Mother and Daughter Moments 5
Talking of
winning – sometimes the game has being played on me as well.
I’d been
watching this house on a private estate – real gated community affair – in the
outskirts of a well known Midlands city.
I’d seen the woman of the house around and about with her eleven year
old daughter, he light brown hair pulled back in pigtails as they toured the
shop. The man of the house, who ran a
local shipping office, was at work for most of the day, so I figured the early
afternoon was as good a time as any to call.
Getting into
the community was relatively easy – I borrowed a white van from a friend, and
wore a set of overalls and a blue cap, so they thought I was a repairman. Parking the van in the driveway, I took out a
tool box and made my way to the side door.
I pretended
to ring the door bell, and then walked in, closing the door behind me before I
pulled the stocking over my head. There
was nobody in the kitchen, but I could hear noises from the front room, so I
went there.
The mother
was sitting watching television, her back to me as she put a mug of coffee down
on the table. So I walked up, clamped my
hand over her mouth, and said “Not a word – I’m going to play a game with you
and your daughter, and I don’t want to scare her just yet.”
The woman had
short dark hair, and was wearing a black top with a deep round collar and elbow
length sleeves, with a pair of leopard print trousers and black shoes. “What’s your name,” I said as I removed my
hand.
“Margaret,”
she whispered back. “What are you going
to do?”
“Stop you
from raising the alarm, and then I’ll tell your daughter we’re playing a
game. Then I’m going to rob you. Now, put your hands behind your back, and sit
quietly.”
Fifteen
minutes later, I was wrapping the white micropore tape around Margaret’s head
to keep the folded scarf snugly in her mouth.
She was lying face down on a long couch, with ropes holding her wrist
together behind her back, her arms to her side, her ankles and knees tightly to
each other, and then her ankles to the chest ropes.
“Now don’t
move,” I said as I patted her on the head, “and I promise you your daughter
will be just fine.” I turned the
television up, and made my way up the staircase. As I looked in the first door, I saw her
daughter sitting at a desk, drawing something.
Her light brown hair was in two pigtails, and she had on a pink short
sleeved top and blue jeans.
“Hello,” I
said as I looked in the room. “What are
you doing?”
“Drawing,”
she said as she looked at me, “What about you?”
“Oh, your
mother asked me to come and play a game with you. What’s your name?”
“It’s Cathy –
what’s yours?”
“I’m not
going to tell you – you see, your mum asked me to pretend to be a robber, and
to make sure you could not raise the alarm.”
Cathy looked
at me, then said “Does that mean we get to play tie up?”
“Yes it does
– why don’t you sit on the floor, and I’ll make sure you can’t move very
easily. Your mum’s already started
playing.”
“All right
then,” Cathy said as she sat down on the floor, and I put her hands together in
prayer in front of her. I opened my
toolbox, and took out a length of cord, which I used to tie her wrists
together. She looked as if she would not
be too much bother, so I tied her ankles together, her legs below her knees,
and then tied her wrists to her knees.
“Now,” I said
as I stood up, “if you promise not to scream or shout out, I’ll leave you like
this for now.”
“I promise,”
Cathy said as she nodded, so I went off and left her sitting there, going into
the next room and starting to search through the drawers for valuables.
“Hello.”
I turned to
see Cathy standing in the doorway, waving at me. “Oh – a little Houdini,” I said with a smile
as I led her back to the room, and sure enough there were the ropes scattered
on the floor. “Well then, I’ll just have
to do a better job of tying you up.” As
I led her back, I noticed there were no rope marks on her wrists – but I
figured I just had done too slack a job the first time.
This time I
had Cathy cross her wrists behind her back, and then tied them tightly
together, making sure I cinched the ropes.
I then tied her wrists to her back with some rope around her waist,
making sure they were held comfortably in place. I then helped her to sit down, crossed her
ankles and tied them tightly together, as well as her legs below her knees, the
two sets of ropes sitting over her jeans.
I made sure they were all snug and tight, before saying “Stay there this
time,” and heading back to the room I was searching.
I found some
nice pieces there, so I went on to the next room – to see Cathy sitting on the
bed, kicking her legs to and fro and smiling as she said “Hello Mister Robber.”
Now I knew I
had left her secure, and I could see the marks on her wrists this time, so I
walked her back – and saw the ropes I had used had been cut through with
scissors. “I see I need to really make
sure you can’t move,” I said this time as I opened a drawer, and took out a
pair of socks. “Put those on, then lie
face down on the bed and put your hands behind your back.”
“Oh this is
good,” Cathy said as she pulled the socks up her arms, and then did as I
asked. “Make sure I really can’t get
away this time.”
“I’ll do my
best,” I said as I shook my head, and once more tied her wrist tightly
together, then crossed and bound her ankles as well as her knees. I then sat her up, and tied some rope around
her waist, but this time I also tied rope around her arms and tummy, just below
her elbows, to lock them into place as well.
“That should
hold you in place,” I said with a smile as I went to her wardrobe, “but this
time I need to keep you quiet.” Taking
out a small triangular scarf and a handkerchief, I folded the latter and said
“open wide now.” Cathy allowed me to
push the cloth in, and then I rolled the triangle of cotton into a band and
tied it between her teeth.
“Fnkksmstrrbbr,”
Cathy said as I shook my head, and then left her lying on her side as I went to
search another room.
So when I opened
the door and saw Cathy sitting on the floor, I literally did a double
take. “How did... No forget it, come with me,” I said as I took
the giggling girl and led her back to the room.
The bed was empty – as was the room – but this time the bed was empty.
“Right,” I
said as I opened the tool box, and took out two sponges, “hold these Cathy –
this time you’re not getting away.”
“All right,”
she said with a smile as she made fists with the sponges inside. I then took out a roll of duct tape, and
covered her wrist in the silver material, before I pulled a second pair of
socks over her hands and then bound them tightly together. I then bound her arms to her side as before,
but this time I used an extra length of rope around her upper body, above her
elbows and around her shoulders, before binding her legs as she sat down.
“Open wide
again,” I said as I pushed a second hankie into her mouth, found a second
triangle scarf and used that as a cleave gag, but this time I also pressed a
strip of the silver tape over her lips as well.
“Now stay
put, or I’ll make sure you do,” I said as I wagged a finger at her, and then
went back to business – searching in the master bedroom this time. I found their mother’s jewellery, and put it
in the tool box, then decided to get out of there – only to see Cathy jumping
past as I opened the door.
“Hnnhhhh,”
she said as she looked at me, and I at her.
The rope were still intact around her legs, arms, waist and stomach, and
the scarf was still sitting snugly between her teeth, as she said
“Jsswntddtmvrnd.”
“All right
Cathy – I’m afraid I’ll need to tie you even more securely now,” I said as I
picked her up in my arms and carried her back to the room – to see Cathy
hopping to the door, a length of tape hanging from her cheek, and the wet scarf
around her neck.
“OH,” she
said as she saw me with... Then it
dawned on me what was going on. “Now I
get it – identical twins?”
“That’s
right,” Cathy said with a smile, “I’m Cathy and you have Kathy in your arms. Did you enjoy our game?”
“Srrprrs,”
Kathy said as I laid her on the bed, and sat her twin sister next to her. “So you hid and untied each other after I’d
left the room,” I said as I looked at both of them.
“Fooled you,”
Cathy said as she bounced on the bed.
“We do this all the time to guests and strangers, it really makes them
look twice.”
“Well, I
certainly did,” I said with a smile, “but now I need to make sure you’re both
the same before I say you can start to try and escape.” I took an extra length of rope and tied
Kathy’s upper arms as I had her sisters, then let them lie facing each other on
the bed before I tied their ankles to their chest ropes.
Re-gagging
Sarah I then used the same white tape as I’d used on their mum to further gag
them, wrapping it round their heads, and then gave them both a little peck on
their fohereads. “Have fun,” I said as I
left them, and checked on Margaret, who was still face down on the couch.
If only they
had gone downstairs...
********
Of course,
going downstairs can lead to some interesting situations as well. One time when I was on a business trip to
Boston, I had a day to myself, and was visiting a mall when I saw a woman in
her late thirties coming out of a Neyman-Marcus store, laden with bags. She had shoulder length ash blonde hair, and
was wearing a black leather jacket over a grey cardigan, white top and black
trousers. Her feet were in a pair of
open toed pumps.
With her was
a girl, I guessed about ten years old, with slightly darker brown hair. She was wearing a blue denim jacket over a
green top with a black and white heart motif, knee length denim pants and
sneakers. On a whim, I decided this
would be a family worth visiting, so I followed them as they left the mall and
got into their car. Luckily, my hire car
was nearby, so I trailed them to a cottage on a hill some distance away.
