by Kira Chase
Will didn't respond, but sat with his eyes lowered to his lap.
“I think I have my answer,” Trey said. He ran a hand over his eyes as his shoulders slumped.
Frankie watched the life literally drain from her friend. His hands hung limply at his sides. His fight was gone. She wanted to comfort him, but knew there was nothing she could say to ease his pain. Her own eyes teared up as she remembered the good times the two couples had shared. Something definitely didn't fit here. What was Kyle Martin holding over Will? It had to be earth shattering in order for Will to risk everything.
“Go take your friend to the Sheriff's Office,” Trey said. “Just do it and get it over with.”
Will stood and walked over to him. “Please listen to me, Trey,” he whispered. “I can't explain this right now. I promise you nothing is as it seems,” he said hoarsely as he kept one eye nervously on the entrance.
“Will,” George said, looking toward the entrance. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Will's face crumbled as he met the sheriff's eyes. “I can't talk about it.” He abruptly stopped talking.
Frankie saw Kyle in the entranceway. He stood leaning against the wall with an amused look on his face.
“Ready?” Kyle called to Will.
“I'm sorry, Trey,” Will said as he joined Kyle.
Chapter 7
George shook his head. “Unbelievable. What the hell is going on? Will someone please fill me in?”
Trey finally raised his eyes. “We know as much as you do, George,” he said. “I can't even think straight. My mind is in a fog.”
Johanna exhaled loudly. “Stay with us, Trey, until you get this sorted out.”
“What about my house? Why should I have to leave my own home?”
George looked sympathetically at him. “Contact your lawyer and explain to him what’s going on,” George advised. “We'll figure this out, Trey. There’s something fishy going on here.” He slowly shook his head back and forth. “I just can't get over Will doing this to you. It just doesn't feel right.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Johanna said. “Will is being forced into this by Kyle. It's obvious looking at Will that he's crushed.” She turned to Frankie. “What about you? What's your take on it?”
Frankie nodded. “I agree with what you said, Johanna. But why can't Will talk about it? I wish I could get a definite feeling about this, but I'm at a loss.” She frowned. “It's not just about his alleged son. What would cause him to risk everything for a scumbag like Kyle Martin?”
“Good question. I'm going to do some checking,” George stated.
“Good luck with that. Frankie and I have done some, but we've come up empty. He doesn't have an on-line presence. Nothing that we found in his past.”
“Trey, I think it's a good idea for you to spend some time with Frankie and Johanna. Why don't you pack some things?”
“I'm supposed to leave my house and let that bastard move in?” Tears formed in his eyes. “That's not right.” He swallowed hard. “He's bringing his wife and a kid who might not even be Will's son here. They can't just move into my home and do what they want. How fair is that?”
George pulled on his chin. “It's not fair, Trey. I promise you I won't waste any time getting to the bottom of this.”
Trey sighed wearily as he looked at Frankie and Johanna. “I don't want to put you two out. I can stay at a hotel.”
“No,” Frankie said. “We won't hear of it. Now go pack a bag and we'll follow you to the sheriff's office. Later we'll drive you back to pick up your truck.”
“I'll come back, too, just to make sure that Kyle doesn't pull any tricks,” George said.
“Thanks.” Trey exhaled loudly. “It's still not fair that he can just come here and move his family into my house.” His lips drew taut. “If Will didn't agree that he could, then he'd be kicked out. Isn't that right, George? It's because it's two against one?”
“That's part of it. I just wish you hadn't punched him.”
“You know, it's funny, but I'm not sorry that I did.”
“Just the short time I spent with him, I can see why you did it,” George admitted. “I don't condone violence, but some people have a knack for pushing others over the edge.”
“The quicker we find out what he's up to, the quicker we can get his ass out of your house and hopefully out of town,” Johanna stated firmly.
Trey nodded. “Well, I'd better pack some things.” He walked out of the room.
George sat for a minute and then turned to the women. “Do you two have some free time to help me out with this? It's obviously going to be more involved than I assumed.”
“Even if we didn't, we'd make the time for Trey,” Johanna said adamantly.
“Damn right,” Frankie added as she swept her hair from her brow. “I just can't believe any of this. We need to talk to Will alone. If he doesn't come clean, I don't think Trey and his relationship will be able to be salvaged.”
“When I talked to Trey earlier he told me how much he loves Will,” Johanna said. “That's why none of this makes any sense.”
“That was before we found out about Will's son,” Frankie interjected.
“Alleged son,” Johanna reminded her.
Frankie frowned. “George, can't you find some way to force Kyle to leave Trey's house?”
“Frankie, you know I can't. I wish I could, but like I told Trey, they both own the house and Will wants Kyle here. I probably could have figured something out if Trey hadn't thrown the first punch, but he did and now my hands are tied.”
“It still isn't right. Trey doesn't want Kyle in his house. He should still have some say no matter if he did sign half over to Will,” Frankie retorted.
“You two know as well as I do that we come across a lot of unfairness in this line of work, but we have to follow the law. Trey caused physical harm to another. A judge won't look at anything else, but the physical injury.”
