Savage (A Blood Feud Novel)

Chapter Seventeen

Grant returned to Sarah Brannon's place that evening after spending some time in a bar. It was where he had been staying since the murders.

He had returned home only once, and that was to pack a bag. Going to that house was not an option for him, he hated it. It would always remind him of the horrible way his family had been murdered.

Sarah was sitting on the couch with a laptop on hand. She saw Grant walk in looking all sullen and teary-eyed.

"I fried some sausages and made black pudding and orange juice," she said.

Grant said nothing. He slumped to a sofa adjacent to where Sarah was standing. He laid his head down. Sarah could hear muffled cries. She sighed.

She didn't want Grant to stay here. Something about him made her feel uncomfortable. She was sure Grant had to be hiding something.

Sarah understood everyone had secrets. She wouldn't judge, but she felt with Grant there was something dark.

Worst of all was that brother of his, Fraser. Whenever she was around him, Sarah felt her skin crawl. She hated working in the precinct with the both of them there.

"How long are you staying here?" she asked.

Grant didn't answer her. Sarah frowned as she placed her hands on her hips. She wanted to get Grant out of her home. She had been walking on her toes around him, and it was something she didn't like.

"I knew about you and Sheila Savage," Sarah said.

Grant's head shot up. "W-what," he stammered.

"I just said I knew about you and Fraser's wife," Sarah said. "She told me she was a friend of yours and I knew there was more to it. Did the two of you have an affair, Grant?"

"I don't know what you mean by that," Grant said.

"You're saying you didn't sleep with her?"

"I don't feel like answering any of your questions if you don't mind," Grant said.

Sarah said emphatically, "She's been sleeping with the Chief too, Grant. Sheila told me this privately before the funeral. So, she's been cheating on her husband by fucking his brother and his boss behind his back!"

Sarah turned and went to the kitchen. She came back with a plate of food and placed it on a small table in front of Grant.

"She said that you met her in Sicily last year. I suspect Tanya wasn't aware that you were unfaithful. I can't say whether or not this has anything to do with the murders."

Grant wasn't sure where this conversation was going. He wasn't thrilled with Sarah's questions. Grant was still not over the scene he had met in his house and that he had lost his family in a day. He looked away for a moment.

"I found something else back at the precinct when we returned from the funerals," Sarah said.

She went to her room and came back with a large manila envelope. She handed it to Grant.

"What is that?" Grant asked.

"See for yourself," Sarah said with a shrug.

The envelope fell from Grant's hands as soon as he took out one of the photographs of him and Sheila. It was the two sitting naked on a beach somewhere. Grant's eyes widened. The look on his face said it all. Sarah picked up the envelope.

"Grant, the squad, knows about the photographs," she said. "Sheila was put under questioning today. We're not concluding or suggesting anything. Fraser should know about this by now."

Grant's heart accelerated. He stood up and was pacing back and forth. Sarah watched him anticipating what he was going to say.

"All this is Larry's handwork," Grant blurted out.

He should have taken the man dangerous after the calls. He should have gone home, but instead, he had received the bastard's threats as jokes. Now his family was gone.

"Who's Larry?" Sarah asked.

"The guy who called me on the night of the murders," Grant said. "I never heard of him before, and he talked about Tanya and Jessica... I didn't know he could do such a thing."

Sarah's was on alert. She had a tape secretly recording the conversation. It was underneath the sofa. She would probably need it as evidence against Grant who was considered a suspect in the case.

"You believe me, right, Sarah?" Grant asked.

Sarah shrugged. "We'll need to verify that Larry is a person of interest. Right now I need to take you to the station. Chief Clancy wants to go with the assumption that someone had planned the murders and that you were supposed to be the intended target."

Grant looked perplexed.

"Sarah, I don't understand. Where are you getting at with Sheila?"

Sarah took a deep breath. She hated she had to say what she was about to say to Grant. She knew it would hurt him. "You were aware that Sheila was pregnant a few weeks ago?"

Grant gave no reply.

Sarah continued. "She claimed she wasn't sure if the baby she was carrying was yours or Fraser's. She had aborted it, and Fraser thinks it was a miscarriage. I'm not going to ask why or what happened during those months past, but I know you and Fraser are going to have to face up to it soon. Some - and I won't mention their names - think that you murdered your wife and daughter to cover your tracks so they wouldn't find out about your affair. Sheila told Chief Clancy that you and Sheila had been seeing each other for about a year. I am sure Fraser still loves her, Grant, but I'm afraid it's the end of the road for the two of you. I'm sorry."

Grant's heart sank. He slumped back into the sofa. He lowered his head. Sarah felt no remorse for him.

"I didn't kill my family," Grant said. "Sarah, you've got to believe me. Please, tell me you don't think I'd kill my own family. Please tell me."

Sarah bit her tongue. She had said enough. Now she was determined for Grant to leave more than ever. She turned and sat down across from him.

"First of all, you were out of the precinct at the time of the murders. You left without telling anyone where you went."

Grant sighed. "Look, I told you I was with this girl, Isabelle, my mistress. I even gave the Chief her address."

Sarah sighed. "Her house was checked, but no one's there, Grant. We even placed surveillance in case she would come back, but she hasn't shown up. Tanya would have taken you to the cleaners."

Grant groaned. He couldn't believe the other officers thought he killed his family. "What about Jessica, why would I kill my daughter, huh? This is all pointless."

Sarah smiled. "There's also an answer to that. Tests conducted showed she was pregnant. And everyone in the precinct knows how much you hated that black kid she was fooling around with."

Grant said, "Seems you have gotten everything all figured out. Let me tell you something; I never laid a hand on them. The killer is out there, and you guys are too dumb to do anything."

He got up, cleared his eyes with his hands. "I'll leave if that's what you want. I can stay at the hotel for the time being. I don't want to be of any hindrance to you."

"You can stay for the night and leave in the morning," Sarah said. "Eat your supper. I know you're hungry. I'll call the Chief and let him know you'll be at the station in the morning."

"I'll tell the Chief myself," Grant said. "You've done enough, thanks."

"Grant, don't thank me," Sarah nearly snapped. "You still haven't been upfront about your tryst with Sheila. You don't realize how devastating this looks on her, not to mention your dead wife and daughter."

She didn't mean for her words to come out that way but it was too late. Grant sunk his head again, turned and went to fetch his things.

Sarah sighed. She would have to send the tape over to Chief Clancy tonight, but she decided not to.

The plate of fried sausages and black pudding went cold. By the morningSarah had tossed the food into the waste disposal.