Grave Delight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 3) (22 page)

Andrew’s face blanched. “That’s so unfair!”

“That’s what happens when you rape and kill your daughter,” John spat.

“I did not kill Hayley! How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“Then who did?”

Maddie rested her head against her knees as she leaned her back on the bench, horror washing over her. Hayley’s death had been worse than she thought … so much worse. She was having trouble absorbing the horror of the teen’s last moments.

Maddie was so caught up in her thoughts – and Hayley’s final memories – that she didn’t recognize the unmistakable sounds of someone climbing the boat ladder and landing on the deck.

“Why am I not surprised?”

Maddie jerked her head up, the color draining from her face as she met Jessica Walker’s terrible green eyes. “You killed your daughter.”

Jessica didn’t seem surprised by the statement, haphazardly dropping a bag of food on the deck as she regarded Maddie with blasé indifference. “Someone had to do it.”

“But … why?”

“She was going to go to the police,” Jessica said. “Do you have any idea what that would have done to my family? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would have been?”

“You let your husband beat her,” Maddie said hollowly. “You knew he was beating her. You didn’t stop him.”

“There was only so much I could do,” Jessica said. “I didn’t want him to start in on me. That’s why I moved to the second bedroom. The man has issues. What can I say?”

“That’s not even the worst thing you did,” Maddie said, her stomach roiling. “You knew he raped her and you not only didn’t say anything, but you were purposely complicit in wanting her to keep quiet about it.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Jessica asked, narrowing her eyes. “No one knows that. There’s no way Andrew would’ve told you. He climbed into a bottle weeks ago, and now he’s making noises about killing himself. Personally, I hope he does it. That’s going to make things a lot easier on me.”

Maddie knew she was in a sticky situation, but since she was in such a vulnerable position on the ground – and Jessica was in a superior position while standing – she decided to take things slowly. Nick was on his way. She just had to keep Jessica talking. She had to distract her.

“When did you find out that your husband raped your daughter?”

Jessica didn’t appear bothered by the question. “I heard him while he was doing it. The screaming was … ridiculous.”

“And you didn’t stop him? Why didn’t you save her?”

“Hey, as long as he wasn’t trying to touch me … .” Jessica made a disgusted face. “Do you have any idea how gross he looks without a shirt on? It’s really too bad. He was handsome when I married him. That’s why I agreed to go out with him in the first place.

“My mother told me he was beneath me when I first brought him home,” she continued. “I didn’t want to believe her. He was so handsome, and he had big dreams. Here’s a tip: Big dreams don’t equate to big outcomes. I should have realized he wasn’t smart enough to make those dreams come true.”

“Why didn’t you just divorce him?”

“I’m a Watkins,” Jessica said, straightening her shoulders. “We don’t get divorced. No one in my family has ever gotten divorced.”

“So, instead of putting up with the stigma of being divorced you decided to let your husband brutalize your daughter and keep quiet about it,” Maddie supplied. “You should be named Mother of the Year.”

“Oh, get over yourself,” Jessica said. “My daughter was never going to amount to anything. She had too much of her father in her. She’s no loss in the grand scheme of things.”

“She was a loss to Michael. She was a loss to Trevor. She was a loss to … me.”

“I am mildly curious how she managed to snag Trevor Gardner,” Jessica said. “She was a plain girl and he was a popular kid. He came from money. If I thought they would’ve lasted I might’ve tried to come up with a different solution but, let’s face it, teen love never survives.”

Maddie begged to differ on that opinion. “Your husband may be an animal, but you’re the real monster in this. He’s sick. You knew what you were doing was wrong. You even apologized to Hayley for what you had to do. I’m kind of curious, though, did you think you killed her at the cabin? When she regained consciousness on the boat, did you give killing her a second time another thought? Do you regret anything you’ve done?”

“How did you know that Hayley regained consciousness on the boat?” Jessica asked, suspicious. “There’s no way you could possibly know that.”

There was one way. When she’d touched the rope under the bench … the rope that Jessica was trying to use to tie Hayley to a rock before dropping her into the water … she’d seen everything. Worse, though, she’d heard everything. She’d heard every single word mother and daughter exchanged during their final confrontation.

“I know things,” Maddie said, seeing no reason to lie. “I know that Hayley and Trevor were planning to go to the police. I’m not sure how you found out, or how you found her at all, but I do know you used your mother’s boat and docked behind the Gardner cabin. Did you just decide to check up there on a whim? I’ll bet that was it. You just got lucky, didn’t you? I guess it doesn’t matter.

