Текст книги "Love or Justice"
Автор книги: Rachel Mannino
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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dante
The next few days passed in a haze of cooking, cleaning, basting, and laughter. Every opportunity they had, Laurie and Dante slipped away to be alone together. Though they spent almost every day together for the past several months, they couldn’t seem to get enough time alone to satisfy either of them. Laurie was asked to cook or clean or decorate. Dante was pulled away to work on their ‘project’ brewing in the barn, which only intensified his need to spend time with Laurie.
Thanksgiving itself was a flurry of activity, with the kitchen as a central hub. They spent all day there, except for the young boys. The dinner took place in the early evening. The table was full of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. It was every inch a celebration of the harvest and an occasion to be thankful for time spent together. Emma even choked up at the table, when she said how grateful she was that Dante was home.
For Dante, that was torture. He hated the idea of leaving, but he knew he had to do it. The plane was ready for take-off and waiting for them outside Omaha. He had packed his bag and hid it in the truck the night before. His resolve was sure, but it tore at him.
That night, he hardly slept. He awoke in the early morning hours. He rolled over to watch Laurie sleep for a while. Then he woke her up to make love to her one last time before he left. As she lay on his chest to fall back asleep, he just kept telling her that he loved her. He didn’t know if there was a God, but he took a minute to pray to whatever was out there that he would come home to her safe, and she would forgive him for leaving and not telling her.
When 4:00 a.m. came, he slipped from the bed. He took a few items from the room he wasn’t able to pack earlier, things he knew Laurie would notice if they went missing. Then he bent over the bed, kissed her goodbye, grabbed his coat, and walked across the floor to door. Without looking back, he opened the bedroom door. He saw his father at the top of the stairs, headed down.
Dante moved down the stairs, joining him at the front door. Dante peered into the living room, where the boys were sleeping. He saw Bob giving them both a parting kiss on the forehead. Bob joined them. Without a word, Albert opened the door. Dante and Bob moved outside, and Albert slid the door close without even a click. They opened the doors of the pick-up truck and they began pushing the truck down the driveway.
Dante’s hands felt like ice from touching the chilled metal. He smelled the frost and the cold earth in the early morning. It was quiet, pre-dawn quiet. Even the birds took no interest in being awake at this hour.
Halfway down the driveway, they all got in, turned on the engine, and Albert drove the rest of the way down the lane. He pulled out onto the two-lane road that ran toward the highway. The road was empty, the early morning still.
Crammed in the back of the cab, Dante watched the farmland fly by in a blur. It was a little over an hour before Albert pulled into a parking spot at the State Airfield. The attendant yawned as he unlocked the door, letting them in.
“The traffic controller’s still getting his coffee. He should be here soon though,” the teenager told them. Then he sat down in a chair beside the door to wait, his hoodie zipped and pulled over his eyes.
The three men nodded curtly and moved out onto the airfield. The plane was in the hangar, ready for take-off thanks to Bob’s friends. Bob ushered them onboard, then he began testing everything in preparation for take-off. Once he was satisfied, he radioed the tower. The sleepy voice on the other end didn’t give them much comfort, but Bob didn’t have much of a choice.
They taxied for a few minutes, lifted off smoothly, and began the long flight to the Hawaiian islands.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Laurie
Laurie was cold when she woke up. She felt around with her eyes still closed, but Dante wasn’t there. She opened her eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the window. There wasn’t a clock in the room, but she guessed she must have slept late. She smiled as she remembered why. Then she stretched. She lay with her eyes closed for a few minutes, but the cold got to her, and she rolled out of bed.
After dressing, she paused to stare at the top of her dresser. Some of Dante’s things were missing. His coat was gone. Agitation settled in her chest, but she tried to put her troubled mind to rest. He loaned some of his things to Bob, or maybe there was a camping trip in the works. She would find out where he was when she went downstairs. She threw her hair back into a ponytail and went down for breakfast.
When she reached the kitchen, Gabriella and Emma were sitting at the table. They were both tense, with their shoulders hunched up to their ears. They sat a few inches from one another, whispering together. Gabriella sipped her tea, with her hands wrapped around her cup for warmth, while Emma tapped Albert’s morning paper on the table, mimicking a ticking bomb with her perfect meter.
