Beauty Can Be Deadly

Chapter 12

Savannah squealed and dropped the tuxedo.  "Momma, Daddy, how did you get here so fast?"

Steve observed the group in the door.  Well, I guess the rest of the clan has arrived.  He was interrupted from his musings by his name being called.

"Steve, this is my family," Savannah informed him as she swept her hand to indicate the people behind her.

Steve wasn't sure how to respond.  The women in the group where eyeing him like he was the last piece of candy in a bag, and the men's eyes held the promise of some serious discomfort on his part.  He decided the safest route was a brief smile and a nod of his head. 

"Oh, honey, he is absolutely adorable," exclaimed the woman Steve had decided was 'Momma'.

Steve closed his eyes and thought about this most recent development. None of them seem to think it's odd that I'm tied to the bed.  Surely this can't be the normal way they do things.  He was brought back from his thoughts when the bed dipped as someone sat on it.  He opened his eyes to find 'Momma' Aldridge sitting beside him and Savannah over by the door huddled in conversation with 'Daddy'.

"You have made Savannah so happy.  She hasn't stopped talking about you since she met you.  I know it's a little early but welcome to the family," she announced as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. 

Steve never got a chance to answer because the next comment left him speechless.

"Oh, Momma, it's not as early as you might think.  Daddy's going to marry us today," Savannah stated with a dreamy smile.  "Steve, darling, I'd like for you to meet my Momma and Daddy and my sisters Ashley and Divinity and my brothers Spencer, Christian and Andrew.  Everybody meet Steve."

Steve was unable to respond.  He was still trying to absorb the first part of her comment.  I'm getting married today?  He had not really considered she would succeed with this little venture.  Given enough time he was confident his father and Cheryl would find him but now he was not so sure.

"Steve, my brothers are going to help you get ready.  Daddy is going to perform the ceremony in about 2 hours."

Steve's head snapped up and he surveyed the beefy threesome that now stood in front of him holding the powder blue tuxedo.  It looked like an outfit for a doll in their broad muscular grasp.  The gleam in their eyes told him that things were about to get unpleasant.

~~****~~

Mark sat looking through the file on Savannah Aldridge that Cheryl had dropped off.  It had been missed in the original background checks because Savannah Aldridge had used another name.  He had not found anything that got them closer to finding Steve.  His frustration level was rising and just as he was about to close the file for a break, something caught his eye.

~~****~~

Steve lay gasping trying to catch his breath.  The brothers Aldridge had tried to see how far and at what angles his limbs would bend.  For a brief moment he had felt like a human Gumby doll.  He now lay tied to the bed dressed in the powder blue tux.  Come on Dad, I know you're looking and I have faith that you will find me. 

~~****~~

Mark was reaching for the phone to call Cheryl when the doorbell rang.  He crossed through the house and saw Cheryl on the stoop.  He quickly swung the door open.  "I was just getting ready to call you," he told her.  "I think I know where he is," Mark said at the same time Cheryl spoke.

"I know where he is," Cheryl stated.

They both stopped and then smiled slightly.  Cheryl spoke first.  "Where do you think he is?"

"Savannah Aldridge had an aunt who lived here in LA.  She passed away about 3 years ago.  As part of her estate she left her home to Savannah."

"How did you find that out?" Cheryl asked incredulously.

"In the paperwork in the file.  She was arrested several years ago for DUI and possession of drugs.  Because of her age, the courts placed her with her aunt for home incarceration.  I wanted you to check to see if she still owns the house," Mark responded.

"She does," was Cheryl's response.  "I've got a search warrant and it's where I'm headed.  Do you want to join me?"

"You know I do," Mark responded eagerly.

~~****~~

I'm trapped in a really bad movie.  Stuff like this doesn't happen in real life.  Maybe it's a new reality show.  Instead of 'The Bachelor' it's 'The Captive'.  The host of the show will come through the door at any moment to fill me in.  As he finished this last thought the door did indeed open, but it was filled by Ashley and Divinity.  They looked at each other and giggled and then moved towards the bed.  They each took positions on the bed on opposite sides of him. 

