2. Payback

by Fern Michaels

  “But won’t that…you know…piss him off even more?”

  Nikki threw her arms around Myra. “I love you, Myra,” she gurgled. “Yep, it’s gonna piss him off big time. But he won’t try it a second time. Not if he wants to keep his job. Use your clout, Myra.”

  Myra looked doubtful. “All right, dear, if you say so.” She looked down at her watch. “Should we synchronize our watches?”

  Nikki grinned. “Yep, that’s a good idea, too. She looked at both her own and Myra’s watch. We’re within a minute of each other. Fifteen minutes. No, better make that twenty.”

  Myra’s heart thumped in her chest as she watched Nikki run across the yard and out the gate, Murphy on her heels.

  Julia, still busy at the sink, thought about the bag of drugs she’d brought with her at Charles’s instructions. Sodium Pentothal had been on the list. She looked down at the last pot in the sink, and shrugged as she reached for a Brillo pad. This was no time for any of them to get squeamish.

  Charles eyed the women as they took their seats at the table. From his perch, high above them, he clicked the remote in his hand and Lady Justice appeared on the monitor. She was quickly replaced with a picture of three people staring into the camera.

  Charles’s voice was cold when he said, “Ladies, meet the Monarch family. The woman on the right is Elaine Monarch. The man on the left is her husband Derek Monarch and the young man in the middle is their son Ethan Monarch. I’ve compiled a dossier on all three of them and it’s in front of you, but for now I want you to pay attention to the background I’m sharing with you. Elaine Monarch is the president of Monarch HMO. Derek is the vice president and Ethan is the secretary treasurer. They’ve been dickering with the idea of taking the company public but that hasn’t happened nor do I see it happening because they want total control.

  “Elaine…”

  “Oh, my God, I gave that woman a face lift,” Julia said, interrupting Charles.

  Charles didn’t miss a beat. He continued right on. “Yes, I know. She inherited a rather large sum of money fifteen years ago and that was used to set up these three HMOs. The stats are in your folder and you can peruse them later. Money flows into Monarch like a raging river and the family spends it at the speed of light. Fortunately, even with all their outrageous spending, they can’t spend it all. The company is more than robust. There’s over a billion of unspent money that is earning healthy interest every single day. But there is one thing that eludes the Monarchs. They want an Ambassadorship to some country. They don’t care if the country is one no one has ever heard of. They’ll do anything for that little prize. Just keep it in mind, ladies.

  “Mrs. Monarch is a collector. Of everything. At the moment she’s into the Ming Dynasty. She’s paid out millions for her treasures. Two years ago she was into Japanese collectibles. I understand she has a real Samurai sword and several real robes. Again, she paid out millions for these things.

  “The family has houses all over the world. They spend more time in Manassas than any other place because Elaine likes to be near the power brokers in Washington. It’s that old ambassador devil she covets. Ideally, they’d like His and Hers ambassadorships. Mrs. Monarch hasn’t quite been able to join that elite circle of women who are the real social power brokers. The family is more or less on the fringe, rather like a small band of groupies. They would do anything to land on the A List. It won’t happen because just the word HMO leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. The politicians accept their money, though, so that puts them way down on the B List. I have it on good authority the family will be at the fund-raising party next week. We have to make that work to our advantage.”

  “That means all four of our subjects will be under the same roof. Are we going to do a snatch and grab?” Alexis asked.

  Charles smiled. “That’s exactly what it means. Play close attention. Yoko and Kathryn will be delivering the plants and flowers to the armory. At the end of the evening the plants and flowers will again be loaded into Kathryn’s truck and taken to different hospitals and nursing homes in the area.

  “Myra, one of this administration’s heaviest contributors and right up there at the top of the A List will mingle and approach the Monarch family. She’ll stay glued to them, right up to the end when she’ll complain about how stuffy it is inside and suggest a breath of fresh air and invite them to join her.

