by John Foxjohn
“I am a writer. I write novels.”
She cleared her throat. Almost as if someone had cut her heart out, Kayla continued. “I believe—you recently sold a manuscript to a big New York publisher for a large advance. Please tell the jury the title of the novel you sold.”
One look at his change of expression told everyone in the court that he knew where Kayla intended to go with her questions…Death at Midnight.
“Where did you get the idea for this novel?”
He tried to brazen his way through even though he had to know Kayla had the evidence. “I have worked on this novel for several years. I have re-written it several times to get it where I thought it should be.”
Marvin reached under the table, picked up a sack, and handed it to Kayla. She rose. “Your honor, the defense would like to place Michelle McCrery’s laptop into evidence.”
Judge Ballard banged his gavel several times to quiet the courtroom and Jimmy closed his eyes.
“Mr. Randall, have you seen or at any time had Michelle McCrery’s laptop in your possession?”
Jimmy almost yelled no, and Kayla wished he’d let this end. “If that is the case, how did Michelle McCrery have a manuscript on her laptop titled Death at Midnight, written word for word with the one you sold?”
He didn’t answer and still hesitated when Judge Ballard told him to answer the question.
His lips thinned to hard lines and he leaned forward. “I don’t know.”
“Have you ever been to Loren Estes’ home?”
“Yes, many times. She is a friend of mine.” His next words knifed through Kayla like a surgeon’s scalpel. “At least I know she was my friend.”
Kayla flashed back to the day she found out about the death of her parents. Jimmy had held her for hours, then and later. When she ran out of her home in hysterics after she discovered her husband in bed with Loren, she’d called Jimmy and he came running—always there for her. She blinked. Shivers swept through her again and it took minutes for her to regain her composure. One thing about Jimmy, he knew her too well—knew the exact words that would tear her insides out.
“Have you ever been inside Loren Estes’ car?”
“No, I have never been in her car.”
“Did you know that she left her garage door unlocked, her car unlocked, and kept a gun in her unlocked console?”
“No I did not. I didn’t even know she owned a gun.”
Marvin handed Kayla a sheet of paper. Without looking at it, she asked her next question. “Mr. Randall, if that is the case, how did your left thumb print end up on Loren Estes’ gun?”
Instead of answering, Jimmy turned to Ballard. “Don’t I have some rights?”
Before Ballard answered him, Kayla stood. “Your Honor, before you rule on the witness’s rights, I’d like to place into evidence a fingerprint card as well as two fingerprint experts’ affidavits on the match from the unidentified print on the murder weapon to that of Mr. Jimmy Randall.”
“So placed, Ms. Nugent.” Judge Ballard then recited the witness his rights and he, like Lieutenant Faraway, invoked the Fifth Amendment.
Before he left the witness stand, Jimmy asked Kayla, “Why’d you do this? I was your friend.”
“No, Jimmy, you’re wrong. You were not my friend. I was your friend. There’s a big difference. Friends don’t make calls threatening the other. Friends don’t attempt to kill the other.”
Kayla had remained sitting while she spoke. Now, she leaped to her feet, trembling, eyes blazing. “You’re the son-of-a-bitch that killed my cat.”
It took Marvin and Lester both to hold her back from charging the stand.
* * * *
At five-thirty, Kayla, with her small entourage, trooped out of the courthouse. She’d give her closing argument in the morning, but after today, the verdict was almost anticlimactic. When they reached the parking lot, they stopped by Sara Jane’s car.
Her friend caught her hand. “Have you heard from Darren?”
Kayla dropped her head. “No. I left a message but he hasn’t returned it.”
Sara Jane reached out and lifted Kayla’s chin. “He’ll call. No man is stupid enough not to call you.”
Kayla forced a smile. A few months ago, she’d have disagreed, but for the right man, she… She let out a long breath. Darren wasn’t the right man. He had the looks and she thought more, but he deserted her when she needed him. “I could care less if he calls me back or not.”