With a shy smile Ashley spoke.  "We are a very close family and we believe in sharing everything."

"Savannah has told us all about you.  She told us about your first date and how romantic your proposal was," Divinity informed him.

Steve couldn't help himself.  His frustration finally erupted into a burst of temper.  "Are you people all nuts?  Has no one noticed that I am tied to a bed?  Does it look like I want to marry your sister?  Would she have to kidnap me if I had proposed to her?  This needs to end now.  I want you to untie me now so that I can call my father!"

Divinity and Ashley shared the same shocked looks, and as Steve looked back towards the door, he saw Savannah wearing the same expression.

"I had really hoped that you would stop being so difficult, but I can see now that you are not going to cooperate," Savannah stated sadly.

"Well maybe you are finally catching on," Steve replied sarcastically.  "Untie me now!"

Savannah sighed.  "I'm not going to let you go.  I love you.  I am willing to do whatever I need to do to insure we are together always."

Steve couldn't read the expression on her face but the tone in her voice sounded vaguely threatening.  "What do you mean, Savannah?"

"What I mean, Steve, is that if I can't have you here and now then we will die together," she stated in an emotionless voice.

"Savannah, you don't mean that," Steve responded.

"Oh, but I do Steve, I killed three women and with a little luck would have killed that witch that won the pageant.  I did it all for you.  They were trying to take you away from me.  I won't allow that.  We are meant to be together and I will not be stopped."

"Savannah," Steve started to speak but was interrupted.

"Ashley, Divinity, please leave and tell the other's that we are not to be disturbed," Savannah ordered.

The sisters hesitated only briefly before doing as they were instructed.

As they left the room and shut the door behind them Savannah followed behind them and locked the door.  She then moved back towards the bed and sat down beside Steve.  She reached out to gently caress his cheek.  Steve jerked as if scalded.

"Don't touch me," Steve stated.

Savannah ignored his command and leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips before she started talking.  "You know I really had things planned.  Momma and Daddy have a house next to theirs that they said I could have.  We were going to be married and live there.  It's a perfect area to raise a family.  I don't know why you had to make things so difficult.  Those other women were bad enough, but to be betrayed by you is just incomprehensible.  But, we will be together." she stated firmly.

Again Steve couldn't quite read the expression on her face.  But after a moment he didn't have to.  She reached into the pocket of the jacket she was wearing and pulled out a revolver.

~~****~~

"According to her file she has been in and out of mental facilities," Mark informed Cheryl as she drove.  "Her pattern seems to be a fixation on men.  It just has never gone this far before."

"Well she's never been exposed to Steve before," Cheryl responded.  "When it comes to mentally unstable women, Steve is like catnip to a cat."

Mark smiled lightly before responding.  "I'm worried, Cheryl.  I think Steve may be in more danger than I originally thought.  She had obviously become more intent on the object of her affection this time."

Cheryl hesitated before responding.  "Dr. Sloan, I wasn't going to bring this up, but we came up with some disturbing information about a similar case in San Diego when Savannah Aldridge was at a pageant there.  She became enamored with the host for the pageant.  When he became uncomfortable with her attentions he told the pageant organizers, who then disqualified her from the pageant.  She reacted as you might imagine and then left.  That same night the host was attacked and nearly beaten to death in a 'supposed' robbery.  No one was ever caught and he still thinks Savannah arranged for him to be attacked."

"So, my fears for Steve's safety are not unfounded," Mark responded with a slight shake in his voice.  "I know Steve, and eventually his temper will boil over and he may very well say things that will provoke her to violence.  Cheryl, he has to be at this house."

"He will be, Mark," Cheryl answered.

~~****~~

"Savannah, please put the gun down," Steve requested.

"No," she said with a sweet smile.  "I can't.  We have to be together and it looks like this is the only way."

"No, Savannah it's not," Steve stated.  "If you really love me, you can't want to do this."

Again she smiled the sweet smile.  "It's because I love you that I will do this.  It's the only way I can insure we will be together."  She then leaned towards him with the gun in her hand and very gently placed it against his temple.  "Goodbye, Steve, I love you," she spoke as her finger pulled back on the trigger.