Partners

by Kira Chase

  “I'll be his witness,” Brenna quickly said. “And Bobby will, too.” She looked at Will. “And with Will that makes you outnumbered. We'll all testify that this was a setup.”

  Frankie began laughing. “I think you need to learn to count. There are four of us here who actually witnessed what happened. You, Will, and Bobby weren't even in the house.”

  “That's right,” George said. “The more you talk, the more you're digging yourself into a deeper hole.”

  Brenna's eyes narrowed. “You have no proof.”

  Johanna held up her camera. “Would you like me to play it back for you?” she asked.

  “You can't use that against me,” Kyle yelled. “You set me up. That is inadmissible.”

  “We can and we will,” George replied. “It's perfectly legal. And your wife has stated she'll lie for you.” He turned to Johanna. “Have you still been recording?”

  She nodded. “Got it all.”

  Brenna clenched her jaw as she put her arms around her husband. “Don't worry, honey. I'll get you out.”

  The doorbell rang and Trey pulled the door open. The two deputies walked in and walked over to George.

  Frankie noted that Brent Calhoun was one of the deputies, but she wasn't familiar with the other deputy and figured he worked the night shift. He was tall, husky, and square jawed with a shocking head of red hair. George, with the two deputies, stepped away from the group and talked privately with them for a few minutes before rejoining the others. The deputies stood on either side of Kyle.

  “Will, you need to post bail for him,” Brenna cried.

  Trey's eyes darkened as they met Will's. Will looked away and rammed his hands in his pockets as he stood, not making eye contact with anyone or even acknowledging Brenna's pleas for help.

  “He won't be making bail tonight. He's got a long list of charges against him so he's spending the night in jail.” George nodded to the deputies. They led him out of the house.

  “Will, come on! We need to go with him,” Brenna pleaded. “Call a lawyer. There has to be something we can do.”

  “Will, I need to talk to you. Privately,” George said.

  “I need to get a few things from my room,” Trey said. “I'll be upstairs if you need me.”

  George nodded and Trey made his way to the stairs.

  “Can I ride along with Kyle and Will can pick me up later?” Brenna quickly asked as her eyes darted to the still opened door where she was in full view of Kyle being placed into the deputies' car.

  “No,” George said firmly. “We don't allow that.”

  “We need to talk to you, Brenna,” Frankie said motioning toward Johanna. “And we'd like to ask you a few questions, too, Bobby.”

  Bobby looked up with narrowed eyes from the game he was playing on his cell phone. “Why the hell should I talk to you?” he asked sarcastically.

  George walked over to him and stood threateningly in front of him. “Because I said so.”

  Chapter 12

  Frankie and Johanna sat in brown soft leather easy chairs facing Brenna and Bobby who were seated on a matching sofa. A cream-colored area rug covered the main area of the room. A large glass-topped coffee table sat between them. It was a large room with a beautiful fireplace taking up most of one wall. Opposite the fireplace was a magnificent bay window and the walls were adorned with beautiful paintings Trey had purchased from local artists at the annual art fair.

  “Why can't Kyle be bailed out tonight?” Brenna asked as she sat wringing her hands. “I'm afraid the sheriff will find some excuse to hold him indefinitely. I need to get him out of jail before I go back to Seattle next week.”

  Frankie's eyebrows drew together and she turned her head slightly to gauge Johanna's reaction to what the woman had just said. It didn't make sense. Kyle was obviously deceiving his wife as well as everyone else. Brenna knew nothing about moving to Charlestown. How much did she even know about his scheme? Could she possibly be innocent of whatever it was her husband had planned? Frankie quickly dismissed that thought. There was no way she could be in the dark.

  “He made threats to Sheriff Ryker after his initial charge of assault on Trey Daniels. All of this was already explained to you,” Johanna patiently said.

  Brenna sighed, then folded her hands together, and placed them in her lap. “Well, Will is just going to have to bail him out in the morning.”

