Page 112 of Dead Love

“You can’t do this to her.”

“I’m only doing what keeps her safe.”

My throat was dry. Screw the deal I had made with Mike. “Andrew killed Nyla!”

“Goodbye, Mr. Erickson.”

Then the line went dead.

My blood boiled. Adrenaline surged through me, making my fingertips tingle. Visions filled my head: Shea’s blood smeared on a white-tiled floor. Sheriff Mike with a gunshot wound in his chest, the blood pooling out beneath him. Andrew’s head on a stick, his limbs chopped from his body. All of their flesh incinerating in the retorts until they were nothing but a pile of bones.

And in that vision, Kora was beside me. Tears running down her cheeks.

Kora would never come back from something like that, but I couldn’t let it go. Something had to happen.

I dropped off the dogs with Catie, then went back to the house and got the canisters. The town would burn before Andrew married my flower.

CHAPTER38

Kora

That afternoon,my father’s plastic grin calmed the voters as they shook his hand. Once the crowd cleared, Sheriff Mike slapped me on the back.

“Thanks for coming,” he said. “I know it was short notice, but the voters love seeing you. It’s comforting, you know?”

If they only knew that one of the police officers had known where I was all along. Another voter came by, donating to the cause, then shaking my father’s hand and waving at me.

“What about the Echo murders?” I said. “Have you made any progress with that?”

He waved a dismissive hand in front of his face, then acknowledged a citizen across the room. “I wouldn’t worry about that. You’re safe now.”

“The Echo Killer is still out there,” I said. “Or you wouldn’t be having this fundraiser. It’s not like he’ll magically stop.”

“Or he will,” my father laughed. “Once we get in the final votes, there will be no need for him anymore.”

The bottom of my stomach pitted. It was like he knew he could stop the murders right now if he wanted.

“The Echo Killer would never hurt you,” he said. He patted me on the back. “You’re safe. You’re the sheriff’s daughter! Give me some credit.” He let out a belly laugh. “And as soon as I can, I’ll give the final command, we’ll arrest the suspect.”

“Who is the suspect?” I glanced around. The murderer could have been among us right now. “Why aren’t you arresting him?”

“The arrest can’t happen until Monday or Tuesday. I haven’t decided which day would be best for the votes yet.”

I swayed, lost in thought. “So you’ll let the Echo Killer take more lives, because you want to win the election?” It seemed so wrong. My father was a jerk, but he cared about justice.

Didn’t he?

“He won’t take more lives,” he said quietly. “I promise you that.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He relaxed his posture, his eyes half-lidded. “Don’t worry so much,” he said. “It doesn’t look good. You should be confident in me. In my team.” He put his hands on his hips and thrust forward. “We’ve worked hard for this.”

My muscles were weak, my knees wobbling, the world blurring in front of me. My father wasn’t just a jerk. He was an asshole. And I knew Andrew was an asshole too. But this?

Was everything a lie, like Vincent had said?

“You planned this,” I said, my voice flat. “All of it. The Echo deaths. The timing.” I shook my head. “It really was a way to help your campaign.”