No Escape, page 8
“Albert, what are you doing? I was worried sick!” she snapped, her fear transforming into anger. She marched toward him, determined to confront him for leaving her in such distress.
But as she drew closer, a cold chill ran down her spine, and she realized something was terribly wrong. Albert wasn’t standing of his own accord; he’d been strung up on the corner of the door with a piece of rope. Martha’s knees buckled, and she fought the urge to collapse as her worst fears were confirmed.
Her blood became ice as a grinning face emerged from behind Albert’s lifeless body. The sinister smile stretched from ear to ear, and a shiver of dread coursed through Martha’s veins. The horrifying figure before her was unmistakable—it was John Murphy.
“No! How did you escape?” she screamed, her voice raw with terror.
John didn’t answer, he simply lunged toward her, his arms outstretched.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Will’s shoes squelched with every step, and the wind whipped around him, making his clothes stick to his skin. Up ahead, blocked off by two patrol cars, Joshua Murphy’s house sat in the darkness.
“Can’t believe we’re doing this in the middle of a storm,” Charlie said, raising his voice to be heard over the rain.
Will managed a wry smile. “Adds to the ambience, don’t you think?”
Charlie rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a small grin in response. “Remind me to arrest you when this is all over, Will.”
As they hurried to the front door, Will couldn’t help but feel the weight of the storm hanging in the air, a palpable reminder of the urgency of their mission.
Upon entering the house, Will found himself in the midst of a somber scene. Joshua Murphy sat in a worn armchair, a glass of whiskey clutched tightly in his trembling hand. He looked up at Will, his eyes glassy and distant, betraying a mixture of fear and resignation.
Several police officers were gathered around Joshua, their expressions a mix of concern and determination as they questioned him. One of the officers, a tall, stern-faced woman, stepped forward as Will and Charlie entered.
“Hi,” Charlie said, showing his badge. “We radioed ahead, was it you I spoke with?”
“Dr. Cooper and Agent Carlson,” she greeted them curtly, her tone professional but tinged with a hint of frustration. “We’ve been trying to get information out of Mr. Murphy here, but he’s not being very cooperative. We’re certain someone else was here, but he won’t tell us.”
Will exchanged a glance with Charlie, who gave him a slight nod. They both knew that getting Joshua to open up would be a challenge, but it was one they had to face head-on. There was too much at stake, and time was running out if they were to find out what had happened to Valerie.
As Will and Charlie crossed the room to join the questioning, the shadows cast by the dim lampshade overhead emphasized the darkness that appeared to be closing in around them all.
Will and Charlie looked at each other before focusing their attention on the anxious man in front of them. Joshua’s eyes darted between the two, pleading for some kind of reassurance.
“I need protection,” Joshua insisted, his voice quivering with fear. “John Murphy will stop at nothing to kill me. You have to guarantee my safety before I tell you anything. But they won’t listen.”
Charlie’s patience had clearly worn thin, and he shot back with a scowl, “Fine, if you want protection that badly, I’ll make sure you spend the night in a prison cell if you’re obstructing us. That should keep you safe enough.”
Will stepped in, attempting to defuse the situation. He placed a calming hand on Charlie’s shoulder and turned his gaze back to Joshua. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he said gently. “Mr. Murphy, have you had any contact with John since his escape? Any messages or threats?”
Joshua shook his head, his eyes never leaving Will’s face. “No, I haven’t heard anything from him. I hope I never see him ever again!”
Will nodded, his expression thoughtful. He could sense Joshua’s fear, but he could also sense that the man was hiding something. Despite the urgency of their mission, it was important to approach the situation with empathy and understanding.
“All right,” Will said softly. “Let’s work together on this. We’ll make sure you’re safe, but we need your help to stop John before he hurts anyone else.”
Joshua hesitated for a moment, his gaze darting between Will and Charlie, before finally nodding in agreement.
Charlie leaned in, his voice firm but steady. “Joshua, we need you to tell us everything you know. Anything that can help us find John and bring him back.”
“Uh…” he said. “I really don’t know much.”
“You seem defensive,” Will said, musing out loud. Then he abruptly said, “Did someone else appear here tonight?”
“You have to give us something,” Charlie said, maintaining his cold demeanor.
Joshua hesitated, then sighed, relenting. “All right. Just before you guys arrived, there was an agent here. The one who originally arrested John. She had another girl with her.”
Will’s eyes widened in shock. “Valerie?” he whispered, his heart pounding in his chest. “And Suzie?”
Joshua nodded. “Yeah, that’s what they said their names were. They left out the back just a few minutes before you showed up. I told them I wouldn’t say anything, and they said two people I should trust would turn up. I hope she didn’t mean you two.”
Without wasting another second, Will and Charlie rushed to the back door and stepped out into the darkness, the rain pouring down around them. They scanned the area, but there was no sign of Valerie and Suzie.
Charlie leaned down at the wet ground and pointed to some impressions on the rear lawn.
“Two sets of footprints,” Charlie said. “I bet it’s them.”
“Then she’s alive!” Will said, a sigh coursing through him. A swell of relief and worry moved him almost to tears. “Do we go after her?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie said.
