-1"Whoa," Skeeter said, as he flipped on the light to the basement. "Jimmy? Pete? You've gotta take a look at this. Apparently Jordan was quite the photographer, or his Dad was. A peeping Tom if you will."
"Jesus Christ," Jimmy said under his breath, as he flipped through the photographs. "It's all four of our victims. Shit, this is Hayley Hobbs, the girl who hung herself last year."
"And this is Samantha Richardson," Pete added, picking up another pile. "I don't know why I'm surprised given what we know so far. They were watching her."
"Who took them?" Skeeter asked. "Jordan? His Dad seems to be pretty screwed up as well. Look what he did yesterday."
"He's paying for it now," Jimmy said with a shake of his head. "She walloped him pretty well."
"Not bad for someone who had a stroke a few months ago," Skeeter agreed, as he turned back to the photographs. "There have to be some prints on these, and they're a link between the killer and the victims."
"We have the Bradshaw's prints on file," Jimmy confirmed. "So we'll know soon enough which one it was."
"That's good and all," Pete agreed. "But it's likely they aren't the only ones. If this is part of a cult, there are more people involved. The Bradshaws might just be the scapegoats for now until this all quiets down."
"I say we go and talk to Vessella again," Skeeter added. "See what his insights are. I bet he's still involved. Him being here can't just be a coincidence."
"I agree," Jimmy said, as they collected the evidence around them. "We'll go see him today."
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"Shouldn't you be at work?" Max asked, rolling over one her side and trying not wince, "It's after eight."
"I took the day off," Kenny countered catching her pained expression. "With what happened yesterday . . . I thought I'd stick around home today. We've got some stuff to deal with."
"To put it mildly," she agreed, feeling a little shy with all that they said yesterday.
"She, Samantha, is a lot like you," Kenny said carefully. "Too stubborn to admit when she's scared. She didn't even cry when she gave her statement yesterday. That's one brave kid."
"She takes after her mother," Max agreed, thinking of Caro. "God, I miss her."
"I know you do."
He smoothed back her hair, as she replied. "I'm so tired Kenny. Everything has been such a struggle with us. Almost from day one."
"We've had our problems," he agreed, seeing her look away. "But we've had our good times too. I love you, Honey. Whatever is wrong between us, we can fix it. When everything calms down, lets go away for the weekend. Just the two of us."
"I'd like that," Max trailed off. "When will it calm down? With all that's going on, I'm a little sketchy about leaving the kids."
He smiled at her. "They're lucky to have you. So am I. I'd rather struggle with you, then settle with someone else."
"You're sweet," she sighed, as he kissed her softly. "I'm glad that you're home today. Can we just not fight? Just enjoy our time together?"
"Nothing would make me happier," he agreed, as a soft knock sounded at their door. "It'll make for a good Saturday. Come in."
"Hi," Samantha said softly, looking down at the floor. "I, um, I wasn't sure if anyone was awake. Sorry, I didn't want to bother you."
"You're not," Max countered, sitting up slightly. "We were getting up anyway. How are you this morning?"
"Fine. It hurts a little, but it'll go away."
"You sound like your Aunt," Kenny offered, throwing the covers off and shooting Max a look. "She never admits when she's hurt either. I think she would rather walk on a broken leg then admit she needs help. It must run in the family."
"Hey," Max said, trying to suppress her smile. "I've needed plenty of help lately."
Samantha smiled slightly. "Yeah. Dr. Bradshaw is in jail? He won't get out will he?"
"No," Kenny promised, crossing the room to her as Max rose to her feet. "He got some stitches last night, but he's locked up now. With a nasty headache."
"That looked like it hurt," Samantha practically whispered. "Was he going to kill me? Did he kill all those other people?"
Kenny exchanged a look with his wife before replying. "We don't know yet. There was no way that Max would have let him kill you though. She's stubborn about things like that."
"Aunt Maxie? What would have happened if you killed him? Would you be in jail right now? Would that have been my fault?"
"None of this is your fault," Max insisted. "It's not. These people have some twisted views on . . . a lot of things. And they happened to take it out on you. You did nothing wrong sweetheart. Believe that."
She nodded. "He hurt you too. I'm scared."
