“Lay it on me.”
I smiled. “I’m pregnant.”
Expecting him to be as excited as I was, I stared in surprise as his face fell.
“You’re what?” he asked.
I leaned forward. “Pregnant. I’m about six weeks. I know I should have told you, but I didn’t want you to cancel the trip.”
He released my hand. “Are you supposed to be skiing when you’re pregnant?” he asked tightly.
I tilted my head and studied him. He looked far from thrilled. “Well, I’ve been very careful and obviously, I’m not going down anything I can’t handle.”
He turned and stared at the fire without saying anything.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “I thought you’d be as happy as I am.”
He turned back towards me, and for a minute, a spark of anger flashed through his eyes. “Sure, I’m happy,” he said.
I narrowed my eyes. “Well, you don’t look very happy.”
He scowled. “Would you prefer if I jumped up and down, shouting out to the world that my wife got herself pregnant without consulting me first?”
I stared at him in shock. “Excuse me?”
The couple at the next table glanced over at us and he shot them a threatening look. He then turned back to me. “I thought you were done having kids. You already have two,” he whispered, angrily.
My jaw dropped. “Jake? What’s gotten in to you?” I’d never seen this side of him.
“You told me that you were on the pill.”
I nodded. “Yes, but there’s always a chance of getting pregnant, even on the pill.”
We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds and then he smiled. “Sorry. I just wasn’t prepared for that. Of course, I’m happy. It’s great news.”
The smile still hadn’t reached his eyes, which worried me.
“You’re sure?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Well, what’s done is done. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
Wanting to throttle him, I stood up. “This conversation is getting shittier by the minute. I’m going back to the cabin; I’m feeling nauseous all of a sudden.”
He pointed at my stomach. “See, another drawback of pregnancy.”
I glared at him. “No, your attitude is making me sick.”
“Lindsey…”
“Leave me alone, Jake,” I said, grabbing my jacket.
“You’re being silly.”
“Oh really? I just told you that you’re going to be a father, and from your reaction, it appears that you’d rather shoot yourself in the head. I guess I still don’t know what kind of a man you really are, Detective,” I spat.
He didn’t respond, which made it even worse. Scowling, I turned and stormed out of the chalet, ignoring the curious stares of the people sitting near our table.
***
Back in the cabin, I took a hot shower and slipped on an oversized sweater and leggings. Still fuming about Jake’s reaction, I grabbed my Kindle and tried forgetting about it, but it wasn’t easy.
“Dammit,” I muttered, slamming the thing against the cushion of the leather sofa.
I still couldn’t believe Jake’s reaction. I’d expected the same kind of joy I’d felt when seeing the plus sign on the test strip. But his reaction appeared to be of disgust, which confused the hell out of me. He’d seemed so loving towards my kids that I’d only assumed he’d want one of his own.
Frustrated, I turned on the television and began flipping through the channels, waiting for Jake to return. We definitely needed to talk about his attitude before our child was born. There was no way I’d raise a baby around someone who wasn’t interested in children. If that meant leaving him, well then, so be it.
Two hours later, after getting caught up in an ‘Oprah’ marathon on cable, I fell into a troubled sleep.
Chapter Thirty-one
Something was vibrating.
I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight and Jake hadn’t yet made it back to the cabin.
Sighing, I sat up and stretched my arms as one of Jake’s suitcases began vibrating. I unzipped it and found a cell phone inside of a brown leather jacket; a phone I didn’t recognize. It was an older flip phone, and when I opened it, I noticed there was a new picture-mail, sent by a number I did recognize.
Jake’s.
Curious as to why he’d be sending a photo to this particular phone, I opened up the message and stared at it in shock.
“What the hell?”
It was a photo of a naked woman, lying in the snow, her lifeless eyes staring past the camera, bruises around her throat.
I dropped the phone in horror and shuddered. Obviously, someone in Lutsen had been killed and Jake was investigating the murder. Probably taking pictures as evidence.
But wasn’t he a Narcotics Officer?
I brushed it aside. It probably didn’t mean anything when you were one of the first detectives at a crime scene. Still, it seemed like quite a coincidence – that we were vacationing at the same time a woman was murdered, and that Jake was around to help. The real question was, why would he send a gruesome picture like that to this other phone he had?
I picked up the phone once again, opened it back up, and went directly to the stored photos.
There were many.
As I began looking through the pictures, my blood ran cold. Most of them appeared to be of dead women. When I glanced at one in particular, I couldn’t breathe.
“Darcy?” I whispered in horror, staring at her lifeless eyes under the bathwater. As I went back even further in the stored pictures, I noticed there was one taken of her sitting in the tub, very much alive, her face a mask of terror.
“No…” I moaned, dropping the phone.
Not Jake…please, God, don’t let it be so!
Sobbing, I rushed to put on my jacket and boots, needing to get out of the cabin before he returned. There was no way I wanted to confront him with this. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand the implication of those photos, especially the one of Darcy right before her death.
I grabbed the truck keys, my purse and threw open the front door.
“Whoa,” smiled Jake, standing on the other side. “I’m here. No need to send out the troops.”
