The Broken Doll (Inheriting Evil Book 1) Read online

  Part of him also wondered what would happen when this new baby reached Rebecca’s age. Would she turn her away too and start chanting again? Could he do this all over again in another five years?

  He liked to believe he’d do whatever he needed to keep her happy and to take care of her the way she’d taken care of him when he needed her the most. But then how long could the cycle keep going? What if he had to do this again in ten years or twenty or even thirty? Could he keep it up?

  Shaking his head, he brushed off thoughts of the future. It didn’t matter what might happen. What mattered was what was happening in the here and now. He needed to get what he came for and be done with it for as long as she’d allow.

  It was a risk taking someone he knew. He’d tried it once before and it didn’t work out. This time, though, he knew what he was doing, and he knew she had what he wanted. It had been the talk of the floor, the baby girl she’d always hoped for. The one she’d tried so hard for. It didn’t matter, though. He couldn’t get sentimental about it. He needed her baby more than she did.

  Another hour passed before she finally entered the parking garage. He’d parked right next to her car like he usually did with his victims. He’d known it was her car not because he’d been following her like the others, but because they’d arrived at the same time one day when they’d worked the same shift. Although they’d had a few conversations here and there, he’d be surprised if she recognized him or even knew his name. He blended into the background most of the time, which was exactly how he liked it.

  As she got closer, he got out of the van and opened up the backdoors. He glanced around the parking garage, thankful it was still empty. It would’ve been just his luck for someone to show up at the same time she did. He couldn’t afford for anything to screw up his plan. He started toward her, happy that she was looking down at her phone, so she didn’t notice him until she accidentally bumped into him. She was startled and apologetic.

  It worked every time.

  “I really am sorry. I get so annoyed when people are always looking at their phone, yet here I am doing the same damn thing,” she said, a frown forming on her face as she tossed her phone in the box she was carrying under one arm.

  “It’s okay. I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your mind. It looks like you’re ready to have your baby any day now.”

  Most women didn’t like it when you pointed things like that out, but he’d learned, either way they took it, he could use it to his advantage. All he needed was for her to let her guard down so he could knock her out and get her into the van.

  She scowled at him but nodded her head. “Today’s my last day of work. Hey, do I know you?”

  He ignored her question and replaced it with one of his own, hoping she’d focus on his offer instead of his face. “Can I help you carry your stuff? It looks like you might need a hand free to open your car.”

  She looked at him skeptically for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure. I’m just right over there by the van with the doors open.”

  He took the box from her, then followed her to her car. She opened the trunk so he could deposit her belongings inside but started toward his van before he could finish. Dropping the things in haphazardly, he followed her, standing right behind her as she looked inside the back of the van.

  “That’s so weird. There’s nobody here. Who would walk away and leave their van wide open like this?” she asked as she leaned over a bit.

  It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

  Pulling the rock out of his pocket, he brought it down on the back of her head. Relief shot through him as her knees buckled, her upper half landing in the van. Quickly, he shoved the rest of her inside, then climbed in behind her and closed the double doors. He waited a few minutes, then looked out the tinted windows to see if there were any witnesses to what he’d done. When he was certain no one would come after him, he tied her up and then climbed into the driver’s seat.

  This was it. He could feel it deep in his bones.

  This woman was the one.

  The baby she was carrying was going to make her happy once again. He was almost home free. Even if he still worried about the things he heard on the news the night before. He’d get over them eventually. Rebecca’s mom had never been able to ID him, and she’d spent more time with him than the blonde.

  He just had to hope he wasn’t the person of interest they mentioned. If he was, it wouldn’t be easy to find him, but for some reason, he didn’t think the FBI would give up looking for him unless he stopped killing again like last time.

  If the case went cold, then maybe he’d get lucky. Nothing was tying him to the case. Nothing was leading back to him, except for the two victims he’d stupidly left alive.

  Maybe once she was happy, he could fix his mistake. It wouldn’t be easy, and he wasn’t sure he could stomach killing for the sake of killing, but if it was to protect her, he’d do whatever needed to be done.

  After all, he didn’t come this far to let it all fall to pieces now.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Despite getting six solid hours of sleep, Sloane still felt like she’d been sucker-punched.

  It wasn’t like she’d never been doubted before, but for some reason, this time hit her harder than she was expecting. She wasn’t looking forward to facing Reid and Cade when she finally made it back to the office. Reid was pissed at her and Cade...well, she wasn’t sure about him. If anyone was the definition of hot and cold, it was that man.

  She didn’t expect him to believe everything she said just because he told her he liked her smile. You could like someone and not agree with them. Sloane knew that from first-hand experience. What confused her about Cade was one minute he seemed like he was on her side, then the next, he was making her feel stupid for listening to her gut. He’d stood up for her, but now he seemed to want to put her in her place, just like Reid.

