Page 28 of Into The Rabbit Hole

“Why? My children and I didn’t do anything wrong,” Regina challenged. She didn’t know where her strength was coming from for her to speak; maybe it was fear that propelledher.

“Family. You are family. This man took mine. My mother was everything to me. She was an angel. This man used her, and when he was finished with her he had her tossed into the sea, as if she was nothing. And when she threatened to expose him if he… Wait for it. Let me get it right.” Aaron cleared his throat. “She wanted him to resign. She felt that corruption in an office like theirs would never benefit anyone. But good old Benny here was plotting his next move. He wanted to be state’s attorney, then on to become governor. Then what? President? Yes, Isuppose.”

It was a cruel joke. All of it. The evil that Ben did had come back for him, and for her too. All the time she’d stayed with him because she thought it was safe, she was far fromit.

“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “Just take me; my family have nothing to do with what happened. Take me now and do whatever you want withme.”

Aaron laughed again. “No. Sorry, Ben. You don’t get to decide. It’s too late for sorries, for a start, and I’ve decided that there are better ways to get to you. Your family will help massively with that. They’ve done a great job so far. So just to be clear, it won’t matter if you turn yourself in. Also, I just happen to have all that evidence you killed my mother to hide. Expect everyone to be well and truly informed by the end of next week. The plan is to release something daily. I can’t seem to decide what I’ll talk about first. A—how you rigged the votes so that Zachery Chambers could get elected as state’s attorney way back when you were in the D.A.’s office. Or, B—the evidence you disposed of that could have incriminated Porter Stevens for killing his wife and herlover.”

Regina could only look at Ben in total shock. That Porter case went on for months. It was nearly as big as the O.J. Simpson trials. Porter walked free, acquitted down to lack of evidence to sentence him. She’d watched and kept herself posted on the events of the case the whole time, mainly because she thought the man was guilty, and all that time he sat in court he had a self-satisfying grin on his face that told her he knew he would walk free. Now she knew why. Ben disposed of key evidence that would have committed him to life imprisonment, possiblydeath.

“I can see your soon-to-be-ex-wife is well and truly shocked,” Aaron continued with a smile in hisvoice.

“How can you see?” Benasked.

“Don’t you worry about that. Anyway, I got to dash. I can see that you’re both stunned so I’ll pick tomorrow’s damage and let you deal with that delivery you’re about toget.”

Regina looked towards the door leading back into the house and saw Selena walking gingerly towards them with a medium-sizedbox.

“What’s in the box?” Regina said. She was just talking more than asking aquestion.

The shaking startedagain.

“What’s in the box, Aaron?” Ben asked, his voice taking on an edge offear.

“It’s a surprise. Talklater.”

The phone went silent, just cutting out. Regina looked from the phone to Selena as she placed the box on thetable.

“The doorbell rang and I found this outside,” Selena told them. Regina met Selena’s embarrassed eyes. The last time Regina saw her she’d caught her in bed withBen.

That seemed so trivialnow.

Ben walked over to the box and opened it. As soon as he did he yelped and jumpedback.

Regina couldn’t take it, she had to see. She walked over to the table andlooked.

However, she regretted the decisioninstantly.

Inside was a head. A head severed from the person’s body. Before the air whooshed out of her lungs and she fainted, Regina realized that she recognized the person’sface.

It was JacksonDonovan.