by Lora Ann
In a distance I could hear Alex as he howled, “No! Dammit, no.”
After that, things became louder and louder until I wanted to cover my ears from the onslaught. The entire time I screamed in my head, Alex, I love you. I do love you. Thankfully everything began to fade. If I couldn’t have Alex, then what was the point of waking up? Over dramatic much? Before I could answer my own question, darkness embraced me. I welcomed her with open arms.
Chapter Twenty
Alex
Nik had managed to move me down the hall as I watched them lift Sofie and take her away. I shoved him hard and growled, “Get your fucking hands off me.”
His brows rose. “You’re mad as hell. That’s fine. But dial the damn attitude back,” he warned.
I stood nose to nose with my older brother debating on how to take his ass down. He hadn’t misinterpreted my intentions one bit. Before I could even contemplate how, the wall and my face got up close and personal. Shit. He was a rattlesnake. His size should never fool anyone. In case I forgot that, he was driving the point home effectively. I tapped out, knowing my rage wasn’t directed towards Nik. He was just the one who had shown up at the wrong time. “Sorry.”
“No apologies necessary,” Nik replied with sincerity.
I nodded and began to march towards the ER. Nik’s hand on my good shoulder halted me. I spun around with a hiss from the maneuver. Idiot that I was had turned the wrong direction, tugging on my stitches. The pain shooting through me was grounding in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I leaned heavily against the wall and sank down. Defeated. With my hands I covered my face, not wanting Nik to see that Sofie was indeed correct: I had lost the battle.
Nik joined me on the cold, hard floor. “Bring me up to speed, Alex.”
“Lost,” swallowing back the bile threatening to spew, “I’ve lost her.”
Nik barked out a humorless, “Ha! Never as bad as we think.”
I gave his a sidelong glance. “Wanna bet?”
“Alright, brother, here’s what I know about Aimee. When she is flooded with whatever emotion, she’s incapable of logic,” he stated.
This time I stared at him with an are-you-fucking-crazy? look on my face. Was it really wise for a husband to share that kind of information about his wife?
Nik shook his head. “Wow,” he chuckled. “I’m not demeaning her, moron. It’s a proven fact. Go Google it if you must.” He tapped my head. “For a smart man, you really have a lot to learn about women.”
My exasperated exhale said it all, but for emphasis I added, “No shit, Captain Obvious.”
“Look, Alex. Sofie has been through a lot, past and present. Now her ex-husband is dead. While she might have hated the man, that kind of niggles at you whether you want it to or not.”
I shook my head. “Nik,” debating momentarily and then admitted, “she was there at his house to kill him.”
“Wanna run that by me again?”
If it had been E sitting there, I would’ve gotten a “‘whatcha talkin bout Willis?’” impersonation. I lightly chuckled, although the situation was far too serious for it. Nik’s brow quirked, so I explained, “No. It’s not funny. But I couldn’t help imagining Even’s response.”
He laughed. “Yes, Mr. King-Of-Late-Night-TV quotes and his wondrous improv.”
“He’s going to pull through,” I added.
“Damn straight he is.” Nik continued, “How do you know Sofie intended to kill Hoffman?”
I glanced around to see if anyone was around us and stood up. Phew, coast was clear. I shot a hard look at Nik as he bowed his head in contrition. “Sorry about that.”
I offered my hand to assist him off the floor. “We can’t be too careful.”
“Right. No more slips of the tongue.” We began a slow walk further away from people in the waiting area.
“She had a,” dropping my voice to barely a whisper, “gun with her.”
“Shut the fuck up!” His astonished face said it all. No one thought she had it in her.
