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"I don't know where to go," Emma whispered desperately, her voice shaking.
Lily whimpered, her eyes scanning the empty streets for any signs of life. Suddenly, she spotted a small convenience store, its lights still on. She tugged on Emma's sleeve, pointing toward the shop.
"But Lily, I have no money. Do you have any money to buy food?"
"N-no."
Drawn by lights and the thought of food, the girls crept toward the store, their breath held as they stared through the window at all the food. It was all right there—just on the other side of the glass. They could almost reach it. But with no money, they couldn't get it.
Or could they?
Without a word, Emma pushed the door open, and they walked inside. The shelves were stocked with food, and the smell of fresh bread made their mouths water. Lily reached out and grabbed a loaf of bread, and Emma quickly followed suit, grabbing another. They exchanged a quick look, both thinking of the delicious sensation of biting into the bread as soon as they got out of the store.
But as they made their way to the exit, a big man was standing right in front of them. "What do we have here?" he sneered, blocking their path. He reached over and took the bread. "Looks like a couple of little thieves."
"Please, sir, we were just hungry," Emma said, tears in her eyes.
"It's still stealing,” he said.
The girls looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes. They had never stolen anything before, but their hunger had driven them to it. Couldn't he show them mercy?
"I'm sorry," Emma whispered, her voice breaking. "We were just so very hungry."
The store clerk's expression softened slightly, but he still looked stern. "I understand, but that doesn't make it right."
"Please, sir," Emma begged, her eyes brimming with tears. "We won't do it again. Just let us go, and we'll never come back."
The manager stared at them, then shook his head. "You're coming with me."
He grabbed their arms and dragged them, crying and screaming, through the store and into the back room and locked the door.
Chapter41
My hands shook uncontrollably as I stepped out of the elevator, and my heart pounded. I was so angry I could barely contain it. John Baker had murdered another woman? How many had he killed?
The sound of a hospital monitor beeping echoed off the walls of the hallway. I spotted the doctor at the far end, his face hidden behind a surgical mask. He wasn't alone; a group of nurses surrounded John Baker’s bed. As I walked closer, I could feel my anger bubbling up inside me. The only thing I wanted at that moment was for John to wake up so I could get him to admit to what he had done.
"Dr. Calhoun,” I said and rushed toward him.
"Agent Thomas,” he said.
"Any news on Baker?"
He shook his head sympathetically and said, "I'm afraid not. He's still in a coma."
"Okay, thanks."
The nurses and doctor left. I let out a deep sigh and walked toward John's bed. The monitors beeped steadily, and I leaned in closely, almost whispering to him.
"You're not getting away with what you've done, Baker. You killed two innocent women, one of them my friend, and you're going to pay for it if it's the last thing I do."
I paused, waiting for a response that I knew would never come. I continued, "How many more are there? How many more lives have you destroyed?" But again, there was no response.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion and turned around to see Mrs. Johnson, John's mother-in-law, storming into the room. The guard was trying to stop her, but she pushed through. I guessed they had let her in downstairs because she was immediate family.
I took a deep breath and turned around to face her. She was a formidable woman with a towering presence that seemed to fill the entire room. Her eyes were cold and calculating, her lips set in a thin line of determination. She was clearly not someone to be trifled with. She didn't even look at me as she stormed in and approached the bed.
"Where are they?" she yelled as if she expected John to answer. "Where are the children? What did you do to them, you bastard? You killed my daughter! Murdered her in cold blood, you sick pig. And now we can't find the children! If you have harmed them in any way… I will slit your throat!"
