His scent, wafting in the air around her, drove her crazy.
Joseph gave her a questioning glare. When she acknowledged with a nod, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“Goodnight, Katherine,” he said as he left the room.
Chapter Twelve
KATHERINE
Katherine crept down the pathway that ran along the side of her parents’ house. She’d been in constant contact with Gabby over the past few weeks. Then, finally, Gabby had called to tell her that she’d found the key to the secret room in his wine cellar. She’d said her parents were attending a charity ball and her aunt was on a date. It was the perfect time to see what her father was really up to.
“Hurry!” Gabby shouted in a whisper from the doorway.
Katherine hurried inside through the back door. She followed Gabby through the house, down to the wine cellar, to a wall with wood paneling. She pushed on of the panels and a small section of the wall popped out.
Gabby slid it open. “In here,” she whispered.
Gabby turned on a flashlight and stepped into the dark room.
Katherine walked over and stood in front of the door, terrified. Not of the boogeyman or some monster attacking her in the dark. She was afraid of seeing the proof of her father’s sins.
She heard a click when Gabby pulled on a thin chain hanging from the ceiling, and then there was light. When her eyes adjusted to the change, she looked around the room. Except for a couple of file cabinets, a desk, and a box, there wasn’t much.
“Over here,” Gabby whispered as she hurried to the file cabinet.
Gabby opened it and pulled out one of the files. Katherine could see the terror in her eyes as she handed it over. The word, “Playhouses” was written on the outside of the folder. Katherine opened the folder with shaky hands and looked at the papers, which were a six-page list of names and addresses. Next to each name was either “girl” or “boy” written inside parentheses. Katherine could hope and pray that what she was reading didn’t mean what she thought it meant, but it would be no use.
Katherine and Gabby looked through a few more files, but they wouldn’t have time to sift through them all. Gabby put the files back, and they moved to the desk. After rummaging through a few drawers, they didn’t find anything other than a few office supplies.
They made sure to return everything the way they found it and moved on to the box. Katherine lowered to a squat, lifted the lid, and instantly regretted it. What she found inside was the property of a person with a special place in hell waiting for them. In fact, her father may very well be the devil himself.
* * *
JOSEPH
The sound of the lock turning gave Joseph a feeling of excitement. He hurried over to the stove and checked on his Coq au vin. It was the only French dish Jack had taught him to make. Since Katherine had once told him that she loved French cuisine, preparing the French chicken dish was a tribute to his friend and a way of pampering Katherine.
She entered the apartment and sat her purse on a table by the door. “Hey,” she greeted.
“Hey, yourself.” Joseph walked over to her and lifted her face for a kiss, but her uneasy demeanor gave him pause. “What’s wrong?”
With her eyes filled with tears, Katherine shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
She turned to escape but Joseph caught her arm. “Don’t do that, Katherine. Talk to me.”
She swiped a tear from her cheek and looked up at him with sad eyes. At that moment, Joseph realized what he wanted most was for Katherine to be happy, and he would be the one to ensure her happiness.
“Come here. Sit,” he told her, leading her to the sofa.
Joseph sat, pulling her down with him. “Tell me,” he insisted, massaging her shoulder.
Katherine was shaking. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Once she got herself together, she opened her eyes and gave him the rundown of her day. Hearing about her father and his network of monsters made him nauseous.
“I have to do something,” she breathed, with desperation in her tone.
It almost seemed like she felt somehow responsible for her father’s actions. When Joseph looked into her eyes, he swore he saw guilt.
“Why do you have to do something? I want you to stay away from him. Call the police. Let them handle it.”
