Grave Concerns (21 page)

“No! You’re the one twisting my mind,” Kevin howled. “You’ve been manipulating me from the second you met me!”

“How?” Maddie asked helplessly. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you.”

“You’ve been flirting with me even though I never had a shot with you,” Kevin charged. “You’ve been teasing me … and touching my arm … and smiling. You want me to be with you. I know it.”

He was lost. Maddie realized that now. He was lost before she came along and tried to offer him an out. “Don’t you even think about touching me,” Maddie warned, her voice low. “You have no idea what will happen if you even think … .”

Kevin cut her off, reaching for her shoulders as Howard positioned himself to help his son realize an evil legacy. “You need to stop talking,” Kevin said, his tone ominous. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll shut you up.”

“You tell her, Kev,” Kyle chortled, keeping watch on Hayley out of the corner of his eye. “Go get her and show her what she’s been missing.”

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you.” Nick appeared out of the gloom, his fists clenched at his side as he regarded the Martin men.

“Well, well, well,” Howard sneered, straightening to a standing position. “I guess Maddie was right about you coming to look for her after all.”

“I guess she was,” Nick replied, nonplussed. “You need to step away from Maddie and Hayley. I’m not messing around. I’ve already sent word back to the campsite and they’re calling for state police reinforcements. You’re out of time.”

Maddie scanned Nick’s face for hints that he was exaggerating. She found none. Could he have been here longer than she realized?

Olivia popped into view at Maddie’s side, her face somber. “John is on the other side of the building. He’s moving in behind everyone. Nick is supposed to keep them focused on him. You need to try and get Hayley away from what is about to come.”

Maddie pursed her lips, nodding to let her mother know she understood. She kept her gaze on Kevin, who seemed shaken by Nick’s arrival. The anger she’d felt coursing through the boy only moments before fled and was replaced by abject fear. She was hoping she could use that to her advantage.

“Listen, Nick, I don’t want to tell you your business, but you’re woefully outnumbered here,” Howard said. “How about we make a deal? If you walk away now, we’ll take Hayley and Maddie with us and promise not to do anything to them. Once we’re clear of the campsite, we’ll let them go. You have my word.”

Nick snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure you understand that the word of a child rapist and murderer doesn’t mean a lot to me.”

Howard balked. “I’ve done nothing of the sort. This is all a horrible misunderstanding.”

Maddie rolled to her right, increasing the distance between Kevin and herself, not stopping until she was almost on top of Hayley. “When I tell you to, I want you to run,” Maddie whispered. “Run in the direction of Nick. Do you understand?”

Hayley nodded, tears coursing down her cheeks.

“How is it a misunderstanding?” Nick asked, steadily moving forward. “You have my girlfriend and niece and have been threatening them with … God knows what. I know what you are. I think Kyle knows what you are, too. As for Kevin, well, I don’t think he ever had a shot. You made sure of that.”

“If you know what we are, where is your backup?”

“I don’t need any backup,” Nick replied.

“And why is that?”

“Because you’re not smart enough to take me on as it is,” Nick replied. “Now, Maddie!”

Maddie didn’t hesitate, she pushed Hayley to her feet and jumped between the girl and Kyle when he reached for her, raising her knee and slamming it into Kyle’s testicles. Kyle groaned, grabbing his screaming groin as Maddie took a step away from him, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Hayley was a safe distance away.

Nick took advantage of the confusion and broke into a run, tackling Howard and slamming him to the ground before he got a chance to collect himself. Howard grappled with Nick’s weight, and even though he was fit, he was no match for Nick’s rage and anger.

Maddie heard John’s heavy footsteps before she saw him. He raced out of the night like a shot, his attention fixed on a recovering Kyle as he reached for Maddie. Maddie easily sidestepped him, making room for John to ram a fist into the teenager’s surprised face and topple him.

Maddie focused her attention on Kevin as Nick and John struggled to subdue the rest of his family. “It’s over, Kevin. You don’t have to do this any longer.”

Kevin’s face twisted. “But … they’re my family.”

“Family doesn’t make you do atrocious things,” Maddie countered. “Family loves you.”

“I … do you think my dad really killed my mom?”

Maddie nodded.

Kevin dropped to his knees, lowering his head as his shoulders slouched. “I think I always knew that.”

