The Eligible Suspect

by Jennifer Morey

  “Or it could be that he’s using the business as a front.”

  “I found no evidence of that.”

  And evidence he’d need.

  “Why’d you ask to have him checked out?” Tennessee asked. “Julio told me about Damen, but what connection does he have with Tony?”

  “That’s what I was hoping to find out. They’re planning something. I just don’t know what. What’s Tony’s business called?”

  “United Janitorial Services. Headquartered in Miami, but he’s got contracts all over the US and he’s flown to Denver on numerous occasions.”

  Likely to meet with Damen. “He contracts janitors all over the US?”

  “Appears so.”

  “Can you get me a list of them?”

  “The contracts?” The agent sighed. “I don’t know. You’re a suspect in two homicides. If I help you I could get in trouble.”

  “I’ll get them myself.” He’d hack his way to the information if he had to.

  “Sorry I can’t be of more help. My brother-in-law is a good man and a good judge of character. I’m inclined to believe you’re innocent. But—”

  “Without evidence, yeah, I know.” He was painfully aware of the need for evidence. “Thanks.”

  “If I find anything that will help you, I’ll see that the proper authorities receive it.”

  He’d hand what evidence he found—if any—to the police, not him. “Thanks again.”

  After disconnecting, Korbin accepted that he’d never hear from the agent again. But if he did find evidence that would help him, he didn’t have to turn it over to anyone. It was good knowing that the agent would. All Korbin needed now was a computer.

  * * *

  In order to do this right, Korbin had to go home and gather some gear. That would be risky. Cops would be watching the place. Although it had been torture waiting until dark with nothing to do but think about Savanna, he had. She consumed him. Memories of his wife faded to the recesses of his mind, and repentance kept him unsettled.

  He drove Julio’s car to a side street a few blocks away from his house in Lone Tree. The houses were spaced farther apart than average subdivisions, but there weren’t any lone trees here. Each yard was impeccably landscaped. He stuck to shrubs and trees.

  Nearing his house, he spotted an unmarked car parked on the street. It was too dark to see who was inside, but he’d bet someone was. Out of sight of the car, he made his way to the back door. He used a patio chair to break the window. It was cold out so the men in front had their windows up and hopefully wouldn’t hear anything. With a quick glance back at the nearest house, he was fairly sure no one had seen or heard him.

  Inside, he saw how everything was displaced and realized the police must have claimed probable cause and gone in and searched his house. His computers—all of them—were gone. Going out to his garage, he saw that his safe had been taken, too.

  He couldn’t very well go to an internet café and do what he needed to do. Now what?

  Leaving his house, he jogged back to Julio’s car and got in, undetected. He drove to Damen’s house next, finding a hidden key he’d seen him use before. Damen hadn’t thought to move it. He hadn’t thought Korbin had noticed where he kept it. With a final glance around, he unlocked the front door to get in. There were no cops watching Damen’s house. He went to Damen’s computer and emailed a clever virus to Tony’s main business contact. Someone other than him would likely handle general correspondence. With any luck, he’d be able to hack in tomorrow morning.

  Korbin searched Damen’s house and found nothing that he didn’t already know, no suspicious people he’d been in contact with, no information. He didn’t even find any correspondence with Tony, but he hadn’t expected to. Damen would be careful about that.

  Taking Damen’s laptop with him, he left the house feeling a little like Harrison Ford in The Fugitive, always staying one step ahead of the law.

  * * *

  Savanna stared out the window of the formal living room, the only place she could find to be by herself other than her room. She wished she was home. She’d arrived at the Evergreen house to find her parents there. That had been a disappointment. She loved them dearly, but she desperately needed to be alone right now.

  Rubbing her arms, she wondered how Korbin was doing. The news hadn’t reported anything about him today, so he must still be at Julio’s apartment. She pictured him there and then herself there with him. With none of this trouble in the way. Without the death of his wife holding him back.

  But that’s not how it was. He was probably glad she was gone. She was no longer a threat to his elevated worship of his dead wife. Savanna tried not to be a terrible person and be jealous of her, but that irrational part of her wouldn’t stop taunting. She was jealous. Why did this always happen to her? Why couldn’t she have a man she wanted? Why did he always, one way or another, gravitate to other women? Never her. Why? It was hard not to take it personally.

  Did she want Korbin? They’d met so recently. Maybe the sex made her believe this was more than it was. Then again, if the sex was that great, then didn’t that mean they were a good match? That their relationship was worth a risk? All of that didn’t matter if Korbin couldn’t let go of his wife.

  “Savanna?”

  Turning, she saw her mother stop in the doorway, flipping on a light. The sun had set with Savanna standing here.

  “Why don’t you come and join us for a movie downstairs?”

  “I think I’ll just go to bed.”

  Savanna had explained everything to her. Wearing jeans and a soft, long-sleeved knit shirt, her mother’s blond bob was smooth and combed and her blue eyes sharp with knowledge.

  “You’ve been through a lot, Savanna. You must feel like you’re recovering from a disaster, but besides being chased by police and a gunman, what’s got you so down?” her mother asked.

