TOTAL ECLIPSE: The Evolution (Sin City Heat Series Book 7) (40 page)

CHAPTER 47

Jerra stood staring out the window in her bedroom clutching her cell phone while thinking about the call she needed to make. There was no way around it. It was something that had to be done, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Knowing she couldn’t put it off any longer, Jerra went over to sit on her bed. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she dialed Justin’s number. It was a call she dreaded making, but Darrell was right. The detectives would no doubt check on her story. She needed to talk to Justin before that happened.

“Hello? Jerra?”

Hearing his voice, Jerra cleared her throat. She wasn’t surprised that Justin knew that it was her on the line. Out of habit, he always checked his caller ID before answering. “Justin, hi. I, uh, I’m so sorry to be calling you this late.”

“No problem. You know I keep crazy hours. Is everything okay?”

“No. Not really.”

His voice sharpened with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Darrell’s mother was murdered. We found out earlier this evening.”

“My God,” Justin whispered. “I’m so sorry, Jerra. Please give my condolences to Darrell as well.”

“Thank you, I will.”

“Is there anything I can do, anything you need?”

“Yes, but probably not in the way you mean. Justin…the police think Darrell had something to do with his mother’s death.”

“What?”
Shock could clearly be heard in Justin’s voice.

“We just got home from the police station a little while ago. By the questions they asked, they’re definitely looking at him as a suspect.”

“Damn.”

“I…” Jerra swallowed then just jumped in with both feet. “They wanted to know where he’d been at the time the murder was estimated to have happened. I told them we were both home, but…”

“But what?” Justin’s voice was cautious.

“He was home alone.”

“Okay,” Justin said slowly, then waited.

“She was killed two nights ago, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. I…I told them I came straight home after work, and that I was here around six that evening.”

Nothing but absolute silence met her admission as Justin made the connection. The two of them had still been working at that time.

“Did…did you hear what I said?” Jerra asked haltingly when he didn’t comment.

“I heard you. I’ll take care of it.”

“It’s just that everything happened so fast. I brought the questioning to an end, but when they asked him for an alibi, it just…slipped out.”             

“Jerra–”

“I know I’m too close but I wasn’t going to let Darrell go in there alone.”

“Jerra, I said I’d take care of it.”

Jerra sat stunned when she realized what he meant. “You…you will? You’ll back me up?”

“Of course. Quite frankly, I’m a little put off by the fact that you doubted I would.”

“Oh thank God,” Jerra whispered in a rush, weak with relief. “Thank you so much, Justin.”

“I have to ask so that I’ll know how to proceed: Do you think Darrell had anything to do with his mother’s death?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Why do the police think he did?”

“Darrell’s relationship with his mother has always been very tumultuous, especially towards the end. The last couple of times he saw her, they argued. It was bad. A witness who heard them gave statements to the police. But it’s more than that…”

“Tell me.”

“My husband found out recently that his father is Isaac Pattel.” Jerra didn’t have to ask if Justin knew the name. Practically everyone had heard of the Pattels.

“He…Isaac Pattel is Darrell’s father?”

“Yes.”

“And the detectives are obviously aware of this…”

“Yes. In my opinion, the bastards don’t care about Tina. Once they made the connection between Darrell and the Pattels–”

“His guilt or innocence became irrelevant. If they can pin his mother’s death on him, they have leverage. They can dangle the possibility of a deal in front of him if he gives them information that will help them nab the Pattels.”

Jerra nodded, relieved that he had come to the same conclusion. “Exactly. The feds have been after the Pattels for decades. This would be a feather in the department’s cap if they were able to assist in any way. They’ll try to use Darrell’s relation to that family as a bargaining chip.”

Justin was quiet for several long moments before he responded in a brisk tone. “This is what we’re going to do. I know it isn’t the ideal time, but I’m coming over first thing in the morning. From what you’ve said, these detectives are going to be like anxious hounds hot on the trail of a fox, so you and Darrell don’t have the luxury of taking time to mourn just yet. I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand. You’re right.” Jerra hesitated then said, “I…I’m so sorry to drag you into this. Just in case things…well…I’ll have my resignation ready when you come by in the morning.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Excuse me?”

“When and if I see there’s a need for us to have that particular discussion, I’ll let you know. Until then, sit tight.”

“But what about the Abrams case?”

“Let me worry about that.”

Jerra sighed with relief. “I know I sound like a broken record, but I can’t thank you enough.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh, wait! I just remembered something else you probably need to know.”

“Alright, what?” Justin’s tone had a slight edge to it.

“Do you remember Lorenzo Coleman from law school?”

“Of course. We’ve run into each other a couple of times throughout the years. Why?” Justin asked suspiciously.

