“Is it bad?” she said softly. “The scar?”
“Bitch, go to hell.”
Abby didn’t flinch. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I know what I did to you.”
“You’ve got five more minutes.” Jerry’s words were slow and deliberate. “Either you tell us what you know, or we’re out of here. And once we leave, we’re not coming back.”
Abby’s gaze flickered to Sheila, and then she was focused on Jerry again. “I know you hate me for what I did, but I want you to know that I panicked. Ethan, he . . .” She paused and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t a good relationship. He wasn’t a good person. I spent eight years of my life with someone who turned out to be a monster.”
Sheila said nothing. Neither did Jerry. An uncomfortable silence descended over the room.
Abby leaned forward. “I sit in a tiny cell all day. All I’ve had is time to think. And I think if you got to know me—”
“I don’t want to know you,” Jerry said, his jaw working.
“I understand. You’re still angry.”
“Who says I’m angry?”
“You’d have to be.” Abby looked at Sheila, then back to Jerry. “What I did . . . it’s scarred you in a lot of ways, and not just physically. Anyone paying attention can see that.”
Jerry blew out a breath. “Okay, you’ve apologized. Now for the last fucking time, tell us what you know. You’ve got three minutes left.”
“I don’t know who the killer is,” Abby said.
“Fine.” Jerry stood up, pushing his chair back on the linoleum floor so hard it screeched. “Thanks for wasting our time. Let’s go, Sheila.”
“Wait.”
He ignored Abby and headed for the door. Sheila stood up.
“Jerry, wait .” The urgency in Abby’s voice caused him to turn around. “Please don’t go yet. I don’t know who the killer is, okay? But I know I can help you.”
“How?”
“I know where the next victim is.”
Holy shit . Sheila sat back down, glancing at Jerry, but his dark face was impossible to read.
“Okay then.” Still standing, he pulled a small black notepad out of his back pocket. “Give me a name and I’ll call it in right now, have somebody pick her up before she gets hurt.”
“I didn’t say I knew who, I said I knew where .” Abby looked up at Jerry, her eyes never wavering from his face. “And she’s already dead. Before I tell you anything more, there are certain things you need to agree to.”
Jerry sat back down. “What things?”
Abby reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Read this first. From my lawyer to you.”
Jerry unfolded the paper. Sheila craned her neck, but from where she was seated, she couldn’t make out the words. As Jerry read, the lines in his face grew more pronounced.
When he finished, he looked up, incredulous. “Tell me you’re joking.”
The younger woman didn’t smile, but her eyes were shining in a way that made Sheila very uneasy. “I never joke when it comes to my freedom.”
It was the first honest thing Abby Maddox had said.
chapter 8
THEY’D FINALLY LEFT . A good first meeting all around, Abby Maddox thought. Dr. Sheila Tao had been exactly what she’d been hoping for—open-minded, inquisitive, fearless. And not totally unsympathetic, as Abby had thought she might be. A long shot, but maybe there was something to work with there. Slowly, things were clicking into place.
The handcuffs weren’t necessary, but she was a high-level offender and protocol was protocol. Anticipating the hateful cold metal bracelets, Abby held her wrists out, but instead of snapping them on, Officer Mark Cavanaugh just smiled at her.
“God, I’ve missed you.” He leaned in.
Before his lips could make contact, Abby said, “Where have you been the last three days?”
His lips were less than an inch away from hers. Pulling back, he looked down, not answering. Which told her everything she needed to know.
“Again?” Abby said, her voice cold. “I thought you said it was under
“Bitch, go to hell.”
Abby didn’t flinch. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I know what I did to you.”
“You’ve got five more minutes.” Jerry’s words were slow and deliberate. “Either you tell us what you know, or we’re out of here. And once we leave, we’re not coming back.”
Abby’s gaze flickered to Sheila, and then she was focused on Jerry again. “I know you hate me for what I did, but I want you to know that I panicked. Ethan, he . . .” She paused and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t a good relationship. He wasn’t a good person. I spent eight years of my life with someone who turned out to be a monster.”
Sheila said nothing. Neither did Jerry. An uncomfortable silence descended over the room.
Abby leaned forward. “I sit in a tiny cell all day. All I’ve had is time to think. And I think if you got to know me—”
“I don’t want to know you,” Jerry said, his jaw working.
“I understand. You’re still angry.”
“Who says I’m angry?”
“You’d have to be.” Abby looked at Sheila, then back to Jerry. “What I did . . . it’s scarred you in a lot of ways, and not just physically. Anyone paying attention can see that.”
Jerry blew out a breath. “Okay, you’ve apologized. Now for the last fucking time, tell us what you know. You’ve got three minutes left.”
“I don’t know who the killer is,” Abby said.
“Fine.” Jerry stood up, pushing his chair back on the linoleum floor so hard it screeched. “Thanks for wasting our time. Let’s go, Sheila.”
“Wait.”
He ignored Abby and headed for the door. Sheila stood up.
“Jerry, wait .” The urgency in Abby’s voice caused him to turn around. “Please don’t go yet. I don’t know who the killer is, okay? But I know I can help you.”
“How?”
“I know where the next victim is.”
Holy shit . Sheila sat back down, glancing at Jerry, but his dark face was impossible to read.
“Okay then.” Still standing, he pulled a small black notepad out of his back pocket. “Give me a name and I’ll call it in right now, have somebody pick her up before she gets hurt.”
“I didn’t say I knew who, I said I knew where .” Abby looked up at Jerry, her eyes never wavering from his face. “And she’s already dead. Before I tell you anything more, there are certain things you need to agree to.”
Jerry sat back down. “What things?”
Abby reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Read this first. From my lawyer to you.”
Jerry unfolded the paper. Sheila craned her neck, but from where she was seated, she couldn’t make out the words. As Jerry read, the lines in his face grew more pronounced.
When he finished, he looked up, incredulous. “Tell me you’re joking.”
The younger woman didn’t smile, but her eyes were shining in a way that made Sheila very uneasy. “I never joke when it comes to my freedom.”
It was the first honest thing Abby Maddox had said.
chapter 8
THEY’D FINALLY LEFT . A good first meeting all around, Abby Maddox thought. Dr. Sheila Tao had been exactly what she’d been hoping for—open-minded, inquisitive, fearless. And not totally unsympathetic, as Abby had thought she might be. A long shot, but maybe there was something to work with there. Slowly, things were clicking into place.
The handcuffs weren’t necessary, but she was a high-level offender and protocol was protocol. Anticipating the hateful cold metal bracelets, Abby held her wrists out, but instead of snapping them on, Officer Mark Cavanaugh just smiled at her.
“God, I’ve missed you.” He leaned in.
Before his lips could make contact, Abby said, “Where have you been the last three days?”
His lips were less than an inch away from hers. Pulling back, he looked down, not answering. Which told her everything she needed to know.
“Again?” Abby said, her voice cold. “I thought you said it was under
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