Two (Count to Ten Book 2)

by Jane Blythe

  “I counted at least five different marks,” the ME replied.

  “The killer likes it up close and personal,” Paige noted. “Two stranglings, a drowning, and even with the stabbing the killer hung around to watch, before finishing him off when it became clear Lewis was taking too long to die. Everything about these murders scream that it’s all personal. The killer has to know them. Know them well. Well enough to hate them.”

  “Do we have any forensics at all?” Belinda turned to Stephanie, who had been sitting quietly throughout their discussion.

  Stephanie shook her head, “I wish I had something to offer, but I don’t. This guy is good. Really good. He’s careful and meticulous. He seems to take his time and make sure he gets everything just right. I get the feeling, though, that it’s more for him than for me. I don’t think he’s really all that worried about leaving behind any forensics. Which would certainly make sense if your guy is one of the Everettes himself or anyone who works for them. That way he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving behind DNA or fingerprints, because they would already be expected to be found all over the estate anyway.”

  “Good point,” Belinda nodded. “Any luck finding the manuscript for the book Sofia mentioned Brooke Mariano was writing?”

  Refusing to allow himself to think about Sofia Everette again until this was all over, Ryan answered, “Unfortunately no. Her apartment was thoroughly checked out, no manuscript.”

  “Talk to Sofia and the gardener. They seem to be the two people we have who knew her the best, see if either of them can think of anywhere Brooke may have hidden this manuscript. She was sleeping with the judge and his son, she knew their secrets, she had to know that they might come after her, so it would make sense that she would want to keep it someplace safe.”

  Ryan could tell their boss was ready to dismiss them, but there was a theory he wanted to pose to everyone first. “What if the cases aren’t linked? What if we’re looking for two different killers?” he asked.

  “What?” Belinda shot him a confused stare, mirrored in the faces of the room’s other occupants.

  “I was talking to Jack last night. He suggested that maybe Brooke’s killer wasn’t trying to protect themselves from being found out, but rather they were trying to protect the baby. Maybe that’s why he took the child and why he hasn’t dropped it off anywhere.”

  “Maybe he didn’t drop it off anywhere because it’s already dead,” Belinda reminded him.

  “But what if it’s not? Let’s just assume for the moment that the baby survived. That whoever killed Brooke has the baby with them right now. Or at least, that they know where it is,” he added, thinking that if the killer was indeed Logan Senior or Junior, they could have spirited it out of the country with a nanny. “Let’s say that they killed Brooke to get the baby, to protect it,” he continued. “Well, I was just thinking that maybe that doesn’t fit in with the other killings.”

  “Okay,” Belinda agreed, nodding slowly. “So why kill the others?”

  “Maybe we were right, and it is someone with a grudge against the Everette family. We all agree that there are plenty of possible suspects who could hate the family—what if one of them heard about Brooke’s murder and decided it would be the perfect time to exact revenge and take advantage of the fact that we were distracted by the murder of a pregnant woman and the abduction of her child?”

  “It’s possible, I guess,” Belinda acknowledged reluctantly. “But quite a big risk. Breaking into an estate with superb security, killing some pretty powerful people right under the noses of the police.”

  “If Stephanie is right, though, and it is someone who knows their presence and evidence of them being there isn’t suspicious, then they might just be confident enough to give it a go,” Ryan reasoned.

  “And whoever is doing this has clearly already gone off the deep end,” Paige added. “The level of suffering inflicted on the victims is evidence of that.”

  “All right, let’s keep both options open for the time being,” Belinda pronounced. “Paige, Ryan, go talk to the gardener, and then see if you can track down Sofia Everette and talk to her. See if either of them can give us any ideas as to where this mysterious manuscript might be. At the moment that seems like it might be our best shot at finding our killer or killers.”

  * * * * *

  10:29 A.M.

  “Sofia?”

  She groaned as someone shook her shoulder. She didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay right where she was, warm and comfortable inside her snugly little cocoon.

  “Sofia?” the voice prodded again. “Come on, honey, wake up.”

  She was given another shake, which seemed to pop her eyes open almost against her will. She struggled to focus on the face hovering over her. “Edmund?” she asked, her voice sounding groggy and weak.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” Edmund brushed a lock of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

  “What are you doing here?” She felt confused and disoriented. “And where is here? Where am I?”

  “You’re at your father’s house,” Edmund told her.

  “Why aren’t I at home? Did I pass out again?” Wondering whether she’d had another episode while she’d been here earlier. She had been here earlier, right?

  “Kind of.”

  Edmund sounded mad. Studying him, his hazel eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and concern. “What do you mean ‘kind of’? What’s up, Edmund?”

  “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Sofia scrunched her brow in concentration, trying to force her gooey mind to focus. “My father summoned us all here after Gloria was killed.”

  “Do you remember what happened while you were talking to him?”

  “I don’t know, it’s all fuzzy. What do you know, Edmund?” She was tired and not in the mood for games, her head felt like it had been filled with rocks.

  Edmund sighed. “Isabella called me this morning in a panic because she couldn’t wake you up. She was worried because you’ve been sick, and yesterday your father . . .” he trailed off

  Her stomach dropped. “What did he do to me?”

