Chapter Ten

Warning: graphic violence

"Do you have a minute, Jasper?" Gloria Stanton asked politely though there was a subtle hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Sure," he replied.

Jasper followed her downstairs and into the large kitchen. Charles Stanton sat at the table, his hands folded neatly on top of a large book. The air felt tense as if the Stanton's had something to say to Jasper which put him a little on edge. He could feel his knife resting at his hip and hidden beneath his shirt. He was just itching to get it out but he knew it wasn't the right moment.

"Sit down, Jasper," Charles gestured towards an empty chair. Gloria sat down next to her husband, her head held high though Jasper could tell the woman was definitely nervous about something. She fidgeted with her hands and gulped numerous times.

"Is there something wrong?" Jasper asked in his drawl. He looked from one to the other wondering what was going on though he thought maybe it had something to do with the missing photo from his room.

"We just wanted to ask you a few questions, Jasper," the man stated. "Some...inconsistencies came up and we needed to clear a few things up with you."

"Oh?" the killer quirked an eyebrow. Maybe it wasn't the photo. He eyed the book and saw the date on it. It was no ordinary book. It was a yearbook. Gloria Stanton's to be exact and then Jasper knew what was coming. They had found out his secret.

"You're not Angela Wilkes' son," Gloria blurted out taking him by surprise at her bluntness. "It took me a while to realize it. I remember she got pregnant but never married. But her child though wasn't a boy. She had a girl and I spoke with her daughter this morning. She said that Jasper Wilkes was her cousin…and he disappeared several years ago. Who are you really? And why did you come here?"

Jasper sat back in the chair, a smirk rising on his lips. He knew one day someone would figure it out about the real Jasper Wilkes but he had hoped that it was later on after he'd left. Though Charles seemed to be taking the news well, Gloria's lip quivered. She was upset that someone had used her friend's name to visit them and take advantage of their hospitality. What she didn't understand was why.

"Well, I see that you found out," he replied, his drawl and pleasantness behind it gone. What the couple heard was a cold and bitter man. "Jasper was a friend of mine, I admit that. He was my best friend actually and was to be my best man at my wedding. When the day finally arrived, he was nowhere to be seen and neither was my bride. They had fallen in love and eloped just hours before the wedding began and they told no one what they had done."

He paused to look at his nails nonchalantly. He laughed as he listened to Gloria's breathing increase. Even Charles was on edge, ready to bolt for the phone that was sitting on the counter. But the killer knew the man wouldn't make it. Jasper leaned forward, his hand resting on his hidden knife. When he continued, the words only confirmed the couple's worst fear.

"I loved my Jennifer," Jasper sneered. "Loved her more than life itself. She brought everything to my life. A family. Love. Everything. When she ran off with Jasper, it destroyed me. I couldn't let it happen again. So when I found them I gave them no chance to redeem themselves. No one will ever find them either. They were my first and they were not my last. I made a vow that no woman would ever do that a man again. They hold secrets that I intend to find out about and then I kill them."

"It…it's you," whispered Gloria her eyes going wide. "You…you took those girls."

"Yes, I did," he smiled. Charles suddenly bolted for the phone but Jasper got to him first, plunging the knife into the man's back. He twisted the knife, severing his spinal cord. The man fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his wound and his eyes wide with alarm. He couldn't move, his body unable to function though he tried. Charles Stanton was still alive, helplessly watching the scene unfold before him. Gloria let out a belated scream but Jasper clamped a hand over her mouth. He brought her to inches in front of his face. "Now, you're going to answer some questions for me and maybe I'll spare you."

Fenton's muscles screamed with each pump of the shovel. Durham was grunting next to him as Carlisle and Sam looked on from above. The ground was still loose enough for them to dig easily but it was still taking a while. Fenton wondered how the killer was able to do it on his own.

Suddenly there was a loud clunk as their shovels hit something hard. Fenton and Durham stopped and the two men knelt in the hole to wipe away the remaining dirt.

"Candace!" Fenton called out. His heart dropped when there was no response and he quickened his pace, worried that they were too late. Sam jumped into the hole to help while Carlisle went off to meet the police and emergency responders who were just arriving.

The three men feverishly wiped at what looked like a casket resting in the ground. Before long they were able to reach the lid to open it. Fenton cautiously felt around the lid just in case there were any surprises from the killer. Not finding any issues, he nodded to Durham and Sam and the three lifted the casket lid together.

Candace lay on a pillow of what looked like silk, her face streaked from her tears. She looked peaceful, her eyes closed and her hands resting at her sides. Fenton was shocked to see she was in her wedding gown but that wasn't what mattered most at the moment. He needed to make sure she was okay.

"Candace?" He said gently touching her hand. She gasped taking in a deep breath. Her eyes roamed open then finally focused on Fenton. Relief came across her face and she sat up, immediately grabbing onto him.

"Oh, thank God!" she rasped sobbing. "I…I didn't think anyone was going to find me!"

"You're safe now," Fenton replied holding her tight. He nodded to Durham and Sam and the three of them heaved a sigh of relief.

