Castleton

  Rachel Corbin's Apartment

  Late Saturday Evening

  Rachel climbs out of Ned's gray Astro van like a woman headed for the gas chamber. The young woman's eyes are downcast and she refuses to even look at Ned as he calls out her name.

  "Get back here and talk to me, Rachel! Rachel!?!"

  Realizing that Rachel has no intention of acknowledging him, Ned shuts off the idling van and clambers out after her. Rachel is nearly to the main entrance when Ned grips her left forearm and spins her around. Rachel peers everywhere but at his face. Ned's frustration grows and he uses his other hand to grasp Rachel's chin. He none too politely turns her face forward and presses his mouth to hers.

  "What the hell is wrong with you, girl!?!" Ned hisses once he draws away. "You aren't deaf! You damn sure aren't dumb. So...Why the hell didn't you answer me when I called you?"

  Rachel simply looks at Ned, but doesn't say a word. Ned becomes even more frustrated, tightening his grip on Rachel's forearm.

  "Is it about to the money? Is that what this is about, Rachel? Hell, you saw how much money is in the account now. I thought that would make you happy, Rach. We're going places, Baby. We can leave any time you want. We can go today. You just say the word. You want me to get sober? I'll get sober. Just...Talk to me, Rachel. Please. And...Don't look at me like that."

  "Like what, Ned?" Rachel finally says.

  "Like you hate me. Like you don't love me anymore. Like you never did."

  "What do you want me to say, Ned?"

  "That you still love me!"

  "Ned...Oh my goodness. Fug! You just stole all of my money! With a damn smirk on your face. I wouldn't care if you were a fugging millionaire. You stole my money. It's in your account now. You lied to the bank manager to get him to agree to it. You stole my fugging money!"

  "I never once lied to that weird ass bank manager. We're a couple, Rachel. What's mine is yours...And what's yours is mine. You know that. How long have we been together, Rachel?"

  "Too damn long," Rachel growls, attempting to yank her arm from Ned's grasp.

  "Don't say that, Rachel. Just...Don't say that," Ned says in a low whisper, tightening his hold on Rachel even more.

  "Where the hell'd you get all of that money from anyway, Ned? Rob a bank? An old lady? I've never seen you with more than a couple grand in your life. Suddenly, you're a high roller? You're into something. Something...I don't want any part of. Just let me get my stuff from the apartment. I'll move in with a friend. Just...Let me go, Ned. Please."

  "Like hell," Ned replies, his voice dropping another octave. "I love you, Rachel."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Pulling Rachel into another fierce kiss, Ned firmly grips the back of her neck with his other hand. Rachel releases a low gasp as he uses that hand to tilt her head upward. The hand on her forearm drops to her waist. He steers her around the apartment building, towards the back entrance. The back entrance is rarely locked. It has a disability ramp and an accessibility push button. He won't have to release her in order to open the door.

  "Ned? Please. I don't care where you got the money. You can even keep all of the money in the bank account. Please. Just let me leave. Please, Ned."

  It is Ned's turn to say nothing at all.

  -

  -

  Rachel sobs uncontrollably as Ned rolls away from her on the bed. Raising up on one elbow, Ned observes the crying young woman with deadened eyes. He watches Rachel cry for several more moments before sitting up on the mattress. With a loud sigh, Ned reaches to untie the stockings around Rachel's wrists and the headboard.

  "My goodness, Rachel. Your mother must've been some kind of woman to birth two of you. I kind of wish I'd known her. I must admit, though...I never really liked your sister. She thought too highly of herself. Then, when Ed got ahold of her...She wasn't much good to me anymore. But you...You drive me crazy, Rachel. I mean it. You truly do."

  Bending forward, Ned kisses Rachel's right cheek. She instinctively flinches away from his touch. Ned strokes her face with his left hand.

  "Oh. Don't be like that, Rachel. We used to have a lot of fun together. Remember when that old bitch, Mrs. Holloway, tried to get us kicked out because me made her chandelier move? Fun times, eh? But now, you're so...Cold. I don't recognize you anymore, Rachel. You hardly want to make love to me. You're always finding some little thing to argue with me about. I told you...I'd always take care of you, Honey. And I will. This money is for the both of us. So we can go away from here. I want to dress you in fine clothes and take you out to expensive dinners. Why do you think I took the damn job in the first place? I did it for us. I did it for you. It was always about you, Rachel."

  "What was the job, Ned? Tell me. What did you have to do?"

  "That's not important, Baby," Ned says, planting a hard kiss on Rachel's lips. "That's not important. I found us a good travel agent, Rachel. One of the best. I'm gonna book us on the first flight I can get to the Bahamas. We're gonna live like royalty for a while. I'll cover you with oil...Or whipped cream...Or whatever you want me to, Baby. I'll do whatever you ask me to. We can lay on the beach all day...And make love all night. Or vise versa. Or all of the above. I'll let you decide. I want to get back to us. Back to the way we used to be."

  "Is that even possible, Ned?" Rachel asks, emotion choking her voice. "You just raped me, Ned! I don't think there's any coming back from that!"

  "What do you mean...I--? No, Rachel. You see...That's what I mean. You don't like any of the things we used to like, Rachel. The things we used to do together. I'd never do that to you. Never. You...You just misunderstood. I thought...I'd never do that, Rachel. You should've told me you didn't like it. I'm...I'm so sorry, Rach. You should've told me you didn't like it like that anymore."

  Turning to face away from Ned, Rachel stares at the opposite wall. She is grateful when Ned climbs from the bed and shambles toward the bathroom.

  -

  -

  "Yeah, Derren...I'm sorry. I have some sort of stomach bug and I've been losing fluid from both ends. I meant to call you but I was feeling so weak," Rachel lies to her boss, pressing her cellphone tightly against one ear. "I'll make the shift up tomorrow. If that's okay?"

  There is a brief pause as Derren responds on the other end of the line.

  "Okay, Derren. See you tomorrow night. Bye."

  Rachel presses END on the call and then immediately dials another number.

  -

  -

  Peeking into the living room, Rachel watches Ned from the inky darkness of the hallway. He is once again watching the homemade sex tape she caught him viewing before. The woman in the video is rarely in focus, her face anyway. However, Rachel continues to watch, hoping to get some clue as to who the woman is.

  At certain points during the video, Rachel gets the impression that the actions playing out may not be entirely consensual. Too many of Ned's seemingly passionate words and phrases mirror the events which transpired in their bedroom less than two hours before. What exactly is she witnessing here?

  Melting back into the darkness, Rachel hurries in the direction of the master bedroom.