Straight from the Heart. Linda Warren
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some answers, and the only way to get those was to talk to her father. She called his office, but his secretary said he wasn’t there, so she knew the only other place he’d be was at home with her mother.
On the drive to River Oaks, she thought about that time sixteen years ago. Her twin brother had been rebellious and uncontrollable. He’d been drinking, doing drugs. But in her heart she knew he had not committed this crime. She knew him as well as she knew herself, and even on drugs he could not have done such a terrible thing. There had to be another reason his DNA matched the skin under Bonnie Davis’s fingernails.
Evidence doesn’t lie. How many times had she proclaimed those words, believed them religiously and used them to seal a case? Now she’d have to take a second look at what had been driving her all these years. Had it been justice or plain old revenge? No, she couldn’t think about that now. She had to concentrate on Blake and on finding out the truth.
She punched in the code at the gate and it promptly swung open. She recognized the other cars in the driveway: Derek’s, Frank’s and Theo’s. The partners were plotting strategy, planning how to handle the situation. She knew her father would not rest until Blake was free.
She drove to the garages and parked in her usual spot, then hurried through the kitchen, as she had yesterday. God, it seemed like forever since last night. So much had happened and so much was still to come.
Greta met her at the door. “Oh, Miss Blair, it’s awful, just awful,” she cried, wringing her hands.
“Where’re my parents?” she asked.
“Your mother took a couple of aspirin and went upstairs to lie down, and your father’s in his study with his lawyers.”
“Thanks, Greta,” she replied, and headed for her father’s sanctum.
She could hear raised voices, but as soon as she opened the door everything became quiet—too quiet.
Sam was sitting on the leather sofa by the French windows. He looked haggard and old, and Blair’s heart crumbled in agonizing pain. She’d never seen her father like this and for a moment she didn’t know what to do. Then she did what her heart dictated—she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.
“Blair, darling, I’m so sorry,” he mumbled in her hair.
“It’s all right, Daddy,” she reassured him. “We’ll sort this out.”
“Blair.” Derek spoke up. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to be here. After all, you do work for Holt.”
Blair released her father and faced Derek. “Not anymore. I resigned.”
“Oh, no,” Sam choked out. “I never wanted that to happen. None of this should be happening.”
Blair took her father’s hand and held it tight. “Tell me what’s going on.”
His hand gripped hers just as tightly. “I’m so sorry you got hurt, but I was powerless to stop any of this.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I do,” he admitted. “You’re my daughter and I handled last night badly. I wanted to convince Lucas to take this case. I didn’t think about much else.”
“Let’s forget about last night,” she told him. “I understand now why you did what you did. I’m just sorry I ruined the evening.” She didn’t want to think or talk about Lucas, but she knew that she would…later. Right now she had to have answers. “Tell me what happened back then—and tell me the truth. I don’t need to be protected.”
“It’s not a pretty picture.”
“I don’t expect it to be, but I know Blake did not kill that girl.”
Sam gripped her hand with both of his. “He was there, Blair. He was there.”
She swallowed hard. “So? That doesn’t make him guilty.”
Sam shook his head sadly. “It makes everything a mess—a terrible mess.”
“Why was Blake there?” she asked, needing to hear the story but wondering if she had enough strength to listen without breaking down.
“He met Todd and the Davis girl coming out of a party. There was a guy outside selling marijuana and crack cocaine. Todd and Blake bought some, then they drove to that secluded park to get high. The cocaine made Blake sick and he ran into the bushes and puked his guts out. He said that’s when he heard the girl scream. By the time he reached her, Todd had already raped and murdered her.” Sam paused for a moment. “Blake didn’t know if she was dead or not, so he checked her pulse. She reached up and caught his arm, then she went limp. Blake ran down the street to a pay phone and called 911 for help.”
Sam stopped speaking, obviously having difficulty with his emotions, as Blair was. “When Blake returned, Todd was doing cocaine while the girl lay there dead. Blake told him he’d called the cops and they had a fight. When they heard the sirens, they both jumped into the car and drove off.” He took a breath. “Later, when Todd was arrested, I didn’t know Blake was involved. I didn’t find out until Todd almost killed you. That was when Blake told me everything. He was so worried about you, and the guilt was destroying him. I immediately sent him out of the country, hoping I could resolve things, but…”
Sam rose and walked unsteadily to the windows, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Blair took a breath, desperately needing it for what she had to say. “Evan says you knew about Blake’s involvement all along and that you paid Todd to keep quiet.”
Sam whirled around. “That’s not true! During the trial I didn’t know Blake was involved and I never gave Todd a dime. This is all Lloyd Easton’s doing. He claims I paid Todd and now he has Holt believing it.”
Blair swallowed, hating to say what had to come next, but she had no choice. “Evan isn’t doing this on the word of Todd’s father. He has proof. You can count on it.”
“My sources say Evan has witnesses that Todd came out of my house with large sums of money, but that’s just not true. I never met Todd at the house and I certainly never gave him money. Evan can’t prove that I did.”
Blair remained quiet, trying to deal with her father’s statement. She knew Sam Logan and his ethics. Even though his only son was part of this mess, Sam wouldn’t do what Evan was insinuating. Blair didn’t doubt his honesty or his integrity.
“I’m not lying to you, Blair,” Sam said in a low voice. “I should have come forward with what Blake told me after you were beaten, but I couldn’t. Todd was dead and you were struggling to survive. I didn’t see any reason to cause my family any more pain, so I kept quiet about Blake. Now Holt’s got me—and he’s got Blake, too.”
“We’re not giving up, Sam,” Theo said.
“I didn’t say I was giving up,” Sam said sharply. “I’m just stating the facts. Holt thinks he has everything all wrapped up, but this isn’t over by a long shot. Holt might have me on a technicality, but Blake didn’t commit a crime. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I know Lucas can make a jury believe that. I’ve got to see him and try to convince him to take Blake’s case. It’s our best chance.”
At the mention of Lucas, Blair’s head jerked up. Until that moment, she’d been sitting there in some sort of limbo, trying to understand what had happened all those years ago. Now she knew what she had to do.
“I’ll talk to Lucas,” she offered quietly.
Derek said, “I don’t think—”
“I can handle this,” she interrupted him, speaking to Sam. “Lucas responds much better to a woman. Especially when she’s apologizing,” she added with a wry grimace.
Sam didn’t say anything.
“No offense, Blair,” Derek put in. “Culver wasn’t exactly bowled