Detective Kayleigh Tance fell for Tegan Riker, and she fell hard. When her lover turned out to be the serial killer she was hunting, Kayleigh fell apart.
Now three years later, she's rebuilt her life, but when a new killer decides to carry on Tegan...
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Detective Kayleigh Tance sat drinking a glass of whiskey in the living room of her flat. The light dimmed down as she clicked play on her laptop. She couldn't listen to Tegan's confession again sober.
She needed to listen to it to see what she missed back then, before Tegan's arrest and afterwards, during her interrogation.
It'll hurt to hear her voice, but she'll have to cope with the pain. Because the only other alternative was going to visit her in prison, and Kayleigh doesn't think she could cope with that.
It'd been three years since she saw her in the flesh when the judge gave her life in prison. Tegan had smirked through the whole thing.
Audio playing
Tegan's Confession
Integration room C. September sixth. Two thousand and twenty-two. Those present are Detective Kayleigh Tance and Detective Nina Katerji.
Some people are born to die young. You look at them and know they will never make it to old age. My best friend Penny was one of those people. Even when we were young, four or five, I'd look at her and think, you'll never get wrinkles like my grandma.
It was a strange thought. It would have been odd for an adult to have it but even stranger for a child to have it.
But then, I was always an odd child. It's why I could never make friends beyond Penny.
I was right. Penny never grew old.
She died at seventeen. Sometimes I picture her crying and swallowing those pills. Every time I do, it fills me with anger. My rage burns in two directions.
At her for leaving me alone in this world when she knew that I needed her. Penny was my rock. My conscience.
It burns at those who made her leave me. They pushed her until she broke. Until the pain inside her was so great, death seemed the only way to stop it.
That's who you are interested in, those who destroyed her.
Not Penny. It doesn't matter to you that she was sweet and gentle. She was smart and wanted to be a doctor.
No, you care about the monsters who broke her spirit, which is a shame because she was far more interesting than they ever were.
I understand.
They are murder victims. And you want justice for them. Although I think you are a bit too close to this case, Kayleigh. I'm sorry, Detective Tance.
I must be formal. After all, this isn't a social gathering but a murder inquiry.
I could lawyer up in a heartbeat. Screw you guys around a little more. But I won't.
They would only advise me to stop talking. Silence can't help now.
We both know that the evidence you have against me is enough, more than enough. You don't need a confession, but you need to know why I did it.
Why them? You want to understand how you could be so close to a monster and not see it.
Confession paused
Kayleigh took a big gulp of whiskey. It burned the inside of her mouth and the back of her throat.
Tegan had been right. She wanted to know why she hadn't seen she was a monster. Kayleigh wanted to know that more than she wanted justice for the victims or their families.
She'd let Tegan Riker into her life, her head and worst of all, into her heart.
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