Kayla Grace poured herself another cup of coffee, her third on the day. In her defense, work had been super slow, and she needed it just so she wouldn’t fall asleep at her desk. Such was the life of a reporter. There were seasons where it was nonstop work, and then there were seasons like this, where only inordinate amounts of coffee could get Kayla through a work day.
“You going to be able to sleep tonight?”
Kayla looked up from her cup to see Toby enter the break room, grabbing a snack bar from the cupboard. He leaned against the counter as he unwrapped it, taking a big bite and spilling crumbs all over the ground. Kayla couldn’t help but laugh as he hurriedly tried to sweep them up with a paper towel.
“Looks like you have your own problems to worry about,” she teased him. “But yeah, it’s been slow as hell. What gives?”
“Beats me. I heard Jennifer’s been having a great week though. Guess she’s taking all the good leads.”
Kayla rolled her eyes and scoffed.
“What a bitch…”
As if on command, Jennifer burst into the break room, standing confidently in the doorway as she stared Kayla down.
“Wanna repeat that?”
Not wanting to get in the middle of things, Toby quickly made his escape, dashing away frantically.
“I said what a batch.” Kayla was lying through her teeth, but all morals for her went out the window when she was dealing with Jennifer. “I was talking about the coffee.”
“Sure you were.”
Jennifer strode over to the coffee pot, her designer heels clipping against the tiled floor. Grabbing a mug she poured herself a cup and then turned to face Kayla.
“I heard you’ve been having a slow week.” Jennifer said these words before taking a triumphant sip of her coffee.
Kayla eyed her rival with disdain.
“So you’ve come to gloat, huh?”
“Maybe…or maybe not.”
Kalya rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m not in the mood for your games. So either spit it out or get lost.”
“Fine, here you go.”
Jennifer tossed a manila folder onto the counter. Kayla eyed it suspiciously. Just what was Jennifer up to…
“I’m sorry, but are you throwing me a pity lead?”
Jennifer laughed mockingly, “You can call it whatever you want, but from the way I see it this lead is right up your alley.”
There was no doubt in Kayla’s mind now. Jennifer was definitely up to something. Still, Kayla’s curiosity got the best of her and setting her coffee down she picked up the folder and browsed the contents. Inside, she found a lead concerning a local woman who said she had been kidnapped by a random stranger last week and…
“Oh for fucks sake…” Kayla blurted.
“Kayla Grace, language!” Jennifer gasped, feigning offense.
The reason for Kayla’s outburst was the last part of the memo. Apparently, the woman who had been kidnapped had both of her socks stolen during the event, and when she’d been found she’d been gagged with another pair.
“I’m not taking this story.” Kayla closed the folder and tossed it back on the counter in Jennifer’s direction.
Jennifer shook her head and clicked her tongue.
“Kayla Grace,” she began, sliding the folder toward Kayla, “I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jennifer had a truly despicable look on her face, at least by Kayla’s standards. She was flashing the smuggest of smirks, her entire aura just oozing with malice.
“Let me put it this way,” Jennifer began. “My schedule is packed. I have interviews all week, and plenty of great leads to keep me busy. You on the other hand…is pathetic the right word?”
Kayla was red hot with rage.
“Just get to the point,” she groaned through gritted teeth.
“It would be a really bad look if you turned down this lead. You don’t want to look like a slacker, right? I doubt the boss would be happy to hear of such a thing.”
Kayla was fuming, but deep down she knew Jennifer was right. It was a humiliating position to be in, but Kayla had been backed into a corner. Jennifer had won the day and there was little to nothing Kayla could do about it. She’d been effectively blackmailed.
Snatching up the folder, she tucked it under her arm. She quickly topped off her coffee and headed for the exit. She couldn’t stand another second in Jennifer’s presence.
“That’s what I thought,” Jennifer gloated, reveling in her victory. “Be careful out there, Kayla. I’d hate for you to end up with a pretty pair of socks stuffed in your mouth.”
Kayla turned just before leaving the break room, refusing to let Jennifer get the last word in.
“Keep it up and I might just gag you with a pair myself.”
With that, Kayla stormed out of the break room and back to her desk, tossing the folder down and slumping into her chair. She looked up and found Toby’s gaze from across the room. He offered a sympathetic look before mouthing the words “I’m sorry.”
Kayla took a moment to collect herself. She could not believe Jennifer. Talk about kicking someone when they’re down. Regardless, Kayla couldn’t let this keep her down. After all, she had a story to write and a lead to chase. Her only way out of this mess was to write a killer story and land the front page. It was either that, or hire someone to kidnap Jennifer and shove a pair of dirty socks in her mouth. With the latter clearly off the table, Kayla had no choice but to lock in and start chasing leads.
She didn’t have much to go on yet, so her first task was to set up an interview with the victim. The woman’s name was Maria. What made her story a big deal, was that she wasn’t a total nobody. She ran a pretty popular social media account: “MariaSkates” was her username. After the incident she’d taken to social media to recount her story. The Tribune wanted in on the action, so it was now Kayla’s job to interview the gal and publish a story in the paper about it.
Setting up the interview was easy enough. Kayla reached out to her via social media, and the following day the two of them met up. Maria had asked to meet up down by the riverfront promenade. There was a skate park there, and it was a really common spot for skaters and rollerbladers alike to gather.
Walking up, Kayla felt so out of place. Her outfit was appropriate for a reporter, no doubt, but at a skate park she stuck out like a sore thumb. There were groups of kids, some of them listening to loud music and doing, or at least attempting, fancy tricks, and others just sitting around and talking. Far from being just a place to skate, this was also a place to just hang out. Given the nicer than average weather outside too, the area was packed.
“Hey, Kayla Grace?”
Kayla turned to face the woman that had called out to her. She recognized her right away, thanks to all the videos she’d watched the night before.
“Mariaskates, or sorry…just Maria.”
Kayla was already embarrassing herself, calling her by her online name. Thankfully, Maria thought it was funny.
“My friends just call me Maria.”
“Right, sorry. Want to sit over there?”
The two of them took a seat on a nearby bench, people constantly passed by on some kind of wheeled mode of transportation be it bike, skateboard, or roller skates.
