by Mason, V. F.
“Zachary told me very little about his mom.”
“Oh, she was one of a kind. Beautiful, gracious, gentle. I don’t think there were people who hated her. Ever. And Mister Anthony loved her. They were a match made in heaven.”
I raise my knees, resting my chin on them while contemplating her words. “But he remarried rather quickly.” I have no doubts Anthony and Olivia love each other, even if Zachary hates his stepmother. It’s painfully obvious the older couple have a mutual affection that has nothing to do with money. However, I’m curious to listen to an outsider’s opinion on this situation, rather than seeing it all through Zachary’s eyes.
Patience exhales heavily. “Yes, and that was the end of their relationship. Zachary was too small to understand. And whenever Mr. King tried to explain years later, he wouldn’t listen. Then both of them just gave up. It’s sad that’s what it is.”
My brows furrow. “Listen to what?”
She glances toward Emmaline before shifting closer to me and dropping her voice, as if someone might hear us, even though the other people on the beach are far away. “He married Olivia so fast, because he was protecting her from her ex-husband.” I still at this information. “He fell in love, yes, but he would have waited a long time before bringing them to Katherine’s house. You had to see how much he loved her to know that about him. But Miss Olivia’s husband was a very bad man.”
I stay silent, too afraid to put all the puzzle pieces together once again in my head, yet dread already fills me in anticipation of her next words.
“They’d been divorced for two years. She left him, because he wasn’t mentally stable, I think. Anyhow, he lost his damn mind for good when she started dating Mr. King. Once, he attacked her really violently, and she ended up in the hospital. However, no one could prove it was him, but they were sure.”
Oh my God, poor Olivia.
“So Mr. King did the only thing he felt was right. He married her and took her and the kids under his wing.” She exhales heavily. “He thought that would be the end of it, but… threats started to come from different anonymous sources. Despite King’s wealth, they couldn’t do anything about them, and then…”
“And then?”
“The psycho threatened to kill Zachary, and he probably would have. Anthony had no choice but to send him away.” And in this, he broke his son’s heart even more, but I don’t blame him.
He couldn’t have explained it all to his son, and his only instinct was to protect his child.
“I just don’t understand. How about the police? FBI? Or King’s security? I mean, who was her ex-husband that he had more resources than the Kings?” Judging by how Zachary lives, getting whatever he wants with the crook of his finger, it’s hard, or more like impossible, for me to imagine Anthony King was this helpless against some man.
“He was a computer genius who could never be traced. Not to mention, he could change documents and his appearance in the blink of an eye.” Patience pauses, taking a few breaths before becoming silent, while my palms sweat and my heartbeat speeds up when the full meaning of it settles in.
What are the chances that Olivia’s ex-husband waited almost three decades to fulfill his plan to kill Zachary, just like he promised all those years ago? But first, decided to play with us all and liked it a bit too much?
In all those profiles about the unsub, I always for some reason thought about someone young, but what if it’s this man?
He fits the profile with the powerful hate toward the Kings for what he thinks was stolen from him, his family.
In his mind, they probably left because of the Kings, so they deserve punishment.
And what greater punishment than killing the heir to the throne?
Yet, I still don’t understand how I’m connected to all of this, but maybe he has been a patient or someone…. Where in the hell could I have been kind to him?
Regardless, the father and son’s relationship suffered from a misunderstanding, when in fact, the exile Zach faced was Anthony’s way of showing him love and protection without uttering the words. “This is really tragic.”
Patience shakes her head. “Tragic was the kidnapping. For years, they tried to find the child when the father dragged it to hell and back. That was one of the reasons Anthony couldn’t allow Zach back home. It was too risky. The FBI flat out forbade it. They had no doubts he would have kidnapped Zach too.”
“Kidnapping?” I repeat while the ringing in my ears intensifies, and my pulse too, my heart beating so fast I feel like it’s about to jump out of my chest.
“Snatched right off the playground. I thought Miss Olivia wouldn’t survive. For five years, she didn’t know what was going on with her child. They continued to live on; the police claimed the child was probably dead, but Olivia believed otherwise.”
Oh no.
Oh no-no-no.
Everything in me screams to cover my ears from this unfolding truth that will forever shatter a mother’s heart, a family, and our lives, because finally the real name of the unsub will come to life.
“Until one day they got the phone call that they found the child, beaten and starved in a basement of a house. The neighbors found the child, because the smell was horrendous. The man died ten days before.” She shudders while the bile in my throat rises in my throat, the disgust mixing with empathy toward the child who probably was treated worse than a dog.
This treatment resulted in his future hate toward Zachary, because they protected him. They got him away, while the abusive dad got the other child, ruining his spirit and body.
And when these kinds of things happen, the psyche tries to protect us, placing the blame where it doesn’t belong yet somehow makes perfect sense in their heads.
I bet the dad repeated many times how no one searched for him or how everyone doted on Zachary, so he couldn’t catch him.
Then daddy dearest died.
And Zachary lived on.
