Week Four

FRIDAY MARCH-25 (Good Friday)

It was decided that only Maria and I should be at Heathrow to meet ours and Vikki's parent's plane. Detective Miller kept us company and we were in the same office that Maria and I had been shown into when we were first told of Vikki's kidnapping. The same airport representative, his name was Michael Macauley, was with us as we waited for both sets of parents to be shown into the office.

The long flight had given them time to compose themselves just like Maria and Lucy and I and the rest of the band had had the rest of yesterday and all of last night to do the same. Of course human nature being what it is all of that composure crumbled as we laid eyes on each other. My father and John Thompson didn't show any outward indication of emotion. They were men of character and the sort of men that just didn't show emotion in that way. My mother and Julie Thompson though were mothers and emotional women so they they did the crying for the four of them and for for me because I had cried myself out last night.

Maria too had shed her share of tears, however she wasn't quite cried out and she joined in with her mother and 'Mummy Julie' because she really, really loved Vikki often saying that she felt like her little sister.

Finally after the tears were wiped away with wads of tissues and after they had been introduced to detective Raymond Miller Vikki's mother swung around and stared at him. "So, detective, have you spoken to that pompous bag of wind Chesterfield?"

"You mean the man the man that calls himself the Fifteenth Earl of Bath?"

"If that's his title yes. So, have you?"

"Their house doesn't have any sort of title now, though the family name is a part of the English peerage. It's all rather complicated, which is why he calls himself 'The Earl' or sometimes Lord Chesterfield. Nobody really minds that he uses such a title, particularly as his family are members of the wealthy aristocracy. And yes of course I spoke to him Mrs. Thompson. However there is nothing to suggest that Carson Chesterfield had anything to do with your daughter's disappearance. After all as I explained to Justin and his sister and to the rest of the band and Miss James, he can account for his whereabouts at the time your daughter was kidnapped."

"Detective Miller are you a father?" asked Vikki's mother.

His smile was forced. "Married twice divorced twice. I didn't learn the first time that the job and a happy home doesn't go hand-in-hand. And to answer your question, no there were no children."

"Then you couldn't possibly know, Detective Miller, just what a mother feels when her child has gone missing like this." She stepped up to him until they were standing toe to toe. "I'm telling you--" she said as the odd tear continued to roll unchecked down each of her cheeks "--that Chesterfield has my daughter, now you can quote that alibi until you're blue in the face. And you can talk about his life and his family and his upbringing and how blue his fucking blood is and any other fucking thing you choose to but I KNOW detective Miller, I KNOW that Chesterfield is in this right up to his grubby little neck!"

My mother joined her then. "Make that WE KNOW Detective Miller. Now you may not be able to talk to Chesterfield any more because of being accused of police harassment or whatever it is they choose to call it, but we can."

"Mrs. Robertson," he said, "I'd rather you..."

"Rather we WHAT Detective Miller. Rather we not interfere with your ongoing investigation. Is that what you were going to say?"

"Yes, actually I was."

"Then tell us that you're making progress that you have some leads to investigate."

"I wish I could tell you that that was the case Mrs. Robertson."

"AND IT WON'T BE THE CASE," she cried out as her tears began to flow again, UNTIL YOU ACCEPT THAT CARSON CHESTERFIELD IS THE CHIEF SUSPECT." Mum calmed down a little at that point but continued on. "Detective Miller, can't you see that being around the band on four separate occasions, organising to be on stage during their first London concert so that he could have sex with VIKKI and that Vikki going missing as soon as she arrives back in London from Ireland is too much of a coincidence!"

"Mrs. Robertson, I will admit that we haven't entirely ruled him out. The trouble is that even when we have him followed, and we have done so on three separate occasions, his behaviour has been impeccable and he has done just what we would expect of a young man of his station."

"Almost as if he knew he was being followed," said Vikki's father from the chair he was sitting in.

"Maybe, but we don't think so Mr. Thompson, our men are good at what they do. I doubt he would have seen them."

