MELT: A Psychological Thriller (39 page)

Alex shrugged. 'It's no mystery what’s in my bottle.'

'You know?' asked Megan.

Alex nodded.

‘Really? You’ve done something...really bad?’

Alex looked down at his icepick. 'I'm no better than Carl or Glen.'

Chrissie enjoyed hearing his admission.

‘What about you, Megan? What’s in your bottle?’

Megan shot her a filthy look.

Chrissie studied Megan up and down.

‘What could a pretty young blond have done? I bet it’s something really juicy. I know. I bet you’re a filthy home wrecker. I bet you seduced some father with eight kids, and then his wife blew her own brains out when she found out. It’s something like that, isn’t it? God, I hope there are photos.’

Megan pointed angrily at Chrissie. ‘Maybe we’ll find your bottle first.’

'I'm at peace with it,’ Chrissie replied.

Alex asked Megan, ‘Do you know what’s in your bottle?’

Chrissie leaned forward, listening closely.

Megan shook her head. 'No.’

'You really have no idea?'

‘I'm not perfect,’ said Megan, ‘but I can't think of anything. Maybe it's something I don't know about.'

'Like what?’

‘Well, what if I accidentally caused a car wreck and killed an entire family? I might have cut them off without realizing. Or what if I was rude to someone at work and they went home and killed themselves? Would that count?'

'No,' answered Alex.

'Well, then,' said Megan. 'I've done something dreadful and I can't even remember it.'

'There's one other explanation,' offered Alex.

Megan raised an eyebrow.

Chrissie leaned forward further.

'Well, it's not a very good one,' said Alex, 'but what if you're in here by mistake?'

Chapter Twenty-seven

 

'I need to pee,' said Megan.

Chrissie looked up from the Rubik’s cube. 'What's stopping you?'

Megan rattled the chain.

'So?'

'So, are you serious? Now we have to pee in front of each other? For heaven's sake, Chrissie, we're both women. All I'm asking for is a shred of dignity.'

Scrunch

Chrissie tore open her velcro pocket and found the key.

'Okay — drop your icepicks.'

She waved them toward the drain with her pistol.

'Stop.'

Megan held up her shackled wrist. Her wrist was chafed bright red under the cuff.

'So what's your plan?' asked Chrissie.

'You unchain me and I use the drain,' replied Megan.

'Liar,' spat Chrissie, gripping the pistol warily and backing up a step.

'What?' asked Megan.

Chrissie scanned the area for potential weapons. 'We've been listening to each other pee for days. Now you’re pretending it suddenly bothers you? You’re a liar. You’re planning something.’

'That's not true,' objected Megan. 'I just don't want to pee with Alex standing over me. Is that too much to ask?'

'Last chance,' warned Chrissie. 'Tell me the truth or face the consequences.'

Alex spoke up. 'There's no plan, Chrissie. As far as I know she just needs to pee. I need to pee myself actually, but I don't want to get shot over it.'

'Okay, then,' said Chrissie. 'I warned you.'

'Wait?' countered Megan. 'How can you punish us for not doing anything?'

'Like this.'

Chrissie bent and dropped the key down the drain.

PLOP.

Alex and Megan stared at the drain as Chrissie's punishment sunk in.

Now they were chained together permanently.

Megan looked up, speechless.

After a few moments she said, 'You're no different to the people who put us in here.'

'I'll leave you to it then,' said Chrissie, backing away. 'Two minutes each. Wash your hands before you come back. I don't want your germs in my water.'

 

 

#

 

 

Chrissie needed to tear her toenail off.

With every step, the loose toenail gouged her exposed wounds.

Every step was agony.

Agony she needed to hide from Alex and Megan.

She knew they were doing likewise. The acid streaks on Alex's back looked like he'd taken a dozen lashes.

Chrissie couldn't look weak.

This nail has to come off.

She rested her heel on the calendar and tried an experimental tug.

Shit – Ouch!

It didn't come off.

It wobbled and hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but didn't come off.

I need to tear it off. Don't think about it. Just get it over with.

She took a firm grip.

Three, two, one...

Chrissie pulled as hard as she could.

Sccrr...crrr...rret

Her flesh tore. The nail ripped free like a giant loose tooth.

A tooth pulled too early.

Blood squirted out.

Chrissie barely noticed.

Every ounce of her willpower was focused into not screaming.

Slowly the pain abated to a level where she could blink and swallow again.

I did it. Thank Christ that's over.

She threw her toenail at the ice.
Here’s another artifact for you, Megan.

The pain barely abated.

Distraction
.
That's how you beat pain. With distraction
.

She grabbed the Rubik’s cube.
Stupid cube. Why couldn't Glen bring something better?