“Well, Coleman is his mother’s maiden name. That’s what he went by in law school. His legal name is…Pattel.” Jerra heard Justin exhale through the phone. “Isaac is his father as well, and Tina was his mother.”

“You’re kidding me, right? So Lorenzo and Darrell are…”

“Brothers.” Jerra finished for him. “They just discovered this a couple of months ago.”

“Son of a bitch,” Justin muttered under his breath. “Anything else?”

“No. That’s all.”

“I’d say that’s damn well enough.”

“I’m sor–”

“Jerra, enough with the apologies. I would’ve been insulted if you hadn’t come to me for help.” When her silence greeted him over the phone, his voice gentled and showed his concern. “Everything will be okay.”

“Justin, what…what if my mother-in-law’s murder is connected with the threats I’ve received from working on the case? That would mean I’m responsible for Tina’s death.” Jerra finally admitted her fear.

“It doesn’t do any good to speculate. More than likely it’s completely unrelated. ”

“Or maybe it’s not. It’s not so farfetched. Remember that judge who presided over the case is DC? She received numerous threats from some crazy stalker who’d been following her rulings. He ended up killing her mother and her husband. What if something like that happened to Tina? Justin, I couldn’t live with myself if–”

“Jerra, stop. Take a deep breath and calm down.”

“But–”

“No buts. We’ll figure this out. I promise. Let’s just concentrate on one thing at a time, okay? Now, go be with your husband, I’m sure he needs you right now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. I owe you one, Sullivan. See you in the morning.”

After they hung up, Jerra sent up a silent prayer of thanks that at least one thing was going their way. Seeing a movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head and saw Darrell standing in the doorway. He’d long since pulled his white dress shirt out of his black pants. The first couple of buttons were undone and he’d rolled the sleeves up past his forearms.

“Hi. I was just getting ready to come downstairs to find you. That was Justin. He agreed to back up my story.”

Darrell nodded slowly. “I heard.”

“He wants to stop by in the morning to discuss a few things if that’s okay. It’s only because the detectives seem so determined to–”

“It’s okay, baby. I understand.” Darrell walked into the room and kneeled in front of her. He ran a tender hand over her hair then brought it down to rest on her stomach. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Just worried about you.”

Gently rubbing her stomach, Darrell shook his head. “Don’t be. I’m fine. Just need you to take care of yourself. I don’t want anything happening to you or my baby.”

Leaning down, he kissed her belly through the material of her dress before laying his head in her lap. “Thank you for being there for me tonight.”

“Of course,” she said, caressing the back of his head. “Have you talked to Lorenzo? How’s Gabby?”

“Not good,” he said quietly. “Lorenzo had his doctor give her a mild sedative.”

“Poor Gabby,” Jerra whispered as tears came to her eyes. “Are they coming tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Not knowing what else to say or do, Jerra simply held him. He would talk to her when he was ready. While still smoothing his hair, she placed her other hand on the side of his face, wishing there was some other way to comfort him. Men as a whole were taught to suppress their feelings and keep their emotions in check. Society conditioned them to exhibit strength in times of tragedy or loss. Darrell was a prime example of that, more than likely having perfected it when he was a child left all alone in the world. She had to let him deal with this in his own way.

He stirred on her lap but didn’t lift his head. Jerra knew he had to be feeling a multitude of emotions right now, everything ranging from sadness to confusion to anger. She’d caught a glimpse of the bleakness in his eyes before he’d gone to his office. He probably had no idea why he felt sadness for a woman who, for all intents and purposes, he barely knew. That was the part that made him so angry. He didn’t want to care, but he did.

“We’ll get through this, baby. I promise,” she whispered. “I promise.”

She heard his breathing deepen. “I can’t help but feel I should’ve done
something
. I should’ve tried to fix it.”

“Darrell…”

He shook his head. “This is my fault,” he said, his voice choked and hoarse. “She’s dead because of me.”

“No!” Jerra placed her hands on either side of his face, and lifted his head and made him look at her. Her heart shattered when she saw his eyes bright with unshed tears. “Don’t say that; don’t even think it. It’s not your fault.”

“You didn’t hear the way I talked to her, the things I said.” Darrell pulled away and sat beside her on the bed. Wiping his face with his forearm, he leaned forward, placing an elbow on his thigh and stared down at the floor. “I was just so angry. Especially when she…”

“When she what?” Jerra asked when he grew quiet.

“When she kept comparing me to
him
. The look on her face…it was like she couldn’t stand being in the same room with me because I reminded her of
him
.”

“Baby, I’m sure that’s not true.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s always been that way. I just don’t understand how a woman hates her own child because he reminds her of the man
she
chose to be with.”

