The women stared at Kate in horror.
“All three deaths were unconnected?”
“Not quite. The first two, Peter and Alexis? Turns out, those families shared the same babysitter. She was,” she said, looking through her notes again, “twenty-three at the time, so she’s probably still alive.”
“Was she ever charged?”
“No.” Kate shook her head. “When Janice died, charges against her were dropped. But get this: Janice Lynch was the chief of police’s daughter.”
The group stared at each other, waiting for Kate to go on. Could it really be this easy? Had they found their killer?
“Did it give a name? Maybe she’s still in Bates,” Carrie asked, standing from the table.
“Yes, it did. Let me see.” She looked through her notes again, tapping her pen. “Benson. Cecilia Benson.” Kate looked up.
Every jaw in the room dropped, excluding Jordyn and Kate’s. Carrie reached for a chair once again. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
The women flocked around her.
“Do you all know her? Cecilia Benson? Is she still here? Still alive?” Jordyn asked.
“Yes,” Carrie said. “We know her. So do you, Jordyn. You met her the day that we met. At her parent’s grocery store.”
Benson’s Deli. The place where she’d first seen The List.
“She’s also the principal of Bates Elementary.” Allie sighed.
“Kinley’s principal.” Carrie nodded. “She was my friend.”
“No one would have more access to these kids. It’s a perfect cover,” Erin added.
“All right, so let’s go get this bitch,” Kate said.
“We can’t! We have no evidence, no weapons,” Allie said. “We aren’t just going to go bursting into anywhere until we have a plan.”
“What? Weapons? Are we going to hurt her?” Carrie asked, looking as though she might faint.
“There’s enough death in Bates without us adding to it. We just need protection.” Allie shook her head.
“Fine.” Kate dug into her purse. “Got it. What else?” The room gasped as she pulled out a gun from her purse, waving it in the air.
“Charles has one in the bedroom too.” Carrie nodded.
“You guys, wait a second. What are we going to do? Just charge at her? Everyone knows Cecilia. That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Erin said, her hand on her stomach again.
“She’s right. We’ll have to be smart about this,” Jordyn agreed. “We need a plan.”
“I say we call in the FBI,” Kate said, digging in her purse again, before turning around and holding up her gun and two badges.
“What the…” Jordyn trailed off, standing up to get a better look.
“Relax. They were Anthony’s old badges. We tweaked them for Halloween a few years back, and I held onto them. It’s a good thing I did too.”
“Your husband was in the FBI?” Erin asked.
“Boyfriend. And no, he was a cop,” Kate corrected.
“I didn’t know that.” Jordyn felt stunned. It was like she was meeting a whole new side of her sister today.
“Yeah, well, that’s because the only thing that mattered to Mom was that he cheated on me. Several times. She didn’t feel like anything else was important enough to share.” Kate frowned.
“Okay, so are you saying we pretend to call the FBI?” Allie asked.
“No, I’m saying we become the FBI. Dress up and go over there and get our answers. Tell her we have a few questions about the murders years ago. See if we can shake her.”
“But she knows us. That would never work,” Carrie said.
“She doesn’t know me,” Kate said.
“Or me.” Jordyn shook her head. “I mean, not really. She met me once. Just once.”
“She could still recognize you,” Carrie said, biting her lip in thought.
“I could go alone,” Kate offered.
“You’re not going alone,” Jordyn fought. “If she does recognize me, I could’ve always been undercover.”
“Are we forgetting that impersonating a cop is a crime?” Erin asked.
“So is murder,” Allie said.
The group fell silent.
“This seems like a really bad idea,” Carrie said quietly.
“That’s because it is,” Allie agreed.
“I don’t see anyone else coming up with any other ideas. We don’t have time to sit around and wait, either. We can move in and ask her some questions, or we can stay here and wait for more children to die. You guys said it was important but now you’re all chickening out. Do you want to do this or not?” Kate turned to Jordyn.
“I’m in,” Jordyn agreed.
“Okay, well, if we’re going to do this we need clothes. Suits. We can’t exactly show up like this.” She gestured toward their jeans and casual shirts.
Carrie stood up. “I may have something.” She walked out of the room, returning a few moments later with two suits and a small handgun. “I’m afraid these won’t fit either of you just right, but they should work.”
“They’re perfect, Carrie,” Jordyn said, taking the suits from her. Carrie, who was a little shorter than Kate and a little taller than Jordyn, smiled sadly.
“Do you know anything about guns?”
“Our dad taught us to shoot when we were little. It’s just like riding a bike, right?” Jordyn grinned, trying to hide her nervousness.
They changed into their suits, Jordyn in black and Kate in gray, and placed their badges in their jacket pockets. They holstered their guns onto their sides. Carrie handed the address of the school to Jordyn and gave her a quick hug. “You guys be safe.”
“We will.” Jordyn nodded. “If we aren’t back in two hours, you need to call the police.”
The women each pulled her into another hug. “Take care of yourselves. Both of you.”
“You too,” Jordyn told them, stepping out the door and forcing the nervousness out of her mind.