I watched as
they got out of their car and went into the house, allowing a few minutes
before I got out and removed a small rucksack from the back of the car. Making my way up the path, I walked around
the side of the house, and looked into the kitchen window. The mother was there, her back to the door,
her jacket over a chair.
So I made my
usual subtle entrance – opened the door, walked in and grabbed her, putting my
gloved hand over her mouth and saying “Shhh – don’t scream, or you’ll scare
your daughter.”
She grabbed
my arm, but had no chance of pulling it down, so she nodded and whimpered
“lllbgd.”
“Excellent,”
I said as I removed my hand, “What’s your name?”
“Bobbi.”
“All right,
Bobbi, here’s the deal – I’m going to rob you, and I need to keep you and your
daughter out of the way while I do so.
But I don’t want to upset her, so you’re going to tell her I’ve come to
play a game with both of you of Robbers.”
“Oh god – I’ve
heard of you,” she whispered. “Please,
just don’t hurt us.”
“I won’t if
you behave,” I said as I put my rucksack
on the table, and opened it. I had stocked
up on nylon rope the day before, and as I took a length out I said “Hands
behind your back please.”
I secured her
crossed wrists behind her back, and then tied her arms to her sides, the rope
going above and below her chest as it pulled the front of her grey cardigan
open. “What’s your daughter’s name,” I
said as I tightened the bands of rope.
“Casey –
you’re not going to hurt her are you?”
“I told you,
Bobbi – just tell her it’s a game to play.
Now, call her.”
Bobbi nodded,
and called out “Casey? Can you come here
please?”
“I can’t
mum,” I heard her call back, “Jo and me are working on our science fair
project.”
“Jo?” I looked at Bobbi, who was shaking. “Oh god – she must have arrived when I was in
here, and come straight in. She’s Casey’s
friend, please...”
“Where are
they?”
“They’ll be
in the basement.”
“Take me down
there,” I said as I took her arm, and we walked down the corridor and a flight
of stairs. I saw Casey there, as well as
her friend Jo. She had on a green jumper with rosettes on the front, over
a raunched orange top, and a denim skirt.
They both looked up as we came down, and Bobbi said “I’d forgotten about
that – I invited this man over to play a game of Robbers with us, but...”
“Awww mum –
we need to have this done by tomorrow,” Casey said as she looked at the
Styrofoam balls and pipe cleaners.
“What is it
you have to do for your project,” I said as I looked at her.
“We have to
make a model of DNA – the balls are the four types of atom, and the pipe
cleaners for the bonds. Say – are you a
real robber?”
Jo was
looking at me through her glasses as I laughed and said “No – your mum asked me
to come and pretend to be one. But I can’t
tie you up and pretend to rob the place if you have to do your model –
unless... Do you have the instructions?”
“Here,” Jo
said as she handed me a sheet. “Well, I
tell you what – both of you van play with Casey’s mum, and I’ll do the project
for you. How does that sound?”
“GREAT” the
two girls chorused.
“Well then –
you sort out the parts while I make sure Mum here is playing properly, and then
I’ll take care of both of you.” I walked
Bobbi to a large wooden box, set her down and bound her ankles together, as
well as her legs below her knees, while the two girls sorted the balls into
four piles. Once they had done that, I
said to them “Right – both of you come and stand in front of me, and put your
hands behind your back.”
I crossed the
wrist of each of them and tied them together, as well as tying some rope around
their waists, before I used some more rope around their arms and tummies. Once they were sitting down, I had them
cross their ankles, and then bound them as well as their legs below their
knees.
“Now then,” I
said as I looked at the sheet, “tell me about how you’re going to explain the
model while I build it.”
Come on – it
was a fair exchange, my help for their playing along, and Bobbi kept talking to
them as well while I put the model together.
It didn’t take too long, and they cheered when I showed them the
finished model.
“Thank you,”
I said quietly, “now, I need to go and pretend to rob the house, so keep quiet
for a few minutes.”
It didn’t
take me long to find the jewellery, and return to the basement. The girls had slid themselves over and were sitting
either side of Bobbi, as I picked up a roll of duct tape and said “now, I need to
make sure you keep quiet. Put your lips
together, and breathe through your noses.”
I smoothed a
strip over each of their mouths – not a really effective gag, but I knew they
would have fun trying to get free. “Now
you need to try and escape – and good luck at the fair,” I said as I left them
there, and made my escape...
********
Whatever you
may think of me, I always try to treat the families I visit with care and
dignity. I know it can be upsetting for
them, especially the mothers, but making it a game seems to keep things calm.
Which is why
it can be so distressing to see the more violent members of my fraternity at
work. Case in point – I had been looking
to visit the owner of a jewellery shop in the Beeston area of Nottingham. He was a well know man, with a wife in her
late thirties. She was a beautiful
woman, with long brown hair, while their eleven year old daughter had her
father’s light blonde hair colouring.
Anyway, this
Thursday evening I knew the husband was at a conference so I parked outside the
private school her daughter was attended and waited for a little while. She soon came out, wearing her school uniform
– white blouse, red tie, red pullover and blazer with gold trim, pleated knee
length grey skirt, white socks and shoes.
She got into her mother’s car and they drove off, me following a few
metres behind.
I stopped in
the street as they parked in the driveway and walked to the house – the mother
had on a long black coat, but I could see her dark tights and her high heeled
strapped shoes as they walked to the door and into the house. As usual, I waited for a few minutes, but
while I was checking my rucksack to ensure I had the supplies, something rather
unusual happened.
A grey
transit van pulled into the driveway, and I wondered if I was going to have to
wait or come back. Before I drove off,
however, I saw two men walk from the van to the front door. They were wearing black boiler suits and woolly
hats, but as I watched them ring the doorbell, they both pulled the fats down
and covered their heads. I caught a
glimpse of the mother opening the door, and then they forced their way in.
I literally
could not believe my eyes – somebody had beaten me to it, right under my very
nose! Curiosity got the better of me,
however, so I got out of the car, with my rucksack, and made my way up to the
house. I didn’t try to get in the front
door, instead making my way round to see if I could see anything at the back.
The rear of
the house had a large set of glass patio doors, and through them I could see
the mother, wearing a black sleeveless dress, pleading with one of the robbers
as he used rope to bind her daughter’s arms behind her back. This was no game – I could see the fear in
her eyes as her arms were tied in a box behind her back, and then more rope
used to bind her arms at her elbows and around her shoulders.
As he tied
her arms to her waist, the first man pushed a large cloth into the mother’s
mouth, and forced a knotted white scarf between her lips, before he started to
bind her just as cruelly as the young girl.
Now I was
getting angry – there was no need for such violence, as the girl was gagged
like her mother, and then they dragged the two women out of the room. I went back to the car, and sat for some
time, wondering whether or not I should do the decent thing and call the
police.
Before I could
do that, I saw them come out of the house, carrying bags which they put into
the van, and then drove off. They left
the front door open, so I decided to see what they had done. Leaving the car, I walked up and into the
house, pulling the stocking over my head.
It was quiet,
but I could see a door in the hallway open.
I made my way over, down the first couple of stairs, and looked down.
The mother
and daughter were sat on the floor of the cellar, back to back, with yards of
rope holding them together. They both
had their ankles tied together, as well as their legs above and below their
knees, and then their legs were bent, their ankles tied to their waist by a
length of rope that went between their legs.
They both had
their eyes closed and were quietly trying to comfort each other, so I left them
to it and had a look round. The two men
had certainly made a mess, upstairs and downstairs, but as I looked in the
mother’s bedroom one thing in particular struck me – they had missed the
obvious hiding places.
Oh sure –
they had turned out the drawers, and there were jewellery boxes lying on the
floor, but they had not searched the wardrobe, the boxes inside the wardrobe,
or checked inside the drawers. When I
did so, I found several more pieces of and sets of jewellery, which I pocketed
for my own benefit.
They had also
made a real mess of the daughter’s room, but again for a family like this, I
figured there would be hiding places in her room, such as under the bed or in
her bookcase – which for some reason they had not touched. That proved fruitful as well – such as the
plastic storage box that had jumpers on the top, but underneath a set of pearl
earrings and a matching necklace.
Walking back
down the stairs, I thought of the mother and daughter in the basement, and I
realised for once I had to play the part of rescuer as well as robber. I slipped the stocking off my head, checked
outside that nobody was going past, and then went back to my car, depositing
everything in the boot before I looked back to the house. Running my fingers through my hair, I walked
back up to the house, pushed the door open and said “Hello – anyone at home?”
