“I’m dealing with it. None of us want to use our weapons, but it was necessary.” Judson’s insides froze, his fingers twitched with the imaginary pressure of pulling the trigger, the sound of the bullet whizzing through the air. He closed his eyes, reliving the stunned expression on Vivian’s face when she realized she’d been shot, then the wild panic in Slater’s eyes as she hit the floor.
“Thanks again for taking care of Sunny.” Derek placed his hands on his hip, drawing back the jacket of his suit to reveal the badge clipped on his waistband.
Judson sighed, running his hand over the slight growth of hair on his head. “We all know she doesn’t want or need anyone to look out for her, but I’d do anything for her.”
Brent and Derek glanced at each other before Brent tapped Judson on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion. “Man, we know. I knew the Kennedy genes were potent, but I didn’t realize Sunny could make a guy fall for her so quick.”
Derek laughed. “Of course we never gave her much of a chance before.”
“That’s an understatement. I’ve never seen so many over protective males in one room before.” Judson grinned.
“On a more serious note, Jud, we tried to get her to agree to see you, but she refused.”
“Did she give you a reason?” As he waited for some type of answer that would give him something to work with, some reason he could fight, his heart held in his chest ready to burst.
Brent shook his head.
“I tried. As soon as she hears your name she either changes the subject or clams up.” Derek grumbled. “You know how stubborn she is.”
“If she’d only hear me out, then if she decides to never lay eyes on me again, I’ll respect her decision. Tell her that for me, will you?”
After their phone argument on the night they’d both been shot, he’d been floored when she told him to go back to Montana to heal his heart. He had no idea she guessed his feelings for her, but it didn’t explain why she refused to see him, or talk to him.
“Her second surgery was yesterday afternoon, so she’s still in some pain. The doc said this should do the trick and keep her shoulder socket in place. Give it a few more days then try again,” Derek said, steadying Judson’s bulk as he shuffled his position to hobble back down the hallway in the direction he’d just come.
Judson sighed. “That’s all I can ask for I guess.”
****
“You look happy, Benny. Tasha’s good for you.” Sunny sat propped up in her hospital bed, her shoulder immobile in a sling attached to several contraptions which hung from the ceiling, several pillows piled around her.
“That she is, sweetheart. She’s been a real powerhouse of strength. I don’t know what she sees in me, I’m too old, but she keeps telling me age is just a number.” Light danced in his eyes. “She’s sorry she can’t make it up to visit, but hospitals scare her. Everyone sends hugs, and Kelly said she’d be stopping by later.”
“Thank all of them for the card and flowers. They’re beautiful.” Sunny glanced toward the huge bouquet of wild flowers adorning the table alongside her bed. Several vases and planters were scattered around the room, and although beautiful, none as special as the single red rose delivered every morning in a slender crystal vase from Judson.
Not that she let on, but when this morning’s delivery didn’t arrive at its normal time, she’d found it difficult to concentrate. She even snapped at the aide when she came to check on her.
It helped Sunny to know Judson thought about her, but she still couldn’t see him. It would hurt too much. She had to move on, get past her feelings for him. He’d never be able to give her the type of love and commitment she wanted. Not as long as he hung onto Roxanne’s memory.
“I’m glad you found someone to make you happy. You deserve it.”
“None of this would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for all the work you and Jud did.” Benny reached across the bed to squeeze her hand. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Sunny’s lips curved into her first real smile since before she’d been shot.
“Hell, you took a couple of slugs over all of this. It means a lot to finally know the whole truth of what happened to my Karina.”
“And now everyone knows you’re innocent.”
“It never bothered me to take the heat, because I knew I didn’t have anything to do with her murder. What I couldn’t stand was not knowing who, or why.” He shook his head and leaned back, dispelling a breath of air. “After all the years I wondered…”
“I know, Benny.”
“To now know for sure it was Vivian.” He shook his head. “And my best friend helped cover it up.” Benny’s voice shook.
