Kelly took in a fortifying breath. Then she pulled out her phone and tapped the screen twice. She turned away from us and spoke, but I couldn’t make out anything specific. She ended the call, pressing her lips shut.
“What did you do?”
“I can’t say. I won’t say, not yet.” Not so casually, she looked out the enormous wall of two-story windows.
“Are you waiting on someone?”
We heard a door open and the sound of male voices.
Kelly leaned against the rail. “Darren, Lonnie, we’re upstairs.”
A moment later, Dillon appeared in the foyer below, his face serious but his demeanor calm.
“Sorry, Kelly. I’m not your nephews. They’re outside right now about to be arrested for trespassing. I’ll give you five minutes to get off my property.”
She stomped down the stairs with her phone clutched in her balled-up hand. She walked up to Dillon and slammed her fist against his chest. “You will never get away with this. Money won’t be able to buy your freedom.”
She stormed out of the house.
5
The voices grew louder from the dining room down below as I watched Emma ride Cristina like a horse, yelling out, “Yippee!!” over and over again, tugging on her long mane of hair. She was having a ball. Cristina, on the other hand, cringed through the entire playtime nightmare. Thankfully, she refrained from barking at the little girl. I stood in the hallway with Saul, an awkward stillness in our little space. We were stuck in between fun-and-games in the playroom and the serious conversation going on downstairs. And then there was the issue of our past relationship that never took off, although we both probably had wanted it at some point in time.
Saul broke the silence. “Cristina’s great with kids.”
“She’s still a kid herself, at least in some respects.” I kept my gaze on the girls, trying my best to avoid Saul’s honey-colored eyes that had a tendency to draw me in.
“Yep,” he said, rocking back and forth in his shoes, both hands in his pockets.
An F bomb reverberated throughout the mansion. I looked at Saul, who was grimacing.
“That’s my boss, all right. He makes me proud to work for the firm,” he said, releasing an exasperated breath.
“Cussing at the client. Not good business,” I said, adjusting my stance to kinda-sorta look at Saul while not directly getting caught by his eyes. “I don’t know Dillon very well, but given the size of his bank account, I would think he could have the top lawyer in Texas on his case in a matter of hours.”
“I’d bet my paycheck that Ross was going off on some person at the office, maybe even in front of Dillon, just to show him how he’s capable of getting things done. Anything to justify his thousand-dollar-an-hour rate.”
I blinked rapidly for a moment. “Uh, who is worth a thousand bucks per hour?”
“Probably shouldn’t have shared that with you,” he said, biting his lip. “I mean, it’s not like we’re on a date, having a glass of wine together.” He chuckled uncomfortably.
I ignored his odd timing and let my urge to get more information take priority. “This felony charge. Is there any way Dillon did this?”
He looked over my shoulder toward the staircase, as if Ross might float upstairs unannounced. “No idea if he did it or not,” he said in a lowered voice. “Frankly, as a representative of the law firm under his retainer, I’m supposed to say the charges are baseless and will be thrown out before the case is ever tried. But I was looking over Herbert’s shoulder earlier when the cops shared a picture of the victim. Unless those pictures were doctored, it wasn’t pretty.”
I would have to see the picture for myself. I’d spent my entire adult life ensuring that kids were protected, or at least not intentionally put in harm’s way. I made a mental note to ping my detective buddy, Stan, to see if I could get a look-see.
I gazed at the crown molding, the silk curtains, fancy floors, all of the opulence that surrounded me. People with money knew they had a distinct advantage over the rest of us, and in so many instances they used it to better themselves, or to get out of a bind. Yet, I’d also worked with Dillon Burchfield. Just as Cristina had said, I couldn’t see Dillon getting upset over much of anything. And the thought of him assaulting a minor seemed incomprehensible. That led me to another thought.
“Given the crime was—”
“Alleged crime,” he said, touching my elbow.
