facing Alicia, "what is your next course of action?"
"My next course of action Mr.Faulkner.. is to leave you be."
"What? but .. you can't possibly face this threat alone?"
"But I must Mr.Faulkner. You have indeed done more than your calling."
"Will you at least involve the police?"
"I'm afraid I must."
"If so, I have a contact at Scotland Yard.", Mr.faulkner says reaching for a card on his study desk, "Contact him".
The card he handed Alicia read 'Detective Alex Moore Senior Detective, Scotland yard', "I will bear this in mind Mr.Faulkner. Again, thank you for everything you've done."
"There is still the matter of informing Mrs.Lethbridge."
Alicia thought for a moment, he turned to Mr.Faulkner and said, "I feel it would be better if I were to inform her in person."
"That would be wise."
"I shall leave for Uxbridge in the evening. I do hope you can arrange for a transportation?"
"No problem at all Alicia. Do take care of yourself."
"Thank you again, Mr.Faulkner", with that Alicia walked away, her first destination, Scotland Yard, and then the penitentiary where Henry Morison was jailed.
Allicia
akes her way to Sctland Yard. At the reception, she asks "Detective
Alex Moore, please? It's important I speak with him." Just as
luck would have it Detective Alex Moore happened to pass by the
attendant, he noticed Alicia asking for him, "Yes? I am
Detective Alex Moore. How may I be of assistance?", he asked.
Alex Moore was a senior detective of repute inn Scotland Yard, but he
was the youngest to have made it this high, at just 39 the tall hazel
eyed gentleman looked as dashing as he did when he was 20. Stunned by
his dashing looks, Alicia brushes her long hair behind her ear. "I
wish to report a serious crime."
"Okay, come to my office and explain in detail", Detective Moore said leading Alicia to his office. He sat down with a notepad and pencil ready to take notes. "First, please tell me your name and address". While Alicia may have been smitten with his looks, the detective remained focussed, it was one of his skills, which for better or worse left him single and committed solely to his profession.
She gives him her full details and goes on to relate the stalker case, which leads to her two abductions and a murder of a young male.Detective Moore went over the notes carefully, he narrated the events as it was told to him, "On January 12th you opened a mail that was sent to you, no address or name on the envelope. The letter threatened you with death and.. bondage?"
"That is right", Alicia responded,
"Thereafter, the same day, you received a phone call from Mrs.Lethbridge inviting you over for the evening, under the pretext of sharing an important lead?"
"That is correct."
"This however, was a trap. She drugged you, had you bound and gagged, under instructions from the person who had kidnapped her son. A kidnapping you were investigating. Is that right?"
"Yes quite right."
"You managed to escape your captivity and convinced Mrs.Lethbridge to be a party to your plan to entrap the stalker, which involved faking your death, including arranging a faux funeral. After that, you came to London city and traced the phone number of her kidnapper to an address at Harrow."
Alicia hesitated to answer back that question, "Yes, that.. is what happened".
"While at this address at Harrow you were kidnapped once again, held against your will with a man who you say was in league with your stalker and he enraged your modesty while having you bound and gagged in his captivity. Is that right?"
Alicia nodded,
"You managed to escape yet again, with the help of Mr.Faulkner with whose reference you come here. Alicia, I have to ask, is there something you're hiding from me?"
"Only that Mr. Faulkner and I did what we did to defend ourselves and to find justice. He has just killed my stalker's lackey in self-dense while I broke into the house to investigate in the hopose of finding Stuart Lethbridge safe and sound only to find his corpse and end up as preay." Alicia looks down.Detective moore leaned back into his chair and steepled his fingers, he thought over the case for a moment, "I know Mr.Faulkner, he is a good man, and I owe my life to him. Its a shame that he had to be involved in such a matter. Nonetheless, I will give you and him the benefit of the doubt here. Breaking and entering is a crime, but your motives were clean. Besides, I have nothing at present to place you on the scene of the crime, save your own admission. Let's brush that under the carpet for now. Mrs. Lockheart, you say that you had found two leads in this case? One was the phone number that lead you to the house at Harrow, what was the other?"
"The other was the stamp on the envelop with the threatening letter", she replied,"I had Mr.Faulkner identify it. It was a forgery, similar to one two years ago in another case. The man who made them was one Henry Morison, he ran a small but lucrative counterfeit operation in London, I helped put him behind bars."
"Oh it was YOU?", the detective said sounding a bit surprised, "I thought you sounded familiar. Now I remember, yes the stamp counterfeiter. You are detective Alicia Lockheart who brought him in."
Alicia smiled and chuckled a bit looking as humble as she could be, "The one and only."
"Well I am all the more glad to be working with you then. Henry Morison is in in HM Prison Pentonville at Barnsbury.. That will be our first lead. As for you, I would recommend you going back to Uxbridge and clearing out the news of your death."
"I'd be happy to." Alicia replies. "Could I perhaps visit Morison at Pentonvile?"
Alex thought over it a bit, "In my opinion it would be best if you returned to Uxbridge. You still have to face Mrs.Lethbridge, there is also the possibility of her being in danger, seeing how dangerous this stalker is. Besides, it would take at least a day or two to get permission to interrogate Henry Morison. In the meantime I suggest you go back to Uxbridge, leave me your number and I will contact you when any new development happens."
Alicia nodded, she reached for her purse and took out a card handing it over to the detective, "My contact information is on the card."
"Do not worry Ms.Lockheart, we will get to the bottom of this, I will see to it that you are safe once more.", the detective assured her,
"Thank you Detective Moore."
"Please, you can call me Alex."
Latter, Alicia is finally back in Uxbridge. She heads to 12 Grove Lane.
Earlier that day ....
Mrs Lethbridge sat in the living room going through a photo album of her son, it had pictures from his childhood right up to his adulthood. There was also a picture of her son with a girl, Rachael Leeds. He had told his mother that he had fallen in love with this woman, and soon he would propose to her, that was a week before his disappearance.
Seeing this pictures and reminiscing about her son brought a tear to her eyes, she became more and more anxious every second that she was away from her son. Her reminiscing was interrupted by the ring of the door bell, "Mrs Lethbridge? O Mrs. Lethbridge, its me Rachael." a sweet voice called out from outside. The voice brought a smile to Mrs Lethbridge, it was a welcome distraction from her worries.
She opened the door and welcomed the woman with a hug, "Oh Rachael its so lovely to see you here."
"I brought the flowers you had asked for Mrs.Lethbridge".
"Oh wonderful, place them on that table there", she directed.
Rachael had brought a bouquet of posies, she placed it on the ivory table at the entrance of the house, she also snuck in a small envelop into the bouquet.
"Come over to the living room", Mrs Lethbridge said leading Rachael to the living room.
The two sat beside each other on the couch, Rachael rested her hand on Mrs.Lethbridge's shoulder. "Its so good of you to come here Rachael. I could use some companionship in times like this."
"Its no trouble at all Mrs.Lethbridge. Truth be told, I am as anxious about Stuart's whereabouts as you are. Are there any leads so far?"
"None. Can I confide in you Rachael? This is a most secret matter."
"Mrs.Lethbridge you have known me for well over a year now, you can trust me."
"The truth is, that I was blackmailed into killing Alicia. I did not do it though. The blackmailer told me, that if I did as he instructed, he would return Stuart to me".
"Oh my God!..So Alicia is really alive? Where is she now?"
"She is down in London town, tracing a phone number the blackmailer gave me to call him. She did not tell me when she would be returning, but I do hope she does not take too long."
"She is good at her job, I'm sure she would come. As a curiosity, if you don't mind me asking. What exactly did the blackmailer instruct you to do? If I recall correctly, the cause of death for Alicia was reported as asphyxiation?"
"Oh that was a depraved man I tell you Rachael. It is perhaps that he had a morbid fantasy about her, because he insisted on having her bound and gagged, and asphyxiated with a scarf. At the time, I even used Stuart's blue silk scarf as the murder weapon.." Mrs. Lethbridge was beginning to tear up, "I'm sorry Rachael.. its just so terrible.. he is the only one I have in this world.."
