by Chris Taylor
* * *
Jett glanced around him at the people walking by, all heading to various destinations. He hadn’t wanted to break the news of Franklin’s culpability to Dani over the phone and had asked her to meet him on the Sydney University No.1 Oval, situated within walking distance of the hospital.
The feeling of dread and resignation that had filled his gut upon realizing the murders had more likely than not occurred the way he’d imagined, continued to grow inside him. Dani would be devastated. He panicked at the thought of finding the right words to tell her. He couldn’t just blurt it out, but neither could he pretend they hadn’t figured out what happened.
While the police had been back to the condo earlier that day with a search warrant and had turned the place upside down, they hadn’t found the clothes Franklin had worn earlier on the fateful day. But that didn’t mean the terrible murders hadn’t happened the way he surmised. He had to tell her. She had a right to know.
He checked his watch and his panic increased. She’d be there any minute. He’d been trained for this very thing. He’d done it many times before and yet, with Dani, everything was different. It was because he cared for her and he cared how she felt. The thought of burdening her with the truth made him sick.
An arrest team was being put together at that very moment. By the end of the day, news of Franklin’s arrest would be broadcast from every television station and Internet service in town. He had to tell her before she found out some other way. He owed her that much.
He turned and caught sight of her making her way across the paved walkway to where he sat on a bench near a stand of gums, overlooking the oval. It wasn’t exactly secluded, but the trees provided a modicum of privacy.
Another wave of nervousness rushed through him. Last night, they’d touched on the possibility of Franklin being involved, but even then, it was pure speculation. Now Jett had proof that his theory had been right.
She came closer and smiled, though he noticed it didn’t reach her eyes. Her gaze glanced off his and her cheeks were tinged with pink. It was hot beneath the afternoon sun, but he was guessing it wasn’t the sun’s heat that had her color up.
“H-hi,” she stammered and he was immediately transported back to the night before. He resisted the urge to lean over and kiss her, like he’d wanted to outside her house. Instead, he satisfied himself with a much more subdued greeting.
“Thank you for coming,” he said and then indicated the bench seat. “Would you like to sit?”
“Um, I’m… I’m not sure,” she replied and then perched on the very edge. She looked up at him, her expression grave. “What’s this about, Jett?”
It was the first time she’d used his Christian name and a surge of warmth rushed through him. He quickly tamped it down. The news he bore was far from happy. Her life was about to be torn apart. Again. He took a seat beside her. The scent of her perfume—spicy and exotic—wafted toward him in the air. He tried to ignore how good it smelled.
“There’ve been some new developments in the investigation,” he started. “I… I wanted to tell you about them in person.”
She frowned, but her gaze remained steady on his. It was as if she’d gotten over her initial bout of nervousness and was now totally focused on their conversation.
“What kind of developments?”
“Firstly, I’ve had access to the paternity test results.”
She lowered her gaze and he caught her quick indrawn breath. Her face paled. “I don’t know that I can bear to hear what it revealed,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
His chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. This was going to be awful. “The results were negative, Dani. Franklin was not Marnie’s father.”
“No!” The word of denial burst out of her. Her eyes widened, filled with an agony of shock and disbelief. She leaped up from the bench, her hands fisted at her sides.
“I don’t believe it! I won’t believe it! You didn’t know Sabrina like I did. The results must be wrong.”
His heart went out to her and he could no longer stand by helplessly and ignore her pain. He came to his feet and closed the distance between them. Putting his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her in against him. She tensed momentarily and then her body went limp. She buried her face against his shirt.
She cried out her pain like her heart was broken. The force of her sobs shook her slight frame. He could only imagine her bewilderment. Sabrina had been the golden-haired child, the woman who could do no wrong; an angel who loved everyone and everything and who everyone loved in return. How utterly debilitating it must be for Dani to accept her perfect sister had had secrets, faults and failings, like everyone else.
The worst of it was, he had yet to tell her the rest. That Franklin had changed his clothing before calling the police. That he was now their number one suspect and was about to be arrested for the murder of his wife and child. That his face would be plastered all over the news, and along with it, the images of Marnie and Sabrina. Dani would be forced to endure the nightmare all over again and this time, the horror would be worse. For instead of some faceless stranger, the perpetrator was none other than the man entrusted with their safety.
At the thought of what lay ahead, his arms tightened about her and he bit back a groan of distress. Pressing his lips against the softness of her hair, he murmured mindless words of comfort. Finally, her sobs subsided to an occasional hiccup and sniffle. She lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes red and swollen from her tears. Her lips trembled.
“It was Franklin, wasn’t it?” Her voice cracked with emotion. Fresh tears slid down her cheeks.
He nodded. Though he was relieved he hadn’t actually had to say the words, he struggled just the same. With a gentle hand, he reached up and wiped the moisture from her eyes. Her breath caught and her mouth parted in surprise. She held his gaze for the longest time.
The air crackled between them, charged with emotions neither of them were brave enough to voice. Her eyes darkened with need and fire catapulted its way through his veins. Heat centered in his groin and it was all he could do not to crush her against him and never let her go.
