Shattered Dreams

by Loyd, Sandy

  She stood as well. “I only hope I didn’t make things worse for Claire.”

  “You told the truth, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He offered her a grin. “Then you have nothing to worry about. The lies are what trip people up.”

  • • •

  After questioning two others, Jason said his good-byes and headed for his car. Except for what he learned about Gwen Anderson’s phone call, the past hour was a total waste. Still, he wasn’t about to leave any stone unturned. He’d have Jimbo check into their alibis.

  Jimbo could also follow up on the phone call. It might be Claire’s salvation—if she told the truth, if the timing was right, and if Claire didn’t have the call forwarded. A lot of ifs. But still promising.

  Jason headed west toward the Everglades for the second time that day. Twenty miles later, he pulled off the main highway onto a dirt road, driving at least a mile through ground that quickly became swampier. Why his investigator liked to live with alligators and snakes was beyond him.

  He parked the car and let his gaze wander as he climbed out and walked cautiously to the door. Just because he didn’t see any of the reptiles didn’t mean they weren’t lurking, waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting soul. And Jason had no intention of being that unlucky bastard.

  “Why the hell do you live so far out?” he asked, pushing past Jimbo once he answered the door.

  “Quiet out here,” Jimbo drawled. “Reminds me of Texas.”

  “Texas? Your backyard’s a freakin’ swamp, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Houston’s tropical. They got a few bayous around.”

  “That’s why you like it out here in the boonies? It reminds you of Houston?”

  “No. It’s quiet. I like quiet. Hate noise. Especially city noise.” Jimbo stopped, eyeing him thoughtfully. “You’ve been here before and never complained. What’s got you so riled?”

  “Nothing. Hell, everything!” Jason followed Jimbo into the kitchen.

  “You want a beer?”

  “Just water,” Jason said. “I need a clear head, so a beer’ll have to wait till I get home and can hit a wall.”

  “Take it things didn’t go well in Key Largo?” Jimbo opened the refrigerator door and rooted through it, pulling out a soft drink and Jason’s water.

  “Snyder’s out for blood. I just spent a good part of the day fielding blows.”

  Jason let out a disgusted snort and grabbed the bottle Jimbo handed him. He uncapped it, took a hefty swig, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he’d drunk half of it. Filled with pent-up nervous energy, he paced Jimbo’s Mexican tile floor.

  “Seems Claire’s been less than candid with me, and he’s come up with a decent motive. You better work fast, or we’ll be fending off blows for your precious Crystal too.”

  “Working on it. What happened with Snyder?”

  Jason spent a moment expounding on Carl’s antics before he died, all that Claire hadn’t bothered to tell him, and how Snyder now believed Crystal was part of it.

  Jimbo shook his head in disbelief. “Hell, I can see why you’re pissed. I’m digging as fast as I can, but I’ll dig faster.”

  “While you’re at it, check out Claire’s phone calls on the night in question. I’m surprised Snyder hasn’t done it.”

  “Oh?”

  “Gwen Anderson says she spent an hour talking to her. If we can substantiate that and the time is right, Claire couldn’t have driven to Key Largo and back. Gwen’s phone call might be the break we’re looking for. An alibi.”

  “I’ll get right on it. Take it you didn’t tell Snyder about Elise yet?” He glanced at Jason. When he shook his head, Jimbo added, “I’m wondering if the killer even knows. Blows Snyder’s theory the two sisters were the only ones to see him alive after his disappearance. Plus, Crystal’s got a fairly airtight alibi.”

  “You checked it out?”

  “Yeah. She was at a benefit dinner. Ended well after midnight. Talked to several people who saw her at different times.”

  Jason absorbed this information and kept his gaze on the bottle he brought to his lips. He took a drink as his thoughts shifted back to earlier this afternoon.

  “Snyder wants to give both Claire and Crystal lie-detector tests,” he said, letting his fingers trail the condensation on the bottle. He wiped the droplets off before meeting Jimbo’s curious gaze.

  “Could get him off our back,” Jimbo mused.

