by Ward, Alice
***
I woke early the next morning and spent nearly half an hour staring into my closet. Kennedy and Parker warned me not to wear anything too tight or revealing to the prison, but I wanted to look nice for my husband. The mountain was covered in a dense fog and a light chill hung in the air, so I finally gave up and settled on a nice pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater the same shade of chocolate as my eyes.
Asher loved it when I wore my hair down, so after my shower, I curled it and let it fall around my face. I spent so much time on my makeup that I had to take my breakfast to go. Fortunately for me, I had plenty of time to kill once I was in the car.
Kennedy wanted to go to the prison with me, but I refused her offer. I’d arranged for our driver Gabe to take me and the new security team would follow at a safe distance. I wanted to look as vulnerable as possible so Rachel would believe it was safe to strike. My only hope was that she’d wait until my return trip from the prison. Asher and I had been apart longer than ever before and I felt as if my heart would burst if I didn’t see him soon.
The trip to Atwater took two hours, both of which were tense. I sat up front with Gabe, my eyes peeled for anything that looked unusual. But we arrived at the prison without incident.
Gabe dropped me off at the front entrance and told me to give Asher his love. I gave my name to the guard at the door, who walked me through the process of visiting an inmate.
First, my purse was searched, cataloged, and locked away behind the front desk. The officer behind the counter gave me a claim slip and directed me through a secure door. A female officer met me on the other side and patted me down. When she was satisfied that I wasn’t concealing contraband for Asher, she led me to a small private room half the size of our walk-in closet.
“You’re lucky,” she told me. “Married couples get to visit in private. Though I should warn you that the camera is always on.”
She pointed up to the far corner, where a security camera was mounted to the ceiling.
I guess this won’t be an intimate visit.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. An officer will bring your husband here in a few minutes.”
She turned and stepped back into the hallway. I sat down on the small, well-worn loveseat, the only furniture in the room. My heart leapt when the door opened again, then broke when I laid eyes on Asher.
“It looks worse than it feels,” he promised, his voice low.
“You have half an hour,” his escort warned. “And we’ll be right outside this door.”
Asher nodded to the guard. “Thank you, Frank.”
After the officer left us alone, I reached out a tentative hand to Asher’s bruised, swollen face.
“What happened?” I gasped, afraid to touch him.
One corner of his mouth lifted and I could see how hard he was trying to brush this off. “I ran into an old friend. He wasn’t happy to see me. But I’m okay, I promise.” He took my hand between his. “And I gave worse than I got. The warden told me your charges were dropped. I was hoping I’d see you today.”
He leaned down and planted a soft, gentle kiss on my lips. I felt the heat of his bruises against my cheek and pulled away from him with tears in my eyes.
“We’re going to get you out of here, baby,” I promised. “Kennedy, Parker, Claire, and I… we came up with a plan. We all agree that the only reason Rachel refused to testify against me is because she’s working on a bigger plan.”
“I had the same thought,” he agreed. “I’m afraid she may be coming for you. But I know Kennedy will take every precaution to keep you safe.”
“Kennedy stood next to me yesterday while I went on national television and provoked her,” I confessed.
The areas of Asher’s face that weren’t purple, black, or blue turned a frightening shade of red. “What do you mean you provoked her?”
“I want her to come for me, Asher. We’ve put dozens of new security measures in place. There are tracking devices in the cars, cameras all over the house, and Jackson bought me a necklace that has a GPS locator, a camera, and an audio recorder. When she makes her move, we’ll be ready for her. And we’ll finally be able to prove who she really is.”
“I don’t like this,” he said, shaking his head.
“You’re in far more danger than I am,” I pointed out. “Is it just your face? Or are there bruises I’m not seeing?”
“It’s just my face,” he promised. “And I can handle myself. I can’t believe you’re putting yourself in danger like this.”
“I was in enough danger already.” I sighed and rubbed my thumb over his hand. “I don’t want to fight about this, Asher. And there’s no point. What’s done is done. We don’t have long and I want to hear how things really are here. Who did this to your face?”
Asher clenched his jaw and looked to the dirty carpet. “My father.”
That was the last thing I expected to hear.
“You’ve seen your father?” I gasped.
“Yeah,” he grunted. “He’s actually my cell mate.”
“What? How the hell did that happen? And where the hell does he get off putting his hands on you?”
“I think bunking us together was the warden’s idea of a joke. And I hit him first.”
“See, this is exactly why we have to get you out of here. Tell me what happened. Why did you hit him?”
Asher tensed his shoulders and narrowed his brow. He threw a glance to the security camera and I realized he was afraid to talk. He pulled me into his arms and held his lips to my ear.
“He told me some things I didn’t want to hear. There are things about my family, my childhood, that I didn’t know before. I wish I could explain this all to you. But right now, I can’t.”
“Have you at least stopped taking swings at each other?” I whispered back.
“Yes. We’re actually getting along pretty well now. In some ways, I’m glad he’s here.”
