Justified

by Jay Crownover

  I ushered the well-dressed man into the interrogation room as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. I told them both it would be a minute and called Hill so I could run my theory by him. Since I was personally involved with Aspen, it was going to make interacting with her jerk of a husband a conflict of interest. Hill agreed to come into the station and take the lead on questioning.

  The Texas Ranger walked through my station house like he owned the place. He gave me a nod and looked pointedly at the door to the room where Barlow and Coleman were talking in hushed tones. “We didn’t find any large withdrawals from Barlow or his father’s account that would indicate he paid either of the Colemans to hurt Aspen.”

  I nodded. “I don’t think they asked for money. Jed is looking at fifteen to twenty years behind bars for assaulting his wife and kids, not to mention the time attached to the new charges he racked up today violating the restraining order. I think Barlow agreed to represent him in court in exchange for the brothers going after Aspen.”

  Hill rubbed his chin. “To what end? What’s Barlow gain if Aspen is out of the way? He’s not the beneficiary on any of her accounts or her life insurance policy. The marriage is over for all intents and purposes so he can fuck whoever he wants, guilt-free. What’s the motive?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Go in there and find out.”

  Hill nodded again and silently slipped through the door. The man was an intimidating bastard when he was in investigator mode. I settled at a desk with a computer monitor showing the live video feed from the interrogation room. I watched as both Barlow and Jed stiffened and sat up straighter when they caught sight of the Ranger badge on Hill’s belt.

  “Gentleman.”

  “My client wants to lodge a complaint against the Loveless Sheriff Department and Case Lawton. They’ve been following him, harassing him, and impeding his ability to conduct his day-to-day business. As of now, my client has not been charged with any crime relating to his wife, so this treatment is biased and uncalled for.” Barlow was good, smooth even. But I could see a thin line of sweat dotting his upper lip, and he couldn’t quite meet Hill’s gaze.

  “Your client disobeyed a protective order placed by a judge. He also took a swing at a cop. Charges are pending and steadily growing. Your client is also the prime suspect in the ongoing harassment and multiple attempts on your wife’s life, Counselor.”

  Barlow balked and sputtered. “Excuse me?”

  Hill sprawled back in the chair and reached out so he could tap his fingers on the table in front of him, appearing completely unbothered and at ease while both men across from him were squirming.

  “I personally ran your financials, Mr. Barlow. I know you can’t afford to take on pro bono cases at the moment, so why exactly are you representing Mr. Coleman?” I grinned. Hill went right for the throat and Barlow wasn’t ready for it.

  “You ran my financials? Why?” He reached up and tugged on his tie.

  “Because you refuse to grant your wife a divorce and the husband is always a suspect when there is an attempt on the wife’s life.”

  Barlow cleared his throat and looked at Jed out of the corner of his eye. “It isn’t what you think.”

  Jed tried to jump to his feet, but his hands were handcuffed to the table in front of him. He attempted to kick the lawyer but couldn’t reach, as Barlow jumped to his feet and scrambled away.

  “Shut your mouth, you rich bastard. Don’t say another goddamn word.” Jed was breathing hard, eyes narrowed to slits as he swore at his attorney.

  “I’d like to remind you, Mr. Barlow, that while the sheriff has enough to hold Jed, his brother is still in the wind, and more than likely not going to take kindly to his baby brother being locked up. It might be a good idea to cooperate, or I have a feeling you’re going to find yourself experiencing the same threats your wife has been dealing with as of late.”

  “Shut up! You’re fired, Barlow. I want a new lawyer!” Jed continued to lose his mind as Barlow sweated and shook under Hill’s unwavering gaze.

  Eventually, the man in the suit sighed and shook his head. “You don’t understand. Without Aspen, my father stops paying for my house, my car, and he won’t keep me on at the family firm. He’s barely tolerated me since she left. I promised I would salvage my marriage, that I would bring Aspen back to the firm. I didn’t have any choice.”

