One Step Ahead, Audrey Walker [best book club books of all time TXT] 📗

“Abby, I gotta go,” she said, throwing her phone down. She looked at the map and wondered if it could be true. She might finally have a lead.

Chapter Thirteen

Robin rearranged the pictures of the crime scenes, muttering to herself. It couldn’t be true. If it was, then the murderer was a genius, and he drafted the puzzle just for her. She didn’t know why this idea never came to her head, but now that it was here, she wondered why she hadn’t thought about it before.

“Robin,” she heard the Captain’s voice. “I would like to have a word with you.”

“Captain, I am on a lead,” she said. “I think I may have –”

“Now,” he ordered.

Robin slammed her hand onto the table, feeling frustrated, and got up. Her head was aching again, and she slowly made her way into his office.

Kyle stood there in the corner, his hands in his pocket and his eyes not meeting hers.

“Have a seat,” the Captain said, and Robin sat down.

“Robin, we are worried about you,” he said softly. “You don’t sleep; you don’t eat. You have fits of anger, and, quite frankly, everyone in the precinct is scared of you at this point. I have seen you fainting after random flashes of your memories, and I have come to a decision. This is too much for you. This case is now affecting you mentally, physically, and emotionally. You can’t concentrate, you can’t work, and I am starting to worry that I will lose you. I am taking you off the case, Detective.”

“What?” Robin whispered, shocked. “You are taking me off –?”

“It's for your own good,” he said. “Quite frankly, I never should have put you on the case. I didn’t realize that the trauma from your past was so unresolved. I am sorry, Robin.”

“You can’t do this,” She said. “James –”

“James doesn’t have the authority here,” he said. “I do. And I have made my decision. I am also mandating therapy for you. I am looking out for you, Robin.”

“You don’t understand,” Robin said. “I am close. I have an idea that might blow this case wide open if it works out. You have no idea what this man can do. He is a monster. A monster! He was there, in the basement –”

“There was no one there,” Kyle said. “We found no proof that anyone else besides you was held in the basement.

“No, he was there,” Robin protested. “He was under the stairs. He gave me his hand, and he spoke to me –”

“Who?” Kyle asked. “Who was there?”

“I don’t know, but –” Robin stammered.

“You are making up monsters in your head,” Kyle said softly. “You are seeing things. You are traumatized, Robin. And this Butcher situation has resurfaced all of it.”

“You have to believe me,” Robin said. “Captain, there was someone there, and now he is after me. I have to stop him. It doesn’t matter at what cost. If I don’t, he will kill again and again and again. And it’s all on me. All of it is on me.”

“You are doing more harm than good,” he said. “You are just making it difficult for yourself. You are cracking, Robin, and we want to save you, that’s all. Everyone here wants you safe; that’s all there is to it, nothing more. My decision is final. You are off.”

Robin’s mind flashed back to all the dead victims. Why didn’t they realize how guilty she felt, that the guilt was going to kill her? She felt personally responsible for all that had happened. She felt as if she had done every murder with her own two hands. If she didn’t stop him, the guilt would drive her insane.

“No,” She shouted. “No! I refuse! You can’t do this to me! I have to know why he is doing this! I have to remember! Catching him is the only way I can know what happened down there!”

“You are obsessed with this –” Kyle said, but Robin just shouted.

“You don’t see,” she roared. “You are making a mistake. You are all making a mistake.”

But even as she said these words, an idea began to form in her mind.

“Robin –” the Captain said but trailed off, unable to figure out what to tell her.

“Alright,” she finally said. “I can see your point. I will get the therapy and get off the case.”

“You should also take a vacation,” the Captain said, sounding relieved.

“Alright,” she whispered, looking defeated. “Can I collect things off my desk first? I think I will have a few quiet days at home.”

“Yes, of course,” he said. “Take as much time as you need.”

Robin looked at Kyle, who was looking at her suspiciously.

“I think I will go and say goodbye to James first,” she said, wanting to hurt him. “After all, he has been more of a partner to me than anyone else these days.”

She watched him flinch, and despite herself, she felt guilty. She walked off and headed toward her desk. She quickly picked up a few files and papers, stuffing them into the bag she carried, and walked off before anyone could see her.

The Captain really mustn’t know her if he thought she was going to stop working on all of this. She was going to find the man who was murdering these women. She was going to find out who was with her in that basement. And she was going to end it all finally. Nothing and no one was going to stop her. If they are going to push her off the case, she will solve it herself. She will finally remember everything that happened. She will have all her answers, once and for all.

Chapter Fourteen

Robin put all the pictures of the crime scene in front of her. She began to arrange them in order of relationship to herself. The construction site came first; it was where she was born. Then came the park where she had played as a child. She arranged all the pictures in chronological order.

Then