Blood of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 4)

by Teresa Greene

  On the way home, Lacy was quiet. She leaned back and closed her eyes as she listened to Dylan’s favorite CD. Adele belted out her latest hit. Her strong voice filled the confines of her Jeep Cherokee. “What are you thinking about?” He turned down the volume.

  She sat up and peered at Dylan. “I’m tired. It has been a harrowing day.”

  “You’re not having second thoughts about us are you?”

  “Of course not, I’m crazy about you.” His arm rested on the middle console. She took his hand and pulled it against her chest. “I love you.” Maybe she was a little too concerned about Grant and Nina. It was just that her family’s opinions had always mattered. She kissed the back of his hand.

  “We weathered the worst of the storm and survived. Grant didn’t bash my head in.”

  She feathered her fingers over the back of his neck. “Grant’s a good guy.”

  “He scares the hell out of me.”

  She giggled. “At the end of the day, he only has my best interest at heart. Give him time to get to know you. He’ll come around.”

  His eyes left the road long enough to peer into her face. The streetlights reflected in his unusual gray eyes and she saw the love. “I’ll move heaven and earth to make you happy.”

  “I’m already happy. I’ve never been happier. I’ve had a lot of time to think about my life. I cannot imagine spending my life without you.” It was true. Lacy wanted a permanent relationship with Dylan. Even though it was too early to talk about marriage, it was in her future. She wanted the storybook life with the man of her dreams, a home, and children. She wanted to live happily ever after.

  ****

  Flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, Lacy let out an agitated breath. She couldn’t get Megan Cooper out of her mind. The woman was extremely distraught because Bret didn’t reveal where Elizabeth’s body was buried. She played it all over in her head again. Could she have done something different? Could she have convinced Bret to divulge where Elizabeth’s remains could be found? She scrubbed her eyes with her palms.

  Doing her best to slip out of bed without waking Dylan, she scooted to the edge and got up. He never moved proving he was still deep in sleep. Moonlight from the window cast enough light for her to see his handsome profile. God, he was beautiful.

  She tiptoed to the living room and disconnected her phone from the charger on the counter. She tapped in Richard’s number. Four rings and it went to voice mail. She didn’t want to leave a message. She wanted to talk to him. Pacing back and forth around the sofa and kitchen table, she felt agitated. She tapped end and hit redial. On the third ring he answered. His voice was husky from sleep. “Lacy?”

  Relieved to hear his voice, she dropped onto the sofa. “I’m sorry to call you so late, Richard, but I need a favor.”

  She heard the panic in his voice. “Is something wrong? Is Grace okay?”

  “Everyone is fine. I saw Grace tonight. She and Grant planted pumpkins today. Everyone is working hard on the farm.” She paused for a second. “I have found myself in a dilemma and need your expertise.”

  “What do you need, honey?”

  “Have you talked to Grace? Has she told you about Bret Robertson?”

  “Yes, I talked to her earlier today. She filled me in on what happened when you met with him.”

  The thought of Bret being released from prison was more than she could tolerate. She’d do whatever it took to keep him behind bars. “Will you be able to meet with Donald and Megan Cooper tomorrow? Maybe you can tell them where their daughter Elizabeth is buried.”

  She knew he kept a hectic schedule. Considered one of the top psychics in the United States, Richard Lewis’ services were in high demand. “I’m in California. I won’t be back for a few days.”

  Her heart sank. She felt a real sense of disappointment. She had to do something before Bret made a deal with the District Attorney.”Lacy, are you still there?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut hoping to ward off the headache brewing at her temples. “Yes, Richard. I’m still here.” She did her best to keep the trembling out of her voice.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I understand you are under a lot of pressure, but I’m obligated.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll see if Beth can convince the District Attorney to postpone making a deal with Bret until you return.”

  “I’ll get home as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Richard.”

  “No problem, honey. I hope I’ll be of some help.”

