by PJ Fernor
Mayor Jim walked me around the SUV to the passenger side.
He opened the door and pushed at the middle of my back.
As I climbed into the SUV, I looked down at Allie.
She looked up at me with a piece of silver tape over her mouth.
Her wrists and ankles were taped also.
“Allie Down,” I whispered.
“No romance talk,” Mayor Jim. “Just move.”
He hit the gun to the middle of my back.
I gritted my teeth, using all my might not to throw an elbow and knock him out.
Even though I knew Allie was alive, I knew nothing about Lizzy.
That meant I was still at his mercy.
I reached down and helped Allie up into a seated position between the two seats in the back of the SUV. They were captain’s chairs so there was plenty of space.
As I touched her cheek, wanting to get the tape off her mouth, Mayor Jim got into the driver’s seat.
The gun was pointed back at me.
“Don’t do it,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. “You have us both. She can’t breathe the right way with tape on her mouth.”
“I don’t want to hear her voice, Ben. She drives me insane.”
“I followed your instructions, Jim. I didn’t fight back.”
“You had no choice.”
“I’m sitting here, aren’t I?” I asked.
“You want to know what’s going on.”
“I want the tape off Allie’s mouth. Right now.”
Mayor Jim stared at me, then Allie, then back at me.
“Go ahead,” he said. “If she screams, she dies. That’ll be on you, Ben.”
“She won’t scream,” I said. I looked at Allie. “I’m sorry, Allie Down. This might hurt a little…”
My fingertips peeled at the tape.
Allie shut her eyes and I began to pull.
I watched the way her skin stretched, the tape not wanting to let go.
Allie began to groan as I pulled harder.
My heart climbed up into my throat.
“Just do it in one rip,” Mayor Jim said. “Get it over with. We don’t have time to waste.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
I ripped the tape in one shot.
Allie let out a whimper and her eyes filled with tears.
“Ben,” she whispered.
I hugged her but she couldn’t hug me back.
“That’s enough,” Mayor Jim said. “I let you take the tape off her mouth. Nothing else.”
“You’re dead,” Allie said.
“See what I mean?” Mayor Jim asked me.
“You are dead,” I said.
“Actually, I’m not dead,” Mayor Jim said. “Detective Lizzy Cold on the other hand…”
Mayor Jim winced and turned to face forward.
I started to make a move and Allie nudged me.
She shook her head.
I couldn’t do a thing.
I had to sit there.
Mayor Jim started up the SUV and began to drive.
“At the very least, Jim, can you tell me where we’re going?” I asked.
Mayor Jim looked back and offered that million-dollar smile of his. Then he said, “You’ll see.”
Chapter Eighty
I was happy to have the tape off my mouth.
And I was happy to see Ben.
At the same time, we were both in a bad position. And Lizzy was still missing.
I thought about Lo.
At home, alone with Ben’s father and a nurse.
There were too many worst-case scenarios that played through my head.
My wrists were itchy and sore.
The tape around my ankles wasn’t all that bad.
Mayor Jim knew what he was doing though.
With a gun in my face, he made me get out of my car and into his SUV.
We had driven around the block and he told me if I didn’t listen to him, I would never see Lo or Ben again. That’s when he taped my wrists. Then my ankles. Then a piece over my mouth.
He made me get into the backseat and left me there.
Years of work and patience taught me not to struggle too much or else I’d end up panicking or hurting myself. So I remained calm and waited. I knew Mayor Jim’s plan wasn’t just to put tape on my hands and wrists and mouth and leave me.
I still had no idea what his plan was, but at least I was sitting up, next to Ben.
“Tell us something, Jim,” I said.
“Nothing to tell right now.”
“Where is Lizzy?” Ben asked.
“Just hang tight,” Mayor Jim said.
“I can’t believe this,” I said. “First it was Laura. Look what she did to this town. For years, Jim. For years. And now… you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Mayor Jim said.
“Wait a second,” Ben said. “Jim, did you have anything to do with Laura?”
Mayor Jim hit the brakes hard.
Ben was able to brace himself.
I wasn’t able to.
I turned my head and shut my eyes.
My face hit the back of Mayor Jim’s seat.
Not too hard, but hard enough that my neck stung with pain for a second.
“Sorry about that, Allie,” Mayor Jim said as he turned around.
He still had the gun in his hand.
“I want to be clear on something,” he said. “This entire thing…” He shook his head. “I have nothing to do with Laura. That much you need to hear right now.”
“What about the rest then?” Ben asked. “This makes no sense, Jim.”
Mayor Jim sighed. “I don’t want to do this right now. I want to fix all of this.”
“Then tell us how it can be fixed,” I said.
“It’s my brother, not me,” Mayor Jim. “My brother.”
“You have a brother?” I asked.
“Yes, I have a brother. That’s what got your detective friend in so much trouble.”
“Lizzy found the truth,” Ben said.
“I had no choice,” Mayor Jim said.
“What did you do to Lizzy?”
“My brother is a special person,” Mayor Jim said. “He’s really special. I love him a lot.”
“Special,” Ben said.
“He’s a murderer, isn’t he?” I asked.
