“Interesting, isn’t it?” Kier said. “By the way, your client we mentioned is dead. Stabbed.”
Shoving aside her shock, she forced herself to think like an attorney. “What could Eva possibly have to do with your case?”
“We believe the killer is connected to her,” Garrison said.
“How? ”
Kier leaned forward and laid a photograph of a four-pointed star on her desk. “Stars like this were burned into each victim.” He pulled out a second picture and laid it on her desk. “This is the brand Cross burned into your sister.”
She picked up the picture of Eva and this time sudden tears welled in her eyes. “Josiah Cross died in the fire. He can’t be connected to this.”
“The two victims were Sara Miller and Lisa Black. Do you remember them?”
“Yeah, they went to Price with Eva. They testified against her. ”
“Did you hate them?” Kier said.
Hysterical laughter rumbled in her chest. “Hate’s a strong word.” She leaned forward, threading her fingers together. “Did you read Eva’s file closely? Did you read the evidence of her rape? Did you read that before Cross burned my sister, he not only raped her, but he bit her at the top of her breast and he hit her so hard in the head that he shattered her eardrum?”
Kier’s jaw tightened and Garrison stiffened. They had read it. It gave her a measure of satisfaction to know that it bothered them.
“Revenge is the best motive for murder,” Kier said.
“Why would I or Eva entertain the idea of killing Lisa and Sara?”
“They testified against her. They said they saw your sister kill him.”
She stared at them, refusing to make a comment.
“You think Eva killed Cross?” Garrison said.
“Eva certainly had reason to kill him after what he did to her,” Malcolm offered.
Angie raised her chin. “I don’t think she did it.”
“Why?” Garrison challenged. “Did she tell you she didn’t?”
“She said she didn’t remember what happened after she passed out.”
“She pled to manslaughter,” Kier countered.
“Under pressure from Darius Cross who wanted a pound of flesh. He wanted his son painted as the victim and he moved heaven and earth to get it. His political reach was huge and he used every bit of it against her. ”
“Sounds like you went back and studied the case,” Garrison said.
“You bet your ass I did. Her defense was abysmal.”
“Why do you think she came back?” Garrison said.
Angie shrugged. “It’s clear I don’t know my sister very well, otherwise she’d have called me by now. You’ll have to ask her that question.” She reached for her purse. “Better yet, Detective. It’s a question I need to ask her myself. ”
Radford’s beating had left Eva’s muscles stiff and sore. He’d only landed a punch or two before Garrison had stopped him, but those connection points were black and blue. She only hoped that she’d done damage to him when she’d shoved her knee into his crotch.
She’d not slept well Saturday night or last night. The explosion of violence had left her shaken and she’d found it very hard to unwind. She’d only drifted off sometime around two A.M.
She yawned as she replaced the napkins in the dispensers at the table. She filled all the salt and pepper shakers and had mopped the floor when she heard the front door to the pub open. She cringed. She was irritated that she’d not relocked it after she’d accepted the order of tomatoes. She should have sent the delivery guy around to the back but he’d been in a rush. Damn.
“Sorry, we’re closed until eleven.”
“Hello, Eva.”
Her sister’s familiar voice sent a jolt of electricity shooting through her body and shattering her calm. Hauling in a deep breath, she slowly turned. Her sister, Angie, stood in the doorway. Morning light filtered in from the street, silhouetting her tall lean frame. She wore a sleek business suit, white silk blouse and high heels. As always, she looked perfect. Ladylike to Eva’s awkwardness.
Eva set the napkin dispenser down and smoothed her fingers over her jeans and moved toward her sister. “Angie.”
Angie moved forward, her expression unreadable. “I’m surprised you remembered.”
The bite behind the words snapped. “I remember.”
Angie glanced around the place, as if cataloging each detail. “You could have fooled me. I hear you’ve been back in town awhile.”
“Six months.”
Angie nodded, tapped her flat purse against her thigh. “You could have called me.”
She could have. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that she didn’t feel worthy. Out of prison or not, she remained branded a murderer.
The silence deepened Angie’s frown. “Why come back now? You’ve been gone for so long. Why come back now?”
“I’ve asked myself that question a lot lately.” She tried to keep her tone light but it fell flat.
“Why are you here, Eva?”
To find out why my best friends turned against me and sent me to prison. “I guess home has a bigger pull than I imagined.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
“Why should you be sorry? The last time we saw each other you said you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“At the time it was better that way. ”
“Better for you?”
“For you.”
“Did it occur to you that I might have needed you to come home? Mom is dead. Dad is gone. Maybe I needed family.”
Tears clogged Eva’s throat. She slid her hand into her pocket. “I’ve picked up the phone a thousand times, but I never could finish dialing. I guess I just didn’t feel like I had the right to come back into your life.”
Some of the bluster and tension faded from Angie’s shoulders. “You should have called me.”
“I know.”
An awkward silence descended between them. Neither seemed to want to breach the quiet so pregnant with raw emotions.
Eva shifted attention from the painful to the mundane. “I hear you’re an attorney.”
Angie nodded, seemingly grateful for the shift. “Yes. I practice defense.”
“I read about you in the paper. You won a big case.”
Angie stiffened. “Big victory.”
“You were happy about the win. According to the paper, no one had expected Dixon to walk.” Angie had poked holes in the prosecution’s logic, creating enough reasonable doubt to get her client off.
“I know.”
“I sense you’re not happy about the win.”
Angie arched a brow. “Don’t try to get into my head, Eva.”
“Just asking.” They’d not seen each other in so long and already they’d slipped into the old role of Eva niggling at her sister.
Angie pursed her lips just as she’d done as a teen. “Have you been by Mom’s grave?”
Th
e familiar imperious tone grated. “Once. I didn’t leave flowers.”
Angie let her gaze roam around the pub. “You work here?”
“Yes,” she said without shame. “The owner’s good to me. Lets me rent a room on the top floor cheap. I’m saving for school.”
“School?”
“I’ve applied for scholarship money.” Pride wouldn’t let her admit that she’d been rejected because of her record.
“Look, if you need money …”
“I don’t. I’m good. I’ve got most of what I need saved.” She’d cut off a limb before taking money from her sister. “How’d you find out about me?”
“The cops.”
“Which ones?”
“Garrison and Kier.”
Betrayal dug deep into Eva’s heart. “Detective Garrison never told me he’d put the pieces together about us. He should have come to me first.”
“It came to him late last night. He saw an old newspaper clip with a photo of me on the courthouse steps.”
She’d let herself forget how sneaky cops could be. She’d not forget again. “He should have come to me.”
“I’m glad he didn’t. Otherwise, I might not ever have known you were back.”
She slid her hands into her front pocket. “I would have told you. ”
“When, Eva? You’ve been back six months.”
Eva wanted to be able to give her sister a date and time. “I don’t know.”
Angie stiffened. “Would you have ever told me?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“That about says it all.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Look, Eva, Darius Cross is dead. His surviving son could care less about you. The only thing keeping you from calling me is you.”
“Working up the courage, I suppose.”
“To see me?”
“We didn’t end on the best terms.”
Again more silence settled. What else could Eva say? Angie was right. She could have mended fences a long time ago and she hadn’t.
“The cops think a couple of killings might have to do with my past.”