"Courage Mrs.Lethbridge.. Courage..", Rachael consoled her,
"I remember, Stuart wished to give you the scarf."
"That would be good Mrs Lethbridge.."
They walked over to Mrs.Lethbridge's bedroom where she took out the scarf she had used on Alicia during her kidnapping. "This is the one, its made of silk, and from India, from the princely state of Mysore if I'm not mistaken",
Alicia looked excited as she held the scarf in her hands, she turned around and walked slowly towards the living room feeling the fabric of the scarf on her cheek and smelling it, it still had the faint essence of Alicia's perfume on it. The behaviour had Mrs.Lethbridge baffled, "Rachael? are you alright?"
"Oh I'm perfectly alright", she replied, "but you're not and soon you won't be", Rachael spoke in a voice that became progressively more menacing,
"What on earth are you saying Rachael? Now is not a time to joke!", Mrs Lethbridge exclaimed angrily,
Rachael walked up to the living room and fetched her purse, she went through its contents and said, "I'm afraid I must break the truth to you Mrs.Lethbridge, your son isn't coming back."
"What?", Mrs Lethbridge exclaimed in shock, "How dare you say such a thing Rachael!"
"Alas! It is the truth", she said turning around with a snubnosed revolver pointed at Mrs.Lethbridge, "You should have followed my instructions Mrs Lethbridge, it would have spared you a painful death."
"Rachael... you...", Mrs Lethbridge stood dumbfounded and pale in fear.
Rachael walked up to the cupboard and took out several more scarves and threw them on the bed, "tie your ankles with these scarves, use the ones left to gag your mouth",
"Oh my god.. please please let me go please.."
Rachael clicked her gun's hammer, "shut up and do as I say and I won't have to shoot you."
"No no.. god have mercy.."
"God may have mercy, but I won't. Now tie your damn legs and gag your mouth!", Rachael shouted out the last part of that sentence,
"Why are you doing this Rachael.. why!?", Mrs Lethbridge asked as she tied her ankles,
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a psycopath."
Mrs.Lethbridge tied her ankles as instructed and tied the scarf over her nose and mouth rather lightly, she kept her hands raised in the air. Rachael took a scarf and tied her left hand first, tightly to the back of the bed, she then repeated the process with her right hand. Rachael then put her gun in her coat pocket.
"Now Mrs.Lethbridge, I'm sure you must have many questions in your mind. rest assured, I won't answer any of them, know only this, whatever is happening now, is Alicia's fault." Rachael tied the scarf over Mrs.Lethbridge's mouth and nose tighter, almost suffocatingly tight, she then took some gloves from her pocket and put it on her hands, "Now Mrs.Lethbridge, let me put you out of your misery. Its time you join your son."
She put her hand over Mrs.Lethbridge's nose and mouth suffocating her, killing her in a slow and excruciating way.
Later...
Later, Alicia timidly approaches the door and gently knocks on the front door. "Mrs. Lethbridge?" She calls out.The door opened without a push, it was unlocked. Inside the sound of a sobbing woman came out, Alicia went in, curious and a bit worried. She walked up to the living room finding the dead body of Mrs.Lethbridge resting with her mouth wide open, her eyes looking up and her hands resting on the couch. On the other chair was a weeping woman, dressed in a beige overcoat, long skirts and high heels, her hair was done in curls, it was a woman Alicia recognized, "Rachael.. what .. what happened with Mrs.Lethbridge?"
Rachael looked up with her eyes reddened from crying, "Oh Alicia.. Mrs.Lethbridge.. is dead."
"No no no...", Alicia's heart skipped a beat, she gasped and took a step back, still in disbelief, "How did this happen.."
"I don't know,", she said in a teary voice, "I just came here delivering her the flowers she had asked for. She let me in, then we sat to talk about Stuart, but.. then suddenly.. she got a stroke! I tried to call for the ambulance but.. she was already unconscious and I couldn't feel a pulse anymore..", Rachael shook her head and cried as she said these words.
"Oh God..", Alicia sank into a seat her hand on her forehead in despair.
Alicia breaks into tears. "I'm so sorry..."
Slowly a crowd starts to gather in front of the house, someone seems to have noticed the crying women from outside and presumed that Mrs.Lethbridge had died or at least something very bad happened to her. At first there were two then there were six, Mrs.Lethbridge was a standing member of the community and her family was respected in the neighbourhood, "What happened to Mrs.Lethbridge?" a young man asked out from the crowd,
"Is everything okay in there?" another lady asked.
Alicia looked out, Rachael did too, "I think we should break it to them...", alicia said, getting up and moving to the door entrance, but then stopped in her steps.."but wait.. they'll know I am not dead.."
"I'll go", Rachael said stepping out.
She faced the crowd with teary eyes, there was a look of concern and worry in all their faces, Rachael shakes her head and cries down, "Mrs.Lethbridge is dead!"
"Oh no!.." a shocked female voice exclaimed out from the crowd,
Alicia wrapped her fur scarf around her face slowly walking away unnoticed. She walked over to her house, which had been locked for nearly two weeks, thankfully she still had the key to the house with her.
In she walks, overwhelmed with grief, horror and guilt. "My fault... My fault...? Damn you, Margeret..." She muttered with a weak voice.
As she sat down she felt something in her coat, something that wasn't there before, she reaches for her coat and finds another envelop, this one too was unmarked, but this didn't even have a stamp. This however, seems to have been written by type writer rather than bits of newspaper. The contents of this new letter were just as menacing as the last :
"I thought you were smart Alicia, but you tried to be oversmart ! now two people are dead. Their deaths are your fault ! If you think you had it bad till now? You don't know how much worse this whole game is about to get.
Your beloved, C.C"
Alicia's hands shook, but it wasn't because of fear but anger, she crumpled the letter and threw it away. She gives a fierce look and contemplates a plan.
"Okay, come to my office and explain in detail", Detective Moore said leading Alicia to his office. He sat down with a notepad and pencil ready to take notes. "First, please tell me your name and address". While Alicia may have been smitten with his looks, the detective remained focussed, it was one of his skills, which for better or worse left him single and committed solely to his profession.
She gives him her full details and goes on to relate the stalker case, which leads to her two abductions and a murder of a young male.Detective Moore went over the notes carefully, he narrated the events as it was told to him, "On January 12th you opened a mail that was sent to you, no address or name on the envelope. The letter threatened you with death and.. bondage?"
"That is right", Alicia responded,
"Thereafter, the same day, you received a phone call from Mrs.Lethbridge inviting you over for the evening, under the pretext of sharing an important lead?"
"That is correct."
"This however, was a trap. She drugged you, had you bound and gagged, under instructions from the person who had kidnapped her son. A kidnapping you were investigating. Is that right?"
"Yes quite right."
"You managed to escape your captivity and convinced Mrs.Lethbridge to be a party to your plan to entrap the stalker, which involved faking your death, including arranging a faux funeral. After that, you came to London city and traced the phone number of her kidnapper to an address at Harrow."
Alicia hesitated to answer back that question, "Yes, that.. is what happened".
"While at this address at Harrow you were kidnapped once again, held against your will with a man who you say was in league with your stalker and he enraged your modesty while having you bound and gagged in his captivity. Is that right?"
Alicia nodded,
"You managed to escape yet again, with the help of Mr.Faulkner with whose reference you come here. Alicia, I have to ask, is there something you're hiding from me?"
"Only that Mr. Faulkner and I did what we did to defend ourselves and to find justice. He has just killed my stalker's lackey in self-dense while I broke into the house to investigate in the hopose of finding Stuart Lethbridge safe and sound only to find his corpse and end up as preay." Alicia looks down.Detective moore leaned back into his chair and steepled his fingers, he thought over the case for a moment, "I know Mr.Faulkner, he is a good man, and I owe my life to him. Its a shame that he had to be involved in such a matter. Nonetheless, I will give you and him the benefit of the doubt here. Breaking and entering is a crime, but your motives were clean. Besides, I have nothing at present to place you on the scene of the crime, save your own admission. Let's brush that under the carpet for now. Mrs. Lockheart, you say that you had found two leads in this case? One was the phone number that lead you to the house at Harrow, what was the other?"
