Sam looked back to Drew. He was covered with blood. While most was probably Wilson’s, some was most definitely his. His lip was spit and there was a small trickle of blood from his temple, but Drew was concentrating completely on Cole. Patient and gentle, reassuring the boy everything was okay.
Seeing Drew kiss the top of Cole’s head as he comforted his nephew made Sam picture Drew as a father to their children. It was a lovely thought, one that warmed Sam’s heart, and distracted her so much so that she almost missed the woman rising from the grass ten feet away.
Diana’s face was bloodied, her normally beautiful face snarling as she glared towards the Duncan’s. She reached down to the grass and picked up Drew’s gun, lost in the struggle with Wilson and started forward.
“Drew!” Sam yelled as she and everyone else surged forward.
Drew’s eyes snapped up, understanding the tone in Sam’s warning. He followed her line of sight. With Diana advancing on them, he pushed Cole and Ashley behind him, shielding them with his body.
“Drop it,” Ollie ordered. He and three officers from EFPD fanned out to the right, as Sam moved to the left, flanked by three McAlister Security men and the General. Within seconds, they had Diana covered from multiple angles without having to worry about catching the Duncan’s or each other in a crossfire. “Drop it now or die.”
With a curse, she dropped her weapon and raised her hands. The men in black op gear kept their weapons trained on her as the officers moved to her, searched her and placed her in cuffs. She listened with disdain as Ollie read her rights aloud, then with one last scornful glance towards Cole, she said, “Lawyer.”
Chapter 24
Looking to the Future and Digging up the Past
Pulling into the driveway, Sam walked to the back of the house and started up the stairs on the side of the garage that led to the apartment where Drew had been staying. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, the door opened and he was on the other side.
Drew was dressed in a casual black suit and tie. The top buttons of the white shirt had been undone and the knot of his tie loosened considerably. Sam was hit with the urge to push him inside, rip his tie and shirt off the rest of the way, and then keep going, but she decided against it. At least until they talked.
Drew didn’t make things easy as the first thing he did was pull her into a long, deep kiss.
“Oh no, I’m leaving,” a little voice said.
Sam pushed Drew away and looked over his should to see Cole sitting on the couch. Her face burned as Cole slid off the couch and moved to the door. Sam winced when she saw the bruises still visible on his neck, but she was pleased to see him here with his uncle. “I’m going inside to do homework. I don’t need to see you guys get in each other’s pants.”
“Huh,” Sam said as Cole pushed past them. “Where did he learn that from?”
Drew held up his hands. “Don’t blame me. That’s his aunt. How’s your Nana?”
Sam smiled. “She’s rarin’ to go. I just got back from taking her to the doctor, who gave her a clean bill of health and a prescription to go out and dance her fanny off in two days at her weekly Friday Hoedown.” Sam didn’t mention the fact her Nana had humiliated her by requesting the doctor write a prescription for her granddaughter to liberally dip into her condom stash. The suggestion had both Sam and poor Doctor Langdon turning deep shades of red.
Drew laughed as he invited her into the garage apartment. Stepping inside, Sam’s chest tightened as she noticed Drew’s suitcase open on the table. She‘d realized he’d never unpacked the day of the fair, but it was clear he was still living out of it. As she took a closer look, Drew shrugged out of his jacket and pulled off the tie.
“You um…” Sam swallowed and then started again. “You’re not moving into the house full time?”
Drew tossed the tie on the small table in the middle of the room. “Nope, and thank God. That couch is killing my back. I stayed there a couple nights, but Cole seems alright. Besides, Lilly installed a security system. McAlister did it yesterday.”
Sam nodded, looked around. With the exception of the punching bag, Drew hadn’t done much by way of settling in. It shouldn’t surprise her. The apartment was small and cramped. There was no stove or oven. She’d been in the bathroom and it was tiny. She’d go nuts here. “You could move into the room Kelli was using.”