“You then went inside and confronted Hayley,” she continued. “At first Hayley thought you were there to offer support … she still had illusions abut you being a good mother. Then she thought you were there to talk her out of what she planned on doing. It wasn’t until you started strangling her that Hayley realized you were always going to kill her.”

“I see those rumors of you being psychic are true,” Jessica said, her tone dry. “That’s a fun parlor trick you’ve got there.”

Maddie ignored her. “Hayley fought a little, but in the end she was ready to give up. She didn’t want to be unhappy. She was tired of it. Her last thought before she passed out was that she was happy because that meant she wouldn’t get beaten or raped ever again.”

“See, I did her a favor.”

“When she woke up on the boat, her first thought was of escape,” Maddie said, her eyes glistening with tears. “Even though she gave up that first time, she decided to fight the second time. It was too late, though. She was slow … and sluggish … and her mind wasn’t firing on all cylinders.”

“Her mind was never firing on all cylinders,” Jessica said.

“She tried to fight you that second time, but you didn’t give her much of a chance,” Maddie said. “You strangled her again, and then you dumped her over the side of the boat. You wanted to weigh her down, but it was harder than you thought and the rock came loose, so you just watched until her body floated to the surface. Do you want to know what her final thought was that second time?”

“Not really.”

“She thought about Michael,” Maddie said, her heart clenching. “She wasn’t scared of dying. She was scared that he wouldn’t find the strength to go on without her.”

“That’s what you get when you’re best friends with a boy who thinks he’s a girl,” Jessica said. “He’s such a loser. I won’t miss seeing his stupid face.”

Maddie growled, the sound low and menacing. “You’re beyond all redemption.”

“I’m not beyond survival, though,” Jessica said. “That brings us to a sticky … conundrum. What am I going to do with you?”

“WHAT
are you doing?” John asked, eyeing Nick as he patted down the front of his jeans.

“I can’t find my phone,” Nick said. “I thought it was in my pocket.”

“Do you need it for something?”

“I want to call Maddie,” Nick said. “She was expecting to go to the garage to see the boat. I don’t want her wandering around, especially since this storm looks like it’s going to be a doozy.”

“I’m sure she’s smart enough to stay out of the rain,” John said. “You got lucky there. She’s beautiful and intelligent.”

“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” Nick agreed, moving to the driver’s side of the Explorer and opening the door.

“How long are you going to make me sit here?” Andrew asked, scowling as he tried to get comfortable in the back seat. “My wrists hurt, and I’m starting to lose circulation.”

“Good,” Nick said, running his hand over the seat. When he saw something black sticking out of the crease he breathed a sigh of relief and yanked his phone out. “Here it is. It must have fallen out of my pocket.”

“It’s been beeping,” Andrew said. “I think someone sent you a text message.”

“Thanks,” Nick said, scanning the screen. “Maddie texted.”

“Text her back and tell her to stay home with Maude,” John said. “When we’re done processing him we can take them dinner. I haven’t seen Maude in a few years. I’ve always loved her. I want to see the house you’re going to be living in, too. I haven’t seen that place since I was a teenager.”

“That sounds good,” Nick said, pressing one of the icons on the phone’s screen. When he read Maddie’s message, his heart dropped. “I’m going to kill her.”

“What’s wrong?” John asked, rolling his eyes. “Did you miss your hourly ‘I love you’ exchange?”

“Get in the truck,” Nick ordered, angrily climbing up into the driver’s seat.

“What’s wrong?” This time John was serious.

“Maddie found the boat,” Nick said. “She said she was going to check it out before the storm hit. It’s down by the pier, hidden in a bunch of trees.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because she can’t help herself,” Nick said. “Get in!”

“What are you so worried about?”

“I’m starting to think that Andrew hasn’t been lying about not killing Hayley.”

“He just admitted to raping and beating her.”

“Yeah, but he also admitted his wife is bitter and mean,” Nick said. “He said he was scared to hit her. What if Jessica didn’t move the boat because she was covering for Andrew? What if she moved the boat because she was covering for herself?”

John was deathly serious now. “Let’s go.”

“YOU
should just let me go,” Maddie said. “Adding another murder to your rap sheet isn’t going to do you any favors.”

“Oh, please,” Jessica said, laughing. “No one knows I’m a murderer. There’s no way they can prove it. Andrew was the one who beat and raped Hayley. I’m just the long-suffering wife who was terrorized by a madman for two decades.