“This place is busy,” Kayla remarked.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite spots. If you live in Hazeldale and you’re into some kind of skating you’ll know about Waterfront Park. I’m here literally all the time. I love it.”
Kayla nodded, taking it all in. She could see why Maria loved this park. It felt alive, and just sitting down to watch everyone was so relaxing. It felt nice to just be around people enjoying the company of their friends and participating in a common interest.
As much as she enjoyed basking in the good vibes of the park and Maria’s company, Kayla had come for an interview and she didn’t want to take up too much of Maria’s time. Pulling out her phone she opened her recording app and pressed start.
"Okay, so first off, how are you doing? How have you been holding up since the…can I call it an incident?"
“Yeah, that works, and I’ve been okay. Nothing really happened or anything…I mean it was just more weird than anything else.”
“How so?”
“Well, I mean…he or whoever it was…I think it was a man…he just left me tied up.”
“Just so I have it on the record, do you mind recounting the incident from the top?”
“Sure, yeah. So it happened a few days ago, on Monday night…”
Monday, 9pm
“Are you sure you’re not coming, Maria?”
“Yeah, you guys go on ahead. I want the park to myself for a little bit. I’ve got some stuff I want to film and some tricks to try…I’ll catch up with you later!”
As the group headed off, Maria stood up and tightened her ponytail. She stretched her arms over her head, feeling the cool night air on her skin. Pulling her headphones over her ears, she clicked play on her phone and skated off.
The park felt so different at night, but it was a good kind of different. The dim lighting from the lamps above cast long shadows across the concrete path, and the cool air of night brushed against Maria’s face as she zipped around. She was totally focused on her skating, lost in the rhythm of her movements as they synced to the music she was listening to. She felt free.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually she had to take a break. Skating over to where her bag was she sat down, her breath was heavy and her legs felt tired. It was probably time for her to call it a night.
Unlacing her skates she pried them off her feet, leaving her in just her skating socks now. She loved these socks. They were a gift from a friend and they were perfect. She’d tried a lot of different kinds, but these ones were the best. They were thick enough that she wouldn’t get blisters, but they were also super cute. Well, at least by her standards. They weren’t anything too fancy, just the standard look of white vintage tube socks with pink and blue bands near the tops. But she loved them. They reminded her of simpler times.
With her skates off, she reached into her bag and searched for her tennis shoes. She was still wearing her headphones, drowning out the sounds of her surroundings. They were so effective in fact that she was unable to hear the figure creeping up behind her. She was totally caught by surprise when all of the sudden she was grabbed from behind.
“Mrrrrmmmmph!”
She kicked her legs out, her sock clad feet flailing desperately in the air as she fought against her attacker’s firm grip. He was pressing a cloth against her face, doused with some kind of sweet smelling chemical.
“Ggnnmph mmmmph nnmmmph!”
Maria kicked and squirmed, but at the same time she could feel her vision starting to blur. Her head felt fuzzy and everything around her started to spin. Her arms grew weaker as her whole body started to tingle. Before she knew it, everything had gone dark as her body slumped over.
. . . . .
“And that was pretty much it.”
Kayla nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she listened to Maria’s tale. Once it was clear she was finished, Kayla followed up with a few questions.
“Do you mind telling me what happened after you woke up?”
“Yeah so…I was found in a closet in some bar, just across the road there. I was all tied up with rope. He gagged me too…god that part was awful. It’s funny, because he had the time to collect my bag and my skates and he stashed those with me.”
“Did he take anything?”
“No! That’s what’s so weird about this. Nothing was stolen. Well actually, he did steal my socks. That was the only thing missing when I woke up. My feet were freezing, that’s when I realized. Isn’t that odd?”
“Definitely,” responded Kayla, “but not necessarily by Hazeldale’s standards. There’s a real mess of creeps in this city. I’ve experienced it firsthand plenty of times.”
Kayla and Maria sat and spoke for a bit. After Kayla felt like she’d gathered enough intel she thanked Maria for her time and then concluded the interview.
Heading back to her office she grabbed a cup of coffee before plopping down at her desk. Her first order of business was to upload the recording to her computer and generate a transcript.
“How’s your little story going, chew on any socks yet?”
Kayla glanced up from her desk, her eyes narrowed into a frigid glare as she turned to face Jennifer who had casually approached her from behind.
“Don’t you have better things to be doing right now? I thought you were slammed.”
Jennifer confidently tossed her hair back, “Yeah, but I always make sure to block out time in my schedule to harass you.”
Kayla groaned as Jennifer stood there and smiled, relishing in Kayla’s annoyance. She shot Kayla a not-so-playful wink before sauntering off.
For the next few hours Kayla poured over the recording, analyzing Maria’s story. As it stood right now, she didn’t really have anything. Sure, she could run a story on a random attack at the skate park, but that was so trivial. Besides, Kayla had a feeling there was more to this story than just this one incident. The chances that this was just a random attack seemed low, and she was determined to prove that.
She put out a notice, asking for anyone to contact the Tribune should they hear of another attack. Just two days later she got a hit. One of the members of a local soccer club was nabbed after practice. Kayla felt bad for being excited, but this was a big lead! It meant there was more to this story than just one random incident. One instance of a lady being kidnapped in Hazeldale was old news, but a serial kidnapping…now that was front page stuff!
Securing an interview for the following week, Kayla met up with the victim, Anna. Her story was the same as Maria’s. Late one night after a match she had stayed behind to run some drills. She was the last one left at the facility, and when she was in the locker room packing up her things she was grabbed. She was found the next morning, stuffed inside a locker and bound and gagged.
“It was awful,” Anna said, as she recounted the event to Kayla, “I mean truly awful. What kind of person does something like that?”
“There’s a lot of seedy folks running around Hazeldale, you’d be surprised,” Kayla responded.
“Well I hope it doesn’t happen to me or anyone else ever again.”
Kayla hoped for that to be true, but she knew this town better than most. There was a slim to none chance of something like this never happening again.
“If you don’t mind, I have a few more questions for you.”
Anna nodded.
“Was there anything missing when they found you? Like did the kidnapper take anything?”
