If It Walks Like A Killer (The Carolina Killer Files #1)

by Kiersten Modglin

  Rachael remained still, not responding.

  “Look, I can explain this.” She held up the photo. “Well, I mean not really. I just, I’m sorry Rachael. I’m so sorry. You have to know I never meant for this to happen. Never. You’re my best friend, Rach. This doesn’t change that. I’m so sorry. Oh, what have I done?” Emotions flooded her brain, tears rolling down her cheeks. She’d never felt so stupid as she did in that moment. She wanted Rachael to hug her, to let her cry it out, to tell her everything would be okay. She didn’t. Audrey knew she didn’t deserve it, but it was still hard to watch her best friend stand, unmoving, at the sight of her tears. She sniffled a few more times, attempting to stop the tears from falling, but they were relentless.

  “Look, this means nothing. It means nothing compared to our friendship. It was a mistake.” She realized in that moment nothing had ever been truer. She was sorry. She wished, more than anything, that she could take it all back. She approached Rachael, her eyes swimming with tears. “I know you’ll never forgive me but—” Audrey never got to finish her sentence because at that exact moment something cold ripped through her stomach. The pain took her breath away and she staggered back from her friend, a knife sticking out from just under her rib cage.

  “Rachael—” she gurgled, her lungs burning as they filled with blood. She fell down to the ground, her legs giving out under her. The pain was so intense it ate through her thoughts and left her with nothing to do but wait for it to end. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, and it hurt to cry. She laid down in the snow, the cold felt surprisingly good. Rachael stood above her, not smiling, not crying…just watching. She bent down and for a brief second Audrey hoped for help. Instead, Rachael pulled the knife out with a sharp tug. Audrey let out a horrific cry, trying to maneuver her snow covered fingers onto the wound to stop some of the bleeding. It was no use, as her friend walked away into the night, not bothering to even look back, Audrey watched her blood dye a crimson ring around her. Her body grew cold, though it hurt to shiver, and she knew her end would come soon. Her life didn’t flash before her eyes, she didn’t see a bright white light. Audrey Hagen died, cold and alone, feeling as deserted and scorned as she’d ever felt in her very short life.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Caide

  Caide was awoken by a sharp rapping on his bedroom window. He jumped out of bed, wondering why he’d chosen not to own a gun. He walked sleepily to the closet, picking up a baseball bat. He fumbled to the window and whipped back the curtain.

  “What the hell?”

  Rachael smiled at him. “Let me in. It’s freezing out here.”

  “Rachael? What are you doing here? How are you out of jail?”

  “I wanted to see you. Now, let me in.”

  He opened the window slowly, allowing his wife to crawl in. “What’s happening?”

  “I had to escape. Oh, Caide, I couldn’t stand another minute in that awful place. I missed you so much.” She threw her arms around his neck. Prison had slimmed her, his arms now fit loosely around her waist and as she pressed up against him, he could distinctly feel her rib cage. She pressed her lips to his, her breath smelled of cigarette smoke.

  When did she start smoking? Her kisses were sweet at first, though they quickly became passionate and fierce. Her hands explored every inch of him with a determination she hadn’t had in years. “Rachael,” he mumbled, pushing her back, “we can’t do this. You have to leave.”

  “Why?” she asked, kissing his neck.

  “Because they’re going to come looking for you as soon as they realize you are missing.”

  “We have enough time. Just kiss me.” She pulled her shirt over her head and then his, kissing his chest. Just like that, he forgot about their fight, forgot how angry he’d been with her, and gave in. He pulled her back up to his face and kissed her feverishly, like they hadn’t kissed since long before the wedding. He lifted her up, shocked by the ease with which he now could, and pushed her up against the wall.

  “I love you. I love you,” she whispered.

  He pulled away, shocked to see tears in her eyes. “Do you?”

  “I do.” She nodded. “I really, really do. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “What about our fight? You said that you were going to leave me.”

  “You cheated on me, Caide. I think that makes us even.”

