Authors: Dorothy Phaire
The temperature had dropped to a biting cold wind. Without a coat, Renee folded her arms around her body to keep warm. She stumbled over her feet when Odessa propelled her forward and stared out to study her surroundings through blurry eyes. An enclave of decaying buildings dwelled amidst a vast, open track of sloping landscape interspersed with densely populated evergreens and wild undergrowth. Trees had begun to shed their needles from the onset of winter. Renee jumped when a gray squirrel dashed in front of her and scampered across the tall brown grass.
“Where are we?” asked Renee.
“I guess it won’t hurt none to tell you now, Sugar,” answered Odessa with a crooked half-smile, “since we’re completely isolated here and it’s about to become your burial grounds.”
“We’re at the National Park Seminary. As you can see it’s got a heap of land and a whole mess of condemned buildings plopped up on it and not a soul in sight,” said Odessa, waving her arm as a pointer. “Since it’s been designated a historic site these old buildings won’t be demolished any time soon. That means by the time somebody comes digging through here, the only thing left of you will be your bones.”
Renee saw a highway in the distance but there was no way to get to it. “Are we still in the city?” she asked, trying to get her bearings in the hope of escape.
“No, Darlin’ we’re in Forest Glen, Maryland, in the suburbs, just outside Washington, D. C. I came upon this place last year when I had to go out to UDS’s Maryland branch office. Since I’m a bit of a history buff, I did some research on it.”
Renee recalled seeing the folder about the Seminary in Odessa’s office. She figured if she could keep the woman talking, it might buy her more time. “So what did you find out?” asked Renee, feigning interest.
“Some of these buildings have been here since the late 1800’s. The Seminary used to be a finishing school for well-off young ladies,” Odessa explained, “But during World War II, the Army took possession of it to provide more bed space for patients. It’s gone to pot over the years ‘cause it costs too dang much to maintain. Other than its historical value, the Glen, as they call it, has basically been left unattended with no practical use. So, Darlin’ nobody’s gonna come looking for you out here.”
As they walked through the dilapidated grounds, Renee gazed at the mishmash architecture representing Victorian-styled mansions, colonials, Swiss chalets, a blue-framed Dutch windmill, and even a Japanese pagoda—all in varying degrees of deterioration. Wildflowers added color around bronzed boxwoods and freeze damaged shrubs. Renee realized there was no use reasoning with Odessa. She’d already killed once. She had to catch her off guard and overpower her. Getting her to talk about the Seminary buildings seemed to distract her. With Renee’s prodding questions, Odessa pointed out features and explained their significance.
Renee walked carefully along a tree-framed cliff and felt a surge of dizziness whenever she looked down. They approached a rickety boardwalk that was nothing but a wooden plank and rail. A ravine of greenish-gray water that ultimately funneled into Rock Creek swirled below. Renee stopped dead in her tracks. She feared Odessa planned to throw her over the bridge.
As if reading her victim’s mind, Odessa sneered, “That’s right, Dr. Hayes, by the time you hit the bottom of that 80 foot drop, the rocks should crush your skull so you’ll be killed instantly and won’t feel a thing. That’s not a bad way to go, is it Sugar?” Odessa smiled wickedly, “I try to be humane. I’m sure Jerome was already dead from the smoke before he felt any fire.”
Renee spotted a large piece of splintered wood next to her foot. She knew she had to act now. She bent down to pick up the log and flailed it at Odessa—missing her head by only a fraction. Odessa grasped her wrist and seized the log, tossing it to the ground. She pulled Renee’s wrist back hard and twisted it. Renee screamed in pain and stumbled forward. Then Odessa backhanded her with hard knuckles. Renee clumped to the wet ground and felt drips of blood seep from her nose.
The left brow of Odessa’s badly plucked, arched eyebrows lifted in surprise. “That wasn’t too smart, Sugar. You’ve made me mad. Now, instead of a painless death, you’ll feel it. March,” she yelled and poked a fist in Renee’s back.
“Where are you taking me?” she pleaded.
Odessa refused to answer. Instead she shoved her victim forward down a winding path lined with thicket and trees. Just up ahead, a rundown castle sat like a fortress amidst a stretch of shrubbery and juniper trees. Their branches extended towards the moss-covered castle walls like claws. Renee stopped walking and asked Odessa about the lofty structure made of blotchy-gray stone.