Anna paused and thought deeply for a moment. Kayla was worried nothing would come to mind, but then all of the sudden Anna lit up as she remembered something.
“Yes, they did take something. My socks. I remember waking up with freezing feet, and that’s when I realized they were missing. When I was all untied I searched for them everywhere, but they were just gone. He had to have taken them. I know it’s silly but I really liked those socks. My old coach gifted them to us after we won the State championship. It’s a bummer they’re gone.”
It was just like what had happened to Maria! Kayla pressed on.
“And you weren’t gagged with them, right?”
“No, but I was gagged with a pair of socks just…not mine.”
“Oh, interesting. Do you remember what they looked like or anything about them?”
“No not really, sorry. I remember I had one pair stuffed in my mouth, and the other tied between my lips that’s all.”
“Got it,” Kayla said, making sure to write this all down, “that’s good enough for me. Thanks again for meeting me and going through all of this.”
“Of course! Anything to help take this creep down.”
Kayla thanked Anna for her time before leaving the soccer facility. Her first order of business was to follow up on a hunch she had by calling up the police station.
“Hey, it’s Kayla. Listen, I have an odd favor to ask. I was hoping to confirm something about the attack that took place at the soccer club. Was there by chance a pair of socks that y’all took into evidence?”
“A pair of socks?”
“Yes, like I said, it’s a bit strange, but the victim was gagged with a pair of socks and I just wanted to know what they looked like.”
“Uhmm…I mean yeah I think they were collected into evidence. I can try and see if we can send you a photo.”
“That would be amazing, thank you!”
Later that afternoon, Kayla’s phone dinged as the photos came through. Opening the attachment she took a look at the socks. It was just like she thought. They were tube socks, vintage, with pink and blue bands, the exact same kind that Maria had been wearing!
This was a huge break for Kayla, and it meant that these random kidnappings were far from random. She was dealing with what appeared to be not only a serial kidnapper, but a sock thief at that!
Sitting at her desk she mapped all of this out, planning her next move. She needed to get a step ahead of things otherwise she would forever be riding the kidnapper’s trail. If she could find a way to predict his next target that would be ideal. Her first step was to try and figure out why Maria and Anna were chosen.
As the clock struck five, Kayla packed up her things and headed home. She was far from done with her work though, and as soon as she arrived at her apartment she set herself up on the couch and picked up right where she had left off.
She needed to find the common thread, the thing that connected Maria and Anna, aside from their socks. As she worked, she switched on the nightly news for some background noise. After changing into some comfy clothes she plopped down onto the couch, anticipating a late night of chasing after clues.
Beginning with their social media accounts, Kayla poked around but didn’t really find much. She wasn’t quite sure what she was even looking for, and the more time she spent she felt like she was grasping at straws.
“Joining us tonight is Catalina Belinski. Now, I know you’ve probably been asked this dozens of times already, but how are you feeling about your performance tomorrow?”
“I feel great, yeah. I mean I’ve been training hard, and at this point it’s like…just gotta go out and get it done, you know?”
Kayla half listened as the broadcast played quietly in the background.
“Now we’re curious to know, do you have any good luck charms or anything you’ve got to give you that extra little boost of confidence?”
“Funny you should ask, because I do actually. It’s kind of silly, but I have these special socks I like to wear.”
Kayla paused, turning her full attention to the tv. Grabbing the remote she turned it up and zeroed in.
“Oooh special socks, how fun! Tell us more about them.”
“So I’m wearing them now, and they’re just the best.”
The camera panned down Catalina’s nylon clad legs and focused on her skates. Peeking up from the tops of them were sparkly purple socks with little flower patterns.
“I’ve been wearing them for a few years now,” she continued, “I mean I wash them, of course. But I always make it a priority to have them on performance day.”
“So they bring you good luck then I take it?”
“Oh yeah. My friend Zelena got them for me. She’s been my dearest friend for as long as I can remember. She’s back in Russia right now, but when I wear these socks it’s like she’s right here with me, you know?”
As the broadcast continued, Kayla’s mind was running a mile an hour. This was a hot lead if there ever was one! With both Maria and Anna, a core theme to their cases was the fact that their socks were special to them. Perhaps this wasn’t by accident.
Kayla picked up her phone and scrolled through their social media accounts again. That’s when she noticed it. Before, she hadn’t necessarily been looking for this, but now it was plain as a day! A few days before Maria’s attack she’d posted about her socks. A brand had sponsored her, and because of this she’d made a post featuring the socks with hashtags to boost traffic.
Kayla checked out Anna’s profile too and found the same story. In lieu of being sponsored by a brand she’d just made a post on her own accord, but it was just like with Maria where she specifically called out her socks and used hashtags as well. It wasn’t a sure thing that Catalina would be the next target, but it was a lead that Kayla was determined to follow.
That night, Kayla barely got any sleep. Her mind was busy with thoughts of the next day. It would either be super uneventful and a dead end, or she was about to blow her story wide open!
The following afternoon she arrived at the ice rink ready to go. She was wearing her favorite reporting outfit, her black sweater freshly washed, and a brand new pair of tights to top it all off. The tights were great given how chilly the ice rink was.
If her trip was under different circumstances perhaps Kayla would have been more excited to be visiting the ice rink, but as it was she was here on a mission. No time for sight-seeing or…
“Kayla?!”
Jennifer.
“Holy shit,” Jennifer continued as she approached Kayla in the lobby. “What on god’s green earth are you doing here?”
Kayla’s rival was dressed to impress as per usual, wearing her signature red sweater tucked along with a form fitting black skirt and sheer black tights. Her feet were tucked into a pair of designer heels. They looked expensive. Her shiny black hair was held back in an immaculate ponytail, and her makeup was expertly done. No matter how much Kayla despised her, she had to admit that Jennifer had a keen eye for fashion.
“I should be asking you the same thing,” Kayla sniped back.
“I’m covering the competition.”
“Right, I guess that makes sense…”
“So then what the hell are you doing here?”
Kayla opened her mouth to respond but then closed it, contemplating whether or not to reveal to Jennifer what she was up to.
“I’m just here to…watch the competition.”
Jennifer didn’t buy it for a second.
“In the middle of a workday? Bullshit.”
