Past Unveiling by Audrey Walker (little readers .TXT) 📕

I told him a lot, more than anyone else knows. That’s how he knew which locations were important to me. That’s how he could get so personal. He wants revenge from me, for one reason or the other. He had me framed and arrested, and he had James set it all up. He kidnapped Abby and blackmailed Jim into confessing crimes to me that he did not commit in hopes that I would shoot him. He lured me into the basement, hoping that he could blame Abby’s murder on me. Take away the people I love and then let me be arrested for it as well. But his plan failed.”

“You expect us to believe some psychopath child did this?” Lory asked. “With your mental health, Matthews, how do we know you didn’t hallucinate the child?”

“The birth certificate,” Robin said. “The stuff we found at the Butchers–.”

“Yeah, but that child could be long dead?” Lory asked. “This sounds like madness to me.”

“The killer knew things about my life and about what happened in the basement that no one else could know,” Robin said. “So, it’s reasonable to believe the killer is still alive.”

“Or, the killer is Matthews herself,” Lory said. “That seems more believable than the fact that some child grew up to be a killer.”

“We have the evidence of Abby and Jim–,” Robin said, but Lory cut her off.

“Yeah, we have the word of the accused’s sister and brother-in-law,” Lory said. “For all we know, they said it all to save Matthews. That it was all a lie, can we really trust the evidence of her own family? Come on!”

“Detective Lory, you are stepping out of line,” Kyle said.

“Detective Grange,” Lory said. “I like you. I do. You are a damn good Detective, and I respect you. I know your work, and I know you are a good person. But I am starting to think that you are just as bad as Matthews. I still believe she is the killer – a mentally sick, unhinged killer. It’s more plausible than some child in the basement. I don’t care what anyone thinks, but I continue to believe it.”

“Then you are failing as a Detective,” Kyle said. “Look at James and what he did. Can you deny his role in all this?”

“It seems more likely that Matthews bribed him than some manic child!” Lory said.

“Why would she do this?” Kyle shouted.

“I don’t know? Maybe because she’s crazy?” Lory shouted back.

Both the men glared at each other, panting as the tension rose within the room.

“It doesn’t add up,” Burke said, frowning. “If it is the child, how did he manage to get so much money to bribe James. He would be what, twenty? How does a twenty-year-old get so much money? And the murders started so suddenly. If his feud with Robin was so old, why didn’t he start earlier? No, this doesn’t make sense.”

“So, you don’t believe me either?” Robin asked. “You think I am the killer?”

“I am not sure yet, Detective,” Burke said. “The evidence doesn’t add up. If I view you as the killer, it still doesn’t seem to fit all the facts. No. I think something more is going on here. For now, I am on your side.”

“Then let’s start an investigation into the most recent murder,” Kyle said. “Let’s catch this killer!”

“I will submit a report of the meeting to the Captain,” Lory said before walking away.

Robin turned to look at Kyle, and he sighed.

Everything was just getting more messed up.

Chapter Five

“Detective, you know why you are here, don’t you?” The Internal Affairs board sat in front of Robin, all with grim expressions on their faces.

Robin nodded, feeling nervous as they examined their documents.

“I am the head of Internal Affairs, Agent Fears,” the man at the center of the table said. “I want you to state the events that occurred two weeks ago with clarity and accuracy. Any attempt to lie will be punished.”

Robin took a deep breath and started from the beginning, telling them about the child and the Butcher and all the evidence she found. As she talked, she couldn’t help but think how tired she was. She had been telling the same story again and again, and she didn’t believe she had it in her anymore to repeat it one more time.

“We have here the evidence of Jim,” Fears said. “And Abby. We have the earpiece used, the gun provided, and we have fully investigated the basement, even though it was mostly burnt down. We have looked into the evidence you provided. I want you to understand something, Detective. You are in no way cleared of the charges. You are still in danger of being charged for escaping detention, harming police officers, and obstructing the course of justice. The only reason you are free right now is that we need to catch this killer. You are being observed very carefully. If we decide to press charges, this will go to trial, and you will be handled accordingly. I hope I make myself clear?”

“Yes, of course,” Robin said.

“If you do anything that we find suspicious,” he said. “We will take you into custody until the investigation is completed. I advise you, Detective, to be very cautious. Any wrong move and it can be very costly for everyone, but especially you.”

“Yes, I understand,” she said.

“In that case, you are dismissed,” he said. “We will let you know when you are to appear next.”

Robin walked out of there, her heart heavy and body and mind tired. The killer was still roaming free, and Robin needed to find more clues before the killer put his next plan in motion. She wasn’t going to let him kill any more people.

__

“The police are no closer to catching the Executioner, who struck one more time last week,” the reporter said. “Which once again begs the question, who is the murderer? While Detective Matthews is still under investigation, recent evidence suggests she was framed for this by the killer. We tried to