by Kara Lennox
“That’s criminal,” Griffin said fiercely. “You were a grieving young widow, you’d just lost everything, and they kicked you to the curb?”
“It all seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.”
“Well, it’s not reasonable. Why do you give them the time of day? I’d have hung up on the woman when she called today.”
“Julia must be devastated. I can’t turn my back on that. Anyway, they’re Jason’s parents. Whatever their faults, he loved them. I will treat them with respect to honor him.”
Raleigh could tell she hadn’t justified her actions in Griffin’s eyes. His lips were firmed into an angry line.
“Okay, so maybe I agreed to see them tonight because I’m a little curious. Part of me keeps hoping they’ll have had a change of heart, that they’ll realize how harsh they were, and reconsider.”
Raleigh didn’t really believe that would happen. But hope sprang eternal.
“It’ll be a quick visit,” she said, hoping to nudge Griffin out of his disapproving mood. “I’ll find out what John wants, wish him a speedy recovery, and get the hell out of there.”
A muscle jumped in Griffin’s jaw.
“They can’t take anything else from me,” she said in a low voice. “If they could expunge Jason’s memories from my brain, they’d probably do that. But they can’t.”
“Judging from what they’ve already done…I wouldn’t underestimate them.”
GRIFFIN COULDN’T DENY his own curiosity about Raleigh’s in-laws. They sounded like greedy, horrible people to him. The research Griffin had done so far indicated that John Shinn was a vicious corporate attorney who specialized in victimizing ailing companies. He had a knack for keeping them out of bankruptcy while he lined his pockets, eventually leaving behind an empty shell of a business.
Julia was a prototypical corporate wife who filled her days with charity work, clubs, and weekly trips to a pricey salon. She was often mentioned as a cracker-jack fund-raiser, a good administrator on the boards of a dozen charities.
No one mentioned her warmth or her humor or her kindness or compassion, which suggested to Griffin that she lacked those attributes.
As Randall pulled their car into the hospital parking lot, Griffin spotted a Channel 6 news van, and his internal antenna flickered to life.
“Wonder what that’s about?” Raleigh asked, sounding not that interested.
Randall got out first and opened Raleigh’s door while Griffin let himself out and marched ahead, curious about the TV van but not wanting to show it.
He reached the edge of the small group of curious onlookers. A male reporter had a microphone stuck in the face of an attractive older woman. Attractive meaning well put together—perfect clothes, salon-fresh hair, long, polished nails. But she looked too “well preserved” in Griffin’s book, a hard woman with a too-thin, rigid body, stiff hair and a fake, toothy smile.
The reporter, Griffin realized with a start, was Paul Stratton. And the woman…oh, hell, Griffin recognized her from pictures he’d seen.
Randall and Raleigh caught up with him. “Are you coming with us or—” Raleigh cut herself off. “Oh, my God. That’s her.”
“I know.”
“His condition is stable,” Julia Shinn was saying to the TV camera, with just the right catch in her voice. “I have every belief he’ll come through the surgery with flying colors. John is a fighter. And he’ll fight the charges against him. He’s innocent, and we intend to prove it.”
Griffin gauged Raleigh’s response; she looked as surprised as he was.
“We should get out of this open area.” Randall stood behind them, holding the small flower arrangement Raleigh had insisted she had to buy on the way to the hospital. He was always unfailingly polite with his requests, but the authority in his voice made everyone—even Griffin—want to do exactly as he asked.
“Let’s go,” Raleigh said to Griffin. “Before Julia—”
“Raleigh, there you are!” Julia practically shrieked. She ran over and threw her arms around Raleigh. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She released Raleigh and faced the camera, which had quickly swiveled to follow the action. “This is my daughter-in-law, Raleigh.”
Raleigh, probably accustomed to TV cameras, quickly schooled the shock from her face.
“Raleigh Shinn, from Project Justice,” Paul said for his viewers’ benefit. “Do you have any comment regarding the fraud charges against your father-in-law?”
“No comment. I’m not here in any professional capacity.” She deftly turned and allowed Randall to usher her away from the cameras.
“I’ll catch up in a minute,” Griffin murmured to her as she brushed past him.
“Thanks, Mrs. Shinn, for the interview,” Paul said in his kindest, most compassionate voice.
“I’m happy to talk more once my husband’s health has improved,” Julia said. “We have nothing to hide.” She followed the same path Raleigh and Randall had taken.
That was when Paul glanced over and caught sight of Griffin. He wandered over, wearing a frown, as his crew began packing up their equipment. “I might have known I’d find you here. Looking for crumbs?”
“In all honesty, Paul, I’m not here as a reporter. I’m visiting a sick friend.” His words sounded phony even to Griffin. “What the hell is going on?”
Paul shrugged theatrically. “It’ll be on the ten-o’clock news.”
“C’mon, Paul, just tell me. It’s not my kind of story.”
Paul seemed to consider, then finally dropped his guard. “You’ll hear about it soon enough. John Shinn is facing federal charges—embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion. Got caught bilking his own law partners for millions. Rumor has it he’s some kind of gambling addict.”