  “Julia will be there with her husband, smiling, and doing everything she’s supposed to do as the wife of the soon-to-be vice president. Beforehand she will tell him that they both need to get away, to try to patch up their marriage. The plan, as far as Mitchell Webster knows, is they will leave the following morning on Myra’s Gulfstream. Their destination, the Caribbean.”

  Kathryn whooped her pleasure. “Charles, this is so perfect. Where are we taking them? What about Jack Emery?”

  Charles held up both hands for silence. “One thing at a time. I haven’t definitely decided on where Operation Revenge will take place. Possibly the Monarch home in Manassas, possibly here at Pinewood. I have a great many details to work out first.

  “I’m not worried about the senator and Julia. The senator will do whatever Julia wants at this point in time. Before I can plan further, all of you have to tell me what your plan is for the senator and the Monarch family. What’s your decision?” He didn’t pause long enough for them to answer.

  “Now, I know you’re all worried about Assistant District Attorney Jack Emery. Myra has a call in to the governor as we speak. For those of you who don’t know this, Myra and the governor are…I believe the correct term would be tight. The governor will take care of ADA Emery. I don’t think I need to spell that out, do I? Of course not, you’re all way ahead of me.

  “Myra, it’s time for you to make your call to the police. You have two minutes. It might be wise for you to stay in the kitchen until the police arrive.” Myra nodded. A moment later the secret door to the main house moved and then she was gone.

  “We’re missing all the fun,” Kathryn groused. “I’d pay to see that ADA’s ass hauled off to jail.”

  Yoko tilted her head to the side. “No, you wouldn’t, Kathryn, because then you would have to see Nikki’s tears and know her heart is breaking. It’s better that none of us see that.”

  Kathryn reached over and squeezed Yoko’s slim hand. “You’re right, of course. Sometimes I speak before I think.”

  “Sometimes?” the others squealed. “Sometimes?”

  “OK, OK, my mouth is my downfall. Can we move on here?”

  “Gladly,” Charles said. “Eyes on the monitor please. What I’m going to show you first is some of the decadence of the Monarch family. Then I’m going to show you some still photographs of some of Monarch’s subscribers and their families. When I’m finished, I think you’ll find it quite easy to come up with a suitable punishment for the Monarch family.”

  Charles stepped down to the main floor and walked over to Julia’s chair. “When I’m finished with the stills of the Monarch family I plan to show photos of the women your husband had affairs with. It’s not very pretty, Julia, so if you want to join Myra in the kitchen, it will be fine with all of us. It’s up to you.”

  Julia clenched her teeth so hard she thought her jaw would crack. Her voice was firm, however, when she said, “I’ll stay, Charles. It’s not like I haven’t known about them.”

  “All right, ladies, here we go!”

  Nikki, Murphy at her side, entered the piney forest where she’d played as a child with Myra’s daughter Barbara. She knew every inch of the vast forest. Oh, how they’d run and scampered out here. One time they’d even pitched a tent. Scared out of their wits, they’d managed to make it through the night with sugar cookies and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It wasn’t until later that they found out Myra had been less than a hundred yards away making sure they were safe. They’d ridden their ponies through the forest and had picnics almost every day during the summers they were home from school.

&nb
sp; A lump formed in her throat at her memories. Barbara was gone now and Nikki missed her terribly.

  How fragrant the forest was. She sniffed appreciatively. “Oh, Jack! Come out wherever you are! C’mon, Jack, don’t make me search all night! I know you’re up there in one of those trees spying on Myra and everyone in the house. Be a man and come down out of that tree! Don’t make me come up there after you!” Nikki shouted. When there was no response, Nikki looked down at Murphy. “Go get him, Murph!” The huge shepherd raced off, Nikki right on his heels.

  When Murphy skidded to a halt and started to growl, Nikki slowed down. She casually meandered over to a tree and flashed the beam of her flashlight upward. “It’s supposed to rain tonight, Jack! Come on down and let’s go into the house for some coffee. It’s going to be a very cold spring rain. You know you’re trespassing, right?”