  Jed howled like a wild animal and pulled at his cuffs so violently the entire table shook. Hill continued to watch the outburst dispassionately as the suspect threatened to kill his lawyer repeatedly.

  Barlow winced and dragged a hand down his face. “I spent all my money. Wasted it. I like to gamble. I like expensive women and cocaine. The bad habits started in college and got worse when I came back home and was under my father’s microscope. Marrying Aspen saved my ass, and she always sees the best in everyone. My father loves her, and she’s a better attorney than either of us. She brings in a ton of revenue for the firm. He agreed to bankroll our life together as long as she kept my ring on her finger.” He let out a bitter-sounding laugh and dug his palms into his eyes. “I tried to knock her up so she couldn’t leave, but it didn’t work. I was running out of options. When she took on Mrs. Coleman’s case, I saw an opening. Jed needed representation, and I needed my wife back. All I wanted was for Jed to scare Aspen into coming back home. She wasn’t supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to get shot at, and her house definitely wasn’t supposed to get burned down. And Jethro wasn’t supposed to be involved at all.”

  “No way! I didn’t shoot at her, and I didn’t set no fire. I trashed her office and yeah, after you told me she was going to her house, I may have followed her and tried to run her off the road, but I didn’t try to kill that snotty bitch. Even if she does deserve a bullet between the eyes.” Jed huffed and gave Barlow a hard look. “You’re a dead man. You were supposed to get me out of jail, not get me more time.”

  Barlow gulped and looked at Hill with wide, pleading eyes. “This all got so out of hand. I swear, Aspen was never supposed to get hurt.”

  Hill lifted both his eyebrows up, and I wanted to reach through the video feed and wrap my hands around Barlow’s throat.

  “How did you know she was going to be at her house to meet with the adjuster? She’s been in protective custody since the shooting.” Hill kept his voice totally calm and cool, which is why I sent him in. I would have been breathing fire in that room.

  David Barlow flushed and tugged at the hem of his jacket. He cleared his throat and looked everywhere but at the man interrogating him. “She never changed any of her e-mail passwords from when we were married. I’ve been checking her personal account, trying to figure out where she was so I could talk to her. I saw the e-mail exchange between her and the adjuster. She really wasn’t supposed to be injured in any way, just scared.”

  “It takes a special kind of son of a bitch to try and scare his woman home. And she did get hurt, so that’s on you.” Hill flattened his hands on the table in front of him and pushed up and out of his seat. “Looks like you’re going to need some legal help of your own, Counselor. I’m going to talk to the sheriff and see how he wants to proceed.”

  Barlow practically wilted in front of Hill. “Get me out of this room. He’s not going to calm down, and I don’t feel safe.”

  “I think you’re safer in here than you are out on the streets with his brother.” Hill tapped on the table and left with the parting shot, “Sign the divorce papers, Counselor. Don’t you think that’s the least you can do for the woman after setting all this in motion?” He exited the room, and I heard him come up behind me after a few minutes.

  On the monitor, Jed was doing his best to get at Barlow while Barlow himself looked like he was on the verge of tears.

  “I’m leaving them in there for a little while longer. Maybe Barlow will admit to putting a hit out on Aspen.”

  Hill cleared his throat. “You really think he tried to kill her? It seems to me like she’s more valuable to
him if she’s alive.”

  I exhaled and took my Stetson off so I could push my hands through my hair. “I don’t know, but someone tried to put a bullet between her eyes, and I can’t see Jed or Jethro Coleman doing it without reason. Barlow’s the only person who has a reason.”

  Hill made a noise and cocked his head to the side as Jed continued to howl like a wild animal. “She strikes me as a smart woman. How did she not know Barlow was acting at the end of their marriage?”

  I snorted and looked over my shoulder at him. “Coming from a man who’s never been married, that statement doesn’t surprise me. You’d be shocked what you miss, the things you overlook when you’re trying to hold your relationship together.”