“DWWNHRRRR!”
I heard someone shout out, so I went to the basement door, walked down and said
“Hello?” I then saw them staring at me,
struggling as I ran down and said “My god – who did this to you?”
I untied and
removed the gags from both of them, as the mother said “Oh thank you, thank you
– two men tied us up and forced us down here.
Fiona, are you all right?”
“I’m all
right mum,” the girl said as I started to untie them. “Thank you, whoever you are...”
Once I had
them free, I called the police on my mobile phone, and then helped them
upstairs, waiting with them until the police and a paramedic crew came to join
us. They could not have been more
grateful, as I told the police my story, and they both hugged me before I left.
Strange
feeling – playing the hero, but it wasn’t the only time I did so.
I had been
meeting one of the people whom I deal with for the items I take, when he said
“By the way, you’re not planning to do anything in the Beaconsfield area this
Saturday, are you?”
Well, I
wasn’t but I asked him why he was concerned.
“I heard something – the Black Hoods are planning to hit the house of a
bank manager in the town, hold his family hostage, force him to open the
vault. You know how they work...”
He didn’t
need to say any more – the modus operandi of the gang was well known. They would take the family hostage, but after
the target had done their bidding – and sometimes before – the females they
held hostage were subjected to a rather humiliating binding, and sometimes
assault.
“Point taken
– any idea who and when?”
“Some guy
named Cogsworth – eleven thirty in the morning is when they’re planning to take
his wife and kids hostage.”
“Kids?”
“Three
daughters – nine, ten and twelve. Trust me;
the police are going to be mad as hell on this one if they pull their usual
stunts.” He downed his drink and headed
off, leaving me fuming. I knew this gang
knew what they would do, and I did not want that to happen to innocents like
that...
Saturday morning,
I was outside the house of the Cogsworth family – easily found if you know
where to look – watching as the father drove out of the driveway and headed off
down the road.
I then made
my way up to the front door, and silently opened it, stepping inside and
closing the door behind me. I could hear
the television on in the front room, but I walked past that, and towards the
kitchen.
Mrs Cogworth
was standing at the sink, dressed in an olive green blouse with the sleeves
rolled up, and an old faded denim skirt that reached almost to the floor, just
about covering her black converse trainers.
The bottom of a white top was visible under the green blouse, as she
washed up some breakfast dishes.
Her muffled
gasp as I hand gagged her told me I had taken her completely by surprise, as I
whispered “No screaming please – I don’t want your daughters to know I am here
yet. Just walk with me to the table, sit
down, and I’ll tell you what’s going to happen.”
I felt her
nod as I walked her back to the table, and let her sit down as I closed the
kitchen door. She looked at me, in my
black jacket and trousers, with the stocking over my face, and said “What are
you going to do?”
“I’m going to
play a little game with you and your daughters,” I said as I sat down with
her. “I want you to tell them that this
is a family game of Cops and Robbers, and I’m playing the robber. Then I’m going to tie you all up, take some
of your things and then leave you to look after each other.”
“Oh god,” she
said as she looked at me, “Please, don’t hurt them...”
“Believe me,
it’s not my intention to hurt them or you.”
I looked at the dark haired woman, her chest heaving, and said “What’s
your name?”
“Phyllis.”
“All right,
Phyllis, have you heard of the Black Hoods?”
She visibly
blanched and said “No, you’re not...”
“I’m not –
but I have heard they are going to come here today. Get your daughters to play the game, allow me
to take a few things, and I can fix things so they get the blame and ever
bother another family again.”
“Oh god,” she
whispered quietly, and then she said “You will make it as if it is a game.”
“I promise –
and then everything will be all right.”
Phyllis
nodded, and then said “Very well – but let me tell the girls my way.” I agreed, and so we went into the front
room. Her nine year old daughter was
lying in front of the television, watching a cartoon, when she turned and saw
us.
“Julie,”
Phyllis said quietly, “Would you please go upstairs and ask Millicent and Rose
to come downstairs? I need to tell all
three of you something.”
“All right,
Mum,” Julie said as she stood up. She
was wearing a pair of denim shorts, with a red belt around her waist, and a
white t-shirt with “I”, a heart and a moustache on the front. I had seen Mr Cogsworth had some facial hair
on the upper lip, so I laughed as she ran off in her yellow slippers.
The next girl
in was a little taller than Julie, with blonde hair instead of her younger
sister’s black. She was bare foot, and
wearing a pair of bell bottom jeans and a pink short sleeved top. “Sit down for me, Millicent,” Phyllis said,
as the final girl came in.
She was as
tall as her mother, with her blonde hair pulled back in a pigtail, and had on a
peach coloured cardigan over a white vest with thin orange horizontal stripes. She was also wearing a pair of jeans, the legs
of which were tucked into a pair of knee length black leather boots with a belt
detail on the front.
“What is it
Mum, I was going to...” she said before she saw me through her glasses, and
stifled a scream. “It’s all right,
Rose,” Phyllis quickly said, “I asked this man to come and play a game of Cops
and Robbers with us.”
“Would you
please draw the curtains,” I said to her as Julie came back in, “and then sit
with your sisters, so that your mother can explain how the game works.”
She looked at
her mother again, and then went to the curtains, drawing them to before she sat
down.
“Girls,”
Phyllis said as she looked at me, “this man has agreed to come and play the
role of a robber, who wants to steal our things. He is going to make sure we cannot stop him,
by tying us up, and then he will make sure we cannot speak for a while.”
“You mean
he’s going to gag us?”
“That’s
right, “I said, “but I won’t hurt you in any way. The point of the game is, after I have gone,
to remain as still as possible until some more friends of your mother and
father come and surprise you.”
“It’s just
like being in a school play,” Phyllis added, “all right?”
I smiled as
the girls nodded, and then I said “All right – a real robber will tell you all
to sit with your hands on your heads, so do that for me please.”
All three did
so, as I guided Phyllis’ hands behind her back, took a length of rope from my
bag and then tied them tightly together, crossing them against the small of her
back. Once I had them secured, I tied
some more rope around her stomach and arms, locking them in place before I said
“Sit down and watch while I take care of your daughters. Oldest first – Rose, stand up and put your
hands behind your back.”
Phyllis sat
herself in an armchair as the television played in the background, and I tied
Rose’s wrists behind her back in the same way, making sure I held them firmly
together and cinched the band by passing the rope between her wrists. Once I had tied her arms in place, I said
“Julie, Millicent, would you please let your older sister lie down on this
couch.”
They both got
up, their hands still of their heads as they watched Rose lie down on her back,
and then I bound her ankles together, the rope rubbing against the leather as I
secured them. Finally I tied her legs
together below her knees, and above the topes of her boots, passing the rope
between her legs to secure it properly.
“I hope
that’s not too uncomfortable,” I said as Rose rolled onto her side and looked
at her mother. “It’s actually quite
comfy,” she finally said, “but what are you going to do to the others?”
“Watch,” I
said as I went into the kitchen, and fetched a char from the dining table. I positioned it in front of the television,
between the seat Phyllis was in and the couch rose was lying on, and said
“Millicent, sit in here please, and put your arms through the gaps in the chair
back.”
Once she had
done so, I crossed and tied her wrists together, then secured them to the chair
back, before I tied some rope around her waist to fix her to the chair
back. I then knelt in front of her and
tied her ankles to the chair legs, as well as her legs below her knees, and
then tied her arms to the chair back.
“This isn’t
too bad,” she said as I knelt in front of Julie, put her hands together palm to
palm and then tied them tightly together, before tying her arms to her tummy as
I had her mother and sister.
“I want you
to sit of front of the couch, Julie, and bend your legs for me,” I said as I looked
at the young girl. She nodded and sat
down, watching with the others as I tied her ankles tightly together, as well
as her legs below her knees, and then tied her wrist to the rope on her legs.
“Right then,”
I said as I looked in my watch, “I’m going to pretend to take some of your mum’s
valuables now. Feel free to talk quietly
amongst your selves.”
Before I
left, I tied Phyllis’ ankles tightly together, and then her legs above her
knees, lifting the hem of her skirt up as I did so. Smiling, I left them alone for a few
minutes, and went upstairs.
I was as good
as my word – there were a lot of very fine pieces of jewellery, but I left them
there, and pocketed a few serviceable things as well as some cash. I also collected some scarves from Phyllis’
bedroom, and then made my way downstairs.