  Jack Emery cursed as he slid down the tree. “The stars are out so I doubt it’s going to rain. The temperature is seventy. Trespassing? I didn’t damage the tree. I was communing with nature. Isn’t that what you’re doing, Counselor? So, run me off. Or are you planning on calling the cops? Nice doggie,” Jack said, attempting to pat Murphy on the head. The shepherd growled once, then again, before he lunged. Nikki pulled him back before his teeth could sink into Jack’s arm.

  Nikki’s laugh sounded forced to her ears. “Do I look like I’m calling the cops? Go ahead, search me, I don’t even have my cell phone with me. I came out here to tell you to get off Myra’s property. She doesn’t like it when people spy on her. You were spying on her, Jack. And guess what else, I don’t like it either. You’re really becoming a pain in my ass, ADA Emery.”

  “Then fess up and I’ll get out of your hair,” Jack said coldly.

  “That ain’t gonna happen, Jack, since only a fool would confess to something they didn’t do. Get over that cockamamie notion you have that Myra did something illegal. I don’t want to hear your theory that rich people are above the law.”

  “You’re pretty cocky there, Counselor. Does it have anything to do with Myra’s house guest, the one whose hubby’s going to be the next veep? Poor choice. The guy’s a dud.”

  “Be that as it may, it’s none of your business who Myra entertains.”

  “Sure it is, Nik. That just shoots old Myra right up there on the Washington power pole.”

  “You’re paranoid where Myra is concerned. You need to get over Marie Llewellyn. So you had her under house arrest. So she took off on you. She had help. It was a wild and stormy night. Stop blaming yourself and stop trying to pin her disappearance on Myra. In other words, get over it, Jack.”

  “Then why did you dump me? We were engaged, Nik. We were supposed to get married. You said you’d love me forever. When push came to shove, you chose Myra over me. There had to be a pretty strong reason for you to do something like that.”

  “Yeah. Like maybe Myra adopting me when my parents died? Like maybe Myra taking care of me, sending me to college and being a mother to me. Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty damn strong reason to side with her. It didn’t have to be that way but you’re so damn pig-headed you wouldn’t listen to reason.”

  Jack pushed his billed camouflage cap farther back on his head. He was so damn weary. “You’re blowing smoke, trying to divert me. It’s not going to work, Nik.”

  Oh, isn’t it? Nikki thought as she saw pinpoints of light in the distance. Her stomach started to crunch up at the thought of the police taking Jack off in handcuffs. Jack saw the lights at the same time and prepared to run, but Murphy had other ideas.

  “Stop where you are and put your hands in the air,” came the command. Nikki’s hands shot in the air in the blink of an eye. Jack wasn’t quite as fast but his hands did go up.

  “You witch! You miserable, lying witch! You called the cops and tricked me! Jesus, what the hell are you women doing in that house? This is a new low even for you, Nik.”

  Nikki didn’t respond, she was too choked up. She started off in the direction of the house. She knew if she looked back, she’d crumble into a million pieces. She started to run but Murphy beat her by a nose. She collapsed in Myra’s arms.

  “Are you all right, dear?”

  Not “What happened, is he going to turn us in?” No, that wasn’t Myra. Myra loved her and her first concern was her welfare. Whatever Jack did or said, she would deal with.

  “I’m OK, Myra. They took him off in handcuffs. I didn’t stick around to watch but I did hear the clink of the cuffs. He was madder than a wet rooster, I can tell you that. There was a little name-calling but nothing I can’t handle. Myra, he isn’t going to give up. We have to make some decisions.”

  Myra wrapped Nikki in her arms. “I’ve taken care of everything, dear. I called the governor. Word will filter down to the right people within the hour. Mr. Emery will not be bothering us any longer.”

  Nikki gasped. “You called the governor of Virginia because…because…”

  “Because ADA Emery is becoming a thorn in our side. As you know, Tyson Jackson is a personal friend. He’s been here to dinner more times than I can remember and I am the godmother of his first grandchild. One always calls upon one’s friends when one is in trouble, although I didn’t say I was in trouble. Tyson said he would take care of the matter, so we don’t have to worry about Mr. Emery any longer. I took care of everything, dear, so don’t worry.”