"He'll never get near you again," Kenny promised, as he and Max exchanged a look. "None of you."
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"I already told your deputies everything I know," Garret Vessella insisted. "I haven't had anything to do with Moneviles in years. I can't help you Sheriff."
"I don't believe you," Jimmy countered. "So why don't you just tell us what they're planning. All these sacrifices and murders, and all for some stupid snake? What the hell is going on. Just spit it out!"
"I don't know what else to tell you," Garret insisted. "I would never kill anyone, especially a child!"
"It's kind of ironic that you show up in town, then these murders linked to your former cult start? ," Skeeter commented dryly. "I don't think so."
"Please. I don't want anyone to get hurt!"
"So tell us what you know," Jimmy replied. "We can do it here, or down at the station. You can choose."
Garret sighed, as he sunk down on her couch cushions. "I'll tell you what I know. It isn't much, but maybe it will help. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. A few months ago some boys, including the one that was killed the other day, came to see me. I didn't want any trouble. I just wanted to start over. They knew who I was, and they said that they would spread the word that I was a crazed killer if I didn't help them. They wanted to know about the Moneviles, and what the objectives of the cult were. So I told them . . . It didn't seem like a big deal at the time. They were children. I didn't think that it would come to this. I didn't want to believe it could happen again. Children, just children."
"And you're just telling us this now?" Jimmy snapped. "Who are they? Could you pick the rest out of a line up?"
Garret nodded, "Yes. I'll never forget their faces. I'm sorry."
"You should be," Skeeter said under his breath. "They were all children? No one else?"
"I'm sure," Garret insisted. "Why?"
"No reason," Jimmy interjected knowing that they were both was thinking of Jackson Bradshaw. "We'll bring them in this afternoon. Come by the station around three, and we'll see what happens."
"I'll be there."
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"You're a million miles away," Kenny commented, watching Max as she fed Lindsay. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Max trailed off, looking up at him. "Actually everything."
"She's gonna be okay," Kenny insisted. "You certainly made sure of that. I'm surprised that you didn't crack Bradshaw's skull."
"Me too."
"She looks like she's done," Kenny replied, nodding toward Lindsay. "You want me to take her?"
"Now that she's quiet?"
"What's going on with you? I thought you didn't want to fight."
"I don't."
"Then what is it?"
She shook her head, as she watched him place Lindsay in the playpen. "Where is everybody? It's so quiet that it's almost eerie."
"Em is napping, Nate is building something, and Samantha is on the computer. Don't change the subject."
"I'm not," Max insisted, still feeling a bit stung from their earlier arguments. "I . . . I guess I'm kind of nervous. Every time we talk about anything lately it ends badly."
"So lets not talk," he countered, kissing her cheek and letting his lips trail down her jaw line. "I'd be happy just to touch you for awhile."
"Hmm, not fair," she argued weakly, as he kissed her collar bone. "I can't think when you do that."
"Good."
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"Stabbed," Skeeter said aloud, looking into the car. "Through the heart. Dead."
"Shit," Jimmy said under his breath. "How the hell did this happen? This isn't just a coincidence."
Skeeter shook his head, "He was on his way here . . . Whoever did this, how did they know? It's only been a few hours."
"We're canvassing the area," Jimmy countered. "For anyone who saw anything. He was our link! Dammit!"
"We may have something over here," Pete called, kneeling on the grass. "A wallet. Well that is interesting."
"Whose is it?" Jimmy replied quickly, kneeling beside the other man. "Open it."
Pete nodded, as he flipped the folded leather open, "Oh. We might have another link now. Jake Foreman. This belongs to him, and what do you bet that his friend was with him when Vessella was stabbed?"
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Max suppressed a giggle, as Kenny continued to kiss her. "This isn't fair."
"You taste good."
Max gave up on rational thought, as she kissed him back. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down closer to him. I just want everything to go away, she thought, just for a little while. I just want to forget it all. Oh god, I love it when he touches me. It's like I'm on fire.
"Max," he groaned, lowering his head to her neck and ignored the bruises he could see under her shirt. "I want you. Right now."
"You have me," she whispered in his ear, as she slid her hands up his shirt. She felt his fingers in the waistband of her pants, as she arched her neck back. "Hmm, take me."