“Good morning.” Laurie crossed over to the coffee pot. “Where are all of the men this morning? Dante must have gotten tired of waiting for me to get up.”
Emma and Gabriella exchanged looks with each other.
“Honey, I think our foolish men left long before we got up.” Emma stopped tapping the newspaper.
“Where’d they go?” Laurie took a seat across from them.
“That’s a very good question.” Gabriella’s jaw clenched. “All three of them left, with their belongings, and the truck.”
“Dante didn’t say they were going anywhere. Why would they take their things with them?” Laurie cocked her head to the side.
“Laurie, has Dante said anything to you about the Kaimi investigation lately? Anything at all?” Emma gazed pointedly at her.
Laurie squirmed a bit, not wanting to implicate Albert.
“Yes.” She stared down into her coffee cup. “They found Katherine and Easton’s bodies. Kaimi dumped them in a reservoir. Why?”
“When did he tell you this?” Emma’s eyes were cold, angry; they made Laurie shiver. Now Laurie could believe Emma was ex-CIA.
“The night that Bob and Gabriella came.” Laurie flicked her eyes up at Gabriella.
“Was it Albert that told him that piece of news?” Emma’s voice turned icy.
Laurie flinched but said nothing.
“Oh, I can’t believe my foolish, foolish husband.” Emma rapped the paper on the table with a sharp swat.
“You don’t think they would have—” Gabriella started.
“No, I don’t think. I know.” Emma flushed with anger. “This is exactly what he used to do all the time. Take an assignment and vanish, then show up a few weeks later. When he was in the agency I understood, but now…”
“But Bob and Dante wouldn’t let that happen. They wouldn’t go with him.” Laurie shook her head.
“Wouldn’t they?” Emma waved the newspaper at her. “All three of them have spent their entire lives charging into war, or dangerous assignment after dangerous assignment. They would hardly say no to one more.”
Emma left the table, stalking over to her cabinets. She pawed through her pots and pans until she clunked one down onto the stove.
Laurie and Gabriella looked at each other.
“I have done nothing except give Albert a nice, restful retirement. Yet, all he does is find excuses to keep on living in the CIA.” Emma went to the pantry and yanked the door opened. She pulled out the large bag of oats as she boiled water for the oatmeal. Then she turned toward the two other women.
“How long has my husband been feeding Dante information?” Emma asked Laurie.
Laurie flinched.
“Almost since we got here.” Laurie stared into her coffee.
Emma swore under her breath.
“I should have known those posts were taking too long. I had just hoped they’d finally…” Emma paused, sighed and went back to the pot on the stove. She started to measure the oats, adding them to the pot.
“Emma, do you want me to just stay here with the boys?” Gabriella set down her tea.
“Don’t they have school?” Laurie raised her eyebrows.
“I homeschool them. Besides, when my husband comes back I want to be able to give him a piece of my mind the minute he comes in the door.” Gabriella folded her arms across her chest.
“Do you really think they’ve gone after Kaimi?” Worry settled into her stomach.
“Absolutely.” Emma slammed a cabinet door as she got out the juice glasses.
“I doubt they will even find him before they give up and come home. They’ll be fine.” Gabriella gave Laurie a reassuring smile.
This news did little to comfort Laurie. She nodded her head, but felt heartsick.
“Why didn’t they tell us they wanted to do this?” She looked up at Emma. Emma turned to her from the stove.
“Because they knew we flat out wouldn’t let them do it. A retired general, a retired CIA agent, and a discredited U.S. Marshal traipsing about Hawaii looking for a well-known murderer. They’ll be arrested before they even get near Kaimi. When it happens, I’m not bailing them out. Furthermore, if my son hasn’t lost his job for vanishing with you, than he will when he shows up in Hawaii without you.” Emma turned back to the stove stirring the oatmeal vigorously.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I’m sorry I caused all this.” Laurie crossed her arms over her chest.
“Oh, no, honey. You can’t take any of the credit for this. It’s their fault, Kaimi, my husband, my son, and Bob. They’re responsible for this havoc. I cannot believe they would do it.” Emma slammed the wooden spoon down on the stove.