“Derek said Slater confessed everything, and agreed to let him tape it not only for evidence, but so Mr. DeVito could hear it all first hand.”
“How’s DeVito doing?”
“Like everyone else, he’s glad to finally know the truth. We talked on the phone this morning. He’s at peace.”
Benny stood, walked to the large, single window overlooking the river and revealed in hushed tones, “He sent me a letter you know?”
“Mr. DeVito?” Sunny’s eyes widened, her body tensed as she leaned forward to make sure she’d heard him right. Her broken ribs screamed for her to lie still.
“Yep, he apologized for everything. He said he knows it’s coming late, but if I want to ever stop by, he’d be glad to see me.”
Sunny slumped back in her bed, exhausted from the slight amount of effort it took to prop herself forward. “I’m glad for both of you. It takes a big heart to forgive.”
“He’s got his answer, that’s what he wanted all along.” Benny turned toward her, smiling.
“What about Slater, have you talked to him?”
“No. He sent word from jail, but I’m not ready yet.”
“And Maggie?” Through the brotherly grapevine, she learned Maggie moved to a senior center to be near people her own age.
“She loves her new apartment, has made lots of friends, and even plays bingo and shops at the stores nearby.”
“Good. She’s had it rough and deserves some happiness too.” Sunny sighed, leaning forward to grab the Styrofoam cup with the bendy straw inside. She took a long sip, sucking the last of the iced water from the bottom.
Benny stepped to her bedside, took the empty cup and maneuvered around the chairs to refill her drink at the sink by the door.
“When I get out of here I’m going to pay Slater a visit. I’d like to talk to him before he’s transferred upstate.”
Silent for several minutes, Benny furrowed his brow in thought. “Sweetheart, I’ll go with you to visit Slater if you want.”
“No need, you go when you’re ready.”
“Since there won’t be a trial, do you know how long he’ll be locked up?”
“I’m not sure of the exact terms of the deal they made, but his cooperation reduced his sentence.”
Benny placed her water on the table by the bed, grinning. “After all the years he suffered with Vivian, I think it should be reduced to time served.”
Sunny giggled. Seeing Benny’s humor in regards to Slater filled her with hope that their friendship would heal and survive.
****
When Sunny entered the long, narrow room it was empty except for the first booth. Slater sat behind a clear, heavy see through panel, a phone receiver already pressed to his ear.
Their gazes didn’t break contact even after she took her seat. Hard to believe six weeks had passed since she’d been shot, Judson had left, Vivian died and Slater was taken to jail.
Sunny picked up the receiver. Unbelievably calm she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the shelf before her.
“How you doing, Slater?”
“Bout as good as ya can spect, I guess.” He smiled. A timid grin, and his eyes darted around the room as if he expected someone to jump out at him. “You?”
“I just finished up physical therapy.” She rotated her shoulder.
“But I’m fixed, good as new.”
Slater nodded. “Good.”
“Thanks for seeing me.” Sunny titled her head to the side. He looked exactly the same, a touch thinner, but his attitude held an air of lightness. It seemed the weight of having the truth out freed him, even though he was behind bars.
“I’m surprised ya wanted ta talk ta me.”
“I know you’ve answered a lot of questions already, but I wanted to hear the story from you, in person. Do you mind?”
“Shoot no, little lady. If ya got questions, ask. I’ll do my best ta answer em.”
“I’m sorry about Vivian. I know how you felt about her.”
Slater stared at her for several long moments. His eyes softened. He blinked away the moisture then swiped at his eyes with his palms.
“I did love that woman. But we were what ya’d call star-crossed I think.” He attempted a small laugh, but it came out like a groan. “I should’ve never forced her into marrying me. It was no good for either of us.”
Sunny nodded, commiserating with him in silence.
