Taylor Made Owens

by R. D. Power

  Dominic and Judy, the two people he hated most, had routed him; that was bad enough. That the one person he loved had helped them do it was heartbreaking. I fell in love again and look what happened. Will I never learn?

  He paced his cell, thinking of Kristen, and moaned, “How could she do this to me?”; quaked with rage, thinking of Dominic, and punched his bed, yelling, “I’ll get that fucker if it’s the last thing I do!”; and looked forlornly through the bars and said, “God, what did I do to make you hate me so much?”

  Kristen lay in bed, looking at the ceiling, imagining her true love in despair, thinking of a gloomy future without him, cowering under his ire toward her—and begged, “God please bring him back to me!” She went to play his version of “Night and Day” and recalled with woe that she had deleted it. Frantically checking her CDs, she found a copy of the song, restored it to her computer, and listened to it over and over. All her pictures and other mementoes of him were gone, however.

  How could it have come to this? she asked herself again and again.

  When Kristen heard about Judy’s role in the crime, all her doubts about Robert’s innocence and Dominic’s guilt vanished. She’d wanted to break off the engagement before, but now convinced of her fiancé’s guilt in the matter, she concluded it was an absolute necessity.

  After the conviction, Kristen went to see Robert, but he refused to leave his cell to see her. She said, “Tell him I have good news.” She was going to tell him she wouldn’t marry Dominic.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, he got violent when we mentioned your name,” the guard informed her. She left despondent.

  She wrote several times, but each letter came back unopened. Convinced from their last interaction that Bill had refused to help him, Robert wouldn’t see him either when he attempted to visit. Desperate to communicate with him, Kristen went to see Kim, whom she knew had been to see him in jail just after the trial.

  “Hi, I’m Kristen Taylor,” she said when Kim came to the door.

  “Come in. It’s miserable out again. Snow flurries in September. Unbelievable. What can I do for you?”

  “I know you’ve been to see Bobby in jail. He won’t see me. He won’t accept my letters. I can’t get in touch with him at all,” she said, head downcast. “You’ve been speaking to him. What has he said about me?”

  “You don’t want to know. The pain is still too recent for him. He thinks you betrayed him. I told him I doubted that was true—if it is, you’re the best actress I’ve ever seen—but he hasn’t changed his mind.”

  “I had nothing to do with it other than looking the other way when I should’ve spoken up for him. Dominic and Judy set the trap, and we both got caught. Can you please go see him, and tell him I’m not marrying Dominic? Tell him I love him and I’m so sorry.”

  “I’ll try, Kristen, I will, but when I went to see him, he asked me not to return. He’s so ashamed of being there. He warned me if I came back, he wouldn’t see me.”

  “I have to get the message to him! Get the guards to make him come. Lie. Tell him his baby is sick. Please. I’ll die if he goes on believing those awful things about me.”

  “Who said the baby was his?” said a surprised Kim.

  “I saw it in his eyes. He can’t lie to me. I don’t blame you, although he’s way too young for you.”

  “I’ve been so lonely since my husband died,” Kim said sadly. “When Bob came for help that night, I was more vulnerable than he was. I was feeling so sorry for myself—I’ve never told anyone this, but I want you to understand—I was considering suicide. When he rang the doorbell, I was actually looking at a bottle of pills and thinking I could so easily end my misery. I honestly thought God sent him to me to stop me from making the biggest mistake anyone can make. Later that evening, it occurred to me: I thought, a child, my child, would give me a compelling reason to keep going, and what better man to father my child?

  “He’s young, but he’s everything any woman could want. I know exactly why you love him. Please don’t blame him. I seduced him. I decided I wanted his child. He had no idea. I don’t want to marry him, and I don’t need any financial support. I just wanted a baby. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

  “He’s hurt me so often, you know, with other women. I told him if this was his baby, we’re through, but God help me, I still love him. I wish I didn’t. My life would be so much simpler. Now I’m miserable.”

  “I’ll try to get your message through to him.”