  Savanna shrugged, trying to minimize her feelings. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

  Camille walked over to her and ran her hand down her arm. “You always were my sensitive one, especially with men.”

  “Mom, don’t.”

  “Well, you were. Have you fallen for Korbin? Macon said there was something going on between the two of you.”

  Savanna wasn’t sure her mother believed Korbin was innocent. Her mother was very open-minded. And she was the kind of parent who let her kids learn things on their own. She rarely intervened. Other than at her impromptu family gatherings.

  “No. I haven’t known him long enough.”

  “It’s not like you to get close to a man so soon.”

  “No, it’s not.” Normally she was extra careful about waiting an acceptable amount of time before certain things happened—like having sex. “What has Macon told you?”

  “He said he thinks you slept with him.”

  Another trait her mother had was that she said whatever was on her mind, regardless of the subject. In this case, sex.

  “Mother...”

  “It helps to talk about it, honey. Why did you sleep with him so soon?” Her mother rubbed her back the way she had when Savanna was a kid, crying over a scraped knee or something another kid said that hurt her feelings.

  “I’m not sure. It just...happened.” They were alone in the yurt, trapped by a snowstorm.

  “How do you think he feels about it?”

  Savanna scoffed. “Guilty. He’s still in love with his wife.”

  Her mother’s face fell in distress. “He’s married?”

  “Not anymore. His wife died a year ago.”

  “Oh.” Camille nodded in understanding. “Well, maybe meeting you will help him get past it.”

  Savanna didn’t see how. It had made him feel worse. “I don’t want to be his rebound girl.”

  “Funny
thing about love is that once it happens it doesn’t go away and it doesn’t matter when it happens. It just does.” She patted Savanna’s shoulder. “If it’s meant to be, he’ll come and find you.”

  Before or after his trouble cleared? How long would that take? What if he was sent to prison? And would Korbin come for her at all? She didn’t believe it. She couldn’t allow herself that luxury. She’d believed in men before and they always let her down.

  “Did you leave because you felt he was too much of a risk? Are you afraid to feel the way you did for your fiancé?”

  Savanna faced the window again. Her mother was reading her thoughts.

  Her mother moved to stand beside her. “That’s a yes if I’ve ever seen one.”

  “Mother...”

  “You shouldn’t let that stop you, Savanna. Aside from his being a murder suspect, if you believe in him, then you should go after him. Don’t let fear stop you. If you felt strongly enough for him to sleep with him already, there might be something good between you. Don’t let your past spook you away.”

  She hadn’t been spooked with her fiancé or the lawyer. She liked calling him “the lawyer” instead of his name because it made him mean less.

  “He’s still mourning the death of his wife,” she reminded her mother.

  “I’m not sure I’d put too much emphasis on that. Everyone needs someone to love. And you said it happened a year ago. That’s enough time. You need to learn to let go of your past and move on. Wipe the rejection off your shoulders and press forward without a single glance back.”

  “Forget my past?”

  “The parts that aren’t good, yes.”

  “What if I fall in love and he doesn’t love me?”

  “Then you feel the pain and you keep trying. Don’t shortchange yourself. If you want to find real love, you have to stop shutting off your emotions. Feel them, no matter what the outcome may be.”

  “Is that what you’d do?”

  “As soon as I met your father, I stopped having to do that. But before him? Sure. I was with men who disappointed me. I was hurt. Everyone gets hurt. You have to fail before you succeed, I guess. Isn’t that what all the motivational speakers say? Isn’t that what you’d say?”

  Yes, it was. “I don’t speak anymore.”

  “Macon told me. I hope that someday you take it back up. You’re a good speaker. You inspire people. When you believe.”

  “But I don’t believe in the same things I used to,” she said. “Life doesn’t always go the way you want it to.”

  “No, it goes the way it’s supposed to.”

  Meaning, her fiancé and the lawyer weren’t meant to be. Her mother had found true love. Savanna had always known that, and now her parents’ love was an inspiration. And also a damper on her mood. Would Savanna ever find true love?

  “Do you feel like he’s the one?” her mother asked.

  Savanna lowered her head, not certain what the answer was to that.

  “Is it different than the other two?”

  Something warm and radiant swelled inside of her. “Yes.” She couldn’t help beaming with the reply, breathy and flushed.

  “Then why the long face? He’ll come for you. You wouldn’t feel this way if he didn’t make you, which means he feels the same way.”

  “He’s already found the love of his life, Mom. And she died.”

  “Has he been with other women since she died? A lot of men don’t wait, you know.”

  More warmth enveloped her. “No. He hasn’t.”

  “He sounds faithful, Savanna. Like a rare find...if he can clear his name.”

  * * *

  Late the next morning, Korbin hacked into Tony’s business network. He spent more than an hour going through financial records. It all appeared on the up-and-up, as the agent had said. He studied all the contractors. They all seemed legitimate, contracted to work in corporations all over the United States. There was one in Colorado.

  Korbin saved copies of all the contracts on a flash drive anyway. Stuffing that into his jeans pocket, he went to the living room window, thinking of Savanna. She was always on his mind. It was just a question of how close to the forefront of his consciousness she made it.

