by B. L. Mooney
“When I told you that I’d never killed a man before, I thought you’d be my first. Oh, well. You won’t hold those against me, will you? I’ll still make your death special.” Austin smiled and turned to Lindsey and Elizabeth.
I tried to keep his attention on me. “Where’s Aaron?”
He looked at Elizabeth and tilted his head. “Aaron is unavailable. He’s a little insurance policy I’ve kept for myself.”
“The police won’t let you go just because you have one of their men. They took this job knowing they could die.”
Austin’s lip was curled when he turned my way, and his eyes were narrowed. “I really hate know-it-alls, especially when they don’t know anything.” He tilted his head and popped his neck. “Let’s go.” He motioned for the living room.
He bent down and grabbed Toby’s gun as we walked over his body. Lindsey and Elizabeth sat together on the sofa, and I started to sit in the chair, but he waved the gun at me.
“No, you’ll sit in a different chair. Lizzy, go get a dining room chair.”
She lowered her head and got up. Austin followed her to the doorway to keep an eye on her and us, but I took the time to share a glance with Lindsey. I wanted to tell her it would all be okay. That Phil would come back once his lead didn’t pan out, and Austin would finally be sent back to prison or preferably hell if I got ahold of him first.
Elizabeth brought the chair in and placed it where Austin had pointed to. She glanced my way when she walked past, but wouldn’t keep eye contact.
I could hear the hate Austin had for me in his voice. “Take your shirt off.”
“I wasn’t aware you were interested in the male form, Austin.” I reached behind me and lifted the shirt over my head. “I would’ve worked out more to be a little more cut for you.”
“You’ll be cut soon enough.” He pulled out a knife and pointed to the chair. “Sit.”
Once I sat, he pointed to Elizabeth and motioned with the knife to get up. Knife or no knife, I was prepared to fight him for control. The fact he was sending Elizabeth to me told me he knew I was willing to fight. It also said he was afraid of me.
He threw the bag he carried in at my feet. Elizabeth could no longer meet my gaze, no matter how many times I tried to get her to look at me. Her focus remained on the bag as she walked over.
She opened the bag and pulled out a rope. She reached out and tied one end to my wrist before walking behind me, bringing my arm with her. The rope was wrapped around my torso a few times to secure me to it before she brought my other wrist back to tie it to the chair, as well.
Austin got behind me and made sure everything was tight. The rope dug in as he tightened it. He pulled out a smaller piece of rope to secure my hands together. It was difficult to not try to get free, but I knew it would’ve been futile and would’ve given him too much joy to see me struggle. I sat still as I had many times as a child tied to the dining room table with my father’s belt.
I inhaled a sharp breath as the knife Austin ran across my shoulder cut into me. “This is where I like to disconnect your shoulder. Generally, I start at the wrist, but that’s a little covered up right now.” He continued the circle from the top of my shoulder to underneath my arm. It was as if he was scoring the place he would separate my limb.
I clenched my jaw through the pain, but wouldn’t react more than that. Lindsey was watching with her wide eyes, and Elizabeth covered her face as she cried in her hands. I couldn’t stop looking at Lindsey. I needed her to look into my eyes and see that I was fine. I was in trouble, but I could handle trouble until Phil showed up. He had to.
“You’re stronger than Aaron, but I suppose that makes sense. Your training required more mental strength, whereas Aaron’s cop nature is more about brute and muscle. He screamed like a little bitch.”
Elizabeth stood and screamed at Austin. “You said you didn’t hurt him. I knew I should’ve made you take me to him first.”
“Sit down, little girl. I told you I’d take you to him if you helped me, and I will.”
“Bullshit.” She grabbed her bag and turned to walk out. “I’m going now by myself.”
He grabbed her bag, knocking a couple of boxes out of it, and pulled her back. “You will do as I say.” He looked down at the boxes and looked back to her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
I looked down and noticed two unopened pregnancy tests on the floor. It was a horrific situation for us all to be in, but the fact that Elizabeth may be pregnant made it so much worse.
“Those aren’t mine.”
He bent down and picked them up. “They fell out of your bag.”
She swallowed. “Yes, but a friend asked me to pick them up for her.”
My shoulder was throbbing, and I could feel the blood trickle down my back. I needed to get out of the chair, even though I knew there was no way to do it. I looked around while he was distracted.
“I don’t believe you.” He shoved one at her. “Take the test.”
Lindsey’s voice was shaky. “They were for me.”
I looked at her, but she refused to look my way. Panic set in as I realized that Lindsey thought she was pregnant. I tried to free my arms. I needed to keep Lindsey and my baby safe.
“Well, well, well. So the good doctor has been a little naughty, has she?” He tossed a box to Lindsey. “You take one, too.”
“What does it matter?” I threw the box onto the coffee table. “You just want to torture me mentally. If I’m pregnant, I’ll never live long enough to experience it. If I’m not, I’ll be disappointed. Either way, it’s a win for you.”
Elizabeth sat next to me on the sofa. Austin paced the living room as he tapped the knife with Joseph’s blood to his chin. I saw the blood drip down Joseph’s chest. The cut didn’t look too deep that he couldn’t recover, but he was going to do more damage if he kept fighting the restraints. I had to do something.
