The Midnight Bandit by Melissa Willingham (best book club books of all time txt) 📖

you so sure he's the same man who hurt Alice?" Janet inquired.

"Because he did the very same thing to her, a few days before he raped her. She told me and I believe it has to be the same one."

"She should've told the police about that. Maybe they would've been able to stop him."

"She only told me about the gifts. She didn't take it seriously. It seemed like one, big joke. She kind of felt flattered at the idea of having a secret admirer."

"Why didn't you show them what he left for you? They could've helped you."

"That takes time and I didn't have it. He would've gotten me, before they caught him. That was two weeks ago and he still hasn't been arrested. I would've been assaulted by now, had I stayed there."

"You could go to them now. I can give you the name of a nice detective. You remember the one who spoke with us after Alice's attack, Lee Bowers? He will help you."

"I recall the investigator you're referring to. He did seem caring. But no, I can't. I'm not coming out in the open, until that rapist is apprehended. I'm already fearful every day of him showing up here to finish what he started. I guess he had to find another victim, in my place. Dear God, how I feel for her, if he gets her instead of me. But, I just couldn't stay at my house anymore, not until I'm sure it's safe. And it won't be until he's behind bars."

"I understand. I'm sorry for what has happened to our friend, Alice. I wish you didn't have to go through this," Janet empathized.

Millicent shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "It isn't the first time. I just can't deal with this again. This can't happen to me a second time."

"What do you mean by that? What has occurred before?"

Sighing wearily, Millicent looked down at the wooden table. She drank more coffee and then began a journey into her past. "I've never told you or Alice about this before. Thirty years ago, I was kidnapped from my home and sexually assaulted by my aunt's friend. I was only nine years old."

Her hands started to tremble, so she carefully set her mug down. Her eyes grew moist, but she wiped her eyes and sniffled quietly.

"My gosh! I had no idea that happened to you. I'm sorry," Janet mumbled. She felt shocked by her friend's admission. "If you don't feel like talking about it, I understand. If you do, I'm here to listen."

"I need to get it off my chest. I must! I haven't discussed the incident in many years. With all that's taking place with this rapist these days, it's a knot of tension building inside me."

Janet nodded sympathetically. "You can tell me, Millicent. I won't share with anyone what you have to say. It'll only be between us."

"Okay, thank you. Well, they call this Midnight Bandit a gentleman rapist. The nineteen year old boy who raped me was the same type of assailant. My aunt wouldn't go to the races with him that day. He ended up visiting me and my mother. She was a single parent and it was her birthday. The boy, Dean, brought his uncle with him. They stayed for a while then left. He came back later to help celebrate mom's special day."

She paused for a while to gather her thoughts, before continuing. "We gave him the grand tour of the small house, including a spare room with a broken window. He casually asked if anyone could come in through it, if they wanted to. Without giving it much thought, mother said they probably could."

"Geez! He was planning it in advance wasn't he?"

"Yes, it appears so. Anyway, I went on to bed, while he sat in the living room with mom. Soon after, I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a moving car. I glanced over at the driver, but couldn't see them. I was still in my nightgown and I didn't have my glasses on. I just assumed there was some emergency mom was rushing to. Shortly thereafter, the car came to a stop in a secluded spot on a dirt road. It was then I realized I wasn't with my mother. It was Dean instead."

Millicent shivered, glancing warily about the room. It was almost as if she expected some bad guy to materialize from the woodwork.

"What happened then?" Janet wondered. She wrapped cold hands around her warm mug and brought it to her lips. She felt uncomfortable to say the least.

"Dean just sat there for a while talking to me. He wasn't making much sense. I think he might've been on drugs. He kept saying Cuz was going to beat me up. I didn't who he meant. Then he suggested we get out of the car. When we did, I saw a blanket spread out upon the ground, waiting for us."

"He must've premeditated the assault and placed it there before he brought you."

"I guess so. Something began to feel not quite right about the situation. I sensed he was up to no good. He wanted to get into his back seat, which we did. The way he kept talking and touching me made me nervous. So, I told him I had to use the bathroom. He let me get back out."

Janet sat her coffee cup on the table and reached for her friend's clammy hands. "What did you do?"

"I peed very quickly and then I started running, just as he got out of the car. He chased after me. I tried to escape, but Dean was too fast for me. He caught up to me, grabbed me from behind and made me get in the backseat again. Once we were inside, he started touching me all over. He ripped at my panties, until he got them off me."

