Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

by Linda S. Prather

  Jenna handed Harry the notebook sheets, opened the refrigerator door, and pulled out eggs, ham, cheese, and assorted vegetables. “I make a great omelet. We can talk about the list while we’re cooking.”

  Jake turned the bacon and moved over to allow her room to fix her omelet. “Checked before we came in, and Michael Elkins was released this morning.”

  Jenna frowned. “Isn’t that unusual? I mean, I didn’t really talk to him this morning because he was asleep, but even with a minor heart attack, don’t they usually keep you three or four days?”

  “If this list is correct, it’s a miracle this woman survived as long as she did,” Harry commented from the table. “Did she ever report it?”

  Jenna hesitated for a moment, pouring the egg batter into the skillet and adding chopped vegetables. Damn it, she had to trust someone. “According to the man that was with Jordan Elkins, a doctor tried to get her help. The doctor and his entire family were killed. She was probably terrified, not just for herself, but for anyone who got involved.”

  Jake transferred the bacon to a plate and slammed the skillet in the sink. “This doctor got a name? Seems like that would be a good place to start?”

  Jenna shook her head. “They didn’t give me a name, but it probably wouldn’t matter anyway. Even if the death was suspicious, too much time has passed, and witnesses wouldn’t be perceived as reliable. What we need right now is evidence that Elkins beat his wife. That can get us a full investigation and hopefully lead to proving he killed her. It would also open the door into his cases and his life on the bench, which would hopefully tie in Marcus Dade. Jordan was pretty sure his mother had left some type of proof of his father’s and Dade’s crimes. He’s going to try to find it.”

  Harry raised an eyebrow and whistled, long and low. “You’re going after Marcus Dade, too?”

  “If he’s guilty, yes, I am.” Jenna turned the omelet. “No one should be above the law, especially an attorney and a judge.” Lifting one edge of the omelet with the spatula, she reached for a plate. “Perfect.”

  She transferred the food to the table, where Harry had set up three plates and poured the coffee. “We all want Elkins, but you both know that if we arrest him without sufficient evidence to keep him locked up forever, he’ll walk. We have to keep this quiet until we get that evidence.” Her eyes darkened. “Enough to put him away for the rest of his miserable life.”

  Jake nodded, biting into the omelet. “This is good. The undertaker is a good place to start.”

  Jenna coughed and reached for a napkin, caught off guard by the quick change of subject. “Undertaker?”

  Jake nodded. “He’s the only one other than the coroner who saw what Mrs. Elkins looked like when she came in. And the coroner was probably a friend of Elkins. The body was cremated, wasn’t it?”

  Jenna wracked her brain, trying to remember what she’d told them and what she hadn’t. If she was going to work with them, she had to tell them everything. Cremation made sense. Time and days had become confused in her mind. “What day is it?”

  “Wednesday.”

  “Seriously?”

  Jake took a bite of omelet and grinned. “Yep.”

  “Elkins broke my finger to remind me of what happened to people who crossed him. He told me his wife had fallen down the stairs that morning, which was yesterday, and died instantly. Her death and what had happened to me caused Michael to have a heart attack. That’s the story I’m supposed to tell. The truth is she died in Kentucky either on Sunday or Monday morning. Michael told me before he left they were having a service in Kentucky that evening, and then they were bringing the body back here for interment. All of it lies.”

  “According to the paper, she died after falling at the family home here on Tuesday morning. Looks like he’s got some powerful friends,” Jake said.

  “Here maybe, but not in Kentucky. That’s why Michael was in such a rush to get there and keep Jordan from getting there. I’ll bet they flew her back here without anyone in Kentucky knowing she’d died.”

  Jake rose and reached for the coffeepot, which was almost empty. “Anybody want more?”

  Jenna and Harry shook their heads.

  “Somebody in Kentucky knows, and you know, so clearly they planned on getting rid of you too,” Jake said.

