The Eligible Suspect (14 page)

Savanna shrugged, trying to minimize her feelings. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

Camille walked over to her and ran her hand down her arm. “You always were my sensitive one, especially with men.”

“Mom, don’t.”

“Well, you were. Have you fallen for Korbin? Macon said there was something going on between the two of you.”

Savanna wasn’t sure her mother believed Korbin was innocent. Her mother was very open-minded. And she was the kind of parent who let her kids learn things on their own. She rarely intervened. Other than at her impromptu family gatherings.

“No. I haven’t known him long enough.”

“It’s not like you to get close to a man so soon.”

“No, it’s not.” Normally she was extra careful about waiting an acceptable amount of time before certain things happened—like having sex. “What has Macon told you?”

“He said he thinks you slept with him.”

Another trait her mother had was that she said whatever was on her mind, regardless of the subject. In this case, sex.

“Mother...”

“It helps to talk about it, honey. Why did you sleep with him so soon?” Her mother rubbed her back the way she had when Savanna was a kid, crying over a scraped knee or something another kid said that hurt her feelings.

“I’m not sure. It just...happened.” They were alone in the yurt, trapped by a snowstorm.

“How do you think he feels about it?”

Savanna scoffed. “Guilty. He’s still in love with his wife.”

Her mother’s face fell in distress. “He’s married?”

“Not anymore. His wife died a year ago.”

“Oh.” Camille nodded in understanding. “Well, maybe meeting you will help him get past it.”

Savanna didn’t see how. It had made him feel worse. “I don’t want to be his rebound girl.”

“Funny thing about love is that once it happens it doesn’t go away and it doesn’t matter when it happens. It just does.” She patted Savanna’s shoulder. “If it’s meant to be, he’ll come and find you.”

Before or after his trouble cleared? How long would that take? What if he was sent to prison? And would Korbin come for her at all? She didn’t believe it. She couldn’t allow herself that luxury. She’d believed in men before and they always let her down.

“Did you leave because you felt he was too much of a risk? Are you afraid to feel the way you did for your fiancé?”

Savanna faced the window again. Her mother was reading her thoughts.

Her mother moved to stand beside her. “That’s a yes if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Mother...”

“You shouldn’t let that stop you, Savanna. Aside from his being a murder suspect, if you believe in him, then you should go after him. Don’t let fear stop you. If you felt strongly enough for him to sleep with him already, there might be something good between you. Don’t let your past spook you away.”

She hadn’t been spooked with her fiancé or the lawyer. She liked calling him “the lawyer” instead of his name because it made him mean less.

“He’s still mourning the death of his wife,” she reminded her mother.

“I’m not sure I’d put too much emphasis on that. Everyone needs someone to love. And you said it happened a year ago. That’s enough time. You need to learn to let go of your past and move on. Wipe the rejection off your shoulders and press forward without a single glance back.”

“Forget my past?”

“The parts that aren’t good, yes.”

“What if I fall in love and he doesn’t love me?”

“Then you feel the pain and you keep trying. Don’t shortchange yourself. If you want to find real love, you have to stop shutting off your emotions. Feel them, no matter what the outcome may be.”

“Is that what you’d do?”

“As soon as I met your father, I stopped having to do that. But before him? Sure. I was with men who disappointed me. I was hurt. Everyone gets hurt. You have to fail before you succeed, I guess. Isn’t that what all the motivational speakers say? Isn’t that what
you’d
say?”

Yes, it was. “I don’t speak anymore.”

“Macon told me. I hope that someday you take it back up. You’re a good speaker. You inspire people. When you believe.”

“But I don’t believe in the same things I used to,” she said. “Life doesn’t always go the way you want it to.”

“No, it goes the way it’s
supposed
to.”

Meaning, her fiancé and the lawyer weren’t meant to be. Her mother had found true love. Savanna had always known that, and now her parents’ love was an inspiration. And also a damper on her mood. Would Savanna ever find true love?

“Do you feel like he’s the one?” her mother asked.

Savanna lowered her head, not certain what the answer was to that.

“Is it different than the other two?”

