by Jane Blythe
She knew that Isabella had some problems.
Her sister was spoiled. Liked to have her own way. Sometimes threw tantrums if she didn’t get it.
It was worse than that, though, she reluctantly admitted.
Isabella had a violent temper when she was pushed to her limits. It was like she lost control of herself and did things she’d never normally do.
The first time Isabella had exploded, she had been ten. Another little girl at her school had been teasing Isabella relentlessly because she was so tall. Isabella had punched her in the face and knocked out three of her teeth. Sofia had been the one to push for anger management and counseling for Isabella. Hoping it would help.
It hadn't.
Last year she had beaten up four kids at her school. Isabella had given one girl a concussion, another a broken nose, a boy a fractured cheekbone, and pushed another down a flight of stairs. What had led to Isabella attacking those kids had been bad. Not that that excused Isabella’s violent behavior.
Again, Sofia had pushed for anger management and counseling, desperately hoping they could help her sister.
Still, just because Isabella had attacked some kids at her school didn’t mean she was capable of premeditated, cold-blooded murder.
Or did it?
Sofia couldn’t accept that Isabella would kill Lewis and Lincoln and Gloria and their father. She wouldn’t do that. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
And yet Ryan had managed to spark the tiniest glimmer of doubt inside her.
He seemed to have a way of getting to her.
At the hospital after Isabella was attacked, her heart hadn't stopped hammering, fear hadn't stopped swirling inside her, until she had locked eyes with Ryan. Those bright blue eyes of his seemed to have a soothing effect on her. And then in the basement, when Paige had been prying out of her what she remembered seeing down there, it had only been Ryan’s calming presence that had kept her sane.
Sofia trusted him, even more so since he had opened up to her about what he’d gone through with his fiancée’s suicide. She intended to call him as soon as she had a chance to talk to Isabella alone.
Ryan was going to be mad when he found out that she had fled the police station.
Sofia knew that it wasn’t the smartest idea. There was still a killer after her and she was safe at the station surrounded by cops. But she needed to talk to her sister before Ryan and his team found her. And so she had stayed in the bathroom, biding her time. Mostly she had been left alone. Paige had popped in once to check on her. But other than that, she had waited until everyone was busy and then made her escape.
When the taxi driver pulled up outside her family’s estate, Sofia quickly paid him and headed inside. Against her better judgment, she found herself drawn toward the basement. Standing in the open doorway at the top of the stairs, she stood staring down into the dark. Now that she had remembered what she’d seen happen down there as a child it seemed that she couldn’t make the images leave her mind.
She couldn’t forget what Ryan has asked her either.
Was she one of Logan’s victims?
She didn’t remember it. But then, again, Ryan was right; she’d forgotten about the basement too.
It had never dawned on her when she’d identified two of the girls she had seen in the basement that they both looked like her. But Ryan was right about that as well. They did bear a striking similarity to her.
It had been Paige’s idea to get her to go through old missing person’s files. When Paige had taken her to the station, Sofia had felt lost and useless, she had needed to do something. She didn’t just want to be some victim that had to be babysat. So she had begged Paige for something to do to help.
It had been a shock to actually see a face she recognized staring up at her from one of the files. It had made everything seem so much more real.
And it was real.
All of it.
Maybe if Ryan ever managed to find Logan, she would get the answer to whether or not he ever touched her.
Or maybe she’d never know.
She’d have to learn to live with that. Sofia hoped Ryan could, too.
Now, however, was not the time to be worrying about that. Now she needed to find Isabella and find out just how involved in all of this her sister was.
Earlier, when Paige had come to check on her in the bathroom at the station, Sofia had asked where Ryan had found this so-called evidence against Isabella. Paige had said he’d found it in Isabella’s bedroom, so that seemed like a good place to start.
On the way up to the top floor, Sofia checked out all of the house’s hidden rooms and hidey-holes that she could remember. As a child she had loved to play in them, even though she’d had no one to play with. Her brothers had been ten, twelve, and fourteen years older than her, too old to want to play with their baby sister. And she had been twelve when Isabella came along. Since friends had never been allowed to visit her here, she had spent many hours alone, roaming the huge house.
Now, in hindsight, she guessed that was because her father couldn’t risk Logan raping and killing one of her friends. That would have led to questions he didn’t want anyone asking.
Finding nothing in any of the secret rooms, Sofia went to her sister’s room. Tentatively, she walked to the bookshelves. This was where Isabella’s hidden compartment supposedly was. If the hidden compartment didn’t really exist, then this silliness about her sister being the killer could be over.
But as she looked, the small secret door was there. Right where Paige had said it would be.
If this hidden space existed, then Ryan really had found his proof here.
And if Ryan really had found proof that Isabella was the killer, then the proof must really exist.
And if the proof really existed, then maybe Isabella really was the killer.
And if Isabella really was the killer, then she had left the safety of the police station to come walking right into the lair of the person who wanted her dead.
