Masterful Malice

"Well no, not really, I like women, girls are too young for even me" Alice rejoined and they shared a laugh.

"Well, are you seeing someone special?" Kathy asked delighted to be laughing with someone who she remembered as being fun when she let her hair down which according to Connie wasn't often.

Alice thought for a nano-second, well, no one I hadn't killed.... "No, not really" she answered.

"Come on, you're in L.A. there has to be someone there who would love to catch someone like you!" She had been amazed that there was someone with Connie's beauty out there but to see two such beauties together had been overwhelming.

"I'm sure there is but I'm kind of a workaholic" she answered.

"You'll find her, you just have to look" Kathy said encouragingly.

"In my spare time" Alice returned.

"Am I keeping you from your work?" Kathy worried.

"No, not at all, I'm enjoying talking to you, it's been a long time, is everything okay with you?"

"Well actually I don't know how to tell you this, I'm not even sure I should, it may be presumptuous of me but I thought of Connie this morning and the others are so far away, I don't know...."

"Kathy" she called into the phone over her babbling "just out with it, tell me what's wrong?"

"There's this guy, he's stalking me, we went out on one date and he is convinced I'm perfect for him."

"He won't take no for an answer?" Alice asked amused, she called after all this time for dating advice?

"It isn't that he won't take no, he is following me, he's tapped my phones, my computer, we moved, and he started all over again." As she was talking on the spare phone she went to the back door and found the string she had placed across it had been broken. Her heart was in her throat at the thought; he had been in the house! "He is after me Alice, he wants me for his sub so he can share me with his friends, and now he's implied he would raise Kit to be his as well. No one will believe me because he is rich and a pillar in the community up here. I'd move again but I can't afford to and now he's after me here, he's messing with my job, he's making it so I have nothing, no work, no money, nothing!" her voice had become desperate as she stared at the broken string. It was almost time to go get Kit from school. She walked out onto the front porch to look around up and down the street.

"The police won't do anything?" Alice asked, sensing and hearing the desperation in Kathy's voice.

"No, they don't believe me, he either paid them off or is untouchable" Kathy answered.

Alice could hear the genuine fear in Kathy's voice "has he approached you again?"

"He calls, I change the numbers and he has them within days."

"Is he listening to this conversation now?" Alice asked.

"He could be, I got a new phone but it's only a matter of time" she said resignedly.

"Is your house bugged?"

"It could be now" she told her about how she had put strings across the windows and door and how she had just discovered one of them broken. The fear was in her voice. She looked up and down the street again not sure what she was looking for and then went back inside.

"Give me your address" Alice commanded her.

"Why, what can you do?" Kathy asked.

"More than you know give it to me in case something happens, I'll figure out something."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you, involved you" Kathy fretted.

"Nonsense, you were good friends with Connie, she shared that with me, I consider us friends and if you can't reach out to a friend..." she left that hanging.

Kathy asked "but what can you do?"

"Don't worry about it; go about things as you always do, just be careful, I'll see what I can do from this end. What's his name?"

"Eli Watson" was all she got before the phone went haywire, a high pitched whine sounding eerily in her ear. She looked at it in consternation before realizing that Eli had not only gotten into her house but somewhere he had installed a listening device, she wondered how much of that conversation he had heard. She quickly erased the memory, setting the phone to its factory setting to erase the call and hopefully any history or any other information he might be able to glean from it.

She felt better for having told someone, a sympathetic ear if all else. She didn't think Alice could do anything but deep down she was hopeful. Just telling someone had made her feel better, she didn't think Alice could or would do anything. Realistically though she was resigned, he had gotten into her home, he was here if not personally then at least spiritually and it felt ominous. He was going to get her, he was going to win, she couldn't go anywhere, and she couldn't do anything, not one damn thing!

He wouldn't get Kit though if it was the last thing she did, she would kill him first! An eight year old girl couldn't be exposed to such depravity, such corruption; she would do everything in her power to make sure he didn't touch her even if it meant giving up her freedom, giving up herself in sacrifice. She went out the front door to pick up Kit from school but her step wasn't a happy one. She never saw the car that tracked her the few blocks to school.

