The smell of gasoline filled the area. A gas line must have broken. He kept trying just in case. He could hear the roar of the other motor as it came closer. Turning to Evie he grabbed her hand. “We’re going to have to jump and try to stay together.”
Seeing her nod, they were prepared to jump when they heard a ship’s horn. Turning around, they saw a coast guard boat chase after the other boat. Knowing they weren’t completely out of danger, he hugged Evie tight. He didn’t want to let go. Another coast guard boat came up and brought them aboard. They were quiet on the way back to the harbor but never left each other’s side.
*
It was a long twenty-four hours. They spent the night talking to the police, then showing them where they found the body, and getting chewed out for not coming to them first. Evie was worried Jeremy would go out and move the body after the run in, but it seems he spent the night evading the coast guard. No one is sure exactly how he did it. After that, they made sure Kaitlin and Jake were reimbursed for the boat.
All Evie wanted to do was sleep for a day or two but Anthony was too paranoid about Jeremy knowing where they were. He was well-founded in his worry. They decided to book numerous flights leaving about the same time so that Jeremy wouldn’t be sure which one they were on. They did the same thing in Ft. Lauderdale, all going to different parts of the country. Figuring that going back to Ipswich would be the most logical, they decided to go somewhere else.
As soon as they were in the air on their way to Seattle, Evie fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
*
Jeremy tried to control his anger. The only thing that gave him solace was the fact they were running scared. He replayed the video of them making love as he slowly stroked himself, not coming just yet. Switching to the video, he recorded while chasing them down, he moved his hand harder and faster seeing the fear on their faces. Freezing the frame when Evie came into view at the end with blood on her face, he finally had his release.
– CHAPTER FIFTEEN –
Traveling on the rutted road leading out to the Ellison house in the middle of nowhere, Evie was thankful for the sleep she got on the cross-country flight. They had a brief layover in San Francisco before getting into Seattle late, or really it was early in the morning. The extra security measures they had to take making sure it was Anthony, not Jeremy, made things more difficult. Even though they got a room, she tossed and turned for the rest of the night. The phone call home didn’t help anything. It seemed that some of the security guards were refusing to guard the Troublesome Trio. Thankfully they hadn’t done anything to them they just didn’t like the comments or being treated like a piece of meat. Noah had to question all of the guards to see which ones would actually guard the Trio.
Later in the morning after their arrival she watched the dust in the side rearview mirror she wondered what they would find. The property was in Jay Ellison’s name. Which meant the police didn’t know about it. She felt sick to her stomach. This is where Jeremy grew up. After everything happened with Lexi, they found out more about Jeremy. Like the fact that his father killed his mother, most likely in that home in front of the nine-year-old boy. From the reports, they were able to find out that his parents didn’t have a good relationship, but since his father was the Sherriff, no one would say anything. His mother found someone else and was going to leave both his father and him. Evie could have sympathy for the little boy, if it was true, to have your mom leave you with, from all accounts, a complete asshole. But on the other hand, what could have happened to flip that switch for him to become a serial killer? It couldn’t be just the fact his mother was going to leave him and then Tiffani. Two women he loved not wanting him.
Jeremy’s father started drinking more and more and he ended up losing his job. After the new Sherriff was in charge, a hiker found the body of his mother. They reopened the investigation into her death and found enough proof to put his father away. Twelve-year-old Jeremy was put in the system, moving from foster home to foster home. First, he got into a lot of trouble, but as he became more practiced, he started to fly under the radar.
“I’ve been thinking,” Evie said.
“Now there’s a scary thought.”
She punched him in the shoulder. “Stop. About Jeremy. So his mother was going to leave him, then Tiffani left him for you. Do you think that is what flipped his switch? If he really loved her like he told Lexi…”
“True, but sad to say, that happens to a lot of people, yet they never become serial killers.”
Evie sighed, “I guess I’m just trying to get a handle on him. The more we know, the more we can figure out, the better chance we have to catch him.”
Anthony reached over and grabbed her hand. “Have I thanked you yet for everything you’re doing?”