“How can we not?”
“Because the outcome is uncertain,” Charlie said, grimly. “Do we track our friend or the man who means to kill her?”
“Agent Carlson,” a woman’s voice said from inside, beyond the back door.
Will and Charlie both spun around, eyes wide, to see the same police officer they had spoken to before. She looked grave, a deep frown on her face.
“We found two bodies at another crime scene,” she said with a heavy heart. “And we believe John Murphy is the killer.”
Charlie looked at Will. The decision weighed heavily on him.
“Valerie would want us to do our duty…” Will said in a low whisper, wishing they didn’t have to make such a call.
Charlie nodded and turned back to the police officer.
“Take us to the crime scene.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Valerie pulled the old truck to a stop in front of a weathered brick building, its tall windows reflecting the morning light. The storm had passed, leaving a fresh, clean feeling in the air. Suzie stirred in the passenger seat, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she awoke.
“Where are we?” Suzie asked, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
Valerie pointed to the building. “It’s an old library. We need information, and we don’t have our phones, and we can’t rely on the FBI’s database anymore. We’re on our own, so we have to go back to basics.”
Suzie frowned, her sleepiness quickly replaced by concern. “You mean we’re going to dig through books and stuff like they did in the old days? Seriously?”
Valerie sighed, her exhaustion evident in her voice. “I know it sounds crazy, but we don’t have a choice. We need to learn everything we can about John’s past if we’re going to figure out where he might go next. Besides, we can’t risk using any kind of technology right now. We’re already fugitives; we don’t need to make it any easier for the authorities to track us down.”
Suzie stared at the library, still not fully convinced. “Well, I guess we don’t have much choice. Let’s hope they have something useful in there.”
Valerie nodded and pushed open the truck door, stepping out into the bright morning sunlight. They walked across the street.
“I could murder a coffee,” Suzie said.
Valerie looked at her.
“Oops, poor choice of words,” Suzie said.
“I don’t have any cash,” Valerie said.
“I had some back at Shady Pines…”
“Let’s just go back there then,” Valerie joked.
“I’ll just imagine the soothing taste of coffee and the jolt it gives me in the morning.”
“And I’ll imagine a good Danish,” Valerie said.
Valerie and Suzie stepped into the old library, the smell of musty books filling their nostrils. Light streamed in through tall, stained-glass windows, giving the library an eerie feeling. Valerie walked over to a computer terminal near the back of the room and sat down. After a few moments, she pulled up an Internet browser and began typing away.
“What are you looking for?” Suzie asked, leaning over Valerie’s shoulder as she worked.
Valerie bit her lip as she typed. “I don’t have my case files from the time I pursued John a year ago, and I no longer have access to the FBI database. But there is something here that might help with that.”
Valerie didn’t want to admit to Suzie that after her breakdown, her memory and mind were still not quite as sharp as they once were. Details of John’s case were fuzzy, but she held out hope that her abilities would return to their fullest now that she was back on the trail.
After a few moments of searching, Valerie found what she was looking for: an old newspaper article about John’s wife, who had died eight years ago.
Valerie scanned the article quickly before speaking again. “This article mentions that John’s wife died of cancer eight years ago,” she said softly, her voice full of melancholy now remembering the details. “When a serial killer is under scrutiny, they’ll often return to a point of security in their past. I’ve seen this behavior before and John did something similar during his initial killing spree when he prowled around the derelict remains of his childhood home. I wonder if he’ll now try to do the same with his old marital house. Regardless if there’s now someone living there or not. I’m sure their house isn’t far from here—he must still feel connected to it.”
She looked up at Suzie and nodded reassuringly. “I think that could be where he’s hiding out. I just hope no one is there now, the last I heard it was still vacant because John killed one of his cousins in the basement. People tend not to want to live in a place like that…”
Suzie stared at her sister, taken aback by how quickly she had figured out a lead on John’s whereabouts. “You really think this could be where he’s hiding?” she asked, her voice filled with awe.
Valerie smiled sadly and nodded her head again in affirmation. “It’s worth checking out,” she said. She typed some more.
“What are you doing now?” Suzie asked.
“Trying to find the address,” Valerie explained.
“You can do that?” Suzie sounded surprised.
“Sure,” Valerie said. “You just have to know where to look. There are sites that list addresses, it’s not exactly ethical, but they are there. I just need to cross-reference everything I know about John and his wife. I know the general area.”
Just as Valerie was about to hit the enter key, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up and saw a security guard entering the library, his eyes scanning the room. His gaze fell on Valerie and Suzie, and he paused, his expression shifting as if he recognized them.
Valerie’s heart skipped a beat. She subtly nudged Suzie, who looked up and caught sight of the guard staring at them. Suzie’s eyes widened in alarm, and she whispered, “What do we do?”
“We have to leave, but we can’t make it obvious,” Valerie replied in a hushed tone. “Stay calm and act normal. We’ll walk out together, but don’t look back.”
