Accused (Troubled Boys, Strong Men #1)

by Wendy Byrne

  “That boy. I’m so proud of him, and at the same time, ready to strangle him. He never has been too patient with those wheels of justice.” She laughed despite the circumstances. “Don’t you worry, my boys look out for each other. They’ll both be fine. Why don’t you come here so you don’t have to be alone?”

  “I need to stay home in case Travis returns.” She wished she felt as confident as Mama. She didn’t feel that she could rest until Sam was out of jail and they secured enough evidence to get Dr. Stern behind bars. First, she had to make sure Travis was safe.

  “Well, I’ll let you go, honey. You get some rest and call me when you hear anything. And make sure you lock the doors.” She chuckled again. “Who am I kidding? Sam will head over to your place as soon as he gets out. Have him call me.”

  With everything going on, this thing with Sam had yet to untangle itself inside her head. Somehow it felt right, but at the same time, wrong. How could that be?

  Determined to wait it out, she pulled into her driveway and shut off the car. A kind of lethargy unlike anything she’d ever experienced slid through as though she could lie down and sleep for days. Wasn’t going to happen though, not until Travis was safe.

  She slipped the key in the door, and had just kicked off her shoes when her house phone started ringing. “Hello.”

  “Ms. Beckett, this is Detective Brock. I still have no word on Travis, but wanted to let you know Dr. Stern is dead. His car and body were found at the bottom of a canyon. The car exploded so it will take a little time before they can make a definitive identification.”

  Her chest heaved. How would they prove Travis’ innocence? Rather than raise the issue, she thanked the detective and hung up.

  She put the tea kettle on the stove and scoured the cupboards for the right blend. Though she doubted there was one named What-To-Drink-When-Your-Life-Is-Falling-Apart.

  Instead, she scooped out a combination of teas and put them in the tea ball. While she waited for the water to boil, she took a quick shower, and then slipped into sweats. She finished just as the whistle of the tea kettle sounded. When she walked into the kitchen, an arm snaked around her waist and a hand slipped over her mouth before she could even think to scream.

  ***

  “Okay, I know I’m a kid and I know I escaped from juvie in Los Angeles, but you need to listen to me.” Travis wasn’t sure if the cop was listening but at least he wasn’t handcuffing him.

  “What’s your name again, son?”

  “Travis Beckett.” He huffed. No doubt the cop didn’t see too much action in whatever bumfuck town they were in. “Listen, I need to call my mom and let her know I’m okay and warn her.”

  “Where did you say those guys were camped out?”

  “Directly west of here. You need to call the Los Angeles police so they can stop Dr. Stern.”

  “Whoah, boy. I’m not sure where you come from, but here we do things a little slower. We can’t go off half-cocked without all the information.”

  Travis slumped in the back seat. A voice came over the police radio. He caught his name among other things. The cop responded, then looked back at Travis.

  “You’re in trouble, boy. A guy was killed in Brentwood by the name of Eric Tallman. They found your fingerprints at the murder scene and have an APB out for you.”

  “I know. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. If you’ll listen for a second, I can explain everything. But first, I really need to talk to my mom.” He could feel the tears pool in his eyes and didn’t try to stop them. He’d been through more in the last week than most normal kids go through in a lifetime.

  “I have a grandson your age, so I know how it is.” He handed Travis a cell phone. “It’s against regulations, but a boy has to talk to his mom sometimes.”

  Travis wiped away the tears and dialed. First he tried her cell. When she didn’t respond, he called the house phone once then a second time. It rang and rang and rang until the voicemail picked up. “Mom, you didn’t answer your cell and I need to talk to you right away. Call me back at—” He looked to the officer, then repeated the number to his mother. “I love you, Mom. Call me as soon as you get this.”

  Sometimes if she was outside, sitting on the deck, she’d forget to bring the phone with her. If she had the music on, she might not hear the house phone. Then again, maybe she was in the shower and would call him right back.

  Still, he couldn’t help thinking something was going on.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  The phone rang. Then stopped after three rings. Then rang again until it went into voice mail. Jillian felt like she’d died a thousand deaths and then had been reborn.

  Travis. It had to be him.

  She couldn’t help but smile. It was a signal they’d worked out long ago for him to let her know he was okay but couldn’t talk. She could sense victory despite the obstacles ahead.

  Just as he’d fought through his addiction to drugs. Just as he’d weathered through life with a disinterested father. Just as he always would. She’d done good.

  No matter what happened, Travis would be okay. She’d given him the tools to be a good human being, even if he made mistakes along the way. Her parents had given her the tools as well and she blessed them for their confidence in her. While they couldn’t always be there for her, they’d known she had the ability to make sound decisions for herself. By the same token, the reverse was true. While she couldn’t always be with them, she had to believe they’d make the best decisions as well. Clearly they were imperfect as were she, Travis, and everyone else. Mistakes were always things you could learn from.

  Dr. Stern urged her out to the back deck with the point of the gun between her shoulder blades. “You couldn’t let it go, could you?”

  “You mean let my son get accused of something he didn’t do? Guess not.” While fear ran along her spine, strength pulsed there as well. She should have known he’d have a back-up plan.

