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Authors: Beverly Barton
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no electrical appliances had been left on, then she'd fix herself a sandwich and eat lunch before running up to the main house to say goodbye to Elena She prayed J.T. would still be asleep so she wouldn't have to see him again.
The telephone rang just as she entered the house. Leaving the front door open, she dashed across the living room. She picked it up on the fifth ring, just in time to keep her answering machine from being activated.
"Hello," Joanna said. "Joanna?"
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear. How are you?" Helene Beaumont asked.
"I'm fine." It wasn't like her mother to call unexpectedly. Senator Helene Caldwell Beaumont was the most organized person Joanna had ever known. Her mother called twice a month, at nine-thirty on Sunday morning. "Is something wrong? Did Uncle Peter have another heart attack?"
"No, dear. Peter is just fine."
"Then what's wrong? Why are you calling?"
"I—I don't quite know how to tell you this, but—"
"For heaven's sake, Mother, will you just tell me? You're scaring me to death, acting this way." Her mother never stuttered, never hesitated, never postponed till tomorrow what could be accomplished today.
"That policeman, Lieutenant George, came to my office earlier today."
At the mention of Lieutenant George, every nerve in Joanna's body screamed, every muscle tightened. Milton George had been in charge of her rape case and all the other cases involving the serial rapist who had attacked a total of twelve women in the Richmond area before being arrested.
"What did Lieutenant George want?"
"I thought about flying out there to tell you, but—"
"Dammit, Mother, just tell me!"
"Lenny Plott has escaped from prison." Helene let out a long sigh.
"But that's not possible." Joanna couldn't believe the monster who had brutally attacked her was free and running around loose. "He's in a maximum-security prison. It would have been impossible for him to escape."
"I know what a shock this must be for you, dear, but I'm afraid it's true. Lenny Plott did escape. And—and I'm afraid there's more."
"More?"
"He escaped less than forty-eight hours ago and he's already found Melody Horton."
"What do mean he's 'already found' Melody?" Melody was the twenty-year-old college student who, along with Joanna and two other victims, had testified against F:/…/Beverly Barton - Blackwood's Wo…
30/137
colleg
10/31/2009 e student who, along with Joanna and two Blackwood's Woman other victims, had testified against their rapist and sent him away to prison for the rest of his natural life.
"She was kidnapped. A neighbor recognized the man she drove off with. She identified him from police photographs. It was Lenny Plott."
"Have the police found her?"
"Yes." Helene's voice was so low, Joanna could barely hear her.
"Is she…?"
"She was strangled to death," Helene said, her words spoken unquaveringly.
"Lieutenant George wanted you and Claire and Libby to know that Plott is on the loose and has already killed… Please, come home, dear. Your life is in danger. Come home and I'll hire a bodyguard for you."
"Lenny Plott has no idea where I am now," Joanna said. "He doesn't know I moved to New Mexico and he doesn't know where Claire and Libby are. I don't even know where Libby is."
"Lieutenant George is afraid Lenny will somehow find out where the three of you have moved. He thinks Lenny will hunt y'all down."
"How could this have happened? When Lenny Plott went to prison, our nightmare was supposed to have ended. I won't—I can't live in fear. Not again. Not ever again!"
Joanna would never forget those first few weeks after her rape when she lived in fear the man would return and rape her again. Even after Lenny Plott had been arrested, she hadn't felt safe. To this day, she knew there was always a possibility that it could happen again, but she had learned to face the fear and put it in its proper place. She was careful, always cautious of strangers and new acquaintances.
She'd bought a gun and learned
The telephone rang just as she entered the house. Leaving the front door open, she dashed across the living room. She picked it up on the fifth ring, just in time to keep her answering machine from being activated.
"Hello," Joanna said. "Joanna?"
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear. How are you?" Helene Beaumont asked.
"I'm fine." It wasn't like her mother to call unexpectedly. Senator Helene Caldwell Beaumont was the most organized person Joanna had ever known. Her mother called twice a month, at nine-thirty on Sunday morning. "Is something wrong? Did Uncle Peter have another heart attack?"
"No, dear. Peter is just fine."
"Then what's wrong? Why are you calling?"
"I—I don't quite know how to tell you this, but—"
"For heaven's sake, Mother, will you just tell me? You're scaring me to death, acting this way." Her mother never stuttered, never hesitated, never postponed till tomorrow what could be accomplished today.
"That policeman, Lieutenant George, came to my office earlier today."
At the mention of Lieutenant George, every nerve in Joanna's body screamed, every muscle tightened. Milton George had been in charge of her rape case and all the other cases involving the serial rapist who had attacked a total of twelve women in the Richmond area before being arrested.
"What did Lieutenant George want?"
"I thought about flying out there to tell you, but—"
"Dammit, Mother, just tell me!"
"Lenny Plott has escaped from prison." Helene let out a long sigh.
"But that's not possible." Joanna couldn't believe the monster who had brutally attacked her was free and running around loose. "He's in a maximum-security prison. It would have been impossible for him to escape."
"I know what a shock this must be for you, dear, but I'm afraid it's true. Lenny Plott did escape. And—and I'm afraid there's more."
"More?"
"He escaped less than forty-eight hours ago and he's already found Melody Horton."
"What do mean he's 'already found' Melody?" Melody was the twenty-year-old college student who, along with Joanna and two other victims, had testified against F:/…/Beverly Barton - Blackwood's Wo…
30/137
colleg
10/31/2009 e student who, along with Joanna and two Blackwood's Woman other victims, had testified against their rapist and sent him away to prison for the rest of his natural life.
"She was kidnapped. A neighbor recognized the man she drove off with. She identified him from police photographs. It was Lenny Plott."
"Have the police found her?"
"Yes." Helene's voice was so low, Joanna could barely hear her.
"Is she…?"
"She was strangled to death," Helene said, her words spoken unquaveringly.
"Lieutenant George wanted you and Claire and Libby to know that Plott is on the loose and has already killed… Please, come home, dear. Your life is in danger. Come home and I'll hire a bodyguard for you."
"Lenny Plott has no idea where I am now," Joanna said. "He doesn't know I moved to New Mexico and he doesn't know where Claire and Libby are. I don't even know where Libby is."
"Lieutenant George is afraid Lenny will somehow find out where the three of you have moved. He thinks Lenny will hunt y'all down."
"How could this have happened? When Lenny Plott went to prison, our nightmare was supposed to have ended. I won't—I can't live in fear. Not again. Not ever again!"
Joanna would never forget those first few weeks after her rape when she lived in fear the man would return and rape her again. Even after Lenny Plott had been arrested, she hadn't felt safe. To this day, she knew there was always a possibility that it could happen again, but she had learned to face the fear and put it in its proper place. She was careful, always cautious of strangers and new acquaintances.
She'd bought a gun and learned
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