  “Me too.” She stood, moved to the window placing her head against the cool glass. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

  “Call me anytime, Lacy. That is if I’m near a phone tower.” Sometimes Richard traveled in some very remote terrains. Some people went to a lot of trouble to hide a body. “I’ll be in the mountains tomorrow searching for a body that has been missing since 2012. The husband is a suspect in her disappearance. The husband swears she left him. Her father and mother are adamant she wouldn’t have left her four year old daughter behind. From what I’ve heard, I agree with her parents. Foul play is responsible for her disappearance. There isn’t enough evidence to prosecute him, so the FBI needs to locate her remains. I may not have phone reception. Tell Grace I miss her.”

  “I will. Be careful.” She hit end and placed her phone on the counter. She sat on the barstool placing her elbows on the countertop, and stared at her phone. “Now she would have to convince the DA to give them more time before he made a deal with Bret. The Coopers were already angry with her. They would be even angrier when they find out she was planning to have a psychic find Elizabeth’s body.

  “What are you doing up at his hour?” Michelle’s curly hair hung in tangles down her back. It usually took a handful of conditioner every morning to control the wayward curls.

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  Michelle climbed onto the stool next to her. She folded her arms and dropped her head to the countertop. “Let me guess. Bret keeping you awake?”

  “I can’t let him make a deal. If I can keep the District Attorney from making a deal until Richard gets back, maybe he can find Elizabeth’s body.”

  Michelle let out a big yawn. “When will Richard return?”

  “In a few days. He’s not certain how long it will take to find the body of the missing woman.” Lacy pressed her fingers to her eyes. “I fear he won’t make it back to Raleigh before Bret makes a deal with the DA.”

  Michelle toyed with the cut-glass salt shaker. “Do you want me to talk to Tommy?” Her face paled. “I mean Chad Grey.” Rarely, did Michelle speak about Grey, but when she did she still called him Tommy. For months she had dated him. It wasn’t easy to accept the fact her boyfriend was a serial killer. Even worse he had tried to kill Lacy, her best friend.

  “No, I wouldn’t dream of asking you to do something so upsetting.”

  “If it will keep Bret Robertson in prison, I’d be more than willing.” She hesitated. “Besides, I have my own questions I’d like for him to answer. I need to know why.”

  “I’m afraid seeing Grey will only send you back into deep depression.” Lacy took her hand and squeezed. “You’re doing so much better.”

  “I can handle it, Lacy. Let me do this for you. I still feel responsible for what Bret did to you.” No matter how many times she tried to convince Michelle she didn’t hold her responsible for what happened at the party, she still felt it was her fault. “Please, it will help me have closure if I see Grey.”

  “Only if you’ll let me go with you.”

  “Of course you’re going with me. I’m not going by myself.”

  “Don’t say anything to Dylan. He will not be too keen on the idea.” Lacy hated to go behind his back but felt that was her only option. No way would he let them meet with Chad Grey, serial killer. The less he knew the better.

  ****

  Lacy looked at her watch before she shifted to get comfortable in the metal chair. They had only been waiting four minutes for Chad Grey to be brough
t in but it seemed like an eternity.

  Against his better judgment, Josh had set up the meeting with Chad. He wasn’t too thrilled when she asked him to keep it a secret from Dylan. It took some convincing on her part, but he finally consented and arranged everything for her at the prison where Chad was incarcerated. His warning kept playing over and over in her mind.

  Keeping secrets can destroy a relationship. Tell Dylan you are meeting with Chad.

  Deep down she felt she had no other recourse. Dylan would never have let her or Michelle meet with a serial killer. She kept telling herself it was her only option.

  Michelle clutched her hands in her lap. It was evident she was nervous. She had taken special care with her appearance. Most of the time she wore jeans, but today she chose to wear a white silk shirt with black slacks. The top two buttons of her shirt were left open to show a bit of cleavage. She looked stunning. Of course she wanted Grey to think what happened had not affected her. She wanted him to believe she was content with her life. Lacy knew the truth. Finding out her lover was a serial killer almost destroyed her. “If you are having second thoughts, I understand.”

