“That’s a lie.” The man’s eyes flicked between them again.

How did Eban remain so calm when her emotions were like a tornado ripping her apart? Darby’s mouth was bone dry and her arms ached with fatigue.

“It’s not fair!” Tim Carstairs cried out in anguish.

“You’re right, it isn’t fair,” Eban agreed. “Martin’s death is not fair. Losing your brother isn’t fair. It must be devastating.”

Darby could see the anger slowly leaching out of Tim Carstairs’s eyes but still he held the knife pressed against her skin. Eban was supporting the man’s grief. Validating his feelings. Labelling his emotion. And, in doing so, Tim was somehow being drained of his fury.

“I loved him.” Tim gulped.

“Would Martin have approved of how you’re treating an innocent woman?”

“How can you say she’s innocent? She was found in his house, with his body…” The sob would have pulled at her emotions if she wasn’t immobilized with terror. This brought everything sharply into focus. All the old fear and pain. All the present ugliness and danger.

Eban held his weapon on the man and narrowed his gaze. She understood what he was doing. He was looking for a clean shot with no one in the line of fire. Part of her brain was cataloguing the relevant details. Another part of her was disappearing inside herself again.

“Please don’t kill him,” she croaked.

Tim blinked a little in confusion.

“Darby is not guilty of hurting anyone. She is someone Martin cared about deeply.” Eban’s voice was calm and soothing despite the situation. “You’re attacking a woman who has suffered more than you could possibly know. She doesn’t deserve this. Would Martin have wanted you to do this?”

The man stared down into her eyes and swallowed. “No.”

Tim’s hands started to shake. Darby’s strength was close to being spent.

He suddenly withdrew the knife and then dropped it. He stared down at her like he wanted to hate her but didn’t know how to effectively do it.

Eban immediately took a step forward and grabbed the man’s wrist, kicking the knife away.

Torgerson came to the man’s other side and grabbed his other arm and they had him on the floor and in handcuffs as the detective read him his rights.

Eban turned back to where Darby lay stunned on the floor. She stared up at the massive chandelier above her head, letting the light dazzle her eyes. Tears formed as her throat swelled with emotion. People were taking photographs and humiliation swamped her.

“I can’t take this any longer, Eban,” she whispered.

His eyes were bright. He nodded, put his weapon away, leaned down and scooped her up into his arms along with all her belongings. Carried her out into the night.

* * *

“I’ve got you. You’re safe now.” Eban’s voice cracked as he carried Darby to his vehicle and opened the passenger side door, helping her inside.

Despite years of training and the experience of dealing with multiple crises, his heart was banging so hard he could hardly hear and his hands were shaking.