Evil Intent (25 page)

Chapter 34

B
y Long Island standards, it would not have been considered a long drive - perhaps 30-45 minutes - but to Kathryn’s mother it seemed like an eternity. When they left 6th Street, in Garden City, Donald should have expected her to be upset. After all the poor woman, was just kidnapped, bamboozled into thinking he was there to help her, and what’s worse, left fearing not only for her own safety, but her daughter’s as well.

Of course, Donald should have expected that, but didn’t. Her constant demands and questions quickly frustrated him to no end. He had little patience for her foolish comments.

“Just shut up!” he yelled.

“Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice!” She demanded.

Then, rather softly he said, “I really don’t think you’re in a position to demand anything, Mrs. Becker. I am trying to be as nice as possible. Didn’t I tell you we were just taking a short ride? Haven’t I been polite to you? I thought I was being kind. I told you my name. I said where I worked, and that I know your daughter. I just don’t understand your behavior?” He said in an extremely calm voice. “Please, just sit still and stay quiet, or I will have to take more drastic measures my dear.”

“You don’t scar me, Donald. People like you are all the same - sick. You will not get away with this. Even if you kill me, my daughter will find you. She will hunt you down, and have the police put you away in a dungeon or whatever, for the rest of your natural life! And after that, God will punish you, too!”

“Shut the fuck, up!” He screamed as loud as he could.

Then, in that soft, quiet, calm voice, he again started to speak.

“Let me suggest to you, Mrs. Becker, that I am a very reasonable man, but, if you insist on continuing to badger me, well.....how about for every time you open your mouth to harass me again, I cut off one of Kathryn’s fingers? How would you like that? Oh and one more thing, I seemed to have forgotten, did I say we were going to call your daughter when we get to where we are going? Or did I say you’ll see her?”

Suddenly, Kathryn’s mother turned white as a ghost, and started trebling. Although she didn’t say a word, she started fidgeting, rapidly thrashing in her seat as if she was trying to undo the seat belt and open the door at the same time. She kept pulling at the door handle, even though Donald had permanently locked the door from his side.

“That does it!” Donald said, looking ahead for a place to turn off the road. He was still traveling south along Cherry Valley Boulevard and had just passed the Cherry Valley golf course and was close to Hempstead Turnpike, when he spotted a sign that said Dead End. He quickly turned right onto the short street driving to the end. There were several trees and a barricade at the end of the street. He parked, jumped out of the car slamming the door again and quickly opened the trunk grabbing a cloth bag.

He was closing the trunk just as he spotted her climbing over the console trying to get out of the car on the driver’s side of the car.

“Damn it,” he hollered, racing around the car and pulling her out of the car onto her feet. He held her tightly, walking to the rear of the car. He opened the trunk again, spun her around, and hit her hard in the face, knocking her down into the opened trunk. She winced in pain, reaching for her face. Pulling some rope out of the cloth bag he tied her hands together then to her ankles, tight, up between her legs and backside, finally tying the end around her neck making a noose. She could not move an inch. He gagged her with a cloth, and pulled a black hood over her head.

“There you go my dear. I know it isn’t as comfortable as the front seat but it won’t be much longer, I promise.”

The pain was awful as she lay bunched up in the trunk. They were traveling at least another 30 minutes or more, when she was so uncomfortable it almost became unbearable to her. Every bump in the road sent shooting slivers of pain up and down her spine. At one point she swore she was crossing a bridge, from the sound the wheels made on the road surface. Soon thereafter, she heard the sound of the wheels rolling on gravel. Suddenly the car came to a stop. Dead silence came over her. She could not hear a sound. It felt like such a long time before Donald opened the trunk that she actually thought he may have abandoned her, leaving her to die.

“Here’s Johnny,” he smiled looking down at his prize possession. “We’re home!”

