Page 50 of Crossroads of Betrayal
A bit of the tension tightening his neck melted away. He hated being yanked around like a dog on a chain. He’d rather know exactly what he was up against, not keep fighting an enemy he wasn’t even sure he had. “Do you think I killed Tessa and Shelly?”
Seconds ticked by on the nearby clock before Lincoln answered. “I think you have a lot of good answers to some hard questions.”
Zeke lifted his eyes to the ceiling and fell back into his chair, feet hitting the floor. “I have the truth, if you’d only accept it.”
“So I’m supposed to take the word of a man I just met?”
He shrugged, no other way to convince this man of his innocence. “If you don’t, then just go ahead and throw me in a jail cell because there’s nothing else I can tell you.”
Lincoln scrubbed a palm over his face. “Grace will kick my ass for this, but I don’t see how I have much of a choice.” He snatched a pair of handcuffs from where they dangled on his belt.
Zeke swallowed hard and braced himself, anticipating the cold steel around his wrists. Just his luck, he’d spent his morning in bed with the woman he loved and he’d end his day in a jail cell.
* * *
A quick callto Brooke had proven more than beneficial. Brooke might have rushed Grace off the phone, but she had disclosed the location where Shelly’s body was found. Just off the same trail she’d taken the group of campers on a few days before.
With Zeke’s plea to stay at his cabin ringing in her ears, she found one of his hoodies hanging in the closet and yanked it over her head before slipping on her tennis shoes and tottering out the front door. She couldn’t sit on her hands and do nothing while he was being questioned for two murders he didn’t commit. She needed to see Brooke, to pull out as many answers as she could from her friend and possibly even Cruz if he was still there, and clear Zeke’s name.
And then tell him exactly how she felt.
Her body still hummed from his touch as she took off in the golf cart he’d left behind, her crutches propped on the seat beside her. The rain had slowed but moisture still spit from the sky. She pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Each bump tossed her around, making her side throb. She gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on the wheel, and focused on racing around the lake and through the woods.
Wayward branches reached toward her. Mud thickened the trail. The tires sputtered and the engine roared.
“Damnit.” She slapped the center of the wheel as frustration bubbled up inside her. She’d never reach Brooke on foot. Not with her injury and crutches slowing her down. But the narrow trail and slippery conditions made it impossible to drive the cart any further.
Tears stung the corners of her eyes. She threw her head back on the soft seat. A desperate desire to talk to someone who understood her—someone who could help in some small way—had her reaching for her phone in her side pocket. With shaking fingers, she scrolled through her contacts. Heart racing, she stared at Penelope’s name for a few beats before pressing Call.
“Hello?”
The tentative sound of Penelope’s voice shredded any resistance lingering in Grace’s soul. A dull ache that hadn’t left her in far too long grew, engulfing her entire being. “It’s me, Pen. I …I had to call you. Had to talk to you.”
“Grace? I’m so glad you did. I’ve missed you.”
Grace sniffed, her gaze fixed on the drips of water snaking down her windshield. A gust of wind blew and pushed colorful leaves over the wide trail. She searched for the right words to say, the perfect sentiment to blurt out, but only one sentence ran on repeat in her mind. “I’m so sorry.”
“Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. But I understand your need to apologize. Understand your need to run and hide and wrap your mind around whatever drove you away. I had to do the same exact thing. Survivor’s guilt is a bitch, and there’s no road map on how to handle it.”
“But you survived something horrible. You went through hell. I didn’t. No one tortured me or abused me. I should have been there for you. Should have stayed and given you what you needed. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I was a coward, and I ran. I hurt so many people.”
“Youwere hurt. We might have different scars, but trauma is trauma. One doesn’t outweigh the other. None of that matters. All that matters is you must have had some kind of breakthrough if you’re calling me. Is it safe to assume Zeke is the reason?”
She smiled despite the flood of emotions pouring from her. Damn, she’d cried so much lately she was surprised she wasn’t dehydrated. But reconnecting with her past was the first step to a brighter future. “Yes, but you shouldn’t have sent him here.”
“I don’t understand. What happened?”
Sighing, Grace straightened and glanced behind her. Maybe she could reverse the cart and find another way to get closer to Brooke. She just had to make sure she didn’t topple to cart over the side of the ridge. “The police took him down to the station for questioning. Two women have been murdered since he’s been here, and someone’s setting him up.”
“What?” Penelope screeched.
“I know. It’s ridiculous. But no one will listen to me, and the evidence that must have been planted doesn’t look good.” Decision made she put the cart in reverse. A loud beep announced her movement to the flurry of birds overhead.
“What did they find?”
“His wedding ring.” The statement pressed her lungs against her breastbone. She still couldn’t believe he carried the ring with him. Couldn’t believe he still cared so much about her.
Penelope sucked in a breath. “Wow. He had his ring with him?”