Come to think of it, I was clueless she even knew how to use one. Then I stopped to consider that more. I had not seen the revolver in her hands. All I had caught was the quick swipe of Sofie’s left foot across her right as she kicked the firearm underneath the bed, which was conveniently right next to her. Surprisingly, the officers hadn’t noticed. To their credit, focus was on the hanging body in the closet. Grotesque sight. And I would bet my left nut it wasn’t a suicide. Burden of proof, counselor, rests on you. Hunches didn’t win cases, nor did they bring justice to victim’s families. My place was out there finding what would be needed to bring all these suspicions into the light. “I have work to do,” I stated, picking up my pace.
“Hold up!” Nik exclaimed. “What the hell just happened?”
“Purpose. Justice. Something I can do to help.”
“Alright, I’m following that thought process. Let me go talk to Aimee first, then I’m coming with ya.”
That stopped me in my tracks. How had I been so insensitive to the fact my sweet sister-in-law was having trouble dealing with things? “Your place is with your wife,” I gently reminded.
Nik’s gaze met mine as he pointed out, “And yours is with the woman you love and your daughter. Yet here you are, running off to play Wyatt Earp.”
Under any other circumstance, his claim would’ve made me laugh. Instead, I met him toe-to-toe. “Honestly…I don’t give a flying fuck if you agree with me or not. But until I need back up at the O.K. Corral, your ass stays put. Clear?”
The old Nik would’ve laid me out for that. Or at the very least, challenged me to a pissing match. Howbeit, the new Nik was softer and more thoughtful in his approach. “Last time I checked, Virgil Earp was on that scene offering some assistance.”
“I need you here to keep an eye on things. I’m asking you brother to brother, please watch over the love of my life and my precious daughter.”
“‘Up to you, Kemosabe.’”
“God, Even has rubbed off on you,” I said, making my way towards the exit.
“He has a way of doing that,” Nik chuckled.
“I’ll be in touch ASAP,” I declared.
“Better. Or I’m bringing in a posse.”
*****
Appreciation filled me as I left the hospital. One thing was guaranteed in my family, someone would lighten a tense situation with humor whenever possible. In the car, I hit the call button for Shannon’s number. Her voice echoed over the speakers. “I told you I’d call when something useful was found.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly known for my patience.”
“Ain’t that the truth, cowboy.”
Why she had always called me that I still did not know? Wait! It finally clicked. The night we went dancing at a country-and-western bar. I should’ve known. All of a sudden I felt guilty. She was a nice woman and I genuinely liked her, but my feelings stopped there. Could she still want more? I decided to stay on the subject at hand. “What’ve you got so far?”
Her sigh told me she was about to call my bluff. “Just because I call you cowboy doesn’t mean I’m crying myself to sleep. Or, that I want anything from you other than friendship. If you can’t work with me, say so now. I’ll call in another detective you can trust.”
Pondering that for a moment, I rebutted, “You’ve been talking to someone else about the case?” Truth be told, that idea raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Who the hell had she been speaking with about the most high-profile case of the century?!
“Cool your heels.” Ah, she had heard my ire. “Detective Jacobson is fully trustworthy and my mentor.”
The way she said “mentor” made me realize my assumption was way off base. I took a fortifying breath. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re under a lot of stress, Alex. I get it. Next time when you snap at me, I won’t be so forgiving,” she cautioned.
Once more, she nailed it. Shannon knew there would be another lapse in judgement on my part. Thing wa
s, laid back and easy going were generally my go-to demeanors. Albeit with this particular case, I suspected Reynolds was behind the prostitute disappearances as well as tied in with sex slave trade. Not to mention his connection with my family. Which made me edgy and unpredictable, and that would get someone hurt or killed if I didn’t get my head in the game. PDQ. Roger that. “Where are you?”
“On my way to Hoffman’s other house. This one was a bust. Someone wiped his mainframe clean, and we couldn’t find anything that would finger him or Reynolds for those girls,” she blew out an exasperated breath.
Yeah, I knew that frustration. And with Hoffman dead, there went my key witness, provided he would’ve talked in the first place. “Fuuuuuuuuck,” I exhaled.
“Hey, don’t give up just yet. Let’s see what we find at this house,” she said encouragingly.
