Untainted: (Crime Romance: The Photographer Trilogy #3)

by Sarah Robinson

  “Well, there is plenty of other evidence that would help convict him, right?” Kate asked, sliding her hand into Derrick’s lap and squeezing his leg gently.

  “That’s our hope.” The prosecutor said.

  “This is bad, isn’t it?” Derrick said after a few moments of silence fell over the table, everyone contemplating the trial.

  “Well, it’s definitely not good.” The prosecutor confirmed.

  “I’m up next after lunch, so we still have time to turn this around.” Liz told them.

  “Right, but remember that you can’t bring up any part of the investigation that relates to before the kidnapping and murders. Nothing about the rape investigation at all. The only thing you can say is that he was on your radar for ‘possible involvement in another case’. That’s it. If he gets the slightest whiff that we are saying anything to make the jury prejudiced against him, I guarantee he will call for a mistrial. And most likely, he will get it.” The prosecutor leaned forward, his tone serious. Liz just nodded.

  “Do we need to be there this afternoon?” Kate spoke up.

  “No, just stay near the courthouse in case you get called back.”

  “Can we go outside, Derrick? I can’t be cooped up in this place any longer. I just want to stretch my legs.” Kate leaned her chin on Derrick’s shoulder, looking at him as she wrapped her hands around his bicep.

  “Of course, babe. Let’s get out of here.”

  ~~~~~~

  “Tell me the truth, Derrick. Did you break into his house?” Kate spoke softly as the duo walked around the large pond that centered the park next to the courthouse.

  Derrick nodded and sighed, causing Kate to groan and close her eyes as she squeezed his hand tighter in hers.

  “Why? You’re a lawyer, you know that can mess up a trial.” Kate whined, feeling so hopeless at the moment.

  She scuffed the tip of her shoe against the dirt and watched a few duck feathers flutter up and drop back down to the earth.

  “Kate, I wasn’t thinking about a trial. I was just thinking about finding you, and finding you alive. Before he did anything else, I just didn’t think.” Derrick shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging his shoulders defensively.

  Kate felt tears sting at the back of her eyes, but blinked them away. She gazed at the different feathers left behind below her, but saw a speckled white and brown long feather that caught her eye.

  She reached down and scooped it up, dusting it off gently with her finger and softly blowing on it. Derrick watched her, waiting for her to say something before caving and continuing talking.

  “And it worked, that’s how Annie and I found you. I don’t think we would have otherwise. Maybe the police would have, but who knows how much time could have elapsed by then.” Derrick explained, pulling her down onto a bench that was off the concrete walkway circling the pond.

  She let him pull her close as she slid the feather she was holding into the front pocket of her purse, she didn’t know why exactly. She just knew that she wanted to keep it close.

  She curled her body up next to him, leaning her back against his side with his arm wrapped around her front, his hand in hers. She pulled her feet up onto the bench next to her and bent her knees. He held her tighter as he thought about the day and what could have happened had he not gotten there when he did.

  “Lately, I’ve been wondering if that would have been such a bad thing.” Kate’s voice was low, almost whispering.

  “What do you mean?”

  “If it would have been better for you or Snow and McCraig to find me after he killed me.” She completed her thought, staring at the pond and biting her lip.

  “Kate, please tell me you’re kidding.” Derrick’s eyes widened.

  “No, I’m not,” she sat up and turned to look at him, her expression serious.

  “How could I not think that, Derrick? I mean, if he had killed me before anyone found me then you wouldn’t have a knife wound in your shoulder. Liz wouldn’t have her arm in a sling. Hell, if I had never said anything when I was a kid, then Uncle Lenny would still be alive. Annie would be alive. All of those deaths and people hurt happened to keep me alive. Was it really worth it?” Kate began crying, soft sobs escaping and tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “Kate.” His voice was soft, but dripping with anguish at the very thought of what she was saying.

  Derrick pulled her tightly against him, wiping away a few tears with one hand. He was quiet for a bit, trying to figure out how to respond. She had clearly been thinking about this for a while, and the fact that she had been holding in such pain caused his heart to ache.

  “I can’t speak for Lenny and Annie, but knowing the type of people that they were and knowing how much they both loved you, I really think that they would do the same thing again. Annie knew what she was doing, Kate, and she did it anyway. And Liz? Well, that’s the life she signed up for becoming a police officer so I highly doubt that she regrets anything. Plus she cares for you as a friend, I know she does and I know you can see that.” Derrick spoke slowly as he caressed her hair, both of them staring out over the water in front of them.

  “And then me? God, Kate, the thought never even crossed my mind to regret it. Why would it?” He kissed her forehead, squeezing her tighter against him.

  “I would rather have been stabbed a hundred more times than to go a single day without you, Kate.” She glanced up at him, seeing the sincerity in his expression.

  “Kate, you are worth it. You’re worth every sacrifice that was made, and more. You are worth the world to me, Kate. Or should I say, the future Mrs. Kane?” He smiled as he leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

  “Do you think they feel that way too?” Kate whispered after a few gentle kisses.

  “Not for a second would I think anything different. They loved you, Kate. They still do, wherever they are.” He pushed a stray piece of hair off her face and the duo’s eyes locked, searching one another for answers to questions they hadn’t yet thought of.

  “I love you, Derrick.”

  “Love you more, Kate. Always.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Have the ladies and gentleman of the jury reached a decision?” The judge looked over at the twelve jurors as the courtroom turned deadly silent.

  “We have, Your Honor.” The foreman stood and responded.

  “Please present your decision to the court.”

  Kate clenched both of her hands around one of Derrick’s, closing her eyes. She had no idea which way the jury was going to vote. After five straight days of testimonies, evidence, and a legal fight to the death, the jury had gone into deliberations. It took them four days to come to a verdict.

  Nothing about that gave her confidence.

  She felt as if she had lived at the courthouse these last two weeks, and if she never ate in the courthouse cafeteria again, it would still be too soon. Spending just enough time at home to sleep and shower, then coming back to court just to sit around and wait, had been a nightmare.

  Seeing Frank every single day, even in the safety of the court, had been a nightmare. Everything about the last few weeks was a nightmare and Kate wasn’t sure that she was ever going to wake up.

  “We, the jury, find that for the charges of attempted murder of a police officer, attempted murder of Mr. Kane, the kidnapping of Ms. Kate Jackson, and the murders of Ms. Annie Jackson and Mr. Lenny Martin, the defendant, Frank Bild, is guilty on all five counts.”

  Relief flooded Kate’s body at the words and she felt every bit of tension slide away as everyone around her broke into an uproar of cheers.

  The courtroom was immediately alive with excitement, but Kate just sat on the wooden bench watching everything around her as if someone had put it all on mute. Derrick was hugging her and saying something, but she didn’t hear him. She didn’t hear anyone.

  Tears slid down her cheeks rapidly, but she wasn’t crying. She wasn’t even sure where they were coming from, but she let them fall anyway.
Her eyes were locked onto Frank, who refused to turn and look at her, but she didn’t care. The look of devastation on his face was a victory all in itself.

  “It’s finally over, Katie.” A soft voice next to her said.

  Kate turned and smiled at her sister, nodding in agreement.

  “Twenty years, Annie.”

  “First, his father, then him. All those years, Dad died and Mom left. You never wanted to talk about it, but I saw the guilt you carried every day, Katie. Now look, that guilt is finally where it belongs.”

  “He’s guilty.” Kate continued staring, repeating the words, savoring the feeling as she watched the bailiff handcuff Frank and lead him out of the courtroom through a side door.

  “And you’re not, Katie. Remember that.” Kate turned to respond to Annie, but she was gone and so was the silence.

  Kate smiled, surprising herself, because it didn’t hurt. She felt lighter and free. She missed her sister, her uncle, her whole family; but right here and now, it didn’t hurt.

  Somehow she knew that they weren’t hurting either, maybe Annie had told her that, because she wasn’t sure how she knew. There was just an overwhelming feeling of calm in her soul and she knew that her family was around her.

  Turning to look at her other side, she saw Derrick grinning at her, an anxious look in his eyes. She knew that he was hoping this news would bring her back to him, bring back the Kate he had first fallen in love with. Right away, she could feel inside herself that she would never be able to give him that.

  She could give him better, she would give him more.

  Frank’s verdict didn’t just end the terror of the Photographer over her life, it was ending his father’s grip on her life. She had spent years trying to deny that the abuse she suffered as a child still played a role in her life, but she knew better now.

  “Are you happy, Kate?” Derrick asked her, searching her eyes.

  “It’s finally over.” She smiled, pure joy on her face.