“Your mother loved you, Darrell. No matter what happened the last time you saw her, you have to know that.”

Darrell turned his head to look at her. Reaching for her hand, he interlocked their fingers and squeezed. “I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you,” he stated in a quiet voice.

Jerra’s voice was an emotional whisper. “If it turns out I’m the reason why she was killed I’ll never forgive myself. And you probably won’t either because…because you told me to excuse myself from the case.”

“Baby, stop. Stop.” Darrell stood and pulled her up. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head. “Don’t do that. Please.”

“Darrell–”

“If it turns out that’s what happened, you’re not responsible for some wacko’s twisted actions. I could never blame you for something like that. Never. I promise you that.”

Jerra couldn’t seem to stop her body from trembling. “Will you also promise me that you won’t blame yourself either?” She lifted her head from his chest and stared into his eyes. “This isn’t your fault, Darrell.”

He inhaled a huge breath as he swept a stubborn curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I can promise you I’ll try.”

Jerra nodded. That was a start.

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too. For always.”

His body relaxing somewhat, Darrell nodded slowly. “For always.”

CHAPTER 48

“Are we clear on everything? Any questions about what we’ve discussed, Darrell?” Justin asked. He stood and looked at Darrell while snapping his briefcase shut.

As promised, he’d come over at eight o’clock sharp the next morning. For the last couple of hours, they’d discussed the questions the police had asked Darrell, and decided how best to handle things from there on out. Justin made Darrell go over the last conversations he’d had with Tina several times, scribbling down notes the entire time.

Darrell sat back on the couch and rubbed gritty eyes that were red with fatigue. He hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours. “No, I think I’m straight on everything.”

“Good. If you remember anything, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, call me. Doesn’t matter what time.”

Darrell stood up and shook Justin’s hand. “I know I’ve already thanked you, but I can’t express how grateful I am for your help. And again, I’m sorry you were put in the predicament to have to cover for Jerra. She was tryin’ to help me, but didn’t realize at the time the position it put you in.”

“Don’t worry about it. She wouldn’t have had to cover for you if the police weren’t so intent on pinning your mother’s murder on you. But try not to worry about that right now. I’ll handle anything that comes up. Just remember, I don’t want either of you to speak to the authorities without me being present. Understand?”

“Gotcha,” Darrell said as they started towards the door.

“Justin, are you sure you won’t stay and have something to eat?” Jerra asked.

“No, thank you, Jerra. My son spent the night with my folks, so I think I’m going to head to the office and take care of a few things.”

A slight frown creased Jerra’s brow. “It’s Sunday.”

“And?” Justin laughed. “It’ll be quiet. I work best with no distractions.”

Jerra shook her head. “You work entirely too much. I’m going to have to find a nice woman to take care of you.”

Justin’s frown was so full of distaste that Darrell had to smile. “I don’t want a ‘nice’ woman. The ones I date are just fine.” He looked at Darrell for assistance when Jerra just continued to stare at him. “Hey man, feel free to jump in at any time.”

Darrell slipped an arm around Jerra’s waist. “I think you know as well as I do that when she gets that look in her eye, there’s no use arguing. Her mind’s already made up.”

“Thanks a lot, bro,” Justin replied sarcastically. “I appreciate the support.”

Before Darrell could respond, the doorbell rang. Still smiling, he opened the door and came face to face with Gabby and Lorenzo. The smile slowly slipped away when he saw the deep sorrow in his sister’s eyes. Gabby had clutched Lorenzo’s hand in a death grip all the way up the walkway, but when Darrell opened his arms, she flew into them without a word and started sobbing into his chest. He was only vaguely aware of Lorenzo coming in and hugging Jerra, then shaking Justin’s hand.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m here,” Darrell whispered to Gabby as he ran a gentle hand over her hair.

Gabby fell against him and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt in her hands. “I c-can’t b-believe she’s g-gone!”

In a thick voice that cracked with emotion, he tried to soothe her as best he could. “I know. I know you do. I’m so sorry, Gabby. We’ll get through this together. I promise.”

His and Lorenzo’s gazes met over Gabby’s head. Darrell caught a glimpse of sadness in his brother’s eyes. Lorenzo may have barely known Tina, but it didn’t change the fact that she’d been his mother as well. Feeling his anger leaving him, Darrell gave him a brief nod to let him know everything was okay between them. Lorenzo returned the nod to let him know he understood.

The three of them were now members of an exclusive club that they would’ve preferred not to have been a part of. Even though they experienced their grief with various degrees of intensity, they silently took comfort in the knowledge that, as Darrell said, they’d get through this, one day at a time.