Maddie couldn’t argue with him. She thought he probably knew it, too. “We’ll get you some help, Kevin. We’ll … make sure you’re not alone.”

“I’ve always been alone.” The dejected boy didn’t speak again, not even as the rest of the Winters family swarmed the location and started asking a myriad of questions. He was mute and resigned … and Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if there was any help out there for a kid like him.

“Maddie!”

Nick pulled Maddie to him, hugging her tightly against his chest as he stroked the back of her head.

“I’m okay,” Maddie said, tilting her head back after a few moments of cuddling. “I’m … fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Nick replied, running his finger over Maddie’s cheek. It would bruise by morning, something that fueled Nick’s receding anger. “Where is, Kevin?”

Maddie pointed to the spot on the ground where Kevin sat. He was listless and lifeless, Don watching over him with an eagle eye as the state police swarmed the area amidst a myriad of swirling lights.

“I think Kevin and I should have a little talk,” Nick muttered, moving to head in the kid’s direction.

“No.” Maddie stopped him with a hand on his forearm. “He’s been through enough.”

“He’s been through enough?” Nick was incredulous. “I saw him hit you, Mad.”

“I was purposely goading him about his mother’s death,” Maddie pointed out. “I knew he wasn’t ready to deal with it. I was trying to keep the focus on me and away from Hayley. Speaking of Hayley … .” Maddie scanned the area. “Where is she?”

“She’s with Kelly,” Nick said, pointing to the opposite side of the registration cabin where Kelly was soothing her sobbing daughter. Sharon stood next to them, her hand busy as it rubbed the back of Hayley’s neck. “She’ll be okay. She’s upset right now, but … things could’ve been a lot worse.”

“Please don’t tell her she learned a valuable lesson in all of this,” Maddie instructed. “That’s the last thing a teenage girl wants to hear after the boy she has a crush on turns out to be a member of a murdering menace of a family.”

“You’ve been in her shoes, have you?” Nick asked, going for levity despite the surreal situation.

“No, but she’s going to need some time to understand all of this,” Maddie said. “Heck, I’m an adult and I’m not sure I understand it all.”

“Join the club,” Nick said, pulling Maddie back against his chest. “I don’t think we’ll ever understand this.”

TWO
hours later Maddie answered the last of the immediate police questions and watched as troopers loaded Howard, Kyle, and Kevin into separate vehicles. Kevin was a stone, refusing to engage in conversation and instead rocking himself in the back of the squad car as he stared at a blank spot only he could see.

Howard repeated his “it’s a misunderstanding” mantra over and over again, screaming to the high heavens that no one was listening to him and that they were all going to be sorry when his lawyer got done with them. It was a threat law enforcement heard often, so they weren’t particularly swayed by it.

Kyle was another story. He spun a yarn about being under his father’s thumb and a childhood of abuse and neglect. He said he had no choice but to follow his father’s wishes, offering up a litany of evidence in exchange for a deal.

“You can’t let him get a deal,” Maddie said, moving to Nick’s side and slipping her hand in his. “He’s a sociopath. He’s trying to manipulate this situation. He’s just as guilty as Howard.”

“I know,” Nick said. “We’ve made the troopers aware and John is taking a personal interest in the case. We’re all going to have to testify against him. Still, he’s seventeen. He’ll most likely be tried as an adult but … I just don’t know right now, Mad. We’ll have to keep an eye on the situation.”

“Do we know who they really are?”

“It wasn’t hard to track down their real identities,” Nick replied. “Howard Jurgenson was questioned in his wife’s accidental tub drowning five years ago and the police thought he was suspicious, but there was nothing they could do about it because they didn’t have enough evidence. He got sole custody of his sons and moved from the Upper Peninsula not long after Penny Jurgenson’s estate was settled.

“Since then he’s lived mostly off the grid,” Nick continued. “Apparently he’s stayed in the state for most of that time, although Kyle said they visited Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin for camping stints. They’re going to be questioned about a series of disappearances at state camping grounds involving young girls, which seems to be Howard’s favorite target.”

Maddie grimaced. “How many?”

“At least eight.”

“Oh, Nicky.” Maddie’s stomach twisted as Nick slipped his arm around her waist. “They can’t do any further damage, love. They’re done. We can’t change the past. They won’t be ruining anyone else’s future. We have to take solace in that.”

