Catfish, page 21
“I’ve nearly finished your packing. I figured you wanted to leave as soon as you could, so I re-arranged the flight, and you have a car coming for you in thirty minutes to get you to the airport.”
“God, I could kiss you, woman. Thank you. You’re forgiven for taking my phone and not leaving it for me.” I smile at her as I rush into the bedroom to get changed. I phone Kate as I go. It rings out, no answer and goes to voicemail. I don’t care if she’s in bed, so I ring again and still no answer. Fuck. I will just have to go and see her.
We’re in the car on the way to the airport. Luckily, as it’s a private jet, we are straight onboard. I try her phone again but nothing. She must be able to see I’m phoning. The phone is not turned off because it rings for a bit. Shit, why won’t she answer? I shoot a quick text.
Lewis – Hey, beautiful, will you please pick up your phone and speak to me? I really need to talk to you urgently. Xx
We are about to take off, so I try her again, and it rings—just as I’m about to give up thinking it’s going to voicemail, she answers the phone.
“Kate, oh, thank fuck for that. You’ve had me so worried, sweetheart.” No answer.
“Kate, beautiful, answer me, please. I’m so sorry.” I’m straining to hear, but with the noise of the jet, it’s difficult. I swear I hear whimpering and muffled sound, but can’t make out if anything is being said. I look at the phone to make sure I’m still connected and can see we are.
“Kate, Kate are you there? Please answer me?” I can still only just make out faint noise. It sounds like moaning to me. I look at the phone again. Am I hearing what I think I’m hearing? Holy fuck, is she in bed with someone else and has knocked the phone on, on purpose, so I can hear her?
“Oh god, Oh god!”
Well shit. I definitely heard that all right. She’s fucking someone.
Would she do that? No, Kate isn’t that kind of person, is she?
“FUCK!” I hear her shout and there is no doubting that word. She obviously is that kind of person. I had her pegged all wrong.
How could I have got it so wrong?
I don’t really know her though, do I?
No, she wouldn’t. I think I know her well enough in the short time I have known her, but I’m questioning myself now. I’m so fucking confused, and my head is all over the place.
I think I want to throw up. I got it all wrong. She played me. She somehow bewitched me and made me feel sorry for her with the stories of her past boyfriends. It must have all been bullshit. Telling me she doesn’t trust. Yet she trusted me, how convenient. I bet she does this to all the guys she meets on that dating site. Is that site even real? Did she make up all the catfish stuff? I mean what are the chances, right? Everything is so mixed up in my head, trying to make sense of it all. I can’t listen to this muffled noise of her fucking someone else. I need to just tell her to go to hell and hang up and try and forget about her. Go back to screwing the VS models instead, but then I hear her voice very faintly, “Fake Lewis.” And then the line goes dead.
What the hell?
Katherine
I’M IN SO much pain.
My face and head are killing me.
Everything is fuzzy.
What happened. Where am I?
I can’t see a thing.
I can feel my phone vibrating in my back pocket, but I can’t move my hands. Fuck, I’m tied up.
Who has tied me up?
I wriggle in my seat, trying to pull on my hands to loosen the ties, but they are bound tight. I can’t move, which means they are also tied to something. My phone stops vibrating. Whoever tried phoning must have hung up.
What was that?
I heard a noise?
Someone must be there.
It sounded far away though.
“Hello, who’s there?”
No one speaks. I moan as I move my head. It hurts so badly. Oh god, I feel like it’s going to explode. Shit, why can’t I remember what happened?
“Owww, Oh god,” I moan again. I try to move my legs, but they won’t move either. They’re tied up tight, and hurting.
“Oh god. Oh god,” I cry out. Panic is setting in. I start to hyperventilate, breathing so hard that my chest hurts along with everything else. I’m trying to remember where I was and what I was doing.
“FUCK!” I shout. Why can’t I remember? There is something about FL in the back of my mind, but I don’t know what it is.
“Fake Lewis…” I mumble out loud to see if it rings any bells, but it doesn’t. I start wriggling again, trying to loosen my hands and legs by moving my bum around on the chair I’m obviously sitting on. I scream out loud, and I hear a shuffling sound again.
“Hello, please help me. What happened, where am I? Owww, please. It hurts.”
Still nothing and the movement I thought I heard has stopped.
I’m in so much pain. Moving my mouth to speak is making it worse. It feels like all one side of my face is swelling up and it’s making it hard to move my mouth and jaw. I feel like someone has hit me in the side of the head and my cheek with a hammer. Oh god, what if they have? What have they done to me?
“Pwese ‘elp me.” I can’t speak properly now. I start to shiver. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s freezing here or I’m in shock, probably a bit of both. I feel so tired. I just want to sleep. I must try to stay awake though. I’m straining to hear anything because I have a buzzing in my head and ear. My eyes are so heavy. I need to sleep. Maybe if I just close my eyes and sleep this will all be a nightmare, and I will wake up from it soon. So, so, tired.
George
SHE’S PASSED OUT again. Thank fuck for that. It gives me a bit of breathing space.