Laurie nodded, as she peered into her coffee cup for answers. Now what was she supposed to do? She had followed Dante’s lead up until now, but he was gone without a word. She wanted to chase after him. She wanted to board a plane and go back to Hawaii, but Hawaii equaled death for her. He was all that stood between her and Kaimi’s hit men; well, besides herself and her own instincts. No, no. She had made a home here now. As long as Emma would let her stay, she would. She had to stay hidden, she had to stay safe. She was going to testify at Kaimi’s trial even if it was the last thing she did.
“Emma, can you teach me to shoot? To protect myself?” Laurie asked. Emma turned with a quizzical look.
“Why?” Emma’s eyes narrowed. Laurie lowered her voice, so the boys couldn’t hear over the TV.
“So if anything happens, I can fight back. Dante, Albert, and Bob could all shoot, but they’re all gone now. You learned to shoot at the agency, and Gabriella learned in the Air Force. Everyone can defend themselves but me, and I’m the one that needs to defend myself more than any of you.” Laurie gestured to herself.
Emma looked thoughtful for a minute or two, studying Laurie.
“Yes, we can do that. I can show you a lot about self-defense. But you can’t shoot my son when he comes back.” Emma pointed the wooden spoon at her.
Laurie chuckled.
“I promise it will only be for defense. I don’t want to shoot him.” Laurie shook her head.
“Really? I know I’m tempted.” Emma leaned over the oatmeal. Laurie and Gabriella smiled at each other for the first time that morning, as Emma began scooping the oatmeal out into large bowls. Then she brought the bowls over to the table.
Laurie looked at the oatmeal, but her stomach turned sour. She wasn’t hungry, at least not enough to counterbalance the ball of nerves rolling around in her stomach. The boys joined them for breakfast.
As soon as the boys wandered back to the TV, the women began making plans to train Laurie in firearms and self-defense. Then they made plans for schooling the boys while they were staying in Nebraska, and upkeep around the farm for the winter. They didn’t know when the men would be back, but the women were going to make sure they didn’t have time to miss them very much.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Dante
Dante squinted, looking out over the parking lot at Bradshaw. He had hoped the truck might still be there, but it was gone. He sighed. Any pretense of returning to his normal life here vanished. Dante turned to his father.
“Do we have everything? It’s going to be a long hike. We won’t get there until nightfall.” Dante nodded to their packs.
“We’re ready.” Albert adjusted the pack on his shoulders.
Bob nodded. Bob was pale and red-eyed from flying for several hours while Albert and Dante slept.
Dante knew Bob had grown accustomed to long missions without sleep, but he wondered if Bob was a little far from those days.
“All right, we’re headed toward the volcano.” Dante foisted his pack onto his back.
Dante led them down the side of the highway to the access road leading to the Mauna Kea State Park. Then they branched off on a trail that ran along Mauna Road. After a few hours, they stopped for a break. They sank down onto the grass of the embankment. Dante looked at his father and uncle; both of them were panting, sweating from the heat and the physical labor. The sheen of perspiration turned their skin a pasty grey. They seemed frail to him, old, as they struggled to breathe. The sweat enhanced their wrinkles and dampened their grey hairs. It made Dante doubt their mission. He wondered whether it was a mistake to come here. Now that they had come all this way, he doubted their pride would let them turn back without finding something out about Kaimi.
Dante resolved himself to go slower for the rest of the day, to make them rest more than what he would if he was on his own. He let them take an extra-long break, as Bob lay down in the grass beside the trail to take a combat nap. Dante made sure they drank extra water, because the day was muggy—a shock to their systems given where they had just come from.
After their break, they hiked several more hours up the trail, before it broke off to the right. Dante paused there. If he went straight ahead, he would go down to the waterfall he had taken Laurie to the last time he was here. It made the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile to think of her as she was on that day. The thought was so delicious, he suggested they stop there for lunch. They broke out their food then ate in virtual silence, each man keeping his own thoughts.
After they rested, they turned down the trail that led into the Hilo Forest Reserve. They descended downward for a long while, climbing over logs and stones thrown down from the volcano. The humidity deepened. The sweat dripped down their faces like rain. They were able to move faster now, descending downward until they hit a gentle rolling land base. Despite taking frequent breaks, Dante was surprised with how quickly they reached the tree line above the Hilo safe house.
Dante pulled out his binoculars and surveyed the house in the dim twilight. There were no cars he could see, no movement. In fact, he could still see the crime scene tape surrounding the property. He pulled out his uncle’s infrared goggles. There was nothing but greens and blues. No one was there.