  “I did, but you’re a murderer, Rach. Do you realize that? You actually killed someone. How could you?”

  “Don’t blame me. I was only cleaning up your mess. She shouldn’t have taken what wasn’t hers.”

  Caide loathed the hardness in his pants, he’d never been so completely embarrassed. There was something about this side of Rachael that was just so feral. He couldn’t help but to be turned on by the wildness in her eyes. He bit her lip, pulling her jeans down to her ankles. She smiled at him crookedly and he knew right then it was over. He pushed her onto the bed and made love to his wife for the first time in years, whispering over and over again how much he loved her and how sorry he was. Also for the first time in years, he found himself meaning every word he said.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Hampton

  Hampton busted in Rachael’s room the next morning, a large smile on his face. He glanced around. A sleepy Rachael rubbed her eyes, waking from sleep. Shayna was nowhere to be found.

  “Where is Shayna?”

  “Oh.” Rachael rubbed her eyes. “She left.”

  “She left?” Hampton blurted. “What the hell do you mean she left? She swore she’d stay.”

  “It’s okay, Argus. She said she had something to do. I don’t need a babysitter. It’s no big deal.”

  “Yes, actually, it’s a very big deal, Rachael. I got them to un-cuff you with the understanding that you’d be supervised all night. This could be so bad.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed furiously.

  “Nothing happened. Nothing’s wrong.”

  “What time did she leave?”

  “I really don’t remember. Maybe around two?”

  “Damn. That’s like six hours unsupervised. I swear, Shayna where the hell are you? Do you realize what you’ve done?” He spoke into the phone when she finally answered.

  “Hampton, I’m sorry. I know you’re angry. I need to see Rachael today. In my office.”

  “Do what? What are you talking about?”

  “I need you to bring her here. As soon as you can.”

  “Are you serious? She’s just been in the ICU all night. You can’t honestly expect me to get her released.”

  “It’s important. It’s so important that you do.”

  “Stop being cryptic. What’s going on?”

  “I can’t explain now. Just get her here.”

  “Okay. Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” He slammed his phone shut, his face pale.

  “What’s going on?” Rachael asked, attempting to sit up.

  “We’ve got to get you out of here. I’ll be right back.” Argus hurried out the door before she could say anything else.

  ***

  Hampton waited impatiently by the nurse’s station for someone to return with Rachael’s doctor. He sighed, staring at his watch. It had been nearly an hour and a half since Shayna had called and his fears were growing larger by the minute. Finally, a middle aged man in a white coat rounded the corner carrying a clipboard. “Are you here for Rachael Abbott?”

  “Yes. Yes, are you her doctor?”

  “Yes. Rachael’s vitals look good, they stayed strong overnight. Her fluid intake and outtake are right where we want them to be. She’ll need to take it easy for the next few days. Don’t let her get the stitches wet and don’t let her scratch them. We’ll give her some antibiotic cream that she’ll need to keep on it and she’ll need to keep it covered. No heavy lifting of any kind, no strenuous activity.”

  “You’re saying you’ll release her?”

  “I need to see her back in four weeks to remove the stitches. I want her to get plenty of rest.
If they start bleeding, if she has any pain, or if it gets infected I need her back here immediately.”

  “But she’s released?”

  “There’s no reason she should have to stay. She’s doing great. It was a clean cut and we were able to repair it nicely. I think she’s going to be just fine.”

  “Great. Thank you so much.”

  “You’ll need to sign for her release.”

  Hampton took the clipboard from him, scribbling his name where he was told. He handed it back to the doctor and rushed toward Rachael’s room, zigzagging through the crowded hallway.

  ***

  Rachael

  Rachael tapped her feet anxiously, sitting in the passenger’s seat of Argus’ car as he made phone call after angry phone call. The current call seemed to be to the judge. Rachael’s neck ached a bit and try as she might, she just couldn’t get comfortable. God, she missed morphine. She sat quietly, resting her face against the cool window. She watched as they passed fields and trees, car after car. It seemed like it had been so long since she’d been out of the hospital, though it had only been a day. The pain in her neck was beginning to give her a headache.

