father?"
"I have things under control at the office; And I just wanted to be home tonight."
Camilla opened her mouth to lash out, but words failed her. The depth and fluidity of his grey eyes stirred something within her - something long dormant, encysted in bitterness and regret, and sequestered in a dark corner of her being. Yet as his gaze languished on her she felt a gentle tug, a resonance within her that caused a hardness in her throat.
"Camilla," he said, his eyes wide and searching, "you are so beautiful."
He reached for her and this time she allowed him to take her hands in his. He pulled her inwards and wrapped her in a hug, burying his face in her waves of dark curls. His voice was rough with emotion as he whispered in her ear, "I've missed you."
The resonance became a wave that crashed over her, breaking free that long encysted emotion. She felt the heat of his chest against her cheek, his rough breathing and rapid heart beat, and her own tears cool and damp against his shirt. She closed her eyes, letting the moment take her, and replied to her husband: "I've missed you too."
CHAPTER FIVE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALTON MCBRIDE buttoned his jacket and prepared to enter the courtroom. Through three days of testimony he'd constructed an almost impenetrable case. Almost impenetrable. The 'almost' is what frayed his nerves: the single unescapable fact that the victim remained unidentified.
As he reached for the filigreed brass door-handle his phone vibrated. Turning away from the doors he slipped the device from his inside coat pocket and glared at it. The screen showed Jon Cramsdell, his deputy investigator. "Tell me something good, Jon," he said, "and make it quick; I'm in court in one minute."
"We ran the victim's prints and DNA through the databases again, like you asked, Chief. Still nothing."
"Alright, Jon. Thanks for trying."
"Chief, there is something else though."
Alton watched a group of reporters file into the courtroom. He glanced at his wrist-watch. "What is it?"
"We finally traced the car."
Alton's mind spun but came up blank. "What car?"
"The Mercedes. The one the butler reported having seen in the driveway earlier that evening. Turned up parked in the garages. The cops overlooked it assuming it belonged to the family."
Alton's heart-rate increased. "And?"
"It was a rental."
"We've no time for a subpoena. Tell me you got a name out of the agency voluntarily?"
"I got a name, Chief."
Adrenaline surged into Alton's bloodstream. He felt it as a flutter in the stomach and a tremor in the hands. "Who is it?"
Jon hesitated. "Not sure you're going to like it-"
"Who?" Alton snapped.
"The order was placed by a GenLabs clerk three months ago, on their corporate account. But the car itself was picked up and signed for by Geoffrey Bartell the Third."
"Bartell?"
"That's what they're telling me."
"That makes no sense."
"I know, Chief. The guy has a stable of million dollar rides, what the heck would he want with a middle class sedan like-"
"Jon!" Alton interrupted. The man was a keen investigator but had a tendency to ramble on. "Have you seen the records with your own eyes?"
"On my way there now. ETA ten minutes."
"Good. Keep me informed."
Alton stabbed the end call button and dropped the phone into his pocket.
What the hell had Bartell been playing at? The man held secrets, of that there was no doubt. But James Scott May would never put his client on the stand. No defense attorney worth his salt would do so. Not in a capital murder case.
Alton took a long, steadying breath. Then he straightened his tie and turned back towards the courtroom doors.
Let Bartell keep his secrets.
It wouldn't stop Alton from sending him to the chair for first degree murder.
CHAPTER SIX
JEFF WATCHED CAMILLA as she slept.
The clock on the nightstand urged him to get up and moving, but he couldn't. Looking at her now he was overwhelmed with emotion. The way
"I have things under control at the office; And I just wanted to be home tonight."
Camilla opened her mouth to lash out, but words failed her. The depth and fluidity of his grey eyes stirred something within her - something long dormant, encysted in bitterness and regret, and sequestered in a dark corner of her being. Yet as his gaze languished on her she felt a gentle tug, a resonance within her that caused a hardness in her throat.
"Camilla," he said, his eyes wide and searching, "you are so beautiful."
He reached for her and this time she allowed him to take her hands in his. He pulled her inwards and wrapped her in a hug, burying his face in her waves of dark curls. His voice was rough with emotion as he whispered in her ear, "I've missed you."
The resonance became a wave that crashed over her, breaking free that long encysted emotion. She felt the heat of his chest against her cheek, his rough breathing and rapid heart beat, and her own tears cool and damp against his shirt. She closed her eyes, letting the moment take her, and replied to her husband: "I've missed you too."
CHAPTER FIVE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALTON MCBRIDE buttoned his jacket and prepared to enter the courtroom. Through three days of testimony he'd constructed an almost impenetrable case. Almost impenetrable. The 'almost' is what frayed his nerves: the single unescapable fact that the victim remained unidentified.
As he reached for the filigreed brass door-handle his phone vibrated. Turning away from the doors he slipped the device from his inside coat pocket and glared at it. The screen showed Jon Cramsdell, his deputy investigator. "Tell me something good, Jon," he said, "and make it quick; I'm in court in one minute."
"We ran the victim's prints and DNA through the databases again, like you asked, Chief. Still nothing."
"Alright, Jon. Thanks for trying."
"Chief, there is something else though."
Alton watched a group of reporters file into the courtroom. He glanced at his wrist-watch. "What is it?"
"We finally traced the car."
Alton's mind spun but came up blank. "What car?"
"The Mercedes. The one the butler reported having seen in the driveway earlier that evening. Turned up parked in the garages. The cops overlooked it assuming it belonged to the family."
Alton's heart-rate increased. "And?"
"It was a rental."
"We've no time for a subpoena. Tell me you got a name out of the agency voluntarily?"
"I got a name, Chief."
Adrenaline surged into Alton's bloodstream. He felt it as a flutter in the stomach and a tremor in the hands. "Who is it?"
Jon hesitated. "Not sure you're going to like it-"
"Who?" Alton snapped.
"The order was placed by a GenLabs clerk three months ago, on their corporate account. But the car itself was picked up and signed for by Geoffrey Bartell the Third."
"Bartell?"
"That's what they're telling me."
"That makes no sense."
"I know, Chief. The guy has a stable of million dollar rides, what the heck would he want with a middle class sedan like-"
"Jon!" Alton interrupted. The man was a keen investigator but had a tendency to ramble on. "Have you seen the records with your own eyes?"
"On my way there now. ETA ten minutes."
"Good. Keep me informed."
Alton stabbed the end call button and dropped the phone into his pocket.
What the hell had Bartell been playing at? The man held secrets, of that there was no doubt. But James Scott May would never put his client on the stand. No defense attorney worth his salt would do so. Not in a capital murder case.
Alton took a long, steadying breath. Then he straightened his tie and turned back towards the courtroom doors.
Let Bartell keep his secrets.
It wouldn't stop Alton from sending him to the chair for first degree murder.
CHAPTER SIX
JEFF WATCHED CAMILLA as she slept.
The clock on the nightstand urged him to get up and moving, but he couldn't. Looking at her now he was overwhelmed with emotion. The way
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