  The apartment phone rang. Korbin went there and answered. It was Julio.

  “Have you seen the news?” Julio asked.

  “When?” He hadn’t had the television on.

  “Just now. Breaking news. Your stepdaughter came forward and gave you an alibi for the night of the hit-and-run.”

  Korbin was speechless. How had Fallon done that? Had she lied? Why would she? She despised him. Or had she finally forgiven him?

  “She said she was parked outside and planned to go in and talk to you about your wife’s death, but she ended up deciding not to. But she was parked there for two hours.”

  “Did she see Damen take my car out of the garage?”

  “The report didn’t say.”

  She’d probably showed up right after that.

  “She saw you in the house. You had your front blinds open. She was able to say the time you went up to bed. That’s when she drove away.”

  That still left Collette’s murder, and he still had the task of taking Damen down once and for all. He’d see him in prison, where he’d never be able to harm anyone else or come after him and Savanna. Plus, if he could expose whatever Damen was planning with Tony, he could discredit Damen’s claim of seeing him at the time of Collette’s murder. Shift suspicion from himself to Damen. Damen had a motive to hide his association with Tony, and had gone after Korbin in Wolf Creek. If Korbin could find out what they were planning, and he was pretty sure it was illegal, police would check to see if Damen had lied about seeing Korbin at the time of Collette’s murder. The email would prove his association with Tony.

  “Are police still looking for me?” he asked.

  “That, I don’t know.”

  Pounding on his door and the ringing bell gave him ominous déjà vu.

  “Did you tell anyone where I am?” he asked Julio.

  “Only my brother-in-law.”

  Who could have been discovered, or could have confessed when confronted with the call he’d made to Korbin. Agent Kidd would not have protected him if it meant he’d have to break the law.

  “Time to go. I’ll be in touch. Thanks for everything, Julio.”

  “Good luck, my friend.”

  Korbin grabbed his jacket and the laptop he’d taken from Damen and went out onto the balcony. He’d thought about how he’d get away if this happened. Hopefully it worked.

  Using the fire escape, he reached the second floor and dropped to the ground from there. He’d parked Julio’s car there and was in and backing up as police emerged onto the balcony and spotted him.

  Korbin raced out of the back parking lot. A police car appeared at the entrance and he had to drive off the curb to avoid a collision. The lights went on and the siren whistled as the policeman started to chase him.

  He could not get caught.

  Korbin raced the car, one of those new Volvos. He’d never outrun a cop. He drove through the neighborhood, turning as many corners as he could. Another police car joined in the chase and Korbin’s confidence faltered. He got out onto the highway and raced for the next exit, which would take him to Golden.

  He lost sight of one police car at the exit. The other missed it and was stuck on the highway.

  Korbin cut off a car getting onto another highway and weaved in and out of traffic. He took the next turn and another into a neighborhood. Dodging a slow-moving minivan, he turned again and got back onto the highway. He sped as fast as he could to the next exit with no sight of police cars.

  Going through the old town of Golden, he maneuvered the back roads until he made it into the
foothills. On a two-lane highway, he watched his rearview mirror. No sign of the cop.

  He didn’t relax yet. Staying on the back roads, he drove to Highway 285 near Morrison and sped up the winding mountain road toward Evergreen.

  Realizing where he was headed, Korbin checked himself. He wasn’t going to seek refuge. He couldn’t even be sure he’d be safe there. He could trust Savanna not to turn him in, but what about her family? Would she be alone? Macon might be there. Going there might be a big risk. But he found he could not stop himself from going there. He was going for Savanna.

  Chapter 12

  Sitting on a pillowy bench seat in the window of the upper-level turret, Savanna couldn’t stay focused on the book. She leaned her head against the glass. There were lots of windows in the Evergreen mansion. This place was good for her to hide out a while, but it wasn’t home. It was much more formal than home. The cobblestone circular drive matched the light-colored stone of the home. Trees had been planted just so. And inside, she felt she disturbed perfection every time she sat down or put a drink on a table.

  Movement on the drive caught her attention. A familiar white Volvo drew nearer. Her heart registered who it was a fraction of a second before her brain did. Mouth dropping open, she jerked her head off the window and inhaled a much-needed breath.

  There was only one way Korbin could have gotten inside the gate.

  “Savanna!” her mother yelled. You had to yell in this house.

  Savanna stayed where she was. Her mother had let him in.

  What was he doing here? At first she was glad, but then she became irritated. Was he that inconsiderate of her feelings? Did he know how she felt? How did she feel?

  “Savanna!”

  Macon had gone back to his movie set this morning and it was just her and Mom and Dad. Dad was working from home and was with a director in the basement, talking business.

  The man in the Volvo was no director. Lawbreaker. Fugitive. He could star in one of Dad’s movies.

  He parked the car in front of the sweeping stone stairs that led to the entry. The valet stepped up to the car as Korbin got out of the driver’s seat. His tall, muscular frame made her ache for him, and also made her fight her attraction to him. A slight breeze ruffled his dark hair.