“Right,” I
said as I came back in, to find them all where I had left them,”I need to make
sure you all stay as still and as quiet as possible. Mum first – sit forward a bit please.”
As Phyllis
moved forward, I took a length of rope and tied it around her upper arms,
holding them in place, before I folded a small blue silk square and said “Open
wide please.”
“Your
promise?”
I nodded to
show I had kept it, and then pushed the folded silk pad into her mouth, waiting
until she closed it before I covered her mouth with a wide strip of the
micropore tape. She grunted “Fnku” as I
knelt next to Julie, and said “If you open your mouth, I’ll put this in your
mouth, and then cover your lips with tape.
It will help you to keep quiet for the game, all right?”
She nodded,
then opened her mouth wide as I pushed the folded handkerchief in, and then
smoothed the tape over her lips. Standing
up, I put a folded black silk neck scarf into Millicent’s mouth, and then a folded
red bandana into Rose’s, before tape gagging both of them.
Looking at my
watch, I saw it was eleven am. “All
right,” I said quietly, “the friends of mine I talked about will be coming in
half an hour to surprise you. Your mum
knows what to do when they come, so I want you to follow her lead, and to have
fun, all right?”
All four of
them nodded, Phyllis smiling under the tape as I took my leave of them.
The endgame of
that little visit I did not discover until the next morning, when I bought a
local paper.
Apparently,
Police were given an anonymous tip-off that the notorious Black Hoods planned
to hold the family of a local bank manager hostage. When they arrived at the house, they found
the manager’s wife and his three daughters tightly bound and gagged, as well as
the three members of the gang. Police
sources indicated they claimed they had broken into the house, and found all four
already secured, but the wife had told police the gang had done this to them,
under the threat of serious assault.
The
three gang members were in custody, charged with a string of violent robberies
and assaults. One less blot on our
landscape...
********
There
was another time when I had to help out with a fun learning activity – this was
when I was doing some shopping of my own for a birthday present, and I saw this
woman with a nine year old girl coming into the shop and standing next to me.
“Will Daddy
be back in time to see me,” the girl said as they looked at some Lego.
“Of course he
will, Angel,” the mother said, “he flies back from his business trip on Monday,
and the play is Wednesday.”
“Good – and
we can rehearse again later?”
“Of course we
can,” the mum said as they walked on. I
took a look at them – the girl had long blonde hair, with a red scarf tied over
it. The scarf had white dots all over
it. Her long green coat covered her
clothing.
As for the
mum, she had red hair cut in a fringe, going down to the shoulders of her coat. I could see the light purple flannel trousers
under it, and the short grey boots the legs were tucked into.
Well, I
thought I may as well take the opportunity, so I followed them to the bus stop,
rode with them to a housing estate a mile or two outside town, and then watched
as they got off the bus and went into a terraced house a few doors down. I got off at the next stop, and walked back,
taking my time to look at the house before jumping on the bus back, and
collecting my car.
When I
returned an hour later, I took my rucksack and walked up to the door,
pretending to push a leaflet through the door.
Instead, I tried the handle, and finding it opening I slipped in,
closing it noiselessly behind me.
I could hear
them talking in one of the rooms, but as I got closer and put the stocking down
over my head I realised they were actually herearsing some sort of play.
“Please,
don’t leave me like this,” I heard the little girl say.
“Don’t worry,
little one – your mummy will be joining you soon, and then you can be
together.”
“But why did
you tie me up?”
“To stop you
raising the alarm.”
Well, I was
intrigued, so I looked round the corner into the room. The little girl was sitting in a chair, with
a length of rope holding her wrist together on her lap, and another one around
her ankles. I could now see she was
wearing a pink top with three buttons down from the neck, and her sleeves
pushed up to her elbows, as well as a pair of yellow knee lengths pants.
Her mother
was wearing along sleeved purple top, with the waist straps knotted behind her
back, and was reading from some stapled together sheets of paper.
“That’s very
good, Angel,” her mother said. “You’re
going to be really good in the play.”
“I know,”
Angel said as she swung her legs to and fro, “but I really wish he was her to
play the part of the robber. Then you
could be the mummy and we could really herearse the play.”
Now there was
a cue if ever there was one, so I decided to walk in and say “Did I hear you say
you needed someone to play a robber?”
The woman
looked at me, with the stocking over my head, before I said “Don’t be alarmed –
your dad is a friend of mine, and he called me to see if I could come and help
you get ready. The door was open, and I
did call out, but...”
“Really?”
I looked at
the mother and said “Really – You’re Angel, and you’re Ellie, right?” I’d seen the name on an envelope in the
hallway, and took a punt at it.
“That’s
right,” Ellie said quietly, “so what are you going to do?”
“Well, your
husband asked me to pretend to be a real robber, and while you read your lines
I’ll make sure you really can’t move.
But for me to do that, I need you,” I said as I looked at Ellie, “to go
and get two pairs of socks for me – one for you and one for Angel here.”
“Please,
mummy,” Angel said as she looked at Ellie.
“All right,” she eventually said, “but can I have a word with you,
please?”
I walked out of
the room with her, before she turned and whispered “Who are you? My husband said nothing about this.”
“No, he
didn’t,” I said as I showed her the butt of my pistol, “but just play along and
make it a herearsal of the play, and everything will be just fine, understand?”
Ellie looked
at my hand, and nodded, saying “Please, don’t hurt her...”
“Just come
with me to get the socks,” I said as I took her arm, and we went upstairs,
taking one pair of socks from her daughter’s room and one from hers. As we went downstairs, I said “Why don’t we
untie your hands and feet, Angel, and you can have a drink before we start.”
Ellie did the
necessary, as they both took a drink from the cups on the table, while I read
the script.
“All right,”
I said quietly, “Why don’t we take it from when the robber surprises you in the
front room of your house? Angel, you
play your part, your mother is Mum, and I play the robber. Ready?”
Angel nodded,
and then screamed “WHO ARE YOU?”
Looking at
the script, I say “Be quiet, both of you – do as I say and you won’t get hurt.”
Ellie then
said “Oh god – please don’t hurt us...” as Angel hugged her.
“Just keep
quiet, and you won’t get hurt. You,” I
said as I pointed to Angel,” Come here and put your hands behind your back.”
As she walked
over, I said “Put the socks over your hands as you do that.” I watched as she did so, before turning her
to face her mum. Ellie said “Be brave”
as I crossed Angel’s wrists behind her back, and then tied them together with
rope from my bag, before fixing them to her body with rope around her waist.
“That’s tight
– nice but tight,” she said before slipping back into role, and crying “Please
don’t do this” as I sat her on the couch.
“I have to,”
I said reading from the sheet, as I crossed her ankles and tied them together
with the soft rope I had brought with me.
“You’re better at this than mum,” Angel giggled as Ellie looked on.
“What are you
going to do to us?”
“Just keep
you out of the way while we rob the place – now, you’re going to go with my
friend while I stay with your daughter – and no funny stuff!”
“All right,”
Ellie said, and then she sat down. “At
this point, I go off stage, and you talk to Angel.”
I looked at
the script, and realised we had got to the point I heard them at earlier.
“Don’t cry,
little girl – I promise you your mummy will be just fine.”
“Please,
don’t leave me like this.”
“Don’t worry,
little one – your mummy will be joining you soon, and then you can be
together.”
“But why did
you tie me up?”
“To stop you
raising the alarm.”
I looked
again at the script. “It says here Mum
enters her hands already tied. Please, Ellie
put the socks on your hands and your hands behind your back.”
“All right,”
she whispered as she pulled the white socks over her own hands, and then I
crossed and bound them behind her back as I had Angel. As well as the ropes around her waist,
however, I also tied some rope around her upper body, above and below her
chest, holding her arms tightly to her side.
“Why did you
do that,” Angel said as I made Ellie sit next to her, crossed her ankles and tied
them together.
“To make it
realistic,” I said quietly. “Now, take
it from the point your mum comes in.”
Ellie nodded,
looked at the script and said “Are you all right, Angel”?
“My
character’s name is May, mum!”
“Are you all
right, MAY,” Ellie said as she looked at me.
“I’m scared,
but he’s being nice to me,” Angel said as she watched me tie Ellie’s legs
together below her knees. “He really
wants us to stay out of the way, doesn’t he?”
“I promise
you,” I said as I looked at the script, “just sit here and you’ll be fine. Now, sit forward May.”
Angel
shuffled forward, and I saw in the script it called for her wrists to be tied
to her mothers. I improvised, however,
and tied her arms to her side by winding the rope around her elbows and tummy.
