The Eligible Suspect(36)

                Getting out of the Jeep, he flipped up the hood of his jacket and turned his head from the wind as he hiked up to the front door. It was locked, so he had to knock.

                He watched the curtain part at the front window and recognized his brother. The door opened. Damen stood aside, gaping at him in shock, a gun in his hand and lowered at his side. Like him, he had signs of gray in his dark hair and had blue-green eyes, but his looked green in the sunlight when Demarco’s looked blue.

                “What are you doing here?” he asked as Demarco entered, stomping off snow from his feet and shrugging out of his jacket.

                “You weren’t answering your phone.”

                “So you drove all the way here?” His brother put his gun down on the table and Demarco sensed his tension. He wasn’t glad to see him. That signaled that a big hidden agenda was at play here.

                “It’s not like you to avoid me.”

                “I wasn’t avoiding you.” He walked into the small living room where a glass of dark alcohol on ice waited. Damen was drinking by himself.

                “How did you find me?”

                “It wasn’t hard.” Demarco sat on the chair across from him. It was quiet in the cabin except for the crackle of fire and wind blowing outside. “I stopped by Bear’s. He told me.”

                Damen sipped from the drink. “I’m going to have to talk to him.”

                “Why? Don’t you want me to know where you are anymore?”

                His brother eyed him in a way he never had before, with suspicion and growing annoyance. “I’d have called you if I did.”

                “What are you doing up here, Damen?”

                “I have a little business to take care of.” His eyes lifted and he looked all around the room as though he could see outside. “This storm is causing a delay.”

                “What kind of business?” Demarco wanted his brother to tell him. That way he’d know where Damen felt he needed to lie. If he lied at all. He hoped he’d still trust him, and then maybe he could talk some sense into him. His long silence didn’t bode well. He was forming a lie.

                “I came here to find Korbin and tell the cops so that they can arrest him.”

                Demarco steepled his fingers and stared at his brother, fighting for calm. “You didn’t come to kill him?”

                The low, deep laugh that came from his brother was foreign to him. Soft. Calculating.

                “I’d love to kill him,” Damen said, delight in his eyes.

                “Over Collette?” Demarco asked. It was all he needed to say.

                Damen’s whole face contorted into rage, which he quickly masked by taking his drink and sipping harshly, then putting the nearly empty glass down with a thunk. He looked away.

                “Is she the reason you’re here?” He was a lot smarter than his brother. And always careful not to let on to that knowledge.

                But real grief flashed on Damen’s face and disarmed him. It’s what always happened. His less fortunate brother strummed his sympathy chords. He had loved Collette. But he’d believed Korbin was taking her from him and he’d snapped. A true crime of passion.