“You have to shoot me,” he shouted. “Please. I beg you. Shoot me.”
He collapsed on his knees, tears running down his face as he desperately looked at her.
“Tell me the truth, Jim,” Robin whispered. “Tell me what really happened. Why are you lying to me?”
“Lying?” he said. “It’s the truth! Why won’t you free me of the evil in me? Why won’t you save Abby? Why?”
“Just give up, Jim,” Robin shouted. “I know it isn’t you. Tell me why you are doing this?”
“Kill me, Robin,” he whispered. “Please. You have to kill me.”
“No,” Robin said. “What’s going on here? Jim? Is it the killer? Is he making you do this?”
“No!” he shouted. “It’s me! I did this! I am the killer!”
“Is he forcing you into this?” Robin asked, her mind racing. “Jim, I can help you.”
“You don’t understand, Robin,” he sobbed. “If you don’t shoot me, Abby will die.”
“I am not going to shoot you, Jim,” Robin said. “Tell me everything, and I will save Abby, I promise. Just tell me everything.”
Jim broke down, sobbing openly as he looked at her.
“If you don’t shoot me,” Jim sobbed, “he will kill Abby.”
“Who?” Robin whispered, her heart racing. “Who will?”
“I don’t know who he is,” Jim said. “I got back from work, and Abby wasn’t home. And then I got a call. It was a man. He told me to act as if everything was okay. To switch on the TV and act as if we were both home, and then he told me he had Abby. He was going to kill her if I didn’t do as I was told.”
“Oh, God,” Robin whispered. “What did you do?”
“He had left a small box for me on the table,” he whispered. “It had an earpiece in it. He has been using it to whisper in my ear all night. Telling me all these horrid things and asking me to say all these terrible things. He said I have to do everything as he says, or he will hurt our Abby. Robin, Please. I can’t lose Abby. Please.”
“Tell me everything,” Robin said. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“He told me that I have to confess,” Jim whispered. “That I have to say that I am the killer you are looking for. He told me he had a replica of my ring, and he will plant it at the crime scene. He said if I confessed in front of you, he would let Abby go. I told him you wouldn’t believe me, but he just laughed. It was such a peal of cold, cruel laughter. I have never heard anything like it. He said he would tell me things to say, things that only he knows.”
Jim shuddered as he said those words, and Robin put a comforting hand on his shoulder, her mind racing.
“He sent me a picture of Abby,” he whispered. “Injured and looking so scared. I was horrified the moment I saw it. He said if I told anyone at all, he would know, and he would pull the trigger on Abby, and she would join his other victims. He said I had to convince you that I am the killer. I didn’t just have to confess; I had to convince you.”
He looked at her with wide, terrified eyes and whispered, “He said I had to get you to kill me; I had to die for Abby to survive. And I failed. I failed, and now Abby will die. I did this to her. It was me.”
“No,” Robin whispered. “Nothing will happen to Abby. Nothing, I promise.”
“I failed her, Robin,” he whispered. “I failed my Abby. He said that you had to kill me. But now–.”
“Jim,” Robin said. “It will be okay. I will find her.”
“No, it’s too late,” he whispered. “I have to die for her to live. I have to die!”
Robin realized too late that the gun had been dangling loosely from her hand. Jim lunged for it and pointed it toward himself, his eyes filled with fear.
“I have to do this for Abby,” he whispered.
“No, you don’t,” Robin said. “I will find her, Jim. I will bring her back to you, I promise. Please, don’t do this. Please.”
Jim collapsed, sobbing openly as Robin gently took the gun away from him. She took the earpiece from him and held it to her own ear.
“This was interesting to see, Detective,” the voice from the earpiece whispered in her ear. “Even though things didn’t go as planned, I must say that you made things rather fun. Tell you what, I will play along. I will give you a chance to save Abby. You know where to find her. You have one hour, and remember, this is between you and me. If anyone else shows up to save her, I will kill them all.”
The earpiece disconnected, and frustrated, Robin threw it to the ground.
“Jim, I am going to save Abby, okay?” Robin whispered. “You have to stay here for me.”
Robin called Kyle, waiting anxiously until he picked up.
“Robin? Where are you? I have been waiting here for ages! I called you so many times!” he hissed.
“Can you come to the cliffs?” Robin said. “I need you to look after Jim. I need you to make sure he doesn’t do anything dangerous while I go after the killer.”
“Robin?” He said. “What’s going on?”
“Just do as I say,” she said. “I will explain it all later.”
“Jim,” Robin said. “Kyle is coming. He will look after you. Stay here while I go and save Abby.”
“I will come with you,” Jim said. “She is my wife.”
“No,” Robin said. “Jim, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you will just get in the way. Help me by telling Kyle everything that happened. Ask him to send backup if he can.”
“Thank you, Robin,” Jim said. “I am sorry I didn’t believe you.”
Robin smiled at him reassuringly, even though her heart was
