Not because she poked and prodded, but because she was willing to take a closer look at things most people liked to gloss over. Maybe they could have worked out in the long run, if it wasn’t for the man who’d seen right through all of Jordan’s insecurities.
What he’d made her say on the video was so ridiculous, but thinking of it didn’t make her laugh, on the contrary. This was how they’d remember her. The realization, oddly, hurt more than any of the physical pain he’d inflicted on her.
Chapter Sixteen
“You can’t stay away, can you?” It was more frustration than anything in Henderson’s voice, Ellie decided, and she knew this frustration wasn’t directed at her. She wondered whether she should share her suspicion with him. Could it harm? He had worked with Jordan for many years. If there was any, albeit small chance they could save her, he’d listen.
“How well do you know Dr. Roberts?” Testing the waters.
He groaned. “Not now, Ellie. She might not be the warmest person I know, but she knows her job and that is all I care about. There’ll be time to sort out everything else once we find Jordan, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“You’re worried, and exhausted, I get that. We all are. Unlike us, you have the luxury of going home, so I suggest you do that.”
“I will. Just one more thing. Do you trust her?”
“Her credits speak for themselves. I’m sorry, Ellie, I’ve got to go.”
Ellie didn’t question any of Bethany’s credits, but her position was also a good one to hide behind. After Derek had left, she made sure no one was watching her, and then sat behind the computer Bethany had used earlier. She knew she was desperate. If Bethany was in any way involved, she’d be better at covering her tracks than that, but Ellie had to try. She opened a drawer to find a flyer for a medieval market, and a business card of the realtor, Jonathan Darby.
Was he the man Sheila’s colleague at the All Colors had seen talking to Lori and Bella? Had anyone ever followed up on that? Now was a moment as good as any.
Sheila was working behind the counter when Ellie arrived. Obviously, she wasn’t happy to see Ellie again after barely escaping with her life and coming close to losing her job. She had fully cooperated with the police, so the All Colors wouldn’t be closed down altogether, and she could continue to work here.
“What now?”
“I won’t bother you for long,” Ellie promised, thinking the woman could be a little more grateful considering the police had saved her life as well. “Can you just tell me if you ever saw him?” She had printed out a picture of Darby from his website.
Sheila’s sullen expression turned to surprise. “I saw him only once, but I’m pretty sure he hung out with Bella and Lori that night. They got into a fight over something, and he left. It wasn’t when either of them disappeared though. Wait…I think he had drinks with Lori’s husband once. I could be mistaken though.” That was, well, a little better than nothing. She’d found a picture of Bethany as well, from a newspaper article, but Sheila shook her head. “I would have remembered her.”
Ellie suppressed a sigh. “Thank you so much. This helps a lot.”
Her next stop was at Lori Gleason’s. She was lucky the woman knew her, because otherwise she might not have opened the door to Ellie, especially since she wasn’t in uniform.
“Are you all right?”
Those were not the first words she had expected from a woman who’d barely escaped a serial killer. Ellie cast a self-conscious look at herself in the mirror next to the wardrobe. She looked a bit frantic. What was she to do when everyone seemed to believe she was imagining things, and they weren’t looking for Jordan in the right place? Was she looking in the right place?
Lori had to help her, because there was something that bound them together now, her, Jordan, and Lori. They had to end it, if they ever wanted to be free from the boundaries one man had inflicted on them, because he felt he had the right to do so.
“I am fine,” she said, trying not to sound irritated. “I just need you to answer me one question. Do you know this man?”
Lori looked puzzled when Ellie showed her the picture. “The other cops already asked me. Mr. Darby worked with my husband a few times, and he sold the house where…” She swallowed hard. “…where the cops found me that day.”
“Yes, I know, but did you ever talk to him in any other context?”
Lori shook her head.
“Someone told me they saw you with him and Bella, at the All Colors. Please, Lori, this is important.”
