Raine stood at her back doors, looking out at the view of the preservation area that once had given her peace. Now nothing gave her peace.
Three months ago, her world had been filled with new hope and possibilities. But a lot had happened in those three months.
Callum had betrayed her.
The board denied her appeal.
Her brother was murdered by the state.
She drew a ragged breath, the pain still so fresh it was as if it had all happened yesterday. Not the physical pain, the wounds that Knox had inflicted. Those were mostly healed. It was the anguish, the heartache that she doubted would ever heal.
So much had been left unsaid. Her brother had refused to even talk to her the day of his execution. Instead, he’d sent a brief note saying he loved her and to please remember him kindly. That was it. How was she supposed to heal the hole in her heart with a stupid note?
And how was she supposed to move forward when there was another hole to fill, the one left by Callum?
She blew out a long breath, then turned to study the progress she’d made in the past week. Most everything was packed into boxes and labeled either to be given to charity or to go into storage. The few things she was keeping would go with her. There was nothing left for her here. Her parents were gone. Her brother was gone. The long hours she’d dedicated to work and to the fight to save Joey had deprived her of any close friends. And the fulfillment she used to get from her job had evaporated. She’d resigned, cutting the last link she had with Athens.
Well, except for the Claremonts.
They’d always been so kind to her. Even when she’d told them that she’d finally accepted her brother’s guilt, and apologized for the pain her ignorance and Joey’s horrible actions had caused them, they only offered love and support in return. Never any judgment or condemnation. But even though they’d no doubt welcome her if she went to see them in the future, she didn’t plan to ever darken their doorstep again. It was time to let the past go. It was time to move on, literally.
If she was going to live again, to find joy again, somehow she had to find a new purpose in her life. Saving Joey had been the impetus behind almost every adult decision she’d made. Without that need, that drive, she was floundering. Lost. And ashamed.
Because she missed Callum far more than she did her brother.
She’d loved Joey, still did. But time had a way of clearing the veils she’d had over her eyes for so long. Had they ever really been close? No. He was dating and partying when she was still in elementary school. They hadn’t seen each other much growing up because he moved out on his own while she was still living with their parents. But he was all she had. And when that was threatened, she’d dedicated her life to fixing the wrong, to getting justice. But she was no longer sure what justice meant in Joey’s case.
Everything Callum and the other investigators at Unfinished Business had found only supported her brother’s guilt and reinforced what was said in the trial. And her brother had confessed. Was she too blinded by her own determination to see the truth? Her heart said no. But her mind, her logic, that supposed intelligence Callum had admired, all said something completely different.
That Joey had murdered Alicia Claremont.
She scanned the boxes piled high in her family room again. What was she going to do next? Where was she going to go? How would she ever find peace and happiness in the wreckage that her life had become?
The doorbell chimed, startling her. She certainly wasn’t expecting anyone. It was probably a salesman who’d managed to sneak past the guard at the gate. It wouldn’t be the first time.
She headed to the front door and looked through the peephole. A trim dark-skinned man in a light gray business suit stood there, a black leather satchel in his hand.
“Yes?” she called out.
“Ma’am, Ms. Quintero, my name is Noah Reid. Callum Wright may have mentioned me?”
She blinked, then slowly opened the door. “Mr. Reid. You’re the one who helped Callum and me get to see my brother without having to wade through red tape. Thank you.”
He smiled. “It’s always my pleasure to help Callum. I’m forever in his debt. He saved my life once, nearly died himself doing it. Did he tell you about that?”
She shook her head. “No. He didn’t.”
“Well, that’s a story for another day.” His smile faded. “My condolences about your brother. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“I appreciate that.”
He held up the satchel. “If you have a few minutes, there are some things that I feel you should know.”
“Oh, of course. Where are my manners? Come in, please.”
RAINE STOOD ON the unfamiliar porch checking the address on her phone one more time. This was the right place. But no one had answered her repeated knocks and ringing of the doorbell. She was sure she’d heard voices at some point. Maybe they were in the backyard? She’d come too far not to at least check.
She followed the stone pathway that led around the side of the garage toward the back of the property. There wasn’t a fence, which was common in Gatlinburg. No one wanted to block their gorgeous views of the mountains. And as she rounded the garage, she could certainly appreciate the one here. The snow-covered mountaintops towered in the distance, and yet they felt close enough to touch. Beautiful.
“Raine?”
She turned with a smile to face Callum.
And the blonde woman beside him, holding his hand.
Her smile faltered. “I, ah, I’m sorry. I was trying to surprise you, but, ah, you’ve got company. I’ll go.” She turned and hurried down the side of the garage, humiliation scorching her cheeks. He’d moved on, and she was an idiot.
“Raine, wait.” Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, then gently turned her around. Callum stared down at her, his gaze searching hers as he cupped her face. “Is it really you, or am I dreaming?”
“More like a nightmare.” She pushed his hands away. “My fault. I shouldn’t have shown up like this. I’ll leave you to your...whatever she is.” She turned around again.
“You mean my sister? Lucy?”
She stopped, then slowly turned to face him. “That woman? She’s—”
“Lucy Cooper, Danny’s wife. My sister. She and Danny came for a visit.”
“And we were just leaving,” a feminine voice said behind him. Lucy stepped around Callum and smiled. “My husband’s pulling up right now out front. He just filled the tank for our trip back to Athens.” She held out her hand. “You must be Raine. Callum has told me a lot about you.”
“Lucy, don’t,” he warned.
“Don’t what, brother? Tell her you can’t stop talking about her?”
Raine glanced at him in surprise as she shook Lucy’s hand. “You’ve been talking about me?”
“All good things,” Lucy assured her. “Nice meeting you. Hope to see you again.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed Callum’s cheek. “Don’t be a stranger. I mean it. We expect a visit this summer, if not before.”