"The other was the stamp on the envelop with the threatening letter", she replied,"I had Mr.Faulkner identify it. It was a forgery, similar to one two years ago in another case. The man who made them was one Henry Morison, he ran a small but lucrative counterfeit operation in London, I helped put him behind bars."
"Oh it was YOU?", the detective said sounding a bit surprised, "I thought you sounded familiar. Now I remember, yes the stamp counterfeiter. You are detective Alicia Lockheart who brought him in."
Alicia smiled and chuckled a bit looking as humble as she could be, "The one and only."
"Well I am all the more glad to be working with you then. Henry Morison is in in HM Prison Pentonville at Barnsbury.. That will be our first lead. As for you, I would recommend you going back to Uxbridge and clearing out the news of your death."
"I'd be happy to." Alicia replies. "Could I perhaps visit Morison at Pentonvile?"
Alex thought over it a bit, "In my opinion it would be best if you returned to Uxbridge. You still have to face Mrs.Lethbridge, there is also the possibility of her being in danger, seeing how dangerous this stalker is. Besides, it would take at least a day or two to get permission to interrogate Henry Morison. In the meantime I suggest you go back to Uxbridge, leave me your number and I will contact you when any new development happens."
Alicia nodded, she reached for her purse and took out a card handing it over to the detective, "My contact information is on the card."
"Do not worry Ms.Lockheart, we will get to the bottom of this, I will see to it that you are safe once more.", the detective assured her,
"Thank you Detective Moore."
"Please, you can call me Alex."
Latter, Alicia is finally back in Uxbridge. She heads to 12 Grove Lane.
Earlier that day ....
Mrs Lethbridge sat in the living room going through a photo album of her son, it had pictures from his childhood right up to his adulthood. There was also a picture of her son with a girl, Rachael Leeds. He had told his mother that he had fallen in love with this woman, and soon he would propose to her, that was a week before his disappearance.
Seeing this pictures and reminiscing about her son brought a tear to her eyes, she became more and more anxious every second that she was away from her son. Her reminiscing was interrupted by the ring of the door bell, "Mrs Lethbridge? O Mrs. Lethbridge, its me Rachael." a sweet voice called out from outside. The voice brought a smile to Mrs Lethbridge, it was a welcome distraction from her worries.
She opened the door and welcomed the woman with a hug, "Oh Rachael its so lovely to see you here."
"I brought the flowers you had asked for Mrs.Lethbridge".
"Oh wonderful, place them on that table there", she directed.
Rachael had brought a bouquet of posies, she placed it on the ivory table at the entrance of the house, she also snuck in a small envelop into the bouquet.
"Come over to the living room", Mrs Lethbridge said leading Rachael to the living room.
The two sat beside each other on the couch, Rachael rested her hand on Mrs.Lethbridge's shoulder. "Its so good of you to come here Rachael. I could use some companionship in times like this."
"Its no trouble at all Mrs.Lethbridge. Truth be told, I am as anxious about Stuart's whereabouts as you are. Are there any leads so far?"
"None. Can I confide in you Rachael? This is a most secret matter."
"Mrs.Lethbridge you have known me for well over a year now, you can trust me."
"The truth is, that I was blackmailed into killing Alicia. I did not do it though. The blackmailer told me, that if I did as he instructed, he would return Stuart to me".
"Oh my God!..So Alicia is really alive? Where is she now?"
"She is down in London town, tracing a phone number the blackmailer gave me to call him. She did not tell me when she would be returning, but I do hope she does not take too long."
"She is good at her job, I'm sure she would come. As a curiosity, if you don't mind me asking. What exactly did the blackmailer instruct you to do? If I recall correctly, the cause of death for Alicia was reported as asphyxiation?"
"Oh that was a depraved man I tell you Rachael. It is perhaps that he had a morbid fantasy about her, because he insisted on having her bound and gagged, and asphyxiated with a scarf. At the time, I even used Stuart's blue silk scarf as the murder weapon.." Mrs. Lethbridge was beginning to tear up, "I'm sorry Rachael.. its just so terrible.. he is the only one I have in this world.."
"Courage Mrs.Lethbridge.. Courage..", Rachael consoled her,
"I remember, Stuart wished to give you the scarf."
"That would be good Mrs Lethbridge.."
They walked over to Mrs.Lethbridge's bedroom where she took out the scarf she had used on Alicia during her kidnapping. "This is the one, its made of silk, and from India, from the princely state of Mysore if I'm not mistaken",
Alicia looked excited as she held the scarf in her hands, she turned around and walked slowly towards the living room feeling the fabric of the scarf on her cheek and smelling it, it still had the faint essence of Alicia's perfume on it. The behaviour had Mrs.Lethbridge baffled, "Rachael? are you alright?"
"Oh I'm perfectly alright", she replied, "but you're not and soon you won't be", Rachael spoke in a voice that became progressively more menacing,
"What on earth are you saying Rachael? Now is not a time to joke!", Mrs Lethbridge exclaimed angrily,
Rachael walked up to the living room and fetched her purse, she went through its contents and said, "I'm afraid I must break the truth to you Mrs.Lethbridge, your son isn't coming back."
"What?", Mrs Lethbridge exclaimed in shock, "How dare you say such a thing Rachael!"
"Alas! It is the truth", she said turning around with a snubnosed revolver pointed at Mrs.Lethbridge, "You should have followed my instructions Mrs Lethbridge, it would have spared you a painful death."
"Rachael... you...", Mrs Lethbridge stood dumbfounded and pale in fear.
Rachael walked up to the cupboard and took out several more scarves and threw them on the bed, "tie your ankles with these scarves, use the ones left to gag your mouth",
"Oh my god.. please please let me go please.."
Rachael clicked her gun's hammer, "shut up and do as I say and I won't have to shoot you."
"No no.. god have mercy.."
"God may have mercy, but I won't. Now tie your damn legs and gag your mouth!", Rachael shouted out the last part of that sentence,
"Why are you doing this Rachael.. why!?", Mrs Lethbridge asked as she tied her ankles,
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a psycopath."
Mrs.Lethbridge tied her ankles as instructed and tied the scarf over her nose and mouth rather lightly, she kept her hands raised in the air. Rachael took a scarf and tied her left hand first, tightly to the back of the bed, she then repeated the process with her right hand. Rachael then put her gun in her coat pocket.
"Now Mrs.Lethbridge, I'm sure you must have many questions in your mind. rest assured, I won't answer any of them, know only this, whatever is happening now, is Alicia's fault." Rachael tied the scarf over Mrs.Lethbridge's mouth and nose tighter, almost suffocatingly tight, she then took some gloves from her pocket and put it on her hands, "Now Mrs.Lethbridge, let me put you out of your misery. Its time you join your son."
She put her hand over Mrs.Lethbridge's nose and mouth suffocating her, killing her in a slow and excruciating way.
Later...
Later, Alicia timidly approaches the door and gently knocks on the front door. "Mrs. Lethbridge?" She calls out.The door opened without a push, it was unlocked. Inside the sound of a sobbing woman came out, Alicia went in, curious and a bit worried. She walked up to the living room finding the dead body of Mrs.Lethbridge resting with her mouth wide open, her eyes looking up and her hands resting on the couch. On the other chair was a weeping woman, dressed in a beige overcoat, long skirts and high heels, her hair was done in curls, it was a woman Alicia recognized, "Rachael.. what .. what happened with Mrs.Lethbridge?"
Rachael looked up with her eyes reddened from crying, "Oh Alicia.. Mrs.Lethbridge.. is dead."
"No no no...", Alicia's heart skipped a beat, she gasped and took a step back, still in disbelief, "How did this happen.."