Griffin wondered how the Shinns’ sudden financial woes might play into the threats against Raleigh. If the Shinns suddenly found themselves short on funds, it might make sense that they would try some ploy to bleed more out of Raleigh. As if they hadn’t taken enough from her.
But what was their ultimate plan? Would they get the life insurance benefits if Raleigh was in jail? If they had money woes, they wouldn’t deposit twenty grand in Raleigh’s account…unless they were sure of getting it back after it had done its job, making it appear Raleigh had taken a bribe.
He burned every time he thought about anyone trying to hurt her.
Funny, only a few days ago he’d wanted to nail Raleigh Shinn to the wall. Now, he was protecting her, and not strictly for the sake of his story. She’d gotten under his skin, and he’d better be careful or he would lose all objectivity.
“Thanks, Paul.”
“You owe me one.”
“You’re going to recommend me for the Channel 6 anchor job, remember?”
Paul flashed a grin. “That’s right.”
When hell froze over.
Griffin caught up with Raleigh and Randall in the hospital lobby, where Julia was talking animatedly to them.
“I’m holding up as well as could be expected,” she said melodramatically.
Raleigh made quick introductions to Griffin and Randall, describing them as “friends.”
Julia eyed them both with a speculative gleam in her, then nodded. “Pleased to meet you,” she said curtly, then returned her attention to Raleigh. “Well, I’m sure you want to see John.” She hustled them toward the elevator. “Seeing you will cheer him up. You’ve always been such a favorite of his.”
She spoke too loudly for a hospital setting—in case other reporters were lurking around, Griffin was willing to bet.
The elevator doors opened onto the fifth floor, which housed the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. As soon as they all got off, Julia leveled her gaze at the two men. “This is a private family moment,” she said. “I’m sure you understand.”
Randall nodded deferentially. “Of course.”
Though Griffin dearly wanted to listen to the conversation that went on between Raleigh and her father-in-law, the hospital staff probably
wouldn’t allow him in, since he wasn’t family. So he didn’t push.
Raleigh gave him a nod. “I shouldn’t be long.”
“Take your time.” He watched as Julia led Raleigh around the nurses’ station toward one of the ICU cubicles, which were all made of glass so the nurses could monitor the patients visually as well as through the various machines they were hooked up to.
As soon as the women were out of earshot, Griffin met Randall’s gaze.
“That was interesting,” Randall said.
Griffin could see all three Shinns through the glass. It appeared Julia was doing most of the talking. Raleigh’s back was to Griffin, but her body language said it all. She was angry.
Griffin felt himself bristling like a porcupine. Every cell in his body urged him to barge into the cubicle and rescue her.
But common sense prevailed. First, the nurses would stop him from getting anywhere near their patient. Second, Raleigh was not a woman who typically needed rescuing. She might be angry, but she could take care of herself. She was no longer that scared young widow, paralyzed with grief.
Stick it to ’em, Raleigh. He hoped she wouldn’t take any crap from them just because they were in a bad situation at the moment.
RALEIGH COULD NOT believe her ears. “The family should stand together? Is that what you just said?”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Julia stared at Raleigh as if she were insane. “Is something wrong with that?”
“Where was all this family solidarity when Jason died, Julia? I tried my best to draw close to you. I thought Jason’s death might at least bring us all together. But you wanted nothing to do with me.”
“Now, Raleigh,” John said in a placating tone, “I’m sure it must have seemed that way to you. But you were oversensitive at that time in your life, and you tended to take everything we said or did the wrong way.”
“There is no way I could misinterpret the words murderer and gold digger, which is what you called me.”
“Now, Raleigh, don’t get worked up,” Julia said in a patronizing tone.
“You could pull that crap when I was young and terrified, but not now. You always thought I was toxic to your son. But the night he died convinced you once and for all. You said I killed him.”
“Now, honey,” John said. “We might have overreacted some, too. Losing our only child was a terrible blow.”
“Yes, but you didn’t seem to realize it was a blow to me, too,” Raleigh said quietly. “You did your level best to sever every connection Jason and I had. You turned our friends against me, you took every material possession we owned together, and you evicted me from the apartment we shared.”
“That was a financial decision by the trustee—”
Raleigh held up her hand. “Save it. I’m not going to argue with you, John, not while you’re lying in ICU. You want me to tell the press we’re chummy, and I’m not going to do it—because I don’t lie. Anything else?”
Julia folded her arms. “Humph. You’ve changed, Raleigh. Who’s putting these mean-spirited thoughts in your head? Is it a new boyfriend? One of those you’re with, perhaps?”
“They’re just friends. And it might surprise you that I am capable of independent thought.”
“I should have known it was a waste of time being civil to you,” Julia muttered. “You always were a common little thing, and you haven’t changed a bit.”
The name-calling didn’t bother Raleigh. She was actually enjoying this verbal matching of wits with her mother-in-law. For once, she was holding her own. It was easy, once she started thinking of the Shinns as hostile witnesses.
She decided to go on the offensive. “So was the twenty thousand a test? Did you want to see if I’d run out and spend it on a vacation in the Riviera?”
Julia and John exchanged wary glances. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Julia said.
“Sure you do. Swiss bank accounts aren’t completely anonymous. Not for those who know the right people.”