“That’s not
in the script,” Angel said as I tied the ropes off.
“No – but you
can cuddle into mummy if you want now,” I said as I helped her to sit
back. “Now, I’m going to go and rob you
– stay here and keep quiet.”
“We’ll be
good,” Ellie said, and Angel nodded as well as I left them in the room. “Remember – I can hear you,” I shouted back,
then listened to them as they said their lines.
Ellie had the role of keeping Angie quiet, while Angie started to cry
and ask her mummy what was going to happen.
I searched
downstairs first, and then I heard Angie saying “IT’S YOUR LINE!!!”
“Sorry,” I
said as I came back in to find them sitting next to each other. Looking at the script, I said “Good – you’re
behaving yourself, but I need to look upstairs.
Can I trust you to keep quiet?”
They both
nodded, so I left them, looking as quickly as I could and finding some very
nice items. When I went back down, I saw
that Angel was lying with her head on Ellie’s lap.
“Right then,”
I said as I looked at the script, “I need to make sure you cannot speak or call
for help.” Looking at the script, I saw
it called for a scarf to be tied over their mouths, but I needed them to be
really quiet, so I took two scarves I had taken from Ellie’s room, rolled them
into bands and tied knots in the middle, before saying “Time to gag you – mummy
first.”
Ellie kissed her
daughter, then opened her mouth and allowed me to ease the knot into her mouth,
tying the scarf around her neck. Angel
then said “Thank you” as I eased the knot into her mouth, and tied the scarf
around her head.
“Now,” I said
as I looked at the script, “just sit tight and I’ll call the police once I’m
far enough away.” Ellie nodded as Angel
rested her head on her mother’s lap again, while I got out of there.
And yes, I
did call the police.
********
I don’t want
you to get the impression that every visit I make goes smoothly – I’ve already
told you of a few times when I have had to improvise and change my plans. One time in the US, however, was a little
different.
I was in one
of worst possible places to plan a visit – Washington DC. With the extra security presence, you would
think it would not be possible to just walk up to a front door, go in and rob
the place by holding the daughter hostage.
Wrong – so long
as you don’t plan it, or look suspicious, it can be easier. I was there on business, but you know by now
I take time off and look around, so in this case I was in a suburb when I saw
them walking past.
The mother
was in her early thirties, dark skinned with straight brown hair, and had a
black leather jacket over a white top, white trousers and black shoes. Her ten year old daughter had curled brown
hair, and was wearing a blue denim jacket over a similar top to her mother,
beige trousers and sneakers.
Anyway, I
followed them to their home, then went to a local hardware store to buy some
supplies before returning. I walked to
the back of the house, and let myself into the kitchen – just in time to see
Mummy walk in, her jacket now off.
She was going
to scream, so I pushed her up to the wall, and clamped my gloved hand over her
mouth as I said “Don’t scream – you don’t want to scare your daughter, do you?
She stared at
me, and then shook her head as I took my hand away. “Good – just do as I say and everything will
be just fine. Where is your daughter?”
“Shhhhh She’s
watching television,” she whispered.
“What are you going to do?”
“Well,” I
said as I took some rope from my jacket pocket, “Right now I’m going to tie
your hands behind your back. Just keep
quiet, keep calm and turn round.”
As she did
so, and I tied her crossed wrists together, she looked over her shoulder and
said “Please, my purse is on the table.
Just take it and leave us alone.”
“I said to
stay calm and keep quiet,” I whispered as I passed more rope around her waist
and fixed her arms to her back. “Now,
sit down, and tell me your name.”
“My
name? It’s Amanda,” she said as she sat
in a kitchen chair.
“And your
daughter?”
“Toni – what
are you going to do to us?”
“Well,
Amanda,” I said as I sat, and smiled, “we’re going to tell Toni that you have
invited me to come and play a game with both of you. If we make it a game, then it won’t be as
scary for her.”
“No.”
I looked at
Amanda, and said “I beg your pardon?”
“No – I’m sorry, but I don’t want her to think she’s playing
a tie-up game. I forbid her to play
them, and I can’t change my mind now.”
“Don’t you want her to be calm when I tie her up?”
“You’re going to tie her up as well as me?”
“Well, I can’t leave one of you to raise the alarm, can I? Telling her it is a game will make it easier
for both of you.”
Amanda shook her head and said “I have firm rules for Toni, and I cannot
be seen to be changing them. She’s asked
to play these games before, but I have always said no. I believe it is wrong to tie someone up, even
if it is a game.”
“I just tied your wrists – and I know you think that is wrong. Why make it scary for her?”
“It’s
dangerous – I can’t...”
“Well then
Amanda, I guess we have to make it real.”
I stood up and opened my bag, taking out a large cloth. “Open your mouth, I need to tightly gag you
so that you cannot stop me as I tie Toni up, without any mercy...”
Amanda looked
at me as I said that, and then said “All right – all right, we’ll do it your
way.”
“Excellent,”
I said as I put the cloth back. “I will
still gag you, but not yet. Now, stand
up and walk with me to Toni – let’s start playing.”
She walked in
front of me to the front room, where Toni was lying on the floor watching
television.
“Toni? You know how you have asked me to play those
games with you?”
“Yes, mum,”
Toni said without turning round, “and you’ve always said no.”
“Well, I’m
saying yes now – I’ve asked a friend to come round and help us both to play.”
Toni looked
over at her mum and me, and then jumped up – not in fear, but in joy as she
jumped around, said “THANK YOU!” and hugged her mother. Only then did she notice Amanda had her
wrists tied.
“Wow – you’ve
started already,” she said as she looked at me.
“I’ve been reading stories on the net, looking at clips on YouTube,
reading books – and I’ve dreamed of this for so long. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”
“You’re
welcome,” I said quietly. “Here’s the
game – I’m going to be pretending to be a robber, who’s going to make sure you
and your mummy cannot stop me robbing you.”
“Great – but
make it really tight. I don’t want to be
able to move or free myself.”
I nodded and
said “All right – I started by tying your mum’s wrists behind her back. Amanda – I want you to go and lie on the
recliner over there.”
As she did
so, I said to Toni “I want you to hold these for me.” I opened my bag, and handed her two sponges,
which she held in fists as I covered her wrists with a pair of socks and then
taped the tops to her sleeves, and her wrist into silver balls.
“Oh that’s
fantastic,” she said with a huge grin on her face, “no way I can untie the
knots now.”
I then tied
her wrists behind her back, and to her waist, before deciding that if Toni
wanted the works, she would have the works.
I tied her arms to her stomach, and then tied a band of rope around her
upper arms and shoulders, using two small lengths of rope under her arms to
tighten that band.
“How does
that feel,” I said as Toni twisted round.
“Great – is
mummy getting the extra ropes as well?”
“She is – sit
in that chair,” I said as I pointed to an armchair, “and I will take care of
her.”
“Does it
hurt,” Amanda said to Toni as I sat her up, then tied her arms to her body, the
rope above and below her chest.
“No – it’s
really tight and comfy, mum. Do you feel
it as well?”
Amanda looked
at her body as I tightened the ropes and said “It’s not too uncomfortable.”
“It need not
be,” I said as I tightened her chest ropes, and then knelt down, crossing her
ankles and tying them tightly together with more rope, followed by her legs
below her knees. Once her legs were
secured, I asked her to lie on her stomach, and then taped over her hands so
that they were covered as well.
Amanda rolled
back over and watched as Toni had her ankles put side by side and tied
together, as well as her legs below her knees.
“Now then,” I
said as I looked at them, “if you both promise to keep quiet, I’ll leave you
ungagged while I steal your valuables.”
“Thank you,”
Amanda said as I left the, but not before hearing Toni say “See Mum – it’s not
as bad as you feared, is it?”
“No, I guess
not,” I heard Amanda said, and then I went up the stairs to start my search.
A short while
later, I came down to find that Toni had, as I expected, hopped over to sit
with her mother on the recliner, as the two of them talked.
“I need to
keep you both quiet now,” I said as I opened my bag, “If you both open your
mouths, I’ll make sure you cannot raise the alarm for a while.”
“Oh goodie –
this is going to be fantastic,” Toni said as I pushed a hankie into her mouth,
and then tied the belt from her bath robe into her mouth – having tied a knot
in it first. I then took a roll of white
medical tape from my bag, and wrapped it round her head to further silence her.
“All right,”
I said to Toni, who nodded, her lips under the tape grinning as I said to
Amanda “your turn.”
“What happens
after you gag me?”
