Settling in for the meal, the conversation came in small spurts as the group adjusted to their newest member. That is, until a pair of headlights lit up the back yard as a car pulled into the parking area behind the house and shut of its engine.
Gary made it to the window first and peered into the darkness. Seeing Ben climb out of the black sedan, his heart pounded noisily in his ears. “Damn. I have to take this,” he muttered, passing off the arrival as business related. “You go on and enjoy the meal, and I’ll be back in a minute,” he commanded as he shoved his arms into his jacket and exited via the back door.
Thug Life
Stomping across the wooden planks of the back porch, Gary raised his hand and called, “What’re you doing here?”
Shrugging, Ben felt a sense of relief that there would be no beating around the bush. “I need to speak to you; in private.”
Bewildered for a moment, Gary wasn’t sure what to make of the older man’s arrival, or his casual demeanor.
“Take up a chair,” he offered, wafting a hand at the picnic table, which was clear at the moment, but would be covered with snow most of the winter.
“Thanks, I’ll stand,” Ben replied, shoving his hands in his pockets as he ambled away from the house and further into the yard. “I guess you know we’ve got a bit of situation here.”
“Yes, I know,” Gary replied, taken by the sudden urge to pull out a cigarette and light it up. He had quit when Candy and Daks had first moved in with him, and for the most part never gave them a second thought, but the stress of that particular Monday had sent the craving coursing through him.
“Is it safe to talk here?” he asked in a quieter tone.
“As safe as anywhere, I guess,” Ben chuckled, then ran his fingers through his silver streaked hair. “I wish I could spill everything I know, but that would be against attorney-client privilege.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Gary repeated.
“I need your help,” Benjamin confessed. “Their privilege ends when I feel my own life is in danger, I don’t care what the rules say.”
“If your life is in danger, why haven’t you gone to the police?” Gary demanded, his face growing flushed.
“There’s some things even the police can’t help with,” Ben mused. “When you live a thug life, you sometimes exist outside the law.”
Gary curled his tongue, considering the other man’s choice of words. “You consider yourself a thug?” He had never thought of Benjamin Monroe as even remotely crooked, much less a full-fledged criminal.
“No, not in so many words,” Ben grinned sheepishly. “But some of my clients probably wouldn’t hesitate to settle this in a most unpleasant fashion if they thought I was going to reveal anything crucial about them.”
“I see,” Gary nodded, wondering if Ben knew about Caroline’s being there or her suspicions. “How deep are you into this?”
“All the way,” Benjamin laughed out loud, cutting his eyes up to stare into Gary’s deep brown orbs. “I swear, I didn’t have a clue what was going on until last week. I was filing the last report and it hit me like a ton of bricks.”
“Last week,” Gary agreed. “Caroline had already quit by then,” he offered.
“Yes, she was already out of the office. I went digging on my own, and I think I figured out why she took off in such a hurry.”
“She’s scared, Ben.”
“So am I. These aren’t street hoods, the guys who did this. They’re real professionals.”
“You have proof of that?” Gary growled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“I could follow the paper trail well enough. What gets me is that the four I pieced together were all in my office; my clients. What if there’s others? How big could this thing be? Worth more than my life to someone, I’m sure. All our lives, in fact.”
Gary stiffened, shifting his gaze to the lighted window, where his family sat enjoying their dinner. Fear tightened his gut, and he asked in a husky tone, “Would they have followed you here?”
“I doubt it,” Ben shook his head. “They don’t know that I’m on to them. I haven’t met with anyone else. If we move quietly, maybe we can get to the bottom of this. Get the proof we would need to make sure they go to jail and they don’t come out.”
“Lawyers don’t normally talk about sending their own clients to jail,” Gary sneered.
“Like I said,” Ben stretched to his full height, “their privilege ends when my life is in danger. If they set those fires, they have blood on their hands. I’m a financial attorney, and I didn’t hire on to protect them from the law when it comes to murder.”
