Page 11 of Two Favors Repaid

“Where are the bodies? Tell me and then we’ll keep chatting.”

Ford seemed to ponder that for a moment, grabbing on to his jaw. “Nah, that’s not how we’re going to do this. First you have to tell me a bit more about yourself. I get so few chances to chat nowadays.”

Emma looked at the mirror. She could feel Rob’s presence on the other side.

“Sharp’s Cove is Sharp’s Cove. Nothing ever changes. I wish I could say we miss you, but to tell you the truth nobody’s even noticed you’re gone.”

“I’m sure they’ve noticed at the hospital. How are those idiots keeping up?”

“I guess the workload is smaller now that you’re not hurting anybody.”

His eyes went cold, and she realized she might have overdone it.

Tone it down. Remember you need his help.

She forced a thin smile. “Listen, Ford, I didn’t come here to argue with you. You said you wanted to talk to me, so here I am.”

Ford nodded. When he looked up at her again, he was once again the handsome doctor she used to see around town.

“I shouldn’t have taken you. Everything had been going so well until then. I think kidnapping you was the beginning of my bad luck,” he began. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Emma’s hand shook. She clenched her hands, pressing her nails against the fleshy bit of her hand, and tasted bile.

“I can forgive you for what you did to me, Ford, but not for what you’ve done to all those other young women. You are a murderer.”

“I am,” he nodded, almost amiably. “But I’ll sleep better tonight knowing you’re not holding a grudge.”

His glacier-cold eyes were unblinking.

He doesn’t care about forgiveness. There’s something we’re missing.

Emma felt like she was running out of oxygen. “I can only stay two more minutes,” she lied. “Where are the girls, Ford?”

“If I tell you, will you come back to see me?”

“Tell me, and I’ll consider it.”

Ford’s eyes shifted to the mirror. “In Raven Forest, under the Oak Bridge.”

Emma knew where that was. She’d gone hiking in that area once, years earlier. The thought of those poor young women made her want to cry, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“Are they both there?” she asked.

“Oh yes, they’re together. I thought it was only fitting,” he gloated.

You psychopath.

Struggling to keep a straight face, Emma raised her hand in the pre-agreed signal.

For the first time, Ford lost a bit of his cool. “I kept my side of the promise. You will come back to see me, right?”

“How could you hurt those girls? You took the Hippocratic Oath.”

Ford’s loud laughter hurt her ears.

“Ah, dear Emma, you’ve been thinking about me a lot this year, haven’t you? It warms my heart. Come see me again, and we might chat more about it.”

Emma ground her teeth so hard she knew she’d feel it in her jaw the next day. She shook her head. “No. I never want to see you again, Ford.”