“What about this girl he’s accused of assaulting this time?”
“She’s also refusing to press charges, but I believe if we continue—”
“We have no complaining witness therefore we have no case. Stop investigating and move on, Andrew.” He downed a handful of antacids, a clear indicator to Andrew that he wasn’t in the mood for discussion.
But Andrew couldn’t let this go so easily. “We have to stop this guy before he kills someone.”
“I know you’ve been going through some stuff with your sister, so I’ve been turning a blind eye—”
“This isn’t about Sarah.”
“But you have other, more important cases on your desk to handle, cases where the victims want justice. You can’t let this thing with your sister color your judgment. There’s no case here. It’s time to let this one go.”
“Bill—”
“You have my decision, Andrew. Move on to your other cases.”
Andrew walked out. A year ago, he wouldn’t have blinked at Bill’s demand. He stormed into his office and closed the door. He ran his hands through his hair as he admitted the truth.
A year ago, he wouldn’t have given Amy Vance a second look.
* * *
Jessica sat in her office trying to concentrate on work, but the thump of rain against her window matched her mood—dreary and glum. A day of soul-searching had that effect on her, especially when she realized how lonely her life had become.
She’d shut down after Dean’s death, walking the fine line between helping and getting involved. No one knew her, not really. Not even Margo. It was a lonely existence and one she was ready to shed.
A knock at her door caused her to jump, but when she looked up and saw Andrew, rain glistening on his hair and his overcoat damp, the warmth of his smile eased her melancholy mood.
“Looks like you’re doing some pretty serious thinking. Were you thinking about me?”
She stared at him dumbfounded by his suggestion. How had he known where her thoughts had been heading? But when she noticed the silly grin on his face, she realized he was only teasing. Heat rose to her face as his eyes widened with pleasurable surprise.
“You were thinking about me.” But then the lilt in his voice was replaced with a much more serious tone as he stepped into her office and closed the door. “I’m glad, especially after how we left it here the other day. I owe you an apology for trying to kiss you. I misunderstood. I thought I felt something—”
“You did. We both did.” She got up and walked around the desk.
He took her hand in his and closed the distance between them. “Then what happened? I really like you, Jessica. I’m sorry if I pushed too hard.”
“You’re the first man I’ve trusted enough to get that close to in a very long time. That’s how much I like you.”
“But it’s not enough, is it? You shrank away from me when I touched you. Will you ever really trust me?”
“I want to. I really do.” And she meant it. She’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted to find comfort in his arms. Yet she flinched when he reached out to caress her cheek.
“I will never hurt you, Jessica. I know the kind of men you see every day, but I’m not like them. I promise.”
Oh, how she wanted to believe that. Her every instinct was to lose herself in his embrace. His very presence was invigorating—the span of his shoulders, the warmth of his smile, even the scent of the rain on his hair. She leaned into his hands, soaking in the feel of him. His hands on her face sent a thrill through her nerve endings, and she quivered with the anticipation of his lips as they touched hers and sent a rush of emotions through her, both pleasant and painful. He’d shattered the wall she’d so craftily built and all that emotion poured from her in one giant gush.
Sobs tore from her. Tears spilled from her eyes. She didn’t want him to see her this way, so out of control, so vulnerable. She tried to pull away but Andrew grasped her hands and held them.
“Don’t push me away, Jessica.”
He had no idea how much she wanted to believe in him. How much she wanted to trust him. She was so tired of being alone, and he seemed like such a good man. But could she ever really trust her own judgment again?
“I’m a mess.” She wiped at the tears streaming down her face.
He held her face in his so she couldn’t turn away. “You’re a beautiful mess,” he said as he kissed her tears away.
Soon, she couldn’t distinguish tears of sadness from the tears of joy.
* * *
Andrew whistled as he walked back to his car. He’d been whistling a lot lately, but then Jessica seemed to have that effect on him.
He hadn’t told her any of the things he’d come to say...how Bill had closed the Shroud case, about Sarah’s phone calls to Robert, none of the important business matters he’d wanted to discuss with her.
He smiled. They’d had more important business matters to discuss, and he was pleased with the outcome of their conversation.
Still, she needed to know about Sarah talking to Robert. He turned back to go inside and tell her. Movement from the side of the building caught his attention. He stopped and looked again, noticing a couple locked in an embrace beneath the patio covering, obviously trying to hide.
He couldn’t make out faces in the light of dusk but he knew it must be someone from the shelter. Who else would be hiding out back? His heart sank at the thought of telling Jessica one of her residents was making up with her abuser. He remembered the way she’d reacted to Amy’s snub. This would be heartbreaking for her.
Andrew got out of his car and headed toward them. “What’s going on back here?”
The man turned and swore, but it was the sound of the girl’s voice that stopped Andrew cold.
“Don’t hurt him.”
Sarah!
Andrew’s stomach churned. It wasn’t... It couldn’t be...
