Canyon

by Brenda Jackson

“First of all,” Render said, looking at her, “I want to share what I hope is some breaking news. The car that was following you that day as well as the driver of the car have been located. He has been questioned thoroughly.”

  “Who is he?” It was Canyon who asked before Keisha had a chance to.

  Render glanced over at Canyon. “A guy by the name of Shamir Ingram. He has a rap sheet a mile long. We found the car first, with the help of the traffic videos we pulled. And then when an officer recognized the car during a regular patrol, he pulled it over. Ingram was still driving it around with the stolen plate.”

  “Why did he do it?” Canyon asked.

  “Is he the same person who trashed my house?”

  Render chuckled when he looked from Canyon to Keisha and then back over to Canyon. “It might be a good idea, Westmoreland, if you joined Ms. Ashford on the sofa so I don’t get a whiplash.”

  “No problem,” Canyon said, standing and moving to the sofa. He could have put space between them but decided to sit right beside her. Once he was settled in his seat, Render continued.

  “Ingram claims he was paid to follow Ms. Ashford.”

  “By whom?” Canyon asked, feeling anger toward Ingram invade his body.

  “He won’t say,” Render answered.

  “Gone brain-dead, has he?”

  “Seems that way. But his cell phone has been confiscated and we’re obtaining a search warrant for his place so we can go through his belongings.”

  Render shifted his gaze from Canyon to Keisha. “Ingram claims he was only paid to follow you and nothing more. His instructions were to freak you out by bumping into your car and running you off the road, but he was not told to trash your house. He guesses someone else was paid to do that.”

  “I don’t believe him,” Canyon said angrily.

  “I do,” Render countered. “I was there during his interrogation. I saw the look of surprise in his eyes when he was questioned about Ms. Ashford’s house. And he got riled up at the thought that we were trying to pin both things on him.”

  “Yet he won’t tell you who hired him?” Keisha asked.

  “No. He claims he never met the person. The hire was made through a third party.”

  “What’s the name of the third party?”

  “He won’t say,” was Render’s reply.

  Canyon leaned forward. “Give me some time alone with him and I bet he’ll talk.”

  Render chuckled. “Don’t be so sure. A few bruises from you would be nothing in comparison to what he’d get if he’s labeled a squealer.” Render glanced over at Keisha. “That’s why I need to ask you some pertinent questions. Someone is trying to scare you and I need to know why and who.”

  Keisha nodded. “All right.”

  “At this point we’ll start the recorder,” Render said, turning it on. When he was satisfied the equipment was working properly he said, “Ms. Ashford, I understand you moved away from Denver three years ago. Why?”

  Keisha frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  Render met her gaze without blinking. “I plan to cover all bases and leave no stone unturned.”

  Keisha nodded and then answered, “I decided Denver was not where I wanted to live any longer.”

  Canyon knew she had skirted around the real reason she’d left and he had a feeling Render knew it, too.

  “Yet, you’ve returned,” Render said.

  Canyon felt her tense up beside him before she said, “Yes, I returned. I had to leave my last job and my former boss heard about it and called and offered me my job back here.”

  Canyon snatched his head around and looked at her. “Why did you have to leave your last job?”

  “That’s my question, Westmoreland,” Render said, grinning. “For the record, Ms. Ashford, why did you need to leave your last job?”

  As Canyon and Render watched, Keisha licked her lips nervously. “The law firm was forced to close down.”

  Render arched a brow. “It went bankrupt?”

  Keisha shook her head. “No. The Texas Bar and justice department shut it down.”

  “Why?” both men asked simultaneously.

  Canyon then glanced over at Render and said apologetically, “Sorry.”

  Render smiled and then looked back to Keisha. “Why did the Texas Bar and justice department shut down the law firm where you worked?”

  Keisha sighed. “It was discovered that several attorneys in the firm—all five partners—abused their power by encouraging their clients to agree to foreclosures and then charging those homeowners exorbitant processing fees. It was later found out that the attorneys were defrauding those clients when the attorneys were receiving kickbacks from the banks, who were reselling the homes at a higher price and making a profit.”

  “Who turned them in?” Render inquired.

  “There were speculations, but the person who exposed them was never identified.”

  “Was anyone indicted?” Render asked.

  “Yes. All five were indicted. My former boss heard about the scandal and knew any law firm in Austin…or Texas for that matter…would be reluctant to hire me on after that.”

  “Why?” Render asked.

  “Although I had nothing to do with what happened and was quickly cleared of any involvement, another firm wouldn’t want to bring on an attorney connected to lawyers who were convicted of defrauding clients. So, my former boss offered me my job back.”

  Canyon said nothing. He’d wondered why she had returned. He knew it hadn’t been because she felt Beau needed to be close to his father.

  “How long ago did all this happen?” Render asked.

  “Ten months ago.” Keisha paused. Tilting her head, she stared at Render. “Surely you’re not thinking there’s a connection between that and what’s going on with me now.”

