The Eligible Suspect(122)

                “That was Korbin’s gun,” Demarco said. “He must have given it to Collette because she was afraid of Damen, and Korbin was going to help her get away. Damen thought they were having an affair, but she must have been planning to escape him. That’s why he killed her. In a jealous rage.”

                “You knew?”

                “Cora...I...”

                “All this time, you knew he did it and you said nothing. You didn’t even tell me.”

                He could see that last part bothered her most. “I’m sorry. I had a hard time accepting that Damen could do such a thing. But now, looking back, I recorded this because somewhere inside of me I knew I’d had enough. I could no longer protect him. It just took me a while to accept it, to mourn the loss of Damen. Because I knew I was going to lose him.”

                “Oh, Demo.” Cora was both sympathetic and reproachful. “If police have this—” she held up the phone “—it proves Korbin couldn’t have killed her.”

                Demarco nodded. He’d gone over this a hundred times already. “Even if I claim to have seen Damen leave his house, Korbin still could have killed her. But he didn’t have time to get rid of the gun. He was being arrested for a different crime—the hit-and-run. Korbin was being held for questioning at the time this recording was taken.”

                “Why dispose of the gun if it was Korbin’s?” she asked.

                “He killed Collette in the heat of the moment. He probably wasn’t wearing gloves then. Only when he stole the car.”

                Cora stood. “You have to give this to police.”

                There was nothing stopping him now. “That’s the one more thing I have to do.” Evil and corruption would be gone from their lives from here on out.

                “You should have given it to the police as soon as you saw him and made this video.”

                “Yes. That would have been the right thing to do. After this, I’m going to devote my life to you and me and doing just that. The right thing.”





                                      Chapter 19

                Korbin saw Demarco waiting in front of the police station as he walked with Savanna through the doors. Demarco had known all along that he was innocent. Korbin should be furious. What if he had never come forward? The DNA evidence may have been enough to prove he didn’t kill Collette. That was the only reason he wasn’t furious, that and the dilemma Demarco had found himself in. Damen had caused a lot of people unwanted drama.

                Reporters swarmed him and Savanna, thrusting microphones at them and hurling questions, most of which he didn’t catch. Savanna, or her parents, had sent some security guards, who formed a barrier for them.

                “The FBI has made arrests of several janitors across the country,” a reporter said. “What were they planning?”

                “What kind of attack did you thwart?” one of the reporters shouted.

                “How does it feel to be a national hero?”

                Korbin grinned at that reporter. Him? A hero? Cameras went off and he faced forward again.

                “Hey, Savanna, how did you two meet?”

                Demarco waited by the sedan that would take them away from here. Korbin stopped before him. Detective Gunderman had told him that he turned over Korbin’s gun and the video of Damen. No charges had been placed against Demarco for withholding the evidence in exchange for his cooperation and testimony.