Nodded, Gary agreed, “All right, then. Go on about your business and I’ll be in touch tomorrow; Wednesday at the latest. Right now, I have to figure out what I’m going to tell Candy.”
“She doesn’t know?”
“No, and I want to keep it that way. If she ever thought I might have put her in danger by bringing Caroline here, she would never forgive me. I just hope that’s not what I’ve done.”
Isn’t That Sweet
Licking her lips, Caroline pushed the food around on her plate. She had been hungry when they first sat down, but the arrival of the unannounced visitor outside had stolen her appetite away.
Watching the other woman fidget, Candy herself grew uneasy. “I’m sure it’s someone from the office,” she reassured. “This isn’t the first back-porch meeting that Gary has had since he started working at his family’s business,” she grinned.
“They stop by often?” Caroline tried to sound up beat.
“Yeah, they’re related, so they don’t see any harm in blending home and work; all one big happy family,” Candice breathed.
“Gary’s family has been very good to us,” Lanelle interrupted, indicating the back door with her fork.
“That’s true,” Candy nodded, then reached over to help Daks by chopping up his lasagna better. “I’m not complaining.”
“That’s sweet,” Caroline muttered, thinking about her previous dealings with the Ford clan. She had made a young and foolish mistake with Gary, one that had come to trouble her deeply over the years.
Caroline had been working for Benjamin Monroe for about six months when Gary had first asked her out. Instantly taken with the idea of hanging on his arm and being part of his luxurious life, she had eagerly accepted, and their relationship had turned physical in a matter of days. Of course, the party had been over after only a few weeks, and it would have ended there if she hadn’t refused to let him go so easily.
Rather than bow out gracefully, Caroline had tried to force Gary to continue seeing her. Informing him that she was pregnant had held them together for an additional couple of months, and she had tried vigorously to conceive during that time. In the end, she had been unable to accomplish her goal, and he had broken things off for good when he discovered the truth about her condition.
Things had been strained between Gary and herself ever since. If Eve held a grudge, it didn’t show, but Caroline could feel the cold vibe any time that Gerald or his father were in the same room. She sighed at the recollection of how things had turned out, and a moment of regret at having asked him for help washed over her.
“Are you ok?” Candy interrupted her thoughts.
“I’m fine,” Caroline lied. “It’s been a rough few weeks. I just need some rest.”
“Let me show you to your room,” Candy offered, getting to her feet. “Mom can take care of washing Daks up, and I’ll polish off of the dishes when I come back down.”
Picking up her suitcase from the living room where she had left it, Caroline followed the lady of the house up the stairs to the first bedroom at the top of the stairs. Inside, she looked around at the simple décor. “It’s nice,” she offered, placing her bag on the foot of the bed.
“The bathroom is in here,” Candy opened the portal to indicate the lavatory. “Dakota’s room is on the other side, so you may want to lock his door when
you use it. Wouldn’t want him giving you any surprises,” she giggled.
“No, we wouldn’t. I’ll be sure to do that,” Caroline agreed while opening her pack and sorting through her things nervously. “I wanted to thank you, Candy. I appreciate your letting me stay here and for giving me a job.”
Smiling in earnest for the first time since her arrival, the shorter girl nodded, “I’m glad you’re here. I know I made a fuss, but I really could use the help.”
“You’re going to school, right?”
“Yeah, this is my third semester, and I’m still trying to get a straight-A report card!”
“What are you taking?” Caroline relaxed, pulling out a few items and selecting a drawer to place them in.
“I want to be a physical therapist,” Candy beamed. “I’m knee deep in basics, right now, but soon I’ll be able to apply to some programs.”
“Did you choose that because of Dakota?”
Her smiled lessened, Candy paused, unsure of how to respond. “I guess I did,” she confessed. “He’s a special child. He has needs that make him unique.” She swallowed hard, not wanting to delve into how her own shortcomings had led to his birth; and his unfortunate condition. “It’s not something I’m ready to share with you,” she stated calmly.