  “There was a federal agent at the hospital last night. He said Michael sent the agents to Atlanta, and they weren’t there on bureau business.” She turned to Harry. “Remember Denver Madison?”

  Harry nodded. “That was the first time I met you. Bad hombre.”

  “He was the shooter.”

  “What!” Harry knocked over his coffee, and Jenna leapt up to get out of the way. Grabbing a dish towel, she soaked up the mess.

  “That’s what Agent Starks told me. I think they’re investigating Michael and Judge Elkins.”

  Jake threw her a roll of paper towels. “You guys want to fill me in on what you’re talking about?”

  Harry took the paper towels and cleaned up the rest of the mess. “It was right after you were knifed trying to break up that bar fight. You were on sick leave, so you and Cara went on your second honeymoon. A girl stumbled out of the woods. She’d been tortured and raped. She wouldn’t talk to anyone except Jenna. With her help, we arrested Denver Madison. Marcus Dade represented him, and Judge Elkins let him out on bail. A car was found the next morning, burned with a body inside it. The coroner identified it as Denver Madison. Case closed.”

  Jake glanced at the clock. “We need to head in. You plan on going anywhere today?”

  “I was going to the hospital to see Michael, but I guess that’s out. I really need to call a locksmith and get the locks changed. And I need to buy a new cell phone. I still haven’t received my purse from Atlanta.” She glanced at the mess still cluttering her living room floor. “And I need to get this cleaned up.”

  Harry reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small derringer. “I figure you don’t have one, and you may need it. It’s not great unless you’re close up.”

  Jenna took the gun and dropped it into the silverware drawer. “I don’t really like guns, but I know where it’s at if I need it.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Jenna helped drag the last piece of broken furniture to the curb, where Antonio and Mario Alveraz tossed it into the back of a truck. One hand gently caressing her lower back, she wiped the sweat from her brow. “Thank you, guys.”

  “No problem, Miss James. You need us to do anything else, you call, okay?”

  Jenna waved them off. The twins were one of her few success stories. They’d broken into a convenience store when they were thirteen. After spending hours with their mother and looking into the family situation, she’d moved for a diversion and gotten both the boys part-time jobs. If all went well, both would finish high school the next May with high honors.

  Jenna started back to the house just as a limo pulled up. She stopped and waited as the driver exited and came around to where she stood. “Mr. Beaumont would like a word with you, ma’am.”

  Jenna glanced at the limo then down at her tattered tennis shoes, cutoffs, and tank top. “Now?”

  The driver grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Why not?” Jerking off her gloves, she strolled to the limo and allowed the driver to open the door for her before climbing into the backseat.

  “Drive around the countryside, Burt. I’ll tell you when to stop.” Beaumont turned his attention to Jenna and smiled. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but I felt it best we get a few things out of the way.”

  Jenna remained silent. She’d had just about enough of the rich and powerful for one week.

  “Most of the rumors you’ve probably heard about me are true. I was a very young man when I learned if you wanted something, you had to take it.”

  Jenna rubbed her right wrist, hoping to alleviate the throbbing pain in her small finger. “Could we get to the point, Mr. Beaumont? The last three days have been very trying.”
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br />   “I have every thing in life that anyone could possibly want, Miss James. Now that I’m older, wiser I hope, I couldn’t care less about the money or the power. What I do care about is my daughter.” He turned in the seat and forced her to meet his gaze. “I would die for her, and I would kill for her.”

  Jenna swallowed hard. “If you want to know where Jordan is, you’re wasting your time. I don’t know.”

  “I’ve heard great things about you, Miss James. I’ve heard you’re hard-nosed when it comes to crime. I’ve heard you can’t be bought.” He paused for a moment. “And I’ve heard you can’t be fooled, even by the best.

  “I know where Jordan Elkins is. What I don’t know is who Jordan Elkins is. My daughter loves him. She’s carrying his child, so I need you to tell me, Miss James—what kind of man is Jordan Elkins, and do I help him, or do I kill him?”

