Searching for Risk, page 14
“Then let’s do it.” She stood and gathered the remains of her lunch.
“Don’t you have patients to see?”
“I was going to surprise you and take the afternoon off.” She gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. “So… surprise!”
He caught her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. “Accompanying me to an interrogation was probably not the afternoon you had planned for us, was it?”
“No, I had sexier things in mind.” She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “But that can wait. Let’s go clear your name first.”
As they left the clinic, a woman with sleek blond hair and glasses leaped from a nondescript sedan parked near his Jeep. The plate was from out of state, indicating a rental. “Mr. Scott, could I have a moment of your time? I’m Alexis Summers with the Cold Truth podcast—”
Donovan’s shoulders tightened, but he didn’t turn toward the woman’s voice. He put a hand on the small of Sasha’s back and guided her toward her car.
“We heard a body’s been discovered that could potentially be Darcy’s and—”
“I have nothing to say.”
“Seems like an innocent man would have a lot to say.”
“No comment.”
“Don’t you want your side of the story told?”
“Nope.”
Alexis grabbed for Sasha’s arm.
Donovan growled and swung Sasha out of the way, planting himself between the two women as a shield. “I said no comment.”
Alexis was undeterred. She stood on her toes to address Sasha over his shoulder. “Dr. LeBlanc! Do you know what he’s been accused of?”
“Leave. Now.” His jaw was clenched so tightly he couldn’t get out more than those two clipped words.
Sasha laid a soothing hand on his arm and stepped from behind him. She faced the podcaster and gave her best customer service smile—the one that said you’re-a-fucking-idiot-but-I-have-to-be-nice—and he fell even more madly in love with her for it.
“Yes, I’m well aware of the accusations,” she said. “I also know he didn’t do it, and you can quote me on that. He doesn’t owe you or anyone an explanation. Now leave us alone before I call the police. This is private property.”
Alexis backed away, throwing her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Fine, but just remember, Mr. Scott, the truth always comes out in the end.”
Donovan watched her go, his hands trembling with anger and the afterburn of adrenaline. He took a deep, steadying breath and turned to face Sasha, who was staring up at him with a mixture of concern and admiration. She believed him, and that was all he needed to know.
He pulled her into his arms and lowered his forehead to hers. “I love you.”
She froze, going rigid in his arms.
Shit, too soon. He realized it the moment the words left his mouth and wished he could call them back. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to say them before she was ready.
“Donovan...” She backed away, and her gaze darted around the parking lot, looking everywhere but at him.
A pit opened in his stomach. “I know. I shouldn’t have said that, but it kinda feels like I’m on death row about to take that final march, so I wanted you to know. Just in case this goes very wrong.”
“Don’t say that.” She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “And I do have feelings for you, but it’s—I don’t know if it’s—I’m not ready to—” She broke off like she couldn’t figure out how to continue.
“Hey, angel.” He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted, waiting until she opened her eyes before he spoke again. “It’s okay.” He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We don’t have to put a label on anything right now. Let’s just take things one day at a time, yeah?”
She nodded, her relief palpable. “We should go. You don’t want to be late to meet Ash.”
“Yeah,” he said on a hard exhale and took a second to fortify himself. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
episode 6: darcy’s last words
Welcome back, Truth Seekers. I’m your host, Alexis Summers, and today, we’ll read an excerpt from Darcy Cantrell’s diary, which sheds some light on her relationship with Donovan and her plans for the future.
Oct 26, 2007
Van’s leaving. He signed up to join the Marines. He’s going to boot camp right after graduation.
I HATE HIM!
This wasn’t the plan! We’re supposed to escape together! But the fucker is leaving me here in this shitty little town to rot. He said it’s only for a little while. He said he’d come back for me after boot camp, and we can get married and then I can go wherever he gets stationed. He’ll get me a ring tonight to prove he’s serious.
But then what?
That doesn’t sound like an escape to me. That sounds like the same trap both of our moms fell into. Marry young. Pop out a kid we don’t really want. Struggle for money our whole lives until he starts drinking every night (he already drinks too much) and we end up in some shitty trailer park in the middle of fucking nowhere, working back-breaking, minimum-wage jobs to barely pay the bills. I don’t think Van would ever hit me, but I bet both of our moms thought the same thing when they got married.
Whatever.
I don’t need him.
I have $1500 saved and made another $80 in tips tonight. Winter will be slow at the diner, but I can make up for it at the truck stop, and if I stay here and work full-time through tourist season, I’ll have enough money to go anywhere by the end of summer.
Goodbye, Cali-fucking-fornia!
I’m thinking New York City. I could get lost there, and nobody will ever find me. I’ll become someone else. Someone happy. I really just don’t want to be me anymore.
Okay, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to break up with Van tonight at the bonfire. I don’t want to go, but it will be worth it to shoot him down in front of all those stupid kids from school he thinks are his friends.
I’ll hurt him before he can hurt me.