He motioned them forward. In slow, lumbering moves, Bob and Albert picked themselves up from the forest floor, following Dante to the patio of the safe house. Dante left them there as he walked around the perimeter. The windows had been replaced; the beaten doors riddled with bullet holes had been put back. Otherwise, the place looked untouched from the attack that occurred months ago. The doors were still sealed with crime scene tape, which gave Dante pause before he split it open. Then he slid his key into the lock, turned the knob, and entered the house from the front.
Now he knew the house had been undisturbed since he left it. The counters had a thin layer of dust. Dishes were still sitting in the drain board. Broken glass sparkled at the base of every window. Dante walked the length of the kitchen, thinking of his race to get to Cheyn. He wondered how his friend was doing, and wished he could call him. He knew he couldn’t.
Dante entered the living room, took a brief sweeping glance of it, then opened the patio door to let in Albert and Bob.
The two men entered. They looked around the house. They observed the bullet holes littering the wall, the cracked TV screen, and the bloodstains on the carpet where men had died.
“Must have been quite a firefight.” Bob surveyed the damage to the wall beside him.
“It was.” He turned away, leading them into the kitchen.
Dante looked through the canned goods he had bought months before. He swept the broken glass off the counter, then evaluated the refrigerator. It had been emptied and cleaned. Dante gave silent thanks for that. He pulled out some pasta and sauce from the cabinet and began making them dinner.
Albert and Bob sat at the table exhausted.
“How far is the campsite we’re going to?” Bob laid his head in his hands.
“A hike,” Dante replied over his shoulder. “But not like the one we had today. It should be half-a-day.”
“Oh, is that all?” Bob gave a rueful smile.
“You’ll feel better after you’ve had a full night’s rest.” Dante smiled into the boiling water.
“Good. I was starting to worry.” Bob wiped the sweat from his brow. Dante turned to his father and uncle.
“When is the rental car company picking us up?” Dante leaned against the counter.
“Tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.” He spread his map out on the table. “The motel is booked just for the night, and we’ll get the rental boat in the morning.”
“Good.” Dante turned back to his boiling pot of water.
Albert made a non-committal grunt, as he continued to peer at the map.
Dante broke open the box of pasta, dumping it all in. Then he opened the sauce, and poured it into another pot. A cell phone rang, which caused Dante to jump, swinging around.
His father reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, his eyes never leaving the map.
“Hello?” Albert asked into the receiver. There was a long pause as Albert listened. “I see. So they didn’t find anything?”
Dante turned his back on the conversation. He poured the cooked noodles into a strainer, shut off the bubbling sauce, and got out the plates.
“Are there any new leads?” Albert asked. “Uh-huh. That’s interesting. I see. Well, if I can be of any help, please let me know. Thank you. Goodbye.”
“Dinner’s ready.” Dante pulled a lump of noodles out of the strainer.
“That was one of our field agents out here—an old trainee of mine.” Albert smirked. “The FBI raided the Molokai house a week ago, but they didn’t find any evidence of Kaimi.”
“We gathered that from your end of the conversation already.” Dante’s jaw hardened.
“What did he say about the new leads?” Bob massaged the back of his neck as he leaned on the table.
“Well, the FBI has requested the assistance of the CIA. The agency has pulled the file on Kaimi going all the way back to my reports. Anything that has been declassified has been sent over to the FBI,” Albert said.
“What does that mean?” Dante put their plates in front of them.
“It means they have no idea where he is.” Bob attacked a mouthful of dinner.
“It means they’re looking for something.” Albert gave Bob a pointed look. “They must think there’s something in those files that will point them in the right direction. They wouldn’t even think of digging through years of paperwork without the need.”
Dante ran his hand down his face. His weariness overcame him. He didn’t want to be here. The truth was, he didn’t want to be anywhere without Laurie.
“Which isn’t going to be very helpful to us until they find a new lead.” Dante shook his head. “We could be waiting for weeks just to hear something.”
“Not if we find the connection first.” Albert smiled.
“How are you going to do that without the bloody files?” Bob pointed his fork at Albert. Albert looked at him, his grin widening. “Don’t tell me you’re going to pull the file out of your hat.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, of course not. I have it on a thumb drive.” Albert took a large bite out of his spaghetti. Bob and Dante both stared at him.
