Being pregnant was miserable. Every single morning at 6 a.m., I was running to the bathroom with morning sickness. It was practically my alarm, in fact Kris used it as his wakeup call, too. Every little smell plagued me with a fit of nausea. All I wanted to eat was vanilla ice cream and greek yogurt. Kris had kindly stocked up on all those of items for me, and made sure that I had everything I needed.
Say what you wanted, but he was always on his best behavior when I was pregnant. It was like a switch flipped in his brain and he became the man I wanted him to be. I figured it had something to do with his childhood, he wanted so desperately to do the opposite of what his father did, that he doted on his family.
It didn't help to ease my guilt the more attentive he was. Today was no different as today the FBI was going to take my official statement to get me placed in their witness protection program. I would have to tell them everything from the moment Kris and I met, to the moment he and I made it to Tulsa and began our lives here.
The FBI obviously couldn't divulge information pertaining to their investigation but their behavior indicated that they had something on Kris, something that could bring him down. So I was right, the stain in the basement did mean something. My stomach was twisted into knots as I made it to the Tulsa field office.
Jordan was sound asleep in his car seat and barely moved as I carried him through the door and set him down on the counter to check in. Agent Valentine and Agent Porter quickly met me in the reception area, then escorted me into the elevator.
My heart beat rapidly against my chest, hopping into my throat every now and then when the weight of the reality of the situation crashed on top of me. I gripped the handle to Jordan's car seat tightly, using that hard plastic as a check to myself.
Everything would be fine.
We reached our floor and Agent Porter led the way as Agent Valentine trailed behind me.
Agent Porter turned down a hallway before stopping at a large metal door halfway down. He pointed for me to go inside and take a seat. I paused spotting Zach, Jenny, and another man inside. The agents shut the door and asked me to take a seat again. The man stood, fixing his suit jacket before extending his hand out for me to shake.
He introduced himself at Calvin Meyers, and was a lawyer appointed by the FBI. Agent Valentine took over explaining that this was just a measure of precaution given that I was testifying against my husband and wanted to have legal counsel available in case I needed it.
"Um, can't Kris claim spousal privilege?" I asked.
"He can, but our lawyer has found a loophole. The marriage certificate has fake names, so he may be your husband in your eyes, but legally you're not married. That being said, Kris can claim it, but it doesn't hold water."
I nodded, taking in a deep breath. Agent Porter removed a small rectangular recorder from the inside pocket of his jacket, and set it on the table. He reminded me that Zach and Jenny were here for support, but would have to step outside during my interview.
They smiled at me, assuringly, then stepped out, shutting the door behind them. Calvin stood, coming over to take a seat beside me. I glanced at Jordan, reminding myself that this was for him and for the little one inside of me.
Agent Porter pressed the record button starting with, "It is Thursday, December 18th, 2020. Present in the room is Agent Alec Valentine, Jordana Maria Gonzalez, currently going by Lynda Davenport also known as Maria Marner, Calvin Meyers, her lawyer, and myself, Agent Todd Porter."
The agents made themselves comfortable before setting notepads onto the table. They asked me if I needed anything before we began the interview.
I shook my head, beginning to bounce my leg up and down.
"Can you please start from the moment you two met?" Agent Valentine asked.
So I did, beginning from those first few messages we exchanged, all the way up until our date. Recounting the story made all those feelings of terror flood back. It reminded me of when I had to hash it out for the FBI for Agent Backstrom and Agent Trotz. She had been so kind to me during the interview, even though I was being combative, and yet, she had met the fate she deserved. She must've known all that time was Kris was capable of, and was laughing with Taylor about me. I wondered about Agent Trotz sometimes, and whether he'd be brought back for this case. He'd been assigned the case when Kris escaped, he might just finish this once and for all. But he was also too close to the case, he didn't even see his partner for who she truly was.
I went through the 6 months that he held me captive, and how he hadn't let me shower for three months for trying to escape. I detailed what life was like living in the doll room, and how my brief decent into madness made me talk to them.
It helped pass the time, especially when that was all I had on my hands, was time.
The agents and Calvin took diligent notes as the recorder noted every single word I said. There was a mirror on the left side of the room and I knew that there were other people there. I was like a display, the wife of the most notorious serial killer of this millennium.
I knew that bringing Kris in would mean notoriety for Agent Valentine and Agent Porter and infamy for me and my children. I would have no protection, my face would be all over the media. Those thoughts sealed my lips.
They FBI wouldn't protect me. My face would leak to the media and being put into witness protection would mean nothing.
Agent Valentine reached out, patting the empty space near my hand.
"I can't testify in court." I said, locking my eyes on his.
"Why not?" Agent Valentine asked, glancing at Agent Porter.
"My identity will not remain hidden, I know it. The jury, the cartoonist in the courtroom, my face will be exposed and the contract I signed will mean nothing. I cannot let my children know who their father is."
"Maria, we promised to conceal your identity. It's in the contract." the agents said.
"You've already recorded my name for this interview." I pointed out.
