Page 44 of Dead Love

“Erickson?”

“Yes!” I whisper-yelled, my words picking up speed. “Get here now. And please don’t tell my parents. At least, don’t tell my mom. I don’t want her to worry.”

“Whoa, there. Hold on a second, darling,” he said, his tone thin. “First thing’s first. Are you all right?”

I held my breath. Why was he wasting time asking me that? “I’m fine. But seriously, Andrew. He tried to kill me—”

“How so?”

I cocked my head. “He literally just—”

“Is he doing anything strange to you?”

What was that supposed to mean? And what would that even include?

“Heabductedme,” I said, irritation leaking through my words. “Please. Help me get out of here.”

He waited on the line, the speaker rustling like he was twisting the phone up to his ear. “You have a second, darling?”

I tapped my fingers. “Not much.”

“You are a strong, brave girl, Miss Kora.” Those words were compliments, but it made me dread to hear what he was going to say next. My stomach sank. “And you have a rare opportunity. You can look into him.”

“Look into him?Are you crazy?” I clutched the phone. “You remember he abducted me? He choked me just now. Why on earth would I look into him?”

“He’s one of our lead suspects for the Echo murders.”

He didn’t miss a beat. Nothing fazed him. Not even the fact that Vincent had choked and tried to kill me. A headache throbbed in my temples.

“TheEcho murders?” I asked.

“None other.”

“And you wantmeto investigate him?”

He chuckled to himself. “Like I said, Kora. We don’t have enough on him yet, but with your help, we can put him in jail for good. Bring peace to our town. I know your daddy would be mighty proud to put him in jail before the big day, you know? Be the sheriff the county needs. And think, if he saves his daughter in the process, the voters won’t have a choice but to vote for him.”

My body hummed with confusion. “He’s not the Echo murderer,” I said. It didn’t make sense. If he wanted to kill people, he’d burn them, like he almost burned me. “He’s weird, I get that. But Vincent isn’t a killer.”

“He kidnapped you,” Andrew said, his tone firm. “The man is capable of anything, as far as I am concerned. And your father needs to win this election. Your town needs him.” The phone filled with static for a second, like he was adjusting his grip. “And I need you, Kora. Can you do this for me? For Nyla?”

My heart skipped a beat. If Nylahadbeen murdered, and I was the only person who was this close to one of his suspects, then I had to do my part. I had to do what was right for her. Nyla.

But it didn’t make sense. If itwasVincent, then what were the car crashes were for? To cover up the evidence?

My brain pulsed, the headache intensifying. Dirt covered my arms like I had been digging too. I needed a cold shower.

“What if he kills me?” I whispered.

“Trust me, darling. You won’t die an Echo death. If he wanted to kill you, you would likely be dead by now, unfortunately. He must like keeping you around,” the grin was evident in his voice. “I know I would.”

I cringed. What did that even mean?

“I don’t like this,” I said.

“I don’t either, but you are a strong girl, Miss Kora,” he said. “Do this for me. For your mother.” His tone hardened: “For Nyla.”

The bathroom door clicked open. “I’ve gotta go,” I whispered and hung up. With quiet steps, I headed back to the other room, but Vincent caught me in the hallway. He leaned forward, studying me. I swallowed a breath.