A Necessary Evil(52)

“Come on, Mollie,” the young man said. “We’re leaving.”

Mollie stood from her cold chair and shuffled over to the doorway. As she passed by the detective, whose vein was throbbing at his temple, she looked at him and said, “Sorry.”

She didn’t know why she said it. Was it because she knew he was only doing his job? Or was it because of the guilt she felt at helping her grandfather get away with murder? She wasn’t sure, and it really didn’t matter. She was in this now, and there was no getting out.





Chapter 26




Collin



Franklin stood before the jury with his hands in his pockets. He seemed so casual, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Collin knew it was because he didn’t. Franklin knew the jury would find him guilty. This whole “trial” was a sham. The old man was going to get his way in the end, but by allowing the so-called jury to make the decision for him, he could place the responsibility for Collin’s death at their feet, rather than at his own. At least, that was the only explanation he could come up with as to why Franklin didn’t just go ahead and kill him and be done with it. Especially since he knew that detective was looking for him and might show up any minute with a SWAT team.

As Franklin gave the jury their admonition about how to deliberate and not-so-subtly hinted at the outcome he was hoping for, Collin found himself praying for the first time in a long time. He prayed the police would find him before this whole farce was over with. He prayed that, by some miracle or act of God, the jury might actually find him not guilty. He prayed that if he was found guilty, the penalty they imposed would at least be swift and painless. But deep down, he knew all his prayers were futile. Franklin was going to get what he wanted in the end, which meant Collin’s hours were numbered.

When Franklin finished his dramatic soliloquy, he turned to Collin, jerked him up by the elbow, and led him past the jury and toward the door at the back of the warehouse.

“Where are you taking me?” Collin asked. His heart was racing as Franklin dragged him through the doorway.

“Don’t worry,” Franklin said with a satisfied smile. “I’m not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway. We just need to give the jury some privacy to deliberate.”

Franklin opened another door which led to what had apparently once been an office of some sort. He shoved Collin down into a padded chair in the corner of the room, then walked around a large desk and sat in the black leather rolling chair behind it.

A large metal filing cabinet sat behind the desk, many of its drawers open and empty. On top of the desk was an old, green lamp. There was nothing else in the room besides a clock hanging on the wall which had apparently stopped telling time at twelve thirty-five many years prior.

“So,” Franklin kicked his legs up on the desk and crossed one foot over the other, “how do you think the trial is going so far?”

Collin didn’t answer. The last thing he wanted to do was chit chat with the man who wanted to kill him slowly. He stiffened his jaw and looked toward the window to his left. When he saw it, he instantly wondered if he could break the glass and escape before Franklin could stop him.

The old man must have read his mind. “I wouldn’t even bother if I were you. It’s tempered glass. Not easy to break. And besides, Bruno’s waiting right outside this door with a gun. He’ll shoot you in the back before you get through to the other side. Not quite the way I want you to die, but I guess if you push me, I’ll have no choice.”

Collin looked at Franklin with contempt burning in his eyes. His nostrils flared, and he felt heat emanating from his skin. He balled his hands up and squeezed them tightly. There was nothing else he could do.

“Oh, calm down, Collin. It’ll all be over soon enough.”

“Just kill me and get it over with,” Collin growled.

“I would,” Franklin said with a Cheshire Cat grin, “but what would be the fun in that? Besides, you deserve much, much worse than a quick and painless death.”

“Why do you care? Those girls meant nothing to you.”

“First, I do care. I didn’t know those girls, but I know what it feels like to lose someone you love to a monster. Second, it’s not just about them. You thought you could use my granddaughter to manipulate me into doing what you wanted. That was your worst mistake.”

“I didn’t kill her.”

“No,” Franklin said with a tilt of his head. “You didn’t kill her. But you kidnapped her, took her to your creepy little lair, and chained her to the wall like an animal. Not to mention the fact that you would have killed her, had I not shown up when I did. I can’t let you get away with that.”

Collin’s shoulder throbbed, and he wondered if it was becoming infected since he’d had no antibiotics and barely any bandaging. He drew in a deep breath and let it out. “All right. You win. What do you want from me?” He hated to grovel, but it might be his only chance to get out of this alive if that detective didn’t find him in time.

Franklin threw back his head and let out a deep, throaty laugh. When he was done, he shook his head. “There’s nothing you can say or do to stop this, so accept your fate. It’s your best option. You must pay for everything you’ve done.”

“And what about you?” Collin asked, anger suddenly overcoming his nervousness.