She was disoriented and couldn’t remember what had happened. If she wakes up again and still can’t remember, I’ll leave her here. She’d better pray someone finds her. If she does remember, then fuck it, I will just have to finish her as I intended.
I don’t want to though. I want all that shit to stop now. I know I’m fucked up, and what I have done is fucked up, but Red has made me realise there is more out there. I don’t have to do this anymore. If I can get out of this shit today without killing her, I know it’s a sign—a sign that I need to stop and see where it goes with Red.
Will I tell Red about my past? I don’t know. I have to learn to trust before any of that, maybe in time, I can tell her. Not about the killings, fuck no, never that, but about how I grew up?
I also need to do some research on Lewis because I’ve been told before that we could be brothers, this bitch even said his twin! It’s why I used his name and pictures to draw in the whores?
Fuck, what does that mean?
Are we related in some way?
How will I find out?
I have no idea how to find out.
This is screwing with my head big time.
“Where am I? Pweas someone, I need help. Is anyone there? Pain, so much pain.”
She’s started mumbling and stirring awake again, but she can hardly speak. Her mouth looks so swollen. Fuck. I stay as still as I can and take shallow breaths to see if she actually wakes up. She doesn’t stir again. She’s passed out once more.
I THINK BACK to my early years, but I don’t seem to be able to remember anything from before my new life day. That seems to be the first memory I have. It’s like it just happened and from then my life was hell. It was the only time I had a cake. My parents sang ‘happy new life day’ to me. It was the only time they ever sang to me. I sang that song to myself for years and years. I still sing it to myself now.
Happy New Life Day to you,
Happy New Life Day to you,
Happy New Life Day, dear Georgie Porgy
Happy New Life Day to you.
Happy New Life Day to us
Happy New Life Day to us
Happy times we will have
Happy New Life Day to us us us us.
Now I know why; they were going to have a lot of fun. I was only there for their enjoyment. Were they my real parents? I’ve thought about that a lot, but have no idea how to find out. That fucking song makes sense if I think about it. It’s like they were celebrating, saying I had a new life, and so did they. Fucking hell, could they have stolen me from somewhere or bought me, or someone gave me to them? God, my head is a mess.
I need to get out of here.
I need to think.
I need to find out the truth.
I sit down on the floor with my back against the wall and think about what I need to do.
Lewis
FUCK! SHE MUMBLED ‘fake Lewis’ before the line went dead?
What did that even mean?
Was she with fake Lewis, fucking him, was that it?
No! I don’t believe that for one minute.
Then why the fuck am I thinking that? I’m tugging on my hair. Shit, this is so fucked up. What do I do?
Do I say screw it and screw her. Let her come to me? Or do I go to her place when I land? She’s burrowed so deep into my heart in a week that I’m scared shitless of losing her already.
“Lewis, what’s wrong love?” Luce asks, sitting down in the seat opposite me.
“Luce, I have no idea. I don’t know what to do or even think.”
“What do you mean? What’s happened? Have you got hold of Kate?” I just look at her, vacant.
“Lewis you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?”
I explain to Luce all about the muffled noises on Kate’s phone and tell her everything about Kate being catfished and fake Lewis. The more I talk it out, the more I get scared, and I can see the concern on Lucinda’s face too.
Fuck what if something has happened?
What if he is there with her?
“Shit, we need this jet in the air now. I need to get back home now, Luce. I need to go to her place.”
“Oh god, Lewis, should we call the police?”
“How can I call the police? What do I say to them, Luce? Can you go to my girlfriend’s apartment and see if she’s fucking someone? I don’t know who else to call. Her PA, Clive is away until Friday, and she doesn’t have anyone else except her brother, but he lives far away.”
Just then the pilot comes on and tells us to buckle up as we are ready to take off.
I’m so frustrated not knowing what’s going on and all my mixed up thoughts running through my head.
Luce leans forward and grabs my hand and squeezes it.
I put my head in my hands, and I actually cry. “As soon as we land, Luce, I’m going straight to Kate’s place. Hopefully, Harry will be on the door tonight, and I’ll make him go up to her apartment with me to see what’s going on.”
“That’s a good idea, Lewis. The car will be waiting for us when we land. Don’t worry about the luggage, I will get that all sent to your hotel, and I’ll come with you to Kate’s.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I can’t relax all through the flight—it’s the longest two hours of my life. Once we land and the stairs are lowered, I practically jump them, landing on the tarmac of the hangar, and running to the car. Luce isn’t far behind, probably knowing how agitated I am with every minute that passes. I give the driver the address and ask him to get there as quickly as he can, but it’s at least half an hour’s drive.
I pull my phone out and dial Kate’s number. I wait, not breathing, but she doesn’t answer. It goes to voicemail.
“FUCK!” I shout and dial again. This time, when it goes to voicemail I leave a message, “Kate, baby, pick up the fucking phone now. Please? I’m going out of my mind with worry. Please ring me back. Just let me know you are at least safe. If I know that, then I will leave you alone if that’s what you want.” I hang up, and I wait with the phone in my hand and my legs jumping. Luce grabs my hand and holds it, giving it a squeeze every now and then. There isn’t much either of us can say. I try Kate again—voicemail.
