Out of the Dark

by Sharon Sala

  Luke glanced past her to the clock on the wall. It was almost half past eight. He gave her a quick hug and a kiss.

  “As much as I would like to spend the day in bed with you, I don’t think Velma’s heart could stand the shock. And maybe after I talk to Chief Walters, I’ll have some answers to your questions.”

  The mention of getting caught with him like this was enough to send Jade packing. She was out of bed and heading for the shower before Luke could call her back. He stifled a groan at the sight of her lush, naked body, and then got out of bed and began to dress. By the time Jade came out, he was already downstairs.

  She frowned, then saw the note on her pillow and picked it up.

  Sam wants to have breakfast with us. I’m in the library making calls.

  Her frown lightened. Okay, so she hadn’t been abandoned after all. She quickly dressed, taking care with her makeup and hair. As she started down the stairs, she found herself hurrying. It startled her to realize that she was actually running to meet a man.

  Luke had called his office first, gone through the cases with his second in command and then told him to call if he ran into any complications.

  After that, he made a call to Earl Walters.

  “Chief, it’s Luke Kelly. I guess you know why I’m calling.”

  Earl shifted a stack of mail to the side of his desk and leaned forward.

  “I suppose that I do,” he said. “I was actually going to give Sam a call in a few minutes. Why don’t you put him on an extension and you can both hear this at the same time?”

  “Hang on,” Luke said. “He’s in the other room. I’ve got a portable with me. I’ll tell him to get on an extension.”

  Luke hurried out of the room, yelling Sam’s name as he went.

  Sam had been in the dining room pouring himself a cup of coffee. When he heard Luke’s voice, he set down the cup and came running.

  “Get on a phone,” Luke said. “Earl Walters is on the line.

  Sam turned quickly, ran back into the dining room and picked up the extension.

  “Earl. I’m here. What’s going on?”

  “Luke there, too?”

  “Yes. We’re listening.”

  “Okay, here’s what we know. The lead detective on the hospital murders picked up Newton’s personal property from the hospital this morning. There was a cell phone, the usual clothing, and a piece of paper with a name and phone number in one of the pockets. To make a long story short, he set up a sting with the chief of police in Nashville, then they used Newton’s cell phone and called the number on the paper. A man named Frank Lawson saw the caller ID and spilled his guts before he knew it wasn’t Newton on the phone.”

  “Frank? You said his name was Frank?” Luke asked.

  Earl frowned. “Yes. Does that mean something to you?”

  “I don’t know…maybe,” Luke said. “Jade has a scar. She said that a man who called himself Uncle Frank did it.”

  Sam didn’t know about the scar, and the fact that Luke did told him the relationship between his daughter and Luke Kelly must have moved in a new direction. That part of it pleased him. It was the image of something splitting his baby’s flesh to the extent that it would leave a scar that made him sick. He felt like throwing up.

  “Jesus,” Earl said.

  “So tell me they have the bastard in custody,” Luke asked.

  “Oh, yeah, they picked him up as he was making a run for it.”

  “I’m going to Nashville,” Luke said.

  Earl shifted in his seat. “Now look, Kelly, there isn’t anything you can do down there.”

  Luke thought of the shame on Jade’s face and the pain of what she’d been forced to endure. His chin jutted mutinously.

  “Yes, there is,” he said. “I made Jade a promise that I’m not going to take back. I’d appreciate it if you’d call the powers that be and give them the heads-up that I’m on my way.”

  “Not until you make me a promise,” Earl said.

  “Like what?”

  “You won’t do something stupid like hasten Mr. Lawson’s demise.”

  When Luke didn’t immediately reassure Walters, Sam looked at Luke and then stood abruptly.

  “No one wants to see the people responsible for Jade’s horrors get what’s coming to them more than I do, but what good would it do her if we both wound up in prison and she was once again left to live her life alone?”

  Luke cursed beneath his breath then turned away.

  “Fine,” he snapped. “You both have my word that I won’t lay a hand on the son-of-a-bitch.”

  “Okay,” Earl said. “I’ll make the necessary calls. Oh. I’ll be damned. I almost forgot one of the twists in this whole mess.”

  “Like what?” Luke asked.

  “Frank Lawson is—or maybe I should say ‘was’—the front runner for the governorship of Tennessee.”

  Sam spun toward Luke, his expression one of shock.

  “Governor? I find that hard to believe.”

  Luke shook his head as he spoke into the phone.

  “I find it a damned good reason to hire a hit man, especially if there’s something in your past that you’re trying to hide.”

  Earl started to smile. “Kelly, I’m beginning to remember what a good cop you were.”

  “What do we know about Lawson’s past?” Luke asked.

  “Not nearly enough,” Earl said. “But I’ll put a bug in my detective’s ear. There’s no telling what else we might turn up.”

  “What’s the police chief’s name in Nashville?” Luke asked.

  “Randall. I’ll give him a call right now.”

  “You tell him I’ll be there today…at the latest, this afternoon.”

  “What if you can’t get a flight?”

  “He’ll be arriving in my corporate jet,” Sam said. “If there are any more developments, you’ll be sure to let us know?”

