We get to Jax’s house just as the CSI team is finishing up. Rebecca is sitting on the couch in the living room, crying. Since I don’t like seeing dead bodies, I opt to talk to her first.
Mitchell and Dad head into the bedroom to check out where Jax was murdered.
“Rebecca, where’s Jacob?” I ask, because as much as I want to believe Jacob isn’t Amelia’s killer, he still could be. And even if he’s not, he could have finally reached the end of his tolerance for his wife’s affair. He’d never hurt her, but I don’t think he cares about Jax anymore at all.
“Jacob went to the office this morning. That’s why I’m here. Jax and I were supposed to have a date.”
“So you found him?”
She nods. “I have a key to the back door. That’s the way I always come in. He usually waits for me in bed, so I went into the bedroom, not knowing anything was wrong. He was just lying there, staring up at the ceiling. And his neck is red, like someone…”
He was strangled. Just like Amelia. I have to see the body. I have to read it so I can finally ID this killer, because it has to be the same person.
“Will you be okay on your own for a moment? I’d like to go get a read off the crime scene.”
She nods.
I stand up and head into the bedroom, which is on the first floor at the back of the house. Mitchell sees me before I even step into the room. It’s like he’s developed Piper radar or something. I step around Dad and walk toward the bed.
“That’s how he was when I got here,” Rebecca says behind me. I didn’t realize she’d followed me.
Jax was clearly awake when he was attacked because the position of his body indicates he was standing at the foot of the bed when he was strangled. He probably fell back onto the mattress after he died. Like Rebecca said, there are marks on Jax’s neck.
Mitchell approaches me and whispers, “You have to admit this makes Jacob Crane look extremely guilty. Is there any way you misread him, Piper?”
“I thought the same thing at first but not anymore. I think Jax was killed because the killer figured out Jax and Rebecca saw him that day at the theater. He’s trying to get rid of witnesses, which means Rebecca is in danger until we catch him.”
Mitchell nods. “Do your thing. I’ll talk to Wallace about getting police protection for Rebecca until this is over.”
“Thanks. Go easy on her. This is going to out the affair, and while I feel it should be outed, she’s showing emotion, which is very much unlike her.”
“Are you tapping into your empath side and channeling her emotions?”
“Quite possibly,” I say before moving toward Jax. I’m thankful he’s wearing pajama bottoms. His chest is bare, though. I opt to read his hand and take it in mine.
“Who the hell are you?” Jax says. “And how did you get in here?”
“You don’t recognize me?” The man is wearing a baseball cap, a dark T-shirt, and dark jeans.
“No. Should I?”
“See the problem is I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not.”
“Look, I don’t know what you’re after, but you need to get the hell out of my house before I physically remove you.”
He laughs. “I’m a lot stronger than I look. Let me show you.” He reaches for Jax’s neck and squeezes.
Jax fights back, kicking and swinging at the man. But the killer says, “I think I hear Rebecca. She’s just in time to join the party.”
Jax falls for it and stops fighting back just long enough for the killer to knee him between the legs. Jax starts to crumble to the ground, only held up by the hands around his neck. Instead of fighting, he tries to yell Rebecca’s name, but it’s garbled as the killer squeezes even harder.
“Piper, you’re okay.”
I open my eyes at the sound of Mitchell’s voice. We’re on the floor at the foot of the bed. And once again, I’m cradled in Mitchell’s lap.
“What happened to her?” Rebecca asks.
Mitchell gets to his feet with me in his arms and carries me out into the living room. He lies me down on the couch and crouches down beside me. “You’ve got to start giving me a signal when things get bad in those visions.”
I rub my throat, unable to talk.
Mitchell brushes my hair from my face. “Just relax. Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing Jax was strangled in a way that was very similar to Amelia.”
I nod, which hurts my neck.
“Try not to move. Blink twice for yes, okay?” Mitchell says.
I blink twice.
“Did you see the killer?”
I blink twice.
“Did you recognize him?”
I frown and don’t blink.
“I’m guessing Jax didn’t call him by name.”
Nothing again from me.
“Did Jax know him?”
Nothing.
“Okay. Sit tight. I’ll get you some water.” Mitchell leaves the room, and Rebecca walks over to me.