  “Why would he do that?” Frankie asked. She watched the look of disgust that came across the woman's face.

  “He owes him, that's why.”

  “How does Will owe Kyle anything?” Frankie asked. “As far as any of us know, they haven't been in touch for years. Kyle just popped up out of the blue. It doesn't make sense.”

  Brenna pursed her lips as she glared at her with steely eyes. “It took Kyle a long time to track him down.” She tilted her head toward Bobby. “That's why he owes him.” She reached for the boy's hand, but he quickly recoiled.

  Frankie cleared her throat. “Until Will has a DNA test nothing is proven. We're going to request that Will get the test and that will put the matter to rest once and for all. Until then, you and your husband are just blowing smoke.”

  “Will has already been tested,” she said smugly.

  Johanna lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “When was that?”

  “Several weeks ago. He sent a swab to a lab in Seattle. They confirmed the match. He's Bobby's father.”

  Frankie could barely contain her excitement. She studied Brenna for a few seconds while she reigned in her enthusiasm. The woman certainly wasn't as timid as Frankie had assumed her to be. Instead, she seemed confident and self-assured. So, she was in on the plan from the very beginning. But she had just divulged the information Frankie needed. “Was the lab in Seattle that performed the test Hakon West DNA Lab?” she asked in an even tone of voice.

  Brenna's eyes flickered and she opened her mouth to respond, but momentarily faltered before quickly recovering. “How do you know where the testing was performed? Did Will tell you?”

  Frankie decided to have some fun with her. “Will didn't tell us anything,” she answered. “So, you admit that Hakon West DNA Lab tested Will's sample?”

  She stiffened. “I didn't say that. Does it matter what lab performed the test? The results are all that matters.”

  “Bobby, would you mind waiting in the kitchen and we'll talk to you as soon as we finish with Brenna,” Johanna said.

  “Anything to get away from here,” he grumbled. He quickly got up and left the room without a goodbye to anyone.

  “Just humor me and answer the question, please,” Frankie said after Bobby was safely out of earshot. “Unless you have some reason for not answering the question.” She kept her eyes glued to Brenna.

  “I don't see what difference it makes,” she insisted.

  Frankie's lips tightened. She'd break her…she had to. “It makes all the difference in the world since you work there and in fact personally perform most of the testing yourself.” She continued to stare her down and noticed the twitching in Brenna's cheek and the way her eyes kept shifting away from hers.

  The color drained from Brenna's face. “I'm done here.” She abruptly rose.

  “You do realize that tampering with a DNA sample will earn you a prison term, don't you?” Johanna stated jumping in and taking over the questioning. “Why don't we all go and inform Will that you not only work at the lab but performed the test.”

  “You two don't have any right to question me about anything. Kyle warned me about you,” she said after a brief pause.

  “Did he now?” Johanna asked. “Did he warn you about the consequences of tampering with lab results, too?”

  Brenna shook her head. “You want to deprive a boy from having a relationship with his father? How pathetic is that?”

  “No,” Frankie said through gritted teeth. “I want to protect my friend from being scammed out of his home because you are holding something over his partner's head. What else is the
re, Brenna? If you come clean we might be able to help you. If you don't, I'm afraid you won't like the consequences.”

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” she said firmly, seeming to have regained some confidence. “Why are you so determined to keep Will from his son?”

  “Because we have reason to believe you're lying. Okay?”

  “Why would I lie?”

  “Why don't you tell us?” Johanna asked. “We're trying to help you here. But if you don't want to talk, then we'll just have Will give a DNA sample at a lab here in Charlestown and if it isn't a match, I think you know what the consequences will be.” She shrugged. “The ball is in your court.”

  Brenna's eyes flickered again, but this time the fear was evident in them as she chewed on her bottom lip and then began trembling.

  Johanna eyed her carefully. “Did you know that your husband is planning to move here? He told us that you and Bobby were also. Did you even know that? Or did he blindside you? Maybe that's his plan. He'll let you take the fall while he reaps the rewards.”

