Double Life

by Amanda Stevens

  Emma had absorbed it all, and when her father had brought her to the island to look around, her imagination had been primed.

  For a long time, she tried to convince herself that those stories had accounted for the awful sense of foreboding that had gripped her as she and her father walked from house to house. Those stories were the reason she’d been too scared to enter the church.

  But years later when a body had been found in that same church, Emma wondered if what she experienced had been some sort of premonition.

  As she stood on the porch now, she waited for that same sense of dread to return. But all she felt was a vague uneasiness. And, yeah, a little fear. She was anxious to leave the island, but it was nothing like the terrible presentiment she’d experienced before.

  Trotting down the porch steps, she headed down the path toward the church. She’d just take a quick look. Laney and Rick were probably still there so she might not even go inside. She just wanted to see what the place looked like.

  As Emma emerged into the clearing a few minutes later, she paused, her gaze raking over the structure. It was a long, one-story building that extended back into the thick vegetation, giving it the appearance of a man-made tunnel. Unlike the houses, the church set flush to the ground, but the stoop was elevated and the area underneath was littered with beer cans and debris.

  The church was in better shape than the houses because the walls were stone. But the windows here had been broken out, too, and the walls were covered with graffiti.

  Taking a few steps toward the building, Emma called out Laney’s name and then Rick’s. When neither answered, she climbed up the steps and pulled on the door. It swung back on squeaky hinges, and the sound sent a shiver up Emma’s spine.

  “Laney? Rick? Are you in here?”

  She stood in the doorway and glanced inside. The interior wasn’t anything like she imagined it would be. She’d always pictured a dark, cold room filled with creeping shadows.

  In reality, sunbeams danced through the gaping windows, filling the whole place with light. The walls were white stucco, which added to the airy feel of the interior. It was a large room, spacious enough to accommodate all the families that had once lived on the island and then some.

  The building really wasn’t scary at all, Emma decided. Unless she thought about the body of the young woman that had been found inside. But that was twelve years ago. Nothing had happened on the island since then.

  And Emma had to admit that she was curious about the church. She’d thought about it for so long. She’d even had nightmares about it. And now here she stood on the threshold.

  She took a step inside and gazed around. Most of the furnishings had been destroyed or hauled off a long time ago, but a few battered rough-hewn pews remained, only because transporting them back to the mainland would be difficult. Some of them were overturned, and Emma could see where initials had been deeply carved into the bottoms. The dais from where the sermons had been delivered was gone, as was the altar.

  There really was nothing much left to see. Just an empty room with a few cobwebs and some expletives scrawled on the walls.

  Emma was suddenly glad that she’d come. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

  All these years, she’d been carrying around a terrible guilt. If she’d told someone about the premonition she’d experienced on the island, perhaps those young women’s lives could have been saved.

  But now she realized how foolish she’d been to take that kind of responsibility on herself. Whatever had happened to those poor victims had nothing to do with her. She could have done nothing to save them.

  And this place…really was just a place. If evil had been here, it was long gone now.

  Emma rubbed her hands up and down her arms, not because she was frightened, but because it was cool inside the stone building.

  She wondered where Laney and Rick had gone off. Had she missed them on the path? Maybe they were back at the first house waiting for her.

  As Emma turned to leave, a strong breeze swept in through the broken windows, and the door swung shut with a bang.

  Chapter Nine

  Emma’s pulse jumped to her throat as she whirled.

  It was nothing, she told herself quickly. The draft had blown the door shut

  And then as she reached for the door, she heard something behind her. The telltale rustle lifted the hair at the back of her neck. Someone was in the church with her.

  “Rick? Laney?”

  Emma’s heart started to pound as she slowly turned to scan the room.

  No one was there. The space was bright enough that she would have been able to see someone, even if they lurked in one of the corners.

  Emma knew that she was letting her imagination get the better of her again, but she didn’t care. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to get out of the church.

  Putting a hand on the door, she tried to push it open, but the heavy wood wouldn’t budge. She tried again and again.

  Panic mushroomed in her chest as she put her shoulder against the door and shoved with all her strength. It still wouldn’t give.

  Frantic now, she beat on the wood with her fists. “Laney! Rick! Are you out there? The door’s stuck!”

  She kept at it until her throat grew raw and her knuckles were sore. “Help!”

  Finally she gave up and turned to lean heavily against the door as she surveyed the room. There had to be another way out. The windows were fairly high, but she could drag one of the old pews over and climb up. All she had to do was find something to break out the rest of the glass.

  There was no reason to panic. She could get out of here.

  But another thought suddenly occurred to her. What if Laney and Rick had already gone back to town? What if they’d left her here?

  Calm down.

  They would never do that. They’d only been separated for a few minutes. They wouldn’t leave her. Not without searching the island for her first.

  Emma headed for one of the windows, but the rustling sound grew louder. She halted in her tracks, her mouth going dry with fear.

