The Monroe Legacy - G.1. Chapter 18 - Sins of the Father

DISCLAIMER - This chapter is rated mature - it contains references to violence and language which some readers may find upsetting. Please hit the back button if you do not wish to read on.

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Looking back at that morning Marlie could never understand how such an idllic day could turn into such a nightmare. It began as most week-end days did - Georgia and Oscar would babble together in the nursery until one of them needed changing. She and Brody would wander up and take care of them together - often wondering how they'd produced such gorgeous babies.


Then they'd make coffee and sit sipping it together outside whilst listening to their family wake up in the house. These were golden mornings when they had the time to appreciate how far they'd come.

That day as Marlie and Brody turned to go back to the house and start breakfast the paper-boy stopped them.

'Scuse me, but are you Marlie?' he asked.

'That's me' Marlie replied, looking slightly baffled. 'Can I help you?'

'No Ma'am, I just got a special message for you' he answered, handing her a small padded envelope. 'Y'all have a good day' he tipped his cap and left.

Marlie looked at the envelope in her hands. Something about it just felt... wrong. In tiny writing by the seal it said, 'For your eyes only'.

Brody after giving the package a cursory glance had scooped up Georgia from where she was playing on the grass and gone in to give her breakfast. Marlie walked unsteadily to the bench and with shaking hand emptied the envelope in to her lap. She shuddered.

It contained a letter made of clipped magazine parts and, more disturbingly, a lock of blonde hair.

Marlie sat frozen. Why was this happening to them? Their family had suffered a lot. Who had exposed them and what did this person want? Some time later Brody found her sitting unmoved and shaking.

'Marlie' he began before seeing her face. 'Baby, what's wrong?'

She held out the note to him and he read it before sitting beside her and pulling her into his protective embrace.

'What do we do Brody?' Marie sobbed. 'I'm scared. We can't call the police because officially Norma-Jeane doesn't exist'.

Brody sighed, 'Let's call Ralph' was his only reply, 'Perhaps this is all a big hoax and she's safe at home. If not, well he has some experience dealing with threats. He'll know what to do.

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Earlier that morning.

Norma-Jeane woke up to darkness and a crushing headache. Where was she? What was this place? What had happened?

She wasn't in her bed, it seemed like she was lying on some kind of metal table. Lifting her head to look around she saw walls covered in ropes and tools. Nothing good ever happened in rooms like these.

Hugging herself, as much for comfort as to fend of the chill, she inched her aching body off the table. She stumbled around the tiny room, supporting herself on the wall as the pain in her head threatened to throw her back into unconsciousness. She guessed it was a basement, the stairs were the only way out but the trapdoor at the top was locked. 

She curled in the corner and racked her memory for any idea of how she had gotten into this mess.

The last thing she remembered was running to open the gate for her car, cursing the early frost which had caught her without a coat. And then it came to her. 

The pressure around her neck, the cold press of steel against her body. Whoever had taken her had come up behind her. She remembered clawing at the arm crushing her windpipe as the edges of her vision went fuzzy. And then nothing. Nothing until this room.

She'd never even heard her attacker coming, let alone caught a glimpse of who might have found her. 

They'd been so sure they'd neutralised her enemies. Ralph's connections had caught the man who had been pursuing her and now he was at the bottom of an unnamed lake in Alaska. 

But somebody had found her and God only knew what they wanted...

Her thoughts were disrupted by the rattle of the trapdoor being unlocked and opened. Norma-Jeane scrambled away but there was nowhere to go. As she cowered in the corner and a dark clothed stranger came down the stairs she couldn't help reflecting that all the Hollywood kidnappings in the world couldn't have prepared her for the terror she was feeling.

'Well you sure are a purty little thing' smirked her captor. 'I can't see why anyone would want you dead when there are so many more... enjoyable things a man could do with a honey like you'.

'Please!' cried Norma-Jeane, 'Please just let me go. What do you want me for, I'm nobody. If it's money you want, you can have everything. Just please let me go.'

Her captor just smirked. 'Aw honey, we both know you ain't a nobody. I got strict instructions to put a bullet in you, but fortunately, now we're properly acquainted I've got some other ideas for us to do business together.'

He pulled a knife from the nearby block and walked towards her.

'Now don't be scared little lady, I ain't gonna hurt you. Well not yet. I'll just be needing a little bit of your hair as a present for an old friend. Hold still.'

As her hair was roughly hacked at Norma-Jeane just sat hopelessly. She'd never seen this man before, she was sure of it, but he seemed somehow familiar.

As her attacker started to leave he turned and winked at her, 'You just sit tight now Marilyn.'

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6pm at the Monroe Residence

It had been a long day in the Monroe house. Ralph had raced over when they rang, he'd worked through the night and returned home to an empty house, assuming Norma-Jeane was with her sister.

Marlie explained the little she knew and after cross examining her for every last seemingly irrelevant detail he'd jumped into his car and rushed away to meet a few of his old acquaintances who were familiar with this kind of dealing. Belle went across to their house to keep Carson company, but they were both jumpy knowing that Norma-Jeane had likely been taken from here and soon returned to the Monroe's where there was safety in numbers.

Lola was home and after giving Carson an awkward hug she sat down and pretended to do her homework. Carson kept looking to her for comfort, hoping she would be able to distract him with the closeness they'd shared before they'd dated, but Lola just stared at her book, though she never turned a page.

As 10pm approached Ralph returned. His contacts had made subtle enquiries within the local criminal circles and as far as they could tell it was an unknown person working alone. Their best hope was for Marlie to keep the appointment and to go "alone" with Ralph concealing himself in the area to protect her and to try and trail the kidnapper to wherever he was holding Marilyn.

