Chrystine and April

 

 

 

 

 

 

“MUM!  Where are the kids?”

“They’re fine – they’ve been tied up in the front room, but they’re unharmed, and I have their word they will stay that way,” Chrystine said as she saw the scene in the master bedroom.  Tom was lying on his side on the bed, his wrists crossed and secured together behind his back as well as bands of rope around his chest and arms, his legs and his ankles, which were pulled back and tied to his chest.  A wide strip of white tape covered his mouth, and it was obvious something has been pushed into his mouth under it.  “How are you?”

“Scared – not as scared as that time when I was their age…”

“Whttwssthtth,” Tom said as he looked over.

“When April was ten, we were robbed in our house,” Chrystine said quietly, “and they left us both tied up, like you, on the bed.”  She could see April already had her wrists tied behind her back, and her arms forced into her sides with bands of rope above and below her chest.  “Tommy and Angela are been very brave about this, just as you were then.”

“Are you going to stay with them?”

“Given the circumstances, I said so at the start,” Chrystine said as she looked round, the clothes scattered on the floor as well as the empty jewellery boxes, the safe door open.  “So you stay safe up here, and I’ll give them a message.”

As she watched, April was forced to sit on the bed, one of the men covering her with the gun as the other crossed and secured her ankles together, and then secured her legs below her knees, the ropes pressing down on the denim.

“Just tell them to stay calm, and we’ll talk later,” April said before she opened her mouth, Chrystine watching as a folded cloth was pushed in, and then the white tape pressed down onto her chin, covering her lips so that the shape of them could be seen underneath.

“I’ll tell them that,” Chrystine said quietly as she watched her daughter been hogtied on the bed as she faced her husband, before she nodded and she was escorted back down the stairs.

 

From Chrystine’s Home Visit

 

March, 2002

 

Chrystine smiled as she sat outside the dance school, looking at herself in the rear-view mirror of the car.  She could see the first hints of grey in her short brown hair, but she was feeling as young as she wanted to feel.  That was mainly thanks to her fitness regime – she had just been to a class, and was wearing a grey sloppy joe t-shirt.  Her left sleeve had slipped down her shoulder, to reveal the strap of her black sports bra, and she was wearing a pair of light blue pants with a fern print no them, as well as flat soled black slippers.

 

She turned her head as the door to the school opened, and mothers started to appear with their children.  She smiled as a ten-year-old girl ran out and over to her car, jumping into the car and sitting on the booster seat as Chrystine fastened the seat belt over her.

 

“How was the class April,” she said with a smile as she looked at the girl.  She had short blonde hair swept back, a thin black headband with a pink bow on it over her head.  She was dressed for ballet – a peach coloured dance dress with a short skirt and a scoop neckline, white tights and peach dance slippers.

 

“Good Mum – we have the date for the dance show now,” April said with a smile.  “Will you and Dad come?”

 

“I’m sure we will,” Chrystine said as she set off. “So, we’ll get you home, and then we can have some mum and daughter time after your tea, all right?”

 

April nodded as the car moved out into the flow of traffic…

 

 

 

 

“Here we are,” Chrystine finally said as they pulled into the garage of their house, “you go on in and pour yourself a glass of milk, I’ll close the garage door and then I’ll sort your tea out.”  She handed April a door key, the girl nodding as she got out of the car and walked round the front before letting herself into the house.  Chrystine got out, closing the car door and locking it before she pulled the garage door back down.

 

“Now then,” she said as she walked into the house, “what do you…”

 

“Not a word lady – just close the door, and sit down with your hands where we can see them.”

 

Chrystine looked at the two men standing there, one of them with one hand on April’s shoulder and the other gloved hand covering her mouth.  They were tall, muscular, and had black stockings pulled down over their heads to disguise themselves.  They wore dark jumpers and pants, and the one who had spoken was pointing a handgun straight at Chrystine.

 

“What the…”

 

“Sit down, kid, and don’t say a word,” the man holding April said as he took his hand away, and she ran into her mother’s arms.

