Suffer Read Free Page B

until I know what’s going on here, I need to see your badge.”
    “It’s going to take me a minute, Chief. My badge is on a boat behind the house. Could you at least go inside and verify that a crime has taken place? Or are you going to leave and come back later when I have my ID?”
    Grey ran down to the dock to retrieve his badge. Chief Hill walked into the house and up the stairs. When Grey returned, the Chief was coming out of the house holding a handkerchief over his nose and mouth. Grey took a moment to catch his breath and presented his credentials to the Chief.
    “It doesn’t get much worse than that, Chief,” said Grey in a disarming tone. “The victims are my best friend’s wife and child. They’re practically my family. I apologize if I seemed short with you.”
    “I’ve never seen so much blood,” said Chief Hill, “and I worked the streets in Philadelphia for fifteen years. My God, that poor child.”
    Several radios crackled in the background and additional EMS personnel started converging on the house. “I don’t know how, but she’s still alive,” said a paramedic, passing by the chief. Grey followed them inside.
    They were bringing Kate down the stairs on a stretcher as Grey and the Chief stood in the hallway. The numerous stab wounds to her face, chest, and abdomen were covered with blood- soaked dressings. An EMS helicopter from Key West was launched to take her to the closest trauma center. Nobody on the scene expected her to survive the long flight to Miami.

Uncle
     
     
    EVAN AND GREY RETURNED TO the boat to gather their bags while the medics attended to Paul. He snapped out of his semi-catatonic state when he heard Kate had survived the vicious attack.
    “Grab Paul’s stuff as well,” said Grey. “He won’t be able to take anything from the house.”
    “Please tell me you’re coming with us,” said Evan, stuffing clothes in a bag.
    “I’ll come up as soon as I can, but the best chance we have to catch whoever did this is in the first forty-eight hours. The local cops haven’t seen a murder here in over ten years. They’re going to need my help.”
    “Paul needs your help, Grey,” said Evan. “Didn’t you see him? I’m freaked out and I didn’t even go in there.”
    “Be glad you didn’t, buddy,” said Grey. “It was a nightmare.”
    “Hey,” said Evan, stopping and grabbing Grey’s arm. “I’m going to be the only guy in the car with him for over three hours. You need to tell me what you saw up there. I don’t want to give him blank stares when he starts trying to talk to me. If you’re not coming, you need to at least prepare me for what he might say.”
    Grey opened a bottle of water and motioned for Evan to join him at the galley table. They both sat silent for a moment. Grey took a long drink to gather his thoughts.
    “Kate was gagged with duct tape and sitting up in the bed with her back against the headboard. Her hands and feet were bound to the posts. It looks like he forced her to watch what he did. Caleb was gagged and tied to a small chair a few feet from the end of the bed.”
    “What did he do to them?” asked Evan.
    “Are you sure you want to know? I’m not calling you weak, but what I tell you will be impossible to get out of your head.”
    “He’s our best friend,” said Evan. “I can’t help him if I don’t know what he saw. Tell me.”
    “They were both tortured,” continued Grey. “Probably for several hours. Caleb had dozens of deep cuts up and down his arms and legs. I’m sure it was done more to torture Kate than hurt Caleb. I imagine he was conscious the entire time. There were at least four puncture wounds in his abdomen. Those were made to hurt him, but what killed him was cutting his throat.”
    “Jesus Christ,” said Evan, lowering his head. “And Kate?”
    “She had at least four stab wounds to her chest and abdomen, but he focused on her face. It looks like he tried to take out one of her eyes. She was