He eased her out of his arms. “Come on,” he said softly. “They’re waiting for us.”
She nodded and let him guide her to Lee’s office. He tapped on the door, a beautiful dark wood double door with elaborate carvings up and down its frame. When Tessa stepped into his office, it stunned her. A billiard table in the same dark wood as the door was in the center of the room. On the other side of the table was a wet bar, which was really a small kitchen. To her left was a giant desk, again, made of the same dark wood as the door and the billiard table. Surrounding the desk were half a dozen upholstered chairs constructed of the same wood, with cream-colored cloth that looked to be actual velvet. The wall behind Lee, who was seated at the desk, was floor-to-ceiling glass, giving one a spectacular view of the river.
Lee stood when they walked across the room toward him. He was dressed casually, in dark jeans and a light brown turtleneck beneath a tweed jacket. No pink, she thought.
“Tessa, you look wonderful this morning. I take it that both of you had a good night’s rest?” Lee said, though Tessa noticed his voice was much more formal today.
“I slept well, thank you,” Tessa replied, imitating the formal quality of his remark.
“Have a seat, please,” Lee invited, gesturing to the plush chairs in a semicircle around his desk. “You want coffee? I have ordered pastries in case either of you are hungry.”
Food was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to see Rachelle and get it over with. She had spent years fantasizing about such a meeting, and now that her fantasy was about to turn into reality, she didn’t want to wait another minute.
“Where is Rachelle?” she asked. Tessa didn’t care if she sounded rude. She did not want to wait for the meeting to begin any longer than necessary.
“Harry has her in another room. He’s getting a DNA sample. Said he wanted to do it himself. Michael Chen is with him. A chain-of-evidence thing; a couple deputies, too. We don’t want the slightest implication of impropriety. Remember the OJ Simpson case? I thought it best to get this over with beforehand.”
Tessa breathed a sigh of relief. Lee really was top-notch. She was right to put her trust in him. “Yes, I suppose it’s best to get things moving. Did Harry say how long before he has results?” Tessa was beyond anxious.
“At least twenty-four hours,” Lee said. “That’s working around the clock, which Harry will do. He’s the best there is, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to undertake this . . . delicate operation.”
“Where’s that coffee?” Sam asked. “I need a jolt of caffeine.”
“Minibar,” Lee said.
Sam brought back two cups of coffee. She took a cup, and though it smelled divine, she didn’t want to chance another stomach upset. She passed it on to Lee.
“How long before Harry finishes?” Sam asked Lee what Tessa wanted to ask.
“Anytime now, I would imagine,” Lee responded. “They have been in there at least half an hour already.”
Tessa felt like she was at trial all over again. The waiting. The nervousness that erupted into nausea, the fear of the unknown. However, this time around, she knew what she would be facing if somehow, some way, what they had already discovered, and whatever additional evidence they obtained was not sufficient to have the DA withdraw the charges against her or overcome the evidence that led to the first verdict if the case went to trial. Yes, in the worst-case scenario, she would have a new trial, according to Lee and Florida’s Supreme Court, but a new trial was worth nothing if there was no new evidence to convince the jury that they should return a not guilty verdict the second time around. It all depended upon Rosa’s story being accepted.
“How’s Chen’s attitude?” Sam asked. “He ready to blow a fuse or what?”
“Actually, quite the opposite. He’s reviewed Poppy’s artwork and agrees with Jill’s assessment that she was most likely abused, molested.” Lee looked at Tessa with sorrow in his eyes. “And he’s wondering why the bones weren’t found during the police investigation.”
“Because there was no investigation,” Tessa told him. “They were after me and didn’t listen to anything I told them. They tried and convicted me without a single piece of physical evidence. They went so far as not to bother to determine that my family had actually been killed on Saturday, when I could not have been the killer, rather than before I left the island on Friday.” Tessa found she could actually say the word evidence without cringing; though it bothered her and always would, it was necessary to say the word because that is what would clear her name. Or not.
Voices from behind her forced her to turn around.
“I got everything I need, Lee. I’m taking it to the lab now, with these kind deputies who have nothing better to do than follow me around. I’m rushing this. I’m going to do a test, I won’t go into all the details, but it’s quick and should give us answers by the end of the day,” Harry informed everyone in the room. He carried with him three paper bags, which appeared to be sealed with evidence tape. Tessa saw writing on the bags but wasn’t able to distinguish what the labels said.
“I appreciate this, Harry. You’ve got my cell-phone number. Call the second you know anything. Anything at all.” Lee stepped out from behind his desk and followed Harry and the two deputies to the door.
When they were out of the room, another door opened, and Tessa was taken aback when she saw Rachelle. Where once Rachelle would have been considered gorgeous, with her slim build, but curvaceous in all the right places, long dark hair, and turquoise-colored eyes,