  With an unreadable expression on his face, Render asked, “Any reason I shouldn’t?”

  “Of course there is. In fact, there are several,” she said, leaning toward him.

  Holding her gaze, Render said, “Name them.”

  Keisha pulled back and nodded. “Okay. First of all, those fraudulent activities were going on before I was even hired there and I never worked any of the cases. I was one of three relatively new attorneys. Second, those who were indicted were all partners. The other two attorneys, like me, were freshmen attorneys, considered to be peons. We were clueless as to what the top brass was doing. Third, why would anyone connected with that incident want to scare me? Scare me away from what? Why me? And who would be orchestrating such a thing?”

  Render smiled. “First of all, I never said I had made a connection. You’re the one who offered reasons why there is no connection, and I just asked you to name them. My job is to gather the facts, Ms. Ashford. All of them. And I agree that the chances of what happened yesterday being connected to what happened with that law firm in Texas is farfetched. But like I told you, I’m leaving no stone unturned.” He paused. “But before you completely discount the possibility of a connection, let me give you this to consider. The attorneys were indicted, but I assume they haven’t gone to trial?”

  Keisha lifted a brow. “How would you know that?”

  He chuckled. “We’re talking about attorneys.” Then, as if he remembered both Canyon and Keisha were attorneys, he smiled and said, “No offense, but I’m convinced these particular attorneys would use their knowledge of the law to delay serving time for as long as they can. They would also use their knowledge of the law to build a defense…while they’re putting the fear of God in the whistle-blower.”

  Puzzlement appeared on her features. “But I wasn’t the whistle-blower.”

  Render smiled. “Would they know that? Which makes me wonder if the other two freshmen attorneys not involved in the crimes h
ave experienced scare tactics, too? Do the three of you keep in touch?”

  She shook her head. “No. I never developed any close relationships with them. They were single and partiers and I was a mother with a newborn at home.”

  “Give me their names. It would be worth checking to see if they’re being harassed, as well.”

  She gave him the man’s and woman’s names. Render then leaned back in his chair. “And just in case that’s a theory leading nowhere, let’s talk about the cases you’ve handled since returning to Denver?”

  Keisha’s eyes widened. “All of them?”

  “As many as you can remember that might have resulted in ill feelings with clients or plaintiffs.”

  * * *

  Three hours later, Ervin Render stood and stretched his body. “Well, I think I have a lot of information to go on.”

  Keisha frowned. She thought he had more than enough. He had picked her brain dry while almost making her suspect that any of her clients could be the culprit. Beau had wakened a couple of hours ago and she now glanced over to where he was on the floor staring at all the species of fish in the huge tank.

  “If I have any more questions, I’ll reach you here,” Render added.

  “You can try my mobile number because I won’t be here,” she said, standing as well when Canyon came to stand beside her.

  Render lifted a brow. “Where will you be?”

  “Probably at a hotel until I get my house back in order. Is there a problem?”

  He shrugged and glanced from her to Canyon and back again. “Not for me, but it might be for you.”

  “In what way?” It was Canyon who spoke up with the question.

  Render shoved his hands into his pockets. “We still don’t know who hired Ingram to scare Ms. Ashford or who was responsible for trashing her house. If I were her, I wouldn’t go anywhere alone.”

  That was not what Keisha wanted to hear. Nor was that what she wanted Canyon to hear. “I have a life, Detective Render,” she said. “I can’t give in to scare tactics.”

  “No, and you shouldn’t,” the man said easily. “But then you shouldn’t make yourself a target either, Ms. Ashford. Until we know who’s behind this, you should stay low for a while.”

  “That’s not possible,” she said, lifting her chin. “I work and have a job to do.”

  Render didn’t say anything. Instead he glanced at Beau and then moved his gaze back to her. “You also have a son to raise, and I’m sure you want to be around to do so. I suggest you take a week off from work and don’t go anywhere by yourself.”

  Keisha slowly drew in a breath. “Surely you’re not suggesting that someone would—”

  “I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just letting you know the possibilities. Someone wanted to scare you off. The reason why is still a mystery. Until you know what or who you’re dealing with, you should hang around people you know, ones who have your back. Think about it. No need to bother showing me out. I know my way.”

  Canyon walked the man to the door anyway, while a frustrated Keisha worked the kinks out of her neck. She had to go to a hotel. There was no way she could stay under Canyon’s roof another night.

  She glanced up when he reentered the room. She opened her mouth to tell him she was going to a hotel in spite of what Render had said when he stopped her.

  “I heard what Render said, Keisha, and there’s nothing to think about. You’re staying.”

  He then turned and walked out of the room.

  * * *

  An angry Keisha followed Canyon to the kitchen but hung back to stand in the doorway so she could also keep an eye on Beau, who was still lying on the living room floor staring at the huge fish tank.

  “You don’t tell me what to do,” she said in a near whisper. “And I’m leaving.”

  Canyon walked back to her. “No, you’re not. Did you not hear what Render said? Why are you being so damn stubborn?” he asked in a low, infuriated tone.

