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Samson frowned, accentuating the sharp planes of her face. “Do you represent the property owner too?”
So that was why she wouldn’t give Hez the warrant—it wasn’t targeted at his client, Savannah, but at Jess. He gave Jess an inquiring look. Her face remained stony, but uncertainty flickered in her eyes for a moment. And was that fear he saw too? It was gone before he could be sure.
Jess turned to Samson. “Yes, he represents me.”
Before Samson could respond, an officer and a tech approached and motioned for her and Detective Richards. They walked a little distance away and talked in tense, low tones for a few minutes. Then they came back, and Detective Richards appeared as grim as Samson. She walked up to Jess. “Jessica Legare, you are under arrest for the murders of Ellison Abernathy and Peter Cardin.”
* * *
Savannah ducked under the low-hanging moss on the huge live oak tree and ran after the detective as she loaded Jess into the police van. “Please, there must be some kind of mistake.” Detective Richards didn’t answer, and Savannah swung around to search out Hez. She found him jogging close behind her. “Do something!”
He took her hand and pulled her against him. “Breathe, babe. There’s nothing we can do right now. They’re going to take Jess downtown and book her. We can’t interfere.”
She allowed herself to slump into the circle of his arms and nestle against his chest. His familiar cologne with its earthy sandalwood notes slowed the frantic beat of her heart, and she closed her eyes. When she lifted her head, the van carrying her sister was disappearing down the road.
She took a shuddering breath. “I hate injustice.” She didn’t even like to watch shows about false arrests and other mistreatment. Maybe it brought back too many memories of how her dad would accuse Jess of things that weren’t her fault.
His expression went somber. “I remember.”
The understanding in his gaze wrapped around her like a warm blanket. The history of their love for each other couldn’t be wiped away by a piece of paper. Not even Ella’s death had destroyed the pull she’d always felt toward him. Yet here they were with that document proclaiming they were done as a couple.
She took a step back. “Why did they arrest her, Hez? She couldn’t have anything to do with this. It’s insane. They didn’t even tell her why so she could explain.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “From the firepower they brought, it’s clear they expected to find something incriminating. Whatever that was, it had to have been very bad for them to arrest her on the spot without a warrant.”
“Didn’t they need a warrant to search her house?”
“Yes, but a search warrant wouldn’t let them arrest her. They’d need an arrest warrant for that—and if they had one, they would have cuffed her as soon as they arrived.”
“Can we get her out today?”
He shook his head. “This will have to play out for now. They’ll arraign her as quickly as they can arrange it—probably tomorrow morning. The court will set bail at the same time.”
She felt a surge of hope. “So maybe I can get her home tomorrow?”
He grimaced. “She’s been arrested for murder, and the formal charge will probably be capital murder. The prosecution will argue against bail, and even if bail is granted, it’s likely to be very expensive. Let’s deal with that problem when we get there. In the next few days the DA will lay out what evidence they have against her in a preliminary hearing, and her lawyer will get to look at it.”
“Why did you say ‘her lawyer’ like that? You’re her lawyer.”
“Maybe you weren’t looking when she told Richards I was representing her. I’m not sure that’s what Jess wants. She was only asking me to represent her so we could see the search warrant. She hasn’t asked me to represent her in a murder case.”
The distance in his gaze and manner alarmed her. She took hold of his forearm. “But you will represent her, won’t you, Hez? Please, you have to. There’s no one I trust more than you.”
He hesitated before his shoulders relaxed and he nodded. “If she asks me, I’ll do what I can to help. Things spiraled quickly here, and I’m curious what evidence they have. I’ve been trying to get in touch with Detective Richards for days, and she’s been dodging me. When you called to tell me they were executing a search warrant, I was afraid you were the target. You found both bodies, and the police targeting you made more sense than them looking at Jess. Did any of the officers mention what they hoped to find?”
She thought back to the morning before shaking her head. “There was no explanation. They barged in and said they had a search warrant, but we never saw it.” She turned to stare at her sister’s house. “Can I clean up in there? They trashed the place. All her beautiful things are lying around on the floor. It’s outrageous the police don’t put things back the way they found them.”
“They aren’t done yet. Once they release the house, you can go in and set it to rights. I’ll help you.”
She was beginning to see this new Hez wasn’t the same man she’d walked away from two years ago. This new Hez was ready to help even if it meant cleaning up the house of a woman who hated him. He was trying so hard. Maybe it really would stick.
She reached out without thinking before pulling back her hand. He might not welcome her need to touch him for reassurance, and she didn’t want to give him false hope when she didn’t know herself how to start over. “I can do it. You’ve already done so much. Is there any way you can find out what evidence they have before the preliminary hearing?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, our hands are tied for now.”
“Can we see her before she’s arraigned?”
“I can. I’ll go see her right away.”