“I tried for years ta win her over, but she could never look beyond what she lost when Benny found Karina. Even after Karina was gone, she hoped Benny would come back ta her. It killed me when she said it. She just wouldn’t understand he didn’t love her.”
“I’m sorry,” Sunny sighed. Slater’s heart had been ripped out piece by piece, and the pain in his voice tore her insides up.
“She was bitter about not being able to have kids, she let hate rule her. Over the years instead of getting better, her hate got worse. It consumed her, then me.” He moved the phone receiver from one shaky hand to the other. “The only things she truly loved were her cats. Ta the day she died she considered it murder when one of her cats was put down from age or sickness.”
Sunny realized the conversation overheard between Slater and Tasha had to do with Vivian’s cat, not a murder plot. Of course she talked to Tasha earlier about any involvement and concluded it was a misunderstanding.
“At least she was able to love something,” Sunny whispered.
“Over time her hate turned ta my mother. I think she was the easiest target, and she knew mother was ’fraid of her. Viv thought mom spied on us. At one point Viv accused her of telling the neighbors stories ’bout her. Paranoia started the day Viv killed Karina, and then took her over bit by bit.”
Slater rubbed his hand vigorously around the side of his neck. His eyes bulged and his words came faster. “I kept my mouth shut most of the time, but I started to get ’fraid for my mother. I knew Viv had it in her to hurt anyone who wronged her. Know what I mean?” His brow furrowed
“I do. If things had gotten to that point, how come you didn’t come into the station and tell your story. Were you afraid since you’d helped cover up the crime you’d have to serve time too?” Inside her boots she flexed her toes. The air in her lungs became motionless.
“No, by then spending time in jail would’ve been a welcome release from my life.”
“You could’ve just come to me directly instead of helping your mom deliver clues?”
He sighed, a long drawn out trail of air that seemed to suck the fluids from his body. His face thinned and the lines became more pronounced. “I was scared, little lady. I never bonded with the cops, ya know?” He grinned, wiping his hand across the top of his head.
Slater’s shoulder’s sagged. Sunny saw him as a sad shadow of a man. He’d taken the wrong path and now paid the price. He’d aged since his weeks in jail, but at the same time he seemed more relaxed. It was an odd combination.
“If I went ta the cops, they’d have held me, questioned me. If Viv guessed what I was up ta, it would’ve given her an excuse ta hurt my mom.”
“But, what—”
“My mom was the one with the idea to send ya the notes. It took her awhile to convince me ta let you have the tape.”
“So Maggie was the mastermind?” Sunny grinned and Slater matched it.
“She’s a smart ole coot for sure. Who would’ve believed me if I’d gone to the cops with that story?”
Sunny nodded. “Nobody…at first. But your cassette would’ve been the key to point them in the direction you wanted.”
“If I’d understood the stuff cops talked about, that NDA…DNA crap, then things would’ve been different. I didn’t know there was any evidence left after all these years.”
“If we’d known right from the start, it would’ve made this all a lot easier.”
“You know what they say, little lady, coulda, shoulda, woulda…”
****
The guard opened the door with a curt nod while Sunny moved past him. Craig sat on a bench in the waiting area, flipping through an auto magazine. He glanced up with a raised brow as she approached.
“How’d that go?” Craig stood. He tossed his arm around her shoulders as they moved down the corridor toward the elevators to the main lobby.
“Nothing earth shattering. At least I have some closure, and I think Slater does too. I had him all wrong.” Sunny adjusted the sunglasses on her nose to block out the glare of the hot sun as they stepped outside onto the sidewalk.
Several women passing by gave Craig a slow once over. Their appreciative smiles had her looking at her brother in a new light.
Dressed in his dark blues, shiny badge clipped to his shoulder, tufts of overgrown dark hair peeking out from underneath his cap, and the mirrored sunglasses which led to an air of mystery, he did look good. She glanced around then back at her brother. He didn’t even seem to notice the ogling women.