  He hung up the phone. “So the woman who attacked you has been charged with attempted murder. Our case is solid and your friend has agreed to testify as a witness. She’s in isolation until her court date, but I’m sure we’ll win.”

  Rachael nodded.

  “Did you know who she was?”

  “Not at first, no. She looked so familiar but I didn’t know why. She was at the trial. I didn’t realize it until she mentioned Blaire.”

  “Rachael, I’m afraid people are going to want to hurt you now. You have to take care of yourself. This shouldn’t have ever happened. I’ll make sure she pays for what she’s done.”

  “That was her daughter, Argus.” She reached for his hand. “I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. I can’t imagine how she was feeling. No one should have to bury their child.”

  Argus touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “Hey, you didn’t do this. You don’t have to feel guilty.” They were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. When Argus spoke again, Rachael pretended not to hear his voice crack, “Rachael, if something had happened to you I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

  She squeezed his hand gently. “I know.”

  He sighed. “Anyway, I talked to Judge Crafton. He’s agreed to release you for eight hours today instead of four. Shayna said we’ll need some extra time.”

  “Do you have any idea what she’s got planned? I thought we were done with the tests now that she knows I don’t have DID?”

  “I don’t know what she’s planning, but it’d better be good. If she left you for no reason last night, it could ruin this case. She’d better know what she’s doing.”

  “She does,” Rachael said with confidence. As they pulled into Shayna’s parking lot, Rachael’s pulse picked up. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was until just now. Argus climbed out of the car and walked around to meet Rachael. He held his hand out to help her and she took it gratefully, more to hold his hand than because she needed help.

  “Here we go,” he whispered behind her.

  “Knock, knock,” Rachael called upon noticing Kortnee was not at her desk today. The office was surprisingly quiet, allowing them to hear footsteps approaching the lobby. Shayna pulled the door open, a grim look on her face. Behind her was a plump, older woman. She smiled at Rachael.

  “Rachael,” Shayna spoke softly. “I apologize for leaving you last night. How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve been better.” Rachael smiled. “But I’ll be okay. I’m glad to be out of that hospital. Of course, it was better than where I’ll be going next.”

  “Actually,” Shayna said with a grin, “if everything works out you may not be going back to jail after all.”

  “I bought us eight hours, but you’ll have to work fast,” Argus told Shayna pointedly.

  “Right. Well, let’s all go into the office and sit down. We’ve got a lot to talk about and very little time to do so.” Shayna held the door open, leading them through. They each picked couches awkwardly. Rachael sat on a gray one with Hampton beside of her, Shayna across from them. Her friend sat carefully in a pink chair, obviously uncomfortable.

  “Okay, so what is going on?” Rachael asked, feeling frustrated by her growing headache and lack of answers.

  “First things first, Rachael, I’d like you to meet Ms. Phoebe Moore. She’s an old client of mine.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Moore.” Rachael smiled politely but cast a confused look back at Shayna. Not really the best time for visitors.

  Phoebe nodded, a warm smile on her face, but said nothing.

  “Well, I guess we’ll just jump right into why we’re here. Last night, Rachael, when I saw your birthmark, do you remember me telling you I’d heard about it before?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it turns out I was right, I just hadn’t heard about it from you. I came back to my office, replaying old tapes and trying to jog my memory. That’s when I found Phoebe’s folder. She was very kind to meet with us and she’s a little nervous but she has a story she needs to tell you. It’s not going to be easy for you to hear, but you need to know the truth about what’s been going on and as luck would have it, there’s no one better to tell you than Phoebe.”

  Phoebe scooted forward in her chair, writhing her hands nervously together. “Okay, well, like she told you I’m Phoebe. I’ve lived in La Rue all my life. I was a nurse at La Rue Baptist Hospital for twenty-two years.”

  “That’s where I was born,” Rachael thought out loud.

