Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.

STALKED

By Lola Presents

Chapter 7

Lindsey sat in her car, staring through two sets of windshields, nervously rapping her thumbs against the idle steering wheel. It had already been ten minutes since Lola ventured inside without emerging or indicating concluding her business. As agreed, Lindsey pulled out her phone and dialed Lola. Letting it ring once, she immediately hung up.

When no answer came, Lindsey's apprehension increased, but she decided to wait a few more moments, not wanting to alert the authorities only to have Lola walk out immediately following. It wasn't until fifteen minutes passed that Lindsey began to assume the worst and phone the police.

"Hello, this is Lindsey Abbot," the terrified woman began once the emergency operator acknowledged her. "I believe something has happened to my friend, Lola Chesterfield."

"Can you be more specific, ma'am?" the operator inquired.

"Yes, she and her husband have been having difficulties recently," Lindsey informed them. "She stayed at my place last night but needed to return to her home for some things. She hasn't come out yet, and she told me to call you if she didn't. You can check her records. I'm sure you'll see several incidents over the past week."

"I'm seeing that now, ma'am," the woman replied. "Please, stay where you are and do not approach the house. We have some officers on the way. And, if possible, I'd like you to remain on the line until they arrive. Can you do that?"

"Yes," sighed Lindsey, entirely worried about her friend. "I will."

Lindsey assisted the operator, giving her additional details until three marked vehicles arrived with a complement of six officers.

"Alright, there's here," announced Lindsey.

"Great, stay back and let them work," the operator said. "Once it's safe to approach, I'll let you know.

Two officers split up and began casing the home's perimeter, while another two carefully proceeded inside. The remaining two positioned themselves on the front lawn. While one conferred with someone over the walkie-talkie, the other surveyed the streets for unusual activity. After some time, all the officers reconvened on the front lawn, and soon, the operator got Lindsey's attention.

"You're free to approach, ma'am. The senior detective would like to talk with you."

The noise and lights drew several neighbors from their homes, primarily homemakers, but a few stay-at-home husbands as well. Lindsey's nerves made her unsteady, and she felt weak in the knees. Nevertheless, she got out and walked over to the officers.

"Hi. Thanks for coming, officers," Lindsey greeted them. "Did you find anything?"

"Hello, Mrs. Abbot," the detective said, offering his hand.

Lindsey was still too shaken to accept and kept her distance.

"Yes, well," began the man. "Your friend does not appear to be present. There do appear to be signs of a struggle. However, forensics has more to do before concluding anything. Are you sure your friend went inside?"

"Absolutely. Can you tell me anything else?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," the man told her. "Unfortunately, until we know more, ourselves, there isn't much to go on. However, we've already called the packing factory where her husband works. He just left and is on his way here."

Lindsey's eyes grew several sizes. "You didn't mention me, did you? Lola doesn't want him to know where she's staying! Oh, god. Can I leave now?"

The man stared intently at her for a moment, wrote something on a yellow paper tablet, then nodded. "Yes. You're free to leave. Dispatch has your contact information if we need you further."

As quickly as she could, Lindsey hastened to her car, got in, and drove off in the direction of the hospital. There was only one chance left, as she saw it, and despite her doubts on the vagrant's sincerity, Lindsey had no other choice than to visit him, herself.

Less than twenty minutes later, Lindsey found herself standing at a large wooden door. And, though she was terrified, she found the courage to knock.

"Come in," said a strained voice. "It's open."

Lindsey pushed the door ajar and peered in. This time, she had no doubt. The man lying in bed was, indeed, the one they'd seen standing outside Don's a few nights ago. Though now, bereft of regular clothing, he looked utterly harmless. The I.V. running from his arm to an elevated bag gave her some measure of empathy.

"Hey," greeted the man. "I know you..."

"Y-you do?" Lindsey gasped, bringing her hands to her chest.