“When that comes out, everyone is going to be flocking to my side,” she continued. “I’m going to be everyone’s favorite sympathy case. I’m going to be the most popular woman in town. Heck, the eligible bachelors are going to be lining up to take care of me. Men love taking care of distraught women.”

“You’re so sick,” Maddie said. “Do you really think no one is going to figure this out?”

“Yes. Especially since I have the only person capable of figuring it out right here,” Jessica said.

At that exact moment, a long bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. The skies opened up and a torrential downpour followed. The storm was here – in more ways than one.

“Nick will figure it out,” Maddie said, her hair already damp from the rain. “He’s close. He’ll figure it out.”

“Actually, as soon as he’s done mourning you, I’m expecting him to be one of the bachelors lining up to soothe my broken heart,” Jessica said, gracing Maddie with an evil smile. “He comes from money, so that will work out. I’m guessing he’ll want to help me in my time of need to keep himself busy. After a few months, our grief will lead us to bed and then… ultimately … to marriage. He’s a definite step up from Andrew. He’s a little young, but the younger men like a more … experienced woman these days.”

“You’re deluded,” Maddie said. “Nick knows how to read people. There’s no way you’ll be able to fool him. Besides, at a certain point your husband is going to tell the truth. You know how sick he is. Do you think he’s so stupid he doesn’t know how sick you are?”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” Jessica said. “I’m going to be the lone survivor in this family. Andrew is either going to kill himself tonight – and I’ve been pushing him toward that decision – or he’s going to be arrested. Either way, I’m golden.”

“I guess I’m your only loose end,” Maddie said, swallowing hard.

“This is true,” Jessica said. “The good news is, you came to me. No one knows you’re here. Not only that, but you came to me in a storm. That’s going to make killing you so much easier. No one is out here to hear you scream.”

Jessica reached down her leg and slipped her hand beneath her blue jeans, pulling a knife from a sheath on her calf. Maddie’s heart almost stopped at the sight of the blade. It was a hunting knife, all jagged sharp edges, and a deadly tip. It was almost as menacing as Jessica’s face. “Now, do you want me to cut your throat or just stab you in the chest? I’m open for suggestions.”

“Do you see anything?”

Nick slammed his Explorer into park and peered out the front window. The rain was coming down in a torrent, hitting the pier so hard it bounced. The warmth of the day’s sun had heated the boards, so when the cool rain hit a mist began to form.

“There’s no one here,” John said, following Nick’s gaze. “They all got out of the storm. Are you sure that Maddie didn’t leave and go back home? Maybe she just forgot to text you.”

“That’s her car,” Nick said, practically choking on the words. “She’s here.”

John was resigned as he studied the vehicle. “What are you going to do?”

“Find her.”

“Have you seen this rain?”

“I don’t care about the rain,” Nick said. “That’s my … life … out there. I’m going to find her. You don’t have to come. Stay here with him.”

“I’m not letting you go out in this alone,” John said, irritated. “If you’re going out there then I’m coming with you.”

“What about me?” Andrew asked, annoyed. “I’m really uncomfortable.”

“You’re going to sit here and shut up,” Nick snapped. “You’re a child rapist and a sick bastard. You’re the least of my worries.” He pushed the door open and hopped out, locking the Explorer with his fob once John joined him on the other side.

“Do you think we should split up?” John asked.

“No,” Nick said. “We could cover more ground apart but finding each other again in this is going to be … virtually impossible.”

“We’ll find her,” John said, pushing his hair off his forehead. “She’s going to be fine.”

“Trouble finds her,” Nick said. “It always finds her.”

“So do you,” John said. “You’ll always find her, Nick. That’s your strength. This time won’t be any different.”

Nick could only hope he was right.

“I’D RATHER
not die,” Maddie said, forcing herself to remain calm in the face of Jessica’s knife. She nudged over slightly, hoping the darkening sky and nonstop rain would play with Jessica’s vision. “You could just let me go. I promise not to tell anyone.”

“Oh, we both know that’s not true,” Jessica said. “You’re a do-gooder. Do-gooders can’t help themselves from doing good. It’s in your nature. I can’t let you go. And, the truth is, I really don’t want to let you go. I don’t like you. I’m looking forward to killing you.”