“We had everything under control,” Mayor Jim said. “Then it just got… it got to be too much. I helped him so much. I talked to him. I thought we had everything in place. But I guess not.”
“What does that even mean?” Ben asked.
“It means my brother is not a bad person,” Mayor Jim said. He pointed the gun at Ben. “Got it?”
“I’m not agreeing to a thing, Jim. He’s a killer. And what about you? How far would you go to help your brother? What have you done in this?”
“I will shoot you right now, Ben,” Mayor Jim said.
“Ben, that’s enough,” I said. “Jim, tell us more about your brother. And about Lizzy. We need to know Lizzy is okay.”
“Lizzy is okay,” Mayor Jim said.
“Then take us to her,” Ben said. “End this, Jim. You can end this if what you’re saying is true.”
“I’m not done talking,” Mayor Jim said. “This is important. My brother… he’s going to be okay too. Okay? He’s not who you think. He’s not what you think. He’s had a hard life. I’ve loved him though. I’ve taken care of him. Me. Okay? And, yeah, I would do anything for my brother.”
“Jim, who killed Claire and Candice?” I asked.
Mayor Jim turned around in his seat. He ignored my question. “Lizzy is okay. I’m taking you to her right now. I had to stop her from making any other moves. She knew too much. I thought the past was gone but it wasn’t. There’s just too much. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“I saw the blood, Jim,” I said. “In the pillowcase.”
“I know,” he said. “Lizzy’s lip got busted open. That wa
s it. She is tied up right now though. I had no choice. I had to keep her safe. Steady. I had to know where she was at all times. Just like you two. I have to control this. Someone needs to control it.”
“Take us to Lizzy,” I said. “Right now.”
“That’s where I’m going,” Mayor Jim. “When we get to the house, you’ll see that I’m telling the truth.”
“You drive and keep talking,” Ben said. “We need to know everything.”
“I’m the one with the gun,” Mayor Jim said. “I’ll say what needs to be said and nothing else.”
“That’s fair, Jim,” I said. Ben and I looked at each other and I nodded. “You have the gun. I want you to know something though. We can help you. Whatever the situation is with your brother, we can help. You know us by now. We’re always here to listen.”
“I know that,” Mayor Jim said. “I just wanted to see how close you’d get. You got too close. Way too close. I blame myself. This time was my fault. Everything started happening at once. Too much at once. I thought maybe you’d leave it alone, Allie. With all that was on your plate. Then I had no choice but to call-”
“Lizzy,” Ben said.
“That’s right,” Mayor Jim said. “Once Lizzy was-”
“No, look,” Ben said. “It’s Lizzy!”
I looked out the window and sure enough, there was Detective Lizzy Cold, walking down the sidewalk, her face twisted in anger.
“How in the world did she escape?” Mayor Jim asked.
Ben and I looked at each other again.
Only Lizzy could get kidnapped, tied up, then manage to escape and just walk down the sidewalk.
Chapter Eighty-One
Mayor Jim pulled his SUV to the side of the road.
Lizzy stopped walking and we all looked at her.
She had a fierce look in her eyes. One I could not blame her for, and one that almost made me shiver.
“I don’t get how….,” Mayor Jim whispered.
“I’m just glad she’s alive,” Ben said.
Mayor Jim turned to look at us. “I told you she was alive. I didn’t lie to you. I’m not going to lie to you.”
“You’ve done enough, Jim,” I said. “How about I get untied and we figure this mess out?”
“Let me talk to Lizzy first,” Mayor Jim. “I need to apologize to her. I need her to know this wasn’t personal. It was merely a business decision. I had to keep her from figuring it all out. I needed to have the chance to explain myself. That’s why I was taking you two to meet up with her. To prove to you all that I’m not the dangerous person you think I am.”
“A murderer is a dangerous person,” I said.
“It’s not like that!” Mayor Jim yelled.
Ben put his hands out. “Jim, hand over the gun and let’s talk this thing through. Beginning to end.”
“Not yet,” he said. “Not until I get everything I want. Then I’ll go quietly.”
“You’ve never been quiet a day in your life,” I said.
Mayor Jim laughed. “That’s true, Allie. See? Look at us? We’re calm. We’re having fun.”
“My wrists hurt,” I said.
“Jim, let me let her go,” Ben said. “We’re not going to do anything crazy.”
“Not yet,” he said. “Not until I talk to Lizzy.”
Mayor Jim opened his door and got out of the SUV, then walked toward Lizzy, the gun in his hand.
Ben grabbed for my wrists and I threw my shoulder into him.
“What are you doing?” Ben asked.
“Don’t worry about me yet,” I said. “Get out there and save Lizzy. Jim’s got a gun.”
Ben hurried out of the SUV.
I watched as Mayor Jim got closer to Lizzy. He flashed his politician’s smile.
A second later, Lizzy swung and slapped Mayor Jim across the face.
“Lizzy!” I cried out as though she could hear me.
There was nothing I could do because my wrists and ankles were still taped up.
As Mayor Jim tried to keep his balance, Lizzy went after him again.
“She’s crazy,” I whispered. “She’s absolutely crazy.”
