Page 163 of Ash and Poison

“The evil next door,” Layne read aloud. “Ellis Bricks, behind her polished smile and coiffed hair, was a predator. An insidious evil. She befriended the girls, watched as her husband raped them, and then pushed them to kill them. When he finally turned on her, after a fight, they both destroyed each other in a show of blood and vengeance.”

It was the hundredth headline this week, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. Not yet.

“Vincent did good,” Layne said, setting the paper down. “He didn’t make her into a martyr.”

I nodded. “He did great.”

After we left that day, Vincent stayed in that bunker. He made sure the scene looked like two insane, toxic people who destroyed each other.

He scrubbed every trace of us from that place—no fingerprints, no evidence. No one cared Holland had died anyway.

The town was happy their sick mayor was killed, and his equally sick wife was locked up for life.

After that day, Vincent worked his ass off to wrap up the case neatly. He’d uncovered a mountain of evidence in Ellis and Holland’s house—enough to bury them so deep, that not even their ghosts could crawl out. It was like they’d been keeping a shrine to their crimes. There were photos, more than what Jonah found. Sick little trophies.

Photos of the girls they’d hurt, their faces frozen in fear. Newspaper clippings, obituaries… like they wanted to relive it, keep it close. It wasn’t just Hollow Heights, either. After Millie, there were more victims—girls from towns nearby. They made the murders look like accidents. But now, with everything laid out, it was clear. It had never stopped. They just kept changing their MO.

Ellis was locked up, and she was completely gone. Just trapped in the hell inside her head, and she’d rot in it forever.

“He saved your ass,” Layne said. “He tells such good stories too. He made it like the dagger always belonged to Holland.”

I smiled. “He’s good.”

Combined with Riley’s letter about Doctor T and the monster in the woods, Holland’s prints on my dagger, and his known connection to all three men? It was more than enough to make the murder charge stick.

“He’s sexy. If only he wasn’t in love with Diya…” she said, laughing when I shot her a glare.

“Diya thinks I’m sexier.”

She made a show of tilting her head, squinting at me. “Mmm… I don’t know about that. Maybe she just has bad eyesight?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying, if she ever gets glasses, you might be in trouble.”

Diya came out of her room, shaking her head at us.

“Why are you glaring at her?” she asked, kissing me on my cheek, before turning to Layne. “Layne, stop making him pout.”

“Well, it’s fun,” Layne said with a shrug.

Diya resigned from her job the day after the incident but decided to stay until the new therapist came. Today was her last day.

Diya looked at the clock. “I have my last session with Millie today.”

Millie read about Holland’s death, and it was like a flash. She was slowly remembering what had happened to her. She was strong enough, and she’d survive it.

Diya kissed me before she walked out.

“Are you excited?” Layne asked.

“I am… but I’m also nervous,” I admitted.

“Don’t be. She loves you.”

“I know,” I said, watching as Layne grabbed a book.

“Remember that,” she said, opening it. “Now, I gotta finish this before the ending gets spoiled online.”