ShatteredTrust_w5401

by Stacey Joy Netzel

He’d let them go. That fact was the one thing she understood clearly. He’d seen the dead man, heard from his mother’s own mouth what she’d done to Marley’s mother, and he’d still let them walk out the door.

  What she didn’t understand, was the way he’d pushed her against the wall and ordered her to give him the gun before wrestling it away. His behavior should’ve scared her. He’d overpowered her and taken away her only defense, but she hadn’t been afraid. Not of him.

  Subconsciously, she realized he wouldn’t hurt her. This was the man who’d let guilt eat him up inside over the tragic, accidental death of a co-worker. The man who’d apologized after he realized it’d been her first time making love and worried he’d been too passionate. He wouldn’t suddenly turn on her with her own gun. He didn’t have it in him.

  She sat up straight and replayed the events. Seeing his shadowed face in her mind’s eye, she wondered all of a sudden…had he been protecting her?

  Like an eager puppy, hope leapt in her chest. After a few deep breaths, she forced herself to think through the evening’s events rationally and felt her optimism fade. Even if he had been protecting her, the fact remained that he’d tried to help his murdering parents escape. Essentially, he’d chosen them over her.

  ****

  Justin looked up as the door opened, expecting to see the lawyer he’d called over an hour ago. Instead, his brother entered. Justin didn’t get up and when Jordan demanded to know what happened, he just shook his head.

  Jordan leaned across the metal table. “No one’s telling me anything. If, as this Berndt guy says, Granddad killed someone, then why have three living members of my family been arrested for murder?”

  “Because Berndt’s dead.”

  Jordan’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Justin sat back in his chair, frowning at the scent of alcohol on his brother’s breath. “I’ve called a lawyer. But until—”

  “Why do you need a lawyer? You were with the damn cops. What the hell did you do?”

  Justin held onto his frayed patience by taking a deep breath. “I didn’t do anything, but after what I heard tonight, you bet your ass I’m waiting for the lawyer.”

  Jordan sat down, his expression grave. “What did you hear?”

  Justin rolled his eyes. With a sigh, he leaned forward and lowered his own voice. “Why do you think they let you in here? They want me to say something so they can twist it around to incriminate me.”

  “What about Mom and Dad? What the hell were they doing there, anyway?”

  The unreality of the entire night washed over Justin again. Their parents were murderers. This happened in movies, or a book, not his life.

  Unfortunately, just like in the movies, and thanks to the Blake family rule that appearances were everything, the media was going to be all over this. Their grandfather had been an active member of the community; an upstanding, respected, generous man—anything to get him, his daughter Diana, and the Hunter name into the public eye in a positive light and promote the company.

  Once the media got wind of the charges filed against Diana and Dale Blake, of the fact that the Great Karl Hunter had known about it and paid blackmail for years, more people would know their names in a day than in all the years of Granddad’s charity work. His and Jordan’s reputations would be ruined by association. Add the fact that another murder had occurred on a Hunter Construction job site, and their business would be gone, too.

  Justin hoped Jordan would be able to handle it; and he wished, at that moment, that he could be anywhere but here, having to explain to his brother why their parents had been arrested.

  He forced himself to meet Jordan’s gaze. “Mom and Dad will be charged with not only Tommy Berndt’s murder, but probably Annette Wade’s as well.”

  It took a moment for the words to sink in. Confusion and disbelief played across Jordan’s expression before he asked, “Who the hell is Annette Wade?”

  “Marley’s mother.”

  “What the—I thought she died years ago?”

  “She did. It was thought to be a robbery back then, but they’ve got mom on tape with some pretty damning testimony,” Justin said. “Remember that document on Granddad’s computer? He knew, and that’s why he paid Dad to stay married to her all these years. Protect the family name at all costs.”

  “Mom might be a bitch sometimes, but she’s not capable of murder.”

  “You weren’t there,” Justin said tersely.

  Jordan looked like he’d be sick. “You believe she did it?”

