If you missed any of the previous chapters of BlackMail II...
Zach did not
want to panic, but he could not help being afraid for his dear wife. What had
happened to her? Had she screamed for help while he was revisiting the past? He
quickly decided to search the perimeter of their residence. He easily and
quietly crossed the backyard to the other side of the house where they had set
up a small toolshed. That toolshed was where they kept all their manual and
electronic tools. They had decided that neither of them wanted to trip over a
stray nail gun or a bulky wheelbarrow.
MAKE OR BREAK?
Zach did not
want to panic, but he could not help being afraid for his dear wife. What had
happened to her? Had she screamed for help while he was revisiting the past? He
quickly decided to search the perimeter of their residence. He easily and
quietly crossed the backyard to the other side of the house where they had set
up a small toolshed. That toolshed was where they kept all their manual and
electronic tools. They had decided that neither of them wanted to trip over a
stray nail gun or a bulky wheelbarrow.
As Zach
crossed to the toolshed, he observed that the door was open. He inched closer
slowly and took a peek. There, right in front of him, was a form he had never
seen before. He charged into the shed and grabbed the arms of the stranger
while kicking him behind the knees to make him kneel. The stranger let out a
shout of surprise, and mentioned his name. Zach let go suddenly. He went around
the figure and came face to face with his wife whose face was contorted in
pain.
Zach swore
viciously and knelt in front of his wife. He rubbed his palms over his face,
biting his lower lip so that he didn’t scream his frustration. This was no time
to ask his wife what she was doing there. He was even shocked he could not recognize
his own wife from behind. He hissed and touched Cathy’s shoulder and made to take
her hands but she withdrew from him like a flaming torch. She then screamed, “Don’t
touch me, Zach! You lying, cheating traitor! Go on, kill me now! God, I knew
it. I knew you were too good to be true. You had this planned all this while. What
is keeping you now? Just kill me already!” As Cathy ranted, her tears flowed
freely. It was then that Zach noticed the contents of her hands: black poster
colour, a paintbrush that looked recently used, and some stationery, including
envelopes. Zach moved back as Cathy made to rise up. She wailed as pain shot
through her legs with the effort. As there was nothing else to hold on to, she
allowed Zach to help her to her feet, but quickly withdrew from him and
continued her assault.
“You didn’t
need to do this, Zach. You could have gotten rid of me so easily so many years
ago. Why did you pretend to have put everything behind you, as if you really
meant moving on with me? Do you want me to commit suicide? Would that make you
happy?”
Zach was lost.
“Cathy, what are you talking about? I have no idea …”
“You don’t, do
you?” Cathy thrust the items into Zach’s chest. “You are the one blackmailing
me – no, us! You made that note up here, and how stupid I was to think we were
moving forward. I was bedding the devil as he planned the fastest way to take
me to hell.” She scoffed. “Well, here I am now. Don’t hide behind papers and
paint. You’re strong; do it. Come on,” she jabbed his shoulder. “What are you
waiting for?”
Zach was
stupefied. His wife was accusing him of making that note? Him? “Cathy, I don’t know
what this is about…” Zach began as he dumped the contents of his arms onto the
workbench.
“Of course. Somehow
a ghost from the past had access to this shed and made up the note and was
clumsy enough to leave his evidence? Ha ha, right. I hardly come here. You use
this place more often than I do, and we are the only people living here. Man, I
caught you. Oh wait, I wrote the note myself. I am spooking myself. Oh God…” Cathy
collapsed against the workbench, weak from her rantings. “Zach, why?”
“Listen to me
for one minute, will you? I did not do this! I don’t know who did. What I do
know is, someone is messing with us, and the person is smartly framing me to
tear us apart. Come on, Cathy,” he reached for her hand but she pulled away. He
sighed heavily. “I didn’t do it, Cathy. I wouldn’t stoop this low. You should know
me by now. Ah.” With that Zach walked out of the toolshed and headed for the
front porch of the house where he had a wide view of the vast beach and the
sea. He longed to go for a swim to clear his head, to ease his wrung muscles,
but he feared he might be putting Cathy in danger if he left her alone. She might
even leave him. And who knows, the madman posting those black mails might be
lurking. He stretched his arms and flexed his muscles, and then turned back
into the house. As he passed through the hall towards the bedroom, he saw Cathy
going the same direction. She was still crying. He wanted to leave her alone
but he couldn’t. He couldn’t be held responsible for what he didn’t do. And
whether she liked to admit it or not, she needed him now more than ever. This prankster
could still be around.
He entered the
bedroom after Cathy and saw her slump into their bed, the bed where they had
just made wonderful love. Zach could feel a hard-on by merely thinking of it
but he suppressed it; some things were more important than physical
satisfaction. Zach tentatively sat by his wife on the bed and tried to reason
with her. As he moved to touch her, she said sharply, “Don’t. I’m not ready.”
Zach sighed, shook his head, and quietly walked out of the bedroom to the hall.
Hopefully, she would come around soon, he thought.
Meanwhile,
somewhere hidden within the hedges of the area lay a masked man, observing the
goings-on with Zach and Cathy, and smiling to himself. It wouldn’t be long now,
he thought, and she would be mine.
To be continued…
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