5. Sweet Revenge

by Fern Michaels

  “Charles, that is so devilishly clever,” Nikki said in awe.

  Charles twinkled. “Yes, I thought so. Since today is Valentine’s Day, I’m taking my lady love to town. We’re going to pick up Judge Easter and have a nice dinner out. You’re all more than welcome to stay or leave. We’ll reconvene tomorrow at the same time.”

  Nikki felt enormous relief. She’d been wondering for hours how she could possibly get away to join Jack on this all-important lovers’ day. She did her best to feign indifference by saying, “I think I’ll head for my office. I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

  Isabelle was the only one who opted to stay at the farm. The others said their goodbyes and drove away.

  Left to her own devices, Isabelle sat down at the kitchen table and sipped at her cold cup of coffee. A mighty sigh escaped her lips. What would she do when her mission was over and she was vindicated? Neither Charles nor Myra had said anything about her continuing to work in the fancy new offices and she didn’t have the nerve to ask if she could take it over. The rent alone scared her out of her wits. Maybe she could open a small office somewhere and just be a one-woman operation. The thought of being vindicated left her feeling light-headed. Maybe she needed to go outdoors and run till she dropped.

  She wished then, as she often did, that she had family to call on, but there was no one but a great-aunt who was so distant she couldn’t even remember her name. All her friends were gone and she hadn’t bothered to make new ones. The Sisterhood was her family now, Myra and Charles her surrogate parents. Maybe someday she’d meet a man who would make her blood sing the way Bobby had. So many maybes.

  Life was suddenly becoming interesting again.

  Isabelle smiled, then grabbed her lightweight jacket and went for her run. Seven miles today.

  In the car, Nikki called Jack on her cell phone. “I’ve been sprung. I’m all yours for the rest of the day and night.”

  Jack groaned. “Nik, I can’t get away until at least four. I’ll try for earlier but I can’t promise.”

  “Do your best. I’ll cook us a nice dinner and…”

  “And?”

  Nikki laughed. “And I’ll leave it to you to fill in the blanks. Bye.” She heard Jack groan again as she ended the call.

  Jack gathered up his topcoat and briefcase and left his office. He had fifteen minutes to get to court. It was sleeting when he hit the street, the stinging spray hitting him smack in the face. He walked with his head down, hunkered into his topcoat.

  “Hey, Jack, slow down!” a voice called to be heard over the driving wind. Jack turned to see Ted Robinson on his right.

  “Can’t. Gotta be in court. Walk along with me. I hope to hell you aren’t here to ask me what to buy your lady love, the one with the bodacious ass, for Valentine’s Day.”

  The reporter loped alongside Jack, his breathing heavy. Finally, he had to slow down. “Well, yeah, that too, but I need to talk to you about something else first. How long are you gonna be in court?”

  “Thirty minutes if all goes well. Wanna grab some lunch? Listen, I have to sprint the rest of the way. I’ll meet you in the lobby, OK? Forty minutes tops.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Jack felt bad for his friend as he sprinted off. Ted still wasn’t up to snuff since he’d had his spleen removed following an almost-fatal beating by some very special federal agents. Jack had taken care of that little matter, but he still felt guilty over the beating Ted had suffered.

  Jack barreled through security and raced down the hall to Judge Easter’s courtroom. He blew in like a gust of wind, shrugging out of his topcoat as he raced to take his place just as Judge Easter stomped her way to the front of the room and saw Jack wiping at the sleet on his face.

  “All stand. The Honorable Judge Cornelia Easter presiding,” the bailiff shouted to be heard in the back of the courtroom.

  “Nice to see you this morning, Mr. Emery,” she barked.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Your Honor,” Jack replied, grinning.

  The judge settled in her chair.

  Forty minutes later Jack was on his way to the ground floor where Ted Robinson was waiting for him.

  “How about the Rusty Nail?” Jack asked, referring to a steak house a block away.