Kayla was running out of options here. It was either come clean, or continue to embarrass herself.
“Look, the real reason I’m here is because it pertains to the serial kidnapping story, okay?”
“Wait, what?”
Jennifer seemed genuinely surprised.
“The kidnapper has been targeting women and stealing their socks. He then uses the socks of the previous victim on his next one. Catalina was on tv last night talking about her good luck socks, and that follows the pattern of the previous two victims posting about theirs on social media. I’m only here because I’m worried that Catalina is going to be the kidnapper’s next target. I came here to try and warn her.”
Jennifer hung on Kayla’s every word, absorbing it all before planning out her next move in her head. She didn’t need much time. Like Kayla, she was quick on her feet.
“I see, well then thank you for sharing. I’ll go ahead and take over things from here.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Jennifer shot back confidently, “I’ve got things from here. I’ll go ahead and take over the rest of the story.”
Kayla was livid now. She knew Jennifer was capable of stopping low, but this? Offering Kayla a lead only to rip it away after all her hard work? This was a new low.
“Over my bound and gagged body,” Kayla finally snapped back with. “I’ve been working nonstop the last few weeks on this story. You have no right to just step in and claim jurisdiction here.”
“Um, yeah, actually I do. Who gave you the story in the first place?”
“Yeah but…”
“And who has been tasked with covering the skating competition?”
“Jennifer that’s not…”
“Seems like it’s pretty clear who has jurisdiction here. Who cares how you got the lead. This is my territory. Plus, I was here first!”
Kayla knew she was beat. Try as she might to disagree with Jennifer, if Kayla was in her shoes she knew damn well she’d be making the same argument. Instead, Kayla’s only hope was to appeal to Jennifer’s morals. That is, if she had any.
“You gave me this lead and I took it in good faith. Don’t be a bitch, Jennifer, we can both work on this. It can literally be that simple”
Jennifer laughed.
“You know as well as I do, Kayla Grace, that’s not how this works. I’m in charge of covering this contest, and as such that trumps your investigation. If anything happens to Catalina, that is my news to report.”
Kayla could tell from the look in Jennifer’s eyes that she wasn’t going to budge, and neither was Kayla for that matter. Thankfully, Jennifer wasn’t her boss, and Kayla was not about to let her push her around like this.
“Whatever,” she said, “Like I need your permission to follow up on this lead anyway.”
Kayla shoved past Jennifer, but their feud was far from over. Jennifer was equally as stubborn as Kayla and she wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
“You know, it’s not like people are even going to want to read about some sock snatching freak anyway.”
Jennifer was relentless.
“Shove off,” Kayla said this while giving Jennifer another physical shove.
Jennifer pushed back, the two reporters walking side by side as they crashed into one another, locked in a tug of war of who could push the other back harder.
“You shove off,” Jennifer seethed, “this is my territory.”
Kayla was at her wits end. She stopped and turned to face Jennifer, aware now that people nearby were eyeing their feud.
“Look,” she said, her tone hushed, “What the hell is your problem? Why are you being so difficult? You’re causing a scene!”
But Jennifer didn’t care. In fact, she didn’t care at all. She held eye contact with Kayla, staring her down with a look of intensity. But there was something else behind her eyes…something that Kayla had to admit, looked human for once. She found herself caught in a rare moment of empathy, realizing that maybe Jennifer wasn’t just being a bitch to be a bitch, but that there was something else going on…
“You don’t get it, do you, Kayla Grace?”
“What is that supposed to mean? Get what?”
Jennifer let out a long sigh.
“Ever since I joined the Tribune I have been busting my ass, and I still haven’t nabbed a front page story. You on the other hand seem to land them all the time. I don’t get it. What am I doing wrong!?”
Kayla could sense the desperation in Jennifer’s voice. Oh god, was she actually feeling sorry for her? She sounded sincere, so it wasn’t like she was trying to manipulate Kayla or anything. It seemed like she really was upset that she could never beat Kayla to a front page story.
“Okay, fine,” she conceded, “you can have the lead. I’ll back off and just…go watch the performance I guess. Sorry for butting in.”
Jennifer relaxed a bit, the strain in her face dissipated along with the tension in her shoulders.
“Fine, thank you.”
That was all she said before turning on her heels and marching off. Kayla sighed, watching her leave and pondering the meaning of her outburst. Was Jennifer really jealous of Kayla’s success? Kayla had never thought of it that way, but after doing some quick number crunching in her head she realized there was some truth to what Jennifer was saying. She had managed to score a number of front page stories at the Tribune and she’d only been there a short while. Comparing that to Jennifer’s record, it was clear that Kayla had received way more recognition and acclaim. She couldn’t help but feel she owed some of that success to her penchant for peril. After all, who didn’t want to see a photo of a reporter bound and gagged on the front page?
Kayla found a seat in the stands and watched as the skaters warmed up around the ice. She spotted Catalina, effortlessly gliding around the arena with an unreal sense of elegance. Her every movement was so intentional and coordinated, not to mention the fact that she was absolutely gorgeous on top of it all. Even in just her warm up sweats she was still stunning, her long brunette hair perfectly straightened and held back in a perfect ponytail.
Even if Kayla had admitted defeat to Jennifer and turned over the reins of her story, she was nevertheless excited to watch the skating competition. It was a few hours later before Catalina officially took the ice, but when she did the crowd erupted in cheers. She was clearly a fan-favorite.
Skating around the arena, she waved to the crowd as her beautiful purple skating dress flowed gracefully behind her. It was fitted at the bodice, accentuating her toned physique, before flaring out towards the hemline, giving her ample room to spin and twirl. The fabric was adorned with shimmering sequins that caught the arena lights, making it sparkle brilliantly in the air as she moved. Her legs were encased in a beautiful pair of tan shimmery tights along with her lucky purple socks peeking over the tops of her skates.
Taking her place in the center of the arena, the crowds went silent as the lights dimmed and a spotlight fell on Catalina. The song she had chosen was soft and elegant, just like her. With its start she took off, slowly at first matching the gentle tune of the music. Her movements seemed to flow effortlessly from her body as she glided across the ice. Her hands floating above her head, her legs extended in perfect lines, her posture impeccable. Her performance was nothing but a work of art, landing axel after axel to the crowd’s enthusiastic applause.
