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She wanted him to leave. It took all of her strength to stand there and not shout questions at him. “Why?”
“The girls.”
“How many were there at school?”
He went back to staring at her floor. “So far, four.”
The number was far too low. She knew with every cell inside her that Aaron had been playing that game for years. There was a line of victims out there. Many probably viewed themselves as former girlfriends and not as his prey, but she knew the truth. From the drawn look on Brent’s face, he knew, too.
“My wife—”
“Ex.”
“Right. Ex.” He stumbled through his words. “She won’t let me see our kids until I prove I wasn’t involved with Aaron.”
She was lucky to live in another state, but clearly the gossip had reached her. Lila hoped she did what she needed to do to protect those kids. “Smart.”
“Come on. You can’t believe that. I wasn’t.” He coughed. “Involved, I mean.”
That counted as the least convincing denial she’d ever heard. But it didn’t mean he was lying. More like his life had been flipped upside down. He’d gone from Aaron’s fiercest advocate in the search to a significant target.
She didn’t care.
“And I didn’t kill him.” When she said it now she believed it was the truth. She had no problem selling it.
“I should go.”
“Yeah.” She didn’t beg him to stay. What few niceties sheused to manage with him since the whole case had unfolded were gone. It was a struggle not to shove him and shout at him. She still wasn’t convinced he was innocent of anything.
Ten minutes after he left, she dragged her body back into the kitchen to make coffee. As the water warmed, her gaze fell on the stack of mail. She’d turned the bills and financial stuff to email delivery right before Aaron went missing. Her mail usually consisted of magazines she forgot to read and mailers she didn’t want. A few days ago, she also received a death threat. She guessed that investigation was sitting on the corner of Ginny’s desk, inactive.
She pushed the pieces around. A few letters that likely included more theories and hate. No thanks.
She was just about to turn away when she spied it. The familiar white unlined card. It rested white side up in the middle of the stack. She turned it over and threw it on the counter. Let it lie there.
I FIXED YOUR MESS. YOU’RE WELCOME.
She silently repeated the words in her head. None of the notes had been from Aaron. They’d been from his killer. The person knew what she’d done and wasn’t finished with her.
Chapter Forty-Eight
This is Nia Simms andGone Missing,the true crime podcast that discusses cases—big and small—in your neighborhood and around the country. This week we’re talking about Aaron Payne. Isn’t everyone talking about Aaron Payne? He led this pristine life as a teacher. Devoted coach. The guy around town who would do anything for anyone.
Little did we know.
As more and more female students, current and former, come forward, we have a new picture of Aaron Payne. As a predator. As a pedophile. As a sick, twisted man who fooled everyone. His body being found with Karen Blue’s only adds more questions to the growing stack.
The task force has switched its focus and police in several jurisdictions across New York State are looking into Aaron’s activities and his past. Any information you have about that cabin or Aaron, call in and we’ll talk about it. Law enforcement is listening, and, don’t forget, we all want to bring Yara and Julie home.
In addition to talking about Aaron, I want to talk about anotherwoman. Lila Ridgefield, Aaron’s wife. People have very different views of her. Beautiful and dangerous. Mysterious and aloof. Introverted and misunderstood. Wealthy... but from where?
A lot of listeners saw her as a heartless killer, but now what we know about Aaron shines a different light on Lila. Was she one more victim? Try to imagine what she faced at home with a man who believed in violence and had no boundaries.
And that brings me to my point for the day... someone killed Aaron. I can’t say I’m sorry about that, though I wish it had happened soon enough to save Karen. What if we were right all along and Lila did kill her husband? Makes sense, right? She lived in that house.
So, let’s say Lila did kill him. She figured out she was married to a monster—one just like the monstrous father she escaped years before—and then she decided to do something about him. Not let him run or hide. Not give those students the burden of having to face their abuser in court and testify against him.
If Lila broke out and went rogue, if she became a vigilante, determined to do what law enforcement had failed to do, and stop her vicious husband... would that be so bad? Is Lila Ridgefield a killer or a vigilante hero, or maybe both? And when you answer, think about whether Lila’s decision to kill Aaron makes you feel safer. About what your opinion might be if one of your kids or friends or loved ones was one of Aaron’s victims.
