The Eligible Suspect (20 page)

Chapter 18

D
emarco kicked the plywood again, trying to loosen the nails. But the boards were nailed good to the beams and weren’t budging. He paced his tiny space. Where the hell was Damen?

Hearing someone at the front door, he started yelling.

“Help! I’m in the basement! Help!” He kept screaming, “Help!”

A few moments later, he heard glass shattering. Whoever was there had heard him. He sagged against the cool metal of the bars for a second.

“Demarco?”

“Cora?” Cora had found him.

“Demarco!” He heard her feet thudding above and then reaching the basement door. She rushed down. Seeing him, she breathed and said, “Oh,” as she reached the barred door, gripping it with her hands.

“Oh, Demarco.”

“How did you find me?” he asked.

“I guessed he might have taken you to his house. I was hoping and praying.”

“You’re a good guesser. The key.” He pointed. “It’s hanging by the stairs.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t accustomed to so much excitement, violent excitement. He vowed to keep her from ever going through anything like this for as long as he lived.

Her fingers shook as she maneuvered the key in the lock. When it snapped open and the door swung free, he felt a rush of gladness.

Taking her into his arms, he hugged her and kissed her all over her face. “I love you.”

Her hands bracketed his face. “I love you, too.” She had begun to cry. “Oh, Demo. I have terrible news.”

She still held his face. He braced himself for what was coming, already knowing.

“Damen is dead.”

He shut his eyes. Would prison have been better? He’d have probably gotten life.

“Police found him in an RV park. They believe he tried to kill Korbin again and Korbin ended up killing him.”

Damen had failed as Demarco thought he would. While he’d hoped Damen would survive his bad decisions, it was still difficult to realize he’d never see his brother again. Damen was gone.

“They asked if we’d go to the coroner’s office to...” She fought back tears. “Identify the body.”

He nodded. Taking her hands, he held them between their bodies and looked into her eyes. “There’s something else I need to do.”

Even though he felt stings of anger that Korbin had killed his brother, his course was set. And even though he feared what Gunderman would do to him once he turned in the weapon used in Collette’s murder, he had to do the right thing. From now on, he would do the right thing and not think twice about it.

“What is it?”

“Let’s get out of here.” Keeping one of her hands, he led her up the stairs.

In the car, she asked, “What is it you have to do?”

“I’ll show you. Let’s go home.”

For the rest of the ride there, memories of Damen shook him. He and Damen when they were five, blowing out candles together and then playing with the new army toys they’d gotten. Damen laughing. Camping out with their friends. Shooting off illegal fireworks. The innocence. Damen had been good then. Before his first girlfriend. Before animals growled at him whenever he got too close. Before he’d done his first crime.

And then Demarco had met Cora. He’d fallen so in love. Damen had never found that. At times, he’d watched Demarco and Cora with a glint of resentment. Demarco caught it sometimes. He hadn’t wanted to believe his brother hated him for finding love. If there ever had been a woman Damen had loved, it was the one he’d asked to marry him. Demarco hadn’t seen him look at her the way a man did when he loved her. But he’d claimed he had. And then the woman had found another man. The wedding was called off.

That had been the turning point for Damen. He began spending time with felons. His group of friends expanded. He’d connected with Korbin, probably the only good man out of the whole bunch. And then a new breed of criminals. Korbin had been smart enough to walk away. Now this.

Cora pulled into their garage and he preceded her into the house. He went to the guest bedroom closet that they used as storage. He reached up and took down a shoe box.

Cora stood in the room, watching. He took the box to the bed and set it there. Then he opened the lid. Inside, the gun Damen had used to kill Collette was inside a gallon-sized plastic bag. He felt Cora’s hand squeeze his forearm and only then realized she’d put her hand there.

“Demo...why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to frighten you. And I wasn’t sure what to do with it.”

“I-is this...?”

“Yes.”

“But...how...?”

“I saw him.” Replacing the lid on the shoebox, he took her hand. “Come with me. I need to show you something else.”

“There’s more?”

Damen had taken his cell phone and had destroyed it so no one could track him. But Demarco had recorded a video of Damen on his own phone, and copied it to his laptop. At his laptop, he opened the file and let Cora sit down to watch. She did, with both hands flattened on the desk. He could see her profile and it grew increasingly horrified. When the video ended with Damen turning from the river, she put her hand to her mouth. He could feel her thoughts. How could Demarco have ever doubted his brother had killed Collette?