"Aren't the criminal element in London just as good at what they do?" asked my father as he cuddled my sister while she sat on his lap.

Yes of course they are Mr. Robertson, and that is why we have to keep our options open. And besides, we still haven't entirely ruled out kidnapping for monetary gain as a possibility." He checked his watch. "After all it has only been forty-two hours since Miss. Thompson was taken."

This was too much for Vikki's mother who beat her hands on his chest as she screamed. "ONLY! ONLY!! That freak could have done anything ... Could have ... He might have ... Our," she looked at her husband John. "Our daughter Vikki could be..." She didn't finish as she slumped to the floor at the detective's feet.

I quickly moved to her and took her hand. Easing her to her feet I led her to Vikki's father and sat her in his lap as I continued to hold her hand. Then I looked her in the eye as her husband wiped them with a tissue. "You trusted me when we had that problem with Mason on that first Sunday night didn't you Julie?" She sniffled a little as she nodded her head. "Well trust me now.

"Firstly I agree with you that Chesterfield probably has her. Secondly I think he's too smart to get caught by the police." I turned and looked at the detective. "Sorry Detective Miller, no offence meant."

He smiled. "None taken young man."

"Thank you," I said continuing. "It's just that if he has done this then he probably has the contacts and the resources to avoid being seen or compromised." I turned back to Vikki's mother and continued with what I had had a long time to think about. "As I said Julie, you have to trust me. I think the last thing on Chesterfield's mind is doing Vikki any long term harm. Oh I think he might slap her around a little as a part of whatever it is he is trying to teach her, but I don't think he intends her any physical harm." I looked at Vikki's father and then my parents and Maria who still occupied my father's lap before I turned back to Julie. "You see I think he has a long term goal and to achieve that goal he has Vikki spirited away somewhere we'll never find her." And that's when I remembered something that should have occurred to me hours ago, something I should have thought of immediately we learned of Vikki's kidnapping. I smiled the most genuine smile I'd managed in a long time. "Or at least that's what he thinks!"

When Vikki came around it was pitch black. She couldn't remember going to sleep and figured that there must have been something in the sweet corn soup she'd been force-fed after he'd cuffed her and then bitch-slapped her when she threw the container of fried rice he'd bought for her at him. As usual when he wasn't around there was music playing. This time it was a young female singer. She didn't know who she was but whoever it was had the most remarkable voice. Soprano Vikki guessed with her limited knowledge of music. The song was familiar, would be familiar to everyone. It was a truly extraordinary version of 'Amazing Grace'.

"She has a beautiful voice has she not."

The voice was sudden and had surprised her. Vikki hadn't expected him to be in the room. Not that she could answer him as the gag was back in place.

"Her name is Hayley Westenra. She hails from New Zealand you know. And she is as beautiful as her voice."

The light suddenly went on suddenly and Vikki had to close her eyes and then squint a few times until they got used to the light and she was able to see him standing there. He was naked and his cock was hard. She looked at him as he moved closer and removed her gag which he placed at the end of the bed before he stood on her left of the bed with his hard-on near her mouth.

She turned her head to the right facing away from him. "What do you want this time, you bastard? Do you want to rape my mouth instead of my cunt? Or are you going to beat me unconscious first like you did before you raped me?"

"You asked for it Victoria. I have to punish you don't you see. Lady's don't spit, they don't use nasty words, and they make love to their Lords."

"My name is VIKKI!" she cried.

"And you will be, Vikki, but only when I say so and only with some of my special friends at our special parties. First of all though you have to learn to love me, learn that our destinies were meant to cross, learn that we were meant for each other."

Vikki didn't answer, she had long ago given up reminding him that she would love only one person, he'd beaten that out of her. But he wouldn't, couldn't beat away her memory of him. She knew Justin would work day and night to find her, knew that he would never give up and simply knowing that meant she would never give up either. She would do whatever it took, accept whatever happened to stop Chesterfield from continuously slapping just in case the slapping escalated to something more violent. If he wanted to have sex with her she would submit and maybe even become more of an active participant, but she would close her eyes and think that it was Justin. She smiled to herself as she realised that with the difference in length and thickness between Justin and the prick's cock that her imagination would need to be good. That being the case she also decided that she would imagine her father and Justin's father fucking her with their cocks which were of a similar size.