  ~~~~~~

  “So, what do you do to celebrate putting a psychopath in jail?” Derrick grinned at her as they walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, heading home.

  “I don’t know, I bet there is a greeting card for it. They have greeting cards for everything nowadays.” Kate laughed.

  “You’re ridiculous, you know that?” He pulled her against him and kissed her cheek while she continued laughing.

  “Well, you’re going to marry me, so that makes you just as ridiculous. Maybe even more.” She stated matter-of-factly.

  “I’ll give you that one.” Derrick chuckled.

  “I’m starving.” She told him as they turned the corner to their apartment.

  “I will cook us dinner. Would rather you not burn our apartment down today. It would really put a damper on this high.” He teased her.

  “Excuse me, I am a fabulous cook.” Kate scoffed.

  “You’ve certainly got the charred recipes down pat.” Derrick continued messing with her and she pretended to pout as he opened their front door and let them into the building.

  “I’ll let you cook tonight. Only because I wouldn’t mind a little pampering.” She told him as they took the stairs and reached the apartment door.

  “Well, my soon-to-be bride, what would you like me to make? It has to be momentous.” He told her.

  “Momentous? Why?” She furrowed her brow as she dropped her purse onto a side table.

  “Because this is the first meal of the rest of your life, Kate.” Derrick came up behind and wrapped his arms around her.

  “There’s only one thing I want for the rest of my life,” Kate smiled, turning around in his arms and slipping hers around his neck.

  “Do tell.”

  “You can’t guess?” She whispered.