“I’m getting the feeling you don’t like anyone,” Maddie said, shifting farther along the deck and placing her hands under her rear so she could be ready to push herself to her feet at an opportune moment. The deck of the boat was small, and now it was slick, but Maddie didn’t have to outrun Jessica. She just had to get close enough to the side to jump over. The water was choppy, but she wasn’t far out. She had a better chance of making it to shore in a storm than surviving Jessica’s twisted wrath.

“I like some people,” Jessica said. “Nick, for example. He was so worried about my emotional wellbeing this afternoon. He’s going to make a great boyfriend.”

“Not for you,” Maddie spat, her blonde hair dipping across her eye. “I’m not going to just sit here and let you kill me. You know that, right?”

“I didn’t expect you to just give in,” Jessica said. “You’re not a quitter like Hayley. You’re still at a disadvantage, though. I’m the one with all the cards.”

“Maybe,” Maddie said. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to go quietly. You should also know I texted Nick and told him where I was – and what I knew – before I got on the boat. He knows what you are.” The second part was a lie, but there was no way Jessica could know that.

Jessica narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to the side as she considered Maddie’s admission. “I think you’re lying. If that was true you would’ve told me when I first came back to the boat. If that was true your precious Nick would already be here. I don’t see him, do you?”

“I guess you’ll just have to risk it.”

“I guess so.”

Maddie was ready when Jessica lunged at her. She was expecting it. She lifted her long leg quickly and placed it in the middle of Jessica’s chest as she threw herself in Maddie’s direction. Maddie was strong enough to shove Jessica back, the woman teetering to the side and almost toppling over as Maddie jumped to her feet and raced toward the side of the boat.

Jump!

It didn’t take Jessica long to recover, but Maddie was halfway over the high wall before the crazed woman was on her. Jessica lashed out with the knife, but Maddie was already moving. The tip ripped into the soft tissue of her arm, causing Maddie to scream at the pain. Maddie had momentum on her side, though, and she was dropping toward the angry water below before Jessica could try again.

The water drowned out Maddie’s scream as she hit it, but Jessica’s angry screech was still loud enough to careen over the angry storm.

“I’m going to kill you!”

“DID
you hear that?” John asked, narrowing his eyes as he stared into the storm. “I thought I heard someone on the pier. It sounds like … footsteps.”

“I … .” Nick broke into a run when he saw a dark figure shuffling toward them, pulling up short when he realized that it wasn’t Maddie, disappointment engulfing him.

“What are you doing out here?” David Crowder asked, surprised.

“Have you seen Maddie?” Nick was beside himself.

“She was out here about an hour ago,” David said, confused. “She said she was going to find you before the storm hit. I saw her heading toward the parking lot. She’s probably home.”

“Her car is still here,” Nick said. “She never left. She sent me a text that she found a boat that was hidden by some trees. She said she was going to check it out. It’s the boat we’re looking for. Do you have any idea where it could be?”

David’s face was a mask of concern. “I … the only place I can think of is over there,” he said, pointing. “The trees are really thick in that spot, and there’s a small area close to deep water where you can kill the engine of a boat, but it’s still close enough to the shore to walk to it.”

“Let’s go,” Nick said, clapping John on the shoulder. “That has to be … .” He broke off when he heard a scream, snapping his head around so he could stare at the dark water. “Did you hear that?”

“It kind of sounded like a scream,” John admitted. “I … I’m not sure, though.”

“Maddie,” Nick whimpered.

“I’m going to kill you!”

This time all three men jumped into action. They’d definitely heard the threat, muffled as it was across the water. Nick raced to the side of the pier, staring into the water for a source. That’s when he saw a bright spot in the middle of the furious water, a head bobbing on the water. “Maddie!”

Maddie turned, her face white as she tried to find Nick in the midst of the tempest’s onslaught. “Nicky!”

Nick didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t. He placed his hands on the side of the pier and vaulted over, dropping to the water beneath and leaving David and John to watch him with astonished looks on their faces. Nick surfaced quickly and immediately started stroking in Maddie’s direction. “I’m coming. Swim to me.”

“That was … impressive,” David said. “It was like he was one of those heroes in an action movie.”

“That’s probably the reason he got the girl,” John said, turning and running back down the pier. There was no way he was jumping into that water. That didn’t mean he didn’t have somewhere else to be. He had to find the boat … and the angry woman on it.

It took Nick longer than he would’ve liked to close the distance between himself and Maddie, but when he finally saw her up close and personal he couldn’t hold back the tears. He grabbed her – harder than he probably should have – and dragged her to him. “Are you okay?”