"Lady Victoria?" Vikki turned her head and tried to smile as she looked at him. "If I take the cuffs off again will you behave yourself. I mean you must know that I don't like hurting you."

Vikki nodded her head as she struggled to be civil. "Yes Carson, I will."

He smiled. "Good, then I have a dress for you to wear. And I've made sure that it will fit your beautiful 34C-22-35 body. Of course you'll have to have a shower first, and then once you're dressed your hair will need to be done. A young lady, a special young lady will be coming in to do that." He took her hand in his. "Ready Victoria?"

Vikki tried to act enthusiastic. "Yes Carson. Can I see the clothes?"

He shook his head slowly. "Shower first. And if you're extra nice to me and let me wash you I'll let you keep them."

As though I'd want to, she thought. She had to bite her tongue though so as not to say it. "Instead she said, "That sounds wonderful."

The cuffs were quickly removed, and after stretching her still naked body and rubbing the slight soreness from her wrists and ankles Vikki got up and followed the self-proclaimed Lord Carson Chesterfield to the rooms ensuite.

She watched him turn the taps on and then adjust the waters temperature, and watched him grab a bottle of shampoo before she joined him in the spacious shower and stood facing him. But that wasn't what he wanted. He twirled the index finger of his right hand indicating for her to turn around. So she did making it seem as if she trusted him more than she actually did.

Suddenly she was eased under the warm shower spray and his hands gently massage her hair until it was uniformly soaked. Then suddenly he was massaging some strawberries and cream shampoo into her scalp. Vikki closed her eyes against the shampoo at that moment and thought of Justin. She allowed herself to imagine they were his strong hands shampooing her long brown hair just like it would be his hands washing her naked body.

At the same time as Vikki was being showered by Chesterfield we were all gathered in the bands suite after mum and dad and Vikki's parents had managed a couple of hours fitful sleep before freshening up to join us. There were twenty of us and we were all in the large lounge area central to the whole thirty second floor. Room service had delivered a banquet lunch at no charge courtesy of the hotel's management.

The suites big-screen TV was on because, as expected, the story had broken and was big news. On one of the two coffee tables were morning editions of three of Fleet Streets finest tabloids. Their headlines were different in point-size and sensationalist content but basically they all said that she had been snatched from under the watchful eyes of hotel security. However it was what they hadn't said once I'd read all the reporters by-lines that bothered me. Reading between the lines it seemed that the papers were asking whether Vikki and the bands stage performance and the worldwide liberalisation of censorship and the accompanying sexual freedom was directly responsible.

"Fucking cow!" said the bands brown haired saxophone player Chris Barratt after the female half of the female/male partnership that presided over ITV's special edition lunchtime news and current affairs program asked that very question. "Bitch doesn't have a clue," and he turned the TV off.

"Easy babe," said Lisa Hepple moving to sit on his lap as he sat back down in one of the many comfortable armchairs that had been placed at their disposal. "She's just playing 'Devil's Advocate', saying what a lot of people are thinking."

"Unfortunately Lisa's right," said Vikki's mother as she sipped from her cup of strong black coffee. "Which brings us to the question of what we should do now." Vikki's mother turned to me. "If, as you seem to think, Vikki remains relatively unharmed what should we do? I'm pretty sure I know what she would say."

"So do I Julie, so do I, Vikki would say that the show must go on to quote that old showbiz motto." And that received the unanimous agreement of the remaining eighteen people in the room.

"Then I guess we're in full agreement that the band should perform as usual tomorrow night and Sunday night?" asked Brian.

"And seeing as the world now knows that I'm joining the tour it would seem practical for me to take Vikki's place until she's found and brought back to us," said Lucy James. She stood up at that point and turned to Brian and Carol and the rest of the band and Samantha. "And just in case you're thinking it, I don't want any share of the proceeds for anything I do until Vikki returns. This is just for her."