Falling back against the couch cushions Max groaned again, as he lowered his head to her stomach and dragged his tongue up it. Stroking his face, she kissed him deeply. Pushing his shirt off, they both shivered at the familiarity of flesh meeting.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear, as he began kissing her chest.
"Hmm," Max moaned, as she slipped her fingers into his pants. "I could do this forever."
Kenny grinned at her, before returning his attention to touching and kissing her. "Me too."
Feeling him grow hard against her, Max moaned again.
"Oh my god! Get off of her! You're hurting her!," a voice screamed, as a lamp crashed onto the couch. "Stop it!"
"What the hell?" Max sputtered, looking around, as she sat up slightly.
"Stop it!"
"Kenny?" Max asked, feeling his weight collapse onto her, and she struggled to sit up herself. Oh god, blood, she thought. "Kenny? Shit. Are you all right?"
"Get off!"
"Samantha," Max began cautiously, not liking the wild look in her eyes, as she staunched the bleeding with Kenny's shirt. "Sweetie, it's okay. "
"He was hurting you," Samantha cried, wrapping her arms around her body. "I saw it!"
"He wasn't," Max insisted softly, as she straightened out her clothes. "He wouldn't ever hurt me. Kenny, can you hear me?"
"But . . . he was on top of you and stuff. You were making noises and stuff."
"Max," he mumbled, feeling her brush something out of his hair. "Ow."
"Ssh. Just lie still," she said softly, before turning back to a trembling Samantha. "What were you thinking?"
"I . . . I was trying to help you. Like you helped me."
Max groaned internally, as she pressed the shirt more firmly onto Kenny's wounds. "You just don't go around hitting people on the head. Forget about it for now. Go get me the first aid kit out of the kitchen."
"Max," Kenny groaned again, as she squirmed out from underneath him and pulled her shirt back on. "What the hell was that?"
"Are you okay?" she countered, as she studied the wound on his head. "I think you need stitches . . . Look at me."
"I don't need stitches."
"Stop arguing with me," she said softly but firmly. Shit there is a lot of blood. What the hell am I teaching these kids? Why were fooling around on this couch when any of the kids can walk in? God I'm a terrible parent, as she conceded. "Maybe not . . . It looks like a lot of little cuts."
"What happened? Was that Samantha?"
"Ssh. Yeah. She thought . . . She thought she was helping."
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"So what? I lost that days ago," Jake said shrugging. "Anyone could have picked it up."
"Funny. I don't believe you," Jimmy countered. "Did you kill Garret Vessella?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Maybe because he was going to tell us all about how you and your friends killed all of the girls and Jordan."
"I didn't kill anyone," Jake sneered. "But I bet you would like to know who did."
"Who then?"
Jake smiled. "You'll never know. You'll never figure it out. You'll never believe it."
"It's in your best interest to tell me, and maybe we can work out a deal," Jimmy countered. "Or you'll be booked on charges of killing Garret Vessella. Your choice."
"I'll never betray my brothers. Book me. We'll see how far you get this time."
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"Helping?" Kenny asked, trying not to think of the monster headache he had now, as it dawned on him. "Like you did yesterday?"
Max nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"She thought I was hurting you?"
"She's been through a lot, and most of it hasn't been good," Max countered softly. "Seeing us . . . like that, after all of our fighting . . . and what Jordan tried to do, it had to effect her in some way."
Kenny let out a deep breath. "Shit. I guess the couch isn't the best place to do this anymore."
Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I got all of the shards out, and the bleeding stopped. You might want to take a shower though."
Kenny smiled at her. "Are you going to kiss it and make it better?"
"Do you think that you're one of the kids?" Max trailed off, as Samantha came hesitantly back into the living room. "Hi."
"Hi," she said softly, taking a tentative step forward. "Um. I didn't mean to hurt anybody. I just thought . . ."
"I know," Max finished for her, as Samantha trailed off. "Are you okay?"
Samantha shook her head. "No. I'm so scared, of everything. I don't know what to do anymore."
"No one is going to hurt you," Kenny promised. "Ever again. I'll kill anyone who tries."