Something warm and radiant swelled inside of her. “Yes.” She couldn’t help beaming with the reply, breathy and flushed.

“Then why the long face? He’ll come for you. You wouldn’t feel this way if he didn’t make you, which means he feels the same way.”

“He’s already found the love of his life, Mom. And she died.”

“Has he been with other women since she died? A lot of men don’t wait, you know.”

More warmth enveloped her. “No. He hasn’t.”

“He sounds faithful, Savanna. Like a rare find...if he can clear his name.”

* * *

Late the next morning, Korbin hacked into Tony’s business network. He spent more than an hour going through financial records. It all appeared on the up-and-up, as the agent had said. He studied all the contractors. They all seemed legitimate, contracted to work in corporations all over the United States. There was one in Colorado.

Korbin saved copies of all the contracts on a flash drive anyway. Stuffing that into his jeans pocket, he went to the living room window, thinking of Savanna. She was always on his mind. It was just a question of how close to the forefront of his consciousness she made it.

The apartment phone rang. Korbin went there and answered. It was Julio.

“Have you seen the news?” Julio asked.

“When?” He hadn’t had the television on.

“Just now. Breaking news. Your stepdaughter came forward and gave you an alibi for the night of the hit-and-run.”

Korbin was speechless. How had Fallon done that? Had she lied? Why would she? She despised him. Or had she finally forgiven him?

“She said she was parked outside and planned to go in and talk to you about your wife’s death, but she ended up deciding not to. But she was parked there for two hours.”

“Did she see Damen take my car out of the garage?”

“The report didn’t say.”

She’d probably showed up right after that.

“She saw you in the house. You had your front blinds open. She was able to say the time you went up to bed. That’s when she drove away.”

That still left Collette’s murder, and he still had the task of taking Damen down once and for all. He’d see him in prison, where he’d never be able to harm anyone else or come after him and Savanna. Plus, if he could expose whatever Damen was planning with Tony, he could discredit Damen’s claim of seeing him at the time of Collette’s murder. Shift suspicion from himself to Damen. Damen had a motive to hide his association with Tony, and had gone after Korbin in Wolf Creek. If Korbin could find out what they were planning, and he was pretty sure it was illegal, police would check to see if Damen had lied about seeing Korbin at the time of Collette’s murder. The email would prove his association with Tony.

“Are police still looking for me?” he asked.

“That, I don’t know.”

Pounding on his door and the ringing bell gave him ominous déjà vu.

“Did you tell anyone where I am?” he asked Julio.

“Only my brother-in-law.”

Who could have been discovered, or could have confessed when confronted with the call he’d made to Korbin. Agent Kidd would not have protected him if it meant he’d have to break the law.

“Time to go. I’ll be in touch. Thanks for everything, Julio.”

“Good luck, my friend.”

Korbin grabbed his jacket and the laptop he’d taken from Damen and went out onto the balcony. He’d thought about how he’d get away if this happened. Hopefully it worked.

Using the fire escape, he reached the second floor and dropped to the ground from there. He’d parked Julio’s car there and was in and backing up as police emerged onto the balcony and spotted him.

Korbin raced out of the back parking lot. A police car appeared at the entrance and he had to drive off the curb to avoid a collision. The lights went on and the siren whistled as the policeman started to chase him.

He could not get caught.

Korbin raced the car, one of those new Volvos. He’d never outrun a cop. He drove through the neighborhood, turning as many corners as he could. Another police car joined in the chase and Korbin’s confidence faltered. He got out onto the highway and raced for the next exit, which would take him to Golden.

He lost sight of one police car at the exit. The other missed it and was stuck on the highway.

Korbin cut off a car getting onto another highway and weaved in and out of traffic. He took the next turn and another into a neighborhood. Dodging a slow-moving minivan, he turned again and got back onto the highway. He sped as fast as he could to the next exit with no sight of police cars.

Going through the old town of Golden, he maneuvered the back roads until he made it into the foothills. On a two-lane highway, he watched his rearview mirror. No sign of the cop.

He didn’t relax yet. Staying on the back roads, he drove to Highway 285 near Morrison and sped up the winding mountain road toward Evergreen.

