Brave Love

by Allyson Simonian

“You haven’t gotten any more postcards, have you?” Melissa asked, and Paige shook her head.

  “That must have been horrible,” Anne said, her eyes wide. “I had no idea you were involved in the situation with the Campus Killer until the FBI agent came to our office.” She reached out to grasp Paige’s hand and squeezed it, saying, “You’re so brave, Paige. I would have fallen apart if something like that had happened to me.”

  There was that word again—brave. For two years, Paige had felt anything but brave. In fact, she’d felt powerless, vulnerable, out of control . . . everything but brave. But now, since the second postcard arrived and she’d found herself getting incredibly angry, she felt more empowered, more in control of her life. Even if she did have Ethan or her bodyguard following her everywhere.

  Paige shifted in her chair and let out an embarrassed laugh. “You have no idea, Anne. I’ve had a tough time.” Her gaze slid to Melissa, her best friend who knew her so well, who’d seen her at her worst, and she smiled. “Thank goodness I have good friends to depend on. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here today. I really appreciate you both.”

  Melissa smiled back at her, then reached for the fried rice. “We all have our bad days,” she said with a shrug. “I’d thought things were going well with Mark, but then he went all weird on me and sent me a text message to break up with me. But a couple of pints of Rocky Road later, and I was fine.”

  Although she’d tried to pass it off as no big deal, Paige could see the slight glaze of tears in Melissa’s eyes when she spoke. The fact that Mark had been so callous chafed at Paige, no matter what Melissa said.

  Melissa and Anne stayed for another three hours. When they left, Ethan walked them out. Paige sighed heavily when he came back inside. “I really wish Mark would come to his senses.”

  Ethan stacked up empty takeout containers on the dining table, and as he passed Paige on his way to the kitchen, said, “He just went through a divorce, Paige. He’s still hurting.”

  Suddenly, thoughts of Melissa and Mark were superseded by thoughts of her and Ethan. She still felt horrible about the way she’d broken up with him all those weeks ago. And even though they were back together, things were still tense between them, which was mostly her fault.

  Ethan had been smothering her, his concern for her safety causing him to override her at every turn. She couldn’t even make a quick trip to the grocery store alone without him getting upset and insisting on either him or Sam going along. She hadn’t driven herself anywhere in weeks, and she missed her home.

  But the fact that he cared so much for her, enough to do all the things he’d done, touched her deeply. Ethan was special, and she was so very lucky to have him in her life. She’d been so snappy with him lately, so touchy, when all he was trying to do was keep her safe.

  Guilt swept through her as she bit down on her lip. “Ethan, I’m sorry for not going to your old partner’s. You were only trying to do the right thing.”

  A long moment passed before he said, “I know you are.”

  Although the words didn’t fully dissipate the tension, Paige felt a small amount of relief from having that much off her chest.

  Chapter 63

  Ethan woke early the next morning and turned to look at Paige. She was asleep, her back turned toward him. Lying back down, he stared up at the ceiling. For once, he’d slept soundly. But he’d still had that all-too-familiar feeling when he’d woken—that sense of something lurking in the recesses of his mind.

  When Paige stirred, he pushed his frustrations aside. There was an event downtown that day, and the captain needed everyone on duty. If he was lucky, maybe afterward he’d still be able to get some time in on the case.

  Paige sat up and he said, “After I get home, I’d like to go through everything again.”

  She gave him a nod but didn’t say anything as she got up and walked into the bathroom.

  Ethan drew in a long breath and then let it out. There had to be some clue, something he was missing.

  That night when they got home from work, Paige once again recounted every detail she could remember. Ethan paced the living room as she spoke, desperate to come up with a new angle, but he still had nothing.

  “That’s it, Ethan,” Paige said. “That’s all I have.” Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was staring down at the floor. She looked exhausted. She’d been much stronger lately, more determined to get her life back to normal, but questioning like this drained her, and he knew it.

