Heinous (Faces of Evil) by Debra Webb

Author:Debra Webb [Webb, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: police procedural, Karen Robards, body farm, Faces of Evil series, missing, reunited lovers, Lisa Gardner, southern mystery, thriller, Obsessed serial killer, family secret, hidden identity, Tess Gerritsen, serial killer followers
Publisher: Pink House Press
Published: 2014-07-10T22:00:00+00:00

11

Mott Street Residence, Birmingham, 6:20 p.m.

Jess pushed the swing and four-year-old Maddie Brownfield squealed with delight as she soared ever higher. Hearing her laughter relaxed Jess somehow. Or maybe it was more about how such a simple act made the little girl so happy when her whole life had fallen down around her.

What a shame most adults, including Jess, couldn’t appreciate the little things in a time of crisis.

The people who were supposed to protect Maddie had failed. With every part of her being, Jess wanted to protect her child. If somehow she failed, Dan would not. As much as his mother had annoyed Jess at times, she and Dan’s father would—until they took their last breaths—be the kind of support system for their child that was missing in Maddie’s life.

Jess had an enormous task in front of her. She had to stop Spears. There was no other way to protect the people she loved and the innocent victims he would continue to devastate... like Maddie.

During the drive from Scottsboro, Jess had come to terms with how to handle Gant’s decision. She’d go around him. She’d done it before. He wouldn’t like it. Chances were he would probably expect her to attempt something along those lines. The only difficult part would be seeing to it that her team stayed out of trouble. If Dan ended up on administrative leave, Black would, in all likelihood, be selected as acting chief. He could make life miserable for Jess and her team. If that happened...

No need to borrow trouble. All her energies had to be centered on ending this game once and for all.

Maddie hopped off the swing, grabbed Jess by the hand, and dragged her over to sit in the grass. The child who wouldn’t say a word a few days ago suddenly couldn’t stop talking. She went on and on about her new doll named Jess. Emotion almost got the best of her as the little girl explained how Jess was the best doll in the world. Eventually, she stopped chattering to explore the grass for four-leaf clovers.

It was amazing how a child would open up when she felt safe. The people here had made Maddie feel safe with a warm and loving environment. The backyard was fully enclosed with a privacy fence. Surveillance cameras monitored the property and its boundaries. Though it was a shame all that technology and security were necessary, Jess was grateful to see it in place. At some point, permanent arrangements would have to be made. What happened next was up to the court.

“I saw your mom today,” Jess told the little girl. No matter that Maddie hadn’t mentioned her mother and seemed perfectly happy here with kind strangers, deep down she had to be afraid. The child was four years old. Her mother and grandmother had been her only caretakers until now. Of course, she missed them and wondered where they were even if a part of her—perhaps the part that had seen and heard far more than a small child should—pretended not to notice.

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