Well, that’s something, I guess.
“Dad and I are actually working on a plan of our own. There are people here who may be able to help us. This mess with the Chavez family runs deeper than I ever realized. And Dad and I aren’t the only ones here they’ve screwed over through the years.”
“Is there anything I can do to help? Do you need anything at all?”
“Actually, there is something you can do,” he whispered. “I’m assuming Kennedy’s given you access to the account I set up for you?”
I nodded.
“Great. I need you to listen very carefully. When you get home, go to my office. The bottom drawer on the right has a false bottom. Beneath it, there’s an address book full of my business contacts. Find the number for John Rogers. He knows who you are and he won’t be surprised to get your call. He’s going to give you an account number to transfer some of the money to. I think three million is probably enough.”
Nerves danced in my stomach and my heart beat quick in my chest.
“Asher, what’s going on?” I whispered.
“I can’t go into the details,” he reminded me again. “But I promise, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Can I tell anyone what I’m doing?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. But I won’t ask you to keep secrets from your friends.”
“Shouldn’t Kennedy know what’s going on?”
He shook his head. “It’s honestly better if she doesn’t.”
I had so many questions. I wanted to know what secrets Asher’s father had shared with him. I wanted to know who John Rogers was, why he knew about me, and what he planned to do with three million dollars. But I knew Asher couldn’t explain in front of the camera, so I kept my questions to myself.
“I won’t say anything to anyone,” I promised. “Is there anything else I can do?”
He dropped a hand to my wedding ring and turned it between his fingers. “You can remember the promises I made when I put this ring on your hand. No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says,
remember how much I love you. Remember that everything I’m doing I’m doing for us. And for God’s sake, keep yourself safe. If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Asher, you’re making me nervous. Why do I feel like I’m never going to see you again?” I asked, tears welling in my eyes.
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “There’s no reason to be nervous,” he promised. “We have a rocky road ahead of us, that’s all. But I promise that whatever happens, I will find my way back to you.”
Your way back? Where the hell are you going?
Asher couldn’t answer my questions, so I didn’t bother to ask them. Instead, I collapsed into his arms and held him until the guard came to take him back to his cell.
CHAPTER 6
I followed Asher’s instructions without a word to anyone. It hadn’t been as difficult as I expected. My friends had expected me to be upset and in need of alone time when I arrived home from the prison. I retreated to the office without explanation and no one followed me.
John Rogers had indeed been expecting my call. The moment I introduced myself, he rattled off an account number, had me repeat it, and then immediately ended the call. I signed into my online banking and made the transfer in a matter of minutes. I spent another hour reading stories about our case on the internet before finally rejoining my friends. Parker had left in my absence, but Kennedy, Jackson, and Claire were gathered around the patio table on the terrace. All three of them stood when I stepped outside.
“I saved you some chicken salad,” Claire told me. “Want me to make you a sandwich?”
I shook my head. “Maybe later.”
“How was Asher?” Kennedy asked, her voice low.
I studied her face for a moment, wondering how much she already knew. As Asher’s attorney, there were certain details she was legally obligated to keep from me. But I couldn’t imagine her keeping quiet about William Murphy Senior.
“What do you know?” I asked, a hint of accusation in my voice.
Kennedy sighed, sat back down, and pulled out the chair beside her. “I know everything, Lauren. Clark met with Asher yesterday and brought me up to speed. I couldn’t tell you. You know that. But we can talk about it now, so sit down.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized with a sigh. I sat down in the chair and Jackson poured me a glass of iced tea from the pitcher in the center of the table. “It was just so hard to see him like that.”
Claire cleared her throat. “Jackson and I still don’t know what’s going on,” she reminded us.
“The warden put Asher in a cell with his father,” Kennedy explained. “They didn’t have a happy reunion.”
“Asher’s face is covered in bruises,” I added. “And the two of them seem to be up to something.”
Kennedy’s eyebrows perked up. “Up to something?” she asked.
Fuck. I thought all I had to keep quiet about was the money. She didn’t know that they’re working on something.
I took a long sip of tea and debated whether or not to tell Kennedy what I knew. I realized I’d need her if their plan went south.
“Asher told me that they fought because his dad told him things he didn’t want to hear. He said he’d learned things about his childhood and the Chavez family that he’d never known before. And he said something about there being other people at Atwater that the family’s screwed over. But he couldn’t explain the details to me. The room we were in had a security camera mounted to the ceiling.”
Kennedy opened her laptop and pulled out a notepad. “I knew I should have insisted on going to Atwater myself. I told Clark that Asher would be more likely to open up to me than him. But he insisted on handling it himself.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m pulling up everything we have on Asher’s father, which honestly isn’t much. We assumed he was a nonissue since he’s been in prison for the last twenty years. Which is why I’m also going to start a more in depth background check.”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Honey, why don’t you just schedule your own visit with Asher?” he suggested. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you able to meet with him without any surveillance?”
