by Alice Ward
“The resort,” I said without a doubt in my mind. Kennedy’s mouth fell open and Asher turned to me with wide eyes.
“Holy shit, you’re right,” he agreed.
I nodded. “That’s why she was in Vermont. She either planted something at the resort, or she planted something at your old apartment.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t figure that out myself,” Kennedy told me.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” I demanded. “We have to get ahead of the police. Call someone and have them turn the whole town upside down until they find whatever she planted.”
“It’s not that simple, Lauren,” Asher explained softly. “Is it, Kennedy?”
She shook her head. “If we move whatever she planted, we could be charged with tampering with evidence. It’ll look like Asher’s trying to cover his tracks. I could report our suspicions to the authorities, but that could backfire too. The prosecutor could just say the accusation was our way of trying to explain away the evidence. It’s a no-win situation.”
“I swear to God, Kennedy. I know we’ve made mistakes. But if you say the words sit and wait again—”
“We’re not going to sit and wait,” Asher interrupted. “We’re going to go change. And then, we’re going to spend the day attempting to convince your parents not to hate me.”
CHAPTER 3
“Lunch is almost ready. Should we wake Asher?” Claire asked, peering into the oven. I shook my head and took a long sip of my chamomile tea.
“No, let him sleep. He was pretty emotional after Mom and Dad left last night. The sun was already up when he came to bed.”
“I felt terrible, ambushing you like that,” Claire apologized for what seemed like the hundredth time. She pushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear and pulled a tray of savory tarts out of the oven.
“It needed to happen. Now that it’s over with, I wish we’d done it a lot sooner,” I confessed.
My parents had been plenty angry, but only because we hadn’t told them the truth weeks ago. They gave Asher the cold shoulder for the first hour, lectured us both about honesty, and then finally accepted our apologies. Mom calmly asked to be brought into the loop and Asher launched into his life story. By the time he reached his teenage years, Mom was holding his hand with tears in her eyes.
“I knew as soon as Ellen and Graham saw the way Asher looks at you, they’d soften up,” Claire told me. “I’m surprised they didn’t take him up on the offer to move in.”
“You know they’d never leave the B and B,” I reminded her. “But they do plan to start coming by in shifts. Mom will be here tonight. She insists on giving you a break from cooking.”
“I may run some errands. Can I pick up anything for you?”
“Lotion. Something unscented for sensitive skin. This thing on my ankle is chaffing the hell out of me.”
Claire pulled a tub of coconut oil from the pantry and tossed it to me. “Rub some of this on it for now. I’ll see what I can find at the drug store.”
The front door sprung open and Kennedy glided into the room. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a slick, almost severe bun and her plain black suit highlighted the dark circles under her eyes. I felt a pang of guilt for causing her so much worry and a rush of appreciation for how hard she’d been working to clear our names.
“Hey, Kennedy,” I greeted her, pulling out the stool beside me. “Claire made tomato leek tarts. And there’s a fresh pot of coffee on the counter. Sit down and relax for a few minutes. You look like you could use a break.”
“We don’t have time,” she replied. “The judge granted the motion to separate your case from Asher’s. The DA’s office had no objections and immediately scheduled a meeting. We have less than two hours to get to San Luis Obispo.”
I slid off the stool and turned toward the master bedroom. “Asher’s sleeping. I’ll wake him up and we can be ready to leave in twenty minutes.”
“Let him sleep,” Kennedy insisted. “They only want to speak with you.”
Nervous tension built in my stomach and I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve already given them my statement. What else could they possibly want to ask me?”
“We’ll discuss it in the car,” Kennedy said, her words rushed. She stepped over to the tray of tarts and pointed down at one. “Do you mind?” she asked Claire.
“Of course not. If you want, I’ll wrap some up for you to take with you.”
“That would be perfect. The stale cereal at the hotel’s continental breakfast left a lot to be desired.”
I looked down at my t-shirt and yoga pants. “Should I change?”
Kennedy shook her head. “No time. Put your shoes on and grab your purse. We need to be in the car in five minutes.”
I walked to the entryway and slipped my socked feet into unlaced tennis shoes. “I’m ready,” I told her, pulling my purse from its wall hook.
Claire passed Kennedy a brown paper bag filled with food and tossed me two bottles of water. “Call me the second the meeting’s over,” she called as we stepped outside.
The same black town car was waiting in the driveway. Kennedy introduced me to Bruce, the driver, and slid into the back seat after me.
“I take it the police have taken Rachel’s official statement?”
Kennedy nodded. “Cynthia spoke with them late last night. I’m not going to lie to you, Lauren. It’s bad. The investigators were at the hospital for nearly five hours. She gave vivid details of mental and physical abuse that she allegedly suffered at Asher’s hands after they left California. Since he took her across state lines while she was a minor, this new case is federal.”
“Asher was a minor too,” I reminded her.
She nodded. “He was when they left California. He wasn’t when they moved from Vegas to Vermont.”
“Son of a bitch,” I said with a sigh. “So now Asher’s facing state and federal charges?”