“The police said I have to have an officer watching me at all times until you catch this guy. Everything is going to be out in the open. How can it not be? Jacob will demand to know why I found Jax and why I’m in danger. But it won’t change anything. Jax is gone. Jacob and I will get past this.” Rebecca bends down and grips my forearm. “Here’s a little advice, though.” Her head jerks in the direction Mitchell went. “You’ve got a man there who worships the ground you walk on, and I’ve seen the way you look at him. Don’t wait too long to tell him how you feel, or someone else will snatch him up.”
I swallow hard before saying, “You knew Jax before Jacob.”
She nods. “Jax was the one who introduced us. I didn’t tell him how I felt until it was too late. Jacob proposed, and Jax wasn’t going to stand in his way.” She stands up.
“Dr. Crane,” Officer Wallace says, “I’m ready to bring you home now.” He nods at me and gives me a sympathetic look as he walks her out of the house.
Mitchell comes back with a glass of water for me, and I sit up so he can sit down beside me.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Hey, look who’s talking.” He bumps his shoulder into mine.
I take a sip of water, relishing the feel of the cool liquid soothing my throat. My mind starts flipping through every clue we’ve uncovered. This person isn’t connected to the theater. He didn’t know Rebecca or Jacob Crane. He didn’t know Jax Dawson. I have to go back further. What am I missing?
“Maybe we should talk to O’Neil again,” Mitchell says. “Make him talk or read him against his will.”
O’Neil. This all began with him. Him and his riddle. The bird. I grab Mitchell’s hand, and his gaze meets mine. “The bird cage. O’Neil wanted us to go to Hilltop House. We have to go back there. We missed something.”
Mitchell stands up and pulls me to my feet. I place the water on the coffee table as Dad walks into the living room. His gaze falls on Mitchell’s and my hands. I’m still holding Mitchell’s hand. I can’t think about that now, though.
“Mitchell and I are going back to Hilltop House. There’s something there that I missed,” I tell Dad.
“I’ll follow you.”
We race out.
“Any idea what we’re looking for?” Mitchell asks on the way.
“I think the killer knew Amelia through Hilltop House.”
“But it’s run by Theresa Hill, and all the foster kids are girls,” Mitchell says. “The killer is male.”
“Then he works there in some capacity. As a janitor or landscaper.” No. “Damn it!”
“Are your senses arguing with you again?” Mitchell asks.
“Yes. I’m wrong about that.”
“Are we still going?”
“Yes. The clue is there. Remember, O’Neil wants to win this game. He wouldn’t have steered us in the wrong direction.” What am I not seeing? I squeeze my thighs in frustration.
Mitchell reaches over and places his hand on mine. “Easy. I won’t figure this out without you, so stop taking your frustration out on my partner.”
“What should I do then?”
“Punch me,” he says, his tone completely serious.
“I’m not punching you.” I cross my arms.
“You want to smack me instead?”
“No. Stop it. I’m not hurting you in any way.”
He smiles and keeps driving.
Dad somehow beats us to Hilltop House. “Glad to see you’re driving carefully with my daughter in the car these days,” he says when we meet him at the door.
If he only knew how Mitchell drove to the hospital the other day. Instead of responding, Mitchell rings the bell.
Theresa Hill smiles at Mitchell as soon as she opens the door. “Detective, what a lovely surprise.”
I’m a little surprised myself when Mitchell doesn’t go into flirt mode. Instead, he places his hand on my lower back. “Ms. Hill, Piper and I were hoping to have a look around at a few more of Amelia’s old things.”
Her eyes narrow at me. “I see.” Her gaze goes to Dad. “And you are?”
“Thomas Ashwell.”
She smiles at him. “Such a strong name, Thomas.”
“A strong name for a happily married man,” Dad says, and I smile.
“Won’t you all come in?” she says, her tone flat.
She leads us upstairs again. “You already have the bird cage, which we would like back at some point, Detective,” she says. “Most of Amelia’s other belongings were clothing items, which were distributed between the girls. She did have a television that we use in the den.”
“Could we see it?” Mitchell asks.
“Sure, but all the girls are in there at the moment.”
