Page 49 of The Jade Stone Sleuth

“And Malik?” Clara asked, her voice more dull than Jane’s. “You pushed him off the cliff at Angel’s Landing?”

“Yeah. He never think me hurt him. Surprised I was there. I push and the rain help make it slick. I drop jade stone as he fall. His family.” She shuddered. “Meanies. No like you. He no good for you.” She looked back. “You see? Weston love you. Please.” She stopped walking and faced them. “Love Weston.”

“Jane.” Clara looked as sick and pale as when she’d vomited after Brex chased and confronted the middle-aged mom with cancer. “You need help. You don’t kill people because you love your best friends and want them together. I don’t love Weston. I love Brex.”

Jane’s eyes went wild. “No! You love Weston.”

“I’ll never love Weston. I love Brex.”

Brex’s body warmed. Clara had said it twice, even after he’d hurt her so deeply. He stared down at her, so in love and wishing he could tell her everything that was in his heart.

Movement caught his eye. Jane launched herself at Brex, a flash of silver revealing a knife in her hand.

Clara screamed.

Brex pushed Clara to the side. The knife plunged into his bicep. The sharp bite of pain made his stomach flip over.

He yanked the knife out and tossed it, grabbing Jane and flipping her to face away from him, pinning her hands behind her back. Blood trailed down his arm from the wound. It stung but had missed any arteries. He’d be fine.

Jane thrashed and screamed, “No! Weston and Clara! Weston and Clara!”

Jane had instinctively helped Clara pull him back to safety, but now she was flipping out again. What had Weston done to her? The poor girl was literally insane. No one had suspectedher because of her innocent guile. It was heartbreaking and disturbing.

“It’s over, Jane.”

He looked over at Clara. She stood and brushed off, scraped but okay. He wished he could hold and support her, but he had to control the writhing Jane.

“No! Weston and Clara! Please!”

Brex couldn’t believe the brainwashing this woman had endured. Even with two deaths and one attempted murder on her head, she’d get an insanity plea and be put in a home that could help her. But Weston wouldn’t. That scum was going to prison.

“Are you all right?” he asked Clara, feeling inept as a boyfriend as he watched more tears streak down her face.

“No.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said over Jane’s cries.

She only shrugged and focused on his wound. Pulling tissue out of her pack, she hurried over and held a wad of Kleenex against his wound.

He glanced down at her. She was a ministering angel, as always. Her jade-colored eyes were full of sadness as she glanced up at him. He’d lied to her. She had to feel betrayed by him, and now her two best friends had also betrayed her.

Ah, Clara.

If only he could fix this mess. But how could he take back the lies and gain her trust?

Chapter

Sixteen

Clara watchedthe police and EMTs arrive and haul Jane off screaming about Weston. Her heart broke for her misguided friend. She couldn’t believe Jane could hurt anyone. It ripped her apart. She hoped Weston wasn’t involved, but everyone seemed to believe he was and everyone seemed to be betraying her.

Some of the police went to collect evidence while the EMTs focused on patching up Brex’s wound.

Brex looked like a beat-up hero, red dust clinging to him, his muscular bicep wounded, his clothes torn. He had been a hero scaling that cliff and then saving Jane when she turned out to be the attacker. Her confused friend had tried to kill him, twice. Clara couldn’t wrap her mind around sweet Jane, her lifelong friend, being a murderer. Was Weston really involved? No matter that he’d been jealous of her boyfriends, she’d always believed Weston was a good man.

She focused back on Brex. Could he be Clara’s hero if he’d lied to her and they had no trust? He’d never once told her he loved her, and she’d said it multiple times. Her cheeks went hot at the recollections. She’d acted like a desperate, naïve, headin the clouds, in love with love adolescent. Brex was tough and worldly, used to classy and stylish supermodels. Though he claimed he wanted to be with her, she didn’t know what to believe.

He met her gaze and the commotion around them settled. In his deep brown gaze, she could see that he loved her, that he was sorry, that he wanted a future with her.

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