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Santiago leaned back in his chair and sighed, surveying the stacks of paper on his desk. He’d been working on Ace Colton’s case for the last few days, hardly stopping to sleep or eat. He was tired, hungry and missed Ainsley desperately.
Leaving her had been agonizing. He’d wanted so badly to return to that little cabin in the woods, shut the door and spend the rest of his life making love to her. But that simply wasn’t an option. And as she’d sat across from him behind her desk, looking so professional and proper, he’d known that the magic they’d found at the retreat was gone. No matter how good things had been between them, the distance between them was back.
He never should have slept with her again.
But he was so glad he had.
The emotional dichotomy was enough to make his head spin. Things would be so much easier right now if his heart didn’t ache with every breath, but at the same time, he cherished the time they’d spent together. Ainsley had given him a gift, and he would treasure it forever.
But for now, he had to make progress on this case. He owed it to Ainsley to save her brother—after everything she’d gone through for his sake, clearing Ace’s name was the least he could do.
He skimmed his notes again, mentally reviewing the conversations he’d had with various people. Before leaving Mustang Valley, he’d interviewed the cleaning lady who had found Payne after the shooting. She’d been a lovely woman who had reiterated the story she’d already told the police: she’d been vacuuming in the other room, so she hadn’t seen anyone leave Payne’s office. Still, she’d heard the word mom and someone had cursed just before the gunshot. She thought it was a man’s voice, but not one she recognized.
And then there was the Ar
izona State Sun Devils pin that had been found near Payne’s prone form. According to pretty much everyone, Payne wasn’t a big sports fan. Why, then, was the pin in his office? It had to be from the shooter, Santiago figured.
Mom. The pin. And Payne Colton. The three were connected, though for the life of him, Santiago couldn’t see how.
As for the gun in Ace’s condo? He’d reviewed the security footage and seen a figure skulking through the rooms. The camera angle didn’t show their face though, so he couldn’t rule out the cleaning lady. Still, he’d spoken to the police and had been told, unofficially, of course, that the body type on the surveillance from the condo matched the body type seen on Colton Oil security tapes the night of Payne’s shooting.
It was far from conclusive evidence, but taken together, Santiago was convinced Ace was not the shooter. He was, however, the victim of a frame job. The fact that Destiny Jones, the tipster who had told the police about the gun in Ace’s condo, had skipped town was just the cherry on top. Santiago knew once he found her, the whole house of cards would come tumbling down.
A sharp rap on his door broke into his thoughts, and he looked up to find his sister, Gabriela, standing at the entrance to his office. “Hey, there!” He smiled for the first time since leaving Ainsley, and stood up to greet her.
She met him halfway to his desk, and he pulled her in for a hug. She squeezed him tightly, then leaned back with a frown. “Santiago,” she said disapprovingly. “When was the last time you had a shower?”
“Ah...” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember. “The day before yesterday, I think?”
Gabriela wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “You’re a mess. I came by to see if I could take you to dinner, but you’re not fit for public company.”
“We could order in,” he suggested.
She nodded. “We’ll have to.”
Forty-five minutes later, they sat across from each other at the small conference table tucked into the corner of his office. She twirled spaghetti on her fork, while he lifted a piece of pizza to his lips.
“How are you?” he asked around a bite.
She grinned. “Better, now that you exposed the Woodses as the criminals they are.” She pointed at him with her fork. “My attorney and I had a meeting with the judge today. She ruled that in light of the fraud committed by the Woodses, the paperwork I signed was null and void.” Happiness gleamed in her eyes as she spoke. “She reinstated the original prenup, and now Eric isn’t getting a dime!”
Satisfaction bloomed in Santiago’s chest. This was it—this was why he’d done what he had, why he’d talked Ainsley into helping him. Gabriela was free from her jerk of a husband, and the man who had tried to scam her was now facing some tough questions. The stress of the retreat, the danger he’d been in, it all melted away in the face of his sister’s joy. Her natural sparkle was back, and he could tell she was back to her old self again.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Santiago said. “I hope you’re considering pressing charges against Eric?”
Gabriela nodded. “Oh, yes. My attorney says I have a solid case. Thanks to you.”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to thank me. Besides, I didn’t act alone.”
“Who helped you?” Gabriela leaned forward, obviously curious. “I’ve been wanting to ask you about it. I know you didn’t go there alone—they wouldn’t have let you stay. So who pretended to be your wife?”
“A friend of mine. Ainsley.”
Gabriela’s eyes widened. “Ainsley, as in your law school girlfriend, Ainsley? The woman it seemed like you were going to marry?”
Santiago shrugged, wishing his sister hadn’t made the connection. “Yes.”
“Wow.” Gabriela leaned back, eyeing him speculatively. “I’m surprise she still talks to you, after what you did.”