He lifted her out of the trunk, still with the hood over her head, and carrying her in his arms, he quickly moved into the house through the side door. She could tell from the sound he was walking on the gravel road. Donald wasn’t speaking, so she concentrated, carefully listening for any familiar sounds.

“Is that water I hear?” She thought to herself. “The ocean? It sounds like the roar of ocean waves on the shore. Yes, I can hear the sea gulls.”

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a squeaking door, and Donald’s feet walking on wood. Could it be stairs? A stoop into a house? Minutes later she could tell he carried her into a building, or a home somewhere near a beach.

Once he had her inside the house, he carried her into some room, and set her down on the floor. He left the room for just a moment returning with what sounded like a chair, a wooden chair being dragged across the floor. Donald bent down, and untied the rope from her neck and, ankles but not her hands.

Holding on to her he spoke, “get up. Stand up on your feet Mrs. Becker. I want you to sit in this chair while I get Kathryn.”

She did as he asked. Now, removing the rope from her hands he place her hands behind her back, tying them again to the chair. Once her hands were secure and tied to a rung of the chair, he pulled the rope to the front and tied her ankles to each chair leg. Last, he wrapped the rope around her waist several times and secured that as well. Mrs. Becker, wasn’t going anywhere.

Looking around to make sure all the blinds were closed, and the drapes drawn, he returned to Kathryn’s mother and removed the hood from her head. He also removed the gag from her mouth. She was free to speak, once again.

She immediately looked all around the room. She seemed to be in the parlor of an old home. There was a fireplace, sofa and lounge chairs, and several large bookcases loaded with books. She even noticed fresh ashes in the fireplace that may have meant the house is currently used, and not abandoned. Peering through several doorways that led to other rooms, she could only assume one door appeared to be entering a living room. From there, she spotted another door that must be the kitchen. A second door off the parlor clearly was the formal dining room since she could see the table and chairs and perhaps a server on the far wall. A third door off the parlor, was closed. What she couldn’t see was that the closed door lead to a front foyer and the main stairway to the second level where four or five bedrooms could be found. A back stairway also lead to the bedrooms from the Kitchen. It was hidden down a tiny alcove. Straight ahead in the alcove was an old door leading to the outside. It was completely boarded up. On the right, what appeared to be a closet door actual hid the back stairway. On the opposite side of the kitchen was the door Donald used when he entered the home.

“Is Kathryn here, Donald?” She politely asked in a soft voice.

“Yes. She’s fine, but I believe, she is downstairs. We will speak with her shortly. I just need to be sure all the doors are locked and that we’re safe inside. You do understand, I presume.”

“Downstairs?” Did he say downstairs, she thought, realizing there must be a basement to this old home.

Donald again, disappeared for a few minutes. He walked into the living room and through the door she believed was the kitchen. She thought she heard him go down a flight of stairs. There was some crazy sounds as if he was moving something. A scraping noise, like a shovel on a cement floor. But, she never heard any voices or conversion. In due time, he returned.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I would like a glass of water. Please?”

Donald returned with a cold bottle of water.

“See how nice I can be when you behave? Good girl.”

“Thank you, Donald. And yes, I agree. You are very kind.”

Kathryn’s mother knew damn well by now, that she was dealing with a psycho, who very well may be a very depraved, dangerous man. She no longer wanted to take any chances of enraging him.

“From what my daughter told me, I take it you two have been close friends for a long time.”

Donald turned and just stared at her for what seemed the longest minute.

“Close friends? I suppose so. She was always so nice to me. From the very beginning, she not only supported me - she was on my side, if you know what I mean - but she relied on me to explain things to her, too. She always welcomed my help.”

“Help with what, Donald?”

“Usually, computers. Kathryn doesn’t like computers very much, but I do. I’m rather good at anything involving technology, especially the systems in our company, or the computerized medical devices. I know all that stuff backwards and forward. Whenever she was stuck or couldn’t work out something, she would call me and I would immediately run over to her office to help her figure it out. Sometimes we even stayed all hours into the evening. Once we even sent out for food.”

