Elizabeth lifted her gaze to Carson’s. “I don’t know. He disappears like this all the time. And I just can’t deal with it right now.” She squeezed her eyes shut and made a desperate sound. “It’s been all over the news. Hundreds of our good friends have called. Surely Dane has heard by now that Father is ... dead.” She rubbed at her temples. “For all I know my irresponsible brother could be drugged out somewhere unaware he’s even in this world.”
“I’ll find him.” That would serve more than one purpose. Carson needed the truth. And Elizabeth needed her brother. Then again, with what Carson knew, Dane was only going to bring more heartache to his family.
“Will you bring him home when you do?” She dabbed at her nose with a tissue. “Mother needs him as badly as I do.”
The fresh wave of tears in her eyes tugged at Carson’s heart. “You have my word.”
She placed a chaste kiss on Carson’s cheek. Hugged him tightly. “I know you will, Carson. You’re the one person I can depend on right now.”
Self-disgust churned in his gut, made him sick. “Your father was there for me when I needed him most.” The possibility that Drake had concealed the truth about that night to protect his son twisted in Carson’s gut. But he didn’t know that for sure. Not yet.
Elizabeth blinked at the emotion brimming past her lashes. “But I wasn’t.” She wiped at her eyes. “They sent me away.” She closed her eyes and shook her head again. “I shouldn’t even be asking you to help me.”
“Of course you should. We’re like family.” He swallowed back the bitter taste of deceit. “I won’t let you down, Elizabeth.” Even as he said the words snippets of those moments in the elevator with Baxter flashed in his brain. Good God, the information he was keeping from Elizabethnow ... what had he turned into? Where were his ethics? His vow to defend justice?
Elizabeth’s tearful farewell as he left ripped his heart to shreds. When had he become such a consummate liar?
It was one thing to distort the facts in the courtroom to win a case.
But this was Elizabeth.
He should have told her the truth.
But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t talk to anyone, couldn’t trust anyone ...
Not until he had all the facts.
And maybe truth wasn’t always found by doing the right thing. Maybe sometimes you had to break the very laws you were supposed to uphold to ensure justice was served.
38
Carson would find Dane.
Elizabeth watched him drive away.
She had smelled Annette Baxter’s distasteful scent on him.
Elizabeth told herself not to worry about that. He had been investigating the woman. Just because Wainwright had put Carson on administrative leave didn’t mean he would give up.
Carson never gave up.
He would win and Annette Baxter would be history.
It couldn’t happen quickly enough for Elizabeth.
Baxter and Fleming were scourges on the face of this city. They both needed to be sent to prison for the rest of their despicable lives.
If anyone could do it, Carson could.
Elizabeth knew he wouldn’t let her down.
If her parents hadn’t sent her away, she and Carson would be married by now. Perhaps have children.
She thought of the way he’d hugged her before he left. It wasn’t too late.
Elizabeth sighed. She should check on her mother. This was so difficult for her. Patricia tried so hard to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother. At times she failed, made mistakes, but didn’t everyone?
