Witness in the Dark

by Allison B Hanson

  They were still working out their relationship. But she was touched that he was trying so hard. He seemed to want to make it work.

  They didn’t quite know how. Not yet.

  Speaking of relationships…

  Always before she and her father hung up, she would ask about Garrett. Her father would tell her he was doing well, but nothing else. She was pretty sure whatever new mission he was on was top secret.

  She went to the large windows in her room and looked out, wondering where Garrett was now and what he was doing.

  And if he was thinking about her.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Garrett couldn’t take it anymore. It had been nearly three months since he and Sam had parted, and he still reached for her in his sleep, aching when his arms came up empty.

  He picked up his phone and called his boss to brief him on the job he’d finished the day before.

  “Thorne,” his boss answered.

  “It’s McKendrick.”

  “How did it go?”

  Garrett could hardly remember. “Good. It’s done.”

  “Excellent. How much time do you need before your next assignment?”

  “I wanted to ask you about that. I was thinking maybe Justin or Angel could use a break. Three months is a long time.”

  So damn long.

  “They’re fine,” Thorne said curtly.

  Garrett let his head fall back against the wall. Obviously, he was going to have to try a different tactic. “I thought you’d want a fresh detail guarding your daughter.”

  “You proved to be much too fresh, don’t you think? She’s still hurting. Even I can tell, and I’m not good at those things.”

  “Maybe I should talk to her.”

  “Maybe you should leave her the hell alone.”

  “I feel like I need to see her through this, sir. I’m having difficulty focusing on my other jobs. I’m worried Howe might make a desperate attempt on her life before the trial. I want to be there to protect her.”

  “Fine,” Thorne snapped. “I’ll put you on perimeter, but no contact. You can make sure she’s safe without causing more personal damage.”

  “I can live with that, sir.” Though it wasn’t what he was hoping for.

  “She’s in the Bird Cage. I’ll send you a file with the stakeout address you can use.”

  At least he would get to see her again, if only from a distance.

  His heart relaxed.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  The day before Sam was needed in the courtroom, Hugh showed up with a hanging rack of fancy clothes.

  “Are we playing dress-up while you ask me the same questions for the four hundredth time?” she asked, leafing through the hangers.

  He laughed. “I thought it was the six hundredth time.”

  “You’re probably right. I zoned out for the last two hundred.”

  “These clothes have all been approved for trial. Choose whatever you want.”

  “Approved? By whom?” She didn’t realize there was a dress code.

  “By our trial consultants, and our lab guys. You need to look responsible and intelligent. And also stay safe.”

  “Lab guys?” She looked toward Angel and Justin. She still wasn’t getting what Hugh meant.

  “The garments are made from fabrics that are flame retardant and acid-proof,” Angel said.

  “Oh, God.” Acid?

  Garrett hadn’t shown her how to fend off an acid attack. She suddenly had trouble breathing.

  “Calm down. These are some great outfits,” Hugh said, obviously trying to get her to focus on the idea of new clothes instead of the possibility someone might want to throw acid on her.

  Angel stepped in front of her. “Get it together, Hutchinson. You know there’s no way in hell Justin, Thorne, Garrett, or I will ever let anyone near you. You don’t need to worry. We’ve got you covered.”

  “Okay.” Since Garrett’s name was thrown into the mix, she asked, “Will Garrett be at the trial?”

  “I haven’t seen the schedule yet,” Angel said, then pulled a hanger off the rack. “Hey. This is a nice suit.”

  Obviously, Sam would get nothing else out of any of them.

  The next morning, she opened the blinds in her room and gazed out over the city as it woke up below her. She showered and dressed in the suit Angel had picked out.

  A few days ago, she’d had Angel help dye her hair red again. She hadn’t had it cut, so it was getting longer. She was still fiddling with it when there was a knock at her door.

  “Yes?”

  “We’ll be leaving in about thirty minutes,” Angel informed her.

  Sam studied her own reflection in the mirror. She looked weak and pale in the navy blue suit. Like a little girl who was planning to take on a congressman.

  She went to her top dresser drawer for her watch. The fake wedding ring sparkled up from the cubbie next to it. It was the only other piece of jewelry she had.

  After a brief hesitation, she slipped the band onto her left ring finger, and squeezed her hand into a fist.

  I’m strong. I can do this.

  She had to. She’d made it this far. If she turned back now, it would all have been for nothing.

  Sparing a glance in the mirror again, she didn’t look any more capable than she had a few minutes ago. Even her pep talk hadn’t helped.

  Oh, God. This was too hard. How could she possibly do this? He was a high-ranking government official. She brought people pizza.

  She just wanted to hide.

  Giving in to the impulse, she slid down to the floor between the bed and the nightstand, and rested her forehead on her knees. Maybe she could hide there from everything. Forever.

  The cell phone sitting on the nightstand rang.

  She reached up and stared at it for a moment. Her father’s name wasn’t on the screen. But he was the only person who had this number.

  Her pulse sped. She answered tentatively, “Yes?”

