Dead Little Darlings

by Herron, Rita

  The agent clasped Marilyn’s hand. “Is it true?”

  “You’ll need DNA testing for verification, but yes, I think so.”

  “Is what true?” Ryker asked.

  Marilyn smiled at the agent. “Agent Manson is the baby I saw kidnapped twenty-five years ago. Deborah Darling’s baby.”

  Ryker’s brows lifted. “Did you know you were connected to the Darlings, Caroline?”

  She shook her head. “I considered the possibility. That’s what’s brought me to Seahawk Island.”

  Ryker’s brows lifted. “That’s the reason you were upset when we interrogated Mr. Darling and learned of the pregnancy pact.”

  She murmured yes. “It made me sick to think that I’d come from that family. That my mother and her sister and their friends raped my father.”

  “I’m sorry,” Marilyn said. “Really sorry, Agent Manson.”

  “Please call me Caroline.”

  Marilyn squeezed her hand again. “I wish my mother had let me come forward when I first witnessed Deborah’s murder. I was only six though, and she was terrified that the killer would come after us.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Caroline said softly. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know the truth now.” She blinked back tears. “About my father, you talked to him?”

  “I did. He never knew about you or the other babies, or what his mother did. He was shocked. Apparently he and his mother have been estranged for years. He said she couldn’t let go of the bitterness. He had to find forgiveness in order to move on.”

  “He sounds like a good guy,” Caroline choked out.

  “He is. He’s helping others with drug and alcohol addiction through counseling.”

  “So Eaton kidnapped Deborah, Candace and Mellie,” Ryker said. “Then he held them hostage until they delivered the babies?”

  “He did,” Marilyn said. “Mrs. Richway told him to leave the infants at a church where they’d be found and would go to good homes.” Marilyn offered Caroline a sympathetic look. “You may have not been conceived in an honorable way, but even though Deborah was only fourteen, she loved you. I saw it in the way she fought to save you from Eaton.”

  Emotions streaked Caroline’s face. “That means Mrs. Richway and Mr. Darling are my grandparents.”

  Ryker murmured a sympathetic sound. “It’s going to be okay, Caroline.”

  Marilyn’s heart ached for the woman. Learning she was the product of a rape, that her grandmother ordered her mother’s murder, and that she’d almost killed her, had to be devastating.

  A second later, Caroline’s look softened. “Odd, isn’t it? I thought you were working against me, Marilyn, but all this time you were looking out for me.”

  The woman leaned over and hugged Marilyn just as the ambulance pulled into the hospital and parked. “Thank you. I’m sorry I was so rude to you.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m a hard person to like.”

  “No,” Caroline said. “You stand up for others and for the truth. I admire you for that.”

  The door to the ambulance opened, and Caroline stepped out.

  Ryker dropped a kiss on Marilyn’s cheek. “Even if you are a hard person to like, sweetheart, you’re easy to love.”

  Marilyn stared at him wide eyed as he jumped from the ambulance. For so long she’d hated herself for not coming forward about Deborah and the baby. She hadn’t thought she deserved love.

  Was it possible Ryker had fallen for her anyway?

  Ryker reluctantly released Marilyn’s hand as the medics wheeled her into an ER room to treat her injuries. Caroline insisted he be evaluated as well. He hated doctors and barely tolerated the exam, but at least the case was in good hands.

  Caroline must be deeply troubled over today’s revelations. She was a decent partner, although Marilyn had really cracked the case. Her tenaciousness paid off.

  It had almost gotten her killed, too.

  A shudder ripped through him, and he hurried to her bedside.

  “She’s stable,” the doctor told him. “We stitched up the abrasion on her head and prescribed pain medication. She swallowed a good bit of water, but her lungs are clear. We’ll hold her overnight for observation.”

  Ryker bit back a chuckle. Marilyn hated doctors and hospitals even more than he did. The only way she’d stay the night was if she was drugged or unconscious. Or if he stayed with her.

  Which he would do.

  He spotted Caroline in the waiting room on the phone, then his captain stormed through the entrance. Ryker braced himself and walked toward him.

  “Brockett, what the hell happened tonight?” Captain Henry bellowed.

  He threw up a hand. “We solved the Eaton case and the Darling case, that’s what happened.”

  “You crossed the line and hooked up with that fucking reporter. I warned you.”

  “Excuse me, Captain,” Agent Manson cut in. “But you need to listen. Marilyn Ellis was instrumental in solving both cases. She followed hunches and shared information with us that led to the closing of two cases.”

  He angled his head toward her. “I want details.”

  She gestured down the hall. “Let’s get some coffee, and Detective Brockett and I will fill you in.”

  His captain glanced at Ryker with skepticism but gave a brief nod, and the three of them walked to the cafeteria. Once they were seated with coffee, he and Caroline started from the beginning.

  By the time they were finished, Captain Henry scrubbed a hand over his face. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He looked at Caroline. “Are you going to air this on Cold Cases Revisited?”

  Worry and indecision flickered in the woman’s eyes. “Maybe. First, I’d like some time to deal with it myself. I want to meet my father . . . and now that I know I have siblings, I want to find them.”

