| 6 Comforting Stranger |
| �Peggy.� Mike�s face expressed sincere concern. �Please, will you just go!� �What�s wrong, Peggy, afraid?� Nick asked, a sarcastic smirk tugging at his lips. �Nick, don�t!� Mike warned. �Don�t what?� �You know exactly what I mean.� �You must know what she�s thinking?� �Strange thoughts run through peoples� minds when they�re afraid.� Nick leaned against the porch rail. �We can remedy that. What about showing her a good time...take her mind off her problems.. What do you think?� �Nick!� �What?� �You know why we�re here.� �What�s wrong with a small change in plan?� Peggy was terrified. Terrified that these men would do something horribly depraved to her, and then kill her. Who would hear? Who would know? She lived in an isolated area miles from anywhere. How could she stop them? She couldn�t. Keeping her gaze locked on the two men, she eased the screen door open slightly and squeezed through. Both men were too engrossed in their discussion to notice what she was doing. She slipped inside and locked the door. She made a dash for her bedroom and bolted the door. She picked up the telephone receiver. No dial tone. �Oh God! What am I going to do now?� Her mind was racing. Suddenly, she remembered her mobile phone. It was in her handbag in the livingroom. She placed her ear to the door. No sound from the other side. She hesitated. Should she go out to the livingroom and retrieve her phone or stay put? Getting the phone was her only chance. She was about to pull the bolt back when she heard Mike�s voice. �Peggy, listen to me. We�re not here to harm you. Please believe me.� �I don't care why you're here. I want you both to leave.� �I can�t leave until I know you�re all right.� �I�ll be a whole lot better after you go.� �I�m talking about the discussion we had about your husband.� �What�s that got to do with now? I don�t understand.� �That�s what I was about to explain to you when Nick interrupted.� He leaned his head against the doorjamb. �Peggy, please come out so we can talk.� �There is no way I�m coming out of here.� Her body was trembling. �Then let me come in. I�ll come in alone,� he tried to cajole her. �You can trust me.� �How can you say that? You turn up here and sweet talk your way into staying, then I find that there are two of you. What do you mean, I can trust you?� She paced back and forth behind the door. �I realise how this looks, but it really isn�t what you�re thinking. You�re distraught and not thinking clearly.� �I�m thinking very clearly by not allowing some strange man into my bedroom!� She stopped pacing and faced the back of the door. |