"But..." started Brian.

"No buts Brian. Let me do this for one of the sweetest, sexiest girls in the world."

"In that case then Lucy you had better join us at rehearsals this afternoon." Brian then turned to the rest of us. "You're all welcome to accompany us unless you'd like to stay here and..."

He didn't get a chance to finish as everyone decided to join the band at the Royal Albert hall for rehearsal. Everyone that is except me.

"If you don't mind Brian, I think I'll beg off."

He looked at me and managed a smile. "If you're sure."

I smiled back. "I am Brian, I am. And don't worry I'll be fine."

Mum looked at me then and I knew that she remembered, that she knew what was on my mind. "Would you like some company son? I could stay with you."

"No mum, please. I need to be by myself for a little while. I think you know why."

She smiled but she didn't reply. Instead she shrugged her acquiescence and followed the band, Samantha Carson, Lucy and her parents, Lucy's boyfriend and his brother and his girlfriend, Maria and our father and Vikki parents down to where two hastily arranged stretch limos, and a host of security personnel to protect them from the media other curious onlookers, were waiting.

After I moved to the suite Maria and I, and now our and Vikki's parents, were occupying a phone call to one of the mobile phone numbers on the card I pulled out of my wallet got me the person's message bank. All I could do was leave an urgent message and the hotel's number and wait after having informed reception of the call I was waiting for.

Just over an hour later the phone rang and after a quick exchange of pleasantries and after the mention of a name to the man of Italian extraction on the other end of the line I was stepping into a taxi. To do so I also needed securities help to battle through the same reporters who were seemingly camped out front of the hotel for the duration. Once in the cab though I gave the driver the London address that was written on the card I was holding.

The taxi pulled up outside of offices that were just around the corner from Liverpool Street underground station and not far from the famous Petticoat Lane market. I stepped out of the taxi after paying the driver and walked up to the front entrance of the building. The electronic doors opened as soon as I stood on the mat outside and I walked inside to be greeted by a swarthy looking thirty something, solidly built man who had to be six foot three if he was an inch.

He held out his hand and introduced himself. "My name is Paulo Carrizo and Frank Carrizo is my cousin."

I took his right hand in mine and matched his firm handshake with one of my own. "Justin Robertson," I responded, "I'm pleased to meet you Mr. Carrizo, I just wish that it had been under happier circumstances."

He smiled. "Call me Paulo, Justin. My cousin phoned me and told me some quite remarkable things about you." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "If you'll please come up to my suite of offices on the fifth floor we'll talk about what can be done." He smiled again. "And I can assure you a lot can be done."

No more than ten minutes later I was sitting in a comfortable leather-backed chair drinking one of the best lattés I had ever tasted as Paulo Carrizo explained a few things to me.

"Let's get one thing straight Justin, the police are generally good at what they do. They solve most of the murders that are committed, catch the violent criminal, the rapists, the thieves and the bank robbers, but when it comes to organised crime they have no idea." His expression turned grim. "Now suppose you tell me why you think this Carson Chesterfield is responsible, because you do don't you?"

I nodded, and I then repeated everything that I had told Vikki's and my parents and Maria and the band and everyone else that had either been at the airport or in the suite at the hotel.

Paulo Carrizo finished his coffee, leant back in his chair, rested his left arm across his stomach, placed his right elbow in his left hand and tucked the index finger of his right hand under his chin as he looked at me. "You're instincts are spot on Justin, this has the imprints of Chesterfield's grubby paws all over it. However I know that for different reasons than you. Now I am not going to tell you what they are because it would mean revealing the workings of a business you need know nothing about. Just accept that Chesterfield has a history, a history the rest of his family would do anything to avoid becoming public."

He looked at me for a long time. "You have two choices Justin. The first is to continue to pursue Chesterfield while trying to find your young lady and then to try to have him punished for what he did. Now if you choose that path I'll have to regretfully withdraw my offer of help and wish you luck as I show you to the door."

"But... !"

