Colton's Fugitive Family

by Jennifer Morey

  “There has to be a way to convince him,” Demi said. “Everything has changed over the last year.”

  “She’s right,” Lucas said. “Everyone worked together on the Groom Killer case and in bringing the Larson twins to justice, and Fenwick backed off on Layla’s marriage to Hamlin. I’ve never seen the Coltons and the Gages closer than they are now.” He kept to himself that he, himself, had grown closer to a Colton.

  “Then we must make Fenwick see that and get past the old feud.”

  Lucas had never been prouder of his father. He had obviously forgiven the Coltons, and this amicable deal he had on the table would satisfy both the Gages, who still felt slighted, and Coltons, who still felt they owed the Gages nothing. After all, the Coltons would gain something in return. They’d gain five years of stability and prosperity.

  A commotion erupted at the entrance of Edson’s estate, which was sizable, making the sounds far away but growing closer. The housekeeper must have opened the door because now it sounded as if someone was forcing their way toward them.

  “Oh, no,” Layla said, spinning to face the doorway.

  Her father, Fenwick, appeared, an angry scowl distorting his face, a much different face than the one that had repented almost allowing his own daughter to marry in order to save his company and his wife’s pet project, the K-9 center.

  “How could you?” Fenwick entered the office with the housekeeper chasing him, yelling, “Stop!”

  Edson walked to the doorway as Fenwick approached his daughter.

  To the poor, sweet-looking housekeeper, Edson held up his hand and said in a soothing, grandfatherly way, “It’s all right.” When she smiled with an exhale and turned, he closed the office door.

  “I told you I will not make a deal with a Gage!” Fenwick shot a look at Lucas. “What is he doing here?” Then he glanced at Demi—a Colton and part of the family. Not that Fenwick cared much for their kind of Colton.

  “Father, stop and think. Put your animosity aside for just a—”

  “You’re crossing a dangerous line!”

  Dangerous seemed a bit extreme. Was the line between Coltons and Gages? Fenwick wanted to stay firmly on the Colton side and keep any Gage far from it.

  Lucas stayed out of the argument, content to see where this would lead. He could intervene if necessary.

  “Do you want to make another mistake like you made arranging a marriage between me and Hamlin?” Layla asked. “I thought we made a good connection after you stopped pursuing that. You cried in front of everyone!”

  Fenwick breathed heavily a few times. Then he implored his daughter with what appeared to be heartfelt eyes. “That was different. I do deeply regret trying to set you up with Hamlin, Layla. That was wrong. You’re my daughter. Nothing is more important to me. But...”

  “But you can’t let go of that meaningless feud.”

  Fenwick stretched his arm out toward Edson. “Neither can he if he passes an ultimatum to settle a hundred-year-old score.”

  “My father is trying to mend that old fence,” Lucas said. “It’s not an unfair deal.”

  “It’s time for everyone to get along,” Demi said.

  Edson approached Fenwick. “I’m not only thinking of myself or my relatives from long ago with this proposal,” Edson said. “I’m thinking of the good of everyone. It’s no secret there’ve been Coltons and Gages intermixing this last year. How many weddings do you suppose there’ll be after Devlin is proven to be the Groom Killer?”

  “What did you just say?” Fenwick was clearly incensed. “Weddings?” He shot a glance toward Layla. She wasn’t marrying a Gage and neither were any of his other children, but many other Coltons were.

  “You wait and see,” Edson said. “As soon as the Groom Killer is charged, there will be an explosion of weddings in this town, not only between Gages and Coltons.”

  “It’s time to accept it, Fenwick,” Lucas added. “Christmas is a week away. Agree to this deal and help bring us all together.”

  “I’ll allow you to choose the property or properties that equal the value you need for both your company and the K-9 center,” Edson said. “It is a good business move, for both of us. Your daughter has already agreed to a fair proposal. Honor it. Honor her.”

  Fenwick took time mulling that over.

  “If it was offered by anyone other than a Gage, would you take this deal?” Layla asked.

  Her father met her eyes, indecision swarming.

  “You would,” she said. “Forget that it’s Edson Gage. Think about the business deal.”

  “Edmund would turn over in his grave.”

  Layla put her hand on her hip, looking every bit the corporate leader she was. “Then he’s long overdue for that turn. It’s time to put the feud behind us, Dad, and I agree this deal is a good way to do that. Who cares what happened a hundred years ago? We need our company back on track.”

  Her angle on the company seemed to have an effect on Fenwick. He loved his company as much as Layla.

  “And don’t forget Mom,” Layla said.

  Fenwick blinked once, twice, eyes softening.

  Just then Lucas’s cell phone rang and he saw it was Finn. That could only mean one thing—the results of the forensics testing had come back.

  “Excuse me. This is important.” He answered.

  “Lucas. We managed to get a rush on the fingerprint testing. We got a match.”

  Whose prints? The brief amount of time that passed seemed an eternity.

  “There were prints on the guns, good prints. They belong to Devlin. He’s being formally charged right now with the murder of Bo Gage and other victims in the Groom Killer case, and of course, Officers Williams and Miller.”