Instead, he lowered his head until his lips barely touched hers. It was the slightest whisper of movement and yet, his world rocked on its heels. She reached up and her arms came around his neck. Her fingers tangled in his hair.
He turned her until she was flush against him. Her breasts were crushed against his chest. He kissed her again with increasing pressure, this time taking the time to learn the shape and feel of her mouth. She tasted faintly of coffee and of some kind of peppermint gum.
Over the years, he’d gained a little experience in kissing. Though he’d vowed to save himself for marriage, he hadn’t lived a life totally devoid of passion. He’d dated girls on and off, nice girls one and all, and he’d enjoyed their company and their kisses, but none of them had ignited a need so great inside him he it threatened to consume him.
Dani angled her head, giving him more freedom to explore. Jett growled his satisfaction and kissed his way across her cheek and then nibbled on her ear. She gasped and shivered and tightened her hold around his neck. His tongue stole out to trace the delicate whorls and he heard her breath catch again.
Beyond thought and reason, he reached down and cupped her rounded ass and pressed her tightly against his erection. For a moment, she molded herself against him and he nearly died from the feel of it.
But then, she pulled away and her arms fell to her sides. He blinked at her abrupt departure and tried to get his bearings.
“Are… Are you all right?” he asked, his mind still full of their kiss.
A frown marred the smooth skin of her forehead and she stepped a little further away. “Yes, of course. I… It’s just that… We’re at the oval. Anybody could come by.”
He looked around him, still dazed with passion and noticed a couple of students coming toward them, backpacks slung over their shoulders. It didn’t appear they
’d noticed them, but still… He understood Dani’s reluctance.
Heat stole up his neck and spread across his cheeks. His embarrassment had nothing to do with the kiss they’d so recently shared. She was a pathologist at the nearby hospital. He was a detective. They had been making out like teenagers in the park.
“I’m sorry, Dani. I didn’t mean to kiss you. It just sort of…happened.”
Her face relaxed into a soft smile. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind. In fact, I liked it. I liked it a lot. It helped to…take my mind off things.”
Once again, her green eyes deepened with emotion and his heart skipped a beat. He was falling for this woman and falling fast. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.
* * *
Dani perched on the edge of her couch, tense. She stared at her television screen in horror and watched the scene play out in front of her. Franklin being led down the front steps of his law firm in handcuffs, snarling at the gaggle of cameramen, to get the hell out of his way. He must have returned to work…
On one side, he was flanked by Jett and on the other, by another grim-faced detective. Dani was certain it was the same one who had attended the funeral.
She watched her brother-in-law being pushed into the back of a squad car and renewed waves of shock and disbelief shuddered through her. The cameras kept rolling as the car pulled away from the curb and sped away.
A reporter with a microphone in his hand turned back toward the camera, his eyes alight with the scent of the hunt.
“In breaking news, we’ve just witnessed the arrest of Franklin Cook for the murders of his wife and young daughter. Mr Cook is a high profile lawyer currently representing—”
Dani switched the television off, cutting short the man’s sensationalized version of events. This was her family he was talking about. The thought of what would come over the next weeks and months filled her with dread.
She still couldn’t bring herself to believe Sabrina had cheated on her husband. If Jett’s theory was correct, the discovery of her perfidy led directly to her death. No, it couldn’t have happened that way. Though Jett was a trained professional, she knew her sister better than she knew herself. There was no way Sabrina had gotten pregnant by her ex-boyfriend and then passed off the baby as Franklin’s. Dani didn’t care what the lab results showed.
Results could be falsified. Sometimes, the pathologist simply got it wrong, without any malice or premeditation involved. Just simple human error. It didn’t happen often, but it happened enough that it was a possibility and one she now clung to with a vengeance. She needed to repeat the testing and ascertain for herself. Then, and only then, would she believe the results.
The idea took hold and grew wings. She jumped up off the couch. A surge of adrenalin poured through her veins. It was after five. Her lab would be closed, but that wouldn’t deter her. Franklin had just been arrested. He’d be caught up at the police station for hours. She had plenty of time to get over to his place and source items that contained his and Marnie’s DNA.
Fortunately, she still had a key, as well as after-hours’ access to her place of work. She set her jaw with determination. She refused to see another day go by without knowing the absolute truth.
With her mind made up, she collected her handbag and car keys and locked the front door behind her. She thought briefly of Jett and wondered if she should call him, but then dismissed the thought. He’d be busy booking Franklin. Besides, she was the one who refused to believe her sister was a cheat. She needed to do this on her own. For her sake, and for Sabrina.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dear Diary,
Everywhere I turn, I see you. In your choice of cushions, the bed linens, the cheerful flowers in their pots. I can still hear the sound of your laughter. I know that if I just turn around, you’ll be there with sweet baby Marnie chattering in your arms.
And then my dreams turn into a nightmare and all I can hear are your screams. There is blood everywhere. It stains everything I see, everything I feel, everything I touch…
I wake up cold…and remember. You are gone. Buried in the dark, damp ground. Far away from the home you decorated with such pride, the home you loved.