“That was Korbin’s gun,” Demarco said. “He must have given it to Collette because she was afraid of Damen, and Korbin was going to help her get away. Damen thought they were having an affair, but she must have been planning to escape him. That’s why he killed her. In a jealous rage.”

“You knew?”

“Cora...I...”

“All this time, you knew he did it and you said nothing. You didn’t even tell me.”

He could see that last part bothered her most. “I’m sorry. I had a hard time accepting that Damen could do such a thing. But now, looking back, I recorded this because somewhere inside of me I knew I’d had enough. I could no longer protect him. It just took me a while to accept it, to mourn the loss of Damen. Because I knew I was going to lose him.”

“Oh, Demo.” Cora was both sympathetic and reproachful. “If police have this—” she held up the phone “—it proves Korbin couldn’t have killed her.”

Demarco nodded. He’d gone over this a hundred times already. “Even if I claim to have seen Damen leave his house, Korbin still could have killed her. But he didn’t have time to get rid of the gun. He was being arrested for a different crime—the hit-and-run. Korbin was being held for questioning at the time this recording was taken.”

“Why dispose of the gun if it was Korbin’s?” she asked.

“He killed Collette in the heat of the moment. He probably wasn’t wearing gloves then. Only when he stole the car.”

Cora stood. “You have to give this to police.”

There was nothing stopping him now. “That’s the one more thing I have to do.” Evil and corruption would be gone from their lives from here on out.

“You should have given it to the police as soon as you saw him and made this video.”

“Yes. That would have been the right thing to do. After this, I’m going to devote my life to you and me and doing just that. The right thing.”

Chapter 19

K
orbin saw Demarco waiting in front of the police station as he walked with Savanna through the doors. Demarco had known all along that he was innocent. Korbin should be furious. What if he had never come forward? The DNA evidence may have been enough to prove he didn’t kill Collette. That was the only reason he wasn’t furious, that and the dilemma Demarco had found himself in. Damen had caused a lot of people unwanted drama.

Reporters swarmed him and Savanna, thrusting microphones at them and hurling questions, most of which he didn’t catch. Savanna, or her parents, had sent some security guards, who formed a barrier for them.

“The FBI has made arrests of several janitors across the country,” a reporter said. “What were they planning?”

“What kind of attack did you thwart?” one of the reporters shouted.

“How does it feel to be a national hero?”

Korbin grinned at that reporter. Him? A hero? Cameras went off and he faced forward again.

“Hey, Savanna, how did you two meet?”

Demarco waited by the sedan that would take them away from here. Korbin stopped before him. Detective Gunderman had told him that he turned over Korbin’s gun and the video of Damen. No charges had been placed against Demarco for withholding the evidence in exchange for his cooperation and testimony.

“I wanted to apologize in person,” Demarco said.

What should a man say to another apologizing for nearly ripping his life apart? He could think of nothing, so he said nothing.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I do have a surprise for you.” He opened the back door and Korbin saw Fallon sitting inside. She looked tentative and moved deeper into the vehicle as more cameras clicked and video cameras rolled.

Korbin looked at Demarco, who shrugged. “I watched the news. I figured the least I could do is get things started in the right direction for you and your stepdaughter.” He handed him a card, an invitation. “And invite you to my next antiques auction review. You had to leave early from the last one.” He looked at Savanna. “It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful dress.”

Korbin shook Demarco’s hand. Some day he’d forgive him. When all of this was a distant memory. All except...he looked over at Savanna. Would she also be a memory?

“Thanks,” he said to Demarco.

Demarco gave him a slight bow. “I hope to see you soon.”

Getting into the car, he looked at Fallon with her long, curly blond hair and striking blue eyes. Savanna got into the front and the car began to move. Behind them, Korbin saw Demarco talking to reporters. When the sedan turned a corner, he disappeared from sight. He turned to Fallon. She looked at him in that tentative way, still not sure how she felt about him.

“I was going to go home, but I ran into Demarco on my way out of the station,” she said.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

She opened her mouth to say something and then shut it. Then she tried again. “Why is it so important that I be in your life?”

Had she really asked that question? “You’ve been like a daughter to me since you were fifteen.”

“I hated you when I was fifteen.”

“Yeah, but that didn’t last. Every stepkid hates the one who isn’t their real parent. It’s a stage. As soon as you saw what a great guy I was, you came around.”

She smiled. “You can be a real charmer. No wonder my mother fell for you so fast.”