"I don't know,", she said in a teary voice, "I just came here delivering her the flowers she had asked for. She let me in, then we sat to talk about Stuart, but.. then suddenly.. she got a stroke! I tried to call for the ambulance but.. she was already unconscious and I couldn't feel a pulse anymore..", Rachael shook her head and cried as she said these words.
"Oh God..", Alicia sank into a seat her hand on her forehead in despair.
Alicia breaks into tears. "I'm so sorry..."
Slowly a crowd starts to gather in front of the house, someone seems to have noticed the crying women from outside and presumed that Mrs.Lethbridge had died or at least something very bad happened to her. At first there were two then there were six, Mrs.Lethbridge was a standing member of the community and her family was respected in the neighbourhood, "What happened to Mrs.Lethbridge?" a young man asked out from the crowd,
"Is everything okay in there?" another lady asked.
Alicia looked out, Rachael did too, "I think we should break it to them...", alicia said, getting up and moving to the door entrance, but then stopped in her steps.."but wait.. they'll know I am not dead.."
"I'll go", Rachael said stepping out.
She faced the crowd with teary eyes, there was a look of concern and worry in all their faces, Rachael shakes her head and cries down, "Mrs.Lethbridge is dead!"
"Oh no!.." a shocked female voice exclaimed out from the crowd,
Alicia wrapped her fur scarf around her face slowly walking away unnoticed. She walked over to her house, which had been locked for nearly two weeks, thankfully she still had the key to the house with her.
In she walks, overwhelmed with grief, horror and guilt. "My fault... My fault...? Damn you, Margeret..." She muttered with a weak voice.
As she sat down she felt something in her coat, something that wasn't there before, she reaches for her coat and finds another envelop, this one too was unmarked, but this didn't even have a stamp. This however, seems to have been written by type writer rather than bits of newspaper. The contents of this new letter were just as menacing as the last :
"I thought you were smart Alicia, but you tried to be oversmart ! now two people are dead. Their deaths are your fault ! If you think you had it bad till now? You don't know how much worse this whole game is about to get.
Your beloved, C.C"
Alicia's hands shook, but it wasn't because of fear but anger, she crumpled the letter and threw it away. She gives a fierce look and contemplates a plan.
At
H.M Prison Pentonville...
Luckily for Detective Moore and Alicia, they got the permission for meeting Henry Morison in two days' time. Alicia came with Detective Moore for this meeting. At the vistor's room they waited for the counterfeiter to show himself. Henry Morison was not an unattractive man, he had a rather austere charm about him, one that hid his criminal ambitions and blatant disregard for the well being of others. His cavalier attitudes had ruined many lives, including the life of one idealistic young woman named Margaret O'Reily. His actions made her into the psychotic monstrosity that she had become, a truth that Alicia had only stumbled upon by chance.
Henry Morison was brought to them in prison fatigues, looking shrivelled and exhausted. Alicia remembered the debonair ladies man that he was when he had him arrested, clearly he was paying for his crimes. He notices Alicia and raises his eyebrows, "Oh good to see you again detective Lockheart", his voice had a very clear sarcastic tone,
"I don't have much patience for your sarcasm", Alicia said sternly,
"Alicia", Detective Alex Moore said turning to her, "Let me handle this.", he turned to face Henry again, "Alicia here has been receiving threats from a stalker. That same person has been responsible for taking the lives of two individuals."
Henry shrugged in response, "So? What have I got to do with it?"
Alex reached for his coat pocket and took out the envelop, placing it before Henry, "This. The envelop containing the threatening letter. See this stamp. We have had it identified by a philatelist, its a forgery, the exact pattern that you used to make."
Henry looked at the stamp carefully, he had an expression of curiosity on his face, he picked it up and scrutinized it closely, "now that you mention it, it is quite good work. Whoever is out there doing this has certainly done a good job."
"Are you saying, this wasn't you?"
"All my counterfeits were seized by Scotland yard. Contrary to your long held beliefs I don't have a secret stash somewhere and no I never trained an accomplice in this work. Least of all that psychotic mad woman Margaret O'Reily."
Alicia listened intently, seated with her hands folded and anger in her eyes, she stared sharply into Henry's eyes studying his every move and his every expression.
Henry was irritated by that, "Detective can you please ask your.. partner.. here to stop staring at me."
"Your comfort is not my concern." Alex said curtly, "Now, answer me truthfully, is this forgery your work or not."
Henry chuckled, "heheheh, look at me! I'm in prison! What makes you or anyone think that I can still make these?"
"The fact that only you made forgeries with these particular patterns. We had that verified with a philatelist, he confirmed the pattern from your earlier forgeries."
"Ah.. so you presumed I got active again."
"No, I never said that. But it does raise the question, what is your forged stamp doing in this letter sent by our stalker?"
Henry thought back, "Now that you mention it.. an odd thing happened a month back. A girl named Rachael had come asking for a favour."
Alicia leaned forward intrigued by this, "What kind of favour?"
"She never gave me her name, only to call her 'Cici'. She asked me about forging stamps, which was a strange thing to talk about. Yet, that was not the strangest thing about her. What was really strange about her, was the way she talked, it almost reminded me of Margaret, she had a voice and tone that I very distinctly remembered, was of Margaret's".
"How much of your methods did you reveal to her that day?"
"I would say quite a bit. heh, but you know me. I'm a sucker for the dames", he smiled and looked at Alicia, who only seemed to be annoyed by that.
"Can you tell any other distinguishing feature of this woman?"
"Hmm.. she had green eyes. Definitely green."
"and her name you say, 'Cici' is it?"
"Yes, that's only what she requested I refer to her as. Though I think her name begins with an 'R'".
"And on what basis do you say that?", Alicia asks,
"So will you be asking the questions now?"
"Just answer the question Henry!"
"She had a handkerchief with her initials on it, the kind some women tend to carry nowadays. I could make out the letter R weaved on to it."
"That's not much, but I'll take it."
Detective Moore went over his notes and satisfied there were no more questions to ask puts it back in, "Henry, if asked to identify this woman, would you be able to?"
"Hard to forget a woman like that detective. I can help you identify her, if that's what you want of me."
"Good. Have a nice day Mr.Morison.", Alex and Alicia stood up,
"Oh of course Mr.Detective, I'll send you a postcard of my travails.", Henry said turning around and going back to his cell.
Alicia shuddered, a bitter look on her face. "What if I told you I had a plan to lure Margaret into a trap in which you would arrest her with half of Scotland Yard?"
Alex looked at her incredulously, "I'd say you were joking. but I'm interested to see what plan you've come up with"
A few days later...
There were only two instances when Alicia Lockheart would smoke her pipe, either she was tense or she was cooking up a plan, right now she was doing both. About over a year back a new girl came to Uxbridge, a florist named Rachael Leeds. She was a charming young girl who quickly won over the hearts of the neighborhood, she especially had an impact on Mrs.Lethbridge whose son took quite a liking to her.
Alicia and her's path did cross on occasion, she seemed a sweet girl, but Alicia always felt there was something out of place about her. Her green eyes often reminded her of Margaret, but there was one more thing about her that bothered Alicia, her voice and demeanor. She tried often to avoid her for this very reason.
Little did she know that her vague suspicions would be confirmed so. Yesterday Detective Moore called on Alicia to come to Scotland Yard, she much preferred that, it was harder for Margaret to spy on her then. At the police station he handed over a sketch an artist had made based on Henry Morisson's description. Alicia could not believe her eyes when she saw the girl in the sketch, it was Rachael Leeds!
Alicia was disturbed for a while after that, but she now had a target for her plan to fall in place. She knew her stalker enough to anticipate her motives and moves. She wrote a letter and dropped it at the mailbox at Rachael's store. The plan was put in motion now, Alicia waited for a reply.
