Page 93 of Among the Innocent

With Dalton at her side, she slowly inched it open. The quietness of the place hit her first. Where was Ethan? The deputies? Marge?

Her hand grew sweaty on the Glock. The tiniest of sounds came from within Ellis’s office. Dalton heard it too. They crept to the room.

Dalton reached it first. The door remained shut. He twisted the handle open. The room appeared empty. The TV played an old home movie from when Marge and Ellis were younger.

A prickle of unease coursed through Leah’s body. “I’m going upstairs to find Marge.”

Dalton grabbed her arm before she’d taken a single step. “Something’s off. We stay together.”

Dalton’s cell phone beeped. He grabbed it from his pocket and read the message. “Aaron’s last name is Beiler.”

“Like Marge’s.” Leah covered her mouth with her hand.

“Beiler was committed to the psychiatric facility ten years ago by his father.”

“His father?” Leah asked, but she knew. She knew.

“Ellis Petri. Ellis had Aaron committed because he said he was afraid he’d hurt himself and others.”

Leah’s legs threatened to buckle beneath her. “That had to be right after he killed my family. Ellis must have known Aaron was the killer.” She felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Ellis had known the truth and had chosen to commit Aaron ratherthan have the truth come out. “He must’ve been protecting Marge. She must not know that her son was the one who killed my family.”

Marge had been right. She had ason. “She said he had to go away. I wonder when she last saw Aaron?”

“I don’t know,” Dalton murmured.

“I’d never seen Aaron before that summer. St. Ignatius is small. If he were living here, our paths would have crossed at some point. He said he’d been traveling around. Hiking the country. Maybe that part was true. But how did he get out of the hospital?”

“It looks like he was released at some point. We know Aaron is good at fooling people. Maybe he fooled the doctors into thinking he was better. Aaron obviously didn’t come back to St. Ignatius right away. Someone would have seen him, unless he stayed hidden. Until he lured Ellis out and killed him.” He shook his head. “Whatever happened, I’m pretty certain Marge has no idea what her son has done.”

The man who had murdered so many innocent people, including her beloved family, was Marge’s own son. “We know Ellis wasn’t the father. Then who was?”

Dalton shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m putting out an APB on Aaron. At least we now have a name.” He called it in.

“That still doesn’t answer where Ethan and the deputies are.”

“No, it doesn’t.” He started for the next room. The words had barely cleared his lips when the nightmare from her past burst through the doorway and lunged for Dalton. Leah screamed. Before either she or Dalton could react, Aaron punctured Dalton’s stomach and leg with the knife. Dalton hit the floor.

“Drop the weapon, Aaron!” Leah yelled with her weaponraised. Aaron’s demented smile would be forever imprinted in her memory. He raised the knife and prepared to stab Dalton again. Leah fired. The shot struck Aaron’s side. He stumbled several times then charged for Leah. She fired again, but Aaron struck her arm, and the shot pierced the wall. Aaron grabbed hold of the weapon. They both struggled for control. Aaron slammed his fist against her face. The world blurred. Her eyes watered. He pried the gun from her fingers and tossed it out of her reach. She slammed her fist against his injured side. Aaron screamed in pain and hit her again. Leah fell to the floor hard. Aaron jumped on top of her and pinned her hands together in one of his. Then he held the knife against her throat.

“I told you I would come back for you. I wasn’t going to let anyone—not evenhim—stand in our way again.”

In his twisted mind, he’d convinced himself they had a relationship. Leah’s frantic gaze shot to Dalton. He was bleeding out. Would she lose him before help arrived?

She struggled to kick him but couldn’t get any leverage. The knife dug into her neck as punishment.

“Let me go, Aaron. I can help you.”

Aaron pressed the knife into her neck. “Help? I don’t need your help. We finish this tonight.”

She had to keep him talking until help arrived. “This is between you and me, Aaron. You want me.”

The knife brought blood.

Her eyes jerked to Dalton.Please, don’t let him die.

“There’s no way you’re walking out of here, Aaron. Not after what you’ve done. This ends tonight.” Leah was surprised when a calm swept over her. Fear ebbed away. Now she would finish it once and for all.

“It ends when I say it ends. When I’m ready for it to be done.”

---