Chapter 40: More Bad News

******Tuesday Evening******

Keith dreaded this part of his job. He decided that things would be easier if both families were together, so he called Mac's adopted parents and asked them to go to the Sinclairs'. He told them he had news on the case, leading them to believe it was concerning Mac's attack. How do you tell people you know that their daughter is dead? He hadn't personally known any of the other families that had lost a daughter.

When he pulled up to their place, he saw that the McKenzies were there already. Dick's truck was parked so that meant he was there with Mac also. Good. Although Mac wasn't close to Madison, they were bonded in a way they couldn't deny. They shared families and a life.

Keith got out of the car. He didn't bring a deputy with him, knowing the fewer witnesses of this private, devastating moment the better. He rang the doorbell, and Lauren opened it.

"Hello, Sherriff Mars," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

How could he tell this sweet girl who'd suffered so much that her sister was dead? Just yesterday, her other sister had almost been murdered. It was too much. For a moment, he hesitated. Then he took a deep breath and greeted her. At times like this, he really missed being just a P.I. "Good evening, Lauren. How's school going?" he asked as he stepped through the doorway.

"Fine. Not much going on since we just finished spring break," she replied.

She led him into the den where everyone was gathered. Ryan was there, too.

"Keith, did the guy confess? Is he behind the other killings?" Sam McKenzie asked.

"No. We don't think he's behind the others. He has two solid alibis for two of them. Also, he doesn't strike me as clever enough," Keith said grimly. "The first time he attacks a woman it's in broad daylight where he had to have known there'd be both people and surveillance. The hospital has cameras on their parking lots."

"So there's no way he's getting off for attacking Mac?" Ryan asked.

"No. He was denied bail. I think it won't even go to trial. He'll work a deal," Keith said.

There was a collective sigh of relief in the room. Mac was glad that she wasn't going to have to testify about what happened. However, Keith looked too tense. Something else was going on. Somehow, she knew it would be bad news.

"What else? Is something else going on?" Mac asked him.

Keith looked grim as he nodded. "We've identified a new body that was washed up at the beach yesterday morning," he said.

Marilyn reached for her husband's hand, expecting a blow. "Who is it?" she asked. "Is it someone we know?"

Keith nodded again. "It's Madison," he said simply. "I'm so sorry."

"What?" Natalie asked, confused. "What do you mean? Madison is out of town with her boyfriend James."

"Actually, she returned on Saturday. I've spoken to James. He last saw her Saturday morning when their flight landed. They each took a cab home," Keith said.

"She never made it home. We thought she'd gotten caught up. He's the first guy she's ever really loved," Marilyn said, dazed at the news.

"You're saying my sister is dead?" Lauren asked, a note of hysteria in her voice as she stood up. This couldn't be true. She'd almost lost Mac, and now he was saying that she had lost Madison.

"We've positively ID'd the body. It's Madison," Keith said. "I'm truly sorry for your loss." He knew he was being repetitive, but he didn't know what else he could say. At least his own personal familiarity with his daughter's nemesis had kept him from forcing Madison's parents to identify the body. He had been able to save them that at least.

"How? How did she end up in the water?" Stephen Sinclair asked, looking grim. His wife looked shattered. Natalie and Sam looked shocked, unable to grasp the news. Natalie reached for her husband, who put his arm around her.

"The cause of death is drowning," Keith said.

"How did she get from a taxi on her way home to drowned in the ocean?" Dick asked, confused. This was surreal. He'd never imagined the first girl he'd been with would end up dead. He'd known Maddie as long as he'd known Duncan. This couldn't be right. A time or two he worried that V might run her over in a blind rage, but nothing so awful as this. She didn't deserve this.

"We don't think it was an accident. She was drowned before she was put in the water," Keith shared.

They were silent as they absorbed the implication. Finally, Mac said, "You think she was another victim of the serial killer. Drowning is but another method of death he's chosen." She said it as a statement, not a question.

"That's one theory we're considering," Keith admitted.

"I don't understand! How could my daughter be dead? I just spoke to her a few days ago. If something had happened to her, I'd know. A mother knows!" Marilyn exclaimed in anguish. Her husband held her as she sobbed.

"She's been dead since Saturday. Probably by three in the afternoon. Her body wasn't easy to identify," Keith shared.

Lauren threw up. "I'm sorry!" she cried. Then she ran from the room. Mac moved to clean up the mess while Ryan went after Lauren.

He found her on her bed, sobbing. It didn't seem real to him. He barely knew Madison. The best thing about finding out about the switch had been meeting Lauren. In his heart, she was the sister he'd always wanted. Mac was the best big sister a guy could ask for. She knew all the newest games before he did and always hooked him up. She didn't nag him like a big sister was supposed to. She'd even made sure he had a car when he turned sixteen. What need did he have for another big sister? But a younger sister (by a few months) was something he'd always wanted. Someone he could protect and be a hero to. Almost as good as a little brother. Better in some ways. With her, he never had to pretend. He could just be himself. As he got to know her, his admiration of her grew. She was the strongest and bravest person that he'd ever met. But this…this was too much.

Madison, though, was his sister. When she was with his parents, it was apparent. She fit his mother in a way Mac never had. They could talk about clothes and dumb stuff that Mac could care less about. It was one of the many things that made Mac so cool. Ryan hated that he couldn't feel the sorrow that Lauren felt. Did that make him a monster? Only a monster wouldn't be devastated to hear that his sister had been murdered.

Just yesterday, he'd learned that Mac had nearly been murdered. That had devastated him.

He went and sat on Lauren's bed, letting her cry. He hurt for her, not himself, not even his parents. However, it was her pain that devastated him. She'd been through enough. How could God take something else from her?