  Forty-eight hours before, his words would have shocked her. She didn’t think anything could shock her anymore. “Speaking totally hypothetically, sir, if I had a daughter and she wanted to be with Jordan Elkins, I would give her my blessing.”

  Beaumont pressed a button, and the driver turned around heading back toward her house. He pulled out a card and handed it to her. “My daughter pulled you into this mess.” He glanced at her right hand. “And because of that, you’ve suffered some losses. I had this made for you this morning. Please refurnish your house and replace anything that’s been destroyed. Should you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

  Jenna stared down at the gold card sporting her name. It would be so easy to take it. She actually deserved it. “How did you know about my house?”

  Beaumont met her gaze. “Let’s just say some of my known associates travel in the same circles as Elkins’s known associates.”

  “Thank you, but no thank you. I can’t take this, Mr. Beaumont. We take an oath, and even though this isn’t a matter before the court, I’m still bound by that oath.” She handed the card back to him just as the limo pulled into her driveway.

  The driver parked and opened her door. She climbed out before she was tempted to reach back in and take the card. “Thank you, Mr. Beaumont. Tell Kamela hello for me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Harry made a wide swing around Main Street, eyes vigilant for anything out of the norm. “I’ve been thinking, Jake; maybe you should send Cara to her mother’s for a while.”

  Jake lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. “You think they’re watching us?”

  “If Marcus Dade is involved in this, I can guarantee you they’re watching Jenna and, by now, us.”

  “Yeah, I been thinking the same thing. Maybe you should move in with JJ and keep an eye on things. I don’t think she realizes the kind of danger she’s in.”

  “JJ?”

  Jake laughed. “Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking it too. She’s cute, petite, and she looks like a JJ.”

  “Did you know her middle name is Patience?” Harry turned down Second Street, driving slowly past the funeral home.

  “You’re kidding. Hell, she’s got less patience than I do. Parents must have had a real sense of humor.”

  Harry pulled to the curb and turned off the engine. “All right, Sherlock, what’s on your mind? We got a plan on this undertaker?”

  Jake scanned the building and tossed his cigarette out the window. “There’s a lot on my mind, but you’re not gonna like any of it.”

  Harry shrugged. “Won’t be the first time. What’s up?”

  “Like you said, there’s some pretty hefty players in this game: Marcus Dade, William Elkins and Clifford Beaumont, and now this Agent Starks. We go in there and start asking questions, odds are one—or all—of us is going to wind up dead before morning.”

  “And if we don’t?” Harry placed his hands on the wheel, staring into the distance. “Odds are Jenna James is going to wind up dead anyway. She knows too much.”

  Jake lit another cigarette. “I think she’s aware of that. There’s another way, but it’s not on the up-and-up.”

  Harry turned and studied his partner. “I’m game.”

  “The reason Elkins and Dade have been able to stay below the radar for so long is they don’t leave witnesses. If you were an undertaker hired to do a job you knew could get you killed if the truth came out, what would you do?”

  Harry grinned, catching on and starting the car. “I’d do X-rays of the body and document every bruise, broken bone, and defense wound.”

  “And where would you keep such a file, Harry?”

  Pulling back onto the street, Harry considered the question. “Not here and not at home. I’d give it to someone safe so I could have it as leverage.”

  “Your niece, Loki, still doing that private-eye thing?” Jake asked.

  Harry nodded. “Mostly cheating wives and husbands. She’d jump at the chance for something a little more exciting. Want me to give her a call?”

  “Yes and no. We can’t spend days following him around, but she could get hurt, Harry. With Dade in the picture, she could get killed.”

  Harry’s hand gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. “I’ll give it to her straight. She knows how to watch her back.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Come in.”

  Maria poked her head inside the library door. “Mr. Dade is here to see you, sir.”

  “Send him in.”