I took a step backwards and stared at him in alarm.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I know how worried you must have been. I went skiing and lost track of the time.”
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“Excuse me, babe,” he said, brushing past me, carrying his skis.
“I was just going out,” I said, hoarsely. “To get something to eat.”
He set his equipment down and began pulling off his boots. “No need for that. There’s food in the fridge. I’ll make you something.”
“Um, that’s okay. I have a craving for some ice cream,” I said. “We didn’t bring any.”
He walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “We need to talk. Actually, I need to apologize. I was a total ass earlier. I know there isn’t an excuse but please, let me make it up to you.”
He stared at me with love in his eyes and my own filled up with bitter tears. How could someone so handsome and loving be so psychotic? “It’s okay,” I squeaked. “Really.”
“No, it’s not okay. I shouldn’t have said those things to you; they were horrible and totally unacceptable. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“It’s fine.”
He sighed. “There’s something I have to tell you,” he said. “I know I should have told you before, but I didn’t want to scare you away.”
I looked past him at his other phone, which was lying on the carpet. I knew I had to get the hell out of there before he noticed it. I forced a smile. “You know, it’s okay. Really, whatever it is.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s not okay. In fact,” he said, removing his jacket. “It’s part of who I am and that’s why you should know.”
�
�I…”
He touched his stomach. “You know this scar on my abdomen?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it was given to me by my father.”
My eyes widened. “I thought you didn’t know your father.”
“Well, okay, my stepfather. He used to beat the shit out of me when I was a kid.”
“Oh.”
He nodded. “That’s why I’m terrified of having kids. I don’t know if I’d be any good at it and I don’t have a lot of patience as it is. I’d never forgive myself if I raised my hand or lost my temper.”
“But if you realize its wrong, you don’t have to turn out like your parents.” I looked into his eyes. “And if you have certain urges, ones that aren’t normal, you should seek counseling, Jake.”
He smiled. “I know. You’re right. That’s why I’m going to do everything it takes to be a damn good father. The truth is I’m excited about our baby, Lindsey. I was frightened at first, but now I can’t wait. I just really want you to know that.”
Obviously, killing the woman on the slopes had put him in better spirits. “That’s great, Jake. I’m glad you’re happy. Now, I really am craving ice cream, you know? So, I’ll be back shortly.”
He pulled me into his arms and planted a kiss on my lips. “Nonsense. You stay here and relax, babe. I’ll get you some ice cream. What kind are you craving? Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road? Just tell me and I’ll get it for you, my beautiful pregnant wife.”
“Ah, just surprise me.”
He released me and turned around to grab his jacket. “Okay.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, where did this come from?” he asked, moving towards the flip-phone. He picked it up and a look of horror spread across his face.
Frightened, I turned and raced out of the cabin, towards the SUV. I unlocked the doors and jumped inside, placing the key in the ignition.
“Lindsey!” hollered Jake, rushing towards me in the darkness. “What are you doing?”
Trembling, I turned the key but heard only a “clicking” noise.
“Oh, my God!” I shrieked as my eyes met Jake’s and he began to pound on the window.
“Lindsey, open up!”
Sobbing, I tried the engine again but still nothing happened.
He put his hand on the window and stared at me. “What’s going on? Why are you doing this?”
“Leave me alone!” I cried, reaching in my purse for my cell phone, only to discover it was missing.
“Come on, Lindsey!”
Just when I thought all hope was lost, police lights flashed on the other side of the SUV. I breathed a sigh of relief; someone in one of the other cabins must have called the cops.
“Raise your hands and step away from the vehicle!” demanded the officer, as he got out of the squad car, gun raised.
Jake lifted his hands in the air and began backing away. Before he was able to take his third step, however, I heard the cop’s gun go off and Jake dropped to the ground.
“You can come out of the vehicle, ma’am!” yelled the officer. “It’s safe.”
Shaking, I unlocked the door and got out. “Oh, my God,” I shuddered, stepping over Jake’s body. Part of me wanted to hold him in my arms, the other was horrified that I’d married such a cold-blooded killer.
“He won’t be bothering anyone anymore,” smiled the officer, staring down in satisfaction at Jake’s body.
I stared at the cop and then gasped in horror when I recognized him. “Jerry?”
“That’s right. Happy to see me?” he chuckled; now pointing the gun directly at me. “I’m happy to see you. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out that you were getting married.”
“How…?”
“Patience, and friends in high places. Just because I moved doesn’t mean I forgot how you murdered my brother, bitch.”
“Please,” I begged. “Don’t hurt me.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, cocking the gun. “I’m going to kill you, so you actually feel nothing at all,” he smiled coldly. “You know the old saying: revenge is sweet.”
I glanced towards the other small cabins, hoping that someone would come to my rescue, but the rooms were all dark.
“Nobody’s going to help you,” he laughed. “Most of those other cabins are vacant at the moment. Must be the slower time of the year.”
“Please,” I begged in tears. “I’ll do anything you want.”
