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“Not as sorry as her parents were,” he mumbled and started to tap his nail on the wooden side table like he’d often done in our previous sessions when he had something to share. Only this time I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
“What does that mean?”
He blinked at me a few times then sat calmly, minus the tapping, “I got into a fight with my in-laws over the phone because Jennifer was supposed to meet me at the restaurant. She didn’t show. So, I drove to their house. Her bitch of a mother answered the door and wouldn’t let me in.” He chuckled darkly. “She was always nervous of me.” He shrugged like he didn’t care. “When the old bat tried to close the door on me, I pushed her inside. I was ready for her. I knew how to put her down. We’re trained in all that stuff.”
“Ben,” I huffed in disbelief.
“I did the same to her father. They both pissed me off, wouldn’t give up her location.” He smiled, and a cold shiver shot down my back. “I stuffed them in the trunk, drove ’em out to the old mill. When they came around, I gave them another chance. Asked them where she was.” I eyed my emergency button, but he shook his head at me, like he knew what I was up to. “Come on, Doc, let me finish my story first.”
His nail tapped harder.
“Then what?” I tried to sound normal, but I knew I was in trouble here.
“Then I shot them both and buried them in that bog at the back. Low enough they won’t be seen but high enough that the animals will sniff ’em out over time.” He seemed to think a moment then looked right at me. “Then I came right here to chat with you about it.”
I took a deep, steady breath and tried to calm my nerves. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and I worked it around a bit before I attempted to speak.
“Why tell me?” My heart pounded.
“Because you’re my doctor. You’re the only one who listens to me and won’t judge.”
“Except I have to report you, and I think you know that.”
He leaned back and started to tap louder and watched me, then something changed in his face and he suddenly seemed to take in where he was and what he was saying. “Oh, my God!” He jumped to his feet. “Dr. Ivy, what am I doing here?”
I couldn’t tell if he was truly having a bipolar moment or not.
“You’re here because it’s your scheduled time for your session, Private,” I lied and spoke as calmly as I could.
“Why am I all muddy?”
“It’s raining outside, and your car broke down. You had to walk here.”
“Oh.” He sat down but went right back to his tapping. The sound seemed to drill every word about the murders into my brain. I knew he was trying to play me. It was written all over his smug, murderous face.
“Time’s up.” I flipped the cover on my tablet over. “I’ll see you again next week.”
“Great. You have a good night.”
“You too.” I didn’t move until he shut the door, then I scrambled for the phone. I needed to call Frank. It took two tries to unlock my phone with my face ID, but my hands shook so hard I couldn’t think straight.
Then the door flew open, and Ben Oliver came at me in a full-out charge. He grabbed hold of my shoulders and sent me flying into the wall. Just before everything went black, all I could think of was if this was it. Would I live to see tomorrow?
When I came to, my head hurt. I didn’t know how long I was out. I was relieved to see I was still in my office and not stuffed in his trunk on the way to the old mill.
Was he gone?
I strained to listen, too scared to move. Silence. My teeth started to chatter as pain made its way through my consciousness. I felt it build as I lay there.
“Oww,” I started to cry but instantly went quiet when I heard a noise. I was simply too terrified to move as I stayed where I had been left, by him.
“You know what I’m capable of, Dr. Knight.” His threat came back to me in one horrific flash. Even trying to breathe nearly overwhelmed me. He’d held up my ID and pointed to my home address. “You open your mouth, and I’ll kill you.”
I blinked as I came back to the room. I realized it was silent, and I looked for Ty’s face. It was set in stone, but when he saw me looking, he nodded, and his lips stretched into something of a reassuring smile.
“My office was trashed,” I continued. “I made it to the door, and I locked it then called Dr. Roberts.”
“Why not General Brandon,” he pointed to Frank, “like you were originally going to do?” my advocate asked.