  “Um, do you have a picture of Bobby I can borrow to make a copy? I kind of destroyed the ones I had when I caught him …”

  Kim went to her room to get one she had taken the past summer. “You can have this one; I got double copies.” Kristen took it with thanks. In the picture, he was smiling, but looked sad to her. She ran her slender fingers over his image, then pressed it to her bosom with both hands.

  As promised, Kim went to see Robert, but he rejected her visit.

  •

  Right after the trial, Kristen agonized through Dominic’s gloating and was sorely tempted to end the betrothal, but she reasoned she might be able to learn something to help Robert if she stayed engaged a little longer. Fortunately, soon after the trial, he left on an extended business trip to Africa. She asked her father for help and discovered he’d been furtively investigating the crime. He’d refuted Judy’s alibi and was checking into Dominic’s connections to the illegal drug trade.

  “Dad,” said Kristen, “Bobby wouldn’t have made up what he said about Judy. She must be in love with Dominic. I think I can get her to spill the beans.”

  “Nothing doing, young lady. This is police business, and it could get dangerous if these people are as bad as we suspect.”

  “Dad, please. It’s my fault Bobby’s in jail. I have to get him out. I have to. It’s the only way we’ll ever—”

  “No, Krissy. I won’t see my daughter in any danger.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad, but I will not obey you this time. I have to do this, and I’ll do it with you or without you. I’ll just ask her to meet me at Dominic’s. He’s away on business in Africa. His place has cameras and microphones in it. You can be in the viewing room watching, and listening—and recording.” Bill had no choice but to submit to her wishes.

  Kristen called Judy and asked her to come over for tea the next afternoon. Judy hesitated, but finally agreed. Kristen dismissed the housekeeper for the afternoon. When Judy arrived, Kristen showed her to the sitting room. The ladies sat.

  “What did you want to talk about, Kristen?” Judy asked.

  “I wanted to say, I know you never liked Bobby, and I guess you were right. I’m sorry I doubted you. You were trying to help me, trying to be a friend, and I dismissed you time and time again.”

  The one thing Kristen couldn’t figure out was why Judy was hell-bent on getting Robert out of the picture all along. If I married Bobby, Dominic would be available for her, she reasoned. So why did she keep pushing for me to choose Dominic? Maybe early on, before she fell in love with Dominic, she was rooting for me to choose him. Later when she was in love, maybe …

  It didn’t make sense. Still, it should be easy enough to determine if she loved him now.

  “You didn’t believe what Owens said about me in the courtroom, did you?” said Judy.

  “No, of course not. He was desperate; he would’ve said anything at the time. His lawyer would’ve pursued it if it were true. It didn’t make sense anyway. It would mean you and Dominic … No, you’re not his type.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, nothing bad. He said one time … never mind. It’s not important.”

  “What did he say? Kristen, tell me,” Judy ordered.

  “Don’t get upset, okay?” Kristen said. Judy nodded with nervous eyes. “He said he thought you were kind of cute, but … no, it’ll hurt your feelings.”

  “Tell me!” Judy insisted.

  “He said he couldn’t stand you. I’m sorry, J
udy.”

  Tears formed in Judy’s eyes. She turned away from Kristen in an effort to hide them. A few seconds later she turned and yelled, “You’re lying. He would never say that!”

  “Why are you so upset, Judy? Bobby was right, wasn’t he?” Kristen challenged. “You do love Dominic! It’s obvious. How could you? You betrayed Jeremy, Bobby and me.” Judy said nothing as her tears flowed. “You set Bobby up. You put the jewels and the cocaine in his pocket, didn’t you? And Dominic put you up to it, didn’t he?”

  Judy got up and walked toward the front door. Bill, getting anxious, switched cameras to view the front hall.

  “Judy, admit it!” Kristen demanded as she followed.

  Judy opened the front door and walked out, with Kristen following. Bill switched to the outside camera showing the front door, but it wasn’t working. It had been a few moments earlier, he knew. This alarmed the inspector.

  As Kristen walked out, she was collared by a man who put a chokehold around her. While the assailant choked Kristen, Judy walked away.

