Page 26 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Regina looked at the drawings before her and the most prominent thing that stood out was that they were drawings of this woman. She’d gotten a drawing of herself, of Wade, of Chloe. Except for that very first drawing of Ben and his secretary that she saw when this whole thing started, he was the only person to get something different. She thought back to that drawing of his secretary and it came together in her mind. That was the same woman. This washer.

But what did itmean?

“Who is she? Were you with her?” Regina already knew the answer was yes, even before henodded.

“Rachel Dean. That was her name,” Benreplied.

She noticed the way he emphasizedwas.

“What do you mean bywas?”

“She died, twenty years ago,” he said barely above awhisper.

Her breath caught in her chest. “Does this person blame you for herdeath?”

Her hands started shaking as she continued to observe him. It was the way he looked. His face seemed even paler as he fixed his gaze on her, and his eyes, they heldguilt.

“Yes. They blame me, because it was myfault.”

“Who ishe?”

“Her son. His name is Aaron. I wasn’t certain it was him, but I had my suspicions from the drawings. They depicted things that would matter to just him. When we found out about Jackson, I knew for sure it had to behim.”

“How can you be certain? I don’tunderstand.”

“Because of what wedid.”

“What did you do, Ben?” The question of keysignificance.

Ben stared at her, long and hard. His eyes growing colder, but not in that calculative manner in which she was used to. He was different. It was as if he’d realized he’d lost the game and there was no point in hidinganymore.

“I killed her. Jackson and I killedher.”

Her mouth dropped and she jumped back, nearly falling off her chair. She stood up but thought she would fall over. He stood, too, and made a move towardsher.

“Oh God, Ben, what? What are you telling me? What are yousaying?”

“I didn’t pull the trigger, but I told Jackson to kill her. So I’m guiltytoo.”

Evil. That was what he was. She pulled in a sharp breath against the constriction in her chest. “Stay away,” she cried. “Stay away from me and my kids.” She was shaking so much again she thought she would fallover.

She shook her head at him and frowned as tears spilled down her cheeks. She hated to cry in front of him, hated to show any sign of weakness. Hated it to no end to show that she couldn’t be stronger than the shell of a person he made her feel like most times. But these tears were a natural reaction. They just came. Pouring out of her as if someone had pressed the buttons that controlled heremotions.

This…was what she’d been scared of.This.

Finding out the truth. Having confirmation of what she feared Ben was capable of. She feared having her suspicions come to life. And yet, she never expected that he would tell her, even though she’dasked.

“Regina…” He reached out his hand towards her but she backed away and stumbled. Her legs could no longer hold her up and she fell, bruising her hands on the cobbledground.

He came to her, bending down next her and taking a grip of hershoulders.

“Regina,” he cried, staring herdown.

She couldn’t talk, she couldn’t breathe. The fear of what he was going to do to her left her numb and void of words. All she could do was sit there and wait, and watch to see what he would donext.

“I just confessed to a crime. I just confessed to you, and I’m going to turn myself into thepolice.”

She searched his eyes. Searched them from the shock she felt at his words. His grip tightened on her shoulders and he pulled her up tostand.