After several minutes, they were all on solid ground. Candace didn't want to be left alone and hovered with Fenton so he escorted her to the ambulance. After talking with her briefly and he knew she was going to be okay, Fenton went over to where Durham and Sam stood talking with Riverton PD.

"How she doing, Fenton?" Sam asked the moment he was in earshot.

"Scared but fine," he answered sadly. "It may be a while before she gets back to normal though. They're taking her to the hospital to make sure she's okay. She did say that she doesn't blame Parker for what happened. She knows it wasn't him and I didn't even have to tell her."

"Now, that's what I call love," his partner smiled. Fenton nodded.

"That's good," Durham nodded. "I think it's time to call Parker."

"Oh, damn it!" Fenton slapped his forehead. "I forgot to call Laura back! She's been blowing up my phone since we left the hospital! They don't even know Nancy's alive!"

"Well, that was stupid, Fenton," Sam muttered.

"You're not helping, Sam." He walked away and dialed Laura's number

"There you are, Fenton!" cried Laura after the first ring. She began rambling off so quickly he could barely keep up. "Why didn't you answer the phone or at least send me a text? I wasn't done telling you what else we found out! Whitney Stanton came by and we think we know who the killer is! It's Jasper Wilkes and he's staying with the Stanton's. And Candace's feed just stopped! I told Parker to stop watching it and he did for a little while but he wanted to see her again. He couldn't take it anymore. That was when we found that the feed stopped! And we still don't know anything about Nancy! Carson is beside himself with worry! We haven't seen him since he left the room a half hour ago! And the boys went with Whitney back to her house to see if they can get to Jasper before he disappears. Oh, my goodness, Fenton! I don't know how much more my heart can take!"

"Laura, calm down," Fenton gently ordered. He tried to remember everything that was said. "Slow down. Most of what you just said was so jumbled that I couldn't understand half of it. I'm sorry I didn't call you or text you back. I regret not doing that but time was of the essence. We were able to find Candace. She's fine. A little shaken up but nothing life threatening."

"She…she is?" his wife sniffled. "She's okay? What…how? Was Nancy with her?"

He sighed rubbing his forehead. "Nancy was found this morning, Laura. I don't know a lot of the details but we found out after we visited with Jax."

"Oh, Fenton, you sound like she's…"

"No, no. She's still alive and at the hospital. I don't know much just that she's in the ICU. I need you to get everyone over to the hospital in Springfield. We'll meet you there."

"What about Frank and Joe? They went with Whitney."

"Okay, what was that all about? I could barely understand you."

Laura went on to explain about Whitney's visit and what the girl found in the guest room of her house. "Charlie found some information on a Jasper Wilkes from Alabama," she stated. "The only thing is that Jasper Wilkes disappeared years ago. Whoever this guy is he may be connected to Wilkes. Charlie went with Whitney so he'll look into it when he gets back."

"Why would the boys go with her though?" Fenton asked. "I told them to stay put."

"No, you told Joe not to leave without his brother," Laura corrected. "Whitney wanted to go home. She was worried about her parents as was Charlie which is why he left too. Joe didn't want them to go home alone so he made Frank go with him along with Vanessa. They followed them home and said they would call the police from there if they found any more proof. Fenton, you didn't see Frank! He seemed so lost after we saw the photos of Nancy. "

"Okay, I'll call them next and get them out of there. I don't want any of them anywhere near this guy if he really is our killer. And I'll talk to Frank when I see him. He needs to hear it in person not over the phone."

"Be careful."

"I will."

"I love you, Fenton."

"Love you too, Laura." Seconds later, he ended the call and was about to call Frank when Durham came up to him looking grim. "What's going on?"

"We just got a call from dispatch," he growled. "We have to head back to town."

Jasper stared at the blank screen on his phone. He wanted to watch the bride die before he left town but the feed was gone. The only way it would do that is if someone opened the casket. Snarling, he put his car into gear and drove towards the funeral home. He didn't care if he was seen for he had already took off his Jasper disguise. His mother and father taught him well when it came to the art of deception and to this day, no one knew who he really was. Not even Jennifer knew but when he told her who he was, she took the secret to the grave along with Jasper. No one had gotten the better of him since. That is until now.

The killer knew who he was dealing with, knew who it was who rescued the bride. She was to die like all the rest because she wouldn't tell him her secrets. No one stole that away from him. And if his suspicions were correct, he would deal with them when the time came. Jasper would just have to wait a little longer to leave.

His anger rose with every car he passed and every inch he got closer to the funeral home. Months of preparation down the drain. Hours of labor to dig the hole and move the casket into place before bringing the bride in. Through that time, he had to avoid Whitney and her irritating family but they served their purpose. He chose them because of Whitney's continued blind love for Parker Hawkley. He had hoped to be a guest at the wedding but was disappointed when he found out that only Charlie Stanton was invited. It changed his whole plan.

