by E B Corbin
The agent dug his phone from his pocket. "Tiff texted they're on the way to the jail."
"So we have some extra time to locate that missing five million." Roxy lent Niall a helping hand as he got to his feet. "Do you have any clue as to where it might be?"
Callahan's mouth twitched on one side. "I was hoping you did."
"Fat chance," Roxy snorted. "If I knew where it was, I'd have given it to a good cause a long time ago."
"Looks like we're needed here a wee bit longer," Conor said.
Callahan started to protest when a phone buzzed. All eyes turned to Roxanne. The sound came from her bag, on the floor next to the chair.
- 31 -
When Roxanne answered, Sylvia spoke so rapidly her words tumbled over each other. "Judge Walters called in a snit. He left a number for you to phone him right away. Threatened to pull your license if you don't."
"What the hell?" Roxanne had no time to discuss the possibility of selling the farm to him. She never liked the idea of giving him ownership and it gave her some satisfaction that it was no longer an option. "He'll have to deal with Roxy, not me."
"Ro... xy? How can he deal with Roxy?" Sylvia stuttered.
Shit! She mentally kicked herself for not filling her in on her mother's reappearance. Before she came up with a reasonable answer, Sylvia continued. "He wants to talk to you about that Cummings boy."
Roxanne groaned. "Let me guess. Cummings Senior called in a marker with the judge."
"You got it," Sylvia said.
"Well, I can't call him now." She rubbed her forehead where the beginnings of a headache throbbed at her temples. "I'll do it tomorrow."
"He was pretty explicit. Wants to hear from you tonight no matter the time."
"I appreciate the heads up." Roxanne ended their conversation before the other woman could put in another word.
"What was that all about?" Roxy asked.
"A case I'm working on."
"Did I hear my name mentioned along with Cummings? What are you involved in?" Roxy sounded just like her sister, Maureen. For a moment, it seemed the woman she had always called Mom was in the room.
"Nothing important." She decided to change topics. "It's a relief to know those three are in jail--or at least two of them are, I assume that one you shot is headed for the hospital."
"Too good for the likes of him," Roxy snorted.
"At any rate, I should get back to the B&B. I'll need to go into the office tomorrow."
"I'll run back to the farm and pick up your car," Callahan told her. "Not much more we can do tonight."
He left them standing in the hall. Only minutes later, he returned with the Lexus.
When he entered the cabin, Roxy greeted him with her hands on her hips. "Conor, Niall and I are going to put our heads together to figure out where the rest of the five million could be stashed. I'm not giving up."
"Didn't think you would," Callahan said. "We'll look for it, too, but I have a hunch you three stand a better chance."
"I'm glad we finally agree on something," Roxy said. "And, John, please keep me informed on the status of the investigation into Chester's death. Do we know who shot him?"
"Not yet." He helped Roxanne into her parka.
"I do." She paused when shrugging into the sleeves. "It was that big, ugly one with the watch cap."
"Seamus?" Roxy said. "That no good lousy son-of-a-bitch."
"You saw him do it?" Callahan looked surprised.
"No, but we were all in the van except for him when I heard the shot."
"Then you're a witness. We'll need your testimony when it goes to trial."
"You got it," she said. "I'd be happy to help put that creep away."
Roxy grabbed her daughter and gave her a hug while she whispered, "There's a lot we need to talk about. Soon, I promise."
"Okay." She had too much on her mind to be absorb anything more tonight.
"Have you told Maureen that I'm alive?" Roxy had never asked about her estranged sister before.
"So much has happened, I never even thought about filling her in." She pulled away from her mother, feeling she should defend the woman who raised her. "I'll call her as soon as I can."
"Do you want me to do it?" Roxy offered.
"You've been gone for close to forty years and she still believes you're dead. That's too much of a shock. I'll do it.''
Roxy held on to her daughter's hands. "It's good to see you--I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to get more acquainted this afternoon."
