Page 61 of Cold Case Discovery

Chloe was sure of it.

Courtney stepped through the cave entrance. She nearly stumbled when she saw the body on the floor, but aside from a wide-eyed expression, she didn’t voice any surprise. She blinked once, then turned toward Jen.

“A couple saw them running after Ry and called the police.” Her voice betrayed her a little. It shook.

“Damn interfering busybodies,” Jen said grimly. “They’ll be crawling all over now.”

“I don’t think we should do it here,” Courtney said, eyeing Chloe, Jack and Ry before turning her attention back to Jen. “We need to move.”

Chloe didn’t know whatdo it heremeant for sure, but she had a bad feeling it meantkill them.

Jen shook her head. “Moving is too dangerous with cops crawling around. We need a distraction. Time and a distraction.” She turned to face them. “Ry, get over here.”

Chloe looked over her shoulder and watched as her brother struggled to his feet, keeping his eyes downcast and refusing to meet her gaze as he shuffled over to their mother.

“You’re going to go out to that campground. You’re going to let a cop find you—don’t you go searching them out, just let them find you. You’re going to hedge, lie a little bit, take your time, but eventually you’ll confess you saw your sister and the sheriff, and you told them where the scrapbook is.”

“They’ll arrest me if they think I had anything to do with the scrapbook!”

Jen laughed. Low and mean. “Yeah, so what? A lot worse happens if you don’t.” She jerked her gaze to Jack. “Uncuff him. And give him that backpack you’ve got on. That’ll prove he saw you guys.”

Jack didn’t respond right away. He looked at Chloe. She couldn’t think of a way to get out of this—and as much as it pained her to be thinking about Ry’s well-being after all this, Ry would be safer in jail than he was here. So she gave Jack a little nod.

He pulled the key out of his pocket and tossed it toward Jen. She didn’t catch it, but she did scowl at him. “I can’twaitto make your death slow and painful.”

“I’ve never known a drawn-out murder to work out for the murderer,” Jack replied.

Jen’s smile was pureevil. “Remind me to give you a step-by-step of how I took my sweet time with your parents.” She picked up the key he’d thrown. “But first things first.” Roughly, she jammed the key into the cuffs and released Ry.

“You tell them you sent them off to find the scrapbook. You tell them Mark told you he left it in a hotel room in Hardy. You don’t know the specifics, but that’s what he told you, so that’s what you told them. Do you understand?”

Ry nodded.

“If you don’t do exactly as I say, what happens?”

“The pit,” he said, sounding like the little boy Chloe remembered all too well. Not always sweet, but always trusting.

Chloe didn’t know whatthe pitwas—no doubt some kind of torture. Mom was always good at that.

“You didn’t like your last stint in the pit, did you?”

Ry shook his head vehemently.

“What’s better, Rylan? The pit or getting arrested?”

“Arrested,” Ry muttered.

“That’s right. Go get the backpack off him,” she said, pointing to Jack.

Ry trudged over. He didn’t meet Chloe’s gaze or Jack’s, just kept his eyes on the ground and held out his hand. When Jack didn’t immediately hand it over, Ry slowly looked up.

Even slower, Jack shrugged the backpack off. With careful, precise movements, he held it out to Ry. When he spoke, it was low and quiet. Maybe Jen heard over by the entrance, maybe she didn’t, but Chloe figured it didn’t matter. It was only the truth.

“She deserved better, Ry.”

Ry didn’t say anything, didn’t even give her a glance. He just took the bag and scurried back over to their mother.

“Not one wrong move, Rylan. Notone,” Jen said menacingly.

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