Justified

by Carolyn Arnold

  There was something perverse about watching your own spouse give it to someone else. “Did your husband know you were there?”

  “I don’t see how he would have. I made sure to be back in bed by the time he got home.”

  “So you just left your husband with his mistress?”

  “What was I supposed to do?”

  Madison raised her eyebrows. She found it hard to believe given her experience of finding her fiancé in bed with another woman. She had yelled and thrown things at him. She even raised her gun. For seconds, she thought she’d actually kill him until she realized he wasn’t worth the repercussions.

  Beth continued. “I guess now you know I was there, I should tell you something else. When they were finished, she yelled something at him and started flailing her arms. He reached for her, but she shrugged him off and gestured for him to get out of the house. He looked furious.”

  “So why mention this now?”

  “Well, now that you know I was there, I figured I would. Didn’t see any point earlier.”

  “So you suspected his involvement from the start but said nothing?”

  “He is still my husband.”

  MADISON GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL of the department car. Beth locked up the house and then got into her car. Madison reversed out of the driveway and parked on the road.

  “She has some loyalty toward her husband,” Madison began. “Enough not to name him as a suspect but not enough to hold back from killing his lover.”

  “If she killed his lover,” Terry said.

  Beth pulled on the road and took off.

  “There’s no evidence to show she was inside Claire’s house,” Terry added.

  “But she would have had access to Aaron’s ski jacket and the knife,” she countered.

  “Aaron would have, as well. And he’s admitted to being inside Claire’s house. Now we have eyewitness testimony to that fact.”

  “There’s got to be something we’re missing here.”

  “Why? Because you want it to be the pretty housewife?”

  We’re were back to this again?

  “I’m not even dignifying that with a response. You know there’s more to it than that—”

  “Then prove it to me.” He leaned his head back on the shoulder rest and turned to face her. “Prove it to me as if I were the DA. Beyond doubt, what proves Elizabeth Best was in Claire’s house and killed her?”

  “She knew right where the murder weapon was—”

  “She knew where her husband kept his hunting supplies,” he countered.

  “She knew it was a hunting knife that was used.” She expected to be cut short again, but Terry remained silent.

  “Okay...that part throws me a bit,” Terry said. “But she could have just assumed that based on what was in the paper.”

  “Nope, not buying it. She said the paper mentioned a knife slash. And she withheld information from us, lied about her alibi, and had prior knowledge of the affair.”

  He was quiet a moment. “She knew it would look bad for her. She was protecting herself.”

  “The question is, protecting herself from what? Just murder charges or something else?”

  “One would think life imprisonment would be enough.” Terry looked back to the road. “Besides, like we said earlier, she wouldn’t be able to get close enough to Claire.”

  Madison put the car into gear.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to follow her.”

  “The sarge wouldn’t like this.”

  “Then we won’t tell him.” She was careful to stay far enough back so that Beth wouldn’t spot them tailing her. “Let me just say, we can’t solve a case unless we take a chance now and then, and let our intuition take us along the path of evidence.”

  “Huh, and I feel we should let evidence take us ‘along the path of evidence.’” He mocked her terminology. “We still need the results from Aaron’s DNA and the bloody towel.”

  Her cell phone rang and she answered. “Knight.”

  “You’re going to love me.” It was Cynthia.

  “Whatcha got?” She needed the results more than she needed to make small talk.

  “A couple things. First, what you asked me to look into.” Madison sensed that Cynthia referred to Bryan Lexan and Cynthia’s next words confirmed her suspicion. “The envelopes are a match.”

  Madison smacked the steering wheel, a smile engulfing her face. Terry turned and gave her a look that had his face scrunched up as if to say, What the heck?

  “Not sure how much closer it brings you to solving that case, though. You might just have to let it go,” Cynthia said.

  “You know that I can’t. What else have you got?” She hoped Cynthia would pick up on the fact she was inquiring about Claire’s case now.

  “The caller history came back on Claire’s phone. Of course, we can’t see what was sent, but Allison Minard definitely received a text message from Claire’s phone.”

  “She was telling the truth.”

  “But here’s the best part, Aaron Best’s DNA matches Claire’s vaginal swab and the male DNA from the wound. There were no usable prints on the knife. However, the blood from the tea towel came back a match to Claire Reeves and—”

  “And Aaron Best?”

  “Try again.”

  -

  Chapter 46

  DARREN TAYLOR GRIPPED THE HANDLE of his wheeled suitcase as tight as he would a stress ball. “Are you sure there’s no way this can be traced back to me?” No need to say “murder” and take the chance of other people in the airport overhearing him.

  “Calm down, you’re fine.” She squeezed his other hand. “Aaron’s been charged and everything’s going according to plan. We’re free to be together now.”

  “Flight three-eight-three to Tahiti now boarding.” The call came over the speakers.