“What’s your ETA?”
“About ten minutes. You?”
“Pulling in now.” Before disconnecting the call, I added, “See you inside.”
“Got it, boss,” she replied as I pushed end call.
*****
I entered the house hopeful that whoever had forethought to erase files on Hoffman’s computer in Marin County would have no knowledge of this place. As I entered the office and went to the PC sitting on the desk, I spoke aloud, “Here’s to wishful thinking,” as the computer booted to life.
“Find anything worthwhile?” Shannon queried as she strode into the room.
I couldn’t help but pause, considering her physical attributes. She was pretty, yet downplayed it. No makeup, hair back in an efficient ponytail at the nape of her neck, she didn’t wear any jewelry or really dress feminine. Tomboy came to mind. Though I always thought there was more to her story than what met the eye. Shannon had never really shared a whole lot with me. Other than being an only child and that her parents had passed away in a tragic accident when she was a teen. Obvious to anyone who knew my past, that was our instant connection. I respected her and valued our friendship. I also wanted to smack myself upside the head for ever crossing the line between friends and lovers with her. Selfish bastard was what it boiled down to. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. “Nothing,” I replied, pulling myself back to the task at hand.
She began to survey the office and observed, “This was where he lived.”
“Affirmative,” I answered distracted. “The other house belonged to his family, but he was the owner.” Something caught my attention. “Hey, look here.”
She joined me at the monitor and peered over my shoulder. Her finger tapped the screen. “Click on that.”
I followed her lead and found myself in some obscure file folder. Unable to make heads or tails of what I was staring at, I queried, “What is it?”
“I’m not sure,” she sighed.
“Well, sure as hell isn’t code.”
“Or is it?” She studied it closer. “There! See that?”
Sure enough it appeared to be password protected. With a hand, I raked my hair and then pinched the bridge of my nose. My glasses slid further down as I adjusted them back into place. Normally my contacts were in, but they had been irritating me and I’d finally given up and removed them. “Any clues to what password the judge would’ve used?”
She shook her head. “Do I look psychic to you?”
“Not at all,” I affirmed.
“For kicks and giggles, try his daughter’s name.”
I shrugged with my good shoulder and typed in Lilly, which got us nowhere. “Duh, Lilly is short for Lillian.” I retyped it and things began to change on the screen.
“Holy hell, Alex,” Shannon breathed.
What appeared before us was a spreadsheet of heights, weights, body measurements, natural hair color, eye color, skin tone, and age. “My God!”
“Inventory,” Shannon confirmed. “Oh, names and birthdates…Wait! Is that—”
“Buyers,” I completed for her.
“Fuck. Those are some very well-known men,” she confirmed.
“Yes ma’am.” I scrolled through hoping to find the one name we needed more than any other.
Shannon responded, “I don’t see Reynolds on this list.”
“Neither do I,” admitting defeat.
“Still,” she said excitedly. “We’ve got some powerhouses to question.” She stepped away, texting and pacing.
I couldn’t help but feel shortchanged. Our ticket to Reynolds refused to show up. I was beginning to think the senator would get away with his crimes. Had Eliot Ness felt the same way about Capone? Would I, too, have to resort to something like tax violations? I needed a Watergate—anything that could hold up without doubt. Where, oh where, had he missed a step? It was there, I just had to find it promptly before he found a way out of the country. Otherwise, I was screwed. Shannon brought me out of my negative musings.
“I’m taking this with me. If there is anything at all about Reynolds on here, we’ll find it,” she vowed.
“Thanks,” I replied, feeling dejected.
“Hang in there, Alex. We’ll get him.”
I attempted a smile. The hardest part of law and justice was waiting for a criminal to make that final mistake. Painstaking was more like it. While Shannon began to pack up the computer, I went upstairs to the bedroom we had found the judge in. Of course I also wondered about Sofie. There was no doubt in my mind she had every intention of killing James Hoffman. Couldn’t say I blamed her. Sometimes I understood the need to take matters into your own hands. The temptation to do just that in regards to Reynolds was overwhelming. Yet I held on that justice would prevail.
