Blood in the Water(61)

Jessup sat silently, eyes straight ahead.

“According to the confession, you had an affair with an underage girl because things were a mess at home and you needed to blow off some steam. When Betsy threatened to go to your wife, you killed her. It tied everything up for the police in a neat and tidy package. Users don’t get much respect from law enforcement.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Not until I’m finished. I left the largest irregularity for last. Despite everything, your wife is still married to you. If what you’re saying is true, your marriage survived drug abuse, a child with a terminal illness, as well as the statutory rape, mutilation, and murder of a minor. That seems highly unlikely.”

“My parents’ marriage didn’t even survive an infidelity.” Of course, Buckley had taken matters into his own hands.

“Like I said, I want to be left alone. I appreciate you comin’ all the way down here, ma’am, but there’s nothin’ you can do for me.”

“I can save your life.” Jane placed her hand on Jessup’s. “I’ll even do the work pro bono so there won’t be any fees. And if you don’t want me as your lawyer, let me turn over this information to the Innocence Project. I’m brilliant at putting together an aggressive defense and they could learn a thing or two from me. All you have to do is say ‘yes.'”

“I appreciate the effort, Ms. Hunter. I’m an old junkie, and I ain’t never gettin’ out of here alive.” Jessup stood and shouted, “Guard, we’re done in here.”

Then he turned back to Jane. “If I made a deal, which I ain’t sayin’ I did…what’s done is done.” The guards came in and checked his shackles, making sure they were secure. “We all gotta make sacrifices, don’t we?”

“I’d say you already have, Mr. Jessup. Your daughter’s dead, and you didn’t get to spend those years with her. At least, let me give you what’s left of your life back.”

Jane’s eyes were red-rimmed, and her lower lip trembled. Byron knew she was thinking of her mother, dying alone in prison. This case was getting way too personal—for both of them.

Jessup didn’t even acknowledge her offer, and the screws led him away.

Leaving them right back at square one.





Chapter Fourteen



“You and me are gonna have a good time tonight.”

“No offense, but I don’t feel like it.”

Byron drove them back to the hotel, and she found his optimism bothersome, as per usual. They’d left the prison an hour ago, and Jane was in a funk. The case against Valentine was unraveling. The serial killer wanted to “punish” her. And oh, yes, there was the small matter of his unrequited crush.

Could it get any worse?

“Too bad. We’re gonna shut this drama down for a few hours and enjoy ourselves. Everythin’ will look better in the mornin’.”

“I doubt it.”

“It will, I promise.”

“How on earth can I put this on the backburner?” Getting out of this terrible situation was the only thing on her mind.

He slid the SUV into the passing lane. “You gotta try. After we relax, we’ll take another run at it. It’s always worked for me in the past.”

“It has?” Jane was doubtful, but maybe he had a point. She was used to pushing until she achieved a goal and didn’t believe in timeouts or breaks.

“If it hadn’t, I would’ve flipped my lid a long time ago. I’m used to livin’ smack dab in the middle of a maelstrom. Now, when we get back to the hotel, you’re gonna go for a walk while I get us set up.”

“Set up for what?”

“A surprise.”

Didn’t he know by now Jane hated surprises? Evidently not.

“How about a hint?”

“Like I said, it’s a surprise.”

And something about his smile was suspicious.

Two hours later, after a leisurely stroll through downtown True Love and a heart-shaped cookie from the local bakery, Jane felt marginally better—until she got back to the hotel room.

Jane opened the door to find a seduction scene.

The scent of jasmine and lavender lingered in the air. Byron had once again lit all the candles in the room. Damn those things. A fire blazed in the hearth, and he’d covered the wooden floor in a collection of quilts and pillows.

In the center of the blankets, he’d created a picnic—bubbling fondue pots and trays of delicious items to dip. A stainless steel ice bucket had an open bottle of champagne chilling inside.

And the man himself lounged in the massive bathtub, which was where the scent of jasmine and lavender came from. Even more candles surrounded it.