Suzie nodded, swallowing hard. Valerie quickly scribbled down the information she had found on a scrap of paper and shoved it into her pocket. The two sisters stood up and began to make their way toward the library exit, trying their best to appear casual. Valerie could feel the security guard’s eyes on them, and her heart thudded quickly under his gaze.
As they reached the door, Valerie could sense the guard starting to follow them. She and Suzie stepped out into the daylight, their nerves on edge. They began walking down the street, their pace quickening as they tried to put as much distance between them and the library as possible.
As they turned the corner, Valerie took a quick glance back, only to see the security guard standing at the entrance of the library, watching them intently. He pulled out a walkie-talkie and began speaking into it, and Valerie knew they needed to get out of there fast.
As they continued down the street, they paused for a moment, their attention caught by a television in the window of a nearby electronics store. Their photos, along with John Murphy’s, were displayed on the local news.
The headline read: “Fugitive Serial Killer John Murphy Spotted with FBI Agent Valerie Law—Are They Working Together?” Valerie clenched her jaw, anger and frustration boiling inside her. This was the last thing they needed.
“That’s a horrible photo of me,” Suzie said.
Valerie didn’t have time to point out how self-absorbed she could be sometimes.
Suddenly, the security guard’s voice rang out behind them. “Hey, you two! Stop right there!”
Without a second thought, Valerie grabbed Suzie’s hand, and they broke into a run. The guard chased after them, his heavy footsteps echoing on the pavement. Panic and adrenaline surged through them both as they sprinted down the street.
Just as they were about to turn a corner, the guard lunged, managing to grab hold of Suzie’s arm. Suzie cried out in pain and fear, but Valerie was already in motion. In one fluid movement, she spun around and locked the guard’s arm, forcing him into a submission hold. The guard’s face twisted in pain as he released his grip on Suzie.
“Run!” Valerie shouted, and Suzie didn’t hesitate. She took off, heading for the truck they’d parked nearby. Valerie tightened her grip on the guard for another moment before shoving him away, sending him stumbling backward.
The sisters raced to their truck and jumped in, the engine roaring to life as Valerie turned the key in the ignition. She slammed on the gas pedal, and the truck sped away, tires screeching against the pavement.
As they left the scene behind, Valerie’s thoughts raced. She couldn’t shake the image of their faces on the news, the insinuation that she could be working with John Murphy. It was ludicrous, but it added another layer of danger and urgency to their situation.
With the information she’d gathered at the library, Valerie set their course for John Murphy’s old home. The past had been an anchor in Valerie’s life, and she was counting on it being the same for the killer.
If it wasn’t, she and Suzie were more than likely to be caught by authorities before they had a chance to stop this madness.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Will had rarely seen such activity at a crime scene. He left the car and stood next to Charlie in the sun on what should have been a quiet suburban street in Beauford Town.
“I don’t understand why there are so many reporters,” Will said.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” was all Charlie could reply.
Charlie and Will walked over to the house in the stark sun, and the scene was electric.
Cameras flashed as reporters swarmed around them like buzzing bees, asking questions and reaching out with microphones. The pair plowed through the crowd of onlookers, heads down and faces grim. When they reached the porch steps, a reporter stepped forward and asked if he could get a quote.
“Is it true that one of the escaped patients from Shady Pines is an FBI agent?” the reporter asked, jostling for space.
“We’re only here to consult,” Charlie said, cameras trained on him. “I can’t tell you more. Now if you excuse me.”
“Our sources tell us you are Agent Charlie Carlson, and you are Dr. Will Cooper,” the reporter continued. “Isn’t it true that your partner, Valerie Law, is one of the escaped patients and may be in cahoots with serial killer John Murphy?”
“Let me tell you something,” Charlie said. “Valerie Law is the finest agent I’ve ever worked with, and she’s saved countless lives putting away killers like John Murphy. She would never, ever, assist someone like that.”
“Then why is it being reported that she and her sister are on the run?”
There was a silence. Photographers snapped pictures and television cameras stayed trained on Charlie’s face.
“If Valerie Law is out there somewhere, it’s with one purpose in mind,” Charlie finally said. “To catch the killer before he takes another life.”
Will and Charlie finally pushed past the reporters. As they did so, Will couldn’t shake the thought of Valerie facing down John Murphy alone with no weapon or backup other than Suzie. He wondered momentarily why she still hadn’t tried to contact them, but then an answer came quickly to the surface of his mind.
They’ll put her away where she can’t help… And she’s protecting us from the liability of helping a fugitive, Will thought.
Suddenly a flash of light from a photographer’s camera shook him from his internal dialogue. He and Charlie were now past the mob.
At the top of the stairs in front of a town house, Charlie flashed his FBI badge to a police officer on guard duty.
“Right this way, sir,” the officer said. “Our detectives are busy interviewing some neighbors, but I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thank you,” Charlie said, still hearing the snapping of pictures from behind.
Will moved forward with Charlie, entering the house where a macabre scene awaited them. The pungent smell of blood, death, and fear clung to the air like a spectral presence, and Will shivered involuntarily. He exchanged a somber glance with Charlie before they proceeded further into the dimly lit house.
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