  She’d been through a lot in her life, and succumbing to the whim of this lunatic wasn’t going to happen without a fight. Travis needed her. She needed him.

  “Too bad it won’t be the happy reunion you’ve imagined.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

  “Ah ha, I see you’re expecting your Prince Charming, Sam Carter, to come to the rescue.”

  She laughed, the bitterness flowing through her. “That’s the thing. I don’t need anybody to come to my rescue. I’ll do it all on my own. See, I’m a lot stronger than you think I am.”

  “Quite different from the weak, sniffling, broken woman I met six months ago.”

  “Things change.” She straightened her back, knowing somehow she’d get through this. She’d be damned if she’d let this asshole win. She thought about the strength her parents had imparted to her. It was time to morph it into something monumental.

  “Not that much. I figure when it comes down to it, you’ll revert to your old damaged self.”

  “This is the real me. You and all your fancy degrees haven’t figured that out yet.”

  He clucked. “Too bad. I would have liked this woman I’m seeing now. Things could have been much different.”

  “Seriously? I always thought you were a little creepy, and my suspicions have been confirmed.”

  “That’s right, you go for wealthy old men or dumb jocks. So predictable.”

  She ignored his barb. She had to figure a way to stall. Travis had called and if she didn’t call back, he would alert the authorities. It was only a matter of time.

  “The house of cards you built is going to come tumbling down very soon. Right now Cole Matthews is presenting into evidence what we found in your office. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put it all together.”

  “It can easily be explained away. Besides there’s no chain of evidence. Even a so-so lawyer could get that thrown out.”

  “It’s only coincidence that several people on the list we found are now dead.” It was a shot in the dark, but it
was the only thing that made sense.

  “Just conjecture on your part. You forget I’m well known within the justice system for being an expert in criminal behavior and unfortunately I work with very disturbed individuals who are prone to violence. And besides, I’m dead. Haven’t you heard?”

  “As the saying goes, rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated. Besides, as soon as they try to match dental records, they’ll know it wasn’t you.”

  “Oh my dear, I’ll be out of the country by the time that happens. I know the system well enough to know it isn’t fast. Believe me, I have the means to disappear quite easily. I fancy myself living a lovely life abroad, maybe in the French countryside. Who knows where my heart will take me?”

  “That would be assuming you actually have a heart. How many other boys have you set up for murder?” She locked her jaw to channel some of the tension popping through her system.

  “Too numerous to count, but that’s a whole other story. I’ve proven even though I didn’t go to law school like the rest of my family, I can be equally as cunning and ruthless and more successful than they could ever imagine.”

  “You’re sick.” The blood chilled in her veins. Dr. Stern was tangible proof real evil existed. The idea she was in the same room with him should have terrified her. Paradoxically, it gave her strength. “It’s seems we’re at an impasse.”

  “Not really. You will quite tragically commit suicide. The note you leave will be poignant. I’ve made quite a study of these things, you know. Before I managed to perfect the formula for my drug, I orchestrated many,” he did air quotes, “suicides, without anyone being the wiser. Eventually, I figured it would be better to rid the world of some juveniles who would grow up to be hardened criminals. Locking them up in prison for the rest of their lives seemed like a win/win proposition to me.”

  She barked a laugh. “Should I thank you for your public service?”

  “Oh my dear, you don’t understand the way of the world, do you? Those juveniles can’t be rehabilitated. Nine times out of ten they’re destined to more violent crimes down the road. I only make the whole process more cut and dried. With my way, the miscreants make their quick ascent to big boy prison.”

  “You’ve ordained yourself judge, juror and executioner. What an unbelievable narcissist.”

  “I prefer the term realist. These kids are throwaways. Why not take advantage of that?”

  She forced herself to ask the question. “Were Lexie’s mom and Tallman involved in your scheme too?”

  “Inadvertently. During one of our family sessions she mentioned how much she hated her husband Max and how she wished he would go away.” He cackled. “Her wish was my command. I didn’t know she was involved with Tallman at the time. Eric was useful to me for a while but I never let him in on all my plans. It’s a shame he met such an untimely end.”

  Her gut twisted and churned, thinking about how this man had manipulated the system for years while everyone praised him for being a champion of misguided youths. She wept for those kids who’d fallen victim to his evil plan, and to those who’d never had the good fortune to go grow up and prove themselves not guilty. To think of kids like Travis, and Sam and Cole, for that matter, being part of the bunch he so easily destroyed was mind blowing.

  She wished she had the brute strength of a man to physically attack him. But biology was biology. What she lacked in brawn she’d overcome by brain. She’d figure out a way to beat him.

  ***

  “Sam Carter.”

  “Coach, thank God you answered. I can’t get in touch with my mom. I’m being held at a police station near Venice Beach and I’m worried about her. Dr. Stern is the one who did all this. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt my mom. Carlos said they were going to hurt her.”

  “Cole and I are just leaving LA. We just heard Dr. Stern committed suicide by running his car over a cliff.”

  “No way. That guy’s too stuck on himself to do something like that. Have they found the body yet?”

  “Yep, but the car caught on fire so they have to match dental records to make sure it’s him.”