He chuckled and then noticed Savanna’s head turning as though she wanted badly to look at them. This couldn’t be an easy exchange for her to hear. But it was important that he make Fallon understand how he felt about her, that she meant as much to him as any kid of his own would.

“We were a family,” he said. “And even though your mother isn’t here anymore, you’re still part of my family. You’re the only daughter I’ll ever have.”

Fallon lowered her head, and he felt her uncertainty.

Korbin reached for her hand, taking it from where it was curled into her other hand to hold it in his. “If I could change what happened, I would.”

Fallon lifted her head, all the pain of her loss shining in her eyes. “She trusted you.”

He stayed silent, letting her say what she needed to say.

“She knew what you were into, but she wasn’t afraid because she had you.” Tears sprang to her eyes, each one a dagger into his heart. “How could you have let her die like that?”

Korbin grasped her hand and kissed the back of it, then put it back down and covered it with his as he struggled with the familiar guilt. “I’ve asked myself that same question many times. I should have known she was in danger. I should have protected her. But I didn’t. I didn’t know what Damen was getting us into. He never told me. But I promise you, if I had known, your mother would have been nowhere near that place. I would have gotten us away from here. From Damen. You have to believe that.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No.”

Fallon wiped her eyes, her tears stopping. “I don’t know how to feel about you.”

“You don’t have to feel anything.”

“I’m afraid that...every time I see you, I’m going to be reminded of how my mother was gunned down like a gangster.”

“It might be that way for a while. But I’d like a chance to build a new relationship with you. To eventually change that perception. I may have done my share of crimes, but I never meant to hurt anyone. I loved your mother. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to have her back. If only...” He could see her walking beside him, smiling, the breeze in her hair, loving him. “She was just walking too close to Damen.” She’d been walking too close. The gunman had missed and hit her.

“Why did she have to fall in love with you?”

That was a painful thing to ask. But all of her awful thoughts had to be aired.

“If it would mean she’d still be alive, then I wish she never had.” Unfortunately, no one got a second take in this life. The film was made, a real horror.

“I miss her so much.”

Korbin said nothing. There was nothing he could say. He had loved Niya with all his heart, but she was gone.

“Tell you what,” he said. “In about a month or so, let’s get together for lunch. We’ll talk some more. Take it slow and go from there. If you decide you don’t want me in your life, if it’s too hard for you, then I’ll understand. But I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

A tiny smile poked the corners of her mouth and she nodded. “Okay.”

The car stopped and he realized it was to drop Fallon off.

She leaned over and hugged him. “Thank you.”

For saving her? For understanding? It didn’t matter.

“I’ll call you,” he said.

And she was gone. Korbin watched her go inside her apartment building, feeling his life begin to take a turn in the right direction for a change. There was, however, one more thing he had to do.

When they reached a busy street where he was sure to catch a taxi, he said, “Stop the car.”

Savanna swung her head back to look at him.

The driver pulled over and Korbin got out. He opened the passenger door and extended his hand. Savanna took it and got out, bewildered and leery. As he looked at her beautiful face, her striking blue eyes, all of the chaos he’d experienced in the last year came to a head.

He had so many mixed-up emotions running through him right now he didn’t know which one to address first. It wasn’t a very manly feeling. He needed to be straight. True. Grounded. Sure. And he was none of those things. He was a criminal who’d gotten his wife killed. He was aimless. Drifting. Somehow he had to find his anchor, and while he was pretty sure she stood before him right now, he had to get out of these stormy waters so that he could see land.

“Savanna...”

Resignation lurked in her eyes. She lifted her finger to shush him.

He took her finger and lowered it. “No. Hear me out.”

“Why? So you can tell me you’re leaving? No, thanks.” She turned to get back into the car.

Korbin took hold of her arm and swung her back around, meaning to bring her against him. With her lips forming an O, she flattened her hands on his chest as he adjusted her comfortably into his arms.

“A lot has happened over the last few days.” Murders. Shoot-outs. Chases. Falling in love...

“You have a life where I don’t fit,” she said. “I get it.” She started to push his chest to get away.

He held her firm. She wasn’t going anywhere. “With Fallon?”

“Yes. If I’d seen that coming, I’d...” She didn’t finish, but her rapid breathing revealed how hurt she felt. She was fighting tears.

Tenderness rose up in him and he wished he could spare her that.

“What?” he asked gently. “What would you have done? Stop what happened? There was no stopping that.”

Her brows scrunched together. There was no stopping them.

