Chapter four

Like many persons enjoying detective novels, Anne Rach had sometimes daydreamed about being involved in a real crime, be it as a victim or an investigating detective. She had been quite successful to let parts of her dreams flow into her works, but now, she had to encounter an experience that was pure, terrific reality.

When the man had gone, Anne had thrashed in her bonds and screamed through her gag until exhaustion had stopped her. Then, she had desperately tried to get her fingers close enough to the tape encircling her head. It had been to no avail; her arms were stretched so wide she just could not touch her head, no matter how she squirmed. Next, Anne had tried to push the wad of cloth from her mouth. She had tried every move possible with her lips and tongue, but the panties and the washcloth crammed into her cheeks and throat remained in place, pressed together and sealed in by numerous layers of tape.

„Mhhhhhhmmmmmm! Uuuhhhhhhmmmmmm!“

Anne had again tried to call for help when she had heard people walking and talking in the staircase. But, though she tried to rustle with her cuffs and to knock at the bedframe, noone seemed to hear her.

Panting heavily through her nose, the blindfolded girl tried to slip her hand from one of the cuffs, but though it`s upholstery, the cuff was too tightly applied. It seemed that Anne had to wait helplessly for the man`s return.

She wondered why the Defoliator had changed his usual way of treating his victims. Not that Anne had wanted to be naked, bound and gagged somewhere in public, but then, she would at least be sure that rescue was not far. Now, tied and gagged in her own flat, she had great fears what he had in store for her.

Suddenly, an idea came up to her mind. She carefully palpated the bedframe where her arms were cuffed to. It was a solid railing made of wood, but Anne remembered that the upper part was only held by two little screws.

She started pushing and punching at the railing, always forced to pause to regain new strength. Anne was panting heavily and was covered with sweat when finally, the plank loosened enough for her to slip the cuff through the gap. With a sigh of triumph, Anne wanted to reach for the tape encasing her head.

When her fingertips were just touching the tape, the cuff was blocked.

„Mhhmmm?“

Thinking it had been trapped by parts of the bedframe, the girl tried to yank it free, but to her horror, she felt that her hand was pulled into the other direction.

„Nice try, Anne.“

„Mhhrrrrrr! Mhhmmmmmmmm! Mhhhmmmmmm!“

Anne squirmed and fought, but could not avoid that he cuffed her wrist back to the bedframe, this time pulling it a bit tighter. Then, she felt him working on the tape encircling her head. Since being freed from the stifling hood was exactly what Anne wanted, she stopped her flailing and allowed him to unwind the tape.

„Oh, don`t be afraid you missed freedom just by seconds. I have been watching your attempts for quite a while and was prepared to interrupt you.“

„Mhhmmmph!“

The thought that she had been totally unaware of the man`s presence horrified the young authoress.

„However, if you try such things again, I will have to punish you. This time, you will be unharmed for you didn`t know. But from now on, there are three rules: don`t try to run away, don`t try to alert someone and don`t disobey my orders. Did you understand?“

He had finished unwrapping the tape from her mouth and eyes and pulled the stocking from her head. With dishevelled hair, her cheeks reddened, Anne stared at him.

„I asked you a question. Nod, if you understood me.“

„Mmmph!“

Not seing a point in being defiant, Anne nodded. At the same second, he once again showed her his friendly smile.

„Good. That gives you a little reward.“

Surprisingly gently, he peeled the tape from her mouth and took the washcloth from her mouth. Anne tried to work out the panties, too, but he stopped her and once again put the tape tightly in place.

„Uuuhmmmm! Uuuhmmmph!“

„I can`t take too much risk that you try something stupid and that I have to punish you harder than any of us wants. But now, just wait and don`t make a sound!“

Anne`s eyes widened when the man put two items on the bed, just a few inches next to her right thigh. One was a cutthroat razor, the other a vicious looking dagger.

„Mmmhhmm! Mhhrrrrr!“

„I said no sound! Just hold still and don`t try to fight me, then you will stay absolutely unharmed.“

He took the dagger and, with some glee about the girl`s fear, slowly stropped it on a leather belt. Then, he put his left under her back and helped her to sit up. Anne trembled when the tip of the dagger reached her shoulder.

However, he just carefully cut the seams of her T-shirt. The easiness with which he proceeded told Anne that this knife was indeed as sharp as it looked. He would be able to cut her throat without even needing to use strength.

