Read Online The Serial Killer's Wife by Blake Crouch, Robert Swartwood - Free Book Online

 
    He hand visibly shaking, he tilted the BlackBerry so she could see the picture on the screen: Matthew, again tied to the bed, again with the tape over his mouth and the blindfold over his eyes, the bright glowing digits above him now reading 99:00:00 .

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 18

    J UST BEFORE THEY reached St. Louis, they stopped for gas.  
    They hadn’t spoken a word since the first picture of Matthew was sent—the BlackBerry dinged one hour later, as promised, with another picture—but when Elizabeth pulled up next to the pumps, she asked Todd if he had his ATM card with him.  
    “Of course.”  
    “And your credit cards?”  
    “Yes. I have everything.”  
    “Use the credit card to pay for the gas, then take out as much money as you can with your ATM card.”  
    Todd had opened his wallet and was staring down at the loose bills and credit cards. Now he looked up at her. “Why?”  
    “Because when the FBI gets involved, they’ll be able to track our movements with your credit card.”  
    “How would they even know I’m with you?”  
    Elizabeth shrugged. “I’m just trying to cover all our bases.”  
    She was hesitant to let him out of her sight, fearing he might try to call the police while inside. But she trusted him, and she had seen the look in his eyes when she explained what had happened to Matthew, how his life was in danger, and she knew Todd would do whatever it took to get him back.  
    Todd returned two minutes later with a filled plastic bag showing the gas station’s logo.  
    “I got you a Diet Coke,” he said. “You know, in case you’re thirsty.”  
    She didn’t realize until they were back on the road just how thirsty she really was. She drained the soda in nearly five swallows. Todd offered his bottle of water but she declined. He took something from the plastic bag and opened it and immediately the car was filled with the smell of coffee.  
    “What is that?”  
    “Coffee beans. Breakfast Blend.” He placed one in his mouth. “You want one?”  
    “You’re eating them?”  
    Todd shrugged. “My dad chewed coffee beans when we went on road trips. He said it was healthier and cheaper than smoking. He’d let me try some and I eventually came to love them. Now when I drive long distances, I can’t do it without chewing some kind of coffee bean. What—you look surprised.”  
    “I’m just surprised that gas station actually had coffee beans.”  
    “They did, and they were expensive, too. Are you sure you don’t want one?”  
    “I’m sure.”  
    There was a silence. Elizabeth felt unnerved by the exchange. It seemed too conversational for the situation at hand. Still, they had a long drive ahead of them, and Elizabeth didn’t want Todd to feel more uncomfortable than he was already, so she said:  
    “You know, you never mentioned your father before.”  
    “I haven’t?”  
    “Not once since I’ve known you. I always just assumed he was dead.”  
    She flinched when she said that last word.  
    Todd said, “Are you okay?”  
    “I’m fine.”  
    “We don’t have to talk about this.”  
    “No, really, it’s okay. What were you going to say?”  
    Todd studied her for a long moment before speaking. “My father, he might as well have been dead. When I was in high school he ran away with this woman he met at the gym, she was like ten years younger than him. He left me and my sister to take care of my mom. She had MS.”  
    “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said, at once thinking of her own mother. “You never mentioned that either.”  
    Todd produced an ironic smile. “What can I say—I don’t like to be a downer.”  
    They drove for another minute in silence.  
    Elizabeth said, “My father died when I was very young. He was healthy, kept himself in shape, but he still had a heart attack. It was a strange case, but the doctors admitted that it does happen.”  
    “You know,” Todd said, “that’s the very first