Page 46 of Diluted Truths
I stood and walked to the ensuite to get ready for the day. I smiled looking at the vanity and seeing all of Jackie’s skincare, hair, and makeup items. It made things feel almost complete. After brushing my hair and teeth and finding my glasses I made my way downstairs towards the incredible smell of bacon. I found everyone in the kitchen preppingwhat I assumed was breakfast. My mom put one of her records on and everyone was dancing and singing to Abba.
“Good Morning, ladies,” I exclaimed to the room. I was met with four pairs of eyes, one pair in particular that made my heart skip a beat.
“Morning, Will. Your feet make a terrible pillow, by the way,” Bec stated as she handed me a cup of coffee and I took my seat at the kitchen table.
“Good morning, my son,” my mom stated as she leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Having you here makes me so happy, but I know you’re here for work so I’ll get out of your hair for the time being.” She looked around the room for a moment before pointing to Sarah. “You’re in charge, Sarah, don’t let anyone get hurt. Love you all!”
We all laughed at her theatrics.
My mom was always a character. Her time with my father dulled it a bit, but since the separation fifteen years ago, her light came back stronger than ever. She was an incredible woman who had spent years trying to protect Rebecca and I from my father’s wrath while simultaneously trying to get us out. When someone is as wealthy as my father, it’s not easy to get a divorce. He had endless resources and connections. Because of this, he was able to drag the divorce through the courts for years, but my mom won.
Winnifred Bly went back to Winnifred Balan twelve years ago and I knew she had never been happier.
“So, since I am in charge, I might as well jump right into Griffin while you all eat,” Sarah exclaimed as she grabbed a file from the kitchen counter and took a seat at the table. “Okay, I am just going to start from the top, please stop me if you have any questions along the way.
“Griffin Whitley is twenty-eight years old today. He was twenty-six when he committed the following crimes: murder, aggravated assault, hostage taking, burglary and sexual assault. He turned himself infollowing the five days he did all this in. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity outside of the courts and will be in Amherst Insane Asylum until he dies.” Sarah paused for a moment, checking to see if we had any questions before continuing her description. “Now the details of his crimes are… hard to listen to. If you need me to stop or move on let me know. On day one, he kidnapped his parents and held them hostage in their own home. They both luckily survived but were extremely malnourished when found. On day two, he killed two women.” She pulled out two photos of who I assumed were the victims. “On day three, he murdered two more women.” Another two photos were placed on the table. “On day four, he took two women hostage this time. He then assaulted the women, physically and sexually, before murdering them on day five.” Another two photos were placed on the table.
I spent a moment looking at the innocent women who were killed. Jennifer, Ashley, Cassie, Katherine, Isabella, and Emery. These women deserved to live their lives, grow up, fall in love, have kids, pursue careers, do whatever their heart desired. Instead, a deranged man took that from them.
It was unfair.
As I continued to look at the photos, I noticed they all had similarities. They each seemed to be in their mid to late twenties with long blonde hair and brown eyes. They each looked oddly like Jackie.
“What the fuck?” I asked no one in particular.
“I thought you might notice that. He does have a type, it seems.” She glanced at Jackie, who had gone white as a ghost as she looked at the photos. “The bodies were all left in the same cemetery and had the sigil from the Cult of Creatio engraved on their foreheads.” She pulled out another photo that showed Jennifer’s body in that position she described.
I looked at the photo when I realized that once again, the sigil carved into the poor woman was exact to the others we had found. I turned to Jackie once again when her eyes met mine. We both knew that Griffin had to be connected to it all. There were too many coincidences, they couldn’t all be explained away.
I grabbed Jackie’s hand on the table and gave it a slight squeeze. I had no idea what she could be feeling right now, but I did want her to know that I was here for her. No matter what she needed. I turned back to Sarah, not letting go of Jackie.
“Did he say why he did it?”
Sarah nodded her head. “He claimed he was preparing forher. He needed to, and I quote, ‘pave the way to bringherto me when the time came.’ When I met him, he claimed the time was now. He never explained who this woman was. Refused to,” she explained.
“I see why he was found insane,” I responded. “You met with him already, right? How stable is he? Are we going to get anything from meeting with him?”
“I did meet with him and he seemed as normal as you could expect given the circumstances. It was disconcerting just how put together he seemed. I spoke with him for a couple of hours for my paper I was asked to do. Between his current mental status and the security at the asylum, I find it very unlikely that he wouldn’t help you in some way,” she stated. Just as she finished, she looked at mine and Jackie’s joined hands and smiled softly. “You’ll be safe. You’ll both be safe.”
Sarah knew why I was apprehensive. With Griffin’s victims looking so similar to Jackie, I needed to know nothing bad would happen to her at the asylum.
The four of us sat around the table for a moment, continuing to discuss Griffin and read over Sarah’s notes. I was taken aback by how easily we all worked with one another. We were able to volley ideas off ofeach other and even called Oliver for a moment to pick his brain on the subject.
It was about an hour of this later when we finally wrapped up and went our separate ways to get ready for the day. Sarah explained that we were cleared to see Griffin today at noon. Jackie and I were planning on leaving as soon as possible to be sure we had enough time to get there.
I followed Jackie into our room where she needed to get ready. I had already done everything I needed to, but I just wanted to be near her. She eyed me in the bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth and I leaned in the door frame. I saw her smirk as she went to rinse her mouth out.
“What?” I asked with a smile of my own, curious what caused her reaction.
“Nothing, really,” she stated as she turned and leaned against the bathroom sink. “Just when guys lean like that with their arms up on the top of the door frame, it’s kind of hot.”
I laughed hard. I would have never guessed that response. “Are you saying you find me hot, Jackie?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t get all high and mighty, we both know you’re hot. Between the whole young professor thing, tattoos, and muscles, you are like a walking wet dream.”
With her words, I could not control myself. I slowly stalked towards her and pinned her between my arms and the sink as I leaned in towards her. I saw her breath hitch at my actions. I could get used to being this close to her.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a timid voice and met my eyes with her own.
