by Chris Taylor
She paused and stared down at her hands where they were clenched on the table in front of her. When she spoke again, he had to strain over the noise of the other patrons to hear.
“The man who took my virginity had long gray whiskers and smelled of stale beer. It happened on the seat of his pickup. I told him it was my first time and I guess he tried to be gentle, but in the end, it hurt like hell and when it was over, I left in tears. The sad thing was, any love and attention was better than none and I kept going back, time and again.”
Jett envisaged the young teen, putting on a show for the men. She should have been safe and secure at home, swaddled and protected and loved by her family, valued like the treasure she was. Instead, she’d been forced to seek comfort in the arms of strangers; men old enough to be her father. Helpless anger stirred in his veins.
“How were you brought up on charges?” he asked, keeping his tone non-judgemental.
She grimaced. “Let’s just say we had an over zealous sergeant who didn’t take kindly to being refused. I might have had the morals of an alley cat, but I still got to pick and choose. The sergeant felt he should have had the right to demand my attentions. When I turned him down, he brought me up on prostitution charges.”
“What about the second time?” he asked calmly.
Her lips compressed into a thin line. “The second time it was a young constable, eager to make his mark. He caught me climbing out of the back of a pickup. I was still adjusting my clothing. I had some money tucked into the pocket of my skirt that I’d stolen from the cookie jar at home. I was going to use it to buy some food. Unfortunately, the constable saw me with the wad of bills about the same time I left the truck and he was certain I’d just earned it on my back.”
She shook her head. “There was nothing I could say to convince him otherwise. He arrested me and took me down to the station.”
“But the charges were dropped,” Jett said.
“Yes,” she replied. “I was lucky enough to get the ear of the kindly local area commander. He’d known me since I was a little kid. On both occasions, he came into the cells and asked me what had happened. I told him the truth. Neither matter went any further.”
She drew in a long breath and let it out on a heavy sigh. Tears glinted in her eyes. Without thinking, Jett reached over and squeezed her hand. She tensed, but didn’t move away.
He thought about her childhood and fresh anger flooded through his veins. The adults charged with seeing to her protection, offering her guidance and love, had failed her. If it hadn’t been for the local area commander, she could have done time in jail. It would have affected her job options and might have been the end of any career aspirations, but it hadn’t worked out like that. Somehow, she’d turned her life around. He was curious to know more.
“Where was Sabrina in all this?” he said. “She was only a couple of years younger. She couldn’t have been oblivious to what was going on.”
Dani glanced up at him and then stared at the table again. Slowly, she offered him a nod. “You’re right. Of course she knew and it broke her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it. I lost count of the number of times she begged me to stay home, to not go out at night. She’d heard all the rumors; she knew what happened on the edge of town.
“I wouldn’t listen. I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t think she understood. She’d been born beautiful, inside and out—all serene and kind and golden. For some reason, our parents treated her better. I think they were a little in awe of her, of this exquisite creature with the long blond hair and sunny smile that lived with them. Whatever scraps of affection they had, they gave to her.”
“That must have been hard on you,” Jett murmured, his heart breaking at the thought of the young Danielle, unloved and unwanted.
Dani shrugged. “I guess, but I didn’t blame Sabrina. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t have a nasty bone in her body. She treated everyone with kindness and respect. I never saw her get angry or say anything mean. She was good and kind and beautiful, an angel, until the day she died.”
Her voice caught and more tears welled up in her eyes. Jett’s heart tightened with emotion. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. He wanted to hold her close and promise her that everything would be all right; that she’d never be sad again.
But of course, he could do none of those things. They’d only met three weeks ago. They barely knew each other. She was part of his murder investigation. Even worse, she’d been on and off his suspect list. The fact that he’d never seriously entertained the possibility she was the killer wasn’t relevant.
“It was Sabrina who finally made me realize I was on a fast track to nowhere and that if I didn’t do something to bring a halt to the way I was living my life, I might never find my way back. She convinced me I could do it, that I deserved better. She believed in me, she loved me. She gave me the courage to do what had to be done.”
She made a soft sound of distress and once again, Jett restrained the urge to hold her. When she looked up at him, her eyes glistened with tears.
“She found the AA meeting in a nearby suburb. She even came along. She was there when I met Ben. We clicked right away and Sabrina was so pleased. I’d found someone who not only cared, but who understood what I’d been through.”
At the mention of Ben Fitzgerald, Jett compressed his lips, but he reminded himself the two of them were no longer a couple and his tension eased. He gazed at Dani and realized she looked exhausted. She’d spent the day at work and had just gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. It couldn’t have been easy recounting her past. She’d had no idea how he was going to react.
He couldn’t deny he was shocked at the previous life she’d led, but he didn’t blame her. No one was perfect. Everyone made bad choices and decisions they lived to regret. What was important was that she’d risen above it and had worked hard to turn her life around. No one meeting her today would have an inkling of where she’d been. She was a beautiful vibrant woman and… He could understand her sister’s pride. He was proud of her, too.