“That sounds like you two have a wonderful relationship.”

“You don’t understand. I love your daughter. I would do anything for her. And I know she loved me, too. But, then that God damn doctor had to show up. Things were still good for a while, until they ran off, overnight! Do you believe that! She never should have slept with that man Mrs. Becker. That was so wrong! That slut daughter of yours cheated on me!”

“Wait Donald, please wait. Kathryn was under a lot of stress. I don’t understand it all, but she came to me, talked with me, said nice things about you too! She’s confused Donald. She needs help. Kathryn is not a slut. I know she still likes you. Maybe the doctor took advantage of her. He’s not as smart as you.”

Donald frowned, staring at her mother contemplating all that she had just said.

“Do you really believe Kathryn would still want to help me?”

“Yes of course, Donald.”

“Why did she give up on me then with Ted Duncan and Dr. Andreyushkin?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they threatened her. She could have been frightened.”

“She didn’t tell me that.”

“Maybe she couldn’t or those men would do harm to her. I don’t know Donald. I only can tell you how upset she’s been. Ask her. Ask Kathryn to help you Donald.”

He thought for quite a while gazing into space. Finally, he looked at her, eyes wide. Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea, and I know just what to ask her too! And if she does it that proves she is on my side.”

Donald immediately took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. A number that was preprogrammed in his contacts.

“Kathryn Becker,” she said, answering the phone.

“Hello Kathryn,” he said in a very soft, low, and peculiar voice. “I told you I had other ways to resolve the situation.”

“The situation?”

“Yes, I tried to warn everyone but they would not listen to me. He was a problem from start! But, what does Donald know? He’s stupid.”

She paused, not answering right away. There was something different about him. She was beginning to get frighten over the conversation. His voice! He sounds so weird it’s almost scary. But, I just can’t hang up on the guy.”

“No Donald. You’re not stupid. That’s not true and you know it!” Kathryn finally said.

“But Kathryn, I told you the tests were wrong. It failed. The pump failed the tests and it was all covered up. The pump is a killer, Kathryn. People were bound to die because of him and it only will get worse until he’s gone. Four people are dead Kathryn. How many more before everyone realizes. They are all so stupid. But you Kathryn? You were my biggest disappointment. I thought you were different.”

“Donald, where are you? You’re scaring me. I’m worried about your safety. We should be talking. I want to help you, please.”

“Oh, I’m fine. Just fine.”

“Where are you?”

“Why, I’m sitting here in town having a wonderful conversation with your mother.”

Suddenly, Kathryn froze up inside. “My mother? Donald, what are you talking about? You’re honestly scaring the shit out of me. Please, Donald, where are you?”

“If I tell, will you come to see me?”

“How could you be with my mother Donald? You don’t even know where she lives.”

“Hold on one minute, Kathryn. I’ll get her for you.”

He handed the phone to her mother.

“Kathryn!” Her mother screamed.

“Mom!” Kathryn’s eyes instantly filling with tears, her brain instantly filling with panic, her body feeling on the brink of collapse, all damn near brought Kathryn to her knees.”

“Now, will you come, my darling?”

“Donald, please don’t hurt her, please! I beg you not to hurt my mother. I will come to you. Wherever you want me, I will come. Please, just don’t hurt her.”

“Ok. For you my darling, I promise not to hurt her, if you promise to come.”

“Ok, I promise.”

“Alone, Kathryn. Don’t be foolish. You will come alone. No police, understand? If I see any funny business, your mother .......well, I do know she is a diabetic. I would feel terrible, if something were to happen to her.

“I’m coming Donald. Where are you? I’m coming and I’m coming alone.”

“Good. Take the A train, all the way to the end. Mott Street Station. I’ll be there to pick you up. And I’m warning you. Come alone. If you try to trick me, it won’t work. One press of the keyboard on my MacBook and mom is dead.”

