He lunged at her, grabbed her by the jacket. He pulled her face to his and shoved the gun under her breasts. “No, she didn’t punish me. She was afraid of me. She convinced my father that I needed to go away.” He shoved Adeline away. “So I killed her.” He looked from Adeline to Arnold, then Prescott. “I would’ve killed all of you, but you,” he snarled at Prescott, “took the others and hid from me.”
“Our father caught you, tried to stop you, and you killed him, too,” Adeline surmised, the scenario unfolding in her mind.
Jamison’s face blanked.
Realization dawned on Adeline. “You wanted it to be just you and him. You didn’t intend to kill him. That’s why you wouldn’t talk afterward.” His world had been over.Shit.
“Get in the water!”
The strangled wailing started again. Adeline knew she had just one shot at escaping certain death. All she needed was a little bit of luck.
They waded into the icy cold water. Prescott and Arnold clung to each other; Adeline lagged as far behind as the chain would allow.
“That’s perfect.”
He was right behind Adeline. She couldn’t see where the gun was ...
“Now,” he said, “sit down in the water.”
47
Tuesday, December 28; 12:18 a.m.
Adeline shivered. The water was up to her neck. Beside her Prescott and Arnold were clinging to each other, still sobbing, but the sounds were weaker now.
They were beaten.
Jamison waded back and forth in front of them, his movements sloshing the cold water in their faces. He was singing some bizarre song he’d clearly written about death and princesses. Fury burned low in Adeline’s belly. She was going to kill this bastard.
But before the bastard died, she had to know what he’d done with his son.
“Too bad Danny found out what a monster you are.”
Jamison stopped, turned to her. “You don’t know my son. I’ve protected him from bitches like you.”
Adeline laughed. “That’s not the impression I got when I visited him and your wife in the hospital. He said he never wanted to see you again.” Jamison bowed down to put his gun in her face. “He wants to live with his grandparents now.” She just kept right on talking. “Hehatesyou.”
“You’re a liar!”
She shrugged. “Sorry to be the one to tell you, but he told the police exactly what you did to his mother. He might pretend to like you to your face, because you scare him, but he hates your damned guts.”
“Liar!” He dropped the gun, bent down, and grabbed Adeline by the throat with both hands.
She sucked in as much air as possible before he cut off the flow completely.
“He knows the lies they’ve told! He’s going with me.” He crushed her face to his, his grip on her throat like a vise. “He’s waiting at home for me right now.”
Bingo.
Jamison’s fingers tightened a little more. “You’ll go to hell for lying, princess.”
Adeline opened her mouth wide and clamped down on his nose. He screamed. The harder he struggled to get loose, the harder she ground her teeth. Blood spurted in her mouth. Her hands shot up ... felt for the weapon in his waistband—her weapon.
He shoved her back, tumbled on top of her ... they both went under the water.
Paralyzing fear shot through her veins.
The others’ hands were grabbing at her hair ... her arms.