When it was all over, she collapsed onto the ice, her breath heavy yet strong. It looked as if she had given everything to that performance, her body spent. She wasn’t down for long though, and after a quick recovery she bounced back up, skating around the arena as she waved to the crowd before making her exit.
Following the performance there was almost a tense air hovering over the rink as everyone eagerly awaited Catalina’s score. When it finally flashed on the screen the crowd once again erupted in thunderous cheers. It was a great score, 76.45 to be exact. She still had the Free Skate to compete in but she was off to a commanding start.
For now, she would head back to the green rooms to relax. In the meantime, Kayla sat back and watched the other skaters, nowhere near as impressive as Catalina, but still good in their own rights. In between watching these contestants, Kayla wandered around and grabbed some snacks as she waited for Catalina’s Free Skate program to begin, much like many of the other people in attendance.
But Catalina’s Free Skate never took place. When it came time for her to take the ice, a different skater stepped out onto the rink: the skater scheduled after Catalina. Kayla looked down to where the judges were and noticed a small group of people huddled around the area, engrossed in what looked to be a serious discussion.
Kayla’s reporter senses were on high alert. Something was going on. She wanted nothing more than to stand up, walk back to the green rooms, and see what was up, but this was no longer her story. Jennifer was in charge now. Kayla’s plan was to warn Catalina of the sock thief, alerting her to the potential danger, but with Jennifer in charge of things she had no way of knowing whether or not that message was passed along.
Taking out her phone, Kayla shot a quick text to Jennifer, just checking in. A few minutes passed with no response so Kayla tried calling instead. Once again, no answer. Her phone rang, so clearly it was on, but even after multiple calls there was still no answer.
Kayla signed, and against her better judgment she got up and took off for the green room. Flashing her press badge as she arrived she headed back and looked for Jennifer. She could see other reporters, and frantic looking staff, but no Jennifer.
Kayla managed to pin down one of the rink staff and asked what was going on.
“Hi there, I’m with the Tribune and I was just wondering, is everything okay? Do you know why Catalina didn’t perform?”
Kayla was stepping all over Jennifer’s toes with this one, but she would deal with that later.
“We’re not sure,” the staff woman responded, “we’re trying to figure out where she went, but her coach can’t find her.”
Alarm bells were going off in Kayla’s head. Had the sock thief struck already?! This really wasn’t his m.o. if it was him. So far he had waited until dark and when no one was around. Kidnapping his victim in broad daylight was an incredibly bold move, one that would make him high profile and everything. If this was him, why had he changed things up?
None of this sat right with Kayla. She tried Jennifer’s phone again, but still no response.
“What the hell,” Kayla cursed under her breath, as Jennifer’s obnoxious voicemail played again.
Then it hit her. Had something happened to Jennifer too? That would obviously explain why she was dodging Kayla’s calls. That, or she just really was avoiding Kayla. Still, it would explain the sudden departure in the sock thief’s usual rhythm. Maybe Jennifer had forced his hand somehow.
In the midst of all the confusion, Kayla managed to sneak further into the green room area, heading toward the athlete-only zone. Press wasn’t usually allowed past this point, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Obviously there was no sign of Catalina, just a few other skaters getting ready for their turn. They eyed Kayla with suspicion as if she was intruding on some kind of holy site.
It was a small area, with lockers on either side of the room and just a few benches in between them. Kayla apologized as she passed through, making her way through the rest of the locker room area as she looked for Jennifer.
Pausing in the hockey team’s area, she pulled out her phone with the intention of giving Jennifer one final call.
As the line rang, Kayla noticed a faint buzzing sound coming from not far off. Could it be…?
She followed its sound, heading to a storage closet in the back corner of the room. There was no mistaking it now, that buzzing sound was coming from the room! There was also another sound coming from the other side of the door, one that Kayla recognized all too well.
“No fucking way…”
She threw open the door, and to no surprise there was Jennifer: tied up and totally disposed of.
“Mrrrmmmph nnnrmmph hhhrmrrmmph!”
Kayla took a moment, relishing in her rival’s rope bound defeat. Jennifer had been tied up with soft cord, the same kind of rope used on the previous two victims.
Her arms were tied behind her back, with rope looped all around her chest so that her arms were really pinned back. Her legs were expertly tied as well, with many loops of rope all up and down them. It was clear that she had been fiercely struggling to get free of her restraints. Her usually perfect ponytail her disheveled hair and missing heel.
“Ggrrrnnnph lllrrmmph mmmrrnmph!”
She could tell Kayla was gloating and didn’t approve one bit. Then again the wad of mouthpacking she was chewing on prevented any of her words from being understood. Her gag was well packed in, her cheeks bulging behind its mass with tufts of fabric peeking around tape she’d been cleave gagged with.
“What a mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” Kayla said, bending down and giving Jennifer’s nylon clad foot a squeeze.
“Hrrmrrmmph!” Jennifer squeaked, wrenching her bound legs away from Kayla as her other heel tumbled off her foot. Her skirt had also found itself hiked up, the bottoms of it bunched around her waist as her entire nylon clad rear was now fully visible along with the silky white underwear she had on underneath.
“Relax, I’m going to get you out.”
Reaching into her bag, Kayla searched for her pocket knife so she could cut Jennifer free. All the while Jennifer was making a big fuss, grumbling and moaning into her gag. She was wiggling her upper body too, as much as the ropes enveloping her would allow.
“MRRMMPH!”
“Jesus,” Kayla groaned, “would you sit still?”
But Jennifer wouldn’t listen, she kept squirming and squealing, her muffled cries falling on deaf ears as Kayla ignored her while she searched for her pocket knife.
“I swear it was in here,” she said, fumbling around her bag.
“MNNHNNPH HMHNNN MNNNNPH!
“Found it! Now, hold still while I gmmrrmph!”
A gloved hand was slapped across Kayla’s mouth, pressing a sweet smelling rag up against her nose.
“Wrrrmph hrrmmph!”
