Found With Murder

by Jenn Vakey

  “When was that?” he asked.

  “Right after we found my PPK missing,” she said. She thought back and tried to remember the events surrounding the tumble she ended up taking. “I was running and could feel it coming on, but I kept trying to push it away. After a few minutes, I couldn’t delay it anymore. I, of course, ended up falling down a hill because of my stubbornness.”

  It was nearly dark when they walked back into the house. Though they had only strolled once around the block, she felt surprisingly more at ease than she had been before they left.

  “Where’s Lori?” she asked when she looked around and saw she wasn’t where she had left her.

  “She went up to Kim’s room to lay out clean pajamas for her,” Joe said. He seemed less than pleased. Rilynne understood why. Like her, he was no doubt concerned with Lori getting her hopes up. If everything went as the kidnapper stated, chances were that it could all be over in a matter of hours. Rilynne knew from experience, though, that it wasn’t often the case. If Lori let herself become convinced that Kim would be home that night, she might very well fall apart entirely if the plans changed.

  Rilynne was just about to go up to find her when Lori appeared at the top of the stairs. “How much longer?” she asked. “I can’t find my watch.”

  If she had expected an answer, she didn't wait for it. She walked down the stairs and quickly changed the subject as she joined Joe on the couch. Rilynne looked at her in disbelief for a moment, wondering to herself if she hadn’t taken something to help her relax, before she sat down on the other sofa.

  Ben must have been wondering the same, because he was studying Lori with something close to a smirk. Before either of them could put much thought into it, though, there was a knock at the door.

  Wilcome stood to get it. When he walked back in moments later, he wasn’t alone.

  “You've got to be kidding me,” Rilynne groaned. She sat back against the couch and folded her arms, biting her tongue to keep from voicing her outrage. Ben placed his hand down on her knee but didn't say anything.

  “I was led here by your father,” the visitor said dramatically. She held her fingers against her temples and swayed as she moved around the room. “He's watching out for you, my dear. He wants you to know that little Kim is safe and will be back with you soon.”

  Lori let out a quick gasp as she held the bear closer. Rilynne knew Lori didn't believe in psychics, but she was sure that she would take comfort in anything she was told in that moment.

  Ms. Young sat down next to Lori and placed her hand on Kim's beloved bear. When she touched it, she shuddered and let out a mousy squeak. “This is her favorite,” she said. Rilynne rolled her eyes. “She misses it so.”

  “Where's my baby?” Lori asked.

  Young pulled her hands up to her head and started rocking where she sat. When she started moaning, Rilynne stood up. She couldn't watch it anymore. She walked quietly out of the room just as the woman replaced the moans with a chant.

  “Are you all right?” Ben asked when he walked out the backdoor after her.

  Rilynne took a deep breath to calm herself. It didn't work. She dropped down hard on the back step and raked her fingers through her hair. “I hate people like that,” she stated. “I can't call her out, though. She's giving Lori hope right now, which I couldn't take away from her.”

  “I know she bothers you,” he said gently. “And I know how much you despise people like her. I can't blame you there.”

  “It's people like her that make me so sure I can't tell anyone what I can do. I would lose the respect of everyone, because that's what people think of when they hear psychic visions.” She knew she was ranting, but it felt good. When she looked up at Ben, she was surprised to see him staring wide eyed down at her. “What?”

  “You just referred to yourself as a psychic,” he said. “Well, in a way. She must really be getting to you.”

  Rilynne let out an involuntary chuckle and shook her head. Ben had always been good at helping her relax, no matter what the situation was. This one definitely called for it. If he hadn't held her back, she had a feeling she would inevitably go off on the fraudulent psychic, which could very well end up exposing her secret.

  After taking one last breath to calm herself, Rilynne dropped her head down against Ben's shoulder and closed her eyes.

  She was sitting in a car watching the road block that was set up a block away. The sun was shining brightly as she looked back to the little girl sleeping in the back seat.

  “We have the ransom money,” a voice sounded out through the car. It was Wilcome's voice. She looked to the police radio sitting on the passenger seat as she felt the air leave her lungs.

  “What?” a man's voice said softly. “That's not possible.”

  Her eyes shifted back to the road block as a wave of panic spread through her.

  Suddenly she was in a room. It was too dark to make out anything around her, but she could tell she was sitting on the edge of a bed. There was a soft snoring coming from just beside her. Kim was sleeping.

  Then she turned to the clock on the nightstand. Guilt weighed down heavily on her as she looked at the time. It was five minutes after nine.

  She bolted up, fighting off the urge to scream.

  “What is it?” he asked. There was a note of panic in his voice. “What did you see? Is Kim okay?”

  Rilynne turned to him. She didn't know exactly what to say, or even what to think. She had been unsure enough about Kim's safety when it appeared to be a simple kidnapping for ransom. With the thought that ransom wasn't actually the motive, she was scared to think of what could happen.

  “Rye, what is it?” Ben asked. His voice was low and demanding. “Tell me what you saw.”

