Lifeline

by Christy Barritt

  “Why was Darrell estranged from his family?”

  She sucked in a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. “All he told me was that his family didn’t ‘get’ him. As soon as he was old enough to leave home, he joined the military. He had limited contact with them afterward.”

  “Did he say anything about why his family didn’t accept him? Any specific reasons?”

  “He said he was destined for bigger things than living in a rinky-dink town and working at a factory. I think he got bored easily and got into trouble—not big trouble, but enough that his family worried.” She pursed her lips together. “Looking back, I think he probably had some kind of oppositional defiance disorder. He didn’t like taking instruction. I think he covered it up pretty well in front of other people, though. He was very intelligent. Too smart for his own good, probably.”

  “He had a problem with authority and he was obsessive. Not a good combination.”

  “Not good at all.” He had all the right traits that he could either do great things, or terrible things. Had he chosen the terrible? Julianne didn’t have to ponder the answer. Yes, he had. Her scar reminded her of that daily.

  “He passed the evaluations for the military.”

  “I think it goes back to his intelligence. I think he’s a master at fooling people. He certainly had me fooled.” She shook her head. “You know, I think something cracked in him after he served in the Middle East. I think he’d always had a bit of an edge to him, but when he got back from Iraq, his eyes seemed vacant. He never talked about it.”

  “War can do that to a person. There are things you see over there that you never want to talk about, to think about.”

  “I can imagine, even though I don’t want to imagine any of it. I don’t know how you guys did it. But I appreciate the sacrifice. Deeply appreciate it.”

  He glanced at her again and offered a small smile. “And I deeply appreciate the thank-you.”

  Silence fell for a few minutes as the tree-lined highway blurred past them. A steady flow of traffic surrounded them and the sun was deceitfully bright for the brisk day.

  From out of the quiet, Julianne asked, “Why’d you end up getting out?”

  “I’d seen too much death, to be honest. It starts to get to a person after a while. I really wanted to finish what my uncle started, too. The timing was just right.”

  “It’s really admirable what you do, Bradley. I think I had you all wrong.”

  He glanced at her. “Who did you think I was, Julianne?”

  She shrugged. “It’s not important.”

  “You can tell me, you know.” He sensed her anxiety and wanted her to relax, wanted her to know that she could tell him anything.

  She shrugged again. “I thought you were cold and uncaring.”

  His voice seemed to catch even before he said the words. “And now you don’t?”

  Her cheeks turned red, but she didn’t back down. “No, I don’t. Elle was right.”

  “What did Elle say?”

  “That first night I was here, when she brought me clothes, she said that you were one of the nicest people I’d ever meet. Most people would have run far from this situation by now. At the very least, they would have called the police to come and cart me away.” Glancing up at him from beneath her lashes, she smiled at him shyly. “You did neither of those things, and I don’t want you to think it’s gone unnoticed or unappreciated.”

  “I think you’re awfully brave also, Julianne.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t feel brave. I feel like I’ve been a coward. I feel like I’ve let Darrell win.”

  “The important part is that you pulled yourself together. You’re fighting for what you believe in. There’s an old saying... Courage isn’t found in not fearing something. It’s found in facing your fears. That’s what you’re doing. You don’t have to be here right now, Julianne. You could have run away, but you didn’t.”

  She wished she felt as courageous as Bradley seemed to think.

  Unfortunately, she felt anything but.

  * * *

  Bradley felt surprisingly pleased with the exchange he and Julianne had shared during the car ride. He felt as if he’d known her much longer than he had. Their conversation came easily, and Julianne seemed so sweetly sincere. He found it hard to believe that he’d been filled with so much doubt when they’d first met. All of that had dissipated now.

  They reached Petersburg, and Julianne told him how to get to Darrell’s parents’ house. A moment later, they pulled into the neighborhood and stopped in front of a brick ranch. Wood covered the windows and the yard looked as if it hadn’t been touched in weeks.

  Julianne stared at the destruction from the window of the car. “Wow. What’s happened?”

  Bradley’s jaw was set in a tight lock as he shook his head. “Let’s go talk to some of the neighbors and find out.”

  They climbed from the car and ambled up the steps to the house next door. An older man with white hair and a shaggy mustache opened the door. “Can I help you? Not looking to buy anything, and I don’t want any religious tracts.”

  “We’re not selling anything, sir.” Julianne put her hands in her pockets. She was the type of person who put people at ease, and Bradley hoped that would work to their advantage now. “We’re sorry to disturb you, but we’re wondering about the couple that lived next door.”

  “Terrible tragedy.” He shook his head, clucking his tongue as he did so.

  “Tragedy?” Bradley tilted his head. He had a feeling that the black hole they were staring out was just getting deeper by the moment.

  The man leaned against the door frame, suddenly looking eager to share. “First, their youngest son died in an auto accident. Not even a month later, their oldest boy was killed during a training exercise with the military.”

  Julianne blanched, her hands coming out of her pockets and resting on her hips instead. “Are you sure their youngest son died first?”