The forensics team had already combed the room for evidence. None had been found detecting foul play. My gut said otherwise. For one, this wasn’t the master suite. Someone absolutely murdered the judge and set it up to look like a suicide. Proving it was something else entirely. Odds were, it’d been a professional job. Subtext: the assassin would be able to hide in plain sight. I could do no more there, time to head back to the hospital. Remembering Sofie’s revolver was kicked under the bed, I got down on my stomach to search. All be damned, how the team had missed it I would never know. Although I was grateful they had. I reached for the weapon, snagging my wounded shoulder on the bedframe in the process. Howling out in agony, I dragged the gun towards me. When backing out from underneath the bed, I noticed something else. Somehow, I’d acquired a thumb drive. I stashed the firearm and tiny drive into my pockets. Then made my way back downstairs to Shannon.
We locked up the house and went towards our cars. She placed her hand on my forearm. “Don’t give up.”
“I won’t,” affirming as I held the door open for her. Once she was inside her car, I rapped my knuckles on the roof. Her window was down as she declared, “I’ll be in touch just as soon as I know something.”
“Sounds good,” I answered as she drove off.
I sauntered towards my car, acknowledging the hospital wasn’t my destination after all. No, I was counting on the little thumb drive—now in my hand—being my winning lottery ticket.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sofie
I eased the door to Lilly’s room closed. She was barely hanging on. Wing and a prayer came to mind. After the all clear as well as being told rest and nourishment were needed or I would continue to pass out, I went to learn what the tests had to say about my sweet girl. She had enough brain activity for now. Though they cautioned she was right on the cusp.
Caught in the world of stress, I wandered through the corridors until finding my way into Ari’s room. Some good news was welcomed. Her color was much better. I was more than thankful the last blood transfusion had been the miracle we prayed for. The best part, we no longer had to sterilize ourselves before visiting her.
“Hi, Sofie,” she greeted. “How’s Lilly?”
I took a seat next to the bed and answered, “I’m afraid she’s not out of the woods yet.”
The concern furrowed in her brows told me she was genuinely worried. She re
ached for my hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, clasping her fingers. Unlike Lilly, Ari was of average size. She was built like me, but Alex had left his mark. I was still blown away at the resemblance. Our daughter was breathtaking. How she had survived the streets and then Caleb’s lair spiked my blood pressure. Had he raped her? We knew he had beaten her. Again, the burden of proof was on our side. And there just wasn’t anything but the word of a sixteen-year-old to go on. Sure the fading marks had been left, but no way to confirm who had made them. Would that man ever really mess up so he could be caught? I was beginning to think the answer would be no. The song “In The End” by Linkin Park was playing on Ari’s iPod, and I could hear it through her ear buds. Appropriate, considering my thoughts a few moments ago. We’d all been so careful not to upset her about the time spent with Reynolds, but I wasn’t able to quell my inquisition any longer. “Do you remember much from your time in Jackson?”
She began to chew on her bottom lip. “Yeah, most of it,” she admitted, “until I got too sick to know what was going on.”
As if my breaking protocol summonsed him, Alex came walking in with a huge teddy bear in his arm. I instantly looked down and away. Part of me was in awe of just how sweet he was. The other, felt guilt and shame over once more doing something he’d asked me not to do. Hell, I deserved his un-forgiveness. There was nothing good about me. Selfish. All the voices in my head from the past began to take their turn, berating me. It was more than I could bear. I patted Ari’s hand, standing to leave. “I’ll check on you soon.”
Her gaze, full of speculation, said more than words could as she uttered, “’Kay.”
Picking up my pace to pass Alex didn’t go so well. He grabbed my arm. “What’s the hurry, Sofie?”
“N-N-Need to check on Lilly,” I blurted out.