Page 146 of X Marks the Stalker
“You performed admirably under pressure,” Thorne says, his voice carrying the faintest note of approval. “The nail gun was a brilliant touch. Symmetrical justice for a man who hammered your family’s reputation.”
A warm glow spreads through my chest at his words, the sensation catching me off guard. Since when does Thorne’s approval matter? Why should I care what this cold-blooded killer thinks of my work?
Yet the praise lingers, sweet and dangerous.
“She saved my life,” Xander says, his voice still raspy. His thumb traces circles on the back of my hand. “She came back for me when she could have walked away.”
“We all did. Breaking approximately sixteen protocols,” Thorne notes, his finger tapping once against his glass.
“Worth it,” I say, squeezing Xander’s hand.
I set my tumbler down, the crystal making a soft clink against the obsidian surface. “The cops came by my apartmentyesterday,” I say, breaking the momentary silence. “About my parents.”
Five sets of eyes snap to attention. Xander’s hand tightens around mine.
“That was expected.” Thorne’s voice remains calm, but his posture shifts. “What did they say?”
I run my thumb along the rim of my glass. “Said some new evidence came to light after Blackwell’s death. Documents found in his office that suggest he was involved in my parents’ deaths.”
Lazlo leans forward with unusual focus. “What did you tell them?”
I shrug, meeting his gaze. “What we agreed on. It’s the same thing I’ve been telling anyone who would listen for the past twelve years. That Blackwell killed them. That my father never took bribes. That the murder-suicide narrative was bullshit.” I take another sip of whiskey, savoring the burn. “Difference is, this time they seemed to believe me.”
Calloway tilts his head. “How detailed were their questions?”
“Mostly about my whereabouts the night Blackwell died. Standard alibi-establishing stuff.” I tap my fingernails against the glass.
“Did they ask about any of us?” Thorne asks.
“No. Just me. My history with Blackwell. The usual.”
Xander clears his throat. “They won’t find anything that connects us to the panic room,” he says. “No DNA was recovered from the scene. They’re still working with the theory that whoever killed him left through the vent system, but they can’t prove who it was.”
“The fingerprint I created was destroyed,” Lazlo adds,fidgeting with his cufflinks. “Though I must say, my synthesized fingerprint technique was some of my best work. Almost a shame no one will appreciate it.”
“The only concrete evidence they have that connects you to Blackwell’s death, to his involvement in framing your father,” Xander continues, squeezing my hand, “along with ten other cases, was stapled to him.”
Thorne taps his fingers on the table surface, a sound like gentle rainfall. He turns to Darius. “Keep an eye on the investigation. If anything comes up that involves any of us, I want to know immediately.”
Darius nods, his amber eyes unreadable. “Already on it. I have contacts in the DA’s office. They’ll tip me off if anything comes up.”
My finger hovers over the newspaper app before tapping it open. Blackwell’s face stares back at me from behind the headline.
MEDIA MOGUL MURDERED: Shocking Evidence Reveals Decades of Corruption.
“The detectives are still trying to untangle all the evidence we nailed to him.”
Darius scrolls through his own phone. “Channel 7 is running a special report tonight on Blackwell’s offshore accounts. The paper trail we left is getting plenty of attention.”
“It’s working exactly as planned,” Thorne says, his voice measured but satisfied. “The empire falls, brick by brick.”
For over ten years, I’ve dreamed of this—justice for my parents. Vindication. The truth revealed.
“They’re reopening my parents’ case,” I say, my voice steady despite the emotion building in my chest. “DetectiveSean Novak and Dr. Katherine Novak, victims of a powerful man’s corruption, not a murder-suicide.”
Xander’s hand tightens around mine. “The evidence we left pointing to Blackwell’s involvement is pretty irrefutable. Even the most skeptical detectives can’t ignore it.”
“The medical examiner who falsified your mother’s autopsy report has already been suspended,” Lazlo adds, looking up from his tablet. “And three officers involved in the original investigation are facing internal affairs reviews.”
