[Killing Game 01.0] Invitation to Die
Page 23
“What did you need her for, Martha?” Tracy asked.
“I needed her to ask me for forgiveness.” Martha’s voice rose an octave as she gripped the crucifix in her hand. “If even once she asked me for forgiveness, things would have been different between us. She might have even lived.”
Tracy shut her eyes tight. “How about Tina, didn’t she ask you for forgiveness?”
“No, she didn’t.” Martha took a step closer. “And she needed forgiveness more than anyone. I told her to get down on her knees and beg me for forgiveness, but she refused to do it, just spit at me. Stupid little hussy, the next morning she tried to claw me, too. That was all it took.” Martha started laughing. “She didn’t last long. I got rid of her right away.”
“Shannon lasted longer.” Tracy was mesmerized.
“She did,” Martha charged on. “But do you want the truth do you want it, Tracy?”
“Yes, of course,” Tracy breathed, shocked that Martha actually knew her name.
“Two weeks was enough with Shannon. I was glad to get rid of her! And she didn’t learn much in all that time.” Martha grimaced.
“How about Candace?” Tracy jumped in quickly, as she heard cars approaching the house. The police were circling around now. In a few minutes Candace’s ordeal would be over. And Tad’s too. In a few minutes the city would be safe again.
Martha grew quieter. “Candace cares about me. She talks to me sweetly. The Good Lord brings my companions to me, one person at a time. All along I thought she was a spoiled young woman, getting ready for a wedding she had no right to. But I made a mistake. We’re fond of each other, always will be. Even when she’s departed. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m sending her back where she came from in a little while. They’re waiting for her there.”
“What will you do then, Martha?” Tracy stared deeply at her as she heard the noise from the cars grow louder, heard footsteps pattering around.
“I’ll be spending time with you, darling,” Martha’s voice grew darker as she took a step closer to Tracy, stretching out her large arms.
Tracy lunged away, turned, looked through the windows and saw police charging out of their cars, swarming around.
“Can I open the door and get some fresh air in here for us?” Tracy asked Martha, as the police drew closer to the front door.
“No, not right now.” Martha didn’t like the thought of it. “Come down to the basement with me first.”
Tracy spun around as a thunderous crash knocked the door open and police charged wildly in.
“Get out of here, get out!” yelled Martha, stunned.
Two policemen quickly ran over and pulled her arms behind her back.
Completely shocked, Martha began shrieking, dropping her fine cup of tea which smashed into bitter slivers all over the messy floor.
“The basement, the basement,” Tracy yelled to the cops. “Candace is holed up there.”
Totally horrified, Martha spit violently at Tracy. “Deceiver. I let you in, I offered you kindness, and look what you’ve done to me in return! Don’t think I won’t get you for this!”
The policeman gripped Martha more tightly.
“They’re assaulting me. I’m being abused,” Martha pleaded with Tracy, as another cadre of police rushed in through the front door and then straight down into the basement.
Tracy heard garbled noises down there that soon got louder and louder.
“She’s alive! We got her!” a policeman finally yelled.
Hunter then charged into the room then, looking around in horror.
“This is Martha,” Tracy called out to him over the din. “She’s Tad Warehouse’s alternate personality. Take a good look at her, Hunter, never forget it.”
Hunter stared at Martha for a long time.
“What are you looking at, bozo? What are you looking at?” Martha shot back at him.
“I’ll never forget it, I won’t,” Hunter murmured, stunned.
“Are they taking Candace from me?” Martha’s eyes turned into slits as her voice grew husky “They can’t do that. I won’t let them. You know what happens if someone tries!”
“They’re taking Candace and you’ll never see her again,” Tracy egged her on, wanting to increase the stress level and make her switch off. To return to Tad. Tracy desperately wanted Tad to see what was going on. But Martha wouldn’t let up, just kept screaming, clenching her fists, and spitting as the police finally hauled her out of the house into the van.
“This is hard to believe.” Hunter was in shock.
“Take a look at the bulletin board,” said Tracy. “All the evidence you need is pinned up in full view.”
“I don’t have to look at anything else. It’s over, you found her. You’re a star, Tracy, a heroine. And thank God you’re safe,” Hunter spoke quickly as he suddenly rushed over and pulled Tracy close to him in a long, unexpected, warm embrace.
Trembling, Tracy let herself take solace for a moment in his arms.
Chapter 38
The media went wild as Tracy was proclaimed a heroine. She’d been right all along, unraveling the most unimaginable case. And Candace was back with her family safe, if not shell-shocked. Boston rejoiced, not only at Candace’s return, but that normalcy was being returned to their streets as well.