Kathryn’s head fell to her desk as she sat hysterically crying.

Chapter 35

K
athryn, sat there, arms folded on her desk, with her head laying on her arms. She continued crying while trying to figure out what she could do. Donald warned her not to bring the police and if he saw anything suspicious, he might kill her mother. Kathryn could not take that chance. All she could do was go alone as instructed and pray he was taking her somewhere where maybe she could come up with a plan.

She thought about it another couple of minutes.

I can’t call the police and tell them about Mott Street Station. It wouldn’t work. But, what if Richard could find me and he could bring the police. He could track my phone - he knows how to do that - and he’ll find me. If I tell Richard, he’d understand the danger and the police would lay low. This is the only chance I have and I have very little time. Donald is waiting. If I don’t move quickly, Donald could panic thinking I’m up to no good. I’ve got to go, now!

Kathryn stood up, took out her cell phone and speed dialed Richard.

“Come on, come on, and answer the damn phone, please!”

“At the sound, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Richard, it’s me, oh God Richard, I need you. Donald has kidnapped mom... what am I going...... please call..... Donald said no police... please call......”

“When you are finished please press one to hear your message.....”

Kathryn hung up the phone, grabbed her bag, and left in a hurry. Barbara wasn’t at her desk yet Kathryn had no time to find her. She didn’t even leave a note. She was briskly walking to the elevator when she remembered one more thing. Suddenly, she spotted Robert, a young man who worked for her.

“Robert,” she called out getting his attention, “do you have your cell phone?”

“Yes, of course, it’s right here.”

“I’m sorry Robert, but this is an emergency, what’s the password. I promise I’ll bring it right back,” she said snatching the phone from his hand.

“2sexy4u” he yelled to her.”

“Thank you.” Kathryn answered, running for the elevator. She took out her phone and speed dialed Richard again as soon as the elevator doors opened.

“Shit! She cried. “I need you Richard.

Once on the street, she hailed a taxi.

“Hi. 59th - Columbus Circle subway station - fast, this is an emergency.”

She was standing in the A train on the way to Mott Street when the cell rang.

“Shit, it’s Barbara,” she yelled out loud seeing the name on the iPhone.

“Kathryn? It’s Barbara, is everything alright? Where are you?”

“Sorry Barbara, I’ll explain later. Everything is ok, but ..........”

Just then, the phone died as the train pulled out of a station, speeding through the underground tunnels. It was going to be upwards to an hour to get to Mott Street Station. Even on the express train, Kathryn knew this was a long ride. There had to be at least 30 stops to Mott Street and that could easily take an hour. Kathryn didn’t know whether to cry or pee in her pants. Her nerves were frazzled beyond repair!

As soon as Richard walked away from the patient, he grabbed his phone. He had felt the vibration in his pocket, but understandably could not take the call. After hearing the message, he became extremely alarmed and instantly tried to call Kathryn. Of course, being in the subway tunnels, her phone went straight to voicemail.

“I have an emergency, you need to ask Dr. Keller or Dr. Weller if they can see the rest of my patients, or if not, reschedule the appointments. I’m afraid I must leave the office. I don’t know when I’ll be back, “Dr. Marks explained to his nurse, before leaving to find Kathryn.

He grabbed a cab and raced to the offices of Rockne Pharmaceuticals. When he got off the elevator, approaching the reception desk, Sherry recognized him.

“Oh, Dr. Marks, I’m afraid Kathryn is not in.”

“I know, is Suki Nikimora here?”

“Yes sir, let me ring her.”

“Ok, fine, I’ll tell him. She’ll be right out Doctor.”

“Thank you.”

In seconds, Suki was standing in the lobby.

“Hi, what’s up?” She said giving him a hug.

It’s serious Suki, very serious, and I desperately need your help. Do you know where Donald Gingrich is?”

“Oh, Dr. Marks? Sorry for interrupting, but Donald left the office hours ago.” Sherry, the receptionist, told him.