  With every fiber of her being, she knew she wasn’t wrong. Zach Bennett was the Mommy Murderer, even though she didn’t know his motive yet, and there were still unanswered questions, like where he got a van. But none of that mattered. She’d figure it all out eventually. What mattered was he was the one, and he had Maggie Whitten’s little girl trapped in his house.

  All she had to do was prove her theory without getting herself shipped back to Washington.

  The plan was simple. She’d go into the office and act like everything was okay. She’d lie and make them feel like she was totally on board with their suspect. Then she’d use the FBI databases to do a deep dive on Bennett and his sister.

  Once upon a time, she’d been a computer whiz. Back when bureau analysts were few and far between at the satellite offices, she did most of her own research. Sloane had no doubt she’d find what she knew was out there and get the proof she needed to get everyone else to see she was right.

  With a renewed purpose, she got ready for the day. After a quick shower and a peek at her email to make sure she hadn’t missed anything important from her agent, she made her way to the kitchen where Tally was eating breakfast. Emily checked the time, then excused herself to finish getting ready, leaving Sloane to have some alone time with the little girl. Before she could even say good morning, Tally started talking her ear off, telling her all about the things she’d done the day before.

  Getting to spend time with Tally made Sloane second guess everything about living in her secluded cabin on Hope’s End. It was nice, sure, and quiet, but it didn’t leave her feeling happy and full, like even just an hour with Tally did. Part of her wondered if she could go back to living the city life if it meant being around the people she loved.

  But that was a decision for another day...a day way out in the future.

  “So, then I asked him if he wanted to come over for a play date. We had it all planned out, but then Mommy reminded me we had to ask the grown-ups first, so then it didn’t happen. We were both sad.”

  Sloane smiled. “It is pretty important to ask the grown-ups first, especially
since you can’t drive yet. Unless you got your driver’s license and didn’t tell me.”

  Tally giggled and shook her head. “No, silly. I’m only four.”

  While Tally finished eating her cereal, Sloane made herself some toast and poured herself a cup of the coffee Emily brewed. Sloane devoured her toast then helped Tally get down from the table when she was finished. Once her hands and face were clean, the little girl led her into the living room, where they picked out a few books for Sloane to read.

  Books were one of Tally’s favorite things, and she loved it when whoever was reading to her made-up voices for the characters in the book. Sloane took a seat on the couch, then Tally climbed up into her lap and settled back against Sloane’s chest. She fought the urge to wrap her favorite human in her arms and squeeze her the way her heart felt like it was being squeezed at that very moment. Instead, she opened up the first book and began reading.

  “Rolling down the highway…” she growled like she thought the truck narrating the book might.

  Tally erupted into giggles. “Auntie Sloane, the truck is a girl truck.”

  “Oh, pardon me, ma’am. I didn’t know. I’ve never read this one before.”

  “It’s okay. You can try again,” she said, laughter still evident in her voice.

  “Rolling down the highway…” Sloane tried again, this time in her best Southern Belle accent.

  Tally started giggling again, head shaking, her blonde bun smacking Sloane in the chin. “Not like that, like this. Rolling down the highway...”

  The female truck’s voice was very similar to Tally’s normal voice, though a tad higher pitched. Instead of letting Sloane take over and practice the voice, Tally kept going, flipping the pages as she went. When she finally said ‘the end’, Sloane stared down at the top of her head in amazement.

  “Did you just read that book to me?” Sloane asked.

  Not that it was unheard of for a four-year-old to be able to read, but the book had seemed a little above Tally’s reading level when Sloane first looked at it. But now she wasn’t so sure. Maybe her niece was a little genius, reading at a second-grade level before she was even in kindergarten.

  “She’s heard that book so many times, I’m pretty sure she has it memorized,” Emily answered for her daughter as she joined them. “Though, we’ve been practicing on her reading. Baby, you should get one of those books so you can read it to Auntie Sloane.”

  “Okay,” she said enthusiastically as she jumped off of Sloane’s lap and ran back to her room.

  Sitting down next to Sloane on the couch, Emily moved the other books out of the way so Tally didn’t get upset with her when she came back. She’d taken the last half hour to put the finishing touches on what Sloane called her work look. As a reporter, Emily wanted to be taken seriously, so she leaned toward pantsuits and minimal makeup instead of her usual no makeup and jeans. That morning she’d opted for dark pants, a white blazer, and a blue blouse that brought out the blue in her eyes, especially with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  Emily was stunning every day of the week, but the smile on her face, a permanent feature since getting engaged, was like the cherry on top. She exuded happiness from every pore. So much so that Sloane felt her mood changing just from sitting next to her. She’d already been in a great mood after spending time with Tally, but now she felt like she was going to conquer the day. Stupid boys be damned.

  Sloane looked over at her friend and smiled. “I’m glad I got to spend time with her this morning. I needed it to settle my brain.”

  “How do you do that when you aren’t here?”

  “I don’t really. Though my brain never gets this tied up when I’m working on a book.”

  “Well, you know if you moved back, you could have Tally time whenever you wanted,” Emily pointed out.