"THE SECOND CHOICE," he said loudly cutting across my protest, "is for you to leave everything to me and to trust that my organisation, myself and especially his family will deal with Mister Carson Chesterfield. If you do that I will guarantee her safe return."

Now if it's one thing I've learnt in recent weeks it's to be a pragmatist. To have Vikki back and unharmed was the only thing that mattered, her parents, my parents, my sister and all of our many friends would kill me if I made any other choice. I smiled. Of course Vikki would kill me too, and that decided it. The decision was made and the police be damned.

"Does that smile mean what I think it means Justin?"

"Yes Paulo it does. Unfortunately love can only accomplish so much."

And then suddenly Paulo got serious. "There is however a price to pay Justin."

"Of course there is Paulo ... Mr. Carrizo. I certainly never expected such assistance to come without a price. Whatever amount of money you ask for I guarantee we will raise it and pay it happily. Paulo, I love this girl." I even shed a few unwelcome tears as I looked at the man that would rescue my love. "No amount of money is too much to bring Vikki back to me, back to us!"

He smiled. I couldn't believe it, he had the nerve to smile. "Of course you love her. Her parents love her just as much don't they?"

"Of course they do. I doubt they can ever imagine life without their daughter."

"I have two daughters you know, Justin. And it's difficult for me to imagine life without either one of them let alone both of them. You know Justin I would do anything for them if the opportunity arose." He smiled again. "And believe me a golden opportunity has just arisen."

I don't understand. Paulo."

"Well it is my eldest daughter Julia's birthday on Tuesday. There will be at least two hundred and fifty people in attendance so my wife Rhonda and I are having the celebration in the function room of White Hart Lane the home of Premier League Football team Tottenham Hotspur. Now I'm the 'Spurs' fan but my daughter Julia is a Lucy James fan and lately has become somewhat of a 'Multitude of Sins' fan and was most disappointed when she was unable to get tickets to either the Palace Theatre concerts or tomorrow night or Sunday nights Albert Hall concerts."

I guess he must have read my surprise because of what he said next.

"Ah, I see you're surprised that I would allow my daughter to attend such a concert. That suggests Frank's influence. You see living in London and associating with the class of people we do my family is much more sophisticated and worldly. I think I can safely say that nothing the band and Lucy James could do would shock us. Anyway, back to the payment I require for services rendered. Now that it has been announced that 'Juicy Lucy', as my daughter knows Lucy James as, has joined the 'Multitude of Sins' tour I was thinking that having the band, with Vikki back with them, accompanied by Lucy James singing at my daughter's birthday function would be a nice surprise and quite a birthday present. So what do you say?"

"Ordinarily Paulo I couldn't answer for them. However, on this occasion I'm pretty sure I know what they'd say so I'll answer for them. Yes of course they will."

"Thank you Justin, thank you very much. Now yourself, your sister, your parents and Vikki's parents can stay in your suite tonight, but from tomorrow lunchtime you will be alone in your suite. You will wait by the phone and I'll be in touch just as soon as Vikki is in safe hands."

That seemed to be all I could hope for. And after I asked Paulo to give her a kiss from me when he found her we said our goodbyes and I went down to wait for the taxi that he had called for me. Now all I had to do was sell the birthday concert idea to the band and to Lucy. Somehow I didn't think that would be a problem.

I had been back in our suite for an hour and a half after managing, with the help of the hotel hotel's concierge and a couple of security people, to evade the press when mum walked in. Her question was simple and straight to the point. "So how did it go?"

"Is everyone up in the bands suite?' Mum nodded her head. "Then maybe it would be best if I tell everyone at the same time."

She looked at me nervously. "Can you at least tell me if you think it's good news."

"Yes mum, I think it is. However there are a couple of decisions that have to be made and everyone needs to be together for that to happen."

Several minutes later we were back in the band's suite and everyone had returned with the exception of Lucy's parents who had a prior engagement. I was pacing the floor wondering where to begin after mum had mentioned that I had some good news.

