Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
They fell into a routine at the beach. Juliana cooked for them, they took long walks—with cops trailing close behind—they played board games, and watched movies. On the third day they tuned in to a TV news special about the Benedetti trial.
“There’s Tom and his wife, Jane,” Michael said when the cameras followed them into the hospital to visit the family of Officer Brown, who was still in a coma.
“They look like Ken and Barbie.”
Michael smiled at her description. “They’re the perfect political couple. I hear he’s going to run for Maryland attorney general next year, and I have no doubt he’ll win unless we somehow fail to convict the Benedettis.”
“What would that mean for you?”
Michael shrugged. “He could take me with him to Annapolis, or I could work for the new state’s attorney if he or she wanted me. But I’ve been thinking about hanging up my prosecutor’s hat when this trial’s over.”
Juliana turned to him. “Really?”
“I’ve had enough. I was sort of reaching that point before this case—and this one’s just worn me out.
I’m so sick of dealing with the dregs of society.
You finish one hideous case, and there’s another one right behind it.
Just when you think you’ve seen everything, you confront some other example of how evil mankind can be.
Young victims, old victims, kids, babies, I’ve seen them all.
” He shook his head. “No one’s immune. And no matter how well we do our jobs, the victims are never entirely satisfied because their lives are still in ruins.
It’s like what Monique said—having the bad guys in jail doesn’t always matter to the victims the way you think it will.
The person they lost is still dead. They were still raped or assaulted or burglarized.
They’re always afraid. For the rest of their lives they’re afraid. ”
Mesmerized, Juliana hung on his every word.
All of a sudden he seemed to realize he had said more than he’d meant to. “So it might be time for a change.”
“But you’re so good at it. I remember when I told my co-worker Carol that I’d met you on the airplane.
She’s Timmy Sargant’s cousin.” Juliana referred to one of the slain teenagers.
“Carol said you’d been so good to her aunt and uncle.
I didn’t know you very well yet, but even then I could picture how wonderful you would’ve been with them. ”
“That’s nice to hear. I try to always remember I work for the people, especially those who’ve been victimized. I just worry I’ll start to become immune to it all, that I won’t have any reaction when I see a baby without a head or a rape victim beaten to within an inch of her life.”
“I don’t think you could ever become immune to those things. That’s just not who you are.”
“Well, nothing’s going to happen right away. I meant it when I told Rachelle’s parents that going after the people who attacked her will be my top priority once the trial is over.”
A photo of Officer Brown flashed onto the TV screen.
“Remember Scott laughing at my haircut?” Michael asked.
Juliana nodded. “That seems like years ago rather than weeks.”
For the first time they also showed the poisoned pizza being delivered on videotape that had finally been released to the media.
Juliana gasped when she saw the deliveryman’s face. “Oh God, Michael! That’s him!” she sputtered. “The guy who talked to me on the street, the same one I saw in Newport!”
Michael sat up. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Positive.”
Michael went outside to have a word with the cops. He came back in a few minutes later looking pale.
“What?” Juliana asked. “What did they say?”
“They’ve identified him as Roberto Escalada. He’s a hired gun.”
“What does that mean?”
“They were planning to kill me,” he said haltingly, “but he must’ve never gotten the chance. He even followed us to Newport.”
Juliana’s hand flew to her mouth as she broke down.
“Baby, if they catch him…”
The look on his face stopped her heart. “What? Michael…”
“You’ll have to pick him out of a lineup. You’re the only one who’s actually seen him.”
“How can that be? He delivered the pizza…”
“He delivered it to Scott. If he doesn’t recover—”
“No, no,” she whispered as it set in that if she was the only one who could identify a killer, she would be in the same situation Rachelle had been in.
Michael put his arms around her and dropped his head onto her shoulder. “I’ve dragged you into a freaking nightmare.”
Shell-shocked, Juliana said, “Maybe there’s someone else who saw him. There were other cops at the hotel, weren’t there?”
He looked at her with shattered eyes and shook his head. “They were asleep.”
“What about people at the hotel?”
“No one remembers seeing him.”
“But I didn’t see him at the hotel,” she argued, pulling free of his embrace to pace the room.
“You can tie him to me and the trial and thus to the Benedettis. The tape puts him at the hotel.”
“You were with me in Newport. You saw him, too.”
“I didn’t see his face.”
“Maybe they won’t find him.”
“Then he gets away with poisoning Rachelle and Scott.”
“Oh, Michael,” she said, sobbing.
He went to her. “No one will ever hurt you. Not as long as I have a breath left in me.”
“I’m scared.”
He brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “When I went outside I asked them what they knew about the guy on the tape. I didn’t tell them you recognized him.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t involve you unless I absolutely have to—unless there’s no other way. Let’s just wait and see what happens.”
She nodded and rested against him as they absorbed yet another blow.
Michael went into caretaker mode that night. He grilled steaks and made salad for dinner, which he served with a bottle of wine he “borrowed” from Tom’s wine cellar. Juliana pushed the food around on her plate, and only when Michael urged her to eat did she make an attempt.
After dinner, he lit a dozen candles in the master bathroom and drew a bubble bath for her.
She was soaking in the big tub when he brought her another glass of wine.
“I could get used to this treatment.”
“That would be fine with me.” He leaned over to kiss her and then sat down next to the tub.
Extending a soapy hand to him, she laced her fingers through his and gave a tug.
He laughed. “You are not pulling me in there.”
“Come on.”
“Why don’t you come out here if you want to play?”
“Yeah?” she asked, realizing they hadn’t made love since Rachelle was attacked.
He pulled on her hand to encourage her out of the tub.
She stood up, covered with suds.
He scooped her into his arms and carried her to bed.
“Michael! I’m all wet!”
“Perfect,” he said with a lecherous grin as he lowered himself down on top of her.
Laughing, she buried her hands in his hair and kissed him. When he came up for air, she brushed the suds off his face. “You’re overdressed.” Reaching for his now-damp sweater, she pulled it off.
He filled his hands with her breasts and dipped his head to feast on her. “I must’ve been a very naughty boy,” he sputtered against her breast. “I’m getting my mouth washed out with soap.”
“You’re the one who wanted to skip the whole towel portion of the bath,” she reminded him.
Her breath got caught in her throat when he rolled her nipple between his teeth.
“Michael,” she sighed, pushing him onto his back and undressing him.
She kissed her way from his chest to his belly.
Wrapping her hand around his erection, she stroked him.
He closed his eyes and released a long deep breath when she took him into her mouth. “Oh, God, Juliana,” he said with a shudder.
She drove him to the brink with a combination of lips and tongue and teasing teeth. Then she straddled him and took him in.
Rolling her hips back and forth, the sensations were so intense, so overwhelming that she bit her lip to keep from crying out. When he reached for her breasts, a jagged, breathless cry of complete surrender escaped from her parted lips.
“Juliana.” His voice choppy and hoarse with emotion, he slid his hands down to her hips and came with a great cry of his own.
She slumped down on top of him.
“Just when I think it can’t get any better,” he whispered, closing his arms tight around her.
Brushing her lips over his, she said, “It gets better every time.”
“If it gets any better, we’re apt to spontaneously combust.”
She laughed and rested her head on his chest to listen to the rapid beat of his heart, reveling in the knowledge that only she had the power to do that to him.
Long after Michael fell asleep next to her, Juliana lay awake, afraid to close her eyes.
Every time she did, she saw Roberto Escalada’s face.
If he had tried to kill Rachelle, he could certainly come after her, too.
The thought terrified her, and she was unable to control the trembling that shook her body.
“Baby, what’s the matter?” Michael asked, stifling a yawn.
“I’m scared.”
He pulled her tight against him. “I’m right here. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“He’s out there somewhere. He might even be outside right now, and we’d never know it.”
“There’re cops all over the place.”
“Rachelle had cops with her, too.”
“Do you know what I realized earlier?”
She turned to look at him. “What?”
He rested the palm of his hand on her face. “That if you hadn’t moved in when you did and had the confrontation on the street with Escalada, I never would’ve asked for police protection. I’d probably be dead by now without you.”
Her eyes burned with tears. “I came so close to leaving that day.”
Leaning over to kiss her, he said, “I’m so glad you stayed, for many, many reasons, but I hate that I’ve put you in so much danger.”
“There’s one thing I still don’t understand.”
He yawned again. “What’s that?”
“Why would they want to kill you? I mean, I know they see you as the guy who’s single-handedly trying to put them in jail, but they have to know someone else would take over the case if they killed you. So why bother?”
“Well, no one else knows the case the way I do, so they’d have a definite advantage with a new prosecutor. They might’ve also been aiming to bring about a mistrial.”
“But why? They’re already in jail, so what’s in it for them to delay it? Wouldn’t it be better for them to get it over with and maybe get off and out of jail sooner?”
“There’s almost no way they’re going to get off. Even without Rachelle, the case is very strong. They know that.”
“I still don’t get it.”
Michael thought about that for a moment. “Unless…”
“What?”
He sat up. “Unless they’re planning something big and needed to buy some time to get their shit together.” Getting up, he tugged on his jeans.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to call Tom. I’ll be right back.”