I pulled back just slightly, intent on keeping my mind on business. “Alleged crime, fine. But since the crime involved a minor, Child Protective Services should be calling and might submit a motion to the courts to remove Emma from this house.”
“Hadn’t heard that, but maybe Ross is aware,” he said, rubbing his chin, suddenly acting antsy. “I just know that on the way home, all Dillon talked about was how this could affect his little girl. It seems like she is the most important thing in his life.”
“Daddy, daddy!” Emma ran between us, scampering down the stairs. “I have this trick I want to show you. Daddy, daddy, do you hear me?”
“Are you going to run after her?” Saul said.
“Dude, we’re not her babysitter.” Cristina had sidled up to us, using a scrunchie to pull her tangled hair back into a ponytail.
“Don’t get so defensive,” he said. “I just know he’s paying you guys to watch after Emma.”
Cristina looked to me and then over to Saul. “How long is this gig supposed to last? I mean, are we nothing more than glorified babysitters?”
Saul shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m just a peon waiting for the next order from King Herbert.”
I knew we needed to clarify our roles, but I’d been waiting for the right moment. Now was as good as any. “Let me find out what Emma’s up to.” I hopped down the stairs and followed the squeaky voice toward the dining room. No one was there. I continued tracking the audible trail until I found Emma sitting on her father’s knee in his office. Dillon was in his ergonomic leather chair, and Ross paced on the other side of the desk, talking on his cell phone. Ross paused when he noticed me, arching a pretentious eyebrow. I wanted to respond with something more than a raised eyebrow, but instead focused on child and father.
“Emma’s telling me how cool Cristina is. She loves having you two around,” Dillon said, rising from his chair with Emma in his arms. She began to play with his nose, but he seemed hardly to notice.
Ross put a finger in one ear so he could hear his phone conversation better; his dress shoes clapped against the hardwoods with each purposeful footfall. Every other step or so, he’d say, “Okay, okay.”
I opened my mouth to speak to Dillon, but he gestured for us to step out of the room. I followed him into the massive living room area, which included a fireplace at each end, both so large I could have walked inside of them without bending over.
“How can I help you?” Dillon asked. Emma began to lean over, stretching her arms downward. He gently set her on her feet. She made a beeline to a stuffed animal sitting on the floor and engaged in her own make-believe conversation.
“She’s something else,” I said, turning my gaze from her back to Dillon.
He patted his heart. I noticed he was still wearing his wedding ring. “She’s the center of my universe. I’m not sure what I’d do without her in my life.” His steel-gray eyes became glassy as he watched his daughter.
“I know you have a lot going on, but we haven’t had a chance to talk. We picked up Emma as you asked—”
“Right. I haven’t paid you. Sorry,” he said, patting his pockets. “If I can find my checkbook, I can write you a check for what you’ve done.”
“Not necessary,” I said, wondering immediately why I’d uttered that phrase. “No, that’s not what I meant. It would be nice to get paid, but I’m wondering when you’re ready to take over.”
“Well…” He licked his lips, looking again at Emma, who’d been joined by Cristina at the far end of the room. They were pointing out the back win
dows as Emma held up the blue stuffed animal, which appeared to be a rooster.
“I could call my parents and ask them to travel in from San Diego to help me out, but that might take a few days. Or I could get a reference on a nanny—someone who won’t listen to the lies from my wife.” He pressed his lips together, glancing at the floor…or maybe nothing at all. “Actually, I’m going to be working from home most of the time, while Herbert does his thing on the legal end and figures out how to get me out of this mess.”
I could feel my body tense just a bit, his choice of words gnawing at me. He suddenly sounded like a typical rich guy who knew he was guilty but could use his wealth and influence to make it all go away.
“So, I guess what I’m asking is, will you and Cristina, ECHO as it were, pick up Emma from preschool every day, bring her home and play with her for, let’s say, a few hours?”
I inhaled, feeling like I’d been put on the spot. Emma was delightful. The idea of being paid to watch over her for a couple of hours was appealing, although some might say it was a demeaning chore.