  Lucas shut his eyes in relief and nodded at Demi, who tipped her head back with a huge smile and let out a, “Woo-hoo! Yes!”

  “Devlin’s fingerprints were on two guns we found,” Lucas said to Layla and the two other men.

  After Lucas ended the call, Demi threw her arms around him. He chuckled and held her, and then they kissed. A few seconds later, he looked down into her happy eyes and realized two things. One, Wolf had gotten his happy disposition from her and might have to overcome a similar passionate temper as he grew older, and two, they’d just kissed in front of his father, Fenwick and Layla.

  Demi seemed to realize the latter just after him. Her radiant smile died and she withdrew, looking from Edson, to Fenwick, to Layla.

  “There you have it,” Layla said brightly, as though breaking ice. “You’re seeing it with your own eyes, Dad. Love blossoming between a Colton and a Gage.”

  Fenwick closed his slightly open mouth. “I...”

  “Just say yes, Dad. Agree to Edson’s proposal.” Her strong tone left no opening for argument.

  Fenwick looked at Edson, who waited patiently. At last Fenwick gave a single nod.

  With a shriek of joy, Layla hugged him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you! You won’t regret this.”

  “I trust your business sense, Layla, and I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She withdrew and let her father go to Edson, and the two shook hands.

  “I’ll have the necessary papers drawn up and have them sent to you for your review.”

  Fenwick gave a single nod again.

  Layla went to Demi, “We knew you were innocent.” She hugged her. “I’m so glad things are working out for you.” Her eyes rolled toward Lucas. “In more ways than one.”

  Demi just smiled and didn’t respond, likely as uncomfortable as Lucas was.

  “Just think, after you’re married, the Gages and the Coltons will be family.”

  Lucas almost said, “Hey, wait a minute.” He and Demi weren’t getting married.

  But for the first time in his life, the idea of marriage didn’t make his skin crawl.
/>   * * *

  The next day, Lucas found that observing a suspect before interviewing them sometimes proved advantageous. He gained insight into their disposition. How patient were they? Did they fidget or appear nervous? The patient and calm ones usually proved to be guilty. Devlin, however, seemed to fall outside the bell curve. After just ten minutes in the small interrogation room, he was fidgeting and pacing. He also talked to himself.

  “I don’t belong here.” He reached one side of the room and turned to head for the other. “I should be home with Hayley and Demi should be in jail.” He reached the other side of the room. “This is all wrong, all wrong.”

  Devlin stopped at the one-way glass and stabbed his forefinger through the air. “I’ll get you for this.”

  Demi flinched and Lucas rubbed her back. Then he turned to Finn and Hunter. “Okay, it’s time. He’s stewed enough. He’ll talk.”

  Hamlin had also joined them after he’d been notified that his son had been arrested for multiple murders. He stood watching Devlin ranting with bleak eyes.

  Leaving the observation room, Lucas entered the interview room.

  “It’s about time.” Devlin stopped pacing and zeroed in on Lucas. “What do I have to do to get out of here?”

  He actually thought he had a chance to be released? Lucas decided to play along, hoping to get him talking sooner rather than later. “I need your statement.”

  “Statement of what?”

  Lucas went to the table and sat. “Have a seat.”

  Devlin took the chair across from him.

  “Let’s start with Bo Gage’s murder.”

  “I didn’t have anything to do with that. Demi Colton killed him.”

  “We have evidence that links you to certain Groom Killer murders. Prints on the murder weapon. Your prints.”

  Devlin pondered that a moment. “Someone put them there, then. Demi.”

  “You wrote her name in blood at Bo Gage’s murder scene. You left her necklace there for police to find. We also know you paid a man to lie about seeing her there.”

  Again, Devlin took time to mull over some kind of response. “I’m not the Groom Killer.”

  “You are the Groom Killer, Devlin. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We know you are. We have irrefutable evidence.”

  After several seconds of simply staring at Lucas, Devlin’s head lowered. He was beginning to crack.

  “Tell me what happened the night Bo was killed.”

  For endless moments, Devlin just sat there with his head down. Judging by what Lucas could see of his changing expression, he seemed to be going over events that had led up to his motive to kill.

  “I asked her out and she said no,” Devlin said in a quiet voice.

  “Who?”

  “Hayley. I asked her twice and she said no both times. I don’t understand why she’s playing with me, why she refuses when I know she wants me.”

  “Hayley was engaged to Bo. She wasn’t interested in you.” That ought to spark some reaction.

  Sure enough, Devlin’s head sprang up and his brow V’d. “She didn’t love Bo. She loves me. She just won’t admit it.”

  “She doesn’t love you. I think you know that, Devlin. You can’t stand that she rejected you.”

  Devlin pounded his fist on the table. “No one can have her! I couldn’t allow Bo to have her. Don’t you see?”

  “Yes, I do. Tell me what happened the night you killed Bo.”

  Once Devlin calmed a little, he said, “After I found out he was engaged to my Hayley, I followed him to The Pour House. I shot him after he got out of his vehicle. He didn’t see me coming.”

  It was difficult for Lucas to hear this, the details of his brother’s last moments.

  “I put the necklace by the tire of the parked car near where his body fell and wrote Demi’s name in his blood.”