  William Elkins lit a cigar and leaned back in his thick leather chair. Marcus would know what to do—not only about the will but about Jordan and the rest of this mess.

  “Hello, William.”

  Elkins stood up and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you, Marcus, as always. Have a cigar. Can I get you a drink?”

  “I’ll pass on the cigar and the drink.” Dade took a seat in the chair next to the desk. “You wanted to see me.”

  Elkins picked up the will and handed it to him. “How do I get rid of this?”

  Dade read the will, his lips curving slightly. “Do you know how I’ve managed to stay clean all these years, William?”

  “Because you’re smart, like me.”

  “That’s partly right. But I never leave a trail, William—no phone trail, no money trail, no paper trail. I don’t make mistakes… and I don’t tolerate mistakes.”

  Elkins noted the hardness of Dade’s blue eyes, the firm set of his jaw. Dade hadn’t said it, but the words hung there in the air between them. And I don’t leave witnesses.

  Dade continued. “Forget about the will. It’s ironclad, and my advice to you is to accept it and go on with your life.”

  “And just how the hell would you suggest I do that? If that thing gets probated, I’m broke.”

  Dade leaned forward in the chair. “You’re not broke, William. You get a hefty retirement. Cut out the gambling and the whores, and you should be able to maintain a reasonable lifestyle.” His gaze drifted around the room, and he smiled. “Of course, not to this level, but there are worse things than being broke.”

  Elkins gritted his teeth as heat flooded his neck and face and the palms of his hands started to sweat. “Are you threatening me, Dade? You seem to forget who I am.”

  Dade laughed softly and crossed his legs. “No, William, you’ve forgotten who I am. Without me, you would have been killed a long time ago. I pull my protection, and there are people just waiting to collect on debts you owe.”

  Elkins swallowed hard. His head was spinning and his heart beating too fast.

  “You have bigger problems than your debts at the moment,” Dade continued. “Your son has created a mess, and I want to know what you plan on doing about it.”

  “I’ve got people on the street. We’ll find him soon enough. I’ve already taken care of that prosecutor. She won’t be a problem. Wouldn’t have been a problem anyway if Clifford Beaumont had kept his nose out of it.”

  Dade uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “I’m not talking about Jordan. I’m talking about Michael.”


  “Michael? Michael hasn’t done anything.”

  Dade stood up. “See, that’s your problem, William. You don’t watch what’s happening around you. You make mistakes. When Michael sent those two federal agents out to Atlanta, he called them from his own cell phone. And the prosecutor had two cops at her house last night. What do you think they talked about?”

  Elkins felt the blood drain from his face. His hands trembled as he picked up the glass of scotch and took a drink. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Dade smiled at him. “See that you do.” He walked toward the door and stopped, his right hand on the doorknob. “And, William, stay away from Clifford Beaumont. He’s above your pay grade.”

  Elkins stared at the closed door a long time, his hand clenching and unclenching around his glass. He flung it at the closed door, reached for the phone, and dialed a number. “Above my pay grade? Who the hell does he think he is? Wasn’t for me, he’d still be a penny-ante lawyer trying to scratch out a living.”

  “Hello.”

  “Get over here. I’ve got a job for you.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The phone was shrilling again as Jenna entered the front door. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw David’s name and picked up the receiver.

  “Hello.”

  “Jenna, where have you been? I’ve been calling your cell and your home for two days now.”

  Jenna glanced at her now-empty living room. “I’ve been doing some remodeling, and I lost my cell. Did you need something?”

  “Did you see Carter’s press conference?”

  Jenna gripped the phone more tightly. With everything that had happened, she’d totally forgotten about the Travello trial. “No, what did he say?”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Jenna. The trial was strictly by the book. The PSIR was a glitch in the system. Travello had two different social security numbers. There’s no way you could have known that.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a little too convenient, David?”

  “Travello got lucky. It happens sometimes.”

  “It shouldn’t happen. Not if we’re doing our job.”