by Virna DePaul
She must have seen the satisfaction in his eyes because hers immediately narrowed. “Hardesty’s attorneys have been trying to get me here for weeks,” she hissed. “Years. Sherwood called me after—after we talked. I told her your concerns. She reassured me that—”
“So you what? Decided to trust the woman who’s been badgering you for years rather than me?”
“They cleared me a long time ago. I thought maybe it was time to face my fears.” She looked lost for a moment. “I could have gone in to see him without you. But I waited.” She pulled her shoulders back and thrust out her chin. “Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.”
He laughed. “So after all this time, you just changed your mind.” He put his hands on his hips and pinned her with an intense stare. “Why? Are you trying to manipulate me?”
“No!”
“Here I was thinking you’d finally decided to trust me, and it’s all been a game.”
“I wouldn’t do that. I trust you. But Brian said. . . I know hesitating on that question is going to cause problems for my father. If I could just talk to Hardesty, convince him to do the right thing, to drop his claims of innocence—”
“That’s exactly what you shouldn’t be doing!” he yelled. “It’s called dissuading a witness. Compromising evidence. And what makes you think you could convince him to do anything, Lily? The guy’s about to be executed. Do you think he cares anything about you or your family?”
His voice echoed in the room, unavoidable proof that he was losing it. Lily looked scared, and he was just too tired to argue with her anymore. “Go home, Lily. Now.”
“No.”
He pulled her up on her tiptoes and bent down until his nose was touching hers. Until he could stare into her eyes and identify every fleck of gold in their brown depths. Every individual eyelash. She smelled like Irish Spring and lavender, the fragrant combination so incongruous to their surroundings that it was almost obscene. It raised his ire even more until he felt like the back of his head was about to blow off. “This is not a negotiation. You are leaving right now even if you have to be escorted by two very burly men in bulletproof vests. In fact,” he continued, opening the door and dragging her back to the guard waiting outside, “that is exactly what’s going to happen.”
She dug in her heels. “Wait just one minute. You can’t do this.”
He lowered his face to hers. “Watch me.” Her eyes widened, but he turned to the guard. “I need someone to escort this woman to the parking lot.”
The guard frowned.
“Her time slot is over, right? The prisoner’s being brought here for an attorney conference. She is not an attorney.”
Holding up his hands in a gesture of appeasement, the guard nodded. “Please come with me, ma’am.” His voice brooked no argument.
Lily looked back and forth between them. “Don’t I have a right to visit?”
The guard simply said, “You can come back another day.” When John’s grim face turned to stone, the guard backpeddled. “Uh, or maybe not. Now, please come with me.”
Lily shot John another pleading look. “John, please, I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.” The guard took her arm and she jerked away. “I just wanted to see him. After what I told you—”
Outwardly, John remained unmoved. He forced a chill into his voice that he didn’t feel. “Go home.”
Her eyes cooled along with his voice. “Fine.” She walked away, waiting with rigid regality for the guard to open the door. The guard spoke into his walkie-talkie, the outer door buzzed open, and they left.
John felt a small twinge of guilt. He shouldn’t have been so rough on her. But he was hurt. Hurt that she hadn’t trusted him. That she’d chosen to talk to Hardesty and his attorney when John had warned her not to. What did that say for their future together?
He kept hoping their someday was going to come. But Lily herself seemed determined to prevent it. He couldn’t fight her, too. Not when the whole world seemed determined to keep them apart.
Twenty minutes later, John was back in the small conference room waiting for Hardesty. He took several deep breaths, trying to tell himself that Lily’s visit had been the result of bad judgment. That it didn’t mean she was willing to manipulate the evidence just to protect her father. Manipulate Hardesty to give up his claims. Manipulate John by suddenly opening herself to him and revealing a “new” memory.
When Joanna Sherwood and Oscar Laslow walked into the room, he didn’t even bother with the niceties. “What the hell were you trying to pull, getting Lily Cantrell to come here?”
