Chapter 39

Savannah stuffed the stack of papers into her briefcase and motioned for Simon to follow her from the classroom.

"Are you chuffed? You're smiling."

She nodded. "I texted Hez to meet us at the beach."

"Headache?" she asked.

He nodded. "Comes and goes in intensity."

Simon was listening with rapt attention, but she didn't dare let him out of their sight. He was as vested in getting his mother out of jail as they were. "Jess's fleece is the key."

His frown was an obvious attempt to follow her through the pain of his headache. "The one with blood on it?"

"And the security footage might show it."

"Exactly." She gestured to a nearby bench on an empty beachside bike path. "Let's take a look."

Hez paused the video and zoomed in to get a better view. "I can't make out his face with that hood over it."

"He's got something in his hand!" Hez froze the screen again and enlarged the picture. "Do you recognize it?"

Hez exhaled. "We've got him."

***

Hez needed to buy time. If he didn't, they were all dead. And he needed to get that gun pointed away from Simon. "Hey, Beckett!"

The man froze, every muscle tensed.

Savannah examined her limbs and took a tentative step. "I—I think so."

"Me too," Simon added.

Savannah pulled out her phone. "I always have terrible reception here. I'll be right back. Come on, Simon."

Hez trained the gun on Beckett's midsection. "Stay where you are."

Beckett looked past Hez, and his swollen mouth stretched into a lopsided sneer. "Oh, I'm lucky all right. And you're not."

***

Savannah's head pounded, and she licked dry lips as she blinked and tried to clear her vision. Why couldn't she move? The drone of an engine penetrated her fuzzy brain, and she smelled seawater as she rolled over. The vibration of an inboard motor alarmed her, and she struggled up with her hands bound behind her.

A crooked smile chased away the pain in his face. "You can't get rid of me that easy."

"I don't want to get rid of you. I love you. I tried to tell myself I didn't, but it was a lie."

His gaze widened, and he struggled to sit up. "I wish you'd told me that when I could move my hands."

"You could kiss me again."

She started to lean down again, but a noise behind her brought panic surging in her chest, and she turned to see Beckett coming toward them with a pistol in his hand.

Simon stirred and woke crying. Savannah scooted toward him. "I'm here, honey."

"No!" Savannah struggled against the ties on her wrists. "No one who knows Hez would believe he'd hurt anyone."

Why wasn't Hez objecting or struggling? A smile pushed its way past the pain on his face. "You forgot one thing, Beckett."

Beckett barked out a derisive laugh. "And what's that?"

Beckett took a step back as the Coast Guard swarmed up the side of the boat.

***

Hez nodded. "Yes, Your Honor."

The judge flipped through an accordion folder of papers. "I don't see an opposition on file from the DA. Was one filed?"

Hez resisted the urge to let out a victory whoop. Hope had hinted that there was an internal debate at the DA's office over whether to dismiss all of the charges against Jess or just the charges related to Abernathy's murder. Hez had filed a motion to dismiss to force a decision out of them. It had been a gamble, but it just paid off.

Hez turned to Jess. Tears pooled in her eyes and her voice was rough. "Thank you!" To his utter amazement, she hugged him.

Five minutes later, he was in the corridor outside the courtroom, phone in hand. He couldn't wait to tell Savannah the good news. But before he could dial, someone called his name. He looked up and the clerk from the domestic relations courtroom hurried toward him, carrying a sheaf of papers.

Savannah was no longer his wife.

Simon punched the air. "Yes! That's ace!"

She took the paper and read it. The color drained from her face.

He motioned to Simon. "Let's go get your mom."