Dirty Truths (20 page)

“Of course she would,” he muttered.

He’d tried to protect Kristina but hadn’t thought about how much pressure he put on her by asking her to keep the damn box. She worried about everything and with that asshole Riley in her
life, she second guessed every thought she had. He should have realized it. Then to top it off, he told her not to look. He was a fool and deserved the bullet he was sure would be in his brain very soon.

Wade cursed. She would have been fine and she definitely wouldn’t have freaked out if Daniel hadn’t been around. He should have known the jackass would throw a goddamn wrench into things. It infuriated him Daniel could still hurt Kristina. What good was he to her when someone like Daniel could walk in and rape her any time he wanted? He should have taken care of him at the Peek-a-Boo Club, no matter what Kristina’s feelings were. Then he found those bruises all over her body. When he’d realized that as he had driven by the house that day and kept going because of the black Dodge in the driveway, Daniel had been inside brutalizing her, he went berserk. He should have gotten rid of him. She’d never have known if the bastard were dead or had just disappeared. He’d been too wrapped up in his own problems.

Stupid decisions. The only thing he cared about at the time was winning Kristina over. Worried she’d hate him for what he’d done for the Brothers, he tried to do things differently than he always had. Well, now she knew what he was and she still loved him. All this time he’d cursed her for her inability to trust.
What have I done?

Wade turned, his gaze on the phone. He could call Thomas and tell him what happened and how Amy had fucked him over royally. Thomas might see things rationally and help him out of this pile of shit he’d buried himself under. The box was partly Thomas’s responsibility. If he’d taken the damn thing like he said he would—fuck, they were in deep. But the particulars of who should have done what wouldn’t matter to Thomas. He cared about results. And the result here was Wade had fucked up. Now he had to own up to it and hope their friendship meant more than ‘business’. Friends or not, Thomas would only consider keeping Wade alive if he had a solution to the problem. And Wade didn’t have any.

Kristina told him she hadn’t looked in the box, but the poor girl couldn’t lie if her life depended on it and it might. Her prints would be all over the stuff. Wade had cleaned everything else. The knife, the bags, the guns, all of them had nothing on them except Kristina’s prints. If she stuck to the story he’d suggested, there might be a chance, but Amy could fuck it all up.

Amy had to go. That much he knew. He’d battled Thomas on this for a long time, each of them teetering on either side of the decision at different times. Amy was the only one who could link Kristina to the box, and she would sink Kristina to get at him. No matter what happened, he wouldn’t let Kristina suffer anymore.

Wade grabbed the phone and turned it over in his hands. He pictured Kristina, her eyes heavy with sleep their last morning together as she smiled. A rush of emotion he’d never imagined he’d be capable of feeling rushed over him.

He punched the numbers into the phone.

Hearing Thomas’s voice, a voice that could sound velvety smooth one moment and cold as ice the next, he took a deep breath and considered his words.

“It’s me.”

Thomas was silent.

Wade continued. “We have a problem.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Let’s get rid of it.”

“Are we talking about the same problem?” Thomas’s voice dropped to a whisper.

Wade faltered, unsure if he should do it. What if it made things worse? Would Kristina hate him if she knew? She’d figure it out. He closed his eyes, nodding to himself. He’d killed for money and revenge, why not love? “Yeah, I need a divorce.”

CHAPTER
25

Grunting, uttering a muffled curse, Kristina reached into the closet and pushed the clothes aside. She’d cleared out everything earlier that morning and spent three solid hours tossing old clothes, separating what she planned to keep. Idleness gave her time to think, to focus on negative things she had no control over. She could have gone back to work but Wade advised against it and she didn’t want her decisions to hurt him again; he’d suffered enough because of her mistakes.

The pile of clothes Kristina would donate to the local thrift store seemed mountainous. She eyed it warily.
I need some bags.
There was no way she could carry the pile in her arms. Sighing, she left her room and wished she’d thought of that when she started. But then, she hadn’t planned to do quite so much, only to straighten out the mess of clothes she’d jammed on the shelves and in the corners.

As she stepped off the bottom
step, the phone rang. Her mother said they’d call when they were on the road home, but she didn’t expect them to leave today. Her dad hadn’t even dragged the boat in or packed the trailer when they called yesterday. She hoped it wasn’t her parents, and they were already on the road bringing Cadence home. After the past week’s events, she yearned for her old boring, empty life. It was easier to deal with than with the roller coaster of emotion that came along with Wade.