He pulled away the pieces of the T-shirt, leaving her just in her white bra. Anne let out a small squeal when he cut her shoulder straps. Then, gently pushing the tip of the knife between the cups, he cut the little bridge of cloth between them. Slowly and one by one, he put away the cups, revealing her big breasts. Anne blushed, but he only touched them when he removed the remnants of her bra.

Next, he cut away her trousers, leaving Anne in only her purple panties. She whimpered faintly when he cut through the seams and slowly pulled them from between her legs, leaving her naked.
Anne was haunted by an almost ridiculous thought: since she had been old enough to be interested in such things anyway, Anne had always delayed having real sexual experiences with a man. Now, her first time would be a rape by a criminal.

However, the man just stood there and watched her naked body. He seemed to like the sight, though Anne was not very fond of her body. She considered her breasts as being too big, her tummy too soft, her hips too round and her legs too short. The man finally said:

„You are really a beauty, Anne, but there are things to be done. Please, don`t move or make a sound, I will be back in a few minutes.“

The frightened girl once again tried to work on her bonds, always watching the door anxiously. She definitely did not want to be punished.

To her great surprise, when he came back, he was carrying a tray and placed it on the bed. On it, Anne could see three small bowls and a tube of body cream – not one from her bathroom, she noticed. One of the bowls contained hot water, as Anne could say from the steam. The other seemed to be half filled with cold water and the last contained a white cream and a brush.

In addition, he had brought a few of her towels. One of them, he placed under her right upper arm and shoulder.

„It seems that you have been busy with other things during the last weeks. Your armpits do not look very nice.“

Anne could not help blushing again. She had indeed let herself go a bit during the last months. Her legs were well shaved, but, since she hardly was wearing sleeveless tops and did not go to the swimming pool, she had indeed neglected her armpits a bit. But did he intend to-

The man plucked some of the fine hairs. Anne could not help twitching. Not only was she filled with fear and suffered from the humiliation, but she was also very ticklish.

„Hold still“, he said and reached for his knife.

„Mhhmmm! Nnnng!“

Gently, he cut her armpit hair to a lenth of some quarter of an inch. Of course, he could have done so with a pair of scissors, too, but he liked to frighten her by using his dagger. It took Anne almost all her self control not to twitch back when he worked on her right armpit.

Now, he moistened another towel and rubbed her armpit before he thoroughly brushed it with the shaving cream. Now, Anne could not help squirming in her ties and sent helpless explosions of laughter through the panties stuffing her mouth.

To her surprise, the man did not become angry, but he smiled at her.

„I know that ticklishness can be hard. But now, please do absolutely not move. I don`t want to cut you.“

He stropped his razor on the leather belt. Then, he carefully shaved her armpit. Anne was so frightened he would cut her by mistake she bit down on her gag and hardly dared to breathe. The only sound that could be heard was the scratching of the razor on her skin.

Finally, it was done. He cleaned her up with the moistened towel, then, he carefully dabbed her dry and massaged some body cream on her soft skin.

Anne`s sigh of relief was followed by a gasp when he put the towel under her other armpit. Again, she did not dare to move, but he again showed great skills in removing every hair and shaving her armpit perfectly smooth.

„There. Now you look neat again.“

To Anne`s dismay, he gently placed a soft kiss on both her armpits.

„Now, for one last thing.“

„Mhhmmph?“

Anne did not believe it when he placed a towel under her hips and butt. Of course, Anne knew that many women removed her pubic hair, she had never considered to do so, except for some trimming in summer.

When he again took his knife and approached her pubic mound, Anne could not help trembling like aspen foliage. Suddenly, the girl let out a squeal and her eyes twisted. A certain smell told the man that Anne had urinated with sheer fear.

Blushing from shame and with tears in her eyes, she waited for to be punished. But to her surprise, he just looked into her eyes till she lowered her head. Then, he quickly removed the sheets and cleaned her with a wet washcloth before he put a fresh towel under her.

„Well, at least now you will feel a bit more relieved“, he mocked and once again reached for his dagger.

Anne whimpered when he shortened her pubic hair, always picking up a bunch of hairs and cutting them. Then, he took the brush and the cream and carefully covered her private parts with the white substance.