"All in good time." Callahan shifted Roxanne towards the door. "The motor's running."
When he spoke to Roxy, he included Conor and Niall. "Don't go anywhere without letting me know. I'm trusting those two won't disappear on me."
"You have our word." Conor held his hand to his heart. "We won't let Roxy down."
The B&B was dark when they arrived. Callahan waited until she entered before he took one of the government SUV's and headed back to Chester's to keep an eye on his techs. He said he wanted to be the first to know anything they uncovered, although Roxanne doubted there would be much in the way of usable evidence.
Exhaustion overcame her when she reached her room. She gratefully sank her head into the down pillow--too drained to dream.
The sun beamed through her window the next morning, but dread filled her the instant her eyes opened. Chester was gone. No matter what Callahan said, she was to blame. She wanted to slump under the warm quilt and slip into oblivion. Knowing she had to deal with Cummings and Judge Walters today, she reluctantly climbed out of bed.
A warm shower and change of clothes helped somewhat but did little to enhance her mood. She greeted Kate with a silent nod when she entered the kitchen and accepted a mug of coffee from her. The aroma of fresh- baked cinnamon rolls filled the air. Her appetite remained AWOL, though, and when Kate sat the plate in front of her she waved it away.
Kate frowned at her. "Ron and Tiffany are in the situation room, as they like to call it. You can join them after you eat something."
Roxanne pushed the plate farther away, hoping Kate did not take offense. "They look and smell wonderful but I think I'll just have coffee. I'm afraid I'm not up to eating yet." She took a sip from the mug before she asked, "Has anyone heard from Callahan this morning?"
"He called to let us know he spent the night at Chester's. He'll join us after he notifies his family," Kate said.
Roxanne closed her eyes, thinking about the depressing days to come. A tear leaked out before she could stop it. "I don't suppose anyone has information on the f-funeral arrangements?"
"I haven't heard," Kate said softly. "Maybe Tiffany or Ron know."
"I guess I might as well see what's going on." She grabbed the mug and slipped into the dining room.
Ron looked up at her arrival while Tiffany continued texting without acknowledging her presence.
"How's Gabe this morning?" she asked.
Tiffany shot her a look. Ron shuffled his feet as he spoke. "He's doing better. We're making arrangements to send him back to DC. He lives in Alexandria, so he can recuperate there."
A few seconds later, Callahan walked in.
"John, how are you this morning?" Tiffany put her phone aside to give him a hug.
He shrugged out of her embrace. "I'm angry. I'm going to the jail to look those bastards in the eye and let them know how much trouble they're in."
"I'll go with you," Tiffany offered.
Roxanne cleared her throat. "You talked to your family?"
"Yeah, my parents are coming in tomorrow. My sister and brother are driving here together from DC. Everyone should arrive by tomorrow evening."
"Where are you holding the services?" Tiffany asked before Roxanne had a chance.
"Probably at the Catholic church in town. Gramps didn't want a lot of fuss even though his funeral mass could be held at the National Cathedral if we wanted. We're keeping it understated and local as much as we can."
"When?" Ron asked. He'd bee
n so quiet Roxanne had forgotten he was in the room.
"A couple days. The coroner has to release the body first."
"Is there a problem with that?" Roxanne spoke quickly to avoid Tiffany taking over again.
"No, just the usual red tape." He clapped his hands and looked around at them. "Enough about that. Let's get going. I want to confront the asshole who... shot Gramps." Callahan's voice cracked with the last few words.
Roxanne wanted to go to him, hold him, and let him know she cared. But she knew he would either brush her off or break down--neither of which were ideal reactions. She cursed herself for being such a fool and keeping her distance.
Life was too short to allow bad experiences in the past sabotage her present-day happiness. She wondered if she missed her chance with Callahan. If so, she'd never make the same mistake again. The next time desire tugged at her heart, she'd follow through.
