Death Threat

  DEATH THREAT

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Jonathan David Rubin

  Where could Sue be? Elizabeth wondered if she had staged another traumatic diversion to get Jeremy back. Or what if her suicide attempt was successful this time? Elizabeth thought in consternation. She looked up at the branch of a majestic oak tree and pictured Sue swinging lightly in the wind, hanging from the branch with a noose tied around her neck. The leaves crackled as she stepped on them and Elizabeth looked around wildly, exhaling sharply. Or what if some psychotic killer found her and strangled her? worried Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt her way through the brush with caution, expecting to stumble upon the body at any moment. She shivered and wrapped her overcoat tightly around her.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 1

  "Sue has disappeared? What do you mean?" Elizabeth Wakefield demanded of Jeremy Randall as he stood at the Wakefield front door with a stricken look on his face.

  It was two o'clock in the morning on Sunday after the eventful Halloween party at the Project Nature cabin. Elizabeth had just driven her inconsolable twin sister, Jessica, home from the party and was trying to comfort her in the cozy Wakefield kitchen. During the party Jessica had discovered Jeremy in the arms of his former fiancée, Sue Gibbons, in the woods. She had charged into the cabin to find Elizabeth, insisting between sobs that they leave immediately. A distraught Jessica had wept all the way home, lamenting the loss of her one true love.

  Elizabeth felt terrible for her sister, but she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying "I told you so." Jessica had fallen in love with Jeremy while he was engaged to Sue, and they had dated in secret for weeks. Elizabeth had known all along that a man who was two-timing his fiancée was bad news. And now it looked as if he was two-timing his new fiancée—Jessica—as well. So, as she had done with Sue, Elizabeth was playing the role of the shoulder to cry on.

  "It's not fair!" Jessica wailed, breaking out into a fresh round of sobs. She slumped down into her chair and sniffed into a pink tissue. "Just when we finally get the chance to be together, Sue has to come along and ruin everything! That manipulative little monster, that scheming little—" Jessica's voice choked up.

  Elizabeth placed a cup of steaming hot chocolate in front of Jessica and pushed a wooden bowl of buttery popcorn toward her. "Here, drink some of this," coaxed Elizabeth, handing the hot chocolate to her sister. "It will make you feel better."

  "I'll never feel better," declared Jessica dramatically, cupping the steamy mug in her hands. Fresh tears clouded her eyes and trickled down her face into the hot chocolate. "How could he do that to me? How could he betray me like—hey, what's that?" Jessica asked, sitting up suddenly.

  As Elizabeth listened to the usual night sounds of the Wakefield household, she could hear a faint knocking on the front door. Jessica's eyes lit up with hope.

  Oh, no! Elizabeth thought in alarm, overcome with a protective feeling for her love-struck sister. If it was Jeremy, she wasn't going to let him sweet-talk Jessica into forgiving him. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Elizabeth assured her, jumping up.

  If that two-timing louse has the nerve to show up here now, I am going to give him a piece of my mind, thought Elizabeth as she marched resolutely into the foyer. Maybe Jessica's actions hadn't been particularly admirable lately, but all the same—nobody got away with cheating on her twin sister.

  Elizabeth peered through the peephole of the solid front door, and sure enough, there was the rat himself. She flung the door open and fixed Jeremy with a steely stare. "If you're here to make excuses to my sister, you can just forget it, because she's had it with you!" proclaimed Elizabeth in her haughtiest tone. As Jeremy opened his mouth to respond, Elizabeth slammed the door in his face.

  "No, wait!" Jessica called from the kitchen, scrambling out of her chair and careening around the corner. "What are you doing?" she hissed as she slid into the foyer. "He's come back for me!"

  Elizabeth stared at her sister in amazement. What had happened to the old Jessica, the headstrong Jessica, who set the rules in the game of love and made sure everybody else played by them? In matters of the heart Jessica had always had boys wrapped around her little finger. But now it looked as if she had turned into a spineless slave to love.