Anne did not dare to move a muscle when he started to shave her where no razor had ever been. He worked concentrated, even humming a tune whilst he worked down her pubic mound. Anne had only twice allowed a man to touch her there, but again, he did not seem to be interested in doing more than excellent work.

When he had removed every hair from her pussy and started to work on her inner thighs and between her legs, Anne nearly passed out. He used his left to stretch her soft flesh and to get every single hair. By virtue of the slippery of the cream, his index finger even found it`s way into her and held against the pressure of the razor from inside. Anne closed her eyes and panted. Her big breasts heaved and, wether from being near panic or from the continuing intimacy, her nipples had grown hard.

Finally, he put away the razor and reached for the towel. Anne bucked when he pressed it between her legs. He had put it into the bowl with hot water before. After the first shock, however, Anne noticed that it was just hot enough to be convenient, but not hot enough to hurt her.

When he had cleaned her between the legs and carefully looked for any hair that might have survived, the man sat on the bed. he cupped the back of Anne`s head and lifted it with his left whilst his right poured some cream on her pubic mound.

„Mhhmmmmph! Nnnnnggg!“

Anne tried to turn away, but he told her.

„Look into my eyes! That`s an order!“

So, Anne forced herself to look at the man as he gently massaged the cream between her legs, taking great care of every wrinkle of her private area. She sometimes had to blink away her tears and sent small sounds through her gag, but she persisted. When he was finished, he placed a small kiss on her clit.

Finally, he let her go and put away the shaving utensils. Anne looked at her pubic mound with dismay. It was absolutely bold and smooth now and her skin still felt a bit strange, though it did not hurt.

Before she could think of anything, he came back.

„If you don`t mind, I will put on new sheets later. You won`t die from lying on the bare matress for a while. Instead, now I would prepare something to eat. I am not quite sure but according to what`s in your fridge and cupboards, how about some risotto with mushrooms, a salad and some white wine?“

Anne nodded almost involuntarily. She was just too perplexed to think properly. The Defoliator – if it was him – had overpowered, bound and gagged her. He had stripped her nude and done some very intimate and embarrassing things to her. In addition, he even seemed to have more in store for her. But now, he had just offered to prepare the meal she originally had planned for cooking herself. Anne knew that most psychopaths had a gentle side and so, she was feeling very, very helpless when a seductive fragrance from the kitchen reached her nose.

***

At Ulinka`s office, the two policewomen had a short conversation with Nicole. Since they now knew whom they were hunting for, Ulinka had thought about cancelling the panel discussion. However, both Nicole and Sabine, the latter by telephone, had insisted on keeping on with their preparations.

„The Defoliator knows that you will get him in a matter of days. He is intelligent. He has been a student of chemistry for three years and he has not left for bad marks, but after a nervous breakdown. This Johannes Gebhard has now hidden somewhere, but he knows that he will be recognized and caught sooner or later. Now, he wants a finale that will ensure he will be remembered. And an attack on the Lord Mayor would be such a finale. Besides, he thinks that we think he is hiding and therefore will not be prepared for an attack. The worst thing to happen is that he does not appear and will just be caught during a routine control.“

Ulinka had to admit that the psychologist was right. It was worth a try and she was very keen on getting the Defoliator in her hands for what he had done to her colleague.

Tina was sitting beside her, but did not participate in the discussion. She still suffered from last night`s humiliations. After Ulinka had cut her free, the naked redhead had staggered hastily to the small bathroom in the cellar. After some minutes, she had come out, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of men`s jogging trousers that were too big for her and forced her to always keep them up with one hand.

The policemen acted professionally, though they had enjoyed seeing the pretty redhead in the nude. They  had also agreed to keep Tina`s name from the report and only tell to the press that another woman had been bound and gagged by the runaway Defoliator.

Tina had refused to see a doctor and wanted to participate in the further investigations. On their way to the office, Ulinka had asked her slightly blushing colleague for her size and bought her some fresh clothes and underwear.

Nicole asked if Tina wanted to participate in the discussion, too. To Ulinka`s surprise, the young policewoman nodded.

***

The news about the Defoliator`s identity had reached the campus, too. Patrizia Nahle was feeling a bit abashed for she knew Johannes Gebhard. He had been in a student`s activist group she had worked together with before he had left the university. Rumour had it that Johannes had mental problems. However, since she was planning to start a crusade against Patriarchy, Patrizia had decided to do her internet discussion as planned.