Max bit her tongue at his declaration, and studied her niece thoughtfully before adding, "Do you want to talk to someone about it? We talked about therapy before, and . . . It might help for you to vent some of those feelings."
Samantha nodded. "I'd like that. I'm so tired of being afraid."
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"We're charging him for killing Vessella," Jimmy announced. "He's giving up nothing, but going to court might change that a bit."
"You're hoping he breaks," Skeeter verified. "And rolls over on the others involved."
"Exactly. Wambaugh is in with him now," Jimmy continued.
"And maybe he can get him to want to deal," Skeeter added. "What 15 year old wants to spend the rest of their life in jail? We need to know who is pulling the strings on this Jimmy. It wasn't Vessella, and I'm betting that Jordan was just a pawn. I'd go with Dr. Bradshaw, he seems like he is sick enough to do it. Given what happened with Samantha."
"We're going to focus on him too," Jimmy agreed. "After Jake tells us what he knows."
"He's not going to tell you anything," Wambaugh declared, joining them. "You've got nothing Jimmy, and you know it. This will be thrown out of court!"
"We can put him at the scene," Jimmy countered. "A scene very similar to the one we found Jordan in. I'd say it was the same knife too, and Carter is working to confirm that now. Convince him to deal Doug, or he'll end up spending the rest of his life in prison."
Wambaugh shook his head. "We'll see you at the arraignment Jimmy."
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"Jake won't talk," a hushed voice said. "He knows what will happen if he does."
"He better not," another agreed. "This whole thing is falling apart. We need more blood to finish this."
"We can't get the girls online anymore. The cops are watching us, maybe we should just cool it for now."
"There isn't anytime! We have to finish!"
"It's too risky!"
"Let's bring in Jordan's girl. She'll do nicely. We need three more, but let's start with her. All of this trouble is because of her, so lets rid ourselves of the problem."
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"I guess we're done fooling around on the couch for awhile," Kenny offered with a weak smile. "Is she upstairs?"
Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think she's kind of embarrassed . . . We should know better. Even though it felt really good. I'm really worried about her Kenny."
"We're going to get her help," he promised. "I know how you feel about therapy . . . but it'll help her honey. Nothing else bad is going to happen."
"I hope not," Max agreed. "How is your head?"
"It's been better," Kenny admitted. "We're both kind of mess now."
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"It's the same knife," Carter verified the next morning. "It killed all of the girls, Jordan and now Vessella. I say that is enough to scare Jake into talking . . . He can be indicted on what? Seven murders now? Even if he is a juvenile, he's going to be spending the rest of his life in jail."
"I'd say," Skeeter agreed. "Pete's bringing him into interrogation now, and Wambaugh is coming back in. We're going to break him Carter, and end this."
"Let's go," Jimmy said, rounding the corner. "They're in the room, and the boy actually looks scared."
"He'll fold," Skeeter predicted, as they joined the others in the room.
"I hope so," Jimmy agreed. "Good morning Jake. Did you have a good nights sleep?"
"It fine," Jake replied dully. "Can I go home now?"
"I'm afraid not. The knife that killed Vessella matches the one that killed Jordan and all of those girls. And we can put you at that scene," Jimmy began, as Jake slumped back into his chair. "And link you to the other six. You're going to prison for a long time young man."
"I can't!"
"You don't have a choice at this point," Jimmy continued. "You claim that you don't know who killed all of these people and you were obviously there, so what should we think?"
"I can't tell you! They'll kill me too?"
"Who?"
Jake bit his lip and glanced over at Wambaugh doubtfully. "I can't tell you."
"We can keep you safe," Jimmy promised. "If you help us."
Jake shook his head. "I'd rather go to jail then have them come after me."
"Who are they?" Jimmy demanded. "Do you really think that they won't hurt after knowing that we questioned you?"
"I haven't told you anything! They'll believe that!"
"Will they? I'm sure they're worried about saving their own hides as well. We're the only option you have left! Who killed all of these people? Was it you?"
"I . . . Will I go to jail if I tell you? I can't go to jail."
"We can make a deal," Jimmy said through clenched teeth. "In exchange for your testimony, I'll make sure that the D.A. grants you immunity."
Jake nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll tell you."
