The Livesy-Walsh Chronicles – Chapter 2
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DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
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Aaron was worried; after he arrived home at 'The Maple Trees'; the house that he shared with his husband, he called Jackson but his mobile phone went to voicemail. This did not worry him unduly at first, but as the hours passed and there was still no word from his husband, he really started to feel that all was not well. It was so unlike Jackson not to call him, or even text. When he still had not received any word by the following morning, he decided to ring the hotel where he knew Jackson was meant to be staying.
His fears were heightened when he spoke to a member of staff at the hotel, "I'm sorry sir, but Mr Livesy-Walsh did not check in last night. I'm sorry I can't help you any further."
Aaron did not know what to do next. He wanted to call Brett and Mason, but he knew they would already be on their way to Birmingham as Brett was due to film in some studios in the city for a TV show; and they would not be able to help. He decided to ring Paddy, just for a bit of moral support.
"Hi Aaron, how you been?" Paddy's voice soothed Aaron's nerves a little.
"Jackson's disappeared!"
"What do you mean...disappeared?"
"What I say! He should have stayed at a hotel in London last night, but they haven't seen him!"
"Look, I don't want to sound alarmist, but have you checked with the police; or the hospitals?"
Aaron felt his blood run cold, "You don't think he's been in an accident, do you?"
"Don't panic!" Paddy realised that he had unwittingly scared his surrogate son, "I'm sure he will be OK. Do you know anyone in London that he might have stayed with?"
"Well, he's got one or two contacts in the TV industry...but I don't know how I'd find them!"
"That could be it!" Paddy tried to calm Aaron down, "Maybe he met one of his friends and spent the night at their place!"
"Yeah, but usually he would have called me to let me know! I keep trying his phone, but it goes to voicemail."
"Where was he supposed to go today?"
"The TV studios; he's got an audition for a new show."
"Have you tried there?"
"No!"
"Well then," Paddy was still trying to look on the bright side, "See if he turned up there. If not; and you still haven't heard from him; call the police and report him missing."
"I'll do that! Thanks, Dad!" Aaron was grateful for Paddy's advice.
"You know I'm always here for you, Aaron. Let me know what happens, yeah?"
"Yeah, 'course I will!"
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Aaron could not get any more clues about Jackson's whereabouts from the London TV studios, as they had not seen his husband either! So, he contacted the police to report Jackson's disappearance, although the rather off-hand response he got from them did not fill him with much confidence. They seemed to count Jackson's case as just another statistic, as so many people went missing in the capital city; virtually every day! Even Jackson's 'celebrity status' seemed to cut very little ice.
Aaron was just about at his wits end when he looked out of the window and saw Paddy's car rolling up the driveway. He saw Paddy and Adam climb out and he ran out of the house to greet them.
"We thought you might need some help," Adam almost seemed to be trying to explain his presence.
"Any news?" Paddy looked anxious.
"I've told the police," Aaron looked close to tears, "But they're not a lot of help. They just said they'd ring me if they find him."
"Well, at least they're looking!" Adam tried to cheer up his best mate.
The three of them went inside the house and sat in the spacious living room.
"I'll make us a brew!" Adam jumped up and headed for the kitchen.
"Have you eaten?" Paddy looked at Aaron.
"I'm not hungry!" Aaron looked forlorn; and Paddy just wanted to scoop his 'son' into his arms and take his troubles away.
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Jackson came round in a rather seedy, dimly-lit bedroom. He focussed on the flowery wallpaper, some of which was peeling at the corners. He realised that he was completely naked and, as he tried to move, he also realised that his hands were tethered to the iron bedposts. He looked at his wrists and saw that he was handcuffed to the bed! He also had manacles around his ankles, attached to chains which were secured to the bottom of the bed, causing him to lay spread-eagled. His head was in a spin! How had he arrived here? Where was he? Why had someone decided to hold him captive? So many questions and no answers!
As he cast his mind back, he realised the last memory he had was of someone bundling him into a taxi. He started to piece the events of the previous evening together. He had been in a nightclub with Aaron, Brett and Mason. They had left him on his own and he had then, by chance, met Pierre the photographer and another lad. He tried to recall his name, but he had forgotten! Then he remembered the lad buying him drinks and talking to him, he seemed very friendly, almost gushing. Something did not add up! Why had he become so drunk, so quickly? Also, he had never before been so drunk that he had passed out cold! A sickening realisation dawned...maybe he had been drugged!
The door opened and the lad from the previous evening walked in. He wore nothing but a tight pair of red boxer shorts.
"Ah! You're awake!" the lad smiled at him.
"What's going on? Where am I?" Jackson was baffled.
"My place!" the lad replied, as if the answer was obvious, "You came back with me last night. We're together at last; we belong together, sweetheart!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Boyfriends should be together; don't you agree?"
Jackson suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach! This lad was obviously demented! He used his wits and decided to try to humour him, "Why don't you untie me? We can talk properly then!"
"Oh no!" the lad moved closer and surprised Jackson by grabbing his crotch! "I've not had my fun with you, not yet!"