“Yes.”
“What about EnvisionTech? What are the chances that the FBI or the SEC is going to audit the company?”
“It’s a case of when, not if,” she replied bluntly. “Quite frankly, Lauren, this case is scaring the shit out of me. Cynthia scares the shit out of me. When we first learned Asher had an FBI file, I wasn’t particularly concerned. But the more lies that woman spins, the more worried I’m getting about it. There was nothing particularly damning in the file. But there were a few things that didn’t quite make sense. For instance, there seems to be some sort of code used in the company’s shipping manifests. I didn’t point it out last week because I assumed it wasn’t important.”
“Until we learned that the feds started watching Asher because they thought he was smuggling something in his shipments,” I finished.
Kennedy nodded again. “Exactly. Do you happen to know if Cynthia’s office has been cleaned out?”
“I know that Detective Austin’s men have all of her computers. HR cleared out her personal stuff. It’s probably in storage somewhere. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that I don’t know what to think,” she replied, frustration growing in her voice. “I’m not sure if I’m on the right track or if I’m grasping at straws. When we’re finished in San Luis Obispo, I’m going to EnvisionTech headquarters. I want to look through Rachel’s personal items. I also want to sweep Asher’s office; if she put those codes in the shipping manifests, she probably planted a key somewhere to implicate him.”
“How deep do you think this will go, Kennedy? How many nightmares are we going to have to survive before we can put Rachel behind us?”
“I have no idea,” she replied with a sad, honest smile.
I sighed and changed the subject. “What should I expect from this meeting?”
“Now that the cases are separate, the DA’s office will try to get you to flip on Asher,” she warned. “Donaldson hasn’t mentioned a plea deal yet, but I know it’s coming. You can expect him to ask you lots of questions about Asher’s behavio
r and how he treats you. He’s going to suggest or maybe even insist that Asher abuses you. After what he heard from Cynthia, he’d be negligent if he didn’t ask.”
“It’s so weird to hear you call her Cynthia,” I broke in. “And I still don’t understand why she’s suddenly embracing her old name. You should have seen the way she freaked out when Asher refused to call her Rachel.”
“I have to get used to saying Cynthia because it would look bad if I accidentally called her Rachel in court,” Kennedy explained. “And as for her motivation, I think it’s safe to say it’s all part of her game. When the cops asked her why she was at the cabin with Luis, she claimed he was helping her break free from Asher’s brainwashing. She described some text book deprograming exercises that psychologists use to deprogram people who’ve been rescued from cults.”
“And Luis supposedly became some sort of deprograming expert in prison?”
“I know it doesn’t make any sense,” she replied with a yawn. “But the cops seem to be eating up her story.”
“You’re exhausted. We have at least an hour before we get to the sheriff’s office. Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll wake you when we get off the highway.”
“Are you sure?”
“I insist. I need you sharp when we meet with Donaldson.”
“I’m not meeting with Donaldson, Lauren,” she replied, her brow pinched with confusion.
“What do you mean? You said we have a meeting.”
“I meant ‘we’ in general… you said you wanted me to represent Asher, remember? I’m just escorting you to the station. Parker is meeting us there.”
That’s right. I asked for this.
“I’m sorry, I guess I assumed you understood that,” she continued. “Or maybe I’m just so tired I thought I mentioned it.”
“Don’t apologize. I wasn’t thinking. Will I be meeting the new lead attorney today?”
She shook her head. “Clark is focusing on Asher’s case. If yours ends up going to trial, another senior partner will be assigned to you.”
She yawned again and I insisted that she get some sleep. I spent the next hour staring out my window, wondering how much more heartache my future could hold.
***
“Ms. Matthews, Ms. Parish, thank you for meeting with me today.” Assistant District Attorney Donaldson stood behind his desk and greeted us with an extended hand. His handshake was firm to the point of being aggressive and I felt my skin crawl at his clammy touch.
“Please, take a seat,” he continued, gesturing to the chairs in front of him.
Parker and I sat down. I crossed my legs and folded my hands on my lap while she balanced her briefcase on hers.
“Ms. Matthews, I was happy to learn that you’re distancing yourself from Mr. Reynolds. After learning more about his character, I’m inclined to believe you were manipulated into your current situation. And I feel compelled to offer you my assistance. All I ask for is your cooperation.”
“I’ve cooperated from the beginning,” I replied, attempting to keep my tone respectful.
“I’d like to ask you a series of questions,” he pressed on. “And I’d like to remind you this is a safe place. No harm will come to you if you tell the truth. We can put systems in place to protect you.”
I looked to Parker and she nodded.
“Ask whatever you’d like. I’ll answer honestly.”
“Your relationship with Mr. Reynolds progressed rather quickly, correct?”
“Correct.”
“And would it be fair to say that in that short amount of time, your life has changed quite drastically?”
“You could say that,” I agreed, wondering where he was going.
“You started working for EnvisionTech shortly after meeting Mr. Reynolds, correct?”
“Yes.” I was tempted to explain further, but then I remembered Kennedy telling me not to offer any information that wasn’t specifically asked for.