  She looked confused. “No. That's not right. We have no plans to leave Seattle. I have a good job there. Friends and family.”

  “Where do you work, Brenna?” Johanna asked softly. “If you tell us maybe we can help you.”

  Her face paled even further. “Hakon West DNA Lab,” she whispered hoarsely.

  “Would you like to sit back down?” Johanna asked.

  She sat down and drew a deep breath and looked at them out of half-closed eyes.

  “Do you want to start at the beginning?” Frankie concentrated on Brenna's jerky movements. She was definitely agitated.

  “I didn't perform Will's test,” she answered weakly. “I'm telling the truth.”

  Frankie exhaled loudly. “So, you're sticking with the story that you know nothing about the test?”

  She bent her head, covered her face with her hands for a few minutes, and then looked back up at them, but didn't answer Frankie's question.

  “Was Will's paternity test done at Hakon West DNA Lab?” Frankie asked. She waited for a full minute, but when Brenna refused to answer, she decided to try a different tactic. “We can go to the other room and ask Will where he sent the sample.”

  She trembled. “I never wanted to be involved in any of this.” Tears filled her eyes.

  Johanna looked at Frankie and Frankie nodded. Hopefully Johanna could get her to break. Maybe George was right and this could be wrapped up in a few days. Once Kyle Martin was headed back to Seattle, all of their lives could go back to normal. Well, maybe not Trey's, she thought. She didn't know what the future held for Will and Trey or even if there was a future for them after all of this.

  “Then tell us the truth,” Johanna said quietly. “We're not out to hurt you.”

  “I am telling you the truth.” She swallowed hard. “I'm not lying. I didn't perform the test on Will's sample. The woman who works with me in the lab did.”

  “What's her name?” Johanna asked.

  “Mary Lou Clangdon.”

  Frankie pulled on her chin, remembering that Marge Longstrett had mentioned the name Mary Lou as the lab technician who worked with Brenna Martin. “Why did you act surprised when we mentioned that Kyle told us you and Bobby are moving here?”

  She shook her head. “I don't know why he told you that. As I said, I have a good job, friends, and family in Seattle. Why would I leave that?”

  “You tell us. Didn't Kyle come here to find work?”

  She looked surprised by the question. “No. He came here because he wanted to confront Will in person with the results of the DNA test. He said he'd let me know when to bring Bobby to meet Will, but it could be a couple of weeks. He wanted Will to have a chance to get used to the idea that he had a son. When he called and told me to bring Bobby, I took my vacation time and flew here.”

  Frankie leaned forward. “Kyle was working at Trey Daniel's company. He's been employed for a couple of weeks. Did you know that?”

  “No.”

  Frankie believed her by the surprised expression that crossed her face. “Did Kyle have a job in Seattle?”

  “He was laid off. He's been looking for work though.”

  “Was he ever fired from a job?” Frankie asked.

  Brenna was quiet for a minute. “Yes.”

  “It's my understanding that he's been fired from several jobs over a short period of time. Is that true?”

  Brenna's face turned crimson. “He was given positions he wasn't qualified for.”

  “In other words, he lied about his qualifications?” Johanna asked.

  She nodded. “I suppose he wasn't one hundred percent truthful. He bluffed his way for as long as he could. He's very intelligent.”

  “Does he have a business degree?”

  “No. He had some phony degrees made up. He's a quick learner,” she said defensively. “And he believes that most of the positions don't even use what you're taught in college.”

  “How much education does he have?”

  Brenna cleared her throat. “He barely got through high school,” she admitted.

  Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “So, you are the sole support for your family? Is that a correct assessment, Brenna?”

  “Yes.” She blew her breath out. “It's been rough going at times. Especially with taking on Bobby. Raising a child is expensive.”

  “Do you resent having to support Bobby?” Frankie asked bluntly.

  “It's not his fault.” She bit her bottom lip again. “But it would be less stressful on our finances if I didn't have to. Once Will starts kicking in child support it will lighten the burden and things should get easier for our family.”