Tiffany trailed Callahan as he swung around to leave. Roxanne let him go without saying another word. She needed to get to the office and deal with Judge Walters. Grabbing her parka, she followed them to the small parking area. Callahan waved before he pulled out. As Roxanne watched the SUV turn the corner, feelings of longing and regret washed over her. No point in drowning in emotion, was there? She squared her shoulders and started her car.
Sylvia greeted her with trepidation before handing her a pink slip with a Harrisburg number. "You going to call Judge Walters now?"
"Yes." Roxanne grimaced, then gave her an apologetic smile. "It'll be fine. Don't worry."
But when she sat at her desk and stared at the phone, she couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone. She clasped her hands and gave herself a mental shake before she dialed the number on the pink slip. When the low drone of the ring filled her ear, she almost hung up. Too late; someone picked up.
"Judge Walters here," came a brusque voice.
She swallowed. "Roxanne Boudreaux returning your call."
"It's about time, young lady. I tried to reach you all day yesterday. We need to discuss this situation with the Cummings boy. I think you may be biting off more than you realize."
"I heard his father is a good friend of yours." Roxanne kept her tone as neutral as possible. "I don't think that excuses his son from acting like a bully and raping an innocent classmate."
"As I understand it, there's no proof of rape and no criminal complaints were filed. Don't you find that suspicious?" The judge exhaled loudly.
"The victim was afraid of repercussions," Roxanne explained. "It's understandable. This is a small town and we're dealing with the mayor's son."
"In the case of rape, there's only one way to deal with it," the judge told her. "She should have gone to the hospital and had a rape kit drawn. But that wasn't done."
"Sandy was a basket case the day it happened," she said. "She refused to go because she thought it was futile."
"That's no excuse. And it leaves you with a pitiful case. If I were you, I'd drop it before it causes problems with your future as a member of the bar."
"And how would it do that?"
"Rich Cummings is ready to file a complaint that you're harassing him and his son. The fact that you injured Sean's knee seriously enough to keep him out for the entire football season is a critical factor."
Boy, the judge sure knows a lot about the circumstances. But she wouldn't back off now. The boy was an arrogant jerk; he needed to face the consequences of his actions. "I won't be bullied into giving up."
"I'm not threatening you, young lady, I'm merely stating the facts as I see them. You should know that a case such as this will be perceived in the same way by any number of judges."
"There has to be at least one judge in this state who doesn't subscribe to your way of thinking." Roxanne's anger began to bubble. She drummed her fingers on the desk to keep it in check.
"I'm sure there is. But you'd have no way of knowing in advance who would be assigned to your case."
Knowing the Chief Justice could easily influence the appointment of the trial judge and not yet willing to share the information about Bryan Haynes' recorded confession, Roxanne sighed. "I'll think about it."
"See that you do," Judge Walters said. "I'd hate to see your career ruined by some egregious action on your part. I'm thinking of you, not Sean Cummings. That boy is a hellion. He'll get his comeuppance sooner or later."
Why not now? Roxanne wanted to ask before stopping herself. Arguing with a state Supreme Court judge would be unwise. Let him presume she saw his point.
The judge softened his tone. "I heard about Chester Callahan. Please give my condolences to the family. It's a shame, Chester was a good man."
"Yes, he was," she said, relieved to find some common ground to end the conversation.
"Oh, and by the way, have you given any thought to my offer on your land?"
"I'm afraid things have gotten a bit complicated as far as Roxy's estate is concerned," she told him. If he knew so much about the Cummings problem, why wasn't he aware of Roxy's reappearance? She saw no reason to enlighten him.
"I understand that the land is in a trust and you are the trustee. Is there something in the trust agreement to prevent you from selling?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she said. "I haven't had time to review the trust in its entirety, what with my house burning down and all. I will let you know as soon as I can."
"See that you do," the judge said and hung up without saying good-bye.