"Yeah, you're that Clearwater girl that Lola used to butt heads with," he said. "Back in the day. And, I think I've seen you recently, too. Oh, right, Don's."

"Yes, well..." sighed Lindsey, escorting herself to the nearest chair. "It's Lola I need to talk with you about."

"Why?" the man gasped, trying in vain to sit up. "What's happened?"

"S-she is missing," Lindsey informed him solemnly. "I... I think she's gotten kidnapped."

"Since when?" asked the man harshly. "How long ago?"

"Not long," answered Lindsey. "She and Wins... uh, William, argued, and she stayed with me last night. This morning, I took her by the house to get a few things, and she never came out. The police are investigating things now."

"God, damn it!" moaned the man, pounding his free hand on the gurney's guardrail. "If only I hadn't been so careless last night, this wouldn't have happened."

"Listen," Lindsey said urgently. "I'm sorry about your accident, but I need to ask, do you know who might have taken her or where?"

"I assume they've ruled my brother out?" Winston asked briskly.

"Not yet, even though he was at work at the time," Lindsey told him. "Presumably. You, on the other hand, have been monitored all night. Still, you may have some insight into this that you haven't told us yet."

"I-I'm afraid I don't," Winston admitted. "If William didn't nab her then..."

Bewildered, Winston lay back onto his bed, slamming his eyes shut in deep thought. Desperately, he combed through every relevant memory he could conjure, beginning around the time Kielle got murdered. He rummaged for anything at all that might help but ended up bare.

"I..." Winston began before a thought came to him. "Wait, if William was, indeed, at work, and he isn't involved..."

"What are you getting at?" asked Lindsey with interest, leaning forward to hear his reply better.

"Well, I know I didn't kill that girl, Kielle," Winston said. "And, if William isn't involved with Lola's disappearance, maybe he didn't kill that girl either. Which means..."

"There's someone else!" Lindsey gasped.

"Not only that," Winston said. "But you may have a clue where the kidnapped took Lola."

"What do you mean?" inquired Lindsey. "Please, we don't have a lot of time."

"I don't suppose they ever told you where they found Kielle, did they?" Winston asked before answering her.

"No, they haven't," Lindsey replied. "Why? Do you think it's related?"

"Possibly," Winston groaned as his wound flared. "You see, I was ostracised from the family long ago. And, I ended up staying in my grandfather's abandoned workshop near the auditorium where they hold the pageants. It was where he began the Chesterfield legacy here in Royal Woods. Anyway, whoever killed Kielle, left her there."

"And, you think Lola might be there as well?" questioned Lindsey with urgency.

Winston nodded. "I now think that whoever is responsible was trying to frame me. But they failed. They may not know I'm in the hospital and might have taken Lola there to try again. You know what they say about the scene of a crime and all."

"Thanks!" cried Lindsey, leaning over and kissing the man's cheek before running out the door.

"Hey, wait!" called Winston. "What are you going..." he added as Lindsey disappeared from view. "...to do?" he finished. Then, pressing the call button, "Nurse, can you please come here a moment. And, make it quick."

Lola's eyes slowly opened to a dimly lit environment. After squinting several times to adjust her sight, she took stock of her surroundings. She had no clue where she was, though it appeared to be some form of storage room.

The windows were tinted yellow with dust, a metal support pole sat in the middle of the room, and various worktables pressed against the walls. Metal shelving and cabinet displayed ancient unused tools unfamiliar to Lola, and the atmosphere was dank.

Lola tried sitting up but found herself unable. Her kidnapper has tightly bound Lola's wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles with several layers of duct tape, and her mouth was similarly bound and gagged. Unable to move or call for help, Lola began silently weeping, deeply regretting ever having returned home.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Lola thought in retrospect. "Lindsey had even tried to warn me."

If only she had gone to the police and asked for an escort, she might not be in this predicament. With no idea who had abducted her, Lola wasn't even sure if she cared. If this was how she would die, Lola wanted it done.

