Page 215 of Broken
Maul’s destruction had been way worse than anyone realized.
She set everything in the box.
“Looks like we found what we needed,” Prescott bit out as he rose.
“He was pure evil.” She stood. “Did you find anything?”
“Nothing,” he replied.
Prescott set the evidence box in the hallway, and they moved on to the first spare bedroom. Like the basement, the room sat empty. They found nothing in the closet. When Jacqueline opened the door to the next bedroom, musty air filled her lungs, and she grimaced.
Dirty clothes were heaped on the sofa. Rather than do laundry, everything had been dumped in there. Empty beer bottles lay strewn on the carpet, empty soda cans thrown in the corner.
“What the hell?” she murmured.
“It’s like we’ve pulled back the curtain in Oz,” he said. “This is how theyreallylived.”
Then, she spied the long-brown wig with the black knit cap. She hurried over and lifted it off the floor. They were sewn together. “Maul’s disguise.”
Prescott nodded, then opened the closet door, his weapon at the ready.
Piles of clothing lay wrinkled on the floor, the clothing on hangers was in a state of disarray. His shirts hung next to her dresses or pants. There was no organization whatsoever. Shoes strewn on the floor and tossed on the top shelf. Some in pairs, while singles sat with no mate.
“What a mess,” he said.
On the shelf, a brightly-colored garment caught Jaqueline’s eye. She moved the shoes out of the way and pulled it down.
“It’s the clown costume,” she said.
“You were right. Maulwasstalking you.” Prescott pulled down the horrifying clown mask. “Is this what you saw?”
A shiver charged through her. “That’s the one.”
Prescott set the mask down, then started shoving hangers aside, one after the next, his gaze laser-focused on the clothing. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he searched the layers of clothes strewn about the floor.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“The surgical gown he wore at the hospital when he killed Sally.”
After rummaging through the clothes on the sofa, he pulled out a surgical shirt and pants.
Jacqueline started searching for the cap and mask. Together, they flung clothing out of the way as they dug through the mess.
“Got it.” She lifted out the cap.
Seconds later, he found the mask.
She grabbed the shirt and checked the size. “It wasn’t Maul who killed Sally,” she bit out.
The floor creaked behind them and they spun around.
Leslie stood there, her eyes wild, a gun in her outstretched hands.
“Terr Bear didn’t kill Sally,” Leslie hissed. “I did.”
29
YOU DID WHAT?