A day passed and nothing came, today she hoped it would be different. Alicia stood by the window seeing the snow fall to the ground with a grey overcast sky above. Her study was dark, it was both grim and cozy at once, there was a foreboding feeling about all of this, and Alicia knew of the risks in this plan. However, Detective Moore assured her he would have a team ready to ensure her protection. A team of four officers were deployed to keep watch on Alicia's residence and neighborhood round the clock. They would also patrol her movements, but discreetly. The presence of the police kept the stalker's informants on their toes and scared.
"She'll come to me", Alicia thought to herself while smoking her pipe, she ran over the plan in her mind, she would seduce the stalker, give Margaret what she wants, that would make her open up and confess to her identity. 'But will she come here?... to my residence?.. not likely' she thought, 'then it means, she will call me to another location. Thats more likely, why hasn't she come in yet?' Alicia thought to herself feeling more anxious.
Several minutes passed by, the snowfall decreased, the skies too started growing a little brighter, just then she gets a phone call. Alicia rushes to answer it, "Hello"
"Alicia.. my wonderful wonderful Alicia", a female voice answered on the other side,
"Hello... Margaret."
"So you finally found out who I am. Clever girl."
"I want this to end Margaret, I am willing to give in to your demands."
Margaret smiled, "Good girl. An hour from now, come to my shop, come alone. I insist on it" she emphasized the last sentence with a menacing voice.
Alicia took a long puff from her pipe, "Agreed. Anything else?"
"Make sure your face is covered, its snowing outside, its rather cold".
"As you wish.. ma'am..", she said grudgingly,
"That's right, good girl".
She hung up the phone after that. Alicia prepared herself for the visit.
Alicia was dressed in a fur coat and hat, as instructed she had her face covered up. It made little difference to her keeping her anonymity in public, she had already dispelled the story of her alleged death. The world knew Alicia Lockheart was still alive.
It was a long walk from her house to the florist shop, she would have to go to the end of (insert road address) . The sky was still overcast and a light drizzle of snow came down. Alicia pondered on the day she received the first threatening letter, it was not a day unlike this, 'how very befitting' she thought to herself, 'that this whole episode should end on a day like this'.
She came before the shop and looked up, "Uxbridge flower shop" it said on the hoarding at the gate. The door was open and the owner was present, none other than Rachael Leeds herself, or as Alicia knew of her now, Margaret O'Reily. She was tending to her flowers when she noticed Alicia walk in, "Ah Alicia, so wonderful to have you here. Just one moment please.", she walked out and closed the shop door and hung out a 'closed' sign, "I'd rather not have any distractions for the day. Come follow me."
Alicia followed her as she took her to a hidden chamber below the shop. Alicia could hardly believe her eyes when she saw what the chamber looked like, it was a room lit with red light, with japanese banners hanging from the wall, three hooks hung ominously from the ceiling, and spread on the floor below, were reams after reams of rope. In the corner, more ominous gears were kept, leather whips, and what looked like a French branc. Alicia's eyes went wide when she saw the device, it reminded her of the one she had seen in her dream.
The ground had been covered with mattresses, Margaret opened her shoes as she walked in, she kneeled down on the mattress and ordered Alicia, "Open your shoes and come in. Sit before me, here"
Alicia did as she was told, all the while hoping that her backup upstairs were ready to enter and find her.
Alicia felt overwhelmed as she willingly joined her stalker and enemy, noticing a roll of white tape hanging on the other side. "I have a couple of conditions if you'll listen."
"Please don't wrap a scarf over my nose. I'd rather just have my lips sealed than being suffocated if it's all the same to you. Most importantly, I don't wish to knocked out again." She looks deeply into Margaret's eyes. "I want to feel your every touch as you strip, grope, tie, gag and menace me! I want to be kept and to suffer as a prisoner in a castle. But if I had to choose anyone to keep me like that, if prefer it to be you."
Margaret held Alicia's face by her cheeks in a tight grasp, "You presume to make conditions on me?" Margaret said sounding menacing and stern, but slowly that strict angry face of her's turned to a smile. "But you came to me, and for that I'll let you have your conditions, for this time." she then kisses Alicia on her lips, vigorously. The two share a sensuous kiss for a moment, before Margaret begins to strip Alicia. "Now I want you to strip", she says taking off the fur coat and hat first.
Smirking seductively, the statuesque brunette does a sexy hip-swaying dance as she slowly unbuttons and removes her blouse and does the same with her skirt, exposing her black bra, panties and stockings.
Margaret embraces the nude beauty from behind and kisses over her shoulder, "You haven't changed a bit since we first met", her right hand caressed Alicia's breasts and her left hand was over her crotch. "I must confess a doubt, I did not expect you to give in. What caused you to surrender yourself to me?", she asked Alicia.
"You killed two innocent people, maybe more. If you weren't going to stop it then I knew there was one way to end it. You really want me. I realise that now becsuse....because every time I've been rendered helpless I kept thinking I'd rather it be such an elegant and deductive beauty as you."
Margaret takes her captive in a handgag and kisses her cheek, "I knew you would turn around Alicia. I knew from the start you had a liking for this, and I knew you liked me. You wounded me Alicia, when you rejected me, and I won't say I am not angry at you, but now you are here.. and in my posession. Maybe I won't take your life, but I will make you my thrall", she then took Alicia's wrists and pulled her hands behind her back, "Now kneel", she forced Alicia to kneel before her, Margaret grabbed a soft cotton rope and began tying her wrists. She folded Alicia's arms in right angles and tied her wrists that way, before wrapping the ropes around her breasts.
Alicia gasps erotically as she's boumd, even struggling and grunting in the hope of turning on her mistress.
"hmm feisty.. I like that, all the more pleasure in having you bound", Margaret swiftly wraps the ropes around Alicia's upper body and arms tying them off in tight knots which looked as artistic as they were secure. "Now darling, for your legs", she would tie Alicia's legs such that the thigh and ankles would be tied together for each of her legs.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Margaret, Alicia's trap was being set in motion as the police arrived at the flower shop. Detective Moore stepped out of the police car with his team of four, and met with two other officers who had been keeping an eye on Alicia. "She's in the shop sir. I saw the owner put up the 'closed' sign on the door, that's when I called you. Ms Lockheart had said that would be the signal".
"Good of you Officer Fielding", Detective Moore took out his pistol and proceeded to the shop opening the door by, breaking the lock with his gun.
"You fiend!" Alicia remarks playfully and breathlessly.
"I am aren't I", Margaret says almost sounding mischievous. She finishes tying both legs, forcing her into a kneel. "now for the last piece", she gets up and reaches for the tape in the corner, "as much as I prefer scarves I will concede this condition for you. Any last words ?", she says tearing out a large wide strip of the tape.
"You'll never get away with this! People will know I'm missing you-!"
Margaret applies the tape over Alicia's lips and smoothes it out. One strip of tape howevver, was not enough for Margaret, she kept applying tape over Alicia's mouth till finally 4 large white tape covered her mouth and chin and even her cheeks. "You were saying?" , Margaret said teasingly, rubbing a finger over Alicia's nose.
Alicia just glares at Margaret with sultry eyes.
"Now be very patient my love", Margaret said taking another strand of rope and tying it around Alicia's waist then taking it over her vagina and tying a large knot over her vagina, she pulled on it hard and flung it over one of the hooks on the ceiling. She pulled on the rope making Alicia moan out. "What you are about to experience, is a medieval Japanese method for humiliating noble women". She begins to hoist the helpless damsel mid air in a suspension. The rope digs into her crotch.
Alicia watches her captress in anticipation and upon realising half playfully shakes her head and mumbles frantically. "HMMMPH!" She lets out a muffled scream as she feels the rope dig into her crotch.
Margaret took some more ropes and tied the ankles and wrist ties to the suspension. "Now its perfect" she said examining her work. She caressed Alicia's face in her hands, and kissed her on the forehead while she floated in suspension.
Meanwhile, the police had entered and were scanning the shop for the whereabouts of Alicia and Margaret. It baffled them that there was no one in the shop, but Officer Fielding insisted he saw Rachael come out and put the sign on the door. The team kept scanning through the shop, Detective Moore then searched the back room of the shop where he stumbled upon a cupboard which contained among other things, a collection of stamps with markings similar to Henry Morison's forgeries.
