The Joy of Revenge

CHAPTER 126 She's Back? Jack “Joy Taylor?” | croaked. My mouth had suddenly gone dry.

Joy Taylor... hearing her ncout of Lisa's mouth felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped on my head.

Joy Taylor was in contact with the Big Boss of the Angels of Darkness? She had ties with the mafia? What?! It couldn't be possible.

| coughed, trying to hide the dread | was feeling. After all these years, someone had cback from the dead.

“I'm sorry,” | said. “Did you just Joy Taylor? The sJoy Taylor we went to high school with?” ip to make “Yes, Jack,” she answered harshly. “Do you know any other Joy Taylor?” | bit my lip sure this wasn’t one of my nightmares.

“Did this man tell you who the target is?” | asked, beginning to sweat. It could be any one of us or all of us.

“Unfortunately, he hung up before | could ask.” She leaned forward and looked around, before she continued.

“Jack, | have never asked either one of you, not even Cris, what happened that night of the Spring Formal. But think about it. Spring Formal is next week marking the ten year anniversary of Joy Taylor's sexual assault by unknown men who until this day have not been apprehended. Theodore and Cynthia are dead, Nicole is hurt and now, Cris is missing. Although | have no idea what Cynthia McDowell has to do with all this, | do know Mayor Theodore Cohen used all his connections to keep you guys out of jail. Cris is already one off her list.” | could tell she felt betrayed by all the lies. It was in her voice. “That leaves her with just three left... Liam, Dan and you, Jack.” | grabbed her arm and squeezed it. “Letmake this clear. We had nothing to do with Joy Taylor. You hear me?” | quickly let go of her, before | did anything more to hurt her.

answers “You're scared,” Lisa said, massaging her arm. “I can see it in your eyes. | can see the to all my questions regarding that night ten years ago just by looking at you.” The corner of 6 1/6 CHAPTER 126 She's Back? Joy Taylor is truly back to get her revenge, there is no doubt in my mind, she’ll cfortoo. | was her bestfriend, a person she trusted. And what did | do? I lured her to you.” She stood up and grabbed her phone.

“Find my husband. | don’t care if you bring him back toin a body bag. Just find him. Thank you, Undersheriff.” “If Cris gets in contact with you, don’t hesitate to call,” | said gruffly. “And don’t forget to visit Nicole.” That went well...

“Oh, I will,” she said, sighing. “I can’t help, but reminisce about high school. You know, | was so lucky to beca cheerleader during our senior year. All thanks to Nicole, of course. For three years, | was a nobody, just like Joy, but csenior year, | was popular. If there’s one thing | regret, it was that need to becone of you guys. | should've just accepted the fact that | could never becpopular. Maybe Joy would still be here. Maybe instead of Bo’s, it would still be the Taylor's supermarket. Maybe Joy would have married Noah.” Maybe Joy would have married me. | was kind of getting to know her our junior year since Abigail made it clear | disgusted her. But my dad was diagnosed with cancer during that t we needed the money.

“Stop it, would you? You're givinggoosebumps.” Lisa looked atwith a smug expression on her face. She knew she was getting to me.

“How about a cheer before | go?” She asked, her eyes twi nkling with mischief. “You better watch your back, because Joy Taylor's back!” She laughed and turned to exit the station. | wanted to shoot her in the head.

“Joy Taylor is back?” A curious voice asked behind me.

| closed my eyes, annoyed someone had overheard us. | turned around and found Norma Martin standing behind me. Of all the people who could have heard, it was big mouth Norma.

“No,” | said. “We were just reminiscing about high school.” “I've always wondered if she'd ever cback, Norma said. “Especially after Cynthia took her inheritance from her.” “What?” | thought hard. | remember Dan telling us Pete would pay us once the land was sold to his mother. | didn’t know that land was Joy's inheritance.

2/6 CHAPTER 126 She's Back? “You didn’t know?” Norma said, smiling wickedly. Even though her eyes were all puffy from crying, she still managed to look evil. “The land Hill Crest is built on formerly belonged to George Taylor. Cynthia tried everything to get that land, but George wouldn't sell. He said it was Joy's inheritance. Well, we all know what happened right? Joy Taylor was brutally raped and they left town, that is, after George sold the property to Cynthia.

Cynthia, may her soul rest in peace, always got what she wanted... by h ook or by crook. If | were Joy Taylor, I'd definitely exact revenge on the person who started all of this in the first place and the one person who covered it all up.” She moved closer to whisper in my ear. “My son is innocent, Jack. He didn’t murder Theodore Cohen like all of you nitwits are implying. But | know who did. By the way, if you can get in touch with Bo’s lawyer, I'd appreciate it. | fired our lawyer for being such a pu ssy to go against the Cohens. Do hurry. | want my son out when the sun comes up.” She smirked and turned to walk back to the waiting area.