  “Sam.”

  She recognized the voice immediately, and her heart took flight.

  Oh, God.

  “Garrett.”

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  “How are you?” Sam desperately tried to sound casual, but she was overwhelmed with joy at the sound of Garrett’s voice. She was still sitting on the floor, and let her head fall back against the wall.

  “I’m good. How are you?”

  “Never better,” she lied.

  “Uh-huh, right.” He sounded doubtful. He knew her too well. “I wanted to make sure you were okay, what with the trial starting today. Have they gone over what’s going to happen?”

  “Yes. Extensively.” She closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind. She remembered every detail of his face, from the strong jaw to the adorable dimples.

  “That’s good. So, you’re prepared to see him.”

  “I still need to get into the courtroom alive.”

  “They won’t try anything. It would throw too much suspicion on Howe,” he reasoned.

  “Right. Because shooting a woman in an alley isn’t nearly enough.”

  “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” he said.

  Empty reassurances. He wasn’t making her feel any better. “Will you be there?” she asked.

  “I will. But I probably won’t see you. They usually have law enforcement testify first so we can leave right away.”

  “Oh.”

  Her hopefulness seeped away. It was stupid to be so disappointed. She would soon be starting her life over. He had his own life to get back to.

  Even without all the danger, they wouldn’t have had a chance. Not without some major lifestyle changes. Or a damned miracle.

  For a long moment, neither of them said anything. He finally said, “I want to apologize to you.”

  “For stealing my necklace?” she joked.

  He laughed but turned serious again. “No. For being unprofessional.”

  “You weren’t.” He’d been professional to a frighte
ning degree.

  “I shouldn’t have…touched you, or—”

  “Oh. The sex. It’s okay, I understand. I was scared and you made me feel safe. You were bored and cooped up, and I was there. Like you once said, just a syndrome.” Her stomach twisted at the lies.

  “Sam, no, I—”

  “They just gave me the nod. I have to go.”

  She started to hang up before he could stop her with his own lies. She didn’t want to hear them. But she wasn’t quite fast enough.

  “I think you are the bravest person I’ve ever met,” he said softly. “And you’ll always be Sam to me, no matter what your name is when you’re finished with this damn trial.”

  She choked back the sting of tears. “Remember when you told me all of this was the price for truth?” she asked, resting her head against her knees again.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m not sure it’s worth it. I mean, Heather’s still dead, and my friends think I am, too. I lost my entire life in order to tell the truth, and it might not even do any good. What if his four fancy attorneys get him off?”

  She could hear Garrett breathe, and took some small comfort in that. Though, she’d much rather have his arms around her.

  “What kind of life would you have had if you’d turned your back?” he said quietly. “If you didn’t speak up, and let a killer walk free to do it again and again? Wouldn’t that be far worse?”

  Honestly, she couldn’t answer that. So, she just sighed.

  “I know this is hard on you, but once Howe is convicted, you’ll feel better about it all. You can start a new life.”

  “Yeah.” She looked over and saw Justin standing in the doorway, pointing at his wristwatch. She gave him a wave and he walked away. “I need to go.”

  “Be safe. You have my number now if you need it. Don’t hesitate to call.”

  “If I call, it means my new team is trying to kill me, and I think I just might let them.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. Thank you for checking on me.”

  “Everything’s going to be okay. Get up off that floor and go out there, knowing you’re doing the right thing.”

  She blinked. Get up off the floor?

  She shot up and went to the window. She put her hand on the glass and scanned the city before her. He was out there somewhere. Watching her. Making sure she was safe.

  Irrational, dizzy happiness flowed through her just knowing he cared enough to do that for her.

  She mouthed the words, “I love you” and heard his breath catch.

  “Sam…I have to go.” His resigned tone brought her back to the hard reality.

  Her shoulders slumped, and her joy turned to dust.

  “Goodbye, Garrett.”

  She hung up before he said anything else to break her heart.

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Sam went out to the living room to find Justin and Angel waiting for her.

  Angel looked over her outfit with approval. Justin came up and fitted her into a Kevlar vest.

  Things were getting too real.

  It took them two hours to get through all the security and into the courtroom. The precautions would have seemed like overkill if she hadn’t been chased down and shot at more than once.

  At last they arrived outside the courtroom doors, ready to go in.

  “Did Garrett already testify?” she asked Angel.

  “I think so,” Angel answered as the bailiff opened the door for them.

  “Oh.” Sam’s disappointment must have shown.

  “For what it’s worth,” Angel said, “this job makes relationships difficult. It’s not you, it’s him.” Angel gave her a sad smile and rubbed her shoulder.

  Sam appreciated the sisterly gesture. But it didn’t help. She knew it wasn’t him. It was her. To be with her, Garrett would have to give up his whole life to go into witness protection with her. She just wasn’t worth that kind of sacrifice.

  In the courtroom, she sat next to Angel. Justin was on her other side, and her father sat right behind her. She searched the room for Garrett, but didn’t find him.