“Did Mr. Reynolds suggest that you leave your old job and start working for him?”
I shook my head. “No. I was fired from my old job. Asher offered me a position at EnvisionTech. If you’re suggesting that—”
“I’m not suggesting anything, Ms. Matthews. I’m simply trying to understand the facts. Did you feel pressured to accept the job?”
“I felt honored to accept the job.”
“I see.” He shuffled some paperwork on his desk and then looked up to me again.
“Ms. Matthews, would you say that you’ve seen your friends and family with more, less, or the same frequency as before you began dating Mr. Reynolds?”
What the fuck does any of this have to do with the case?
“A little less,” I admitted. “But not significantly less. It’s not unusual for people to get a little preoccupied when falling in love.”
“Uh huh,” he said, scribbling on his legal pad. “Ms. Matthews, are you aware that isolation is the first step many abusers take after focusing on a new victim?”
“Don’t answer that,” Parker snapped. “With all due respect, Mr. Donaldson, if we wanted a psychology lesson, we’d speak with a doctor. If you have questions for my client regarding this investigation, get to them. If not, we’ll be leaving.”
Donaldson turned to her with a look of amusement and then looked back at me with a straight face.
“I’ve been studying your life, Ms. Matthews, and I know you’re a smart woman. So I’m going to throw my questions out and cut to the chase. I know that your boyfriend had a terrible childhood. I also know that he’s continued the cycle of abuse and become an abuser himself. You don’t fit the profile of a woman who’d typically be drawn in by someone like Asher Reynolds. But stranger things have happened.
“What I’m offering you is an out. Tell me what Asher’s really like when no one else is around. Tell me the truth about the morning Luis Chavez died. And then retell your story to a jury. In exchange, all charges against you will be dropped. And more importantly, you’ll be free of Asher.”
“Are you making an official offer?” Parker asked.
He held up a stack of paperwork and she took it from his hand.
“Like I said, I’ve been studying your life. I know you’re a smart girl who stumbled into a bad situation. Asher Reynolds has already ruined enough lives and I don’t think you deserve to be the next. Take the deal, Lauren. Get on with your life and pretend that these last few months were just a dream.”
I took a deep breath, pretending to consider his words. “This is a big decision. Can I have some time to think about it?”
Parker straightened her shoulders, but didn’t comment.
“Certainly. Though time is of the essence. Remember, the moment you accept the deal, you’re safe. You’re free.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Donaldson rose to his feet, politely signaling our dismissal. Parker and I followed him to the door and shook his hand again before stepping into the hallway. Parker turned on me immediately, backing me into the wall. She stared into my eyes, her expression tense.
“Lauren, if Asher is abusing you, I need you to tell me right now.”
“Relax,” I whispered. “Asher’s never raised so much as his voice to me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then what the hell is going on? Why are you considering the deal?”
“There’s no way I’m taking that deal,” I assured her. “I just needed to buy some time.”
“For what?”
“I’ll explain everything as soon as I’ve talked to Asher.”
***
I stepped through the front door and Asher jumped up from the sofa.
“Baby, I was so worried about you,” he said, moving to greet me. I fell into his arms and held him tight.
“We need to talk,” I whispered into his ear.
“Okay,” he agreed, pulling away. He looked from me to Kennedy, then to Parker, his eyes narrowed with concern.
“Don’t look at us,” Parker told him. “She
refuses to tell us what’s going on in her head until she’s had a chance to talk to you.”
“Let’s go out to the terrace,” I insisted. I took him by the hand and pulled him across the living room. We stepped through the French doors and made our way to the lounge chairs. Asher sank down on one and I settled in beside him.
“What’s going on? Claire said you had a meeting with the prosecutor. Did you learn something?”
I nodded. “I found out what Rachel told the cops. Has anyone explained it to you yet?”
He shook his head. “No, but I can just imagine what she must have said. I’m sure she gave them graphic details of my so called abuse.”
I nodded. “Kennedy’s afraid she has more tricks up her sleeve too. Do you use some sort of code in your shipping manifests?”
“Not to my knowledge,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Your FBI file. Kennedy noticed a strange code in your shipping manifests. She thinks Rachel’s framing you for smuggling.”
“I’ll go pull up the file and take a look at it for myself,” he said. He moved to stand, but I took him by the arm and pulled him back down to the chair.
“That can wait,” I insisted. “There’s something more important we need to talk about.”
Asher sighed and sat back down. “They offered you a deal, didn’t they?”
“Did someone call you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it was just the logical next step.”
“Donaldson believes Rachel’s story and made it clear he thinks you’re abusing me. He offered to drop the charges and protect me if I agree to testify against you.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for taking him up on it.”
“Stop it. I’d never in a million years consider doing that. But I started thinking. We have no idea what else Rachel has in store for us. She could be setting us both up for something that would make the last few weeks seem like a trip to Disneyland.”
“I know. I agree with Kennedy. Rachel’s had years to plan this. There’s no telling how many traps she’s set, just in case.”
