An hour later, as several state highway patrol officers arrived on the scene, Jubal had just finished issuing the order to stand down.
"We just got a report," said a patrol officer in a cowboy hat. "A man and a woman carjacked a gray Honda Civic at a convenience store nearby. Our guys are on-site, speaking with the victim. We're not sure if it's your suspects yet."
Jack checked the map to confirm the convenience store's location and found it was less than two kilometers away. He sighed. "We almost had him."
"At least we've got someone he values," Jubal said, glancing at Raelyn, who was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car, grinning like she didn't have a care in the world.
Aubrey, ever blunt, pointed out, "But he clearly abandoned her. Ronnie used Raelyn as bait to distract us so he could escape with his 'prize.'"
The rest of the team shot Aubrey annoyed looks for his lack of tact.
"Maybe you should come take a look inside," Hannah and JJ said as they exited the house marked 82 Malcolm Circle, their expressions grim. They gestured for the others to follow them.
This was the house where Ronnie and Raelyn had actually been hiding. The house Aubrey and Hannah initially investigated had been broken into but clearly not by them.
Inside, a filthy mattress bore fresh stains, and a pair of blood-speckled underwear had been tossed haphazardly on the floor. The dust-covered floor by the mattress had smudges where someone had been sitting, as though they had treated it like a front-row seat.
Jack crouched down in front of the smudges, shining his flashlight on the damp stains in front of them. A wave of revulsion swept over him as he realized Raelyn had likely been "entertaining herself" while acting as an observer.
The others shared his disgust. They didn't need vivid imaginations to understand what had taken place here. Still, at least they hadn't found another body.
"If Ronnie needs an audience, then Emma Jennings may not be in immediate danger," Clay reasoned.
"Let's hope so," Jack replied, turning to Jubal. "Interrogate her tonight?"
Jubal nodded without hesitation.
Half an hour later, outside the small-town police station, two officers stood guard by the command vehicle as JJ and Hannah escorted Raelyn inside.
Raelyn's erratic movements were immediately apparent. Even as she was pushed into a chair, she rocked back and forth, grinning like this was all some grand joke.
"I just wanted to leave that house," she said, flashing a strained smile when she noticed the team staring at her. "Really, I was alone."
Jubal's expression was tinged with pity, though it also carried a hint of something harder to define. "We know everything, Raelyn. You and Ronnie were together, along with the kidnapped girl, Emma. You put on her jacket to lure us away."
"No! I was alone," Raelyn insisted, her words slow and slightly slurred. Her eyes avoided direct contact, darting around the room but skipping over the victim photos pinned to the wall. "I found that jacket in the house. When I heard noises outside, I got scared and ran."
JJ pulled out an evidence bag and placed it on the table. The sight of it finally caught Raelyn's attention. "We know all about you, Raelyn. Your whole family died on the way to Spruce for a skiing trip. You were 13 when you were found lying in the snow, severely injured."
Raelyn's body stiffened as JJ spoke. Her rocking slowed, and she sat straighter in her chair, visibly unsettled by the white paper snowflake inside the evidence bag.
"You suffered a traumatic brain injury, just like Bo Parsons. Before you met him, you were completely alone, weren't you?"
Raelyn's unease deepened at the mention of Bo Parsons. She glanced nervously at JJ, who pressed on. "I saw you met Bo in a music store. He was kind to you, wasn't he? He was just like you—a little broken, like this snowflake."
JJ's tone was calm, but her words hit like needles. "And yet you hurt him."
Raelyn flinched but said nothing. Seizing the moment, Jack began taking down the photos from the wall and placing them one by one in front of her on the table. He pinned the snowflake underneath one of them for emphasis.
"Because of Ronnie," Jack said, his voice steady. "He's someone who excites you, isn't he? Someone passionate. He makes you feel needed, like he could be the father of your children."
Raelyn's smile returned, chilling in its contrast to the gruesome images on the table.
"These were all Ronnie's victims," Jack continued. "And you weren't just a bystander; you were his accomplice. But it seems you're not so special anymore, are you? You're here while he's out there, running off with that girl. Maybe she's the special one now."
Jack tapped his fingers lightly on the table. Dealing with someone like Raelyn required a different approach—guilt and remorse wouldn't work. Only by provoking her emotions could they hope to get anything useful.
"You don't understand," Raelyn said defensively, her tone rising. "None of you understand! He told me he'd never met anyone like me. I am special. These girls…"
She tapped the photo of Jackie Vogel, Ronnie's second victim.
"They're nothing. We controlled them, right up until their final breath."
Raelyn picked up the photo, smiling wistfully. "God, I love that feeling."
Suppressing his nausea, Jack forced a smile and slid a cup of water toward her. "And Ronnie loves it too, doesn't he? He lets you watch while he's in control, even lets you… enjoy yourself, doesn't he? Just like when you were kids?"
Raelyn laughed darkly. "See? You don't know anything." She traced her fingers over the photos as if savoring the memories.
"I lied to Bo. No—Ronnie lied to Bo. He told him we'd known each other since elementary school, but that was the first time we met. I didn't correct him because… well, when Ronnie looked at me, it felt like love at first sight."
Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you two met by chance? Ronnie didn't go to Harrisville specifically to find you?"
Raelyn hesitated, then shook her head. "Of course not. He was looking for the 'Cookie Man.'"
"The Cookie Man? Who's that?" Jack pressed.
"I don't know," Raelyn replied, rocking back and forth again. "Someone who hurt him a long time ago. You know how people are—they hurt you, say awful things, and you can't do anything about it… until you figure out how to control them. Ronnie figured it out. I just help him."
She pushed the cup of water back toward Jack. "Do you have orange soda? I want orange soda."
"Get her the soda," Jubal said from the doorway, understanding Jack's subtle nod. He tapped the open door, signaling an officer outside.
Raelyn bounced out of her chair like an excited child and followed the officer into the station.
As the door closed, Clay rubbed his face, clearly trying to suppress his disgust. "The 'Cookie Man'… remember that box of stuff we took from Ronnie's mom's house?"
Jack pulled the small cardboard box from under the table and rifled through its contents. He found a rusty keyring with a charm bearing the logo of a brand called Cookie Mister.
"Alice, run a search on this brand," Jack instructed. "There's a reason Ronnie kept this as a keepsake. And notify the Ravenswood police to bring Ronnie's mom to Harrisville. We'll meet them there in the morning."
(End of Chapter)
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