  “It could seal their fate, if either is lying. What if they’re in on it together?”

  “They’re not. Besides, it’ll strengthen their alibis. You know, the phone call and the benefit. Then we pull out the big guns and tell him about Elise.”

  Jason shook his head. “Claire could’ve covered for Crystal at the benefit and then been home to receive Gwen’s call.”

  “Go for the lie-detector test. They didn’t kill Carter.”

  “You’re so sure? Just like that you tell me I should put their lives on the line? Haven’t you been listening?”

  “You wanna know your problem?” Jimbo asked. When Jason’s eyebrows shot up, he grunted. “Too cynical. Been defending lowlifes too long. After a while, you start believing everyone’s bullshitting you.” He finished off his drink in one long swallow before he crushed the can and tossed it in the recycle bin. “Elise really did a number on you.”

  “My relationship with Elise has nothing to do with this. And as far as dealing with clients, I only look for motivation.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “What does that mean?” Jason fought to keep the outrage out of his voice, but it still rose.

  “Elise has everything to do with this.” Jimbo snorted, catching his gaze with an intent stare. “You forget, old buddy, I was there. I saw how you reacted, and saw how she reacted to your reaction.”

  Jason’s jaw clenched as irritation streaked up his spine. “Why are we discussing my ex?”

  “Because you’re handling this exactly as you handled her affair. Rather than address your part, you buried yourself in work. Shut her out.”

  “I can’t believe this shit,” he shot back, beginning to pace again. “Where do you get off analyzing me or my marriage?”

  “Just stating the facts as I see them.”

  “The facts?” Jason spat out. “You’re condoning her behavior?” he asked, not bothering to hide his increasing annoyance. “She cheated on me. Broke her vows. Not once, but several times.”

  “I’m not condoning anything. She was begging for attention when she got involved with Rich.”

  Jason’s spine stiffened at the mention of Rich Wilkens, his former partner. He halted in mid-stride and met Jimbo’s gaze. The fuming glare he flashed did nothing to stop his investigator from continuing.

  “Even I could see it. But once she screwed up, literally, you couldn’t deal with it or the fact that she’s human, made a human error. You pushed her away even further, and she retaliated. Don’t make the same mistake with Claire.”

  “I don’t see the connection,” Jason said, quickly losing his patience with this conversation. “I don’t believe our earlier talk has given you permission to dissect my life.”

  “That’s bullshit. You’re upset because your perfect Claire lied by omission. Instead of understanding why, which you do so well with all your other clients, you’re quick to paint her as guilty. Big turnaround from last night.” Jimbo shrugged. “Wondering why, is all.”

  “Because she did lie.” He broke eye contact and waved a hand in the air to brush Jimbo’s insights aside. “What if she’s guilty?”

  “She’s not. And neither is Crystal.”

  “I wish I had your faith.” Jason sighed and rubbed his temples to ease the building headache.

  “You’re lookin’ at this all wrong, Roberts.”

  “Really? How should I be looking at it?”

  “From my perspective.”

  “Your perspective? You’re joking, right?” Jason gulped the last o
f the water and recapped the bottle, then placed it on the counter. “This from a man whose longest relationship imploded after six months. And now you’re a freaking font of advice.”

  He turned and headed for the living room, hoping to end the conversation, but Jimbo followed. Jason plopped onto the sofa and cringed when that slow, lazy voice started in on him again.

  “Yes, I am. And you wanna know why? Because I learn from my mistakes.” When Jason snorted, Jimbo said, “Go ahead and scoff. You didn’t see those pictures. They told a strong story that turned out to be a false impression. The picture the killer has created is solid too. But is it real? Do you honestly believe Claire killed him with Crystal’s help?”

  “Damn it all,” Jason murmured, wanting more than anything to latch onto the glimmer of hope that welled inside him at his friend’s words. “There’s a lot of evidence against them.”

  “So? Who told me not to believe everything I see? Those two sisters may be aggravating, but are they killers? Part sinner, part saint, maybe.” Jimbo shrugged. “That’s in all of us. Crystal’s one bitchy woman, but she’s not a killer. And neither is Claire. I’d bet my life on it.”