  Jeremy knocked softly on the door again. Jessica gave her sister a reproving look and pulled the door open. The sight of Jeremy's chiseled face surrounded by a halo of golden hair made her melt. For a moment she didn't care that she had just caught Jeremy with Sue. Ever since Jessica had met Jeremy on the beach the previous summer, she had decided that nothing would stand in the way of her love for him—not even Sue Gibbons, who happened to be Jeremy's fiancée as well as the Wakefields' houseguest. Sue's mother, Nancy Gibbons, had recently died of a rare blood disease. She had been Mrs. Wakefield's roommate at college and a cherished friend. As a tribute to her dear old friend, Alice Wakefield had invited Jeremy and Sue to Sweet Valley. Sue had always dreamed of having a California wedding, and Alice Wakefield was determined to make that dream come true.

  But Jessica Wakefield had been equally determined to prevent that dream from becoming a reality. In the midst of all the wedding preparations, Jessica had made sure that Jeremy's mind wasn't on his bride-to-be, but on her blond hostess. Jessica had fallen head over heels in love with Jeremy, and they had pursued their love for each other through clandestine moments stolen together. Finally, as they sneaked away one evening in Jeremy's car to go to Miller's Point, a romantic parking spot in Sweet Valley, Jessica had put her foot down. "Jeremy, we can't always be running away like this," she had declared. And Jeremy had agreed.

  So Jeremy had decided to call off the wedding. But just when he approached Sue to give her the bad news, she gave him even worse news—she, too, had the same rare blood disease her mother had died of and only had a few years to live. Unable to desert her in her time of need, Jeremy had resolved to make Sue's final years her happiest ones.

  Jeremy had bought Sue's story hook, line, and sinker, but Jessica was skeptical. In Jessica's mind Sue's only terminal illness was a severe case of lovesickness. Jessica resolved then and there not to let Sue stand in the way of her destiny. So at the wedding, when the priest had asked if there was any reason why Jeremy and Sue shouldn't be married, Jessica had provided one. "Jeremy's in love with me," she had declared, and Jeremy had confirmed her sentiment.

  The result was pandemonium. In the wake of the failed wedding, Sue had broken down, falling into a deep depression, and attempted suicide. But it turned out that Jessica's suspicions had been right all along. Sue had invented her terminal illness as a means to avoid losing Jeremy. And even though the ensuing weeks following the disastrous event were traumatic for Sue, she had eventually adjusted to the situation—and to the news that Jeremy and Jessica had gotten engaged themselves.

  Now Jessica looked up at Jeremy with newfound determination. After all they had been through, she wasn't going to let Sue drive them apart. After all, what's a little kiss in the grand scheme of things? she told herself. All that mattered was that she and Jeremy were together, just as they were meant to be. Jessica felt an irresistible urge to throw herself at him, as if a magnetic pull were exerting a force on her heart. She gazed up into his eyes, prepared to run into his arms. But suddenly she registered a look on his face that she had never seen before: fear.

  "It's Sue," Jeremy said, his face ashen. "She's disappeared."

  "OK, tell us the whole story," said Elizabeth when the three of them were seated at the kitchen table.

  "Well, there's not much to tell," Jeremy said, looking haggard. "Sue disappeared from the party right after you and Jessica left."

  "What do you mean, 'disappeared'?" Elizabeth said.

  "Vanished, vamoosed, not a trace of her," said Jeremy with a snap of his fingers.

  Remembering Sue's botched suicide attempt, Elizabeth felt a coil of fear in her stomach. What if Sue had tried again, but this time successfully? "OK, start at the beginning," Elizabeth said. "What were you and Sue doing together in the first place?"

  "Well, I was at the party when Sue came up and said she had something urgent to discuss with me," began Jeremy. "I asked her if it could wait, but she was insistent, saying that her life depended on it." A chill traveled down Elizabeth's spine at Jeremy's words.

  "So we went outside, and—"

  "But why did you go into the woods?" interrupted Jessica. Elizabeth was glad to see that her sister was finally regaining some of her old assertiveness.

