Girl Eight

by Melinda Woodhall

  For once Frankie seemed to be at a loss for words. He stared at Leo, cocking his head and frowning. Then he shrugged.

  “Okay. Whatever you say, boss man.”

  Leo walked Frankie to the door, wishing him luck with his effort to quit smoking. He hoped it would last, but knew it was a long shot.

  Frankie has surprised me before. Let’s hope he can do it again.

  Back at his desk, Leo picked up the pile of papers and reviewed his work. He’d finished filing the motion to have his father's guilty verdict thrown out.

  With luck, his father’s name would soon be officially cleared. And, more importantly, his mother's killer had finally been captured and was now facing justice.

  Leo wondered how Kramer would try to get out of the charges. The evidence against him seemed insurmountable, but the wily old police chief had gotten away with so much over the years, Leo wasn’t sure what he might try to pull now that he seemed to be cornered.

  Although Kramer’s own words may prove to be the final nail in his coffin. His confession to Eden in the shed that night would be hard to explain.

  He’d laid out all his dirty deeds and his reasoning behind them, and Eden had shared the information with the feds that had descended on the town.

  And of course, there was the physical evidence. Leo felt a hollow ache in his stomach when he thought of his mother’s sterling silver bracelet the police had found in Kramer’s house.

  Eventually it would be returned to him, and he wondered what he would do with it. Would it bring him comfort in the years to come, or just painful memories?

  The search of Kramer’s house had also turned up a collection of gruesome photos of the women he’d killed. His mother’s picture had been in a pile along with pictures of the other women. Her dead body had been photographed and kept as a keepsake.

  The thought of it made Leo feel sick, but he was glad the photo could be used as evidence to convict Kramer. Through her image, his mother would be one of the star witnesses against the killer.

  Leo turned to stare out the window, his mind full of the evidence he’d sorted through in the last few weeks as he’d prepared the case for dropping the charges against his father.

  He was convinced that once the feds had compiled all the evidence against Kramer, and added up the death toll from his crimes, he would be prosecuted, found guilty and sent to death row.

  It may take another twelve years to see final justice done, but Leo was now sure the day would come. He just wished the thought provided more comfort than it did.

  So, now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, why don’t I feel happy?

  Perhaps too much had happened for him to ever be truly happy. Maybe it was too late. Just because Kramer had been caught, didn’t mean he’d get his parents back. And it didn’t give his parents back the lives they’d lost. They had been cheated out of their life together, and there was no way to go back and change that now.

  Leo pulled open a drawer and took out a framed photo of his parents. He’d kept it on his desk for years, but had eventually stored it away, not wanting to see the constant reminder of how he had failed them. But now that he’d done what he could for them, maybe he should put it back on display.

  He stared at the picture, taken only months before his mother had died. He admired her long, dark hair and fine cheek bones. She’d been a lovely woman. A woman still in the prime of life. And she’d gazed with such love at his father, who looked so happy, and so young.

  Leo realized with a jolt that when his father had died, he hadn’t been much older than Leo was now.

  Leo studied his father’s dark hair and smiling eyes, aching for the man in the photo. Could that happy man have ever imagined the heartache and tragedy that lay before him?

  Can any of us really know what the future holds?

  Leo certainly had never pictured the road that he would end up travelling after his parent’s death. The thought of everything he had given up in his quest to avenge his parents troubled him.

  Had he missed out on having a family and future because of Kramer? Could he ever trust in someone enough to build a life together?

  His thoughts turned to Eden, and he wondered what she was doing, and if she was okay. After their joyful reunion on the helicopter, he'd tried to give her space to recuperate with her family. And he’d needed to time to do what needed to be done to clear his father’s name.

  But lately when he reached out Eden seemed distant and preoccupied. Perhaps she too was too damaged to trust in anyone again. Maybe it was too late for both of them.

  As if his brooding had conjured her to his door, Eden stuck her head into his office and smiled.

  “Duke and I though we would stop by and surprise you!”

  The golden retriever looked over at Leo with sleepy eyes and then sat at Eden’s feet with a yawn.

  “You’ll have to excuse Duke,” she said, laughing. “We just had a long drive back from Orlando. And he’s a little tired.”

  "I don't know if I’m more excited to see you or this big guy,” Leo teased, rising to give Eden a kiss, and then stooping to scratch the soft fur on Duke’s back. “I’ve been so worried about him. It's great to see him up and about. And it's great to see you, too."

  Eden stretched her hands above her head and sighed.

  “We’ve just said goodbye to Kara. She’s safely back in Orlando, ready to start a new life at her sister's house. I think she’s going to be all right.”

  Leo nodded and considered her wistful expression.

  “And what about you? Will you be all right?”

  Eden lifted a hand to his cheek and shook her head.

  “I’m tired of talking about me and how I’m doing,” she said, her voice growing playful. “I came by to see how you are. You’ve been through a lot and I know it’s been hard on you. So, I wanted to try again.”

  “Try again? What exactly are we going to try?”

  Leo’s mind began to paint a very interesting picture, but Eden laughed and shook her head.

  “Don’t get too excited. I’m suggesting we try to have a night in at my place. Maybe get some take-out and wine.”