“That’s the Beta Castle. It used to serve as a sorority house for the girls. And at one time there was even a drawbridge. But I don’t see how this history lesson’s gonna help you none, Doll.”
Two circular wings topped with steep-pitched roofs buttressed each end and towered above the castle’s central structure. Small leaded windows exposed faint bursts of light but wooden planks boarded all the larger windows. At that moment, Renee knew her best defense would be to flee. If she could outrun Odessa, which shouldn’t be too difficult, she might hide in the castle long enough for someone to find her. Maybe not the best plan but the only one she came up with. She figured Odessa didn’t have a real gun because if she did, she would have used it by now. And she had probably exhausted all the electrical currents in her stun gun.
Suddenly, Renee took off towards the castle. Odessa chased after her. Renee leaped across a broken step obscured by shrubs as Odessa struggled to keep up with her. However, Odessa tumbled backwards on the broken step and cried out. Renee pushed through the dense ticket and trees without looking back. A heap of plywood blocked the entrance to the castle. Renee lifted armfuls and threw them aside. She realized it was dangerous to go inside the castle because of the rotten flooring and loose steps but she ran inside the main salon anyway to get away from Odessa.
She stumbled around in the dark openness, stepping carefully on loose floorboards and dirt flooring. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed the scattered columns, the asymmetrical design of the building’s interior, and the grotto-type rooms. She needed a place to hide, quick. Renee turned around when she heard a distinct sound behind her. Odessa’s shadow stood at the doorway. After a few moments getting used to the darkness, Odessa came towards her.
“So, there you are,” said Odessa in a matter-of-fact tone and standing only a few feet away.
Renee inched backwards away from her and bumped against an iron grate with wrought-iron bars. The grate rested loosely against a crumbled, wood-burning furnace. Odessa pushed Renee aside and removed the old iron grate, revealing an ash pit and a 3-foot high pass-through.
Odessa smiled triumphantly and volunteered another history lesson. “At one time, this pass-through served as an access tunnel for supplying wood logs and kindling to the furnace. Now, it’ll serve as your tomb. Don’t worry, Dr. Hayes, you should be comfortable in there,” Odessa belted out a psychotic-sounding laugh.
“Mrs. Dillon … Odessa, please don’t do this,” Renee begged, “You’ve already taken one life and you won’t get away with it for long. It’s only a matter of time before Alonzo talks to someone. That’s how he is and you know it. With two capital murder offenses against you, you’ll definitely face the death penalty.”
“Save your breath, Dr. Hayes. Don’t worry ‘bout little ol’ me. You’re facing the death penalty right now, Darlin’.”
Being much bigger and stronger, Odessa shoved Renee face first towards the dark hole. She braced her fall on the bed of ashes that felt like soft cement and could offer no resistance to Odessa’s forceful attack. A 6-foot black snake slithered out in front of Renee, obviously not welcoming intruders to its ash pit home. Renee reared back and screamed while jutting backwards from the hole and in the process kicked Odessa in the knee. In a split second, Renee picked up a rusted shovel that she noticed next to the wall. She managed to hold Odessa at bay only momentarily.
Odessa lunged towards Renee palms up. Renee grabbed Odessa’s first two fingers and bent them back all the way until she heard her knuckles crack and saw Odessa’s distorted look of pain. But Odessa broke free and chased Renee up a split-level staircase. The long staircase led to a narrow landing then continued upward to a balcony. After a struggle, Odessa overpowered her again. She grasped Renee by the arm and twisted it behind her back. Odessa hammered her prey into the balcony. Renee’s torso leaned forward over the balcony and the blood rushed straight to her head. She felt her knees buckle and the room seemed to float around her. The balcony ledge jammed against her chest and knocked the wind out of her. She struggled to breathe.
Odessa’s laughter echoed throughout the castle’s high, vaulted ceilings. She bent down to clutch one of Renee’s ankles and propelled her forward even more. Renee used her one free hand to grip the railing to prevent herself from tumbling over but felt her sweaty palm slipping. She looked at the floor below and estimated a 30-foot drop from the balcony. She knew if the fall didn’t kill her, she’d be seriously injured. For once in her life, she had something to live for, a man who truly loved her and a precious baby who needed a mother. She prayed to God to save her. It couldn’t end like this.