The floor of the backroom was wooden and the boots made a loud sound. Detective Moore found that strange, as if the ground was hollow, "Fielding, Carter, can you come over here please?"
Detective Moore looked very carefully at the ground. He spotted something odd, a gap in the floor and a short hook. "What is it sir?" Officer Fielding asked,
"Help me open this door", Detective Moore tried pulling at it, but it didn't seem to budge.
Alicia moans and whimpers as she floats in the air, fluttering her blue eyes and looking at her kidnapper sadly
Margaret walks to her side and puts her hand on Alicia's crotch, she begins to massage her vagina, intending to arouse her even more. "By the time I am done with you, you will want to be bound and gagged at all times." Margaret said in a rather menacing voice. Just as she was about to begin, she heard loud footsteps coming from above and soon after, loud thumping noises, "what.. who can that be ? I closed the shop for the day, why would there be customers.." she asked herself, she gave a look at Alicia and then to the entrance. "I do hope for your sake you didn't pull of a trick on me!", Margaret said sternly. Alicia watches anxiously and mumbles lovingly at her mistress
The next moment the trap door was broken into and the policemen rushed inside. Detective Moore and the others entered the dungeon room to find both Alicia and Margaret, "Hands up! You're under arrest.. Margaret O'Reily."
"No!"Margaret immediately reached for a knife lying on the ground and pointed it to Alicia's throat, "One more step and she dies".
Detective Moore had his gun aimed at her, as did the other officers.
"You're surrounded Margaret, its over. Let Alicia go and you'll save yourself .."
"SILENCE!", she shouted out. She looked at Alicia with eyes full of anger, she was quivering with rage at this point, "You.. you sneaky... two-timing BITCH! I should kill you right now..."
"Margaret!" Detective Moore shouted, "This is your last warning. I will shoot you if you don't drop the knife RIGHT NOW!"
Alicia began to feel worried. Will this actually work?
Margaret grew frantic now, she pointed the knife at the policemen and shouted, "Stand back all of you! Stand back!"
Detective Moore saw this an opportunity and fired aiming right for her knife blade. The bullet grazed her fingers and hit the knife, hurling it to the ground, "Aaah!." Margaret shouted in pain.
"Grab her now!", Detective Moore ordered, the other officers wasted no time in tackling the woman down and putting her hands in cuffs.
Detective Moore put the gun back in his holster and breathed a sigh of relief. He walks over to Alicia and begins untying her, "I hope you weren't hurt"
Alicia shakes her head. Once her hands are free, she peels the tape off her face, gasping for air. "It was very exciting, actually."
Detective Moore reaches for the fur coat and other clothes lying on the ground and covers Alicia's body with it. Margaret did not take her defeat well, she struggled fiercely and shouted out with tears flowing out of her eyes. "No! Let me GO! I won't forgive you for this Alicia Lockheart! I promise you you will pay!" She even tried to bite some of the officers holding her.
"Oh god, will somebody please gag her." Alex said seeing Margaret's unruly behaviour.
Alicia tosses the roll of tape to an officer. "Use her scarves just in case."
"NO..MMMHHH" Margaret's scream was cut short as one of the officers wrapped the tape in tightly between her lips first and then roughly wrapped thrice over her mouth. The same officer then tied a scarf over her nose and mouth.
Alicia looked at Margaret satisfied at her predicament, she crossed her arms and stood in a confident manner smirking. Margaret kept crying and moaning aloud into her gag. Alicia sighed; a great weight has finally been lifted.
Epilogue :
After the affair had finally come to a close, Alicia invited Detective Moore for tea at her home. "This was a most exhausting affair", Alicia commented taking a sip of her tea. "I can imagine, it was quite a bold move of you inviting the stalker herself to meeting you. I still find it hard to fathom a woman would be capable of such depravity."
"I admit, it was a gamble. After the sketch you showed me, I did suspect Rachael to be Margaret O'Reily, but that wasn't conclusive proof for me. The only way I could know for certain was if I took the plunge and throw her a bait. That is what my letter was."
Detective Moore took a sip of his tea, "Hmmm it was quite clever of you. Unfortunately, that would be entrapment. She could very well use that letter against you."
Alicia smiled, she kept her tea on the table and took out something from her coat pocket, "You mean this letter? Detective?", she brandished her hand written letter before the detective.
Detective Moore raised his eyebrows, "When did you get that ?"
"When we made our way out of the shop. I took a stroll around the shop for a moment if you remember, well lets say a friend of mine had taught me the tricks of sleight of hand."
"Hmm.. what do you intend to do with it?"
Alicia folded the letter and kept it back in her pocket, "do with what?"
Detective Moore gave a knowing smile and sipped his tea.
Alicia had one other question for Alex, "There is one other matter I wanted to discuss with you."
"yes?"
"About my contract with Scotland Yard."
"hmm, I'll see what I can do about that. Certainly I will vouch for you. I should think capturing this stalker would help your prospects."
"Sounds very encouraging, Detective Moore."
"Please, call me Alex."
Luckily for Detective Moore and Alicia, they got the permission for meeting Henry Morison in two days' time. Alicia came with Detective Moore for this meeting. At the vistor's room they waited for the counterfeiter to show himself. Henry Morison was not an unattractive man, he had a rather austere charm about him, one that hid his criminal ambitions and blatant disregard for the well being of others. His cavalier attitudes had ruined many lives, including the life of one idealistic young woman named Margaret O'Reily. His actions made her into the psychotic monstrosity that she had become, a truth that Alicia had only stumbled upon by chance.
Henry Morison was brought to them in prison fatigues, looking shrivelled and exhausted. Alicia remembered the debonair ladies man that he was when he had him arrested, clearly he was paying for his crimes. He notices Alicia and raises his eyebrows, "Oh good to see you again detective Lockheart", his voice had a very clear sarcastic tone,
"I don't have much patience for your sarcasm", Alicia said sternly,
"Alicia", Detective Alex Moore said turning to her, "Let me handle this.", he turned to face Henry again, "Alicia here has been receiving threats from a stalker. That same person has been responsible for taking the lives of two individuals."
Henry shrugged in response, "So? What have I got to do with it?"
Alex reached for his coat pocket and took out the envelop, placing it before Henry, "This. The envelop containing the threatening letter. See this stamp. We have had it identified by a philatelist, its a forgery, the exact pattern that you used to make."
Henry looked at the stamp carefully, he had an expression of curiosity on his face, he picked it up and scrutinized it closely, "now that you mention it, it is quite good work. Whoever is out there doing this has certainly done a good job."
"Are you saying, this wasn't you?"
"All my counterfeits were seized by Scotland yard. Contrary to your long held beliefs I don't have a secret stash somewhere and no I never trained an accomplice in this work. Least of all that psychotic mad woman Margaret O'Reily."
Alicia listened intently, seated with her hands folded and anger in her eyes, she stared sharply into Henry's eyes studying his every move and his every expression.
Henry was irritated by that, "Detective can you please ask your.. partner.. here to stop staring at me."
"Your comfort is not my concern." Alex said curtly, "Now, answer me truthfully, is this forgery your work or not."
Henry chuckled, "heheheh, look at me! I'm in prison! What makes you or anyone think that I can still make these?"
"The fact that only you made forgeries with these particular patterns. We had that verified with a philatelist, he confirmed the pattern from your earlier forgeries."
"Ah.. so you presumed I got active again."
"No, I never said that. But it does raise the question, what is your forged stamp doing in this letter sent by our stalker?"
Henry thought back, "Now that you mention it.. an odd thing happened a month back. A girl named Rachael had come asking for a favour."
Alicia leaned forward intrigued by this, "What kind of favour?"
"She never gave me her name, only to call her 'Cici'. She asked me about forging stamps, which was a strange thing to talk about. Yet, that was not the strangest thing about her. What was really strange about her, was the way she talked, it almost reminded me of Margaret, she had a voice and tone that I very distinctly remembered, was of Margaret's".
