Out For Blood 44

Celia had changed her clothing for something more suitable for the journey; she was now wearing black canvas pants, a blue woollen polo-neck jumper with a white canvas jacket and a strong pair of walking shoes. Larry had agreed to keep the police out of it for the time being providing they locate Gregg and Alicia, and they were alive and well. He and Brenda were on the back seat of the silver Bentley while Celia sat in the front passenger seat; Mason was to do the driving down to Martinsville. The Bentley was much faster than Larrys’ little car and it had a lot more leg-room, something Brenda really appreciated.

Mason got in after closing the doors for everybody and started the car. As they reached the front gates he aimed a small fob at them, then pressing a button on it they opened automatically, closing again once they were through.

‘How long till Martinsville?’ asked Larry.
Mason answered without turning his head. ‘Approximately two hours Mr Kessler, give or take a few minutes.’
The Bentley turned out of the gate and headed down the hill.
Celia turned to Mason. ‘Go by the lake road Mason, I want to check on Marianna.’
‘Certainly Miss Brontrose.’

They reached the bottom of the hill and turned right onto Greenview Lake Road. The lake was nestled between two mountains and was the result of a Dam that was built in the 1960s to supply Lynchburg with electricity. When they reached the pier that was used by the Brontroses' Celia had expected the Marianna II to be out on the water but it was still moored. She couldn’t see Mariannas’ red BMW X5 on the parking lot, nor did they pass each other on the way down, and as this was the only road down to the lake, Marianna should still be here.

They pulled up at the pier where the Marianna II was moored and Celia got out, she walked along the gangplank calling for her daughter. Larry and Brenda waited by the car and Mason had stayed at the wheel. Celia boarded the boat and searched it but Marianna was not there. Larry noticed something on the parking lot and it sent a shiver down his spine. He nudged Brenda with his elbow and gave an upward nod of his head; Brenda turned to the parking lot and saw a blue Ford with a red trunk parked up in one corner. Whilst Celia was still on the boat they went over to check it out.

‘This doesn’t look good!’ Said Larry.
‘How do you mean?’
‘Marianna is missing, and so is her car. The car that we saw this morning at the truck stop where that young girl went missing is here.’
‘You think they took her and her car?’
‘Seems to fit wouldn’t you say?’

As they reached the blue Ford both of them walked around it, Larry took out his handkerchief and tried the doors but they were locked and nothing looked out of place. Brenda noticed nameplates fastened to the five-foot high wall at each parking bay and pointed them out to Larry. There was one for each of the first ten parking slots, the nameplate where the blue Ford was parked read, “Mr R. Reedemier.” The nameplate to the left read, Mrs “R. Reedemier.” But the one to the right of the blue Ford read, “Miss M. Brontrose.”

‘It looks like they parked here and waited for Marianna to arrive.’ Said Brenda.
‘And when she did, they took her and the car.’
‘What is it Mr Kessler?’ asked Celia as she arrived at the blue Ford.
Larry gave a short look at Brenda then spoke. ‘We think Marianna has been kidnapped.’

Celias’ eyes narrowed. ‘Kidnapped Mr Kessler?’
‘This car has been seen at a number of locations, locations where young girls have gone missing. Including one this morning.’
‘If that is the case, then why is the car still here?’
‘We think they also took your daughters car.’ said Brenda.

Celia walked around to the drivers’ side of the blue Ford and without hesitation and with her bare fist she punched out the window. She put her head inside and breathed in the odour of the interior. She then pulled her head from the car and beckoned Mason over who was now stood beside the open door of the Bentley.
‘It seems Mr Kessler that you are correct.’ She said, and walked back to the rear of the car.

Larry again took his handkerchief from his pocket and reached into the car to unlock the door. As he did the smell of body odour and piss filled his nostrils. He then placed his handkerchief over his nose and mouth, covering the smell was more important to him than covering his fingerprints. He sat on the glass crystals in the drivers’ seat and opened the glove-box.

Inside he found a handful of unpaid parking tickets and a nine-inch blood-stained knife. He looked into the passenger foot-well and noticed the corner of something white sticking out from under a mat on the floor. He picked it up and turned it over, straight away he recognised the face on the photograph, it was Marianna.
Larry then got out of the car. ‘This was on the floor.’ He said passing it to Celia.

When Celia took the photograph Larry noticed droplets of blood had seeped from her right hand. He passed her his handkerchief which she used to wipe away the blood, he then saw her hand had almost no visible signs of trauma. The Bentley then pulled up at the rear of the blue Ford, Mason got out and walked round to them.

Celia held up the photograph of Marianna. ‘They have her Mason,’ she said, and then she put the photograph into her pocket.
‘Well we best be off then Ma’am.’ He said calmly, and opened the rear door for Celia to get in.

Before she did she turned to Larry and Brenda. ‘Open the trunk Mr Kessler; I think you’ll find something of interest to you in there.’
Larry returned to the open door of the blue Ford and pulling a lever he popped the trunk.
Brenda took the two small steps required to get between Celia and the open door of the Bentley. ‘Not leaving without us are you?’ she said.

‘Miss Wise, in case you haven’t grasped the severity of this situation I shall spell it out for you. My daughter has been taken by people you know very little about, and how to handle even less. Again I must tell you that Marianna is more precious than you or Mr Kessler could even hope to comprehend, and she is now in grave danger, I intend to get to her as quickly as I possibly can. I have neither the time nor the patience to wait around while you and Mr Kessler decide what it is you are going to do with that…’ she said pointing into the open trunk of the blue Ford.

Larry was stood at the rear of the car, his right arm raised as though holding open its trunk. Brenda looked over and saw the body of the young girl from the truck stop. She walked the two steps back and saw that the young girl had a note on her forehead held in place by a screwdriver. The note was written on paper torn from a notepad that had the words and figures, “Marianna II” printed in light blue ink in the upper right-hand corner. The note did have a little blood on it but not much; this was due to the fact that the girls’ throat had been cut first.

Brenda turned back to see Celia getting into the Bentley. ‘Miss Brontrose,’ she yelled. ‘You need to see this.’
Celia climbed back out of the car and walked over to them, and looking into the trunk she read the note.

“In this act was manifested the love of God toward us.
Because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world.
That we might live through Him.”

‘And his son shall be the satisfaction for all our sins.’ Celia said this as though in a trance.

‘What does it mean Celia?’ asked Brenda.
‘God sent his only son to be sacrificed for the sins of man. And for my sins Ella has taken my only daughter.’

Larry walked over to them. ‘She’s going to crucify Marianna?’
Celia decided they should now know the whole truth.