There must have been a trigger, some sort of shift that resulted in all this violence that followed, and somehow, I think that’s where I come in.
“Thankfully, the child didn’t remember anything, and with the help of the doctors, it all became a bad dream.”
Oh, if only.
If only it was all this easy, we wouldn’t have so many villains in this world who find solace when they bring pain to other people, hoping it will numb theirs.
But it doesn’t, because nothing is enough to shut up all the voices in their head reminding them of the past.
At least in their cases, because they’ve succumbed to dark desires.
No one is born with the ax in their hand, ready to kill whoever; every evil is nurtured by its environment or ignorance of society.
“Who was it?” I ask, while freezing completely in anticipation of her answer. “Who was the child that was kidnapped?”
Patience waves at Emmaline, who throws sand in the air, and replies absently, clearly moving on from this conversation, “Lydia King.”
“Patience, I built a castle! Look!” Emmaline shouts and then motions with her hand for her to come. “Do you like it?”
The nanny gets up, dusting off, and walks slowly toward my baby girl while saying admirably, “Oh, it’s so pretty.”
Oh, God.
Oh my God.
Lydia King?
The woman who apparently opened up my case and fought for me, the serial killer who has killed so many people and continues to bring me misery…
Is my very own lawyer?
I get up, turn around, and search for Zachary, who was supposed to be at the coffee shop, when the phone in my dress pocket rings, sending awareness through me and causing goose bumps to rise on my skin, because I don’t have to guess who it is.
With trembling hands, I swipe to pick up and hear her laughter in my ear. “Ah, took you long enough to find out who I am.” I stay silent, but my gaze darts in different directions, wondering where she could be. I have no doubts she came to the island.
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br /> No wonder my gut was telling me someone was watching us. “Don’t bother, darling. I see you, but you can’t see me. And isn’t that sad?” Her voice changes from amused to angry. “No one ever sees me unless I do something!”
“Lydia,” I start, only to be interrupted by her loud exhales and then shout of “Shut up! I don’t want to hear it.” God, I need to get to Zachary so he can stop this madness.
I take a step toward the coffee shop area, ready to bolt, when she clacks her tongue into my ear. “Nah-ah, darling. You don’t want to do that.” I freeze, hearing a malicious tone in her voice. “Now, Phoenix. Let’s finish this game, shall we?”
“Lydia, please stop this. There is still a chance,” I beg her, wondering how this beautiful and compassionate woman could have become this killer who seeks blood and a victim.
The majority of children who undergo abuse rise above it all, living their life to the fullest, not letting the monsters from the past control their present and future.
Especially those with a loving family who are always there for them no matter what, and based on what I’ve seen, that’s what the Kings are.
Why did she turn to the dark side? What triggered her? What could have possibly awakened the desire to do despicable deeds?
“Don’t give me your stupid psychological crap. I’m not one of your subjects,” she barks and then asks me a question that chills my blood while I still, barely able to breathe. “Zachary or Emmaline, Phoenix?” Sweat breaks on my skin. “The goddess wants a sacrifice, darling. Who will it be?”
The wind whooshes loudly around me, my dress plastering against my body while the bite of it on my cheeks snaps me out of my stupor, and I grip the phone tighter, knowing the time has come.
The culmination of this game that will forever end this hunt that destroyed so many lives I’ve lost count of them, all because a monster abused his own child and left scars that would never heal.
Instead, they festered until they became rotten and polluted the mind of the person to the point of insanity.
“Well, I’m waiting,” she says, and I hear music blasting through the speakers from the other end of the line. “What is your choice? The man you love or your child?” By the way she is asking this question, I understand how curious she is about my answer.
As if she is a goddess offering her help in exchange for the greatest sacrifice.
A bitter laugh almost slips past my lips, but I catch it with my palm, stopping myself from sobbing, and reply like every parent on this earth would.
Except Lydia has seen so much cruelty from one of her parents that in her mind my choice was never obvious. “Zachary will be your sacrifice.” I push the words through my throat as fear envelops every part of my body, and instead of moving toward him, I spin around and hastily walk to my child, wanting to protect her in case the insane person decides to do something.
Based on her profile, I don’t expect a shooting, but who knows?
I’ve never expected for the unsub to be Lydia King, yet that’s the reality.
A beat passes before she exhales in relief. “I knew you would pick your child. I knew you’re not like Daddy. You are like Mom.” My brows furrow at this, and she elaborates. “Loving her children and me. It’s Zachary who is and always was a problem in my life.”
I say nothing to that, reaching Emmaline and kneeling next to her, hugging her close to me, not caring about the dirt and sand all over her.
She squeals in my arms, trying to wiggle free, but I don’t let her and ignore Patience’s confused look. “What do you want?” I ask quietly, knowing she hasn’t contacted me for the hell of it.
Underneath it all, she is still a little girl who cannot face her abuser alone, and for that, she needs me, which means….
“For us both to kill Zachary, of course. Once he is dead, we can live happily on this earth.”
The thought of his death is too painful to examine, so instead, I focus on her words as if I’m watching the situation from a distance.