“I understand,” Caroline smiled, looking over at her new friend. “We all have things in our past that we don’t like to talk about. Things that we’ve done or that have happened to us. Life isn’t always… sweet.”
Candy nodded slowly, confident that their new care-giver understood. Hearing the back door close below, she grinned, “I’ll leave you to your unpacking. Have a warm bath and get some sleep, and I’ll fill you in on our routine in the morning.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Caroline gave her a small wave as Candy closed the door.
Clomping down the stairs, she arrived to find that her mother had removed the boy and had him in the bath tub in her quarters off of the kitchen. Listening to the pair of them for a moment at the door, she sighed; they both seemed unaffected by the arrival of Caroline, which could be a good thing.
Gary sat at the table, watching his wife while he ate. “Did you get her settled in?”
“Yeah, she’s in my old room. I guess she’s going to be ok; Daks seems to like her well enough. I know mom does.”
“Of course they do,” he chortled, folding his hands. “She’s going to be a great nanny.”
“Yup,” Candy agreed, taking plates and scraping the scraps into the trash before placing them in the dishwasher. “This year, we’re going to have a quiet, uneventful Christmas.”
Gulping down a few swigs of tea between bites, Gary hoped his wife was right about that, but if his conversation with Ben had been any indication, they were in for one hell of a ride.
Not What You Think
The following morning, Gary cornered Caroline in her bedroom before she could go down stairs. “I need to take your envelope to the office with me,” he demanded in a hushed tone.
“Why?” she gasped.
“I haven’t seen your evidence yet, and I want to have a look at it.”
“Then come in and close the door; I’ll show you what I’ve got!”
Stepping back, into the hall, Gary glared at her. Going into her new room and closing the door would be out of the question for more reasons than he could count. “No thanks,” he raked the air with his hand as if swiping the idea of it away. “Give it to me, and I’ll look when I get to work.”
Her mouth twisted into an angry pucker, Caroline retrieved and handed over her bundle. “Promise me nothing will happen to it,” she hissed.
“I swear, it will be perfectly safe. I’ll make copies of anything I need and bring the originals back to you tonight,” he offered, palming the pack and turning away. Placing it in his briefcase in his office on the first floor a moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hated the idea of deceiving Candy, but for the time being, the less she knew the better. Hearing the morning chatter in the other room stirred feelings of guilt within him, and he would be hard pressed to keep the secret for long.
Joining the others in the kitchen, he discovered that Caroline had come down directly after him and had taken over the cooking. Frying scrambled eggs on the stove, she didn’t even look up when he entered.
“Daddy!” Dakota squealed, reaching for a hug with jelly coated fingers.
“Hey, buddy!” Gary replied. “Don’t smear the suit, ok?” he teased as he moved in for a quick squeeze.
It had taken months for Dakota to learn to keep his hands to himself when they were dirty, but they had managed to impart at least that portion of wisdom to him. Watching the pair, Candy smiled with pride. If there was anything odd in Gary’s behavior, she didn’t seem to notice, and he made his escape half an hour later; headed to work and a safe place to go over whatever it was that had both Ben and Caroline afraid for their lives.
As soon as he had gone, Candy sat down and wrote out their daily schedule. “This is the usual around here, but we get doctor appointments and other interruptions pretty regular,” she informed the blonde as she handed her the list.
“Looks simple enough,” Caroline agreed, studying the page and noting Candy’s cell number at the top. “I’ll get him off to school and then give the house a deep cleaning, starting with the kitchen here.”
“A deep cleaning?” Candy sounded miffed.
“Well, sure!” Caroline grinned. “With as busy as you’ve been, I’m sure it could use an extra scrub!” Seeing the anger simmering in her employer’s hazel orbs, she back tracked, “It’s not what you think; I don’t mean that your house is dirty. On the contrary, it’s probably as clean as you and Lanelle can keep it. But I’m here to help take it to the next level, so please don’t be offended!”