Lola glanced at the windows, attempting to discern how long she'd been there. With many years of dust, she could only conclude that several hours had passed. It wasn't dark yet, but dusk was approaching.

Struggling, she managed to sit herself up and leaned against a metal cabinet, looking for a way out or a tool that might set her free. However, the only door led further into the building, and all the tools were beyond her understanding in operation.

Then, after resting her head against the cabinet, Lola heard footsteps approach the door. Lola froze in terror as keys rattled for a moment, then the lock clicked, and the door slowly opened. Lola concentrated intently on the door. However, shadow shrouded that end of the room, and not much was discernable.

Slowly, a dark figure entered the room. Lola adjusted her view, but it made little difference. Whoever it was, seemed to be wearing black clothing and a mask. The figure walked forward a few feet, then stopped just shy of the shadow's protection.

"Ah, looks who's awake," said the figure.

"William?" mouthed Lola in surprise, despite being vocally restrained.

"Don't worry," William said, almost tauntingly. "This will be over, all too soon, and I'll finally be free of you and that degenerate."

Lola receded into herself and began weeping once more at the sound of her husband's voice. If only she had listened to her parent's objections and not married him, maybe things would be different. But no, her hard-headedness may have cost her life.

William stepped forward again, raising his arm, a gun in hand, and pointed at Lola. Lola began thrashing, trying in vain to release herself from her bindings, kicking and screaming, despite them. Then, suddenly, she heard a resounding thump, and William fell to the floor. Standing behind them was Winston.

"Lola," he sighed, rushing to her side. "Thank god you're okay! Now, let's get you out of here."

Winston carefully but quickly unbound Lola's mouth and removed the gag.

Lola took a hefty breath before thanking her rescuer. "Thank you, Winston," she cried. "I thought William was going to kill me!"

"He would have too if Lindsey hadn't talked to me first," Winston affirmed, moving to release her other bindings.

After a few moments, Lola was free and clung to Winston tightly as he began lifting her to her feet. "Why?" pleaded Lola, still manic from her ordeal. "What did I ever do to him except be a good wife?"

"That's a good question," said William behind them, having recovered while Winston released Lola. "One which you'll never know the answer. Now, put down the crowbar and leave the bitch where she is."

Slowly, Winston set Lola down and moved a few feet closer to his brother. "Will, you don't have to do this," he begged. "Whatever it is, we can work through it together. I promise."

"Work through what?" said William. "She'll be dead, and you'll have committed suicide. What a fitting way to end your existence. You'll be free from your perverted curse, and I'll be free of you."

"Will, I'm not what you think I am," Winston tried calmly to explain, taking another step forward. "I'm not like that. I was in love with Lola, yes, but nobody else. Only her. And, I still am. But you won her heart, and I never betrayed that. I would never do that to my brother. Hell, I didn't kill Kielle. I thought you did."

"That's far enough," yelled William. "Put the bar down, now, or I shoot."

Nobody saw the tiny red dot moving upward along Winston's back, nor did they see it come to rest on the back of his head. And, just as Winston bent to place his weapon on the floor, several rounds shattered the dingy old window.

*piff-piff-piff*

Instead of the intended target, the slugs hit William in the chest, and he fell backward onto the workbench immediately behind him. Winston ducked at the sound of gunfire and glanced at the shards falling around him while Lola pushed herself into a crowded corner of the room.

"No! God damn it!" came another voice from outside, confusing all present as it also sounded precisely like William.

"What the fuck?" gasped Wiston, looking from the body on the table to the broken window. "What's going on here?"

"Winston!" whispered Lola with great difficulty as she shook with fright. "Check the body! I have to know!"

While clicking sounds emanating from somewhere outside, Winston crawled across the floor and pulled himself up beside the workbench. Slowly and carefully, he reached his hand across the disorderly table and grabbed the mask, pulling it off. What he saw immediately gave rise to emotions he once believed unattainable.

