Page 18 of No Escape

“We were the ones who caught him,” Will said.

Doctor Stadler seemed shocked at this revelation.

“During the case,” Charlie finally said, “we knew he was targeting family members. But we never fully understood the motive.”

“He’s a man of habit,” the doctor said. “Looking at his notes, he used to have problems with obsessive compulsion if something wasn’t finished.”

“He didn’t exhibit this during the case,” Will pondered out loud.

“No,” answered Irene Stadler. “His obsessive-compulsive behaviors appeared to manifest strongly about three months into his incarceration. After that, he could never leave anything undone. Valerie had an altercation with him in the common room earlier. If… If he saw Valerie and, by extension, Suzie as loose ends…”

“Wait a second,” Charlie said, leaning forward in his chair. “Let’s say Val and Suzie chased him out of here, followed him at least.”

“They might think they’re following him,” Will said, fear bubbling in his veins. “But he might lure them into a trap.”

Will’s mind was alive with possibilities. A theory of Valerie’s next movements was building, and with it, a potential line of inquiry, all by reframing John Murphy’s motivations.

“Thank you, Dr. Stadler,” he said, his voice grim. “You’ve given us something to work with.”

“Has she?” Charlie asked.

They stepped into the corridor and Will started rushing as fast as he could toward the exit.

“Mind filling me in?” Charlie said.

“If he’s set a trap,” Will explained, “then he might just go where hethinksValerie will head. What we need to do is to get into Valerie’s head now, not John Murphy’s. We’ve worked with her for a long time, we just have to anticipate whatshethinks John’s next destination will be. Because John is highly insightful and could well figure it out and get there before us and…”

“And ambush her.” Charlie finished the thought for him. “Do you have an idea of where she might go?”

“I do now,” Will said. “Let’s get to the car.”

As they rushed through Shady Pines, the storm outside seemed to echo the one brewing within Will’s heart. He knew they were in a race against time, and he could only hope that they would find Valerie and Suzie before that time ran out.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The road surface felt slippery as Valerie, who had convinced Suzie to let her take the wheel, drove through the night.

All was dark and full of terrors, the storm still in full violent flow like a malevolent beast determined to destroy everything in its path. Sheets of rain fell from the heavens, turning the roads into treacherous, glistening ribbons that shimmered in the truck’s headlights like snake scales.

Valerie gripped the steering wheel of the old truck, her knuckles white from the effort, as she navigated the slippery roads. Suzie sat in the passenger seat, her face a mix of concern and determination.

The silence between them was thick, like the heavy rain outside, but Valerie knew she had to break it. Something had been building in her mind during the drive. Like a thorn in her side that had to be removed or she’d just scream.

It was time for her to confess something she had been holding onto for far too long.

“Suzie,” Valerie started, her voice barely audible over the howling wind and pounding rain, “there’s something I need to tell you. It’s about Mom.”

Suzie’s eyes widened with surprise, and she turned to face Valerie. “What is it?” she asked cautiously.

Valerie took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “The reason I ended up being committed to Shady Pines… it’s because Mom confessed to being involved in the death of Jake Wilson, our biological dad.”

Suzie’s face went pale, and her eyes filled with shock and disbelief. “What?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You’re telling me that our mother… had something to do with our father’s death?”

Valerie nodded, swallowing hard. “Yes. She didn’t give me all the details, but she admitted to being a part of it. I didn’t want to tell you, but I spent so long keeping everything to myself, I felt I had to tell you.”

Anger flashed across Suzie’s face, and she clenched her fists tightly. “What am I supposed to do with that information, Valerie?” she demanded, her voice rising in volume. “Our mother… a murderer?”

“I don’t know, Suzie,” Valerie admitted, her voice shaking. “I don’t know what to do either. But we’re in this together, and I thought you had a right to know.”

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