Sara Jane arched an eyebrow, obviously too polite to tell Kayla she was full of it. But she did tell the others, “I have an idea. Marinelli’s is a few blocks away. They have the best pasta in town and that’s Kayla’s favorite restaurant. We’re all too gloomy.”
To emphasize her point, she reached into her purse and brought out her cell phone. She called her husband and told him she’d be late. Marvin followed suit with his wife. Lester, who hadn’t said anything, beamed, “Do they have pizza?”
Kayla chuckled. “The best in town. You and I can clean them out of the all meats.”
Marvin said, “Um—I don’t think Lester needs any help.”
When the laughter died down, Kayla said, “It’s just a couple of blocks. Could we walk? I need to stretch my legs.”
Located in an old warehouse, Marinelli’s had excellent food, and as the group neared, the perfume of pasta, shrimp, and sauces enticed them.
As they hurried up the high wooden steps to the porch, Kayla realized that although the restaurant had great food, the ambiance may not be right for her mood. This wasn’t the best place to make her forget Darren, but she couldn’t tell the others she didn’t want to go there anymore.
After a short wait, the hostess led them to their table. Light glimmered off pearls and golden pendants. Sitting close, lovers touched in some form, holding hands, feet beside each other under the tables, and some kissing. Couples not eating sat gazing into each other’s eyes, and candle light shadows flickered and danced on high rafters in the ceiling.
As the group followed the hostess, all eyes seemed to track them to their table. Eating stopped, and others turned. Talking ceased. No one knew or recognized Lester and Mary Jane, although Lester’s size always brought attention, but Marvin had a familiar face. Everyone recognized Kayla’s—her face went with the trial of the century played out on their TV’s. She’d never been more aware of the celebrity status the trial brought than at that moment.
When the waiter set hot bread and butter along with a large glass of water for each, steam rose from focaccia bread, a Marinelli’s staple. Before looking at the menus, they tore off huge hunks and spread masses of creamy garlic butter on it.
Before Kayla could take a bite, the hostess interrupted, asking if she was Kayla Nugent.
She frowned and hesitated. “Yes, I am.”
“You have a call on the house phone. They said it was urgent.”
Kayla pointed a finger at herself. “I have a phone call? No one knows I’m here.”
“He said he was your father.”
Kayla hesitated and rose. She laid her napkin down. “Will you all excuse me for a moment?”
As she followed the hostess to the front, Marvin and Sara Jane exchanged a glance. Marvin took his glasses off and bit on one of the earpieces. “McMasters doesn’t call himself Kayla’s father.”
Lester lunged from the table, turning his chair over. The woman at the table next to him screamed as the bodyguard sprinted toward the front.
* * * *
Kayla accepted the phone from the smiling woman behind the counter. “Thank you.”
Her brow furrowed when she put the phone to her ear. This didn’t make sense. No one knew she was here. “This is Kayla Nugent.”
She tilted her head when the phone clicked in her ear. She handed it back. “They hung up.” She froze for a second at the woman’s startled expression, then spun around.
Jimmy stood ten feet from her with an angry snarl. Her gaze fastened on the huge gun pointing at her.
Someone yelled behind Jimmy and he jerked his head around, spotted Lester bearing down on him, and twisted back to Kayla.
His eyes narrowed and she couldn’t move. Like in an old B-rated movie, everything slowed down in her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, something flashed toward her.
Pain exploded in her side. Hot liquid splashed on her face as a force knocked her down.
THIRTY-TWO
After a cold shower to help clear his head of the whiskey he foolishly drank, Darren changed clothes, then called the airlines and cancelled his flight. He might leave soon, but not before speaking with Kayla. While he was at it, he had a thing or two to say to McMasters.
He drove to the courthouse and parked in the side lot. As he hurried around to the front, he spotted a group walking down the street. They were too far away to make out who they were, except for Lester, no doubt about him. Where Lester was, anyone could bet Kayla was close by.