“We’ll see.” He was talking to his sister, but watching Raine the whole time.
Lucy chuckled. “Well, I can tell I’ll be missed.” She was still laughing as she moved past them and disappeared around the corner.
A moment later, the fading sound of a car engine indicated she and Danny had left and were heading down the mountain.
“How did you find where I live?” Callum asked.
“Asher.”
“He never could keep a secret.”
She shifted on her feet and tugged her jacket closer. “Could we go inside, where it’s warm? It’s much colder here in the mountains than in Athens.”
“Oh, of course. Sorry. I’m just...surprised to see you.” He led the way around the back and opened the sliding glass door for her to enter.
She stepped inside, barely registering the interior other than to take the nearest seat—which happened to be his couch. As he sat beside her, she turned to face him.
“It’s nice to see that you’re back in touch with your sister. How did that happen?”
“She contacted me a month ago to let me know my father was dying.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry.”
“If I hadn’t had you as an example of how to be supportive of family, no matter what, I’d have hung up on her. Instead, I bit the bullet and went and saw him. It’s because of you that I was able to look past my stubborn pride and reconnect with him, with my family. We made our peace before Dad passed away. And I’m trying to rebuild the bridges with my relatives. Again, thanks to you.” He stared intently at her. “Are you okay? I heard...about your brother, that your appeal with the board was unsuccessful. I really am sorry.”
She swallowed and forced a smile.
“Is that why you’re here? Your brother?”
“What do you... Oh, you mean to berate you or something? Blame you for him being executed?”
He winced. “It would be your right.”
“No, Callum. It wouldn’t be my right. You did everything you could to try to find something to show he was innocent. You did that for me, and I appreciate it, in spite of how poorly I behaved the last time I saw you.”
His brow wrinkled in confusion. “Raine, I’m a bit lost. Why, exactly, are you here if not to curse me for betraying you?”
She sighed and reached into her purse, then pulled out a sheaf of papers. “I’m here about these.”
He took them and scanned the first page, then the next, then shuffled through the rest before tossing them onto the coffee table. “How did you get those?”
“Your friend. Noah Reid.”
He swore. “You were never supposed to see them.”
“Why? Why would you not want me to see the documentation that absolutely one hundred percent proves my brother did kill Alicia Claremont?”
His jaw tightened but he didn’t say anything.
“That day that Knox came after me, you went to the prison. Reid said he’d called you with information he’d been working to gather on my brother’s case. And you went to look into that information and even spoke to my brother. No less than a dozen former cellmates of his, along with some prison guards, gave affidavits saying Joey confessed several times to them over the years that he killed Alicia. The kicker is that you spoke to Joey that day, and he...” A sob caught in her throat.
Callum’s gaze filled with anguish. “Don’t. Don’t do this to yourself. I never wanted you to experience this pain.”
“Joey confessed to you that day. He bragged about the kill, described the flowers on the back of Mrs. Claremont’s closet, those books we found in Alicia’s drawer, those glow-in-the-dark stars on her bedroom ceiling, other things not in police reports or in crime scene photos. The guard overheard him. That’s what one of those papers says. My brother couldn’t have known those details unless he was the killer. That’s why you told the prison board you weren’t convinced of his innocence. That’s why you wouldn’t stand with me before them to plead for his life. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t show me the affidavits. Why not tell me the truth? If I’d known he was truly guilty, beyond a doubt, I wouldn’t have gone to the board to argue for a stay.”
He took her hands in his, his thumbs rubbing slow, gentle circles across the backs. “Because you were in denial. It was too much to deal with at the time. And I didn’t want to destroy your last moments with your brother. I wanted you to have good memories of him. But I couldn’t lie to the board either, and be the one responsible for him perhaps one day going back into society. It was a fine line to walk. I did what my conscience dictated. But I wanted to protect you too. Or, at least, I tried.”
“Don’t you see, Callum? You did protect me. Over and over again. From Knox, from things too painful for me to bear at the time. But I know the truth now, and I’m at peace with it. And I thank God that you followed your conscience. Because the real tragedy would have been if I’d managed to get Joey eventually released and he killed again. That’s something I don’t think I could have lived with. So, you see, once again you saved me. I was just too blind to see it at the time. But I see it now. And I’m here to beg for your forgiveness.”
He stared at her in wonder. “You don’t hate me?”
Tears dripped down her cheeks as she tightened her hands on his. “Maybe I did, or thought I did, at first. But even before Reid came to my house to give me those papers, I’d let go of the hate, the anger. And I was desperately lonely for you. I was on my way back to you without even realizing it. All Reid did was give me an excuse. I love you, Callum Wright. I love you with all my heart. I just hope I haven’t destroyed any chance that you might one day grow to love me too.”
A beautiful smile bloomed on his face, lightening his expression and filling his eyes with happiness. And hope. And something else she was too afraid to name in case she was wrong.
“I love you too, Raine Quintero. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I found out you pointed an unloaded gun at me.” He grinned.
“I wasn’t wrong about what I saw in your eyes,” she whispered through her tears.
“What?”
“Just kiss me, sweetheart. Kiss me and never let me go.”
He laughed. “Okay, honey. For better or worse.”
Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. “Better or worse?”
He winked. “Until death do us part. If you’ll have me.”
“If that’s a proposal, it’s the worst one ever.”
“Marry me anyway?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” She threw her arms around him and he kissed her.
And never let her go.
Look for more books in
A Tennessee Cold Case Story miniseries
by Lena Diaz, coming soon!
And if you missed the previous titles
in the series, look for:
Murder on Prescott Mountain
Serial Slayer Cold Case
Shrouded in the Smokies
Available now from Harlequin Intrigue!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Closing In On Clues by Julie Anne Lindsey.