  “Really, Lacy, I want to do this. Stop worrying.”

  The door opened and Grey was ushered inside the tiny, drab room. Chains jingled since he was shackled by the hands and ankles. The big, burly guard gave them a curt nod before he secured the chains to the floor and moved to the corner. He stood as if at attention, placing his hands behind his back.

  Grey smiled at Michelle. His hair was now blond and he looked so different. It never occurred to Lacy that he had colored his hair to hide his identity. Before he was arrested he had been handsome, virile. A scar marred his cheek where Dylan had busted it open when he hit him at the waterfall. Now he looked thin and had a haunted look around his eyes. She wondered if his victims called out to him when he lay down to sleep at night. It would be just punishment for his crimes.

  Eyes sweeping over Michelle, he replied, “You look great. It is so good to see you.” He sounded earnest and sincere, as if he expected to have a normal conversation with her. Maybe he thought she would fall for his irresistible charm once again.

  When he settled, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Getting right to the point, Michelle asked, “Did you kill Elizabeth Cooper?”

  “I try not to put names with the faces of the women that I kill.” He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “Can you describe her?”

  Lacy felt her blood run cold. The man had no remorse for what he had done. She peered at Michelle and watched the color drain from her face. She looked devastated.

  Lacy snapped, “Killed, past tense, Grey. You’ll never kill another woman.”

  Focus still on Michelle, he tilted his head to the side and pouted. “So true.”

  Michelle asked in a strained voice, “The question people want to know is why you kill? Your victims’ families need to know. Is there something in your past we know nothing about? Were you abused or neglected by your parents or another family member? Something drove you to kill. What’s your story?”

  “You are making a lot of assumptions.” He spread his lips in a smile. “No, I had a very nice childhood. Even though my parents split up and I rarely saw my father, my mother was loving and kind.” His brows drew together in concentration. “I have been asked that question by psychiatrists. No one knows why I have the impulse to kill. It is an urge I can’t seem to control. I guess there is something wrong in my brain. It’s like I’m temporarily insane.”

  “Why didn’t you kill me?”

  He leaned in as if he wished he could touch Michelle. “I loved you. I still love you.”

  “How can a monster like you love someone?” She asked, sounding skeptical.

  “Sometimes life does not make sense. I fell head over heels in love with you the moment I met you. I didn’t want to love you.” He pointed a finger at her chest. “You kept tempting me with those gorgeous tits and tight ass.”

  Lacy stole a look at the guard. His eyes were still facing forward. He showed no emotion.

  Michelle’s hands began to tremble. She blushed to the roots of her hair. Looking him squarely in the eye, she hissed, “You are a bastard.”

  Color left his face proving her words affected him. “Caring for someone was not in my plans. A man with my urges shouldn’t let people get too close. I never intended for you to find out my past. After I became involved with you, I was able to control my desires. While we were together, I didn’t kill. Maybe you filled a void. I never had anyone love me the way you did. You gave me your heart and soul.”

  Lacy asked, “How many women are there?”

  “Five counting the two you already know about, Tiffany Swift and Kenly Gardner.”

  Three other women are unaccounted for thought Lacy. More than likely he also killed Elizabeth. Somewhere their bodies are hidden and their families have no idea where they are located. Countless lives were forever changed because of Chad Grey’s senseless impulses.

  “So you have been temporarily insane five times.” Once again Michelle’s sarcastic tone caused the color to leave his face.

  “As I’ve already told you, I can’t control my impulses. I can’t explain it anymore than the psychiatrists that keep picking my brain for why. I’m sick. Choking my victims increases my sexual desire. There is no other explanation.”

  Michelle asked, “Why didn’t you seek help? Maybe someone could have helped you.”

  “What would you have me do? Tell someone I have the urge to put my hands around beautiful women’s throats and strangle them after I rape them?”

  “What about patient doctor confidentiality? They would never be able to report your urges. It is possible they could have helped you before you acted on those impulses.” A tear slipped over Michelle’s cheek. “You could have led a normal life. Maybe we could have led a normal life.”