Drew shrugged as his cell rang. He looked at it, scowled and hit ignore. “I could, but… It feels weird. Sleeping in the room where my sister did right before she was murdered.” Drew shook his head. “Besides, Ash and I butt heads too much. We’re getting along better, but she doesn’t want me living with her. She yells every time I take a beer.”
Sam forced a smile. “She just likes giving you a hard time.”
“No kidding,” Drew said. “It’s her favorite past time. And I love her and all, but there are times I need a break. By the way, have you heard anything about Diana? Has she spoken to the DA?”
Sam shook her head as she continued to examine the space Drew had been living in. The punching bag he installed could easily be taken down, and the few weights taken with him when he decided to leave. “No, she’s keeping mum, or at least nobody is saying anything. She’s going before the judge on Monday, so we’ll see. I’m sure she’ll try and get some deal to roll on whoever else was working with her.”
Drew nodded as he changed out of his dress shirt. He still had a few scrapes from his encounter with Wilson. The idea of Diana cutting a deal turned his stomach, but he knew it was probably going to happen. Someone else was pulling the strings of them all, and they’d probably need her help to nail them.
Sam had been thinking the same things, but right now she was distracted by the feeling that Drew was ready to pack up and leave. “So, you’re moving?”
Drew’s cell rang again. This time, he didn’t even bother looking at it. He just shut it off and put it in his pocket. “Soon, I hope. Come on.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.
“Wait,” Sam said. “I think we need to talk.”
Drew yanked her close and crushed his mouth on hers. Her body heated up, as she melted into his arms.
“So do I,” Drew said, grinning. “But not here. Just c’mon.”
Still protesting, Sam let Drew pull her down the stairs and into the backyard. “Drew, stop. Wait. Please, I can’t… where are you taking me?”
“Right here.” Drew brought her to the back of the yard, grabbed the part of the fence in the back he’d broken recently, moved it to the side, and pulled Sam through the gap. “Or rather, here.”
Sam looked around, feeling more confused by the moment. “What are we doing here?”
Drew gestured towards the empty house in front of them. “Guess what I bought today?”
Sam started to blink rapidly as she stared at the house, then at Drew, then back at the house again. “You bought that?”
Drew nodded. “A buddy of mine from McAlister knows a lot about houses. He and I did a walk through yesterday. I got the owner on the phone. He’s been trying to unload it for a while. We’re still working on the details, but I went to the local bank to work out being able to qualify for a loan. So today, I made an offer.”
Sam’s hands covered her mouth. “Drew, that’s so great. You’re really going to buy this house to be near Cole.”
Putting his arm around Sam’s waist, he pulled her closer to the house. They climbed the steps to the back porch. There was a big window, so Sam was able to peek inside. The kitchen was huge. It was old and needed to be modernized badly, but it could be amazing. She could make out a nice sized great room, and what looked like a formal dining room. It was all empty and out of date and just bursting with potential.
“I imagine Cole must be thrilled.” Sam continued to look inside, imagine different things that could be done and wondered how much of her input Drew would welcome.
“Yeah, he was. He and I did a walkthrough together. He already p
icked out his room.” Drew shook his head and laughed. “Little bastard thought he could lay claim to the master bedroom. But we worked that out. I figured this way he can live here, and with Ash and Lilly. We’ll knock the back fence down so he can come and go between us easily enough. And this way, Lilly doesn’t get stuck with the kid when Ash and I kill each other from living together.”
Sam finally looked up. “Wow. It’s a big step. So when do you make an offer?”
Drew grinned. “Well, that depends on a few factors. I’ll pass credit because I still officially work for McAlister, but I know I’m going to need to have another job. After the bank, I dropped Cole off and went to see Sheriff Miller. She wants me to come to work as a detective in the EFPD. Isn’t that a kick? She may have to get clearance, but I’ve worked with cops plenty. She thinks it’ll be a good fit.”