Maddie wasn’t sure if that was possible. “What will happen to Kevin?”

Nick shrugged. “He’s fifteen. Odds are that he won’t be tried as an adult. He seems to have some … mental deficiencies, though. Hopefully that will be enough to keep him locked up in a state ward for the rest of his life.”

“What if it’s not?”

“I don’t know,” Nick admitted. “There’s always the possibility that Kevin isn’t a danger, even though he was the one who lured Hayley away. We have no idea what kind of mental conditioning Howard foisted onto the kid and we’re not trained to help him. That will be a job for the state psychologists.”

“Well, that’s something at least,” Maddie murmured, shifting her gaze from Kevin to Nick. “I was worried you weren’t coming tonight.”

“I’ve got your back, love. You know that.” Nick pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “How could I possibly abandon you now that I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted?”

“Howard said you were cuddling up to Sydney on our blanket.”

Nick scowled. “You don’t honestly believe … .”

Maddie held up her hand to silence him. “I know you would never cheat on me. I was just teasing you. I was actually starting to worry that Sydney didn’t tell you that I went after Hayley. I knew my mother would find you, though. I was just stalling for time until you got here.”

“Olivia always finds me,” Nick said, rubbing his thumb against the small of Maddie’s back. “Not that I want to belabor the point, but did you consider coming to get me before you went after Hayley?”

“Hey, I had no idea that Kyle and Kevin were killers,” Maddie replied. “I thought I was interrupting her date. I had no idea it would be dangerous.”

“Well, I guess I’ll let it go this time,” Nick said, giving in. “I really don’t want to argue about it.”

“Not even if we can make up?” Maddie asked, her eyes twinkling.

“Not even,” Nick said. “At least not tonight. If you still want to fight tomorrow, I can probably be persuaded. I need a good night’s sleep first.”

“Deal,” Maddie said, rolling up to the balls of her feet and planting a loud kiss on Nick’s cheek.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them caused Maddie and Nick to swivel in unison. Kelly’s smile was warm when it landed on Maddie.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did tonight, Maddie,” Kelly said. “I … you saved my daughter. You’ve done that twice now. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“You don’t need to repay me,” Maddie replied. “I would’ve gone after anyone in the same set of circumstances. To be fair, I had no idea what I was walking into.”

“You saved my daughter’s life and made sure I had a chance to make things better for her,” Kelly charged. “I will never forget that.” She threw her arms around Maddie’s neck, taking her by surprise. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“Holy crap,” Nick said, cracking his neck. “Maddie said you were nice to her and you two made amends, but I never would’ve believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”

“Oh, shut up,” Kelly said, separating from Maddie and wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “You always have to be a pain in the butt, don’t you?”

Nick smirked. “I do my best,” he said. “What are you going to do now?”

“Now I’m going to go and put Hayley to bed,” Kelly replied. “She doesn’t want to be alone and asked if she can sleep in my tent. Then, tomorrow, we’re starting a new life and it’s one where I’m going to try to be a little less bitter and a lot happier.”

“I’m glad,” Nick said.

“Me, too,” Maddie echoed.

“What are you two going to do?” Kelly asked.

“We’re going back to our cabin and going to bed,” Nick replied. “Then tomorrow we’re going to have a big fight because Maddie is dying to get it out of the way because she wants to know what makeup sex is like.”

Maddie was scandalized, her cheeks burning as Kelly smiled at her. “Nicky!”

“That sounds like a perfect day,” Kelly said, squeezing her brother’s hand before moving away. “Make sure you make him beg before you forgive him tomorrow, Maddie. That will make everything that much more fun.”

“I hate you sometimes,” Maddie muttered once it was just the two of them. “I can’t believe you just said that in front of your sister.”

“You’ll live,” Nick said, tugging Maddie under his arm as they started walking back in the direction of their cabin. “Do you know what I have decided this week, though?”

“What?”

“Our next vacation is going to be just the two of us, love,” Nick said. “It’s going to be you, me, and a really big bed. There will be no tents. There will be no bonfires. Most importantly, there will be no crazy killers.”

“I think I can handle that,” Maddie said, grinning. “Do you think we can still have s’mores?”

“Your wish is my command, Mad. Your wish is my command.”