I looked back to Austin. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. I started my period this afternoon.”
Joseph stopped fighting the restraints and looked at me. I only glanced for a moment, but he looked disappointed. I hated lying to him, but I needed Austin to get off the pregnancy subject.
Austin shook his head. “Even though you wouldn’t have lived to experience it, just knowing you’re going to be a father is enough to change your life. It was one of the happiest days of my life.”
“What?” I looked at Austin. “You never told me you were a father.” I said it more to myself than to anyone else, but I was so shocked I hadn’t thought of it before. “That’s why you stopped killing.”
“Yes, it is. The bitch of a mother wouldn’t let me see my kid until I cleaned up my act.”
Elizabeth scoffed. “You kill people for fun, and she’s the bitch.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t an asshole, but I did control my urges for a long time. I’m not sure why. It was never appreciated.”
Austin sought me out because he wanted help. Helping people was all I knew. It was the only tool I had left, and I needed to use it. “Were they aware of your urges?”
He pulled the curtain back with his knife to look outside. “No, she thought I was having affairs.” He looked at me. “In a way, I was. I was more intimate with them than I ever was with her.”
“How long were you able to control your urges?”
“Twelve years.” He walked over to Joseph and cut his other shoulder. Joseph closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing. “Twelve long years. I have a lot of lost time to make up.”
“How many have you killed since you’ve been out?”
He looked at me. “You weren’t interested in counseling me anymore. Why should I let you now?”
“I’ve matured. It’s been five years since you’ve been in my office. I’ve grown and can handle more than I used to be able to.” I adjusted my posture and crossed my legs just like I used to sit when he was in my office. The only thing missing was a notepad. “I’m not the only one who’d matured, t
hough. You moved up to older women. Either you were practicing for killing me or your tastes have changed.”
He sat in the chair Joseph was going to sit in and twirled the knife in his hand. “I was practicing for someone, but it wasn’t you. The younger girls are too close to my daughter’s age now, but I don’t have a problem killing her mother over and over again.”
I placed the tissue box next to Elizabeth. I wasn’t sure if it was the reality of the fact that she was sitting in the room with a killer that had started her crying or if it was how blasé we were speaking about it all. She wasn’t used to this kind of discussion. Hell, I wasn’t, either, but it was my job to remain calm.
“Have you killed her yet?”
Elizabeth tensed and clutched the tissue in her hand. “Oh, my God.”
“No, I haven’t.” He sat forward and leaned toward Elizabeth as if to comfort her with his words.
“Why do you want to kill your child’s mother?”
“She replaced me. My daughter started calling someone else daddy.” He stood and paced the room.
I watched him for a moment and decided to press the issue. He was unstable at best, and pressing these things could shift his mood, but I needed to try.
“You told me the reason you felt the urges again was because you had to identify your parents’ dead bodies. That isn’t true, is it? You felt the urges growing stronger because your wife left you and took your child from you.”
“She wasn’t my wife, but isn’t losing a child enough to make any man go crazy? Look at poor Joe. He was excited until you dashed his hope that you were pregnant.”
I ignored the attempt to turn it back around to Joseph and me. “What really happened with your parents?”
“They’re dead.” His smile and reminiscing look in his eyes spoke volumes. They were his first victims.
“Had they told you no, as well?”
“Wait.” Elizabeth looked between us as she pieced it together. “You did not kill your parents. Tell me you didn’t kill them.”
“They weren’t nice people!” He stood and paced the room. “You wouldn’t understand.”
I placed my hand on Elizabeth’s knee, letting her know I wanted to control the conversation. “I’d like to understand.” I took my hand back before he turned around.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re gone, and I’m happier for it.”
“Are you, Austin?”
“These are questions you should’ve asked a long time ago, doc.”
“I would have had you been honest with me. It’s a two-way street. We need to trust each other for this to work.” I sighed and shook my head. “We both failed miserably, and for my part, I apologize. I failed you.”
He sat again, seemingly relieved for my apology. Maybe he had come to me for help, but I let my fear get in the way.
Elizabeth scoffed. “You’re apologizing to him? He killed his parents. He wants to kill my parents. He’s going to kill all of us.”
I turned to Elizabeth. “Your parents?”
“Do not call them that. That bitch may be your mother, but he is not your father!”
The implications of what that statement meant had my head spinning and my heart pounding. It all made sense. How he was treating her since entering Joseph’s home. She was more of a partner than a hostage. He didn’t show compassion for anyone, but he did with her. It was also the reason she felt comfortable enough to stand up to him so much. Austin was her father, and she was the daughter who was taken from him.
He walked over to Elizabeth and crouched down. “I would never kill you.” The look on his face was soft and foreign. The creases in his forehead as he implored her to believe the look in his eyes made him look almost human. He looked like a concerned father, wishing he could make everything right for his hurting daughter. “You’re my baby.”
He reached out to touch her face, but she turned from him. “You’re not my father.” She faced him when he pulled his hand back. “You’re the sperm donor, but you get no recognition beyond that.”
