Page 55 of Eros
My eyes widened. It had been one of the things Eros had been stressing—that they would get raided again.
“And make sure he knows we’re even.”
I nodded then he escorted me to the front door of my home. When he opened the door, the questions from reporters as well as the camera flashes bombarded me. I stood just behind the governor as he approached the microphones from the various news stations. Both the detectives who had been assigned to mycase stood on my right, and my family attorney, Mrs. Jackson, stood to my left. And the two FBI agents assigned to the case stood behind us.
“Good evening. I stand before you not just as the Governor of this great state, but as a colleague, a friend, and a very concerned citizen. Lieutenant Governor Roger Thorne has been missing for 48 hours. His absence is not only a personal tragedy but also a matter of grave public concern.
“Roger is a devoted father,”he said even though it was a lie.“He’s a tireless public servant, and someone who has always put the people of this state above politics. We are doing everything in our power to locate him. Law enforcement is working around the clock, and we are coordinating with federal agencies to follow every lead.
To whoever may be responsible for this. If you’re listening, please, let him come home. This is not a political game. This is a family in anguish. His daughter, Janea, is here with us today. Her courage in speaking out is a reminder that behind every headline is a human story. The story of a family who just want answers.
If you know anything, please come forward. Call the tip line. Speak to the authorities. We will protect your identity. We just want Roger home. Now Janea is going to say a few words. All questions will be directed to the police department, FBI, as well as the Thorne family attorney. Thank you.”
The governor stepped away from the microphones, and I slowly took his place, trying to block out the noise of the flashing cameras.
“My name is Janea Thorne. I’m not here as the daughter of a politician. I’m here as a daughter who hasn’t heard her father’s voice in days. My dad isn’t just the Lieutenant Governor. He’s the man who taught me how to ride a bike, who stayed up late helping me with science projects, who always made time for hisfamily even when the job pulled him in a hundred directions,” I said. That was the man he used to be for me, but that man had died right along with my mother. “He’s the kind of person who shows up. But now he’s gone. Me and brother don’t know where he is,” I said, wiping away a tear that made its way down my cheek. “We don’t know why he’s gone. But I’m begging if anyone out there knows something, anything, please come forward. You don’t have to give your name. Just help us bring him home. Dad, if you can hear this, we’re looking for you. We won’t stop. Thank you.”
As I walked away from the microphones and stood beside the governor waiting for all this to end, all I wanted to do was to go back inside and be with Eros. My dad made his bed, now he had to lie in it. I was grateful I didn’t have to be the one who squeezed the trigger. And I was grateful that my mom got the justice she deserved.
Chapter Thirty
Eros
Eventhoughsheknewthe news was coming, she called me in tears as soon as the cops notified her, they had found her father’s body, and I raced over to her home. I expected her to be upset, but she was on the verge of a panic attack. I guess the news he had been found made what we had done more real.
Of course, I had to use the private entrance because the reporters were camped out in the front looking for any chance to get a picture or statement from any family members. They were like vultures. Cameras and reporters were everywhere. There was even a news helicopter flying overhead.
Did they ever sleep?
It was a madhouse in front of her residence, and we weren’t ready to go public just yet. We needed to make sure his death was tied to the cartel first.
Knox had dumped him and the girl inEl Silencio Arroyo—a dry wash that snaked through a canyon that very few people traveled. It was just east of San Diego only a few miles fromthe Mexican border. The terrain was brutal with enormous boulders, brittle bushes, a shit ton of wildlife, and rusted remnants of old border patrol buildings. There was spotty cell service, and over the years the cartel had used it as a dumping ground for their victims. Dozens of bodies had been uncovered there throughout the year.
The channel straddled a stretch of land where the border fence was broken. For that reason, it was always unclear whether the murders happened in Mexico or in the U.S. which was a jurisdictional nightmare that fueled conspiracy theories and political tension. However, the connection to the cartel was never in question. They always left their calling cards. Their victims’ hands bound with red nylon cord, their throats cut in some manner, and traces of Mexican soil rubbed into the wounds. All of which would be found on the bodies of the late Roger Thorne, and the woman he was sleeping with. We were just waiting for confirmation because the evidence the police investigation would uncover, which Knox was slowly leaking would connect Thorne to the cartel.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked, running my fingertips up and down her bare arm.
She’d been quiet after getting her emotions under control after I got here. We were together in her bedroom, in each other’s arms, watching the TV, waiting for news to break. I hadn’t met her brother yet because since he came into town he was rarely here. He’d check in with her, but he was having a hard time staying in the house, while his father was still missing. So, he had been spending most of his time at the beach hanging with friends.
“At the beach again. I called him to let him know they had found Dad so he wouldn’t be blindsided, but he didn’t want to come home. Said he was going to hang out there for a while andfor me not to wait up for him. He won’t come around until it’s time for the funeral.”
I heard the guilt in her voice, but she had nothing to feel guilty for. This was the only reason she was alive.
“You have nothing to feel guilty about, sweetheart.”
“I keep telling myself that, but every time I think about what my brother is going through. I can’t help it. My father is dead because of me. Now we have no one left.”
“You have each other.” I tightened my embrace around her. “And your father is dead because of his actions, not yours. Would you rather the cops come to your door to tell your father about your death that he sanctioned?”
I told her repeatedly that her father was the reason for everything that had happened. He was the one who wanted the governor dead. He was the one who hired someone to kill her. He was the one who killed his wife. That had nothing to do with her. She was innocent in all this.
“You also have to remember, your brother is living in the past,” I continued. “He doesn’t know the man your father became. He doesn’t know he killed your mother. He doesn’t know he tried to kill you. And he hasn’t gone through any of the shit you have.”
I did my best to make her realize she put the safety of herself above everything else. And there was nothing wrong with that. I quickly realized a while ago that Janea was the person who always put other people’s interests in front of hers. This time she had me in her life, and I refused to let her do that anymore. It was him or her, and she had every right to choose herself. I wouldn’t let her feel bad for making that decision.
“You’re right, but I still feel bad that he’s hurting.”
“It’s normal for him to hurt. Shit, you’re hurting even after all your father put you through. Don’t be so hard on yourself. And you’ll both get closure in a few days. It won’t be long before theyannounce what they’ve come up with. Knox left enough evidence that’s irrefutable.”