Maddie’s face was ashen, and she was trying to hold the gash on her arm closed despite Nick’s insistence on keeping her tight. “She cut my arm. She’s crazy. It’s Jessica Walker. She’s the one who killed Hayley.”

“She stabbed you?”

Nick reached for Maddie’s arm, his eyes registering the slash in her shirt even though the water was too dark to see how deep the wound delved. “We have to get to shore. This storm is just getting worse. Can you swim?”

“I can do anything with you,” Maddie said.

Nick gave her a hard kiss. “We’re going to have a long talk about this later. You should never have gotten on that boat.”

“I texted you!”

“Later,” Nick said. “I need you on land. I can’t stop thinking about the last time you were in danger and water was involved. It’s … freaking me out.”

“I’m not going to drown, Nicky,” Maddie said. “I’m okay.”

“Well, that’s great, love,” Nick said. “We still have to swim to shore and check your arm. And there’s still that pesky woman with a knife to worry about.”

“Oh, yeah,” Maddie said, panting heavily. “She’s crazy.”

“I figured that out all on my own,” Nick said. “Now swim. I’ll help you.”

IT TOOK
Nick and Maddie almost five minutes to swim to safety. The waves were so violent that every stroke forward also moved them laterally. By the time they hit the shore they were exhausted.

Maddie tried to keep her footing on solid ground, but her body felt heavy and she stumbled on the sand. She hit her knees before she could gain her full footing. Nick used the last bit of his remaining strength to wrap his arm around her waist and lift her farther up the beach before letting them both collapse in a tangle of limbs and hearts.

Maddie’s arms were around his neck within an instant, her body shaking. “I knew you would find me.”

“You scared me, Maddie,” Nick said, burying his face in her hair. “You need to stop doing that. I’m going to have a heart attack before I hit thirty if you keep this up.”

“I thought you would be here,” Maddie said. “I texted you. There was no one on the boat. I just wanted to be able to touch a few things before the storm hit. I thought … I thought Andrew dumped the boat hoping the rain would wash all the evidence away. I didn’t realize … .”

“I didn’t realize either,” Nick said, rubbing the back of her head. “I didn’t figure it out until I arrested Andrew.”

“You did?”

“Once we found the boat gone we thought he moved it,” Nick said. “He was drunk at the house, though. He admitted to beating and … um … .”

“I know he raped Hayley,” Maddie said. “I saw … everything .. when I was on the boat.”

Nick cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead, keeping her close to him so they could share body heat. “I’m so sorry, love.”

“Jessica wasn’t sorry,” Maddie said, crying openly. “She didn’t want anyone to know what was going on so she just decided to kill Hayley. She thought she was worthless … and stupid … and beneath her. She knew what her husband was doing as he was doing it. She could’ve saved Hayley.”

“Hayley is out of her reach now,” Nick said. “She’s safe. She’s … home.”

Maddie’s chest hitched with a heart-rendering sob. “I want to go home.”

“We’re going, Mad,” Nick said. “I just … .”

The sound of heavy footsteps in the brush next to beach caught Nick’s attention, and he whipped his gun out and leveled it at the dark figure rushing toward them. David jumped back, surprised, and then fixed Nick with a harsh look. “Don’t you dare shoot me.”

“I thought you were Jessica Walker,” Nick said, struggling to his feet. “Come here, Mad. I need to look at your arm.”

“Don’t worry about that witch,” John said, pushing his way through the bushes ten feet away and dragging a struggling Jessica behind him. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, and she was spewing an endless stream of vitriol at John as she pleaded her case.

“I’m innocent, you idiot! My husband made me do it. He’s a monster. Why won’t you listen to me?”

“You’re both monsters,” Nick snapped, gingerly running his fingers over Maddie’s arm to check the cut. “You should probably get stitches, love.”

“I want to go home.”

“Well … you’re getting stitches. This won’t heal right without them, and you should probably get a tetanus shot while you’re there.”

“But … .”

Nick quieted her with a soft kiss. “I’m the boss tonight, Mad. You’re getting stitches. John is going to take Jessica and Andrew in and process them, and I’m going to take you to the hospital. Then we’re going to pick up some pizza and go home. I’ll look at however many paint colors you want me to.”

“Really?”

“I just … I love you, Maddie. Pizza and paint sound just about perfect to me.”

Maddie rested her head on Nick’s chest, giving in. “I love you, too. Just no onions on the pizza. I have plans for you later.”