“No. I want them to know I’ll make your life better. That I’m the only one who can do that for you.”
The only one who could love him the way he should be loved. Known to the core of his being the way she knew him and treasured the survivor that he was.
Gemma said, “They’re never going to think that, and it isn’t my job to prove it to them. I can’t do that.”
It would destroy her to have to try and convince everyone she was good enough for Dan. There would always be someone who wasn’t satisfied, and Gemma would tie herself in knots trying.
She broke from his grasp and ran to the lake.
Maybe she should leave, as John had suggested. She would never really be happy here, separated from the one person she wanted most in the world. God had captured Dan, taken hold of his whole life. Gemma didn’t even know how to do that for herself. And how would she compete with God, anyway? Dan was the thing she could never have but would always need the most.
Steps from the dock that stretched out over the lake, Gemma tripped. She sprawled on the ground in her dress and rolled. Dan slowed his sprint, his eyes on the ground between them.
He clicked on his flashlight.
Antonia lay on the dirt. Her lifeless eyes stared out, unseeing. Her skin was pale, her hair so dark it threw her complexion into Adams Family territory. Blood coated the front of her shirt, a macabre stain that soaked down into the dirt.
Gemma scrambled away, got tangled in her dress and fell back onto the grass. She climbed to her feet and opened her mouth. No words came out.
Garbled sound emerged from Dan’s mouth.
Gemma stared at Antonia’s chest, watching intently for movement. When she thought she saw the slightest rise, she moved across the grass on her hands and knees and pressed her fingers against the woman’s neck. She was wrong. “No pulse.”
She looked up. “Antonia’s dead.” Beyond Dan, Deputy Sheriff Mei Ling stood holding her gun.
“Both of you back away from the dead woman.”
Gemma was happy to oblige. She got up and rounded the body, but Dan hadn’t moved. His eyes were still locked with Antonia’s prone form. “Dan.” She grabbed his hand. “Come with me.”
Mei was going to notice his reaction in a minute. The deputy sheriff crept around them in a wide berth, her gun still out.
“Put that thing away,” Gemma told her. “You don’t need it. Antonia’s dead and it’s just us.”
His voice was a whisper. “I killed her.”
Gemma whipped her head around. “Dan, come with me. We’re going to walk away from Antonia right now.” She grabbed his waist and tried to muscle him. He wasn’t big. Why was he so heavy? “Dan, that’s Antonia.”
“I think Dan should come with me.”
“No.” Gemma wasn’t going to let that happen. “Dan, come with me. We’re going to walk away from here. Together. Everything is going to be fine, but you need to walk with me.”
He reached up and grasped her arms, his fingers gripping her biceps hard enough he was going to leave bruises. How could she snap him out of this? “Dan.”
“I killed her.” His voice was the broken whisper of a child.
“It’s Antonia,” she whispered back. “It’s just Antonia.”
Mei said, “You need to step back. Dan Walden is coming with me.”
“No.” She couldn’t step back, and neither did she want to. Dan wouldn’t let go of her, and she didn’t want to let go of him, either. “You’re not taking him anywhere.”
“Step back, Gemma.”
She tried to turn, to stand in front of Dan like a sentry so Mei couldn’t get to him. His grip on her wouldn’t let her move much, but she twisted. “Back off. Dan’s going back to his room, not to the station with you. He doesn’t need that.”
“It’s not up to you, Gemma. I have a gun and a badge and you don’t. Now back off.”
“No.”
Mei moved forward. Dan shifted her, and suddenly Gemma was behind him. The force of his moving her sent her to the ground again.
Mei lifted her gun. “Stand down.”
“Don’t talk to her like that.”
Gemma got up. This time, she grabbed his arm. “She said stand down.”
Mei looked between them. “I will shoot…one of you! Now both of you back off. My trigger finger is itchy.” Mei pointed her gun at Dan, then at Gemma.