  “With Barlow in custody and Jed Coleman on the hook, do you think you need to keep Aspen under protective custody? You don’t think the older brother will still risk going after her, do you?” Hill leaned against the wall and watched me carefully.

  Did I think she was still in danger? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t trust Jethro, and honestly, I wasn’t ready for her to go. Leaning forward in the chair, I tapped a finger on the screen right over David Barlow’s incredibly pale face. “I need that idiot to sign the papers, then I’m going to run everything by Aspen and see what she thinks. If she wants to leave, I’ll put a unit on her until I can bring Jethro in.” If she wants to go…well I would have to let her, but not before I secured a promise that she would be back.

  Chapter 15

  Aspen

  David is the one who set everything that’s happened to you in motion.” Anger was evident in every word Case practically spit out, but he was trying to soften the blow. His eyes watched me carefully for any sign I was about to have a meltdown at the shocking revelation.

  I sat in stunned silence at Case’s dining table as he covered my shaking hands with one of his and told me that David had hired Jed Coleman in order to scare me back home. “Jed’s behind bars, David is too, for the time being, but I have no doubt he’ll bond out before the end of the night. Jethro Coleman is the one we have to worry about. It looks like he stepped in when his little brother couldn’t quite get the job done, and he is dangerous. I don’t think you’ll be totally safe until he’s locked up.”

  I was shocked by the burn of tears in my eyes. David and I were long past the point of there being a way to salvage our relationship, but it still hurt to know he’d been so reckless, so careless with my safety. Because of him I was effectivly homeless and the new life I’d started to rebuild was in ashes. I pulled my hands free of Case’s comforting grip and put one to my chest. I thought Case hated me in the past, but it felt nothing like this. David attacking me, dismantling everything I’d worked for and built so he could have his own way. That felt like true hatred.

  “I can’t believe this.” My voice was harsh and unsteady. I didn’t even sound like myself. “Who does something like that to someone they claim to love?”

  Case made a low, rough noise in his throat and reached out to grasp the back of my head. He tugged me forward and dropped his forehead down so it touched mine. I blinked against the tears, but a few of them fell anyway.

  “Someone who is stupid and desperate. He had no idea once Jethro got invovled he wouldn’t be able to control the damage. He unleased a monster with no idea what would happen. I honestly believe he just intended to scare you enough to send you running back into his arms, but he ended up with more than he bargined for.” I appreciated Case trying to make the situation seem less awful, but someone shot at me. A stranger and Case both took a bullet meant for me beause of David’s selfishness. There was no excuse for his dangerous, thoughtless actions.

  I felt Case’s thumb swipe across my cheek and took a deep breath to get my rampaging emotions under control. “If he doesn’t sign the divorce papers after this, I’m moving forward without him. I can’t have his last name anymore. I don’t want to be tied to him in any way.” Part of the feeling of betrayal came from knowing he used one of my client’s husbands to implement his plan. David knew how hard I worked to protect the people who came to me for help, how scared and nervous most of them were. He literally used that fear against me.

  Case’s forehead bumped mine as he nodded slightly. “He’ll sign.”

  I reached out and grabbed the front of Case’s shirt in both my fists and fought to pull myself together. “So what happens now?”

  Case misunderstood me and went on to explain that David was probablly going to flip on the Colemans and take a plea deal. He wouldn’t be in jail for long. I’d already figured most of that out on my own. Being married to a criminal attorney for years gave me a basic understanding of how the criminal justice system worked. I wanted to know what happened, now that Jed was locked up, and how big a threat Jethro Coleman really was. I wanted to know if it was time to move on. Did Case really need to keep me under lock and key anymore? Did he want me to go, or would he ask me to stay? All those questions churned painfully in my heart and under my skin while I processed that David was no longer the man I married.