  She struggled to catch her breath as she nodded. “It's a ruse,” she said. Her voice was shaky. “He isn't going to pick up the money. I'm guessing that's why the number was so unbelievably high. He didn't want her to pay it. He wanted her to give him a reason not to have to give her back. He wants Kim, not the money. He isn't giving her back.”

  Chapter Eight

  The tears started rolling down her face. She let out a deep sob as he pulled her toward him and held her tight. The warmth of his body reached through her clothes, making the chill of the evening air disappear. Her body shook in his arms. “W-what do I do?”

  He nuzzled her hair and mumbled something she couldn't make out. After several minutes, her tears dried and she sat up.

  “You will find her,” he said. There was a confidence in his voice that surprised her. It wasn't something she was feeling herself. The sound of it gave her strength, though. Strength that she wouldn't have thought she could find in that moment.

  “Okay,” she said, “They're on the wrong track. We need to find out who would be more concerned with having Kim than taking the three million. It has to be personal. That's a lot of money to give up. You wouldn't do it unless she was important.” She knew as she said it that it wasn't something she needed to explain to him. As it was, he had given up that much just to get her back.

  “I think it would be safe to say it isn't a random child predator,” he said. “I don't see someone like that being so attached to a child that he would willingly pass on the money. Not when he could just as easily find another kid.” The thought of it made him sick; she could see it on his face.

  “We can also eliminate anyone with a personal grudge against Lori,” Rilynne said. “That leaves anyone with an attachment to Kim. Or perhaps anyone who's desperate to be a parent.” She thought it over. “Even then, three million dollars is a lot to part with.”

  His knuckles pulled up to his chin, dragging roughly against the stubble covering it. “Are you sure he didn't accidently miss the pick up?” he asked after several minutes. “Or is accidently going to miss it, I guess.”

  She shook her head. “I could feel what he was feeling,” she explained. “He loves her. He didn't care about that money at all. Nor did he choose not to
take it for fear of being caught. There was something else. He was incredibly guilty. It was like he made a deal and felt bad for backing out at the last minute.”

  Ben looked down at her but didn't speak. He didn't need to for Rilynne to know exactly what he was thinking. It was visible in the pained expression on his face.

  “No,” she said. “I don't think he intends to hurt her.”

  He was relieved. After letting out a low sigh, he looked down at his watch and stood up. “It's time for me to go,” he said. “I won't be long. Are you going to be here when I get back?”

  Rilynne nodded. “Lori's going to need all the support she can get when the call comes in that the money didn't get picked up. She won't take it well.”

  “Just tell her what you think it means,” he said. “If you're confident, it will give her strength. If you're optimistic about the new place to start looking, she will be, too.”

  When they walked back into the house, Rilynne was relieved to see the psychic was gone. She glanced over briefly at Lori, still sitting on the couch, and then walked to the table. She knew she couldn't, but she found herself wishing she could tell Lori what she had seen. At least then, maybe she would know Kim was all right.

  “Okay, you know the plan,” Wilcome said, sliding the large bag across the table to Ben. “Just drop it under the bench and leave.”

  Ben nodded and picked up the bag.

  “This should be me,” Joe said. “I should be the one doing this.”

  “Lori needs you,” Ben said. There was a kindness in his voice Rilynne had never heard before. At least not when it came to Joe. “Chances are the kidnapper will be calling again before I even get back. You should be here for that.” His gaze shot quickly to Rilynne before returning to Joe. Though he was trying hard to hide it, there was still a touch of guilt in his eye.

  Ben kissed Rilynne on the cheek before quickly walking out the door. While she was sure it just looked like he was anxious to get there, Rilynne knew he was trying to avoid any further conversation.

  * * *

  “Why hasn't he called yet?” Lori asked. As soon as nine o'clock rolled around, she abandoned her spot on the couch and started hovering over the phone. She even picked it up on three separate occasions just to make sure it was working. Rilynne was sure she would have kept doing it had Jerkins not warned her that it could cause the line to be busy if he attempted to call while she was checking.

  When Ben walked back in, Lori only became more anxious, as did Rilynne. She sat back in the corner and watched the room around her, dreading the call she knew would be coming soon.

  “I can't take this,” she whispered when Ben walked up next to her. “I can't just sit here and wait.”

  Ben looked around the room at all of the anxious faces before nodding and taking her by the arm. He led her quietly through the kitchen and out the backdoor. Lori's yard was smaller than her own, but it had been nicely arranged. In the middle of the large deck that took up nearly half of it, Joe had installed a fire pit. Lori had worried fiercely about it, afraid that one of the children might fall in, but gave in at Joe's insistence.

  Rilynne considered sitting down in one of the patio chairs next to it, but decided just to sit on the top step. As she leaned her head against the banister, Ben sat down beside her and let out a pained groan.

  “I hate this,” she said. Her voice cracked from the tears building in her throat. “I hate lying to everyone. Lori's my best friend and all I do is deceive her. I try to rationalize everything by saying it's necessary, but it doesn't help. Stuff like this just makes it harder.”