 

“My friend said sit down,” the first man growled.

 

“IT’s all right, April,” Chrystine said quietly as she stroked her daughter’s head, “let’s both sit down, and they can tell me what they want.”

 

The man nodded as he said “Good – we just need you both o do what we say, and when we say it.  Do that, and you both just have to spend some time – unable to move or talk.”

 

“What does he mean, Mummy,” April whispered.  Chrystine looked at him, before she said “you’re going to have to b every brave April.  Do you – men – mind if I cook some food for my daughter?”

 

“OF course not,” the man with the gun said as he sat at the table opposite April, smiling at her.  “No attempts to raise the alarm though.  Go and make sure the telephone is disconnected.”

 

“Got it,” his partner said as he walked out of the kitchen, Chrystine looking at him before she turned the over on.

 

“Fish fingers and chips all right for now, April?”

 

Her daughter slowly nodded, her eyes fixed on the masked man as he smiled back at her…

 

 

 

 

 

“Have you had enough, April,” Chrystine said as her daughter put the glass down.

 

“Yes Mum – so what’s going to happen now?”

 

“You do Ballet kid?”

 

“I do,” April said as she looked at the man, “why?”

 

“Then this won’t be so bad,” he said as his partner brought a canvas bag n and placed it on the kitchen table.  “Stand up, and put your hands behind your back.”

 

“Do as the man says,” Chrystine said as she stood up and kissed her forehead, collecting her plate and glass as she went to the dish washer.  April swallowed and then stood up, watching the man as he took a length of white rope form the bag and stood behind her.  She felt him wrap the rope round her arms and then gently pull it tight, her elbows coming together before he used the rope to secure them to each other.

 

As Chrystine turned, she watched as the masked man collected a second length of rope, and then stood behind April again, placing her hands together palm to palm before he bound them together, taking the rope round and between her arms.  April flexed her fingers as she whispered “does it have to be so tight?”

 

“Better this way, kid – if it was loose, then you may get rope burn or worse,” the man said as he secured the ends, and then took a longer length of rope form the bag.  Doubling it over, he nodded to his partner as he came in and took a length of rope while he looked at Chrystine.

 

“You as well, Mum – hands behind your back, palm to palm.”

 

“Make sure we are both the same – April will be happier that way,” she whispered as she watched the man securing her daughter’s arms to her body, the two bands framing her small chest as her bare arms were forced against her sides.

 

“Are you all right, April,” Chrystine said as she watched the man take the rope under one arm, up and around the back of her neck, and then under her other arm.

 

“It’s not so bad, Mum,” April said as she looked at her mother, “I can cope with this.  I think.”

 

“That’s the spirit kid,” the masked man said as Chrystine felt the rope drawing her own elbows together behind her back, and then her wrists.  She then watched as he fetched a second length, and she felt that band round her bare wrists as they were secured together. She tried to feel the knot with her fingers – but there was no wat to do so, even as she felt the gloved hands removing her rings, her watch, her earrings…

 

“All right,” the masked man said as he walked back to the bag, “we’re going to go to your bedroom, and you’re going to tell me where you keep your valuables – while your daughter is made nice and comfortable by my friend.”  He took out a long length of rope, doubling it over as he walked back, and said “right after I do this.”

 

April watched, her eyes widening as the intruder pulled the rope tightly round her mother’s body, stretching the t-shirt she was wearing as the bands formed and pressed her chest up and out.   He then did the same as he had to April – took the rope under one arm, pulled it up and round the back of Chrystine’s neck and then took it down the other side.

 

“You’re right, April,” Chrystine said as she tried to smile, “ it is tight, but if we do as they say, I don’t think it will hurt.”

 

“Good,” the man said as he secured the ends behind her, and then his partner picked up the canvas bag, “shall we?”

 

Chrystine nodded as she said “you go first, April,” the two of them leading the way into the hallway.  She noticed the phone had been pulled out from the wall as April started to climb the stairs, wiggling slightly as Chrystine saw the rope round her wrists and elbows.