I don’t want to have a vision in a room full of teenage girls. We walk past a door I didn’t notice the last time we were here.
The voice on the other side of the door sounds so familiar, but it’s muffled so I can’t place it. And then it whistles. “Who is that?” I ask Theresa.
“My brother. Why?”
My head whips in Mitchell’s direction. I can’t say aloud what I now know to be true. Theresa Hill’s brother was O’Neil’s accomplice.
“I wasn’t aware you had a brother,” Mitchell says.
“He’s a silent partner. He’s rarely ever here. Most of the girls don’t even know him. He prefers it that way. He says he doesn’t want the recognition for helping those who are less fortunate.” Theresa waves her hand in the air as if she can’t understand not wanting credit for doing something good.
“What’s his name?” I ask, trying to conceal my suspicions.
“Terrance.”
“Is he older or younger than you?” Mitchell asks.
“Two years younger. Why?”
“We’d love to meet him,” I say.
“I’m afraid he’s busy at the moment. Our former accountant was murdered, and poor Terrance has been going crazy trying to find us a new one.”
I grip Mitchell’s arm. Wilson McDonald was the accountant for Hilltop House. That’s how the killer knew him. McDonald must have suspected Terrance, and that’s why he was killed! I have to get inside that office.
“I’m sure he’s very busy, but this will only take a moment,” Mitchell says, sensing my need to see the man behind that door and confirm it’s the same man who killed Jax Dawson.
Theresa doesn’t seem inclined to help Mitchell now that she knows he’s not interested in her. “I suppose you can wait downstairs. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
My senses tingle. If she warns him we’re here, he’ll run. I don’t care how rude it is, I grip the doorknob and force my way into the office.
“Ms. Ashwell!” Theresa yells, and at the sound of my name, Terrance jumps up and jerks the top drawer of his desk open.
“Freeze!” Mitchell yells, gun already drawn. “Put your hands in the air where I can see them.”
Terrance glares at his sister. “You’re useless. How could you let them in here?”
“What are you talking about? Terrance, what is going on?” she asks.
“Your brother was in a secret relationship with Amelia Crane,” I say. “He discovered she had a large sum of money left to her by her parents, and he had big plans to get his hands on that money. He hired Levi O’Neil to stalk her and scare her enough so he could talk her into running away with him and giving him control of her money in the process.” I turn to speak directly to Terrance. “But she didn’t want to go through with your plan, so you killed her in a heated moment.”
Mitchell walks around the desk. “Arms behind your back.”
Terrance does as he’s told.
“You knew your accountant, Wilson McDonald, was having some landscaping done. It was the perfect way to dispose of Amelia’s body. You snuck over there and buried her while Wilson was out of the house. But when he questioned how that one area was so much more fertile than the rest, you were afraid he’d dig it up to find out why. So you killed him.”
“Except you found Amelia anyway, Ms. Ashwell. You’ve been a huge thorn in my side thanks to O’Neil.”
“He’s been in prison for a crime you committed,” I say.
“He wasn’t innocent. He helped me with my plan. You didn’t find out why Amelia was so scared that night, did you? You don’t know what it was that made her finally crack.”
I shake my head. “Fill in the blank for me.”
“O’Neil attacked her. I saved her from him. He was going to kill her. He tried to. In an alley behind the theater. He had a gun. But I stopped him.”
“Only to kill her yourself as soon as you brought her home,” I say.
He scoffs. “The bitch deserved it. She could have run away with me. I didn’t mind being with her. If I had her money, I wouldn’t have had a reason to kill her.”
“That just makes you a saint, doesn’t it?” Mitchell says. He has Terrance cuffed.
“How did you find out Jax and Rebecca saw you in the movie theater all those years ago?” I ask.
“Easy. I’ve been following you. You were smart to bunk with the cop.” Terrance jerks his head at Mitchell. “I think I even sparked a love connection between you two, so you’re welcome for that.”
“Shut up,” Dad says. “You’ve been stalking my daughter, you murdered Amelia Crane, Hugo Spencer, Wilson McDonald, and Jax Dawson. You’re going to prison for the rest of your sorry existence.”
“You can say that again,” Mitchell says before reading Terrance his rights.