Page 34 of If She Remembered
"Yes.He's twenty-two.He's been in rehab for almost three months, and he was supposed to come home tomorrow."Samantha's voice broke on the word 'tomorrow.'"Linda has been so excited.She's been working on this apartment for weeks, getting everything ready for him.”
Kate felt the final piece of the pattern click into place."Ms.Harper, had Ben been living with your sister before he went to rehab?"
"Yes, for a few weeks.Well, off and on.He'd been struggling with addiction for a couple of years, and Linda finally convinced him to get serious about treatment.But before he left for the program, he was staying here with her."Samantha looked around the converted garage with fresh tears in her eyes."She wanted him to have his own space when he got back, somewhere he could feel independent but still be close to family."
That was the confirmation Kate needed.Linda Harper fit the exact same profile as Carol Bennett and Thomas Rodriguez: an empty-nester who had recently welcomed an adult child back home, killed by poisoned pills just before what should have been a positive milestone in their family's recovery.
"Ms.Harper, I know this is difficult, but I need to ask about your sister's medication.Do you know if she was seeing a therapist or taking anything for anxiety?"
Samantha nodded."She started seeing someone a few months ago, when Ben's addiction got really bad.She was having panic attacks and trouble sleeping.The stress of watching him destroy himself was killing her."
"Do you remember the name of the therapist?"
"Dr.Walsh, I think.Patricia Walsh.Linda said she specialized in helping parents deal with children's addiction problems."Samantha paused, looking confused."Why are you asking about her therapy?Does that have something to do with what happened?"
Kate didn't want to go into detail about the poisoned medication while Samantha was still processing her grief, but she needed to understand the connection.Three victims, three different doctors prescribing medication, but all fitting the same basic pattern of empty-nesters struggling with adult children's problems.
"We're still investigating," Kate said carefully."But your information is very helpful.So thank you."
Officer Hall approached them from across the garage."Agent Wise, the coroner just arrived.Should I have them wait for you to finish examining the scene?"
"Yes, please.I want to take a closer look before anything is moved."Kate turned back to Samantha."Is there somewhere you can stay tonight?Family or friends who can be with you?"
"I'll probably stay at my boyfriend's house.I need to figure out how to tell Ben what happened."Samantha's voice broke again."He was doing so well in the program.He was finally getting his life together… and now this."
Kate felt a deep sadness for this family that had been working so hard toward recovery and reunion, only to have it destroyed by someone who saw their situation as an opportunity for murder.This killer wasn't just taking lives; they were destroying hope and shattering families that were already fragile.She wondered what might become of Ben, to have finally beaten his addiction, only to lose his mother.
As Samantha was led back into the kitchen by one of the officers, Kate pulled out her phone to call DeMarco.Three victims in less than a week, all following the same pattern, all killed by the same method.The case was escalating rapidly, and they needed to identify the killer before more families were destroyed.
She looked around the converted garage one more time, taking in the careful preparations Linda Harper had made for her son's homecoming.Tomorrow should have been a day of celebration and new beginnings.Instead, it would be another day of grief and loss for a family that had already endured too much.
Kate scrolled to DeMarco's number and pressed call, knowing that the conversation would confirm what she already suspected: they were dealing with a methodical killer who was targeting vulnerable families at their most hopeful moments.
And in an unknown number of locations throughout the city, more poison pills were waiting in medicine bottles, ready to claim additional victims.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kate pulled into her driveway at 8:45 that night, the dashboard clock glowing in the darkness as she turned off the engine.She sat in the car for a moment, steeling herself for what she assumed would be a difficult conversation with Allen.The house looked warm and inviting through the front windows, with the soft glow of table lamps creating the kind of domestic tranquility she'd been absent from for most of the day.He'd seemed understanding enough on the phone when she'd called to tell him about needing to travel to another crime scene before returning home.But the guilt was still there, and she knew at some point, his understanding would come to an end… and deservedly so.
She knew Allen had already put Michael to bed.The timing was unmistakable; bedtime routine always began at 8:00 sharp, with bath, stories, and the careful choreography of getting an energetic toddler to settle down for the night.It was a routine she usually shared with Allen, taking turns reading books or managing the inevitable negotiations that came with putting Michael to sleep.
Tonight, she'd missed all of it.
Kate grabbed her purse and badge from the passenger seat, already formulating the apology she'd need to deliver.She'd missed dinner, missed bedtime, missed the ordinary evening moments that Allen had been managing alone while she dealt with Linda Harper's death scene.It was exactly the kind of situation that had caused tension in their relationship before, and she couldn't blame him if he was frustrated.
The front door was unlocked, which meant Allen had been listening for her arrival.Kate stepped into the entryway and set down her things, trying to read the mood of the house.She could hear the television playing quietly in the living room, and there was no sign of the scattered toys and dinner dishes that usually marked the end of a busy day with Michael.
"Allen?"she called softly, not wanting to risk waking Michael if he was still settling into sleep.
"In here," came his voice from the living room.
Kate walked through the hallway, already beginning her rehearsed explanation."I'm so sorry I'm late.The third victim turned out to be connected to our case, and I had to process the scene and interview the sister who found the body.I know I missed dinner and bedtime, and I feel terrible about—"
Allen appeared in the doorway between the hallway and living room, cutting off her words by pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.The kiss was unexpected and intense, filled with the kind of passion that caught her completely off guard.It was so unexpected that she nearly pushed him away.That’show taken by surprise she was.But after a few seconds, Kate felt herself melt into him.Her prepared apologies were forgotten as she responded to the warmth and urgency of his embrace.
When he finally broke the kiss, Kate looked up at him with surprise and pleasure."That was nice.What was that f—"
But Allen interrupted her again, this time pressing her back against the wall and kissing her with even more intensity.Kate felt her pulse quicken as his hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer against him.The stress and frustration of the day began to dissolve as she lost herself in the heat of his touch and the familiar scent of his cologne.It made no sense at all, but her nerves and the automatic attraction to him overruled the confusion.