Sherwood looked as calm as ever. “Mr. Hardesty asked her to come. She came. It’s no concern of yours.”
“Like hell it isn’t.” John voice thundered at her, but she didn’t look at all cowed. “That woman,” he said, pointing at the conference room door, “found her mother’s body when she was sixteen years old. Do you get your rocks off making people suffer?”
Sherwood opened her mouth to respond but then the door opened. John bit back the rest of his tirade as a guard led Chris Hardesty inside. Hardesty was close to sixty. He had dark hair that feathered to a soft gray around his face and a closely trimmed gray mustache. Even his eyes were gray, a hazy wash of color standing out starkly against his darkly tanned and weathered face.
John sat but took some mental notes. Hardesty’s hands? Together and shackled. No sharp object, even a pencil, within his reach. No ill intent in his eyes. Rather, he looked amiable. Like a man about to see his grandson kick a soccer ball.
But his grandson was an adult. And John knew he’d never seen him. He’d talked to Hardesty’s daughter just this morning, and she’d told him to go to hell and to tell her father to do the same. No surprise since Hardesty had murdered her mother.
“Thank you for agreeing to talk with me without any fuss, Mr. Hardesty.”
Hardesty smiled, his teeth fairly straight and unstained. “What’s your name, son? John, isn’t it?”
A small smile tipped the edges of John’s mouth. Again, the guy was good. “That’s right, sir.”
“Please call me Chris.”
“All right. Chris.”
”I was disappointed Lily didn’t come. You have anything to do with that?”
Professionalism evaporated. Hearing Lily’s name pass through Hardesty’s lips made him want to vomit. Standing, John narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at Hardesty. “You keep the hell away from her.”
“She’s okay then?” Unbelievably, the guy really seemed interested.
“She’s fine.” John slowly sat, disoriented by the game they were playing. “Considering you murdered the most important person in her life.”
Hardesty said nothing, forcing John to finally ask, “What? No denials? No claims of innocence?”
Pull back, he told himself. You’re crossing the line. All that matters is getting more information.
Hardesty sighed. “I’d hoped you were smarter than the rest, that’s all. I’ve done a lot of bad stuff in my life, Mr. Tyler—”
“I’d say murdering your wife is pretty bad.”
Hardesty paled and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were glassy. “You say one more word about her, and this interview is over. We clear?”
John clenched his fists, the man’s command grating. “Fine,” he spit out.
“Good. I’ve done things, horrible things I wish I could take back. And I’ve spent more time in prison than out of it. But what I’ve got here? It ain’t so bad. For the past fifteen years, I’ve had food. Shelter. Company. It’s more than I had before.”
“What’s your point? Chris.”
“My point is, even knowing it’ll be over soon, I’ve been willing to take my chances with the appeal system. To spend the rest of my days in this hellhole. All I’ve wanted is to see Lily, but she’s refused.”
John frowned. “Why is it so important that you see her?”
“I don’t want that little girl thinking I killed her mama. I didn’
t.” He glanced away. “Maybe—maybe the same man is out there killing other girls now. The Razor—”
John stared at him, trying to keep his face impassive. Hardesty had sounded completely sincere up until he’d mentioned The Razor. “Oh, so this is all for her protection? Then why’d you confess?”
“Like I said, I was sick of being homeless.” He grinned. “I guess I still had faith in the system. Innocent men are never imprisoned, now are they?”
He was lying. He hadn’t confessed just to get three hot meals a day. “You knew her mother, didn’t you?”
Genuine puzzlement overcame Hardesty’s expression and John realized that even if Hardesty had moved Tina’s body, it hadn’t been because he’d loved her.
“So you don’t want Lily thinking you killed her mother. Why’s that? Because you’re such a kindhearted, compassionate soul? Remember now, I’ve got your rap sheet.”