In one quick move, Renee lifted her free foot to land a swift, hard kick in Odessa’s groin. Odessa jumped back to get out the way and in the process released her hold on Renee. Odessa lunged at Renee with outstretched arms and renewed anger. Odessa ran towards her. Instinctively, Renee moved out the way. While in pursuit, Odessa slipped on a loose floorboard and sailed over the banister. She landed with a thump.
Renee looked down at Odessa’s curled up body lying motionless on the floor. She rushed downstairs to check to see how badly she was injured. When Renee checked her pulse, there was no sign of life. Odessa’s eyes stared out in a transfixed state and blood drizzled from her mouth. Odessa Dillon was dead.
Renee staggered up a narrow, two-lane road and saw its street sign, Linden Lane. She walked in the middle of the road and waved her arms over her head to stop a passing car. When the motorist stopped, she explained what happened and used his car phone to dial 911.
F
or the next few nights after Renee’s narrow escape from death, Deek wouldn’t let her out of his sight. He insisted that she stay at his place for a couple of days. Not wanting to be alone all night, she didn’t put up any resistance. It was almost time for her to move into her own Victorian townhouse on 24
th
and I Street, NW with her newly adopted, infant daughter, Katia. There were many wonderful changes to come in her life, but right now being with him in his familiar surroundings felt safe. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts as she lay stretched out on Deek’s bed, only half watching a British film classic called
Brief Encounter,
and waited for him to come home from the station. The television was the only thing she could figure out how to operate in this high-tech house full of gizmos and gadgetry. She sipped from a glass of burgundy and its rich dry flavor warmed her insides.
Every now and then she caught more of the Noel Coward movie, and at some point she began to relate to the heroine’s overwhelming feelings of love for a man that she could not share her life with because they both already had ties and obligations to someone else. Renee did not want to let in old doubts about her future with Deek and mar her current happiness. Instead, she recalled that exact moment when she realized that she wasn’t going to die and had actually managed to overpower Odessa without anyone coming to her rescue but God. She thought, “
Maybe there is a purpose for me and a reason why my life was spared.”
At this point she didn’t know what that purpose was but there was still time to discover it. She reflected back to a few nights ago on the first evening they arrived at Deek’s house, after surviving her ordeal with Odessa Dillon.
Deek unlocked the front door and stepped aside for her to enter first. All of a sudden Renee felt her vision turn blurry and her feet give away from under her. He caught her before she collapsed.
“I’ll be okay,” she said, “being out in the cold and battling with Odessa must have drained my strength.”
“Would you like me to fix you something to eat?” he asked.
“No, thanks, Sweetheart. I think I’ll just lie down for a while.”
Without saying a word, he lifted her up in his arms. Renee clung to his muscled shoulders as he carried her upstairs to his bedroom. Deek gently laid her down on the bed’s black, cotton-sateen sheets. She fixed her gaze on him as he removed his sports jacket and folded it neatly across a chair. He loosened and snatched off his tie, then unfastened his gun holster and the one strapped to his ankle and set the weapons aside. Deek nuzzled beside her on his queen-sized bed, both fully clothed. She fell asleep just like that, exhausted but feeling completely safe and protected.
The next night her minor bruises and scraps had pretty much heeled and she was more rested, having slept most of the day while he was at work. Once he arrived home that second night, he had barely managed to remove his tie and weapons before they started kissing. Erotic passion mingled with a strong, metaphysical force that could not be stopped by either of them even if they had wanted to stop.
Renee quickly pulled off her dress and stretched out on the bed before him in panties and a black lace bra. He, simultaneously, unzipped and removed his slacks. She helped him unbutton his shirt, which he took off. This time they lay side by side in each other’s arms wearing nothing but their underwear. They kissed slowly and gently as if savoring every sensation. Deek’s warm tongue wandered under and between her breasts until her nipples stood up and reached out to his kisses. His lips continued to roam downward as he discovered new pleasure points on her body that she didn’t know existed.