Brody began to protest, insisting that he should go instead of Marlie, or at least with her but Marlie placed her hand on his heart and quietly told him that she had to go.

'Brody I need to do this but I need you to be here protecting the children. Ralph will be armed and this kidnapper - whoever he is - wont hurt me if it stops him from getting whatever he wants. If the worst were to happen, which it won't, but IF it did, I need to know that you're here and safe to raise our family.'

Brody could see from her expression that there would be no arguing so as night fell he barricaded himself and his family inside the house and watched Marlie drive away.

As her lights faded into the distance the phone rang. He snatched it up.

An official sounding female voice asked if this was the residence of Marlie Monroe.

'It is,but she'd not home' Brody replied. 'This is her husband, can I take a message'.

'Certainly. Could you please inform your wife that her father is in violation if his parole. We last recorded him crossing state lines between Nevada and Utah but haven't been able to locate him. Should he make contact we need you to call it in. We believe him to be armed and possibly a threat to those around him'.

As the call ended Brody just stared at the phone in horror. Could this all be linked to Marlie's father?

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10pm at the Route Four Water Treatment Facility

Marlie shivered as she walked deeper into the old water treatment plant, she couldn't see any sign of another person and the only thing stopping her from turning and running was the knowledge that this was their best hope to see Norma-Jeane safe. Knowing that Ralph was less that 100 feet away with an automatic and night vision was also a comfort.

'Well hello there sweet girl! Keep your hands where I can see 'em - I dont want this little reunion to be disturbed', came a disembodied voice. Marlie froze. It couldn't be......

Following the voice she looked up to the top of the abandoned building. Standing there, older, scarred but recognisable was Hank Monroe.

'What no greeting for your old Man, Marlie-Dee. Didn't your whore of a momma teach you better than that?'

'Don't you dare mention my mom', spat Marlie as anger began to burn up the fear which had been controlling her. 'What the hell do you want with me and with Norma-Jeane?'

Hank laughed, 'Straight to the point I see, you're more like me than I thought. Honey, we both know her name ain't Norma-Jeane. And that changes things.'

Marlie was fuming. 'I am NOTHING like you.'

Hank just laughed again.

'Whatever you say Marlie-Dee. See when I got done serving time I decided to see if I could track down your momma, her and I had some.... let's call it unfinished business, so I found that sleazy old senator guy that she was fooling around with and I "convinced" him to tell me everything, . 

That's when it got tricky. He told me your momma was dead. Can't say I was surprised given her ways but said he'd been looking for his bastard daughter for years, he's about to run for president see and he wanted her, well, tidied up. I volunteered my services. For a price.

Imagine my surprise when I find her in the ass end of Utah, playing at happy families with you Marlie-Dee. It was like I'd hit the jackpot. I grabbed her, meaning to get my money and then see how you and I could work together but turns out that Mr Big-Shot's lovechild is kind of a valuable asset. 

Imagine what people would pay to have Missy Marilyn Monroe  back. Or perhaps what people would pay to keep her as their own special pet. Suddenly Mr Big-Shot's money is looking like the lesser offer.

Anyhow, before I offer her to the open market I figured that you might be amenable to seeing how much that husband of hers might want to offer for her safe return. 

I'll give you 24 hours - for old times sake, be back here with cash at the same time tomorrow.

Oh and Marlie... don't be calling in any police, I'd hate to have to hurt one of my sweet grand-babies.'

Without another word Hank disappeared back from the edge of the building leaving Marlie shaken and disbelieving. She struggled to compose herself before staggering back to her car where she dialled the home number.

'Marlie is that you?' Brody barked, 'I think it's your dad, come home right away'.

Hearing his voice, the last of Marlie's strength crumbled and she burst into tears, sobbing into the phone everything that she'd discovered.

'I just can't believe that I came from that monster Brody,' she cried, 'What kind of person thinks that way.'

'Come home baby,' Brody soothed. 'It will be okay, Ralph will follow him and we will find Norma-Jeane. As soon as she's safe we can call the parole board and Hank will be back in jail for the rest of his life'.

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Ralph

Ralph hung back in the deep shade. He'd been following the man he now knew to be Hank Monroe for the best part of an hour. The man was good. He'd doubled back on himself, taken shortcuts and stopped to see if anyone was behind him several times. If it wasn't for those years on the run Ralph knew he'd have lost him.

A profound hatred burned in Ralph's heart for this man who in so many ways was the root of the misery which had plagued his wife's life. His automatic was heavy in his hand and it was only the knowledge that he needed this man to lead him to Norma's side that stopped him from ending this right now.

Finally Hank turned off the track they'd been following, heading into some thick woodland before disappearing through the door of a gloomy looking shed which was almost invisible under the trees.

Ralph knew that the moment had come. He called Marlie, letting her know the address in case this went down badly. Then he slowly, carefully checked his gun was loaded, clicked off the safety and quietly approached the house.

A cursory glance through the tiny window revealed a dank, sparsely furnished room. A heavy rug was rolled back revealing an open trap door. As Ralph watched Hank Monroe emerged from the basement, slamming and locking the door and rolling back the rug. As he walked to the far end of the room and placed his gun on the sofa before rifling in the fridge Ralph crept to the the door and, mustering all the force in his body, kicked it down.

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Marlie - The Cabin in the Woods

Marlie pulled up at the address she'd be given as a crash of splintering wood echoed around the woods. Jumping from her car she heard a shout and two gunshots. Then silence.

She ran towards the sound, losing all sense of her own safety and approached the cabin only to discover that death had beaten her there.

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Who is the Reaper there for... find out in the next chapter of The Monroe Legacy.

(I promise the next one wont be a massive cliff-hanger!)

Read it now in The Monroe Legacy - Chapter 19 - Goodbye Norma-Jeane