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“Why would he kill someone and pin it on his fiancé? That doesn’t make sense,” Garrett said.
“Because she saw him do it,” Luke explained.
All five of his friends audibly took in a breath.
“She’s a witness?” Caden asked.
Luke nodded. “Though not in the traditional sense.”
Caden cocked his head, but Martin’s eyes widened again, as if in understanding. “Wait,” Martin said. “Tim said the voice in his head could see what he saw, and that she let him see through her eyes to keep him calm. I thought he was just pulling my leg, but are you saying that -”
“Yes,” Luke said. “Orly was inside the mind of the woman when Russell killed her.” Goosebumps ran up his arms as he said it, still unbelieving she could do such a thing. He couldn’t imagine the things she’d seen and felt while trying to help people. “She felt the bullet even though it left no mark on her own skin.”
“Fuck,” Martin breathed out. “Wait, so she’s at your house right now?” There was no heat or accusation in his tone, only concern and curiosity. His other friends’ expressions reflected the same sentiments.
“Yes.”
“Can we meet her?” Caden asked.
Luke nodded. This had actually gone better than he thought it would, but that shouldn’t have surprised him. His friends were awesome. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 15
“Russell Graham is clean as a whistle. No offshore bank accounts, no extra properties, not even so much as a written complaint has been filed against him in the last five years. He’s a model cop and citizen.” Caden’s words only served to tie the already tight knot in Orly’s stomach even tighter. This was nothing new to her. She knew Russell was perfect, both in public and on paper.
It was a week later, and Orly was sitting in Luke’s yard with his friends. The flowers she planted earlier in the week were blooming nicely and some of the seedlings were also starting to grow buds. Luke had invited his friends over for a barbecue to meet Orly. She’d been extremely nervous, but introductions had gone well, and they all seemed really nice so far.
They’d eaten until everyone was stuffed, then Caden asked if he could talk to her about what he’d found out about Russell, and ask her some questions. Luke had prepared her for that so she was ready to be put in the hot seat.
“There’s obviously a reason Russell Graham is pursuing you, Orly,” Luke said, interrupting her thoughts. “We just need to figure out what it is and use it against him before he has a chance to use it against you.”
Orly sat on the edge of her chair, all six pairs of eyes on her. She tried to focus her attention more on Luke, since she didn’t necessarily trust the others yet. “I’ve gone over that night a million times since it happened. I don’t know anything other than he killed a woman.”
Luke sighed, and reached for her hand. “I wanted my friends to be here before I asked you this so you didn’t have to repeat yourself. I think it would help if you talked it out. Sometimes we remember things we don’t even realize. Even the smallest details can help us when we’re trying to investigate a case.”
Orly wasn’t sure what she could’ve missed after months of thinking it over, but having six pairs of eyes looking at her now was making her nervous. What if she had missed something? Could all of this have been prevented if only she’d known what to look for?
“How about we start at the beginning,” Caden suggested, pulling Orly out of her thoughts. He had short black hair, mocha colored skin, and steel gray eyes that illuminated kindness and compassion with every word he spoke. That combined with his chiseled jawline and impressively toned biceps, Orly had to admit Caden was a strikingly good looking man. But there was no question in her mind that Luke was the only one for her. “Tell us about where you were when you first heard this woman needed help,” Caden said.
Orly took a breath, not missing how everyone was waiting for her to start. She met Luke’s gaze and he gave her a reassuring nod. She hated reliving the nightmare that started all this, but if it helped get Russell out of her life, she would do it. “I was in the kitchen. I had just started making dinner. Spaghetti. I remember because I forgot to buy meatballs and I was annoyed with myself that night.”
Caden sat back in his chair, giving her his full attention. “Okay. Then what happened?”
Orly sighed. “I had just put the pasta in the water. I was about to reach into the utensils drawer to get something to stir it with when I heard the woman in my head. She was standing in her house. Terrified. She was begging him to stop.”
“Stop what?” Luke asked. His features were soft, but there was a determination in his gaze. He was on her side. She felt it, not just in his thoughts, but in the way he angled his body toward her as he spoke.
“Russell was advancing on her. Only I couldn’t see his face at the time. It was dark and his features were hidden in the shadows.”
“How could you tell it was a house?” Blake asked.
“The furniture. There was a couch and a coffee table. There was also some artwork on the wall over the couch. I heard the television on in the background. Probably the next room. I guess it could’ve been an apartment,” Orly said, thinking aloud.
“Keep going,” Caden said. “What happened next?”
“She begged him to stop. Told him she didn’t want to die.” Remembering the panic in the woman’s voice sent shivers up Orly’s spine.
“Did she say anything to you?” Luke asked.