PS - Van just called. He’s on his way to get me. He said he got a family ring from his mom. It was his grandma’s or some shit. And now I’m having second thoughts. I hate him for ruining all of our plans, but he’s going to give me his grandma’s ring! How could I not still love him, too?
PPS- He’s here. I might rip out this page and burn it when I get back. Or maybe I’ll just leave tonight and never return. We’ll see what happens.
Could this prove that Darcy ran away? Or could it be a clue to something more sinister? We know that Donovan Scott was the last person seen with her before she disappeared. And now, with this diary entry, we have reason to believe that Darcy may have been planning to break up with him and leave town on her own. We also know from the interrogation recording that Darcy really did go through with the breakup at the bonfire, and Donovan admitted he was angry at her. Could Donovan have been jealous of Darcy’s plans to leave without him? Could his motive have been to prevent her from leaving?
Furthermore, Donovan was uncooperative during his initial questioning with Sheriff Jerry during the search of his home. He lied about his whereabouts on the night of her disappearance and seemed evasive when asked about his relationship with her. While this all points to him as a suspect, some could argue that he was just a scared teenager who had a history of bad encounters with the sheriff. We must remember that to this day, he has not been charged with a crime and is innocent until proven guilty.
It’s all speculation at this point, but one thing is for sure: Darcy’s last words, as recorded in her diary, paint a picture of a young woman who was unhappy with her life and desperate for a change. Did she finally make that change on the night she disappeared? Or did something more sinister happen to her?
And that’s it for today’s episode of Cold Truth. We explored the last words of Darcy Cantrell, and while we can’t say for certain what happened to her, it’s clear that her relationship with Donovan and her desire to escape played a big role in her final moments. But the question remains: is Donovan Scott guilty or not? Some believe that Sheriff Jerry may have focused too much on Donovan and missed other potential leads. We’ll explore that and more in our final episode.
Stay curious, Truth Seekers, and stay safe. See you next time!
chapter nineteen
The lawyer was already waiting in the parking lot beside the sheriff’s department. He walked over as Donovan parked and stretched out a hand. “Donovan Scott? I’m Callum Holden. I believe you spoke with my secretary about needing representation.”
“Yeah.” He climbed out of his Jeep and accepted the strong handshake. “I know it’s short notice. Thanks for coming.” When Sasha climbed out of her car moments later and joined them, he placed a possessive hand on her back. “This is Sasha. We can talk freely in front of her.”
“Good to know. Hi, Sasha.” Holden smiled warmly at her, but it wasn’t warm enough to spark off the possessive beast living in Donovan’s chest. He didn’t feel the need to mark his territory because Holden didn’t come off as a threat.
The lawyer had sandy blond hair swept back from an open face that inspired honesty. His suit was nice but a little rumpled, like he’d worn it for one too many days in a row. He kind of reminded Donovan of Winston, Zak and Anna’s goofy Golden Retriever, but his reputation as a defense lawyer was more like that of a pit bull. He was mean and persistent and exactly the kind of man Donovan wanted in his corner.
Holden looked over at the blocky building that served as the main office of the Lost County Sheriff’s Department and gave a little wince. “I would’ve liked more time to prep beforehand, but I reviewed the basics before coming over. We got this. I’m good at winging it.” He pulled a notebook from the bag on his shoulder and grabbed the pen tucked behind his ear. “So, let me get some things straight before we walk in there. I understand that you’re being questioned about the disappearance of your ex-girlfriend.”
“Yeah. I’ve been their only suspect since it happened.”
“So why are they dragging you in now? It’s been… what? Fifteen years?”
“This isn’t the first time they’ve interviewed me. I was brought in twice for questioning back when Darcy disappeared. I was eighteen and scared and stupid and never asked for a lawyer.”
“Okay. I’ll see about getting hold of those interviews. Now, I know this is a difficult and stressful situation, but I want to assure you that I’m going to do everything I can to protect your rights and defend you against any charges that may be brought.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Sasha reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You probably hear this all the time, Mr. Holden, but he’s innocent.”
“Oh, please, just Cal.” He glanced back and forth between them, then looked at their tightly joined hands. He nodded, a smile kicking up the corner of his mouth. “You’re right. I do hear it all the time, but I don’t always believe it. This time? I do. It’s a nice change of pace.” He went back to making notes. “Do you know what kind of questions they’re going to ask?”
Donovan shrugged. “Not really. Ash just said he wants to talk to me about what happened. He said it’s routine.”
Cal’s eyebrows winged up. “You personally know the sheriff?”
“We were friends in high school.”
“Okay. Yeah, we can work with that. Before we go in, a few more things.” His whole demeanor suddenly changed like he’d flipped on the switch in his brain labeled work, and Donovan saw a glimpse of that pit bull. “Remember your Miranda rights—you have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. If you don’t feel comfortable answering a question, or if you need time to think about your answer, you can say that you want to speak to me first.”
“Got it.”
“You want to be honest and straightforward but don’t give away any information that could be used against you. It’s important to be calm, clear, and consistent in your answers.”
“I can do that.”