I glanced over at Emma and watched her mouth shoot open, her eyes wide. She was in awe of whatever Cristina was sharing. As was often the case, the child was an innocent victim in the middle of parent issues. The drama might be unfolding in a million-dollar home, with a charming, attractive, and powerful father, but that didn’t buffer a child from feeling overly anxious, even if the child wasn’t visibly crumbling before our eyes.
I also questioned whether I wanted to continue a working relationship with a person charged with a felony for sexual assault of a minor. “Dillon, before I say yes, I need to ask you a question.”
“Shoot. Anything is fair game.” He scratched his chin, but kept his attention on me.
“This girl who was assaulted... I’m not really—”
“Don’t say anything further. I get it. If a friend of mine or one of my employees had been accused of something this heinous, I’d have a hard time dealing with it.” He paused, shifted his eyes to Emma for a second, and then back to me. “I can’t really get into all of the details, but these charges are crazy. I had nothing to do with this. I feel sorry for this girl, for what happened to her. But I’ve never met her in my life. Honest to God,” he said, holding up a hand as if he were giving me his oath.
Emma’s giggles filled up the cavernous room, and we both turned to look at her and Cristina crawling on the floor like they were some type of animal.
“She loves her world of make-believe,” I said, a smile forming on my lips. “For her, I really want to say yes.”
“The media can be brutal, and I’m sure they’d harass Emma if given the opportunity,” he said. “So can you do this for my little girl, at least until my parents get here?”
I studied his eyes. They were compassionate, full of love for his daughter.
“For a few days we can help you out.”
He clasped his hands and bowed slightly. “Thank you. That’s one less thing I have to worry about.” Something buzzed, and he pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen. His eyebrows drew closer together. “Everything okay?”
“I’ve been ignoring my business side. Everyone is pressing for answers, and I need to give it some attention,” he said, running his hand through his hair. He looked at me. “I really appreciate you doing this.” He paused a second, curling in his lip, and began shaking his head as if an idea has just come to mind. “Wait. To tell you the truth, there might be a way you and Cristina could help us, not just with Emma, but on the case too.”
“Over my dead body.”
Ross had walked into the room, and I bit my tongue.
6
Dillon swirled a glass that contained a type of liquor I couldn’t pronounce. He swallowed the contents in one mouthful, then let his head rest against the back of his Queen Anne chair and closed his eyes.
“It’s been a trying day, Dillon,” Ross said, two feet planted firmly by the bar. “Let that soothe your soul a bit. Then we can continue our strategy discussions, including how this might impact Spatium.”
“Is he talking more of that lawyer Latin bullshit?” Cristina whispered in my ear.
“That’s the name of Dillon’s company. Means ‘space’ in Latin,” I said, looking around Cristina for Dillon’s daughter. “Did you tire out Emma?”
“I’m bushed, but, yep, she conked out in her bed.”
“Do you need to check on her?”
She held up a plastic transmitter. “I found this baby monitor. Pretty cool,” she said, glancing at Ross for a second before turning back to me. “Any updates to share?”
“I think the two of you can head on home. Everything is under control.” Ross had snuck up on us—again. At least it seemed that way. He pressed his glasses farther up his nose, and a light caught one of his gold cufflinks, reminding me of how the rich seemed to stay within their own gaggle.
I wished Saul hadn’t left to attend one of his law-school classes. He would have been a decent buffer between me and the man who’d tried to ruin my life a few months back.
“I’ll have Saul identify a qualified nanny to step in and help out on a full-time basis starting tomorrow,” Ross said.
Resting his hand on my back, he began to usher me out of the bar area toward the front door. I stopped abruptly, turning on a dime. “Dillon asked us to do a job for him. We’d like to clarify our role before we leave, just to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“Don’t you get it, Ms. Nash? You’re not wanted here,” he said, then leaned in closer. “I can’t trust you. And the last thing my client needs is for the press to hear that you’re associated with him in any form or fashion.”