Realizing where he was headed, Korbin checked himself. He wasn’t going to seek refuge. He couldn’t even be sure he’d be safe there. He could trust Savanna not to turn him in, but what about her family? Would she be alone? Macon might be there. Going there might be a big risk. But he found he could not stop himself from going there. He was going for Savanna.

Chapter 12

S
itting on a pillowy bench seat in the window of the upper-level turret, Savanna couldn’t stay focused on the book. She leaned her head against the glass. There were lots of windows in the Evergreen mansion. This place was good for her to hide out a while, but it wasn’t home. It was much more formal than home. The cobblestone circular drive matched the light-colored stone of the home. Trees had been planted just so. And inside, she felt she disturbed perfection every time she sat down or put a drink on a table.

Movement on the drive caught her attention. A familiar white Volvo drew nearer. Her heart registered who it was a fraction of a second before her brain did. Mouth dropping open, she jerked her head off the window and inhaled a much-needed breath.

There was only one way Korbin could have gotten inside the gate.

“Savanna!” her mother yelled. You had to yell in this house.

Savanna stayed where she was. Her mother had let him in.

What was he doing here? At first she was glad, but then she became irritated. Was he that inconsiderate of her feelings? Did he know how she felt? How did she feel?

“Savanna!”

Macon had gone back to his movie set this morning and it was just her and Mom and Dad. Dad was working from home and was with a director in the basement, talking business.

The man in the Volvo was no director. Lawbreaker. Fugitive. He could star in one of Dad’s movies.

He parked the car in front of the sweeping stone stairs that led to the entry. The valet stepped up to the car as Korbin got out of the driver’s seat. His tall, muscular frame made her ache for him, and also made her fight her attraction to him. A slight breeze ruffled his dark hair.

He spoke to the valet and climbed the stairs, disappearing from her view.

“Savanna Ivy!”

Her mother’s impatience propelled her off the bench seat. But she was slow to make her way through the enormous house. As she reached the wide stairs descending to the entry, she heard Korbin talking to her mother.

“My apologies, again, for the unannounced visit,” he said. “Thanks for letting me through your security. It’s pretty impressive.”

“Nonsense. Savanna has told us all about you.”

“I hope nothing too disparaging.”

How could it have been if her mother let him in?

“Being wanted by the law is disparaging, Mr. Maguire,” her mother said, “but we trust our daughter’s judgment.”

Savanna took each stair in a slow descent. When she saw Korbin, she stopped. He looked up and the simmering heat of his gaze struck her.

After a moment he snapped out of his trance. “Hello, Savanna.”

His deep, rich voice fanned her most sensitive nerves. Going rigid in defense, she stepped down the rest of the stairs much more briskly.

She stopped next to her mother, facing Korbin. “What brings you here?”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure I can answer that.”

“Police?”

Camille gave her daughter a sharp glance.

“No. They found out where I was staying, but...”

The way he looked into her eyes explained enough. He’d ignored her wishes and come anyway. The police hadn’t driven him here. He hadn’t come expecting to be offered a hiding place. He couldn’t stay away.

“Well.” Camille clapped her hands together. “It’s close to dinnertime. Let’s have a barbecue.”

“It’s the middle of winter,” Savanna said.

Camille waved her hand, more of a swat. “You know your dad.”

She led the way through the entry and then down another set of stairs to the basement. Korbin took notice of the house, but in an interested way, not an awed or greedy way. He came from money. Savanna found it so refreshing not to have to wonder if it was her money or name that had brought him here.

In the lower-level rec room, Camille asked a butler to bring everything they’d need for hamburgers. Her dad was sitting at the bar talking on the phone. The director must have left.

“Ah.” Jackson Ivy stood and kissed Savanna’s cheek. “This must mean the workday is over.” Next, he kissed his wife, who glowed with a smile and kissed him back. Jackson turned to Korbin and with all the kissing going on, didn’t lean in for one. “We’re not traditionally French, but kisses are sometimes our thing.”

“I’m not French, either.” Korbin shook his hand. He refused to kiss a man. “Maguire. Irish through and through.”

