“Grace also found out that Elijah had already managed to add his name on to Jennifer’s bank accounts,” Judson went on.
“How’d he do that?” she asked.
“Apparently, Elijah had her sign some online forms that Jennifer thought were for payments for her hospital bills from the miscarriage. But they weren’t. They gave him full access to her funds.”
So, that’s how Elijah had intended to get his hands on her inheritance.
Judson looked at her again. Then he picked up the clean clothes she’d put on the vanity. “Want to go see the babies?” he asked. “They’re awake. At least they were about ten minutes ago.”
“Yes,” she couldn’t say fast enough.
Addie practically yanked on the jeans, T-shirt and slip-on shoes and started out of the bathroom the moment she was dressed. Her hair was dripping wet, but she didn’t care. Shewanted to hold the babies now and let them soothe her as only they could.
Since the guest room was on the second floor, they made their way to the stairs, past the attic ladder that was still pulled down. Before they even made it to the landing, Addie heard the chatter of the cops and the CSIs.
Once again, her house was crammed with first responders, and she hoped this was the last time such things would be needed. The only cop she wanted filling her home on a permanent basis was Judson.
That thought gave her a mental pause, and she tested out the idea of it again. Yes, she wanted that. She didn’t want to lose this moment-to-moment contact, this intimacy, with him again. She stopped on the stairs, looking up at him since he was on the step above her.
“What?” he asked, at first frowning, but that faded fast. Maybe because he saw that need for him in her eyes. Yep, he saw it all right, because he smiled.
She smiled back, but Addie still didn’t tell him what she was thinking. What she wanted.
What she needed.
Now wasn’t the time for her to spill any of that to Judson. But soon. After she held the twins.
When they made it to the foyer, Addie heard yet another familiar voice, but this time it wasn’t one she’d expected to hear. She spotted Grace in the front doorway, talking to Jennifer.
Addie could see the woman had been crying. In fact, she still was. She was swiping at tears as she muttered something to Grace. However, Jennifer’s head whipped up, her gaze zooming right to the two of them.
Addie steeled herself, figuring that Jennifer was going to blame them for her fiancé’s death. Heck, she might not even believe that Elijah was a killer, so things might get ugly in ahurry. Judson must have thought the same thing, because he stepped in front of her.
Protecting her, again.
Part of Addie thoroughly appreciated that, but she stepped to his side to face Jennifer. If the woman wanted to verbally blast them, Addie would tell her exactly how close Elijah had come to killing them.
But there was no verbal blast.
“I’m sorry,” Jennifer said. “So very sorry.”
“Jennifer heard about the incident on the news,” Grace explained. “She’s on her way to the police station to give another statement, but she wanted to stop by here first. I told her she couldn’t go inside.”
“It’s okay,” Jennifer quickly said. “I, uh, don’t want to go in.”
She shivered as if she could imagine the body and the blood of a man she loved. Or had once loved, anyway.
“I swear I didn’t know what Elijah was doing. I didn’t know he’d killed my mother, Courtney and Trevor.” Jennifer stopped and pressed her fingers to her trembling lips. “I mean, I knew he wanted the money. He was always going on and on about that, but I didn’t know he would kill to get it. And those babies. He tricked my mother into taking those precious little babies.”
Apparently, that had made it to the news reports, too, or else Grace had mentioned it to her. Clearly, that revelation had shaken Jennifer to the core.
“I’ve also told Jennifer that she’ll likely be cleared of all charges,” Grace explained. “Unless, of course, we find something at Elijah’s place or on his computer.”
“I had no part in this sick plan,” Jennifer insisted, frantically shaking her head. “So, if you find anything, it’ll be something he set up to make me look guilty.”
Judging from what Elijah had said when he was holding Addie at gunpoint, there’d be nothing to implicate Jennifer.Only Shane because he wanted Trevor away from his mother, maybe even dead. And the CSIs and cops would no doubt be able to sort that out.
“I won’t keep you,” Jennifer said, turning her attention back to Addie and Judson, “but I wanted you to know that I won’t be keeping the money from my mother’s estate. It doesn’t feel right for me to have it when it was my fiancé who’s responsible for so much pain. So much hurt.” She swallowed hard. “I’ll see a lawyer about donating it to the Horseshoe Ranch. Maybe as some kind of scholarship fund for the kids who are fostered here.”