“Do you have updated information on Kaimi? More than just your own work?” Dante leaned forward.
“Up to the last CIA report about a year ago. Nothing leading up to the kidnapping or since then, but if the FBI wants all of those files, then we do too.” Albert gave a nod of finality.
“How come you haven’t said anything about this until right now?” Dante lifted his hands in frustration.
“Wasn’t relevant at the time.” Albert shrugged. “But now it is.”
Dante shook his head.
“Well, let’s hope we can figure something out before anyone figures us out.” Dante poked at his dinner.
“Oh we will.” Albert took a long drink of water. “The CIA will only send over the declassified files to the FBI. I have all of the files.”
Dante looked at his father, who grinned like he just won an Olympic medal. Dante laughed. Of course, his father had the classified files.
“Do you have a computer here?” Bob looked at Dante. Dante’s brow knit.
“No. I don’t. I can check around. I’ll see if they took Max or David’s with them when they cleaned up the house. I’m sure Cheyn came back for his. Mine went with me to the other safe house in Kona.” His eyes flicked up to the second level of the house, and then back to the table.
After dinner, Dante led Albert and Bob upstairs. He paused over the spot where David died. He felt his pack grow heavy, his shoulders slumped with the weight. Dante’s mind wandered over that night. The alarmed cry from downstairs, the sound of gunfire, the smell of blood and sweat, Laurie’s tear soaked face as he half-dragged her out of the house. They all flashed in his memory.
“Son?” Albert grabbed his shoulder. Dante shook himself out of it.
“Yeah—sorry.” Dante moved further down the hall.
Albert and Bob exchanged glances, but said nothing.
Dante threw his pack into his old room. He told Bob to take Laurie’s. Then he entered Max’s old room with his father. One glance told him all of Max’s things were gone. The room hadn’t been cleaned, but his belongings had all been removed. Dante went into David’s room next. All of David’s belongings were still there. His wife was probably about to give birth, or had just given birth. David’s sparse belongings were probably not her highest priority. Dante crouched beside the bed, peering under it, where he had seen David stow his laptop. It was there, waiting for him like a parting gift. Dante scooped it up and dumped it on the bed.
“It’s still here.” Dante’s chest lifted and he said a silent prayer of thanks.
“Good. Let’s tell the rental car company we’ve decided to stay at the campsite for a bit longer. I’ll cancel the motel and postpone the boat. We’ll need time to analyze the data.” Albert took the laptop from the bed.
“We should keep the rental to go for groceries. I can hike up to the campsite tomorrow and take care of that.” Dante sat down heavily on the bed. Bob and Albert nodded.
“How do you want to work this Albert?” Bob gestured to the laptop.
“We can each take shifts with the computer. We’ll read the reports. Mark down any significant locations that are mentioned. We can start a matrix with the report name, location, and page number so we can go back to it. If a certain location has a lot of significance—a reported hide out, or if the CIA suspected someone gave Kaimi cover, then we’ll have a clear record of it. If something keeps popping up, that will stand out too. Get some sleep. We can start on this first thing tomorrow.” Albert set the laptop on the bedside table.
“Yes, sir, General Stark.” Dante saluted him with tired smile.
“Hey! There is only one general in this family, and it ain’t him.” Bob wagged his finger at him.
Dante chuckled, as he dragged himself off the bed. Exhaustion sank in. He walked the house with his father and uncle to help them get their bearings. They took pictures of how the place looked, so they could return the house to an almost identical state before they left. They resolved to use electricity and heat for as little as possible, to reduce the likelihood anyone in the Marshals Service would catch their intrusion. Then they took turns showering quickly, before falling into bed exhausted.
***
Laurie
Laurie raised her head up from the toilet. She gripped the seat, pushing herself off the floor with trembling arms. She still felt so nauseous, but nothing was happening. She might as well go downstairs.
Laurie walked back into her bedroom in shuffling steps. The wind outside the house rattled the windows and sent a chill through her. She looked at her bed, sighing. She’d hardly slept since Dante left. Her nightmares had come back, more vivid than ever. When she wasn’t at their mercy, she lay awake wondering where Dante was and if they were all okay.