He hesitated, debating to follow them on foot or in his car. Deciding on the car, he jogged back. He lost sight of them when they turned left, but he sped up and caught a glimpse of Marvin as they entered a restaurant.
He idled in the parked car for several minutes. He wanted and needed to talk to Kayla, but he didn’t want to intrude on their get-together. He opened his door and stood outside, leaning on the car, rubbing his hands together.
He thought about calling, and even reached for his cell phone, but put it back.
The aromas floating from the restaurant made his stomach grumble, reminding him he hadn’t eaten all day. As he brushed the seat of his pants off, he froze. What was Jimmy doing there?
His showing up to the restaurant where Kayla and her group just entered pushed the odds way past astronomical.
As Jimmy strolled into the building, Darren hurried out of the parking lot, but had to stop at the street because of traffic. He needed to hurry, but the damn flood gates seemed to burst and a steady stream of cars blocked him.
At last, he darted in front of a car and sprinted across. He paid no attention to the honking horn, burning rubber, and squealing tires.
He jogged up the steps, instinctively reaching for his gun to make sure he had it. At the top, he hesitated and didn’t draw it. All he needed was to pull a gun he legally shouldn’t have, rush into a crowded restaurant with it, to find out Jimmy went in to go to the bathroom.
The hostess smiled and greeted him. His gaze swept the foyer and stopped.
Across the room, Jimmy stood by a large potted plant with just his profile to Darren and talked on his cell phone. Darren couldn’t hear him, but told the hostess he needed to wait on someone and edged closer.
What was this guy up to? Darren didn’t believe in coincidences.
Nothing about this made sense and he didn’t believe he was overreacting. His pulse hammered in his temples. Hollowness formed in his stomach to go along with his parched throat.
As long as Jimmy didn’t come near Kayla, he didn’t need to worry.
When Darren didn’t think his heart could pound any faster, Kayla hurried to the counter behind a restaurant employee. When the employee handed her the phone, all the pieces snapped together in Darren’s mind.
Across the room from both Kayla and Jimmy, he could never make it in time.
He lunged, knocking a man aside as Jimmy brought the gun up. Kayla froze. He’d waited too long to make his move.
When someone yelled, Jimmy jerked his attention away from Kayla. Darren said a quick prayer. He might make it. His only chance was to knock Kayla out of the way.
He left his feet in a long dive—hoping. As he struck Kayla, a fast car exploded into him.
Knocked backwards, his back slammed against the wooden counter. He blinked and refocused as Lester grabbed Jimmy and slammed down on his gun arm.
Bones snapping and screams echoed in Darren’s head. At least Kayla was safe.
His vision blurred and he fought to stay, but everything faded to zero.
* * * *
A scream tore from Kayla’s throat as she crashed to the floor.
The boom of the gun rocketed in her ears.
Her vision blurred, and bright lights exploded inside her head. All noise and bedlam around her stopped.
Someone shook her shoulder and she snapped her eyes open. What had happened? Jimmy. He’d shot her. She tried rising, but someone held her shoulder. She turned her head as Sara Jane wiped her face. Marvin knelt beside her.
She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out at first, like someone poured sand down her throat. “What happened?”
Sara Jane brushed hair out of Kayla’s eyes. “He hit you hard, but definitely saved your life.”
Kayla arched an eyebrow and caught Sara Jane’s hand. “What?”
“Darren. He saved your life.”
Kayla blinked. The scene played out in her head. The phone call, Jimmy with the gun, Lester charging him. The shot and blood splattering her face.
She shook her head. “Darren wasn’t here.”
Even as they told her what Darren had done, she remembered the blur of movement out of the corner of her eye right before Jimmy shot, and the hot liquid splattering her face. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God. Was Darren shot?”
* * * *
As the ambulance sped away with Darren, Kayla decided she needed to stop going to restaurants. The last two times, someone tried to kill her.
She drooped in a chair while a female EMT checked her over, and Sara Jane washed blood off her face. She had trouble breathing and her side hurt. Besides that, she seemed okay, thanks to Darren. He had saved her life twice, now. “Please tell me Darren is going to be okay. Please.”
