“I’m texting my lawyer.” She was livid and could hardly type because her hands were shaking so bad. She felt a darkness rise within her.
Her eyes met Tim’s before she pressed send. “Done.” She stared straight at him, hoping her glare delivered the message she was unhappy. “You have some nerve.”
Of course, Tim was lawyered up though he couldn’t have paid much for his services. His snout-nosed attorney wasn’t one for details with his mussed-up hair and sweat-stained shirt. She didn’t want to look too closely, but she’d swear the brown spot on the man’s tie was gravy.
“Not sure why you called your lawyer. You’re not under arrest. We aren’t here because you’re being charged with anything.”
Tim pulled at the brace around his neck. “She thinks because she’s a Blackwood, she’s entitled to certain privileges.”
“You thought because I’m a Blackwood I wouldn’t miss the money you stole from me. We have you on tape. The statute of limitations has not run out, and I can press charges tomorrow.”
“If you would like to,” said the officer, “we can handle that, but in the meantime, we need to focus on the matter at hand.”
She had been lying about the tape but Tim didn’t know that. Bluffing wasn’t her strong suit when she was drunk and she hoped it worked better now that she was sober. There most likely wasn’t any way of proving he’d robbed her, but her cousin Cal and brother Clem seemed to think so.
There might be something on the surveillance tapes at her Idaho Springs home or any of her other homes, depending on whether she’d brought him there. With the way Tim and his lawyer flinched, she realized they weren’t sure if she was telling the truth or fibbing.
“Tell us what happened.”
“Are you asking me or him?” She looked from the officer to Tim. “Why is he in the room? This is a weird set-up. Feels like coercion.”
“It’s the set-up you have.” The officer picked up his pen and laid the tip to the top of the paper in front of him.
“Does Kevin know?” She considered pulling out her phone again to text him. “Shouldn’t he be here?”
“We’ll get to him.”
She would have told Kevin had she known this was the way it was going to go. She’d assumed she’d be making a simple statement and be on her way.
“Real nice of you to ask me to make a statement while the guy who attacked me is staring me down. I would like to speak to you in a different room.” She hardly recognized the firmness in her voice.
“If he attacked you, why didn’t you make a statement the night he was taken away?” asked the lawyer.
“I went to the hospital the first chance I got, and I believe the x-rays and photos are being filed with this station. It’s standard procedure to file a police report in the event of an assault.”
“We’re playing games here,” said the lawyer.
Maya pointed to him. “What’s your name?”
“Tyler Brandt.”
“I’m not saying anything in front of you.” She fisted her bag and stood. “You’re playing games.” She turned to the officer. “If you want a statement, I’ll do it outside. Otherwise, I never want to see this man again. Depending on counsel from my lawyer, I may be pressing charges against you.”
The officer held the door for her.
The lawyer blurted, “My client has a right to face his accuser.”
“You’re making the accusation. If you were being honest, you wouldn’t have to keep your story straight.” She gave them a smile that wasn’t a smile at all. She hoped the smug turn of her lips sent them the message she intended, which was to piss off.
The officer took her into another room. It was small and she was uncomfortable standing so close to him. Better to make her statement quick and get out of there.
“I spoke at an AA meeting and this guy heckled me, and so I left. But I have to back up a bit because there’s more to this story.” She pressed her memory for anything she could recall about Tim. “I sort of knew him during the last days of my binge drinking, which was over six months ago. My brother and cousin caught him hustling me. Anyway, he chased me out of the meeting and he grabbed me—”
She showed him the bruises.
“He had a strong, painful hold on me. Kevin called out for him to stop, but he ignored him and threatened to take me with him against my will. That’s when Kevin charged. This guy had plenty of time to let me go and back away. Kevin gave him a chance and a warning.”
The cop nodded.
“Done?” she asked. “Couldn’t we have done this over the phone?”
She didn’t want to ruin any help she was to Kevin’s cause by being snarky. The last thing she needed to do was to appear a spoiled, entitled heiress, but she was angry.
“We generally take statements in person. I apologize for the confusion and inconvenience.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure how this guy knew I had money, but he did, and he’s been after it ever since. He thinks the way to me is through Kevin. Don’t indulge him.”
She left the conference room only to run into Kevin coming down the hall. He was in his uniform and that had to be a good sign. She sat on the impulse to run up to him and kiss him. She also wanted to apologize, but that would seem like an admission of some kind, and she didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction.
Kevin gave her a look that said why didn’t you tell me you were coming?
The truth was, she hadn’t wanted to trouble him. Everything between them had been so wonderful and she didn’t want to mar it with something negative.
Kevin didn’t seem fazed by the circumstances, but he was fine-tuned into her.
“Dave.” He nodded to the officer she had spoken to. “Let’s do this.”
Maya panicked even though Kevin was calm.
“See you at home.” He kissed her on the cheek.
Maya raced back to Blackwood. She was so angry, she was fevered. She pulled into the driveway of John’s house but didn’t bother to park in the garage. She headed straight for her laptop. She was crazed to find something that would nail this man.
