Everything She Wanted

by Jennifer Ryan

  “If you’re right and the evidence puts Evan in that kitchen and the gun in his hand, he’ll go to jail, but you’ll still have to go up against Christina Faraday to get Alex’s share of the estate. I can help you with that.”

  “As a social worker, you know I don’t make a lot of money. I probably—­no, I definitely can’t afford you.”

  Ah, so that’s why she hesitated. Not because she didn’t think he could win this time, or do his best not to lose. The hope she squashed earlier that she had some faith in him rose up again.

  “Kate, I don’t want or need your money. I’m not asking you to hire me. I’m telling you that I will help you make this right.”

  Kate fell onto the sofa and landed with her back against the cushions. She covered her face with both hands and scrubbed them up and over her head. “I don’t know what to do first. I need to bury my sister and Donald, figure out what to do with this house, and Alex’s inheritance. I have to figure out a way to explain all of this to him one day. I have to figure out how I’m going to take care of him.”

  “Kate, one step at a time. I can help with all of that.”

  “You can help me take care of Alex?” One of Kate’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Well, everything but that. Though kids usually love me.”

  “Do you have kids?” She cocked her head, her eyes filled with accusation that maybe he’d kept something from her.

  “No.”

  “What’s with the handprint on your shirt?”

  “Dinner out with friends included eight children. Grace loves chocolate cake and me.”

  The suspicion left her eyes. Her lips tilted. Not exactly a smile, but he’d take it. He hated seeing her this devastated and upset.

  “That’s sweet.”

  “She’s a sweet girl.” He thought fondly back to how much he enjoyed dinner with the family tonight.

  “They do exist.”

  He didn’t quite understand the reference. “Sweet kids?”

  “No. Nice guys.”

  Maybe that’s why she ran off that night. She thought he was taking advantage. “You’re looking at one, Kate.” He wanted her to believe good men existed, that he was one of them. He had to admit, the way he grew up, surrounded by men like his father, he’d often wondered that himself. He questioned his own goodness on many occasions. As a small boy, acting out his anger and frustration because of his depressing and scary home life, he’d feared he’d end up just like his father and uncles.

  “Ben’s the best,” Detective Raynott agreed. Ben’s eyebrow shot up, surprised by the compliment. “If you like those do-­gooder types. I mean, he’s a top notch attorney, rich, and helps women and children, for God’s sake. He makes the rest of us look like asshole losers.”

  Ben couldn’t hide the smirk. “I’m sure you can find at least a half dozen women who will tell you what an asshole loser I am and a hundred times that of ­people who have lost to me in court who will tell you I’m a total dick.”

  Kate met his steady gaze. “Well, lucky for me Ben the dick lawyer is exactly who I need to go up against the Faradays. Evan may think he’ll get away with killing my sister, but there is no fucking way I let the Faradays get away with taking anything more from Alex.”

  “Then let’s get started on taking down the Faradays,” Ben suggested. “Detective, when will you notify them of the murders and question them?”

  “The crime scene techs will finish up here. I’m heading over to see Mrs. Faraday now.”

  “Great, I’m coming with you,” Ben said.

  “Me too.” Kate stood and straightened her purple blouse. The deep color made her blue eyes that much more striking.

  “Sorry, Kate, but I can’t allow that.” Detective Raynott held Kate’s shoulder.

  A friendly gesture meant to comfort and make the refusal easier for her to take. It set off something inside Ben. He wanted to tear Raynott’s hand right off his body and stuff it down his throat. He’d never been the jealous sort. Well, not like this. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from following through on impulse and tried to drag in a soothing breath. It calmed him, barely.

  “Ben can go on your behalf as your attorney to inform them that you intend to get Alex’s inheritance, but I can’t allow you to interfere in the investigation. Plus, I don’t want to tip my hat too soon about the bloody knife and other blood evidence. We’ll wait for confirmation from the lab results. They’ll take time. We’ll use it to build a solid case against Evan. Right now, all we have is speculation that he did it. Let’s see how confident Evan is about getting away with murder.”

  Ben walked the few steps to Kate and sat beside her on the sofa. He stared down at Alex sleeping peacefully. He saw bits of Donald in the boy’s face. The shape of his chin. The slant of his nose. He had the same shade of brown hair as Kate. Ben wondered if he had blue eyes, or maybe a different color, more like Donald’s dark brown. He’d met Donald on several occasions, but had no idea what Margo looked like. Did the two sisters look alike? Or were they as different as Kate seemed to all other women?

  He could never quite put his finger on it, but something separated her from others. She wasn’t better than anyone, just different.

  “He looks so peaceful when he sleeps,” Kate said. “Like nothing and no one bothers him. He has no idea his father and mother are dead in the other room. He has no idea the life he could have had with them is gone. He’ll only know the life he’ll have with me.” She sighed so heavily he felt the depth of her spent emotions reverberate through him where their thighs touched. “It’s not fair. This isn’t how it was supposed to be.”

  Ben put his hand over Kate’s in her lap and squeezed to offer what little comfort he could, knowing nothing he said or did would change what was and what would be. “If you ask me, he’s lucky to have you. You love him. That’s all anyone really needs.”

