At least Emily wasn’t completely alone. At least she had her brother and uncle with her. The support Rick would give her was questionable, if only because of years of separation and not knowing the other. But Uncle Mitch would do anything for his niece. While she was still concerned with this Lena woman, she trusted Emily and she knew Mitch was watching her like a bulldog.
The cool air hit her the moment Tabby walked into the bed and breakfast. As she was led to the dining room, she couldn’t help but wish she had taken a moment to change before having this discussion with Melissa. There had been something in those azure eyes that was pleading. They had been asking her to trust her and follow along. That everything would be told, but in time so that Tabby wasn’t overwhelmed.
An official looking envelope was sitting at the head of the table. Tabby swallowed when she realized it was from the district attorney’s office. The envelope made an eerie sound as she broke the seal. It was lucky a chair wasn’t far when she began to read the contents. Melissa slowly guided her to the chair as the letter fell from Tabby’s hand.
Melissa already knew the basics of the letter. Charlie, the lead homicide detective and Sam’s ex-partner, had attempted to contact her daughter. Helen’s body had been discovered at the hotel she had checked in. It was just on the outskirts of Middletown. It was on the way to the airport. The time of death had been determined as only three hours before Emily and Rick’s flight had been scheduled to take off.
Charlie had said from the evidence he didn’t believe Emily had anything to do with it. But he didn’t have a say on who was prosecuted and who wasn’t. There had been an autopsy performed. It was discovered it was murder by strangulation. It had also been revealed she wasn’t HIV positive. What did this mean for Tabby and for her soulmate?
The last line of the letter caused her to be physically ill. For some reason, Melissa had planned ahead. There was a bucket placed in front of her as the matriarch held blonde tendrils back. When finally she could heave no more, Tabby settled back in the chair. “Looks like both Emily and I need a good lawyer. And I have to give her a call. Warn her that she’ll be receiving a visit from the district attorney and Charlie.”
Tabby stared at the letter. It was unreal. How could anyone believe that Emily was capable of murder? Granted Helen had placed Tabby and Nicky through Hades. That didn’t even count the latest scare tactic, which was to make them all think they had been exposed to HIV. Just when she was forging a relationship with Emily once again, something else had to try and come between them. She’d be damned if she allowed anyone, her son included, or anything come between them.
Chapter 7
Emily couldn’t believe what her soulmate had just informed her. She and Tabby had enjoyed a few stolen moments via skype. Tabby was technically at work. Later, she was to attempt to speak to Nicky once again. That was after speaking to the lawyer she had kinda hired to make certain she didn’t have anything to worry about. Luckily, the lawyer had agreed to represent both the nurse and the therapist.
And now, Emily had a meeting with a different lawyer. It was one she didn’t want to deal with, either. At least Lena had backed off. Even over dinner the night before, she had remained distant. Uncle Mitch had something to do with it. What had he done? It was scary what her uncle could do. After all, he was a bounty hunter. He had his military training. Plus, he was a brilliant man. Intelligent didn’t even begin to describe him.
The face staring back at Emily surprised her. There were no signs of crying the entire night. There were no signs she had indulged in drinking. She wasn’t like Sam and Abby who never drank. It was only rare that she would become too drunk to think straight. For a moment, a smile flickered on her face as she now knew she was anything but straight. Was she bi? Did it matter how she classified herself?
It was much how Abby had related her own coming to terms with admitting her attraction to women. While her best friend had had an experience in her youth, unlike Emily, it had been difficult to come to terms with her attraction to women. Even though in the back of her mind, she had known she had been attracted and even flirted with women. Emily shook her head. Love was love, no matter how you chose to label it.
A deep sigh escaped Emily as she finished readying herself. The business suit was also different for her. Part of her had wanted to wear one of her normal outfits. While not revealing, they would have been far from appropriate. Especially if she compared it to the rigid standards her father had put into place as dress code. Another reason she was more than glad she could wear her pajamas to her new employment.
Slowly, Emily made her way down the stairs. Uncle Mitch had said he had some things to check out and would be gone before the sun rose. Rick hadn’t said if he’d be home or not. Emily only hoped that he would be at the office today. While his position truly was more in name only, he was her brother. He was the one their father had built the company to pass on to.
Scratch that. Lucas Dunst had technically only given them a last name. He had not contributed DNA. But Emily knew that DNA meant very little to those that truly knew what family was all about. But in Lucas’ case, he had wanted a legacy. He had wanted to leave something behind. Was that why he had, even though they were technically not related, left it to Emily to deal with his final affairs.
Azure eyes closed. If she continued with this train of thought, tears would not be far away. As much as Emily needed to grieve for the person she had been, now was not the time. Would there be a time when she could grieve? Or were there too many things for her to properly process? That included a little boy who couldn’t understand what had happened to his world once again.
A breath escaped Emily as she readied herself to open the kitchen door. To her amazement, there was no one in the kitchen. She glanced around before making her way towards the table. There were covered trays. Cautiously, she uncovered each one. There was mixed fruit, scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, muffins, pancakes and French toast. There were carafes of coffee and orange juice.