  “Sure. I’m in the mood for a big thick steak with onions and mushrooms. I’m getting tired of eating tofu. Maggie is a vegetarian so I have to be carnivorous on my own time. So what do you think, Jack? Flowers, candy, jewelry, or all of the above? What? Are you seeing anyone? What are you getting her? Who is it?”

  “Like I’m really going to tell you her name! Tomorrow I’ll see it in that damn paper of yours. I’m going the flower route. Champagne-colored roses. I ordered them yesterday. You’re only going to get leftovers now. Why’d you wait so long?”

  “Because I didn’t know what to get her. She does have a bodacious ass, doesn’t she?”

  Jack held the door to the Rusty Nail open for Ted to enter. “That she does, my friend. Now, if you really want to win some points with Maggie, get something for her dog. Women love it when you include their pets. I read that somewhere, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.” He shrugged out of his wet topcoat and hung it up next to the booth. Then he plopped down and swiped at his wet head with a wad of napkins. “What a shitty day,” he mumbled. “So, I know damn well you didn’t come all the way to the office to ask me about Valentine’s Day. What’s up?”

  Ted grimaced as he waited for the waitress in her skimpy, almost non-existent uniform to take their order. “I’ll have a porterhouse steak, medium, twice-baked potato and a side of onion rings and I’ll have a Miller Lite.”

  “I’ll have the same,” Jack said.

  “She must be freezing,” Ted said, jerking his head in the waitress’s direction.

  “Nah, those girls have to hustle. In case you don’t know this, buddy, they wear those skimpy outfits so dumb schmucks like us tip big. So, what’s up?”

  “I don’t know for sure. Maybe something, maybe nothing. I’d like your spin on it.” Ted whipped up a folded section of the Post, a small column highlighted in yellow.

  Jack reached for the paper, his eyebrows shooting upwards. Shit, shit, shit! The ladies of Pinewood were on the march again.

  Two

  The moment Nikki heard the ping of the alarm system going off, she ran to the foyer to throw herself into Jack’s arms.

  “Ohhh, I’ve missed you! It’s been…”

  “A whole week. I missed you more,” Jack said, nuzzling her neck, loving the way she always smelled like wildflowers, even in the dead of winter. He held out the florist’s box with its huge red ribbon.

  Nikki accepted the box, ooohing and aaahing over the gorgeous champagne-colored roses — her favorite. She quickly put them in a vase and then carried them into the living room to the coffee table. That way they could both enjoy the flowers while they cuddled on the couch after dinner. She wiggled her finger to show Jack she was wearing her engagement ring. He smiled from ear to ear, knowing that in the morning it would go back on the chain around her neck and then under whatever she was wearing for the day. She could wear it on her toe for all he cared, as long as she wore it.

  “How’s the weather out there?” Nikki asked as she led Jack back to the little breakfast nook where they would have their romantic candlelit dinner.

  “Rain, sleet, a little snow. The roads are freezing. By morning, if this keeps up, we’ll be socked in.” Jack wiggled his eyebrows to show what he thought about that. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Your favorite. Leg of lamb, Irish potatoes, mint jelly, baby carrots. I made yeast rolls. And I baked a blackberry cobbler. Just for you, Mr. District Attorney.”

  Jack looked down at the pretty table setting, the linen tablecloth, the matching napkins, the fine crystal, the gleaming silver and the decorative china. What he really liked were the blue candles that smelled like blueberries. His sister always used to chastise his mother for never using her fine things.
“They’re for company,” his mother would always say. The only thing was, they never had company. Not even at Christmas. Nikki said she liked to use her things every day because they made her feel good. She even had a Baccarat crystal glass in the bathroom that she used to gargle with. Now he had one, too. His glass was on the left, Nikki’s was on the right.

  “Give me a minute to change my clothes and I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time. By the way, I have a present for you, too.”

  Jack took a swipe at her rump as he left the kitchen. He was back in ten minutes wearing jeans and a navy-blue sweatshirt that said Georgetown Lacrosse on the back. He was like a kid again. “Can I open my present now?”