When she was just about to go home from the library (crusade or not, there were papers and exams she had to prepare for), her cellphone rang. It was an unknown number. Frowning, the girl answered the call.

„Patrizia? Is it you?“

„Yes.“ She somehow remembered the voice, but was not sure where from.

„Patrizia, it`s me! Johannes! Johannes Gebhard!“

The curly blonde froze to her tracks. What did the Defoliator want from her? She looked around, but there were several persons on the parking lot. There was no danger to get attacked once again.
„Patrizia, the police is behind me! They think I am the Defoliator!“

She was too perplexed to answer and so, Johannes, whose voice she now remembered, continued to talk to her.

„It`s all a terrible missunderstanding! I`ve been in – in a medical center for some weeks and have allowed a friend to live at my flat. It`s him they have to hunt for, not me!“

Patrizia found her speech: „Well, then go to the police! They will take care of you if you can prove your innocence.“

A part of her was not sure if this was not another trick of the Defoliator, but Johannes sounded convincingly nervous.

„Well – it`s just that I can`t go there. I am not the Defoliator, but i am guilty of another crime. Do you remember the Dean`s car?“

Patrizia was speechless, quite unusual to her. During their joined year in the activist group, they had sometimes thought about putting an example on the Dean, who did not show any respect towards their aims. Said Dean was driving a luxurious Mercedes that almost physically expressed his contempt towards the poorer classes. Four weeks ago, this car had been ornated by some Anarchy signs and feminist symbols sprayed all over it.

An investigation had been held and the police had taken fingerprints from suspicious students and compared them to those taken from a spray can left behind. Patrizia had been among the suspects, too, and had taken the opportunity to hold a speech both against the Dean`s policy and the police`s arbitrariness.

„It was – you? But I thought you were – ill.“

A sigh from Johannes could be heard.

„I have been in a sanatory for six month, then, I travelled throughout Europe for a while. Some six weeks ago, I came back and took a small apartement, but did not tell anyone. I wanted to see if I was strong enough to reenlist next term. But after a few weeks, I had to take a pause.“

Patrizia interrupted him: „But, the real Defoliator, who is he?“

„He told me his name is Bernd Raabe. We met at the sanatory and got on quite well with each other. When I told him that I would have to do another visit to the clinic, he asked me if he could stay at my appartement. Of course, I had no idea that-“

„But how about the Dean`s car? What has that to do with all that?“

„Well, maybe some of my pills make me too confident, sometimes. I wasn`t myself that night when I did this. But, when I go to the police now, they will take my fingerprints and will check them. They won`t arrest me for damaging a car, but they will assume that I am still-“

Johannes`s words ended in a sobbing. Patrizia thought about what she should do. her first thought was to call the police, but Johannes was right. If a mentally instable person committed a crime, they treated him as if he was a lunatic and as if they would prefer to put him in a straight jacket or even in chains. The face of the friendly and liberal minded Johannes came up in her mind. She sighed and decided to help her former fellow student.

„Right, Johannes, where are you now?“

„I am at the abandoned building near the cemetary. If you don`t trust me, bring a friend, but someone who is trustworthy and discreet. You best come between ten and eleven p. m.. Please, I only have to hide for a few days, until they catch the real Defoliator.“

Patrizia promised him to come and ended the call, for another time, she thought about calling the police. But, in fact, she did not trust any authority. Even these two female officers had seemed to her to be henchmen of the Patriarchy. So, she decided to offer Johannes her help.

When she looked at the display of her phone, she recognizet that someone else had tried to call her during her talk to Johannes. It was Sandy, the blonde hairdresser whom the Defoliator had tied to a swing in the beer garden. Patrizia wondered what she wanted from her. To the student, Sandy seemed to be a superficial and not very intelligent person. Patrizia went to her car and called Sandy back.

„Sandy, it`s me, what-“

„Patrizia, please, can we meet somewhere? I am at my home and I really need help.“

The blonde refused to tell more on the phone and so, Patrizia drove to the place where Sandy lived. The blonde was waiting for her at the street. She entered the car and started immediately:

„Please, you are the only one who will understand me. This journalist will kill me, or write a story about it, and the others-“

„Easy, Sandy. What are you talking about?“

Sandy looked at her for a while before she started to talk.