"Mom?" Winston bellowed as he broke out into tears of his own. "Why..."

Lola could only look on in sadness and prayed that things would end soon. She feared that any more might throw her into total despair. "I'm so sorry..." she wept. "This is all my fault."

As another few rounds rang out, blistering the wall near Winston, sirens screeched to a halt outside the building. Several more rounds got fired, though neither Winston nor Lola could tell who from or who at, then things went silent. After another pause in the din, someone on a loudspeaker addressed them.

"Send the woman out first, then come out with your hands up!" shouted an officer.

Thirty minutes later, the area was swarmed with officers, running to and fro, for reasons nobody cared to explain or question. Lola explained everything that happened and they eventually uncuffed Winston, clearing his release. For now, the interviews had ceased, leaving Lindsey free to run to her friend.

"Oh, my, god," sobbed Lindsey, clutching her so tight that Lola thought she may die anyway. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Me too," Lola managed to squeeze out. "But right now, I just want to go home. To my parent's house."

Lindsey laughed. "I don't blame you one bit. What happened?"

"I think I can help with that," said an officer who'd overheard their discussion as he approached. "Winston, the older brother, tipped us off. You see, Mrs. Chesterfield was obsessed with raising the perfect son to inherit the family estate. When Winston didn't fit the bill, she sought to alienate him and start over with William. Then, when William began seeing someone, Kielle, I believe her name was, Mrs. Chesterfield felt threatened. She killed the girl and attempted to frame Winston."

"Why didn't she kill me right away then?" asked Lola, astounded that any mother could do such a thing.

"I guess that she felt it was soon after Kielle's death," the detective told Lola. "After all, Winston was still behind bars, awaiting trial. However, that still needs to get substantiated. We have people looking through her computer and documents now, so it shouldn't be too long before we have what we need."

"I see..." muttered Lola. "What about William? Did he..."

"He's in custody. And, I'm afraid, Mrs. Chesterfield is dead," came the reply. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your husband is under arrest and charged with murder. You have my condolences. Is there anything we can do for you?"

Lola lowered her head, still unable to grasp the intensity of everything. "N-no..." she stammered. "I just want to go home."

"Very well, we can provide escorts for both you and Mrs. Abbott, if you like," the man offered.

"Y-yes, please," nodded Lola, though her heart was elsewhere. "Wait... what about Winston?"

"He's already gotten released and has left the premises," Lola got informed. "I'm not sure where he went, though."

"I see," sighed Lola, regretting not having expressed her gratitude as thoroughly as she wished. "Let's go."

The ride from Lola's house to her childhood home was short, though it seemed to last forever for her. In less than a week, she'd been stalked, become estranged from her husband, had put a man in the hospital, kidnapped, seen a woman shot right in front of her, and now she was alone.

As good a friend as Lindsey was, there were times when a friend simply couldn't fill the void in one's life. Such was Lola's case, and the poor woman felt emotionally drained and empty. Lola wasn't even sure if her parents would be able to reassure her, let alone her siblings. God, she dreaded the day they found out what happened.

Indeed, they'd all come rushing to her side, begging to hear the gory details, and Lola had no intention of obliging them. At least, not yet. The worst, of course, would be the I-told-you-so's coming from those who'd objected to their marriage. Lola rolled her eyes and leaned her head against the window of the cruiser, wishing she could fall asleep and remain that way indefinitely.

Finally, they arrived at 1216 Franklin Street, and the officer opened the back door for her, escorting her to the front door. When the door opened, Mr. and Mrs. Loud took in the scene and understood. Nodding politely at the officer, they accepted Lola into their arms, wishing they could've done something more.

For Lola's parents, however, it was a bittersweet reunion. While their daughter was safe and no longer in the hands of those capable of murder, it wasn't without cost. Lola would, most likely, no longer be the same, spirited, joyous girl they'd raised, and the road to recovery was long indeed. That was, assuming Lola ever did.