  “No one ever knows anyone well enough to determine that.”

  “I do. And if you’d drop that cynicism, so would you.”

  Jason glowered at him. “Are we back to that?”

  How could Jim O’Malley be giving him a lecture on being a cynic, especially since the guy had been a doubting Thomas not more than a week ago? Besides, Jason’s career did give him an edge; his cynicism was earned. He saw people as they really were, and he waded through a lot of bullshit to see it.

  “You really think you’re an authority?”

  Jimbo scowled at him. “Don’t give me that look. I have faith, and deep down, I know Crystal. I’ve seen her fight hard to keep families from self-destructing in some of her divorce cases. On the surface, she acts like she doesn’t give a shit. But when dig deeper, you find a woman who cares. More than most. She’d also think stabbing’s too light a sentence for old Carl.” He grinned and winked. “Knowin’ her, she’d cut off his balls and send ’em to your ex.”

  Jason laughed; he couldn’t help himself when Jimbo spoke the truth. About everything. Still, he wasn’t able to let go entirely.

  “But what if Claire did it and called Crystal for help?”

  “Are you so afraid of believing in someone again? Of listening to your heart?” Jimbo shook his head while his expression took on a look of impatience. “If so, you don’t deserve her. Admit it. She’s gotten under your skin, deeper than a chigger, and you’re scared shitless.”

  “Are you through analyzing? For a guy who doesn’t say much, suddenly I can’t shut you up.”

  “I’ve said my piece.”

  “You’re sure?” Jason waited with eyebrows lifted and Jimbo only snorted. “Good, ’cause the way I see it, we’ve still got some evidence to tear apart. Snyder’s not going to drop it so easily, even after Claire and Crystal do pass their lie-detector tests.”

  “Piece of cake.” Jimbo grinned. “We just tear holes in all of Snyder’s theories, one by one. Someone wants us to think Claire and Crystal were working together and supposedly were the last to see him alive, right?” Jason nodded. “They also found substances in her house, made it look as if the two drugged Carl and took him to the hotel room to throw off suspicion. That same someone saw Carl alive before he or she killed him, and has to be close by. I’d bet my last dollar he or she knows nothing about your ex being there earlier. So, all we gotta do is find out who that someone is.”

  “Piece of cake.” Jason glanced at his watch and grunted. “I gotta go meet the girls. Elise is dropping them off. You coming?”

  “Right behind you, old buddy. I’m still reviewing Crystal’s files, so I’m curious as to what Elise has to say about old Carl. Maybe she’ll have an idea of who our someone is.”

  “Maybe. After we talk to her, I’ll tell Snyder about her involvement.”

  “Should be interesting.” Jimbo rubbed his hands together. “He’ll probably shit a brick.”

  “Let’s not get too confident. There are a multitude of unanswered questions.” Jason started for the door. “Oh yeah. I want you to check on the alibis of a few people in the office. Amy Denton was with a couple of friends at a restaurant, and Gwen Anderson had a date. Talk to those involved.” He held out a list of names and numbers. “Make sure none are lying.” If anyone could snoop or cajole people into getting caught up in lies, it was Jimbo.

  “Why?”

  “Gut feeling. It’s probably nothing. Snyder’s thorough, but we need to be more than thorough.”

  Chapter 43

  While Claire baked, her mind spun, weaving out of control with thoughts she couldn’t shake. How had she gone from being loved by all those around her to becoming a pariah?

  Her heart hurt. Would the pain ever go away? She felt so alone. Was this how Crystal had felt after her accident? Was this how Crystal had felt about Jim O’Malley? If so, she understood her twin’s behavior a little more.

  Claire desperately wanted Jason to believe in her despite the evidence. The fact that he didn’t hurt her deeply. If this was how love felt, she could do without, thank you very much.