Detective Lizzy Cold… attacking a man with a gun…
After the third slap to Mayor Jim’s head and face, I watched as the gun fell out of his hand.
That’s when Ben made his move.
He swooped right in and picked the gun up off the ground.
Then he put his body between Lizzy and Mayor Jim, facing Lizzy.
He said something to Lizzy and she showed her hands and backed off.
Ben spun around and showed Mayor Jim he had the gun now.
There was a moment of relief.
Mayor Jim looked back at me. The look in his eyes was still the same. He wasn’t defeated. This was merely a bump in the road for him.
Ben gave orders and Mayor Jim listened.
The three walked to the SUV.
Ben took the driver’s seat and Mayor Jim took the passenger seat. That left Lizzy getting into the backseat with me.
“Hey, Lizzy,” I said.
“Allie,” she said. “Can you believe this guy?”
She punched the passenger seat and Mayor Jim jumped.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to her.
“Don’t be. This is why you brought me here. I solved the case.”
“I know you did,” I said. “He told us.”
“About his brother?”
I nodded.
“I don’t even get my moment to shine,” Lizzy said.
She punched the seat again.
“Please stop,” Mayor Jim said.
“Lizzy, get Allie free,” Ben said. “Then we can take Mayor Jim somewhere proper where he can confess everything and this can be over.”
“Not so fast, Ben,” Mayor Jim said. “We’re far from over.”
I turned and Lizzy worked on the tape on my wrists.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked.
“He’s not going to tell us,” Lizzy said. “That’s what he’s going to hold over our heads. I figured it all out. His brother has been hidden from the world. The guy is a flat-out psycho. Jim was left to raise his brother. Left to watch over him as he grew violent and dangerous. Then came the night his brother killed Maryse. Jim was there working with Lenny to cover it up. Lenny had no idea what was going on. He was worried about his wife. So the case went cold. The notes were from Jim. To protect his brother. From there, Jim knew he had to figure out how to handle his brother’s urges better. Right?”
“Right,” Mayor Jim said.
“What does that mean?” Ben asked.
My wrists were finally free. I leaned down and began to take the tape off my ankles.
“Check other small towns,” Lizzy said. “Look for missing travelers. People who had no family and friends. People nobody would really miss. I promise you’ll find a whole collection of them.”
“Your brother is a serial killer,” I said, feeling my heart sink.
“And if you don’t do what I say, you’ll never find him,” Mayor Jim said. “I know where he is. He’s not at my house. You can ask Lizzy.”
“Well, I didn’t see the entire house,” Lizzy said.
“Where is he?” Ben asked, pointing the gun at Mayor Jim.
“Go ahead and shoot me, Ben. You’ll never know the truth. You’ll never know the full story. And you’ll never find my brother. Without me, he’ll be the most ruthless serial killer to ever live. I’m the only one who can keep him under control.”
“So that’s what you want right now?” I asked. “To play this game, Jim? Okay, fine, I’ll play for a second. What do you want from us?”
Mayor Jim looked at me. “What I’ve wanted all along.”
“What?” I asked.
“I want my parade.”
Chapter Eighty-Two
Mayor Jim began to cry.
He buried his face into his hands and wept.
I had no idea why but I felt some kind of emoti
on toward the man.
So much so I started to reach for him.
Lizzy slapped my hand away. “To hell with this guy. He attacked me!”
“I’m sorry,” Mayor Jim wept. “I’m so sorry, Detective Cold…”
“Jim, wipe your face and talk to us,” Ben said. “This is the most insane thing I’ve ever encountered in my life.”
Mayor Jim lifted his head. “If you want this all to end, then I need my parade. I have to have my parade.”
“Forget the parade, Jim,” I said. “You’re a murderer. So is your brother.”
“Time to start talking,” Ben said.
“Or maybe I’ll put a pillowcase over your head,” Lizzy said. “How would that feel?”
“I’m so sorry,” Mayor Jim said. His eyes looked weary and scared. He looked at me. “Please, Allie. You know who I really am.”
“I don’t know a thing about you, Jim. I didn’t know you had a brother. That was the missing piece to this entire thing. That’s why it always felt so close. I knew it all along that whoever this was had to be close. But… you…”
“You had a sister, right?” Mayor Jim asked me.
“You know the answer to that.”
“Your sister died. You lost her. You understand my pain.”
“How so, Jim?” I asked.
“My brother was forgotten. He wasn’t loved. He was different. Everyone knew he was different and everyone wanted to pretend like he didn’t exist. I refused to let him live that way. I took care of him. I loved him. I did everything I could for him. But he always told me what he was thinking and what he wanted to do. He always wanted to kill someone. To see what it was like.”
Mayor Jim cleared his throat and sat forward, facing the windshield.
“I worked with Lenny because I wanted to stay close to everything,” Mayor Jim said. “I wanted to understand everything about police work. Honestly, I wanted to be prepared in case my brother snapped. Then he snuck out and killed Maryse. In a sad way I thought of all people to kill… at least it was her. She had nobody. Nobody cared about her.”
“She was still a person,” Lizzy said.
“I know she was!” Mayor Jim yelled.
“It’s okay, Jim,” I said. “Keep going. Please.”