Chapter Thirty-Three

Darby followed Eban into the police department via the back door feeling happy and pleasantly achy. Thankfully, the press wasn’t there to ambush her this morning as it probably wouldn’t help her image to be smiling blissfully when this killer was still at large.

Bad enough that the first person she spotted inside the building was Signy Torgerson who swept her with a knowing smile.

“What?” Eban asked the detective sharply.

“Nothing.”

Darby looked away. She refused to feel anything except good about last night. Not only had it been incredible physically and mentally, but also in terms of her and Eban. While he hadn’t said anything outright, she believed he had feelings for her, and they were definitely not platonic. He was talking long haul and that gave her hope for the future. The first hope she’d had on a personal level for months.

It felt like a breakthrough moment, not only in her life, but also in her recovery. She wanted to discuss things with her therapist. Not the details, but the fact she’d had sex and enjoyed it. The fact she’d fallen asleep on a man and hadn’t woken up screaming in the dark. The fact she’d missed Eban when she woke up and he wasn’t there. The cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR she was doing was working for her. It was important Dr. Gleeson know he was helping her, especially after the theft of the videos which must feel like a kick to the gut to the man.

The recordings hadn’t turned up yet. Hopefully, they would be found before they were made public.

All of a sudden, ten feet ahead of them, Tim Carstairs appeared from a side corridor, led by a uniformed officer Darby didn’t recognize. She froze.

Part of her wanted to scoot behind Eban but that wasn’t her reclaiming who she’d used to be. That was running scared. Even so, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t relieved when Eban took a half-step in front of her.

Tim stopped and stared at her, eyes exact replicas of his brother’s except his were reddened and ravaged by grief and anger.

“I am so sorry for your loss,” she said quickly.

He opened his mouth and took a ragged breath. “I’ve been told I owe you an apology.”

She stared at him nervously.

“His friends told my mom they don’t think you did it. That something else is going on. That you are being framed, but I don’t understand.” He swallowed.

Her eyes flooded with tears. Her friends finally believed her. Relief hit her hard, but she tried to hide it.

“Darby isn’t at liberty to discuss the case and you shouldn’t be talking to her unless I am guessing wrong about the conditions of your bail,” Eban said harshly.

She clutched Eban’s arm. “Martin was a wonderful person and I’m sorry he was killed.”

“He was in love with you.”