“Yes they have,” I declared.
“Lenny, cops are out there—looking for you. We know you were in Town Hall, in the mayor’s office. We know you killed him. We questioned the janitor you spoke to and Mayor Hamonte texted me just before you murdered him. You don’t have a lot of time.”
It was true, I didn’t have a lot of time left at all—it was Christmas Eve. I still didn’t know where Angela was, but at least I was finally getting some answers.
“Do you know why I murdered him? I think you do.”
She glanced at me, her shoulders slumped—defeated. It was all coming apart, all the lies, all the deceit, all the dark secrets that had Whisper’s Creek in a stranglehold.
She took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Mayor Hamonte tried to force himself on Clara at the Christmas party last year, when they were alone. She was going to out him, and that would’ve derailed his career. So he ordered me to kill her and to cover it up.”
I gasped, shocked at her admission of guilt. “You’re a monster! You killed an innocent girl! You deserve the same fate as Hamonte!”
She glanced at me with solemn eyes. “I know. I’ve done many bad things for Mayor Hamonte and for Doctor Tuttle.”
“You don’t know what you’ve truly done, detective. You were involved in faking Colton Kilhouser’s death so that Doctor Tuttle could use him for his own evil purposes. Guess what? You helped create a monster…and he’s come back to haunt us all.”
She looked away, eyes downcast, unable to face me. “I know.”
“Why? Why did you do it?” I asked, stunned that she would do such a thing.
“Do you know what they told me?” Castillo said. “They said if I helped, they’d make sure that my mother received the medical care she so desperately needed. They said if I didn’t, they’d ruin me. I chose my mother. She was very ill and I couldn’t cover the bills. I did it for her.”
“You should’ve told the truth sooner,” I demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me that I’m Colton Kilhouser? That I’m the Dollhouse Killer?”
She widened her eyes at me—confused, shocked…so many emotions erupting out of her face at one time. “You’re not Colton Kilhouser.”
I tried containing the ferocious anger building in my chest, it felt like a ball of fire was expanding in my stomach and would explode at any moment. I was sick of allthe lies.
I crept closer as I pointed the gun at her, trying to steady my aim. “Tell me the goddamn truth.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held her hands higher in the air. “I am telling you the truth. I swear. You’re not Colton Kilhouser.”
She was lying. Why? I wasn’t sure. There could’ve been no one else. I was the one blacking out, not remembering the things I’d been doing. I was sure that I was the one, destroying myself from the inside out.
“Then who is?!”
She shut her eyes. “If I tell you…you’ll kill me.”
“Who is it?”
“Kill her”, a soft voice rang out.
“What?” I questioned aloud.
“Kill her now.”
I looked straight into her eyes as she opened them. She remained quiet. I aimed the gun at her head and pulled the trigger—a single bullet ripping through her head. Her body clumped to the floor—a pool of dark blood spilling out of the hole in her skull.
I dropped the gun, horrified at what I had done. I walked to her still body slowly, to inspect it. She was dead, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I went to my front door, opened it and surveyed the area—to see if anyone had heard the gunshot. I saw no one yet.
But there it was, another gift box. I kicked it inside and shut the door. I stared at it with such rage that I tore it open like a hungry animal tearing hisprey to shreds. There was a bloodied ring inside, along with a red envelope. I opened it and read the letter:
“Merry Christmas Eve. The end is nigh. Find me in the old white church. I urge you to do your worst.Come at midnight…it’s time to make it all right.”
CHAPTER 25
CHRISTMAS DAY
