A FRAME OF MIND
CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE BOSS LADY REVEALED
Cindy was terrified of the confining car trunk. Cramped and in the dark, she could not see what she was doing even if she could move around. After a while, she decided the best she could do was to remain calm until she arrived at wherever she was going.
Eventually, the car was stopped and the trunk was opened. She was inside a warehouse, no doubt the same one she’d been brought to before. It had a familiar look to it.
“You brought her here?” asked a man Cindy hadn’t met before.
“It’s the only place where this will work, Craig,” Parnell said.
The cuffs and ankle tape were removed, but the mouth tape left in place. “You don’t need to take that off to go to the john,” Blaine said. “I’ll go with you.”
Blaine escorted Cindy to the restroom, little more than a closet with a commode and small sink, illuminated by a single light bulb. Cindy did her business and was escorted to an office. This office was reached by climbing a short staircase. It had a door and a window, from which the floor of the warehouse could be observed. Inside, was an armchair on wheels, not unlike thousands of other office chairs.
“Let’s make sure she’s in a place where she can be seen easily from the floor,” Parnell said. He and Josephson manhandled Cindy into the chair while Blaine went down to the floor.
“Move her a little bit this way,” Blaine said. After a pause, she continued. “A little more. There, that’s it.”
Rope was produced and short pieces of it were used to secure Cindy’s wrists to the arms of the chair. The back of the chair and its seat were of one piece, so Parnell and Josephson sent the rope through the space for the first go around of the rope. The rest of the rope went above the arms and secured Cindy to the back off the chair. By the time Blaine returned, she joined binding Cindy’s knees and ankles.
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Drea and Anne capped off a productive day with a visit to Jack in the hospital. He wasn’t fooled by their disguises. When the two walked side by side, for example, Anne was always on Drea’s left. “Something to consider when we leave here,” Anne said.
“I don’t think this bunch has us scouted out that well,” Drea said.
“It’s good advice.” Jack said.
The duo updated Jack on the case. They told him about Tina Flores how suspicion was now was being focused on Jill Blaine and Lou Parnell, who had not shown up for work and were now being subject to a police investigation themselves. Unfortunately, the lacked information of the mysterious “Boss Lady” alluded to during the case. Drea suspected Blaine, but Anne wasn’t sure in Blaine was the boss or a lackey. More ominously, reports of police involvement in La Toya Jones’ death were circulating, and it appeared to be only a matter of time before the media got wind of it.
“I’ll be out of here in a couple days,” Jack said. “You two owe me a steak dinner if you haven’t cracked the case by then.”
“And you owe us if we do,” Anne said.
“Patterson’s?”
“Done.”
Drea and Anne left the hospital, with Anne on Drea’s right. “What about tomorrow?” Anne asked.
“We check on Parnell and Blaine,” Drea said. “We should get Tina and Raelene to help us out.”
“But not together.”
“Right, we’ll cover more ground that way. I’ll return to the ranks of the brunettes.”
It was a ringing telephone and not an alarm that woke Anne. A glance at the clock picked the time up as 5:08. She cursed under her breath. Trying to get more sleep after this would be a futile gesture. The bedroom door opened and Sharon stood there in shortie pajamas.
“Anne, do you know a Mary Chang?” she asked.
“I think she’s Cindy’s roommate,” Anne said as she pulled herself from the covers. As she made her way to the phone, she felt a chill she felt was more from a sense something bad had happened to Cindy than the flimsy negligee.
The caller confirmed Anne’s worst fears. Cindy had not returned home the previous day, and her car was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m on it,” Anne said and hung up. She paused long enough to explain things to Sharon then punched Drea’s cell phone number. It took ten rings to shake Drea from her sleep. Drea was drowsy, but woke up soon enough when she heard about Cindy. “I’ll take Tina and look into this thing,” Anne said. “You and Raelene go on as planned.”
Drea dressed at her normal pace. She knew Raelene was a habitual early riser and would probably be out for her morning run. Therefore, when she did call, Drea left a message on Raelene’s answering machine giving all the details.
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Raelene lay face down on her living room floor. She wore sneakers, running shorts, and a sports bra. A balled handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth and held in place with a silk scarf. Nylon rope encircled her wrists and ankles. Above her, Lisa Sand grinned malevolently. “Looks like you’re going to have some company,” she said. "Sylvia, move the van. She might recognize it."
Drea, still using Alicia's Ferrari, pulled up and confused her opponents, until Lisa figured out why it had been so difficult to find the sleuths the previous day. Lisa took up a position behind the door.
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Immediately, Drea suspected something was wrong. She was expected, and Raelene had not appeared at the door. Drea opened her purse and pulled out her .32 caliber automatic. Cautiously, Drea opened they front door and saw Ralene lying bound and gagged on the floor, with her feet toward the door. Just then, Drea felt something metallic against her head.
"Put the gun down and do as I say," Lisa ordered. Heather and Paula came out from their hiding place. Drea put down her weapon, though she was unsure how much time she was gaining by doing so. Heather picked up the weapon while Paula tossed a length of rope to Lisa then went to work on Drea's wrists. Once Lisa had the hands secured, she pulled a silk scarf from a pocket and knotted it in the center. She stuffed the knotted part into Drea's mouth. With the chore done, Lisa pulled out a walkie-talkie and instructed Sylvia to return with the van. For the first time, Drea noticed luggage, presumably Raelene's and a pet carrier with the cat Miss Marple in it.
"We'll load these two into the van and stuff in the cops' car," Lisa said. "Paula, you'll take the car."
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Why are you so sure she's at the warehouse?" Tina asked Anne as they started on their way.
"Everything related to this case revolves around that place," Anne replied.
"What about getting in? It's still a bit early for the day's business to start."
"I have a key."
On arrival, Anne found she did need her key. She and Tina walked onto the main floor of the warehouse, where they spotted Cindy in the office. They raced up to it, but found the door was locked.
"Think it might by boobie trapped?" Tina asked.
"I doubt it, but we can't rule it out," Anne said. "Looks like one of those doors that locks automatically when you close it."
"They probably closed it out of habit. One of us will have to squeeze through it."
"You'll have to go through, since you're smaller than I am"
"That won't be needed!" A woman's voice commanded.
The voice was a familiar to Anne but it wasn't Jill Blaine's. The renegade cop stood next to and slightly behind a woman with reddish-blonde hair and wearing designer clothes. "You've filled out quite nicely Anne," she said.
"Do you know this woman?" Tina asked.
"A long time ago. I didn't know what her last name was back then, but I do now. Nancy Dawson."
(END OF CHAPTER 11)