“Ross, it’s okay, man,” Dillon said, still in his chair, his eyes closed.
Veins bulged from Ross’s temples.
“How about we put this on our docket for tomorrow?” Ross had mastered the art of manipulation, in a refined, nonchalant manner. “We still have a number of things to discuss….how we’re going to handle the pre-trial hearing tomorrow afternoon, and then our public response as the CEO of Spatium.”
“What do you have to do with Spatium?” I asked Ross. Oops, no filter.
“I’m his outside general counsel.” Ross smiled, showing off a set of perfect pearly whites. He was probably charging Dillon double the normal rate, given his dual role. I tried to get past it.
“We’ll be out the door in one minute. Just want to make sure Dillon is okay with a nanny taking over full-time for Emma tomorrow.”
“No way in hell I’m doing that,” Dillon said, sitting up, pinching the corners of his eyes.
For the first time, he looked unkempt, his shirt wrinkled and partially pulled out from his pants, puffy circles under his eyes.
“Look, Herbert, I know you have a job to do, and I want you to be the shark I know you can be, but my little girl comes first, over me, over these trumped-up charges, and even over Spatium. So it’s not up for vote.” He turned to look at me, then back to Herbert. “I think they should be aware of the possible risk involved.”
I could see Ross’s jaw clench. “I would advise against it. This might be something we need to use in your defense.”
With his glass at his lips, Dillon hesitated for a moment, then he appeared to see his glass was empty and he brought it down.
A clock ticked from another room, the only sound for a few seconds. Dillon pushed himself out of the chair, walking to the bar. “Can I get you ladies anything?” he asked, picking up a decanter.
“Uh, no thanks. It’s a little early for me, and Cristina’s only seventeen.”
“Right. What was I thinking?”
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Ross said, reminding everyone of his presence.
Dillon chuckled. “I figured you weren’t drinking. You’re charging me a thousand bucks an hour, plus expenses, to make all of this shit go away. Right?” He arched an eyebrow, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
&nb
sp; “Yes sir. And I promise it will seem like pennies on the dollar once we’ve completed our work. But…” He hesitated.
“Yes?” Dillon prompted.
Ross’s eyes shifted in my direction for a quick second. He cleared his throat, then paced a few steps. “Dillon, we need your full attention on this matter. I can’t snap my fingers and make all of this go away. It will take time to review strategies…on all fronts.”
Dillon gave him a lazy nod, then sipped more of his drink. “I’m not skipping town, Herbert. If you want, you can take one of the spare bedrooms just to keep this legal machine moving. I’ve got four you can choose from.”
Cristina cackled, which drew grins from me and Dillon. Ross only narrowed his eyes.
Then Cristina pulled out her phone, obviously in response to some message. Her smiling expression flipped in an instant. She started to say something to us, but walked out of the room instead. I wanted to follow her, curious to find out what she had seen on her phone, but I needed to finish our business with Dillon and his shark. “I don’t mean to overstate my importance, but is there anything else we need to know?” I wanted to see if Dillon was going to make us official insiders, or defer to his esteemed lawyer’s advice to build a wall around the family, which was something I was accustomed to dealing with.
Dillon pointed a finger at his lawyer. “I’m telling her, so you’ll just have to deal with it.”
Ross flipped around to face me, his spray-tanned face starting to glow red. If his penetrating glare could kill, I would have died a thousand deaths.
I tried not to let him get to me, focusing on Dillon, who walked over to his desk and picked up a manila folder. “This is the deal that could have changed the future of our world.”
I gave Ross a questioning look, but got nothing in return. He wasn’t about to offer me any insight.
Dillon’s remark sounded a tad dramatic, but I had to play the part of the naïve, uneducated outsider if I wanted to learn more. “The world? Have you developed some type of gas that will stop all wars and bring peace to our planet?”
The Ivy Nash Thrillers: Books 1-3: Redemption Thriller Series 7-9 (Redemption Thriller Series Box Set) Page 51