He recognized the man’s gait as he turned and approached. His face came into clear view and Andrew saw the smug, twisted grin he wore. “I told you that you couldn’t keep her from me, Andrew. We belong together.”
Anger ripped through him as every muscle clenched. Rain pelted his face but he didn’t care. This man had terrorized Sarah and Jessica and may have even killed a little old lady. He had to get Sarah away from him. He stepped toward Robert. His tone held a threat, one he was certain his brother-in-law would understand. “Stay away from my sister.”
“No, you stay away or you might just have a little accident...if you know what I mean.” Robert flashed him the same smug smile he’d seen at the office.
Andrew’s fists itched to make a statement of their own. “You can’t intimidate me the way you do Sarah. I’m not afraid of you.”
Robert smiled a threatening, sinister smile that sent chills through Andrew. “You should be. You and your girlfriend in there. Sarah is mine, Andrew. All mine.” He grinned again and turned toward Sarah. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
Tears streamed down her face intermixing with the rain as she stared at Andrew, but the guilty expression stabbed at him. “I’m sorry, Andrew. I love him.”
“Sarah, he’s a killer. He murdered Jessica’s neighbor.”
“More lies,” Robert insisted. He turned to Sarah. “Don’t you see how they’re trying to turn you against me?”
Sarah turned back to Andrew. “You don’t know him like I do. He is not a killer.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
He tried a different tactic. “Come with me and we’ll talk about it.”
Hope flashed on her face, but Robert grabbed her arm. “She’s leaving with me.” He jerked her to him. “Isn’t that right, Sarah?”
“Get your hands off her!” Andrew demanded.
Robert’s hand came out of nowhe
re and shoved him away from Sarah. He fell backward and hit the ground.
“Please don’t hurt him,” Sarah yelled, a comment which infuriated Robert.
“Whose side are you on?” he demanded, backhanding her so hard she fell to the pavement.
Andrew leaped to his feet. “Don’t you touch her again!” He tried to push past Robert to reach her, but Robert’s fist came out of nowhere and pain ripped through his jaw.
Robert stood over him. “Now you’re going to pay, Andrew, you and that girlfriend you brought into my house. You’re both going to pay for what you did to me.”
* * *
Jessica rushed from her office as the alarm sounded.
Mia came running toward her. “There are two men fighting out back.”
Jessica ran to the door and spotted the struggle taking place in the parking lot. “Call 911 and lock this door behind me.”
She heard a woman scream. “And do a head count.” She ran to the side of the building to find Sarah there crying and screaming. She grabbed Jessica’s arm. “Make them stop!”
Glancing at the two men, she realized Andrew was one of them. She had a pretty good idea who the other man was. Fear pulsed through her. Robert had made all their lives miserable and may have killed someone she cared about deeply. What would he do now to Andrew? She couldn’t let this fight escalate.
She rushed toward them. “Stop it! Both of you! The police are on their way.”
She grabbed hold of Andrew’s arm and tried to pull him away. He turned to her, taking his eyes off Robert for only a second before Robert punched him, knocking Andrew to the ground.
Jessica stepped between them, her determination to protect those she cared about overriding the terror she felt at facing this man. “I said stop!” She stared down Robert. “You need to leave. Now!”
He wiped his mouth then spit blood at her feet. Jessica refused to cower in front of this man. She would not allow him to continue to intimidate her with his threats. She wouldn’t let him win.
Finally, he nodded toward Sarah. “Let’s go, babe.”
Andrew scrambled to his feet. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
Jessica stopped him before he rekindled the brawl.
Robert turned and walked away. After a moment, Sarah followed behind him.
Andrew looked mortified. “Sarah?”
She turned back and gave him a pitiful look that quickly turned to indignation. “This is my life, Andrew, and I’m tired of you telling me what to do.” She spun on her heel and rushed toward Robert’s car parked down the street.
They roared past together moments later.
Andrew stared after the car, a look of despair and defeat falling over him. “I can’t believe she left with him.” He looked at Jessica. “She left with him.”
She put her arms around him. There was little she could say that would comfort him now.
* * *
Andrew leaned into the sink in the small bathroom off Jessica’s office. He cupped water into his hand then rubbed it over his face. He could wash away the blood, but he could never wash away Sarah’s betrayal.
He stared at himself in the mirror. How had he let this happen? An hour ago, everything in his life seemed to make sense. Now, nothing did.
Why had this happened? Why had Sarah chosen to go with Robert again? He’d tried so hard to help her. Was there something he could have done differently?
He wanted to fall to his knees and cry out to God, but the only question that came to him was why.
Why, God?
The office door opened and Jessica entered carrying a tray. He saw her look for him on the couch then glance around when he wasn’t there, spotting him through the cracked bathroom door.
She set down the tray. “I brought you an ice pack and some pain relievers. I thought you might need them.”
He hadn’t lost it all. He had Jessica.
