A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two by Debbie Zello (9)

Chapter Nine

“What do you mean you had to put her on the list of potential witnesses? Her name, her real name!” Aiden yelled.

“Look, she is on there as a character witness for Dan. I did it to throw them off her scent. I listed Jane Doe as the eyewitness and Briah as a peripheral witness. They’ll check and see she was on vacation just as you fixed it. They won’t have a clue about her until she appears in court. It’s perfect, don’t you see?” Blain pleaded.

“Fuck, she’s going to lose it. Her anonymity was her shield; she hid behind it. She could sleep at night. With her name out there she’s got a target on her back.”

“It’s done. I faxed it this morning.”

“You are a god damn idiot, Blain. I bring you everything on a fucking silver platter and you somehow manage to tarnish it. Now I have to tell her. Thanks,” Aiden said sitting at his desk. Blain walked out leaving Aiden to seethe a while longer. He was sure that soon Aiden would see the benefit in what he had done.

Aiden went over his options. If he went to tell her and she lost it, she would be embarrassed. If he called her that could be worse. He decided to e-mail her, that way it could sink in slowly.

First, he explained the trail at the resort so she had an alibi in place. Then he explained what Blain had done. He told her he thought it would work out this way and then he pressed send. A few minutes later, his phone rang. He felt it sounded angry. He picked it up and said, “Dead man walking, here. How may I help you?”

“I’m very afraid. I’m scared to death, actually,” her voice was so small as she spoke.

“Then it’s my job to make you feel safe in my arms.”

“I’m in a bad mood too.”

“I’ll take it as a personal challenge to improve that.”

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Fix things, make things seem better than they really are,” she said sniffling.

“Are you crying?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry I made you cry.”

“It’s not you. It’s the whole screwed up circumstance.”

“Can you meet me in the chief’s office in ten minutes?”

“I was just there a few hours ago.”

“I know, smart girl, congratulations. It’s not about that.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in ten.” She hung up and went to freshen up in the bathroom. A few minutes later, she walked in to the chief’s office. Aiden was sitting on the corner of Jean’s desk chatting. Jean smiled and said, “Twice in one day, Briah. That’s some kind of record!”

“I guess.” Aiden stood and grabbed Briah’s hand. She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. He just smiled and began to walk into the chief’s office.

“To what do I owe another visit, Briah?”

“I have no idea, chief. This is a command performance for me.”

“Aiden? Care to enlighten me?”

“Yes, sir. What would you say if I told you that I want to date Miss Spencer?”

“I’d ask if that was already the case.”

“Yes, sir, it is,” Aiden said.

“How long have you been dating?”

“Casually for about two months. We’ve gotten closer in the last two weeks.” Briah felt a little like a ping-pong ball being bounced back and forth between the two men.

“While it would have been nice to be told sooner than this, there is no impediment to the two of you seeing each other. Your investigation ended before you began. So there isn’t any conflict. I wouldn’t take an ad out in the paper but it’s fine with me.”

“Thank you, sir,” Aiden said pulling Briah out into the hall.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

“I couldn’t let you cry without kissing you. I couldn’t kiss you without telling him about us. So here we are,” he clarified. Her tears began to fall. “What’s wrong?”

“I think you are the sweetest man that I have ever met.”

It didn’t take long for Pete to put two and two together. The next morning, after everyone saw Aiden kissing Briah in the hallway just outside of the chief’s office the day before, Pete walked up to Aiden’s desk. “Bro, tell me, was Briah the promise you were in such a hurry to get to?”

“Are you learning impaired? I’ve already told you that I’m not answering that question. First of all, it was you that said I had a promise, not me, remember?”

“You didn’t say that you didn’t.”

“I also didn’t say that I had won the lottery, that doesn’t mean I did. You gotta get a life and stay out of mine, bro.”

“I can’t, yours is far more interesting, especially since that sweet filly came into it.”

“You’re trying my patience. Don’t you have some work to do?” Aiden said exasperated.

Briah began her new role in the department spending two days learning in each division and then moving on to the next. She was so busy mastering every different aspect of the individual offices that it kept her mind off the pending trial.

David’s defense agreed to the expedited trial which somewhat surprised everyone. They usually didn’t go along with what the prosecution wanted just for the sake of argument. A date of July sixth was entered onto the docket. Jury selection would begin that day.

Blain didn’t notify Briah of the date right away. Over the years, he had discovered the less time he gave witnesses to dwell on the inevitable, the better. He could prepare her for her testimony in two days.

He thought they could pick the jury in one day, then the trial could begin on the eighth, with opening statements. That would give them the weekend to prepare her.

He wasn’t happy when the news of Aiden and Briah’s alliance hit his desk. Thank God, they had gotten together after the investigation was concluded, or much of her testimony could be suspect. Nonetheless, he should be prepared for that to come up at trial. He wasn’t going to be caught with his pants down.

Aiden was sitting at his desk when his cell rang. Looking first to see who was calling he scowled before answering, “What’s wrong?”

“Two guys were just here asking questions about Briah.”

“Okay. You went with the story, right?”

“To the letter. They asked if they could speak to the maid that cleaned her room. I told them she no longer worked for us with the summer cutbacks. I told them she went back home until the fall.”

“Quick thinking, Lou, thanks.”

“How is she doing?”

“Good. The chief gave her a permanent job so she is in the building with some seventy cops all day. Then mostly with me at night. I took the detail off her a few weeks after the murder. We’re sure they don’t suspect that she knows anything about what happened. They might believe she knew about the affair. The funny thing is it’s just the opposite,” Aiden said.

“If anyone else shows up I’ll call. When are you going to bring her up to meet us?”

“As soon as this whole mess is over with. The Feds want to talk to him now. I guess his wife has been very helpful with information about some of his other adventures. When the murder trial is over, they are going to slap him with multiple charges.”

“I like it when the bad guy goes down. Talk to you later,” his brother said.

“Thanks again. Bye.”

That night, as she lay in Aiden’s arms, Briah told him all about Connor. He listened carefully as his fingers lazily stroked her arm. When she finished, she let out a big sigh. “You did the right thing by leaving. What that policewoman said probably saved your life. When they start killing pets, they move it to a personal level and they don’t usually stop before they hurt you. You’re far enough away that he won’t bump into you on the street. Then your low profile is busted wide open by a murder case.

“Are you worried he’ll find you when all of this comes out?”

“I think that is a good possibility. I’m sure it will make the national news. They’ll follow the trial at least. They’re bound to show my face or at the very least say my name. I’m hoping that he has moved on in the last two and a half years. I don’t know if he’s even alive,” she said.

“I can find that out on Monday. I’ll put in a request for information,” he offered.

“Do you believe that old wives’ tale that things come in threes?”

“I think the old wives got it wrong sometimes, why?”

“The thing with Connor was my first bad thing. Then Dan’s murder was the second. I keep waiting for the third. I think about it a lot, actually. I walk around wondering what the next catastrophe will be.”

“Depending on whom you ask it might be me. My mom said I was a tornado when I was little. David is none too happy with me. Yup, I could definitely be number three!” he said laughing.

Briah moved so that she covered his chest with hers. She looked directly in his eyes and said, “You’re wrong, Aiden. You are number one of the good set of three. I have two more of those to go.” He wrapped her in his arms thinking that no one had ever said anything sweeter to him.