  “I don’t know if I can be everything he needs.” The whispered words held a trace of fear.

  “That’s the same thing I imagine every parent faces when they have a child. You’ll be great, Kate. Because it matters to you, you’ll do your best to be everything he needs.”

  “You’re an optimist.”

  “Most of the time, but in this case, I know a sure thing when I see it.” Before things got too weird, he asked, “Will you be okay here until I get back?”

  She eyed him curiously.

  “I’ll come back after we see the Faradays and fill you in on what happened. Then I’ll drive you home.”

  “I can get home on my own.”

  Ben pulled out his phone. “What’s your number? I’ll call you when we’re finished and meet you at your place.”

  Kate kept her head down, her fingers tracing the back of his hand she held in her other as she rattled off her cell phone number. He punched it into his phone and set it up on speed dial. He liked the absent way she touched him. Not practiced or flirtatious, but genuine comfort in holding on to him during this difficult time. A sense of trust built between them. Something he’d never felt from her before because she didn’t seem to trust anyone.

  “Let’s head out and get this done,” Detective Raynott said.

  Ben waited to see how long it took for Kate to let him go. She stared at his hand, softly rubbing, lost in her own thoughts. He couldn’t sit here all night, but he wanted to if it gave her any sense of comfort.

  “Kate.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I have to go.”

  “Yeah, I’ll talk to you later. I want to know all the details. I need to know for sure he’s the one who did this.”

  “I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

  Her gaze came up to meet his. “Okay.”

  “Okay. But you have to let go so I can leave.”

  Her head snapped down. She stared at their joined hands like she had no idea o
f what she’d been doing. When he asked her to let him go, she’d actually held on tighter. Now, she quickly released him and scooted a few inches away from him on the couch.

  Alex fussed in his car seat, squirming to get out. His bottom lip trembled and his eyes filled with tears. Kate leaned forward and smoothed her hand over his head. “There now, you’re okay.”

  “I think he needs a diaper change. I’ll leave you to that and call you as soon as I can.”

  Ben gave in to impulse and rubbed his hand up and down Kate’s back. She turned and stared at him, but didn’t say anything. He tugged a lock of her hair. “See you soon.”

  He rose and walked with the detective to the front door. Chaos still reigned in the house. Flashes went off as the techs took pictures. Officers came and went from the scene. Unable to help himself, Ben turned back and stared at Kate, sitting on the sofa with Alex in her arms. The lost look in her eyes made his gut tight and his heart clench. He vowed he’d see Evan Faraday in a cell or dead for hurting her.

  Chapter Seven

  BEN WALKED UP the path beside Detective Raynott to the Faradays’ front door surprised to see lights on inside this late at night. Just after midnight, he expected everyone to be asleep. Were they expecting the police to come and notify them of Donald’s death?

  “That’s Evan’s Range Rover in the driveway,” Detective Raynott pointed out.

  “Yeah. They’re going to cover for each other.”

  “How long have you and Kate been a thing?”

  Ben stopped in his tracks and stared at the detective. “We’re not a thing.”

  The detective grinned. “It’s not often sparks fly the way they did between you two. You going to do something about that? ’Cause if you’re not, I’m thinking of asking her out.”

  Ben’s green monster roared inside of him. “She just lost her sister. You’re supposed to investigate the case and arrest the bastard who did this. Stick to business.”

  “She’s upset, in need of comfort. All I’m saying is I’d like to be there for her, you know?”

  Yeah, Ben got the innuendo and the flash of lust in the detective’s eyes. “Back off. Do your job and leave her the hell alone.”

  Detective Raynott laughed and continued on up the path to the front door. “That’s what I thought.”

  Ben walked right into that one.

  He usually kept his emotions in check. ­People said he was hard to read. It worked to his advantage in court. He chalked up the detective’s remarks and seeing far too much Ben wasn’t even sure about himself to the fact the detective was trained to see what others tried to hide. Ben wasn’t necessarily ready to admit Kate got to him on a deep level. Maybe she wouldn’t have gotten under his skin so quickly if Morgan hadn’t prompted him that she was meant for him. He couldn’t say, didn’t know, and at this point didn’t care. Kate needed his help. Evan needed to go down for what he’d done before he hurt or killed anyone else.

  Ben’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt when Mrs. Faraday opened the door with a glass of wine in her hand, her eyes bleary with too much alcohol.

  “Mrs. Faraday, I’m Detective Raynott. This is Ben Knight. May we come in?”

  “What’s this about?”

  “Your husband.”

  “He’s not here-­er,” she slurred, her bloodshot eyes darting from the detective to Ben and back again. She picked and pulled at the hem of her short red silk robe gaping open at her chest. If she bent forward even the slightest bit, her ample breasts would fall out of the bodice barely holding her in. She’d gotten ready for bed, but hadn’t actually gone yet, judging by the nearly full glass of wine in her hand. The lights were on in the living room. A fire burned bright in the fireplace. He couldn’t see more than the sofa and fireplace, but he bet there was a near empty bottle, or two, of wine on the coffee table.