Alice knew what the noise on the phone meant, someone had blocked the signal somehow and given how little information Kathy had given her she guessed this Eli person was responsible. Her instincts told her a lot more and she sat down at her computer and punched his name into her search engine. Armed with the information she had within a half hour she glanced at a few of the monitoring programs she had installed on her computer, she smiled with glee, he had been a naughty boy and had software that tracked anyone trying to find out about him. Fortunately for Alice her software was better and picked up on his before it could do any damage to her computers. Eli was a prominent and rich business person but he had an evil side and while it wasn't published there were purchases on credit cards that showed exactly what he bought and it wasn't flowers and chocolates but rather whips and chains. A few of the items caused even her eyebrows to rise. He wasn't the pillar of the community, the philanthropist that she read elsewhere in the 'official' version of his life. His threat against Kit alone was a real one and the fact that he had messed with her friend Kathy had her packing a bag or two, a carefully packed bag or two. She was ready to go after she had found Kathy's new address on the internet and checked a few other things...

Kathy had never felt so all alone, she didn't know what to do. She knew it was only a matter of time before Eli showed up on her doorstep. He knew where she lived, she wouldn't answer the door, she couldn't hide, he always found her, and she had to protect Kit but didn't know how. He had bugged her house, she had looked all over in the pretense of cleaning but she didn't know what to look for and found nothing. Her phone was bugged, her car tagged somehow, she knew it, it was too coincidental that he knew every move she made, knew when to call her, where she was, what she was doing. She had even looked for hidden camera's but found nothing, again not knowing where or what to look for. Television had given people ideas for years and while she had avidly watched some of the detective shows she didn't have the mental fortitude to know really where and what to look for.

She heard someone around the house that evening but kept all the lights off as she played with Kit, pretending to make a tent in her room and shining flashlights on the improvised roof of her tent that was a sheet from the bed tied between two chairs. They had a lot of fun as they ate hotdogs and drank from a canteen. She didn't tell her ghost stories, instead she told her about college and her wonderful friends there, she even included Alice in them telling about how they had all enjoyed dating and going out together. She didn't include details about the experimentation they had all tried into drugs, sex, and other college things, things that were almost expected at that age. She hadn't tried it all but enough to know that she didn't want to get involved with anything that Eli was offering. She slept that night in a sleeping bag holding her little girl close.

The next morning after a laughing bath for Kit and a shower for herself she felt marginally better but was cautious as she walked her daughter to school. Today she spotted a car following her, it was too coincidental that the same car was there on her return trip from the school, the odds were against it and she saw someone at the wheel who looked vaguely like a man but she couldn't be sure as she slipped down a sidewalk that went along the back of some of the houses in the neighborhood. It was parked in her alleyway behind her house when she finally made her way home. She checked that all her doors and windows were locked as a dismal rainy day continued. She stood quietly in the middle of her living room hoping to hear some sound if someone was in the house but she either didn't have the patience or her stalker was better at this than she, probably the latter. She jumped a foot when her phone rang. Answering it cautiously she was relieved it was a question on some of her work, she answered the questions quickly and efficiently which satisfied the caller. She worried at every noise throughout the day which was frying her nerves.

It was still foggy and rainy that afternoon as she went to collect Kit from school. It was hard to see the car that followed her but she spotted it quicker this afternoon, she wondered if he was getting impatient. She was overly cheerful for Kit's sake and talked to her about going to McDonalds. They walked the blocks to it and enjoyed a meal together peacefully and then she saw the car sitting in the parking lot. When Eli walked in she was ready to leave with Kit. She couldn't believe he would stop her but he did, blocking their path out of the restaurant.

"Hello Kathy, how have you been" he smiled a fake smile at her, assessing her with his cool black eyes, telling her a lot more with that evil look, as though he already owned her. He was dressed in a business suit and looked like the successful businessman that he was, no wonder people didn't believe her about him. "And who is this? Why this couldn't be Kit could it?" he leaned down to her level and smiled charmingly to her "hello Kit, I'm Eli, how are you?" he asked.

