Paradise chapt 4

         'Just my luck,' Beth commiserated. 'Falling in love with someone I can't have. I remember his eyes as they searched and embraced the very core of my existence. No one has touched me like that. Why me?'

         It was too quiet outside and Beth felt like a trapped squirrel in her little room. She had to get out. Creeping to her window, she slowly slid a corner of the curtain aside. There was no one outside that she could see even in the moonlight and she suddenly realized that the dead man on the ground was gone also. The fear intensified as it swallowed up her insides and threatened to choke her.

         She opened her window cautiously and stuck her head out. Still no one was in sight. Sliding her body out carefully she leaned against the side of the house. Where were they?

         Cautiously she slid along the wall and peeked in at the kitchen window. She gasped. Was she seeing ghosts? There sat the police officer at her kitchen table. Was he alive? She couldn't hear but could see his lips moving. Where was Tony? Then she saw him moving about the kitchen. 'Oh my gosh,' she thought. 'Tony is going to use us as hostages. I must warn my cousin Billy.'

         Slowly she backed away from the house and took off down the road toward town. It was some time before she stopped running. Her legs were trembling and her chest was exploding. How far had she run? How many miles left to go? She was about ready to drop.

         Then she heard the noise of a vehicle approaching. Torn between running into the forest of dropping to the side of the road she felt completely immobilized. Did the the police officer have a car? As she was about to give up in despair she saw the car. It was Billy coming from town early. Beth jumped up and down in the road in spite of her earlier exhaustion.

         "What are you doing out here?" asked Billy as she slid into the seat beside him.

         Words tumbling over each other and sometimes getting all mixed up, she finally got Bill to understand the situation.

         In spite of this, Billy continued to drive to the summer house.

         "What are you doing?" she gasped.

         "I want to check it out," he said.

         Bill parked the car to the side of the road a quarter of a mile from the house.

         "Don't want anyone to know we are coming." He started through the woods taking a short cut to the house.

         "I'm staying right here by the car," she returned. No way was she going near the place she once called Paradise.

         It was a long wait it seemed as she sat with the car door open. A deer strode into the clearing and Beth got out to see it. As it leaped back into the forest, she followed it for a few yards.

         Suddenly the car door slammed and Beth ran back to the car with lightning steps fearing that Billy would leave her behind. Quickly she opened the door and jumped into the passenger side just as the car engine started and they took off toward Paradise.

         "Good thing I got here in time," she stammered breathlessly as she looked over at Bill.

         Once again fear crushed her in its grip. Tony sat at the wheel. She screamed.

         "Take it easy Beth. Everything will be over soon."

         She tried to leave the car even as it was moving but Tony grabbed her arm.

         "Don't panic," he said. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

         They drove into the yard and as Tony let her arm go, she jumped from the car and ran into the house. Her first thought was to grab a butcher knife and set the police officer and Billy loose.

         But Tony was faster and he had her in a firm grip, arms wrapped around her.

         His warm body tight up against her, she wept inside when the mixed feelings of fear and attraction flooded over her. Once again no fair.

         Tied to the kitchen chair was the police man but Billy was no where in sight.

         "What did you do with Billy?" she screamed. "Let me go." She fought the arms that held her but she was no match for Tony.

Just then the front door opened and in walked Billy. Beth stopped to stare.

"Hey Beth, cool down," laughed Bill. "This is Tony - state police."

         "You mean - " she began.

         "That's right kiddo. The real crook is tied up over there."

         She turned to look at Tony. Again as their eyes met she was filled with intense yearning.

         "Sorry I gave you a hard time," she apologized.

         "No problem," he said. "I tried to explain earlier but you wouldn't listen. I didn't want to alarm you and let the criminal know I was here so I thought it better to stay under cover."

         "Well," said Billy, "let's get this guy back behind bars. I'll drive you to town and then we'll return to fix your car."

         Beth decided to stay at the house but insisted that Billy return soon as she was still feeling a bit jittery.

         "I'm coming back too," said Tony as he looked deep into her eyes. "I think I've just found an angel in Paradise."

         With that, he tilted Beth's face up to meet his in a deep passionate kiss.




THE END