"How much of your methods did you reveal to her that day?"
"I would say quite a bit. heh, but you know me. I'm a sucker for the dames", he smiled and looked at Alicia, who only seemed to be annoyed by that.
"Can you tell any other distinguishing feature of this woman?"
"Hmm.. she had green eyes. Definitely green."
"and her name you say, 'Cici' is it?"
"Yes, that's only what she requested I refer to her as. Though I think her name begins with an 'R'".
"And on what basis do you say that?", Alicia asks,
"So will you be asking the questions now?"
"Just answer the question Henry!"
"She had a handkerchief with her initials on it, the kind some women tend to carry nowadays. I could make out the letter R weaved on to it."
"That's not much, but I'll take it."
Detective Moore went over his notes and satisfied there were no more questions to ask puts it back in, "Henry, if asked to identify this woman, would you be able to?"
"Hard to forget a woman like that detective. I can help you identify her, if that's what you want of me."
"Good. Have a nice day Mr.Morison.", Alex and Alicia stood up,
"Oh of course Mr.Detective, I'll send you a postcard of my travails.", Henry said turning around and going back to his cell.
Alicia shuddered, a bitter look on her face. "What if I told you I had a plan to lure Margaret into a trap in which you would arrest her with half of Scotland Yard?"
Alex looked at her incredulously, "I'd say you were joking. but I'm interested to see what plan you've come up with"
A few days later...
There were only two instances when Alicia Lockheart would smoke her pipe, either she was tense or she was cooking up a plan, right now she was doing both. About over a year back a new girl came to Uxbridge, a florist named Rachael Leeds. She was a charming young girl who quickly won over the hearts of the neighborhood, she especially had an impact on Mrs.Lethbridge whose son took quite a liking to her.
Alicia and her's path did cross on occasion, she seemed a sweet girl, but Alicia always felt there was something out of place about her. Her green eyes often reminded her of Margaret, but there was one more thing about her that bothered Alicia, her voice and demeanor. She tried often to avoid her for this very reason.
Little did she know that her vague suspicions would be confirmed so. Yesterday Detective Moore called on Alicia to come to Scotland Yard, she much preferred that, it was harder for Margaret to spy on her then. At the police station he handed over a sketch an artist had made based on Henry Morisson's description. Alicia could not believe her eyes when she saw the girl in the sketch, it was Rachael Leeds!
Alicia was disturbed for a while after that, but she now had a target for her plan to fall in place. She knew her stalker enough to anticipate her motives and moves. She wrote a letter and dropped it at the mailbox at Rachael's store. The plan was put in motion now, Alicia waited for a reply.
A day passed and nothing came, today she hoped it would be different. Alicia stood by the window seeing the snow fall to the ground with a grey overcast sky above. Her study was dark, it was both grim and cozy at once, there was a foreboding feeling about all of this, and Alicia knew of the risks in this plan. However, Detective Moore assured her he would have a team ready to ensure her protection. A team of four officers were deployed to keep watch on Alicia's residence and neighborhood round the clock. They would also patrol her movements, but discreetly. The presence of the police kept the stalker's informants on their toes and scared.
"She'll come to me", Alicia thought to herself while smoking her pipe, she ran over the plan in her mind, she would seduce the stalker, give Margaret what she wants, that would make her open up and confess to her identity. 'But will she come here?... to my residence?.. not likely' she thought, 'then it means, she will call me to another location. Thats more likely, why hasn't she come in yet?' Alicia thought to herself feeling more anxious.
Several minutes passed by, the snowfall decreased, the skies too started growing a little brighter, just then she gets a phone call. Alicia rushes to answer it, "Hello"
"Alicia.. my wonderful wonderful Alicia", a female voice answered on the other side,
"Hello... Margaret."
"So you finally found out who I am. Clever girl."
"I want this to end Margaret, I am willing to give in to your demands."
Margaret smiled, "Good girl. An hour from now, come to my shop, come alone. I insist on it" she emphasized the last sentence with a menacing voice.
Alicia took a long puff from her pipe, "Agreed. Anything else?"
"Make sure your face is covered, its snowing outside, its rather cold".
"As you wish.. ma'am..", she said grudgingly,
"That's right, good girl".
She hung up the phone after that. Alicia prepared herself for the visit.
Alicia was dressed in a fur coat and hat, as instructed she had her face covered up. It made little difference to her keeping her anonymity in public, she had already dispelled the story of her alleged death. The world knew Alicia Lockheart was still alive.
It was a long walk from her house to the florist shop, she would have to go to the end of (insert road address) . The sky was still overcast and a light drizzle of snow came down. Alicia pondered on the day she received the first threatening letter, it was not a day unlike this, 'how very befitting' she thought to herself, 'that this whole episode should end on a day like this'.
She came before the shop and looked up, "Uxbridge flower shop" it said on the hoarding at the gate. The door was open and the owner was present, none other than Rachael Leeds herself, or as Alicia knew of her now, Margaret O'Reily. She was tending to her flowers when she noticed Alicia walk in, "Ah Alicia, so wonderful to have you here. Just one moment please.", she walked out and closed the shop door and hung out a 'closed' sign, "I'd rather not have any distractions for the day. Come follow me."
Alicia followed her as she took her to a hidden chamber below the shop. Alicia could hardly believe her eyes when she saw what the chamber looked like, it was a room lit with red light, with japanese banners hanging from the wall, three hooks hung ominously from the ceiling, and spread on the floor below, were reams after reams of rope. In the corner, more ominous gears were kept, leather whips, and what looked like a French branc. Alicia's eyes went wide when she saw the device, it reminded her of the one she had seen in her dream.
The ground had been covered with mattresses, Margaret opened her shoes as she walked in, she kneeled down on the mattress and ordered Alicia, "Open your shoes and come in. Sit before me, here"
Alicia did as she was told, all the while hoping that her backup upstairs were ready to enter and find her.
Alicia felt overwhelmed as she willingly joined her stalker and enemy, noticing a roll of white tape hanging on the other side. "I have a couple of conditions if you'll listen."
"Please don't wrap a scarf over my nose. I'd rather just have my lips sealed than being suffocated if it's all the same to you. Most importantly, I don't wish to knocked out again." She looks deeply into Margaret's eyes. "I want to feel your every touch as you strip, grope, tie, gag and menace me! I want to be kept and to suffer as a prisoner in a castle. But if I had to choose anyone to keep me like that, if prefer it to be you."
Margaret held Alicia's face by her cheeks in a tight grasp, "You presume to make conditions on me?" Margaret said sounding menacing and stern, but slowly that strict angry face of her's turned to a smile. "But you came to me, and for that I'll let you have your conditions, for this time." she then kisses Alicia on her lips, vigorously. The two share a sensuous kiss for a moment, before Margaret begins to strip Alicia. "Now I want you to strip", she says taking off the fur coat and hat first.
Smirking seductively, the statuesque brunette does a sexy hip-swaying dance as she slowly unbuttons and removes her blouse and does the same with her skirt, exposing her black bra, panties and stockings.
Margaret embraces the nude beauty from behind and kisses over her shoulder, "You haven't changed a bit since we first met", her right hand caressed Alicia's breasts and her left hand was over her crotch. "I must confess a doubt, I did not expect you to give in. What caused you to surrender yourself to me?", she asked Alicia.
"You killed two innocent people, maybe more. If you weren't going to stop it then I knew there was one way to end it. You really want me. I realise that now becsuse....because every time I've been rendered helpless I kept thinking I'd rather it be such an elegant and deductive beauty as you."
Margaret takes her captive in a handgag and kisses her cheek, "I knew you would turn around Alicia. I knew from the start you had a liking for this, and I knew you liked me. You wounded me Alicia, when you rejected me, and I won't say I am not angry at you, but now you are here.. and in my posession. Maybe I won't take your life, but I will make you my thrall", she then took Alicia's wrists and pulled her hands behind her back, "Now kneel", she forced Alicia to kneel before her, Margaret grabbed a soft cotton rope and began tying her wrists. She folded Alicia's arms in right angles and tied her wrists that way, before wrapping the ropes around her breasts.
