Page 51 of Dark Shadows
“Is that what you think? Is that whatshetold you?” he asked with a jut of his chin toward Savanah.
“Let me be straight,” Mason said. “Savanah Miles is off-limits, but you're looking a lot more guilty by the minute, and I'm not above taking down a public official, no matter how much the community likes you. So cut the crap. Were you and Beverly having an affair? And think wisely before you answer because if you deny it, the next person I'm going to is your wife.”
The mayor ran his hand over his balding head and lowered his voice. “Yes, okay. We were, but I didn't kill her. I loved her.”
“Like you love your wife?” Mason asked.
“I was willing to leave my wife for her, but Beverly wouldn't have it. She wasn't ready to divorce her husband. Hell, I was at marriage counseling with my wife. Dr. Lawrence was at my house for a private session. Just ask him.”
“I will. Don't leave town.” Mason's phone buzzed. Jacob.
DNA results are in from the barn. You need to see this.
“We need to go,” Mason called to Savanah, not liking how naturally she fit with Wesley. Even Mark wasn't as hostile as he'd been earlier. She had been smiling easily at both of them. He brushed aside the mayor's words, aggravated the man had even suggested the worst about Savannah.
As they headed toward the door, Wesley called out, “Don't be a stranger, Shadow!”
Savanah smiled at the old nickname, but Mason noticed Wesley’s and Mark's gaze following them until they disappeared through the gym doors.
“That’s the second time he’s called you Shadow. What does it mean?” he asked when they reached the car.
“It’s an old nickname. Tina and I used to follow him everywhere.” She studied his face. “You okay? You seem tense.”
“The job does that to me.” The words came out harsher than intended.
“Right. This is your job.” She stepped back.
Mason slid behind the wheel. His knuckles turned white with his grip on the steering wheel. Some cases were straightforward. This one felt like quicksand, and he was sinking fast.
He was being an ass, and she didn’t deserve it.
20
When Mason opened the door to his motel room, he found Jacob pacing amid a chaotic spread of papers that covered every surface. The normally composed agent's tie was loosened, his usually neat appearance disheveled. His tense posture and the way he immediately stopped pacing when they entered spoke volumes about his agitation.
“We got the DNA results from the plastic sheeting found in the barn,” Jacob said without preamble. “It belongs to Officer Daniels.”
“What?” Savanah sank into the only chair, her face draining of color. “From the body back when I was a kid?”
“His DNA was all over it.” Jacob spread the report on the desk, his hands shaking slightly with what Mason recognized as suppressed rage. They had all seen the crime scene photos, knew what that plastic had been used for. “The sample comes specifically from the plastic sheeting used in the original crime years ago, not from the recent killings or Beverly's murder scene. We need to question him.”
Mason ran a hand through his hair, the mayor's earlier words about manipulation echoing in his skull like a bad song. Masonneeded to get his head on straight to solve this case. He shoved the thoughts about Savanah down deep to analyze later.
“He’s working tonight. I already checked,” Jacob said.
Mason glanced at Savanah, hating how the momentary sliver of doubt from the mayor’s words colored everything now. “I don't want you alone at the motel.”
“I can go to my mom's.” She studied his face with those too-perceptive eyes, something shifting in her expression. “Unless you think I can't be trusted on my own?”
The edge in her voice made him wince. This was Savanah, the woman he had kissed in a treehouse, who had trusted him with her secrets. The same woman that Cree trusted to save his life. Yet doubt about her true feelings toward him crept in like poison. “Of course, I trust you, just stay vigilant. Your mom's is fine. Jacob and I shouldn't be too long.”
The drive to Catherine's house felt tense, heavy with unspoken words. Streetlights flickered shadows across Savanah's face as she stared out the window, highlighting the hurt in her expression.
“You seemed comfortable at the gym,” Mason said finally, the words tasting bitter. “With Wesley. Even Mark didn't look like he wanted to kill you anymore.”
She turned to face him. Anger sparked her eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Just that you two looked close.” His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