  “That’s right. I was there the night you were born, in fact, I was the nurse who delivered you.”

  Rachael was taken back by this news, feeling violated rather than friendly.

  “Now, first of all, you have to understand that the year you were born was one of the toughest of my life. I lost my father to a heart attack, and I had three miscarriages before finding out I’d never be able to carry a child full term. I lost my third and final child the night before you were born. I had been sixteen weeks along, the furthest my husband and I had ever made it. We’d done everything right. We’d read all the books, done everything we were told, ate the right foods, but in the end the good Lord called my child home anyway and they told me I’d need a hysterectomy. They told me another miscarriage would kill me. I don’t know if they were right, physically, but mentally there was no question. So, we decided to quit trying. I felt like my body was betraying me. The doctor told me to take a week off, but I needed much more. I didn’t just lose a child that night, I lost the future I’d always hoped for. Unfortunately, when working at a hospital, sometimes the time you need off is not what they’re able to give you.”

  She paused to wipe her eyes before continuing. “Back in those days we didn’t have a labor board or an HR hotline, when they told you to come to work, you came to work. So, when the attending called me that night, he said it was bad. It was a full moon that night and pouring down rain. Accidents were coming in left and right, pregnant women too. The other attending on call had gotten stuck in traffic and so we had forty pregnant women, one doctor, and five nurses. I remember walking into the maternity ward that night—it was pure chaos. People were running around, patients in the hallways, charts lying about. They were sending patients to nearby hospitals but for some of the women it was too late or other cases took precedent over theirs. The storm really messed up travel. We were told to keep the mothers calm and healthy while we waited for other doctors to arrive.”

  She paused, staring off into space. “Come to think of it, I don’t think they ever did. Anyway, we had a car crash come in. A woman, husband, and their son had slid on some water, they went off in a ditch, flipped six or seven times. The husband was declared dead on arrival. There was a little boy, Ben, he was only six. He died later that night. The mother, Marianne, was eight m
onths pregnant and in rough shape. She was unconscious and bleeding. They were able to get her stable, but the baby was in distress. He had to be delivered right away. Forty-one moms and counting. The doctor told us to grab an orderly and start delivering. We were divided up, each given four or five moms to take care of, while the doctor delivered the higher risk babies.”

  “They let nurses deliver babies? Alone?” Argus asked.

  “This was a different time, hon. Delivering babies isn’t rocket science; women have been delivering babies in fields long before hospitals came along. Anyhow, I was assigned to the car accident. I was also assigned to your mother. She was my first to be fully dilated. I remember she was so ready to meet you, Rachael.”

  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “She’d woken up in the middle of the night when her water broke. By the time she got to the hospital, you were already starting to crown. We rushed her into the only delivery room we had available, which also happened to be Marianne’s. Your mom was chattering away. She was so happy that night, even in the middle of her labor, she was so ready to be a mom. She told me all about your father, all of the toys they’d bought for you, and how they’d decorated your nursery. She was the type of person who just makes you want to talk. She was enchanting, your mother. We delivered you within the hour, an easy delivery. I remember seeing your birthmark. Most babies take months for them to show up, but yours was right there from the beginning. Your mom cried when she saw you. ‘Her name’s Rachael,’ she told me. I gave you to my orderly and had him take you to the nursery. After you were out of the room, I went to check on Marianne, her vitals were crashing again so I had to leave your mom.”

  She stopped talking, biting her lip.

  “Go on.” Shayna encouraged her.

  “God, I shouldn’t have been there that night. I was just too emotional. When I got to Marianne I just couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat. I had to do a C-section. I called for the doctor but he was in the middle of a delivery. He told me to go ahead. I couldn’t wait for my orderly any longer. I cut her open, I remember how bad my hands were shaking. I got to the baby but there was so much blood. She’d been bleeding internally and we’d missed it. When I pulled the baby out, he was so stiff. Cool. He didn’t move. I laid him down; my orderly should’ve been back but he wasn’t. I tried everything I could to save that little baby. He was so beautiful.”