Chapter 4
Mentally calling out to Rick that Robbie was in danger, Laurie quickly opened the door and yelled "No!". Startled, Bear stopped in mid-lunge toward her son, then turning, held out a hand to her. "Close the door, Mrs. Simon, or I'll cut him and he'll bleed to death in front of you!" Terrified, she pushed the door shut, as Robbie said, "Mom, don't come any closer!" Laurie looked at her son then pleaded, "Andy, please don't hurt him; he's been your friend all these years."
"Yes, Mrs. Simon, I know, and I didn't want to do this. Rob remembered one thing he shouldn't have, he saw the art works I was going to have Solomon steal, and he knew they were fakes. When he looked up and asked why I had imitations in with the real deal, I handed the baseball bat to Solomon. He was only supposed to hit him to knock him out, but he panicked. That's when I called out to the policeman and he shot Solomon. I didn't let him kill Rob then, and I won't
now if you come with me, Mrs. Simon!", he told her.
"No, Mom, don't go with him!", her son begged, then caught sight of her watch, with the red light on.
She nodded slightly at him, then looking Andrew Bear in the eye, replied, "I'll go with you, only promise you won't do anything to Robbie!"
"I won't, now come over here to me.", he ordered, then as she walked over to him, he brandished the scalpel where both Simons could see it, then held it to her neck. Ripping the signal cord off the wall, Bear tied her wrists behind her back, then taking off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders.
"Not one sound, Rob, I'll drop your mother off where you can find her. If I see any police, she's dead!", he warned. Laurie looked at her son, then heard Rick as if he were close by. "Laurie, I'm just outside, when I tell you to, freeze!"
"I'm going to be all right, darling, don't worry." she told Robbie, then Andrew Bear grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door, holding the scalpel against her back.
"No cries, no calling attention to us, or I'll kill you and finish Rob off, understand?" he threatened her as they reached the doorway. Opening the door, her captor looked both ways, then forced her out into the hall.
Seeing there was little or no activity, Bear stepped out into the corridor then yanked her close to him and put his arm around her shoulders, palming the knife in his hand.
Trembling, Laurie forced herself to stay calm, knowing that Rick was near. As they approached the exit to the lobby, the curator spoke in a falsely cheerful voice. "I promised Rob I'd take you to get some air, Mrs. Simon, you'll feel much better outside in the sun!"
All at once Laurie heard Rick say, "Freeze!" She stopped dead in her tracks, then felt arms come around her and pull her from Bear in one motion, lifting and carrying her away from harm.
The would-be killer yelled in surprise, then was disarmed and flung to the ground, as Laurie buried her face in her husband's chest.
"Sweetheart, did he hurt you, let me see.", he said, throwing aside the jacket covering her and seeing her tightly bound wrists. Untying her, Rick picked her up and carried her to a sofa, where he gently held her and rubbed the circulation back into her hands.
"I'm all right, Rick, just a little shaky. When I saw him and that scalpel coming at Robbie..." she choked, then saw her uncle get up from where he had helped subdue Andrew Bear. "Honey, it's ok, Rudy's with Robby now, he's just fine." Oscar told Laurie soothingly, bringing her a glass of water. Making sure she was unhurt, Rick and Oscar helped Laurie up and walked her back to her son's room.
As they entered, Robbie got up from his bed with Rudy's help and stood up straight. Laurie immediately put her arms around her son, this time weeping with joy. "Mom, don't scare me like that, please!", he whispered, relieved. "I'm never going to let any one hurt you, Robbie, never! I'm all right, now we'll just get you back home!" she replied, sniffing.
"All right, you two, I need one of you to get back into bed, and the other to sit down so I can make sure you are ok!" Rudy fussed. Laughing, Rick helped Robbie back onto the bed, while their friend examined
Laurie and found that she was unharmed but for a bruised wrist.
"How did you know Bear was here?" Oscar asked, as Rudy wrapped her wrist. "I had a funny feeling, then I had a flash, like looking at a still photo, of Robbie and someone coming at him with a knife. That's when I ran to the room and called out for Rick."
Her son looked at her, "Mom, he was crazy, he kept telling how he didn't want to hurt me, but I had spoiled everything for him. He always was a little whiny as a kid, but he was acting psycho here, saying he'd be there for you and Pop when I was gone. That's why I didn't want you to go with him, he's, well, he's dangerous." His father stood up, "He's not going to ever bother you again, Captain Ron's going to charge him with attempted kidnapping and murder, in addition to everything else."
Laurie sighed, "Well, that's a relief. He gave me the creeps, I felt sorry for him as a kid, but when he started mumbling something about a trip for two...." she shivered, and Rick came over and put his arms around her. "That guy's never going to have a chance to frighten you, darlin. The only trip for two you're going on is home with me!"