  The man kicked a pinecone from the stoop while nodding. “Positive. We went to the funeral.”

  Bradley saw the confusion across Julianne’s face. He rested his hand on her back, trying to steady her. “How about the parents, sir? Where are they now?”

  “Died seven, eight months ago. Carbon-monoxide leak.”

  Alarms went off in Bradley’s head, and he tensed as details of the story began to intertwine in his head. “What happened?”

  “Space heater. Apparently they went to bed one night and never woke up.”

  Julianne cleared her throat. “So...it was an accident?”

  “’Course it was an accident. Why would someone fill their house with carbon monoxide on purpose? They were two grieving parents. Honestly, they were in so much mourning that I doubt they noticed much. Doubt they even thought about their carbon-monoxide detector.” He clucked his tongue. “In the months after their sons died, they stopped cutting their grass and picking up their newspaper. I think their pain swallowed them whole. Doesn’t surprise me at all that they didn’t notice the space heater like they should have.”

  “And the house has been vacant since then?” Bradley asked.

  “Condemned. Who knows what will happen with it now? Sad, sad story. Makes me glad for the happy years I’ve lived.”

  Julianne uncrossed her arms. “Thanks for your help, sir. We appreciate it.”

  “Why are you asking?” He leaned against the door again, obviously curious for more gossip and information.

  Julianne looked up at him. “We’re just trying to find some answers. We’d hoped the Lewis’s might provide them.”

  He shook his head solemnly. “Only if they can speak from the grave.”

  Their deaths did give them some answers, unfortunately.

  Bradley led Julianne back to his car.
At least they had an idea now of where they needed to look to find the truth.

  * * *

  Julianne blinked back her confusion as she sat in the passenger seat of the car. She kept shaking her head, caught up in a mental conversation with herself as she stared out the front window.

  “What are you thinking?” Bradley asked.

  “Why wouldn’t Darrell tell me that his brother died? We would have been engaged then. I would have gone to the funeral.”

  “I remember Darrell taking a couple days of family leave for a funeral. It wasn’t that much time before Darrell died. What did the neighbor say? A month? That’s probably right.”

  Julianne grabbed Bradley’s arm, the urgency of the situation bearing down on her. “Bradley, you’ve got to find out when his leave started and when exactly his brother died.”

  “You think he killed his brother, Julianne?” Bradley’s voice held a no-nonsense tone, one that chilled her to the bone. Hearing him say the words aloud made everything seem too real, too scary and awful.

  She nodded. “I think he killed his family. I just don’t know why.”

  “We might have a lead as to where Darrell is getting all of his money. From drugs—or from life insurance policies.”

  Julianne shook her head. “But a dead man can’t get money from a life insurance policy.”

  “No, but a dead man who’s as smart as Darrell might think of a way to get his hands on it. We’ve got to do some research.”

  He started the engine and started down the road. At least they had a place to go from here, Julianne thought. But the heartache of what Darrell may have done to his family gripped her. What kind of monster did something like that? Was he truly capable of being that heartless?

  She wrapped her arms over her chest, wishing she could find even a touch of comfort. But right now, not even Bradley’s presence offered her reassurance.

  FOURTEEN

  Bradley pulled over at a rest area and began making phone calls. It took two hours and several phone calls, but he finally verified that Darrell’s brother had died two days after Darrell requested his leave to attend his funeral. That meant that Darrell had requested time off for the funeral before his brother died.

  He relayed the information to Julianne. Her face paled and she shook her head. “He’s a monster. A horrifically clever monster.”

  He couldn’t argue with her.

  A somber silence fell over them as they drove back to Eyes. They didn’t have to talk to know what the other one was thinking. They were both letting the information sink in and realizing just the kind of person they were dealing with.

  Had Darrell exhibited psychopathic tendencies before he became a SEAL? Had serving in Iraq triggered something in him? There had been other cases—many other cases—of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Bradley knew of Navy SEALs who’d woken up in the middle of the night trying to strangle their wives. Others had become paralyzed with memories and refused to leave their homes. Was what Darrell had seen in Iraq enough to make him kill his family? To kill Vanessa? To try and kill Bradley?

  At one time, Bradley would have said no. Now he felt confident that the answer was yes.

  Julianne’s eyes closed in the seat beside him. Her breathing evened. She’d handled herself like a trooper today. Her analysis of Darrell’s personality was dead on. Her questioning of the neighbor had been unwavering. The woman continued to impress him. The whole situation had seemed to open up a fire in her and push her to believe in herself more.

  He had to admit that he was totally taken by her. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He caught himself watching her at the most random of times. The thought of anything happening to her unleashed something fierce inside him.

  Two weeks ago, he would have said he had no chance at falling in love again. He’d thought what he had with Vanessa was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But that day Julianne had shown up on the doorstep at Eyes had changed everything.

  He believed in God’s timing and plan and purpose. He knew that God had a hand in the events of the past week also. Could Julianne see that, though?

