Page 43 of If She Remembered
"And look how that ended," Margaret said bitterly."She died trying to get away from him, died coming to me for help.If she'd never left him in the first place, if she'd just stayed away from me, she might still be alive."
Kate could see the devastating logic of Margaret's delusion.In her damaged psyche, she had somehow convinced herself that Sarah's death was the result of seeking parental support, rather than the result of an abuser's violence.
"Margaret," Kate said, "the parents you killed weren't automatically going to experience what you experienced.Their children weren'tallrunning from abusers.They were just people going through difficult times who needed support from their families.And now… now, you’ve taken away any chance they had at having that reunion."
"You don't understand," Margaret replied, her voice gaining strength again."I saved them from years of watching their children fail over and over again.I preserved the love and hope they felt in that moment when they thought everything was going to work out."
“Yes, but you—”
“No!”she yelled, interrupting Kate.“No.No more right now, please.Please.I’ve confessed.I’ve told you everything you wanted to know.Now just… leave me alone for a while.”
Usually Kate would still press a bit harder, but Margaret was right.She’d confessedandwaived her right to counsel.There was no need to keep pushing right now.
“Yes.For now, we’ll leave you be,” Kate said.She got to her feet, and DeMarco opened the door.
When they stepped outside of the room, Kate felt emotionally drained.Margaret Holloway was clearly suffering from some form of psychotic break triggered by her daughter's traumatic death.While she would face murder charges, Kate doubted she would see traditional prison time.Not right away, anyway.More likely, she would be committed to a psychiatric institution where she could receive treatment for whatever mental illness had driven her to kill three innocent people.But depending on how she conducted herself during the trial, standard prison-time might very well be in her future.And a hell of a lot of it.
As they made their way down the hall, DeMarco immediately pulled out her phone."We need to contact all of Margaret's recent clients," she said."Anyone who had a consultation in the past month could have contaminated medication in their homes."
Kate nodded, already thinking about the urgency of the situation."How many clients are we talking about?"
"According to the business records that were pulled for us, at least twelve consultations in the past six weeks."
They spent the next hour making phone calls, working their way through Margaret's client list and warning each person to dispose of any prescription medications immediately and seek medical attention if they had taken any pills since Margaret's visit to their home.
Those calls were difficult to navigate.Most clients were shocked to learn that the pleasant interior designer who had helped them select new curtains was actually a serial killer who might have contaminated their medications.Several people became hysterical, convinced they had already been poisoned.Others refused to believe the information initially, insisting there had to be some mistake.
But by the end of the afternoon, Kate and DeMarco had potentially saved several lives by warning Margaret's clients about the danger in their medicine cabinets.It wasn't enough to undo the damage that had already been done to the Bennett, Rodriguez, and Harper families, but it was something.
As Kate prepared to leave the field office, she reflected on the tragic chain of events that had led to this point.Sarah Holloway's death had been a genuine tragedy, the result of domestic violence and an abuser's determination to maintain control even after his victim had escaped.But Margaret's response to that tragedy had created additional victims, destroying three families in the name of sparing them future pain.
Kate thought about Allen and Michael waiting for her at home, and she felt grateful for the stability and love they provided.She understood Margaret's fear about adult children disappointing their parents, about the complex dynamics that could develop when family members moved back home during crises.But she also understood that love and support, even when imperfect, were better than the alternative Margaret had chosen.
The case was closed, but its emotional impact would linger.Kate knew she would be thinking about Sarah Holloway and Margaret's twisted form of love for her child for a long time to come.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Shortly after 4:00, Kate watched through the bulletproof glass as two correctional officers escorted Margaret Holloway down the hallway toward the transport vehicle that would take her to county lockup.Even in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, Margaret maintained the same calm demeanor she'd displayed throughout the interrogation, as if being arrested for multiple murders was simply another item on her daily schedule.
"Think she'll plead insanity?"DeMarco asked, standing beside Kate at the observation window.
"Doubtful,” Kate said.“Because I believe she thinks she was completely in the right."Kate turned away from the window as Margaret disappeared from view."Her daughter's death clearly triggered some kind of psychotic break.The delusion that she was performing acts of mercy is textbook."
"Doesn't make the victims any less dead."
"No, it doesn't."Kate gathered her jacket and purse from the chair where she'd left them hours earlier."But at least their families will have answers now.And we prevented more deaths by warning her other clients."
DeMarco nodded, checking her watch."It's a bit after 4:00.You heading home?"
"Finally, yes.Allen's been far more than understanding, and I'd like to be home for dinner tonight."Kate paused at the door."Good work today, DeMarco."
"Team effort," DeMarco replied."Drive safe.And Kate?Try to leave this one at the office.You've got a wedding to plan and a family to enjoy."
Kate managed a smile, though she could already feel the weight of the case settling into her thoughts."I'll try.See you Monday."
The elevator ride down to the parking garage gave Kate her first quiet moment since the morning's pursuit, and she found herself replaying Margaret Holloway's confession in her mind.The image of Sarah Holloway driving through the rain, fleeing an abusive boyfriend and trying to reach the safety of her mother's home, only to die just two miles away from sanctuary.
As Kate approached her car in the parking garage, she noted the scratches and dents from the morning's chase.The insurance company would have questions about how an FBI agent had managed to damage her vehicle pursuing a suspect through suburban Richmond.She smirked, thinking about how funthatparticular conversation was going to be.