  “They,” Justin ground out. “Dad’s no innocent bystander. I saw Tommy’s body. I heard Mom taunt Marley about how her mother begged for her life. God, I can’t even imagine what she’s going through right now.”

  “Knowing Mom, she’s demanding to be released.”

  “I meant Marley.”

  “We’re talking about the family here,” Jordan snapped.

  “Marley’s more family to me than they are.”

  “Oh, yeah? Then why the hell were you arrested? How come your precious Marley isn’t coming to your defense now?”

  Justin clamped his jaw to combat the ache in his chest. He knew exactly why he hadn’t seen her in the five hours since he’d been arrested. And what would it matter if he told Jordan? He hadn’t done anything wrong and it wasn’t like anything he’d say wasn’t already on tape from Marley’s wire.

  “Mom and Marley each had a gun. I was afraid Mom would hurt her, so I told Mom and Dad I’d take care of Marley and they should run.”

  Jordan stared, incredulous. “What?”

  “I figured if I could get them out of there, Marley would be safe. I knew the cops were either outside or on the way. I took Marley’s gun from her as they burst in. Because they heard me telling Mom and Dad to leave, they arrested me for aiding and abetting. I had no chance to explain before they started that Miranda shit, so I shut up and asked for a lawyer.”

  Justin looked at the mirrored wall and raised his voice. “Though it’s taking awfully long to get him in here.”

  Jordan glanced at the mirror, then back to Justin. “The reporters are out there already. I think they recognized me, too. It’s going to be all over the news.”

  “I’m sorry, Jordan.” He didn’t know what else to say.

  “We’ve been operating on credit as it is,” Jordan continued. “We’re so screwed.”

  “We can’t change what happened,” Justin said wearily. “We didn’t do anything and hopefully people will understand that. Either way, we’ll just have to see how the cards fall.”

  He rubbed a tired hand over his face to block out Jordan’s dismay, knowing his words were cold comfort and most likely not true anyway.

  The inside of his eyelids felt like sandpaper and the coffee they’d brought him two hours ago hadn’t done shit. It should’ve, the tar-like liquid had been so damn bitter it matched his mood, but he hadn’t gotten a whole lot of sleep the last few nights.

  And he couldn’t stop thinking about Marley. Was she okay? Would she ever talk to him again?

  “You didn’t, by chance, see Marley out there, did you?”

  Jordan shook his head. Justin recalled her expression when he’d taken her gun and told his parents to get out. Her accusing glare had sliced into him and he’d been bleeding ever since. What his parents had done was incomprehensible. Stolen her mother when she was a child. Tried to kill her brother. Intended to kill her.

  How did someone get past that? Even if by some miracle she agreed to talk to him, every time she looked at him, she’d be reminded of all they’d done. He couldn’t do that to her and live with the guilt that already crushed his chest.

  “You aren’t still going to see her when all this is over, are you?” Jordan asked.

  Justin snorted. “You mean tonight, or after the media have their field day? Assuming the charges against me don’t stick, and I’m not in jail, there’s still Mom and Dad’s trial to consider. How long do you think that’ll take?” He didn’
t bother to soften his sarcasm.

  “You’re not going to jail,” Jordan stated with a hint of panic. “You didn’t do anything.”

  “Doesn’t matter either way. Marley’s better off without me.”

  “You’re better off without her, if you ask me.”

  The door opened and Detective Powell stepped inside with Justin’s lawyer and another man.

  “Justin, this is the district attorney, Marshall Rymer,” Detective Powell said. Then he turned to Jordan. “If you’ll excuse us, Detective Turner will show you to the waiting room.”

  ****

  Finally finished with her debriefing, Marley walked down the hall in search of Justin. She had to talk to him. Set things straight in her mind as to what actually happened tonight. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him walking toward her, but a second later she recognized Jordan. The rush of disappointment left her knees weak.

  “Where’s Justin?”

