Everything She Wanted (6 page)

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 of 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

B
EN 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.

“Where were both of you tonight from about four o’clock until we arrived?”

Mrs. Faraday jumped. “You think we had something to do with this?”

Ben had to give her credit. The outrage in her voice
almost sounded genuine. More than likely she resented all these tedious details that kept her from getting control of her husband’s money.

“Standard procedure, ma’am. When someone is murdered, it’s usually the spouse who did it. Or a close family member.” The detective made a point of staring at Evan.

“Well, look at someone else,” Mrs. Faraday snapped. “We’ve been here all night. Together.”

The detective expected that answer. So did Ben unfortunately. Too much to hope they’d simply confess and this would all be over. He’d like to spare Kate the pain and hardship of going through all this.

“When is the last time you saw Donald?” the detective asked both of them.

“Today,” Mrs. Faraday confessed. “Early afternoon. He arrived with another man to serve me divorce papers.”

Ben perked up. “He actually served you the papers today?”

“Yes. Not that I was surprised. We’ve been living separate lives for some time even though we share a roof. Obviously, he’d decided to move on with his slut.”

“Did you know about Margo?” the detective asked.

“Of course I knew. A wife always knows when her husband strays.”

“I find it very coincidental that your husband
is murdered the day he serves you with divorce papers,” Ben said.

“Don’t you think it would be stupid of me to kill my husband on the very day he asks for a divorce?”

“Sometimes the obvious is the right answer,” the detective shot back. “It’s a simple matter to rule you out. Provide your fingerprints and a DNA sample.”

Alert now, Mrs. Faraday eyed the detective. “Of course we will,
as soon as you present a warrant to my lawyer. We’re done here. Please leave.”

The detective stood and handed her his business card. “I’ll be in touch. If you have questions or information related to your husband’s murder, please let me know.” The detective took two steps away before turning back. “Those are some nasty bruises on your jaw and ribs, Evan. How did you get those?”

“Bar fight.”
Evan didn’t even blink, but turned and stared down Ben, daring him with a look to contradict that’s how he got the bruises.

“I bet they hurt like hell.” Detective Raynott cocked his head and plastered on a thoughtful look. “Kate told me her sister, Margo, was an expert kickboxer. I bet she got a few licks in before that bastard shot her in the head.”

“Maybe if she’d been better, my father
would still be alive,” Evan said under his breath.

Mrs. Faraday snapped her head in Evan’s direction and glared.

Detective Raynott gave Ben a look. The show of remorse surprised even Ben. He expected the cocky, arrogant asshole who’d done everything, including buying off Ben’s clients to get out of going to jail, not someone with . . . feelings. Killing his father went far beyond a drunken
brawl.

How long would Evan’s remorse last? Would he confess? Not likely. Not with all that money on the line. Not with the possibility of life in prison and the death penalty looming over his head if he couldn’t pull off a miracle. No way he bought his way out of this mess if they found evidence that proved he killed his father and Margo.

“About the child. Alex?” Mrs. Faraday asked, and
the detective nodded she got the name right. “If he’s my husband’s son, then perhaps it’s best if he’s here with Evan and me. Evan is his brother after all.”

“Alex will remain with his aunt. She will take care of him and oversee his inheritance until he comes of age,” Ben swore.

“Well, we’ll see about that.” Mrs. Faraday tilted her chin up. “If he is my husband’s son, then Evan and I will
want to protect his interests as they are ours as well.”

“Be assured, Kate and I will protect Alex. Someone already took his parents.” Ben stared down Evan, then turned his glare back to Mrs. Faraday. “No one will take anything more from him.” He echoed Kate’s earlier vow.

Evan leaned forward. “So, it’s you and Kate, huh? I can’t wait to meet her.”

The implied threat in those innocuous
words sent a bolt of rage through Ben’s system. “Stay away from her.”

“I’d like to meet my brother.” Evan’s cocky grin said he really wanted to meet Kate just to piss off Ben.

“I doubt Kate will bring him to see you in jail.”

“I’m slick, man, nothing sticks to me. Ask my lawyers. Oh, wait, you already know that.”

“We’ll see about that. Your father isn’t here to make it all go away
anymore.”

Evan fell back into his seat and plastered on a fake air of arrogance with his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive gesture Ben relished.

“There’s nothing to make go away,” Mrs. Faraday defended her son. “Evan had nothing to do with what happened to Donald and that woman.” She turned her cold eyes on Detective Raynott. “Shouldn’t you be out looking for the person or persons
responsible for this heinous crime?”

Detective Raynott smiled. “I’ll contact you once I have that warrant for your prints and DNA.” He eyed Evan again. “Of course, we already have your prints from the numerous times you were arrested.”

“Get out.” The deadly tone in Evan’s quiet words brought a smile to Ben’s lips he couldn’t contain. They’d made Evan nervous. Good. He’d botched the cover-­up
of the murder-­suicide. Ben couldn’t wait to see how his overconfidence and arrogance nipped him in the ass next.

Ben walked out the door with Detective Raynott. Evan slammed it at their backs.