  He walked forward and squeezed her shoulder. “I know, and it’s all right.”

  In the morning, he’d check in again with Eric. The agent had been traveling for a family wedding. Maybe the time away had given him a new frame of reference. If so, it would be more than Ethan could say for himself.

  • • •

  The next evening, Ethan sat parked in front of the Schull residence in Garvin. He and Eric had spoken that morning, and there was nothing new from the East Coast.

  All day, Ethan had been reviewing the case in his mind, trying to glean something new from Paige’s latest recount. What kept coming back to him was the look of annoyance on Schull’s face. As with David, something more was going on with the professor than he was letting on.

  He’d checked the professor’s schedule online. The professor’s last class of the day had ended, so he should be returning home shortly.

  A few minutes later, the garage door of the professor’s house began to rise. But it wasn’t the professor who’d come home; instead, someone was leaving. As a sedan eased out of one of the garage’s bays, Ethan sat straighter in his seat. In addition to the car backing out, there was another inside the garage. It was covered by a white canvas tarp.

  Squinting, Ethan could just make out a patch of metallic blue where the cover was loose on one side. The garage door began to shut as the sedan backed onto the street. The teenager inside put on a pair of sunglasses before shifting gears and driving away from the house.

  Ethan sat staring at the now-closed door. There was no reason for the Schull family not to use a third car. The professor was married and this teen was obviously a driver.

  A moment later, Ethan phoned into the station. He waited while the dispatcher checked on cars registered to the Schull address. A minute later, she came back on, letting him know that only two cars were registered.

  Ethan thanked her, then hung up. “Jesus.”

  He lifted his phone again and dialed Captain Robinson, since this was his city. Giving him the address, he asked for backup.

  It was the captain himself who arrived a few minutes later. Ethan got out of his car and walked over. He and the captain had been speaking for only a minute when the professor turned into his driveway.

  As he got out of his car, Ethan and Captain Robinson started across the street.

  “Professor Schull,” Ethan called out.

  The professor had just gotten out of his car. As he pulled a briefcase from the backseat, he looked up. A flash of annoyance crossed his face. “What can I help you with, Officer Cole?”

  “We have a few more questions for you,” Ethan said.

  The professor nodded, then waved a hand toward the front door. “Let’s talk inside.”

  “You’re here about the Campus Killer,” Schull said once they’d entered the house.

  “Actually, we’re here about a different matter.”

  The professor’s expression morphed into surprise. A moment later, Ethan and the captain acknowledged the man’s wife who’d stepped into the room.

  “Have you heard of Jack Potter?” Ethan asked. “He was killed in a hit-and-run in Garvin a year ago.”

  Blood drained from Mrs. Schull’s face. She glanced at her husband, who blinked rapidly and cleared his throat a few seconds later before saying belligerently, “Are you trying to accuse us of something? Because we won’t say a word without a lawyer present.”

  Ethan and the captain exchanged a glance. If they were going to lawyer up anyway . . .
>
  “We were able to find paint chips from the car that hit Jack,” Ethan said.

  Both the professor and his wife stood as still as stone.

  “It was a blue SUV,” Ethan continued. “Just like the one you have in your garage.”

  Schull’s wife drew in a sharp breath. A moment later, the door from the adjoining garage swung open. The teenager Ethan had seen driving away joined them, his eyes growing wide as he took in Ethan and the captain’s uniforms.

  “How old are you, son?” the captain asked.

  “Don’t speak to him, Jason!”

  The boy shot a glance at his father before answering. “Eighteen.”

  Captain Robinson leveled a serious look on the boy as he asked, “It was you who hit Jack Potter, wasn’t it?”

  The professor crossed the room and stood next to his son.

  Ethan took in a breath. “I’m sure it’s been hard, carrying all of this around. Can you tell us how it happened? It was raining that day. Did your car skid?”

  The professor’s face had turned a dark shade of red. “Get out of here! Now!”

  “We’ll leave,” the captain said. “But your son is going to have to come with us.”