  His gaze zeroed in on her and the look of pure hatred in his eyes left her speechless. “You just had to call the damn cops, didn’t you?”

  “Jordan…”

  “Justin doesn’t want to see you.”

  She stared at him. “He said that?”

  Jordan’s gaze flicked away, then returned as he leaned toward her. “Our family is ruined. Do you really think he wants anything to do with you after what you’ve done?”

  Marley went rigid. Wait just a minute. Forget about the fact that she could get half-drunk off his breath, but what she’d done? “None of this is my fault.”

  “You and that brother of yours and the damn cops—”

  “Don’t you dare lay this on us! Your parents killed my mother, Jordan. They were going to kill me.” Her voice shook and she had to draw a deep breath to keep from exploding. “Your father put Nate in the hospital—his own son—your half-brother.”

  “He’s not my brother.”

  “Yes he is, whether you like it or not. Justin—”

  “Shut up,” Jordan snarled. “You and your brother can go to hell for all I care. And as for Justin, leave him alone. He’ll have enough to deal with without having to look at you and constantly be reminded of all this shit. He’d be forced to be nice to you while the guilt kills him inside.”

  Marley sucked in a breath. She’d seen what guilt did to Justin. Jordan was right.

  “You’ve done more than enough,” Jordan said. “Now go away and leave us the hell alone.”

  Marley stared after him before turning to walk numbly out the door. That’s when all hell broke loose. Flashbulbs blinded her. A crush of bodies surrounded her. Microphones were shoved in her face, and questions were shouted without anyone waiting for answers.

  “Ms. Wade—can you tell us what happened?”

  “Were you hurt, Ms. Wade?”

  “Do you know who was killed?”

  “Can you confirm there were shots fired?”

  “Did the Blake twins know the victim?”

  “What is your relationship to the accused?”

  Marley held up a hand to shield the paralyzing camera flashes. How did they even know who she was? A hand grasped her elbow as Detective Turner’s voice boomed over the noise. “Ms. Wade has no comment at this time.”

  He guided her down the steps to where one of the officers from earlier had parked her truck. A few of the more tenacious reporters followed them, but they held back when the detective raised a staying hand.

  “Would you rather I have an officer take you home?” he asked Marley.

  She eyed the rabid mob of news crews still taking pictures, but shook her head. “I’ll be fine. How do they know so much already?”

  Detective Turner sighed. “There’s a police scanner in every newsroom. But we need you to keep quiet. If too much of this leaks out, it’ll be bad for the case.”

  Jordan’s accusations and blame echoed in her mind. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  Dale and Diana Blake were going to pay for what they’d done, and she’d do nothing to hinder their trip to hell. If nothing else, she’d have justice. Considering Justin didn’t even want to see her, most likely blamed her like Jordan did, what did she have to lose that she hadn’t lost already?

  Chapter 24

  Marley brought Nate’s sandwich to the couch, where he sat with his cast propped on the coffee table. She glanced at the TV and rolled her eyes with annoyance.

  “It’s been a week. Can’t they let the damn thing go?” It was hard to walk away and not watch, but so far she’d managed to ignore the barrage of news reports. Just as she ignored the vultures camped outside their door. At least they were dwindling. Finally.

  “This is a big thing for our little city,” Nate said. “There hasn’t been a high-profile, multiple murder case like this in sixteen years.”

  Marley turned to him with a frown. He didn’t have to sound so excited about it.

  Nate shrugged. “That’s what they said yesterday.”

  “Why do you watch it, anyway? Doesn’t it bother you?”

  It bothered her. The constant reminder of everything the Blakes had taken from her. And it wasn’t just her mother. It was hard to miss what you didn’t remember having. But Justin…

  She’d had his friendship. His caring. His touch.

  Justin, she missed.

  She sat on the couch and watched the TV in spite of herself. A reporter advised the bloodthirsty public about the arraignment for Dale and Diana Blake today while their mug shots flashed on the screen. Since talking to the police that night, Marley had been torn about her desire for justice. Well, not torn really. She wanted them to pay their debt to society, but for Justin’s sake, she regretted what was to come. This had to be so hard for him. Just thinking of him made her chest ache.

