When she shook her head in abject disgust, she gasped as the motion sent the room spinning out of control. Mind swimming, she squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled through her nose.
“When’s the last time you ate or slept?”
When the wave of dizziness passed, Ellie dared to check the clock on the far wall. Yikes. “A while.”
Charli crossed her arms and lowered her eyebrows. “There’s a direct correlation between hunger and focus, or lack thereof, to be more specific. You should eat something and try to get some sleep.”
With the other detective’s black pixie cut, bright blue eyes, and delicate features, it was a little like being scolded by a fairy.
Not that Ellie would ever dare to voice that opinion aloud. “I’d love to rest, but there’s a little girl out there who’s been kidnapped by a killer, and her life could come down to how much time I dedicate to sleeping instead of trying to find her.”
Ellie’s statement thrummed between them, striking a forgotten chord in her heart. This couldn’t be…but it was…oh, God.
She dug her nails into her thighs and tried not to succumb to the shame that coiled inside her chest in tight, suffocating loops. She’d been so hellbent on making Kingsley pay for his crimes that this was the first time she could remember putting Bethany’s safety above her quest for revenge.
Charli didn’t argue or mouth some worthless platitude about how Ellie could only do so much. She simply nodded, as if she accepted Ellie’s analysis of the time constraints as logical. “What’s your next step?”
Ellie filled her lungs with air and came to a decision. “I want to visit Letitia Wiggins. We read what the psychologist had to say. Now, I need to speak with the accused in person and form my own opinion.”
“I anticipated that you might say that.” No surprise there. “The Lake Walters Retirement Community where she resides now is almost four and a half hours away. In light of this new information, I suggest that you revisit your previous conclusion and consider getting some rest first.”
Ellie’s body sagged. Four and a half hours? Even Shane would be exhausted by now, and that was too far to drive powered on fumes, coffee, and determination. Not if she didn’t want to risk ending up as another one of Charli’s statistics. Fatal car accidents caused by overtired drivers.
“Fine, you win. I’ll book a hotel room and sleep for a few hours before heading out.”
Charli responded in her even tone. “I wasn’t aware we were playing a game.” She paused a beat before granting Ellie a mischievous smile. “But for the record, I do enjoy winning.”
16
A weird looking animal sprawled on the kitchen floor, its snakelike tail twitching every few seconds.
The bad man held the shiny silver knife out to Bethany. “All you have to do is pick up the knife and start cutting, wherever you like. Each cut will earn you a snack of your choice.”
She backed away, shaking her head. “What is it?”
He laughed. “It’s an opossum, my dear. One of the stupidest animals on the planet. You’ll be doing it a favor and saving it from becoming roadkill.”
She took another step back. “No.”
“Don’t be silly. I gave the marsupial medicine, so he won’t feel a thing. Each cut will earn you a small snack. Aren’t you hungry?”
The promise of food made Bethany’s heart beat faster, and she glanced up at the bad man’s face. His smile was weird tonight. Softer than normal, and his voice was nicer too. Like he wanted to be friends.
He moved, and she flinched, but he was only squatting down over the animal. “Here, I’ll show you that it won’t hurt, okay?”
Before Bethany had time to protest, the knife flashed and sliced into the opossum’s fur near his tail. She covered her eyes, but when it didn’t make a sound, she peeked between her fingers. He laid in the same position, his eyes closed and chest gently rising and falling. The only change was the blood welling up where the knife had cut.
“See? He’s perfectly fine, aren’t you, boy.” Doctor Rotten patted the furry head before rising. “Now, it’s your turn.”
When he pushed the knife toward her, a red streak glinted on the silver. The opossum’s blood. “No.”
“No?”
His voice changed in that one word, wrenching Bethany’s gaze up to his face. She yelped at the angry line of eyebrows and tried to jump away, but she was too late. His free hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, dragging her closer to the sleeping animal.
“How about this? I’ll give you an entire meal in exchange for three cuts deep enough to draw blood. Deal? Your mother would tell you to accept, you know. She wouldn’t want you to starve over some dumpster diving pest.”
Bethany licked her lips. The idea of an entire meal sounded too good to be true. She glanced at the animal’s face, and her heart sank at the pink tongue sticking out of its mouth. Its long hairless tail twitched again in his sleep.
The meal sounded too good to be true because it was.
“Here, take the knife. See how it feels in your hands. How powerful and strong.”
Doctor Rotten shoved the knife into Bethany’s hand and pressed her fingers around the handle as anger filled her so full she forgot to be scared.
No matter what he said, she knew this was wrong. He was wrong.
Strong was doing the right thing, and the right thing to do was to leave the poor thing alone. She didn’t care if he couldn’t feel any pain for now, because what happened when he woke up? He’d be hurt and crying, and it would be Bethany’s fault, and no amount of food in the world was worth that. No matter how scared or hungry or tired she was.
Her