His lack of sympathy for the loss of her home spoke volumes. As Roxanne pulled the receiver away from her ear and stared at it in disbelief, the second button on the phone lit up. Angry at the judge and at herself for allowing him to steamroll her on the Cummings' case, Roxanne punched the button before Sylvia had a chance to pick up. "Yes."
"Is that any way to answer a business phone?" Roxy teased her.
"Sorry. I just finished an annoying call."
"Where's Sylvia? Doesn't she usually answer?"
"Good thing she didn't this time. She doesn't know you're alive."
"Oh, I thought you'd have told her by now."
"I haven't had a chance and I also didn't know if you wanted the word to get around."
"I guess it doesn't matter anymore," Roxy said with a sigh. "You and I need to talk about how to handle this situation. I never expected to put you in such a bind. Are you free to come to the cabin today? Conor and Niall got a lead on someone in Ohio who might know where the money ended up. They'll be gone all day and we'll have time to talk without any interruptions."
The offer to discuss the future stunned her for a moment. She wanted to know what Roxy had planned but at the same time she feared facing the answers. "I guess I can come over. Give me an hour or so to check with Sylvia about today's schedule."
"Great! And you can tell her about me if you want. I don't like lying to good people."
Roxanne bit her tongue to keep from blurting, but you don't mind lying to me.
Her mother continued, "I'll see you when you get here. Don't rush on my account."
Sylvia took the news about Roxy better than Roxanne expected. Her main concern was for the younger attorney and how she felt. Hearing that from Sylvia reassured her somewhat. Maybe things would turn out all right, after all.
On the drive to Roxy's place, she alternated between hope and fear. She needed to know Roxy's intentions but her mother had never considered her feelings in whatever she decided to do in the past. The possibilities worried Roxanne until she thought of Callahan dealing with Chester's loss and felt ashamed for dwelling on her own petty problems.
Before she arrived at the cabin, she passed a pickup truck off to the side of the road. She caught a fleeting glimpse of two heads inside the vehicle nodding and laughing. She never gave them a second glance. They probably stopped for a quick drink or to smoke some dope away from prying eyes. None of her business.
She felt grateful that she and Roxy had the use of her cabin for their personal discussion. In such a small town, a little
privacy was hard to find.
- 32 -
Roxanne found her mother in the kitchen, throwing chopped vegetables into a soup pot.
"I thought I'd make something in case Conor and Niall are hungry when they get back. They've been eating too much junk food."
"They're in Ohio?" Roxanne asked.
Roxy nodded. "They located a friend of Liam O'Malley's. I always considered Liam a useless drifter but if he brought money over, I figured his friend might know something about it. He moved to Youngstown shortly after Liam died."
"I guess it's worth a shot." Roxanne grabbed a carrot and munched on it.
The other woman started to peel a potato. "Nice to see you actually eat something that's good for you."
"You're starting to sound like a mother," Roxanne said.
Roxy stopped shaving the skin and dropped the potato on the counter. "Look, I'm sorry I gave you to Maureen to raise. If it's any consolation to you, I kept track of your activities as you grew up. I snuck around and took pictures every chance I got."
"I know. I saw them and wondered where they came from. You were stalking me and I never even knew it."
Roxy laughed. "I've always been good at covert operations."
"Why didn't you..." Roxanne jumped when the front door burst open and Sean Cummings entered, waving a handgun. Michael O'Malley trailed behind him. The two teenagers elbowed each other as if they were on a football field.
"What the hell?" Roxy yelled. "I thought I fixed that door!"
Sean sneered. "We need to talk to Miss Goody-Two-Shoes."
Roxy resumed peeling the potato while she glanced at her daughter. "I guess he means you."
"Hey, you! Both of you, get over here and sit down." Sean's voice deepened unnaturally as he tried to assert his authority.
Roxy slammed the potato and peeler on the counter. "Listen here, young man, you don't order people around like that! Especially not in their own homes."
Michael took a step back but Sean grabbed Roxy's arm and shoved her into the living area. He pointed the gun at Roxanne. "Move, bitch!"