  “Well, sure,” Nikki said as she settled platters on the table and then opened a bottle of Jack’s favorite Merlot. She sat down and waited for him to untie the ribbon and open the small flat box. Finally, when he had ripped at the paper and at the Scotch tape holding the box together, he stared down at the present.

  “Oh, wow! Uh-huh. This…I can see you put a lot of thought into this. I don’t know what to say. Honest to good God, Nik, I’m speechless.”

  Nikki leaned across the table, the light from the blue candles casting her in an almost iridescent glow. Her voice was soft, solemn. “The big question is, will you accept this gift from my heart?”

  Jack stared at the woman he loved and replied just as solemnly. “I accept. The big problem is this: with such a tribute, where can I…put it? I’m assuming it’s a secret?”

  Nikki reached for the burled-walnut plaque with the bronze faceplate that proclaimed Jack Emery an honorary member of the Sisterhood. “This makes it official, Jack. You don’t have to accept. You said you were committed to me, and committed to me means you’re committed to the Sisterhood. It’s not too late to back out.”

  Jack reached for her hand over the leg of lamb. “I’m in. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. In secret, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “Now, can we eat?”

  “You betcha.”

  Hours later, after dinner, the pair cuddled on the comfortable sofa.

  “Bring me up to date, Nik,” Jack said.

  When Nikki was finished outlining the plan they had for Isabelle’s mission, Jack fished around in his briefcase to show her the article Ted Robinson had given him at lunch. “He’s already on to you guys. I have to say, you’re pretty clever. What are the chances of Myra getting the property?”

  “Actually she has it, but she may not know it yet. Isabelle called from the farm around three and said that the Realtor had called to say her client had accepted Myra’s offer. She said she tried calling both Myra and Charles but their cell phones must be off. So, yes, she’s got the property and it’s a go.”

  “Is that guy Charles so influential he got the Queen to go along with him on that news release that hit the paper?”

  “Yep.”

  “Damn!”

  “Jack, can you dig out the old files on Isabelle’s case? I have them in the office but I don’t want to pull them out now and draw unwanted attention. The firm has picked up a few more clients through word of mouth from some of our more loyal clients. I’m not going to replace Jenny. I learned my lesson when I hired Allison to take Barbara’s place. Perhaps down the road, if our client base increases, I’ll give it some thought. Right now, Jenny’s death is still too raw with me — and all the partners at the firm. What’s going on in the DA’s office?”

  Jack poured from a second bottle of wine. “Same old, same old. Crime never stops, you know that. I had to appear before Judge Easter late this morning. She’s no fun anymore. She used to crack up the courtroom with her one-liners. She’s all business these days, and I understand that. I did wish her a Happy Valentine’s Day, but she gave me the evil eye so I shut up.”

  “Ted?”

  “Yeah, well, Ted is something else. Ink runs in that guy’s veins. He’s got something going with Maggie Spritzer these days, so what he doesn’t come up with, she does. He was pretty excited about the little article I showed you. He sees political intrigue and governments colliding, that kind of thing. He knew immediately who Isabelle Flanders was. Not because of the lawsuit way back when, but because she’s a member of your…ah…little group. Now he’s on the alert. Maggie, too. Don’t worry, I have the inside track with Ted, and he owes me now.”

  Nikki twisted around in the corner of the sofa so she could see Jack better. “Does he know about us? That you’re staying here?”

  “Not to my knowledge. He fishes around from time to time, wanting to know if I’m seeing anyone. If push comes to shove, I’ll call in Marcey, one of my assistants, to pose as my girlfriend. She’s engaged to a really nice guy, so don’t get worried. If it happens, it will all be playacting for Ted’s benefit. Ted knows I’m staying here in Georgetown but I don’t know if he knows it’s your place or not. I tend to think he doesn’t know or he would have needled me. In other words, so far so good.”

  Nikki yawned elaborately. “Are you really OK with being an honorary member of the Sisterhood?”

  “Yes, I am, and I’m going to hang my plaque on my side of the bathroom. You should call it the Sisterhood Plus One Brother.”