  I pulled back so my head was no longer resting against Case’s and whispered, “With David’s plan shot to hell and his brother behind bars, is Jethro really that big of a threat? He has to know he’s not getting anything, now that David and Jed have been caught. Maybe it’s time for me to go so you can bring Hayes home. I’m sure you guys have been missing each other. You should get your life and your home back.” I struggled to get the words out, but this man had gone above and beyond for me. The least I could do was give him his space back, even though I secretly hoped he wanted me to stay. I felt like I’d been wanting Case Lawton to claim me as his own for most of my life.

  Case shifted his hold on me so that one of his hands could cup my cheek. His thumb traced a random pattern along my cheekbone, and I wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet. When he was sweet, it unraveled me.

  “I am ready for Hayes to come home. Graduation is right around the corner and then he’s moving away for school. I want as much time as I can get with him before then, but I also want you safe. I’d feel better if I could keep an eye on you until we have a lock on Jethro. He’s unpredictable and very dangerous. He shot up an entire hospital just to scare you. You’re safer here than you are anywhere else. I’m not going to let him get anywhere near you. He’ll have to go through me first.” He was watching me so carefully I really had to fight to hold back an automatic flinch at his words.

  I appreciated that he wanted to keep me safe and that he wanted to keep watching out for me, but I didn’t want to be a victim he felt compelled to protect. I wanted to be the woman he couldn’t bear to see walk out the front door because he needed me and wanted me so much.

  I let go of his shirt and sat back in the chair, spine going straight and shoulders stiffening subconciously. I cleared my throat and nervously fiddled with the ends of my hair. It was an anxious habit I thought I had left behind in law school, but this conversation had anxiety racing through my blood and was making me twitchy. It was on the tip of my tounge to ask him if he wanted me to stay because he wanted me, but I was scared of his anwser. What if he really only wanted me under the same roof so he could keep me safe? He seemed to see that as part of his job.

  “Case, that’s sweet, but really, what are you going to tell Hayes about me still being here? Am I going to go back to sleeping in the guest room? I don’t know that I’m comfortable staying here with both of you when I’m not exactly sure what you and I are doing together. Are we friends with benefits? Something more than that? He’s going to have questions.” The same ones I was currently having to be honest.

  “Hayes is almost eighteen. I think he can handle seeing his father with someone and not be traumatized. He’s been on my case to date more and get out of the house. He’ll probaly be thrilled I found someone to put up with me. If you leave, all I’m going to do is worry about you, Aspen.”

  I sighed and watched as he finally took note of my stiff body language. His dark eyebrows quir
ked in question, but he made no move to reach for me. “I appreciate that. But I think it’s time I get back to my life. I’m not going to leave you, but I am going to leave your house. I think we need to figure out if we can make this thing between us work when we aren’t in each other’s pockets.” I needed to know if he would still feel the same way about me when it wasn’t convenient.

  His eyebrows dipped low over his brillant blue eyes and a dark scowl thundered across his face. “I don’t think you should go, but I won’t stop you if that’s what you think is best right now. I know you worked hard to get your independence back when you left David, and I’m not going to stand in the way of that. I’m not going to leave you unprotected though. You’ll have to get used to having one of my guys following you around at all times until I can catch Jethro.”

  It was a good anwser. But not exactly the one I wanted to hear. I loved that he wasn’t going to try and clip my wings and order me to stay for my own good, but it would’ve been nice if he’d pushed a little harder, fought a little more to get me to stay. All I needed to hear was that he wanted to keep me close because he couldn’t stand the idea of us being apart, since it took us so long to finally end up together.

  Biting back another sigh I leaned forward slightly so I could touch my lips to the tip of his nose. “Thank you for being so concerned about me. I promise to be careful until you find Jethro, and I’ll be back to see you soon. I don’t have it in me to walk away from you, Case.”

  He sighed and I tasted his exhaled frustration against my lips. “Good, because I’m having a hard time convincing myself doing the right thing means letting you go. As for explaining our relationship to Hayes and anyone else who asks, we’re together. It’s you and me, trying to figure this out, taking our time, because we both want to make sure we get it right this go-around. You’re special. I’ll tell anyone who asks me that.”