Kit smiled up at the good looking man sensing none of the underlying wickedness that he exuded that only Kathy could pick up on, he looked like a friendly man and he knew her name! "Hi, you know my mom?" she asked with all the innocence of an eight year old.

He nodded "yep, your mom and I dated, I was hoping to meet you then..." he began.

Kathy cut him off "come on Kit, we have to go" she said hurriedly as she tried to brush by him.

He grabbed her arm and said warningly "Kathy!"

She wrenched herself away as she pushed Kit by her and out the door. She hurried along the sidewalk despite the rain trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"Mommy, mommy, mom, that man is trying to get your attention" Kit said as Kathy pulled her along holding her hand tightly.

"Hey Kathy, I can give you a ride" Eli called from his Mercedes.

She glanced at the black vehicle, it had so impressed her on their first acquaintance but now it symbolized terror and hurt. She saw the other car parked in the parking lot of McDonalds and someone watching them interact, so he had hired someone to follow her.

"No thank you" she called politely as she crossed the street at the light and he was forced to continue on with the flow of traffic.

"Mommy why didn't you let that man give us a ride?" Kit asked as the rain continued to come down.

"It's wrong to accept rides from strangers" Kathy said absentmindedly as she watched for signs of the black Mercedes or the tan sedan she had seen.

"But he's not a stranger" she reasoned.

"Yes he is, he and I dated once and I don't want to see him again. He is a bad man and I don't want him talking to you ever again" she looked down into the frightened eyes of her daughter, fright caused by Kathy's actions and tone "you understand me?" she asked.

Kit nodded but didn't understand, he had been so nice.

In her rush to get home Kathy didn't really pay attention to the sidewalk and half a block before home she tripped and fell pulling Kit down with her. She scraped her hand that she threw out to catch herself and her knee. "Are you okay" she asked her daughter automatically, ignoring her own injuries from the pavement.

Kit nodded but then started to cry.

Kathy got up painfully from the fall and pulled her daughter up to look at her, she had fallen on Kathy and then rolled onto the grass, she was okay just startled and frightened from the abrupt fall. No cuts or scrapes.

"Look Mommy" Kit pointed to the tear in Kathy's jeans where blood could be seen seeping out.

"Well, we better get home and take care of that" Kathy tried to say cheerfully as she tried to walk painfully forward. It took a long time to make it home with her hobbling. Kit tried to help her but really how much help could the much smaller little girl be to her mother? Kathy let her think she was a big help though a she hopped painfully up the front stairs. She absently noted a brand new Pathfinder parked in front of their house, so new it still had dealer plates. A woman sat on their front porch swing watching them. Kathy stared, was it Connie returned from the dead? And then she realized who had to be!

"Alice?" she said in delight forgetting for a moment the pain in her knee. She was reminded of it sharply as she took one step towards her and nearly fell on her own porch.

"Kathy? What did you do to yourself" Alice asked as she stood up to catch her from falling.

"Oh, I fell on the sidewalk back there" she said as she looked at her in surprise smelling her delightful perfume.

"I can see that, your bleeding" she pointed out unnecessarily, the pants leg was getting soaked.

"Mommy fell bad" a little voice piped up.

Alice looked down at the little girl and felt her heart go out to the anxious face. It was like looking at a miniaturized version of Kathy. She was pretty and cute with a hint of a dimple on her freckled face.

"Kit, this is Alice, she's a friend of mine from college" Kathy quickly introduced them.

"One of the amigos?" Kit asked in delight.

Kathy smiled and Alice looked on in surprise "actually she is one of the Amigos sisters'" she corrected.

Kit wasn't disappointed, even a sister of those wonderful friends her mother had told her about was a good thing, she immediately accepted Alice.

"Let's get you inside and cleaned up" Alice said as she put Kathy's arm across her shoulder to help her to the door. Kathy reached in her jacket pocket for the keys but Alice said "that's not necessary, I found it open."

Kathy's heart was in her throat, she knew she had locked the door. She looked at Alice in alarm.

"It's okay, I checked, no one is here" Alice reassured her quietly.