“Kate, for fuck’s sake, please, please just let me know you’re safe. Please, baby. I love you so fucking much. I’m going out of my mind with worry.” Still nothing.
We finally approach Kate’s apartment building, and I’m out of the car before it even stops. I hear Luce asking the driver to wait for us just as I’m entering the building.
“Harry, have you seen Kate at all tonight?” He jumps back at my voice and directness.
“No, son, come to think of it, I haven’t seen her at all since last night, which is most unusual during the week. I haven’t left the desk at all.”
“Harry, look. I know it’s not usual, but you need to get me into her apartment now. I think something’s wrong. It’s an emergency.” He looks at me in surprise.
“I can’t do that, son. I’m sorry. Let me try her apartment phone.”
“Fuck!” I grab my hair and pace while he tries her phone. I call the elevator to save time. The phone is ringing and ringing, I can see by the look on his face. The elevator pings and I head for it as it opens.
“You can either come up with me now and open her door, or I’ll go on my own and break the fucking door down,” I tell him. He races around the counter and gets in the lift at the same time as Luce, eyeing me warily.
“Look, Harry. I know you don’t know me well, but that’s my girl. I love her, and if anything’s happened to her, I will never forgive myself. I need to see if she is in her apartment and if she’s okay. I’ve been trying to get hold of her all day. The phone connected earlier, but I was in Venice, and there were strange noises that I couldn’t make out. I just pray she is safe.” I hang my head down.
“Look, it’s okay, son. I have the master key card here. I will open her door, and call to her before anyone goes in, do you understand?” I just nod because there is no way in hell I’m not going into that apartment as soon as he opens the door. Fuck, this lift is slow.
“Come on, come on, for fuck’s sake.”
Finally, it arrives on the top floor. I’m out of the doors before they are fully open, and banging hard on her door with my fist. I can’t hear anything inside. Harry has the key out and opens the door
“Ms Porter. Hello, are you home? Kate, love, are you in?” Nothing.
I barge past him and run into the apartment. She isn’t in the living area or the kitchen. I run to the bedroom, nothing, nor in her bathroom.
“Shit, she isn’t here.” I stand in the living area, gawping at the window, running my hand through my hair.
“Where is she?” I try her number again, but again it goes to voicemail.
“Baby, please text or phone and let me know where you are. I’m in your apartment with Harry. I need to know you’re safe. Please, baby, I love you so fucking much. Please let me know you’re safe.” I hang up and drop to the floor where I stand. I sit there, on my knees, leaning back on my feet with my head hung and the phone in my hand.
“Come on, Lewis, get up, love. Sit on the couch, and let’s think where she could be. Do you think she will be at her office?”
“Fuck, why didn’t I think of that?” I pull up her office number and ring it. It keeps going to answer machine, so I keep trying, then leave a message to phone me urgently.
“Lewis do you know her PA’s phone number? I know you said he was away but maybe he can shed some light on where she is.”
“I don’t have his number unless Kate has it in her home office.”
I head to her office. I can’t see her laptop so she must have that with her. I find an address book in her top drawer of the desk. I go to C because I don’t know Clive’s surname. Nothing there. I will have to search through it now to see if I can see a Clive, and there it is: Zane & Clive. I hope this is her Clive. I phone the mobile number, and it rings and rings. Fuck. He maybe won’t pick up if he doesn’t know the number. I hang up and try again. I know if I ignore a call and the phone keeps going, I answer. Finally, a voice, “Hello who is this?”
“Hi, is that Clive?”
“Who wants to know?”
“It’s Lewis Clancy. Kate’s boyfriend.”
“Lewis! What’s wrong?” He’s panicky, so I know I have the right Clive.
“I don’t know, Clive, which is why I’m trying to reach you. Have you heard from Kate at all tonight?”
“No, I haven’t, what’s going on, Lewis. Where is she?”
“I’m trying to find out. I can’t reach her. I’m at her apartment and she’s not here, or answering her office phone. I have left a lot of messages on her phone, so even if she was in Chelmsford she would know I have been calling her.”
“Hang on. Let me check…” I can hear him booting up his laptop.
“Hold on, she actually used the fucking planner for once in her life. She had an appointment at 67 Horseferry Road at 3.30 p.m. this afternoon to meet a Mr Flynn about possible new buildings to renovate.”
“Fuck, I hope nothing has happened, surely she can’t still be there at this hour in the morning? Something’s not right. I need to go, Clive. I have your number on my phone. If I find her, I will let you know.” I hang up on him needing to check it out. I have a bad feeling in my gut.
I run out of the apartment shouting to Luce to call the police and have them go to 67 Horseferry Road to report a missing woman in danger. It’s a long shot she’s there, but I can’t take any chances.
Kate
I FEEL SICK and so tired.
I feel like I’ve been hit with a truck.
Is that what’s happened?
Am I in a hospital or something?
Am I even alive?
My head is throbbing, my face feels swollen. I can’t see, and I can’t move. It’s freezing, so I can’t be in a hospital. My lips are cracked and sting as I try to lick them, and my mouth is dry. I can’t hear a sound.
How long have I been passed out? It feels like hours.
