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“I don’t know. He was deployed when Latimer supposedly died. However, when his grandmother died a couple of years ago, Brian was back in Nashville, and he inherited all her belongings.”
Alex’s nerves tightened and twisted. “None of this feels right. How the hell does Lawrence fit into this mix?”
“I’ve got officers in his house right now, going through everything. I want anything that has to do with Latimer.”
Alex rested his hand on his hip. “Latimer stabbed Leah twenty-three times. Clearly, he was driven by rage and desperation when he stabbed her.”
“Okay.”
“And he stabbed Deidre twenty-three times like Leah,” Alex said.
“Right.”
“He left plenty of DNA around when he stabbed Leah. But he left none when he killed Deidre.”
“He’s getting smarter?” Deke said.
“I listened to Leah’s nine-one-one call four years ago. She told the cops it was Latimer. I didn’t hear anything on the tape that suggested he was worried about discovery. He didn’t care who knew he was killing his wife. Then he goes dark for four years. And when he returns, he goes to great lengths to cover up a connection to Deidre’s death.” Alex tapped his index finger against his belt. “And why stab Deidre? If his aim was to kill her, there are more efficient ways.”
“What are you getting at?”
“I’d swear we’re dealing with two different assailants.”
When Leah regained consciousness, Radcliff was wearing a Tyvek suit and goggles. He had turned her over and she was able to take a full breath of oxygen, vaguely aware of cold metal clinking against her wrists. He’d secured her wrists behind her back. As her eyes drifted open, he was little more than a hazy monster. Not the one she’d feared for so many years but a new one, just as evil and just as dangerous.
“Why?” she whispered. “Why?”
He shook his head. “It was never about you, Leah. It was always about Deidre. Since the day I found out she was cheating on me, I wanted to kill her. I dreamed about killing her. Hell, I could barely sleep with the hate pounding in my head.” He shook his head. “But killing is easy. Getting away with it is another story. I’d have been the first guy the cops would have arrested.”
Fear rippled through her.
“Deidre told me about Philip. He helped her get that lame sister of hers out of jail. And when he needed to get out of Nashville, she helped him. You didn’t get justice because of her.”
She’d always wondered how he’d escaped. “Is Philip dead?”
A smile tweaked his lips. “He’s dead. Died in South Carolina, just like the reports said. And that suited me just fine. The more I thought about old dead Philip, the more I realized he was the perfect man to frame. The perfect man to kill Deidre and you.”
“That was you with Gail.”
“It’s been me all along.” He traced a gloved finger along her cheek. “It didn’t take a lot of work to dig into Philip’s past. Found his cousin right here in Nashville. He took all Philip’s belongings when their grandmother died. There was a computer that had belonged to the grandmother, with so many pictures of you from Philip’s stalking days. And then I found his ring. The ring that helped identify his body. Almost too easy.”
“I didn’t know he had a cousin.”
“He’s dead now, so it really doesn’t matter.”
She recoiled. “Brian Lawrence.”
“Very smart. Yes. I killed Brian and slipped into his shoes when it was convenient.” He took a handful of her hair and curled it around his finger. “I started texting Deidre from a burner phone. Philip told her he wasn’t dead. Said he needed money and would ruin her career if she didn’t help.”
Leah scrambled through her memories of Deidre. “Deidre sought me out.”
“Philip told her that he wanted her to text him pictures of you. And Deidre got herself a burner and started sending him pictures.” He shook his head. “But she wasn’t one to lie down and take it. She was planning to kill Philip when he finally faced her. If he were really dead, she’d be in the clear. But she wasn’t expecting me.”
“Sins of the past. That’s what Deidre said.”
“Yes.”
“Who planted the listening devices?”
“I did. Used Deidre’s credit card to buy them. As you know by now, I’m good at skimming credit cards.” He nodded his head.
“You did that?”
“And I let the air out of your tires. Did all kinds of annoying things, just like Philip would have.” He grinned, pleased with himself. “I listened as she buddied up to you. She wasn’t your friend, you know. She was using you.”
Deidre had used her. Yet that last morning at the track had been a real moment. Deidre knew Tyler was dangerous, and she’d said she could handle him. As the image of Deidre, bleeding and slashed, flashed in her mind, she couldn’t summon anger.
Tyler reached in the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small box. The back hinge creaked as he opened the top. Inside was her wedding band, which she’d left at the apartment she’d shared with Philip. “We can thank Brian for being a pack rat.” He moved behind her and bent down as he took her left hand in his. She fisted her fingers, but he easily peeled them back. She winced in pain as he shoved the ring on her finger.
The ring felt tight. “You don’t have to kill me. You don’t. There’s nothing between us.”
“Your death will keep me out of jail. You’re going to be killed by your husband, who’s risen from the dead. He killed Deidre, your friend and a threat to his freedom, just like he tried to kill you. Killing you is my perfect alibi.” From another pocket, he pulled out a knife and traced it between her breasts. “Happy Anniversary, Leah.”
She didn’t speak as tears choked her throat. She remembered the last time those words had been whispered to her at knifepoint.
He cupped her face with rough, callused hands, holding her chin just a little too tight in his grip. “Deidre didn’t understand the meaning of our wedding vows. I meant it when I said until death do us part. Did you mean it when you said your vows?”
“I did. I did mean them.”
“Then why did you break them?”
“I never broke my vows.”
“You left your husband.”
“Because he hurt me.” She tugged hard against the cuffs. “He betrayed me when he hit me!”
“There was never another man?”
“No.”
“There’s Alex Morgan.”
She stilled at the sound of Alex’s name. “Alex has nothing to do with this.”
“Of course he does. Do you think Philip would let him live after what you two did last night?”
“He’s not part of this.”
“Where’s your cell phone?”
She didn’t speak, accepting that she would die protecting Alex.
“Tell me, or you’ll watch me slice parts off of Gail and Charlie, bit by bit.” He closed his eyes. “The sound of a dog howling in pain is just awful. Pitiful.”
Tears fell down her cheeks.
“And I’ll make Gail scream. She’ll be begging me to kill her.”
“Please, don’t.”
“Where’s your cell?”
He would kill Gail and Charlie. He would make them suffer. In so many ways, he was worse than Philip. “In the front hallway, by the door in my purse.”
He would have to leave the room to find her purse. With him out of the room, she twisted her left hand in the cuffs, scraping skin against metal. Skin burned and tore as her wrist rose a fraction.
Before she could free herself, Tyler returned. “We’re calling Alex Morgan.”
“Leave him alone, please.”
“Alex has another strike against him. He’s too damn smart. He could be the one person to put the pieces together, and I can’t have that.”
“I’m not going to call him.”
Tyler held up the display on his phone, a photo of Gail, tied up and crying. “Sh
e and the dog are in the trunk of my car. Right outside.”
“She has nothing to do with this. Charlie doesn’t deserve this.”
“I like Charlie. She’s a good dog. Loyal.” He dialed Alex’s number. “I’m going to hold the phone up to your mouth. You warn him and I promise you’ll die after you watch me butcher Gail and Charlie.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“Do we have a deal?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He hit Send and held the phone to her mouth.
Alex answered on the second ring. “Leah.”
She cleared her throat. “Alex, can you come back by the house?”
“Is something wrong?” Tension rippled in his voice.
“No.” She cleared her throat again as she stared into Tyler’s dark gaze. “I need to see you. It’s important.”