„The-the attack on me. I-it w-w-wasn`t the Defoliator.“

Patrizia did not understand what Sandy was trying to tell her.

„Not the Defoliator. But, who was it then?“

Sandy sighed: „Me.“

Now, Patrizia`s jaw dropped: „You?“

„Yes. I thought it would be an easy way to become famous. And it worked. I have got three offers from erotic magazines already. But, after our talk earlier, when you all told about how you suffered and that this is in reality a problem of women being oppressed in general, I-I“

Sandy stopped talking and quite theatrically sobbed into a handkerchieve. Patrizia once again was silent – for about half a minute. Then, she said:

„Sandy, I am glad you told me about that. And I want you to participate in the livestream tomorrow – if you still want to do so.“

Sandy looked at her with round eyes.

„What you did is a proof for what`s wrong in our society. You acted so because you felt desparate. You are a victim!“

„I-I am not sure. I still feel guilty.“

„The guilt is at society. You are innocent. And, speaking of innocent people – do you live alone?“

Now, Sandy looked as if Patrizia had lost her marbles.

„Well, yes, but-“

„An acquaintance of me is accused of a crime he did not commit and he has to hide for a few days. Would it be possible if he lives at your apartement? Of course, you cam come over to me for the time.“

Sandy seemed to have some problems with geting all the information at once, but finally, she nodded.

„Is he – handsome?“, she asked, smiling wryly.

***

Anne cursed her impulsiveness for the umpteenth time. When he had prepared their meal, the man had freed Anne`s wrists and cuffed her hands in front of her. Then, he had tied her feet with one cuff, allowing her to take small steps when he led her to the kitchen. Anne saw that he had laid the table completely with candles and some flowers. The fragrance of the food was indeed delicious.
When he pulled back the chair for her to sit down, Anne tried to give escape a try. She pushed him hard at the chest, causing him to land on his back. Frantically, Anne hopped for the door whilst peeling the tape from her mouth. It was only five feet to the door! Four! Three!

When Anne wated to do another hop, she was grabbed around her waist and was dragged back into the corridor.

„Mhhhrrrrmmmmmm!“

Anne finally had ripped the sticky tape from her lips and tried to spit out her sodden panties. Her cry came out as a croak after being gagged for so long. Before she could utter another yell, the man had slung an arm around her mouth and throat.

„Mhhrrrrrrrrrrr! Mhrrrrrrrrrrrr!“

Anne screamed into his arm and squirmed, trying to get free. With a vigorous kick, she dumped a vase, but it landed on the thick carpet undamaged.

„Mhrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Mhmph!“

He increased the pressure on the girl`s throat, causing her to retch. Suddenly, she saw the knife just inches away from her eyes.

„Behave now, or you will regret!“, he hissed.

„Mhhrrrmmmmph!“

In a last desperate attempt, she tried to wriggle free, but the lack of air was stifling her. Finally, she stopped fighting.

„Now, if you don`t want to find out how I am if I am really angry, you better behave. Promise?“

With tears in her eyes, Anne nodded.

„Good.“

Without taking the arm from her mouth, but reducing the pressure a bit, he put down his knife and reached for his bag, taking a gun from it. Then, holding the barrel to the girl`s temple, he withdrew his arm.

Anne massaged her aching throat, but he did not leave her much time for relaxing. Without taking an eye from her, he took her sodden panties from the floor and threw them to her.

„Put them into your mouth. All the way in.“

Retching and panting, the girl obeyed. The used underwear still tasted vile.

„Mmmph!“

„Now, let`s count. You have tried to run away. that`s one. You tried to alert other people, once by trying to scream and once by kicking over that vase. that`s two and three. Finally, you disobeyed my order to behave, that`s four. Four violations of the rules.“

„Mhhmmmph! Nnnnng!“

Anne tried to spit out the panties, but he raised his hand.

„Keep these in, or we have five.“

„Mmmph!“

The man reached for his bag and took out several coils of rope, together with other items Anne could not see properly but who sure had not been brought to comfort her.

„Four violations means that you will have to stay for four hours in the position I will tie you now. It`s quite convenient for I have to leave for a few hours anyway. So, I would have tied and gagged you even if you had behaved, but now, you won`t just be lying on your bed and being able to relax. You better learn from what you are about to endure, for from now on, each violation of any of my rules will get you two hours of punishment.“

***