  “I’ll turn it off if you want,” Nate said grudgingly.

  “In a related story,” the reporter continued, “we now go live to the Boulder County Courthouse where we’ve just learned…”

  “Please.” Marley rose to straighten the magazines on the coffee table.

  “…the sons of Dale and Diana Blake, who inherited Hunter Construction after the death of Karl Hunter, have filed—”

  Marley’s head whipped toward the screen just as it went blank.

  “Turn it back on!” She lunged for the remote in Nate’s hand, then jabbed the power button twice before the TV flickered to life.

  “…scene with a live report. Alexia, what can you tell us?”

  Marley groped behind her for the edge of the coffee table and sat, eyes glued to the screen.

  “Thank you, Robin. It’s been a busy morning here for the Blake family. Not only will Dale and Diana Blake be indicted for murder this morning, but we’ve just learned that Hunter Construction, owned by sons Justin and Jordan Blake, has filed Chapter 11 and the twins are here at the courthouse right now.”

  Marley couldn’t believe it. Hunter Construction, bankrupt. She couldn’t imagine how Justin would deal with this on top of everything else.

  “You’ve been following this story, Alexia, explain how it’s come down to this for such a well-known and respected company that’s been a pillar of our community for so many years.”

  “Well, Robin, unfortunately, no matter how well respected the company and its owners have been in the past, the citizens of Boulder can’t seem to get past this scandal. A source close to the company said the last straw for the struggling Hunter Construction was when Jenkins Associates pulled the contract for their multi-million dollar project and awarded the bid to a different company…”

  Marley shot to her feet. “They lost the Jenkins job?”

  “It’s been pretty bad,” Nate said. “Reporters have been following them around just like they’ve been camped out here. Justin and Jordan have refused to give any interviews, and people are speaking out against them.”

  She frowned. “Why? Who?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Tommy Berndt’s family has been all over the news. Justin released an apology
earlier in the week, but the news doesn’t replay that like they do the rest of it. The fact that Justin was arrested that night hasn’t helped, even though all the charges were dropped.”

  “He didn’t do anything. What is wrong with people? Has anything been said that the guy who was killed was blackmailing them?”

  Nate stared at her. “No…but—”

  “I know, I know, that doesn’t justify his death. I only meant that before they start crucifying Justin and Jordan for something their parents did, they should know this guy wasn’t a completely innocent victim.”

  “They’re just trying to sensationalize it as much as they can,” Nate said. “Look, there they are now.”

  Marley turned back to the TV. As Justin and Jordan exited the courthouse, they were mobbed on the steps by reporters shoving microphones in their faces. She stared at Justin’s face. She hadn’t seen him in a week. He looked tired. God, her heart ached for him. If only—

  He doesn’t want to see you, Marley. Move on.

  She sat back as tears stung her eyes. So much easier to think than actually do. Over the next few minutes as she watched the report, her anger reached a full boil.

  “This is bullshit!” she exclaimed. “Whatever happened to unbiased reporting? I can’t believe they’re doing this.” She gestured to the screen, indicating not only the reporters, but the individuals who’d ‘stepped forward’ to give ‘interviews’ trashing the twins. Frickin’ idiots looking for five seconds of fame is what they were.

  “Would I love to give them a piece of my mind—”

  She sat up and looked at the door, then shot to her feet.

  Nate’s gaze followed her dash across the room. “What? What are you—oh.”

  She cast him one final glance before stepping onto the porch with a purposeful stride. The reporters who remained out on the street glanced up.

  Usually, she refused to comment. She ignored them as she went about her business, and they went back to waiting. Now, fury simmering, she stood on the top step with her arms crossed and stared at the two men and one blonde woman. The dark-haired young man held her gaze. He tapped the other man without looking away from Marley, got up, and started across the lawn.