  “That’s understandable,” Captain Henry said.

  The lights flickered off, then on again, the wind continuing to howl outside.

  The three of them walked to the ER waiting room, and Caroline slipped inside the room while Ryker stayed to speak to his boss.

  “I know you don’t like the fact that I’m with Marilyn, sir,” Ryker said. “But I know what I’m doing. In fact, if she’ll have me, I intend to make our relationship permanent.”

  His boss shifted as if he didn’t know what to say. Then finally he offered his hand to Ryker. “I trust you to do the job and to keep the lines from blurring.”

  Ryker shook his hand. “Understood.” The question now was if Marilyn wanted him.

  Marilyn pushed at the covers to get out of bed.

  Caroline rushed to her side. “You need to rest, Marilyn. You’ve almost died tonight.”

  “But I didn’t.” Still, she did feel weak and slightly dizzy so she laid her head back against the pillow. “They want me to stay overnight. I hate hospitals.”

  Caroline laughed softly. “So do I. But if you’re going to finish this story, you have to get some sleep.”

  Hmm, Caroline was good at working people. She knew just how to get to Marilyn.

  Caroline clasped Marilyn’s hand again. “Thank you for never giving up.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Marilyn said. “If I’d spoken up sooner, Daryl Eaton might have gone to jail. No telling how many more people he punished with his brand of justice.”

  “That’s not your fault,” Caroline said. “You were only a child when you witnessed the murder.”

  Marilyn turned to Caroline. “I won’t divulge any details about you and your father. That’s your story to tell.”

  Caroline released a breath. “Thank you. I hope he wants to talk to me.”

  “He will,” Marilyn said. “He’s a good man, Caroline.” Marilyn swallowed. “Are you going to look for your siblings?”

  Car
oline bit her bottom lip. “I want to. But if they’re happy and in loving homes, I hate to upset them by divulging the truth about how we were all conceived.”

  “That’s understandable.” Although Marilyn knew the woman wouldn’t be able to let the situation rest any more than she could. “You could find them and then decide.”

  “True. I think I’ll hire a PI and see what happens.” Tears blurred Caroline’s eyes. “So what are you going to report?”

  “I’ll continue the Keepers story, but write about Daryl Eaton and how people—anonymous people—turned to him for help. Maybe it will inspire others to push for justice legally.”

  “You mean you want to put an end to the Keepers?” Caroline asked.

  Marilyn smiled. “I don’t think there will ever be an end to victims and their families seeking justice when the system fails. There will always be Keepers.”

  Ryker spoke to Caroline as she exited Marilyn’s room. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be,” she said. “At least now I know the truth.”

  A harsh truth, but she seemed tough as nails. She just needed time to process the revelations.

  “Your turn.” She offered him a smile. “She’s amazing,” Caroline said. “I see why you’re in love with her.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t deny it,” Caroline said. “Just go tell her.”

  A smile tugged at his mouth even as doubts assailed him. Caroline said good night, and he slipped inside Marilyn’s room. She looked groggy, her complexion pale from her ordeal, blood still dotting her hair.

  Ryker moved up beside the bed and took her hand. He still felt shaky inside, his adrenaline waning although the fear he’d felt earlier still gripped him.

  Marilyn wet her lips with her tongue, and he realized she probably wanted water, so he handed her the cup on the bedside table. She drank deeply, then gestured she’d had enough so he set the cup down.

  “Thank you for saving me,” Marilyn whispered.

  Ryker blinked to clear the images of Marilyn fighting for her life from his mind. “I couldn’t let you die, baby.”

  Marilyn placed her hand against his cheek. “I didn’t want to die either,” she said with a small smile. “Not without seeing and kissing you again.”

  His heart raced, and he bent his head over and kissed her. “I’ll kiss you ever day from now on if you’ll let me.”

  She slid her arms around his neck, drew him to her and kissed him again. Passion burned through him. Worried about her though, he stretched out on the bed, pulled her into his arms and cradled her against him.

  He’d promised he’d take care of her. Tonight that meant letting her rest while he held her.

  But he’d nearly lost her and he didn’t want to let her go. He leaned his head against hers, and listened to her breathing as it steadied.

  Just as she drifted to sleep in his arms, he whispered that he loved her.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Two days later, the storm had finally passed. In spite of her protests, the doctors had insisted Marilyn stay at the hospital the first night and had kept her sedated. She’d slept through one of the worst tropical storms Seahawk Island had seen since Hurricane Matthew.

  Ryker had stayed beside her all night.

  Then he’d driven her home and left to finish the case. She’d showered and rested and finally felt almost human again. But she missed Ryker like crazy.

  She could still remember his arms around her, and she longed to feel them again.

  She’d watched the news just to get a glimpse of him as he and Caroline gave a recap of the cases. She was surprised—and touched—that Caroline gave her so much credit.

  She’d also talked to Piper. Her father, William Flagler, was relieved they’d finally solved the case of the Darling girls’ disappearance.

  Her phone rang, and she glanced at it, hoping it was Ryker. Instead it was her boss Blakely. “Marilyn, how are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine, ready to go back to work.”