“Who says I’m offended?” Candy shot back coolly, reaching for a rag to give Daks a quick wipe before leading him up to a proper bath. Scrubbed and dressed, she returned with him a few minutes later to discover the other woman had already begun the process and had cleared the counter tops to do the job justice.
“I’ll be back late today; this is my Tuesday – Thursday class, and we have a lab,” Candy stated crisply.
“No worries,” Caroline reassured. “Dinner will be ready when you get home.”
“Don’t wait for me,” Candy insisted. “Feed everyone else, and I’ll warm up a plate when I’m ready.” Not looking at her as she spoke, she fought actual tears as they slipped into their jackets and went out to wait for Dakota’s bus at the end of the drive.
“Do you think I’ve upset her?” Caroline asked Lanelle, who sat at the table enjoying her coffee as the discussion had unfolded.
“Not really,” Lanelle grinned over the rim of her cup. “My daughter is very stubborn. She doesn’t like to need or accept help. Don’t worry; she’ll get over it, just give her time.”
Caroline nodded, feeling oddly disturbed by Candy’s displeasure. Attacking the grime she had discovered beneath the canisters that had lined the back of the laminate tops with vigor, she thought about the time she had spent with Gary, before Candy came along. In truth, she had hurt him very deeply with her ploy to trap him into a permanent relationship.
Perhaps her taking care of his wife and home could be her way of making it up to him. Besides, if he helped her solve the mysterious fires by bringing those responsible to justice, then she would owe him an even greater debt for getting her out of an impossible situation.
Once she had finished the scrubbing, she cleaned out the fridge and freezer, removing spills and moldy leftovers. Watching her all the while, Lanelle smiled each time she squealed at some new, gruesome discovery. “I dare say it’s been months since Candy had time to do any of that,” the older woman finally informed her.
“I can tell,” Caroline agreed, plunking down in a chair with a cup of hot tea for a break. “This is much different than being a secretary, that’s for sure,” she whined as she inspected her manicure.
&
nbsp; At that moment, the phone on the wall rang, causing them both to jump. Staring at each other for a moment, Lanelle finally stood, since it was mounted almost directly over her head, and lifted the receiver. “Hello?” her voice grated into the mouthpiece. When no one replied, she tried again, “Hello? Is anyone there?” to no avail. Hanging up the handset, she shrugged. “Usually, it’s someone selling something. Oh well.” Shuffling into her bedroom, she called over her shoulder, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to lie down for a bit. Wake me when lunch is ready?”
“Yes ma’am,” Caroline called after her, disturbed by the mysterious call. Making her way to the front room, she peered out through the curtains at the long private drive and front yard. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she closed the drapes and returned to her chores to keep herself occupied until time to prepare the next meal.
Who Do You Trust
Gary had a sales meeting as soon as he got to the office, so it was close to lunch before he could open his briefcase and bring out the incriminating files. His chest tight with apprehension as he opened the bundle, he spread them out on his desk and looked over them one by one.
Each was a packet of documents about a fire, including a copy of the insurance policy and who was paid for the losses. The beneficiaries had been different, and Gary began to wonder if Caroline’s perceived connection had been some sort of game she wanted to play with him. He couldn’t put it past her, based on her previous performance.
Flipping through the pages, he noticed that each also contained an official investigation report from down town. An investigator had signed off on them in turn, declaring them to have been accidents. When he reached the third stack, he did a double take and had to look back at the others to be sure. Yup. All signed by Harvey Waters.
That in itself would not have seemed odd if Harvey had been the only investigator the city had, but as one of three, the fact that his name appeared on all four caused a quiet alarm bell to ring in Gary’s mind. Couple that all four of the victims were clients of Ben Monroe, and all had their buildings burn to the ground in such a close time frame….
Christmas Carol (Sweet Christmas Series Book 3) Page 3