Cynthia, Theodore, Nicole and now Cris...

Abigail wasn’t part of the whole thing, but she did keep quiet all these years.

But people would notice a tall, brown haired, blue-green eyed woman walking the streets.

Hell, | would.

She was the one girl who haunted my nightmares, every night for the past ten years.

| decided to walk outside and make a couple of phone calls. | didn’t want Norma to eavesdrop onagain.

| dialed, hoping Liam would answer. He didn’t. | decided to call Dan. Luckily, he answe “Jack, it’s five in the morning. Not even my mother wakesup this early.” “We have a problem,” | said. “Lisa cby to file a missing person's report. Cris has gone. missing.” He scoffed.

“Like Cris hasn't gone off the radar before, Jack, Dan said. “He’s a grown man. He'll chwhen he’s good and ready.” “That's the thing... Lisa placed GPS trackers in all his shoes. She says the one pair he’s wearing isn’t pinging a location, including the tracker she has on his car. We tried calling. him, but it goes straight to voicemail. Anyway, before | tell you more, | gotta ask, have you any idea where Pete is?” | asked.

“No and I'm telling you the truth,” Dan replied. “Maybe Cris is with him that’s why the signal on the trackers you have on him are jammed” 3/6 CHAPTER 126 She's Back? “I don’t know, Dan. Cynthia and Theodore are dead, Nicole's in the hospital and Cris-" “Nicole's in the hospital?! What the f uck! Why wasn’t | informed?” He screamed. | had to pull my phone away from my ear.

“Sorry about that. I've been really busy with the Theodore Cohen investigation,” | apologized. “A truck crashed into her while she was driving her mother’s old car last night. She flew out the windshield. She's stable, but from what | saw, she’s gonna need a lot of therapy.” “Poor thing... I'll visit her later,” Dan uttered sadly. “Okay, is there anything else you want to tell me? Since I'm wide awake from the news of Nicole's accident.” “Well, Lisa said she got a call from a man using an unknown number. She said the man told her Alejandro De Vega says he has nothing to do with all the s hit happening here. The man also mentioned she would never find Cris and that Ortiz has consented to a sanctioned hit.” Sanctioned hit? Did this man tell Lisa who the target is?” “She said the man hung up before she could ask him,” | answered.

“And aside from Ortiz, who is the other contracting party?” He asked. | sighed.

“Joy Taylor.” | heard him laugh.

Is this a prank? Are you and Lisa in on this together? Because it isn’t funny, Jack,” he scoffed.

“Then why are you laughing, Dan, because Lisa wasn’t laughing when she told me,” | said.

“Who called her?” “She said the voice sounded like Pete's,” | answered.

“That lu natic is here watching us, toying with us,” Dan muttered. “I don’t believe a thing that he says and you shouldn't either. Cris must have sk ipped town to make it appear it was Joy Taylor. Pete's right... you can’t find someone who doesn’t want to be found. Gosh, Jack, stop being gullible and think. Pete is behind all of this and he’s using Joy Taylor to mess with our heads!” S hit... Dan was right. Why did | have to give in to my fears?! 4/6 CHAPTER 126 She's Back? impeccable.

“I have another problem,” | mumbled. | heard Dan let out an angry sigh.

“What is it this time?” “Norma heard Lisa, now she believes Joy Taylor killed Theodore and her son is innocent.” “Do | always have to do the thinking for you? Complete and utter deniability. When she uses Joy Taylor as Ford's scapegoat, make it appear she’s sick in the head.” | smiled. Ford gets incarcerated and there's a chance | could get Norma Martin locked.

the psychiatric ward.

It was a win-win.

up in | took out the business card Lincoln Murphy gaveand dialed. He answered.

“Mr. Murphy, good morning,” | greeted him. “This is Undersheriff Jack Emery.” “Good morning, Undersheriff. Seems... | dozed off,” he said, obviously annoyed at being caught off guard. “How can | help you?” “Norma Martin askedto call you. | think Bo Xavier, a client of yours, told her to get touch with you. She needs you to represent her son. He's here in a holding cell at the Sheriff's station.” “On what grounds?” He asked.

“Murder,” | answered.

“Does this by any chance have to do with the former mayor's untimely death?” He asked.

“Yes, it does.” | heard him mutter something unintelligible under his breath.

“Ill just check up on Nicole Davis first, take a shower, then I'll head to the station. I'll have my secretary set a bail hearing for this morning,” he rambled like he was reading a ‘to d do’ list.

“You're still at the hospital?” | asked, surprised.

“Yes. | wanted to make sure she was stable before | left. Tell my client not to say a word -546 Tue, Apr CHAPTER 126 She's Back? It was almost half past five, so | decided to head to the diner to get sbreakfast. | was g my mouth with bacon and eggs when my phone rang. It was the Sheriff.

“I've got sbad news.” S hit.

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