  They pulled up to Eyes. Bradley had seen no evidence of anyone following them. There’d been no car chases or bullets flying or danger of any other kind. Why did that realization make him suspicious? What was Darrell planning now?

  He turned the car off and turned toward Julianne. She stirred, blinking several times as her surroundings came into focus. Then she saw him and smiled.

  “There I go sleeping again. There’s something about being with you...”

  “That makes you fall asleep?”

  She yawned, her eyes still hazy from slumber. “That makes me feel safe enough to sleep. To really sleep. I haven’t had that in a long time.” She looked down shyly before glancing back up. “Thank you.”

  He took a chance and cupped her cheek. With his thumb, he stroked her soft, silky skin. Her eyes fluttered but she didn’t pull away. “I’m glad you feel safe with me.”

  “Me, too.” Her words were almost a whisper. She reached up and her hand covered his. His heart soared with hope. Was there a chance of the two of them having a future together?

  “Bradley, I really just want to let you know—”

  A quick rapping cut into their conversation.

  Bradley turned and scowled when he saw one of the guards standing there at his window. What was Julianne going to say? Would she ever finish that sentence?

  “Phone call, sir. The Defense Department.”

  He dropped his hand, sending an apologetic smile. “Finish this conversation later?”

  She nodded, a soft grin that seemed impossible to read across her face. “Later.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Julianne met Bradley downstairs for breakfast in the cafeteria. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered their conversation in the car. He’d almost kissed her again. And she’d almost let him.

  Thank goodness they’d been interrupted.

  But if she were thankful that the kiss didn’t happen, why did she keep thinking about the moments beforehand? Why did she keep wondering what it would be like to have Bradley by her side...forever? She didn’t want another man in her life trying to control her. But something about Bradley seemed different.

  Even having him beside her as they stood in line for breakfast made her feel flustered. He was the kind of man women dreamed about, and not just because of his broad chest, rocklike muscles and towering frame. No, beneath all of that, the man was solid. He was grounded and steady and confident, yet he still had compassion and kindness.

  She grabbed a tray, but Bradley pointed to a stack of disposable containers instead. “Would you mind getting your breakfast to go? I need to go somewhere, and I’d like it if you came with me.”

  She grabbed a banana and a muffin. “Sure thing. Where are we headed this time?”

  “Two places, actually. I’m meeting with someone from the FBI’s fraud unit about Darrell’s possible insurance scam. I also got a call from someone I know with the DEA.” Bradley put a bagel into his container. “He’s got someone who’s willing to talk to me, someone who used to be with the Amigos. He’s going into Witness Protection in return for his testimony.”

  Her eyes lit up. “You think he’ll have some answers?”

  “I’m hoping.” He glanced her way as he handed a card to the woman at the register.

  She wanted to solve this mystery more than anyone. Whatever she could do to get answers, to put Darrell behind bars, she was willing to do.

  “Let’s go, then.”

  They grabbed their to-go boxes and some coffee and went out to his car. Julianne was grateful for the coffee that warmed her hands as a cool wind swept over the grounds. Her winter coat wasn’t a match for the brisk breeze that continued to whip around them. The conve
rsation was light during the drive—just general chitchat to pass the time. But their attempts at acting normal failed because Julianne couldn’t stop thinking about the events at hand.

  Finally, they pulled up to the Norfolk FBI field office. A few minutes later, they were sitting in a conference room with Agent Darden, a man who got right down to business. He pulled up a video on his computer. A grainy bank feed came onto the screen. Agent Darden pointed to a man at the teller counter.

  “This is the man who cashed out Donald Lewis’s life insurance policy. He disappeared afterward, and we weren’t ever able to trace him.”

  Julianne squinted at the screen. The man wore a ball cap and an oversize sweatshirt. Was it Darrell? Really, it could be anyone. Even with the video being enhanced, it was nearly impossible to make out the man’s features.

  The agent hit a few buttons and a new feed appeared on the screen. “And here’s the video from when Darrell’s policy was cashed,” the agent said. The same man appeared on screen.

  Bradley’s jaw clenched. “Who was Darrell’s policy left to?”

  “His brother. The man in the feed had the proper identification—driver’s license, bank account, etc.”

  “But Donald died before Darrell did.” Julianne said it for her own benefit just as much as anyone else’s.

  “It can take some time for everything to go through the system. Darrell died only a month after his brother. This man showed up with Donald’s driver’s license.”

  Darrell and his brother looked enough alike that they could probably pass for each other. So Donald died, and Darrell cashed the check.

  Bradley turned toward the agent. “How about the parents? What about their policy?”

  “It was left to the boys but when they both died the check went to an uncle. He never got the check, he said. It must have been intercepted in the mail.”

  “Where did this uncle live?” Bradley’s eyes narrowed with focus. “Locally?”

  Special Agent Darden nodded. “Not far from the parents.”

  So if Darrell were still in the area, he could have gotten it from the mailbox. Some insurance agencies still mailed checks, while others directly deposited them or even hand delivered them.