“I'm going to advise him to plead not guilty. I want the judge to know that he was egged on,” Frankie said frustrated.
“Whoever throws the first punch. You know that. Nothing will change the law.” He looked sharply at her. “Frankie, as I've said, I don't like it, but my hands are tied. Pleading not guilty won't make a difference.”
She frowned. “I know. I'm just letting off steam.”
Johanna grabbed her hand. “We all are. I felt like smacking Kyle myself,” she admitted.
“Stand in line,” Frankie said. “George, what is your impression of Kyle Martin?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I had to maintain every ounce of self-control and it definitely wasn't easy. He knows what buttons to push.”
* * * *
“I'll take him in,” the deputy said to George.
Johanna studied Brent Calhoun, the young blond deputy. He had a boyish looking face, stood over six feet, had bright blue eyes and an angular face. She'd seen him a few times, but didn't know him. He'd only been on the job for a few months, but before long, she knew she and Frankie would become well acquainted with him.
George nodded. “I'll follow you.”
Frankie picked up Trey's bag. She gave him a hug. “We'll get through this.”
Trey swallowed hard, fighting back tears as Johanna threw her arms around him. “I don't know what I'd do without you two,” he said hoarsely. A tear slid down his cheek. “I've never been arrested before. I've never even gotten a traffic ticket.” He sniffed. “I don't need this kind of publicity just when my business is doing so well.”
“I'll make sure if anyone asks, they know what really happened,” Frankie said glaring at Kyle. “Your business won't be ruined.”
“They should lock you up and throw away the key,” Kyle said, avoiding Frankie's eyes and focusing on Trey. “You're nothing but a piece of garbage. Will's going to be much better off without you. And tonight, I should be able to get a good night's sleep without you roaming around the house.”
George turned o
n his heel and stared at Kyle Martin. “One more word and you'll be joining him,” he warned Kyle.
Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets and stood staring at George with a wide smile, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Trey, I'm sorry,” Will said in a cracked voice.
Trey ignored him and instead looked straight ahead without acknowledging Will as he was led out of his house.
Chapter 8
“This is like a bad dream I can't wake up from,” Trey said. “I don't know what to do.” He ran both hands through his hair. “I just don't know what to do next.”
“Well, I think the first thing you need to do is get a good night's sleep. We'll put fresh eyes on it in the morning,” Frankie said.
“We'll get to the bottom of it,” Johanna promised him. “Whatever Kyle has on Will, we'll find it.”
“I know you will,” he said. “I just didn't expect to lose my home, my partner, and get arrested tonight. I was blindsided by everything that happened.”
“We all were,” Frankie said. “None of us saw it coming.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Frankie said, “Johanna and I were both ready to knock Kyle on his ass.”
Trey flashed a weak smile. “I wish you would have.”
“Kyle Martin won't get away with whatever he's doing,” Johanna said. “But Frankie's right. After a good night's sleep, we'll go over everything and see what our next move is.”
“Well, I have to plead guilty. I can't deny what I did, and now I'll have a record. The sad part is that if people see it, they'll assume the worst of me.”
“Not around here they won't, Trey,” Frankie replied. “People know you.”
“Kyle Martin won't get away with this,” Johanna said.
He nodded. “I want to thank you both again for bailing me out and letting me stay here.”
“No need for thanks. That's what friends are for. And you've helped us out many times in the past,” Frankie reminded him. She noted how weary he looked with dark circles under his eyes and his easy smile now seemed forced. She wanted the old Trey back.
“Do you want a cup of tea or a glass of wine?” Johanna offered. “It might help you sleep. Or we have some beer if you'd prefer that.”
Trey stood and stretched. “No, I think a hot shower and a good night's sleep, as you suggested, will help. I'll see you two in the morning.”
“Anything you need, Trey, it's yours,” Frankie said. “All you have to do is just ask. Remember that.” The pain in his eyes tugged at her heart.
“Thanks,” he answered. He stood for a minute looking at them. “I don't know what I'd ever do without you two.”
“You'll never be without us, Trey,” she said softly.
After he left, Frankie turned to Johanna. “We need to talk to Kyle's wife,” she suggested.
“Agreed, but I still think we need to convince Will to submit to a DNA test.” Johanna frowned. “He seems adamant that the boy is his.”
“I don't know why he'd object to something that can prove he didn't father the boy.” Frankie cleared her throat. “Do we know that he didn't have sex with Kyle's sister?” She looked pointedly at Johanna.
“You're right. After all, do we even know Will at all? In any event, like you said, we need to talk to Kyle's wife, but we need to get her alone. If Kyle's there, I'm afraid she's not going to say much.”
“Why do you think that?” Frankie asked.
Johanna shrugged. “I think if she has something to say he might intimidate her.”
“Or she could have his same personality.” Frankie lifted an eyebrow.
Johanna shuddered. “If she is the female version of Kyle, then Will doesn't know what he's in for.”
“I can't even imagine.”
“Will obviously isn't happy with Kyle's visit and especially his moving into the house.” Johanna shook her head. “That much we know.”
“Then why the hell is he letting him?” Frankie demanded.
“That's what we have to find out.”
