Maggie spoke up before a debate was started. "I am aware of that and I would prefer to take only what I came into the marriage with and nothing more. Quite frankly I would just like to get this divorce over and done with and get on with my life."
"Very well," the judge said after a long moment of silence while he studied her over his wire rimmed glasses. He then looked at the other side of the room. "I assume you have no objections since this large stack of papers before me mostly pertains to the cash settlement that she is not asking for?"
The lawyer leaned over and whispered something to his client, and Stephen looked like he wanted to argue, but really what could he say? He had basically won everything that he wanted from the divorce, and if he held up the proceedings he would look like an asshole in front of the judge for no reason. Finally, the lawyer turned back to the court. "That is acceptable to us your honor. My client would just like to put this whole sordid mess behind him."
Maggie fought the desire to roll her eyes at that. The judge was quickly moving on. "Very well, I am granting this divorce with the assets being split up as agreed in the form laid out by Mrs. Margaret Baxter. The movement to dismiss the terms of the prenup is approved in favor of that agreement. This marriage is hereby dissolved. Court is adjourned." He struck his gavel and Maggie felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Is it me, or was that just too easy?" Cleo asked leaning over from the spectator portion of the seating. Maggie blinked only then realizing that Cleo and Shawn had followed her into the courtroom but kept their distance. Then she really did roll her eyes. Eli. She looked around and only breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that he had not also followed her inside.
"I have a feeling the divorce part of the day’s entertainment was only part of what is to come," Shawn said grimly looking at the scruffy man, with the badge visible at his waist, that had just walked in and was standing at the back of the courtroom looking grim and right at Maggie. The door was still open at his back and she could see the lights of the cameras going off behind him where the press waited.
"Is he really waiting there to arrest me in front of all these cameras?" Maggie asked, appalled.
"I think that is exactly the plan," Cleo said grimly. "Your ex wants to put on a final show I think." She smiled slowly looking every inch the predator for the moment. "So, let's not disappoint them, shall we."
She blew out a big breath and looked at her lawyer. Josh smiled and pulled some papers free of his case before nodding. "The worst has already been dealt with at least."
Maggie knew he was probably right but still. "Not looking forward to this part either," she said but raised her chin so that no one not in their circle would think she was worried.
"Time to debunk some wild rumors," Cleo said with a smile.
Maggie was just happy to see Eli, Liam and Ian standing against the wall just past the salivating press once they were near the doors.
"And possibly make a grown man cry," Cleo added with a predatory hint of glee in her gorgeous blue eyes.
That made Maggie smile. She held on to it, even as she headed for the doors, and the crowd gathered there. Stephen, she saw was to her right, staying back and out of the way with a look of satisfaction and anticipation on his face.
You would think, she mused. That I had killed his dog, not the other way around.
Bastard.
"Mrs. Margaret Baxter?" the cold-eyed detective asked. Though he did not bother to wait for her answer. "You are under arrest."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"It's Ms. Margaret Whitney now," she answered calmly. And was amazed at how good just saying that felt. She caught Eli's wink over the shoulders of the press and smiled. "Maggie actually."
"What are the charges?" Josh asked stepping in front of Maggie while Cleo and Shawn came up to stand at her back.
"Embezzlement to name one."
"I assume you have a warrant for my client’s arrest." If the detective was expecting shock and horror, that was not what he got. Though the press were avidly taking in every word in both video and audio no one in Maggie's party was giving them the reaction expected.
Even the police detective looked suddenly uncomfortable as he pulled out an official looking paper. Josh took it and looked it over carefully before handing it back. "I am familiar with these charges and have to wonder how you came to be the one here, when the detective in charge of the case is Tom Brody."
"I don't know or care. I got a call that a wanted felon was at the courthouse."
"You got a call and you just happened to have the warrant for said felon in your pocket?"
The detective ground his teeth obviously aware of the press listening and speculating on everything that was said. He pulled out his cuffs. "Mrs. Baxter please turn around and put your hands behind your head."
"I'm afraid you are a little behind the times detective. My client was exonerated of all charges just this morning." Then he pulled out the papers he had made readily accessible in his attaché case. "I have the dismissal of charges here in case you need proof. I am a little surprised to see you here quite frankly." Josh went on with a lie. "The detective in charge of the case assured me the matter was cleared up on our end and dispatch would have known not to send anyone out even if they received a call."
The detective snatched the paperwork out of Josh's hands and nearly snarled. "How the fuck did you manage this?"
***
Maggie had never been to a police station in her life. But that morning she had walked in with Eli and Josh knowing there was a possibility that she would not be walking back out again. Lucky for her when Lionsgate was building a case they did not mess around. And apparently Eli could get into locked police files because he was able to find out exactly what evidence they had linking Maggie to embezzlement.
According to the police reports she had somehow appropriated two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which was ludicrous because the animal shelter had nowhere near that much money to steal. When Maggie had heard the amount, she had very nearly laughed. If she had been in the mood to find anything funny it would have been that.