  He chuckled. “Just enjoy a little R & R. You earned it.”

  “You know I like to be busy.”

  “Well, you will be. When you return, you’ll be the lead anchor.”

  Marilyn’s chest rose and fell with her intake of breath. At one time a promotion was all that mattered to her. But somewhere over the last few days, Ryker had become more important. Ryker and their future together.

  “Did you hear me? I thought you’d be jumping for joy.”

  “I heard you,” she said with a smile. “And I appreciate it.”

  “Don’t thank me. You promised a big story and you delivered.” He paused. “You did a damn good job, Marilyn. And this was a tough one.”

  He had no idea.

  The doorbell buzzed. “Someone’s at the door. I need to go.”

  “All right, I’ll see you soon.”

  She hung up, tugged her robe around her and hurried to answer it. Maybe Caroline again. The woman had needed a friend, and she and Marilyn had bonded. Caroline was still working up the courage to meet her grandfather and father.

  She checked the peephole, her heart fluttering at the sight of Ryker on the other side. In his hand, he held a bouquet of sunflowers. She’d never been a flower kind of girl and Ryker had never been the flower giving kind, but the gesture was so sweet that she threw open the door with a smile.

  “I thought sunflowers were the right call after the storm,” he said with a sideways grin.

  “They’re perfect.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid a lip lock on him. “I’ve missed you.”

  He grinned as he pulled back. “Marilyn Ellis missed me?”

  “You’re damn right she did.” She took his arm and led him to the den where she sank onto the sofa. “Where have you been?”

  “Tying up loose ends.” Ryker’s expression turned serious. “We tore apart that secret room in the lighthouse and found notebooks Eaton kept. He recorded all his jobs.”

  Marilyn’s heart stuttered. “You know who he punished?”

  Ryker nodded. “There’s a list.”

  “Sounds like another big investigation in the making.” And she wanted the scoop.

  “Caroline is starting a task force with another agent,” Ryker said. “Mrs. Richway caused Detective Flagler’s accident because she was afraid he’d find the Punisher and link the man back to her.”

  Marilyn shook her head sadly. “Anything else?”

  “We found evidence connecting her to Eaton and proof that she actually killed Mellie Thacker’s mother. Apparently Mrs. Thacker wanted to come clean about what the girls did to Preston. Mrs. Richway ran her down and caused her accident to keep her from talking.”

  Marilyn grew thoughtful. “Poor Preston. He suffered enough when he was young, and now to learn he has three children and that his mother is a murderer.” She rubbed a chill from her arms. “Has he been notified of his mother’s death?”

  Ryker nodded. “The coast guard recovered her body. He’s flying in to make funeral arrangements, but he doesn’t know the entire story yet. Caroline wants to be with us when we tell him. It might soften the blow to see his daughter alive and well.”

  “When we tell him?” Marilyn asked softly.

  He smiled and pulled her to him. “Yes, when we tell him.” But there’s something else, Marilyn. Something I have to show you.”

  She narrowed her eyes as he removed an evidence bag from his pocket. I think you need to see this.”

  “What is it?”

  “One of Eaton’s entries. It’s about you.”

  Shock robbed Marilyn of words. Ryker removed the page from the baggie and handed it to her.

  “We’ve already analyzed it for DNA,” he said.

  She understood and accepted the page. Her heart jumped to her throat as she read.

>   I didn’t ask to be the Punisher. It just happened. My daddy had the job before me. He instilled in me how important it was to help people, especially those who needed help, those who’d been wronged.

  This last job wasn’t what I expected though. The three girls I was supposed to punish were bad girls. They raped a young boy and drugged another one. He sits in a wheelchair, still struggling with the devastating effects of what they did.

  At first, adrenaline drove me. The charge of exacting justice fired my bloodstream like nothing I’d ever felt before. The violence . . . it felt . . . natural. Wrong. But right in a way that bothered me. In a way I couldn’t stop.

  My father passed the torch onto me. And I couldn’t let him down.

  But the girls and their babies were different. Part of me craved watching them suffer. Watching them pay for what they’d done.

  That was the sick part of me.

  I hated it, but it was there.

  Then that night . . . the night of the storm. The night Deborah Darling escaped with her baby. I left the board loose for her to find the nail. Made it easy for her to escape. I even left her the canoe.

  I watched through binoculars from the lighthouse. Saw her struggle to escape and save her child.

  In the end, she’d found redemption. She’d been saved.

  But it was too late to save her.

  I knew what I had to do.

  She had to be terminated. I couldn’t continue my role if she identified me.

  So I waited until she made it to the lighthouse. They always came there. I knew they would. The light drew them. Led them to safety.

  Back to me.

  Then I could finish it. End their miserable lives.

  Then I saved their children.

  But that last night . . . I heard a noise. The tiny squeak of a little girl’s cry echoing in the wind and rain.

  I peered from the lighthouse and saw her jump behind a tree. She’d seen me.

  Knew the monster I was.

  I should make it so she couldn’t talk.

  But something about those innocent eyes trapped me. Reminded me that I had once been human inside. A little boy. A friend. A son who wanted to please.