  Sloane opened her mouth to respond, but then the sound of Tally running back down the hallway stopped her. The last thing she needed to do was give the little girl hope that Auntie Sloane would be around more often. Was she thinking about it? Yeah, maybe a little. But she had no idea if she could pull the trigger.

  Maybe she could find a cabin in the area that was just as secluded and quiet as the one in Washington. Then instead of being over 800 miles away from her favorite people, she would only be an hour or two away. It was something worth considering once she proved Zach Bennett was her unsub, and she reunited Maggie Whitten with the daughter stolen from her five years ago.

  Once she’d finished what she came back for, she could make decisions about her own life. She just had to hope in the meantime that everything worked out in her favor.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Spending the morning with Emily and Tally had given her the determination she needed to face the day. It didn’t matter to her that Reid and Cade had probably expected her at the office first thing. Taking a break to spend time with her best friend and the most amazing little person in the world was worth a scolding from the asshats in charge. It wasn’t like they cared about anything she had to contribute to the discussion anyway.

  Hell, they probably didn’t even realize she wasn’t there.

  One could hope anyway.

  As she drove to the office, she marveled at how much easier having her own car was. She should’ve gotten one when she first arrived but figured it would be more convenient to hitch a ride with someone else, especially since she couldn’t go anywhere without an escort. She hated depending on other people, and she especially hated it when she had moments like the one the night before.

  She’d wanted to storm off and be hurt and angry on her own. Instead, Cade had to follow her and make things worse. For a split second, she stupidly wanted him to pull her into his arms and comfort her. The fleeting feeling made her angrier because she didn’t want him. And she certainly didn’t need him. Yet, part of her did. Maybe if the circumstances were different, then again, it seemed like James Cade was turning out to be just like her ex, a man she couldn’t trust to have her back.

  Parking in a lot down the block from the FBI building, she made her way to the lobby, then waited for the security guard to call up to her floor so someone could come down and get her. Annoyed and embarrassed, she rode the elevator up in silence while Brian talked her ear off. The kid was smart as hell and a damn good analyst, but he was a bit like a puppy she couldn’t shake off. Knowing she’d probably still need his help at some point, she pretended to listen instead of telling him to stop talking like she wanted.

  She followed Brian into the conference room, where he and Lily were set up. The only other people in the room were the two she’d been hoping to avoid a little while longer. Trevor was probably still at the hospital, and Taylor and Silas were likely still in Sacramento. Hopefully, they’d get word soon whether or not the babies were the missing Moreno and Simpson boys.

  Now that she was back in the building and standing face to face with Reid and Cade, she was back to being cranky. The delight of her morning with Tally had worn off, leaving her a bitter, pissed off mess. She kind of wanted to pick a fight, but she tamped down the urge, reminding herself she’d get nowhere fast if she copped an attitude with the people in charge.

  Neither of them looked like they’d gotten much sleep, probably spending most of the night in the office instead of getting some rest. She appeased them by asking about Isaac Camp and whether or not he’d been brought in. They were excited to tell her all about picking him up in the middle of the night. He was currently in one of the interview rooms waiting for his lawyer. As they continued talking, she found a place to sit at the table and booted up one of the laptops.

  As she pretended to listen, she started her deep dive on Zach Bennett. She’d already learned about his parents’ death the day before and how his sister raised him. Seeing the details behind their parent’s death and what Bethany gave up for her brother painted a clearer picture in her head about the Bennett dynamics. Now, the tables had turned, and instead of Bethany taking care of her little br
other, Zach was in charge of his sister’s well-being.

  After a car accident took the life of her husband and her unborn child and left her with brain damage, Bethany Gibbons was in no shape to be left alone. It couldn’t be easy taking care of someone who could barely function on their own, not while also holding down a full-time job. It surprised her that someone so young would be willing to take on that kind of responsibility. Then again, his sister had taken on the responsibility of a ten-year-old boy instead of going to college. He probably felt like he owed her.

  But she still didn’t know where the babies came in. Why had he taken Maggie’s baby and raised her for the last five years?

  Sloane continued to read, digging through articles and police reports until she found it. Bethany Gibbons had been pregnant with a baby girl when she nearly died in the car accident that took her daughter’s life. Maybe that was Zach’s motive. He was trying to find a baby to fill the void in his sister’s life. It would explain why he kept Addy but dropped the two boys off at a fire station. Could it be that everything he did, he did for his sister?

  It was a bit farfetched, but she’d seen stranger things as an agent.

  With that idea in mind, she continued digging, but this time with Bethany as her target. Neither she nor her late husband owned any property. The house on Cherry Court was in Zach’s name. They also didn’t have a van registered in either of their names.

  Feeling a bit discouraged, Sloane started to type Zach’s name back into the search box when something at the bottom of the page caught her eye. The obituary announcing the deaths of Lisa and Mark Gibbons seemed out of place until she realized they were Bethany’s in-laws. Clicking on the link, she discovered they were also killed in a car accident, the cause of the accident, making her feel like she was experiencing Deja vu.