  Leo’s heart jumped at her words.

  “That sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard.”

  Eden beamed at him, then blushed.

  “Of course, I may be able to get Barb to have the kids stay over at her place for the night, if I ask nicely.”

  Pulse racing, Leo picked up his keys and followed Eden outside to his car, thinking maybe he’d misjudged the situation after all.

  He pulled onto the highway and headed toward her house just as the first stars began to appear in the autumn sky.

  Chapter Fifty

  Heavy footsteps on the stairs alerted Eden and Leo that Barb was on her way down, and they drew apart quickly, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. The older woman smirked as she bustled into the living room and took note of their guilty faces.

  She called back up the stairs in an amused voice, “Come on, Hope and Devon. It’s time for us to go.”

  Lucky darted in from the kitchen and jumped onto the sofa between Eden and Leo. The little Yorkie nestle into the pillow and peered up at Leo, ready for some attention.

  “Lucky, you get over here right now,” Barb called, unable to stop herself from laughing at the look of dismay on Leo’s face. “You’re coming with us.”

  Eden stood and hugged Hope and Devon as they trailed out the door after Barb. She would drop them off at the movies and then pick them up and take them back to her place once the movie was over.

  “You two stick together and be careful,” Eden called after them. “No leaving the theater or talking to strangers.”

  Hope rolled her eyes and Devon stuck his thumb up and grinned as they pulled away in Barb’s big Buick. Eden watched the car disappear around the corner, her chest tightening with love and gratitude. She looked up at the stars and closed her eyes.

  They are wonderful kids, Mercy. I wish you could be
here to see them.

  As the stars twinkled overhead, Eden felt that Mercy was there somehow; she was a part of them all now. And as long as they were together, Mercy would be with them.

  Leo stepped up behind her and looked up at the stars, his cologne and warm skin making her dizzy with desire. She sank back against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

  It’s so good to feel something other than fear.

  As she turned to face Leo, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Leo murmured, pulling her inside and closing the door behind her.

  “No, you’d better get that. Someone might need you.”

  Although I doubt they need you as much as I do.

  Eden forced herself to walk back into the living room and sit on the sofa. She waited for Leo to take out his phone.

  “It’s Barker.”

  He smiled apologetically and tapped to answer the phone.

  “Hey Barker, how’d the trip go?”

  Eden looked at him with curious eyes, already wondering where Barker had gone, and why it involved Leo. Perhaps her recent investigative work was turning her into a busybody after all.

  “How did Vinny take the news?”

  Eden recoiled at the mention of Vinny Lorenzo, instinctively looking toward the stairs even though Hope was gone. She tried never to mention Vinny’s name when Hope was around. She worried that her niece’s happiness would be dimmed by memories of the man who had abducted her and tried to kill her only months before.

  “Okay, thanks for the update.”

  After Leo ended the call, Eden couldn’t help asking questions.

  “Did Barker really go see Vinny? What news did he have?”

  Leo nodded and ran a tense hand through his hair. His mood had darkened at the mention of the man who had caused so much trouble.

  “Nessa and Barker both went up to Raiford. Nessa wanted Vinny to ID Bellows, and Barker wanted to give Vinny the results of the DNA test they did to find out the identity of his father.”

  “So, what happened?”

  Eden was reluctant to talk about Vinny Lorenzo on their night alone, but she had to know.

  “Vinny was able to ID Bellows,” Leo said, his eyes hard. “Said he saw him at the Old Canal Motel the night his mother was killed.”

  “And how did he react to Bellow’s being his father?”

  Leo looked at Eden with raised eyebrows.

  “So, you didn’t hear about the DNA results?”

  Eden shook her head, confused.

  “No, what did the results say?” Eden asked, but before Leo could answer she added, “And If Bellows isn’t Vinny’s father, then why would he have killed Natalie?”

  “Chief Kramer is Vinny’s father.”

  Eden gasped, trying to digest the information.

  “So, Kramer and Natalie?”

  A deep furrow appeared on Leo’s forehead as he explained what the investigation had uncovered so far.

  “From what we can piece together Bellows and Kramer were in the military together in Germany. Kramer ran into some trouble and was dishonorably discharged. Something about drugging a local woman and attacking her. But Bellows wasn’t implicated. After Bellows left the service he came looking for Kramer. We think they’ve been partners in crime ever since.”

  Disgust bubbled up inside her.

  “Partners? You mean, they worked together to abduct women?”

  Leo nodded grimly.

  “That’s what it looks like. When Natalie accused Bellows of being her son’s father, both he and Kramer were at risk. Perhaps even they didn’t know for sure who Vinny’s father was. They just knew they had to stop Natalie from talking.”

  Eden tried to comprehend the extent of the men’s depravity.

  “And Kara? And the other girls in the stable?”

  “We think Bellows selected girls who were unlikely to be missed. Young women with a drug addiction or some other problem. Mainly women who had run away from a bad home life or were in some other trouble that made them unlikely to go to the police.”

  “And he just passed them on to Kramer? Why would he do that?”