Jackson laughed and Korbin realized he’d only been teasing. Damn theatrical types.

“This is Korbin, Dad,” Savanna said.

The congenial greeting died out a bit and Jackson withdrew his hand. Not surprising. What father wouldn’t be protective of his daughters?

Korbin turned to Savanna. “Did you hear the news?”

Savanna perked up, full attention.

“We don’t watch a lot of television here,” Camille said.

“My stepdaughter gave me an alibi for the hit-and-run,” Korbin said.

“You have a stepdaughter?” Savanna asked. His wife’s daughter had lost a mother. Not so shocking by itself but why hadn’t Korbin told her? Another secret he hadn’t divulged until he had to.

“Fallon Ellgard. She’s twenty-three. Niya had her when she was sixteen. We lost touch after her mother died.”

Savanna saw how he drifted off into thought. He must have been close to the girl. Was he thinking of a broken family, once a unit? Perhaps the things he didn’t speak about were the things that hurt him the most. But they were also the things that would bring about change. This trying time for him was difficult, but maybe it was exactly what he needed. He’d already refused to help Damen.

“She must be so devastated,” Camille said. “That’s such a young age to lose a mom. She’s just starting out on her own.”

Korbin nodded, clearly not welcoming the subject. His bad choices had led to her mother being shot. The girl must blame him. Her grief would be hard to comprehend.

“She’s a smart girl,” Korbin said. “Accepted into Harvard. Pretty. Grown-up for her age. She always was. I think it was losing her dad to cancer when she was eight that did it. She’s lost both her parents. I had a good relationship with her, but she was close to her dad. She told me once that she was afraid she’d forget what he looked like.” He stopped. Now the girl would fear she’d forget how her mother looked. What he left out of that unexpected disclosure was that he missed her.

Savanna saw that her mom and dad had taken notice along with her.

“Have you talked with her?” Jackson asked.

“She refuses to talk to me.”

Confirmation that the girl did blame him. Maybe that’s why he never mentioned her. It was one more dark memory from his wife’s murder.

“Well, she came forward to give you an alibi,” Camille said. “Is it true?”

“It must be. She came to see me, but something stopped her from going to the door. She must have thought about it a long time, though. The police said she was out there for two hours.”

Watching him. Maybe that had been enough. A first step toward forgiveness. It also gave a glimpse into the relationship they’d begun to build. His stepdaughter must not want to live without at least some semblance of family. Fallon meant a lot to Korbin.

“How did you ever end up a fugitive?” Camille asked. “You seem like such a nice man.”

Korbin looked at her as though he was considering how to answer, or maybe he was figuring it out as he went along. “My parents weren’t the most loving people when I grew up. I didn’t like their way of life, the formality. I suppose I rebelled and that put me on the wrong path. I barely spoke to them at Niya’s funeral.”

“Good heavens, why ever not?” Camille asked.

“I disappointed them. They expressed their condolences, but they might as well have been distant acquaintances. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking right now.”

“Probably the worst,” Jackson said. “You should talk to them, son.”

Korbin met Jackson’s gaze but didn’t respond. Her father had a way of speaking the truth in not so many words. But he meant no harm, and that came across. If Korbin wasn’t offended, he didn’t show it. He just seemed tormented over the broken relationship and how to mend it.

Savanna put her hand on his arm. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance.”

He turned to her, uncertainty shrouding him, but warmth at her gentle concern and care easing away his tension.

“Well.” Jackson clapped his hands together once. “I’ve got some burgers to grill.”

“I’ll help you.” Camille went with him to the table where all the food had been placed.

“Scared them away,” Korbin said with a wry grin.

“They’re just giving you some space. You’re a big man, and not one who looks like he makes confessions like that.”

“Try never.”

Savanna suspected his mood had everything to do with his stepdaughter. He longed to maintain a relationship with her and she may not let him. There was nothing tying them together anymore, and his criminal past might prevent her from letting him try.

With her parents busy with dinner, Savanna was left with Korbin beginning to regard her much differently. His trouble faded to the background for a moment as seeing each other again came into the forefront of all else. His eyes changed, awareness of her heating them up. Feeling an answering reaction, Savanna tensed.