Kayla tried to break loose, but with her attacker wrapping their other arm around her chest there was little she could do to escape. The chemical soaked rag did its work, numbing Kayla’s senses as her muscles started to relax. Her eyes felt heavy and the room was spinning, Jennifer’s bound body becoming blurrier by the second.
“Atta’ girl,” her attacker whispered, “time to take a nice little nap.”
“Mmmmmmmrmph…” Kayla uttered one final moan before everything went dark.
. . . . .
After what felt like a really long nap, Kayla’s eyes fluttered open. She could feel the cold floor of the locker room beneath her. Her vision was still foggy but it slowly returned, revealing the bound form of Jennifer next to her.
“Mrrrmmmmph,” she hummed, still very much gagged.
Luckily for Kayla, she hadn’t been gagged, but just like Jennifer she was now thoroughly tied up. Rope circled her body, keeping her arms tied firmly behind her back and her legs squished together as well. Her back was to the wall of the supply closet, Jennifer sitting to her right. There was also a third member, standing in the doorway. He was dressed like one of the ring staff, but the smirk on his face said that this was clearly just a disguise.
“Rise and shine, dear. How was your nap?”
He spoke with a thick British accent. It sounded posh, but that was just Kayla’s best guess. His hair was neatly combed over, streaks of gray running through it. His face was adorned with a comically wispy mustache, really giving him the whole “evil British bad guy” aesthetic.
“So I guess you’re the one behind all these kidnappings, do I have that right?”
Kayla had hoped not to find out this way, but she’d flown a bit too close to the sun as it had turned out.
“You’re a smart cookie,” the man laughed, “but yes, you are correct. I have to say, I’m impressed with your work, miss Grace. You’ve got quite the spunk! The game of chase we played was…exquisite! Thank you for humoring me.”
“Humoring…I was trying to stop you. You’re the only one playing games here.”
The man laughed again, more of a chuckle really.
“Well, I didn’t come here to argue over semantics. Allow me to formally introduce myself. The name is Delvin.”
“Oh god, what a pleasure,” Kayla did nothing to hide the sarcasm from her voice.
“I’m impressed that you caught on to me so quickly. You managed to put yourself a step ahead after what…two victims. Incredible!”
Kayla rolled her eyes.
“So that’s all this was…just a ploy to lure me here.”
The man shook his head and clicked his tongue.
“Far more than just a ploy, dear. Luring you…even though lure is such a dreadful word…was only part of the fun. You see, I knew my activity would draw you out. The only thing I wasn’t sure of was how long it would take until our paths inevitably crossed.”
“What, are you some kind of fan?”
“Truly! One of your biggest I would say. But don’t get me wrong, I do what I do for my own pleasure. Seeing you on the chase is just an added bonus I suppose. Think of it as sort of a two birds on stone kind of situation. I get to enjoy my pursuit of snatching socks and tying women up, and on top of that I have the absolute pleasure of tying one of Hazeldale's most infamous damsels in the process."
"I'm a reporter you jackass."
"Right, sorry, my apologies."
Kayla sighed, but she knew he had a point. She had amassed quite the reputation for herself around town, and here she was, yet again, living up to that reputation with yards of ropes circling her body.
"So, tell me, Delvin," she pronounced his name with clear distaste, "are you some kind of professional kidnapper then?"
Delvin fidgeted with his mustache.
“Eh, I’m not a professional per say, more of a hobby.”
“Oh right, sorry, my bad. God forbid a man have hobbies.”
“No, no, that’s quite alright.”
Kayla was losing her mind. This guy was a total clown. Posh and well mannered, but a clown nonetheless.
“Anyway,” he continued, “as you can probably tell, this all falls out of my usual style. I don’t prefer big public events like this. The attention it draws is just terrible. Makes my work so much more difficult.”
“So why the big scene?” Kayla asked.
“Why, it’s all for you, my dear! When I saw you here I just felt like I needed to show off a bit. I disposed of Catalina to draw attention away, that was the easy part. What I wasn’t expecting…was your friend here.”
“Frrrrmph mmmmmrph!”
Jennifer tutted behind her gag. Her ponytail was totally loose now, her black hair hanging wildly around her shoulders.
“I gotta say, Kayla, bringing backup like this, that was a very smart move. A very smart move indeed.”
“Oh, her? She’s not with me.”
“Hrrrrmph!? Gnnnmph mmmmmrmmph!”
Jennifer twisted in her bonds, shouting behind her gag at Kayla.
“No? Ooooh, is there perhaps bad blood afoot? How exciting!”
Delvin clapped his hands together in delight.
“Mrrrrrmph mmmmnnmph gggrnnmmph” Jennifer was really squirming now, huffing and puffing through all the cloth between her teeth, stamping her nylon clad feet against the floor.
Kayla wasn’t in the mood for games, instead she took the chance to focus on more important matters.
“What did you do with Catalina?”
Delvin laughed.
“She’s fine, just a bit…tied up at the moment. No need to fret over her safety, I can assure you that she is totally unharmed.”
“I wouldn’t describe being kidnapped by a crazy man as totally unharmed, but whatever.”
“Kayla, Kayla, Kayla,” Delvin said, shaking his head, “I hoped that you would have had a more open mind. Am I really that terrible?”
“Yes, you are!” Kayla didn’t even need a second to think about her answer.
“Well then, since I’m so terrible I might as well lean into that, yes?”
“No wait that’s not…”
“Ah, your words not mine,” Delvin said this while reaching into his back pocket. He retrieved a pair of sparkly purple socks with flower patterns…Catalina’s sparkly patterned socks.
“Well then, let’s bring this whole affair to an end, shall we? Don’t worry, Kayla, I shan't terrorize this town anymore. You are my grand prize after all.”
“Lucky me…” Kayla moaned.
“Why yes! You should consider yourself ever so lucky,” Delvin said, balling up the socks and approaching Kayla.
He bent down in front of her, his cologne overwhelming her senses. It smelled expensive.
“Not to be too ceremonious, but do you perhaps have any last words?”
Delvin waved the socks around, smirking deviously as he taunted Kayla with them. His theatrics were really getting on her nerves at this point.