  "She insisted on going outside where we could talk in private," explained Jeremy. "When we were in the woods, she said she couldn't live without me. I had told her in no uncertain terms that it was over between us, but she couldn't seem to accept it. She broke down and began crying hysterically. And then she threw her arms around me."

  "And kissed you passionately—?" Jessica asked, confusion evident in her voice.

  Jeremy nodded, turning imploring eyes on her. "You've got to believe me," he said, speaking in an urgent
tone. "She threw herself at me, and you showed up before I could pull away." Jeremy looked deep into Jessica's eyes. "Jess, I was just trying to comfort her. You know there's nothing between me and Sue—and there hasn't been for a long time."

  "I believe you, honey," said Jessica, taking his hand. Her eyes were shining. "Remember—nothing can get in the way of our love." Jessica was elated at the news that Jeremy and Sue weren't back together. She ran the information through her mind: it was all a misunderstanding; Sue had just flung herself at her old fiancée; Jeremy was comforting her only because he was so noble and self-sacrificing. It all made perfect sense. Sue was desperate to get Jeremy back. And who could blame her? Jessica gazed into Jeremy's deep coffee-brown eyes. But Sue was naive, thought Jessica with a feeling of superiority, to think she could get in the way of their love. Didn't she realize that true love always persevered?

  As Elizabeth noted the tender look that passed between Jessica and Jeremy, she experienced a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Elizabeth hadn't approved of Jeremy ever since he'd expressed an interest in her sister. Jeremy was twenty-three years old, much too old for a girl of sixteen. And he seemed to make a practice of cheating on his girlfriends. Even though Jeremy had provided an excuse for his actions that evening, somehow his story didn't wash. Elizabeth couldn't understand why Jessica was being so gullible.

  As she watched Jessica cuddle up to Jeremy, Elizabeth marveled at how different she and her sister were. Despite their identical appearances, from their shoulder-length golden-blond hair to their sparkling blue-green eyes to the matching dimple in their left cheek, she and Jessica were completely different in character. Jessica thrived on fun and adventure, always ready to go to the latest party, to spend the day on the beach gossiping and perfecting her tan, or to hit the mall with her friends. While Elizabeth enjoyed having a good time just as much as her sister, she preferred quieter pursuits. She could often be found curled up in an armchair with her journal or taking a walk on the beach with her boyfriend, Todd Wilkins. Even their activities reflected their different personalities, mused Elizabeth. Jessica was an active member of the twins' sorority, Pi Beta Alpha, and was the head of the cheerleading squad. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a serious student with high aspirations to be a journalist. She was actively involved in extracurricular activities and wrote the "Personal Profiles" column for The Oracle, the school newspaper.

  But despite their differences, there had always been an intangible link between the two of them. The bond the twins shared was closer than that of any siblings Elizabeth knew. They often communicated to each other through looks rather than words. And when one of them was in trouble, they seemed to read each other's thoughts. But now it seemed as if Jessica were completely out of reach, thought Elizabeth despondently as she watched Jessica and Jeremy gaze into each other's eyes. She sighed audibly, tired of witnessing the tender reconciliation between the two lovebirds.

  "So what happened next?" asked Jessica, her blue-green eyes sparkling brightly. She pulled her knees up to her chest and settled comfortably into the kitchen chair.

  "I went after you when you ran off," Jeremy said. "But I couldn't find you anywhere. And when I went back to the clearing where Sue had been, she was gone."

  The words seemed to reverberate in the silent kitchen and in Elizabeth's head. She was gone, she was gone, she was gone. Elizabeth was really worried about her friend. Sue seemed to have a flair for the dramatic when it concerned Jeremy. Elizabeth experienced a sense of déjà vu as she thought back to Sue's suicide attempt a few weeks earlier. They had all been sitting at the breakfast table together, just as they were now, when they had realized that Sue was missing. And Elizabeth had experienced a strange premonition.

  She shivered as images of that fateful morning floated through her mind: Sue sprawled out on the bed, ghostly pale and barely breathing; the empty bottle of pills lying ominously on the floor; the note saying that life without Jeremy wasn't worth living; the mad rush to the hospital in the ambulance; Sue's having her stomach pumped.