“They must be mistaken,” Lori insisted. “There’s nothing I can tell you.”
Something about her choice of words struck Ellie as odd. Then again, they were both at the end of their line. Odd had become the usual.
“I’d like to leave this picture with you, and here’s my private cell phone number. If you remember anything, please call me, day or night.”
Lori accepted the picture and card, but turned away almost immediately.
“Please leave.”
“I will. Remember, he can’t hurt you anymore.”
“He’s still out there.” Lori laughed bitterly. “Unless you kill the monsters, don’t they always come back?”
Ellie didn’t have an answer for her.
She left a message with Kate, just to be on the safe side, before she made the drive to Darby’s estate, an impressive Victorian-style building. She wasn’t an expert, but there were elements Ellie thought looked Gothic. There was his possible connection to Judy Lawrence.
It was obvious to her that Lori hadn’t told the truth. Was he still threatening her? What was his endgame? Was it always the kill, did he mean to draw it out, or was he simply enjoying to know there were women living in fear he might come back for them?
* * * *
Judy vaguely remembered making it out the front door of the house of horrors, almost falling down the stairs, catching herself again. Stumbling across the front yard, down the driveway. She knew it was important to find a house, get help, but the old barn was as far as she made it. Now, for the first time, she was awake for longer than a few minutes, more aware of her surroundings.
Judy wanted to hide out in the barn forever, never again see or speak to another person, but she was so hungry, and there was still the other woman with him. Lori…No, he had moved Lori. The woman had said she was with the police.
Judy was terrified that he could still come after her, a fear that was choking her, rendering her paralyzed. She had to move. Get away. There had to be people in the house, a phone. She would break a window if she had to.
She still couldn’t understand what had happened to her, or why, but she felt the urgency. Someone had come for her, and that woman was in mortal danger.
“Ma’am?”
She flinched violently at the male voice, her eyes darting around wildly, looking for an escape. The man who had found her wasn’t her tormentor. In fact, as he raised his flashlight, she could see the shocked expression in his face.
“Peggy!” he shouted. “Come on over here, quick!”
“Please, don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me,” Judy whimpered, sinking to her knees.
“What happened?” The woman arrived behind her husband.
Judy crumbled to the floor, holding her head in her hands. “Please, no.” They were going to punish her, for sure. No one tolerated an intruder, be it in one’s home, or relationship.
“I think we should call the police,” the woman said, her voice shaky.
“No kidding, and an ambulance too,” the husband agreed. “It looks like she’s hurt.”
“Don’t you see?” Peggy interrupted him. “This is the woman the police are looking for, Judy Lawrence. She was on the news, remember?”
Judy hoped she had paid her dues, because she couldn’t cling to consciousness any longer.
* * * *
“I know you said the words, but did you mean them? Have you accepted your punishment?”
He touched the side of her face lightly. Jordan cringed, not from pain, but the way her mind went crazy whenever he touched her like this, infecting her with the fear of what might happen. Memory. Reality. It was clear to her that he had done a lot of homework on all his victims, otherwise he couldn’t know about the trailer, or all those other little details of her history he liked to throw back into her face.
This wasn’t her, not anymore. As long as she was conscious, she had to hold on to the image of a woman who had been, until now, fairly competent on the job and was just getting used to the notion she might be lovable.
“I have.” Pretense, lie, truth?
“Good. Then we can move on to the next stage.”
He went to the bathroom and, moments later, returned with a large bucket. Jordan had only split seconds to wonder about his intention before he poured the ice-cold water over her. She gasped, trying to catch her breath against the harsh sensation.
Darby looked down at her, his gaze impassive. “A whore who’s sorry is still a dirty whore, you know? Don’t worry though. We’re getting there. Sooner than you think.” He leaned down to brush the wet hair out of her face. She was shaking hard, her body reacting to the overload of fatigue and pain.
“In fact, I think we could start the last phase right now. With Judy sneaking away and your little girlfriend putting things together, we have a little less time now.”