Millicent's lips trembled and tears trickled down her face. She brushed them away. "He didn't beat me up or call me names. He didn't force me to do anything to him. He put his head in between my legs and held me firmly, so I couldn't move away, while he performed oral. I didn't know what he was doing to me at the time. I felt nothing at all. I was so scared he was going to hurt me. And he did, when he got up and began to penetrate me; to rape me. It was the worst pain I ever felt in my life. It was like I was being ripped apart. I begged him to stop. He kept saying he would in a little while. I was so relieved when it was finally over."

Her shoulders shook convulsively as she buried her face in her hands. For a moment, she seemed inconsolable.

Janet rose from her chair to stand at Millicent's side. She gathered the poor, distraught woman gently into her arms and held her close. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. It's okay. You're safe now. He won't hurt you again," she soothed. She noticed tears rolling across her own cheeks.

Later, after both women regained their composure, the conversation resumed. "How did you manage to get out of that situation?"

"He led me up the dirt road to two trailers across the road. I went to one of them and the lady there knew my grandmother. She drove me to her house. My grandma called my mother, who'd awakened to find me missing and had the police searching for me. They all came over and I rode to emergency room on my mom's lap, in the back of a patrol car."

"How long were you in the hospital?"

"About two weeks. The doctor had to sew me back together down there. I lost a great deal of blood as a result of the sexual assault."

"Did that awful creep go to jail for what he did to you?"

"Yes, he went to prison for several years. When he was released, he faded into the scenery. I wouldn't know him if I saw him, it was so long ago."

"Does anyone know why he chose you as his victim?"

"Some say it was because he had a crush on my aunt. She wouldn't go out with him. They say he did it for revenge against her. He hurt her by hurting someone she loved, that was me."

Janet winced and shook her head in disgust. "He was a real sicko."

"Yeah, it turns out I wasn't his intended victim. He originally planned to rape his niece, who was only four or five years old. He couldn't get her alone, so he selected me as his substitute target."

"Dear heavens! What a horrible maniac!"

"I just thank God I survived; that Dean didn't kill me. So many kids and women who are assaulted never live to tell about it. I was one of the lucky ones. I'll always be grateful to the Lord for saving my life that night. He spared me from a cruel fate."

"I'm so glad you made it through that night," Janet agreed.  A sudden thought popped into her head. "Say, you don't think your attacker and this gentleman rapist could be the same person, do you?"

"No, I don't. Dean was nineteen when he hurt me, which would make him forty-nine now. The intruder police are looking for is in his mid-thirties. There's too much of an age difference."

"Well, whoever he is, he'll be apprehended at some point," Janet anticipated.

"I hope so. Then women of this town will be able to feel safe again."

"You know, speaking of safety, I got quite a scare the other night when I left the school. It got dark on me and when I was walking to the exit, the lights went out. I bumped into someone in the hallway, and then ran like a madwoman. But, I couldn't get out. Somebody walked up and I thought it was the rapist. The lights came back on. It was only Dennis Pittman, the janitor. He said the fuse box was acting up. He was nice enough to walk me outside to my car."

Millicent frowned. "Hmm, that's odd. The exact same thing happened to me right after Alice was attacked. I quit shortly after that, when I started receiving those gifts on my doorstep. Talk about coincidences. That's too weird."

***

The next evening, Janet arrived home after a long day of teaching, followed by grocery shopping. She was very tired and just wanted to put away her purchases. She longed for a warm soak in the tub with sudsy water.

So engrossed in gathering up her items was she, that she failed to notice anything at first. She grabbed the four plastic grocery bags and made her way up the porch steps. As she neared the front entrance, it only took her a moment to realize something was pinned to the door. A rose, with a note! Just like the one Millicent told her about yesterday evening.

Janet stiffened immediately and glanced around, but she didn't see anyone. She almost dropped her bags, yet managed to hold on, depositing them into a nearby chair. She took down the red rose, along with the tiny piece of paper.

As soon as she unfolded it, her eyes grew wide and her heart began to race. There were two simple words written tauntingly, ‘You’re next!' It was signed, Secret Admirer.

She gasped loudly, and then laid the items on a small table. Terror gripped her like someone had hold of the front of her dress. She tried to keep her cool. She paced back and forth across the porch, contemplating what she should do. She had to notify the police. She wouldn't keep quiet like her two friends had. She was now the target and that made her very scared. She didn't want to become another victim of this prowling rapist who was on the loose.

She fetched her cell phone and placed a call to Detective Lee Bowers. He'd been so friendly and helpful to her before, after Alice was assaulted. Perhaps he could assist her