  His brow furrowed, he studied Michelle. “I was too afraid to admit I had a problem.”

  It was difficult for Lacy to comprehend they were sitting with the same man Michelle fell in love with. He had fooled everyone. No one had suspected him of living a double life. The man she had loved and trusted didn’t exist, had been nothing more than a fraud.

  “If you had been successful in killing Lacy, would you have killed me?”

  He shot a look across the table and stated in a firm voice, “No, my plan was to convince everyone Lacy fell from the rocks above the falls. I hoped I could make everyone believe she hit her head and drowned.” He said in an even stronger voice, “Then you and I could have continued our relationship.”

  Michelle looked stunned. “You are delusional. None of that plan would have worked.”

  “I had to try something. Robertson was going to tell the authorities I killed Tiffany Swift if I didn’t get rid of Lacy. He had my balls in a vise. I considered relocating and starting a whole new life, but I liked my life here too much. I was making friends, getting a free education, dating a hot, young co-ed. Life was good before Bret Robertson messed up everything.”

  There was a moment’s pause as Michelle let his words sink in. “If you love me, tell me where all the bodies of the women you killed are buried. Your victims are calling out to you. They won’t let you rest until you divulge where their bodies are located.”

  “Sorry, Michelle, I can’t. I’m going to make a deal to keep from getting the needle. I’ll tell where the bodies are located if I can spend the rest of my life in prison.” He smiled. “While prison is not pleasant, it is better than death.” Keeping his eyes on Michelle, he stated, “I’m planning to spend my time writing a novel about my life. You know a tell-all-book. Maybe they’ll be a movie deal. Audiences eat this kind of thing up, can’t seem to get enough of the blood and gore. Who do you want to play you?”

  Michelle’s voice rose several octaves. “You can’t profit from your evil deeds.”

  “No, but my mother can. I’ll make sure she gets all the profits from the book. He
ll, I don’t even care if there is any money for my account of what happened. I have a story to tell. At least I’ll be famous.”

  “Haven’t you punished enough people? Why do you want to continue causing pain? Please let it go, Chad.” She struggled to keep her voice steady. “Tell us where you buried your victims.”

  He shook his head in the negative. “No.”

  Maybe if they explained the real reason they had asked to meet with him, he would relent. “Bret Robertson is talking to the District Attorney. He is also trying to make a deal. He claims to know where one of your victims is buried. I don’t want Bret to get out of prison. I’m anxious to see justice served. Will you please tell me where the young woman is buried? Elizabeth Cooper was waiting outside a bar called The Wild Tiger when she disappeared. Is she the woman you confessed to Bret that you murdered?”

  “As I said before, Lacy, I can’t tell you anything. The best you can hope for is the District Attorney makes a deal with me before Bret does. I’m looking out for my best interest. It is Robertson’s fault I got caught in the first place. He deserves to spend his life in prison also. If he wouldn’t have kept mementos from his victims, then I would never have been arrested. I was careful. The law would never have apprehended me.”

  “You arrogant bastard.” Michelle stood. “You would have been caught sooner or later. I fear how many women would have died before the law discovered your guilt. But they would have eventually. You couldn’t keep getting by with murder. God wouldn’t let you continue.”

  “Oh, please. If I would have stuck to my current MO, no one would have known it was me who strangled Tiffany Swift. I made a mistake when I accepted Bret’s sloppy seconds.” His expression changed. His face hardened. “Tiffany Swift was so beautiful, too beautiful to turn down. I work alone and I really messed up when I agreed to let Robertson watch me have sex with Swift after he finished with her.”

  Staring at him with horror, she placed the heel of her hand on the table. “You are disgusting. Just listening to you talk makes me want to throw-up.” She marched to the door and turned the knob. Without looking at Grey, she snapped, “As I told you before God will punish you. I believe there is a world outside of this one. Maybe you will spend the rest of your life in prison, but hell will be waiting when you die. Think how horrible eternal damnation will be.” She slammed the door behind her.