Maybe she should call Ryan now, tell him where she was and ask him to come and get her. Pulling out her iPhone, she scrolled through her contacts looking for Ryan’s number, he’d entered all his contact details earlier. She had just found it and was about to press call when something stopped her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she had the creepy feeling that someone was watching her.
Sofia thought she heard something move behind her. But as she turned to see what it was, her head suddenly exploded with a pain so vicious that all she could do was gasp and then sink to the floor and fade away into unconsciousness.
* * * * *
5:33 P.M.
This was bad.
On so many levels.
Isabella let go of the block of wood she had just slammed into her sister’s head and dropped down to her knees at Sofia’s side, pressing her fingers quickly to her neck to check she hadn't hit her sister too hard. Thankfully, Sofia’s pulse fluttered weakly beneath her fingertips. Still, her sister had a large gash on her temple where Isabella had hit her, and blood was quickly puddling on the carpet beneath her.
She hadn't wanted to knock Sofia unconscious, but what choice had she had?
Sofia wasn’t supposed to be here. When Isabella had snuck out of the police station earlier, she had left her sister there, safe and sound. And yet Sofia was here. In her bedroom. Standing right in front of the small safe she had installed behind her bookshelves. The safe was open, but the book on mushrooms and the DVDs of Sofia sleeping and Logan in the basement were all gone. And since they didn’t appear to be lying on the carpet beside Sofia, Isabella thought it was a safe assumption that Ryan had already been here and found her secret stash.
So, Ryan knew that she was the killer.
And if Ryan knew, then he’d told his partner and the rest of his team of cops.
It seemed Ryan had also told Sofia.
Groaning, this was a nightmare.
Now she was going to have to do something with Sofia
. Hide her away someplace safe. She didn’t have long though; as soon as Ryan realized Sofia was gone, he was going to go all out to find her.
For the moment, at least, Isabella would deal with one problem at a time.
First things first—she had to get Sofia someplace where no one would find her. She’d take her up to the secret room in the attic where she had Logan stashed. Then once she’d killed Logan and was ready to flee, she’d leave Sofia somewhere safe, where Ryan was bound to find her. She would have dropped Sofia off someplace now, but finishing the plan was paramount. Isabella couldn’t afford to let herself get distracted.
Gently, Isabella eased Sofia’s limp body over her shoulder, then balancing herself with a hand on the bookshelves, she stood, swaying for a moment under her sister’s weight. Once she had regained her balance, Isabella carried Sofia as quickly as she could up the stairs to the attic and inside the little secret room she’d built herself.
Setting her sister down in a chair, she quickly secured her with some ropes, and then examined the wound to her head. Sofia needed a doctor. That was clear. But Isabella was almost done. She just had to take Logan down to the basement and make it look like he committed suicide in his little torture chamber, and then she could take off. On her way, she could leave Sofia outside a hospital. That way someone would find her, take her inside, and she could get the medical attention she required. Then once Sofia regained consciousness, she would identify herself and Ryan could go to be with her.
It would be a risk delaying her departure. And a risk by going to such a public place as a hospital to drop Sofia off. However, it was a risk worth taking. Sofia had always been there for her. Always supported her and given her the benefit of the doubt. Even when the rest of the family wanted to disown her.
It hadn't been her fault.
Either time.
Those kids at her school had asked for it.
Treated her like she was nothing.
Teased her. Mocked her. Made her feel like she was worthless.
They had gotten what they deserved.
Just like her family had.
Isabella used to wonder why she had such a violent, burning rage inside her. Ever since she had found out that Logan was her father, and just what he spent his time doing, it had all made sense. Murder was in her genes.
Despite everything she had done, Sofia had always stood by her. Supported her. Even tried to get her help. Not that it had done any good. Isabella had known, even at ten, that she was different. And no amount of counseling and anger management was going to change that. But she had played along. Mainly for Sofia’s sake. Sofia loved her and wanted her around. Sofia had stopped the judge from abandoning her. Not that Isabella cared about her family, but she did care about Sofia, and was glad that her sister had remained in her life.
Maybe, she could take Sofia with her.
Maybe they could have the life they never could have had as long as their family was around.
Maybe they could both finally be happy.
No, Isabella told herself. That would never work.
Sofia was good and sweet and kind and thoughtful, everything that Isabella wasn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to Sofia to make her live a life on the run from the police. And the police were on to her, so for the remainder of her life Isabella would have to live constantly looking over her shoulder. And she couldn’t subject her sister to that.
So she would keep with her original plan.
And she’d have to hurry.
She didn’t know how much Ryan actually knew or how much he could prove. And she didn’t know how long Sofia had been gone from the police station and whether Ryan was already looking for her.
With gleeful anticipation, Isabella set about the final stage.
* * * * *
6:20 P.M.
Ryan felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Another bad choice could lead to the death of another woman he loved.
He shouldn’t have left Sofia alone, only he hadn't realized she intended to flee the station, presumably to go looking for her sister. He had done as she’d asked and given her space, respected her need for privacy as she digested what he’d told her. However, instead of taking the time to calm down or think things through, Sofia had apparently decided instead to use the time to stupidly go running off on her own to search for her sister.