  She lifted her chin. “I am not being stubborn, just practical. I can’t stay here.”

  “Can you give me one good reason why you can’t?”

  There was no way she would tell him the real reason, mainly that being around him did crazy things to her hormones and made her remember feelings she just couldn’t shake.

  “Well?”

  She frowned. He was standing there with his arms over his chest, facing her down like she was an unruly child. “For all I know, you might be involved with someone who might resent my being here.”

  He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind and then he said, “I’m not involved with anyone, and even if I was, do you think I’d let that person sway me to put my son’s life in danger? Or to put the mother of my child in danger?”

  Keisha swallowed. In a way, it hurt that all she was to him now was the mother of his child. There once was a time when she had been more. But that was before he’d allowed another woman to come between them.

  “I can’t stay here, Canyon. And you can’t force me to stay. Nor can you threaten to take Beau from me if I leave with him.”

  Instead of addressing anything she’d said, he informed her in a low tone, “You still haven’t given me a good reason why you can’t stay here, Keisha. I told you I wasn’t involved with anyone. I live in this big house by myself. I’ll have my side and you’ll have yours. What are you afraid of?”

  She bristled at his question. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  He ran a frustrated hand over his face and sighed. “Then think sensibly for a moment. Sure you can go to a hotel, but Beau will have more space here. He has family here. Why are you so determined to keep him away from me? Do you hate me that much?”

  Something twisted inside of her. There wasn’t a grain of truth in his assumption, and there was no way she could allow him to think that there was. “No. I don’t hate you at all, Canyon. I admit when I left here I was angry and hurt. I felt betrayed. And I kept feeling that way with all those emotions festering inside of me. Then one day something happened,” she said softly.

  He lifted a brow. “What?”

  She drew in a deep breath. “I felt my baby move. The baby you had put inside of me. I realized it was a real life, and I knew I couldn’t feel so angry with you anymore because, at that moment, regardless of how things ended between us, you’d given me something you could never take away.”

  Canyon dropped his arms. “Is that why you don’t want to include me in your and Beau’s world…because you think I’d take him away from you?”

  She took a long, shuddering breath before narrowing her gaze at him. “You said as much just last night.”

  “We said a lot of things last night, Keisha. I’m sure today there are regrets on both our parts. I don’t want to take Beau from you. I want to share him with you. But first I want to keep you both safe. Please let me do that. Stay here for at least a week to see how things work out. Hopefully by then Detective Render’s investigation will provide more answers. Then, who knows, it might be safe for you to go home.”

  “And if it’s not?”

  “We will reevaluate your options then.”

  Keisha knew she shouldn’t consider his offer. There was no way she could remain a week under his roof without fear of losing her sanity. But would it be fair to place Beau in danger just because she couldn’t keep her hormones in check?

  She switched her gaze from Canyon’s intense features to Beau. He had finally grown tired of lying on his stomach staring at the fish tank and was now on his back playing with the toy Denver—by way of Denver’s parents—had loaned Beau.

  She loved her child more than life, and she had to keep him safe until she knew what she was up against. And there was only one way to do that.

  Canyon.

  She might not be his favorite pe
rson right now, but he would do anything to protect his son.

  She looked back at Canyon and met his dark, penetrating gaze. “All right,” she said softly. “Beau and I will stay for a week.”

  Eight

  Keisha eased out of bed. No matter how tired she was, she just couldn’t seem to fall asleep and now she had one of those headaches she often got when she was stressed about something. All she could think about was how Detective Render had cast suspicions that now stirred in her mind, from her last job to every case she’d worked since returning to Denver.

  What if one of the attorney’s at that law firm in Texas had actually thought she was the whistle-blower and was trying to get back at her? Or what if the harassment had something to do with the case she’d won last year when she’d proved her client was the owner of land that a huge car dealership sat on?

  Her client hadn’t accepted the dealership owner’s offer to lease the property. Instead her client had wanted the property vacated immediately, which could have caused hardship to the owner of the dealership. Bryant Knowles hadn’t been happy with her and had accused her of intentionally advising her client not to negotiate with opposing counsel. That hadn’t been true, but nothing she said could convince Knowles otherwise. The two finally reached an agreement that was satisfactory to both in the end, but what if Knowles still harbored ill feelings?

  Keisha glanced over at Beau. At least one of them had no problem sleeping tonight.

  After she’d made her decision about staying, Canyon had gone to the store to purchase a safety gate for the stairs as well as cabinet locks, corner protectors, electrical outlet covers and a number of other items. While he was doing that, she had placed a call to Pam, letting her know she would need to go shopping tomorrow after all since she and Beau would be down to their last outfits.

  When Canyon returned, he immediately went to work childproofing his house. And he’d purchased toys that had kept Beau entertained for the rest of the day. While he was out, Canyon had picked up carryout from McKays, a popular restaurant in town, which had taken the guesswork out of what they would have for dinner.