  “How long have you and Kyle been married?” Frankie asked.

  “Almost a year.”

  Frankie looked at Johanna who sat with a stunned look on her face. Something was way off and Frankie knew they had to get to the bottom of it.

  “I thought you'd been married longer,” Johanna said.

  “So, you knew Kyle had custody of Bobby before you married him?” Frankie asked. “Something doesn't add up, Brenna.” She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you care to enlighten us?”

  The woman looked confused again. “I don't understand. I'm telling you the truth. We've only had Bobby with us for a few months.”

  Frankie pulled on her chin. “Kyle told us you've been raising him for three years,” she said suspiciously.

  Brenna frowned. “I have no clue why he would have said that.” A wrinkle creased her forehead. “Are you sure you didn't misunderstand him?”

  “No, we didn't misunderstand.” Frankie cleared her throat. “According to your husband, Bobby was living with his grandparents prior to moving in with you and Kyle. Is that true?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Are Kyle's parents still involved in Bobby's life?”

  “Not anymore. They would have kept him, but Kyle insisted that he needed a good role model.”

  Frankie almost gagged. “Are you saying that Bobby's grandfather wasn't a good role model?”

  She shrugged. “I don't know.”

  “How did Bobby react to moving in with you and Kyle?”

  “He's been miserable and rebellious. He wants to go back to his grandparents.”

  Frankie got a clearer understanding now of Bobby's attitude and she felt compassion for him. It must have been traumatizing for him to be ripped from the people who'd raised and loved him. “How does Bobby relate to Kyle?”

  “He's never been very close to Kyle.” She cleared her throat. “Ever since he moved in with us he's gotten into trouble in school and has distanced himself from his classmates.”

  Johanna frowned. “Does Bobby spend any quality time at all with his grandparents?”

  “Oh no. Definitely not,” she said adamantly. “All ties were cut off after the custody hearing.”

  “I thought the grandparents willingly gave custody to you and Kyle because they co
uld no longer handle him,” Johanna continued. “That's not what happened?”

  “No. There is no truth to that. Whoever told you that is a liar,” Brenna said firmly.

  “Your husband told us that,” Johanna answered.

  Frankie watched Brenna squirm and her face turn a deep crimson. Obviously, she and Kyle hadn't corroborated their stories. This was proving to be very interesting and complex. They had to begin unraveling both Kyle's and Brenna's stories to get to the truth. She suspected Kyle of lying, and decided to let Johanna continue the questioning since Brenna seemed to be more forthcoming with her answers when Johanna asked the questions. Sometimes it happened that way. They'd been working together long enough to sense when an interviewee seemed more comfortable with one over the other. No hurt feelings. That was what made them a team and had sealed their reputation as the two best private investigators on the east coast.

  Chapter 13

  Johanna was bursting with joy inside, but her outward appearance was cool, calm, and collected. Frankie knew she'd clicked the audio switch on her camera before beginning their questioning of Brenna Martin. They were finally getting the answers to their questions. She had to be careful, though, with the nature of her questions. In any event, they already had enough information to prove that Kyle Martin was a liar. It would be interesting to see if George pried anything out of Will.

  Brenna's eyebrows shot up. “I don't know why he would say that.” She nervously picked at the hem of her short-sleeved pink blouse.

  Johanna watched her actions as she formulated her next question. The last thing she wanted to do was have Brenna suddenly clam up if she caught on to what they were doing. “So, Bobby has no contact with his grandparents? Is that correct?”

  “No…I already told you that he doesn't.”

  “Have you ever considered the fact that removing them from Bobby's life might be the cause of his recent problems?”

  “Kyle said in time he'll adjust. When he's older he'll understand that what Kyle did was in his best interests.”

  “I don't understand why Kyle's parents hadn't asked Will to take a paternity test. They'd been raising the boy for thirteen years. If they thought Will was Bobby's father you would think if they needed financial help they would have pursued Will for help.”