Traffic

Ch 8: Deceit

"Get the door will you?"

"I'm making dinn--"

"Get the effin DOOR! Jeez, what else are you GOOD FOR?! Can't you see I'm a little busy?!"

Kelly looked over to see her Master with his newest victim. rubbing aloe on her burns. The night before he had gotten angry and thrown a pot of boiling water onto her in a drunken rage, this burning her sensitive skin. Kelly gave her a pitying glance and went towards the door.

"Don't forget..." he said, pointing to the pistol that lay on the table beside him.

"Yes, Master," she answered, leaving the door open as she left, walking down the hallway to answer the knock on the door.

She opened the door a crack and peeked out.

"Hello, um, do you live here?"

Kelly looked frightened as he stared at her.

"U-um...I--Yes, may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Tod Berry, I'm your neighbor down the street. I've come inquiring if anyone knows anything of the disappearance of the little Quincy girl...Do you know who she is?"

Kelly looked uncomfortable and edgy, knowing that that must be who was in the kitchen at that very moment.

"N-no, I don't know."

"Okay, well, if you see anything...will you give me a call? Here's my number," he handed her a slip of paper after scribbling onto it with a pen.

She read it quickly: 'Blink once for yes, twice for no, is she inside?'

She was so frightened as to what her master would do to her that she couldn't move. Getting anxious, her master came up behind her and opened the door.

"Hello, I'm the man of the house, I'm sorry if my daughter didn't answer you, she's very shy," he said, pushing Kelly out of the way, "May I help you?"

Kelly looked past him to the stranger and blinked once, making sure he saw, then scurried into the kitchen.

"Uh, no, that's alright. I'm sorry to bother you, sir."

"It's no problem. Have a good day."

"You as well sir. You have a very pretty daughter."

"Thank you. She is rather beautiful isn't she? Takes after her mother, rest her soul. Anyhow, goodbye."

"Goodbye, sir," Tod answered, walking back down the path. So as not to cause suspicion, he went to the next house over, continuing his search. When he knocked on the door, he asked to use their phone.

Meanwhile, Kelly was jumpy as she finished making lunch. She was scared for her own and this little girl's safety. She was probably only twelve, and she was white as a sheet, shaking, and scared.

The Master walked back into the room and stared at Kelly, "What did you tell him?"

"You heard me, Master, you know what I said. I didn't say she was here, because she isn't, is she?"

"No. She isn't. Good girl. 'Course, you'd know exactly what would happen to you if you're lying to me, don't you?"

"Yes, Master."

"Why don't you tell our guest here?"

Kelly turned and looked at her small companion, "If you disobey the Master, you will be raped, beaten until you can't see, thrown into the basement, and deprived of food and water for forty eight hours."

"Raped...Why use such a mean word, Kelly? Why not call it...Pleased?"

"There's nothing pleasing about it, Master."

"If you sass me once more, I'll make this little one WATCH while I do ALL you just described to you. Got it?!"

"Yes, Master."

Just then, there were sirens blaring all around the house and a speaker sounded, "My name is Sargent Smith, I'm with the Georgia Police Department, please come out with your hands up or we'll come in."

"What did you DO?!" he screamed to Kelly, grabbing a pot and hitting her while the little Quincy girl screamed I  horror.

"Shh! Don't scream, sweetheart, don't scream," Kelly cautioned, but it was too late, their Master had already moved towards her. Kelly stood shakily and threw herself towards her, blocking the blows as best she could.

Seconds later, the door was burst down and Master acted quickly in handing Kelly the pan and making it seem like she was beating the young girl.

"Feeze!" the police shouted as they burst in with guns.

They all froze, all covered in bloody bruises and all panting and the youngest, crying. The police chief came forward and spoke, "Which one of you is the owner of this house?"

"I-I-I a-am, s-sir," Master said.

"What is your name?"

"D-Dan-Daniel Si-ims, Sir."

"Daniel Sims, can you identify these girls?"

"I-I can t-try. s-sir. This is m-my daughter, Kelly...A-and th-this was h-her fr-friend...Please, I-I don-don't know wh-what's g-going on..."

"This little girl is Sarah Quincy. She was kidnapped from her yard yesterday evening around dusk. Did you take her?"

"N-no! Kel-Kelly t-told m-me she w-was ha-having a-a sl-sleepover..."

Kelly tried to speak up, but her fear kept her from saying anything. She knew Master would all but kill her if she spoke, so she didn't.

"You're telling me, that this girl kidnapped Miss Quincy from her yard? For what reason?"

"Sh-she's an on-only ch-child, she g-gets lo-lonely. Her m-mother d-died and sh-she has no-nobody..."

"Tod, can you identify these people?"

"Yes sir, that's Sarah Quincy, and that's the little girl with the stutter I spoke of, who answered the door. This is her father. He did speak of her having no mother..."

Kelly knew this was her chance to speak up, but she couldn't. Especially seeing the gun still sitting on the table, in easy reaching distance of her Master.

"Take them all downtown for questioning," The Sargent commanded, walking from the house. Kelly and Daniel were cuffed and dragged to a cruiser, and Sarah was brought out to her family before being escorted to give her statement. She was shaken up, hurt and scared, but the little girl bravely stood her ground, something that was beaten out of Kelly over the past year and a half.