  Reaching for her hand, “Isabella said he drugged you.”

  Her head began to spin and she was glad she was lying down. Sofia wouldn’t put it past her father to drug her. The judge was angry that she wouldn’t do as he wanted and keep her mouth shut when it came to talking to the police. But drugging her against her will? It made her feel physically ill.

  “Sofia?” Edmund was watching her with thinly veiled concern.

  “Is Isabella sure?”

  “She said she came in and Lincoln was pinning you against his chest, and your father had a syringe full of sedatives which he administered to you and you passed out.”

  “Does he intend to keep me here as a prisoner?” This house and her old childhood bedroom were filling her with an intense claustrophobia. She wanted out of this place immediately.

  “I convinced him to let me take you back to your place, so long as I keep an eye on you. Which given what’s going on with your family I am more than happy to do.”

  Forcing herself into a sitting position so she could throw her arms around Edmund’s neck, she felt relieved beyond measure. “You are a life saver. How can I ever thank you enough?”

  Edmund kissed the top of her head. “No need for thanks. I love you—there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make sure you’re safe.”

  Resting against Edmund, she was tired and sleep was beginning to trickle back into her mind. She was about to give in to it when Edmund’s arms tightened around her.

  “Honey, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  Something in Edmund’s voice had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. “Someone else is dead,” she whispered dully. “Who?”

  “Lincoln.”

  She let out a gasp. The last time she’d seen the youngest of her older brothers, he was holding her down to help their father drug her. This was a n
ightmare. She almost couldn’t believe that it was happening. All that was left of her family was her father, her oldest brother and his wife, her little sister, and herself.

  “Sofia? You still with me?” Edmund gently eased her back so she was lying against the pillows.

  “We have to call Ryan,” she murmured, wishing desperately that he was here right now. As much as she loved Edmund, she felt safe with Ryan.

  “The cop who’s working your family’s case?”

  She nodded, “He and Detective Hood were supposed to be coming by after the family meeting yesterday.” As the drugs her father had given her slowly worked their way out of her system, her memory of the events of the previous day were trickling back. “That’s why Father called the family meeting, because Ryan and his partner were going to come over and he wanted me to agree not to say anything to them. Only I wouldn’t.”

  “You trust this detective?” Edmund was examining her closely.

  “Yes.” Sofia didn’t have a glimmer of doubt about Ryan’s trustworthiness.

  “Okay then, let’s call him, let him know what’s going on.”

  “Not here, though.” Sofia couldn’t be sure who might be listening to her here on the estate, especially given the fact that her father didn’t trust her.

  “Agreed. Let’s get you dressed and back home, then we’ll call your detective. Think you can stand up?”

  She grimaced, her stomach was roiling, her head was still spinning, and she felt like she could curl up and go to sleep for a million years. “I don’t feel so good,” she told Edmund.

  “You don’t look so good, either,” Edmund agreed. “We’ll stop by your doctor on the way back to your place, get you checked out, make sure your father didn’t cause more damage with that stunt of his. Come on, let’s get you dressed.”

  As Sofia allowed Edmund to help her out of bed and into some clothes, she found herself counting the hours until she could see Ryan again.

  * * * * *

  2:12 P.M.

  “At least now we know she’s safe,” Paige assured him as they pulled to a stop in front of Sofia’s home.

  “For now, at least,” Ryan agreed, catching himself before he could jump from the car and run to the front door. As soon as he’d received the call from Sofia asking him and Paige to come and meet her at her place they had jumped in the car and sped all the way here.

  “We’ll keep her safe, Ryan,” his partner assured him again.

  Thinking of what Paige had said yesterday, asking him if he was sure that Sofia was involved because it seemed like she liked him. He hardly dared to believe that might be true. Reaching the door, he knocked sharply. He couldn’t quite convince himself that Sofia was okay until he saw her with his own eyes. A moment later the door swung open and he froze.

  “You must be Detective Xander and Detective Hood,” a young man with somber hazel eyes and dark blond hair, greeted them warmly. The same man that had been there the night Sofia collapsed. The same man who had frantically dashed to her side as she lay unconscious. The same man who had cradled her gently in his arms. This was Sofia’s boyfriend. “I’m Edmund, please come in. Sofia’s in the sitting room.” He held the door open and led them down the hallway.

  Seething with jealousy, it was taking every ounce of Ryan’s strength to keep walking toward the sitting room rather than darting back out the door. His jealousy ebbed a little as they reached the sitting room and he saw Sofia lying on the couch, propped up against some pillows and covered with a blanket. She looked weak and exhausted but her eyes were alert and she moved to stand when she saw them.

  “Don’t get up,” Edmund told her, pressing a hand to her shoulder to keep her in place.

  “Hi, Ryan,” Sofia shot him the sweetest smile.

  “Sofia,” he nodded. If her boyfriend hadn't been standing right beside them then he could have sworn that Paige was right and that Sofia was interested in him.

  “Detective Hood,” Sofia added, seemingly remembering his partner.

  “Call me Paige,” his partner replied.

