Free Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery by Giacomo Giammatteo

slid the side door open. He reached out and covered her head with the pillowcase, dragging her inside. She screamed. He held the knife to her throat.
    “Don’t make me cut you.”
    She shut up. Driver shut the door remotely, then put the car in gear and moved out slowly. Number Three gagged her and tied her hands behind her back. Three blocks away, the call came from Number Two. “Clear.”
    Number Two drove to the designated spot and got in the van, keeping to their mask ritual so no one’s face was recognized.
    A short while later, Driver pulled into the garage, waited for the door to close, and then got out and tapped on the side of the van. “Clear.”
    Number Two held the girl while Number Three opened the side door. “Don’t try anything. You can’t escape, and we don’t want to hurt you. Nod if you understand.”
    She nodded.
    “Good. Let’s go.”
    Number Two took her inside, untied her hands then removed the blindfold and gag. “You can scream all you like now. No one will hear you.”
    The girl stared at her and nodded, scared, like a small animal caught in a trap.
    Number Two smiled through her mask. “There are no windows, and the doors are bolted. No way to escape, so don’t try. The others aren’t as nice as me.”
    “I feel sick.”
    “You’ll get over it. Try not to think about it.” Number Two looked at her watch. “It’s early yet. You’ll get fed around lunchtime. By then the sick feeling should fade, and you’ll be hungry.”
    “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
    Number Two got close to her and gritted her teeth. “Don’t think because I’m being nice that I won’t hurt you. If you try to take advantage…”
    “Okay, I’m sorry.”
    “Sit down. This will be over soon.”
    “How soon?”
    “As soon as we get your daddy’s money. As long as he does what Boss tells him, nothing will happen.”
    “You don’t have to worry about that.”
    “Glad to hear it. I would hate to hurt a child.”
    Number Two checked the room one last time then closed the door and bolted it. As she walked away, she dialed the phone and waited for Boss to answer. “She’s all yours.”

Chapter 16

    Early-Morning Call
    B oss hung up, kept busy for half an hour then turned to Number Four. “In fifteen minutes, make the call.” He reached over and patted Number Four on the back. “Stick to the script, and we’ll be okay.”
    “Clear, Boss.” He set the script in front of him, hands shaking, as he prepared to make the call.
    ***
    Scott Winthrop sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. He had planned on Jennifer spending the night, especially after the text she’d sent, but he couldn’t find her at the club last night, and she wasn’t answering her phone. He figured he’d pissed her off. He seemed to do that a lot with women.
    The doorbell rang, and then the door cracked open. “Scott, are you here?”
    He got up, confused over who it could be. He walked to the foyer then smiled. “Jennifer! What are you doing here?”
    “Didn’t you get my text?”
    Now he was really confused. “I got a text last night, but all you said was ‘Had a great time. See you.’ I expected you at the club.”
    “Oh God, I must have cut it off or something. I’m not very good at texting. I meant to say, see you in the morning.” She laughed. “And look, here I am with breakfast.” She held out a bag filled with kolachis and coffee.
    Scott reached in and grabbed one. “You’re just in time. The breakfast I had planned is nowhere near as good.”
    “I’d have been here sooner, but traffic was atrocious.”
    He kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad to see you. Sit down and eat.”
    She set the coffee on the table, got two plates, and put the kolachis on them.
    “I ate one on the way over.” She kissed his lips, lingering a while. “I think after breakfast I’ll take a shower. I hope you have time.”
    He got up and wrapped his arms around her. “I should get to work, but…”
    Jennifer