She’d hit her mark. Julia looked downright scared. “I think it’s time you left.”
“Gladly. John, for what it’s worth, I do hope the surgery goes well for you and you make a complete recovery. Because I want you in perfect health when I see you prosecuted for defamation and issuing threats.”
“Now, see here—”
Raleigh turned and left just as a nurse was coming in. “What are you doing in here? You’ve upset Mr. Shinn. His blood pressure—”
“I’m leaving.”
Griffin was waiting for her near the nurses’ station. “How’d it go?” he asked cheerfully.
She couldn’t meet his gaze. “God forgive me, I just baited a gravely ill man.”
“What?”
She didn’t say anything else until they were all on the elevator. “They’re facing embezzlement charges, and they were trying to play the family-solidarity card.”
“Paul Stratton told me everything. Your father-in-law is in big trouble. Dipping into the till at his own law firm. Hiding assets. Probably tax evasion and fraud, as well. In short, the rest of his natural life in the state pen.”
“Good heavens. I knew he was ruthless, but…no matter what he’s done, I shouldn’t have argued with him. I made his blood pressure go up. I could have killed him.”
“You ask me, he had it coming. They invited you, remember? They baited you first. They’re the ones who wanted you to pretend to be something you’re not. You simply responded in kind.”
“I enjoyed it a little too much.”
“C’mon, Raleigh, stop beating yourself up. They’re horrible people.”
“Hard to believe someone as wonderful as Jason could have come from such parents.” Raleigh waited until they were in the parking lot before she told Griffin and Randall about how they reacted to the mention of a Swiss bank account. “Of course they played ignorant, but they looked scared.”
“So you think they’re behind it all?”
She sighed. “I just don’t know. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. If they’re trying to cozy up to me, they wouldn’t want me accused of ethics violations or anything else.”
“Unless we’re just not seeing the big picture. Did they mention the life insurance?”
“Not a word.”
So Griffin had guessed wrong. What was he missing here?
They said little on the drive back toward downtown. Randall drove them straight to Raleigh’s apartment and into the garage, using the key card she’d provided.
“Are you in for the evening?” Randall asked. “Do you need me to pick up some dinner, or groceries?”
“I’m good,” she said, sounding cross and not meaning to.
“Is something wrong?” Griffin asked.
“I’m sorry. It’s just the stress. I’m not used to depending on anyone. Since Jason died, I’ve worked very hard to become independent. So it feels odd having a chauffeur-slash-bodyguard escort me everywhere.” She nodded toward Griffin. “And my very own paparazzo.”
“It’s only for a short while,” Randall said as he opened his door. “I’m sure Project Justice will solve this case.”
Unless Griffin did, first.
“But what if we never do?” Raleigh said during those few moments they were alone in the car, as Randall walked around to open her door. “That’s what scares me most—the idea that I might have to look over my shoulder indefinitely.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Griffin said fiercely. “This person, whoever he is, will make a mistake. He’ll go down.”
Raleigh didn’t know whether Griffin felt so strongly because he wanted the story, or for some other reason. But his protectiveness warmed her from the inside out. No one had cared about her welfare in a very long time.
“Thank you, Griffin.” She reached over to lay her hand over his where it rested on his knee. She meant the touch only as a friendly gesture, but the voltage surged between them, forging an instant connection that felt far more than merely friendly.
Griffin’s brown eyes darkened to almost black, and Raleigh inhaled sharply as memories of their kiss leaped into her mind. She wanted so badly to forget that kiss, yet the more she tried to push the memory aside, the more insistent it became.
If he had tried to kiss her again, if he had leaned forward and closed the distance between them, she would have let him. Randall, soul of discretion that he was, wouldn’t bat an eye.
She could almost feel Griffin’s lips on hers again, soft and warm, but demanding. Her body responded as if the kiss were actually happening, right here, right now.
But though she could see the hunger in his gaze, he didn’t kiss her. She pulled her hand away, severing the physical link, but the distance wasn’t enough. She needed to get away—now.
“See you tomorrow.” She grabbed her briefcase as Randall opened her door, and she practically stumbled out of the car in her haste to make her escape. Her heart didn’t stop pounding until she was safely inside her apartment with the door locked.
Copper did his usual dance around her legs, so ecstatic to see her every single day. She scooped him up and cuddled him, and even let him lick her face.
Her relationship to Copper was so sweet and simple. A dog was the only animal that showed such unconditional love. Why did human relationships have to be so much more complicated?
CHAPTER EIGHT
GRIFFIN FELT about as lively as warmed-over refried beans at seven the next morning. He hadn’t told Raleigh, because he knew she would object, but he’d been parking outside her apartment building, watching it most of the night.
He wasn’t alone. Daniel had sent a man to relieve Randall; he sat outside the building in a panel van equipped with hidden cameras. Griffin had spotted him the first night.
But it couldn’t hurt for extra eyes to watch over Raleigh, right?
He didn’t waste the time; he used his laptop and cell phone to research leads and ideas from the previous day. Last night, he’d gotten up to speed on the John Shinn case, reading every article that had been published and chatting up one of the Telegram’s business writers.