  The teenager covered his face with his hands and began to sob. Taking the boy’s arm, the captain led him outside.

  Backup arrived quickly, as did a flatbed tow truck. As the tow-truck operators loaded the SUV, Ethan noted a dent on the front grille. He took a few photos of it with his phone.

  By then, the captain had driven the teen away. Ethan stayed a few minutes longer before heading for the Potter home. As he drove, a mixture of emotions swept over him: sadness for the Schull family, relief that it looked like at least one case was finally solved, and elation at the thought of being able to bring closure to the Potters.

  Ethan’s heart hammered in his chest when he stood on the Potters’ front porch and rang the doorbell.

  Kathy answered the door as Bryan came up behind her. “Is there any news, Ethan?”

  He nodded, and minutes later, mother and son were seated side by side on the sofa as Ethan sat in a side chair. Kathy gripped the sofa’s arm as Ethan finished explaining what had happened.

  “You’re sure it’s him?” she asked, her voice thin.

  Ethan nodded. “I am.” He’d seen Jason Schull’s expression; the boy was wracked with guilt. If he didn’t confess, they should have forensic evidence. At the very least, Ethan suspected the pattern of the car grille would match the bruising in Jack’s autopsy photos.

  Kathy wrung her hands together and glanced at Bryan. “How could he keep a secret like that?”

  Ethan inhaled a breath and then let it out slowly. “His parents knew.”

  She shook her head before she spoke again. “How old is he?”

  “Eighteen.”

  She turned to her son. “Do you know him?”

  Bryan slowly nodded, a shocked expression across his face.

  “You’ve spoken?”

  While Ethan waited for the answer, he wondered with a sick feeling whether Bryan had hung around the other teen, all the while unaware of what he’d done. But the boy shook his head.

  Kathy took in a long breath and looked at Ethan again. “What’s going to happen now?”

  “The prosecutor’s office will take over from here.”

  “And what about the parents? Will they be prosecuted too?”

  Ethan could fully understand the bitterness coming across in her tone. He cleared his throat. “As soon as a prosecutor’s assigned, he or she will be in touch with you. They’ll let you know what they’re planning.”

  A few minutes later, he said good-bye. As he headed toward his truck, he glanced up at the sky. The setting sun had created a haze of pink and purple, but the beauty didn’t register. Yes, there had been some resolution in this case. But after talking with Kathy and Bryan, Ethan felt no better about anything. His heart felt as heavy as a hundred-pound weight.

  But what had he expected? Lives on both sides had been changed forever. This case couldn’t have a happy ending. The Schull family was devastated; they would spend the foreseeable future trying to keep their son out of jail. The Potter family had answers now—information—but nothing was going to bring Bryan’s dad back.

  With a sigh, Ethan got into his truck. He texted Paige, letting her know he was on his way home. His chest thrummed with the need to see her.

  • • •

  Paige shut her eyes after Ethan explained what happened. Poor Bryan. And his mother . . . This must have stirred up their pain all over again.

  She looked at Ethan. Her heart ached for him too. He’d grown to care for Bryan very much and was obviously hurting.

  Guilt surged. What had she done these past weeks? While Ethan had been trying to protect her, she hadn’t made things easy on him. In fact, she’d done the polar opposite; she’d taken her frustrations out on him.

  Urgency rippled through her. She needed to show Ethan exactly how much she loved him. Because she did; she loved him very much. His eyes went wide when she said the words a few seconds later.

  For the first time in a long time, they made love that night. Afterward, Paige lay in his arms. There was an expression of contentment over Ethan’s face that warmed her from the inside out.

  This recent stress had been horrible for both of them, but that was no excuse for how bad things had gotten. How had they ever allowed this monster to get between them?

  Chapter 64

  Ethan sat at his desk at the station, daydreaming about the night before when he should have been working. A wave of relief washed over him as he thought of how he and Paige had finally reconnected. Last night had been amazing, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. He’d begun to worry about how distant Paige had become. Thank God they’d renewed their connection.

