Prologue
One Week Earlier
“Dad, there’s something over here!” he heard a young boy call. This would complicate things. Conner did not want to be found, but he couldn’t bring himself to drag his broken body out of sight. Every ounce of his being was in agony, and even the sound of footsteps getting closer drilled through his head like a jackhammer to the brain. He wasn’t sure what happened, and a part of him knew he needed to hide before the boy with the piercing voice found him, but he just couldn’t move. He was bloody and naked. That would certainly traumatize a little kid, or at least scare the shit out of him, which he also wasn’t eager to do. Besides, he didn’t need a hospital to get better. He needed food and a lot of rest. But he couldn’t move, and when he tried, pain sliced through his body.
“Oh my god, Dad there’s a naked man over here. He looks dead!” the boy shrieked. That was followed by the sound of someone else – or the boy - running towards him. Conner wasn’t sure which, nor did he really care.
He groaned and grabbed his head as he tried to lift himself. Lights flashed before his eyes, and he fell back to the ground with a heavy thud, writhing in pain. He was dying; that’s all there was to it. Closing his eyes, he gave himself over to fate.
***
Lana paced outside the judge’s chambers as he went over the notes for the case to decide whether or not there was a case at all. In her gut she knew something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was a strange case. The defendant, Cameron Marks, had no priors. Hell, he had never even gotten a traffic ticket. But now he was being indicted with three assault charges and attempted murder. One of the women whom he supposedly assaulted couldn’t even finger him. But that could have been chalked up to shock, so it really meant nothing. It made no sense, but the detectives weren’t bringing her anything she could use. He seemed to be implicating himself, but not to the point of a confession. Something wasn’t right.
The door swung open and Judge Patterson strode from the room. He was such a serious man, and she could swear that he never smiled. Ever. Not that she had much to say on that account. Lana wasn’t sure how long it had been since she had last smiled or had a good time. She didn’t even want to think about how long it had been since she had enjoyed a man’s company. And that didn’t just mean getting between the sheets, either. She hadn’t had a date in months. She shook her head. This wasn’t the time to be going over her love life, or the lack thereof.
The judge walked past her and she followed behind, hoping to get this day over with. Already she had been in court three times, and she still had two major clients to meet with. The day was far from over, but at least after this she’d be done with court for the day. She walked by the defendant’s brother, who was here to support him, and shivered. She glanced back over her shoulder to find his dark eyes staring back at her. There was a strange intensity within the blue depths, as if he were trying to read into her very soul. Lana shivered again and, averting her gaze, quickened her pace to get back inside the court room.
Now he’s someone I could picture trying to kill someone.
The thought stopped her in her tracks. Could that be why the case was so messed up? Maybe Cameron was innocent? But if so, then why would he take the heat? Stranger things had happened. Brothers could be very loyal, even to the point of serving time for crimes they did not commit. And now that she thought about it, she knew she needed to follow her gut instinct. It had never let her down before.
The sound of the gavel rang out in the room. Everyone grew silent waiting for the judge’s decision.
“Regarding the case of the state versus Cameron Marks, for three counts assault and one count attempted murder, with insufficient evidence I am forced to dismiss this case. If and when evidence is collected the case can be refiled with the state.” He hit the gavel again. “That is all.”
That was it. Even the judge couldn’t find a reason to keep Cameron behind bars, and now Lana had her work cut out for her. She had to bring someone to justice at least. She gathered her notes and placed them in her briefcase. At her back she felt eyes boring into her. A shiver of fear ran up her spine, and when she turned around Campbell Marks was staring insistently at her again. Catching himself he looked away, but not before she registered his contempt. His eyes looked even darker and more sinister than they had in the hallway. The man really gave her the creeps, and the first order of business was having someone check into his background. Something about his demeanor had her on edge. He was not a nice man, but just because he wasn’t nice didn’t mean he was the one who committed the crimes.
Or did it?
Lana didn’t know, but she would find out, and soon; something smelled rotten in Denmark, and she vowed to discover what it was.