After glancing around once more in search of Lena, Emily helped herself to some fruit and some toast. It was going to be an emotional day, no matter if the board fought her on the sale or not. She knew she needed to fortify herself for the day. Yet, she was worried her stomach may not be able to handle it. Of course. there was no way she could do without her travel mug of coffee for the road.
Emily made her way to the garage. Her baby was well-maintained, thanks to the personal mechanic kept on staff. It was something she would have to think about. Either she would have to sell her lovely pink demon or she would have to drive it back to Middletown. It would take time away from her and Tabby. But perhaps after she had things settled, time was exactly what she needed.
The top was down. The wind would cause her hair to become windblown. At this point, the only thing Emily cared about was the fact she showed up on time and wasn’t fought. The lawyer had assured her he would meet her there. Was it wise to use her father’s lawyers? And once again referring to Lucas as her father caused her breathing to halt, if only momentarily.
It was something Emily had in common with Sam now. The two had very little in common, other than wanting to see Abby happy. There was no one that existed that could do that like Sam did. Well, there were three little beings that added greatly to the nurse’s happiness. And Emily couldn’t be happier for her friend who had suffered through an abusive relationship.
The drive across town took forever. At the same time, it seemed to fly by too quickly. Emily stopped at the guard shack. There was a bit of hesitation on the young man’s part before he finally waved her through. It made her wonder if there was a surprise waiting for her inside. All she could do was to take one moment at a time.
Emily was grateful when she noticed the lawyer leaning against his vehicle. It was something expensive. It would probably cost the former nurse about ten years’ wages. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. She grabbed her briefcase and travel mug before she exited her baby. “
I’m glad you’re here. I hope the transition goes smoothly.”
The lawyer’s expression was stern. “Miss Dunst, I attempted to call you last night and this morning.” He didn’t hesitate in handing Emily some papers. Somehow, Emily managed to juggle the briefcase and coffee before taking them. “It’s a done deal. Even before your father was injured, the sale was under works.”
Instantly, Emily was speechless. She gave the lawyer her most hateful glare. The only way she could truly pull one off was to think of Helen. With her under suspicion of murdering Helen, that probable wasn’t the wisest idea. “I was under a gag rule until after your…Mr. Dunst had passed on. I had to wait for the details before I could inform you of them.”
Azure eyes closed. In one way, one of her burdens had suddenly been lifted. Not being a lawyer, Emily wondered if she was reading the legal papers correctly. It basically said that because neither she or Rick were Lucas’ blood relatives, he wished it to be sold off. The money would not be divided between the siblings. It would not go to Monica. Instead, it would go to various charities.
While at least the money was going to charity and Emily was out from under the pressure of dealing with the sale of the business, she was upset at all the pressure she had been under. Worse, she was pissed off because of the affect all of this had had on her relationship with Tabby. There was so much lost time she could never make up for.
Emily could never make up for the fact she had not been there for Nicky’s birthday. It made her sick to her stomach. In fact, she shoved the papers back at the lawyer before heading to the shrubs. The man turned his head as she emptied the contents of her stomach. After rummaging in her briefcase for a box of tissues, she made her way back to the lawyer. “So now what?”
Her voice was nearly childlike. Emily couldn’t help it. All she wanted was to return home. She wanted to somehow make up for all she had missed out on. To somehow re-stablish a relationship that she had thought she’d never have and yet had been gifted with. Nicky wouldn’t be easy to convince. How could she convince him?
“You sign the papers. You don’t need to even go inside. Everything has been taken care of.” The lawyer, tall with white hair and dishonest eyes, placed his hand on her shoulder. It was quickly shrugged off. A shrug of the shoulders was the older man’s only reaction. “If I can ever do anything for you…” He held out his pen and the papers.
After signing everything and shoving it back in his face, Emily turned to go. Normally she would just leave. But there were times when standing up for yourself and the ones you loved was more important. “I think you and Lucas have done enough to me. Because of your supposed ethics, my relationship hangs in the balance. A boy is lost thinking no one loves him or will remain for him.”
When the lawyer attempted to say something, Emily hastily continued. “No! You don’t get to say a word. You don’t get to defend a less than noble profession.” The former nurse raised her hand to her temple. Already, her head was pounding. She needed to return to the house. If she was lucky, Tabby would be available to skype some more. “So just take care of what needs taking care of and hopefully I’ll never have to see you again.”
Emily didn’t wait for a response. Instead, she made her way to her car. After settling everything, she made certain her seatbelt was fastened. She sat there for a moment, wondering where she was to go now. There was the possibility of driving back to Middletown. But there was her brother to think about. And since her mother had confided in her the secret of the past, there was her mother to be concerned with as well.
Instead of driving to where she should go, Emily made her way to the diner she had frequented as a teenager. Even with Lena having followed her there, it remained her one place of happy memories. Was it time for something fatty? Was it time for comfort food? She could also take a moment to text, if not skype with her soulmate.