"This is just for the record. We will do everything to make sure that you and your children are safe." Agent Porter assured.
I looked at Calvin and he nodded.
"Kris is not inherently evil, he was raised this way. His childhood was destroyed by the actions of his parents. He can be good, he's just lost his way." I said.
The agents stopped writing and looked at me.
"Maria, we understand that this is difficult, however whether he is a good man or not is subjective. He has killed many women and we suspect that he has killed others here in Tulsa."
My blood drained from my face, thinking back to the spot I had seen in the basement.
"What has happened?" I asked.
Agent Valentine placed a manila folder on the table and removed a photo of a woman with long red hair and sparkling green eyes. It reminded me of Jenny.
"Her name is Delphi Lancaster, she is married to Dr. James Lancaster. She went missing a few weeks ago while her husband was on a business trip. He works for Doctors Without Borders and travels often."
I pulled the photo closer to me, lifting it up to get a better look. She didn't look familiar, and not the type that Kris went for.
"I don't know her." I said.
The agents nodded, then Agent Valentine slid over another photo.
"We found her body about a week after she went missing at Lake Yahola, along with the body of another young woman, a 17-year-old girl named Layla Delgado."
The name immediately rang a bell.
"Kris is investigating that right now." I said.
Agent Valentine shuffled uncomfortably. "Yes, we've been made aware of that."
"Okay but what does this have to do with Kris?" I asked, holding up the image of Delphi's body. "Dismembering bodies is not his MO."
"She is of interest because she was a member of Madame Daphne. She had been having conversations with someone named DarkValleyStranger.
My stomach curled and I felt my breakfast come up into my throat.
What the fuck did you do, Kris?
Hot tears welled up in my eyes. They stung as I struggled to hold them back.
"Is everything okay?" Calvin asked.
I shook my head, trying to distract myself with Jordan's blanket. His little feet were wrapped up in footie pajamas. They had little blue snowflakes printed on the white material of his onesie. His blanket matched, and had been a gift from one of Kris' work friends.
"Maria?" Agent Valentine called out.
"That's his screen name." I quietly said.
"What's that?" Agent Porter.
"When we met on the app, that was his screen name." I repeated.
I remembered when I was being held captive, I had once asked Kris what his screen name meant. He had told me and it had stuck with me.
"I am a dark stranger in a dark valley, and there is no light here for me or for you." I said aloud.
Remembering his monotone as he spoke those words sent a shiver down my back. After he said that, I was sure that I was going to die there. I would be turned into a doll and live forever in the house of a madman.
"If he was the last person that she spoke to, then Kris killed her." The sentence was heavy on my tongue. "How did you find out who she was talking to? I thought the accounts were private."
"We were able to gain access through her cell phone. The app did not have a password and we found all of her messages." Agent Porter explained.
My mind reverted back to the dark spot in the basement. I had seen it weeks ago and while I couldn't be sure, the time frame coincided with Delphi's disappearance.
"I have reason to believe that he may have killed her in our house." I said quietly.
Speaking those words made it a reality. That son-of-a-bitch had killed someone in our home, where his son slept. I curled my fists in anger. Nothing was sacred to him.
"Why do you believe that?" Agent Valentine asked.
"The dark spot in the basement that I told you guys about. There was a faint odor of bleach in the area. It's not much, but maybe through testing, you may be able to make a DNA match to Delphi." I whispered her name.
Bleach. His calling card. It had come to mind the moment I smelled it.
"Are you sure?" Agent Porter asked.
"Yes." I nodded.
Agent Valentine removed another folder and removed a third photo.
"This is Marissa Lewis-Martin. She went missing two weeks ago. She too was on the website and her last known contact was with DarkValleyStranger. Again the information was obtained through her cell phone. Three days ago, another young woman was reported missing, Sofia Garcia. She was the receptionist at a veterinary hospital. From our records, you were at the veterinary hospital just days before she went missing." he said.
Of course, the receptionist! That's why he rejected my affection while we were there. He was working on her.
"We're going to pull his cell phone records, but can you confirm that Kris had contact with the receptionist?" Agent Porter asked.
"Yes. I didn't really pay attention to it, but hindsight is 20/20. He was working on her, right in front of me and I refused to see it."
I was so stupid! My guilt congealed into pure anger. I was too wrapped up in the FBI and my denial that I didn't notice Kris had returned to his old ways. He had killed two women already, and the evidence was in my basement.
"One day... I followed Kris, and he met with a blonde woman at a restaurant. She may or may not be the next victim. I think Kris made another account to throw you guys off, and he's been communicating through that. I know his password, I think." I told them.
I reached for his notepad and scribbled down Jordan's birthday.
"Can you describe this blond woman to a sketch artist?" Agent Valentine asked.
"Yes."
Hi y'all! How was your weekend? Sorry I haven't responded to any comments from last chapter. I'm finishing up the last week of my semester and have finals.
How was this chapter? I took a break to write it haha.
Let me know your thoughts!