  Eden stared into Leo’s eyes, but she could see that he didn’t know why. Perhaps no normal person could ever understand the mind of deranged killers like Bellows and Kramer. Perhaps it was better that they couldn’t.

  “I can’t explain it,” Leo admitted, holding her hands in his. “Perhaps in some sick way they were trying to protect each other. Maybe they used that as an excuse to justify murder.”

  Leo’s words felt like a punch in the gut. Eden recoiled and pulled away. She had tried to pretend she could have an honest relationship with Leo, but now she knew she never could. Not unless she told him the truth about what had happened the day Mercy died.

  That day she had killed a man. A man that had at one time been Leo’s client. She’d blocked the memories of what had really happened for years, but eventually she’d remembered everything. And while she had assured herself that she’d done it only to protect Hope and Devon, deep down she knew that wasn’t the only reason.

  She had wanted to take revenge on Preston for killing her sister. She had wanted to kill the man that had taken away the person she’d loved most in the world. So, yes, she had killed Preston to protect Hope and Devon, but she had also killed him out of anger and fear and rage.

  How can I have a real relationship with a man who doesn’t know what I’ve done? And what would he say if I told him the real reason why I did it?

  Leo stiffen, sensing immediately that something had changed.

  “Eden? What’s wrong?”

  Eden stood and paced across the room, keeping her back to Leo. She knew she had to make a decision. Either tell him the truth, the whole ugly truth, or let him go for good. There couldn’t be a middle ground. Either she trusted him, or she didn’t.

  Leo stood and walked toward her, but he didn’t touch her. He seemed to sense that she was upset, and that she needed space between them. He hovered in the middle of the room, a worried frown on his face.

  Eden turned to him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

  “I…I killed someone.”

  Her voice cracked on the words, and she dropped her head into her hands. When she looked back up, she saw that the blood had drained from Leo’s face. He stared at her with unwavering eyes.

  “Okay, now tell me what happened.”

  His voice was low and patient. He was ready to listen.

  “I shot Preston.” She choked on the words, hating herself for crying, but unable to stop the tears that flowed. “I killed my sister’s husband.”

  Leo stepped forward, his face stricken, but his arms reached out to gather her against him.

  “Oh my god, Eden. Why?”

  She pushed against his chest and looked up into his face, needing to see his expression. Needing to know what he was thinking.

  “Why?” she asked, her voice broken. “Preston had already killed Mercy. He was going to kill the children. He told me so. He told me to leave, but I wouldn’t. I grabbed the gun, and I shot him. I did it because…because I wanted him to die. I wanted him dead. And I wanted Mercy’s children to be safe.”

  Eden held Leo’s eyes, refusing to look away.

  “I’m glad I did it. And if I had it to do over again, I’d do it again.”

  Leo squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled. When he opened his eyes again they were clear and sure.

  “You’re not a killer, Eden. You’re not like Bellows or Kramer or Preston, who all killed innocent people, and ruined innocent lives. You save lives. You help people.”

  His voice faltered, then grew strong again.

  “You’ve helped me…more than you’ll ever know. Because of you the man that killed my mother is behind bars. You risked your life to do that. Killers don’t help people. Killers don’t save people. You do. You’re one of the bravest people I know.”

  Eden let out a cry of relief, not realizin
g until that moment how much she had needed Leo to understand, and how badly she wanted to be with him without any lies or secrets between them.

  “I’m sorry, Leo, for not trusting you sooner.”

  Eden took his hand and led him back to the sofa.

  “I was scared. It took me a long time to admit what I’d done even to myself, and the only other person who knows is Hope. She was there. She saw everything.”

  “God, the poor kid.” Leo shook his head. “You’ve all been through so much.”

  Eden smiled sadly and took his big, warm hand in hers.

  “I guess that’s why you fit right in here. We’ve all been through so much and so have you. Who else would understand?”

  Leo squeezed her hand and looked at her with hopeful eyes.

  “So, you think I fit in with your family?”

  Eden grinned and nodded.

  “Yeah, I think you do. But maybe you could start spending lots of time over here with us, just to make sure.”

  “That sounds like the best idea…”

  But Eden had already pulled him in for a kiss.

  When she looked up Duke was sitting next to her, staring at them with dejected eyes.

  “Either he’s jealous, or he needs to go out,” Leo teased.

  “I think it may be a little of both,” Eden agreed, standing and walking toward the kitchen. “You coming, too?”

  Leo jumped up and followed Eden out the backdoor. As they walked behind Duke through the quiet neighborhood, Eden knew she would be foolish to think the danger and hard times were behind her.

  As long as she tried to help women in need, she would be putting herself in the way of men who wanted to harm them. She had made a vow to honor her sister’s memory by saving other women, and she would never allow herself to break that promise.

  But as she walked next to Leo, his strong hand in hers, she realized maybe she didn’t have to fight the bad guys all on her own. Eden suddenly felt lighter as she followed Duke down the street and into the starry night beyond.

  Acknowledgements

  WRITING A BOOK IS USUALLY A LABOR OF LOVE that requires a writer to spend quite a bit of time tucked away from the people she loves. I’m grateful to have an understanding family that gave me both the time and love I needed to write this book.