Chapter 24

That didn't mean she was the killer, of course, but it did make her a natural suspect—especially since, by her own admission, Cardin's body was still warm when she'd found him. It would be reasonable for the police to think Savannah might have spotted him stalking her and decided to take matters into her own hands. Was that what Detective Richards was thinking?

He caught himself wishing he could stay. There were good memories here, and he'd settled into the rhythms of university and small-town life faster than he'd expected. It would be hard to go back to Birmingham. Hard, but necessary. She'd returned the signed divorce papers, eliminating any doubt about her intentions. Her insistence on an even split of the assets had been touching, unnecessary, and very Savannah. And then there were the rings, of course. Even at the end, she had insisted on being more generous than he deserved.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. Savannah. His pulse quickened as he accepted the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"The police just showed up with a search warrant!" Her voice shook. "Can you come over here? Please?"

So the other shoe had finally dropped. "Where are you?"

"Jess's house."

He blinked. "Jess's house?"

"Yeah, of course. On my way."

Hez ended the call and headed for his car. The legal wheels whirred in his head during the ten-minute drive as he tried to figure out what the police were up to. Jess didn't have any apparent motive to kill Cardin—or Abernathy, for that matter—but it would be natural for her to help Savannah. Jess was highly competent, fiercely protective of her sister, and cold and hard as Arctic ice. If Savannah killed someone, Jess wouldn't hesitate to get rid of the body and destroy evidence. Was that why the police were searching her home?

"Thank you!" Savannah put her hand on his arm as he walked up. Her touch sent a thrill through him, despite the circumstances.

He patted her hand. "Of course. Happy to help." He turned to Detective Richards. "Can I see the search warrant?"

The detective glanced over her shoulder. "You'll have to ask her."

Hez's gaze traveled past the detective to a severe-looking young woman in a suit standing behind the vans. She caught his eye and walked over. "Deputy District Attorney Virginia Samson. Can I help you?"

"That won't be possible at this time."

Samson frowned, accentuating the sharp planes of her face. "Do you represent the property owner too?"

Jess turned to Samson. "Yes, he represents me."

Before Samson could respond, an officer and a tech approached and motioned for her and Detective Richards. They walked a little distance away and talked in tense, low tones for a few minutes. Then they came back, and Detective Richards appeared as grim as Samson. She walked up to Jess. "Jessica Legare, you are under arrest for the murders of Ellison Abernathy and Peter Cardin."

***

His expression went somber. "I remember."

She took a step back. "Why did they arrest her, Hez? She couldn't have anything to do with this. It's insane. They didn't even tell her why so she could explain."

"Didn't they need a warrant to search her house?"

"Can we get her out today?"

She felt a surge of hope. "So maybe I can get her home tomorrow?"

"Why did you say ‘her lawyer' like that? You're her lawyer."

The distance in his gaze and manner alarmed her. She took hold of his forearm. "But you will represent her, won't you, Hez? Please, you have to. There's no one I trust more than you."

"They aren't done yet. Once they release the house, you can go in and set it to rights. I'll help you."

She reached out without thinking before pulling back her hand. He might not welcome her need to touch him for reassurance, and she didn't want to give him false hope when she didn't know herself how to start over. "I can do it. You've already done so much. Is there any way you can find out what evidence they have before the preliminary hearing?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, our hands are tied for now."

"Can we see her before she's arraigned?"

"I can. I'll go see her right away."

"What about me?"

He squeezed her fingers. "All I can do is promise my best. She's your sister, and I'll do everything I can."