“You start to
try to escape before someone finds you,” I said as I held a folded blue scarf
in my hand, “and don’t be afraid – Toni is enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Toni nodded
as I pushed the scarf into Amanda’s mouth, used the belt from her bath robe on
her, and taped around her head.
“All right
then,” I said as I looked at them, then picked Toni up and sat her back in the
chair, “have fun.”
Funny thing –
a few weeks later I was checking an on-line story forum when a girl named Toni
posted what had happened to her – and that her mum was now playing the games
regularly with her.
********
Now, bear
with me, because this one can get a little confusing. It started in Westfield out in Stratford,
when I saw presumed where a mother with three kids – a nine year old and two
ten year olds. It was late autumn, and
they all had heavy coats on, but the names on the bags they were carrying made
them pique my interest.
The mother
had on a pair of bellbottom faded jeans and a green blouse, and looked in her
late twenties or early thirties. She was
only about five foot seven, with long brown hair. The younger kid had long red hair, and her
jacket covered a white smock top, dark pants and short black furry boots.
As for the
ten year olds, they looked like they could be twins – both wearing red jumpers,
jeans and black shoes. The only
difference was one had blue jeans and the other black, but they both had light
brown long hair.
Still, I
followed them to the tube station, with my rucksack, and then out to Grange
Hill, where they got off and walked to a detached house. I allowed them enough time to get in and
remove their coats, then made my way to the back door and let myself in.
“I’ll just
get the drinks,” I heard the older woman say, and then she came into the
kitchen – right into my arms, as I grabbed her, hand gagged her and said
"Not a word – this is a robbery, so just do as I say, all right?”
She nodded,
so I removed my hand and said “What’s your name?”
“Rhea.”
“All right
Rhea,” I said as I pulled her hands behind her back, and used a plastic zip tie
to secure them, “Here’s what we’re going to do.
We’re going to go to your daughters, and tell them they’re going to play
a game with you of robbers. They need to
do what I say to play, understand?”
“I
understand,” Rhea said quietly, “but only one of them is my daughter.”
“Well then,
you tell all of them to play along,” I said as I pushed her in front on me, and
into the room. As we went in, Rhea said
“Girls, this man is going to play a game of robbers with us, all right?”
“Robbers? That sounds like a great game, Aunt Yvonne!”
Now that was
confusing, as the woman I had tied was called Rhea. I looked at the ten year old, as Rhea said
“So you don’t mind playing, Zoe?”
The girl in
black jeans said “No Mum, it sounds fun – doesn’t it Yvonne?”
“Yeah –
especially with my big sister playing.”
“Big
sister?” I looked at Rhea, who was at
least twenty years older, who shrugged as the other ten year old said “All
right Aunt Rhea – what do we need to do to play?”
“Listen to
the man, Anne – he’ll tell you,” she said as she looked at me, and I got the
names straight in my head. “You’re
Anne,” I said pointing to the ten year old in blue jeans, “You’re Zoe and
you’re Yvonne? Right then – the game is
that I’m going to be a big bad robber, and I need to keep all of you out of the
way while pretend to rob the house. I’ll
do that by making sure none of you can move, or talk, but I’ll make sure you
get free later. All right?”
“Okay,”
Yvonne said “As I’m their aunt, I should tie them up, and then you can tie me
up.”
“Oh no,” Anne
said quietly, “I’m older than you, and you’re my cousin, so you don’t have that
right.”
“Yes it does
– you are my niece, and you are my cousin, true, and Zoe is only my niece, so I
get to...”
“Girls,” I
said to stop the argument, “I’ll tell Zoe what to do, and she can tie both of
you up while I tie your mother, sister, aunt – whatever, up. Then I will take care of Zoe, before I
pretend to rob the place, all right?”
I made Rhea
sir in a chair, before saying to Zoe “Right, I want you to start by putting
these socks on the hands of Anne and Yvonne.
You two,” I said as I handed two pairs of socks from my bag to Zoe, and
then took out four sponge balls, “Hold one of these in each hand and hold them
out.”
As they did
so, I taped Yvonne’s hands into balls with duct tape, then allowed Zoe to pull
the socks over them before she taped the top to her aunt’s arms. I then did the same for Anne, before telling
them both to put their hands behind their backs.
“Are you all
right, Yvonne,” Rhea said as she watched Zoe copying me, crossing the young
girl’s wrists and tying them together, then to her waist.
“I’m fine,
sis,” Yvonne said as she looked at her, “It feels quite nice actually.” Zoe swapped places with me, and then copied
me as I tied Anne’s lower arms to her sides with my double figure of eight,
then her upper arms around her shoulders.
Once Zoe had
tied off the ropes, I invited Anne and Yvonne to sit on the floor, and allowed
Zoe to tie their legs, at the ankles, and below the knees, before saying “there
now – all nice and secure. You’re next
Zoe – hold these sponges for me please.”
After a few minutes
had passed, Zoe was sitting next to the other two girls, they three of them
talking as I said 2Sit forward with your back to me, Rhea, and I’ll take care
of you as well.”
“IT’s tight,
but comfy, Aunt Rhea,” Zoe said as I taped up Rhea’s hands, then cut away the
zip tie, pulled socks up over her hands and started to bind her with rope. The obvious difference with Rhea was that I
wrapped rope around her arms and body, above and below her chest, instead of
the other two bands of rope. When I had
finished, she was sitting in the chair talking to the other three.
“Now,” I said
as I looked in the bag, “I need to go and rob the house. Can I trust you all to keep quiet?”
“NO!” The three girls chorused in unison, so I took
out four bandanas, and cleave gagged them all, before heading for the upstairs
rooms.
As I searched
them, however, I was still trying to wrap my mind round the family relations –
and getting more and more curious to understand what was going on. So after I had pocketed some things, I went
downstairs, and said “If I take the gags out for a moment, will you explain how
you are related to each other for me?”
Rhea looked
at the girls and nodded, before I eased the scarves from their mouths and left
them hanging down from their necks. She
licked her lips and said “Right – let me go first.
“Dad married
my mother when they were young – 18 and 19 – and I was born a year later. Then came Brian, Colin and Dave, but Mum died
giving birth to Dave. They’re all now
married, with their own lives and kids, and live elsewhere.
“Dad then
remarried, and had four more kids to Wendy, my step mum. Two girls and two boys – the boys are with
Dad at a football match, and Pauline is at her grandmothers.”
“Which leaves
me,” Yvonne said with a bright smile.
“Okay – that
explains you two. What about Anne?”
“Well, Anne’s
father is my brother, Brian. He has two
kids – Anne’s brother and her. Steve is
also at his grandmother with Pauline?”
“They have
the same grandmother?”
“Yeah,” Anne
said, “Mum is my great aunt Wendy’s sister.”
I just nodded
– close families are one thing, but this was ridiculous!
“As for Zoe –
I married young as well. Her brother
Jimmy is at the same relative with his cousins.”
“So,” I said
quietly, “Yvonne is your half sister, and Anne is your niece, but Zoe is your
daughter?”
“Yeah,”
Yvonne said, “and Zoe and Anne are my nieces, but Anne is also my cousin.”
“While Zoe is
my cousin,” Anne said, “but not Yvonne’s.
Which means she does not get to boss me around!”
“Okay, I get
it now,” I said as I looked at them, “but it’s time to get back to the
game. The wicked robber has to make sure
all of you stay really quiet, before you are rescued.” I took four hankies from my back, put one in
each of their mouths, and then tightened the cleave gags back on them.
As I wrapped
tape round their heads, Rhea said “Hwlng?”
“You can
start to try and escape when /I leave,” I said with a smile, “but if you are
not free in one hour, you will be released.”
I made sure
they were all quiet, checked the ropes and socks, and then left them to get on
with it – while I bought some aspirin...
********
Now, I am a
great admirer of a man called Jay Edwards
- he as a criminal has a similar line of approach to his work as I do, except he works with a group of people
and holds whole families hostage to force the head of the household to do
things. I’ve even had the privilege of
working alongside him on a couple of occasions, and he is efficient, gentle and
kind. He doesn’t pretend it is a game to
the kids, but he treats them with respect.
He also has a
female assistant, known as Mrs McPhee, who I met once when I helped him with a
family where there were young children involved. She acts like a nanny, and focuses on keeping
them calm and unafraid. Like I say, a
good team, and they pay well when they have used me.
Why did that
come to mind? Because I was just reminded
of a mother and daughter I met once. I
was on a job – my day job – in the Esher area when I saw this woman coming out
of a school with her daughter. She would
have been about thirty, and was dressed in a white jumper, grey skirt and
jacket, and black boots. She had long
blonde hair, and was about five foot eight.
