So, Teagan had betrayed me first and then tried to protect me in her own way. I wasn’t sure what to think about that. But maybe she still had good within her—enough good to want to be saved. “Do you know where she is?”
“No, Chazz didn’t know, but he assumes she’s dead. Dixon told him she had been silenced.” Travis’s knuckles turned white.
I expelled an anguished breath.
So much loss.
So much pain.
So much suffering.
And all for some puzzle Dixon was piecing together for money. “Has Dixon said anything?”
“No, nothing. He’s not talking. His lawyers are on the way. Chazz did confirm that it was them at your home that night. We’re taking DNA samples from Teagan’s apartment. If we can match anything to Dixon and the drugs it’ll further help the case. Dixon appears to be the mastermind behind it all. Chazz was along for the ride.”
What a mess. “So where does this leave me?”
“Just waiting. We’ll use the will for evidence. With Raquel and Chazz’s testimony and the corroborating evidence, there’s a good chance of a conviction. The prosecutors think they have a pretty good case at this point. Any further evidence they find only makes it stronger.”
Well, that was a relief. “Does anything happen to Chazz or Raquel?”
“Their assets have been seized. That wasn’t part of their deal. So, we’ll see where that leaves us.”
It wasn’t much, but if they ended up with nothing, it was justice in a different form. “Thank you, Travis.”
“I hate that we had to cut deals, but Dixon is definitely the worst out of the three.”
“Better to have the devil himself behind bars than free,” I said.
Travis stood. “True. I’ll keep you posted. We may need to talk to you, so stay in town. If you’re leaving, just let me know so we can reach out.”
“Will do.”
He left, and I sat down, unsure what to think. Life was a funny thing. Not everything was black and white, right and wrong. Sometimes things were gray, and sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. It was a bitter pill to swallow. And I hated how jagged it felt, but I was grateful there was some justice.
“How are you doing?” Drake sat in front of me on the ottoman and watched me closely.
“I hate that Raquel and Chazz are getting off. But without the deals, they all might go free. It’s hard and complicated. And I walked away from my mother tonight. I was ready, but it still hurts—knowing how she feels about me. It’s just… I don’t know… it’s a lot to sort through. And it’s going to take time, I think.” It was honestly like being in a boat, drifting at sea, without a sail or motor.
Drake waited for me to continue. “I’m glad it’s done with. I’m glad I have closure. And I’m glad I’m free to live my life.”
“Me, too, baby. Me, too. And we’ll get through this together.”
“Together.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Drake
Chaos ensued for the rest of the week. Raquel, Chazz, and Irene weren’t allowed to leave the area for the time being. The transfer of the B&B had finalized. Dixon was behind bars in Anchorage. In the midst of it all, Hollis had flown his lawyer up to look at the will. With Chazz’s testimony, we could prove there had been knowledge of the revised will, and the lawyers were certain Lex would get the missing piece of her dad’s land back.
Raquel and Irene had been involved with pieces of Dixon’s plan, but from what we could surmise, they weren’t apprised of the entire thing. Chazz did whatever his brother told him to do as long as the money kept rolling in. The bank president in Juneau also happened to be one of Dixon’s investors who had been behind Lex’s loan. Charges were being filed against him.
Things were righting themselves. Well, righting themselves as much as possible. A loss of life could never be righted. Innocent people had paid the ultimate price because of greed. Crete had taken it hard because his dad had been a bystander in the logging incident Lex’s dad died in. Among many others. The town was bleeding, but we would heal ourselves and keep moving forward.
Lex had tried to go to work, but everyone—including the news crew—had shown up at the clinic. She and Hollis had decided to shut it down for the time being to everyone but emergencies. I was worried about her. More than worried. Toward the end of the week, the news people left for Anchorage for the beginnings of a trial there.
Maybe things would get back to normal. On Monday, the clinic would reopen. Right now, Lex needed her work to focus on.