“Jake?” Olivia stepped out from behind Theo. “What’s going on?”
“They found Brody,” he replied tightly.
“I have a bad feeling about this.” Olivia chewed her lip.
“They found his body in the woods, like Adam.”
“How?” Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. “How did he die?”
Jake shook his head.
“Tell me the truth.” Her voice hardened.
“It looks as if his eyes and tongue were ripped out,” Jake replied, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Theo crossed himself.
“There’s no clear cause of death at the moment,” Jake continued, “but Doc Hughes was called to the crime scene, says it could be shock or exposure that actually killed him, but the mutilation was carried out perimortem.”
“Oh God,” Olivia exhaled heavily.
“What is perimortem?” Theo asked. “I am not familiar with this word.”
“It means injuries sustained at or near the time of death,” Olivia replied quietly.
“It means”—Jake’s expression was like stone—“that Brody was still alive when the son of a bitch took his eyes.”
“God have mercy,” Theo whispered in horror.
“Cam is pretty messed up.” Jake shook his head.
“Cam?”
“Deputy Walker, he’s Brody’s brother,” Olivia answered as she looked directly at Jake. “Is he blaming me?”
She could tell by the tension in Jake’s jaw what the answer was. His silence just confirmed it.
“Will he cause her harm?” Theo demanded.
“I honestly don’t know.” Jake shook his head. “I’ve known Cam a long time. He’s a good man, a good cop, but right now, he’s messed up. He’s not thinking clearly with all the crap the chief has been filling his head with. I just don’t know. I’m trying to do as much damage control as possible, but they’ve got me pretty much on lockdown. I wasn’t even allowed near the crime scene.”
He took a deep breath, his gaze firmly fixed on Olivia.
“Olive, I’m worried about you out there on your own so close to the woods. I wish you’d reconsider and stay with Lou.”
She stepped closer to him. “Jake, please, you have to trust me. I can’t explain why, but I need to stay in the house. I feel it right down in my gut.”
“I don’t like you being out there on your own, especially with Walcott and the rest of the department crawling all over the woods near there. I know for a fact that Chief Walcott is pressuring for a warrant to search your property. And we still don’t even know where your father is or what his intentions are toward you. He’s already kidnapped you once.”
“What?” Theo’s head whipped around to stare at Olivia. “What’s this about your father?”
“That’s a story for another time.” She brushed it aside. “One problem at a time, please.”
There was no way she was telling either of them about the doll, or the fact that her father had apparently been on her front porch. If she said anything, they’d both freak out and insist she stay somewhere safer, but deep down she knew she couldn’t.
“I need to get home.” Olivia reached for her coat hanging on the back of her chair. A feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach.
The strange tugging sensation she’d felt weeks ago when she’d driven back into town for the first time suddenly flared to life again but twice as strong, wrapping around her ribs and squeezing unpleasantly, and she knew she needed to get home immediately.
14
