Epilogue

  Vaughn squinted in the bright sunlight, quickly donned her shades, and headed to the taxi stand at Dulles International Airport. She had missed her connection and was more than two hours late. The jury was scheduled to begin deliberations earlier that morning in the trial of Edgar Fairhaven.

Both Senate Majority Leader Stowe and the assistant United States attorney prosecuting the case assured Vaughn that the verdict was little more than a formality. She hoped she wasn’t too late. Former Secretary of State Brian Pordras and former Ambassador to Mali Raymond Dumont had testified for the prosecution in exchange for reduced sentences. The detailed information they supplied implicated Fairhaven as the mastermind behind the drug-smuggling operation, Sara’s murder, Sage’s kidnapping and attempted murder, and the attempted murders of Vaughn, Justine, and Senate Majority Leader Stowe.

Vaughn settled herself in the backseat of the taxi. “Federal Courthouse, please.” As the cab weaved in and out of Washington, D.C. traffic, Vaughn reviewed the events of the trial.

The majority leader’s comprehensive, succinct testimony added to the weight of the prosecution’s case. Vaughn’s heart-wrenching account of Sara’s death and Sage’s rescue resonated with the jury and made the crimes seem all the more personal and heinous. Justine’s description of Vaughn’s injuries and the desperate race to save her life solidified the case for the conspiracy to commit murder, and Sage’s harrowing recitation of her time in captivity virtually slammed the door on any chance Fairhaven had for freedom in his lifetime.

Vaughn frowned. She had argued privately with the prosecutor that there was more than enough evidence to convict Fairhaven without Sage’s testimony. She would’ve done anything to spare her from having to relive her trauma.

When she lost the argument, Vaughn considered showing up in the courtroom to offer what moral and emotional support she could. In the end, she stayed away and relied on Justine’s accounts of how Sage was faring.

“We’re here,” the cabbie said.

Vaughn paid him, grabbed her bag, and got out. She checked her watch. If she was lucky, the jury might still be out. She hustled into the building only to find a large crowd milling around outside the courtroom.

From a distance, she caught a glimpse of Sage. Even after so long spent apart, Vaughn’s heart still skipped a beat at the sight. Over the course of the eight months of soul-searching, she finally had come to accept that she was in love with Sage. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to do anything about it.

Sage looked beautiful. She wore an expensive, sharply cut suit that accented her trim figure. Her hair was lighter than Vaughn remembered, and her cheeks had a healthy glow.

Sage must have sensed her presence, because at that moment, she turned and their eyes met through the throng of people.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you’d take your seats, the jury is coming back.”

 

  Sage felt Vaughn’s presence before she saw her. When their eyes met, Sage’s palms dampened and her mouth went dry. Good Lord. Vaughn looked like a bronzed goddess. Her intelligent, expressive eyes stood out boldly against deeply tanned skin. She wore a fitted pantsuit and a crisp, white blouse. And, most remarkably, she looked rested and relaxed in a way Sage had never seen before.

Vaughn didn’t take the president up on his offer and, after that day at the White House, she just seemed to disappear. Despite her best efforts, Sage was unable to find out where she was. Finally, in desperation, Sage turned to Justine for information.

Justine would say only that Vaughn decided to take some time off and was living somewhere in the Caribbean. Sage hoped to see her when she was  in D.C. to testify, but Vaughn managed to slip into and out of town in a single day, and Sage was bogged down in an international conference.

The bailiff summoned the crowd back into the courtroom just as Sage started to move in Vaughn’s direction. By the time Sage made it inside, she had lost sight of Vaughn.

 

  Vaughn wasn’t the least bit surprised to find Justine at her side as she took a seat.

“Hi, stranger.”

“Hi,” Vaughn said.

“Long time no see. I thought you’d be here before this.”

“Believe me, I meant to be. Damn airlines.”

“Well, if you weren’t coming from the middle of nowhere…”

“You’re not going to start that again, are you?”

“Nope,” Justine answered. “Did you see Sage? She looks fantastic, doesn’t she?”

Vaughn’s pulse quickened merely at the sound of her name. “Yes, she does. Her shoulder is all healed?”

“Yep. The surgeon did a wonderful job. She has full functionality.”

“That’s great.” Vaughn let silence fill the air.

“She asks about you all the time, you know.”

“Justine—”

“Don’t ‘Justine’ me.”

Vaughn sighed heavily. “How’s she doing with the nightmares and stuff?”

“She doesn’t talk about it much, but every time I see her, she looks a little more comfortable in her own skin.”

“You see her often?” Vaughn asked, glancing sideways.

“Jealous?” Justine laughed. “We get together for lunch once a week.”

“That’s nice.”

“You should talk to her, Vaughn.”

“Don’t—” Even now, Vaughn wasn’t sure she could or should act on her feelings.

At that moment, the jurors filed in and took their places. The courtroom went very quiet.

“The defendant will rise,” the judge intoned.

Vaughn watched as Fairhaven rose to his feet. His hair was grayer than it had been, and his face was gaunt.

“Have you reached a verdict?” the judge asked the jury foreman.

“We have, your Honor. On the count of kidnapping in the first degree, we find the defendant…guilty.”

Vaughn sought Sage’s face in the crowd. She made eye contact and smiled reassuringly.

“On the three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, we find the defendant…guilty.”

The crowd began to buzz.

“Order!” The judge gaveled the court to order.

“On the count of second degree murder, we find the defendant…guilty.”

“That one’s for you, Sara,” Vaughn murmured. Tears formed in her eyes. Justine squeezed her hand.

“On the count of money laundering, we find the defendant…guilty.”

“On the count of drug smuggling, we find the defendant…guilty.”

“I accept your finding,” the judge said, “and I thank you for your service. The jury is dismissed. Sentencing is set for ninety days from today. Court is adjourned.”

Newspaper reporters rushed out the door to file their stories. Television reporters retreated to various corners of the courtroom to do their stand-ups.

Vaughn and Justine hugged.

“He got what he deserved,” Justine said.

“It won’t bring Sara back,” Vaughn said around the lump in her throat. She hadn’t thought the moment would be so emotional.

“You fought for her, Vaughn. Somewhere up there, she knows that.”

Vaughn nodded.

“She’d also want you to move on. You know that too.”

Vaughn stiffened, but Justine held her close when she would have pulled away. It was true that she loved Sage, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to let go of Sara’s memory and what Sara had meant to her.

“You can’t keep running away. Sage loves you. And don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way, Vaughn Elliott. I saw that look in your eyes.”

She hadn’t thought herself to be so transparent. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Justine released Vaughn and shoved her forward and to the left. “Go talk to her. You at least owe her that.”

Sage stood some fifteen feet away. The misery in her eyes touched Vaughn’s soul, and something inside her shifted.

“Hi,” Vaughn said when she was close enough to be heard.

“Hi.”

“It’s over.”

“Yes, it is.” Sage wasn’t looking at her.

“You look marvelous. Justine tells me your shoulder is completely healed.”

“Yeah, the doc did a great job.”

“I’ll believe that when I get a demonstration.”

Sage’s head snapped up. Her eyes showed confusion.

“Can I have a hug?” Vaughn asked. She opened her arms and pulled Sage close when she stepped into the embrace.

Vaughn inhaled the fresh scent of Sage’s hair and the sweet fragrance of her perfume. She closed her eyes and savored the moment. Sage fit so perfectly in her arms. Vaughn’s resistance crumbled and she surrendered. I love you, Sara. I always will. But it’s time to get on with my life.

 “So,” Vaughn said, pulling back just far enough to see Sage’s face. “I hear you make a mean chicken cordon bleu.”

    The End