"Get off me!" Jackson could not help it; the shock of having his exposed private parts manhandled, unexpectedly, caused him to react.
"Now, now, don't be naughty!" the lad smirked.
The lad started manipulating Jackson's manhood, trying to bring on an erection. Suddenly, Jackson remembered the lad's name. He wondered if using his name would help.
"Deano?"
"Yeah, sugar! Your little Deano is going to make you feel good!" Deano purred.
Jackson was powerless to stop Deano's molestation. He mind drifted back to when he was helpless and paralyzed, except now he could feel the unwanted hands on his body. He was just as helpless, but the difference was that he now had sensation; and he almost wished that he hadn't!
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"Is that Mitch?" Aaron was ringing just about the only person he could recall in London that might know where Jackson would be. He had managed to get the phone number from Mason's brother, Bryn.
"Yeah...who is this?" Mitch did not recognise the voice.
"It's Aaron...you remember...Jackson's husband. We went on a trip to Wales once, with Brett, Mason and Bryn."
"Oh, hi! Yeah, I remember. What can I do for you, Aaron?"
"Have you seen Jackson?" Aaron wondered if his question sounded daft.
"Not since we all went on that trip! Why, what's up?"
"He's gone missing! We were at a club last night, the 'Purple Pineapple', Jackson was supposed to be staying in a hotel overnight and then going to the studios today, but he didn't show, either at the hotel or the studios. I wondered if he might have stayed at yours, by any chance."
"No...sorry mate!" Mitch sounded sincere, "Did you say the 'Purple Pineapple'?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"The guy I share with now; Paul, is a press photographer...he was taking snaps there last night! I'll ask him if he saw Jackson...hold on!"
Aaron heard a muffled conversation in the background and then Mitch came on the line again, "Aaron? I've spoken to Paul, he saw Jackson leaving the club; he said he looked the worse for wear and he snapped him being held up by another guy, just before they got into a taxi."
"Does he know who the other guy was?" Aaron felt a glimmer of hope.
"No, sorry mate; he said he's never seen him before."
"Oh well, sorry to have bothered you!"
"No worries mate; I hope you find him! Cheers." Mitch rang off.
The next morning, after a sleepless night, Aaron was sitting in his kitchen when Paddy came to the door.
"I've bought a paper," Paddy announced, "I thought you'd better see this!"
Paddy passed the newspaper to Aaron. There, on the page that Paddy had turned the paper to, was a picture of Jackson and an unknown man, coming out of the 'Purple Pineapple' club, with the caption 'TV presenter Jackson Livesy-Walsh goes missing after a boozy night out'.
"That's all we need!" Aaron scowled.
"I know it's not good, seeing Jackson in that state in the papers," Paddy said, "But at least it might give the police something to go on. They might know who this mystery man is and it could lead them to Jackson!"
"You think so?" Aaron hoped that Paddy was not clutching at straws.
"Somebody must know who he is!" Paddy tried to give Aaron some comfort.
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Jackson was tired. He had not slept much, being uncomfortably chained to the bed; plus he was concerned about Deano's state of mind. He could tell that the guy was deluded, believing that he and Jackson were lovers. Deano once more entered the bedroom, this time with a breakfast tray; bacon, eggs, toast and fresh coffee. Deano was acting as if the situation was perfectly normal!
"Here you are, baby!" Deano smiled and Jackson was crestfallen; he had hoped that his captor would come to his senses; but he was still persisting in his own, weird fantasy.
"I can't eat it with my hands tied up!" Jackson protested.
"Don't worry, sugar, I'll feed you!" Deano seemed quite unconcerned that Jackson was manacled to the bed!
Jackson decided to try a new tack, "If you loved me, you'd release me!"
Deano had a crazed look in his clear, gray eyes, "I DO love you! And you love me! All those love notes you wrote to me prove that!"
"Love notes? What love notes?"
"You know; your little messages to me...online!"
"Online?" Jackson was beginning to piece things together in his mind, "You mean...Chatterbox?"
"You were very naughty, blocking me like that! What were you thinking?"
"You're 'Nads69'?" Jackson could not believe what he was hearing.
"Of course!" Deano looked genuinely surprised, "Stop messing about...pretending you don't know!"
"But...I can't believe it! How did you track me down?"
Deano hesitated; he looked around the room and then answered, "It was a stroke of luck! I got Pierre to take some pictures of me. He couldn't resist me when I stripped off for him! You know what he's like! I knew that he'd taken those pictures of you for that magazine and I thought he might lead me to you...but, I never expected to find you so quickly!"
"So, Pierre was in on this, was he?"
"No! He doesn't know anything about us! We met in that club by pure chance. I didn't tell him that we were lovers! That's just between you and me!"
Jackson was getting fed up with this now, "There is no 'you and me'! It's all in your head!"
"STOP IT!" Deano shouted and suddenly turned angry; the demented look returned to his eyes and he put his hand on Jackson's throat, making him gasp for breath, "Say you love me...SAY IT!"