Vindicate (Recovered Innocence #1)(64)

I cast Leo an annoyed glance. He puts his palms up, letting me know it’s all mine. I’m annoyed because his question was better than mine.

“You were questioned by a police officer about Cassandra’s murder?”

“Yes. He spent most of that afternoon with me, asking over and over about the delivery man.”

“Can you tell me who the officer was who spoke to you?”

She lowers her brows. “I don’t remember his name.”

“If you saw his picture do you think you’d recognize him?” Leo asks, opening my binder.

I’m too grateful he thought of something I didn’t to be mad at him for butting in again.

Mrs. Wheeler glances down at the binder. “Maybe.”

I turn the page and Cassandra’s pretty face is smiling back at us.

“Oh,” Mrs. Wheeler breathes. “She was so beautiful, wasn’t she?”

“Yes, she was.”

“Wait a minute.” She puts a hand out to stop me from turning the page. “Hollis. Are you related to Beau Hollis?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m his sister.”

She pushes at the binder. “I can’t help you.”

“Please. Please help me find the officer who spoke to you that day. My brother’s life is on the line here.”

“That’s of his own doing, not mine. No. Take that thing away and leave. I don’t want anything to do with that monster.”

Leo takes the binder, snapping it closed. “You don’t have to help us.”

What the hell is he doing?

“I just hope you can live with the fact that you refused to help free an innocent man.” He turns and walks toward the door.

I gape at him, unable to believe what he’s doing. He’s blowing this whole thing.

He’s got a hand on the door handle when Mrs. Wheeler finally finds her voice. “What do you mean ‘innocent’? A jury convicted him.”

“A jury convicted Maurice Battle too.” Leo turns, but stays next to the door. “Mr. Battle sat in prison for thirty-nine years for a crime he didn’t commit before our agency took on his case and found someone like you who helped prove his innocence. Wait. No. Not like you. You won’t help us.” He puts his back to us again like he’s going to leave.

“Is that what you do?” she asks. “Free innocent people?”

“It’s one of the things we do.”

“And you think the boy—her brother—who was convicted of Cassandra’s murder is innocent like that other man?”

He faces us again. “Without a doubt. We just need the proof, and I think you have it.”

She looks up at me. I can’t breathe. I grip the railing of her bed, willing her with everything in me to agree to help us. She’s our only real hope. Every other lead we’ve had so far isn’t enough to bring before a judge to reopen Beau’s case.

“Please,” I beg. “Five and a half years. That’s two thousand and eighty-nine days—including today—he’s sat in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He’ll never get those days back, but you can help us give him the rest of his life back.” I don’t even care that I’m crying. I’d get on my knees if it would get this woman to help us.

“Two thousand eighty-nine days,” she whispers.

“Please.”

She holds her hand out toward Leo. It shakes. “Bring that book back here.”

Leo returns to her bedside and opens the binder again, laying it on her lap. He slips his hand into mine. When I look at him I see tears in his eyes. He wipes mine away with the backs of his fingers.

Mrs. Wheeler turns the pages. I watch her face for any reaction, any sign of recognition. If we can find that officer, we can find out why he didn’t report what Mrs. Wheeler saw. She’s the only one who can put someone other than my brother at Cassandra’s apartment on the day of her death—a deliveryman. Her missing statement could be the something we need to take to a judge.

If we can get Damien LeFeaux to admit he lied about seeing my brother that day the DA’s case takes another hit. There would be no witness putting Beau there at the time of Cassandra’s death.

We also need to find this deliveryman. He could be a potential witness or even the killer himself. This small, frail woman has done more in the past five minutes than I’ve been able to do in more than five years.

She turns the pages, taking her time, examining each photo as though memorizing it. I can’t move. I keep waiting for her to point to a page and shout, “This guy! This is the one!” But she keeps turning the pages slowly, methodically. I don’t look away from her. I don’t want to miss the moment she blows the whole case wide open.

And then she gets to the last page.

Her watery brown gaze rises to mine. “I didn’t see him.”





Chapter 30


Leo


Cora walks out. I’d go after her, but Mrs. Wheeler is looking up at me like she might cry. I don’t think I’ve got the words to reassure her. I can see how badly she wants to help, how much I made her want to help with my bullshit speech about freeing Beau. I pat her pale, wrinkly hand and mumble something about how grateful we are that she tried.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Mrs. Wheeler asks.