“Don’t point that at her!” Dan’s throat turned red. Color spread to the top of his head. He launched at Mei, his hands reaching for the gun. Mei let go with one hand and punched him in the face.
“Don’t touch my weapon.” Her left hand, still holding the gun, shifted to point it at Gemma. “Get off me, or I will shoot her.”
Dan’s whole body solidified.
Gemma grabbed his shoulder and tugged him back. “Dan, come here.”
He spun her into his arms, probably to put her behind him again. To defend her. Gemma’s elbow flung out and connected with Mei’s temple.
The deputy sheriff cried out, but it sounded more mad than like she was in pain. Gemma hauled Dan away from her while Mei rallied.
She blinked, dazed, and her eyes narrowed on them. “On your knees, hands behind your head—”
She couldn’t be serious. “But—”
“Both of you are under arrest!”
Chapter 8
John took the stairs two at a time and flew out the door from his apartment into the sheriff’s office in socks, pajama pants, and a T-shirt.
Mei’s eyes widened, and she motioned to his pants. “SpongeBob?”
“They were a gift from Pat. And that’s not what we’re talking about.” It was for real. Mei had locked Dan and Gemma in the jail cell. Gemma was still cuffed.
Mei motioned to her to turn her back and lift her hands, then un-cuffed the librarian.
“Seriously?”
“Antonia is dead, and these two assaulted me.” Mei turned her face so he could see the color, high on her cheek.
“That was an accident,” Gemma called across the room.
“I don’t doubt that.” John scratched his head and turned to Mei. “Where is Antonia’s body?”
“On the ground at the lake.”
He didn’t want to call Elliot back the night of his wedding, but John might not have a choice. “We need Dr. Noel to act as medical examiner and bring her to the medical center. He can do the autopsy there.”
“She was shot.”
“And there will be evidence on her body that needs collecting.” John blew out a breath. “I know you haven’t been a cop long, but you’re not supposed to leave a body. Evidence could be tampered with. Anything that points to who her killer was is basically worth nothing at this point, given it could have been planted there or something could have been removed.”
Mei pulled something from her pocket. Her fingertips were bloody. “Bullet.”
John opened his hand as a reflex. She dropped the round into his palm. Had she dug it from Antonia’s body? “It’s a really good thing we don’t actually have a court system in this town—”
“I might actually get to kill someone.” Mei wiped off her hands and then poured herself a cup of coffee while John just stared.
“—because you’ve single-handedly destroyed any case we might have.” There was nothing else he could do. “You’re probably going to be fired after this.”
“Probably?” Gemma’s eyes were wide. “I’ve never been a cop, but I have read a lot of detective novels. I think she might be some kind of…” She blanched. “Andra doesn’t, like, recognize her or anything, does she?”
“She isn’t an assassin. I wouldn’t hire an assassin to be my deputy.”
Mei lowered her cup from her mouth. “But you did choose one to be your wife.”
“Andra doesn’t kill people anymore.” Why did he keep having to tell everyone that?
Mei shook her head. “That’s just something civilized people say to try and convince themselves they wouldn’t make
an exception if they seriously hated someone.”
John stared at her for a moment. “Mei, let them both out. I have to go to the scene and see to Antonia. I don’t want Gemma and Dan in my cell when I get back.” He wandered to the door that led to his upstairs apartment. “I cannot believe you arrested Dan Walden.”
After a second of quiet, Gemma said, “But you can believe she arrested me?”
Like he was going to get in the middle of that. “You either, Gemma.”
Mei folded her arms. “This man confessed to the murder of Antonia Hernandez.”
“He didn’t kill her,” Gemma yelled. “He officiated a wedding, and then he was with me!”
Mei huffed out a breath and wandered over to him. Her gaze on his was serious. “You’re too close to them, that’s your problem.”
“My problem is there’s a dead woman at the lake who was left alone instead of being taken care of with the respect she deserves as somebody’s daughter, somebody’s sister. We might not have a lot in this town, but I thought we had that.”