  And Elizabeth thought back to Sue's confession that she had faked her rare blood disease in a desperate move to get Jeremy back. Elizabeth wondered what kind of extreme measures she had taken now. But then a new possibility occurred to her. What if something really had happened to her—a young woman alone in the woods in the middle of the night? What if she had been abducted by a band of fugitives? Or killed by a deranged murderer? Or wounded by a wild animal in the woods? Elizabeth fought down a feeling of panic.

  "Well, sitting here worrying about Sue isn't helping matters," Elizabeth said, standing up suddenly. "I think we should go back to the cabin to look for her."

  "But Jeremy already looked for her," Jessica protested. Elizabeth shot her sister a knowing look, fully aware that Jessica had no desire to look for Sue, let alone find her.

  "It's true, I looked everywhere," agreed Jeremy, a despondent look on his face. "I turned the cabin upside down and scoured the woods around it."

  Elizabeth looked from Jessica to Jeremy, both seemingly content to sit around worrying about the situation. She couldn't bear the thought of Sue alone in the woods while they sat in the comfort of the Wakefield house. They had to do something. "Well, if you two aren't coming, I'm going alone," she asserted.

  Jeremy turned worried eyes to Elizabeth. "Maybe you're right," he conceded finally. "I searched the woods pretty thoroughly, but we could have better luck with three people."

  "Let's go!" Elizabeth urged, grabbing her bag from the table where she had deposited it earlier. "We don't have any time to waste." Jeremy picked up his coat and headed into the hall. Jessica sat at the table complacently with her head in her hands, watching Jeremy's receding back. "Jessica, c'mon!" Elizabeth said, taking her by the hand and yanking her up from the table.

  "Ouch!" exclaimed Jessica as she knocked her ankle on the table leg.

  "Shh!" cautioned Elizabeth. "We don't want to wake Mom and Dad. They'd never let us go out at this hour."

  "Sorry!" Jessica returned, following her sister grudgingly into the hall. "I wouldn't make any noise if you would just let me move by myself."

  Jeremy was rummaging in the hall closet. "Here," he said, handing a rain slicker to Jessica and an overcoat and hat to Elizabeth. "It's raining out."

  The three of them tiptoed quietly down the hall and crept out of the house. Elizabeth turned a fearful look back into the dark hall, shutting the door quietly behind her.

  Jessica took the front passenger seat of Jeremy's rented blue Ford Taurus, and Elizabeth slipped into the backseat. Jeremy carefully turned over the motor and backed down the street without turning the lights on.

  Chapter 2

  Elizabeth shivered as Jeremy maneuvered the car up the gravel trail leading to the Nature Cabin. The cabin, which had been so festive a few hours ago, now looked small and abandoned in the huge expanse of woods. Black and orange streamers were hanging limply from the wooden door, torn and soggy from the rain. A jack-o'-lantern smiled down at them from a road sign, grinning a macabre, crooked grin. A life-size paper skeleton was swinging back and forth from the branches of a tree.

  "Well, here we are," said Jeremy, pulling the car to a stop in front of the wooden structure and jumping out. Elizabeth and Jessica followed, their feet making light crunching noises as they trod on the wet autumn leaves. Elizabeth glanced around worriedly. A full red moon dipped low in the sky, illuminating the dark, foreboding woods. She took in the eerie woods and shuddered, wondering if Sue was lost in them somewhere.

  "OK," said Jeremy, spreading out a map of the area on the hood of the car. "Elizabeth, why don't you check out the stretch of woods to the west of the cabin?" He pointed in the general direction to the left of them. "And, Jessica, you can search the east woods. But don't go too far," he added. "You'll eventually meet up with the main road if you do. As for me—" Jeremy paused a moment, considering. "I'll scour the woods behind the cabin and by the riverbank."

  "Jeremy, aren't you coming with me?" Jessica demanded. She obviously wasn't pleased about the idea of tromping around alone in the dark woods in the middle of the night.