Chapter Sixteen
As the girls pulled up to the school and walked in, Jordyn found herself sweating profusely. Her gun burned into her hipbone as she walked. They passed a sign that read ‘No Weapons Allowed’ in bold letters. The brick building had glass doors along the front. Jordyn pulled them open. The hall was quiet, empty, it was just passed one thirty, the school day would end soon.
Jordyn followed closely behind Kate, who walked forward with ease, showing no signs of fear. They wandered down two quiet halls that smelled of glue and floor cleaner before they finally laid eyes on a sign pointing them toward the office. Kate stepped forward first. The young receptionist who greeted them had small glasses and short, pixie-cut black hair.
“Hello there.” She smiled. “How can I help you?”
“We’re here to see Cecilia Benson.” Kate said, sounding official.
“Okay.” The receptionist’s smile wavered just a bit, but was back as she grabbed the phone. “Is she expecting you?”
“No,” Kate said, “but she’ll want to see us.” Her voice was strong, authoritative, the exact opposite of how Jordyn felt.
“Okay.” She placed the phone to her ear, dialing. “Ms. Benson, there are two women here who need to see you.” She paused, nodding into the receiver. “No, I don’t. I’m not sure.” She held the phone away from her face, placing her palm over the speaker. “Are you all parents of children who attend here?”
Jordyn shook her head.
“No,” the receptionist said into the phone. “No. Oh, okay. Should I ask them to come back then?”
Kate stepped toward the desk, her hand quickly in her pocket. She pulled out her badge, flashing it at the secretary. “It’s best that we don’t reschedule. Like I said, she’ll want to see us.”
Jordyn didn’t recognize this version of her sister. She seemed so sure of herself even Jordyn almost believed her.
“Right.” The secretary placed the phone down and stood up. “The office is just down this hallway.” She pointed
toward a hall behind her.
Jordyn nodded, smiling politely at the secretary. Kate followed the small hallway toward a wooden door and knocked three times.
“Come in,” the voice called.
Cecilia Benson sat at her desk, her blonde hair curled around her face. She wore a purple, unflattering blouse and took her glasses off as she saw the women. Cecilia looked much older in this setting than she had at the grocery store, her wrinkles more evident. Jordyn sensed recognition in her eyes, but Cecilia didn’t seem to be able to place where she knew her from.
She stood, gesturing for them to have a seat in the chairs facing her desk. “Can I help you?”
“We hope so. My name is Detective Dixon, and this is Detective Wyndell. We’re with the FBI, in town investigating a rash string of deaths here in Bates that seems to have gone unnoticed,” Kate answered. They flashed their badges quickly, like they had practiced, and slipped them back into their pockets. Jordyn had a seat; Kate did not. Cecilia sat anyway.
Her eyes grew big, staring at the women in shock. “Well I’d be happy to help, though I’m not sure that I’ll be of any use to you. Can I ask you which death, specifically, you’re here about?”
“We’ll ask the questions here, Ms. Benson.” Kate shook her head. “You see, it seems that in a small town like Bates, any death would be unusual. But you guys seem to have several. Children specifically. The FBI is shocked by the absolute lack of investigation on part of the local law enforcement. Every case seems to have been opened and closed within a week, usually less. Why do you think that is?”
“How should I know?” She spoke softly. “They’ve all been ruled accidents. If you have questions about that, wouldn’t the police be better suited to answer your questions?”
“Oh, we’re talking to them as well. The local police have been less than cooperative with the FBI’s efforts, which is why they’ve sent us in. See, we’ve done some digging. Years and years of files with no follow up.” Kate paced around the room, crossing her arms across her chest. “In fact, the last case with any real, thorough investigation was almost ten years ago.”
Cecilia writhed her hands together on the table. Her face grew pale white.
“And it seems like they had a pretty substantial suspect all those years ago.”
Cecilia looked up, fire in her eyes. “If you saw those files, it means you also saw that those charges were dropped almost as quickly as they were brought up. The police cleared the investigation. I was never even arrested.”
“Why is that?” Jordyn asked, finding her voice at last.
“Shouldn’t you know that?” she asked. Jordyn’s hands grew sweaty.
Kate paced in front of the desk casually, looking like she knew more than she did. “Remind us.”
“I gave the police my alibi from the night of Alexis’ death.”
“And that cleared you of both charges?”
“I was never charged for Peter’s death. I gave the police my alibi for Alexis’ and they stopped coming around. That’s all I know. I was twenty-three years old at the time. Just starting out. The rumors cost me my job,” Cecilia said, her jaw shaking. She was either a great actor or incredibly sincere.
“Something cost those kids their lives, Ms. Benson. So, excuse us if your job isn’t our main concern. We want to know what happened the night those kids died. We want to know what’s happening to the children in Bates.”
“I told the police all that I knew back then!” She stood from her desk. “Look, I’m really trying to be helpful, but the fact is that I can’t deal with this. This investigation was closed years ago. I’ve had no connection to any deaths since, so what use am I to you?”
“No connection?” Jordyn joined them in standing. “These children go to a school where you are in charge. They live in a town where you live. What about Kinley Preston? Sources tell us that you were friends with her mother?”
