“What about your private security team?”
“I don’t know where they are. I hit the panic button but they’re not coming. I think Ellis shut down the security system and sent them away when he got home. The intercom announced his gate code like five minutes ago. He parked across the driveway in front of the garage so I can’t get my car out. And apparently he changed the combo on the gun safe at some point, because I tried to open it right before I called you and couldn’t.”
Director Kensington, still on the phone, leans in. “I’ve got sheriff’s deputies and their swat team en route now,” he softly speaks in my ear. “FBI and FDLE are scrambling, too. Secret Service is sending a team, but they’re at least thirty minutes out.”
“Law enforcement’s on the way,” I tell her. “Minutes away. Try to stay calm.”
She starts crying. “I swear I didn’t know, El! You believe me, don’t you?”
I feel horrible for her, and helpless. This is no act—this is legit terror. “Of course I do, sweetie.” I’ll say whatever’s required to her to keep her calm. We can sort everything else out later.
“I love you, El. Please, tell Mom and Dad I love them, too. I’m so sorry I married him. I didn’t know he wascrazy! I-I just thought he’d help me get ahead in Washington, and I wanted to get back at you. I never knew he was capable of something likethis! I realized what he did, I was terrified to say anything to anyone before now. This is the first day I’ve been alone away from him long enough I thought I could escape. I was worried he’d kill me. He wouldn’t let me out of his sight since they took us off the boat.”
“It’s okay, honey. Law enforcement’s on the way. Stay quiet and hidden.”
She flinches again as we hear what sounds like a man’s voice roaring something unintelligible in the distance, muffled by the closet. She looks toward the closet door before bringing the phone closer to her face and dropping her voice to an even lower whisper.
“I don’t think they’ll get here in time.” She sniffles. “You’re a good man, El. You’re a good president. I’m sorry I wasted all those years trying to one-up you and make Dad like me better. You were a good big brother and I didn’t make life easy on you.”
“What? You were always the favorite kid, not me.”
She bitterly laughs. “You don’t know, do you? Every time I went anywhere with Dad, he always bragged about you toeveryone. I was invisible to him unless I was getting scolded for screwing something up.”
“Stella, I—”
She squeaks with terror at another sound, a loud thud. “Oh my god, he’s coming! It sounds like he’s trying to break down the bedroom door. He’s going to kill me!”
“Stella, can you get out of the house? Can you climb out the window?” Leo drags himself up and off the couch and hobbles over on his crutches.
“No, there’s no time!” We hear a series of louderthudsin the background. “Please,hurry!” There’s another, louder crash and Stella gasps. “He’s in the bedroom!” she whispers.
“Sheriff’s office swat unit’s almost there,” the FBI director softly tells us. “ETA three minutes. They’ll make immediate entry.”
“He’s got a gun and he’s going to kill—” Stella lets out a scream as Ellis bangs on the closet door.
“Open up, you fucking bitch! I’m going to kill you! You’ve ruined my goddamned life! You ruinedeverything, you cunt! You couldn’t keep your goddamned mouth shut, could you?”
“Please go away, Ellis!” she sobs. “Just go! The cops are coming! Get out and go away!”
I scream and everyone else gasps as three gunshots punch through the closet door, truncating Stella’s scream and blasting a large hole in the door’s bottom panel. The phone falls from her hand, facing up.
“Stella!” I don’t realize I’m screaming until I feel Jordan’s hand clamp onto my shoulder. “Stella!”
Stella’s low, guttural moans rip my heart out. Ellis wrenches the closet door open and even with the weird angle from the phone we see him standing there in the doorway in silhouette, shirtless, his hair a mess. He holds a handgun, a semi-automatic, maybe a nine.
He points the gun into the closet and fires twice, ending Stella’s moans.
I wordlessly scream. Leo and Jordan both hold me now as Ellis picks up Stella’s phone and grins right into the camera before he puts the muzzle under his chin.
“Fuck you, Woodley. I only married her to help her screw you over.”
He pulls the trigger.
CHAPTERSEVENTY-FIVE
The call’sstill active when the swat team breaks into the house moments later. The phone landed at a disorienting angle just outside the closet and is propped against something. We can see part Ellis’ hand, several drops of blood on it, and we stare at it for what feels like forever before the swat team enters the bedroom. In the distance we hear various calls of “clear” from other officers sweeping through the house.
We watch as an officer kicks the gun away before leaning over Ellis and checking his pulse. Then he steps into the closet to check Stella’s pulse.