  When his thoughts turned back to the case, David popped into his mind. He still hadn’t provided an explanation of his trip to Pennsylvania. The question was whether that travel had anything to do with the murders.

  Picking up the phone, he dialed Paige’s father. This time, his call wasn’t to provide an update on her security. Instead, he asked several questions about Pinnacle Pharma, wanting to understand more about the toxic drug Peter had unwittingly prescribed and the evidence that had come to light. After he and Peter hung up, Ethan left the station and drove to David’s house.

  When he opened his door, David frowned, but a moment later stepped aside and let Ethan enter.

  “I was speaking to Paige’s father today,” Ethan said.

  When David raised a brow, Ethan laid out his theory. “It was you who turned in the proof about Pinnacle’s drug trials, wasn’t it?”

  David blinked a few times. “Why are you asking me this?”

  “Because the pieces fit. What I don’t understand is the timing. Why provide the proof so long after the deaths? Why wait?”

  David didn’t answer, and his gaze went to the window.

  “It has to do with your wife’s death, doesn’t it?”

  David’s body visibly tensed. He stood silent for another long moment before he finally said, “They threatened her, her bosses at the company. They told her I’d be hurt if she went to the authorities.”

  Glancing at Ethan, David sighed. “She had proof on a flash drive—the patients’ tests. She knew I’d tell her to go forward, but she was afraid of what would happen. But all that guilt was eating away at her and she needed to tell me before . . .”

  Before she died. The unspoken words hung between them.

  David’s voice took on a desperate tone. “You need to promise me that her name won’t be involved in any of this.”

  Ethan shifted. “Why couldn’t you have just told us?”

  David shook his head. “I just couldn’t.”

  He’d wanted to protect his wife’s image. Ethan stood there for another long minute, debating.

  “My mother’s missed you,” he said. Despite everything, David was the
only person who’d brought her happiness in recent years.

  David drew in a breath. “Well, I’ve missed her too.”

  The two men stood in silence for a few more seconds before Ethan showed himself out. Once he got back to the station, he let Captain Liu and Agent Perez know what had happened. Another loose end had been tied up, but there was no connection to the case.

  Like Ethan, Eric and his team had dedicated countless hours these past weeks to determine the real identity of the Campus Killer. They’d pored through data and interviewed dozens of people, trying to determine who could have sent Paige those postcards. But there had been no red flags—nothing stuck out. It was beyond frustrating for all of them.

  • • •

  That night, Ethan and Paige hashed out the details of the case over dinner. Once again, they went over the events of her kidnapping, the timeline of what they knew, and the questions they both still had.

  Ethan chose another slice of pizza from the takeout box and placed it on his plate. Looking up at Paige, he asked, “Is there anyone you know of here who has ties to the East Coast?”

  “Besides David?” Paige closed her eyes in concentration. When she opened them again, she shook her head. “I can’t think of anyone.” She twisted her hands together and met his eyes, her own filled with what looked like guilt. “Ethan, if you still want me to go to your partner’s cabin, I will.”

  Suddenly, that was the last thing Ethan wanted; there was no way he wanted to be apart from her. They’d finally reconnected in every way, and he had no idea how long it would take to find this killer. And he understood Paige’s perspective now—life couldn’t just stop while they waited to catch him.

  “No,” he said firmly, then reached out a hand to take hers. “I want you right here.”

  Paige nodded. She looked drained and, frankly, so was he. Somewhere there was some shred of evidence that would lead them to this guy, but they were missing it. And it burned his gut to think of how the killer was playing with them.

  Chapter 65

  The man stood surveying the bunker, just a rough-hewn ten-by-ten room buried beneath a well-hidden piece of property. He’d just finished bringing down the furniture, awkwardly hefting it down the rickety ladder that led into the underground space. There hadn’t been much, of course. Only the bed, plus a chair for him to sit on and watch her.