It was funny how he called Ellie her girlfriend, when he had made her beg Bethany for forgiveness. Also…Judy had gotten away. Maybe she had survived.
“You think we need those?” he asked, brushing a finger over the shackles. “Will you be good if I open them?”
She could tell this would be the deciding moment, and she could increase her chances in degrees if she made the right decision—or maybe she had already become delusional and there was no chance she could defeat him, with or without shackles. She had to try, for herself, and all the other women.
“I’ll do what you say.”
His smile was smug as he looked her up and down. “Yes, you will,” he whispered.
Jordan was uncomfortably aware of how the fabric, once crisp white, stuck to her skin. Her hands shook so badly he probably thought it was safe to let her out of the shackles—he wanted her to struggle a bit at least.
She was going to give him all the fight she had left in her.
The shackles finally fell, and Jordan had a moment of irrational regret thinking the marks they left would scar.
“You’re all mine now, Jordan. It’s time.”
“No, it’s your time now. Get away from her.”
He froze, and so did Jordan. Neither of them had expected to hear Ellie’s voice in here.
* * * *
It wasn’t until she returned to her home and received a text message from a friend that Kate McCarthy got to check her voicemail, and found Ellie’s urgent sounding message. As she listened, her gaze fell on the papers Ellie had left lying on the kitchen table, all of them copies relating to the serial killer case and the disappearance of Detective Carpenter.
Since they’d come back from clubbing, where both she and Jensen had a few drinks, they couldn’t go and check it out. She was worried and feeling guilty for finding the message so late.
She’d take the chance and check if Henderson was still at the station. He might know more.
“Are you sure you have to do this tonight?” Jensen asked. “Ellie already is in over her head.”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about. Let’s take a cab. Could you call? I’ll try to get Henderson in the meantime.”
“Sure, I’ll—wow, take a look at this,” he said, pointing at the screen of the TV he’d switched on when they came in.
The local channel was reporting Breaking News, movement in the disturbing serial killer case. The latest victim, Judy Lawrence, had been found alive in a farmer’s barn.
“Wait.” Kate picked up the papers once more. The copies were chat and email transcripts, and from the maps they had found in Gleason’s house. Ellie had marked a point in the center of one map, the home address of realtor Jonathan Darby she’d wanted to check out tonight. It was less than a mile away from where Judy Lawrence had turned up.
Chapter Seventeen
“What is this?” Jonathan Darby asked, sounding amused. “Are you jealous I changed my mind? Why, I’m so sorry, Ellie. I guess I prefer brunettes after all.”
“Turn around, slowly, with your hands where I can see them.”
“Come on, you’re smarter than that, aren’t you? You didn’t think I’d let you come down here if I didn’t know how to deal with intruders?”
Ellie looked around and decided he was messing with her. The trap door didn’t magically close, and there was nothing suggesting an imminent threat. She avoided the falling chains at the last moment, but hit her shoulder on the concrete floor, the gun slipping from her fingers.
Not now, damn it. She couldn’t afford to lose the vague sense of safety the cold steel in her hands had presented, or slip into a flashback of that night she walked home from the bar. As she struggled to her feet, he gripped the chain, advancing on her.
“I like those,” he said. “Really solid, you can break bones with them. Do you still have nightmares, Ellie? Do you remember our night?”
She backed up a step, wondering if Kate had found the message and drawn her conclusions from it. In any case, she didn’t have a lot more time. She needed to get Jordan and herself out of this hell.
When he raised the chains, she ducked, trying to break the impact with her hands, trying to get a hold of them. She might be tired, but being so close to ending the ongoing nightmare, gave her a jolt of adrenaline. She managed to grip one end and launch it into his face.
Ellie might not have broken any bones, but the blood spurting from his nose was a satisfying sight.