“Agent Kidd called about Tony,” he said, breaking the moment. “He checked out, but he runs a janitorial contracting company that only recently began showing significant profits.” He pulled out a flash drive and showed it to her.

“What did you find?” Taking the flash drive, she went to a desk on the far side of the room and awakened the computer.

“I copied the list of all the contactors he employs,” Korbin said, following her. “I figured we could go talk to the one in Colorado.”

She looked up and back at him when he said “we.”

“If you want to go with me.”

Irrationally she clamored to gush out a
yes
, thrilled that he wanted to be with her. But wanting to be with her now and wanting to be with her indefinitely were two different things, and she could not forget his baggage, which might be too heavy to take on a new relationship. There was also the danger. Would she really put herself in danger to be with him?

He was an innocent man. Could she just as easily abandon him?

She faced the computer, opening the list. There were about twenty contractors. She read the names of companies and one of them triggered something significant.

“Some of the companies are big,” Korbin said.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Hart is a big bank.”

“There are a few banks.”

“A water treatment facility.” Savanna pointed.

“In LA.”

Savanna checked the others. One of the companies in Colorado provided emergency communication systems services. She began to feel a chill crawl down her back from the crown of her head.

“Does this look like what I think it looks like?”

“These could all be terrorist targets.”

She looked up at him, this time with no warmth between them. “Why keep records of their employment?”

“To appear legitimate to the hiring company. Even the FBI didn’t find anything wrong. Agent Kidd only had a hunch, and he didn’t see this list. The companies wouldn’t see it, either, only information on the contractor hired.”

Facing the computer again, she wondered aloud, “How did Tony link up with these people?”

“He must have known them ahead of time. This has been planned for a long time. And Damen is helping him.”

“How?”

“He wanted me involved. Maybe he needed someone to design a virus.”

Forget explosives. This was electronic warfare. Take down vital infrastructure. Banks. Water treatment facilities. Emergency systems. If they succeeded it could be catastrophic.

“They have to be stopped,” she said, deciding right then that she was going with Korbin.

“We have no proof.”

“Then we have to get it.” Where would they begin? “Macon said Damen has a twin brother.”

“He does.”

“Maybe he knows something.”

“It’s worth a try.” He took out his wallet and found a piece of paper with Agent Kidd’s number written down. Then he went to a landline and made the call, putting it on speaker so Savanna could hear.

“Agent Kidd.”

“I have something for you,” Korbin said.

“Maguire?”

“I need your email.”

“Hey, sorry for what happened. I didn’t rat you out. It just so happens I have competition for a promotion around here. He found out I’d been talking to my brother-in-law and since he saw the news, he did some digging and learned about the apartment. He must have staked you out or something.”

“I got away. Give me your email.”

The agent fell quiet for a bit. “What have you got?”

“Maybe something big. Really big. Like a terrorist plot.” Korbin explained everything they knew.

“That does sound big. If we can prove it. I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, I’ve got an update for you on the murder evidence.”

Savanna met Korbin’s anticipatory look.

“I just found out that a small amount of blood and some other tissue was discovered under one of Collette’s fingernails. It looks as though she tried to scratch him and caught him at least partially. Now all we need is a DNA match. Will it be yours?”

“No. It’ll be Damen’s,” Korbin replied.

* * *

The next afternoon, Dad was like one of his action heroes.

“I didn’t know you had a gun safe here.” Savanna took in the ten-by-ten room filled with every imaginable gun and rifle. “Or is this a panic room?”

Jackson handed Korbin an intimidating automatic rifle with a scope mounted to the top and then a couple of pistols, one with a silencer.

“I always said everyone could come to this house and be safe.” He examined another pistol and then handed it to her. “This one will be perfect for you.”

Standing at the doorway, Camille didn’t look pleased. “I still don’t see why we can’t leave this up to police. Can’t the two of them just stay here until it all blows over?”

If the DNA matched Damen’s it would only be a matter of time before he was arrested.

Jackson turned to her, Korbin doing the same but not saying anything.