Jill heard the detective asking another question. She opened her eyes and squared her shoulders. It was time to stop torturing herself and tell them everything. Maybe then, Shay would forgive her. Logan too.
Chapter 46
Saturday, October 20, 11:40 a.m., Portland
Rox downed another cup of coffee, then using her good arm, called Ben Jaskilca. She’d been up half the night, getting stitches in the emergency room while they pumped blood-thinners and fluids into Marty. Then they’d all spent hours talking to the police. She would need a lot of caffeine to get through this day. Maybe some pain pills too.
The man answered in a tense voice. “This is Ben.”
“Karina Jones. Sorry about missing our meeting.”
“Why did you blow me off?”
“I had no choice.” An understatement. “My other case was intense and complicated.” Where to start? She had both good and bad news for him. “As I suspected, your daughter’s disappearance was linked to Mt. Angel and the case I was working.”
“You found Lacy?” A whimper of hope.
“Sort of. I found evidence that she’d briefly been a patient there and someone had deleted her file to hide the fact.”
“But why? Where is she?” Panic and despair took over.
“I don’t know for sure, and I’m sorry to say this, but I suspect the worst.”
“You think she’s dead?” His voice went quiet.
“It seems likely. I hope you get better answers from the police soon. They’re investigating every aspect of Mt. Angel.” Rox clenched her fists. Just say it! “I suggested they bring in cadaver dogs to search the property.” Especially the garden.
She’d also mentioned the missing woman to Kyle in a text that morning. When she’d been questioned the night before, she’d said that she and Marty met Logan in front of the capitol building, then had been taken hostage. The boy had claimed he escaped Mt. Angel on his own. Fortunately, the child-custody attorney had showed up in the ER while Logan was giving his statement, and she’d whisked him off. Rox knew she faced more questions, but she would get through it. With Jill and Austin to focus on as the perpetrators, the police would probably let her and Marty slide. Especially since they’d both needed medical attention after the incident.
Mr. Jaskilca was crying now. He struggled to get his words out. “I knew she was probably dead, but still, I wanted to hope.”
“I’m sorry.” Rox didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to get off the phone and go see Marty.
“Thanks for looking into this for me. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. Take care.” She hung up. Rox popped one of her anti-seizure meds, grabbed her shoulder bag, and headed out. A doctor had called earlier to say Marty was doing well and could go home. She didn’t look forward to driving with her wounded arm, but Marty was probably getting antsy and giving the nurses a hard time.
She knew they’d both been lucky. The knife had only made a superficial cut, and Marty had only been seriously dehydrated—a dangerous condition for a guy with a bad heart. She vowed not to get him involved in another extraction.
He was sitting in a chair, watching TV, when she walked into his room at Mercy General. “Hey, Pops.”
“Hi, Roxanne.” He grinned like a devil.
“Okay, you win. I’m done calling you that.” She stepped over and kissed his forehead. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You had me worried.”
“That crazy kid took years off both our lives.”
They were quiet for a moment, remembering that the thirteen-year-old boy had nearly killed all of them. Austin was recovering in the ICU with an armed guard—while he waited to be transferred to the Salem campus of the state’s mental hospital. Whether he could be rehabilitated with years of therapy was an open question. Rox was skeptical. Sociopaths rarely changed.
Marty pointed at a shelf on the far wall. “Grab my shoes and we’ll get out of here.”
Rox pulled a plastic bag from the cubby and handed over the sneakers.
“Have you heard from Logan or his lawyer?” Marty pulled on his shoes as he talked.
“Not yet. But I trust her to do the right thing.” Logan would probably need years of therapy too, but she was more optimistic about his future.
Her stepdad stood. “Let’s go. I’m starving. I think pizza and beer are called for to celebrate.”
Rox laughed. “We’ll stop for a pepperoni pie on the way home.”
After they’d eaten, Marty went next door to “watch his programs,” and Rox headed outside to rake the leaves on her deck so her stepdad wouldn’t feel compelled to. She had to start taking better care of him. The thought made her laugh. He was as stubborn as she was.
From inside the house, she heard a familiar knock. Not Marty’s cadence though. Kyle’s. Her heart danced. Rox rushed into the house and checked herself in the mirror. No makeup and a little gray under her eyes. Oh hell. But it probably didn’t matter. He was likely just returning the sweater she’d left in his car weeks ago.
She opened the front door. “Hey, Kyle. I’m surprised to see you.”
“I know. I said some harsh things the last time I was here.”
“I deserved them.” She stepped back. “Are you coming in?”
“I’d like that.” He smiled and headed for the couch. “I can’t stay long. I’m still working this bizarre case.” His eyes went wide in exaggerated distress. “Your case. And you were right about the governor.”
Rox resisted the urge to comment as she sat down next to him. “Is Palmer in custody?”
“Oh yes. She confessed to everything, then morphed into her sister right in front of me and a psychiatrist. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Rox nodded. “I saw her change yesterday too at the capitol building with protestors watching. A camera guy may have caught part of it.” Rox appreciated Kyle’s update and told him so. But she wanted more details. “Any news on the Mt. Angel facility?”
“We have investigators and technicians out there now. They’re searching everything and interviewing patients. We brought in mental health experts to be present during the questioning of course.” He gave her a knowing smile. “Right before I got here, a team member texted me. He said a girl in pink pajamas told him she’d witnessed an assault, then the injured girl disappeared. If the body’s on the property, we’ll find her.”
The news gave her little comfort. “What about the director, Roger Strada?”
“He took an abrupt medical leave yesterday, and we’re still looking for him. But we have incriminating emails between him and Jill Palmer, so we can pressure him into a plea deal.” Kyle shifted, as though getting ready to leave. “Technically, I shouldn’t have told you any of that, but I’m trusting you to keep it confidential.”
“That I can do.”
He reached for her hand. “If you’ll have me back, I think we can work this out.”
Her heart soared. “I’d like that. Do you have something specific in mind?”
Kyle grinned. “I want you to become a consultant for the Tri-County Major Crimes Unit. All you have to do is fill out the paperwork. Then I can officially share information with you.”
Rox grabbed his face and kissed him hard. “I’m on board. But you have to promise to keep fraternizing with me.”
“That I can do.”
L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mysteries—a five-time Readers Favorite Award winner. She also pens the high-octane Agent Dallas series, the new Extractor series, and provocative standalone thrillers. Her 23 novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she’s one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon.
Detective Jackson Mysteries:
The Sex Club
Secrets to Die For
Thrilled to Death
Passions of the Dead
Dying for Justice
Liars, Cheaters & Thieves
Rules of Crime
Crimes of Memory
Deadly Bonds
Wrongful Death
Death Deserved
A Bitter Dying
Agent Dallas Thrillers:
The Trigger
The Target
The Trap
Extractor Series:
Guilt Game
Broken Boys
The Other
Standalone Thrillers:
The Gender Experiment
Point of Control
The Baby Thief
The Gauntlet Assassin
The Lethal Effect
L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her novels are set and is an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, and zip-lining. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
Thanks for reading my novel. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review or rating online. Find out more about my work at ljsellers.com, where you can sign up to hear about new releases. —L.J.
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