Doesn’t she want us to die too?
“I changed my mind,” she continues, and I hear her snap her fingers. “Killing Zachary is going to end my suffering. I don’t want endless glory. I want to enjoy the world where Daddy doesn’t exist.” A beat and then, “Now, darling, bring me my prey, and no harm will come to your precious child. Fulfill your purpose.”
Squeezing my daughter tightly in my arms, I say to Lydia in a cold voice while my heart breaks into tiny little pieces, “Tell me what to do.”
Once upon a time, I believed that goodness and evil were the two sides of the coin, and depending on how your life is flipped, that’s what you’d become.
As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen so many things in this world that I’ve learned to never judge people for their actions, as it’s always a reaction to something in their past.
How wrong I was.
Goodness and evil, they exist within every person, with the difference that one of the halves always seems more tempting, pulling you in its direction and seducing you with its power.
And the half that ultimately wins?
It’s the one we have chosen by our own free will.
Choice.
We always have a choice in this life.
Unfortunately, my choices always lead to destruction.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Phoenix
Hanging up the phone, I hug Emmaline closer one more time, kissing her on the top of her head, and she wiggles in my hold. “Phoenix?” she prompts and then turns around until her arms squeeze me tight, the sand scattering all over me, but I don’t care.
All I want to do is hold her close after the awful conversation with Lydia that once again ruined everything. “We have to go, baby. Daddy told us we can’t stay long.” She gasps, leans back, and then casts her gaze down, her lip trembling, and even though my heart hurts upsetting her, I can’t allow this to sway me.
My daughter has to get out of the line of fire in order for me to finish this and do what Lydia craves so much.
“Okay,” she finally whispers then dusts her hands and quickly starts to collect her toys into her plastic bucket.
“Is everything all right?” Patience asks with worry in her voice but helps Emmaline in her task, and I muster a fake reassuring smile that I hope will calm her down.
“Yes, I just….” I search for a viable enough excuse to cut short the trip I’d originally insisted on, when… a lifeguard runs over the beach, shouting.
“Hey, everyone! The beach is closing; a storm is coming our way. If you’re waiting for the boats to arrive at the shore, go back to the hotel. No one will be allowed in the bay during this weather. And please be careful and stay inside the buildings if you can. Especially if you have kids.”
Storm.
A bitter chuckle almost slips past my lips at this fitting weather for the chaos that my life currently represents, but I don’t let it out.
“My goodness, that’s why!” Patience exclaims and rushes off to pick up all her things, since Emmaline is finished. I take the bucket from my daughter, ushering her to the sidewalk, but she stumbles on the ground a lot and trembles a little when a hard wind blasts us from the back. When I look up in the distance and see the dark clouds heading our way, I suspect this place will be in darkness soon.
Everyone is darting from the beach. I pick up Emmaline, who hides her face in the crook of my neck, and Patience is hot on our heels. I spot Zachary on the other side of the road.
I walk toward him down the pedestrian path, gazing at him as he stands majestic as ever waiting for us to come, and I think how unfair all of this is.
But then, it’s the way of life, isn’t it?
No matter how much you try, you just can’t outrun destiny.
Did I really think we would catch the unsub and everything would be perfect?
When had my life ever been perfect and carefree without kicking me in the gut?
“We need to hurry to the house, Zachary!�
�� Patience shouts, and I glance at her, fear crossing her face as she runs past me to her boss. “The storm is coming. And being on an island, it’ll be terribly nasty!”
“I’ve heard.”
He takes Emmaline from my arms while Eudard gives me a strange look before addressing Patience. “Please get in my car. I’ll take you home. You’ll be safe there.”
“Oh, of course. Emmaline?”
Zach hugs her so fiercely she puffs air and then complains, “Daddy!” He pays no attention to that, rocking her in his arms for a moment longer before giving her a light kiss on the forehead. “Be good, baby girl, okay?”
“I’m always good, Daddy.” And then she wiggles from his hold as well and waves at me before jumping toward Patience and Eudard, who get her inside the car.
And hopefully far away from here.
“You need to sit too. The storm will be here soon, and it takes about an hour to get to Eudard’s town.”
My brows furrow. “Isn’t this his town?”
“No, the one bordering with this one is.”
Relief washes over me so strong I sway a little, and Zachary catches me, pressing me flush against his chest. I’m ready to burrow my face there and weep.
In happiness from the knowledge my child will be safe from any disasters tonight, and in desperation of what I’m about to do.
Lydia’s voice echoes in my ears, a headache forming in the back of my head, because there is no way of shutting it up.
“Take him inside the coffee shop under the pretense of wanting tea. Near the washroom is a second door leading outside from behind the building that has a car waiting for him. All that is needed is to get his fucking friend off my back. Don’t need to deal with that.” I gotta give it to Lydia, she sure knows how to choose her battles. Or are those a natural hunter’s instincts? Knowing which prey to hunt and which to let go of in order to survive? “There, burst into tears and tell him about this conversation. So he’ll sit in the car, and the rest doesn’t concern you.”