  Carl had never made her feel this bad, and now she knew why. He’d never really had the power to hurt her. She’d always kept him at an emotional distance in order to live with him. It was probably the reason she’d been able to put up with him for so long. Oh, she’d loved him at one time, but she’d walled up her heart on her wedding day, she suddenly realized in a burst of insight. Subconsciously, she’d always believed in Crystal’s innocence. Just couldn’t face it.

  Regret the size of a grapefruit formed in her throat. Why hadn’t she protected her heart against Jason too? Men were such disappointments.

  As the buzzer sounded, she sighed and picked up a hot pad. Once she placed the brownies out to cool, Claire headed for the living room and turned on the television to drown out her thoughts.

  Oh God! There it was! Live on the news at five, in living color from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, was her departure with Jason. She cringed inwardly at how guilty she looked, running like a scared rabbit. The whole world now thought she killed Carl.

  According to the press, both she and Crystal were as guilty as if they’d already been convicted. Was it true what they said about her twin? Had Crystal hated her enough to set her up? Or was she as much a victim as Claire?

  Claire’s head pounded and nausea rose up. She hit the remote, killing the television picture, and went over to the window to peek out. Reporters still milled about outside her house, vultures waiting for their prey to weaken.

  Surely she’d died and gone straight to hell. Only she couldn’t believe that because Claire had always tried to live a good life. She didn’t kick animals or hate children. The way the press tore her to pieces, she might have been the devil incarnate. She closed her blinds, shutting out the world and all of her troubles.

  When the doorbell sounded a few minutes later, Claire hurried to answer it.

  “Thank God you came. I’m going crazy, feeling trapped in my own house.”

  “I told you to calm down,” Crystal said as she stormed into the room, a defending army of one who had a secret weapon. “I take it you haven’t started in on the brownies yet?”

  “I was waiting for you.” Following her sister toward her kitchen, Claire smiled for the first time in several hours. “I think they’re cool enough now.”

  She spent a few minutes cutting the dessert into squares. Once she’d placed half on a plate and the rest in a Ziploc bag, she turned to Crystal.

  “Milk?” When she nodded, Claire poured two glasses.

  With the brownies and her glass of milk in hand, Crystal walked toward the French doors. “It’s depressing as hell in here. Let’s go out on the patio.”

  “Can’t. Reporters are stationed on the other side of the canal.”

&
nbsp; “All the more reason. We need to blow ’em off.”

  “I’ve been working on being gutsy, but I don’t know if I have it in me to brave a final exam yet.”

  “You do.” Crystal laughed, swung open the doors, and stormed outside. “Just follow my lead. I’m well past the point of being gutsy. Got my PhD in bitchiness years ago.”

  “I’d still like to take a few more lessons.” Claire hesitated and looked across the water.

  “Jumping in is the best way to deal. Trust me on this.”

  “Easy for you to say.” Claire watched her twin place the milk and the plate of brownies on the table, thinking that Crystal did have a warrior-going-into-battle look about her. “After all, you’ve got a PhD.”

  “Come on,” Crystal urged, pulling out a chair. She plopped into it, put her feet up on another, and bit into a brownie. “You have me to hold your hand so you won’t sink. It’s a matter of what you’re comfortable with. Once you do it a few times and survive, you realize it’s not so hard.”

  Claire stepped out onto the patio. The muggy heat hit her, but the breeze off the water helped. She ignored the movement across the canal and sat down.

  “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Crystal winked. “The best part is, no one knows who’s who,” her sister said, then shot her a glance. “So, what’s going on? Why are you so depressed?”

  Claire sighed. “They call me the black widow. I have at least fifty reporters outside my house who think I’m guilty as sin for stabbing my lying, cheating husband to death. Isn’t that enough?”

  “Good point.” Crystal picked up another brownie and started to nibble. “They don’t have all the facts.” Her head indicated the other side of the water. “What’s more, they don’t know you, so why do you care what they think?”

  Claire contemplated her sister’s perspective while examining the brownie in her hand. Finally, she sighed. “Jason.”

  “Ah!” When Claire didn’t add anything, Crystal prodded, “And?”

  “He thinks I did it.”

  “He does not.”