  “The money will be wired to your account.” She smiled at him. “We’re millionaires.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

  “I know.” She smiled and laughed, tugging on his arm, and pulled him in the direction of the gate.

  He stopped moving. “I just have a bad feeling.”

  “How is that even possible? All the evidence led them to Aaron. We’re free. We can finally be together again, like the old days.”

  “It will never be like then.” For a moment, his thoughts traced back to a time when the two of them were all that mattered. They were in love and planned on a making a family together. But one fateful trip to Tahiti had changed everything.

  “Isn’t it me who decides that?” she said. “You proved your love to me. I’m so happy that you were man enough to go through with it. She was what destroyed us in the first place.”

  Years ago, she wouldn’t go with him on that trip even though he begged her to. She had finals to attend to. He just needed some time to relax. His semester had squashed his energy and ambition. He had put all his waking hours into the development of his program and needed to unwind. But she had told him it would be good for him to get away.

  Claire must have followed him to Tahiti and stalked him like prey. She knew he was there, knew where to find him. She sniffed out the opportunity and seized it. She didn’t just steal a program. Claire destroyed his relationship with the only woman he had ever loved and ever would.

  Darren felt his nose drip and could tell it was another nosebleed. He reached into his pocket for a tissue and dabbed at it. It was a very minor one.

  “Oh not again.” She rubbed his arm. “You get so worked up. Retribution is ours. We were justified, baby. She took everything from me, from us. Now let’s go spend her money.” She laughed.

  He smiled at her. Her efforts to calm him were working. He returned the used tissue to his pocket, and could hear his name despite the crowds.
He turned to see Allison running toward them.

  “What are you doing?” Allison cast a look to the other woman, who raised a single brow. “You’re leaving me for her?”

  “Darren, why don’t you go buy me a chocolate bar? You know the kind I love.” His loved one’s voice was sweet with a bitter edge. He kissed her cheek and walked away. “How did you find us, Allison?”

  “I followed—”

  “So you’re his stalker now?”

  “Is there anything you won’t do for this woman? Darren, I’m talking to you,” Allison said.

  He’d gotten about five feet away and stopped walking.

  “She manipulates you and toys with you like you’re her puppet.”

  Now he turned around and looked between both women, settling his gaze on Allison. “You knew what our relationship was and what it wasn’t.”

  “Please,” Allison pleaded with him.

  His loved one spoke pointedly to Allison. “You know that Darren and I are meant to be together.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so upset, Allison,” Darren said. “I thought we were all friends. You knew everything, and you wanted payback just as bad as us, so don’t play an innocent in all of this.”

  “I don’t even know who you are.” Allison’s voice faltered. “She doesn’t know, does she?” She glanced at his loved one.

  “What? Know what?” the woman asked.

  “It doesn’t matter—”

  “What, Darren? Answer the question. What don’t I know?”

  Just the look in her eyes, the distrust, the past flashing back to him in vivid screenshots. “It doesn’t matter.” He moved closer to his loved one and wrapped an arm around her and glared at Allison. “We are together now.”

  “You were with her?” His loved one pulled back, and her eyes were full of hurt and betrayal. She must have finally picked up on the dynamics of his relationship with Allison. “You were with her without my knowledge, behind my back?”

  “What bothers you more?” Allison began. “The fact that he fucked me repeatedly or that you don’t control him as much as you thought you do?”

  “Please leave, Allison,” Darren said firmly. “You’ll be compensated. We’ll send you something from the island.”

  “For services rendered? Was I your whore?” Allison stared at him blankly. “You were the one who sent me the text message to clean that night, weren’t you? And from Claire’s phone? You set me up to find her.”

  He said nothing. To hear the pain in her voice struck in him some sympathy, but at the end of the day, she should have known where she stood with him. For years, he had been trying to get his loved one back. Allison had been entertainment for the course.

  His loved one stepped away from him. “You’ve been sleeping with her. Claire was bad enough, but that couldn’t be helped.”

  “You’re such a hypocrite, and don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about,” Allison said to his loved one.

  “You wouldn’t dare bring that up.”

  He looked at the woman who he idolized over all others. “What is it?”

  She held eye contact with him but didn’t speak. He looked to Allison.

  “You slept around behind his back when he went to Tahiti all those years ago! Yet you pretend to be all hurt by his actions there—”

  “Well, I didn’t get married like he did.”

  “Is this true?” The nosebleed that had felt like it had subsided was starting up again. He dabbed his nose. “You were with someone else?”

  “Don’t get all righteous on me.” The eyes that had held such beauty and allure before had turned steely blue, cold and unfeeling.

  He scrunched up his face. “So all the guilt trips, the control tactics—”

  “Only the weak allow themselves to be controlled.”

  “So now I’m the weak one?” He dabbed his nose again.

  She laughed. “You tell me, Mr. Nosebleed.”