“Just get it over with…”
Kayla opened her mouth, giving Delvin the all clear to stuff it full of socks. Wasting no time, he gently grabbed her chin and held her head steady as he carefully pushed Catalina’s purple socks into Kayla’s mouth.
“Mmmrmmmph…” she grunted as the socks pushed against her cheeks, filling her mouth up instantly.
“Excellent, thank you for being so cooperative.”
“Mnhmrrmph nn hnnph n chnncmmmph…”
Once the socks were in, Delvin pulled out a roll of white tape and wrapped a bunch of layers between Kayla’s teeth and around her head pushing the socks even further into her mouth with bits of it poofing out from the sides of the tape.
“Now then,” he said, stepping back for a moment, “there are but a few more items I must add. Forgive me for indulging, but to have the chance to place the notorious Kayla Grace in a bind is just…well I wouldn’t want the opportunity to go to waste.”
“Mrrmph nnrmmph mmmph!”
Kayla shook her head in protest as Delvin, ignoring her, pulled more items from his back pockets, namely a bunch of pantyhose.
“Nhhh fnr fnchph phnhmmmph…” she lamented, muffled as she was.
She had a pretty good feeling what he was planning to do with those, but of course this wasn’t all. Grabbing her legs he straightened them out, setting her feet between his thighs. With two swift motions he yanked off her loafers and cast them aside. Reaching next for her frilly white socks, he peeled these from her nylon clad feet, folding one of them up neatly.
“Nnn'phhh mnnph nnrmmmmph!”
But no amount of protesting would have been enough to stop Devlin from shoving the socks right into Kayla’s face. He squished the sock up against her mouth making sure it was pushing against her nose too. Because her mouth was already full thanks to a different pair of socks, Kayla had no choice but to breathe in and out through her nose, inhaling her sock as she did so.
“Mmmmmrmmph,” She groaned through a noseful of sock.
To make sure the sock stayed in place, Delvin was so kind as to pull not one, but two pairs of pantyhose over Kayla’s head, stretching the legs around her head a few times before tying them off behind her. Kayla’s sight was all but obscured at this point, hardly able to see under the many layers of nylon obstructing her vision.
While she couldn’t quite make out what was going on between Delvin and Jennifer, she could tell pretty clearly just from the sound of it. He was giving her the same treatment he had just doled out to Kayla, a sock, Kayla’s sock, pressed into her nose followed by a pantyhose hood of at least two pairs.
“Wrrrmmph mmmrrnmmph hmmrmph!”
Even under her many layers, Jennifer was still screaming and shouting, although nothing was coming out except for severely muffled gibberish. Kayla got the sense she really didn’t like having Kayla’s own sock shoved into her nose. In Kayla’s defense they were clean…relatively speaking.
With both of the girls socked and now hooded, Delvin finally stood back as he gazed up his two bundled captives.
“I don’t know about you both, but I have had just a splendid time. You look lovely by the way.”
“Gmmmm phhnnhph mmmrmph!”
Kayla, much like Jennifer, found herself reduced to incoherent mumbling underneath her numerous layers.
“What’s that? Oh, you had a great time too? Why, isn’t that just lovely?”
“Nrrrmmmph mmmmmrmph!”
“Well, in any case, I really should get going. Wouldn’t want to risk anyone finding me out and all. Until next time, Kayla Grace. I’m sure fate will conspire to bring our paths together again. Ta-ta!”
And just like that, Delvin was gone. He made sure to shut the door behind him of course, leaving Kayla and Jennifer locked inside the closet. Kayla bucked and twisted against the ropes that bound her as Jennifer did the same next to her.
“Mrrmmph,” Jennifer grunted as she flexed her arms and arched her nylon clad feet, hoping to find some slack.
Kayla was doing the same, her breath hot under her nylon hood, sweat beading at her forehead.
“Ggrrrnmmph,” she grunted, her toes curling beneath her nylons as she kicked her legs back and tried to reach the knots at her ankles.
After about 10 minutes of struggling to no avail, Kayla paused for a moment to catch her breath. It was then that she realized if she and Jennifer were going to get free they would need to work together.
“Mrrrmmph! Hhhhmph!”
Kayla called out to Jennifer as loud as her muffled state would allow. Thankfully Jennifer paused her struggles and looked over, or at least she turned her head in Kayla’s direction. Just like her bound companion, Jennifer could hardly see thanks to the pantyhose pulled over her eyes.
“Hrrmmph?!”
She yelled back at Kayla.
“Phcnnph nfmrrrmph hmrmph.”
Kayla did her best to try and communicate her intentions, hoping Jennifer might somehow understand what she was trying to say.
“Wrrmph?”
Alas, Jennifer hadn’t the slightest clue. Kayla figured as much, so instead she just decided to go for it. Scooting closer to Jennifer she used her hands to try and find one of the knots that held her captive.
“Mrrmmmph!”
Jennifer protested for a moment, but after a few seconds realized what Kayla was doing. She responded in kind, reaching for Kayla’s bindings as the two girls finally found themselves united under the same goal.
It took them a while, but after a good amount of struggling, they managed to loosen the ropes that kept their arms bound, freeing up their hands completely.
Kayla’s first order of business was to undo the wretched gag around her head. Unknotting the pantyhose holding her hood in place, she slipped both pairs off her head as the sock shoved into her nose fell into her lap. Her hair was a mixture of static frizz and sweat. Some of it stuck out in random directions, while much of it was matted to the side of her face.
Beside her Jennifer had just done the same, pulling the stretchy nylon from her head as Kayla’s sock gently fell free. Together, they peeled back the layers of tape around their mouths, finally able to spit the socks loose that had been lodged inside.
“Ugh,” Jennifer groaned after pulling out was revealed to be another wad of socks from her mouth, “what a fucking mess.”
Kayla followed suit, reaching the last layer of tape as she peeled it away from her skin and worked Catalina’s socks out, licking her lips before taking a deep breath.
“Are you okay?”
These were the first words out of Kayla’s mouth, and they caught her by surprise. She hadn’t really thought about it before saying them, it was kind of just a gut reaction to check up on Jennifer. She felt herself tense up a bit, unsure of how Jennifer would respond.
“I’m fine,” was all she answered back with.