She went straight into his arms without hesitation. That meant the world to him, but it also mattered that she didn’t lie and tell him everything would be okay. She knew the danger Sarah had chosen just as he knew. But it was her presence that was his comfort.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “When I saw him with her...”
She shushed him. “You don’t have to explain to me.”
“This is my fault. I saw him trying to coax Sarah into leaving with him, and I knew I had to stop him. Instead, I made the decision easier for her.”
“She made her own choice, Andrew.”
A knock on the door drew both their attentions. Mia peeked her head in. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but the police are here.”
Margo pushed open the door and stepped around Mia. Her surprised expression reminded Jessica of how they must look, her wrapped in Andrew’s arms. She pulled away.
“Margo, why are you here?”
“I heard the 911 on the police scanner. I have to admit this wasn’t quite what I expected to find when I arrived.”
“This isn’t what it looks like. Sarah left with her husband.”
“I know. I saw her. They stopped one of the patrol cars responding to the 911 call. Robert is going to swear out a complaint against Andrew for assault. I’m sorry, but I have to take him into custody.”
* * *
And suddenly his day had gotten even worse.
Andrew remained quiet as he went through the booking process. He was waiting in the holding cell when Bill appeared at the gate.
He didn’t look happy, but Andrew didn’t expect him to. An A.D.A. mixed up with fighting. It looked bad on the office, and Bill was preparing for a tough election campaign in a few months.
He motioned for the guard to open the cell and Andrew stepped out. He handed him his valuables that had been taken and tagged. Andrew dug through the envelope. He put back on his watch and pushed his wallet into his pocket.
The lecture he expected came as they stepped outside.
“There won’t be a prosecution.”
“Yes, there will. I didn’t start that fight. He did. I’m filing charges against him.”
“No, you’re not, Andrew. You’re going to apologize to him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Andrew, you punched the man. Your sister is his witness. And this isn’t the first time.”
“I was defending my sister, both times.”
“The news channels are going to pick up on this story unless you make it go away. This is bad press for our office, Andrew. Do you want all your cases tainted by an assault conviction? Do you want to lose everything you’ve worked for all these years?”
“None of that is more important than my sister’s safety.” He faced down his boss. He knew what this was really about—politics.
Bill gave him a stern look. “I’ve given you a lot of leeway with this matter concerning your sister, Andrew, but I won’t have this office dragged through the mud because you have a vendetta against your brother-in-law. Apologize, don’t apologize—I don’t care. Just clean up this mess.”
* * *
“Thank you for coming with me,” Jessica told Mia as she pulled into her driveway. “Andrew and Margo insist I have someone with me wherever I go. And besides—” she glanced over at her neighbor’s home “—I didn’t feel comfortable coming here alone.”
“I don’t mind,” Mia said, unloading boxes from the backseat of the car. “So you’re really going to give up your place and move into the shelter permanently? Isn’t that pretty extreme?”
“I can’t stay here, not after what happened to Mrs. Brady because of me.”
She unlocked the front door and walked inside. Her life had been turned upside down over the past ten days. She felt like a different person stepping into her house. And her living room seemed a memory, evidenc
e enough for her that it was time to give up this sanctuary and move permanently into the shelter. It was the logical decision and she couldn’t say now why she’d resisted for so long.
She dropped her keys onto the coffee table and set down her bag. Most of her belongings were impersonal enough that she felt safe putting them in storage for a while. She could hire someone to do that. But there were several items she wanted with her—her photographs of Dean, the photo album that contained pictures of their childhood, her grandmother’s Bible and the silver cross necklace Dean had bought her for their last Christmas together. She stuffed the stack of mail into her bag then went to the bedroom to pack a suitcase.
She was nearly packed when her chimes sounded. Her heart stopped. Someone was on the porch. The chimes halted abruptly. Jessica picked up her phone and walked into the living room.
Mia, who was packing books, looked to her. “Someone is out there.”
Jessica stepped to the window and peeked through the peephole just as someone knocked on the door.
Sarah was standing on her porch.
How did Sarah even know where she lived?
Her heart fluttered. Perhaps she’d had a change of heart already.
She unlocked the door and opened it only to be met with the force of someone pushing their way inside. Sarah was not alone. Robert shoved on the door and Jessica was unable to hold him back. The force sent her reeling backward. She landed hard on her back, the breath knocked from her.
Mia screamed and ran toward the rear of the house. The back door slammed a moment later, indicating she had gotten away.
Robert didn’t bother chasing after Mia. He hovered over her, the gun tucked into his pants clearly visible.
“I warned you not to mess with me.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her up, his sneer now fully visible. “You and Andrew have been making a mess out of my life. It’s time to return the favor.” He smacked her across the face, sending her reeling again. Her jaw bucked the arm of the chair as she landed against it.
“Stop it, Robert. Don’t hurt her.” Sarah’s voice behind her was sincere and concerned.
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