Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Yet you returned years later.”
“Why not? I was emboldened having murdered more young women since then, and I had gotten away with the murders of Deanna, Travis, and Rita. Besides, I couldn’t get Nancy off my mind. I never felt for a woman the way I felt for her. I had to explore it and when Amy came along…” He shook his head. “She stole a part of me I didn’t know existed.”
“With the snowstorm, you could leave, disappear, never to be found,” I said.
“My daughter suffered enough because I left her. What do you think she will suffer if people find out her father is a serial killer?”
“It won’t make a difference to those who know her and there’s plenty of us to protect her.”
“Far easier for me to prevent her from ever finding out. She has Beau now to look after her. He’s a good guy.” He grinned. “I have to give him credit for following me to try to find out if I was up to anything, though I spotted him straight away and did what was necessary to avoid him. It made me realize how much he loves her. He’ll take good care of her.”
“My dad will find out it was you,” I said.
He shook his head. “I doubt it and even if he does, how will he prove it? And would he really want to hurt Amy by claiming her dad a serial killer?
“How many have you killed?” I asked.
“Far too many to keep count,” he said as if proud of it. “There are at least six more buried on lodge property. The area around here was a good hunting ground for me back then and the vast lodge property convenient for disposal. And detection was easy to avoid since I only killed runaways, discarded women, who no one cared about or even cared if they never returned home.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying. And odd as it was, pleasant memories of him began to resurface. I recalled how he would buy ice cream off the ice cream truck for Amy and me before supper and warn us not to tell our moms. And how Amy and I would squeal with delight when he tossed us around in the lake. How could a man like that be so cold-blooded?
He sighed as if heavily burdened. “I wish I didn’t have to do this, Pepper. I hate to hurt my daughter. I will make it quick and painless.”
A text came up on my screen.
Why aren’t you home yet?
It was from my dad.
“Ignore it,” he snapped. “The turn is just ahead.”
The thought rushed into my head, and I didn’t give it a second thought. I took the turn too fast, and my vehicle skidded into the turn then spun, disorienting us both, but not enough for me to hesitate. I threw open my door and flung myself from the vehicle. I heard the crash as I tumbled over and over in the snow. When I finally was able to get to my feet, I zipped open my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone, relieved that for once I actually had it on me. My dad’s text was there when I popped in my code to unlock the phone.
A shot rang out and I had just enough time to text… 911, before I took off into the woods.
How was it that with a serial killer on my trail I had the time to think how the new underwear I wore was keeping me toasty warm? Maybe because it reminded me that that wouldn’t be the case with Noah. He wasn’t dressed for the snowy trek through the woods. A suit, overcoat, and particularly shoes would not serve him well.
My cell rang. I was surprised since the woods made connections difficult, but then I wasn’t far from the road where reception for some reason was better. I stopped and answered it quickly, not wanting Noah to hear it. It was my dad. All I heard was crackling. I repeated my location and Noah was the killer before the call disconnected and hoped he had at least gotten some of it.
I ducked when I heard another gunshot, and my stomach sank when the bullet hit a tree not far from me. How did he know where I was? I shook my head not realizing that though the snow was falling fast it wasn’t falling fast enough to completely cover my tracks.
He was tracking me.
I had boots on. He had shoes. It gave me an advantage to outrun him. I took off ducking and darting around trees. Another shot rang out, though it wasn’t anywhere near me. How many bullets had that been? Why hadn’t I paid closer attention to the type of gun he had? But then he could have extra bullets.