“As I was saying...” He waited for her breathing to calm and for her to look into his eyes, really look. When she began to melt into him, something he loved to see, he said, “A lot has happened in the last few days.”

“Yes. One of which is that I fell in love with you. I’m an idiot. Why do I fall for the wrong guys all the time? The ones who never stick around?”

He raised his brow in silent admonishment. “Will you listen to me for two minutes?”

She patted his chest, anxious and fretful.

Korbin lowered his head and kissed her. She tensed at first, but as he moved over her mouth and finally got her to relax and enjoy it, he eased away, finding and locking her gaze again.

“I don’t know where I’m at in my grieving process,” he said, softening that with another kiss. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with my future.” He kissed her again. “I’m confused. And the reason I’m so confused is I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Savanna’s eyes stared up at him unblinking, her mouth wide again. “I don’t understand. Are you leaving me?”

“For now, yes.”

She started pushing again.

“When I come for you, there will be nothing between us, Savanna. Are you listening?” He kissed her again, a few short pecks that turned into one long and slow one. “You deserve all of me. Not pieces at a time. I thought I was making progress grieving for Niya, but I wasn’t. Not until I met you. I’m making progress now. But I need to know without a doubt that I’m over her, and most importantly, that I don’t blame myself for her death. That has to be all the way behind me before I can come to you as a whole man, one who will belong to you and only you.”

For the second time today, he watched tears well in a woman’s eyes.

“I’m going to go stay with my parents for a while.”

She sniffled. “I’m going to see you again?”

“Yes, Savanna. I just don’t know when. Can you wait for me?”

She took longer than he liked to answer. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? You don’t seem sure.”

“I’m sure. I love you.”

I love you, too
almost came out of his mouth unbidden, but he stopped it. Telling her that now, with his past such a jumble in his head and heart, wouldn’t be fair or honest.

“I think I love you, too,” he said. “I want to be able to come back here and tell you that for real.”

“Oh, Korbin.” She flung her arms around him and kissed him with all she had.

He kissed her for several more minutes. If he kissed her any longer, he wouldn’t be going anywhere but the nearest hotel.

Easing back, he took her face between his hands and kissed her once more before stepping back.

She was breathing fast and tears still shone in her eyes as he turned and walked up the street to flag down a taxi.

* * *

Savanna sat in the turret window, book on her lap, staring out at the falling snow. It had been a week since Korbin left her standing on the sidewalk, watching him get into a taxi and disappear from her life. Such a flutter of torn emotions had churned through her that she could barely get back into the sedan. As the days rolled by, her heartache only intensified. But it was different from the other times. This was bittersweet. She felt such strong love for him she could hardly contain it. Like now, staring out the window, yearning for a love that had promised to come back but hadn’t yet. Yearning so much that it hurt.

Her entire family was in Evergreen right now. She’d locked the door to this library. It adjoined the room where she was sleeping. She’d locked that door, too. She had to be alone with this lonely love consuming her.

Pounding on the door interrupted her quasi-peace.

“Savanna? Open up.” It was Macon.

“Leave me alone.”

“Let me in.” He pounded again. “Mom’s about to send everybody up here to break down the door.”

She’d do it, too. With a hard sigh, she left her perch and unlocked the door. Macon leaned with his forearm on the door frame, looking disheveled and rakish.

Savanna moved out of the way so he could enter. When he did, she closed and locked the door.

“How long are you going to stay up here?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking about going home.” For once, being alone hadn’t appealed to her, which was why she’d come here. And also the press. They were relentless. But now the sanctuary of her home was calling to her.

“You aren’t going anywhere unless you can convince Mom you’re okay.” Macon sat down on a wing-backed chair and put his feet up on an ottoman.

Savanna sat in the other chair beside him.

“So, he’s not coming back, huh?”

“He said he was.”

“Did he?”

Thinking back to what Korbin had said, she wasn’t so sure. “Yes, but...”

“You don’t trust him.”

No. Yes. She realized she did trust him. He’d meant what he’d said. He’d be back. Some day. She might suffer from a broken heart for the third time in her life, but she wouldn’t fault him. He would be the most honest and faithful man to have broken her heart.

“Well, then stop watching for him.”

“I’m not watching for him.”

“You sit in that window pretending to read a book when all you do is stare at the road.”

“How...”

“I see you sometimes.”

“Spying on me?”

“You’re my sister. I hate to see you hurting. Makes me want to go find him and beat him up for you.”

She smiled. “Stop it.”