  With the villain finishing Kristen off, Bill smashed him on the skull with his revolver, sending him sprawling. Kristen awoke in her concerned father’s arms. “Are you okay, honey? I’m sorry I let him hurt you.”

  “I’m all right, Daddy,” she squeaked. “Don’t let her get away.” Judy had just started her car and was peeling out. Bill looked at his daughter, worried about leaving her alone. “Get that witch. He’s out cold, Dad. I’ll be okay.”

  He put handcuffs on the man, told Kristen to lock herself in the house, radioed for help, ran to his car, and took off after Judy. A brief car chase ensued that would have made a lousy movie scene. The inspector nudged her off the road and into a ditch not three miles from the Solano residence. He placed her under arrest.

  At the police station, Judy wasn’t cooperating. She managed to get a hold of Dominic’s lawyer, who came to the station and shut off any effective inquisition.

  “You’re in real trouble, Ms Gilmour,” the prosecutor informed her. “You’ve been charged with attempted murder, planting evidence, possession of cocaine—”

  “You have no evidence—” Judy started to say until her lawyer cut in.

  “We have nothing to say at this point,” he said. “May I have a moment with my client?” he asked the prosecutor, the same man who’d convicted Robert. He consented and left the room, going to the observation booth to join Bill. Whispering to Judy, the lawyer told her he’d been in touch with Dominic, and had his marching orders. “They have no evidence for any charge except the most serious one. It’ll be difficult to beat the attempted murder charge. The vagrant you hired is talking.”

  “I’m not taking all the blame for this mess myself,” Judy warned with volume.

  “Please, Ms Gilmour, keep your voice down,” cautioned the lawyer. “Mr. Solano has asked me to represent you to the best of my ability, and I will. You must agree not to implicate him, and I will minimize the time you have to serve.”

  “Serve time?” Judy said. “Get me off or I’ll talk to the police!”

  “Ms Gilmour, understand this,” he whispered forcefully. “You tried to have someone murdered. You were caught red-handed. They have the person who attempted the murder, and the person he tried to murder pointing the finger at you. This had nothing to do with Mr. Solano.”

  “It had everything to do with him. I did everything for us.” She waved to the one-way glass, asking the prosecutor to return.

  “Ms Gilmour, I strongly advise against—”

  “Shut up, ass!” she said. She knew now that Dominic planned to abandon her. As the prosecutor entered, followed by Bill, Judy claimed, “Dominic Solano put me up to it. He called me and asked me to put that stuff in Owens’s pockets.”

  “Ms Gilmour!” the disgruntled lawyer roared.

  “Keep quiet, sir. She has elected to speak to us,” said the prosecutor.

  Judy continued, “He could tell Kristen still loved that asshole, even after she caught him with the prostitute Dominic hired, and wanted him out of the way. I didn’t want to do it. With Owens in jail, Kristen would be free to marry Dominic. Dominic told me he loved me, and it would all work out between us.

  “‘How?’ I asked. ‘Just let her marry Owens, and I can marry you.’

  “He said, ‘Trust me. It’s obvious Kristen is going to back out of the engagement, which is fine because I love you,’ he told me, ‘but I just can’t stand the thought that Owens will end up with her. I know you hate the thought of them being happy, too. Do this and both of them will be miserable. You’ll do this for me if you love me. I swear to you we’ll be together.’

  “So I did it, hoping I could trust Dominic to keep his word. I called Owens to tell him Kristen wanted to see him.

  “He didn’t trust me, of course, but I said I was doing it for Kristen, not him. Since the bum didn’t have a car, I even drove him to see her, again telling him I was doing it for Kristen. He put his jacket in between the seats. When his head was turned, I put the stuff into his jacket pocket. He just walked up to the house with his jacket folded over his arm.”

  The prosecutor looked at Bill and shook his head. They had sent an innocent man to jail, they knew. “Did Solano put you up to murdering Miss Taylor?” he asked Judy.

  “No. I know he lied to me. He lies to everyone. He has no intention of giving up Kristen for me. That’s why she had to go. Can I plea bargain or something to get off?”

  “I’m afraid you won’t get away scot-free with attempted murder,” the prosecutor told her. “If you will agree to testify against Mr. Solano, we’ll drop the charges against you for framing Mr. Owens.”

