Tad dragged her back to the edge of the room, threw open the door to the back porch and pulled her outside. It was unusually hot out, and Cindy started sweating profusely. Her back was aching and her strength ebbing.
“Look at this before you die,” Tad grimaced, taking one hand and flinging open up the scrapbook with photos of Tiffany that he thrust it in her face. “When you go meet Tiffany on the other side, I want you to tell her she deserved what she got. Tell her I knew everything about her and that she did nothing but lie and lie. She made a fool out of me, but I got the last laugh.”
Cindy did her best to calm her mind, gather her thoughts, try to find a way she could save her life.
“Maybe Tiffany deserved to die,” Cindy, cried, hoarse with pain, “but I don’t,” Tad. I deserve to live.”
Tad stopped and stared at her.
“I haven’t lied, I haven’t tricked you!”
“All you bitches are the same,” Tad growled. “You’re all disgusting flesh pots. My father told me that a long time ago. And he was right.”
“Not me, I’m different,” said Tiffany.
“Then prove it to me,” said Tad, and loosened his grip just a bit.
It felt wonderful having her throat freer, easier to breathe.
“I can prove it to you,” Cindy promised.
“How?” asked Tad, his eyes flashing. His face was close, a few inches from hers and he was staring down at her.
At that moment there was a loud cracking noise, as if a tree were falling, or a clap of thunder approached in the distance. Both Cindy and Tad jumped back, startled by the sound.
A loud voice called out. “Don’t make a move. Stay right where you are.”
Then Mattheus burst into the room, his gun drawn, his body taut.
“Mattheus,” Cindy called out desperately.
“See, you lied, you lied,” Tad tightened his grip around Cindy’s neck again.
“You let her go or I’ll shoot you on the spot,” Mattheus came closer, zeroing in.
Cindy felt Tad trembling.
“You’ll lie there in a pool of blood, just like you left Tiffany,” Mattheus voice was fierce with rage.
Tad suddenly let go of Cindy, spun and fled like a wild, crazed deer out back through the trees, and disappeared in a flash.
Cindy ran into Mattheus’ arms and began to sob.
Mattheus held her for a long while.
“How could this have happened again?” he murmured.
“It was different this time,” Cindy could barely get the words out. “Tad did it. He’s the killer. We have all the proof we need right here.”
Mattheus grabbed his phone and called the gendarmes.
“Get the guy,” he said. “He flew out of here about three minutes ago.”
Then Mattheus called the Senator with the news.
“Cindy and I are on his trail,” Mattheus said.
“Where the hell could he go to?” the Senator screamed.
“We’ll find him and let you know.”
Cindy went to the back to get her cell phone and then came closer to Mattheus again.
“We’ll get in the car and hunt him down,” said Mattheus, his eyes gleaming.
At that moment, Tad’s sister, Cissy, wandered into the room, looking disheveled and confused.
“I heard noise?” she said, as if she’d been sleeping. “I heard someone screaming?”
Mattheus turned to her point blank.
“Your brother killed Tiffany,” he said. “We have all the evidence we need. Now he’s on the run.”
Cissy turned white. “My God, I was afraid of it, I was afraid.”
“You were afraid of it?” Mattheus said, his face contorting, “and you didn’t say a word?”
“I couldn’t, I couldn’t,” Cissy was trembling.
“And what if he killed someone else?”
“He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t,” Cissy kept trembling.
“Once they get a taste of blood, they’re gone,” said Mattheus, “they do it again and again.”
“Not always,” Cissy tried to defend him.
“He just tried to kill me,” Cindy edged in between. “He was going to choke me to death.”
Cissy looked as if she was going to faint.
“Where would your brother go if he’s on the run?” Cindy demanded.
“I’ll show you,” said Cissy, the blood draining from her face. “I know his favorite spot on top of a mountain. He goes there when he’s upset. He goes there when he’s lonely. He goes there when my father is hating his guts.”
“Take us there this second,” said Mattheus.
“I will,” said Cissy.
CHAPTER 22
Their car flew over the roads, up the hills, across a little bridge that covered a ravine and straight up a hill then, leading to a mountain top. On the way there Cindy called the police to let them know where they were headed. They’d already mobilized and were on the way.
“We’re on it! Full point alarm out,” Tomas said.
“Full point alarm out,” Cindy repeated, so Mattheus could know what was going on.
“He’s done,” muttered Tomas, heatedly then. “This guy hasn’t got a chance. Bulletin out. It’s a manhunt! We’re circling the mountain.”
Cindy gasped. She felt terrified for Tad and for all of them, hunting a person down as if he were an animal.