She called the security company and then she called Clem. He knew that Tim had taken money from her; she needed to know how he knew.
“Are you calling me from the house?” he asked, smiling as he walked into the office.
“Yes.” She looked up at him. “I’m a little anxious.”
They set their phones down.
“How did you know the guy I was with before I went to rehab was taking my money?”
“The bank told us,” he said casually. “I got a call, and then they forwarded an email with a do you know this man alert?”
“How did you get it?”
He looked at her like she was from Mars.
“You don’t know?” he asked.
She tilted her head. “Nope, kind of why I’m asking.” Her voice was colored with irritation.
“At the end of your run, you were having issues with gambling. The corporation could be compromised because you were dipping into your trust pretty heavily. We set up an account that gave you reasonable living expenses apart from your trust. He was cashing checks from your living expense account.” Clem lifted his shoulders. “Since I was the trustee of that account, I got the notices. You got notified too. You probably have a copy of it in your emails somewhere. They should be archived.”
She did a search and found a bunch of unopened emails. She nearly hit the ceiling when she found what he described. Tim Johnson had taken a lot of money. It hurt to realize just how compromised she had been. She immediately sent everything to Kevin’s phone.
Kevin called back immediately. “You found something?”
“Yes, I want to get this guy,” she insisted. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m fine. I’m done with the inquiry. The guy couldn’t keep his story straight and the church had surveillance, but I’ll turn over the things you sent. You can still press charges i
f you want. You may have to once they get the doctor’s report. He assaulted you.”
She let out a sigh. “I want you to come home.”
She didn’t want to sound like a whiner, but she needed the comfort of his arms. She’d gone through the gamut of emotions at the police station. She needed Kevin. “I’m all stressed out. I just want normal. It’s lunchtime. Wanna go to the diner?”
“Yes, baby. I want to go there.”
Maya felt like she’d been all over creation by the time she walked out to her car.
Another car was coming up the remote road that led to John’s driveway.
She stepped back because she didn’t recognize it. As the driver opened the door and let daylight into her car, there was Kaitlin, Clem’s soon to be ex-wife, behind the wheel, looking less than happy.
Clem was in good spirits this morning. She didn’t want to ruin that with a visit from his ex, but as long as Kaitlin was civil, she’d let her in.
Maya hugged her hello. She’d always liked her sister-in-law and though it was strange that soon she would be a former sister-in-law, she hoped there would be a way to stay on good terms.
When Kaitlin pulled back, tears were running down her cheeks.
“Where’s Clem?” Her voice quivered with emotion.
“Inside.” Maya looked over her shoulder toward the front door. “Come on in. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
She led the sobbing woman to the couch and then dashed upstairs to get her brother. Life was too complicated these days. She knocked on Clem’s door, hating to bother him.
He answered half-dressed with wet hair. “What’s up?”
“Kaitlin’s here.”
Clem rubbed his face with his palm. “Tell her I’ll be down.” His voice wilted with every word, but he moved like he was excited.
“Need me to stay?” She prayed he’d say no, but she would if he needed her.
“No, I do not,” he said sharply.
“Hey,” she reprimanded him softly. “Maybe I should if you’re going to be nasty.”
“I’m sorry. I’m fine. I’ll be civil. I promise.”
“Good, because she’s crying.” She reached over and pushed the damp strands of hair from her brother’s forehead. “She looks a mess, so go easy on her.”
Clem's expression turned to one of concern. “Can you stay until I see what’s going on?” He walked back to his bed where his shirt was laid out and pulled it on. “You and I haven’t talked about what happened between Kaitlin and me.” He tugged on his boots and walked to the door. “There’s been some game playing.”
“No,” teased Maya. “Really?”
“Yes, I’m not proud of it,” he said. “Can you stay for a few?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll be right down.” He headed for the bathroom.
She had flexibility, so she went downstairs to sit with Kaitlin until Clem came down.
“How about you let me get you a glass of water?”
Kaitlin’s eyes moved around the great room like she was lost. Maya sat her down on the couch and took off her shoes. She lifted her feet and encouraged her to curl up on the sofa while Maya covered her with a plush blanket.
“Get comfortable. You’ve been in that car for a while.” She loved her brother but hated to see his wife so broken. “I’ll get you that water.”
Clem sauntered down the stairs as Maya returned with a full glass. She could see the hope on his face. It reminded her of when they were kids and they raced down to open presents on Christmas morning. He tried to filter his excitement, to slow it down, but she knew her brother. He was wishing for something specific.
“I think we’ll be okay,” assured Clem. “Right, Kaitlin?”
“Yes.” Her voice was weary.
“I’m only a phone call away,” Maya promised. “I’m going into town to have lunch with Kevin. I can come back if you need me.”
As soon as she was sure that Kaitlin and Clem were good, she raced to her Porsche and sped down to Blackwood. She’d spent more time in the town in the past few months than she had when she owned the place.
She parked legally and rushed inside.