  “Why Demi?”

  “She had a reason to kill him. Bo betrayed her by asking my Hayley to marry him. I had to kill him. Hayley was meant for me, not him.”

  “What about the others? Why did you keep killing?”

  “Hayley wouldn’t have me. It’s not fair that anyone should be able to get married to the one they love when I can’t. I had my love taken from me by her fiancé. They all deserved to die. If I can’t have my bride, no one else can!” He broke down into tears.

  After a while, Devlin calmed and stared off into space. Then he looked up at Lucas. “Do you think Hayley will visit me in prison?”

  “Doubtful. We’re finished here.” Lucas left the interview room and went into the observation room, where Demi, Hunter, Finn and Hamlin had witnessed the entire thing.

  Devlin had also confessed to killing Miller and Williams, not only to escape, but to keep them quiet about the payoff. He hadn’t wanted anyone to discover he had paid crooked cops to arrest Demi.

  Hamlin stood with his head in his hand and appeared to be tearing up. “I can’t believe he killed all those people. My own son. My own flesh and blood. How did this happen?”

  “It isn’t your fault.” Demi went to him and put her hand on his arm.

  He turned his head toward her. “You’re awfully forgiving toward the father of the man who framed you for his crimes.”

  “I’m not forgiving of him. You, on the other hand, did nothing wrong.”

  Hamlin rubbed his forehead and then dropped his hand. “I feel like I owe the community, like I should do something to make up for what my son did.”

  “You don’t owe anyone anything,” Demi said.

  Hamlin seemed to search for something, some kind of solution to attempt to rectify this terrible wrong. “Fenwick said he had the K-9 unit and the training center covered for five years.”

  What did that have to do with his son turning out to be a serial killer? Lucas waited for him to explain further.

  “What if I pledge to provide support after that? I could support the center if Colton Energy can’t. I will always be there for you.” He looked at Finn as he spoke.

  “We would be ever grateful for the support,” Finn said.

  “I know it won’t bring back lives lost, but at least I can do something good for the community.”

  It was an honorable gesture. True, Hamlin could not reverse the horrible things his son had done, but he could make amends in a small way, and in a way that everyone in Red Ridge would appreciate.

  * * *

  Confusion plagued Demi well into the evening. She’d put Wolf down for the night and came back out into the living room, where Lucas was absorbed with his computer. Demi suspected he needed some space. He’d been quiet ever since they’d left the RRPD, as though what had been said at his father’s house bothered him.

  She needed her own space and felt the same as he did, weighed with sobering thoughts. Somewhere along the line their relationship had progressed into something serious. Demi, surprising herself, was more open to exploring what they had together. He wasn’t. That brought her to her next thought. Why was she still here if there was no hope for the two of them? She could go home now, go back to her life.

  One thing she knew she couldn’t do was stay in this relationship if he wasn’t willing to try. If he stuck to his old conviction about love, then she had to get out now, before he hurt her even more than she hurt now.

  Demi went to him and sat on the couch beside him. He closed the web browser, but not before Demi saw it was just the news. He shut down his computer and leaned back, looking at her.

  She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Her heart began to pound with apprehension. She’d never been any good at these serious talks. Normally she just waited to see how things went. If they worked out between her and a man or not. But normally she didn’t have much investment in men. It was easy to walk away. This was different.

  “Is something wrong?” Lucas tipped his
head as though trying to see her face better.

  She moved so she sat at an angle, tucking one leg beneath her, and met his eyes. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” He seemed to grow wary.

  “Where do you see this going? Me and you?”

  He didn’t say anything for a long time. Seconds seemed like minutes.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Have you thought about what Layla said about how, after we’re married, the Gages and the Coltons will be family?” That was difficult for her to say. Layla had shocked her when she’d said that.

  “I had mixed feelings.”

  He had? Did that mean he’d considered marriage? Maybe the idea didn’t repulse him as much as he expected. Maybe that’s why he’d been so quiet.

  “Where do you see us going, Lucas? I need to know and I need to know now.”

  “I honestly don’t know, Demi.” He raked his fingers though his hair with a sigh. “I’ve been thinking about us all day.”

  “Do you want to date for a while and then split up?”

  “I like you. I want to keep seeing you.”

  “Do you think there’s more to this than to keep seeing each other and then break it off? No talk of marriage?”

  “It’s too soon to talk about that. Marriage?”

  He was taking a copout. “We’ve known each other for years.”

  “Can you commit to a long-term relationship?” Demi wasn’t sure she could agree to that, not with the uncertainty of Lucas’s stance on marriage.

  “We’re good together,” he said.

  He was beginning to sound as though he’d ticked off all the positives about them together. He liked her. Check. They were good in bed. Check.

  “And I love Wolf.”

  Whoa. He liked her but he loved Wolf? Demi stood abruptly, stinging sharply from the obvious difference in his feelings for her and his feelings for Wolf.

  She lifted her hands, palms facing him. “I can’t do this. In the morning, I’m taking Wolf home and you and I can go back to competing over bounties.” She started to turn.

  “Wait, Demi.” He stood and came to her. “What did I say?”