The two girls sat in silence as they undid the rest of the ropes around their legs. Kayla felt a knot in her stomach. She kept thinking back to her conversation with Jennifer earlier. She wanted to say something, anything really, but every time she was about to, the words got stuck in her throat. The air felt heavy to Kayla, as if the awkward silence had a physical weight to it. She wondered if Jennifer felt the same.
“We need to find Catalina,” was all Jennifer said next.
Kayla watched Jennifer stand up, smoothing out her skirt and fixing her hair. It wasn’t long before she was once again perfectly presented. It was almost as if she hadn’t just been tightly bound, save for the ladders in her pantyhose and the rope marks on her arms.
Kayla joined her, rising to her feet as she smoothed out her own skirt that once was back in its proper place, her pantyhose clad rear no longer on display. She would ditch her socks though, slipping her nylon clad feet into her loafers as she followed Jennifer out of the closet.
It was as if in Jennifer’s mind, the last…however long it was that they were tied up…hadn’t happened. She marched on, weaving through the locker room with her head held high, Reaching the green room she walked up to the crowd of people, Catalina’s coach, a few security guards and other stadium staff members.
“There’s no time to explain,” she said, confidently barging in as all eyes turned to her. “But we need to search the locker room area for Catalina one more time. Check all the lockers, and closets too.”
“Check the lockers?”
“Like I said,” Jennifer went on, “there’s no time to explain just trust me. Check every place you can possibly think of. If it’s a big enough space for her to fit in, check it. Now go, hurry!”
Most in the crowd were still very perplexed, but many still sprung into action as they raced into the locker room. It wouldn’t be long before one of them would shout, announcing that they’d found her.
Kayla and Jennifer rushed over, early to arrive on the scene.
“Damn it, Delvin,” Kayla cursed when she saw what he’d done with her.
He’d stuffed poor Catalina in a laundry bin, the large kind with a metal frame and a cloth insert. Her arms were pushed together behind her back, her legs bent at the knees with her stocking-clad feet pointing up toward the ceiling. Her face was obscured under many layers of pantyhose, but she was easily identifiable by her skating dress.
“Phnmmnnm hmmph! Pmmmmrmmph!”
She huffed and puffed, shaking her nylon covered head, the ends of her brunette locks waving about as she struggled. A few folks from the crowd that had gathered, helped lift her out before undoing the ropes that kept her bound. They also loosened her pantyhose hood, slipping the stockings from over her head and then unwrapping her gag.
She spit a sodden wad of socks out as they fell to the floor with a soft thump.
“Catalina, are you okay?” Her coach was bending down in front of her, holding Catalina’s hands tightly.
“Yeah, I’m fine just…I mean can I even still compete? Is the competition over?”
Her coach laughed.
“I’m sure we can figure something out. You just need to relax for now. Don’t even think about competing.
Moments later, a team of paramedics arrived, checking up on Catalina for any possible signs of injury. Kayla felt an elbow nudge her arm, Jennifer’s elbow.
“Come on, I think our job here is done.”
Leaving the locker room, they reconvened in the lobby, in front of the concessions stand to be more specific. Jennifer wanted a coffee. Kayla didn’t blame her. After what they had just gone through, a little pick-me-up was definitely in order. She ordered a coffee too.
They found a table not far off and sat down together, Kayla eyed Jennifer suspiciously the whole time. She was just sitting there, sipping her coffee as she typed notes furiously on her phone. She didn’t even acknowledge Kayla’s presence. Still, the fact that the two reporters were sitting within five feet of each other without getting in a verbal spat was unprecedented enough.
It was now that Kayla finally found the courage to speak up and try something with Jennifer that she had never tried before: peaceful conversation.
“Hey, Jennifer, listen I just wanted to…”
“I’m busy,” she snapped, “don’t bother me, I have to write this all down so I can get every detail right.”
Kayla sighed, taking a big gulp of her coffee. She should have known better. Jennifer was a lost cause. There was no getting through to her. Standing up, Kayla made the choice to just make her leave for the day. Besides, the case was in Jennifer’s hands now, there wasn’t much left for Kayla to do at this point.
Right as she reached the wide glass doors that led out to the parking lot, she heard Jennifer call out from behind her. She was still sitting at the small table off in the cafe area, but she’d turned in her seat to face Kayla.
“I uh…I just wanted to say thanks.”
“Oh uh,” Kayla was totally stunned, her mind reeling with how to respond. “You’re welcome. If I were in your shoes, I would be thankful too, just for what it’s worth.”
Jennifer smiled. She actually smiled at Kayla, and it was a genuine smile too! Not a devious one, or a mocking one, a real smile. What she said next was even more shocking.
“I’ll include your name in the story. Don’t get me wrong, I want to write the whole thing. My words, my name as the main author. Send me your notes though. I'm uh...I'm sure you did good work leading up to today so I'd hate to see it all go to waste.”
Kayla couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite Jennifer’s change in tune toward Kayla, she couldn’t help but hold onto at least a little bit of pride. Kayla would take it though.
“You bet, I’ll send them over as soon as I get the chance.”
Jennifer nodded as Kayla waved before leaving the rink. That following week, the story would break and Jennifer would get a nice front page section.
Kayla read through the story, seated at her desk on a typical weekday afternoon. It was good, really good. Jennifer was a great writer and Kayla was happy she was finally getting her chance to shine.
“It’s pretty great, isn’t it?”
Jennifer stood behind Kayla, peering over her shoulder as she noticed what Kayla had pulled up on her phone. Spinning her chair around, Kayla faced Jennifer and shot her a playful look.
“It’s alright,” she teased, “I’ve seen better, but you’ve got potential.”
“Perfect, at least that makes one of us.”
Jennifer was quick to return Kayla’s snipe with a hearty dose of her own sass, flipping the end of her ponytail back as she did so before striding away.
Kayla smiled. She and Jennifer were still teasing each other like usual, but there was something different now. Their words weren’t laced with vitriol like they normally were, instead it felt more like lighthearted banter. It was a welcome change, at least in Kayla’s eyes. She enjoyed her rivalry with Jennifer, but maybe from now on things would be a bit more amicable. Well, so she hoped. Only time would tell…