  “So, this is the cute detective you were telling me about.” Edmund shot both him and Sofia a bemused smile.

  “Edmund,” Sofia’s pale cheeks flushed a bright pink.

  “Sorry,” Edmund grinned, looking like he couldn’t be less sorry if he tried.

  “What?” Ryan stammered, sure he must have misheard.

  Taking in his shocked face, Sofia and Edmund exchanged glances, then both began to laugh. “You thought Edmund and I were involved?” she giggled.

  The look on his face must have confirmed that he did.

  “Remember when I told you my father disinherited me because I wouldn’t marry the man he told me to?” Sofia asked.

  “Uh huh,” was all he could manage.

  “Well that man was Edmund. I mean I love Edmund, and he is one of the most important people in my life.” She shot the other man a warm smile. “But we’re just friends. We met in preschool as a couple of three-year-olds, and we’ve been best friends ever since. Now Edmund is married to our other best friend, Mary.”

  “Sofia likes you,” Edmund sat beside her on the couch. “So, tell me everything about you.” He grew serious, “Are you a jerk?”

  “Edmund,” Sofia admonished.

  “Sorry.” Again Edmund didn’t look even the least bit repentant.

  “I-I don’t think so,” Ryan stammered, caught off guard.

  “There is no think. No jerks date my Sofia, so I’ll ask you again: are you a jerk?”

  “Edmund,” Sofia said again, this time lightly punching his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Sofia, but I need to know what kind of guy he is since he’s seemingly captured your heart.”

  Unable to produce an answer, less because of Edmund's inscrutable stare and more because of the knowledge that Sofia actually felt the same way about him as he felt about her.

  “He’s not a jerk,” Paige answered.

  “Good,” Edmund nodded, pleased. “Sofia’s not either.”

  “I know; she seems pretty amazing.” Paige couldn’t hide her amusement.

  “She is,” Edmund nodded. “And she deserves someone who knows it. So, Detective Xander, you know she’s amazing?”

  “Edmund, this is so embarrassing,” Sofia moaned.

  “That’s not my fault,” Edmund said evenly. “You’re the one that cut yourself off since you got sick. She thinks she’s dying, so she stopped looking for someone,” he explained.

  Sofia groaned and buried her face in her hands.

  “Sorry, honey, but it’s true.” Edmund patted her arm comfortingly.

  “I know she’s amazing,” Ryan told Edmund seriously. Sofia lifted her head and her eyes met his, hers shining with delight.

  “Okay, then,” Edmund's grin returned. “I’ll give you my number, we’ll talk some more.”

  “Well I almost hate to do this,” Paige announced, “but we have some things we need to talk about.”

  Instantly they all grew serious. “My father drugged me,” Sofia informed them.

  “He did what?” Ryan demanded, furious.

  “I hate that guy,” Edmund muttered, clenching his fists.

  Sofia placed a soothing hand on her friend’s arm. “Yesterday, before you came, he called a family meeting. He wanted all of us to agree that we would let him do all the talking. I wouldn’t, he got mad, and he . . .” Sofia’s voice wobbled, “he had a syringe full of sedatives. Lincoln held me still while my father drugged me. That’s the last time I saw my brother.” Her voice grew panicked, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “That’s the last time I’ll ever see my brother and he was holding me against my will so my father could drug me.” Sobbing now, she threw herself into Edmund's arms.

  Edmund held her and rubbed her back for a moment, before looking up. “Detective Xander, here you go.”

  Ryan took the spot Edmund vacated on the couch, as Sofia’s friend gently moved her into his arms. She twisted her hands i
nto his shirt and clung to him as she wept. “Shh,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, Sofia. I’m sorry about what your father did, and I’m sorry about your brother.”

  “I was praying you’d get there before my father injected me,” she whispered against his chest.

  His grip on her tightened as he held back his rage at her father’s actions only because it wasn’t what Sofia needed right now. “I’m sorry we didn’t get there in time to stop him.”

  “How did you convince your father to let you come home?” Paige asked.

  “Edmund.” Sofia lifted her head from Ryan’s shoulder to smile at her friend.

  Edmund smiled back encouragingly. “I told her father I’d keep an eye on her. The judge likes me.” It was clear the feeling wasn’t mutual.

  Sofia brushed away her tears and rested back against the pillows, embarrassment lending a little color to her pale face. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually cry like that.”

  “No need to apologize,” Ryan assured her. “After everything you’ve been through, you’re entitled to a good cry.”

  She smiled at him, reaching out to take tight hold of one of his hands. “What did you talk to my family about?” Sofia asked.

  “We were trying to ascertain whether any member of your family had any enemies who may do all of this,” he replied.

  “Can you think of anyone who’d want to hurt you, Sofia?” Paige queried.

  “No, I don’t think so,” she shook her head.

  “Sofia, what about last year?” Edmund’s face had creased in concern.

  Ryan felt his own face crease with worry. “What happened last year?”

  Sighing tiredly, Sofia responded, “I had a stalker.”

  “She’s downplaying it,” Edmund frowned. “The guy was hard core. Sent her letters and gifts all the time, broke into her house when she was out, kept calling her even though she kept changing her number.”