It helped though. She wasn't sure how many minutes passed before she heard the chain rattling toward her.

Here they come.

They looked exhausted. Megan winced as she adjusted her wrist shackle.

You've got no idea what pain is, Megan. Try tearing out your own toenail after your toe's been doused in acid.

'We've found another bottle,' announced Alex.

They disobeyed me?

Chrissie's fuse had never felt so short. 'I told you to dig for the chest!'

'That's how we found this,' explained Megan, holding up the bottle.

Chrissie held out her hand.

Megan passed it over. 'If that's my bottle, I need to know what it says.'

'Trust me,' said Chrissie. 'You will.'

Chrissie yanked the cork and drew out the paper.

She scanned the familiar contents in wonder.

How the hell did they get this? Whoever abducted us must have contacts everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

'Well?' prompted Megan.

Chrissie spat out the cork. 'It's my bottle. Now fuck off.'

Chrissie looked back down, but didn't hear their chain rattling away.

'How do we know it's yours?' asked Megan.

'What's it say?' asked Alex.

Chrissie lifted her pistol and channeled all her pain into her voice. 'It says you should both shut the fuck up and get back to work.'

Megan looked ready to snatch the paper.

Do it and I'll shoot a hole in your pretty face.

Megan backed away, reading Chrissie’s expression.

Chrissie looked down at the paper again.

This is Michael’s appeal application to gain shared parenting rights to Maddie.

Chrissie remembered the first time Michael tried to steal Maddie.

She remembered that night clearly.

She'd come home from work with nothing on her mind except having a quiet dinner with Michael. She'd worked just late enough to make sure Maddie would be in bed and she'd have Michael to herself.

She was pouring her first glass of wine when Michael ruined the evening.

'This still isn't working,' he said.

Chrissie set down her glass.

'Do we have to argue tonight? I've had a huge week. Can't we just enjoy our dinner? Have some wine. Take a bath....'

Michael brushed off her offer.

'You haven't spoken to Maddie all week,' he said. 'You haven't even seen her. You couldn't tell me if she was even in the house right now.'

'I just got home from work, Michael. She's asleep. I don't want to wake her up. This is real life. This is how people live.'

'Not all the time.’

'They would with our bills.’

'It's not worth it,' said Michael. 'We don't need a house this big. Not if it means you never see Maddie.'

This again.

'I like work, Michael. I like the rewards. You like the rewards.'

Michael rolled his eyes. 'You treat me like an employee. We're a family, not a business.'

Chrissie shook her head. 'That's nonsense. I've worked this hard since we met. You knew I worked hard.'

Michael nodded. 'I know. I thought having Maddie might change your priorities.'

Chrissie needed a cigarette. And a hot bath. Her appetite had fled with her good mood. 'Look, I'm tired. We’ll talk tomorrow.'

'There's no need to talk,' replied Michael. 'I'm leaving you.'

This woke Chrissie up.

He'd never played this card before.

'Are you serious?'

Michael nodded.
'I'm going to the beach house. I'm taking, Maddie. I know you won't have a problem with that.'

Chrissie knew it wasn't another woman. She tracked Michael's movements with her iPhone. She also read his emails and text messages.

Michael was still talking.

'I've had legal advice. I know you've paid for most things. I just need somewhere for Maddie and I to live. You can keep the house. We'll live at the beach house for now.’

Chrissie lit a cigarette to give herself a moment to catch up.

'But Maddie will miss school.'

'She's been on school vacation for a week now. You didn’t even notice.'

'You're really serious, aren't you?'

'We're leaving tonight.’

Chrissie pushed aside her wine. She needed to be clear headed. She spotted one of Maddie's paintings on the fridge.

'I promised Maddie we'd see the kites tomorrow. In the park.'

Michael raised an eyebrow. 'She didn’t mention that.'

'She asked me weeks ago.'

Chrissie pointed to the paintings on the fridge. 'I think she's been leaving me reminders.'

Michael glanced at the paintings. 'You're not going to fight me on this?'

Chrissie released a long sigh. 'I'm too tired to argue anymore, Michael, but I'd like to spend the morning with Maddie. Just the two of us. I'll drive her up to the beach after lunch. We can talk then. No fighting.'

Michael looked at the kite paintings.

Thank God she painted something I could recognize for a change,
thought Chrissie.

'Let me keep this promise to her,' said Chrissie. 'She obviously wants to go.'

Michael looked reluctant. 'You won't mention anything to her? I don't want her upset.'

Chrissie shook her head. ‘I promise.’

Michael nodded. He already had his car keys. 'Make sure she's at the beach by lunch.'

Chrissie walked behind him to his car.

'One question, Michael.'