“Kinley’s death was an accident! I work with these children. I love them like they’re my own. How could you possibly think I could have anything to do with this?” Her face was red, her expression shocked.
“Just for the record, what was your alibi again, Ms. Benson? We’ll want to check into it again. I’m sure you understand.” Kate stepped in again.
“The police already—” she started.
“Your alibi, Ms. Benson,” Kate insisted.
She looked down at her desk, pulling out her desk drawer. She withdrew a stack of cards, sifting through them before pulling one out and handing it to Kate. “On the night that Alexis died, I was hospitalized for my miscarriage. This is the hospital I was at. I’ve been seeing the same doctor for years. Call them. Get whatever information you need.”
Kate handed the card over to Jordyn. The girls stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say. The weight of the pain in Cecilia’s voice hung in the room. Jordyn turned the card over in her hand. “Right. Well, thank you so much for your time, Ms. Benson. We’ll check into this.”
Cecilia blinked, looking down at her desk. The women made their way toward the door. Before they opened it, Cecilia spoke once more. “Detectives?”
They turned around.
She glanced up at them, wiping a tear from her eye. “I was just wondering, if you’re checking into me again, does that mean you’ll be checking into the other suspects from back then as well?”
Jordyn tried to hide her shock.
Kate nodded. “We’ll be checking into everything and everyone we can, ma’am.”
“Okay,” Cecilia said.
Kate turned toward the door again, but Jordyn held firm. “Is there something you need to tell us, Ms. Benson?”
Cecilia was quiet, staring off into space. She looked straight into Jordyn’s eyes when she spoke again. “I’m not sure if it’ll help. And, well, you probably already know. I just wondered if you’d be investigating the boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend?” Jordyn asked. She heard Kate turn around, walking back beside her.
“Melissa Billson’s boyfriend. I think he was interviewed after Peter…” She trailed off, as if she were thinking of something. “You know, it’s probably nothing.” She waved her hand in the air, though her eyes looked haunted. “He was just always, I don’t know, creepy to me.”
“Do you have a name?” Jordyn asked, crossing her fingers.
Cecilia frowned. “No, I’m sorry. I only met him a few times. Surely it’s in the police report, right?”
Jordyn nodded. “I’m sure it is. We’ll look into it.” With that, the girls shut her office door, walking out of the lobby and then out of the school swiftly.
As they made it to their car, Jordyn looked to her sister. “So what do you think?” Before she could answer, Jordyn’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, reading over the text message on her screen. Her heart lurched. It was Carrie.
It’s out. Get here. Hurry.
Chapter Seventeen
When Jordyn pulled into Carrie’s driveway, Erin, Allie, and Carrie were all standing at the door. They rushed out before Jordyn or Kate could climb out of the car. Jordyn felt bile rising in her throat, knowing what was coming next. Ollie would be on The List. She had sentenced her son to his death. Carrie ripped open her car door, pulling Jordyn out of the car.
“Where is it? Where did you see it?” Jordyn asked.
“It’s posted at the pharmacy downtown. We overheard some kids talking about it when they walked past the house, so Allie went out to check.” They rushed into the house, shutting the door quickly behind them.
“And?” Jordyn asked.
“Wait,” Erin interrupted. “How did it go with Cecilia? Is it her? Did you get her to admit it?” Her green eyes were bloodshot and red.
“No,” Jordyn said. “No. She swore she was innocent. She even had an alibi.”
“You believe her?” Allie asked skeptically.
“We don’t know yet. Her alibi was good. She said it was the same one she gave the police. But how would we know?
” Jordyn answered.
“She did answer our questions, though. Definitely seemed shaken up by them. She also told us that there were other suspects, or at least one other, a boy the mother had dated. The article I found only talked about her, but we can look into it more,” Kate said.
“So, we have nothing?” Erin cried out. “After all of this, we still have nothing?”
Jordyn swallowed, unable to think about anything but Ollie. Her clothes felt like they were suffocating her. Suddenly, she couldn’t catch her breath. “Look, I need to get out of this suit. Can someone please tell me who’s on The List already?” She walked out of the living room and into the spare bedroom, where Carrie had allowed her to change before. Outside of the room, the group was silent.
She slipped out of her clothes, breathing deeply, and laid the gun on the bed. She pulled her old clothes back on and stepped back, allowing Kate to go in and change next.
“Well?” she asked.
Allie held out her phone. On the screen was a poorly lit picture, but Jordyn immediately recognized the font and style from the previous List. She braced herself for the worst as she scanned the numbers, looking for Ollie’s name. To her surprise, it wasn’t there. In going over it a second time, she recognized two names that broke her heart just the same.
Nicole Britman
Carter Scott
Isaac Knowles
Michelle LeBlanc
Baby Simpson
Lauren Taylor
Jordyn looked up at Erin, her eyes wide. She handed the phone back to Allie with shaking hands as Kate re-entered the room. Erin, who’d barely been holding it together anyway, burst into tears. Her face was pale, lips thin.
The List (The Carolina Killer Files Book 2) Page 14