The Joy of Revenge

The Joy of Revenge
CHAPTER 124 Missing Person
Lisa
I was on the freeway, driving home from Bismarck, feeling utterly hopeless. It was almost four in the morning. I needed to get some sleep, but finding Cris was much more important.
He was ruining himself with this obsession he had with whatever he and Pete were into.
Last Saturday night, after the Miss Honey Bee pageant, I received a text message from Cris asking me to pick him up. I drove to Bismarck and found him standing on the side of the road beside Huff Hills mansion seemingly catatonic. Pete and I had to shove him into the backseat of my car just to get him inside.
As I drove us back home, he just sat there, wide-eyed, looking extremely scared, uttering the words, “I didn’t mean to, but she was so small, over and over again.
“You didn’t mean to do what, Cris? And who was so small?” I asked, hoping the questions would help clear his head and snap him back to reality. But he ignored my questions and just continued saying those nine words over and over again.
The next morning, I found him seated on the edge of his bed staring off into his
space, pillow untouched, making it quite obvious he didn’t sleep at all the night before. I tried to feed him and bathe him, but it was next to impossible. So I let him sit and stare, making a m ental note to have him admitted if things didn’t get any better the next day.
Yes, I did panic when Liam and Dan showed up unannounced at our doorstep, looking for Cris, but I also felt grateful. I had a feeling they knew how to help him and I was right.
It only took Liam ten minutes to bring him back to his wits.
I was relieved to hear Cris yelling again, however the words I heard him utter made me realize the Cris seated in his bedroom was no longer the Cris I fell in love with. He was this monster who kidnapped and raped women. I had thought the rape of Joy Taylor was a one time thing, unfortunately I was so wrong.
Now, there was this mafia underboss named Alejandro De Vega of the East North Central States who wanted to exact vengeance because he and Pete couldn’t handle rejection.
This was more than I could handle.
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CHAPTER 124 Missing Person
ever happened. But when he came back home from Chimes, he was agitated and angry, like he was betrayed. I tried talking to him, but he told me he just wanted to be left alone.
And that’s what I did, I left him alone.
What I should have done was have him admitted into the psychiatric ward, then I wouldn’t be driving around town looking for him.
Despite Theodore Cohen’s death, my day was full of clients trying to sn atch up newly listed homes on the market.
However, it was Bo’s attorney, Lincoln Murphy, who caught my eye. He was dashing, very respectful and a complete gentleman. He bought the newly vacated McDowell residence without even negotiating the price.
“I’ll take it
it and whatever furniture is in it,” he said, writing me a check. “I’ll even add another hundred thousand dollars if you can give me the keys by tonight.”
“Why would you want to move here?” I asked, suspiciously. “Your practice is in Bismarck, right? I believe there are condominiums in the city better suited for someone like you.” He
sighed.
“I’m currently living in a condo,” he said. “The view is amazing, I live with so many other people, but to tell you honestly, I feel so secluded, so alone.”
“Well, that’s an easy fix,” I replied, smiling. “You should make friends with some of your
neighbors.”

“And have them banging on my door late at night when they want to drink? Nah. Better keep them
at a safe distance, like the homes in Highland Oaks. Houses are at a good distance. from each other, giving me all the privacy I need while the townsfolk will make me feel right at home.” I nodded my head, agreeing with what he said.
I glanced down at the form I had him fill up. “It says here you’re single,” I said, surprised. “Why buy a house so big?”
“When I decide to start a family, I want everything in place,” he answered. “Big house with enough rooms and a big yard for the kids to play in. I think that’s what all married couples
want.”
I grimaced, knowing I would never get that from the man I was married to. Cris Murdock was. a sick man, but I couldn’t leave him without damaging his reputation in this town. Actually/6
CHAPTER 124 Missing Person
leaving him would damage mine even more.
“By the way, any single ladies here you can introduce me to?” He asked casually.
“Well, there’s my bestfriend, Nicole Davis, and a woman who just moved in from Nevada. Her name is Virtue Sullivan,” I answered. “I have another friend, Abigail Reynolds, but she’s in
the hospital.”
“I’ve already met Virtue Sullivan through Bo,” Lincoln Murphy said. “She’s extremely beautiful. She’s, uhm, out of my league. But I’m willing to meet your bestfriend when the
time is right.”
“Sure, Mr. Murphy,” I replied.
“Link. You can call me Link.”
Even his nickname was s exy.
I wanted to kick myself. Here I was, a married woman, flirting with a handsome and witty man. I sighed. Cris used to be like that. Now, he was someone I didn’t even know.
y car in our
After participating in the vigil, I went home exhausted. I was about to park my
driveway when I noticed Cris’ car was not in its usual spot.
Where the f uck did he go?
I rushed inside our house, grabbed my laptop, and began tracking him through the small GPS trackers I placed in all his shoes as instructed by Liam. While his other pairs showed a green dot on my locator, there was no signal coming from one pair.
I began clicking away, trying to track his car. Same thing, no signal. I went through the
town’s CCTV feed and I found nothing.
There was only one place I knew he would go to late at night. I exited the house, dashed
back into my car, and drove to Huff Hills.
Last night, when he thought I was already sound asleep, he left the house. I tracked him down to the mansion on Huff Hills. I suspected he was meeting with Pete.
I was about to call Liam and tell him about Cris late night rendezvous, but decided to do it in the morning.
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peeked inside Cris’ room and saw him sleeping peacefully. I decided to let his late night excursion slide since it was his first offense. I promised I would tell Liam if he ever did it
again.
I decided to call Liam. Maybe he found out about last night and met up with Cris to reprimand him. At least knowing where he was would alleviate the worry in my heart.
Liam answered after several rings.
“Liam, Cris is missing,” I said.
“He’s what?!” Liam roared. Okay… Liam wasn’t with Cris. “What about those tracking devices I told you to place in his shoes?”
“The pair he’s using isn’t pinging me his location nor is his car,” I said.
“Signal’s jammed,” Liam mumbled. “Where are you?”
I’m on the freeway heading towards Huff Hills, I answered truthfully. “It’s the only place I can think off. Most of the establishments in New Salem are closed.”
“Alright. If you find him, tell him if he wanders off again, I will kill him myself,” Liam growled before hanging up.
As I reached the foot of the hills, I was shocked to see the police, the firemen and emerg medical services blocking the entrance to the prime neighborhood.
I rolled down my window to speak to the nearest police officer.
“Ma’am, this area has been sealed off from the public,” the police officer said.
“What’s going on, Officer?” I asked.
“Groups of armed men were seen shooting at each other near Huff Hills Mansion” the officer said. “For your safety, I urge you to go home.”
“But
my
husband is visiting a friend here,” I cried out. “I’ve come to pick him up.”
“All residents have evacuated their homes,” the police officer said. “You might want to head to City Hall and check the manifest. The people there will tell you where you can find your ‘husband.”
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