Togi’s arms were filled with plates balanced from her wrist to the crook of her elbow, a coffee pot dangling from her fingertips. She was a welcome sight. Once she delivered the load, Maya gave her a hug hello.
“Can I grab a booth?” Maya pointed to the empty one.
“Yep.” Togi followed Maya with a pot of coffee as she scurried to a table and slid into a polished wooden bench. “You look wound up.”
“I am. I just got back from the Idaho Springs Police Station. That guy who did this”—she pointed to her wrist—“is trying to get Kevin for police brutality.”
“They should have had us all down there to talk to them right away.” Togi turned over Maya’s cup and filled it.
Maya could feel Togi’s toughness flaring.
“You should be in charge.” She lifted her cup and took the first sip. “It was such a weird experience. I’m going to tell Kevin about it when he gets here. It was almost like the officer asking me questions was working for the man.”
“What do you mean?” Togi set the coffee pot down and slid into the bench across from her.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s me being paranoid, but I couldn’t shake this feeling like they were trying to work together to get a payday. The officer seemed smarmy but then he apologized.”
“Does that happen a lot? People trying to angle for your money?”
“I guess.” She hadn’t given it much thought until Tim showed back up. “I wasn’t aware of it when my husband was alive. Once I was single, the vultures came out of the woodwork. I think they’re still trying to get a piece of what I have.”
Kevin walked in shortly after and Maya’s heart soared.
Togi rose and grabbed her pot.
Kevin leaned down and kissed Maya on the lips before sitting down across from her.
“Hi, Togi.”
“Cup of coffee?” She held the pot handle with two fingers and swung it back and forth. The dark liquid danced behind the glass.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She turned over his cup and poured.
“Do you guys know what you want or do you need a minute?” Her eyes swept the dining room. It wasn’t busy, but there was a decent crowd.
“Give us a minute.” Kevin politely dismissed her.
And with that, Togi was off to check her other customers.
A big wave of relief swept through her now that Kevin was there. She’d just seen him and yet she was excited to see him again. Was he her new addiction?
“You remain at large?” she giggled.
“I do.”
“Why was that cop so gung-ho? It was almost like he was working for them.” She picked up her napkin and turned it into confetti. It was a bad habit she needed to break because it made such a mess. “I didn’t need to face those guys like that. I couldn’t shake the feeling they all had dollar signs in their eyes, like they were after my money.”
“I think if they could get to your money, they would, but they were after mine, not yours.”
“Yours?” she asked with surprise.
He laughed heartily. “Believe it or not, I’m flush. I have money from playing ball. You were right, there was some shady stuff going on there, but we’re square. I told my captain on the way out.”
“It’s done?”
He shrugged. “Let’s hope.” He reached across the table for her hand. “I do have one question—”
“Yes?” She looked at her hand sitting on his palm. How his fingers brushed over her knuckles. How the light feeling of his touch made her heart pound in her chest.
“Why are you sitting way over there?” His voice took on that velvet bedroom quality.
She let his warm words wash over her.
“From this distance, you can admire my beautiful earrings.” She tucked her hair behind her ea
rs. “This handsome, wonderful man gave them to me.”
“I think I remember something about that.” He gave her hand a tug. “Come over here.”
She smiled and slipped over to his side of the booth. They barely fit side-by-side but his close proximity was perfect.
Togi approached the table. “Can I start you off with anything?”
“I’d like an Arnold Palmer, coleslaw, and a side of fries.”
Togi arched her brow, signaling her disapproval over the order.
Maya didn’t respond.
Kevin ordered a grilled chicken salad and handed Togi the menus. “Are you going to let her order that crap, Togi?”
“Ugh, you two.” Maya searched for an alternative order.
“Eat what you like,” murmured Togi. “What do I care if your ass gets as wide as a bus eating all those fries?”
Maya grumbled. “Okay, make that two grilled chicken salads.”
Togi smiled and marched away to put their order in.
Maya leaned into Kevin. “I talked to Deena about the developer and she called me counselor, like I sounded like an attorney.”
There was a pause. She looked to him for a response.
“Is that something that interests you?”
“I was flattered, that’s all. I haven’t done anything with myself. I got a degree in design, and then I got married. I want to do something meaningful like you do.”
He nodded and leaned over to kiss her. “Everything you do is meaningful.”
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “What do you think about me seeing if I can buy the town back?” she asked quietly.
He studied her and smiled. “I like that idea.” He sipped his coffee. “Clem expressed regret about selling it too. I’d kind of like to keep it as it is.”
“It’s just an idea. I’m going to make sure one way or the other the development company makes good on preserving everyone’s jobs like they promised.”
“See there, you’re doing worthwhile work already.”
Togi appeared with their food. It took no time to fix the salads.
Maya felt like Togi wanted to ask her something. “What is it?”
Togi looked around the diner then leaned in close. “There’s a meeting this evening here at the town hall. I’d be honored if you led.”
Imagine That: A Small Town Big Love Novel Page 10
