Free Weaving The Web: A Cold Hollow Mystery (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 2) by Emilie J. Howard Page B

We passed the obstetric department, and he was sad when he saw all the bassinets were empty. He said we should fill them up with babies.”
    Myrna leaned in for a kiss as she ran her right hand through his dirty-blond hair. She felt Tom’s hands beneath the covers, raising her nightgown and running his fingers over her hips and abdomen. As his hands made their way up to her breasts, he pulled out of the kiss and said, “You said you would marry me, so I think we should try to start filling those bassinets now.”
    Myrna couldn’t disagree when she gazed into his blue eyes. She’d had such a wonderful day with her family and a wonderful night. She would have done anything to make Tom happy. After they made love, she had the soundest sleep she could remember having.

CHAPTER 8
     
    He had visited the Carlisle farm much earlier in the day for a polite discussion and found the Carlisle sisters to be so disagreeable he went back in the dead of night, dosed the oldest one, and dragged her out of her first-floor bedroom window. The dunce had left it open to allow the fresh air inside. It was only a matter of removing the wobbly, dilapidated screen. She weighed a ton, but he was fit and carried her to the back of his vehicle. When he arrived at his home, he dragged her bulk down to the basement and began his work. He had decided she had caused enough trouble for the town. With the awakening of spring, he too had awakened. Not in the ordinary sense, but he felt a feeling of rebirth was necessary for him to continue living in Cold Hollow.
    He had her restrained upright upon a massive web of silk supported by heavy chains bolted into the first-floor support beams. He had already woven the first layer of silk with suffocating tightness around her body. Yes, he had to remove her nightgown before doing this, but it gave him no pleasure. He tried to stick his little finger beneath the layered silk straps to find it would not yield. She had yet to waken from her drug-induced slumber, and he was grateful. He had diligently wrapped her at the feet and made his way up to her neck. He pushed her hair back and wrapped her head, leaving only her face exposed. Her chin rested on her chest, and she softly snored as drool dripped from her lower lip. He had tested the integrity and strength of the entire web beforehand to make sure it would withstand her weight and found it held true.
    She was in for a rude awakening, rude indeed. She would start to feel pins and needles, followed by numbness from the toes up. Her breaths would have to be taken in short, calm sips as the silk wraps restricted her normal lung function. She was about to pay the price and suffer for her brutish behavior with whomever she encountered in town.
    He turned on his video recorder and left the basement. However, the excitement he felt thrumming through his body again had him looking forward to applying the second layer of silk around her the following day. He calmed himself and knew he had to sleep while also knowing the entire venture had been worth it. His fervent wish was for this victim to last much longer than the previous ones had, so long ago.
    As these reflections lulled him to sleep, he dreamt of past accomplishments, as well as losses. When he woke, the home was quiet, and he knew someone was craving his attention, could even feel it. He made his way to the basement, eager to watch the overnight footage. He picked up his video recorder, rewound it, and watched a dozing Bernadette Carlisle slowly wake up, look at her surroundings, and panic. She tried to tug on her bindings and the web, breathe, and shout simultaneously. Finding it futile, she tried to take small sips of air into her lungs, but it was difficult. The lack of oxygen made her go in and out of consciousness. Each time she woke, it was in a state of sheer terror. She swore as much as possible before she was lost to unconsciousness. He snickered and approached her upright, slumbering body. He lifted her