“Ma’am, you do understand that your husband is going to prison, don’t you?” asked Kiel.
“I’m not senile, young man.I’m well aware.Ellen was a lovely girl, she had lots of potential.When she decided to keep Marilyn, it surprised me.I almost cheered her on.Almost.Her life would be hard.Harder than it already was.She’d just turned eighteen, she was a mother with no education.I wondered what would happen to her.
“But she made it.She fought hard, provided for her and the child, with a little help from Cain of course.I was actually proud of him for that.Proud of him providing for the child.When she went off to college it proved that our money wasn’t wasted on her.”
“Wasted?Ma’am, this is a young woman we’re talking about, a future.Blood or not, she was not wasted,” said Ben.
“Of course not,” she said dismissively.“But then Ellen wanted more.She needed money to buy a home of her own so that Marilyn would always have a place to live after college.It was greedy of her.Really.Cain told her no, said she was asking for too much.So, she came to me, hoping to appeal to my maternal instincts.I refused as well.Told her she should disappear.”
“But she didn’t,” whispered AJ.“She asked to meet with you at the park near the river.You killed her.”She slowly turned her head toward AJ, looking up at his handsome face.
“I did what I needed to do to protect my husband’s career and the reputation of my children.”
“You’re a hateful, horrible human being Mrs. Hampton.You and your husband both deserve to rot in jail,” said Kiel.
“He might just do that,” she said with a grin.“I don’t intend on dying in jail.I’ve taken some extra medication today, to soothe my anxiety over this whole horrible situation.In a few minutes, I’ll fall asleep.In about an hour, when he comes for his usual morning visit, my son will find me right here, rocking on this porch.I’ll die naturally.”
“You’ll go to hell old woman,” said AJ in a harsh voice.“You’ll go to hell and I’ll make sure that everyone knows your part in this game.Especially Marilyn.”
AJ walked back to the SUV, the other men following him.Ben turned to stare at the old woman.
“I’d say it’s been a pleasure but I was raised right.I don’t lie to the old and feeble.”
The woman said nothing, staring off into the distance, slowly rocking as she closed her eyes.It was a death too easy for her but she’d chosen it and they would leave it at that.
Now, they needed to find Marilyn.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Marilyn was panicked.Cain was arrested, her buyer had backed out, and now she couldn’t get into the systems at all.Her computers were stalled, at a standstill.The program she’d written, spent so many nights on, was no longer effective.It was done.
She counted the cash she had remaining and frowned.It would buy a plane ticket to Mexico or Cuba, maybe somewhere in South America but what she really wanted was Europe.The problem with going there was that their extradition was too easy.
“No,” she whispered to herself, “no, that’s not a good option.Maybe Asia.India.India is big in technology, so is Japan.Maybe I can go there.”
Without much to pack, she was able to pull her things together quickly and get them to her car.With any luck, she’d be in Miami by tomorrow and find a way to head out of the country.She’d need a fake passport, driver’s license and other identification.
The slew of stolen credit cards would keep her going for a short time but eventually someone would trace those directly back to her location.She didn’t need that.
A disguise. That’s what she needed.Wigs.Blonde, red, and black.Something to cover her brunette hair.Maybe colored contact lenses.
“I can do this,” she said to herself. “I can do this.”
By tonight she would be in Charleston and tomorrow she’d drive non-stop until she could see Miami.There she’d find someone to make her new identifications and she’d leave.
Her father could rot in jail.She didn’t care anymore.Survival came first.
“I think she’s leaving the house in Nags Head,” said AJ.“The computer is moving and it’s moving quickly.She’s not walking around with it.”
“She has it open?In the car?” asked Tanner.
“Yes.She must be hoping to get additional communications.”
“We need to convince her to stay where she is,” said Hiro.“Send her a message that we know who killed her mother and they will be punished.Give her something that will turn her around and head back to D.C.”
“He’s right,” said Kiel.“We’re at least two or three hours behind her.We’re guessing at her next destination but if we can get her to come to us, we can stop her.”
“Okay.Let me see what I can do,” said AJ.He was still pissed about her killing the young sergeant but he couldn’t let that cloud his judgment now.“Her mic is open.”