Tom Brody, the detective in charge of her case, was in his late fifties with a build that looked like he had once been a football player or bodybuilder but had let himself go over the years, but not by much. He sat at a desk that had not one but three coffee mugs on it, all of them with the dregs of old coffee coating them. His papers were piled high and, besides where the phone rested, covered the entire desk. Though he must have had a system because he had no problem finding hers quick enough when they introduced themselves.
"Margaret Baxter?" he asked looking her over and motioning to the seat before his desk. "I have to say you are the last person I expected to walk into my office. I was informed you had left the country." He spared a long moment to look over both her lawyer and for a longer time Eli before his shrewd eyes returned to her, waiting for her answer.
"I have a friend who was willing to put me up while I pursued my divorce. She has a resort in the Caribbean, and I was in sore need of a vacation, but I had no idea I was fleeing prosecution. When all this craziness with the press happened, I contacted a lawyer and came back as soon as I understood what was happening,” Maggie went on to explain. “I find all this frankly ludicrous. In my time at the shelter, working with either the accounting, or even in the office on the computers was not one of my jobs."
"What exactly was your job at the shelter, because according to Dale Redki, the director, you were the only one he could think that could have done it."
"Dale Redki?" She looked back at Eli briefly before turning back to the detective. "I never worked with Mr. Redki personally. As far as I know he never came to the shelter just handled the office side of things which was in a separate building. The man I reported to was Bob Pierce and he and the rest of his staff have already agreed to come forward if necessary, all swearing I worked with the animals, not in the office, or anywhere near a computer
."
She looked back at Josh and he nodded stepping forward. "I think we have a few things that you and the prosecutor should be aware of before you take this any further." He handed the file they had prepared to the detective who only raised a brow at them before opening the manila folder, perusing the contents. He blinked in surprise and then hid his reaction. Looking up at them and then turning the page to find a time stamped image. "You want to tell me how you got security footage when I was told that it had been erased."
Eli shrugged. "It was supplied to us anonymously after we started making inquiries. Apparently, Dale Redki lied to the police about more than one thing in his statement."
"You have the actual footage?"
Eli nodded. "And so do you since we e-mailed it to you first thing this morning. Along with the proof we had already been working on to prove it was Stephen Baxter who caused the closing of the shelter." Eli shrugged. "And the paper trail linking him to the anonymous donation of money as well as where it is now, and whose name is ultimately on the account where it ended up."
Brody flipped through until he found the one he was looking for. "An off shore account? That doesn't exactly prove guilt or innocence."
"If you turn the page you will see that while the contact information leads you nowhere. Lucky for us the real perpetrator got careless and greedy and decided he did not want to wait to withdraw some of the funds. We caught him on video surveillance at the time of the withdrawal."
Tom Brody turned the page and stared at the picture they had provided of the withdrawal.
Then he casually reached over and grabbed the phone, dialing with the same hand he held the receiver. He raised his eyes and watched them while he spoke. "This is detective Brody at central. I have new evidence on the Baxter case you need to see, and Mrs. Baxter sitting across from me at station." He huffed out a breath. "Yeah, I figured, but you are going to want to see this. I'll book us a room; how soon can you get here?"
Brody turned his attention back to them as he hung up his phone. "The ADA will be here in thirty. You want some coffee or water while we wait?"
After that it had just been one long interrogation. They had not completely ruled her out as a suspect, on paper at least, but they did cancel the warrant for her arrest and downgrade her to a person of interest in the case, at least until they could have their own investigators check out what Eli had put together. None of them had any real doubt however that for Maggie at least, it was over.
***
Maggie smiled coolly at the detective, returning mentally to the present moment. "We met with the detective in charge and the very nice Mr. Phillips from the District Attorney’s office this morning. I supplied him with proof of my innocence and they were satisfied. They both assured me that the new evidence that has come to light exonerated me of all charges." She tilted her head. "Which makes me wonder who called you when I was assured hours ago that all charges had been dropped."
The detective looked even less happy, but besides one look over her shoulder towards Stephen, a look too fast for most to even notice, he did not react. He had no choice, and he knew it. "I need to call this in. Don't move."
Josh made a gesture with his hands and stood back, the picture of patience. The reporters silently listening to the exchange kept the videos recording everything. Maggie gave them nothing but cool patience.
The detective, who still had not introduced himself, was not so in control of his emotions after a few minutes on the phone. By the time he had finished with his call he was past being angry and well into livid. He dropped his phone and glared at them all while he ignored the questions shouted at him from the press. "You are free to go, for now."
That last part was just to save face, and everyone knew it. Maggie did not give him the satisfaction of an answer, she just let Josh escort her out of the screaming and bustling press until they were back to Eli and the others toward the end of the hall.