  “Not good enough!” Judy proclaimed.

  But the prosecutor refused to compromise more. Ultimately, Judy was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison.

  Dominic was charged with various offences relating to the frame-up and cocaine possession. Kristen broke off the engagement as soon as Dominic had been charged. For those who may have been rooting for him, take heart, for his expensive lawyers got him off without his serving a minute of time behind bars.

  Volume Two

  We’ve been perpetrating atrocities on each other for so long, it’s a wonder they retain the power to appall us. The depths to which man can descend seem beyond belief. Yet, in responding to the outrages, man also demonstrates the heights to which he can ascend, sacrificing his own life if necessary to protect the innocent and defenseless. That is even harder to believe, for the perpetrators usually have something to gain personally through the violence—power or wealth—whereas those who fight against them have everything to lose personally. What could be more worthy of our respect?

  Chapter One

  Be All That You Can Be

  When Kristen and her father solved the case, she had to get in to see Robert to tell him the good news and to try to repair their damaged relationship. In the interim—wouldn’t you know it?—something had happened to change everything.

  Robert received a visit from that special recruiter for the American Army he had met a few months earlier, a Major Lalonde. He remained an ideal candidate for the elite forces: a genius, a superb athlete, and no living relatives to mourn should he come home in a box or two. But now their offer was cogent.

  “The judge has given me the green light to offer you a deal to get you out of here. I made the case that since you’re American, we could take you off his hands and save the Canadian taxpayer a lot of money. I gave him assurances you would be closely supervised and punished for any transgressions, and that we would give you the discipline you so badly need. He said he would leave the decision up to you; join us or go to prison.”

  “How long would I have to join for?” asked the forlorn young man.

  “Six years, plus two more in the reserves.”

  “That’s too long. I can still maybe be a baseball player. I don’t want to give up that possibility. I doubt my sentence would be more than two years.”

&n
bsp; “It could be much longer. Are you willing to take that risk? And, with a record, major league baseball is out. You couldn’t freely cross the border.”

  “I’m a dual citizen. Neither country can keep me out.”

  “We know it was you who broke into our secret files. We could charge you with espionage.”

  “I don’t respond well to threats. You have nothing on me.”

  “Are you sure of that? We’ve been watching you since you hacked into our computer system, Mr. Owens. We know what you were planning with the bank.” Robert returned a look of shock. “An undercover police officer gave you the lead and the computer. We had it rigged so we could follow everything you were doing. You were close last October. Why did you stop?”

  “My girlfr … former girlfriend stopped me.”

  “And why did you stop last week?”

  “My parents and little sister stopped me.”

  “They’re dead.”

  “Yeah, spooky, eh?”

  “I won’t pretend to understand that. Anyway, had you gone through with it, you’d be facing a decade in prison. I’m sure the judge wouldn’t have considered our offer for such a serious crime. It was all a ruse. The bank allowed us to set up the sting. Still, it was very impressive work, Mr. Owens, and we want you. This is a great offer, son. I’d take it if I were you.”

  “Would I be doing computer work? Because I don’t like sitting at a computer all day.”

  “You’d be a soldier first, and a computer expert second. You ever hear of Delta Force?” Robert nodded. “Finding top-notch soldiers for Delta squadrons is a full-time job—my full-time job. There are a few easy-to-meet entrance criteria, like fifty months as a soldier, minimum age of twenty-two, and minimum rank of staff sergeant, but they just get you in the door. Then you have to pass an incredibly arduous selection course. So few men do that we sometimes have to relax our selection criteria to get the types of expertise we need to combat some of the newer terrorist threats that face our nation.

  “Let me put it this way: if there’s another computer genius who’s also a top-notch athlete in the country, I haven’t heard of him. We’re desperately short of talents like yours, and we’ll go to great lengths to find them, like take a chance on a young delinquent. You’d have to prove yourself as a regular soldier for a year, then pass the selection course. If you do, we’d make you a staff sergeant far before you’ve earned your stripes and make you the youngest Delta operator ever.”