Page 14 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 3

Regina

* * *

She followedBen into a private room where they could talk. How private it was, she didn’t really know. There was always the possibility that they were being watched and listened to, but in light of recent circumstances she didn’t know if that matteredanymore.

She observed Ben. He stood before her but his focus was on the glazed glass on the door, and through that where he could see Taylor and Brian sitting together on one of the board benches. Taylor was resting her head on Brian’sshoulder.

It was evident that the sight of it hurt Ben, and deeplytoo.

She felt like saying something, something comforting, but couldn’t find the words amongst her worry overWade.

“She knows, right? About Brian? You told her?” He slowly returned his gaze to her and the sadness in his gray eyes got toher.

“She knows,” Reginaconfirmed.

“She looks like she took the newswell.”

“Not atfirst.”

“I’m losing my kids,” he stated, pressing down on hislips.

The statement made her worry even more about Wade. “Ben, right now you have the privilege of knowing what’s going on with Wade. I know nothing. Taylor loves you, and it doesn’t matter what you did, she’ll always loveyou.”

He focused on her as she spoke, seeming to appreciate herwords.

“She just has room in her heart for Brian, too. Now please tell me what’s happening withWade.”

He rested against the wall and sighed. Then he looked at her for a few agonizing seconds, as if he was contemplating his next words. “It doesn’t look good, Regina. The woman was stabbed. They found a knife with Wade’s fingerprints all over it. They found him with her, covered in blood.” He filled her in on everything Wade had told him, and when he was finished she understood the haggard worry she saw displayed in hiscomposure.

The situation was beyond the point of things not looking good. It was hopeless. Wade looked guilty. There was no way around it. He lookedguilty.

Tears ran down hercheeks.

“Ben, there’s seriously nothing we cando?”

“I don’t know, Regina.” He shook his head. “I can’t think of anything. It would be different if she was already dead when he went to her house. But they were together, neighbors reported hearing arguing and the window smashing. All roads point to guilt and make him lookbad.”

“What happens now? Will he go toprison?”

Her heart broke when Ben nodded. “Most likely. We have court in two hours, I’m going to prepare forthat.”

“Ben, this has to be the psycho’s work. Whatever you know has to come out now. Everything has to come out. It will help if the police know all they can about this person.” As far as she knew, all the police knew was what she told Detective Fray. That was weeks ago, after Taylor’s accident, when the police were investigating. A lot more had happened since, including her receiving a severed finger in a package, but there were still questions floating around that needed to beanswered.

She assumed Detective Fray had been in touch with Ben but couldn’t be sure. What she was sure of, now more than ever, was that they all needed to do whatever they could to resolve this crazysituation.

To her surprise he nodded and agreed. “Yeah. I know. I just don’t know what will happenafter.”

“Ben…I know you know more than what you’ve told me.” She looked at him sternly. “Who is this person, Ben? Who is doing this to us?” Days ago when she asked him, he seemed to know. He acted like he did and wasn’ttelling.

“I have mysuspicions.”

Good, at least he was talking. “Tell me, who do you suspect? And what could you possibly have done to make him do all of this tous?”

He’d told her that Wade found out from Merissa that their psycho was a man. Regina had suspected that but never reallysaid.

“I did something to someone he cared about, someone he loved,” he replied in a cautiousvoice.