The EMT removed the blood pressure cuff from her arm. “He’ll be okay. They’ll take good care of him. Now, for you, I think all you have is bruised ribs. We need to take you to the hospital for X-rays to make sure.”
Kayla shook her head. “No, I’m going to the hospital but not in an ambulance, and not for a check. I’m okay.”
“Ma’am, I said I think all you have is bruised ribs. I’m not a doctor and only X-rays can tell. There could be serious problems if you have broken ribs. You need to be checked out.”
Marvin pushed his glasses up. “I think she’s right. You can let them do the X-rays and still be with Darren.”
“Marvin has a point,” Sara Jane said. “They are going to be working on Darren for a while. You won’t be able to see him, anyway.” She brushed soaked hair away from Kayla’s face. “Let’s be smart about this.”
Kayla thought for a second. “Okay, but I’m not going in an ambulance.”
“We walked here. You can’t walk all the way back to our cars,” Marvin said.
The EMT evidently believed Kayla meant it because she reached into her bag, brought out a release form and had Kayla sign it.
Lester, whom the police took off to the side to get his account of what happened, lumbered up to the group. “I didn’t hurt Jimmy bad, but I should have.”
Marvin took his glasses off, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and replaced them. “Is he in ICU? If not, you didn’t hurt him enough.”
Kayla reached up and caught the big man’s hand. “Lester, thank you for saving my life. If you hadn’t yelled I wouldn’t be alive now.” She squeezed his hand and Lester blushed.
Kayla regretted the decision to walk back to the cars. Marvin and Lester had volunteered to go back and pick her up, but no, she had to be Ms. Macho. Now, a knife stabbed ribs with every step. Dumb.
By the time they reached the car, she had trouble breathing.
At the hospital, the X-rays didn’t show any breaks, and she’d hate to have one if only a bruise hurt like this.
Kayla collapsed in a seat in the waiting room, Sara Jane perched on one side of her, and Lester the other. A clock hung within her sight but it obviously didn’t work because the hand didn’t move, or so it seemed. She stood and paced the room for a while, then sat.
Twir
ling her thumbs didn’t help anything, and she picked up a magazine, but it didn’t have any articles she wanted to read. She replaced it with another, flipped through it and put it down.
As time crawled by, Sara Jane patted her hand. “He’ll be up and around in a few days. They said at the restaurant that the bullet went all the way through the muscle on the top of his shoulder. I tell you, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
Before Kayla could respond, a doctor came out. “Is Kayla Nugent here?”
Kayla jumped up and hurried to him, the others following. “I’m Kayla Nugent. Is Darren okay?”
The doctor smiled. “Yes, I recognized you. Mr. Duval is resting comfortably. Although there was a good deal of blood loss, the wound is fairly minor. As a matter of fact, the bruising will more than likely give him more problems than the actual wound.”
Marvin asked, “Why would he be bruised?”
“Traveling at the speeds they do, bullets create tremendous energy. As a matter of fact, a bullet just coming close can cause bruising.”
Kayla touched the doctor’s arm. “Can I see him now?”
He hesitated and looked at the others. “Just you and only for a minute or two. I gave him a sedative and he’ll be out soon.”
When Kayla eased through the door, Darren had his eyes closed and she thought she’d got there too late, but his eyes popped open.
He motioned for her to come in. His lips and throat moved but nothing came out at first. He tried again, “Are you okay?”
Kayla shifted from foot to foot, not knowing what to do with her hands. Should she hold his, or what? She crossed her arms. “I should ask you that.”
“Uh-huh, I hurt, but I’m going to be okay. What happened to Jimmy?”
“Lester grabbed Jimmy right after you pushed me out of the way. He broke his arm and several ribs. Lester held him until the police got there.”
“Actually, he should’ve broken his neck.” He motioned her toward him. She hesitated, but edged closer. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you during the last part of the trial.”