Not to mention it was likely John’s fault for drawing Antonia into this “mayor” thing. If Collins had killed her, John was going to have a hard time conducting a fair investigation. Collins would bring up what Ben had done to him, and no one would ever be satisfied the right thing had been done.
Olympia deserved justice for her daughter.
John ran a hand down his face. He was going to have to tell Olympia that her daughter was dead and Matthias, Maria and Sofia, that their sister had been killed. They deserved to know the truth, but things were so sticky he might not be able to do that for them. Mei likely wasn’t going to be all that much help, either. Especially if he needed someone impartial. Any other day, he’d have chosen Dan to be with him for this task.
Mei said, “I have evidence. My investigation is almost complete, and the pastor is smack in the middle of all of it.”
“Investigation?” John shook his head. “What investigation, Mei? You’re supposed to be getting to know these people. Making sure the tunnels aren’t an active security breach.” He motioned to the cell. “As for the pastor, his name is Dan.”
Mei waved away his words. “I don’t like to use their names.”
“You used Antonia’s.”
“She’s dead. What does it matter what I call her?” Gemma gasped, but Mei continued, “Once you start, you start to build something that’ll turn into a relationship.” She said it like it was a dirty word. “And then you end up actually caring about them. It’s a slippery slope.”
John couldn’t speak. Finally, he got out the word, “What?”
“What?”
“You’re supposed to be a deputy sheriff. I explained this, Mei. There are procedures.”
“You think that’s why I’m here?” She cocked her head to the side. “Procedures?”
John shut his eyes. “I’m going to get dressed, and then I’m going to Antonia. Then I’ll be informing her family that she was killed.” Lord, this is going to hurt them. Help me do this right. “When I get back, Dan and Gemma need to be out of that cell, and you and I are going to have a talk. About procedure.”
**
The sheriff went back upstairs, and Gemma turned to Mei. She caught the deputy’s gaze between the bars of the jail cell and said, “I told you that you weren’t supposed to leave Antonia’s body.”
Sure, it hadn’t made Mei super happy to hear that she shouldn’t just shove them both to the sheriff’s Jeep and drive them into town, but that wasn’t Gemma’s problem. Mei should have read the deputy sheriff’s manual better.
“I don’t need any help from you.” Mei actually looked a little chagrined. Gemma wouldn’t have thought that was possible. “Not when you’re so obviously going to cover for him no matter what.” She motioned toward Dan.
“Because he would never murder someone!”
Dan flinched. Gemma strode to where he sat on the cot, his gaze on the far wall like he wasn’t seeing anything. She crouched in front of him. “Dan?”
He hadn’t spoken to her in the car. He’d only sat there. It was she who had grabbed his hand.
John came back in, shrugging on his jacket. “I’m taking the car.”
“If you’re getting ahold of Elliot to see to Antonia,” Gemma called out, “maybe you could have him come and see Dan as well.”
John stopped, one hand on the front door handle, about to go outside. “Why does Dan need a doctor?”
Gemma wanted to get mad, but none of them knew. Dan had never told them even the first thing about his issues. Even people who’d lived in town their whole lives, or most of Dan and Gemma’s lives, knew only some. Not all of it.
Gemma touched his cheeks as softly as she could. “Dan.” She kept her voice soft. It was the only thing that worked. “Dan, can you hear me?”
He didn’t move.
“Dan, its Gemma. Everything is fine now.”
“I killed her.”
She flinched, even though he spoke in a whisper. “No, you didn’t. It wasn’t your fault, Dan. It never was.”
“He’s confessing to the crime.” Mei’s voice was low but excited. “He’s the one who killed Antonia.”
Gemma glanced at her and hissed, “That’s not even what he’s talking about.”
John shook his head. “We’re going to have to do this later. I have to get to Antonia.”
Mei stepped closer to the cell. “Oh, so he’s talking about his mom, then?”
Gemma froze. Dan actually blinked. “Dan, you have to come out of this. Come back to me.”
