The Child's Plan by Audrey Walker (books to improve english txt) 📕

not sharing with you. When I found all those notes, I should have told you–.”

“No, I should have listened,” he said. “This is not your fault.”

Silence fell once again, and they sat next to each other, neither of them sure what to say anymore.

“I will look into the official records tomorrow,” she said. “I will let you know if I find anything. It would be best if we split up. You are already under investigation; I don’t want you to suffer any more than you have. Thank you for helping me today, Kyle. I will be more careful, but I can do this by myself. I have done enough damage without further endangering your career. I am sorry. I really am.”

“Robin Matthews,” Kyle said, giving a short laugh. “You are rather dense for a detective.”

With that, he took her hand and squeezed it, and Robin almost blushed.

“Let’s get some rest,” he said.

Chapter Eight

“Can you tell me more?” the child whispered, snuggling next to Robin.

“More what?” she asked, her body filled with pain. The Butcher had been exceptionally cruel today, determined to get a scream out of Robin. He kept taunting her about how her time was going to come to an end soon, something Robin didn’t want to think about.

“About your sister,” he said. “About your stories. About that lily?”

“Lily?” she asked. “You mean my tattoo?”

“You told me you had one,” he whispered.

“It was done after one of the very first cases I ever did,” she whispered. “The girl’s name was Lilly, and her husband killed her. But I made a mistake, and the murderer got away on a technicality in court. I was thoroughly crushed. I was shattered and broken after it. I blamed myself for what had happened. If I had been more careful, I could have sent her killer to jail. But I failed, and now he is free. I got the tattoo as a reminder of what happened, so I will never forget my mistake. It’s a symbol of what I did, and so I could learn from it.”

The child looked at her with wide eyes, and Robin chuckled softly.

“It’s late; you should sleep,” she said to him.

She didn’t know how her habit of telling him stories had started. She had done it the first few times to make him see that there was good in the world. The Butcher was corrupting the child, and she told him her past to instill some kindness into him. At some point, it became her way of holding onto her sanity, talking about her past and loved ones. It was all that was keeping her mind going and not rotting. Otherwise, she may have gone mad ages ago.

“One more story,” he whispered. “Please–.”

__

“What do you mean the records are wiped?” Robin asked.

“Exactly that,” Kyle said.

They had decided that it was too risky for Robin to go out in public, so Kyle had gone instead, only to find nothing there.

“For some reason, this particular file is missing,” he said. “Someone went out of their way to ensure that this child isn’t found.”

“But why? Why would anyone do this?” Robin asked. “Why wouldn’t anyone want us to know what happened to the child there?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But something is fishy. I am going to see if I can find any records at the local hospital.”

With that, he left the room again, and Robin frowned. She had been trying so hard to remember more of her time in the basement but feared it was impossible. Maybe her memory held the clue she needed. Perhaps the child had told her something that could help her right now. She needed to remember. She knew the child had known about her past, and she remembered telling him about herself, holding desperately to the memories in that torturous place.

When Kyle returned a few hours later, he had found nothing. The hospital had no such records of a child being born to a father named Cole Spruce, the Butcher’s real name. That record had probably been wiped too.

“What now?” Kyle asked.

Robin’s mind was racing. The proof she needed to show that she was innocent was slipping away. Without the birth certificate, she had no evidence that she told the truth about the child.

“I don’t know,” Robin said. “I need to remember. I have to go back to the hypnotist and get her to make me remember. I have no other clues. This is the only way left.”

“It’s very dangerous,” he said.

“I know, but I am out of options,” Robin said. “This child, if he is the killer, won’t be easy to catch. I remember the child was far above in intellect than even me. He will have planned very far ahead, and he would have made sure he left no evidence. I need to get on the move again. I have been here too long. I need another disguise and another place to hide where I can plan all this.”

“What about me?” Kyle asked.

“You need to get back,” she said. “You are in enough trouble. I won’t have your life ruined more than it already is.”

“You honestly think I am going to do that?” Kyle asked, scoffing. “Are you that stupid?”

“It's in your best interest–,” Robin said, but he rolled his eyes at her.

“Let me make one thing clear, Matthews,” he said. “I am not leaving you. I am going to stand with you every step of the way. I don’t care about the force. My going back won’t change anything. I can help you with this, and I am not deserting you when you need me so desperately.”

“But Kyle–,” she protested.

“Do you not see how much I care for you?” he asked. “I know that this could cost me everything, but do you think I would be able to live with myself if something happened to you? Do you think I would ever be able to forgive myself? Your life is in danger, not just from the police, but from the killer. He