Her phone rang as Emily waited to be seated. It was in-between breakfast and lunch. Even for a Wednesday, it was fairly busy still. “Hello?” The voice she needed to hear was on the other end of the phone. Unfortunately, it told her she only had a moment. Steve had returned from a fact finding mission with some kind of minor injury. It had to do with the mayor. Anything having to do with the mayor caused Emily to become greatly concerned, if not only for Nicky then for her brother.
“I’m just about to have a greasy meal.” Emily sighed as she heard the surprise in Tabby’s voice. “It’s a long story. But let’s just say I was misled. I’m not actually the executor of Dad’s will.” There was silence. “I promise I’ll tell you the complete story when we can skype or preferably in person. I have to stay at least until the weekend. Mom confided something in me. Something that I think she needs to talk more about, if she will. I’m sorry about all of this. I love you.”
There was a smile in Tabby’s voice as she told Emily she was sorry about the mess they found themselves in with Helen. That she loved Emily as well. They spoke for a few more moments, Tabby confiding that the issues with Nicky had only deteriorated. The entire Walker clan, including Adam and Conrad, were attempting to show the boy exactly what was happening in his world.
Emily took her time, knowing she would head to the hospital next. She and Rick had discussed what it exactly meant not being a ‘true’ Dunst as some would say. For her brother, it meant the time for real change. Emily had offered him a chance at a new start. She knew there were several places that would hire him, even if it was only in customer service to begin with. He had surprised her by saying he wanted to attempt his way with a photography studio.
It seemed it was time for starting over again. Emily knew she would have to come to terms with what her mother had informed her of. More importantly, she would have to possibly face murder charges. Life was always interesting, Emily had to admit that. She could blame an interesting life on Sam as it was her meeting with Abby that had changed everything.
But the revelation that her father wasn’t her father wasn’t anything Sam or Abby had anything to do with. It had to do with a mother who had lived on the wrong side of the tracks and wanted more out of life than what she had been given. When Emily thought of it in those terms, she could understand exactly what her mother had been thinking. But to not have told her children until they were adults?
Her phone ringing caused her to return her coffee to the table. If Emily kept drinking coffee like she was, some might think she was addicted to the stuff. The thought caused her to chuckle before answering her cell phone. “Hello?” Once again, the one-word greeting was cautiously uttered. After the last few days, she figured she’d earned the right to be cautious.
“Miss Dunst?” Emily once again offered a tentative affirmation. “We met briefly several months ago. I’m now married to Amanda.” When there was silence on the other end of the phone, Rachael decided it was either out of caution or out of suspicion. Not that she could blame the former nurse. Neither she nor her wife had the best track record when it came to anyone related to the Walkers.
“I’m in Sacramento. I offered to take on both you and Miss Smith as clients.” There was still silence and Rachael knew she would have to explain further. “Actually, Melissa reached out to me. I’m one of the top defense attorneys in New York City. I wanted to speak to you in person. I also wanted to be there, in case the district attorney or any of the detectives chose not wait until you returned to question you. If we could meet somewhere, I’d appreciate it.”
Emily wanted to hang up the phone. But there was a part of her that knew she needed a lawyer. But Rachael? Weren’t there other just as qualified lawyers. “I’ll let you know right up front. I’m not worth much. I discovered today that I’m not in my father’s will. Tabby doesn’t have a lot of money, either. So if you’re taking this for monetary gain, I’m afraid you might want to look elsewhere.”
The laughed surprised Emily. “I’m sorry to have chuckled, especially with the potential seriousness of the situation. It’s just that I do very well with my client base. And the
refore when friends of a friend come along, I charge an extremely discounted rate. Even pro bono. So if money is what’s causing you to hesitate, let’s get that part of it out of the way.”
When there was still hesitation on Emily’s part, Rachael quickly continued. “Please, just tell me where we can meet. Preferably somewhere public.” Emily related the diner. “I know exactly where that is. I used to summer here with my parents. I used to live at that diner. Well, when my parents weren’t attempting to make me a respectable person.” Rachael laughed with abandon.
It wasn’t long until Rachael was at the diner. It was a blast from her past in so many ways. The lawyer shook her head from the past. This was time for the present and securing a bright future for Emily and Tabby. She didn’t bother with waiting to be seated. Rachael hastily made her way to where Emily was still seated. “That coffee looks heavenly. We didn’t properly meet the last time. My name is Rachael MacAdams.”
Emily looked at the extended hand. She was leery. But Rachael and Amanda had come through for Sam and Abby. Trust was something she hadn’t had a lot of experience with. The Walkers, Uncle Mitch and Tabby were the only ones she had come to trust over the years. “Nice to officially meet you, Rachael.” The eyebrow rose as a smile graced Rachael’s face. “I honestly don’t know why they think I’m the one behind Helen’s murder.”
“Right to the chase. I like it.” Rachael ordered a coffee and a chicken salad before opening her briefcase and retrieving several sheets of paper. “There isn’t much of a case. Honestly, this feels a lot like when Amanda was railroaded by the New York City police department. There are two things that are glaring. Your fingerprints were found in the hotel room. And your rental car was supposedly caught on camera not long before the murder took place.”
Distance of the Heart Page 14
