(Josie's POV)

I knew that the smartest move was to get Candy talking but holy shit, I hadn't realized how eye-opening it was going to be. She was certifiably insane.

I mean, of course, she was. I had been kidnapped by her. She planned on torturing and murdering me. But this was Candy we were talking about. My archnemesis sure, but not because she was a killer. It was as if I had stepped into an alternate reality and was just trying to find my bearings.

I had known her since kindergarten. The fact that I hadn't known... hadn't realized that she was absolutely insane was more than troubling... it was downright terrifying. It added an extra layer of worry on top of the shit pile I already had because it meant she was strategic and smart.

What were the chances that they were going to find me in time?

She started off by telling me about her first murder. The cop in me listened to the information knowing it was Sarah James she was talking about. That she had been saving up to go away for her first year of university. That she had never reached her twentieth year. That her family had blamed themselves for their reaction to her coming out.

So young. So tragic.

"I had been dating Terry for two years. He was the first boyfriend that I had allowed myself to be with after Lincoln."

As she said Lincoln's name, she stared me down silently, as if waiting for me to say something. I was more concerned with hearing the rest of the story.

"I thought he was taking me out on a romantic date, but it turned out he was taking me out on a date to break up with me. He thought I wouldn't make as much of a scene in a public place."

Props to Terry for recognizing her crazy.

"He told me that he had met someone else. That he was with someone else and couldn't carry on the charade any longer."

I was appalled as she continued on, her biggest issue with the evening was that the waitress looked like me. "It was like you were there, you were the reason for another horrible breakup. First Lincoln, then Terry."

She didn't seem to hold Terry accountable for his actions at all. It wasn't that he had cheated on her. That he had moved on. That he had broken up with her in public and then left her to pay for the tab. It was Sarah's fault, how dare she be born looking like me?

"Can you believe that she watched him break up with me and then asked me to pay the bill? The fucking nerve!"

Like that was the waitress's fault. Did she even know that he had broken up with you?

She waved her hand in the air. "I knew that it was all a sign that I was meant for something more."

Does more mean torturing and killing multiple women? 

Her mask of sanity was well and truly gone and I was appalled. Before I could help myself, I said, "I personally, would have blamed Terry."

I knew right away that I had messed up. I wasn't meant to speak. The fury flashed in her eyes as she launched herself out of the chair she had been sitting in and pounded her fist into my jaw.

There was an ugly crunch as I veered backward, and my body hit the wall. The cuffs scraped against my wrists as my body shifted, swinging in the air and then came back to a standstill.

One of her rings must have cut me. There was blood dripping down my chin and the immediate ache told me it was going to bruise.

She was oblivious to my pain or she didn't care. Most likely the latter.

She walked back to her chair, pulling on the bottom of her shirt. Re-arranging her clothes as she sat down prim and proper. It was as if she hadn't just gone fists of fury on my face.

I knew she was going for a calm façade, trying to slip back on her mask. It wasn't working. Now I knew what was underneath.

"Men are fickle beasts Josie, but it's the women that tempt them that are the true problem. I realized long ago that I needed to rid the world of all these bitches."

My headache was back with a vengeance and my chained hands had caused my arms to go to sleep again. I blinked repeatedly, looking at her through the stars that were dancing behind my eyes.

How had we all missed this?

I reminded myself to keep quiet. That the only way that this plan of mine was going to work, was if I kept a lid on my thoughts.

Act like you are interested, like you agree with her.

My jaw was throbbing, but I ignored it and nodded. "Is that why you drugged me, because Lincoln was a fickle beast?"

I didn't know she could smile that big. So, pleased that I understood. "He'd just broken up with me and he couldn't take his eyes off you. Who wears a fucking white bikini to a Canada Day party? You always were a slut."

Jesus. Keep her talking. Buy more time.

"And Lincoln? Why did you drug him?"

Her answering cackle made me shudder.

Come on. Confess it all you god damned pyscho.

"Jon was raving about how you were coming home early to surprise Lincoln. He was telling anyone and everyone. I had been waiting years to ruin you guys and he was offering it up to me on a silver platter."

I felt tears pool and willed myself not to let them fall. We had assumed all of this, but it was another thing to hear it confirmed. To hear how intentional it was. 

"He was drinking hard that night, it wasn't tough to slip a little something extra into his drink. It all worked like a charm... except..."

She giggled and batted her eyelashes at me, waiting for me to beg her for more...

It worked, I needed to know, "Except?"

"Come on Josie. Do you really think that he would be able to perform when he was so out of it? It turned out to be too hard for him."

She shrieked with laughter. "Hilarious right? There was no way he was getting it up that night. I just needed you to think we had sex. When I heard that you had ended it, I don't think I had ever been so happy."

She gestured to me. "Until now that is. I have been waiting a long fucking time to kill you."

I couldn't bring myself to focus on the threat she was issuing.

Years, we'd lost years together and they hadn't even had sex?

My self-control was officially non-existent as the tears started to fall.

She watched me ugly cry like I was the best god damn show she'd ever seen.

As my tears dried up, I stayed quiet. I knew I couldn't keep my cool if I started to talk so decided to not say anything at all. 

Candy was obviously disappointed with my reaction. She coughed a little. "Whelp, my throat is dry from all this girl talk."

She winked at me and then without saying another word she got up and went up the stairs, leaving me in complete darkness again.

I closed my eyes, trying to pull myself together. I knew I needed to stay positive.

When I got out of here, we would have everything we needed to put her in a cell for the rest of her life. Now I knew what the basement looked like. I knew there were items here I could use to help me. I pulled on my chains again. I wasn't going to be able to pull out my chains, but she didn't have my legs constrained. I could use them if she got close to me again. I hadn't been ready for her to hit me the first time, but I would be if it happened again. When it happened again.

I knew that I could get her mad enough to come at me. I just needed to bide my time.

I tried to give myself a little pep talk: I had managed to keep her talking, the drugs had fully worn off and although my head was pounding, I felt like I was fully functioning. Plus, she had left me alone, hopefully giving everyone more time to hunt her down.

I closed my eyes, satisfied that I had a semblance of a plan. I knew that the more I rested, the stronger I would be. So, I took a few deep breaths and went back to my memory surfing. Calming my body and willing myself to go back to sleep.