"Come on Justin," said Vikki's father. "Just tell us what happened after we went to the Royal Albert Hall with the band. You said to trust us, and we do. But it's time for you to honour that trust and tell us what's going on."

"Yes son," said my father, "we're all missing her. Start at the beginning if you have to but tell us what's on your mind."

"Okay," I said, "I'll tell it from the very beginning. But first..." and I was just thinking about pouring a coffee from the several pots that room service had delivered when Maria brought me a mug steaming and black which I took in one hand while she took my other. "Dad, do you remember last Friday night when mum and I came home after she picked me up at bowling?"

"Yes of course, why?"

"Well if you do remember, then you'll remember mum and I had a visit from a certain Frank Carrizo in the bowls car park."

"Yes of course I do, but what has this to do with Vikki being kidnapped?"

"Well the one thing we didn't tell you was that in addition to that help he requested from me to help his nieces at school he also offered any help that maybe needed should any kind of a problem arise here in London." I pulled the card out of my wallet and showed him.

He took a quick glance at the card, noted Paulo Carrizo's name and handed it back. "So you went to see this Paulo Carrizo?" I nodded. Then he asked the question the whole room obviously wanted answered. "So, what happened?"

"Well, what happened is this..." and I went onto tell them of Carson Chesterfield's apparent links to organised crime, about a history that his family and, I suspected, the Carrizo organisation and others would not want made public. I also told them about the ultimatum.

Julie got up from the seat she had been sitting in and walked to me. "You took the second choice didn't you Justin?" Tears were streaming down her face. "Please tell me you took the second choice."

"Of course I did." I put my mug of coffee down, released Maria's hand and took Julie Thompson in my arms. "He guarantees Vikki's safe return. All I have to do is wait in our suite down below until I receive the phone telling me she's safe."

Vikki's mother looked up at me. "Then I'll wait with you."

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm sorry Julie, that's not possible. He insists that I wait alone, I don't know why but if those are the rules we need to play by to bring Vikki back to us then what choice do we have? After all Vikki is worth every sacrifice we can make, isn't she?"

That brought universal agreement a host of smiles and all-round sighs of relief.

"Oh there is one more thing," I said, which immediately brought a hush to the whole room. I turned to each of the band members in turn and then I turned to Samantha Carson and finally to Lucy. "There is a price to pay and I took the liberty of agreeing to it."

Brian spoke up immediately. "Of course we'll pay it. That girl is worth any amount of money we have to pay."

Before I could say anything the rest of the band, Samantha and Lucy were all in full agreement and they all began talking across one another as they began to think of ways of raising any large amount of money over an Easter weekend. It was at that point that I held up my hand. When they were all silent I said, "Paulo Carrizo is not after money."

Vikki's father spoke up then. "Pardon me for being a little obtuse and maybe a touch confused Justin but what could a criminal like this man obviously is want besides money?"

I smiled. "Something I suspect that'll take two or three hours of the bands and Lucy's time on Tuesday night."

"But we're supposed to be flying to Glasgow that afternoon. What could Paulo Carrizo want from us that would prevent us flying to Scotland?" asked Brian for the group and Samantha and Lucy.

"He has two daughters who mean the world to him, one is 12 and the other 13. He couldn't bare the thought of anything similar happening to his family. Now it just so happens that the 13-year-will be turning 14 on Tuesday, and she just happens--" I turned to Lucy "--to be a huge 'Juicy' Lucy James fan--" I turned back to Brian and the rest of the group "--and latterly a fan of 'Multitude of Sins'." I grinned. "She even tried to buy tickets to your four London concerts without success."

"And this Carrizo wants us to play a private gig for his daughter's birthday."

I grinned. "Well I don't know how private it will be. Julia, that's her name, is having her party in the function room at White Hart Lane the home of English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur and there will be two hundred and fifty people in attendance."

Brian Hacker turned to the rest of the group and to Lucy. "Well I guess we could swing that." After they all nodded there agreement he turned back to me. "Justin, does the fact that they tried to get tickets for our concerts suggest that we can be fairly liberal in our behaviour?"