He moved towards me and grabbed my arm. “You know,” he said. “I think I’ll take my time killing you. It’ll be much more fun.”
“No, please, Jerry…”
Ignoring my protests, he pulled me towards the cabin and pushed me inside. Then, he pulled out a set of handcuffs, dragged me into the kitchen, and cuffed me to the metal refrigerator door handle.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Got to take care of that fucker’s body before we get down to business.”
I stared in terror as he left me and went back outside. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I tried breaking the door handle, but it wouldn’t even budge.
“Dammit!” growled Jerry, storming back into the cabin, seconds later. “I don’t know how he did it, but I’ll blow his fucking brains out when I find him.”
“What’s happening?” I asked.
Jerry glared at me. “He’s somehow escaped.”
As we stared at each other, the lights went out and Jerry began to really freak out. “Goddammit!” he raged. “Thinks he’s smart, does he? Well, I got what he wants, so I’m running this fucking show! Come on, bitch,” he spat, moving towards me. “We’re getting the fuck out of here.”
Once my hands were free, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me towards the door. “Don’t you dare fuck with me, cunt,” he warned. “Or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”
I bit my tongue as he pulled me into the darkness, his gun drawn.
“You’d better give yourself up, Sharp!” hollered Jerry. “Or I’ll paint the snow with her blood! Make me one great fucking picture, too!”
A noise from somewhere behind the cabin startled us both. Jerry tightened his grip on my wrist and began pulling me in that direction. “Well, I know one thing for sure, that fucker is hurt,” he said, motioning towards the speckles of blood on the snow. “He can’t be too far.”
I heard a creaking sound from somewhere above. We both turned as Jake fell from the top of an old shed sitting next to the cabin, landing on Jerry. I leaped away and watched as they rolled around in the snow together, wrestling for the gun.
I didn’t hesitate.
I turned and rushed towards the front of the cabin, plowing through the snow in my heavy boots. When I heard the echo of the gunshots, I began to sob. Deep down, I knew I probably wasn’t going to escape, not this time.
“Lindsey!” hollered Jake.
I turned and saw him limping towards me with the gun in his hand. I pushed myself faster.
“For the love of God, woman, stop running! I’ve been shot!”
Images of the dead women on his phone, especially the ones of Darcy, rushed through my mind. I ignored Jake and pushed myself faster. Unfortunately, what did me in was the clear ice on the driveway. As I moved, I miscalculated how slippery the black ice was, and landed flat on my back.
“Lindsey!” cried Jake, crouching down next to me.
I shoved him. “Don’t touch me!”
“Wait,” he said, trying to help me as I struggled to get up.
The sharp pains in my lower back were excruciating. “Please,” I choked. “Just leave me alone.”
He motioned behind him. “Lindsey, he’s dead, honey. He can’t hurt you.”
“But you can,” I cried as he grabbed my arm again. “Please let me go!”
He stared at me, incredulously. “Babe, I would never hurt you. Never!”
It was then that I felt the wetness between my legs and began to sob. I knew exactly what it meant.
“Oh, my God,” he whispered in horror, see
ing the blood on my pants. “Lindsey…”
“Call an ambulance,” I moaned, turning my head away from his face. “Please.”
Chapter Thirty-two
I stepped quietly into Jake’s hospital room and moved towards the bed. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. I pulled a chair out from the side of the room and moved it next to him.
His eyes opened. “Hey,” he whispered, hoarsely.
I leaned forward and slid my hand over his. “Hey.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said, glancing at my stomach.
“No. It’s not your fault. If anything, it was mine.”
He frowned. “Why, because you thought I was some cold-blooded killer and was only trying to escape? Hell, if I found what you did, I’d think the same damn thing. Don’t go blaming yourself, Lindsey.”
I stared at Jake, still feeling guilty about accusing him of murder. When they’d found both of our cell phones in Jerry’s possession, along with the murdered girl’s body in the trunk of his squad car, I’d never been so relieved in my life. Apparently, the flip-phone containing the pictures of the dead women had been Jake’s, the one that had been stolen over a year ago. Jerry had used it to take pictures of his and Parker’s victims, starting with Darcy.
“I still can’t believe that bastard found us, especially on our honeymoon,” said Jake.
“He was a crafty son-of-a-bitch,” I said. “In fact, I hadn’t even realized our phones were missing. He must have broken into the cabin when we were skiing, took ours, and planted the other one.”
He nodded. “He wanted to frame me, obviously, or at least, scare the hell out of you.”
I laughed bitterly. “Well, he did a good job. I’m just glad he’s not around anymore, plotting more revenge. He’s already taken so much from me.”
Jake sighed and slipped his fingers between mine. “You know, we can try again. In fact,” he said, scooting over on the mattress. “Hop on up and we’ll get started, right now.”
I chuckled. “Right, you just survived a near-fatal shot in your side. Just get some rest, Detective. We have plenty of time to try again.”
His face became serious. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
I stared at him for a minute and nodded. “Considering that I’m alive and still with the man I love, I’m doing just fine. The fact that we lost this child isn’t easy, but I’m not going to let it tear me up inside.”
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