After several minutes, he handed her some tissue. She took them and sat up, tears still coursing down her face. "Our sister is dead," she said sorrowfully.

Ryan nodded. "Yes," he acknowledged.

"Some psycho murdered her. She must've been so scared!" Lauren said in anguish. Thinking about it filled her with horror. This was just so wrong in every way. "Why do bad things keep happening to me? Does God hate me?"

Now Ryan's eyes filled with tears. Her pain was a living force, pushing at him. He felt out of his depth. How could he help her? Mac should be here. He moved closer and put his arms around her shoulder.

"No, God doesn't hate you. No one hates you. We all love you. Everyone that knows you loves you. Madison wasn't as easy to love, but she didn't deserve this. I'm sorry," he said, feeling inadequate.

Mac and Dick appeared in the doorway. Ryan looked up in relief, happy to see his sister. She would know how to handle this—she always did. "Mac, tell her that God doesn't hate her," Ryan beseeched.

Dick looked alarmed at the suggestion. "What? God doesn't hate. He's like the love God or something," Dick said.

"Love. God is love," Mac clarified.

"Is this love? Giving me cancer. Making me sick. Nearly killing you. Killing Madison! I don't feel any love here," Lauren said bitterly, wiping her eyes.

"I've never been very religious, but I know that if God exists, He's not the one going around doing bad things. It's contrary to His nature," Mac said.

"He could do more to help," Dick acknowledged. "But then again, He gave us lots of shit that allows us to help with things. Like when we were in India, those kids had nothing. But I have a lot of money. Maybe God gave it to me, so I could help. Ya know? God gave us each other. We're supposed to help each other."

"No one helped Madison. She's dead," Lauren said flatly.

"I know, sweetie," Mac said sadly, sitting on her other side.

"I don't even remember the last thing I said to her," Lauren confessed.

"If she was leaving, you probably said goodbye," Dick said, trying to be helpful.

Lauren looked up at him in bemusement. "You're right. That's what I said. I remember now. I told her to have fun and take lots of pictures. Then I said goodbye," Lauren said, recalling.

"She loved you. She didn't like or love very many people, but you were probably the one she loved the most," Mac said, unable to pretend an affection for Madison she never felt. However, she wanted her sister to remember the part of Madison that Mac actually respected. Only the way she interacted with Lauren was worthy of real respect.

Lauren began crying again. This time Mac held her. Dick sat down in her chair by the dresser, lending his support. He didn't know what to do to help a girl who thought God hated her, but he figured Mac could. It was his job to help her, so he stayed to be nearby in case Mac needed him.

******The Beach House******

Logan got off the phone with Dick while Veronica was getting ready for bed. He didn't know how to feel about the news. Over the years that he'd known her, he liked and hated Madison in equal measure. He'd wanted her to suffer, but he never truly wanted her dead. Lately, she'd been acting right down human. Not even Veronica had wanted this for her.

"What's going on? Who's calling at this hour? Is there news?" Veronica asked.

"Madison Sinclair is dead," Logan shared.

"What?" Veronica asked in disbelief.

"Dick just called me. She washed up on the beach yesterday morning. Someone drowned her and threw her in the ocean," Logan shared.

"Oh, God! It's him, isn't it? I knew Boyd couldn't be our guy!" Veronica exclaimed.

"Madison was killed before Mac was attacked," Logan pointed out.

"Drowning a person is similar to strangling. I suppose it's possible that he did it," Veronica said. "Dad and I are working on a theory that the Fitzpatricks are behind all of the deaths. Maybe it's like a bet or something. A sick way for them to get their jollies—like that bang board Dick's fraternity had going freshmen year."

"I don't know. Liam's a businessman. This seems way out of left field for him," Logan said doubtfully. "Doesn't he usually only get his hands dirty when it has to do with his business? Killing a bunch of random girls isn't really his business."

"What if it's not random? What if some of the girls were random, but now, he's getting closer to his goal," Veronica said.

"Which is what? Not a lot of people cared for Madison," Logan reminded her.

"Yes, but she's connected to Mac. Parker's connected to Mac. Mac could be the key to this," Veronica said thoughtful.

Logan frowned. "I wouldn't mention that to her or Dick right now. Right now, they have enough on their plates," Logan said.

Veronica cringed as she realized. "Oh, no! Lauren! She's got to be devastated! Madison was only truly kind to her sister. It's the reason why Mac tolerated her even against me," Veronica remarked.

"It's going to be hard. No one knows better than us what a nightmare high school is after you lose someone you love," Logan said grimly. He crawled into bed. Veronica climbed in after him and then curled into him.

They held each other for a while. Both silent. "Do we call darkness to us?" Veronica wondered.

"What do you mean?" Logan asked.

"Bad things seem to happen to us and around us. Parker was shot in our front yard. Joseph was killed. We lost Lilly, Meg, your mom. We lost our baby," Veronica said.

"But we've gained so much. We have a goddaughter, a marriage, the most awesome soon-to-be grandparents in the world, a business, incredible friends, a nephew, and I've got a brother and a niece. Best of all, we're going to have a baby," Logan reminded her, his hand on her stomach.

"I couldn't bear it if we lost this one, too," Veronica said in a small voice. It was the fear she lived with every day.

Logan hugged her. "I'm not worried about that. Losing you to a serial killer does concern me, though. That's why I'm glad you agreed to the bodyguard," Logan said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "But this baby is meant to be." He could feel it. In the midst of all the horrible things, a peace and joy like he'd never known had been birth inside of him.

He just knew. He was going to be a father. This child was going to be born. Nothing and no one were going to take either his unborn child or his wife from him.

Logan would protect them both with his life, for they were his life.

******Chapter End******