Her daughter
was in a school uniform - grey skirt and jacket, pale blue blouse, white socks
and black shoes. She also had a pink
Alice band holding her hair back.
Like I said,
normal and respectable looking – but the gold bangle around her wrist was similar
to one I had seen in a jeweller’s, and I knew it was worth a fair amount. Also her ear studs, with the blue gems in
them – to was too rich a blue for Cubic Zirconium. Could they be real Sapphires?
Intrigued, I
followed them as they walked to a smart little semi-detached house, and I saw
the car parked in the driveway. I took a
note of the car number, and then headed back – I was going to be late for an
appointment if I did not hurry.
A search on
my computer showed me the man of the house was a senior accountant and tax
adviser – two kids, the daughter and a younger son. I decided then that Saturday would be a good
time to pay a visit to them...
I watched
form my car as the man came out with a nine year old boy, with short dark hair,
got into the back of the car and drove off.
Stepping out and taking my rucksack, I walked up to the front door of the
house and let myself in.
I could hear
music from upstairs, as well as the living room, so I looked in there. The mother was standing there, dressed in a
grey jogging outfit, and sitting down as she put a pair of training shoes on.
“Hurry up ,
Lisa,” she called out without looking up, “Sooner we get the shopping done,
sooner we...”
She stopped
talking as she saw me standing there, pointing my fake pistol at her and with my
finger to my stocking covered lips.
She looked at me, without any fear in her eyes, and said “I see – this
is a robbery, is it?”
“It is,” I
said quietly, “I need you to do everything I say, and then you and Lisa can
have a nice time this morning. What’s
your name?”
“Yvonne –
Yvonne Williamson,” she said quietly, “What’s yours?”
“Not going to
tell you,” I said as I heard footsteps upstairs. “You’re going to tell Lisa that you and her
are going to play a game of robbers with me, understand?”
“So long as
you promise not to hurt her,” Yvonne said as the footsteps came down the
stairs, and Lisa ran into the room. She
had on a pair of pink leggings with a white top over it, and a pair of white
socks.
“Have you
seen my shoes, Mum,” she said as she came in, and then she saw me. “Oh,” she said quietly, “who are you?”
“This man has
come to play a game of robbers with both of us – he’s a friend of Daddy’s,”
Yvonne said. “Would you like to play a
game before we go shopping.”
“Yeah, that
sounds fun,” Lisa said, and she actually smile as she looked at me. “So he’s broken into the house, and now he
needs to tie us up?”
“That’s
right,” I said as I slipped my rucksack off my back, “so both of you kneel down
and I’ll tie your hands behind your back.”
“May I make a
suggestion? Force me to tie Lisa up,
then gag her, than to tie my own legs and gag myself before you finish tying
me. Is that acceptable?”
“All right,
mummy,” I said as I got into the game, “Have you got any rope?”
Yvonne
smiled, then went into the hallway, returning with a box of ropes. She also had two pairs of white socks, one
of which she handed to Lisa. “Put these
on your hands,” she said, and as her daughter put them on, she selected a
length of rope.
I watched,
amazed as she expertly doubled the rope, crossed Lisa’s wrists behind her back
and bound them tightly together, before wrapping more rope around her waist and
locking her wrists to the small of her back.
I checked the
ropes, and they were professional – tight, but not uncomfortable, and the knots
were well out of reach of any fingers.
“Have you done this before,” I said to Yvonne as she selected another
length of rope.
“We play
these games from time to time,” she said to me as she wrapped the rope around
Lisa’s arms and stomach, locking them into place, before a third length went
around her upper arms and body. She made
sure that band was tightened with little lengths of cord under her arms, and
then helped Lisa to sit in a comfy chair.
“Good job
Mum,” Lisa said as she watched Yvonne sit down.
I saw her smile and say “thank you dear – now, ankles crossed like a
good girl,” before she tied Lisa’s ankles and her legs below her knees,
tightly, comfortably – and I could not help thinking there was something in her
style I had seen before.
“Now then,”
Yvonne said as she stroked the blonde hair away from her daughter’s face,
“Would you like a sponge or a hankie for your mouth?”
“Hankie
please Mum.”
Lisa smiled
and opened her mouth to allow Yvonne to push the cloth in, and then closed her
lips, the big smile on her face clearly visible under the length of white
micropore tape that Yvonne smoothed over her mouth.
“It’s mummy’s
turn now, so be brave, all right?”
Lisa nodded
as Yvonne sat on the edge of a long recliner, and tied her own ankles and legs
tightly together. I had to admire the
way she did it, the coils neatly wrapped and cinched, before she set her feet
down and picked up a sponge, squashing it and filling her mouth before she
smoothed a long length of the white tape over her lips. She then turned her back to me, looking at
Lisa and winking as she pulled the other pair of socks over her hands and then
crossed her wrist behind her back.
Well, after
such a performance I felt she deserved to be treated with due respect for her
talents – so I taped over her hands with the white tape, and then bound her as
she had bound Lisa – crossed wrist tied, and then secure to her waist, before
some rope around her lower arms and stomach.
I then tied rope above and below her chest, making sure she was very
tightly and comfortable secured, before helping her to lie down so that she
could watch her daughter.
As I searched
upstairs, I found a hidden closet in the master bedroom, and saw – well, let’s
just say there was a wide and varied selection of toys and equipment in
there. I figured that how was how
Yvonne knew what to do, as I took some choice jewellery, went downstairs to
check they were all right, and then left the house.
As I drove
off, I saw the son walking back, and smiled, knowing they would be free soon
enough. I later learned Jay Edwards had
struck again that day – I like to think he would have been proud of what I did
as well.
********
One thing I
have learned, as these stories I hope illustrate, is how to move and adapt to
the situation I find myself in. For
example, I once followed this woman, with a girl I took to be her
granddaughter, to a block of flats in Ealing.
The older woman was in her late sixties, but looked and dressed
younger. She had platinum blonde hair,
was slim, and wore a black biker’s jacket over leggings and over the knee black
leather boots.
The girl with
her looked to be about eleven years old, and was wearing a brown sheepskin
coat, a pair of jeans and brown fur lined boots. Nothing very special, but the grandmother
looked as if she had some money by the way she looked, her sunglasses covering
her eyes, so I decided they would be good to play a game with.
I had my bag
of tricks with me, but these flat blocks can be a real devil to get into –
except as she and her granddaughter came in, a delivery van driver was coming
out, so I slipped past in time to see them enter a ground floor flat.
There was a
little space under the stairs, which I used to put my gloves and mask on, and
then I just walked up and knocked on the door.
As the door opened, I saw the
grandmother there, in a black vest like top that hung over her leggings.
“Yes, can
I...” was all she said before I pushed her into the hallway, putting my gloved
hand over her mouth as I said “Keep quiet – no shouting, no screaming, or it’s
your granddaughter that might get hurt.
Understand?”
She nodded as
much as she could, her long blonde hair moving up and down, as I said “Good –
now I’ll take my hand away, and you talk quietly, all right?”
She nodded
again, so I removed my hand and said “what’s your name?”
“Goldie,” she
whispered, “Please, don’t hurt Lucy...”
“Who was at
the door Granny,” I heard the girl say, and then she walked into the hallway –
slightly differently dressed.
She had on a
large black sweatshirt, in an adult size, so that for her it was like a jersey
dress. A thin black belt was around her
waist, and she had a black handbag hanging by a chain from her wrist. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a
ponytail, and she had beads and a necklace round her neck.
The funniest
thing was the pair of heeled white boots she had on – easily several sizes too
big, both in the foot and also the length, as they went over her knees. She looked at me and said “Oh cool – are you
playing dress up too?”
“That’s
right,” I said as I looked at her and Goldie, “I’m the bad robber who has come
to rob Lady Lucy and her housekeeper. I
hope you know that means I have to make sure you cannot stop me?”
Goldie looked
at Lucy, and said “It’s all right, miss – we need to do whatever he says, and
then we’ll be safe.”
“You’re a bad
man,” Lucy said as she looked at me, but she was smiling – it was a game to
her, which is what I wanted.
“Both of you,
in the front room,” I said as I looked at her, “and then I want your housekeeper
to draw the blinds.”
We all walked
in, and as Goldie pulled the blinds over her windows I said “Now Lady Lucy, I
need you to sit on the long couch, and put your hands on your head while I make
sure your housekeeper is secured.”