Kristina answered, and phone in hand continued to the kitchen to search for some garbage bags.

“Mrs. Riley?” a male voice, very serious.

She halted in her tracks. “Yes,”

“I’m Sergeant Jacobs. I wonder if you could come to the police station and answer some questions.”

Her mouth went dry. Kristina moved to sit at the table. “What’s this about?”

“We’ll be happy to fill you in when you get here. This is a very urgent matter though, I can send a car to pick you up if you’d like.”

Kristina bit her lip. It had to be about the box. Could she lie to the police? They’d see right through her, wouldn’t they? Isn’t that what they were trained to do? “No, that’s not necessary. Can I ask if I’m in any sort of trouble?”

“Not at this point.”

Not at this point? She closed her eyes to collect her thoughts. This didn’t have to end badly; she just had to figure out how to deal with it. Could she refuse to go down to the police station? No, they’d come get her if it was about the box. That kind of evidence would make them very eager to speak to her. Maybe they thought it was hers. Kristina opened her eyes and gazed at the clear sky outside the window and the green bridge, such a familiar sight she rarely noticed the way it seemed to reach up into the clouds. Birds perched atop, flapping and squawking, each battling for the prime position in the center so they could easily swoop down over the falls to grasp the fish that leapt out of the water below. She felt like the fish, swimming against the current so close to freedom, yet knowing the predators that loomed above could snatch her life away at any moment.

She frowned and cleared her throat. No, she was done waiting for someone to take everything from her. No one had the power to run her life. This had gone on long enough. She was only a victim as long as she allowed it. “Sure I’ll come down. Is an hour okay? I’d like to shower and change and I’ll have to call a cab.”

“Sounds fine, and thank you for your cooperation.”

“Of course, whatever it is, I hope I can help or at least clear things up for you.”

“Yes, me too.” The line went dead.

She walked to the stairs, her mind reeling. One hour to figure out this mess, to decide how to deal with the questions they’d ask. In the bathroom she pulled her shirt over her head, crinkling her nose at the scent of her own sweat. Kristina glanced in the mirror.

The image before her wasn’t startling, but encouraging. For the first time in months, her eyes sparkled with fire, determination. Color blossomed in her cheeks and she stood straighter, shoulders back, chin up. Wade loved her, and she loved him. She didn’t just want him or needed him; she loved him more than anything she’d loved in her life. Cadence meant the world to her and she’d always come first in her heart, but this feeling for Wade was different than a mother’s love for her child, and just as consuming.

Staring in wonder at the way her features had changed, Kristina’s resolve strengthened. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth thinned to a determined line. She wouldn’t just coast along anymore, taking each bump life threw in her road, meekly accepting her fate as though she was powerless.

Kristina turned on the shower and discarded the rest of her clothes as she thought of ways to handle the police. They’d ask her about what was in it but she’d tell them she didn’t know. She’d—her prints! Kristina shuddered, her body chilled despite the steamy warmth of the shower’s spray. What did she actually touch? Could they find fingerprints on cloth? Jesus, she didn’t know about this stuff. Kristina took a breath and tried to still her racing thoughts.

First she had to figure out how they’d gotten the box. Wade said Amy must have taken it. She could tell them the story he’d suggested. That Amy brought it over… but then it was Kristina’s word against Amy’s. Other than Wade, Michelle was the only one who knew Kristina had it. And Michelle had been friends with Amy, though Wade never elaborated. It had to be Amy. But why? Just to be free? She could have walked out any time she wanted. Couldn’t she? The question flipped around her brain as she soaped her hair and leaned into the hot spray. Amy didn’t care about being free. She hated Wade and wanted him to suffer. That’s why she stayed and that’s why she stole the box. She wanted to ruin him.

Well, it wouldn’t happen. Amy would pay for manipulating Kristina and for all she’d done to Wade.
She’d love to see Daniel paid as well. Daniel. Kristina turned the tap off and stepped out of the shower, a plan forming in her mind.

***

At the police station, Kristina faced a hive of activity when she walked through the door. People in uniform rushed back and forth while people in ‘regular’ clothes moved faster. She paused to watch the bustle before turning to a window near the door where a uniformed man sat punching at his keyboard, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Reluctant to interrupt him, she stood quietly and hoped he noticed her so she wouldn’t have to.