The FBI publicly apologized to Tracy and offered special commendations for the wonderful work she’d done.
Tracy prepared to return to New York, and as she was getting ready the police contacted her, saying that Tad Warehouse was back and needed to talk to her.
Tracy felt devastated by the request, though she could not refuse it. She had an hour before catching her flight home and decided to go to jail and spend it with Tad.
*
Tad looked at Tracy strangely. Dressed in his prisoner’s outfit, he peered out at her from behind the bars with confused eyes.
“What happened?” Tad asked, disoriented. “They told me this is my fault, that I killed two women! That’s crazy! I never did a thing. All I wanted to do was help find the killer. I wrote letters to the editors, made phone calls. I even met with you and gave you ideas. You know that, Tracy.”
“I do know that, Tad,” Tracy replied gently. “But there’s someone else who lives inside you, who has different ideas.”
“That’s nuts,” Tad objected. “I don’t accept it.”
“I’m sorry, Tad, I’m really sorry,” Tracy murmured. “I enjoyed the time we spent together, I really did.”
“Will you stand up for me at the trial?” he asked quickly.
“I’ll do all I can to help you,” Tracy responded. “I’ll help get the best psychiatrist on your team.”
“It’s out of the question.” Tad grew sullen and bitter. “I don’t need a psychiatrist. I just need a friend. You won’t be my friend?”
“I am your friend,” Tracy responded, “and a friend helps you get the help you really need.”
Crushed, Tad backed away from Tracy then, leaned down and curled up in a ball on the floor.
Crushed, Tracy watched him, vowing to find him the very best care.
*
As Tracy was leaving the jail, she saw a black car drive up in front of it. The car stopped and Hunter flew out.
“Whew, glad I caught you,” he said quickly. “I had no idea you were here, I stopped at the hotel first. I’m driving to the airport with you.”
Tracy smiled. She was delighted to have the company, but didn’t want to say so.
“Thanks, but it’s not necessary,” she said lightly.
“Yes, it is.” Hunter looked directly at her. “It’s more necessary than you can imagine. For both of us, that is. I was an idiot to have fired you and I’m still sorry about it.”
Tracy was touched. “It’s fine, truly, I understand,” she said. “The pressure was growing out of control.”
“It wasn’t personal,” Hunter insisted.
“I know that,” Tracy said.
Hunter helped her into the car then and told
the driver where to go.
“I don’t want you to leave,” Hunter said then softly.
Despite herself, Tracy’s eyes filled with tears.
“We have to stay in touch,” Hunter continued, as the car rolled along the street.
This was all probably just the excitement of the moment, thought Tracy. He’s thrilled the case has been solved and wants to keep working together.
“Of course we’ll keep working together,” Tracy replied.
“That’s not all I’m talking about, Tracy,” Hunter murmured. “Are you looking forward to returning to New York?”
“Yes,” Tracy replied softly. “I love my job, I love my students, and all the cases I’m called to consult on.”
“And what about Wess?” Hunter bristled. “Are you looking forward to seeing him, too?”
That was another matter entirely. Tracy couldn’t answer directly; she didn’t know.
“Time will tell,” she said. “Wess could have gotten involved with someone else.”
Hunter winced, reached for her hand, and held it tightly. Then he looked out the window at a low-flying plane that was coming in for a landing.
“I’m upset that you’re leaving,” Hunter repeated as the car pulled closer to the airport. “I know I have no right to say that, but it’s how I feel.”
To Tracy’s surprise, she, too, felt a strange twinge.
Get on the plane and come home with me, she wanted to say.
But she stayed quiet.
Hunter stepped out of the car and got her suitcase for her.
Tracy took the suitcase, tossed her hair over her shoulders, and began to walk away. Then she stopped and turned around.
“I’m upset to be leaving, too, Hunter,” she said, as he stood there sadly, watching her go.
Tracy finally turned and wound her way back through the airport, ready to catch her plane back to whatever madness was waiting for her back home, suspecting her life would never be the same again.
NOW AVAILABLE!
INVITATION TO MADNESS
(The Killing Game—Book 2)
Two young, female patients are found dead in a semi-private mental hospital in Queens. Each is found on the floor in their rooms, jugulars slashed. The hospital classifies them as suicides—but when a third patient is found dead, a terrifying question arises: is there a serial killer on the loose in the hospital?