  She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn’t help it. A woman’s body had been found inside that church. Five other bodies had been buried nearby. The women hadn’t just been murdered. They’d been tortured, their bodies badly mutilated.

  They may have even been killed in this very room.

  What was she thinking, coming out here like this? Emma thought nervously. There was a reason why she’d had nightmares about this place.

  Her father was right. She didn’t have to prove her courage. What happened to those women wasn’t her fault and the assault in her apartment hadn’t been her fault, either. She hadn’t fought off her attacker because he’d held a knife to her throat.

  “Chances are he would have killed you if you hadn’t done as he said, Emma,” her father had reasoned. “You did the right thing.”

  “Yes, but he might have killed me anyway if my neighbor hadn’t called the police,” she’d answered. “And I would have died without fighting back.”

  There was no use going over that again, Emma told herself firmly. She couldn’t change the past.

  Besides, all she cared about now was finding a way out of the church—

  The door flew open behind her and Emma screamed.

  “Hey, it’s okay,” Rick called. “It’s just us.”

  Laney hurried past him and put her hand on Emma’s arm. “Are you okay?”

  Emma nodded and let out a shaky breath. “The door was stuck. I guess…my imagination kind of ran away with me.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Laney glanced around and shivered. “This is where it happened, isn’t it?”

  “This was where they found one of the bodies,” Rick said. “I don’t think the victim was killed in here, though.”

  “Why do you say that?” Emma asked.

  “I’ve had a look at the files. There wasn’t enough blood or forensic evidence found at the scene. The wom
en were probably slain someplace else and the killer dumped the bodies out here thinking they’d never be found.”

  “But he buried all the others. The last one was found in here,” Laney said. “If I remember correctly, the medical examiner from Corpus said the victim hadn’t been dead that long.” She hugged her arms around her middle, evidently feeling the same creeping chill that Emma did.

  Rick shrugged. “He probably would have buried her, too, but he may have run out of time. Maybe he figured on coming back out in a day or two and burying her with the others. But she was found before he could return.”

  “And just think,” Laney said in a hushed voice. “Whoever did it is still running around loose. It could be someone we know. Even someone we work with. Someone we see every day.” Her gaze shot to Rick and he threw his hands up.

  “Hey, I hope you’re not putting me on your suspect list. I was just a kid when those bodies were found.”

  “Emma and I were seventeen and since you were two years ahead of us in school, you must have been nineteen. Not so young really. The newspapers said the women were killed in a five-year span, give or take. So you would have been fourteen at the time of the first murder.”

  “I hope you don’t seriously think I had something to do with those killings,” Rick said. “Not after…”

  They exchanged a glance and Laney laughed. “Of course not. I was just proving a point. The killer could be anyone. Even someone we least expect.”

  “Or he could be a stranger,” Rick said. “It’s unusual for a serial killer to hunt in his own backyard. Like I said, those women were probably killed elsewhere and brought here for disposal.”

  Emma had been silent for a long time, but now she said with a shiver, “Could we talk about this somewhere else. I’ve had enough of this place.”

  “Right.” Rick stepped back so that she could exit in front of him. “You two can wait outside. I’ll just have a quick look around and then we’ll head back.”

  “Be careful,” Emma said. “I heard something rustling around back there. It was probably just a mouse, but it could be a snake.”

  “I’ll check it out.”

  As the two women walked down the steps, Laney took Emma’s arm. “Are you okay? The way you screamed…I thought something awful had happened.”

  “I kind of panicked when I couldn’t get the door open,” Emma admitted. “But I’m okay now.”

  “I’m sorry I ran off and left you like that,” Laney said contritely. Then she gave Emma a sly smile. “But for what it’s worth, Rick Bledsoe is one great kisser.”

  WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO JACOB’S PASS, Laney glanced at her watch and gave a little shriek. “I have to get going or I’ll be late.” She gave Emma a quick hug and said in her ear, “Thanks for going with me. I owe you one.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Emma promised.

  “What about your car?” Rick asked. “It’s still at the restaurant, isn’t it?”

  “No, I walked over. And my apartment is just a couple of blocks from here. I can probably get there just as fast on foot. Ciao!”

  She sprinted across the street and then waved again before disappearing around a corner.

  Rick said awkwardly, “Look, I’m sorry about what happened back there on the island.”

  “Oh, don’t think anything of it,” Emma said with a shrug.

  “If I’d known you were that jumpy, I never would have left you alone for so long. Laney and I got to talking….” He seemed a little uncomfortable about whatever had happened between them.

  Emma smiled, trying to put him at ease. “Don’t worry about it. Like I said, my imagination got the better of me when I couldn’t get the door open, but I’m fine now. No harm done.”

  “Are you sure? Because you still look a little shaky.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She glanced at her watch. “It is getting pretty late. You probably need to get back to the station and I should head home.”

  “I know you left your car at the restaurant. At least let me give you a ride back.”

  Emma slung her purse over her shoulder. “You don’t have to do that. I can walk. It’s not that far.”