“Thank you for sharing your story,” he said quietly and once again, squeezed her hand. He wanted to do so much more, but he wasn’t sure how she felt about him—about them. Hell, what was he thinking? There was no them and there probably never would be.
“Do you…think Franklin…might have had…something to do with…the deaths of Marnie and Sabrina?”
The question was voiced so softly and hesitantly, he wasn’t sure that he’d heard right. He stared at her.
“Do I think Franklin…?” He let the question hang. She stared at her hands where they clenched and unclenched in her lap. A long moment later, she nodded.
Her head came up and she caught his gaze, her eyes wide and dark and shadowed with pain. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice ragged. “Do you think it was Franklin?”
Jett reared back, his mind awhirl. There were aspects of Franklin’s responses that he found unsettling and there’d been moments when he definitely didn’t like the man, but did he really think Dani’s brother-in-law was a murderer? He wasn’t sure. Holding her gaze, he told her as much.
“Is there some reason you felt the need to put this to me?” he asked, feeling a little confused. “The first time I asked you about Franklin, you were adamant he couldn’t be responsible. What happened to change your mind?”
She toyed with a paper napkin that was folded near her place. Her gaze remained fixed on the table.
“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “It’s just that he lied about talking to his mother and then confessed to having a long-term affair. I would have sworn he loved my sister with every fiber of his being, but how can someone love another person like that and be sleeping with someone else? It’s made me rethink everything I thought about him and I can’t help but question everything I believed. I mean, what if Sabrina found out about this other woman? What if they had a terrible fight and it ended with Sabrina’s and Marnie’s deaths?”
She frowned at him and then shook her head, frustration evident in her eyes. “Yes, you did, but that was according to Franklin. What if he lied about that, too? He’s already lied once. What’s to stop him lying again? I can’t help thinking his little dig about Sabrina being unfaithful and demanding the paternity test was his way of removing the heat from him.”
Jett nodded thoughtfully. “I asked him about the paternity test.”
“Yes, at the funeral and then later, when you came by the condominium. He said he never opened the letter. He hadn’t seen the results. Did he give you a copy?”
“No,” he said slowly. With all that had been going on, the lab test had slipped his mind. He had yet to phone the lab that had conducted the testing.
“No one will convince me Sabrina was unfaithful,” Dani said, her expression fierce.
Jett regarded her solemnly, admiring her loyalty. “There’s only one way of knowing for sure,” he murmured and glanced at his watch. “I’ll phone the lab now and see if they’re still open.”
“You know who conducted the tests?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes, Franklin told me. He was having trouble finding his copy. At least, that’s what he said.”
Jett pulled out his phone and found a number for Life Biologistics. A moment later, the call connected and was answered on the third ring. Jett introduced himself to the female on the other end of the phone and explained the reason for his call.
“I’m sorry, Detective Craigdon, I won’t be able to release any information to you without written consent from Franklin Cook.”
Jett gritted his teeth in frustration. “Could you at least confirm that Franklin and Marnie Cook are clients?”
There was a moment of silence and Jett could hear the sound of fingernails tapping on a keyboard before the woman replied.
“What were the names again?”
Jett gave her the information.
“I’m sorry, Detective. I don’t have any record for either of those names.”
Jett frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. They’re not in our system. I think you’ve made a mistake.”
After thanking the woman for her time, Jett ended the call. He stared across at Dani in confusion.
“The lab doesn’t have any record of Franklin and Marnie,” he said.
Dani frowned. “I thought you said Franklin—”
“I did. Franklin gave me the name of the lab. Only, the information wasn’t correct.”
Dani’s eyes widened. “Do you think he made a mistake?”
Jett stared at her. “Either that, or he lied.”
Dani reared back. Jett couldn’t tell if she was shocked or simply unwilling to accept the possibility. She shook her head slowly back and forth.
“Why would he do that? I refuse to believe those results had anything to do with the deaths.”
“I understand you don’t want to hear this, Dani, but I’m convinced those test results are connected. I’m not sure how, but every which way I turn, those results come back to haunt me. Franklin received them the day your sister and niece were murdered. Strangely enough, he’s misplaced the envelope with the documents; he lied about the lab where I could obtain a copy. There’s something going on. I feel it in my gut.”
She remained silent, but he refused to be put off. “There might be another way we can get hold of a copy. Franklin said he brought the results home from his office that day. They must have been in the house. I wonder if he left the mail somewhere on his way inside?” The faintest stirring of excitement started in Jett’s gut.
“I could check the crime scene photos,” he added. “You never know your luck. If he left the mail on a table or the counter, we might have captured it in a frame. It’s worth a second look.”
Dani nodded. “I agree, but you’re surmising the results indicated Franklin wasn’t Marnie’s father.” She shot him a pointed look. “That is what you’re getting at, right? That my sister was unfaithful, got pregnant by another guy and tried to pass Marnie off as the baby of her husband?”
