Seductive Suspect - Page 35

I nodded. “And that’s how you were able to sneak around unnoticed?”

“I figured I might have to improvise here and there, but I’ve always been a quick thinker.” She smiled. “Like I said, the weather gave me some extra time, though tampering with all your cars in the pouring rain did kind of suck.”

“Forgive me if I’m not sympathetic,” Adam said dryly.

Keep talking, keep talking, keep talking. “I’m curious,” I said aloud. “It wasn’t until Victor died that I determined you found some way to get past the rest of us. Did you use the trellis off the balcony? It’s the only method I could think of.”

She glanced at Adam. “Your little girlfriend’s smarter than she looks. But yeah, when I didn’t want to risk someone hearing or seeing me in the hallway, I popped on down to the back door to the kitchen. Good thing no one thought to lock it.” Her nose wrinkled with disdain. “And, of course, I had to wait for you two fools to go to bed before going out on the balcony.”

“Here’s what I don’t understand,” Adam said. “What’s your goal in all of this? You can’t just disappear after killing us all, unless you think you’ll get off with an insanity defense.”

“Don’t you get it?” For a moment, Isabel’s calm façade crumbled. “I never planned to leave this place. Eventually, someone will come up here and find a house full of dead bodies, mine included. Whether or not they piece together the real-life mystery isn’t my concern. I needed to do this for Mia.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “You really think this is what she would have wanted?”

“I had to dosomething!”

Thoughts of how empty and devastated I would feel if Trina died flashed through my mind. Although I rolled my eyes at her antics sometimes, I struggled to imagine life without her. I attempted a more compassionate approach. “Think of how horrible you felt when she killed herself, and imagine if the situations were reversed. You already said she wanted you to have a better life.” I stepped out from behind Adam. “It doesn’t have to end this way. We can come up with some sort of explanation for the authorities, or we can help you escape. Whatever you want.”

Dampness appeared at the corners of her eyes again. “I have nothing left. When we were growing up, we were all the other had. I dropped out of law school when she died, my few friends deserted me, and I wake up every morning remembering how I failed her.” She brushed away the tears, and the hardness in her expression reappeared. “So yes, I do feel guilty about not being there when she needed me the most.” Gritting her teeth, she raised the hand holding the gun and aimed it Adam. “Now it’s time for both of us to atone for our mistakes.”

“Hold on.” Adam positioned himself between us again. “Veronica didn’t have anything to do with this. Do what you will with me, but let her go.”

“Adam, no!” I reached for his arm.

He twisted it out of my grasp. “Veronica, get out of here,” he shouted.

I’d never be able to forgive myself if I abandoned him to a murderous lunatic. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”

Isabel laughed. “Suit yourself. I’m a pretty good shot, but I’m not promising anything.” She adjusted her stance, the barrel of the gun pointed squarely at Adam’s head. “I’ll figure out what to do with you after I dispose of this disgusting excuse for a human being once and for all.” Her arm drifted several inches in my direction, and she glanced back and forth between us. “Hmm. Or maybe I should let him watch you die first for some additional torment. Decisions, decisions.”

A deafening gunshot echoed throughout the room. I screamed and collapsed to the floor, tucking my face into my lap. Tears spilled over my cheeks and I sobbed hysterically, afraid of what I’d see if I dared to look up and what fate might befall me next. I covered my head, unsure if I tried to protect myself or block out everything while facing imminent death.

Someone touched my shoulder, and I yelped again. “Veronica, it’s okay.”

“A…Adam?”

I turned to see him crouched beside me. Tiny red droplets splattered his face and shirt, but he appeared otherwise unharmed. Behind him, Isabel lay on the floor, unmoving. Across the room, the sight of a figure standing in the doorway made my jaw drop.Impossible!

Victor strode into the kitchen, holstering a gun at his hip as he moved toward us. Despite his rumpled hair and the dark circles under his eyes, he maintained his usual air of authority. “Are either of you hurt?” he asked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” I scrambled to my feet and stared at him in astonishment. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

“I’m all too aware.” His brow creased. “I still have a nasty headache, but I’m sure it will pass.”

Adam’s wide-eyed expression matched my own. “What thehell happened?”

“I wish I could say for certain. Unfortunately, some of the details are a bit fuzzy, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever remember everything.” He gingerly brushed the back of his head. “I woke up very confused and disoriented, yet somehow I sensed the danger around me. Eventually, I remembered the killer on the loose, and I realized they intended for me to be the latest victim.”

Adam nodded. “Come to think of it, by that point, Paul had stopped checking for signs of life every time we came across a new body.”

“Which turned out to be very lucky for me.” Victor’s chin jutted out. “Though I found it hard to separate myself from the rest of you, I thought pretending to be dead was the best chance I had at being able to help somehow. If I figured out the murderer’s identity, perhaps I’d then find a way to stop them.” His gaze traveled to where Isabel lay in an expanding pool of blood. “Since she attacked me from behind, I didn’t know who struck me. I sat at my door for hours and hours, listening for any potential clues and occasionally opening it a crack to observe you all.” Guilt deepened the lines in his face.

I tried to reassure him. “I don’t think any of us ever suspected her. She had us all fooled.”

He smiled, though it was tinged with melancholy. “There’s something I’ve been hiding. Believe it or not, I’m actually a retired detective who took this job for fun a couple years ago.” He patted the gun at his side, and the smile vanished. “Apparently, I’m not a very good one. I feel like I should have been able to solve this mystery long ago, and I could have saved some more of the others.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Adam said. “I’m sure most police officers go their entire careers without having to deal with a serial killer like her.”