“Did he tell you where he was going?”

“He said some client in Garden City.”

Instantly both Suki and Richard looked at each other. They intuitively knew Kathryn’s mother lived in Garden City. Suki, we need to send the police immediately to her mother’s address.”

“I can help you with that Sherry said. I heard you say this is an emergency. I’ll get Human Resources on the phone immediately,” Sherry said, trying to help.

“Richard, what the hell is going on?” Suki asked.

Richard leaned close to Suki and whispered in her ear, “Kathryn’s mom has been kidnapped by Donald. Kathryn is on her way and I fear, she will fall into a trap and be taken hostage too. He warned her, no police!”

“Oh dear God, no!” Suki immediately started crying, also alarming Sherry.

“Wendy, this is Sherry. We have a medical emergency and need two things immediately. First Kathryn Becker’s mother lives in Garden City. Do you have the address? Second, what is the address of Donald Gingrich? A medical doctor and Suki Nikimora are in the lobby if you need them. This is extremely urgent. Moments later Vice President Wendy Coral appeared in the lobby with papers in her hand.

“Hello, I’m doctor Richard Marks. June Becker is a patient of mind and owns your medical equipment. She is in grave danger of dying and is with your employee, Donald Gingrich. No one is answering the phones and I need to get to them quickly. I need to get to Donald’s residence, and I want the Garden City police to check Lois’s residence immediately.”

“Of course, sir. Here are the addresses. Is there something else we can do?”

“I don’t think so.” Suki replied, then handed the one paper to Sherry. “Can you call the Garden City Police, and ask them to check out this address, immediately? Call my cell as soon as you finish,” Suki said, also giving Sherry her personal cell phone number.

Dr. Marks, holding on to the paper with Donald’s address, looked at Suki, “come on, let’s go.”

They jumped into a taxi and headed downtown to Mulberry Street on the lower east side. They found the apartment. It was a five story walk up. Donald’s apartment was number 208, on the second floor. Here it is, Suki. They knocked on the door, and rang the bell. It took quite a while, but eventually a woman yelled out, “who is it?”

“My name is Doctor Richard Marks with Lenox Hill Hospital. It’s urgent I speak with Donald Gingrich.”

An elderly woman opened the door.

“Is there something wrong with my Donald? I am his mother.”

Dr. Marks immediately showed the woman his credentials to prove he was a doctor. “I am with the trauma center at Lennox Hill Hospital. This is Miss Suki Nikimora, who works with your son at Rockne Pharmaceuticals. May we come in and talk with you. I believe your son is ill, and in danger.”

“Yes doctor, please come in.”

“Do you have any idea where your son is?”

“I thought he was still at work.”

“He left work, sometime this morning. No one knows where he is. We believe, he may have left a computer behind, perhaps here in the house, or a note or something that explains where he may have gone. Have you seen anything like that today, Mrs. Gingrich?”

“No doctor, but I would not have. Donald keeps everything in his room, and I am not allowed in there.”

“Could you please show us his room?”

“I’m afraid he would get very upset with me.”

“Mrs. Gingrich, it could be a matter of life or death?”

“But his room is locked.”

“Can you please show us?”

The old woman, took them down to the end of a long hall.

“This is his room.”

Richard tried the door, and sure enough it was locked.

“Look Richard, it is one of those old skeleton keys.”

“Mrs. Gingrich, do you have a key to the lock on your bedroom door?”

“I don’t lock my door.....wait, I think I might have the key. There’s something in my dresser drawer.”

She turned and walked two doors down from Donald’s room, and entered another bedroom. Suki and Richard followed. She reached down and opened a drawer and took out a small ring that had three keys on it.

“This is what I remembered. Maybe it will help.”

Richard returned to the first room and tried the first key but it was much too small. He looked at another, but obviously, it was much too big. The last key fit snugly into the keyhole. Richard wiggled the key back and forth several times and finally, the door opened.