Alicia gasps erotically as she's boumd, even struggling and grunting in the hope of turning on her mistress.
"hmm feisty.. I like that, all the more pleasure in having you bound", Margaret swiftly wraps the ropes around Alicia's upper body and arms tying them off in tight knots which looked as artistic as they were secure. "Now darling, for your legs", she would tie Alicia's legs such that the thigh and ankles would be tied together for each of her legs.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Margaret, Alicia's trap was being set in motion as the police arrived at the flower shop. Detective Moore stepped out of the police car with his team of four, and met with two other officers who had been keeping an eye on Alicia. "She's in the shop sir. I saw the owner put up the 'closed' sign on the door, that's when I called you. Ms Lockheart had said that would be the signal".
"Good of you Officer Fielding", Detective Moore took out his pistol and proceeded to the shop opening the door by, breaking the lock with his gun.
"You fiend!" Alicia remarks playfully and breathlessly.
"I am aren't I", Margaret says almost sounding mischievous. She finishes tying both legs, forcing her into a kneel. "now for the last piece", she gets up and reaches for the tape in the corner, "as much as I prefer scarves I will concede this condition for you. Any last words ?", she says tearing out a large wide strip of the tape.
"You'll never get away with this! People will know I'm missing you-!"
Margaret applies the tape over Alicia's lips and smoothes it out. One strip of tape howevver, was not enough for Margaret, she kept applying tape over Alicia's mouth till finally 4 large white tape covered her mouth and chin and even her cheeks. "You were saying?" , Margaret said teasingly, rubbing a finger over Alicia's nose.
Alicia just glares at Margaret with sultry eyes.
"Now be very patient my love", Margaret said taking another strand of rope and tying it around Alicia's waist then taking it over her vagina and tying a large knot over her vagina, she pulled on it hard and flung it over one of the hooks on the ceiling. She pulled on the rope making Alicia moan out. "What you are about to experience, is a medieval Japanese method for humiliating noble women". She begins to hoist the helpless damsel mid air in a suspension. The rope digs into her crotch.
Alicia watches her captress in anticipation and upon realising half playfully shakes her head and mumbles frantically. "HMMMPH!" She lets out a muffled scream as she feels the rope dig into her crotch.
Margaret took some more ropes and tied the ankles and wrist ties to the suspension. "Now its perfect" she said examining her work. She caressed Alicia's face in her hands, and kissed her on the forehead while she floated in suspension.
Meanwhile, the police had entered and were scanning the shop for the whereabouts of Alicia and Margaret. It baffled them that there was no one in the shop, but Officer Fielding insisted he saw Rachael come out and put the sign on the door. The team kept scanning through the shop, Detective Moore then searched the back room of the shop where he stumbled upon a cupboard which contained among other things, a collection of stamps with markings similar to Henry Morison's forgeries.
The floor of the backroom was wooden and the boots made a loud sound. Detective Moore found that strange, as if the ground was hollow, "Fielding, Carter, can you come over here please?"
Detective Moore looked very carefully at the ground. He spotted something odd, a gap in the floor and a short hook. "What is it sir?" Officer Fielding asked,
"Help me open this door", Detective Moore tried pulling at it, but it didn't seem to budge.
Alicia moans and whimpers as she floats in the air, fluttering her blue eyes and looking at her kidnapper sadly
Margaret walks to her side and puts her hand on Alicia's crotch, she begins to massage her vagina, intending to arouse her even more. "By the time I am done with you, you will want to be bound and gagged at all times." Margaret said in a rather menacing voice. Just as she was about to begin, she heard loud footsteps coming from above and soon after, loud thumping noises, "what.. who can that be ? I closed the shop for the day, why would there be customers.." she asked herself, she gave a look at Alicia and then to the entrance. "I do hope for your sake you didn't pull of a trick on me!", Margaret said sternly. Alicia watches anxiously and mumbles lovingly at her mistress
The next moment the trap door was broken into and the policemen rushed inside. Detective Moore and the others entered the dungeon room to find both Alicia and Margaret, "Hands up! You're under arrest.. Margaret O'Reily."
"No!"Margaret immediately reached for a knife lying on the ground and pointed it to Alicia's throat, "One more step and she dies".
Detective Moore had his gun aimed at her, as did the other officers.
"You're surrounded Margaret, its over. Let Alicia go and you'll save yourself .."
"SILENCE!", she shouted out. She looked at Alicia with eyes full of anger, she was quivering with rage at this point, "You.. you sneaky... two-timing BITCH! I should kill you right now..."
"Margaret!" Detective Moore shouted, "This is your last warning. I will shoot you if you don't drop the knife RIGHT NOW!"
Alicia began to feel worried. Will this actually work?
Margaret grew frantic now, she pointed the knife at the policemen and shouted, "Stand back all of you! Stand back!"
Detective Moore saw this an opportunity and fired aiming right for her knife blade. The bullet grazed her fingers and hit the knife, hurling it to the ground, "Aaah!." Margaret shouted in pain.
"Grab her now!", Detective Moore ordered, the other officers wasted no time in tackling the woman down and putting her hands in cuffs.
Detective Moore put the gun back in his holster and breathed a sigh of relief. He walks over to Alicia and begins untying her, "I hope you weren't hurt"
Alicia shakes her head. Once her hands are free, she peels the tape off her face, gasping for air. "It was very exciting, actually."
Detective Moore reaches for the fur coat and other clothes lying on the ground and covers Alicia's body with it. Margaret did not take her defeat well, she struggled fiercely and shouted out with tears flowing out of her eyes. "No! Let me GO! I won't forgive you for this Alicia Lockheart! I promise you you will pay!" She even tried to bite some of the officers holding her.
"Oh god, will somebody please gag her." Alex said seeing Margaret's unruly behaviour.
Alicia tosses the roll of tape to an officer. "Use her scarves just in case."
"NO..MMMHHH" Margaret's scream was cut short as one of the officers wrapped the tape in tightly between her lips first and then roughly wrapped thrice over her mouth. The same officer then tied a scarf over her nose and mouth.
Alicia looked at Margaret satisfied at her predicament, she crossed her arms and stood in a confident manner smirking. Margaret kept crying and moaning aloud into her gag. Alicia sighed; a great weight has finally been lifted.
Epilogue :
After the affair had finally come to a close, Alicia invited Detective Moore for tea at her home. "This was a most exhausting affair", Alicia commented taking a sip of her tea. "I can imagine, it was quite a bold move of you inviting the stalker herself to meeting you. I still find it hard to fathom a woman would be capable of such depravity."
"I admit, it was a gamble. After the sketch you showed me, I did suspect Rachael to be Margaret O'Reily, but that wasn't conclusive proof for me. The only way I could know for certain was if I took the plunge and throw her a bait. That is what my letter was."
Detective Moore took a sip of his tea, "Hmmm it was quite clever of you. Unfortunately, that would be entrapment. She could very well use that letter against you."
Alicia smiled, she kept her tea on the table and took out something from her coat pocket, "You mean this letter? Detective?", she brandished her hand written letter before the detective.
Detective Moore raised his eyebrows, "When did you get that ?"
"When we made our way out of the shop. I took a stroll around the shop for a moment if you remember, well lets say a friend of mine had taught me the tricks of sleight of hand."
"Hmm.. what do you intend to do with it?"
Alicia folded the letter and kept it back in her pocket, "do with what?"
Detective Moore gave a knowing smile and sipped his tea.
Alicia had one other question for Alex, "There is one other matter I wanted to discuss with you."
"yes?"
"About my contract with Scotland Yard."
"hmm, I'll see what I can do about that. Certainly I will vouch for you. I should think capturing this stalker would help your prospects."
"Sounds very encouraging, Detective Moore."
"Please, call me Alex."
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