by L. P. Dover
Terry’s eyes widen. “Screams? When? What did he say exactly?”
“He said that, while drugged, he could hear a woman’s screams, and that he wanted to help her, but couldn’t. What if he was talking about Samantha?”
Terry bolts toward the front door. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
Eighteen
Ellie
New York is even colder than I imagined. The trees look like they have crystal branches, and there are people everywhere, enjoying this snowy day in Central Park. I walk close to Owen, absorbing his heat. “It’s so beautiful here. I know I’ve always wanted to visit New York, but I never thought it’d be this awesome.”
“I knew you’d like it,” he says, grinning wide. “That’s why I wanted to stop here before going to Canada.”
It’s surreal, seeing familiar places in the park, especially ones that I know were in movies. So many celebrities have walked exactly where we are. “Remember when you came over and watched Maid in Manhattan with me?” I ask him.
Groaning, Owen bumps me with his shoulder. “That’s because your boyfriend was a douche and wouldn’t watch it with you.”
I snicker, remembering back to that night. I’d only been dating Andrew for a couple of weeks, so it wasn’t anything serious. And when I told Owen that he’d blown me off, he offered to watch it with me. “You sure did make him jealous that night when he showed up.”
“Yeah, and he broke up with you because of it. He thought you were cheating on him.”
I wave him off. “A lot of my boyfriends have thought that. They never understood how I could have a male best friend, not until Jake. You two being friends was probably the best thing that could’ve happened. You were never friends with my boyfriends, in fact, you hated all of them.”
“And my girlfriends all hated you,” he adds, winking slyly. “I loved it. A jealous girlfriend will do anything to make you happy.”
“You’re such an ass,” I tease, punching his arm. “You used me to make them jealous.”
“The same goes for you. Except you used me to make your exes leave you alone. Looks like I’m still doing that.” My smile fades and he sighs, sliding his arm around my shoulders. “I know you’re not using me now. I’m here because I want to be.”
I pull the cell phone Owen gave me out of my jacket and stare at it. I’ve been worried about Jake all day.
“Go ahead and call him,” he says. “You’ve been distracted all day.”
“He went to see Bryan this morning. We both know it could’ve gone one of two ways, neither scenario being good.” I punch in Jake’s number and when I press send, the phone breaks up and I can barely hear it ringing. “I think something’s wrong with this phone.”
Owen hands me his. “It’s a cheaper phone; it probably needs a new battery. I’ll put in a new one once we get to Canada.”
I’m typing in Jake’s number when a phone call from him comes in. “Hey,” I answer excitedly. “I was in the middle of calling you. Guess you weren’t arrested.”
“Not even close, baby. I might’ve bruised the guy a bit, but I didn’t kill him.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, even though it doesn’t really give me comfort. “Thank goodness. How did you even get in to see him?”
“I almost didn’t, but the guard let me in. You doing okay?”
I breathe in the cool, crisp air. “I’m doing pretty good, actually. We’re in Central Park. Tomorrow morning, we’re getting up early to go to Canada. What about you? Anything new?”
“You have no idea. Want the good news or bad?”
Groaning, I lean back against the bench. “The good, please.”
“The realtor called me earlier and said our offer was accepted. We got the house, baby.”
“Oh my God, that’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it in person. Now, we just need all of this other mess to get handled so we can move.”
“I know. I’m ready for that more than you know.”
I blow out a nervous breath. “All right, tell me the bad.”
“Did you know Bryan was dating someone?”
“No, I had no clue.” I look over at Owen. “Did you know Bryan was seeing someone?”
He shakes his head.
Jake clears his throat. “Her name was Samantha. They found her body in a field nearby Bryan’s abandoned truck.”
Gasping, I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oh, my God. That’s horrible. Did he kill her?” I look over at Owen. “Bryan’s girlfriend was killed.”
His eyes widen. “What the hell?”
“Terry said Bryan was devastated when he found out she was dead. Was he a good actor?” Jake asks.
“Not in the least.”
“The doctor and Terry don’t see how he could have anyway, considering he’s been drugged for days. Bryan had enough in his system to fully incapacitate him. There’s no way he could’ve driven, or even carried Samantha’s body out into the field. When they found him, they said he was covered in piss and shit that had been on him for a while. Was he ever into drugs when you knew him?”
I can’t even imagine Bryan walking around like that. He was always so put together and focused. “Not at all. Being a park ranger was what he wanted more than anything. I guess things changed over the years and he decided to be a cop. The only thing he ever loved to do was drink.”
Jake huffs. “He did admit to running into you at the Halloween party. Tell Owen he came with a guy named Jared. I think I know who he is, but I’m not sure.”
I look around for a private spot and point to a secluded area by a bundle of snow-covered trees. Owen follows me over there. “Jake, I’m putting you on speakerphone, so Owen can hear this. Repeat what you just said.”
“Owen, Bryan went with a guy named Jared to your Halloween party,” he repeats.