Men. Sunny shook her head. The only woman she noticed him eyeball was her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Rigieuro, who hadn’t seemed overly fond of any of her overbearing brothers.
“You have time to talk to Slater, but not Judson?”
Sunny’s jaw clamped tight. When she tried to turn away, Craig held her by the arm.
“You’re not getting out of it this time. I want answers, sis. You said yourself you’re feeling better, so I’m not going to baby you anymore. What gives?” Craig peered at her over the top of his sunglasses. She feared he’d see the mist of tears forming in her eyes, even through her dark tinted sunglasses.
With everything inside of her she missed Judson. Nobody mentioned his name in weeks, and she thought they’d all moved on. Or realized her feelings and wanted to spare her the pain. Fat chance, that wasn’t how her family worked. They accepted her work, finally, but they still refused to stay out of her personal life
Although she was coming to grips with Judson being out of her life, tears still flowed freely when she was home alone.
Just like she berated Mr. DeVito for trying to control who Karina fell in love with all those years ago, she scolded herself for doing the same. Life would’ve been so much easier if she’d only lusted after Judson, instead of losing her heart to him.
“Nothing gives. He’s in Montana. It’s not like we had anything more than a working relationship. When I have some time I’ll make sure to send him a ‘thank you for helping me with the cold case’ card. Okay?” She tugged her arm from his grasp. “Why is everyone all over me about talking to him?”
“Because we know you better.” Craig pulled her out of the center of the sidewalk toward the wall of the gray brick building.
Sunny grumbled, but let him lead the way.
“Listen, my relationships never last longer than a few months, but I’ve watched Mom and Dad and now Dad and Marli. I recognize love.” Craig’s voice jarred her nerves.
She’d been way too transparent. The precautions of her tough talk and hard heart hadn’t kept her feelings secret from her family.
“What do you mean?” Sunny stalled to get her emotions in order.
Craig gave a short laugh. “Don’t even try it, Sun. We all see it, you’ve changed. You know, it’s not a crime to be in love.” He hugged her to his side, then stepped back lifting her glasses onto the top of her head so he could see her eyes.
> Sunny sniffed and looked away. “I didn’t think anyone would be able to read me so easily. I’m surprised a mess of goons can even sense feelings.”
“We love you, so that’s a factor in noticing the change. How come you won’t talk to him? He tried everyday while you were in the hospital, and from what I heard a few times since you’ve gotten out. He just wants to talk to you.”
Sunny took a steadying breath, her shoulders sagged. “I can’t. Judson isn’t over Roxanne yet. I’ll never be able to get over him if he’s constantly showing up in my life.”
“What are you talking about? Roxanne?” Craig’s forehead creased, he tugged his sunglasses off and twirled them in one hand as he waited for her answer.
“Yeah, Roxanne. He won’t be able to love me or anybody else until he can get past losing her. He still loves her, misses her. Whenever he talks about her, hears her name, it’s obvious. Hell, he even took a leave of absence after she died. It was the deciding factor in his decision to return to Montana.”
Her eyes narrowed as Craig glared at her with a lopsided grin, the laugh lines around his eyes deepened then spread.
“Where do you get your information, sis? I thought you did investigations for a living.” He smirked and she jabbed him in the shoulder. “You’re way off base on this one.”
“I’m done talking about this. Let’s drop it.” Sunny tried to move past his tall frame, but he blocked her path.
“No. The days of playing Sunny Says are over. You’re going to listen to what I have to say and it’s going to sink in if we have to stand here all afternoon.”
Sunny clenched her jaw. “I’ll leave whenever I feel like it.”
“Judson was never in love with Roxanne, they were partners, good friends.”
Sunny glanced around Craig’s body to a group of school children standing across the street. They formed a single line for a head count outside of the city newspaper, before filing through the front entrance. Even so, she still heard her brother’s every word.
“Are you listening to me?”
Some Like It in Handcuffs Page 21