“Wow.” Sam’s eyes went wide. “That’s a big bombshell to drop. When did that come up?”
Drew shrugged sheepishly. “She called late last night, wanted to talk to me. Now that I’ve been cleared in the death of Wilson, she wants to pursue this. She needs to fill the shoes of both Harrington and Wilson. Bad news is you might lose a partner. I heard Ollie was interested.”
Sam nodded. “He’s mentioned that. I like working with him, but he’ll make a great detective.”
“Then there are the inspections,” Drew said. He started to walk down to the other end of the porch as Sam looked back into the window. “I’ve got to have it tested for mold, structure, termites, electrical, roof. Something called a radon test, whatever the hell that is.” He slipped his hand into his pocket as he started back. “And the most important inspection there is.”
“Oh?” Sam thought as she continued to look inside, wondering what the bathrooms looked like. “What’s that?”
Drew took her hand and pulled her away from the window. “Yours. You don’t think I’d be stupid enough to put money down on a house for us without you loving it.”
Sam smiled and shook her head. “Drew, it’s your… Wait, did you say a house for us?” Sam suddenly became very aware of her own heartbeat. She gazed at the house for a moment before turning back to Drew.
“Yes, I did.” Drew held out a small, black velvet box. He popped it open and inside was a gold ring with a pear shaped diamond. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I know what I want and I’ve learned you have to make the life you want. I want you. I want to build a life with you. To have a family with you. I want this to be our home.
The entire world seemed to stop as Drew dropped to one knee. “What do you say?”
“Oh.” Sam’s heart raced. “Yes. Yes. I want that life.”
Drew slipped the ring on her finger, rose and kissed her. It was a perfect moment, ruined by an annoying sibling with horrible timing.
“Drew,” Ashley called. She was standing at the foot of the porch, with her cell phone in her hand.
Drew sighed as he turned towards his sister. “You’ve got lousy timing, you know that, Ash?”
Ashley just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You two can play hide the salami later. Ollie is on my phone looking for you. He said he tried your cell twice.”
“I know,” Drew said. “I ignored him. We’re not partners yet.”
“Whatever,” Ashley said. She tossed him the cell. “He says it’s important.”
Drew sneered as he put the phone to his ear. “Yes, Ollie. What’s going on?”
In a moment, any trace of joy drained from Drew’s face. He listened intently, stepping away from Sam. “How many?” He shook his head. “Jesus Christ, but that means…” He stopped to listen, scowling. “Are you sure?”
As Drew continued, Sam and Ashley exchanged bewildered looks. Neither of them had any idea what was happening, but they were pretty sure it wasn’t good.
With narrowed eyes and a tightened fist, Drew continued to listen. “When will they know for sure?” He gripped the banister of the porch. “Fine. I’ll be down soon.” He ended the call. For a moment, it looked like he was going to throw Ashley’s cell, but he handed it back to her instead.
“What is it?” Sam said. “What’s wrong?”
Drew blew out a breath. “You know that area where they found Kelli?”
Both Sam and Ashley nodded.
“When I was down there, I saw something was hidden in a small alcove,” Drew said. He explained about the small box with old keys. “Well, they just found something else there. McAlister Securities brought in equipment to search the area on Monday. I’ve been kept out of the loop. So has Ollie since you two have been on administrative leave. He’s back as of today.”
Sam nodded. “I would have been too, but I took Nana to her doctor. What did they find?”
Drew glanced, not towards his new fiancé, but to his sister. “Bodies. Five of them. They’ve been there for some time they think. They’re still working on unearthing them all but they got one up that’s been buried for years. About seven years and three months.”
Sam blinked. “They can’t have that kind of time estimate that fast, I don’t care what equipment they brought in.”
“It’s not the equipment that’s telling them that,” Drew answered. “They’re pretty sure the first body they uncovered was Molly Winters.”
Epilogue
You Didn’t Think This Was Over, Did You?