“Barn.”
“I’ll get you home.”
Mei said, “He must be talking about where he hid the body.” She gripped the bars. “Did you bury your mom in the barn, Dan? Is that what happened? All that blood on the living room floor. Was it a gunshot? Did you kill Antonia just the same way you killed your mom?”
Dan shifted both hands out, his arms flailing with them. Gemma was shoved with the force of his momentum. She fell back on her skirt again. “Dan!”
His face almost pressed through the bars. He yelled right in Mei’s face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“But you did kill someone. Right? You said it. You killed her.”
Gemma scrambled to her feet. “Mei, you need to back off.” She set her hand on Dan’s arm. “Dan?” He shrugged her off, and her arm whipped out at an awkward angle. Gemma hissed and held it with the other hand. “Seriously, Mei. Back off.”
The deputy folded her arms. “I don’t think so—”
John set his hand on her shoulder. “Mei, I think you should back off. Something is happening to Dan, and you’re not helping.”
“It’s called a confession. That’s part of police work, isn’t it?” Mei said. “I’m not letting him go if he’s telling us he murdered a woman.”
“How about I go to the murder scene and get us some evidence? Then we’ll actually know who killed Antonia.”
Dan stepped back from the bars. He glanced around, saw Gemma holding her arm, and frowned. “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“You shoved her,” Mei said. “A couple of times by my count.”
Gemma said, “Yeah, but when I elbowed you in the face it was way more fun.”
“Gem.”
She looked at Dan. “It’s fine. We’re both okay. Antonia’s the one who isn’t.”
“I’ll be back,” John said. “If you’re not going to let them go, then don’t talk to them, either. Make them coffee, but don’t ask them any questions and don’t engage.”
“Fine.” Mei moved away from him and sat at one of the desks.
“You okay, Dan?”
“Yeah, Sheriff.”
“Gemma?”
She didn’t glance away from Dan. “Yes.”
“I’ll be back.” John shot the deputy a pointed look. He’d seen Dan have what he called an “episode.” Did that mean he was going to do something about it?
/> Gemma had tried for years to figure out what would help. All she’d been able to work out was that she simply accept Dan, give him friendship, and let him be the man he wanted to be.
John shut the door behind him. Gemma looked once at Mei to make sure she wasn’t listening—she totally was—and then spoke low. “I’m sorry I kicked you out the other day. I shouldn’t have done that. Whether the info would help or not, I should have let you stay and let it be whatever it was going to be. So I’m sorry. That’s all.”
Dan touched the back of her neck with his hand, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. “Thank you, Gemma.” He gave her a small smile before it disappeared. “Did I hurt you?”
She opened her mouth to deny it.
“Yes, you did.”
“Mei.” Gemma shot her a look. “This is none of your business. Stay out of it.” She turned her body, so her back was to the deputy. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie. I hurt you.” She could see on his face that he hated the fact he’d left a mark on her, even if it was just a little bruise. That wasn’t the care he wanted to take with her—the kind she took with him. Both of them knew that, but she was going to convince him it was all good.
“It’s not important.”
“It’s important to me.”
“Well then call it even,” she suggested. “I hurt your feelings, you…” She turned her arm so he could see the red mark.
Dan hissed out a breath between his teeth. “I don’t like it. Not at all.”
“It is what it is. Don’t worry about that.”
“Antonia is dead.” He ran a hand down his face. “Olympia will be devastated. Maria is going to need help, and Sofia will have to find someone to assist her at the nursery. All of their lives will be irrevocably altered, and there’s nothing we can do to soften the blow. I don’t even think we’re supposed to be able to.”
“Aren’t there people at the church who will rally around them when something like this happens?” That was what church people did. She’d seen the pies being delivered.
Dan nodded. “Yes, but Olympia is usually the one doing it for others.”
“Then I’m sure there are plenty of people who will want to repay that favor.”
Sanctuary Forever WITSEC Town Series Book 5 Page 9