  “I go right past the restaurant on my way to the station. Come on. It’s the least I can do for dragging you out to the island.”

  “You didn’t drag me. I wanted to go.”

  But Emma didn’t try to argue anymore. She climbed into his squad car and a few minutes later, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

  Emma started to get out, then she turned back to Rick. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “You said you read the files of those murders twelve years ago. What about the teacher who was killed before that…Mary Ferris. Do you think she was murdered by the same person?”

  “So far as I know there was never any evidence to tie her murder to the others. That was what? Thirty years ago? They didn’t have the kind of forensic collection and DNA testing that we do nowadays. We’ll probably never know if that kill was related to the others or not.”

  Emma hesitated. “What about the woman who was found in the bay a couple of months ago…Ann Webster? Laney and I saw you the day she was dragged out of the water, remember?”

  “Her husband was charged with the murder.”

  Emma nodded. “I know. I heard he confessed.”

  “More or less.” Rick’s gaze broke from hers and he glanced out the window. “There’s been some speculation recently that he might have been coerced into that confession.”

  “By whom?”

  Rick’s gaze came back to Emma’s. He looked troubled and more than a little angry. “I can’t say anything more about the case. I will tell you this. That son of a bitch is guilty and if he gets off on a technicality, someone’s going to come after his murdering hide.”

  Emma was startled by his passion. “The evidence against him is that strong? There’s no possibility that he could be innocent?”

  Rick frowned. “What are you getting at, Emma?”

  “I guess I’m wondering if it’s possible that the person who killed those women twelve years ago could have killed Ann Webster?”

  “No way. Derrick Webster is guilty as hell. Besides, twelve years would be a long time between kills.”

  “Mary Ferris was found eighteen years before those bodies were uncovered on Shell Island. I’ve heard of serial killers who go dormant for long periods of time,” Emma said. “It is possible, right?”

  He stared at her for a moment. “Why are you dwelling on all this ghoulish stuff? It’s history.”

  Emma shrugged. “I know, but something that Laney said earlier has been bothering me. The killer is still out there. He could be someone we know, someone we work with, someone we see every day.”

  “I think you and Laney have been watching a little too much CSI,” he said dryly. “Ann Webster was murdered by her no-good husband. As for the others…like I said, history. You should just forget about it, Emma. You think about stuff like that too much, it’ll give you nightmares.”

  She tried to smile. “You’re probably right. Anyway, thanks for the ride, Rick.”

  “Anytime.”

  She started to climb out of the car, then turned back. “You know, this is really none of my business, but Laney’s a great person.”

  “No argument there.” He stretched his arm across the back of the seat. “She comes on a little strong sometimes, though. I’m not used to that.”

  “Maybe you should be flattered,” Emma said. “She’s a beautiful woman.”

  “Yeah, she is.” He stared out the windshield, his gaze narrowing in the glare. “As long as we’re getting personal here…” He turned back to Emma. “I’ve wanted to call you ever since I heard you were back in town.”

  Oh, no, Emma thought. She hadn’t expected this.

  “Now I’m the one who’s flattered,” she murmured. “But, Rick, Laney is my friend. I really don’t think we should have this conversation.�
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  “I know. You two were big buddies all through high school. But the truth of the matter is, I always had a thing for you, Emma. Just never had the nerve to tell you.”

  Emma was at a loss. “I had no idea.”

  “I guess it’s just my bad luck that Laney chose now to take an interest in me.”

  “Most men wouldn’t consider that back luck,” Emma said.

  “I realize that. But I always seem to come up a day late and a dollar short in the romance department.” He gave her a weak smile. “You can’t blame a guy for trying, right?”

  EMMA COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. All she wanted to do was get home and relax for a while in her room, but her blasted car wouldn’t start. When she turned the key in the ignition, the engine groaned but wouldn’t kick over. She tried a few more times, then grabbed her cell phone from her bag to call her father.

  Someone rapped on her window and she rolled the glass down, thinking it was Rick. But she was shocked to see Ash staring down at her. She hadn’t even seen him drive up.

  He propped his arm on the roof and leaned in. “Need some help?”

  Emma ignored the flutter of nerves in her stomach. She’d had enough excitement for one day. “My car won’t start,” she said with a sigh. “I was just calling Dad to see if he could come give me a jump.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got plenty of juice. I don’t think it’s the battery.” Ash straightened. “Pop the hood and I’ll take a look.”

  “But…do you know anything about cars?”

  He turned at that, and for the briefest moment, he seemed to hesitate. Then he grinned. “Not really, but maybe we’ll get lucky and the problem will be obvious.”

  Emma released the hood latch and watched while he fiddled around with some wires.

  “Find anything?” she called out the window.

  “Not really, but give it a crank and let’s see what happens.”

  Emma turned the ignition and got the same result. A groan followed by a whimper.

  Ash slammed shut the hood and came back over to the window. “My advice is to call a tow truck. You’re going to need a mechanic.”