The FBI Behavioral Unit calls in its star criminal profiler, Tracy Wrenn, to provide her unique insights to crack the case. Immersed in the world of the hospital, Tracy encounters a wide array of disturbing and perplexing characters, each with their own level of psychosis. Tracy must plunge into the depths of the disturbed minds of both inmates and staff as she tries to sort out what is real and what is fantasy, and as she begins to learn just how twisted the human mind can be.
A shocking twist culminates in an ending Tracy can never expect, as she finds herself on the brink—and can only hope to return.
Book #3 in The Killing Game will be released soon.
INVITATION TO MADNESS
(The Killing Game—Book 2)
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(Death by Honeymoon, No Place to Die, and Invitation to Die)
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In DEATH BY HONEYMOON, on the rugged, wild, eastern shore of Barbados, Cindy and Clint are enjoying their dream honeymoon, when paradise quickly turns into hell. Cindy finds her newly beloved taken away from her, drowned in a freak accident in the ocean. The local police are quick to declare it an accident, to insist that he was caught in a sudden riptide. But Cindy, left all alone, is not convinced.
In NO PLACE TO DIE, Olivia and Todd, madly in love, fly down to Key West when Todd offers to take her on a surprise trip for a magical weekend. Though they have only been dating five months, Olivia can’t help but wonder if Todd is preparing to pop the big question along the beautiful shores. Yet Olivia’s paradise quickly turns to hell when Todd dies right before her eyes, in a tragic accident. Or was it? Olivia sinks further into the abyss as the police wonder if she did it, and finds herself backed into a corner, having to prove her innocence while finding out if Todd was truly murdered. Yet as she searches, entering the underbelly of Key West, forced to deal with unsavory locals and with Todd’s difficult and grieving family, she discovers things about Todd that she wished she never knew—discoveries that make her realize that she never really knew the man she loved at all.
In INVITATION TO DIE, Two women have gone missing in two weeks: the first, found dead, was slashed and dumped in a back alley in Boston. The second was discovered by a child in a Swan Boat Ride. As fear intensifies, Hunter, the head of the FBI Behavioral Unit, calls his star criminal profiler, Tracy Wrenn, to help on the case. Even though she had plans to become engaged that evening, Tracy quickly cancels her plans and rushes to Boston to help. A beautiful, young professor of criminal psychology, Tracy has become renowned for her success at cracking cases no one else can. With her unusual insights and unique point of view, she is relentless at probing the inner minds of murderers. When a third woman goes missing, and when Tracy finds herself in danger, everything intensifies.
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JADEN SKYE: MYSTERY BUNDLE
(Death by Honeymoon, No Place to Die, and Invitation to Die)
Books by Jaden Skye
THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES
DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)
DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2)
DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3)
DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4)
DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5)
DEATH BY JEALOUSY (Book #6)
DEATH BY PROPOSAL (Book #7)
DEATH BY OBSESSION (Book #8)
DEATH BY DEVOTION (Book #9)
DEATH BY BETRAYAL (Book #10)
DEATH BY REQUEST (Book #11)
DEATH BY ENGAGEMENT (Book #12)
DEATH BY SEDUCTION (Book #13)
DEATH BY TEMPTATION (Book #14)
DEATH BY INVITATION (Book #15)
DEATH BY WEDDING (Book #16)
THE TOM’S RIVER SAGA
A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1)
MURDER IN THE KEYS
NO PLACE TO DIE (Book #1)
NO PLACE TO VANISH (Book #2)
THE KILLING GAME
INVITATION TO DIE (Book #1)
INVITATION TO MADNESS (Book #2)
INVITATION TO AGONY (Book #3)
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Jaden Skye
Jaden Skye is author of the #1 Bestselling CARIBBEAN MURDER series, which includes 16 books (and counting). The first book in the series, DEATH BY HONEYMOON, a #1 Bestseller, is now available as a FREE download on Amazon!
Jaden is also author of the romance series THE TOM RIVER’S SERIES, which begins with A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1).
Jaden is also author of the new romantic suspense series MURDER IN THE KEYS, which begins with NO PLACE TO DIE (Book #1), and of the romantic suspense series THE KILLING GAME, which begins with INVITATION TO DIE (Book #1).
Jaden has always been fascinated with mystery, wrongful death, lies, deception and the power of the truth to prevail. Her romantic suspense/mystery novels feature strong female protagonists who must overcome insurmountable obstacles, and through them, she seeks to get to the very heart of the nature of justice and love.
Please visit www.jadenskye.com to find links to stay in touch with Jaden via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, her blog, and a who
le bunch of other places. Jaden loves to hear from you, so don't be shy and check back often!