Pulling the balaclava over their head, the kidnapper revealed themself.
“Jerry Dunkirk.” What the actual fuck was going on here? Jude felt like he’d been gut punched. “I don’t understand.”
“Obviously. Do you have any idea what it was like being with you?” Jerry asked, his voice cold and emotionless.
Jude shook his head. He had no idea and truth be told, didn’t want to hear Jerry Dunkirk run it down for him. All he wanted to know was why this was happening.
“You were my dream come to life. My first and only true love.” Jerry said, his voice barely above a whisper. “My mother hated me because her plan to trap my father into marrying her didn’t work. After he gave us the boot, Mom moved to New Hampshire, married a dentist, and had a second family.”
“Courtney?” Jude asked.
“Yes and another brother named Philip.”
“That’s why you Courtney have different last names?” It was a minor detail, but Jude was curious, nonetheless.
“Dunkirk was my mother’s maiden name. She gave it to me since my father wouldn’t claim me as his son. Wilcox is my step-father’s last name. Mom took that name when she married my step-dad.”
Jude took a deep breath. “I don’t understand. You put a plan into action where your sister infiltrates my suburban neighborhood and you kidnap me because I didn’t want a relationship with you?” He was gobsmacked. “We stopped seeing each other eight years ago.”
“And every single one of those days cut like a knife. I sat and watched from the shadows as you took home man after man after man. A different one each night. You didn’t return my calls and blocked my number. You didn’t want to see me again. You used me and threw me away, as if I meant nothing to you.”
“Because you didn’t,” Jude snapped. “You’re just another fucker who can’t take no for an answer. No means no. I’d seen you in the club several times before I’d approached you. I wasn’t the only one going home with a different man each night or disappearing into the men’s room with some rando to relieve the bulge you’d put in his pants. After we stopped seeing each other, you could have had anyone. You still could. Men were all over you last night. You had your pick.”
“I didn’t wantanyone. I wanted you!” Jerry shouted.
Jude though back over the last eight years of his life. He’d fucked his share of men in the eighteen months or so between his nights with Jerry and when he met Cope. He’d changed careers, adopted Wolf, married Cope, bought a house, and brought Lizbet home. They’d been the best years of his life, but in that time, instead of moving on, Jerry stewed and plotted revenge. “Why me?” It was the only question Jude could think to ask.
Jerry laughed. “You always thought you were the center of the universe, Jude. So narrowminded that you couldn’t see the forest for the trees. It seems nothing has changed. You’re missing the bigger picture.”
Jude stared at Jerry, truly not knowing what to say. What big picture was there? Did it have to do with Cope or the kids? “Leave my family out of this. I hurt you. Hurt me in return, not my kids.”
“I couldn’t give two fucks about your family, Jude. Used to be you didn’t want to be tied down. Didn’t want kids, responsibilities, a ball and chain. I always thought we’d hook up again at some point, but then you stopped coming to the club. I didn’t a little detective work of my own and found out all about Cope and his psychic friends network. Even had a reading by that curly haired guy. He told me that he saw a chasm opening up before me, but that there was time to reverse course to keep myself from being swallowed alive.”
There was no doubt Jerry had met with Tennyson. Had Ten recognized him at the police ball? Not that it mattered now, Jude was imprisoned in some fucking basement, courtesy of his raging libido and his high opinion of himself. He should have known that his sleeping around would come back to haunt him someday, but he never could have imagined this scenario. Jerry spent the last eight years crying in his Cheerios and plotting revenge on Jude. “What happens now?”
“I’m gonna just leave you here and see if you can connect all the dots to reveal the big picture.”
Jude’s stomach grumbled. “I’m hungry.”
“As a condemned man, I suppose you deserve a last meal. Big Mac, no onions, fries, chocolate shake?” Jerry offered a dazzling smile. It had been his smile that had drawn Jude to him like a moth to a flame.
Jude nodded, slightly shocked that after nearly a decade Jerry still remembered his go-to McDonalds order. “Minus the drugs, this time.”
“I’m not going to drug you again, Jude. Silly boy. I want you awake and excruciatingly aware of what’s to come.” Without saying another word, Jerry turned and walked out the door.
Jude almost burst out laughing when he realized Jerry hadn’t shot the bolt on the outside door. If he really was going to go out and get Jude food, then this was the time to try and escape.
“I’m coming home, Cope,” Jude said and detached the handle from the bucket. Jerry had made a good point when he said Jude had never wanted to be tied town with a husband or a family, but now, Jude couldn’t imagine his life without them.
Over the years, Jude liked to think he’d grown and matured, shedding his old promiscuous, responsibility-free life, like a snake sheds it’s skin. He’d been reborn thanks to Cope and the kids. Nothing would stop him from getting back to his family.
Nothing.
13
Cope
As Cope followed behind Ronan and Fitzgibbon into the Jonathan F. Langevin Memorial Library on the Salem State University campus, the detectives slung their badges around their necks, hanging from a chain. Cope couldn’t help but wonder if the next time he saw Jude’s badge would be when a uniformed police officer returned it, along with the folded flag that had covered Jude’s coffin. Shaking his head, Cope tried to knock that image out of his head.
