Not What She Seems

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Theodore turned his head at that, his eyes penetrating. “Is that so?”

  “Yes. Richard kidnapped Emily and was holding her against her will.”

  He seemed to take that information in. He nodded his head slowly. “So that is Richard’s son?”

  “No, Connor is William’s son. Emily found out she was pregnant right after William was killed. Richard used this to manipulate Emily into running with him.”

  “I’ll need a paternity test. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Theodore shifted his weight in his seat. He reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a bulging brown envelope sealed with tape.

  “Give this to Emily. I trust she’ll know what it is for.”

  Steven raised one eyebrow and took the package. “What is–”

  “She is not to contact me in any way. I do not want to speak to Emily or to have her come anywhere near me or my wife. Is that clear?” He grabbed the gear shift and threw the car into drive.

  “Now wait a minute–”

  “I do not want to discuss this any further, Mr. Ashton.” He pulled the car around and started back.

  “You can’t blame Emily for what happened. It was your son who was abusing her.”

  “William had no right to treat Emily the way he did. He didn’t have the right to do many of the things he did, but that is private family business, and should stay that way. I am a very influential man in this town. Frankly, I am shocked that you would be seen with her, Mr. Ashton.”

  “Emily is innocent.”

  “Regardless if she was the one on the other end of that hammer, Emily is not innocent. I suggest you put some distance between the two of you before you find out the hard way.”

  He stopped the car and motioned for Steven to get out.

  ******

  Emily hugged Connor close while he wiggled on her lap.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Vincent asked.

  “No, I’m fine, thank you.” Emily glanced around at Vincent’s home. His walls were bare, except for the large plasma television hanging opposite the couch. The leather furniture looked expensive and it was quite comfortable. The windows were covered with simple vertical blinds. Typical bachelor, Emily thought.

  “I can’t believe that mob outside of the station. That was crazy.” Vincent sat down on the couch and spread his arms over the back.

  “I was mortified, but I felt even worse for Steven. He’s in the public eye all the time. This is the last thing he needs.”

  “Yes. I can imagine. What’s he doing here, anyway?”

  “I met him several months ago. We became… friends.”

  “You sure know how to pick friends. With his connections, everything should work out fine.”

  Emily looked down at the seat cushion. “Yeah.” She lifted her eyes to the bare walls. “You have a nice house. It reminds me of the apartment you had when Will and I got married; at least, it’s similarly decorated.”

  Vincent’s deep laugh filled the room. “It could use a woman’s touch, huh? I thought about hiring a decorator. I might still. Right now I just don’t see the point. I never have anyone over.”

  Connor wiggled out of Emily’s grasp and onto the floor, where he crawled around acting like a dog. She slipped her hands in between her knees. “I bet you miss William, don’t you?”

  He took a deep breath. “Yes, I suppose I do. We did a lot together.”

  “You were over at our house practically every Saturday.”

  “And somehow he always managed to con me into cleaning the drain pipes or fixing the washing machine for him.” A wide smile spread across his face.

  Emily laughed. “He did have a way of getting out of any kind of manual labor, didn’t he?”

  The smile faded from Vincent’s face. “Did they tell you that the police put Samantha through the ringer five years ago? Apparently they thought she was a suspect.”

  Emily’s mouth dropped. “Why did they suspect Samantha?”

  “I think the neighbors told the police she was seen with William earlier that day at the house, yelling and cussing up a storm.”

  “My gosh, you’re right. She came over that morning, all hot under the collar about something. What was going on between her and William anyway? He wasn’t having an affair with her, was he?”

  Vincent leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know. I don’t think they were having an affair. William would say she was just bitter about their breakup, but I always thought he was lying about that.”

  “Yes, I don’t think he was telling the truth either. Maybe I should go talk to her.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that.” Vincent made a face, his eyebrows knit together.

  Connor picked up the remote control and started playing with it like it was a rocket ship. Emily frowned. “You’re right. She hated me from the time I started dating Will. She probably won’t be too happy to see me.”

  “Samantha and Will had a short but fiery relationship. They were inseparable for three or four weeks, and then boom, it was over and she was hysterical.”

  Emily sucked in her breath. “The police photos show a woman’s bloody shoe print by William’s body. Do you think Samantha is capable of murder?”

  Vincent sat back against the seat. “Emily, I know William was hurting you. I understand. What happened to you was inexcusable, and someone should have stopped it before you snapped.”

  Emily’s heart sank. She couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I didn’t kill him, Vincent. We had a fight, but I didn’t hit him with a hammer.”

  Vincent sat silent, and she couldn’t read his expression. “I’m sorry, Emily. Of course you didn’t.”

  Emily rubbed her temples. “I don’t know. I was so sure Richard killed him. I sent him over there to talk with William. He had the means, and the motive. He was furious at William when I showed up looking like a punching bag.”