“Yes, I am,” she agreed. “But visiting hours are over for the day. I’ll drive out first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I want to learn as much about William Senior as possible before I hear Asher’s side of the story.”
“You don’t trust his dad,” I observed.
She turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Do you?”
I shook my head. “I’d actually like to be left alone in a room with him for a few minutes with a baseball bat,” I confessed. “It seems a little convenient that Asher ended up in his cell. It seems more than a little convenient that he supposedly holds the key to our salvation. But I’m not convinced he’s working with Rachel or the Chavez family. I think it’s more likely that he looks at Asher and sees nothing but dollar signs.”
Three million of them, maybe.
“That’s my instinct too,” Kennedy agreed. “I also think he sees Asher’s case as his way out of prison. If the Chavez family is completely exposed, he’ll have grounds to file an appeal.”
“Did you get the feeling anyone was tailing you while you were gone?” Claire asked, her mind back on Rachel.
I shook my head. “I jumped out of my skin every time someone cut us off,” I confessed. “But I never got that creepy, someone’s watching me vibe. And the security detail did a great job. I never even knew they were there and I was looking for them.”
Kennedy nodded. “We hired the best. Austin called with an update while you were gone. He’s been on our side this whole time, so he was more than happy to put a few extra eyes on Cynthia. We’re really lucky the theft case is in his jurisdiction. If she makes a move, we’ll know it.”
“And he agreed to stand down until we have what we need?” I pressed.
Kennedy nodded. “If and when she strikes, they’ll keep their distance until she commits an actual crime. At that point, we’ll have everything we need to take her down.”
“So now we just sit and wait again,” I said with a resigned sigh.
I wonder how many accounts that money has been funneled through by now. Asher, I hope to God you know what you’re doing.
Kennedy’s phone rang and she stared down at the screen. “We may not have to wait long. It’s Austin,” she announced.
“Hello… yes. Really? How long? Fantastic. No, I understand… okay, I’ll let her know. Thank you, Detective.”
She ended the call and turned to me with a broad grin. “Cynthia just logged into a Swiss bank account from her home computer.”
“We found the money,” I gasped. I felt a rush of relief as if a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. This was the break we needed. Now that we had irrefutable proof that Rachel had stolen the payroll funds, Austin would be able to arrest her. She’d be off the street and incapable of causing any more harm.
“We found the money,” Kennedy said, lifting her tea glass. We toasted the new development and I turned to her with a smile.
“I feel hopeful for the first time in days. Have Austin’s guys taken her into custody?”
“Not yet. He didn’t have anyone on site when she checked the funds. He’s driving over to arrest her personally.”
“We need to let Asher know,” I insisted.
“Austin’s calling Clark now. He’ll call the warden,” she promised.
“So this is really over?” Claire asked, disbelief flowing from her voice.
“Not completely,” Kennedy warned. “But it’s a good start. I’m hoping that once Austin gets her into an interrogation room, she’ll be willing to talk in exchange for a deal. I’m going to schedule a meeting with the San Jose prosecutor. If he understands the circumstances, he may help us press Cynthia into confessing she set Asher up.”
Kennedy’s phone rang again and she answered it with a triumphant grin. “Hello ag
ain, Detective. Do you have her?”
Her shoulders immediately sank and the corners of her mouth turned down in a frown.
I knew it was too good to be true.
“No, I understand. There’s no need to apologize, Detective. I know you’re as disappointed as we are.”
I sincerely doubt that.
“Okay… I’ll keep my phone on me. Thanks.”
She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the table. “Damn it!”
“She wasn’t at the condo, was she?” I asked.
Kennedy shook her head. “The place was empty when Austin got there. He’s put a BOLO out on her. She didn’t have time to get far.”
“Do you think she knows we’re closing in on her?”
“Let’s hope not. Because if she is, there’s no telling what she’ll do.”
***
Early the next morning, we finally received news about Rachel’s whereabouts. Detective Austin tracked her credit card receipts to a small, private airport outside of Los Angeles. The airport serviced charter companies only and catered to high end clients who didn’t want their faces on security cameras. The clerk behind the desk confessed to Austin that many of their customers paid cash, and he’d been trained not to ask many questions.
Detective Austin showed him a picture of Rachel and he confirmed that she’d left on a flight for Montreal the previous afternoon. She mentioned plans to travel to Europe from there, but the clerk hadn’t seen any evidence to confirm or refute her claim. I was furious that she’d escaped, but relieved that she was too far away to be a danger.
For the first time in weeks, I felt safe leaving the house. I climbed behind the wheel of my own car and drove to the bed and breakfast. The security detail kept their distance to the point that I wondered if they were actually tailing me. But with Rachel out of the country, I didn’t worry too much about them. I rolled down my windows and enjoyed my drive into wine country.
Mom and Dad were waiting on the front porch when I pulled down the driveway. They jumped up from their rocking chairs and rushed down to greet me.
