Kenhardt - Secrets 33

Angela shook her head. ‘Maybe I believed it at the time. All she wanted to do was protect us. But now I know the whole story. That killer didn’t come into our house at random. And he wouldn’t have come if my mother was around. And he wouldn’t have touched my brother or me. Because we weren’t his targets. My father was. From the beginning, that was who he had his eyes on. It was never about us, or my mother. It was always about him.’ ‘You think the killer targeted your father specifically, as opposed to an arbitrary kill?” ‘Yes.’ ‘Why’s that?’ Angela stared at him for what felt like hours. Then finally, she spoke. ‘Listen, Detective. I’m going to tell you something. Something I never told the police back then.’ Joe sat up straighter. ‘I’m listening.’ ‘Mr father,’ she said. ‘He wasn’t the good man that everyone believed he was. How so?’ She took a moment, folding one hand on top of the other. ‘He … he would sometimes,’ she paused. ‘Hit us.’ ‘He was abusive to you?’ She nodded. ‘Not only me, but my brother as well. And my mother. I think that’s why she left us. She’s never told me anything, but I can only assume. Looking back, what he did to us - it was wrong. But as a kid, I always took the blame, believed it was my fault. How terrible is that? That a child takes responsibility for her father’s actions?” ‘Why didn’t you ever tell anyone?’ ‘Have you ever been abused, Detective?’ He was quiet, then shook his head. ‘Then you don’t know what it’s like. Especially being a child. Like I said, I believed it was my fault. My brother and I, we stuck together. We took it, handled it the best we could. We still loved my father because he was a nice man, It was like he had this entirely different PERSONA, and he could bring it out whenever he pleased. Some days we’d get the kind, happy man that I knew and loved. Other times, a different side would come out, Usually after a few drinks. ‘I’m guessing things weren’t good between my mother and him. That’s why she left. But little did she know, she was abandoning us with him, She never knew what he did to us.’ ‘I’m so sorry you went through that, Angela.’ ‘Please, don’t apologize,’ she said. ‘it was a long time ago. And it made me stronger, taught me hard lessons that helped me later in life. Of course, I would never wish that upon anyone. Any child, But it was something that I had to live with. I survived. And I persevered.’ ‘What happened after your father’s murder?’ ‘It was hard, of course, but there was always this small part of me that felt relieved. Because I knew he couldn’t hurt us anymore. And I condemn whoever did this to all those men from the bottom of my heart. Because I know it wasn’t just my father that fell victim. It was six other innocent men. And yet, there was still this small part inside of me that felt glad. As if whoever did this was doing me a favour.’ ‘Did you ever have any suspicions of who it might have been? Anyone in Kenhardt that could have done such a thing?’ Angela shook her head. ‘If it was a single murder, sure, it could have been anyone. I might have even believed it was someone he knew. Someone who knew us and was doing it to protect us. Hell, I might have even thought it was my mother, But of course, she didn’t know what was going on. And this wasn’t and isolated incident. This was just one in several other murders. And whoever did this,’ she paused. ‘Well, like I said to you before, were they doing if for a reason? Was it arbitrary? Why did this person kill seven men in Kenhardt that summer?’ Joe stared at her for a moment, taking in everything she had just said. ‘That’s a good question. A question I intend on finding the answer to.’ It was a new day. Thursday. Ten days since the deaths and Joe was still no father ahead. It was infuriating him beyond belief. How was it that they still didn’t have any new information? They had interviewed everyone involved in those girls’ lives. He had brought people into the interrogation room, checked out witness statements and any possible leads there might be. But still, nothing. He was reviewing everything they had gathered over the past ten days. There was the basic information about the girl’s lives. The teachers and counsellor at school had nothing but positive things to say. The friend group revealed some drama in their inner circle. The frenemies - Beth, Audrey, and Megan = had revealed new information that led Joe to believe Haddie Taylor wasn’t as perfect as everyone made her out to be, She was, after all, four weeks pregnant with a baby that didn’t belong to her boyfriend. She was cheating on Oliver with Bentley. She was caught flirting with Beth’s boyfriend, Corey. Dramatic. Attention - seeking. Compulsive liar. Contrasted against words from her family. Kind. Loving, Enthusiastic……