Addison was also massively creeped out.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud pop sounded right next to her and then a rushing sound. She relaxed a little when Erica filled a champagne glass and then tensed when Erica pressed the glass into her hand. Visions of graves floated through her head all over again. If Erica could recreate a scene from a wedding over the span of six months in the middle of a forest, then Addison wasn’t going to underestimate her ability to drug, murder, dismember and bury her.
“Thanks,” Addison said taking the sparkling wine and pretending to take a sip.
“I know it’s your favourite, and I brought a picnic basket with all your favourite foods. I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to bring you out here so I kept replenishing them over the past few weeks,” Erica gushed, unpacking what sounded like a lot of food on the table in front of Addison.
Addison sat speechless for a moment, her heart pounding in fear. She wished desperately she knew what to do or say. She’d never read a psychology book in her life and found movies boring for obvious reasons. She had no clue how to navigate her current situation. All she knew was that she didn’t want to upset Erica until she could find a way out. She needed the sun to go down so she could have the advantage of darkness before trying her luck in the surrounding woods. Sunset was at least half an hour away. She needed to do her best to placate a clearly unhinged Erica and stall for time.
“Wow, Erica, you went to a lot of trouble just for me,” Addison said as enthusiastically as she could manage. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a friend.”
“Oh I’m not just your friend, Addison,” she admonished lightly, piling food onto Addison’s plate. “I’m your biggest fan, as you obviously know, and I’m also your biggest love. I think we’ve flirted for long enough now, it’s time to admit our feelings. It didn’t work out between you and that other guy, but I’m here for you now. I’ll never leave you or throw your love back in your face like he did.”
Addison swallowed hard and forced a smile to her lips. “I… I really appreciate that, Erica. You have no idea how much.”
The smell of the food hit her and she nearly gagged. It had definitely gone bad since the last time Erica had gotten out to update the picnic basket. She had no idea what Erica thought her favourite foods were, but it smelled like chicken and maybe potatoes. She felt Erica go around to the other side of the table and settle in the other chair.
“Bon apetite,” she called cheerfully picking up her cutlery. Addison’s jaw dropped and she covered her mouth so she wouldn’t gag when she heard the sounds of Erica eating the rotten food. “Mmm, it’s really yummy Addie, eat up, I know you must be super hungry!”
“Oh god!” Addison said under her breath. She touched the table, feeling for the fork, more so she could defend herself than to actually start eating the disgusting food in front of her.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Erica asked in a hurt little girl voice.
“What… what is it?” Addison asked. “I don’t like eating food that I can’t see and don’t know what it is?”
“Oh, right, of course!” Erica exclaimed. “How silly of me. It’s cream cheese and crab stuffed chicken with mashed potato and broccoli sides. All your favourite dishes. Remember that time we all went out for supper in San Francisco after that wonderful performance last February? Your solo got a standing ovation. It’s what you ordered and you said it was sublime, I remembered!”
Addison’s eyes watered and she covered her mouth unable to suppress the gag that crawled up her throat. Afraid that she would throw up, she turned sideways in her chair and craned her head away from the food so she could breath air not tainted by the smell of rotting seafood and chicken.
“What’s the matter,” Erica said sharply, standing. “Why aren’t you eating?”
“I… I can't Erica. I think the food’s gone bad,” Addison said helplessly, moving to stand up, unable to stomach being near the food for a moment longer. She was beginning to imagine it was crawling with maggots or worms. That was the problem with blindness. When she had no visual reference, she was limited to her imagination, which was boundless. She had no idea how long the food had been sitting out there in that stupid picnic basket and Erica was definitely not in any condition to make realistic and healthy decisions.
“Don’t get up!” Erica screeched rushing toward her. She shoved Addison back in the chair so hard that the chair rocked back and Addison nearly toppled over. “Eat the food, Addie, eat it right now! You have to take care of yourself. I insist!”
Erica shoved the plate at Addison, forcing the noxious food closer. Without thinking Addison swiped at Erica with the fork in an attempt to get her away. Erica grabbed Addison’s wrist and slammed it against the table so hard it cracked and Addison’s hand automatically opened. Addison cried out in pain and the fork tumbled off the table. She cradled her wrist against her chest, fearing it might be broken.
“You tired to stab me!” Erica screamed. “After everything I did for you. You bitch!”
Without warning Erica slapped her so viciously Addison would have fallen off the chair, except for the table in her way. She fell hard against it, smashing into the dinnerware and sending it flying. Rotten food scattered across the lace tablecloth and her champagne glass tipped over with a crash.
“Look what you made me do!” Erica screamed and grabbed Addison by the hair, yanking her head back. With terror, Addison realized Erica was still holding the knife.
“You ruined everything!” Erica sobbed hysterically before sinking the blade into Addison.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Daniel paced the confines of the private jet like a caged wolf as it taxied down the runway. The cowering hostess hadn’t bothered to suggest he might want to sit and use a seatbelt after the first time. Daniel suspected King would soon be looking for a new flight attendant. He didn’t give a shit. King’s staffing issues were’t his problem. Finding Addison was. He’d tried her cell phone over and over, in between issuing orders to his team.
He’d walked his guys through the necessary steps to gain access to his personal surveillance equipment to begin tracing where Addison had disappeared. Moments before the plane landed, they informed him that she’d gotten into a car with the Maestro’s assistant, Erica Pennington. They were still working on where the frizzy-haired blond bitch had taken her.
The moment the plane stopped moving, Daniel tuned to the hostess and barked, “Open the fucking door, now!”
She was so frightened she fumbled with her seatbelt. He reached out, unbuckled her and then hauled her toward the door. He imagined Addison scolding him for manhandling the poor woman and eased his hold on her arm. Rage and worry consumed him as he prayed he was able to find her before the psycho symphony assistant could hurt her. He was going to take that fucking bitch apart piece by piece when he got his hands on her.
The shaking air hostess managed to get the door open just as a set of stairs were pushed against the jet. He took them two at a time and was met at the bottom by King and Jane Sitnikov. Daniel gave her a piercing look that told her clearly what he thought of her presence.
“We think we know where she is,” King said as they walked swiftly toward the SUV. “We were able to use your surveillance program to trace her to a city park. We have guys over there, but they haven’t been able to find her, apparently it covers a huge tract of land.”