Just then a black Mercedes went by slowly, ominously on the quiet little street. The two adults saw it even as the little girl skipped inside. They exchanged a look and it told Alice a lot, she could see the fear, the terror in Kathy's eyes.

Alice helped her inside to sit on the couch. "Can you take off those jeans or do you want me to rip them?" she asked as she turned to Kit "where's the first aid kit?"

"I'll get it" the exuberant little girl answered as she ran off.

"I think I can get them off but ..." she said modesty.

"Don't worry about it, I've seen women's underwear before" Alice teased.

Kathy laughed despite the pain and allowed Alice to help her stand up and unbutton the jeans and slowly lower them off her bruised body. She sat down and Alice handed her a blanket from the back of the couch to cover herself modestly. The scrape on her knee was deep and bleeding profusely. Alice held the jeans to staunch the flow as Kathy hissed at the touch on the actual scrape.

"Sorry, it's going to hurt more when I clean it" Alice said.

Kathy was looking at Alice, she looked like Connie and yet, not. She had the same beautiful features but there was something in her eyes that said 'don't mess with me' some hardness like she had seen more, done more, and not enjoyed it. Kathy found herself analyzing Alice; she was not too tall, slender, but not too slender, with curves in all the right places, her blonde good looks were a stereo-type of blonde looks. Her pert little nose was over lush little lips that ached to be kissed, to be ravished. Her big brown eyes were so pale that they looked almost yellow. They were framed by dramatically brown and impeccably plucked eyebrows. Her looks though were a perfect foil for her forceful ways...Kathy found herself not resenting Alice taking over, giving commands, and her following them. In fact, she felt relieved that she had someone here to help her.

"Here it is" the little girl had returned holding out a little box with a red plus sign on it.

"Oh good, Kit isn't it?" Alice asked and the little girl nodded. "You're going to have to be my assistant if you don't mind. Alice could see the little girl didn't mind.

"I need a wash cloth, one that has warm water on it, the warmest you can stand without burning your hand; can you get that for me?" The little girl nodded and ran off.

"You have children of your own?" Kathy asked her as she watched her handle Kit.

Alice shook her head "no, that's not likely" she answered.

"Why not, it's obvious you like kids, and she's responding immediately to you?"

Alice shrugged "I guess I never really thought about it, I never met anyone I planned to stay with for the rest of my life."

They both heard the water in the bathroom running. It was turned off abruptly and they heard the sounds of running footsteps. Kathy called almost automatically "no running in the house!"

Alice grinned, it was a little funny.

When Kit returned she handed a dripping washcloth to Alice. "Thank you Kit would you please turn on the lights here and that one" she pointed to a lamp "could you shine it on your Mom's knee for me?"

As Kit worked on the lights Alice replaced the saturated jeans with the wet washcloth and began dabbing at the scrape, it was pretty deep and full of gravel. "You should go to the hospital for this" she said under her breath so only Kathy could hear.

Kathy shook her head as she glanced at Kit who was busy maneuvering the lamp for light for Alice. It shined brightly on the wound showing the gravel. Alice opened the first aid kit and using a tweezers began removing the gravel into a coaster on the table besides the couch Kathy was sitting in. Kathy picked up the coaster and held it as she sat back trying not to cringe at all the blood and gunk or the pain as Alice cleaned out the wound. "You need stitches" Alice said as she looked at the gaping wound.

"Can you do it?" Kathy asked and Alice looked at her in surprise.

"You serious?" she asked.

Kathy nodded, she couldn't she wouldn't go to the hospital; somehow Eli would get to her there. She knew he was getting impatient, desperate. She didn't know what he was capable of.

Alice turned to Kit who was holding the lamp determinedly "do you know where your Mom's sewing kit is and some dental floss?"

The little girl nodded her head earnestly as she put the lamp back on the table and ran to get the items that Alice had requested.

"You know this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch" Alice asked Kathy.

"Yeah but I can't go to the hospital" she said sadly.

Alice nodded and then looked at the scrapes on Alice's hand while they waited for Kit to return. The hand wasn't that bad, a little blood but the washcloth washed off the dirt and blood in one swipe. The washcloth was becoming saturated with Kathy's blood from her knee.