Little did he or anyone know that Carter had already contacted the local police.
* * *
At 10:55 am, Brett got into the taxi with his overnight bag and no one tried to stop him. However, he didn't get very far. A police cruiser pulled up and blocked the cab from leaving the driveway.
After being read his rights, Brett was cuffed and stuffed into the back seat of the cruiser with the entire family standing around watching. He finally had an audience, too bad no one was clapping.
Olivia held her father's hand. “I'm so sorry, Dad. I thought Brett was different. Maybe this is a sign I shouldn't get married again.”
George kissed his daughter's temple. “This isn't your fault.”
“But I feel responsible. Josephine is dead because of him. And poor Sasha ...”
“We'll get through this,” George said. “It'll take some time, but we will. The main thing is that Sasha found the courage to come forward. I'm proud of her.”
Olivia nodded in agreement. “I can stay for a while if you want me too. I don't have to go back to the city. I'll take care of you.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “But I'll be fine. Besides, I have Lucita to look after me. Anytime you want to come visit though, the door is always open.”
Olivia turned to me and said, “I owe you an apology, by the way. I acted like a real bitch.”
“It's fine,” I said.
She seemed to look at me in a new light. “You're a pretty fine actress. You had us all fooled. Maybe you missed your calling.”
“Thanks. I've actually come to realize that being a good actress is part of being a good private detective.”
Olivia nodded and shook my hand. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Likewise,” I replied.
As she and the rest of George's family walked back into the house, Carter and I remained with George outside as snowflakes danced around our heads.
“It's finally over,” I said. “But what will you do about Miles?”
George paused to think it over. “What can I do? He's my son. And considering he's been under pressure with his finances, maybe I need to cut him some slack.”
“You're an understanding man,” I said. “Miles and Olivia are lucky to have you for a father. I hope they know that.”
George shook our hands and thanked Carter and me again for a job well done. “The mood might be a bit somber around here but you two are welcome to stay for lunch.”
Carter put his arm around my shoulders. “Thanks for the offer but Sarah and I have some catching up to do.”
George winked at us. “I completely understand.”
Chapter 27
One Week Later
Carter and I spent the whole day Saturday moving me into his house, with the help of Jackie and my son Brian. I had sold most of my furniture beforehand so, basically, there were just boxes of clothes, photo albums, shoes, boots, and mementos from Brian's childhood. The biggest item, which took the four of us to lift up, was a handmade wooden chest passed down from my mother.
Carter was gracious enough to give me a spare bedroom in his house, along with half of the basement, to store things.
Afterwards, I took everyone out for pizza to our favorite joint. Between the four of us, we devoured two large pizzas and a pitcher of beer.
“So you haven't mentioned anything about your weekend at the mansion,” Jackie said. “Were you able to convince the family that you were the dead woman's daughter?”
I shrugged. “I guess so. In the end, the killer confessed. So, I'd say we were successful.”
Jackie made a face. “Why did he do such a thing?”
Carter and I exchanged a smile. “It's a long story.”
“Well, did the police arrest him?”
“Yep. Last I heard, he couldn't make bail so he remains in police custody awaiting trial. The public defender assigned to his case is trying to make a deal since this is a first offense. Besides the confession, the only witness is a nineteen year old girl. She's willing to testify if it ends up going to court. I guess we'll have to wait and see.”
“Wow,” Jackie said. “You're a brave chick. I don't think I could sleep under the same roof with a killer.”
“I'll admit, I had to keep my pepper spray handy but, at least, Carter was listening the whole time. Kind of like an angel. If anything happened, I knew he'd be there to protect me.”
Carter took my hand and kissed it. “That's right, but I'm no angel.”
“Maybe not, but I'm keeping you anyway.”
Brian sat back in the booth and rubbed his tummy like he was bloated from all the pizza. “So Mom, didn't you mention something about getting an office space for work? You still planning on doing that?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I'm going to check out a few places this week. I think it's time to take my new career to the next level.”
Carter's expression indicated that he didn't share my opinion. “Does this mean I have to start toeing the line? You know that's not my style.”
“Just as long as one of us keeps our detective license intact, we'll be good.”
“Hey, I have an idea.” Jackie fluttered her eyelashes and stuck out her chest. “If you need a sexy secretary, I'll be the first to apply for the job.”
“Hmm,” I said. “I'll keep that in mind.”
The End
The next Sarah Woods book
will be available this August, 2015
You can pre-order it here:
A Recipe for Disaster (Sarah Woods Book 16)
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Please email me directly with your name and email address.
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Want to check out the other books in the series: click on these links. The individual books are all included in the Kindle Unlimited to borrow.
An Appointment with Murder (Sarah Woods Book 1)
An Act of Deceit (Sarah Woods Book 2)
An Island of Illusions (Sarah Woods Book 3)
A Taste of Sin (Sarah Woods Book 4)
The Masque of Innocence (Sarah Woods Book 5)
The Art of Duplicity (Sarah Woods Book 6)
An Appetite for Revenge (Sarah Woods Book 7)
A Date with Death (Sarah Woods Book 8)
A weapon of Choice (Sarah Woods Book 9)
A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Book 10)
The Ties that Bind (Sarah Woods Book 11)
A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Book 12)
A Death in Tuscany (Sarah Woods Book 13)
The Devil You Know (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 15) Page 10