“Remember, Will doesn't seem to trust us enough to come to us. That bothers the hell out of me. If he can't trust his friends, then he's into some deep trouble.” Frankie's jaw hardened. “I honestly don't know if my friendship with him can be repaired at this point. After what he's done to Trey, I don't really want anything to do with him.”
“I know. Imagine what emotions Trey is dealing with.” Johanna rose. “I'm too wired to sleep. I think I'll go to the home office to see if there's anything I can come up with on Brenna Martin. Maybe she has an on-line presence. Anything will be better than what we have right now, which is zilch. I'd like to get a feel for what we can expect before we talk to her.”
“Good,” Frankie replied. “If you come up with anything we can give it to George in the morning. He's doing his own check, but I think checking out social media could help. A lot of people seem to post things in the heat of the moment they wouldn't normally voice publicly.”
“That's true. If either of them has been involved in any illegal activities at least George will root that out.”
Frankie stood and then stretched. “I think I'll grab a shower and then join you with a glass of wine before bed.” She smiled as she drew Johanna close. “In case I haven't told you lately, I love you.”
“I love you, too, babe,” Johanna said, brushing Frankie's cheek with her fingertips before meeting her lips for a long lingering kiss.
Frankie headed for their bedroom and Johanna made her way to their home office. She loved the calming effect of the room. It was as fully functional as their business office—without the distractions. Frankie and she could work until the wee hours of the morning if they wanted to and many times they did.
Johanna glanced around the room as she tried to collect her thoughts. She turned on the desktop computer, sat in her large comfortable leather chair, and then pulled a notepad and pen from one of the many desk drawers.
“Where to begin,” Johanna muttered to herself. She jotted down what she already knew, which wasn't much. She flipped to a clean page and in big block letters wrote Brenna Martin. Since she couldn't find anything useful on Kyle Martin, she was curious if Kyle's wife had an on-line presence. The chances were she probably did. She needed to search for Brenna Martin's maiden name. She needed to study the woman's profile.
She plugged into the program she and Frankie used for their in depth searches. She did another run through on Kyle Martin, but as with a general search, nothing new showed up. Next, she punched in Brenna Martin's name and waited for the program to show possible matches. She peered at the screen and was surprised to see how many women shared the name, but then most searches gave the same result unless there was more identifying information. In this case, they had none. Not even a middle initial. She'd have to see if the name Kyle showed up as a spouse. She scrolled through several names and then stopped. Two names fit the age she assumed Brenna to be. No mention of spouses, though. She clicked on the first name. That would give her more detailed information. Brenna Martin, born and raised in California. She scanned the woman's specifics. Everything fit except for her husband. His name was Clifford and he also had been born and raised in California and now was CEO of a tech company in Silicon Valley. She immediately clicked off and then clicked on the other Brenna Martin. She read for a few seconds and then a wide smile broke across her face.
“Bingo!” she said out loud.
“What?”
Startled, Johanna turned her head. She hadn't heard Frankie enter the office. Frankie stood in the doorway with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. “Hi, babe. I didn't hear you. That was a quick shower.”
Frankie grinned. “Not really. You must have been wrapped up in your work. I thought the shower would help me relax, but it had the opposite effect.” She nodded toward the computer screen. “So. what did you find?”
“The Brenna Martin.”
“And?” Frankie asked setting the glasses and bottle of wine down on a
counter. She walked to the door and closed it.
“Pour the wine and we can find out together.”
Frankie walked back to the counter, filled the glasses, and then carried them to where Johanna sat. She handed a glass to Johanna and set hers on the desk. She grabbed her chair and slid it over next to Johanna’s. After she seated herself, she picked up her glass of wine and stared at the computer screen. “All set. Let's see if she has any dirty laundry to air.”
Johanna nodded as she pressed a button. The screen was instantly flooded with social media sites and other links relating to Brenna Martin. “She's quite the opposite of her husband,” Johanna observed.
Frankie sat beaming. “This is going to be fun, but where to start?”
“By reading.” Johanna was thrilled as she began to read aloud and take down pertinent information. “She's a lab technician at Hakon West in Seattle. Seems like she knows how to keep a job.”
“Unlike her husband.” Frankie made a face. “She also sounds like she has her act together since she's been at her job for over a decade.”
“Hmmm. So why would she give it up and move across the country with her husband who has such a sketchy employment record? It doesn't make sense.”
“Good question,” Frankie replied. “And something you and I will definitely find out.”
Johanna frowned. “Maybe that's a question we should ask Brenna Martin. We definitely need to talk to her alone.” She picked up her glass of wine and sipped at it. “Let's see how much online social presence she has.” She pushed another button. “We can explore the rest of these links later and make a list of questions to ask her if she tries to dispute anything we find.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Frankie squinted at the screen. “Right there,” she said jabbing a finger at the screen. “That's the most popular social networking site online right now.” She squeezed Johanna's hand in excitement. “Let's see if we can get a feel for what kind of person she is.”
Johanna lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “Considering Kyle is her husband, she's both timid and afraid of him or she's just like him.” She clicked on the link. “Let's read some of her posts.”