  Nikki laughed. “You bank the fire and I’ll lock up. First one in bed gets to…”

  Jack was like a living, breathing streak of lightning as he beat Nikki to the bed with a minute to spare. “You were saying…” He grinned.

  “Charles, I feel so guilty about fibbing to the girls.”

  “Myra, you didn’t fib. Cornelia said she would have dinner with us and then she changed her mind. You didn’t know she was going to cancel when you told the girls we were going to stay in town for the evening. It’s too late now, we’re almost to Sunstar Farms. It will be so nice to see Nealy again.”

  “Charles, isn’t she the most fascinating woman? She’s just this little bit of a thing and yet she rode to a Triple Crown for Blue Diamond Farms. She said she loves being back at her old homestead here in Virginia with Hatch. They’re retired, the way you and I are supposed to be retired. I know she’s going to jump at the chance to help us. My father took me to Blue Diamond Farms when I was about sixteen. It was just wonderful and beautiful but it wasn’t the famous horse farm that Nealy turned it into in later years. Actually, Blue Diamond Farms has the distinction of being the most famous horse farm in the world, with so many Kentucky Derby winners that I’ve lost track. All thanks to Nealy. My father and my mother knew Maude and Jess, Nealy’s adoptive parents, for years. Nealy had just come there to live when I first met her. We lost track of one another for a while, but when I got back from Europe, I made it my business to look her up again. We may not see much of each other, but we never lost touch.”

  Charles was almost giddy. “When news of Nealy Diamond Clay coming to our neck of the woods gets into the papers, Rosemary will pitch a fit. I have the whole script in my head, Myra. We’ll have to get Isabelle to pose for pictures with her.”

  “I know, dear. Oh my, it’s starting to sleet. That is sleet, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. We only have a mile or so to go. Everything looks so depressing in February. I think it’s the worst month of the year. Nealy is expecting us, isn’t she?”

  Myra waved her hand under Charles’s nose. “Earth to Charles! No, dear, she is not expecting us. Nellie only told us she couldn’t do dinner on our drive into town. You and I decided on the spur of the moment to drive here. Not to worry, Nealy loves company just the way we do, as long as it’s the right company. Oh look, there’s the arch and the sign. We’re here and not a minute too soon. Tap the horn, dear. I so love it when people are waiting in the doorway to welcome you. Ooh, I can’t wait to see Nealy. I think it’s been three years, maybe four. We spoke on the phone last week, though.”

  Charles smiled at the excitement in Myra’s voice. He loved to see her so happy and excited. He was looking forward to spending time with Hatch, Nealy’s husband. The ladies coul
d gossip and he and Hatch would smoke good cigars, drink fine brandy and tell tall tales. He obligingly tapped the horn.

  “Look, the door is opening. They’re waiting for us! Oh, this is so wonderful!” Myra squealed. “Nealy!” she shouted as she ran toward the front porch before Charles could even bring the car to a complete stop.

  “Myra!” Nealy said, running down the steps to embrace her old friend.

  Charles went over to greet Hatch, who towered over Charles by at least eight inches. The men shook hands and manfully clapped one another on the back. Nealy offered up one of her famous Black and Decker handshakes before she loosened her grip to hug Charles.

  “This is such a nice surprise! Come in, come in. Hatch and I are bored out of our minds. We were doing crossword puzzles to pass the time.”

  “I know I should have called ahead,” Myra said, linking her arm with Nealy’s, “but it was a spur of the moment decision. Charles and I need your help but we can talk about that later. Let’s visit. Coffee would be nice. Do you have to do anything for the horses?”

  “It’s all taken care of. I have wonderful people these days. Hatch and I are just like two old fogies waiting around for someone to need us. When they don’t call on us, we do crossword puzzles. You know the coffee is always on in my house. Hatch is a little worried as we’re expecting an ice storm. It looks to me like it’s under way. You and Charles may be marooned here for a few days. What could be nicer?”

  Myra laughed. “There’s nothing better than spending time with old friends over a good cup of coffee. Let’s sit in the kitchen and catch up.”