His face smoothed out to the hard, harsh look he gave the rest of us. His eyes were ice cold as he stared at Elizabeth. I needed to fix what she’d done.
“She’s hurt, Austin. Everyone says things to their parents because they know you’ll always love them. You’re a safe place to lash out.”
He stood but didn’t take his eyes off her. “She has no reason to lash out at me.”
“Let’s think about this. You have her boyfriend somewhere and have done God knows what to him. She doesn’t even know if he’s alive. You’ve threatened to kill her mother and have all but confirmed you killed her grandparents. What about any of that shouldn’t she lash out at you for? Calling her Lizzy is not going to make up for any of it.”
“Aaron’s fine. I told you he’s an insurance policy. She never even met her grandparents to give a shit about them now.” He looked out the window again.
“So you don’t trust her.”
“I’m not dumb.” He turned back to us. “I love you, Lizzy, but you’ve proven your loyalty to them.”
Joseph had remained quiet during most of this discussion. The only sounds I’d heard from him were sounds of pain or distress. I tried to block those out to concentrate on working Austin. When Joseph spoke, it was obvious in his voice the pain was getting worse, and he was growing tired. He spoke low and slow, but my concern was more about how out of breath he sounded.
“You’ve been working with your father?”
“No!” Elizabeth looked at me. “He disappeared from my life when I was four. I had no idea why. My mom told me he was a cheat and a loser, and that’s why she never married him, but I swear none of us had any idea he killed people when she kicked him out.
“Mom met Billy, and he became my dad. I thought my dad left me. I thought I’d done something wrong, and Billy was there to show me I was a good daughter. He did everything dads are supposed to do. I still wondered why my dad couldn’t love me the same way Billy did, but I was luckier than most to have Billy, so I tried to not let it bother me.
“Then letters started coming from a friend in my class at college. I didn’t know her dad was in prison, either. It isn’t something you want to advertise, but it didn’t seem weird because I knew he was right that my mom wouldn’t have given them to me had he mailed them directly to our home. I never questioned it when she said our dads worked together. I was just happy to have a piece of him finally.”
She closed her eyes when her tears started falling. “I thought it was the best day of my life when my dad wrote to me and told me he loved me. He told me my mom kept him from me, but since I was over eighteen, I could make my own decisions about whether or not I wanted to see him. I’d seen it enough with other kids that I believed it was happening to me, too.
“We exchanged a few letters about my future and how I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I wanted to get a job and move out since I was going to graduate college soon. I was so excited about my future, and even more so that my dad shared that excitement with me.”
She covered her face and sobbed. I rubbed my hand over her knee and squeezed. I didn’t fault her for who her father was, but I did need the rest of the story. “How did you come to find us?”
“My friend showed me your ad in the paper. She didn’t tell me it was a message from my father, but it had to be. She wasn’t actively looking for a job, but I appreciated her thinking of me. I feel like a fool.”
“How did you not see the news about his arrest or his escape?” Joseph was having a difficult time believing her. Those questions had crossed my mind, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I was still too hung up on our friendship and was glad Joseph was able to ask.
“I think my mom knew after the arrest, but she never said anything to me. I don’t remember seeing it on the news because I was too consumed with high school at that time to pay attention to anything. Besides, high school kids don’t care about the news. It wasn’t some
thing I watched.
“As for the escape, I’m still not a news junkie. I’d heard someone had escaped, but I didn’t see any reports or read any articles on it. Why would I have assumed it was my father when I never knew what he really was or why he left? Why would I think it would’ve affected me at all? I hadn’t seen him in twenty years. I had no photos of him growing up. The man I remember is not this man in front of us right now.”
She may not have, but her mother had to have known he escaped. “Your mother didn’t say anything?”
“Not until I told her you had someone after you. Once you went into hiding, and I had to explain why I wasn’t at work anymore, she broke down and confessed who my father turned out to be.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police with it?”
“I did. Both Aaron and Phil know about it. He hadn’t contacted me in over a year. Once I moved out on my own, the letters stopped. It’s hard to send a letter to your daughter from prison when you don’t want her to find out that’s where you are. I wrote a couple of letters to him, but still had to give them to my friend to mail. They were never answered, so I didn’t know if he got them.”
She looked down to her lap. “I thought he left me again. I tried to run through my mind what it was that I said that stopped him from responding.”
“What was the last thing you wrote to him?”
She looked at me. “That I got the job with you.”
I’d been working on the ropes that were tied around my hands while Lindsey distracted Austin and Elizabeth. My fingers were raw with the effort I was putting into it, but I didn’t care if my fingers were bloody stumps when I was finished. I needed to get free.
I watched as Lindsey pieced through Elizabeth’s story and took in all the info she was gathering. I wasn’t sure what was running through her mind, but it was clear that the more Elizabeth spoke, the more frustrated Lindsey got.
It started with her eyes. Her brows would furrow, and her eyes would narrow, but when her jaw was set and started clenching, I knew her temper was getting the better of her. I wished I had figured out what she had. I worked faster on the knots when she confronted Austin.