The police have arrested your husband. They are certain they have their man. It breaks my heart to think it might be true. Franklin loved you almost as much as I did.
How could it have come to this? How could he have felt such rage? To take your life and the life of your beautiful baby? Why? Why? Why?
Even if—God forbid—you were unfaithful, you didn’t deserve to die. My perfect, beautiful angel.
Now you’re gone forever… All I can do is cry…
* * *
Dani rode the elevator up to the penthouse, grateful that she was alone. No doubt the security cameras recorded her entrance, but she didn’t care about that. Sabrina had given her a key to the condominium. Franklin was well aware. She wasn’t exactly trespassing. After all, he hadn’t asked for it back.
The ding of the elevator as she reached her destination made her jump. With a quick breath, she stepped out into the corridor and darted a glance right and left. Nobody. Her shoulders relaxed a little. Good. It was time to get to work.
She let herself in. The house was a mess. The police must have been looking for evidence. They hadn’t taken the time to clean up after themselves. Papers and cushions were strewn over the floor. Drawers were left half open. With her lips compressed, she moved through the quiet rooms, her heart beating double time.
It wasn’t that she was fearful of being discovered, more that without the presence of Sabrina—or even Franklin—it just didn’t feel right to be there. But she needed DNA samples and there was only one way to get them. Ignoring the disorder and with renewed determination, she drew in a breath, squared her shoulders and entered Marnie’s bedroom.
The cot stood where it always had, but the mattress was now stripped bare. Dani guessed the bedclothes had been taken by the police as evidence, soaked with her niece’s blood. She shuddered and wondered how Franklin could bear to stay there. He’d be reminded every time he turned around of what had happened in these rooms…
Moving further inside, she walked over to an antique dresser that Sabrina had found in a little shop in Paddington. Dani had been with her the day she’d bought it. On the dresser, she spied a baby’s silver-backed hairbrush and next to it, a matching comb. Her heart clenched. She’d given the set to Marnie as a christening gift.
Dani’s fingers closed around the brush and she lifted it and turned it over. Fine strands of silken hair, golden like her mother’s, were caught in the soft bristles. Dani’s hand shook as she dropped the brush into her handbag and then hurried from the room.
Keeping her head down, she strode down the carpeted corridor to the bedroom her sister had shared with Franklin. The bed was neatly made and no discarded clothing lay on the floor. A book lay on the nightstand on Sabrina’s side of the bed and Dani found herself drawn to it.
She looked down at the cover and her heart clenched. It was an historical romance by Jude Devereaux. Dani recognized the cover, depicting a beautiful buxom woman being embraced by a handsome Duke. Sabrina had always dreamed of her knight in shining armor and even after she was married, she still loved to get lost in the pages of a romance novel.
Dani had only ever admitted to her sister that she liked to indulge in romance novels, too. Despite her troubled and misguided youth, like her younger sister, she still dreamed of true love and happily ever afters. And then she couldn’t help but think how Sabrina had found her prince and yet, her life had ended in a tragedy too sad to bear. Where had true love gotten her sister?
No, Franklin’s actions weren’t about love, if indeed, Franklin had committed the monstrous acts. They weren’t called crimes of passion for nothing. What happened in this condominium had nothing to do with love. It was all about anger and resentment and jealousy and control. There had been no love present when Sabrina was stabbed thirty-seven times
and then suffered the final indignity of having her throat slashed and there’d been no love when the killer stood over baby Marnie and took her life.
The sad thoughts weighed Dani down and as she made her way across the generous room with the gorgeous views of the harbour, her feet felt like they were dragging concrete pylons. She went into the bathroom that was situated off Sabrina and Franklin’s room. A couple of toothbrushes stood in a glass near the sink. She didn’t know which one was Franklin’s but it didn’t matter. If necessary, she’d test them both.
Working quickly now, she collected the toothbrushes and placed them inside a Ziploc bag in an effort to preserve any genetic material. She spied a man’s hairbrush on the vanity and for good measure, it followed the way of the toothbrushes, into her handbag.
She glanced at her watch and noted the time. She’d been in the condominium for less than fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to escape before Franklin was released. No doubt a prominent citizen like him, and a successful lawyer to boot, would make bail. That was why she’d come over right away, while there was still time.
Striding back the way she’d come, she peeked through the security hole in the front door and checked to see if there was anyone around. Satisfied no one was there, she quietly let herself out and headed straight for the elevator.
* * *
Hours later, she rolled her shoulders in an effort to relax the tension and stared at her computer screen in disbelief. With fingers that trembled and a mind still in shock, she dialed Jett’s number, relieved when he answered.
“We have to talk,” she croaked. That was all she could manage.
* * *
“The lab results were wrong.”
Jett frowned in confusion and stared at Dani where she stood across from him on the other side of the room. He leaned against the opening that led into a tiny kitchen. Despite the late hour and the trying day, he’d hurried over to her bedsit the moment she called. She’d sounded stricken on the phone, but had refused to tell him why. His heart had been beating like he’d run a marathon ever since he’d taken her call.