  Instead, she saw a different face, horrifyingly familiar.

  Congressman Ashton Howe.

  Her heart pounded as he glared straight at her. If looks could kill, she’d be dead. Thankfully, he didn’t have lasers in his eyes.

  The district attorney called her up to the stand. She sat down and placed her hand on the Bible, repeating the words she was instructed to say.

  Yes, she would tell the truth. That was why she had given up her entire life. And the man she loved. All for the truth.

  Hugh asked her all the questions he’d prepared her to answer. She went over every detail of that dreadful night for what she hoped would be the last time.

  Eventually, he was satisfied with her testimony, and she was dismissed for the day.

  “You did great,” Angel praised her as she buckled up her vest and got her ready to be transported back to the Bird Cage.

  “Thanks.”

  “I have a surprise for you back at the apartment.”

  “Really?” She perked up, hoping it was Garrett.

  When she saw her father sitting in the living room, she tried not to look disappointed, even though her heart dropped down to her feet.

  “Hello, Sam.” He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Very fatherly.

  The table was set and the place smelled like food.

  “Unfortunately, we can’t go out for dinner. But I took the liberty of having dinner delivered, so we can have a nice, relaxing meal tonight.” He smiled as he put his gun on the table. Then froze, as if he realized it was bad etiquette.

  But she was already putting hers beside her plate. She stopped to look at him. They both laughed.

  She sat down. “It smells great.”

  He picked up the wine and filled her glass. She took a sip.

  “You did great today,” he said. “Very concise, but likeable. The jury ate it up.”

  She smiled at his praise, and hoped he was right. “Thanks.”

  “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow would be the defense’s turn to cross-examine her, to try to throw her off track. Hugh had made it sound like pure torture, and she was dreading the ordeal.

  “I think so. The DA has gone over their possible questions with me again and again. I know they’ll be mean and try to make me sound like a liar. But I’m not lying, so they can try all they want.” She took another sip of wine. “I just want it to be over so I can move on.” She sighed. “Not that anyone has told me where I’ll be moving on to.”

  Her father pursed his lips. “I’ll see if I can find out.”

  “Thanks. It finally pays off to have a Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal for a father.”

  “Finally,” he said with a laugh.

  “Can I ask you something personal?”

  “Of course.” He looked a little nervous.

  “Did you love my mother?”

  He smiled and relaxed. “Yes. At one time, I loved her very much. I hated that I had to lie to her every night when I came home. It was no way to have a marriage. I wanted her to be happy.”

  “You gave her up because of your job.”

  “Yes. And have regretted it every day since,” he said sadly.

  It was the second time he’d said it, and she truly believed him.

  They were silent for a few seconds before he changed the subject to something just as difficult. “Have you heard from Garrett lately?” He must have guessed the real reason for her question.

  “He called this morning. He wanted to wish me luck and apologize.”

  Her father straightened in his chair. “Apologize for what?”

  “He feels bad about what happened. Not that he should. He was very honest and told me up front we wouldn’t have a future. I guess I still had some stupid hopes, though… Silly dreams.”

  Her father cleared his throat. “I’m new at this fatherly advice stuff, and not s
ure how to be diplomatic in this situation. I admire McKendrick. He is one of my best men. But I’d still like to shoot him for causing you pain. You shouldn’t have to make do with hopes and dreams. You deserve to be loved unconditionally, someone’s top priority. Don’t settle for anything less.”

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. It was weird having a parent all of the sudden. “Please don’t shoot him. He’s a good guy at heart.”

  “Yes, well, he asked me to give you this.” Her father held out an envelope. “I really wanted to open it to make sure it wouldn’t upset you, but I didn’t. I’m trying to be respectful of your privacy.”

  Warily, she took the envelope and turned it over in her hands. There was no name written on it. Just a blank business-size envelope.

  She ran her thumb under the flap and ripped it open. Inside, was a necklace with an aquamarine charm and a note that simply said, I always keep my promises.

  She couldn’t help herself. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.

  “What is it?” her father demanded when he saw her tears.

  “Nothing bad. Just replacing something I’d lost.” She fastened the necklace around her neck, and swiped at the moisture on her cheeks.

  Her father frowned when he saw the wedding band she still wore on her finger. “What’s with the ring?”

  She shrugged, not wanting to tell him the truth. “Just part of my outfit.”

  He looked dubious, but let it go. When dinner was finished, he gave her a hug and a kiss, and turned her over to Angel and Justin, who’d been hiding out in the hall.

  “Get some rest,” he ordered her.

  She smiled. “You’re starting to sound like a dad.”

  “I’ll try to move my schedule around so I can stop by again tomorrow. Maybe we can have another dinner together. Would you like that?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “I’ll let you know. Don’t count on me until you hear back, though.”

  She understood loud and clear, she was only a small piece of his life, not a top priority. Still, it was better than nothing.

  Before she crawled into bed, she went to the window and looked out at the lights. Was Garrett out there somewhere, still watching her?