  “I—” He felt someone put a hand on his shoulder and both women stepped back.

  “Darren Taylor, you have the right to remain silent…” Detective Knight came up behind him. “I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Claire Reeves. You have the right to an attorney…”

  The male detective came up behind his loved one, and she struggled to keep her wrists free. “Wha-what are you doing?” she asked.

  “Elizabeth Best, you have the right to remain silent.” He snapped the cuffs on her. “I am placing you under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder and as an accessory.”

  Darren looked at Allison, who was watching them from a distance.

  Knight continued. “If you lack funds, an attorney will be provided for you…”

  “You arrested Aaron! This is ludicrous! I had nothing to do with any of this!” Beth was screaming. “It was him!” She stared at Darren.

  His head snapped to look at her. She had given him the mandate that to prove his love he would kill the woman responsible for ruining their relationship years ago. It would also compensate for the financial burden she’d created for him and Beth. How could she turn on him now when he needed her the most? “What are you doing, Beth?” Darren’s eyes searched hers.

  “He used me,” Beth spat.

  “How could—”

  “See, I told you.” She flung her head around, attempting to have mercy extended.

  “Mrs. Best, you framed your husband for murder. You gave your husband’s ski jacket and knife to your lover. That makes you an accessory,” the male detective said.

  “Prove it.”

  Knight responded, “You had prior knowledge of the affair. You went to Claire’s that night and watched your husband have sex on the couch with her. You admitted to that. What have you left out?”

  A small pulse tapped in Beth’s cheeks and they turned a bright red that made it through the layers of makeup.

  “And you were stupid enough to lead us right to the knife.” Knight leaned in toward Darren’s ear. “And that’s where you messed up.”

  His wrists were behind him and secured in cuffs, but his nose was bleeding. He had no way of wiping it.

  “The murder weapon was found wrapped in a tea towel and your blood was on the towel. I’m going to guess another nosebleed?” Knight said.

  He could have screamed at the top of his lungs. All of this to prove his love to a woman who obviously didn’t have a clue what that even was. It really would have been best to let sleeping dogs lie.

  -

  Chapter 47

  ANOTHER MURDER SOLVED AND JUST in time to enjoy her Saturday evening. They had no proof that Allison was involved in the murder besides possibly serving as an accessory after the fact. It was all speculation and hard to prove. And the same held true of Darcy Simms. If she was involved, she hid her trail well.

  Madison was curled up on her couch, cuddling with Hershey and mindlessly watching something on television. Terry had given her a huge lecture last night about taking some time to just unwind, and Sergeant Winston had followed it up with a suggestion they both take a few days. She lifted her drink and was interrupted by a knock on her door. Hershey barked.

  Maybe it was the pizza she had ordered. It was strange the phone never rang to have her let them up, but maybe someone was at the front door and had just let them in. A lockout apartment building wasn’t really that secure.

  “One minute.” She grabbed a twenty off the counter and opened the door. It wasn’t the delivery guy. She turned around, leaving the door open for him to come in and then turned to face him again. “What are you doing here, Blake?” She felt her heart sink and a burning sensation start in her earlobes.

  “One heck of a greeting.” He moved closer to her. “There’s something I need to say to you—”

  “Thought we said everything.”

  “Plea
se don’t interrupt.” He shut the door behind them and put a hand on her forearm to make her stand still. Her eyes went to his hand, but she didn’t shrug to free herself. “You know what the problem is with people like you and me?” He paused and she remained silent. “We’re too proud, too stubborn, and too damned logical—”

  “Nothing you can—”

  “Some things don’t require logic, Maddy. Your job, mine, they demand it, but with this—you, me, our relationship—we need to throw it out. We need to allow ourselves to acknowledge what we really feel, even if it doesn’t factor into our logic-planned lives.” He moved in closer, putting his hands on both of her shoulders. “We’ve got to say what we truly feel sometimes, even when it scares us.” He put fingers in her hair, his eyes following the movement of his hand before looking straight into her eyes. “I love you, too.”

  It was too much to handle. Her heart and her mind were pulling her in conflicting directions. “I…” She couldn’t get any more words out.

  “And that woman at Starbucks.”

  Her eyes snapped to his.

  “That was my daughter, Emily.”

  Had it gotten to the point that she was so jealous that she wouldn’t afford him any benefit of the doubt? No, she had him tried and convicted as a cheating lover. “Your daughter?”

  He smiled at her. “Yes. And I’d like you to meet her.”

  “Meet her?”

  “Assuming that we’re back together of course.” He held her tight, and she sensed if she went to move backward he’d tighten his hold on her.

  She looked up at him, finding comfort and security in the eyes of the man she had tried to make herself hate in the last few days. The excuses that had thundered in her mind fighting for attention had all been silenced. She remembered her sister’s invite to dinner tomorrow: Bring your boyfriend.

  “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

  -

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