36. Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Six
C ody stood on the porch steps and watched the coroner’s van and police cars drive away. Governor Harris stood beside him, silent. His pale face remained pensive, his mind turned inward, leaving his eyes blank.
“Go home,” Cody ordered.
The governor shook himself out of his stupor. “Huh. Right. Nothing left to do, I guess.”
“Except cover this up too, right?”
“How do I explain away my son breaking out of a mental institution, stealing a gun from my home, and coming here to terrorize Brooke, the last victim of the campus stalker, and committing suicide in her bedroom?”
“I don’t know. Seems to me, the truth always comes out, no matter how much we deny it or try to hide it.”
Cody had done that with Kristi, uncovering her treachery to get him to marry her. He’d done it with Brooke, denying his love for her until he just couldn’t do it anymore. She saw right through him anyway. So did Kristi. So did everyone else.
This went far beyond denial and went straight to unhinged.
You just couldn’t make these things up.
Governor Harris might have gotten away with covering up the attacks on campus by hiding Adam away in the mental hospital, but Adam coming here tonight and doing what he did made him look guilty as hell. No reporter worth their salt would buy that he came here for any other reason than that he needed to see Brooke—the object of his obsession. That his guilt put that gun to his head.
“I don’t know what to do. My wife is so far gone with grief and guilt that we couldn’t help Adam, I’m not sure she’ll recover from this.”
“Give her time. Love her. Spend time with her. Remind her of all the good times. But never forget that this could have been prevented if he’d been in a cell. Still, I’m sorry for your loss.”
Governor Harris stared at him, his eyes wide with surprise.
“What? Adam was mentally unstable. I may have wanted to kill him for hurting Brooke and killing my daughter, but deep down, I never wanted this.”
“I’m sorry for everything he’s put you through. Everything he’s done to Brooke.”
Cody stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. “Me, too.”
Governor Harris held up the phone in his hand. “The police chief left me a message. After Brooke told us about Adam’s confession, they tracked Kristi to the airport, where they apprehended her ten minutes ago with her passport in hand and a ticket to Montenegro.”
“Let me guess…no extradition treaty.”
Governor Harris nodded. “Seems you like smart women.” He looked up at the house. “What are you going to do about Kristi?”
“I went to college with the DA’s son. I’m going to take a page from your book and use that connection to make sure Kristi is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law for what she tried to do to the woman I love.”
“I understand that desire to protect someone you love. I hope you understand that’s all I was trying to do with Adam. I thought he would come home after he snuck out. Or even turn himself in to the police. I don’t know which one I hoped for more as I looked for him.”
Cody knew now that the governor had been discreetly using his resources to find Adam the last two days. He wished the governor and his people had found Adam.
But then again, without Adam’s help, he wouldn’t have known Kristi started the fire. He’d found out tonight that surveillance footage from street cams and neighboring businesses by the corner where Kristi pushed Brooke into the street had captured the moment it happened. Plus they had the license number from Adam and his confession to Brooke that he’d seen it all go down.
Cody planned to visit Kristi soon.
Governor Harris backed down one of the steps. “I hope you and Brooke will be very happy together. I wish you nothing but utter joy from here on out. And if either of you ever need anything…don’t hesitate to call. I owe you.”
Cody shook his head. “One day, I might collect, even though Brooke and I know you were only trying to protect your child.”
They shared a long look of understanding.
Cody rolled his tired shoulders. “Would you like me to call someone to take you home?”
“No. The drive will do me good. Give me time to think of a way to explain all this to my wife.”
“It’s simple. Adam couldn’t live with what he’d done. For all he did to those girls, to Brooke. He felt remorse. He didn’t want to hurt them. He just couldn’t help himself. You’re the governor of the state. At least for now. You implement policy. You have the power and the platform to help the mentally ill. Turn this tragedy into something good. Maybe what your wife needs to get over this is a cause to champion.”
“Yes. Do something positive. Make a difference for those in need.”
“I hope you do. I’d like to see it. But it also wouldn’t surprise me if you spun what happened tonight into another tragic story about how you were getting Adam the help you thought he needed, never knowing what he’d done on campus, until he came to apologize to the one person he couldn’t leave without telling her how sorry he was for what he’d done.” It wasn’t like the governor hadn’t already thought of this scenario. Of course he had. Cody just wanted him to know that he knew the governor’s mind and what was coming.
The governor eyed him. “I would keep Brooke’s name out of it if I could.”
“Victims should always be protected.” He put the warning in his voice.
Uncertainty clouded his shrewd eyes for a split second. “I don’t know if even I can keep her name out of this.”
Cody gritted his teeth. “You can turn the focus from her and keep it on Adam and helping those in crisis.” He hated everything about this conversation, but if it helped keep Brooke out of the spotlight faster, then he’d suffer through it and whatever came next. Anything for her.
“It will be difficult, but nothing’s impossible.” Governor Harris stared off in the distance. “Goodnight and good luck. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”
“Thanks.” Cody didn’t need luck or the congratulations. He only needed the woman he loved.
He worried he’d lost her again tonight. If she faded back into the darkness, lost herself in the nightmares Adam left her with, he didn’t know what he’d do.
Actually, yes, he did.
He’d love her back to him.
God, he hoped Brooke had it in her to fight her way back one more time.
The governor drove away and Cody walked into the house and made his way to his office well past three in the morning. He found Brooke curled into the corner of the sofa. She stared at the black windows, only able to see the dim room reflected back at her. Susanne sat beside her, holding her hand. He closed the distance and kneeled beside the sofa in front of her.
He placed his hand on her leg.
She flinched away, sucking in a quick breath, staring wide-eyed at him. The second she realized it was him, she sighed and put her hand over his.
“The police and governor just left.”
“It’s all done?”
“Yes, honey, they took Adam away.”
“Okay.” She leaned forward and traced her fingers over his brow and into his hair, holding on to his head. “You look so tired. We should go to bed.”
He laid his head in her lap and wrapped her in his arms for a moment. He needed her close, to feel her breath wash over his skin, her body pressed to his.
She brushed her fingers through his hair over and over again, then sighed. “It’s going to be okay.”
He believed her, because she believed it.