Read The Stolen Chapters for Free Online Page B

couldn’t move her arms or legs. Heavy chains were cuffed to her wrists, binding her to an old green chair with the cushions half missing, while her ankles were tied to the chair’s legs with rope.
    Meanwhile, the water pouring through the grates in multiple waterfalls was starting to collect on the floor.
    â€œHelp!” she shouted, everything coming back at once. Owen and Kiel. Kiel’s forget spell. Doyle . Her heart began beating out of her chest, and she tensed, ready to jump.
    â€œI wouldn’t,” said a voice from behind her, and a boy in a Sherlock Holmes hat and coat wearing a mask with a question mark, stepped into the light.
    â€œLet me go!” Bethany shouted, pulling at the chains as hard as she could.
    Doyle didn’t move. “I don’t believe I will. But please, feel free to escape.”
    She bit her lip to keep from screaming at him. “Why are you doing this? I’ve done nothing to you!”
    â€œReally?” Doyle said quietly. “What about humiliating my family, Bethany Sanderson? You’ve revealed our secret to the entire world. And maybe worst of all, you’ve presented me with a mystery I haven’t been able to solve. We can’t have that, now, can we?”
    Bethany just stared at the detective as the water flowed into the room. He was insane . “Where are Owen and Kiel?”
    â€œYou won’t be seeing them again,” Doyle said. “I imagine they’re both being arrested as we speak. If I were you, I’d be far more concerned with what will be happening to you in”—he looked at his watch—“just under two hours.”
    â€œTwo hours?” she said. “What happens—” But she stopped midsentence, realizing she didn’t want to know.
    â€œThat’s when this room fills with water,” Doyle said, then glanced up at the ceiling. “Don’t worry, I had this room specifically modified so I’d know exactly how long it’d take. Of course, the water will rise above your head far before then if you’re still tied to the chair, so let’s say you have about a half hour, tops.”
    Bethany’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to kill me?” she asked quietly.
    â€œMe?” Doyle said, managing to look indignant despite his mask. “Of course not! I’m just providing motivation. After all, you can’t have a mystery without a motive. And you, Ms. Sanderson, are my only lead in solving your mystery.”
    Jump, her mind said. Get out of here! Her whole body tensed, but she couldn’t. “This isn’t a mystery, Doyle. This is my life  !”
    Doyle waved a hand around. “What’s the difference? All of our lives are mysteries, Ms. Sanderson. What will we do at any given moment? How far will we go to get what we want? Who will we sacrifice to save ourselves? All mysteries, and I, for one, am excited to see their solutions.”
    Bethany glanced up at the water flowing in. “You’re insane. This is a death trap! You’re acting like some kind of villain—”
    Doyle leaped forward, his mask stopping within inches of her face. “Some kind? I’m the greatest villain,” he hissed almost too softly to hear. “But this isn’t a death trap. It’s a mystery!” He slowly stood back up. “A true classic, what we call a locked room mystery. How did the victim die when the murderer couldn’t get into the room? In this case, the murder weapon is water, and the victim is you, dying from drowning. The fun comes when you’re discovered, and the water has been drained.” He gestured around proudly. “You’ll have drowned in a dry room! Don’t you see how fun that’d be to solve?”
    Bethany just stared at him in shock. “Why, Doyle?” she asked. “I paid you what you asked for.”
    Doyle leaned back in. “Sometimes a story just needs a good