Rope Burns

93 Pages·2014·1.62 MB·English

by  Robert Scott

TORTURE VAN
September 29, 1997, 10:15 P.M.: Michelle Michaud was at the wheel of the
dark green minivan. James Daveggio waited in the back, ready to pounce at a
moment’s notice, while looking for a new victim.
Spotting pretty twenty-year-old Juanita Rodriguez walking home from a night
class, Michaud halted the van beside the startled young woman. Jumping out in a
heartbeat, Daveggio grabbed Rodriguez. She screamed hysterically, “What have
I done? What have I done?” before she was dragged into the van.
As the van pulled away from the curb, Daveggio growled at Rodriguez, “Shut
up, or I’ll kill you.” After ordering her to strip, he forced her to orally copulate
him. When Michaud turned her head to see what was happening, Daveggio
yelled, “Keep your eyes on the damn road!” His own clothing off, Daveggio
brutally raped and tortured Rodriguez for hours.
The van finally stopped on a dark, deserted road deep in the woods. As
Rodriguez hastily dressed, Michaud said, “If you turn around for one second,
he’ll shoot you.” Then she opened the door and shoved Rodriguez out. “Next
time you won’t be so lucky.”
ROPE BURNS
Robert Scott
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.pinnaclebooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents TORTURE VAN
Title Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PART I - SEASON OF FEAR
Prologue
Chapter 1 - The Cul-de-sac
Chapter 2 - Wheels in Motion
Chapter 3 - “Act Like You Enjoy It.”
PART II - BLOOD BROTHERS
Chapter 4 - “Froggie”
Chapter 5 - Blood Brother
Chapter 6 - In the Shadow of Charlie Chaplin
Chapter 7 - The Morass
Chapter 8 - The Overpass
Chapter 9 - Country Roads
Chapter 10 - Doing Time
Chapter 11 - Adrift
Chapter 12 - Trouble in River City
Chapter 13 - The Interrogation Room
Chapter 14 - King David’s Sins
Chapter 15 - The Rock
Chapter 16 - Bobby Joe’s
PART III - FROG AND MICKI
Chapter 17 - Michelle
Chapter 18 - Bad Day at Maxine’s
Chapter 19 - Vanished
Chapter 20 - Fire and Gasoline
Chapter 21 - The Devil’s Apprentice
Chapter 22 - The Torture Chamber
Chapter 23 - “That’s him!”
Chapter 24 - Over the Edge
Chapter 25 - The Bulldog
Chapter 26 - The Arrest
PART IV - THE RECKONING
Chapter 27 - Witchy Woman
Chapter 28 - The Gathering
Chapter 29 - Move . . . Countermove
Chapter 30 - Decision in Reno
Chapter 31 - The “Rock” Returns
Chapter 32 - End of the Line
Chapter 33 - A Time of Farewells
Epilogue
Copyright Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
If I had to thank everyone who helped me on this book, the list would be
several pages long. But I wanted to be sure to thank the following people for all
their help and support: First is my wonderful editor at Pinnacle Books, Karen
Haas, and my terrific literary agent, Damaris Rowland. I’d also like to thank
Paul Dinas for giving me a chance to do this book. I couldn’t have gathered all
the facts without the help of newspaper reporters Christina Proctor, Cory Fisher,
and David Holbrook, or without law enforcement agents David Trimble, Patrick
St. John, and Michelle Quattrin. Lastly, thanks to Cameron Wallace, Mark Lee
Chapman, Shelley Stafford, Sandi Thomas, and Jan Olson.
“The van had been prepared as what I would describe as a murder and abduction
chamber.”
—Bill Eastman, Pleasanton Police Chief
Press Conference, December 10, 1997
PART I
SEASON OF FEAR