She dressed, throwing her hair back into a ponytail. She knew there were bags under her eyes and her skin was blotchy from lack of sleep, but she didn’t have enough energy to put on make-up. She made her way down the stairs holding tight to the railing, as she worked hard to put one foot in front of the other. When she reached the kitchen, Emma and Gabriella looked up, then exchanged worried glances.
“Oh honey, are you still not feeling well?” Emma clasped her hands together.
“No. Not at all.” She dropped into a seat at the kitchen table.
“How about some juice?” Emma got up. “Do you want anything to eat?”
“I can’t eat anything, but I’ll take the juice.” Laurie rested her head in her hands.
“Laurie, you’ve been like this for a few days now. I think we need to take you to the doctor.” An edge of authority slipped into Gabriella’s voice.
Laurie sighed. She hated doctors, but she was so tired of fighting them on this.
“Okay.” She laid her head down on the table as her stomach turned over again. She might not want to go, but if the doctor could at least tell her what was going on, it would be worth it.
Emma set down some juice and saltines in front of her. Laurie picked up the juice, taking a small sip.
“Well, the nearest doctor’s down in Fremont.” Emma rubbed Laurie’s shoulders.
“Great.” She spared the saltines a heated glare before turning her attention back to her juice.
“I know something that might make you feel better.” Gabriella flicked her eyes up at Emma.
Laurie eyed them suspiciously.
“My lovely son sent us a message.” Emma walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up a piece of paper.
Laurie almost dropped her juice. She tightened her grip on the glass, then she swallowed and looked at Emma.
“What? When? Where?” Laurie leaned forward onto the table.
“He e-mailed me, from a generic account.” Emma handed Laurie a piece of paper.
Laurie read the header, an e-mail from ‘John Smith.’ It was a rambling e-mail about gardening. Her brows knit together as she looked to Emma.
“It’s in code.” Emma nodded to the paper. “I used to play a game with him when he was a child. He would write in code. Take every third letter in each sentence and it makes a different sentence.”
Emma reached over and flipped the piece of paper. On the back, scribbled in Emma’s handwriting, were two simple sentences:
Close to Kaimi. We are fine.
“They’re okay.” Laurie breathed a sigh of relief.
The barest edge of Laurie’s tension slid away from her shoulders. She placed the piece of paper down on the table. Laurie stroked it with her index finger. Dante was okay. They were getting close to Kaimi. She hoped it were true on one hand, wanting to see the man behind bars. On the other, she wished Dante would give up this insane hunt and come back home.
“They’re just fine.” Emma said with a sneer as she walked away from the table.
Emma looked so wound with tension, Laurie thought she might explode. Every movement she made nudged her along the path of a dangerous fuse.
“What’s wrong, Emma? Aren’t you glad they’re okay?” Gabriella quirked an eyebrow at her.
“Oh, I’m glad, Gabriella. I’m very glad my retired husband and son are out hunting a killer.” Emma jerked open the pantry door, turning toward them.
“They’re going to be okay. They’re all highly trained—” Gabriella began.
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Emma came toward her. “That they all come out of this just fine, and then they’ll come back here full of their own invincibility. Then what happens next time? What happens when my husband goes running off on yet another mission and Bob and Dante aren’t around? He just can’t…he can’t keep doing this forever.”
Emma dissolved into tears, as she sat back down at the table.
Laurie reached over to rub Emma’s shoulder.
Gabriella got up to hug her.
Emma had voiced a secret fear they all had. They hated to admit it, but the men coming home unharmed was the least of their worries.
Laurie loved Dante. Yet, if he succeeded and found Kaimi, she would have to go back to Hawaii. Dante would go back with her to stand in the line of fire, ready to protect her for as long as they let him. There was no guarantee the Marshals Service would let him protect her for long. They would hide her somewhere. Who knows if they would even let her speak to him. God, she might never even see Dante again. The thought made her heart twist in her chest.
However, the Marshals Service didn’t know where she was hiding. If…no, she wouldn’t go there. When Dante returned safely, they could stay here for as long as they wanted.
Laurie pushed that thought away as well. Without her testimony, the prosecutor would have little proof that Kaimi killed Katherine and Easton, at least not enough to convict. She was the evidence that tied him to the crime. She couldn’t just let that go.
She would have to make a choice. She honestly didn’t know what she would do when the time came, so she stared at the table in despair.