Hardesty flushed. “I told you. Don’t go there. What happened with Gracie was a mistake. A crime of passion. And I paid for it. Ten years in jail. Every day. Every second of my life. But that little girl, she was kind to me. When no one else was. I wanted to protect her, not hurt her.”
John leaned closer, hoping they were getting somewhere. “Protect her from who? Her father?”
“From everything.”
He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. “You say that, but your prints were in the house. You never denied you went inside looking for money.”
“I knew where she lived. I’d followed her home before. Only to watch her. That’s all. When she said she’d give me some money, I figured why not go in and get it. She wouldn’t mind.”
The muscles in John’s jaw clenched. Oh God, Lily had been right. He had deliberately picked her house. “When did she tell you this? And how come you never told anyone about this before.”
“It didn’t matter. And she would have felt responsible.”
John swallowed, regretting that she did. “So what happened? You saw the mom? Surprised her? Decided you didn’t want to get caught for B&E, so why not kill her?”
“Mr. Tyler,” Sherwood interjected, but Hardesty interrupted her.
“It was quiet. I thought everyone was gone. I went into the living room. Lily was there. Kneeling beside her mother’s body.”
John reeled back and wondered if he’d misheard. “What did you just say?”
“I said, Lily was there, too. Kneeling over her mother’s body.”
“Bull,” John gritted between clenched teeth, fighting the urge to rip Hardesty apart.
“It’s true.”
“And you’re just telling us this now? You’re trying to tell me Lily killed her mother?” John stood and shoved the table back. Hardesty’s attorney gasped and John clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from killing him. “You lying piece of garbage.”
“I’m telling you what I saw. I swear it on my daughter’s life.”
John laughed like a madman. He knew how empty that oath was. “And you just happened to leave your shirt there? All covered with blood?”
“I was carrying that shirt when I walked in. Planning to use it as a makeshift bag. Lily was in shock. Wouldn’t talk. I guess when I saw her mom, I freaked out. I tried to stop the bleeding. Didn’t realize she was already long dead.”
“Convenient story, but I don’t buy it.” John flipped his files shut and leaned across the table. “I think you went to that house wanting more than food and cash. I think you wanted Lily. And when you got there, her mom fought you. And you murdered her. The same as you murdered your wife.” He shook his head in disgust, then nodded to the guard. “Get me the hell out of here.”
He followed the guard to the door.
“You were Lily’s friend, right? The one she was in love with?”
John froze.
“You rejected her, didn’t you? When she came to you?”
Shock threatened to take him out. He slowly turned to face Hardesty. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“This interview is over,” Sherwood piped up.
John strode forward and slammed his files on the table. He leaned forward, towering over Hardesty and leaning down until they were practically nose to nose. “How did you know that?”
Hardesty smiled the smile of a man who knew he’d just gotten the upper hand. “She told me she was going to your party. She came to me. Hysterical. I gave her some tequila. To numb the pain. But then she ran off. I thought she’d go to your party, then go home. That’s why I went to her house, you idiot. Not to steal from her. To check on her. To make sure she was okay. And that’s when I found her there with her mother.”
John shook his head and backed up several steps. It made sense. But he couldn’t accept it. Wouldn’t. “You can’t keep your story straight.”
“What I’m telling you is true.” Hardesty’s voice was quiet, but firm. “After I found them, someone came to the door. Someone wearing a cop hat. I ran.” For a moment, guilt washed over his face. “I knew if I was found there, I’d be accused of a crime. And I’m so ashamed. Lily was like a daughter to me, and I left her there. She’d never hurt anyone, but—but maybe, with the drugs I gave her—”
John sat down. The room was silent. No one, not the attorneys, not the guard looked at him. No one but Hardesty.
“The person in the hat? What did this person look like?”
“I’m afraid Mr. Hardesty is not going there. Not right now.”
“Listen—”
“I want to talk to Lily,” Hardesty said. “That’s all.”
“Why? Because you’re obviously trying to set her up. For killing her mother. So you’re saying she’s The Razor as well, aren’t you?”