  Detective Raynott stepped forward, getting Mrs. Faraday to move back and let them in. She didn’t so much invite them as had no choice but to stand her ground or move out of the way.

  “Are you home alone, Mrs. Faraday?” the detective asked, knowing Evan had to be here with his car parked outside.

  “My son and I had dinner together. He’s asleep in his room upstairs.”

  “Will you please get him for us?”

  “You said this is about my husband, not Evan. Why do you need to see him?”

  “We have news about your husband and it might be easier if you have your son with you when we tell it.”

  “What’s happened to Donald? He’s dead, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry to say he is.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, but didn’t spill over. The surprise Ben expected, even if faked, didn’t show through her drunk-­hazed gaze.

  “He’s really gone.” The words sounded far off, like she didn’t really speak to them, but more herself.

  Interesting. Telling.

  “Yes. I’m sorry to say he is.” The detective answered the statement that wasn’t a question.

  “I’ll get Evan.” She turned for the stairs, wobbly on her unsteady legs. She reached out to the round table in the middle of the massive foyer to steady herself, shaking the huge glass vase filled with orange, yellow, and red flowers. Their sweet scent filled the air. Christina actually put the wineglass down and headed up the stairs, lost in her thoughts and not particularly in a hurry to get Evan.

  “She didn’t ask how he died,” Ben pointed out.

  “I’m guessing she already knows. But yeah, that’s not normal. Most ­people want to know how it happened. Why. When. Who’s responsible.”

  Ben grimaced. “She’s so drunk, she’s about ready to pass out.”

  “Let’s see if sonny-­boy is any better off.”

  Ben and the detective waited in silence for nearly ten minutes for the Faradays to appear. They strained to hear even a murmur from the two upstairs, but heard nothing. Mrs. Faraday must have had a devil of a time getting Evan out of bed. The man looked wrecked, his eyes red-­rimmed and swollen. He pulled a white T-­shirt over his head and down his torso, covering the bruises on his side.

  Detective Raynott glanced at Ben to see if he’d seen them too.

  Evan walked down the stairs behind his mother. His eyes squinted with pain with each step though he tried to hide it. Ben kept a close study, not missing anything. Even the smallest detail could be the key to taking the scumbag down.

  “What’s going on? My mother said you’re here because my father is dead,” Evan said, raking his fingers through his disheveled hair.

  “I’m sorry to inform you that your father was found murdered tonight,” the detective said, pausing to watch their response.

  Both Faradays’ eyes went wide with surprise a second before they exchanged a look.

  “Murdered?” Mrs. Faraday asked.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Maybe we should sit down and you can explain what happened,” Evan said, walking away from them and straight into the living room. He practically fell into a chair facing the couch and stretched out his right leg, slouching against the back of the chair and staring up at them. “Don’t I know you?” he asked Ben.

  “Ben Knight. I represented Chris—­”

  “Burg. You’re the fucking lawyer from the civil suit who tried to shake me down for all that money when all I did was defend myself against that asshole.”

  “Witnesses said you threw the first punch. Chris ended up in the hospital with a concussion, two broken ribs, a bruised spleen, and a broken cheekbone. The DA may have plead you down to a shit misdemeanor with a suspended sentence thanks to your father’s lawyers and influence, but you still needed to pay for your crimes. Daddy paid for you, but he’s not here to get you out of this.”

  Evan dismissed all that and demanded, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “I represent
Kate Morrison and Alex Faraday for your father’s estate.”

  “What?” both Christina and Evan said together.

  “Who the hell is Alex Faraday?” Evan asked, leaning forward now, his forearms planted on his knees, eyes intent on Ben.

  Ben glanced at the detective. The surprise in the detective’s eyes matched exactly how Ben felt. They didn’t know about the baby.

  “Alex Faraday is your father’s four-­month-­old son.”

  “He didn’t have a child,” Mrs. Faraday said.

  The detective took over the explanation. “Mrs. Faraday, your husband and his fiancée, Margo Dexter, were shot at her home this evening. Although the scene was set up to appear as a murder-­suicide, we have evidence that another person was in the home and committed the crime.”

  “What evidence?” Evan asked, his eyes narrowed with concern.

  They had their attention now.

  “I’m not at liberty to say. We’re still investigating. Kate Morrison is Margo’s sister. She returned to the house tonight after becoming concerned that she couldn’t reach her sister or your husband, Donald. When she checked the house, she discovered the bodies and called the police.”

  “Where is the baby now?” Mrs. Faraday asked.

  “Margo left the baby in his aunt’s care earlier today. The baby is with her,” the detective answered.

  “How can you be sure this baby is Donald’s child? I mean, he’s having an affair with some slut. She probably passed off the kid as his just to get his money.” Mrs. Faraday spat out the words like venom spilling from her lips.

  “It won’t be hard to prove with a simple DNA test,” the detective pointed out.

  “Not to worry, Mrs. Faraday, you can trust that I will make sure Alex gets everything that’s coming to him from his father,” Ben added.

  Evan and his mother stared at each other for a long moment, broken only by the detective’s next question.