“Not…anymore.” She meant to step aside, but slipped in what she recognized too late as a puddle. He was coming at her again, and then a shot rang out, and Darby dropped to the ground with a surprised look on his face. He was unconscious, but to be safe, Ellie wrapped some of the heavy chains around his ankles. She’d have to keep an eye on him until help arrived.
She finally dared to look at Jordan who had lowered the gun, but held on to it in a white-knuckled grip. Ellie would have done the same, if their roles were reversed.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “You can give it to me now. I can take it from here.” In fact, she didn’t think Jordan could take any more. Their hands touched briefly when she handed Ellie the gun. Jordan’s were ice-cold, trembling, which wasn’t a surprise, given her state of dress, a tattered shirt over bra and panties. She was drenched in cold water.
“It’s over,” Ellie said, needing to convince both of them. She couldn’t let her imagination and fears run wild now. “I left a message with Kate. She knows I’m here.”
Jordan mustered a wry smile. “Smarter than I was. Don’t…turn your back to him.”
Ellie cast a quick glance towards Darby, who didn’t move.
“I won’t.” She shrugged out of her cardigan and put it around Jordan’s shoulders, carefully, as not to cause her anymore pain. If she could get to her feet, maybe they could make it up those stairs? She could call for more backup, and she’d feel better once they could lock him in down here. That was the priority. Everything else could wait.
“Let’s get out of here. Come. Let me…” She holstered her gun, offering both hands to help her up. Jordan went with the movement, but she paled and her eyes welled up.
“I know. Just a little bit longer. You made it this far. I know you’re hurt. We’ll go slow. Help is on the way.”
She was afraid she was going to lose her if they didn’t move now. On the floor, Darby groaned, trying to get the heavy chains off him. Ellie stayed behind Jordan, carefully watching her, the slow pace heartbreaking. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Two, three steps, it seemed to take forever.
Th
en, finally, voices, noise from above.
“We’re here!” she shouted, then remembering the room she’d come through was soundproof. She had found this place, so would they, right?
Ellie froze when a hand clamped around her ankle and pulled sharply. She tried to hold on to something, but there was no railing, and her hands flailed in mid-air.
“Go!” she yelled before she lost her footing and tumbled back into darkness.
* * * *
Jonathan Darby had not counted in how angry she was, for the sense of safety he’d robbed her of, the nightmares, the other women he’d hurt, including the one she…No, now wasn’t a good time to analyze her feelings for Jordan. Ellie was back on her feet instantly, lashing out and kicking. Fortunately, the gunshot had slowed down Darby.
“Ellie! It’s okay. You’re okay. You’ve got him.”
The concerned face of Derek Henderson came into view. Taking a deep breath, Ellie stepped back, staggering.
“You’ll be next!” Darby hissed. “Don’t think you can escape your punishment!”
Ellie was tempted to kick him again, but she wouldn’t have given in to the impulse even if it wasn’t for Derek’s hand on her shoulder. She knew Darby would use every possible, no matter how ridiculous, chance of accusing her if that meant he could slither out of some of the charges.
“Do you know how we punish murdering bastards? We put their asses in jail.”
“That’s right,” Derek said. “The ambulance is waiting outside. Let’s get upstairs.”
“Hey, honey, you were waiting for me?” Darby sneered at Jordan.
They had gone much too easy on him, Ellie thought bitterly when, at the sight of Jordan, he seemed to forget all about his injuries. Bethany was with her. She had discarded Ellie’s cardigan in favor of a blanket.
“Jordan, you must know you were my favorite,” Darby yelled when the uniformed cops lead him to the squad car. “I enjoyed teaching you most of all.” He laughed, a crazy eerie sound that made Ellie want to punch him, but instead she directed her attention at Jordan. She looked lost, even with her girlfriend’s arm around her. Ellie moved her shoulder, wincing at the sharp pain she hadn’t felt earlier when he pulled her back down into the basement. Now, it made itself known with a vengeance.
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