The Dry Cleaner

Chapter 43

Hey hey
I'm so sorry that I've been away for so long.
School really had me so occupied that I can't get time to update as fast as I would want to.
Please understand me and forgive me.

Anyway here's another one.

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First she dialed Patrick's number but he couldn't be reached. Then she ran to her car and sat down for a good fifty seven minutes trying to figure out what in the world she would do.

Troy.He's taken Troy, was all she thought.

'I did this to him. I introduced Troy to him knowing that Patrick is crazy. Patrick is a psycho. I should have never let him lie for me. I should have just handled Patrick on my own instead of dragging Troy down with me. Its all my fault. Its all my fault. What do I do now? What can I possibly do?', she thought to herself her whole drive home.

She rushed into her apartment and immediately closed all the curtains making the room dark but still she felt unsafe. She was still scared that he was watching her.

She pulled her phone out and dialed the only person she could trust at the moment. Malcolm.

On the first try,it went straight to voice mail. And so did the ten that followed until she gave up. Where was he when she needed him?

She tried Patrick's phone again, to try and at least negotiate with him but she knew it was a stupid plan because he wouldn't pick his phone up.

She was sprawled on the floor, desperately thinking of what she could do to save Troy. Tears slowly began streaming down her face and soon she was a sobbing mess.

She sat for hours there,silent, unable to do anything, unable to find a solution, unable to reach Malcolm ,in deep deep thought.

*ring*ring*ring*ring*
She heard and immediately jumped up.

She checked her phone. It wasn't he phone ringing so she walked into the kitchen where the ringing sound was coming from and it was the telephone. Who even uses those these day?

She carefully picked it up afraid of what would happen next and she heard heavy breathing before the voice belonging to the man she hated most.

"I see you tried to call after you found out that your little boyfriend went missing. I don't know what you were trying to achieve by that," he said.

"Where is he?" She managed to say with a dry raspy voice.

"Don't worry he's in my safe hands," he said and she could feel him put on the evil smirk he often wore.

"Please don't hurt him. You don't have to drag him into this. Take me instead please. Let him go. He has nothing to do with this.Please Patrick,"

"You are such a whiner you know. And yes he has to be dragged into this. He took you away from me,"

"No Patrick you have it all wrong. Please just let me explain to you its...."

"Fine. Meet me at the coffee shop we used to go to in ten minutes. Ten minutes or I'll start torturing your ..boyfriend,"

"Thank you ,thank you. I'll be there," she said before he hang up.

She quickly ran to her room and changed her wet shirt and pulled on a jungle green button up shirt. She tied her hair again into a ponytail and picked her wallet,keys and phone before dashing out of the apartment.

Ten minutes would be tricky to get to the coffee shop and so she drove as fast as she possibly could, speeding past traffic lights and often being hooted at by other drivers.

She parked her car. Thirty seconds to go. She dashed into the store and looked around before she spotted his figure and carefully approached him.She pulled a char and sat down with his eyes studying her every move.

"You made it on time. I was staring to doubt you,"he said smiling at her and calling a waiter. She shifted uncomfortably as he ordered a drink for her and as he studied her.

She took a sip of the coffee before looking at him again,"Where is he?" she asked.

"Relax he's fine. Let's talk,"

"You can't hurt him. He didn't do anything wrong. He's not my boyfriend. He's my close friend.I knew him since we were in middle school he's just my friend. He lied to you because he thought it would help the conversation end. He saw that I was nervous so he came to help. Patrick please please don't hurt him,"she said looking at his angry face.

"So you're afraid of me?You know that I NEVER meant to hurt you like that. It was all a mistake,"he said raising his voice and drawing some strange stares.

"I would never, ever hurt you," he said banging his fist on the table.

"I...I know you would never Patrick," she said with a shaky voice playing his little game,"you are too...nice.. to kind to ever, ever do such a thing to me," she continued her voice slightly shaking.

He calmed down, his breathing returning to normal and his smirk making its appearance on his face, "Then I have an idea in that case. Lets move away to another state or another country. Lets start a fresh," he said smiling at her.

She was reluctant. Off course she didn't want to do this, "Patrick, I would love to but really I can't......"

Before she could finish her statement, he cut her off, "You have no choice. I have your little friend tied up in the boot of my car unconscious and I  will kill him right before your eyes and then using the gun that I have in my pocket right now to kill you in front of your precious mother and we don't want that now do we? So here's what were going to do you are going to act calm and collected," he said looking at her in the eyes sending a shiver down her back with his threats.

"Good now I am going to pay the bill and hen I'll take you to your apartment and you can pick everything that you want and then we'll leave you friend there. We have a flight to catch to California tomorrow so we will spend the night in my house and if you try any stupid stunts.... I will kill you," he said standing up his voice, his words replaying over and over in her mind.

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Please excuse any errors.