Owen nods and rolls his eyes. “Gotcha. Jared works at the gym.”
“Okay, that’s where I know him from,” Jake states. “But Bryan denied sending Ellie any text messages. Which means, if he didn’t send them, then whoever did, knew that he’d been at that party.”
Owen’s brows furrow. “It can’t be Jared, he doesn’t even know Ellie. And I had over fifty people at my party, it’ll be hard to pinpoint who could’ve done it, or if someone else did it. Bryan might just be that good of an actor.”
I shake my head. “No. If there’s one thing about Bryan I can account for is that he was always honest, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. I’ve said this from day one, none of this sounds like anything he would do.”
“Yeah, I know how honest he is,” Jake huffs. “He told me how great it was seeing you again.”
This makes my heart hurt. In a way, I wish I was there to talk to Bryan. “You’re starting to sound unsure yourself, Jake. What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know, Ellie. Terry is adamant that it wasn’t Bryan doing all of this. There’s evidence that contradicts it, but then evidence that also convicts him. I honestly don’t know anymore. I want to go back and talk to him when he’s in his right mind.”
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow, the steam from my breath billowing into the wind. “Maybe Owen should bring me back home. If I talk to Bryan, it might help us.”
Owen shakes his head. “Bad idea, Ells.”
“I agree. I don’t want you anywhere near him. Hold on, someone’s calling in.” He shuffles the phone and hurries back on. “Babe, it’s the detective.”
“Go,” I say quickly. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
We hang up and I hand Owen back his phone. “Things are just getting crazier and crazier. The thought of someone else being involved makes my skin crawl. I don’t know who it could be.”
“Whoever it is, we’ll find them. In a couple of days, Jake will join us in Canada and we’ll keep you safe until that time comes.”
“And if this person finds us first?”
“I kind of hope that happens, because then we can deal
with him and move on.” He sees my apprehension and he grabs my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Nineteen
Jake
“Detective,” I say, switching the line over.
“Can you come to the hospital? Bryan wants to see you again. He told us some information that might just be what we need.”
I grab my keys off the kitchen counter. “What’d he say?”
“Well, for starters, my guys have been searching his home for evidence. Nothing has been found that could be linked to Ellie. But when I came in this morning to talk to him, he told me about a hidden camera he has placed at his front door.”
Hurrying out to my truck, I get in and start on my way. “What all does he think it’ll show?”
“The last thing he remembers is coming home from the PD, so he could get packed up to leave on his undercover case. I’m hoping we’ll see something in the video. Officer McGee is bringing Bryan’s laptop, so he can access the footage.”
I press on the gas. “I’ll be right there.”
When I pull up to the hospital, I rush inside. Kevin stands guard outside of Bryan’s room and he nods, stepping out of the way so I can enter. When I get inside, Terry is by Bryan’s bed, writing down notes.
The man on the bed yesterday was broken and upset, his face pale and eyes distant. Today, he’s more alert. There’s color to his cheeks, painted by his obvious anger. I recognize that look. It reminds me of the way I feel about everything going on with Ellie. I look over at Terry and he points to Bryan.
“There are some things he wants to say to you. I’m here to listen and stand witness.”
I move closer and Bryan looks up at me. “I know you don’t trust me; that you must hate everything about me. But I know for a fact, drugged or not, I would never harm you or Ellie. I don’t know what’s going to be on my camera footage, and to be honest, I’m fucking terrified. Someone killed the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and there’s a chance I could see who that person is in just a matter of minutes.”
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “If I can prove I’m innocent, I want to help you figure out who’s going after Ellie. Killing the fucker responsible is all I want.” His eyes open and feral tears fall down his face. “I need to figure out who killed Samantha, just as much as you want to keep Ellie safe.”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I glance at Terry before settling my gaze on him. “Why don’t we wait to see what your camera footage has to show. I’m not trusting you with anything until I see what or if anything happened.”
Bryan’s jaw clenches. “Whether you want me to or not, I’m going to work on this case when I’m released. You need me. I’m the best there is.”
Terry agrees with a nod. “He’s right, Jake. I know you’re not going to like it, but he can help. I need him.”
Before I can say anything, the door opens and Officer Charles McGee marches in, holding a computer bag. Terry takes it and pulls out the laptop. “The password to get in is silverbird98, all lowercase.”
Terry types it in and sighs. “When it comes to computers, I’m not the best.”
Bryan beckons him closer. “Let me have it and you can look over my shoulder. I can’t wait any longer.”
Terry gives him the laptop and we both hover to the side, so we can see. Bryan’s fingers move like lightning over the keys. There’s a whole database of screens he goes through before I see any kind of video pop up. When it all becomes clear, the footage shows the front entrance of a door.
“Is that your house?” I ask.
Bryan nods. “My neighbors had some packages stolen off their front porches a few years ago, so I put the camera in to see if I could catch someone doing the same at my house. It never happened though. I’m guessing the thieves know who I am.”