Jett shifted in his seat, but was able to hold her gaze. “Yes, that’s what I’m getting at. If Franklin did open the letter and saw the results, it’s possible he then went home and attacked his wife and daughter in a jealous rage.”
Dani’s expression turned bleak and she shuddered as if tasting something distasteful. “I just can’t imagine it happening like that. Franklin…” Her voice drifted off and she shook her head slowly back and forth, shadows of helplessness in her eyes.
A moment later, her shoulders squared and she met his gaze, a new light of determination replacing the shadows.
“For me to believe it happened the way you suggest, I have to accept Sabrina was unfaithful, that Franklin wasn’t Marnie’s dad and I… I just can’t… I can’t believe Sabrina capable of such deception. It isn’t possible. Anyone else, maybe, but we’re talking about my little sister! You didn’t know her. I refuse to believe she cheated on her husband.”
Jett stared at her, his heart flooding with compassion. He’d come across his fair share of shocked relatives who struggled to accept what their loved ones were capable of. Even some serial killers had families who loved them.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t know Sabrina, and I accept that you knew her well, but you wouldn’t be the first relative to be duped by someone they love.”
She tensed and her face closed. He sat forward, hoping to make her understand. “Everyone has secrets, Dani and they’re called secrets for a reason. I don’t want to make this any more difficult for you, but, I don’t think either of us can say with certainty that your sister did or didn’t cheat on her husband.”
Her eyes flared with anger. She glared across at him. “You were right the first time,” she said coldly. “You didn’t know my sister. You didn’t know anything about her. So don’t presume to categorize her with all the other victims you’ve come across. I won’t have it. And for your information, Sabrina didn’t have any secrets. We told each other everything.”
Anger stirred in his gut. Didn’t she get it? He was on her side! He was trying to help her!
“You didn’t know about Franklin’s mistress.”
She glared at him. “We’ve already established my brother-in-law is less than truthful at times.”
Jett’s temper rose to the surface. “For Christ’s sake, Dani! Your sister was stabbed a total of thirty-seven times.”
Dani flinched in horror and her face lost most of its color. Jett felt a stab of guilt for being so harsh, but he needed to make her see.
“The attack on Sabrina was personal. Very personal. When we see this kind of overkill, any detective worth his salt will look to those closest to the victim and unfortunately, most of the time, that’s where we find the murderer. It’s an awful statistic. I can’t force you to believe it, but it’s the truth.”
He drew in a deep breath and let it out on a heavy sigh. She continued to stare at him with equal parts anger and desolation. She looked so vulnerable and alone. Though he wanted to comfort her, he maintained control and remained seated with his hands firmly at his sides.
“When someone is murdered the way Sabrina was murdered, the first people we look at are the family. You’ve told me you weren’t the killer; neither of your parents are in your lives. We also looked into the maintenance man and the anti-Islamic protester. They’ve both been cleared.”
Her shoulders slumped and once again, she looked despondent. She picked up her glass and realized it was empty so put it down again. He signaled the waiter for another.
“That leaves Franklin,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
He stared at her and slowly nodded. “Yes, that leaves Franklin.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next day, Jett was the first to arrive at his office. Switching on the lights and the air condit
ioning, he threaded his way through the rows of empty workstations until he came to his. Dumping his briefcase on his desk, he leaned over and booted up his computer.
After buying Dani another drink the night before, he’d invited her to dinner, but she’d declined. He’d been disappointed. Though their conversation had traversed some heavy topics, he’d felt a connection to her throughout and was almost certain she felt it, too.
But she’d accepted his offer to drive her home to her tiny bedsit and had walked her to the door. She’d stared at him for a few endless seconds and he wondered if she would kiss him. But she turned away and fumbled for her keys, muttered a brief thank you and goodnight—and with that, she was gone.
Still, he refused to be put off. Whether Danielle Porter liked it or not, there was something between them—a spark, a connection—he didn’t know what to call it, but it existed and he wanted to explore it further.
She was the antithesis of every woman he’d dreamed about. For years, he’d pictured himself with a sweet, loving blonde. Quiet and shy, with a pure heart and body, she’d be keenly intelligent with a good sense of humor, and modest about her accomplishments.
He realized with a start he was describing what he knew about Sabrina Cook and yet, it was her sister who’d captured his thoughts. Dark and sexy and fiercely determined, she couldn’t be more different from her sister if she’d tried—and yet, he was drawn to her.
He was a virgin who believed in love and remaining pure until he was married and she… Well, she…wasn’t. But she was strong and smart and loyal and beneath her tough exterior was the heart of a woman with a warm and generous soul. He wondered if she was even aware of her good qualities.
He’d spent a restless night, tossing and turning over the case as one scenario after another paraded themselves through his mind. The more he thought about it, the further up his suspect list Franklin Cook climbed. Even without the paternity results, Sabrina and her husband could have argued over something else—his mistress, for example.