“It worked,” cried Suki.

Richard and Suki slowly entered the room and immediately froze.

“Oh my God!” Gasped Suki at what she saw.

Both Richard and Donald’s mother also stood frozen, shocked by the images before them. “We have to find Kathryn, Suki. This man is very, very ill.”

“No shit!”

Every wall, every inch, every blank space, was covered with photos, newspaper articles, maps, computer code, and unrecognizable objects. Hundreds of books and magazines, as well as computer related paraphernalia, cluttered the floor. A single mattress lying crooked in the middle of the room. A wooden school chair and desk shoved into an inconspicuous corner.

They slowly moved into the room, their fear escalating as one thing stood out, above everything else that deeply concerned and frightened them. Over 400 photographs and printed pictures of Kathryn appeared on the walls. Hundreds of beautiful pictures of her in the office, standing at the head of a classroom teaching, having lunch with coworkers, sitting on a wall in Central Park, and running in Central Park on a typical Saturday morning. He even had photos cut from college newspapers or yearbooks from a time long before she ever knew Donald.

“Holy shit Richard. Donald is the man in the trench coat!”

Most disturbing to them, were the many photos, heinously altered and converted into collages by cutting body parts from the original photo. Some horrific image such as insulin needle, or surgical knife were inserted in its place. One large frontal picture of Kathryn depicted her head chopped off, then glued back on but tilted at an angle as if she was losing her head. Hand painted drops of blood could be seen, dripping from her neck.

“Suki, come here, look at this,” Richard said looking at a series of heinously altered pictures of unknown women in a neat, orderly, vertical column. At the top of the column was one male. A cutout of a revolver was pasted to the left of his head. To the right splattered red paint or real blood, was portrayed as spraying from his head. It was a picture of the boy that was murdered. The second picture was the waitress followed by the young lady found on the street at midnight. Each one had a big X drawn over the picture, and a hand drawn hypodermic needle on their body. The next picture after the young lady was a picture of Kathryn’s mother.

“Oh no, Richard, I think I’m going to be sick!” Suki could not help it. That instant, she buckled over and vomited all over Donald’s bed and floor. Richard lunged to hold her in the event she got dizzy or passed out. Donald’s mother quickly grabbed a grey sweatshirt hanging on the back of the desk chair, sympathetically holding it close to Suki’s face.

Tragically, the scene could not be mistaken for anything but the ultimate obsession of a deranged man. Richard immediately turned to Donald’s mother.

“Please Mrs. Gingrich. You must help us find your son. He needs help, and other people are in grave danger. Donald is not at the office. Can you possibly think where he might be?” Richard asked.

It was obvious by looking at her that she was distraught and terribly upset at the evil, and ugly atrocities created by her son.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say. I have no idea where he could be.”

“He possibly has a woman with him and he has contacted another woman and may have given her instructions to meet him somewhere. Where would he go that would be very familiar to him, comfortable, and where he could be alone.”

The old lady thought for a second, then looked up into Richard’s eyes. “My house. Yes, he could be going to my house!”

“Where is that Mrs. Gingrich?”

“Rockaway, Far Rockaway,” she said convincingly. Richard looked at Suki.

“That’s it! Of course, Kathryn could take the A train!” He said, asking Mrs. Gingrich for the address.

“Come on, quick, we have no time to spare,” he said, grabbing Suki by the arm.

They ran down the stairs and out into the street.

Richard just looked at her.

“How the hell do we get there? And Suki, you realize we can’t risk calling the police. If they were to pull up to that house, Kathryn and her mother are as good as dead.”

“I’m sorry Richard, forgive me for what I’m about to do. Here, take my hand.”

He did, and Suki raced off on foot toward the busy intersection dragging Richard with her. At the end of the street, she spotted a young man, sitting in his car. The traffic light had just turned red, windows were down, and the music blasting real loud.