Growling angrily, Ryan was beyond frustrated at Sofia. It was unbelievably irresponsible of her to leave the safety of the station to go straight into the arms of someone who wanted her dead.
And yet as furious as he was, it didn’t even make a dent in his fear.
Snatching at his phone when it began to ring, Ryan almost knocked it onto the floor but managed to catch it before it slid off his desk. “Hello?”
“Detective Xander?”
Disappointment washed over him when it wasn’t Sofia’s voice that replied. “Yes?”
“You wanted confirmation of whether a Sofia Everette ordered a taxi through our company earlier today?”
“Yes,” he answered, hope spiking.
“Our records show she took one from your station to the Everette estate at approximately four o’clock this afternoon.”
“Thank you,” Ryan snapped, then hung up. “I'm going to the estate, Sofia took a cab there,” he rambled to his partner, grabbing his keys and standing so quickly he almost knocked over his chair.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Belinda announced from behind him. “I’ll send someone to go and check it out, but you are not going anywhere near that house. You are involved with Sofia Everette. You can't be objective, and I won't have you running off and confronting Isabella and doing something we’ll all regret.”
When Ryan opened his mouth to protest that he was perfectly capable of handling himself around Isabella, Belinda’s eyes dropped to his desk. Ryan followed his boss’ gaze and saw several pens he’d subconsciously snapped in half. Reluctantly agreeing he may not be in control of himself enough right now, he plopped back down into his seat and checked his anger.
“It is not your job to find Sofia,” Belinda reminded him. “It’s your job to find Isabella, so let’s do that.”
“I found out some more about the incident that got Isabella expelled,” Paige announced.
“Well, do you plan to share?” Ryan raised an impatient blond brow.
Ignoring his outburst, “It was five months ago,” Paige continued. “Isabella claimed that four kids from her school, two boys and two girls, accosted her with a gun, forced her into a secluded storage shed at their school. Once they had her inside they made her take off all her clothes, then tied her up and sexually assaulted her for hours. When they were done, they simply left her there, still tied up. Apparently it took her almost twelve hours to work herself free of the ropes. No one noticed that she was missing. Not any of her teachers, not her parents, no one.”
“She tell what happened?” Ryan asked, surprised and horrified by what Isabella had been through, but it did not give her the right to do what she had done.
“Yes,” Paige nodded. “She told the principal of her school, some teachers, and her father. But the kids denied anything had happened. Isabella had a reputation for being weird and a loner with no friends. The kids said she had consensual sex with one of the boys, then got embarrassed when she found out he wasn’t interested in her but just after some fun, so she made the whole thing up. Her wrists and ankles were cut up from the ropes, but the kids said that Isabella wanted it rough and that the ropes were her idea. The shed was regularly used by the school’s teenage lovebirds, so there were plenty of DNA contributions. With no proof that anything illegal had happened, no further action was taken.”
“Until Isabella decided to enact her own revenge and beat up the kids who assaulted her,” Belinda added.
Paige nodded, “Sounds like it could have been the stressor that set all of this in motion. Isabella was assaulted, speaks out but no one believes her, so when she finds out what has been going
on in her house she decides no one’s going to believe her again, so she deals with things her own way. Punishes her family members because she thinks they knew what Logan was doing to all those young girls and didn’t speak up. I spoke with Edmund again.”
Sofia’s best friend had completely lost it earlier when he had arrived at the station, expecting to find Sofia safe and surrounded by cops, only to learn instead that she was gone and none of them knew where. Ryan had been genuinely concerned that Edmund might pass out from the shock, the man had been practically hyperventilating. Eventually Paige had managed to calm him down, apparently enough to get some helpful information out of him.
“He says,” Paige continued, “after the incident at her school, Isabella stayed with Sofia for a while. That’s probably how she found out what Sofia knew, heard her talking in her sleep, and decided to bug the room to get the whole story.”
“If Sofia’s gone looking for her, she’s going to kill her. Sofia was the one who knew it all, so she’s probably the one Isabella wants dead most of all.” Ryan felt so helpless, it was like he was being crushed.
“I'm not so sure about that,” Paige disagreed, shaking her head slowly.
“What do you mean?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at his partner.
“Sofia knew all along,” Belinda reminded Paige. “Not that I'm blaming her,” Belinda added when she caught sight of the glare Ryan had aimed in her direction. “Her father had her convinced that it was nothing more than a bad dream, but still she knew, and Isabella is far from rational, so I'm doubting that she’ll make the distinction.”
“But she had her chance at Sofia, any number of them,” Paige contradicted. “Isabella could have gone with a head shot at the charity benefit. She knew that Sofia was wearing a Kevlar vest, but she still went for the heart.”
“She’s been poisoning Sofia,” Ryan argued.
“In small doses,” Paige argued back. “Just enough to make her sick. She could have given her enough in one swoop to kill her off.”