Final Judgment
Page 39
I raised an eyebrow. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.”
Dale gave me a little smile and left. What he didn’t know was that I’d already started going through my old client files, trying to figure out who I could trust to get the job done. This was one situation I was better equipped to handle than he was—and he knew it.
After a raucously celebratory lunch with Alex and Michy, I spent the rest of the day catching up with my caseload—and searching through my client lists for the best candidate. It had to be someone who had the skill set to kill Sebastian without getting caught but also someone who needed a favor from me. By the end of the day, I’d narrowed my search down to two possible former clients.
But that night, as I drove to Niko’s house, my cell phone pinged with a breaking-news alert. I glanced at it—and immediately pulled over. I picked up the phone, and as I read, my hands began to shake: Sebastian Cromer, who was in custody after having recently been arrested for the murder of Tanner Handel, has been stabbed to death. Authorities have said the investigation is underway but otherwise declined to comment.
I hadn’t had the chance to do it. Dale couldn’t have done it. So who . . . ? And then it came to me. Angelina.
Guess I’d heard from her after all. Cromer’s death wouldn’t stop Kingsford from trying to figure out whether he’d killed Bryan. But with two very viable suspects—Tanner and Cromer—in play, I at least knew Niko was out of the crosshairs. And that’s all I cared about.
As I pulled into Niko’s driveway, I could feel my stomach churn. For me, the news of Sebastian’s death was even greater cause to celebrate. Now there was no chance he might beat the case and go free—and torture more little girls.
But Niko might feel differently. Sebastian’s death might just make him feel even guiltier. Guilty enough to change his mind and confess? No. Not at this point. My real worry was that he’d pull away and eventually leave me, resentful of the choice I’d pushed him to make. And Sebastian’s death might only have sharpened that resentment.
I decided to leave the duffel bag I’d packed in the trunk. I might not need it. I headed up the front walk with feet that felt like lead weights. And as I unlocked the door—I’d finally agreed to take a copy of his house key—I braced myself for the possibility that this might be the last time I’d see Niko.
As I walked through the foyer, I saw that the living room was dark. Maybe he wasn’t home? But I’d texted him that I was on my way when I’d left the office. I paused in the hallway. “Niko?”
His voice came from the bedroom. “In here.”
I moved toward him with tentative steps, unsure of what I was walking into. But as I entered the bedroom, I saw that he’d lit the fire and poured us each a glass of wine.
He came over to me and gave me a warm, tight hug. “I heard about Sebastian.”
I stayed in his embrace, afraid to look him in the eye. “And . . . ?”
Niko pulled back and looked down at me. “What you said about justice?” I nodded. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized you were right. I never meant to kill Tanner—though I agree, he’s no loss to society. But beyond that, I couldn’t stomach the thought of setting someone like Sebastian free—even if it meant letting him go down for a crime he didn’t commit.”
The wave of relief that washed over me was so intense, I might’ve fainted if he hadn’t been holding me up. All I could muster was a breathy “I’m so glad.”
He stared off for a moment, a puzzled expression on his face. “It’s kind of perfect that he got killed in custody.” He looked back at me. “Almost too perfect.”
I shook my head. “I had nothing to do with it.” Though I wished I had.
“Well, whoever did should get extra desserts for a year.”
I laughed. “Those county jail pudding cups are treasures.”
Niko smiled. Then he gave me a deep, lingering kiss. And then another.
And as we sank onto the bed, I thought maybe, just maybe, we were going to be okay.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2016 Coral von Zumwalt
California native Marcia Clark is the author of Blood Defense, Moral Defense, and Snap Judgment, the first three books in the Samantha Brinkman series, as well as Guilt by Association, Guilt by Degrees, Killer Ambition, and The Competition in the Rachel Knight series. A practicing criminal lawyer since 1979, she joined the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office in 1981, where she served as prosecutor for the trials of Robert Bardo—convicted of killing actress Rebecca Schaeffer—and, most notably, O. J. Simpson. The bestselling Without a Doubt, which she cowrote, chronicles her work on the Simpson trial. Clark has been a frequent commentator on a variety of shows and networks, including Today, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, and MSNBC, as well as a legal correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. For more about the author, visit www.marciaclarkbooks.com.