To Kristina’s relief Sergeant Jacobs spotted her and introduced himself. She didn’t know what she expected but it wasn’t what she found. Jacobs looked close to her age, his face kind and his hand warm when he shook hers. She would have found him attractive, if he wasn’t a police officer who wanted to put her or Wade behind bars.

Jacobs led her to a small room with a table and two chairs. Another officer waited, leaning on the wall opposite, a manila folder tucked under his arm. This one looked older and not so nice. Under the too-bright lights, they appraised her with eyes full of pity. Her hackles rose. They thought she was some stupid girlfriend who had no clue what was happening. Either that or they thought she was desperate and content to take the fall for a man who had used her. They thought wrong.

“I’m glad you could talk to us.” Sergeant Jacobs smiled.

“I bet,” she mumbled.

“I know this is scary. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more information, but this is a very sensitive matter. I couldn’t share anything that may skew what you’re able to tell us. We’re not against you. We want to help.”

“I don’t know what kind of help you think I need, but yes, I’m scared. I don’t usually get called in for questioning. I don’t get called in at all.”

“Of course, and it’s not what you think. Right now, we just want to talk.”

Sergeant Jacobs looked to his partner who sat in the chair opposite Kristina, rubbing his temple as though thinking about something that pained him.

He cleared his throat and picked up the folder that now sat on the table between them. Opening it, he perused its contents before training cold eyes on hers. “We’ve been given of a box containing some rather alarming things. This box has enough evidence to put its owner in prison for a very long time.” He paused, a trick used to allow the information to sink in.

Kristina widened her eyes.

“The problem we have, and the issue we need you to clear up, is how the box came to be at your house. Care to explain?”

Fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, Kristina looked at both officers, hoping her face appeared sufficiently puzzled and confused. She didn’t have to feign fear; she was terrified. Worried she couldn’t pull off the charade and forced to turn Wade over.

“I’m not sure.” She frowned and ran a trembling hand through her hair, choosing her words with care. “I have a lot of boxes at my house. Jeeze, the basement is a nightmare.”

The officers exchanged a glance.

Kristina wondered who would be good cop and who would be bad cop, so far they’d both played it pretty evenly. Did they do that in real life? If they did, she thought the older one would make the better bad cop. His stare was unnerving.

He didn’t disappoint her.

He stood abruptly, a frown on his face. “You know what box we’re talking about. I’m not fooled by this little act you’re giving us. The box you had in your basement, marked as Christmas decorations. The one you hid for Wade Bowen and the one you’ll go to jail for if you don’t tell me the truth. The box that will cause you to lose your daughter.”

Heat filled her cheeks. Kristina took a shaky breath. To think, she worried about how she’d act terrified. Her nerves frayed as she weighed her reply and forced her hands to be still in her lap, although the urge to fidget was strong. Taking a deep breath, she looked bad cop in the eye.

“Wade? I barely know him, and I certainly wouldn’t hide anything for him.” The lie rolled off her tongue easily enough but both men looked doubtful.

Not yet. Wait a little longer.

“You work for him, don’t you?” Sergeant Jacobs asked.

“Yes, but we aren’t close or anything. He’s friends with my dad, but even Dad hasn’t really talked to him in a while.” She shrugged, her mind working furiously to ready her bomb.

Bad cop sat back and glanced at the file.

Kristina imagined he was working out a way to trap her, to get her to say something that would make her look guilty. That was Daniel’s favorite trick, and then he could turn everything around on her. But she’d learned, boy she’d learned. Her belly fluttered. Yes. Finally, Daniel could do something useful.
Payback time.
Staring at Bad Cop, she took another breath and folded her hands on the table in front of her.

He leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips. He thought he had her.

She would disappoint him. “Okay, I need you to promise if I tell you what I know, you can protect me. I was afraid, and that’s the only reason I didn’t come to you a long time ago. I’m still afraid. He’s done such awful things to me. If he knows I told…”

“Of course we’ll protect you,” Sergeant Jacobs took the chair next to his partner and sat down. Both men were all ears.

Kristina bit her lip to stop a grin. “Daniel left a box of his stuff downstairs and he told me not to touch it.”

Their faces paled.

Not the answer you expected?

Kristina lowered her voice. “It was marked Christmas, but I don’t think there’s anything to do with Christmas in there.”