“Okay,” he said, doing as she instructed.
If following her orders gave him time to figure a way out of this, then he was more than willing to do so.He walked slowly into the living room and sat down on the couch she pointed out to him with her knife hand.He decided to try to take the initiative in the hopes of talking her down.
“I can see why you’re upset,” he said carefully.“I’ve got a lot of explaining to do if I’m going to set this right.”
“Shut up, Jason,” she said sharply.“The days of me swooning as you seduce me with your charm are over.I’m doing the talking now.”
He closed his mouth.It was clear that she needed to say her piece.Part of him hoped that if she got it all out, she might decide that was enough and leave.It was a long shot but he needed some hope to cling to as real fear began to overtake him.
“You made me love you,” she snarled.“You already had four wives strewn all over the state, but you made me think that I was the only one for you.I’m 21 years old.I’ve only been legally able to drink for five months.But you’re a legit adult.You should have known better.And yet you manipulated me so that I’d become part of your harem.”
Jason had tried to hold his tongue but he couldn’t let that accusation go unanswered.
“Holly, how can you say that?Don’t you remember that I specifically sat you down and said that I was bad at commitment and you deserved better?That’s why I broke things off.”
“Bad at commitment?”she shot back.“You married four women.It seems that you’retoo goodat commitment.But apparently, I wasn’t worthy of making the team.”
“It wasn’t that,” he pleaded.“I was trying to do the right thing by letting you down easy.You had to know deep down that we could never be together.”
“How was I supposed to know that ‘deep down?’”she spat sarcastically.“Was it when you said I made you feel young again?Or around the time that you said looking at my naked body was like visiting your own personal museum?Those don’t sound like the words of a guy who thinks we could never be together.Your life is just one big lie.How does it feel to know that three of your wives are dead because of your choices?”
A combination of guilt and anger consumed him.He knew he shouldn’t but when he replied, he led with the anger.
“I didn’t kill them.You did!”
It was a mistake.Suddenly Holly’s eyes were blazing and she was gripping the knife tighter.
“Don’t kid yourself.It might as well have been you slitting their throats,” she growled.“You set it all in motion.You started this cycle.But don’t worry.I’m going to end it.Now!”
She pointed the taser at him.Jason flinched.But before she could use it, a familiar male voice barked out.
“Freeze!”
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
Jessie groaned silently.
Webb, as usual, had jumped the gun.
Up until now, things had been going so well.They'd allowed Jason Mannix to be released and followed him home based on Jessie's hunch.
When Rebecca Sullivan had asked her if she was safe, a lightbulb had gone off in Jessie's head.What if the killer, now unable to get to Mannix's real ex-wife or his one remaining fake wife, Allyson Rhodes, decided to go after the man at the center of everything?It was a risk.They were using Mannix as bait, as the backup plan Jessie had realized she needed.And they were out of other ideas; Webb had consented to the plan.
And now, hiding in the hallway of the house that they had sneaked into after Mannix arrived, they had a perfect view of events.They could see, hear, and—using her phone—record the entire confrontation between him and this woman, apparently named Holly.In fact, she’d just basically confessed to cutting the victims’ throats.
Jessie had even hoped that Holly would follow through on her threat to tase Mannix.If she did, then the taser would have to be reset with a new cartridge, which would take a few seconds.All she would have left was the knife.And their guns worked faster than any knife.But now all that was out the window.
Hearing Webb yell “freeze,” Holly turned to the hallway, squinting.Mannix’s jaw hung open in surprise.Webb stepped out slowly, inadvertently blocking any shot Jessie had.He took another step, now fully in the light of the living room.
"Ma'am, I need you to put down the knife and the tas—," he started to say.
But before he could finish the sentence, she fired the thing at him, hitting him in the chest.The gun fell from his hand as he dropped to the ground, convulsing.Jessie fought the urge to help him, keeping her eyes on Holly.
The young woman turned back to Mannix and took a step toward him.
“I’ll deal with that guy later,” she said.“But first, let’s take care of you.”
“Stop, Holly!”Jessie yelled as she moved forward into the room, weapon pointed at the woman.