And with Nancy and the annoying Hardy brothers being close to the bride and groom he had to be careful though only Nancy knew him as he currently was. He made the mistake of bumping into her weeks before while he was trying to get more information on her and she nearly got him arrested for it. That incident alone was the reason why he had to take her out before he took the bride. He knew she would fight him if he didn't do anything to her. But he didn't know she would fight back the drug he slipped into her drink. Still the look on her face when he hit her with the car was the highlight of his day and since no one was pursuing him, he knew she was either dead or not awake yet, hopefully the former.

Jasper continued to drive until he no longer could. A police officer directed him to stop just before the entrance to the funeral home. In the time he had to wait, he quickly scanned what he could see though the house was pretty far from the road. That was when he saw another car pulling out and Fenton Hardy was in the passenger seat while Chief Durham drove. His suspicion about the bride's savior was confirmed and he sneered as their car passed him, the lights and siren blaring. Jasper watched in his rearview mirror as the police vehicle turned toward Milford Point. From the grim look on the two men's faces, he had a feeling as to where they were headed.

When the police officer finally let him through, Jasper drove to Riverton with the intention of staying just a few more days. He needed to finish it. Fenton Hardy had ruined his bride's death and he was going to pay for it.

It was the middle of the afternoon when Joe pulled into the Stanton driveway behind Whitney's car. The house itself looked dark and ominous even in the sunlight. It might be a stately manor but it looked unwelcoming to Joe.

"Talk about a downer," he mumbled shutting off the engine. Vanessa laughed as she got out of the front seat. Frank was in the back seat but he didn't move. He was staring out the window in the opposite direction. Joe looked back at his brother and knew the look Frank had. He had it years before when he lost his girlfriend and it was Frank who brought him back. Who would be the one to bring Frank back from the brink? "You coming, Bro?"

"Huh?" he mrmured. Frank looked at his brother blankly. "Oh, yeah. I'm coming."

The three met up with Whitney and Charlie who were waiting at the door for them. Whitney pulled out her house keys and unlocked the door before turning to them.

"Listen, I…I don't know how Mom and Daddy are going to take seeing you two here," she stated nervously. "Even though Mr. Drew helped Daddy get back some of the money he lost, our parents weren't really fond of you or your dad."

"It's okay," Joe waved her off pleasantly. "We get it all the time."

"Okay, I tried to warn you," Whitney shrugged and opened the door. "The guest room is upstairs. Charlie, will you show them where it's at? I really don't want to be anywhere near that room right now."

"Sure, Whitney," her younger brother nodded.

"I'll stay down here to keep an eye on Whitney," Frank stated monotonously. "Let me know if you find anything."

"Will do, big bro," Joe saluted then followed Charlie up the stairs with Vanessa.

The guest room was near the back of the house separate from the other rooms. Joe looked around in awe at the décor as he walked the hall towards the guest room. When Charlie came to the last door, it was already open revealing an empty room within. It looked as if someone had left in a hurry. Drawers were left hanging open and the bed was unmade. The bathroom looked as if it was a dark room at some point, the light bulb red. If Jasper had stayed there, he was already long gone. There were no bags or clothes in the closet.

Joe huffed in anger not knowing what to do. He was about to search the drawers when a blood curdling scream echoed from downstairs. Joe exchanged looks with Charlie and Vanessa then the three bolted out of the room and down the back stairs into the kitchen. They came to an abrupt stop when they saw Whitney sobbing into Frank's shoulder. Frank was staring at the ground before turning to Joe, his eyes dead.

"Whitney?" Charlie croaked stepping forward. He went for his sister but stopped when he saw what made her scream. A few feet away were his parents, a pool of crimson blood spreading across the floor. His mother's once beautiful eyes stared empty at the ceiling while his father lay not far from her. Charles Stanton's eyes were closed, his body unmoving.

Charlie fell to his knees and let out a cry of anguish. Joe stepped forward unable to say anything while Vanessa went over to Charlie to soothe him. She kept her eyes averted from the scene but she knew she would have nightmares about it for a while.

Frank stared at the scene. He couldn't imagine why anyone would be so brutal to another person. His heart dropped at the thought of Nancy. The man who did this was the same person who hurt her and took her from him. Anger grew and Frank knew that he was going to do everything in his power to find Jasper Wilkes and make him pay.

Author's Note:

Well, I hope that everyone is doing well. We are still hanging in there. Although my daughter's school has only had one case so far, the school I work in will be going remote next week until after the holiday break due to increased cases. Smaller school district. Honestly, I don't see the kids coming back until the new year. You never know though. Anyway, I'm so glad that I was able to get this chapter out. I'm sorry that it was very graphic in certain spots. And we're not done yet either! We will find out more on Nancy in the next chapter. I know there were several questions about the last chapter mainly pertaining to our killer. I hope that this chapter answered some of those questions. And yes, his POV is very creepy. I'm not sure how many more chapter there will be but we are getting close! I'm thinking there's at least five to six more chapters ahead. Maybe more, maybe less. We will just have to see how it goes. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and to those who left a review! Thank you so much for the support! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a wonderful evening and God bless!