“If they try to pressure you or intimidate you, we’re out. You have the right to be treated fairly and respectfully, and I’ll make sure that happens.”
Sasha exhaled a deep breath. “Thank you for that, Cal. He needed someone other than me in his corner.”
“It’s my job.” Cal checked the time on his phone. “And now we’d better head in.”
“Oh, God.” Sasha turned into his arms and hugged him tightly around the waist like she didn’t want to let him go. “I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, drawing strength from her conviction in his innocence. He wanted to tell her he loved her again but kept his mouth shut and instead kissed her lightly before stepping back.
He faced his lawyer and squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Ash was surprised to see the lawyer. He hid it, but Donovan knew him well enough to see the flash of shock as Cal introduced himself.
“I appreciate you coming,” Ash said and waved a hand at the table between them. “Please, have a seat. I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as possible.”
“Isn’t it a bit unconventional to have the sheriff handling this interview by himself?” Cal said in a light, conversational tone as he pulled out a chair and sat.
It’s because Ash is a control freak. But Donovan didn’t say that out loud. He didn’t figure it would help his case to piss off the sheriff right from the jump.
“My deputies are all busy in other parts of the county dealing with the fire,” Ash said evenly.
“Hm.” Cal produced a small digital recorder from his briefcase and set it on the table. “I’ll be recording this, too, if you don’t mind. Or even if you do mind.”
“That’s fine. This is just a routine follow-up to clarify a few things.” Ash pulled out the chair across from them and sat. He started the official recorder and quickly listed off the date, time, and names of everyone present. “Okay, let’s start at the beginning: the party on Hidden Beach on the night of October 26, 2007. Tell me about that night.”
“You should know, Ash. You were there.”
“I want to hear it in your own words. For the record.”
Donovan drew a breath and rehashed it all—the ongoing fight with Darcy about him joining the Marines; her dismissal of his marriage proposal; the blow-up fight at the party, where she slapped him before taking off into the woods; his unsuccessful attempt to find her; his stop at the gas station before going home.
Seemed like, after fifteen years, it should be easier to talk about, but reliving that night still left a black hole in the center of his chest.
Ash nodded. “Okay. There’s one more thing I have to ask about. The blood found in your home, on the floor, and on your bat.”
Cal held up a hand. “If Darcy Cantrell was killed in the woods near Hidden Beach, then I don’t see how this question is relevant.”
“It’s relevant if it’s the murder weapon,” Ash said flatly.
“Except it’s already a well-established fact, verified by multiple witnesses, that my client didn’t have his baseball bat with him that night.”
Ash’s lips thinned, and aggravation flashed in his eyes, but none of it seeped into his voice. “Very well. Is there anything you’d like to add?”
Donovan opened his mouth but then glanced at his lawyer. Might be better to run this by him first. “Can you give us a minute?”
Ash grumbled low in his throat but shut off the recorder and left. After a quick conference with Cal, they let him back in, and he restarted the recording.
Cal stood. “Sheriff, my client has potentially pertinent information to the investigation, but he requests his source remain anonymous.”
Ash’s eyebrows winged up, and there was a whole lot of “what the hell?” on his expression before he shuttered it. “Depends on the information.”
Donovan spoke up. “The person who told me this doesn’t need to be involved. Their identity has nothing to do with the information they provided.”
Ash’s silence stretched for several uncomfortable moments. “Fine. Go on.”
So Donovan told him about the connection between Chrissy Jimenez and Darcy Cantrell.
“Jesus.” Ash jabbed the stop button on the recorder and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table as he assaulted his scalp with both hands. “Van, that’s now two women you’ve been involved with dying under suspicious circumstances, and you were the last person to see both of them alive. You gotta know how that looks.”
“I wasn’t involved with Chrissy,” Donovan said.
“Bullshit. Everyone saw you two circling each other. If she hadn’t died, it would’ve happened eventually, and we both know it.”
“No, we decided we were better as friends. Nothing more.”
“Did she not come forward because she was protecting you?”
Donovan scoffed. “Why would I tell you about this lead if she had stayed silent to protect me?”
Ash opened his mouth, but Cal cut in. “If you plan on pursuing this line of questioning any further, Sheriff, we’re walking out the door.”
Ash sighed and leaned back in his seat, locking his hands behind his neck. “Fuck,” he said softly after a moment. “I knew there was something off about Chrissy’s overdose, but I couldn’t put my finger on it, and there was so much else going on at the time with Zak and Anna, Bella and Poppy—I just took it at face value. I should’ve looked at it closer. Fuck!” he said again with feeling.
“Ash, c’mon, man,” Donovan said. “You couldn’t have known it had anything to do with a fifteen-year-old missing persons case. Nobody could’ve. Chrissy was a drug addict, and, unfortunately, addicts overdose all the time. We had no reason to think it was anything else.”
He shook his head. Donovan couldn’t blame him for his shock. He’d had a similar response when Veronica told him the news. “I can’t believe she knew what happened to Darcy. All these years, she knew and didn’t say.”
