CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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“You know that Brody is going to grant himself a rather hefty bonus after this morning’s briefing,” Sawyer said without looking up from the scattered papers in front of him. He was sitting at the kitchen table, still going through the old case files of Caroline Marinovic. “Now might be a good time to hire some of that support staff you mentioned a few months ago.”
Townes didn’t take the bait. He was leaning against the counter, waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to brew. Wrong pot, right grounds was all he was thinking at the moment.
For some reason, today had been difficult. This waiting to see if Moss would make another move was more irritating than not knowing what the future held for him and Shailyn. One couldn’t happen without the other, as if they were dominos about to fall.
Was Moss truly dead? Had he taken the coward’s way out because he had some irrational belief that he could spend eternity with the women he’d killed? Was he so deluded in the end that he believed the afterlife for him was filled with his victims acting as his servants? Was it even possible that it could truly be over?
The vibration of his cell phone was a welcome relief. It also spared him from having to answer Sawyer. He stood upright as he answered the call, an old habit left over from his time in the Corps.
“Calvert.” He listened intently as Keane identified himself and finally gave the team something to chew on. “Where has Grove been all this time?”
Sawyer immediately started to gather the case files together in anticipation of locking them up before leaving the compound. Townes had to have missed something in the conversation.
“Wait,” he ordered, even holding up his hand in a useless gesture. “Repeat what you just said.”
Townes quickly pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the speaker button so that he wouldn’t have to reiterate this new development to Sawyer.
“You heard me right the first time,” Keane replied over the open line with a hint of disbelief himself. “Grove is currently in a Miami hospital recovering from overexposure and some second-degree burns. It appears he went on a two-man alligator hunt in the Everglades approximately two weeks ago. He didn’t think to tell his family, because it was planned as a one-day excursion. Well, he and his tour guide were allegedly robbed at gunpoint of all their belongings, including their boat. Then they were subsequently abandoned in a rather remote area without any survival gear.”
Townes didn’t for one second doubt that Moss had a hand in arranging Grove’s misfortune. Unfortunately, the man’s bad luck occurred around fourteen days ago…well before Shailyn’s death was reported in the media. Did this strange development change the course of the investigation? Not in the slightest.
“Head down to Miami,” Townes directed, knowing that Keane was with Royce. “Interview both Grove and the tour guide. Try and get a more complete picture of what took place with possible descriptions of the culprits. While you’re there, do a little digging into his fiancée’s death. See if his story changes from his original account in any way.”
“We’ll be in touch.”
Townes was now at the island facing Sawyer who stood on the other side. They both turned at the sound of the sliding glass door opening, revealing Brody. It was apparent by his expression that he had some news for them, causing Townes to think of the old adage—when it rains, it pours.
“The second sample of DNA we sent to DOJ for testing came back. It was in the ninety-third percentile as a match for Moss.” Brody walked around the counter and over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a beer and popped the cap as he settled back against the fridge. “I’m inclined to say that Moss is in fact dead.”
“Moss isn’t dead.” Townes was getting real tired of being the only one with certainty on this subject matter. “Run the DNA sample again.”
Townes poured himself a cup of coffee and then left the room, leaving the men to discuss how he was most likely wasting resources. Well, they were his resources to waste, so let it be done.
He purposefully walked past the living room without a glance to where Shailyn was curled up on the couch and doing some online Christmas shopping for her parents. Christmas was mere days away and this would be the first time she’d be able to give a present to her parents in years. Camryn had strict instructions to use her own credit card so there wasn’t a trace leading back to Shailyn.
He entered his office and quietly closed the door behind him.
Four hours later, Townes was still immersed in the Caroline Marinovic files. It provided him with the distraction from Shailyn that he needed, especially considering he didn’t want to push her into making a rash decision about her future without thinking things through. She needed to see for herself that this sanctuary he’d provided her could benefit the both of them, even if he wasn’t within arm’s reach.
It had also given him time to flesh out his white board project, pinpointing each and every milestone in Moss’ life. If he were dead, this would all be a waste of time.
“You should be getting some sleep,” Townes said from his position in his favorite chair. He’d been staring at the white board for the last thirty minutes, attempting to see the timeline from a different perspective when he’d caught the slight movement inside the doorway. “Tomorrow’s a rather big day for you.”
“I heard Brody talking to Remy about the new confirmation from another accredited government lab that the DOJ uses for high profile cases.” Shailyn moved farther into the room. One arm was crossed around her waist. She used it as a prop for her other elbow, allowing her to appear in a somewhat natural pose with her other hand covering her neck. “I couldn’t help but wonder if you now believe that it really was Moss in that cabin.”
Townes wasn’t about to take away her hope for a brighter future. Besides, he was too taken aback that she was wearing more casual clothes that didn’t include a scarf. She had on a pair of joggers and a long-sleeved thin shirt that she clearly wore to sleep in.
“We located Caroline Marinovic’s fiancé. Keane and Royce drove down to Miami to interview him.” Townes unfolded his large frame from the chair, leaving the white board until tomorrow. The woman standing in front of him was more important. “Coen is leaving first thing in the morning to go back to the crime scene. Sometimes it’s beneficial to look at things from a different angle after some time has gone by.”
“I spent day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year perfecting my patience as the seconds ticked by with only my computer to keep me company.” Shailyn spread her fingers a little wider across her neck in response to his proximity. “These last few days feel like an eternity compared to those years. What are you…”
Shailyn would have stepped back at his attempt to lower her hand from her neck, but he’d wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He observed the flush from her cheeks fade and her perfectly shaped lips thin out as he revealed some of her scars. He didn’t think about what he was about to do, nor did he consider the ramifications. Any fallout from his actions could be remedied. He refused to believe otherwise.
“Every one of these scars are a testament to your strength.” Townes slowly leaned down and pressed his lips against the worst mark that he only saw as beautiful. Her entire body had gone still, and she’d stopped breathing. He kissed another. “I, for one, only see your beauty.”
Townes tenderly kissed each blemish visible above her neckline. There weren’t many, but there were enough to make her self-conscious as hell. He would spend the rest of his life proving to her that she no longer needed to hide. His purpose had started the day he’d brought her here and wouldn’t end until he could no longer draw air into his lungs.
A lone tear fell from her cheek.
Shailyn had shown no other outward sign that she’d given in to her sorrow. A piercing pain slashed through his heart at her stoic reaction to his affection. He wanted her to be able to derive as much strength from him as she needed, but she was still blind to what he’d spent so long building. She didn’t know yet, nor recognize, that his admiration for her had turned into love long ago. She hadn’t been here all this time to see the transformation.
Townes gathered her against him, grateful that she didn’t push him away. He shifted so that he could lift her into his arms and carry her back to his chair. It hadn’t been his intention to hold her so intimately, but the dam had broken. Shailyn cried for what had been and for what was left.
There was no need for words.
He simply held her while she released all the grief and anger that had been coiled inside of her for way too long. It wasn’t until he sensed her muscles relaxing one by one that he allowed his own anguish to reveal itself. He cried with her. For just this moment in time, he allowed himself to purge the suffering he’d experienced over the years.