"Don't look now Duchess," he said with a grin, "but you did it." Maggie smiled wishing she could throw herself into Eli's arms and kiss some of the tension away. But she had to be happy for the moment with a wink and that killer grin of his. It was all any of them could get in before the press abandoned the unhappy detective and came for them again. The court police finally showed up to start clearing out the press and curious onlookers that had gathered.
It helped a little, but it was not until they had said their goodbyes to lawyer Josh and were safely in the black SUV that Miley had arranged for them to use, that they managed even a token of peace.
"I think one of those reporters grabbed my ass back there," Ian said looking anything but unhappy about it. "And got to say that ex of yours looked like his head was going to explode. Man, he had no idea who he was fuckin' with." Ian winked at her and Maggie could not help it, she laughed.
"Thanks to all of you." She shook her head and looked up at Eli who was sitting so close with her in the limo, she was practically in his lap. "I do not even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't found the proof that you did."
He shrugged and grinned down at her. "I am pretty fucking fabulous."
Maggie laughed again, shaking her head and then dropping it down on his hard bicep. "You are certainly something," she agreed dryly. She was so tired from all the stress and lack of sleep of the last few days she did not have even the energy to berate him for his arrogance. Well-deserved though it was. "Do you suppose the next part of this will go as smoothly?" she asked a little forlornly, watching the scenery go by.
Eli wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, depositing her on his lap. Maggie gasped and struggled back up, but he held her in place.
"Eli?!" she hissed scandalized. He just chuckled at her. "Let me up there are people present." She slapped at his shoulder and kept trying. "One might even say people too young to see public displays of affection."
"Hey," Ian said, looking insulted. "I'm 18."
"Besides," Liam said in one of his rare moments of speech when a woman was present. "I'm pretty sure sitting on your mate’s lap is not outside of the norm around here."
"Yeah," Ian said getting a big sly grin on his face. A look that made him look way older than his stated eighteen. "Dad does it all the time. Though if you start fucking in the car we'll have to make Liam close his eyes." Then he went on with fake solemnity. "He's only a child."
Maggie blinked at his crudeness, opening her mouth with no idea what to say to that, when Cleo leaned over and slapped her brother upside his head. "What did we say about talking?"
A laugh was his only answer.
Maggie shook her head, closed her eyes and dropped her forehead to Eli’s chest. Her "for goodness sake," was really all she could think to say after that.
Eli chuckled and pulled her closer to his hard heat. "Relax Duchess. I'm just making sure you keep your mind on the important thing before we get there and have to finish the rest of this."
She raised her head fast and glared at him. "What important things?"
"Well, me, of course."
She snorted aware that the audience was listening to everything and finding it extremely funny. She dropped her head back down before Eli caught the smile she was fighting and was encouraged. Lord knows the man needed no encouragement. "You are ridiculous," she muttered and just knew his shifter hearing had picked up the tremors of humor she was trying to suppress.
"I know," he said, and she felt his lips kiss the top of her head and had to smile again. Knowing he probably felt it since her cheek was against the hard skin of his pecks. "I really am. But on the bright side, your parents are going to hate me."
She pictured the meeting between Eli Ramsey and her austere parents and this time she laughed out loud not even trying to hold it back. They absolutely were.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Eli wasn't sure what he had expected from Maggie's childhood home, but the first look they had of the yard pretty much said it all.
The high steel gates opened to
a well-manicured but austere garden. Big on well-shaped shrubs and precisely placed trees, the few flowers allowed to grow in it were white and planted in neat rows like perfect little pristine soldiers. The well paved circular drive led directly to the front double doors and circled around a fountain of naked cherubs frolicking. Why anyone would want those creepy little fuckers in their yard he had no idea, but it was not the first time he had found a nice peaceful fountain ruined by naked babies watching with silent dead eyes.
"Why don't they just put them in little clown outfits and really freak people out?" Ian asked with a visible shudder, his eyes also on the little bastards at the fountain. He looked around the car and snorted. "I mean, why pretend?"
Cleo snorted out a laugh before she could control it and shook her head at her brother.
"Stop," she said. Then had to clear her throat of laughter before she could finish. "Maggie might actually like her childhood home. She won't appreciate you bashing it."
Shawn sitting beside her, just grimaced, looking away from the creepy little babies at the fountain with a curl to his lip that said he too found them disturbing.
Maggie, who had tensed and began to shore up her ice walls as soon as they came through the gates, laughed and relaxed momentarily back into Eli's arms, shaking her head and smiling at Ian. "No, Ian's right. They are awful. My mother had that fountain redone when I was around seven I think. It used to be this really beautiful woodland animal scene with cute baby animals, and I loved to come down with my nanny and throw pennies in the water to make a wish." She smiled sadly. "I took one look at that monstrosity when it was done," she said motioning out the window at the cherubs. "And refused to go near it." She grimaced. "To say my mother was displeased I threw one of my rare childhood fits when a photographer from the local garden club was here to capture our perfect family in front of her shiny new fountain was an understatement."
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