  “Please go see about my mother. She’s not answering my phone calls. Something’s going on.”

  “Shit.” Sam’s pulse rate jumped. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Jillian would be waiting by the phone for Travis’ call. Something was terribly wrong. “We can make it there in about a half hour.”

  “That’s too long.”

  “We’ll call the local police. They should be there in minutes.”

  ***

  “You’ve kept me talking much too long I’m afraid. We need to finish that note.”

  “They’ve got to know it’s you by now. Just leave and you’ll have half a chance of getting away.” She’d already devised a plan in her head and like it or not, it offered the best chance for success. Having seen Travis do it a million times didn’t exactly make her feel any more confident, but it was the best she could come up with right then. The idea terrified her, but not being able to be around for Travis terrified her more.

  She backed up to the railing, glanced at the steep incline below and shuddered. The panoramic view from her deck was breathtaking; the downward view, not so much. Trees and rocks brought beauty to the setting, but also brought peril to any fall.

  “Don’t worry about me. After I witness your horrible suicide, with this small feminine type gun here, I’ll be gone. Everyone thinks I’m dead anyway. It’s a shame I had to destroy a perfectly good automobile, and as for the homeless man whose stature was similar to mine, well, that’s one less vagrant on the streets of LA. No loss there.”

  Within seconds, she had her foot on the top rail and leaped into the tree. Her hand grasped a smaller branch, and she swung precariously for a few seconds before she gained purchase on a stronger one.

  She wrapped her legs around the branch and tried to figure out how to negotiate her way into the cover of more leaves.

  Dr. Stern spewed off a string of expletives. “What the fuck? Are you stupid?” he screamed as he pointed the gun wildly toward the tree. “Get back over here.”

  “Not going to happen.” She slid closer to the trunk, confident she had more coverage, but knew she wasn’t entirely safe. Travis could swing down branch by branch until he reached the bottom, but she wasn’t sure she could accomplish the same feat.

  “You can’t stay up there forever. Besides, I’m a man with some time on my hands.”

  “You’d be surprised how long I can hang on like this. In fact, I’m quite comfortable.” Liar, liar, liar, pants on fire. Her legs were scraped and bleeding despite the cover from her pants and her arms were already feeling like they might give out any second. She had to find a more comfortable position or she would be tumbling thirty feet, no doubt to her death.

  Slowly and cautiously, she used her legs to inch her body from underneath the large limb to over it. At that point, she was lying flat on top, a very small target if he chose to shoot in her direction. Getting to this position had cost her boatloads in energy and her limbs shook from exertion.

  He came to the edge of the deck, pointed the gun at her and fired.

  Holy shit. So much for his plan to make her death look like a suicide.

  The bullet hit the trunk sending fragments of bark raining down. The good news was that he’d missed. The bad news was he’d been a good enough shot to actually hit the tree.

  Was that her front doorbell?

  Surely she had to be losing her mind. But he turned at the sound and muttered.

  She heard pounding. And it sounded like somebody shouted, ‘Police, let us in.”

  He shook his head and began shooting, using her as the focus of his rage. His aim was wild, not nearly as calculated as before. He riddled the tree with bullets. Just as she heard the front door crash open, he came to the rail and looked her straight in the eye. Fear turned inside her gut until she thought the tremors might shake her off the tree.

  “Two can pl
ay at that game.” Before she could figure out what he meant, he took a leap for the same branch she’d landed on. When he grabbed the weaker limb below instead, she heard a crack seconds before he tumbled out of sight.

  The cops rushed onto her deck and peered over the edge. Joining them moments later were Cole and Sam. They looked bewildered at first until Sam spotted her stuck in the tree.

  She nodded. “It’s about damn time. Now if you nice gentlemen could figure out how to get me down from here before I lose my mind, I’d appreciate it.”

  Epilogue

  Travis stowed his football gear in the back of his car, and came around to the driver’s side. With one hand on the open door, he gave Jillian a weary smile. “I’m kind of nervous. I feel like I missed half the season even though it’s only been a couple games.”

  “Then again, getting roughed up by a couple of two hundred fifty pound defensive backs has to be easy compared to what you’ve been through.”

  He came to her and hugged her tight as if he didn’t want to let go. “Mom, I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Don’t be silly, Travis. What was I supposed to do?” She pushed him toward the car while she wiped a tear from her eyes. Normalcy once again. “Don’t forget we’re going to Mama Iris’ after the game for a ‘Welcome Home Travis’ celebration. ”

  “Mama Iris invited the whole football team. There’re going to be tons of people there, probably the whole school.” He couldn’t hide his smile. “I gotta go. Coach might bench me first quarter if I’m late.”

  “Wouldn’t want that to happen.” Jillian grinned. It seemed she couldn’t stop grinning lately. “Look for me in the stands. I’ll be the dorky one cheering every time you step onto the field.”

  “Mom, don’t embarrass me.”

  “I can’t wait to do exactly that.”

  An hour later, Jillian took her place in the stands next to Mama Iris who greeted her with a hug that shimmied through her like a wave of peace. “Didn’t I tell you Travis would be back on the football field.”