  Nikki slapped at her forehead. “Oh, God, Myra, that’s where you’re wrong. You don’t know Jack. Having the governor intervening on your behalf will just convince him that we’re up to something. I want you to believe me when I tell you Jack will quit his job and make this personal. He’s like that, a dog with a bone. He never gives up until he gets a conviction. What we did tonight was piss him off to the nth degree. Now, he’ll be out for blood. This is all my fault, Myra. I shouldn’t have had you call the cops. I wish you had told me you were going to call the governor.”

  “Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this spy game,” Myra said as she led Nikki and Murphy into the house. “It’s starting to rain, dear. We should roll up the awning on the terrace. Never mind, let it get wet, who cares?”

  “Jack didn’t believe me when I told him it was going to rain,” Nikki said.

  Myra whirled around. “Is that important, Nicole?”

  In spite of herself, Nikki burst out laughing. “No, Myra, it isn’t important. The damn awning isn’t important either. Neither is Jack getting arrested.”

  “Would you like some hot cocoa, dear?”

  “God, no, Myra. I’m going to bed.”

  “Good night, dear. Sleep tight,” Myra said as she pecked Nikki on the cheek.

  “You, too, Myra.”

  A hollow-eyed, unshaven Jack Emery marched into his office. No one looked at him. Maybe he smelled. He was angrier than he’d ever been in his life. One night in jail could do that to a person. He’d been released on his own recognizance and told to report to his superior, Chad Bartlett, stat, which meant immediately in D.A. speak. So, here he was. And there was District Attorney Chad Bartlett, clean-shaven, dewy-eyed and smelling like the prairie.

  “Don’t say a word, Emery, not one goddamn word. I got a call from the police commissioner last night. He actually woke me up. He said he got a call from the mayor. It seems the mayor got a call from the governor. You following me here, Jack?”

  Jack winced. “Yes, sir.”

  “It seems that Ms. Myra Rutledge called her good friend Tyson Jackson over at the governor’s mansion and said you were perched in a tree and trespassing and spying on her and her guests and she wanted you arrested and she didn’t want it to happen again. And then this morning, my secretary handed me a copy of this police report that has your name on it. You better have a damn good explanation, son.”

  Jack licked at his dry lips. The inside of his mouth felt and smelled like his old sneakers. He cleared his throat. “I believe Myra Rutledge and a group of her friends are involved in illegal activities. I think they’re the ones who sp
irited Marie Llewellyn…”

  “Stop right there, Emery. The woman disappeared on your watch. You take responsibility for that. We’ve been over that, up and down that, and we even went over it crossways. Myra Rutledge had a rock solid alibi on that night. Don’t go there again, Emery. This has something to do with your fiancée, according to your coworkers. If I even get a sniff of something going on where you and your colleagues are concerned, I’ll personally throw the book at you. Miss Rutledge, her friends and her adopted daughter Nicole Quinn will be forever off-limits to you. All I need is one sniff, Jack, that you aren’t following orders, and it’s all over.”

  Jack’s mind raced as he tried to calculate how much money he had in his account. Maybe he could draw on his 401K. “I need to apply for a thirty-day leave of absence, sir,” he said stiffly.

  “Denied. Is there anything else?”

  “Sir, my mother is ill. She’s in a nursing home. I need the time. If you can’t see to granting the leave then I have to resign.” His mother was ill and in a nursing home but his taking a month off wouldn’t help her in any way. It could all be verified. Liar, liar, pants on fire. Whatever it takes, Emery, whatever it takes.

  “All right, Jack, I’ll give you the month with the understanding and the promise that you will not harass or cause Myra Rutledge one iota of trouble. Assign your pending cases to whomever you think is best equipped to handle them. Remember what I said, one sniff of anything improper and your ass is on the unemployment line.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  “Go home and take a bath, for God’s sake. You’re smelling up my office. And, Emery, Ms. Rutledge, fine woman that she is, will not press charges if you toe the line. Step over it and you’re in the slammer. Go on, get out of here!”