Chapter 29
"That is a long story, and I don't want to bore you with the drama of my life," Madelyn said. “Besides, it's embarrassing.”
"No judgment here," I said.
She grabbed her drink and wiggled it, the remnants of fine whiskey clinging to the glass. "What does a lady have to do to get a refill around here?”
I smiled. It was a clever way to change the subject. I stood up, moved to the bar, grabbed another bottle of Wild Fury whiskey, and brought it to the table. I poured a glass for Madelyn, then topped off JD’s and mine.
"This is good whiskey," she said.
Jack beamed with pride. "There's plenty more where that came from." He lifted his glass to toast. "To surviving another day.”
"Hear, hear," Madelyn said.
We clinked glasses and sipped the fine whiskey.
The three of us found topics to talk about that had nothing to do with the platform, corrupt officials, or assassins. Despite what she’d been through, Madelyn seemed calm. Maybe she was a basket case on the inside and hid it well. Maybe she was able to compartmentalize.
Jack texted Ginger and made plans to meet the girls at Blue Ruin for a drink.
“I assume you’ve got it covered around here?” he asked before leaving.
“The situation is under control,” I assured.
He grabbed the keys to the van and left the boat.
I grabbed Buddy’s leash, and Madelyn joined me as I took him for a walk. I kept a watchful eye as we strolled through the parking lot.
The moon glowed overhead, and a gentle breeze pushed a few lazy clouds around.
“Do you always take in strays?” Madelyn asked.
“Only when they’re in danger,” I said with a grin.
“Well, thank you. I won’t forget this.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Don’t say that. You have no idea how much trouble I can be.”
I chuckled. “Oh, you’re trouble, alright. But nothing I can’t handle.”
She lifted a sassy eyebrow. “Don’t be so sure.”
“Maybe you’re right. You’ve gotten on the wrong side of some pretty powerful people.”
“Well, I guess you shouldn’t expect to make friends when you threaten existing power structures.”
“I guess I should be thanking you,” I said. “I know a lot of operatives who have relied on your platform for secure communications. People that would have been killed if they'd been discovered or identified.”
"When I built the platform, I was just trying to give back privacy and control to the people. Something that is increasingly under attack.” She paused. "When you say operatives, I take it you're talking about clandestine ops.”
I smiled. “I can neither confirm nor deny.”
"A spy. That sounds intriguing.”
"It had its ups and downs."
"And you left it behind?"
"For the most part.”
"You can never really walk away from something like that, can you?"
"Echoes of the past. Sometimes they never fade.”
"I suppose you make a lot of enemies in this type of work.”
"Along with some lifelong friends.”
Madelyn smiled. She had a nice smile. "You and JD are lifelong friends.”
"Like brothers.”
She frowned. “Well, not like my brother.”
"Sometimes family can be a challenge," I said.
She agreed.
We returned to the boat, and I told Madelyn I was going to call it an early night. It had been a long day. She took my hand, lifted on her tiptoes, and kissed my cheek. "Thanks again. For everything."
Her warm breath tickled my ear, and her presence elevated my heartbeat. She had an uplifting effect. With that, she spun around and darted below deck.
I retired to my stateroom and got a half-ass night’s sleep. Never quite here, never quite there. The threat of an attack was ever-present in my mind.
I didn't think anyone had followed us back to the boat. Nobody knew Madelyn was here. I intended to keep it that way.
I was up bright and early the next morning. I stumbled down to the galley after my routine and grilled breakfast. I put on a fresh pot of coffee, and the smell of java swirled. I clicked on the flatscreen to see what was happening in the world.
My phone buzzed with a call. I swiped the screen and held the device to my ear.
"Deputy Wild, this is Jenna Keating returning your call.”
"Thank you for getting back to me.”
"If I understood your message right, you’re saying that Ray Corbin was still alive until recently.”
"It appears that way.”
She hesitated a moment. "I don't know what to make of that. I thought he died. You say he had a completely new life?”
"Yes, ma'am.”
She sighed. "I just don't know how to feel about that. It's both terrifying and maddening. That man put me through three of the most horrendous days of my life.”
"I know this is a difficult subject to talk about, but can you go into detail about your experience with Ray Corbin?”
She exhaled a tense breath. "That is a name that I never wanted to think about again.
Typically, I don't revel in another person's demise, but when I heard that he died, the first time, I was overjoyed.
I thought, thank God. He can never hurt another person again.
Now it makes me sick to think that he had an additional 15 years to commit more heinous acts.
There's no telling how many people he traumatized and tortured. And no one had a clue. No one cared.”
"At this time, we have not been able to connect him to any additional crimes.”
"A guy like that doesn't just stop being a monster.”
I wasn't about to defend Ray Corbin without more information. I just wanted to make sure we were dealing with the same person.
"You currently live in Pineapple Bay, right?"
"Yes, that's correct.”
"Can you tell me about the attack?" I asked.
Jenna took a deep breath. "It was late. I was out jogging.
I should have known better. It was too late to be out, but at that age, I didn't think anything would ever happen to me.
There's a certain invulnerability that goes with youth.” She took another breath.
“Ray was jogging the trail ahead of me. I didn't think much of it at the time. He fell. He was clutching his knee and groaning in pain. Really playing it up. I was such a fool. But he looked so sad and pathetic and harmless, and he was kind of good-looking. I helped him to his feet, and he asked me if I would help him get back to his car. What was I going to do? Leave him there like that? We talked as we returned to the parking lot, and he seemed like a nice guy. We were actually getting along. Then all of a sudden, he had a knife to my rib cage and forced me into his van. He tied me up, put a blindfold over my eyes, and took me to an abandoned warehouse. He gave me just enough food and water to stay alive while he tortured and abused me for several days. It’s something I'll never forget.” She choked up.
It was a horrendous tale.
“I tried to do whatever he told me, and I tried to be nice and compliant.
I told him the ropes were really hurting my wrists and if he could just loosen them a little bit.
.. I promised I wouldn't run away. I tried to make him believe I wouldn't go to the cops and that I actually liked spending time with him.” She shivered.
“I think he got comfortable with me. He would leave me there for long periods of time, and finally, I managed to free myself and escape.
I went straight to the police and told them everything.
They took pictures of the bite marks on my neck, shoulder, and back.
I gave them Ray's description and told them about the tattoo on his knuckles.”
"Tattoo?”
“Yes. He had a skull tattoo on one of his fingers.”
"If I send you a picture of Ray, do you think you can ID him?"
She gasped. "Oh, please, don't make me look at that man again. I never want to see his face again.”
"I understand. But this is important. I need to be sure we really have Ray Corbin in the county morgue.”