“All right,”
Lucy said, and she put her hands on her head, the sleeves of her top falling
down as I took a chair from the dining table and set in the middle of the
room. “Sit down,” I said to Goldie, and
as she made herself comfortable I took a length of rope out of my back. Guiding her arms around the chair back, I
tied her wrists tightly together and then secured them to the chair back.
“Are you all
right, my lady,” Goldie said, playing along as I tied her upper body to the
chair with a band around her waist, and another under her chest.
“I’ll be all
right – will you be,” Lucy said to her grandmother, who smiled and nodded as I
put her left ankle against the chair leg and tied it in place, repeating the
process on the other side, and then tying her knees in place as well.
“I’m not
going anywhere,” Goldie said as I stood up.
“Please, treat my lady kindly.”
I looked at
the young girl, sitting there, and then said “Put your hands in front of you,
Lady Lucy.”
As she did
so, I tied her wrists tightly together, palm to palm, and then tied some rope
around her tummy and arms to hold them in place. “Now then,” I said as she wriggled her arms
round, “Lie down with your head on the arm of the chair, and stretch your legs
out.”
As she did
so, I crossed and tied her ankles tightly together, pulling the rope so that
the leather was gathered around her ankles, and then cinching it between her
legs. I then tied her legs together,
above her knees this time, and then made sure her top covered everything it
needed to.
“Now, I need
to look for Lady Lucy’s jewels,” I said with a smile. “Can I trust you to keep quiet for the
moment?”
“You can,”
Goldie said with a nod of her head, so I left them to talk while I searched the
flat. I also found two scarves, and
decided a simple gag would be best. I
folded them into two bands – a smaller green scarf and a large black and gold
one – and tied knots in the middle of them, before I walked back into the front
room.
“I have what
I came for,” I said as I held the larger scarf in front of Goldie’s lips, “and
now you need to be kept quiet. Don’t
worry – someone will come to rescue you soon.”
“Thank you,”
Goldie said as I gagged her, then used the smaller scarf on Lucy, with her
raising her head to help me. I left the
flat, and pushed a quick note through the supervisor’s door before ringing his
bell – leaving me just enough time to get out of there.
********
Sometimes,
you have to go the extra mile to maintain the illusion that it is all a
game. A few months ago, I called on a
house in Nottingham, in an area called Mapperley. It was a detached house, belonging to a
local shop owner, whom I had seen with his wife and daughter a few times.
Getting in
was not a problem, and I soon found Mummy in a downstairs room, looking over
some papers as she sat at a desk. Her surprise
when she felt my hand over her mouth was total, as I said “Not a word – just
put your hands behind your back and keep quiet.”
She nodded
and moved her hands behind her, staring straight ahead a is used a plastic zip
tie to secure her wrists together.
Standing her up, I turned her round and looked at her. She was about five foot ten, with long black
hair that had a slight grey streak, and wore a pair of rose tinted large
spectacles. A pink bolero style jacket
was on top of a white t-shirt, and a pair of jeans with taupe coloured shoes
completed her outfit.
“What’s your
name,” I asked through my stocking.
“Molly –
Molly Carr.”
“All right
Molly – where’s your daughter?”
“She’s in the
front room – please, leave Blossom alone...”
“Don’t panic,
Molly – we’re going to see Blossom, and tell her that I have come to play a
game with you and her, all right? A game
of robbers, and she’s to play along.”
“All right,” Molly
said as we walked into the front room. Nine
year old Blossom was indeed there, wearing a light pink knee length dress with
a dark pink cardigan. A set of beads
were around her neck, while she had a pink ribbon tied in a bow in her long
light brown hair.
“Who’s the
funny man, mummy,” she said as she looked up, a large doll in a nightdress n
her arms.
“He’s come to
play an exciting game of robbers with us, Blossom. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
Blossom
looked at us, and seemed a little uncertain.
“But I wanted to play with Daisy,” she said as she rocked the doll in
her arms.
“She can play
as well,” I said quietly, “yes, Daisy
can play as well,” Molly said with a slight tremble. “Please, Blossom – I really want to play this
game with you.”
“Oh all right
– what do I have to do,” she said with a sigh.
“Well,” I
said, “I’m going to make sure you and your mum cannot stop me looking for nice things
like earrings and jewels, and then leave you to try to escape. Why don’t you take care of Daisy, and keep her
calm, while I get your mother ready first?”
Blossom kept
rocking Daisy and talking to her as I sat Molly in a chair, crossed her ankles
and tied them tightly together with rope, then bound her legs below her
knees. I then tied cut away the tie,
before giving her two sponges to hold, taping them into balls, covering them
with a new pair of socks and taping them to her jacket, and then secured her
arms as I usually did, with her wrists crossed, then bound together and tied to
her waist, before using rope above and below her chest.
“Now I need to
keep mummy quiet,” I said as I folded a large handkerchief, and put it in
Molly’s mouth, before using a strip of towel with a knot in it as a cleave gag,
and then wrapping white tape around her head.
“Tssslrrt,
dsthrrt,” Molly mumbled as she looked at Blossom. “All right, Blossom,” I said as I knelt in
front of the little girl, “it’s your turn.
Do you want to be tied like mummy, or does it scare you to see that?”
Blossom bit
her bottom lip, and said “No – I want to be like mummy.”
“All right –
put Daisy in her seat, and then hold these sponges for me.”
As she put
the doll down, and held the sponges, I covered her hands in the same way as
Molly, and then tied her wrist together behind her back, before securing them
with more rope around her waist. I then
tied her lower arms to her tummy, with the double figure of eight rope, and
then her upper arms around her shoulders, with smaller lengths under her arms.
“Now,
Blossom, why don’t you lie on the...” I
was surprised to see she had started crying so I said “Don’t cry – you’ll be
all right.”
“It’s not me
who’s crying – it’s Daisy.”
“Daisy? What’s wrong with Daisy?”
“She’s
hungry, I have to feed her – and now I can’t hold her or the bottle. She’ll keep crying unless...” She then looked at me and said “You’ll have
to feed her.”
“Shhhsssfnnee,”
Molly said as I stammered “I’m sure Daisy can...”
“No – you
have to feed her. You tied me up, you
feed my baby.”
Now, it’s not
the first time I’ve had to feed and change a baby during a visit, but it was
still strange, as I held the doll in one arm and pretended to feed her with a
bottle, Blossom watching all the time. I
then put her on my shoulder and walked with her, gently patting her back until
Blossom let out a burp.
“She thinks you’re
her daddy!” she laughed as I put Daisy down, but a is picked up the rope she
said “no – you need to put her to bed now.”
“All right,”
I said as O picked Daisy up, and Blossom stood up. “Don’t move,” I said to Molly, who just shook
her head as we went up to Blossom’s room.
There were a
lot of dolls there, as well as a little crib, so I pt Daisy in it and rocked it
to and fro as Blossom sang a few lullabies.
Eventually, she said “Good – she’s asleep. Now you can have milk and cookies.”
“But I’m not hungry
Blossom – and I need to play the game.”
“OH no – you must
have milk and cookies after putting baby to bed.”
Well, I had
no choice – I took Blossom to the kitchen, sat her in a chair and poured a
glass of milk which I drank – lifting my stocking up to show my mouth – and ate
some cookies.”
“You have a
kind mouth,” she said as I pulled the mask back down, “Now I want some milk and
cookies.”
“I’ll have to
feed you.”
“Good – you
tied me up, you feed me and wipe my mouth.”
Once she had
finished, and I wiped her mouth, she jumped off the chair and I walked her back
to the front room. Before we got there,
however, she said “OH no – Matilda has come home early. You’ll have to tie her up as well!”
“Who’s
Matilda?”
“Daisy’s
older sister,” she said as she pointed with her bound hands to a Raggedy Ann
doll on the floor. “All right then,” I
said as I picked her up, “I’m sorry but you need to be tied up as well. Blossom, I need you to sit on the couch while
I take care of her.”
Using some
cords, I tied the dolls arms together behind the back, and then tied some cord
around the upper body. More cord went
around her ankles and her legs, before I stuck a little strip of tape over her
mouth.
“Would you
like her to lie with you,” I said to Blossom, who nodded as I put the doll next
to her, and then helped her to lie down, crossing and binding her ankles, and
then her legs below her knees. I then
used the same sort of gag on her as I had on her mother, winding the tape round
her head to keep it in place.
A short while
later, I looked in to see Blossom trying to talk to Miranda, while Molly was
chuckling away in her chair.
Which was a
good way to leave them – happy and contented...
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