Free Along Came A Prince by Carlyn Cade Page A

the story. Because what I saw affected me so traumatically
and also because I was so young, the studio thought they owed it to me to tell
my parents about the three men involved. My mother kept it to herself until I
was grown, but felt I had a right to know the final ending.
    “Since everything
was hushed up, the three men couldn’t be arrested without the media knowing.
The studio couldn’t keep a murder and kidnapping trial secret. However, Farrell
had remembered the car’s license plate when he was almost run over. He told the
studio head, and their mafia connections hired three hit men who located the
three guilty men. These hit men were hired to make things right for
Audra, Mark and me. They were instructed to do the worst they could imagine, so
the men would feel every ounce of pain and suffering the three of us had gone
through. The studio was very brief in describing the events that took place, in
fact, they didn’t describe them at all. But they did say the three men begged
to die after about three hours alone with the hit men. Their request was
answered twenty-four hours later.” Helen stood up, wrung her hands together and
walked over to the patio balcony. “Well, that’s it, end of story. Now you know
it all.”
    “No one should
have had to go through what you did at your young age or any age, for that
matter. I’m so sorry.” Stacia reached for a tissue to dab at her moist eyes. “I
have one more question, if that’s okay. You mentioned Farrell and said he was
there when all this began. Is that why he started drinking?”
    “Farrell blamed
himself for what happened because he left us alone. He couldn’t cope, so he
turned to alcohol.”
    “Thank you for
sharing your story with me.”
    Helen glanced at
her watch. “I really must go now, Stacia,” she said. “Anyway, I understand you
have a contract to sign in a little while.”
    “One more thing. Can
you tell me what kind of person Audra was?”
    “She was a
talented actress, as I’m sure you must realize. She was always patient, kind
and thoughtful to me. I’d say her personality was pretty much like yours. She
was a beautiful woman – again, you know this. But off screen, she was even more
beautiful. Probably because she wasn’t acting then, so you’d get the total
effect of her inner beauty also. You know, it’s rather eerie how much you
resemble her. I can see why Nathan and Arthur chose you to play her role. It’s
a perfect match.”
    “So,
all I have to do is go in and try to copy this goddess. I don’t know if I can.”
    “Of
course you can. You’re an actress, remember. We all do the impossible, and when
we do and give an extraordinary performance, the audience loves us even more.”
Helen smiled, stood up and walked to the door. “I enjoyed our lunch and most of our talk.”
    Stacia
gave her a hug. “I’ll do my best to play Victoria as Audra did.”
    Helen
squeezed Stacia’s hand. “Good luck, dear, or as they say in the theater, break
a leg. ”
    After her guest left,
Stacia closed the door slowly as an unbearable sadness and agony built up inside
her like an out-of-control blazing forest fire. Tormented, she ran to her
bedroom, collapsed on her bed and wept. When she fell asleep, she reenacted the
nightmare of Audra’s part in the atrocity of the evening of her death. She felt
her pain, her suffering, and finally her release to a universe of peace. When Stacia
awoke, she ached all over almost as if, she too, had suffered the same vicious attack
Audra had.
     
    ♥♥
     
    He sat alone in
the darkness of his disheveled room, the only light coming from the glow of the
black and white movie playing on his TV. His psychotic mind ravished the
actress on the screen, while he, once again, diabolically rewrote the ending to
meet his own sadistic desires.
    It was only a
matter of time now. He had all the ammunition he needed to succeed with his
plan. Anticipating and waiting only made it more hellish.
    He watched
silently