  “Count on it,” Earl said. “Like I told my men, I’ve got a personal interest in this one. It’s been an open sore on the department record for too many years. It’s time to close it. And, Sam, before I forget, you might want to brace your daughter for some more flak from the media.”

  “Why?” Luke asked.

  “You remember those drawings she gave us?”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s a possibility that someone leaked their existence to the press. If so, we’re guessing there’s going to be mass hysteria among a large number of child molesters once word hits the news.”

  Luke stood still for a moment, absorbing what Earl had said. Then it hit him.

  “You couldn’t find a way to use them legally, could you?”

  “We had…options,” Earl said.

  “Earl, you’re a scary man,” Luke said.

  Earl grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  They all three disconnected at the same time, but Sam was confused.

  “I don’t get it,” he said. “What’s going on with those drawings?”

  “Remember when Jade gave them to him? She said she didn’t care if the press found out about what had happened to her if it would stop other children from being harmed? Well, I’m guessing that the police ran into difficulties identifying the faces, because the images are so old. They don’t have names, and they don’t know where those men might be living now. Coupled with that, the law varies from state to state regarding the statute of limitations. Some of them, even if identified, couldn’t be prosecuted because of the time issue alone. But…if the media got wind of them…and if someone just happened to sell copies of the drawings to some tabloid…”

  Understanding dawned. “Just because the authorities wouldn’t be able to identify them, that doesn’t mean other people won’t. People who knew those man when they were younger.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Brilliant,” Sam muttered. “And I hope it scares the hell out of every mother’s son of them.”

  Luke patted Sam on the back.

  “I n
eed to go tell Jade.”

  “Tell me what?” Jade asked.

  Luke jumped. Sam gasped.

  “I didn’t know you were there,” Luke said.

  Jade frowned. “Obviously. So what is it you need to tell me?”

  “They’ve arrested the man they think hired Johnny Newton.”

  Impulsively she clapped her hands in a gesture of relief.

  “You’re kidding! So soon? Does this mean the danger is passed? What’s his name?”

  “Maybe,” Luke said, then took a deep breath, carefully watching Jade’s face as he answered the last part of her question. “His name is Frank. Frank Lawson. He’s running for governor of Tennessee.”

  Jade heard the name, but from a distance. Already the room was starting to spin. She was reaching for Luke’s arm when everything went black. She never knew that he caught her before she hit the floor.

  “In here!” Sam cried, and led the way into the living room, where he tossed the throw pillows on the sofa into the floor. “Do you think we should call someone?”

  Luke laid her gently down on the sofa, then smoothed the hair back from her face. Only seconds before, she had been so at ease. Now they were back to square one.

  “No. She just fainted. Maybe if we had a wet cloth?”

  Sam hurried out of the room, calling for Velma as he went.

  Within seconds of Sam’s exit, Jade began coming around. The first thing she felt were hands on her face, then her body, and she began pushing them away in an effort to escape.

  “No, no…get away from me.”

  Immediately Luke turned loose of her.

  “Easy, honey, it’s okay. It’s me, Luke. Take it easy. You just fainted.”

  She groaned, then rolled over to the side of the sofa and sat up.

  “What happened?”

  “I mentioned Frank Lawson’s name. You fainted.”

  “Oh God.” She started to tremble.

  “Do you think it’s the same man?” Luke asked.

  “I don’t know. I’d have to see his face.”

  “Did you draw a picture of the man who cut you?”

  Jade gasped, then nodded. “Yes. The police have it. The name on it is Uncle Frank.”

  “I’ll have Earl fax a copy of the picture to my apartment,” Luke said. “I’ll take it with me when I go to Nashville. I’ll bring back a picture of the man they arrested.”

  “Should I go with you?”

  “Hell no. The media would have a field day with that.” Then he sighed. He had to tell her the rest, so she could at least be prepared. “There’s something else,” he said. “Earl hinted that someone might have leaked the existence of your drawings to the press. If so, don’t be surprised if they start showing up in the tabloids.”

  “I don’t care,” she said. “They’ve haunted me for far too long. Let someone else live with those faces for a while.”

  Luke grinned. “Way to go, Jade!”

  “What?”

  He cupped her face, then leaned down and gave her a kiss.

  “Because after grief, one of the next steps to healing is anger, and God knows you have a right to be pissed.”

  “I do, don’t I?”

  At that point Sam came running back into the room, with Velma on his heels carrying a handful of damp washcloths and a large fluffy towel. When Sam saw Jade sitting up, he dropped onto the cushion beside her.

  “Darling, are you all right?”

  Her chin jutted angrily. “Yes. Sorry I upset you. It was just such a surprise.”

  “Then I take it you don’t need reviving,” he said.

  “Not at all. What I need is some justice, and you and Luke are doing all you can to see that happen.”

  “All right, then,” Sam said, then grabbed a wet cloth from the stack in Velma’s hands and slapped it on his own forehead. “You may not need this anymore, but I do.”

  They all looked at him and then burst out laughing. He grinned wryly, then leaned against the sofa and scrubbed the wet cloth over his face.