Mentally calling out to Rick that Robbie was in danger, Laurie quickly opened the door and yelled "No!". Startled, Bear stopped in mid-lunge toward her son, then turning, held out a hand to her. "Close the door, Mrs. Simon, or I'll cut him and he'll bleed to death in front of you!" Terrified, she pushed the door shut, as Robbie said, "Mom, don't come any closer!" Laurie looked at her son then pleaded, "Andy, please don't hurt him; he's been your friend all these years."
"Yes, Mrs. Simon, I know, and I didn't want to do this. Rob remembered one thing he shouldn't have, he saw the art works I was going to have Solomon steal, and he knew they were fakes. When he looked up and asked why I had imitations in with the real deal, I handed the baseball bat to Solomon. He was only supposed to hit him to knock him out, but he panicked. That's when I called out to the policeman and he shot Solomon. I didn't let him kill Rob then, and I won't
now if you come with me, Mrs. Simon!", he told her.
"No, Mom, don't go with him!", her son begged, then caught sight of her watch, with the red light on.
She nodded slightly at him, then looking Andrew Bear in the eye, replied, "I'll go with you, only promise you won't do anything to Robbie!"
"I won't, now come over here to me.", he ordered, then as she walked over to him, he brandished the scalpel where both Simons could see it, then held it to her neck. Ripping the signal cord off the wall, Bear tied her wrists behind her back, then taking off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders.
"Not one sound, Rob, I'll drop your mother off where you can find her. If I see any police, she's dead!", he warned. Laurie looked at her son, then heard Rick as if he were close by. "Laurie, I'm just outside, when I tell you to, freeze!"
"I'm going to be all right, darling, don't worry." she told Robbie, then Andrew Bear grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door, holding the scalpel against her back.
"No cries, no calling attention to us, or I'll kill you and finish Rob off, understand?" he threatened her as they reached the doorway. Opening the door, her captor looked both ways, then forced her out into the hall.
Seeing there was little or no activity, Bear stepped out into the corridor then yanked her close to him and put his arm around her shoulders, palming the knife in his hand.
Trembling, Laurie forced herself to stay calm, knowing that Rick was near. As they approached the exit to the lobby, the curator spoke in a falsely cheerful voice. "I promised Rob I'd take you to get some air, Mrs. Simon, you'll feel much better outside in the sun!"
All at once Laurie heard Rick say, "Freeze!" She stopped dead in her tracks, then felt arms come around her and pull her from Bear in one motion, lifting and carrying her away from harm.
The would-be killer yelled in surprise, then was disarmed and flung to the ground, as Laurie buried her face in her husband's chest.
"Sweetheart, did he hurt you, let me see.", he said, throwing aside the jacket covering her and seeing her tightly bound wrists. Untying her, Rick picked her up and carried her to a sofa, where he gently held her and rubbed the circulation back into her hands.
"I'm all right, Rick, just a little shaky. When I saw him and that scalpel coming at Robbie..." she choked, then saw her uncle get up from where he had helped subdue Andrew Bear. "Honey, it's ok, Rudy's with Robby now, he's just fine." Oscar told Laurie soothingly, bringing her a glass of water. Making sure she was unhurt, Rick and Oscar helped Laurie up and walked her back to her son's room.
As they entered, Robbie got up from his bed with Rudy's help and stood up straight. Laurie immediately put her arms around her son, this time weeping with joy. "Mom, don't scare me like that, please!", he whispered, relieved. "I'm never going to let any one hurt you, Robbie, never! I'm all right, now we'll just get you back home!" she replied, sniffing.
"All right, you two, I need one of you to get back into bed, and the other to sit down so I can make sure you are ok!" Rudy fussed. Laughing, Rick helped Robbie back onto the bed, while their friend examined
Laurie and found that she was unharmed but for a bruised wrist.
"How did you know Bear was here?" Oscar asked, as Rudy wrapped her wrist. "I had a funny feeling, then I had a flash, like looking at a still photo, of Robbie and someone coming at him with a knife. That's when I ran to the room and called out for Rick."
Her son looked at her, "Mom, he was crazy, he kept telling how he didn't want to hurt me, but I had spoiled everything for him. He always was a little whiny as a kid, but he was acting psycho here, saying he'd be there for you and Pop when I was gone. That's why I didn't want you to go with him, he's, well, he's dangerous." His father stood up, "He's not going to ever bother you again, Captain Ron's going to charge him with attempted kidnapping and murder, in addition to everything else."
Laurie sighed, "Well, that's a relief. He gave me the creeps, I felt sorry for him as a kid, but when he started mumbling something about a trip for two...." she shivered, and Rick came over and put his arms around her. "That guy's never going to have a chance to frighten you, darlin. The only trip for two you're going on is home with me!"
