Page 89 of Watch Me
My heart swelled at his validation of me. I’d never had that before. We walked into my living room, and he set Maddison down near the couch. I briefly heard something outside my front door, my attention turning to the sound before I felt Jack come up behind me. He held a cloth to my face and then ...
Guns were drawn, and we were moving in, going stealthily up the walkway toward the front door. We’d parked down the street, no lights flashing on our marked and unmarked cars because we didn’t want to make our presence known.
I gave a nod to the officer with the battering ram, and a second later, the door flew open with a bang, the wood shattering. I didn’t hesitate. I could feel it in my veins that this was the place, that this was the killer we were after. If it wasn’t, I was going to lose myshit.
“Chicago PD, put your fucking hands up,” I ordered as I entered and noticed a man standing near a couch. My gaze flicked to a chair where Maddison was tied down, and I momentarily sighed with relief. My attention turned back to the man, and I caught a glimpse of red hair fanned on thecouch.
“I was helping,” the man stated.
My gaze flicked back to his, and I realized it was Jack Clark. His hands were raised as I’d ordered and then Shawn started to cuff him and read him his rights. I moved toward Maddie and knelt in front of her.
“Are you okay?” Iasked.
Shenodded.
I removed the tape from her mouth. “Are you hurt?”
She shook herhead.
After I got the rope off of her wrists and ankles, I pulled her into a hug. “Fuck. I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Maddie started to cry in my arms, her body shaking. “She was going to rape and kill me.”
I looked over her shoulder at the woman on the couch. She was unconscious, multiple police officers surrounding with their guns aimed at her. This had to be our killer because of the red strand of hair we’d found at the most recent crime scene.
“They were going to rape and kill you?”
She shook her head. “Just the woman. She told him she was the Lakeshore Killer, and he was trying to help me.”
“See!” Jack stated. “I wasn’t going to let Katrina hurt her. She said she’s killed three girls. I had nothing to do with that, and when we went downstairs to the basement, I had no idea Maddison was down there. Then I pretended to go along with it, and when we got upstairs, I knocked her out with the ether.”
“We’ll get your statement back at the station,” Shawnreplied.
“Were you knocked out with ether too?” Fucking ether. That was what the nut job used to knock out my sister when he tried to kidnapher.
“I think so. I woke up alone in the basement. I was tied up already.”
“Fuck!” I groaned again. I turned my attention to Shawn, Maddie still in my arms. “I’m going to call a bus and get Maddie checked out. Cuff her”—I pointed to the redhead on the couch—“and when she wakes up, bring her in too.”
“Will do. Are you going to call Reagan to come get Maddie?”
“Not yet,” I stated. “I’m going to make sure Maddie’s okay first, and then I’ll take her home. Can you make sure everything’s taken care of here, and I’ll meet you at the station?”
“Of course.”
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and led Maddison out of the house. I kept her in my arms as I called for an ambulance. Her tears eased up, but I wanted her to get checked out before I took her home. When Ashtyn was drugged, she just needed fresh air and rest, so while we waited for the bus to arrive, we stayed out in the cold, freshair.
“I’m sorry, Maddie, but you know I need you to tell me exactly what happened, right?”
We took a seat on the top step of the porch, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, bringing her against my side.
“I don’t really know much.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
She sighed. “I had dinner with Mom and was walking back to your place when someone grabbed me from behind. Then I woke up in a cold basement, tied to a chair. I tried screaming, but no one came for a long time.”
“How long?”