  Luke left within the hour. Jade stood at the window, waving as he drove away. She waved until she could no longer see his car, then glanced at the house across the street. A shudder ran through her as she thought of that poor little woman. What a horrible end to what had been a long and happy life.

  Somewhere in another part of the house a phone began to ring. She turned around, then paused in the foyer, staring at the surrounding opulence. It was still difficult to believe that she had the right to take all of this for granted.

  “Jade…honey…have you got a minute?”

  Sam was halfway up the stairs, standing on the landing.

  She shrugged. “Time is about all I do have.” Then she made herself smile. “And it’s all yours.”

  Sam held out his hand. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”

  Jade let him lead her up the stairs. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said, and led her past her old bedroom to another set of stairs. They went up yet another story.

  Jade gasped in surprise. “Oh my, I guess I thought this level of the house was just an attic.”

  Sam smiled as he took her hand. “When my grandfather was a little boy, it was the servants’ quarters. Once your mother and I had plans to fill this house with children.” The smile shifted slightly as sadness came and went on his face. “But of course that didn’t happen. Years back, I used to host the occasional house party, and these were the guest rooms. But no more. I don’t have the stomach for all the fuss and bother. Lately it’s just been gathering dust.”

  “So why are we here?” Jade asked.

  “You’ll see. It’s right behind this door. Now close your eyes.”

  Jade’s eyes widened. “You mean it’s a surprise?”

  Sam chuckled. “Yes. For you. Your eyes, please.”

  She closed her eyes. Sam took her hand and led her forward.

  “Careful here. There’s a small threshold. Step over it. And don’t peek.”

  Jade giggled.

  The sound brought tears to Sam’s eyes, but he quickly brushed them away. Today was a day of joy, not for reminders of all they’d lost.

  “Okay. Now you can look.”

  Still smiling, Jade opened her eyes. Then she gasped and took a sudden step back.

  “Oh! Oh, no.” She clasped her hands over her mouth and then looked at Sam in disbelief. “You did this? For me?”

  “You don’t like it? You’re such a powerful artist, I thought you—”

  “Like it? Oh, Dad…you don’t understand. It’s like something out of a dream. I always wanted…I thought maybe one day I…”

  She covered her face and then started to cry.

  Sam smiled with relief. A crying woman made him nervous, but a woman crying from happiness he could handle. He gave her a hug, then handed her his handkerchief and tugged her forward.

  “Look. See here by this bank of windows? You’ll have good morning light. There are dozens and dozens of different sizes of canvases, and a supply of paints and brushes in the cabinet in the next room. Oh…and I didn’t know about easels, so I got several. One is for very large canvases, the others, I’m told, are adjustable.”

  Jade kept moving from one thing to another, picking it up and then putting it down as something else caught her eye. Finally she remembered where she was and that Sam was still there.

  “This is the most marvelous thing anyone has ever done for me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Sam let out a big sigh of relief.

  “Paint me a pretty picture.”

  She laughed, and then ran toward him, threw her arms around his neck and soundly kissed his cheek.

  “Oh, Sam…Daddy…thank you, thank you a thousand times.”

  Sam froze. He had heard her say it once before, but he had begun to believe it would never happen again. Now he was the one in tears.

  “Jade, darling, it was a pleasure. Don’t you know how much
you are loved?”

  “You know…I think I’m beginning to find out.”

  “Okay then,” Sam said. “Why don’t I leave you to look around on your own?”

  “Yes, all right, but where will you be?”

  “Oh, honey, don’t worry. I’ll be right here in the house. If you need me, call out. I’ll come running.”

  “I’ll be fine. I just…just wanted to know, that’s all.”

  “Of course. You hardly had time to settle in here before everything came undone. In time, you will feel comfortable here again, just as you did when you were a child.”

  She thought about what he’d said and knew that would never happen unless she came to terms with her past. But she didn’t know how.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes?”

  “You know that doctor…Dr. DiMatto?”

  “Antonia?”

  Jade nodded. “So, do you think it would be possible if I saw her sometimes? You know…just until I can get a handle on things?”

  “I think that’s a very good idea. Would you like me to call her for you?”

  “Raphael always wanted me to get help. I would never listen to him. I wish he was still alive so I could tell him I understand, and that I know he was right.”

  “He knows, Jade.”

  “Yes, maybe he does at that,” Jade said.

  “I’ll go make that call.”

  “Okay, and if Luke happens to call, will you let me know?”

  Sam hid a smile. “Yes. I’ll let you know.”

  Twenty-One

  Sam Cochrane’s jet arrived in Nashville just after two in the afternoon. Luke was out of the plane and in a cab within minutes of landing. He gave the address to the driver, then settled back for the ride. A short while later, he dumped a handful of bills over the seat, grabbed his own suitcase and hurried into the building. After that, it was just a matter of getting to the police chief’s office.

  “Chief Randall, I’m Luke Kelly. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

  Randall met him at the door.

  “Earl Walters called. I’ve been expecting you.”

  Luke set his suitcase down, then followed the chief back to his desk.

  “Have a seat,” Randall said. “So, I understand you want to interrogate one of our prisoners?”