  The doorbell rang, and Vincent hopped up to answer it. Moments later Steven walked in, and Emily’s heart went into overdrive. A slight smile played on his lips, and he had a brown package tucked under his arm. He pulled it out and handed it to her.

  “This is for you. It’s from Theodore Grant.”

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Steven held out the package, and Emily’s mouth gaped. She took the bulging envelope, staring at it.

  Vincent came into the room. “Steven, would you like to sit down?” He motioned to the end of the couch farthest from Emily, which did not go unnoticed.

  Irritation rubbed at Steven. He nodded and took a seat. “Thank you.”

  “What’s in there?” Vincent asked, sauntering over to where Emily was seated.

  “I don’t know.” She tugged at the tape, ripping the envelope open. She put her hand inside and immediately withdrew it. Peering into the envelope, the color drained from her face. “It’s money.” Turning the envelope upside down, a large bundle of cash slid out onto her lap.

  A tingle worked its way up Steven’s spine, and he shifted in his seat. “Why is Theodore giving you cash?”

  Emily’s eyes widened. “I have no idea. What did he say to you?”

  “He handed me the package and said you would know what to do with it.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Do you think he knows I’m innocent and wants to help pay for my defense attorney?”

  “I don’t think–”

  Vincent stepped forward. “You know, Priscilla is quite bitter. She would never allow him to help. But if he thought you were innocent, he might have felt compelled to sneak you some cash.”

  Emily appeared so relieved that someone else might believe her, Steven decided not to say anything, even though he was sure something else was going on. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Emily was in a lot of trouble.

  Emily flipped through the stack of bills. “What else did he say to you? You were with him for a while.”

  “He, um...” Steven clea
red his throat. “He said he didn’t want you to contact him.”

  Her gaze fell to the floor. “Oh.”

  “He also asked about Connor.”

  At the mention of his name, Connor came bounding up to Steven and threw himself on his lap. “That’s me.”

  “Yes, it is.” Steven rumpled his hair, and Connor climbed down to the floor again.

  Emily frowned. “What did he say about Connor?”

  “He would like to know if Connor is indeed William’s son. He would like a paternity test,” Steven said, repositioning himself on the couch.

  The surprise was evident on her face. “What? He thinks I’m lying about William being Connor’s father?”

  Vincent put his hand on Emily’s shoulder. “No, I’m sure he doesn’t think that. He probably is just protecting himself. And Connor. Maybe he’s thinking about getting involved with him, but wants to be sure he is the biological grandfather before seeing him.”

  Emily’s face brightened. “Do you think he will want to be a part of Connor’s life?”

  Pain stabbed at Steven’s heart to see Emily so hopeful. “Well,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “he didn’t exactly come out and say he wanted to see Connor.”

  Vincent smiled. “Theodore is a good man. He has always been kind to me, and I’m not just saying this because he’s my boss.”

  Emily turned her head. “Do you still work for him at the country club?”

  “Yes, I now manage the whole club. I work directly under him. He is a reasonable man. His wife will come around once you’re found innocent.”

  “Oh, that reminds me,” Steven said. “Your attorney told me he found an eye witness who saw you leaving your house early that afternoon.”

  She smiled at him, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Michael told me. It was just a passerby. None of my neighbors were home. I’m so relieved he found her.”

  Vincent nodded, keeping his hand on Emily’s shoulder. Steven leaned forward, trying not to let his disdain for Vincent show. “Thank you for taking care of Emily, Vincent. I appreciate it. We really should be going now, though. I promised Connor a trip to see Santa at the mall.”

  ******

  The mall hadn’t changed much from when Emily was young. It was small, only eight or nine stores and a restaurant. However, for the people in Stapleton, it was a big deal. She held onto Connor’s hand, following Steven to the glass doors.

  “Looks like Santa is here today,” Steven said as he held the door for her.

  Connor’s eyes widened. “Santa?”

  The mall was alive with the bustle of people. A large gingerbread house made out of plywood stood in the middle of the floor. Children waited in line with their parents to enter. Sizable cut out windows allowed passersby to see Santa smile and wave at them.

  Connor hugged her legs and buried his face in the fabric of her pants.

  “What’s the matter, sweetie? Don’t you want to go see Santa?” She knelt down beside him and put her hand under his chin so he would look at her. He peeked over his shoulder and shook his head, putting his hands up to his face. Her heart went out to him. She remembered being scared of Santa when she was a little girl.

  “It’s okay, buddy,” Steven said. “We can go eat right now, and maybe you’ll want to see Santa later. Would that be all right?”

  He nodded.

  Emily stood and took his hand again. “The restaurant’s that way.” She motioned toward the stairs. Steven put his arm around her shoulders, sending her heart to the bottom of her stomach. Could he possibly feel something for her after what she did to him? A moment later he took his arm off and put his hands in his coat pockets. She glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. Maybe he was simply being a polite escort.

  At the restaurant they were immediately seated at a table and placed their order. Emily was surprised they were able to be seated so quickly, the place was quite full. The hum of chatter and clinking of glass almost overpowered the elevator music coming through the speakers. Connor fidgeted in his seat, waiting for the food.