  “I know,” he said, running his fingers gently through her hair. He was being sweet, but he didn't really know; he couldn't understand what it was like. While he had also lied to everyone, his lie was one of omission. It wasn't like anyone out right asked him how much money he happened to have stored away. With her it was different. She had to concoct stories to tell just so no one would wonder how she arrived at some of the things she did. With Lori, she had to completely keep things that she knew, things about her missing child, to herself.

  For the first time in her life, Rilynne found herself seriously considering telling everyone what she could do and what she had seen. While she knew it could end up costing her everything, she wouldn't care as long as it meant they had a better chance of bringing Kim home.

  “It wouldn't make any difference if they knew what you had seen,” Ben said, as if he could read her mind. “Everything of importance is being looked into. The only things you're holding back are the things Lori never needs to hear. If you told her what you saw while we were out at our spot, what do you think would happen the next time it rained?”

  Our spot. Though there trips to the clearing had become more frequent, she had always considered it Ben's special place, to which she was an occasional guest. What he said was right, though. The only thing that would come from telling Lori that one particular vision was worry.

  “What about the other ones?” she asked. “Don't you think it would help to shift the investigation if I could tell them what I felt from the man who took her?”

  “Rilynne,” he said gently, taking her hand into his. “You may have felt what he was feeling, but you didn't see the reasoning behind it. What if you did tell them and they decided to focus on sex offenders, being that it's the first thing to come to mind. If there was another reason behind the feeling, it might be overlooked completely. You know how to keep from being distracted or led by what you see; it won't be the same for them. For right now, it's better that you can give them the idea to work with on their own.” He smiled and gently pulled her chin up so she would meet his eye. “If you decide that you want to tell everyone what you can do, I will stand beside you and support you one hundred percent. This isn't the time to make the decision, though.”

  She pushed off of the banister and rested her head against his shoulder. “You're right,” she said softly. “There's so much going on right now that I'm not thinking straight. It happens from time to time.” She grinned as she thought back. “The last time was when we found out that Nicole was behind the killings and she had you.”

  He turned to face her, raising a bemused eyebrow. “You considered outing yourself to find me?”

  “Does that really surprise you?” she asked.

  “Well, being that we barely knew each other, yeah,” he said honestly.

  “We didn’t just barely know each other,” she responded. “The feeling of excitement I would get around you notwithstanding, I still considered you a very good friend. I completely shut down when I found that note on my door, not unlike Lori’s been these past few days. It didn’t do anything to stifle Wilcome’s curiosities about us. I actually think it was one of the main reasons he pushed to have the zero-fraternization rule lifted.”

  Ben thought for a moment and grinned. “Worst rule ever,” he said.

  Rilynne look up at him, confused by his amusement.

  “You announced it rather loudly after we made it back to the station that night,” he said. “So that’s what you were talking about.” His smirk grew larger. “You wanted me even back then.”

  “I...” she hesitated, feeling her cheeks start to burn. “I will neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of your assessment.”

  Ben’s phone chimed. “Uh huh,” he said, reaching in his pocket to retrieve it.

  Rilynne sat up and looked at him when she felt his body tense. Ben's face was white.

  “What is it?” she asked. She tried to look down at his phone, but her eyes refused to. As an overwhelming dread passed over her, it was everything she could do just to draw a breath.

  Ben pulled his gaze up from the screen and looked over to her. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he just handed her the phone.

  Rilynne took a deep, shaky breath before she found the courage to read the message. When she did, though, she wished more than anything she hadn't.

  It wasn't long, but four words st
ood out above the rest.

  “Young female body found.”

  Chapter Nine

  “No.” Rilynne heard the word but didn't realize it came from her lips until she looked around to find they were still alone. She turned back to Ben, her chest so tight she couldn't breathe, and she pleaded silently for an explanation. More than anything, she wanted him to tell her it meant something other than the images flooding through her mind.

  As the tears rolled down her face, she saw him motion through the window behind her. She didn't need to turn to know who he was calling. Moments later, the door opened and Wilcome stepped out. He didn't need to do anything more than look at Ben's face to know something was wrong.

  “The body of a young female was found in the woods,” Ben said. Rilynne looked up just in time to see Wilcome close his eyes and drop his head down.

  “I'm going to go,” Ben continued. “I'll find out.”

  “I'm going with you,” Rilynne said.

  “No,” Ben said abruptly. “You're going to stay here.”

  His tone shocked her. While he wasn't shy about voicing his opinions, he wasn't usually so demanding. She looked up at him to argue, but the stubborn expression on his face stopped her. It didn't matter what she said, he wasn't going to let her go. He was right, she knew it. Though she wanted to know if the body that had been found was Kim, she couldn't take seeing it if it was.

  “I agree with Davis,” Wilcome said. “You are to stay here.” His tone was just as domineering as Ben's, though not so unfamiliar.

  She looked down at her feet and nodded. Ben kissed the top of her head and left without a word. Rilynne sat in silence, Wilcome by her side, for what felt like hours, though only a few minutes actually passed.

  “Don't say anything to her,” he instructed. “We don't know anything right now. There's no need to tell her until we have an answer.”

  “An answer about what?”