Read Online Nowhere to Turn by Lynette Eason - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynette Eason
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I will finally be safe.”
Adam’s heart jolted at the pain on mother’s and son’s faces. He picked up a pen. “Let’s see what we can do about that.” Her hesitation told him she wasn’t finished. “What is it?”
“I . . . saw something eight months ago. Something that has plagued me ever since and I need to tell someone about it or go crazy. Only I wasn’t sure who to trust, who to tell, but I think you’re the right person.”
Adam lifted a brow. “Okay. What did you see?”
“A murder.”
10
Dani stared at the man who had his complete attention centered on her. She squirmed. She’d never had that before. At least not in a good way. Her father had died before she knew him and her mother had never dated or remarried.
Which was probably one reason Dani had been so susceptible to Kurt’s smarmy charms.
Adam stilled. “You saw a murder?”
“About two months before Kurt was killed.”
“And you never reported it.”
She glanced at Simon. He was now bent over the electronic video game Stuart had given him as a gift shortly after Kurt’s death. “No. Kurt knew I saw what happened, but no one else did.” She shuddered at the memory of his ballistic rage once everyone had left the house.
“How was he involved?”
She rubbed her eyes, taking a moment. “Let me start at the beginning.”
“Good idea.”
“I married Kurt when I was nineteen. I got pregnant on ourhoneymoon. Kurt was thrilled. When Simon was born, he was Kurt’s trophy, his son, his legacy. Until it became obvious that little boys don’t always do exactly what their father says.” She slid another glance at her son and tried to make sure she had her face angled away from him. He wasn’t paying any attention to her, totally engrossed in his game. How he’d longed for the Nintendo 3DS. Kurt had refused his every request, saying that he had a Wii, he should be happy with that. And Kurt only agreed to the Wii because it kept Simon out of his hair and occupied when he was home.
She pulled herself back. “After Simon was born, Kurt was gone for long stretches of time. At first, I missed him, but then he started with the verbal abuse, then one day things escalated and he hit me. I was stunned. I think Kurt was too. Then it became a regular thing. When Simon was five, he tried to intervene and help me.” Tears welled and she blinked them away. “Kurt knocked him into the wall and he hit his head. I managed to call 911. An ambulance and police arrived. Simon was unconscious. I rode to the hospital with him and filed a report with the officers who followed.”
“If you filed a domestic abuse report, Kurt should have spent some time in jail.”
She snorted. “Not when you’re an FBI agent and the apple of your boss’s eye. Strings were pulled, the charges were dropped, and—” she pulled in a deep breath—“Kurt said that if I ever said another word about his abuse and threatened to leave, he would kill Simon and make me watch.” Dani cleared her throat to loosen the tightness. “When Simon woke up, we discovered he was deaf. I was furious—and consumed with guilt. When Simon was released from the hospital, a nurse tried to help me leave Kurt, but he found us and broke two of Simon’s fingers, saying next time it would be his neck.” Her lips trembled. “The nurse wasfound dead two days later. Her death was ruled a suicide and I never ran again. Until the day of Kurt’s death.”
The pen snapped under the pressure of Adam’s fingers. He jerked and tossed it in the trash, realizing he’d been so caught up in her story, he hadn’t written a word. People like Kurt were why his services were necessary and it sickened him. But Kurt was dead and someone was still threatening Dani and Simon.
“You think he killed the nurse?”
“I don’t know.” Dani pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips and he could tell she was having a hard time getting the words out. “I don’t know for sure, but I . . . I
Adam’s heart jolted at the pain on mother’s and son’s faces. He picked up a pen. “Let’s see what we can do about that.” Her hesitation told him she wasn’t finished. “What is it?”
“I . . . saw something eight months ago. Something that has plagued me ever since and I need to tell someone about it or go crazy. Only I wasn’t sure who to trust, who to tell, but I think you’re the right person.”
Adam lifted a brow. “Okay. What did you see?”
“A murder.”
10
Dani stared at the man who had his complete attention centered on her. She squirmed. She’d never had that before. At least not in a good way. Her father had died before she knew him and her mother had never dated or remarried.
Which was probably one reason Dani had been so susceptible to Kurt’s smarmy charms.
Adam stilled. “You saw a murder?”
“About two months before Kurt was killed.”
“And you never reported it.”
She glanced at Simon. He was now bent over the electronic video game Stuart had given him as a gift shortly after Kurt’s death. “No. Kurt knew I saw what happened, but no one else did.” She shuddered at the memory of his ballistic rage once everyone had left the house.
“How was he involved?”
She rubbed her eyes, taking a moment. “Let me start at the beginning.”
“Good idea.”
“I married Kurt when I was nineteen. I got pregnant on ourhoneymoon. Kurt was thrilled. When Simon was born, he was Kurt’s trophy, his son, his legacy. Until it became obvious that little boys don’t always do exactly what their father says.” She slid another glance at her son and tried to make sure she had her face angled away from him. He wasn’t paying any attention to her, totally engrossed in his game. How he’d longed for the Nintendo 3DS. Kurt had refused his every request, saying that he had a Wii, he should be happy with that. And Kurt only agreed to the Wii because it kept Simon out of his hair and occupied when he was home.
She pulled herself back. “After Simon was born, Kurt was gone for long stretches of time. At first, I missed him, but then he started with the verbal abuse, then one day things escalated and he hit me. I was stunned. I think Kurt was too. Then it became a regular thing. When Simon was five, he tried to intervene and help me.” Tears welled and she blinked them away. “Kurt knocked him into the wall and he hit his head. I managed to call 911. An ambulance and police arrived. Simon was unconscious. I rode to the hospital with him and filed a report with the officers who followed.”
“If you filed a domestic abuse report, Kurt should have spent some time in jail.”
She snorted. “Not when you’re an FBI agent and the apple of your boss’s eye. Strings were pulled, the charges were dropped, and—” she pulled in a deep breath—“Kurt said that if I ever said another word about his abuse and threatened to leave, he would kill Simon and make me watch.” Dani cleared her throat to loosen the tightness. “When Simon woke up, we discovered he was deaf. I was furious—and consumed with guilt. When Simon was released from the hospital, a nurse tried to help me leave Kurt, but he found us and broke two of Simon’s fingers, saying next time it would be his neck.” Her lips trembled. “The nurse wasfound dead two days later. Her death was ruled a suicide and I never ran again. Until the day of Kurt’s death.”
The pen snapped under the pressure of Adam’s fingers. He jerked and tossed it in the trash, realizing he’d been so caught up in her story, he hadn’t written a word. People like Kurt were why his services were necessary and it sickened him. But Kurt was dead and someone was still threatening Dani and Simon.
“You think he killed the nurse?”
“I don’t know.” Dani pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips and he could tell she was having a hard time getting the words out. “I don’t know for sure, but I . . . I
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