  “Do you mind watching Connor for a second? I need to use the restroom.”

  Steven motioned with his hand. “No, go ahead.”

  Emily headed to the back of the restaurant. Someone opened the ladies room door and almost ran into her.

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” A tall woman with fiery red hair stopped short. Her mouth formed a small ‘o’ shape and she backed up.

  Emily stared, her pulse quickening. “Samantha?”

  ******

  Samantha almost swallowed her tongue. “Emily.” She pasted on a smile and backed away from the restroom door, but Emily didn’t go past. Instead, she stepped closer.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  Samantha shook her head. She dodged around Emily, and walked to the front of the restaurant as briskly as she dared without attracting attention to herself. Forget this. I’ll drive through a burger joint on the way home.

  She slipped outside and realized she had left her coat on her chair in the restaurant. She cursed and turned around. Pushing the door open, she almost ran into Emily again.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t talk now. I’m in a hurry.” She started to brush past her, but Emily caught her arm.

  “Samantha! I have to know what happened between you and William.” Emily’s lips pressed together and her grip tightened.

  Samantha yanked her arm away. “That’s none of your business.”

  “I think it is.” Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice. “Did you kill William?”

  Fear coursed through Samantha. “No, I—” She looked down, unable to speak.

  “You were at our house the morning he died. What was going on between the two of you?”

  Samantha knew she would have to say something to pacify her. “Nothing. I was just upset at him. He was being a jerk as always.”

  Emily folded her arms across her chest. “How was he a jerk? What do you mean?”

  “He loaned me some money, back when we were dating.” She sighed, gazing at the ceiling. “He wanted larger payments than I could afford. I couldn’t see how paying him a hundred dollars less each month was going to bankrupt him, but that hundred meant a lot to me.” She couldn’t force herself to look Emily in the eye.

  “So,” Emily said while studying her face, “you were repaying a loan?”

  “Yes.” She glanced at the marble floor.

  “Why didn’t he tell me?”

  “I have no idea,” she snapped. “If that’s all, I really need to go now.”

  Emily nodded, and Samantha turned on her heel. Forget the coat, I’ll get it later.

  ******

  Steven checked his watch. Emily was taking way too long in the bathroom. Something was wrong. Surely she wouldn’t leave… His stomach knotted.

  “Sorry it took me so long.” Emily slid into her seat, and Steven decided he had better start breathing again. “I ran into Samantha.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Yes. She took one look at me and ran the other way.” A smile spread across her face. “So I followed her.”

  He stared at her. “What happened?”

  Emily picked up her fork. “I confronted her about her fights with William. Get this, she says she was repaying a loan and William wanted more money than she could afford.” She stabbed the air with her fork. “But Will never said anything to me about a loan. Why would he hide that? And all the while I was talking to her she was fidgeting and wouldn’t look me in the eye.”

  “Why would she say she was repaying a loan if she wasn’t?”

  Emily frowned. “I don’t know.” She reached over and started cutting Connor’s meat. “But I did pay attention to her feet.”

  Steven blinked, not knowing what she meant.

  “She wears at least a size nine.”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Emily trailed behind Steven as he walked through the hotel lobby with Connor tugging on his ha
nd.

  “And when I sat on his lap, he asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I said I wanted a tyrannosaurus rex, and he said that was a good idea, and I said I also wanted a train, and he said he would see what he could do.”

  Emily’s heart swelled as she watched Steven rumple Connor’s hair. Steven grinned, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled in that familiar way. She bit her lip and turned her gaze to the elevator. She didn’t want to think about how she felt when she was around Steven. He didn’t feel the same about her, and even if he did, she could never be with him. His reputation would be ruined if her past came out. She shook her head. What was she thinking? He couldn’t possibly have feelings for her.

  Steven lifted Connor up so he could push the elevator button. Once they were on the lift, Steven leaned close to Emily.

  “Is it all right if I help you get Connor ready for bed? I need to speak with you about something.”

  Her insides twisted up. “Sure.” She almost asked what he wanted, but decided she didn’t want to know. However, it only took a few minutes of dressing and brushing teeth before she closed Connor’s door and stood face to face with him in her suite.

  “Would you like to sit down?” She motioned to the small pull-out couch.

  “Thank you.” He sat on the edge of the seat. “How much money did Theodore Grant give you?”

  Emily took a deep breath. That was Steven; get to the point, and don’t beat around the bush. “I don’t know. Do you want me to count it?” She didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so sarcastic.

  “No, that’s not the point. There must have been several thousand dollars in there. Why is he giving you cash? And don’t tell me it’s to help pay for your attorney. I don’t buy it.” His eyes searched her face.

  She glanced down at the carpet. “I don’t know.” Deep down inside she knew it wasn’t for an attorney.

  Steven frowned. “He said you would know what to do with it. Sounds like he thinks you know what it’s for.”