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Diana paced back and forth in the six foot by eight foot cell, wishing she had a cigarette. She hadn’t smoked in over two years, but now seemed like a good time to start again.
In the three days since her arrest, she’d already gone through two different attorneys, both of whom she didn’t trust. Then again, she didn’t trust anyone who lived in the town, or the state for that matter.
She needed to get someone from out of town, someone who had no possibility of being connected to any of this. The problem, Diana knew, was that there was no way to know that.
Her back stiffened at the footfalls of someone coming down the hall. Immediately, Diana backed away from the bars and waited.
When Sheriff Ann Miller finally stepped in front on Diana’s cell, it was difficult for her to keep on her ‘cop’ face when the sight of Diana filled Ann with contempt and disgust. Kelli Duncan had been her patient, yet she took part in a plot to kill her.
What’s more, the fact that she’d nearly killed a child made Ann want nothing more than to lock her away in a dark room for the rest of her miserable life, but she’d listened to the recording from Cole Duncan’s phone. It was clear that whatever was going on was bigger than two dead detectives, and a therapist who betrayed her duty to help and not hurt.
What burned Ann the most was the knowledge that someone had tipped Diana off about Ollie and his friends at that last moment at the cabin, and while there were plenty of possibilities of how that happened, the most likely one was that there was someone in her police department who had sent that warning text.
Facing her now, Ann was reminded of the first time she had to deal with a dead body that had been left undiscovered for several days. The wall of smell that hit her was indescribable and made her stomach revolt. Ann felt the same way looking at Diana.
She stayed silent, deciding instead to wait for Diana to speak first. She didn’t have to wait long.
“What are you doing here?” Diana sneered. “I don’t have my attorney.”
Ann crossed her arms and scowled. “You don’t have an attorney. You fired both of them. Do you have a personal attorney that you would like to contact? Or do you need a recommendation?”
Diana scoffed at the thought. “Take an attorney based on the recommendation of the sheriff of Ember Falls PD? Not on my life, which is what it would amount to.”
Ann nodded as she stepped closer to the cell. “You’re going to need someone to enter the plea for you. And you should know that the DA plans to ask for no bail.” She paused for a moment. “And you should be aware that when you are remanded into custody, you’ll await trial no
t here, but in the state penitentiary. No protective custody.”
Diana’s eyes widened as she took a sudden step forward, then realizing how close she was, and retreated back just a moment. “If you do that, you’re signing my death warrant.”
Ann arched an eyebrow. “Am I?” She shrugged. “I suppose that’s possible. It certainly seems to me like there was someone else pulling the strings. I suppose they may want to shut you up. Too bad they don’t know you’re too stupid to talk to the only person who can keep you alive.” Ann turned to start walking away. “Have a good weekend. It’s likely to be your last.”
Ann counted the seconds before Diana’s panicked voice rang out. “Wait!”
Ann stopped, taking her time before she turned around and walked the four feet back to the cell. This time, Diana stood by the door to the cell, her hands gripping the bars as if they were the only thing keeping her from being swept away.
“You have something to tell me?” Ann glanced at her watch, as if she had an appointment to get to.
Diana paused, forced herself to let go of the bars. She folded her arms over her chest, but it looked more like she was holding herself. “To you? No. I’m not trusting anyone in an Ember Fall’s uniform. But if you get me a deal and someone not connected, I’ll spill my guts. I know where all the bodies are buried.”
Ann tried to look bored. “So do we. Right where Kelli Duncan was left. We found them.”
Diana shook her head. “No, you don’t. You think it ended with them? That was just the beginning.”
The implications of her words slowly sunk in. “What are you trying to say.”
Diana jutted her chin out, feeling more confident that she finally had a hand to play. “That’s all you’re getting until I know you can keep me alive. You prove to me you can, I’ll give you something that goes way beyond Ember Falls.”
Torn Away (The Torn Series Book 1) Page 36