 

As they walked into her parent’s bedroom, April was taken by the masked man and made to is ton the bed, Chrystine watching as he knelt down and started to secure her ankles together with rope, wrapping it round and between her thin limbs.

 

As he took a second length of rope and wrapped it round her legs below her knees, his partner looked at Chrystine and said “where do we start?”

 

“The wardrobe – look on the top shelf,” Chrystine said quietly before she heard April say “whtthshfhr.”  Turning round, she saw her daughter was still sitting on the bed, her lips together and her cheeks puffed out.  The second intruder was peeling a length of silver tape from a roll, before he tore it free, and then pressed it firmly down over the young girl’s mouth.

 

“Lie down on your side,” he said quietly, April nodding as she lay along the bed and he placed a pillow under her head.  She watched mutely as the men then followed Chrystine’s indications of where to look, her jewels and valuables going into the bag.

 

“Right then,” the man eventually said, “sit on the bed and cross your ankles.”

 

Chrystine nodded as she sat down and looked at April.  “See,” she said as she felt the rope round her ankles, “I’m going to be just like you.”

 

“Hkhhmhm,” April said as she looked on, Chrystine turning and watching as her legs were secured together, the white band over her pants.  The man took the rope between her legs to make it tighter, and then tied the ends off behind her knees before he stood up.

 

“Do it,” his partner said as he went to a drawer , taking something out and then returning with a folded wad of silk.

 

“Is that what is in my daughter’s mouth?”

 

“Yeah – don’t worry, we used clean ones,” he said, Chrystine looking at April before she nodded and opened her mouth wide.  She tasted the clean silk on her tongue as he pushed the wad in, and then closed her lips over that as he tore a long strip of tape from the silver roll.

 

She felt the tug on her skin as it was pressed down over her mouth, and then lay down – as she saw the second man pull April’s feet back and then secure her ankles to the ropes at her chest.

 

“Mhmhmwhdhhdhths?”

 

“Thmhkshrwhsththr,” Chrystine said as she felt her own ankles being pulled back, and then the added tension on her back as they were secured into place.  She looked at April, and said “huhfhrhd?”

 

“hlthhll…”

 

“Mhtthhh – lthsbhbhrfthfghr,” Chrystine said as she looked at the two men gathering the last of he jewels into the bag.  She then shuffled over and pressed her taped lips on April’s forehead, her daughter saying “fhnkuhmhm” as she looked into Chrystine’s eyes.

 

“Don’t move,” the man said as he and his partner left, Chrystine looking at her daughter as they listened to the foot steps, and then the door opening and closing.

 

“Whnnhsdhdhm?”

 

Chrystine looked over at the clock, and said “nhtffhrhnhfrthhrs.”

 

“Whddhwhdh?”  April twisted round as she tried to move, the ropes holding firm before she said “hchnnghtfhrh.”

 

“Mnhffhrr,” Chrystine said, “hnddhnhhdthsthhp.”

 

“Whh?”

 

“Hdhnthwhntuhhthfbhrfhfuhchnhtthoonuhrmhf.”

 

April looked at her, and then nodded as Chrystine kissed her forehead again with her gagged mouth.  She then looked at April, before she started to slowly rub her mouth on the pillow.

 

“Whhthrudhnnhmhm?”

 

“Lthsshhh…”

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh god, that’s better,” Chrystine eventually said as she pushed the soaking wet cloth out of her mouth with her tongue, the tape on the cushion as April watched.

 

“Whlldhdnnhmhm!”

 

“I know,” she whispered as they both heard the door open and close.

 

“Anyone home?”

 

“Get up here,” she called to her husband, “We’ve been robbed and left tied up and gagged!”

 

“Hlhhddhddhe,” April said as her father came in, looking at them both before he came over and peeled the tape from her mouth, then pulled out the wet cloth.  “Oh god – let get some scissors,” he said as he left the room, April looking at her mother as she said “we were brave, right Mum?”

 

“Yes you were,” Chrystine said with a smile, “yes you were…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to the Relative Perils index

 

Return to the main index