Tidbits #2

Tidbits from a crime thriller

Written by Erika M Szabo and Lorraine Carey

About the story

The icy fingers of the unsettled past seem to follow bitter rivals from childhood.
An accomplished pianist disappears from her home in the middle of the night, wearing only her nightgown as her children and husband sleep soundly. As with several young women before her, it seems as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
There are no clues as to what happened, and no evidence has been found during the thorough police investigation. Her distraught family is ready to do whatever it takes to bring the loving wife and mother home, alive.
Will the secrets of the past ever be revealed… or stay hidden forever? Are private investigators capable of accomplishing what the police cannot?
Only time will tell.
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Tidbits from the book

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Prologue
As the young woman opened her eyes in total darkness, she felt dazed and disoriented. She tried to move her hand to find her comforter to cover up but couldn’t move. Fear froze her insides as she felt her hands tied behind her back and feet tightly bound as well. Where am I? How did I get here? Am I dreaming?  As she tugged at the ropes, the realization hit her hard when she felt the thin plastic cord cutting into her flesh. She wanted to scream but her mouth was chalk dry, she could only utter a whimpering sound.

She shifted her body. It feels like I’m lying on a damp concrete floor. How did I get here from my house, from my bed? Frantic thoughts were racing through her mind. She swallowed hard and tried to scream again. “Help!” she managed to croak out. “Somebody! Help me, please!” she sobbed.

“She’s up,” a man’s raspy whisper sounded as if he was behind a door. “Lemme see her,” he spoke, and she heard a low, squeaky sound as the doorknob was turned.

“Hands off, old man!” a deep, younger-sounding voice growled. “She’s not yours. He wants her. El maldito viejo Bastardo.” (*the damned old bastard*) He continued in Spanish.

“Solo puedo estar de acuerdo con esa afirmación, (*I can only agree with that statement*)” the man with the raspy voice replied in Spanish and switched to English. “Just a little peek. He doesn’t have to know.” He chuckled.

“I said, no!” the younger voice firmly replied. “The old man has a particular plan for this one. Hey, I didn’t know you speak Spanish!”

“You don’t know a thing about me, son. What does he want with her?” the other man inquired in a hushed tone.
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“If you need to know, he’ll tell you. If not, keep your piehole shut. Let’s go! He’ll be here soon.”
The terrified woman lay on the cold floor, in the dark, afraid to move or make a sound. Please, God! What are they going to do to me?

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​Chapter One
Atop a beautiful, fertile landscape by the Blue Mist Lake, the Wilbert mansion sits alone on the outskirts of the sleepy, country town. The lake acquired its name long ago because of its dark blue water and fine mist that lingers on the surface in the mornings, just before the sun peeks over the mountains surrounding the large lake.

Summer blooms are abundant along the driveway that leads to the main gate. A short drive up to the mansion also reveals an eye-pleasing view. It is beautifully landscaped with rhododendron, azalea, and Japanese maple trees lining the driveway that leads to a magnificent fountain in the center of the large, finely graveled area before the front door. The rectangular building with symmetrical windows designed in classical Georgian brick and stone style make this custom-made mansion stand out. Two large columns frame the wide mahogany door at the entrance, making it an impressive focal point. Located on both sides of the driveway, the garden provides cozy niches to relax and koi ponds to sit by for family and guests.

The mansion's interior is equally magnificent. A large hall leads to a formal dining room on the left and a luxuriously furnished sitting room and study on the right. An oak staircase splits in the middle after a wide landing that displays the life-size marble statues of famous composers. Red carpet covers the left side stairs that lead to the living quarters, which include luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms. Right-side stairs lead to guest rooms and an enormous family room with high-end, strategically placed paintings and artwork to entertain guests. This room also serves as the music room. There is a grand piano in the corner surrounded by invitingly comfortable overstuffed chairs.

A stargazing observatory built on the roof and equipped with the best telescopes under its dome-shaped glass roof is the most coveted spot in the mansion. During the late evening hours, the family loves to sit on comfortable recliners while sipping hot cocoa and stargazing through the varying sizes of telescopes.

In the back of the mansion is a small but elegant cobblestone cottage surrounded by trees. It provides a comfortable, private residence for John, the groundskeeper, and his wife, Matilda, his housekeeper/cook. Mr. Wilbert hired Matilda when she was a young girl. Her parents perished in a tragic house fire. She was alone, homeless, with no support. Her parents couldn’t afford the high insurance payments, and Matilda became penniless as well. Michael’s mother took the young girl under her wings and taught her everything she knew about housekeeping and cooking. When a handsome drifter moved into town and started doing gardening and odd jobs at the mansion, they fell in love and soon married. As a wedding present, Michael had the cottage built and offered lifetime employment to them. They have lived on the Wilbert Estate for decades.

Michael Wilbert, a compassionate, handsome, and always clean-shaven man in his early seventies, had been criticized for not hiring a steady staff of cleaners and maintenance people to take care of the huge estate, but as always, he ignores what others think of him. He strongly believes in regularly providing jobs to those who most need work at a particular time in their lives. He reasons that work is scarce in the quiet countryside towns, and rotating the workers regularly gives more people a chance to earn a decent living. He trusts his estate manager and his staff to organize and supervise the work on the estate and to hire people from the surrounding areas to do various jobs.
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Michael declines most of the invitations to parties being thrown by the influential crowd in the surrounding counties. Even though he tells people he enjoys his secluded lifestyle, in reality, he despises the show-off parties and the snobby people kissing and stabbing each other. He tells his friends, “I keep my friends close, but I don’t need to keep my enemies closer. Attorneys and the Private Investigation Firm I trust give me all the information I need about my enemies.” 
Despite being one of the wealthiest people in the country, Michael Wilbert has never forgotten his roots.

Sins of the past, love, jealousy, entrapment, kidnapping, tragedy, revenge, betrayal, secrets of a serial killer

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