  His lips came down on hers quickly, crushing the space between them as she moaned into his mouth. His hands slid down and cupped under her bottom, lifting her up, letting her legs wrap around his waist as he walked them toward the bedroom.

  “How about we hold off on dinner for a bit while I guess?” He smiled mischievously at her.

  “Only if you guess many, many times.” She giggled in response.

  His eyes quickly darkened as he leaned forward and devoured her lips again, falling onto the bed as he readily accepted the challenge.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Didn’t you take today off work?” Kate groaned and rolled onto her side, pulling the pillow over her head.

  “Yeah, I don’t know who would be calling me.” He yawned and reached toward his nightstand, seeing that it was almost ten in the morning.

  “Tell them to go away so we can sleep in. Somebody kept me awake all night.” She giggled and gave him a soft swat on his chest.

  “Are you complaining?” He grinned.

  “Never,” she said in a mock tone before pulling the blankets up around her shoulders and curling back into a comfortable sleeping position.

  “Hello?” Derrick answered the phone, wondering who it was since he didn’t recognize the number that had popped up.

  “Derrick? It’s Liz. Kate wasn’t answering her phone and I couldn’t wait to tell you guys the news.”

  “Sorry, we decided to sleep in today. What’s the news?” Derrick asked and Kate perked up, wondering what was going on.

  Derrick’s face lit up as he listened to Liz, which made Kate even more curious. She sat up in bed and pulled the sheet up around her chest since she wasn’t clothed.

  “That’s amazing news, Liz. I’ll tell her right now.” Derrick hung up the phone and Kate eagerly stared at him.

  “Well?” He was taking way too long to tell her whatever he had just learned.

  “Five life sentences, Kate.” He sat up next to her.

  “What?” Her voice was incredulous.

  “Apparently, the judge wasted no time with sentencing and ruled first thing this morning. She gave him a life sentence for each count.” He told her.

  “He could die four times and still be in jail for life.” Kate smiled, wondering if it was okay to feel this good about someone else’s suffering.

  “And he would deserve every moment of it, Kate.”

  “Remember last night when you said you would make me the first meal of the rest of my life?” She asked.

  “Before we got distracted and forgot to have dinner altogether?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

  “Exactly. Well, now I think we really can start the rest of our lives. And I want pancakes oozing with syrup, and a side of extra crispy bacon.”

  “Can’t start life without bacon.” He winked and got out of bed to go make breakfast.

  Kate leaned against the headboard and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging herself. She kept playing every moment of the jury’s verdict yesterday over and over again in her mind. Smiling to herself, alone in their bedroom, she felt like their life really was starting.

  “Five life sentences.” She whispered, hoping that Annie was listening.

  ~~~~~~

  “It’s funny how small it is.” Kate said, stoically.

  “The plot?” Derrick asked, his arm around her shoulders as they stood together.

  “Yeah, but the tombstones mostly. I mean we walk around this planet for years and years, whole lives lived, only to fit in a tiny box under a few feet of dirt. Just a little sign to remind people that we were once there.” She spoke softly.

  Dropping to her knees, she touched the flat plaque that lay on Annie’s grave, feeling the raised letters of her name. She then did the same to Lenny’s, only two feet away to the left. Derrick kneeled down next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  “That’s not true, Kate. These little pieces of stone aren’t the only sign to remind people that they were here. You’re a reminder. I’m a reminder. Our kids will be reminders. Memories don’t live in boxes and graves, Kate. They live in our hearts and souls, that’s what makes them live forever.” He told her.

  “I like that, De
rrick.” She smiled sadly, allowing him to help her stand up.

  She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a feather that she had found at the pond outside the courthouse during the trial. It was soft and long, a deep brown color with speckles of white and gray.

  Very gently, she laid it down on the corner of Annie’s tombstone, then placed a small rock that was off to the side, on its tip to weigh it down. Taking one last minute to look at her sister, she slid her fingers down the feather’s edge.

  “Fly away, baby girl. Be happy. I’ll see you again one day.” She whispered.

  Standing up, she joined Derrick who had taken a few steps away to give her a private moment. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Smiling at him, she leaned up on her toes and found his lips.

  “Thanks for bringing me here, Derrick.”

  “Anything you want, babe.” He kissed her cheek as they walked away.

  “All I want is you, Derrick.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand.

  “I can’t wait to marry you, Kate.” Derrick smiled down at her.

  “There’s only one more thing I need to do first.” She told him.

  “Like I said, anything you want, babe.”

  ~~~~~~

  “Are you sure, Kate?” Liz sounded concerned as she stared at her.

  “Positive. I have to do this, Liz. Please.” Kate begged.

  “Alright, but I’m coming down there with you. Don’t tell anyone about this, I could definitely get in trouble for allowing this.” She sighed and motioned for Kate to follow her as they walked out of the front area of the precinct and through a side door that connected to the detention center.

  “I promise.” Kate told her.

  “Since you’re here, I wanted to talk to you about a victim’s group that one of the counselors on staff runs here twice a week. The group is always changing as people come and go, but it’s a great place to connect with women with similar pains.” Liz told her as they continued walking.