Hardesty opened up his mouth then shut it. He looked at Sherwood, who shook her head in warning. “On advice of counsel, I won’t say much more. But I don’t think Lily’s The Razor.”
“Chris—”
“No,” Hardesty snapped, leveling a heated gaze at Sherwood. “We’re not going that far. Lily might have done something horrible because of the drugs I gave her, but I refuse to accept she’s behind these Razor killings.” Hardesty turned to John. “The Razor is picking women, killing women, the same way. How do you know he won’t go after Lily next? What if it is her father?”
John grabbed his things. “You’ll be hearing from me,” he snarled. He spared a final glance at Hardesty, once more amazed at his genial appearance. Part of the reason was he looked so robust. So healthy. Tan.
“You’re designated as a grade A inmate here. So you’re entitled to what? Six hours exercise in the yard a day?”
“That’s right.”
“And you take advantage of it? Shoot hoops, maybe?”
Sherwood rolled her eyes. “Why is this relevant?”
Hardesty leaned back and shook his head. “No, no. It’s okay. I don’t mind a little chitchat. A lot of the condemned here don’t know how to toe the line and they get put in the hole for days. Me? I’m no fool. I might not have much time left on this earth, but I take advantage of what I’ve got. Do I play hoops? No, Mr. Tyler, I don’t. I sit. I watch. And I absorb,” he replied. “I go into that yard and count my blessings, because it’s the one place that still looks like the outside.”
Unsatisfied with his answer but not even knowing why he’d asked, John turned. The guard opened the door.
“It reminds me of the park by Lily’s house, you know.”
John stopped, every nerve standing at alert.
“I miss our conversations. About family. Friendship. Love. She loved you and you threw it away. I’m paying for my mistakes, Mr. Tyler. Now, so are you.”
Chapter 15
Lily looked out her living room window for the hundredth time, but still didn’t see any sign of John. She knew it was only a matter of time before he came to read her the riot act for trying to see Hardesty.
She deserved it. A part of her had known it was a stupid thing to do. But she couldn’t sit idly by and do nothing. Ev
er since John had shown up, everything had gotten so jumbled up in her mind. What she had done, what her father had done, even what Hardesty had done—she’d needed to know for sure. She’d wanted to face Hardesty. To look him in the eye in a way she hadn’t been able to in court. To reassure herself that he’d done what he said he had—what they all thought he had.
That’s exactly what she’d planned. Exactly what she’d intended to do. Up until the moment she’d actually walked through the gates of San Quentin. Once she was inside and she’d seen all the guards, signed all the papers, doubt hit her.
A man she’d once befriended, a man who claimed he was innocent, was going to die.
When she’d seen John, she’d been hit by another realization. That he was a big part of the reason she was there.
Not just to see Hardesty. Not just to learn the supposed truth about her mother’s death. But to see John. To make him forget that she was a witness. To choose her over principle for once.
She’d wanted him out of control. As out of control as the emotions swirling inside her ever since he’d returned. And that’s what she’d gotten.
She shivered as she remembered the way he’d touched her in that small, windowless conference room. He’d been angry with her, so angry that she’d seen the fire in his eyes and heard it in his voice. She’d been ashamed of the arousal that had instantly shivered down her body and between her thighs. Of the thoughts that had popped into her head. John overpowering her in bed, caging her in with his warm, naked flesh. John kissing his way down her body until all she could see was his dark hair resting against her pale stomach. John closing his eyes, his face flushed and awash with pleasure as he entered her body.
She dropped the curtain and rubbed her arms as a shiver overtook her. She’d gotten what she’d wanted, but it hadn’t made her happy. Not at all. Instead, she’d felt ashamed of herself. Manipulative. Pathetic.
She jumped when her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Aunt Lily, it’s me.”
“Hi, Ashley, sweetie, what’s—”
“Aunt Lily, Mike asked me to go to a movie with him. Can you drive us this afternoon? Please?”