He fast forwards through multiple videos, until he lands on one with him and Samantha, dated about six months ago. She was a beautiful woman. They walk up to the door and he kisses her. The way he looks at her is the way I look at Ellie. Bryan’s fingers freeze, and he clenches his hands into tight fists.
“I remember that night,” he growls low, voice thick with emotion. “We went to dinner at the Grove Park Inn, and afterward, we walked around the gardens. It’s the night I first told her I loved her. I was going to propose to her at the Biltmore House this spring.”
I can hear the truth in his voice. Terry places a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Her funeral is in two days. If we can prove your innocence, you’ll be free to leave tomorrow. You can go home.”
Bryan scoffs. “Home? All it’s going to do is remind me of what I’ve fucking lost. My life is shit now, and I don’t know if it’ll ever get better.” He types away, his fingers pounding on the keyboard. “I know what date to look for. It’s the night I was wearing the clothes I was found in on the side of the road.”
He skips through the feed and the video begins to play. It’s dark and cars drive by, but it’s hard to get a good look at them. The angle of the camera is centered on the door, not its surroundings. “I remember getting home around seven, but after that, I can’t recall a thing.”
It’s one minute until seven on the feed, and just like he said, his truck pulls up into the driveway. From the angle of the video, you can’t tell what type of truck it is, but you see him getting out and fiddling with his phone.
“I’m texting Samantha to let her know to stop by on her way home from work. I wanted to see her before I left.”
It’s like everything moves in slow motion. Bryan walks away from his truck, but then someone comes up behind him. “What the hell?” I say, moving closer. “Is there audio on this?”
Bryan shakes his head and pauses the video, but it’s too dark to see much detail. All we can see is a man behind him, grabbing him around the neck. “I remember this happening now. There was a prick in my neck and then everything went black.” He plays the video and we watch as he’s loaded into the backseat of his truck. The man then gets into the front and drives away.
“Where is your phone now?” I ask.
“We haven’t been able to locate it,” Terry adds.
Bryan pulls up another screen and types in a few more codes. A map pulls up with a blinking blue dot. He points at it. “There. It’s right off Route 16.”
Terry studies it. “You were found about a quarter mile down from that.”
“I don’t know how it got there,” Bryan says. “Not unless the person who had me threw it out the window while he drove away.”
Terry gets on his radio and instructs his guys to search the area for Bryan’s phone.
Bryan looks up at Terry. “Did anyone take note of the tire marks or other footprints in the snow where I was found?”
Terry nods. “That portion of the road was clear. There were no tracks to look at.”
Bryan shakes his head and resumes the video. About thirty minutes after he was taken, Samantha shows up and knocks on the door. She pulls out her phone and is obviously calling and texting him. I watch Bryan’s reaction as he watches her on the screen. Tears pool in his eyes, but he angrily wipes them away.
“I know my phone will need to be searched through for evidence, but do you mind if I see my last texts from her?” he asks, turning his weary gaze up at Terry.
Terry rests his hand on his shoulder. “Of course.”
Samantha leaves and there’s no other movement at his house for the rest of that night. Bryan takes a slow, steady breath and lowers his head. His shoulders shake, and he falls apart, his voice full of rage and sadness. “I know I didn’t ask this yesterday, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it . . . but I need the truth.” He lifts his face, all red and wet from tears. “Did the fucker rape her or violate her in any way?”
Terry shakes his head. “No. She was killed quickly, almost like it might’ve been a spur of the moment thing.”
Bryan focuses back on his laptop and fast forwards through the feed. “What
was she wearing when she was found?”
Terry clears his throat. “A pink sweater and jeans.”
I can tell by his expression that the wheels in his head are turning. It’s the same look Owen gets when he’s trying to figure out something on a case. It must be a cop thing. “What are you thinking?” I ask him.
Bryan points at his laptop. “As far as a motive to kill her, the only thing I can think of is that this guy wants people to think I murdered Samantha because I want Ellie.”
“You could’ve easily broken up with her,” I state.
“Exactly,” he agrees, “not unless it was a spur of the moment thing. She could’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He takes in a shaky breath. “And I’m about to find out.” We watch the video as he scrolls through it and there are several times when Terry can be seen knocking on the door and looking around the front of the house.
“That’s when we were looking for you,” Terry says, pointing at himself on the screen.
Bryan peers up at me. “Is Ellie afraid of me now?”
“Actually, no. She’s the one who hasn’t believed you were capable of any of this. It’s been hard for her to grasp.”
“I’m ready for her to know it wasn’t me.”
“I’ll talk to her tonight. She’s up to date on everything so far,” I assure him. “She’ll be happy to know it wasn’t you, but not happy to know that someone is still out there looking for her. I’m not gonna lie, I was hoping it was you, so this shit would end.”
He sighs. “Ellie’s such a down-to-earth, fun girl to be around. Not to mention, beautiful. There were so many guys who wanted to be with her. She just has that certain quality about her that makes people want to be around her.”
“She does. Why do you think I married her?”