“First, we’re trying to save that company from what you and Daddy did.” Shannon stood and the room swirled around her. She held onto the back of the chair until it steadied. “You tried to stop her, but Cass sent out those letters to the people you cheated and got the ball rolling. Now we’re getting the money together to pay them what they’re owed.”
“More than they’re owed. Now that they’ve got a hell of a legal team on their side.” Missy laughed wildly and the guard shifted his feet. “You think I don’t keep up with the news? I’ve seen the ads on TV. Those are the best oil and gas lawyers in the state. They won’t rest until they bankrupt Calhoun. Then what will any of us have? You’ll be out on the street and I’ll end up in a state facility.”
“Cut the drama.” Megan wasn’t sympathetic.
“Drama?” The word was a shriek. “You have any idea what those places are like? I’ve heard all about them. People in here who’ve been there can’t wait to share the horrors. Screams coming down the hall, locked cells. Shock treatments. Group showers.” She swayed and pulled at her highlighted hair like she was caught up in a nightmare.
“Calm down, Mama. You’re exaggerating.” Ethan watched her warily. Just like all of them, he knew the signs that one of her manic episodes was coming. “Are you taking your medications?”
“You think I have a choice here?” She moaned but at least stopped pulling her hair.
The hairdo shifted and Shannon realized her mother was wearing a wig. Had she ripped out her real hair in one of her frenzies? Weren’t they watching her carefully? No, she didn’t care. Mama could be bald and it would serve her right. There’d been so many times when she’d run from the house to avoid her mother’s scenes and taken Meg and Ethan with her. Dodged things thrown at her. Found her room torn up because her mother didn’t like something she’d done or had imagined a transgression.
Okay, so Mama was sick. But she was also a liar and a thief. Shannon looked away and took even breaths. Underlying the subtle scent of the air freshener she could see plugged into the wall was antiseptic. A hospital. More breaths. More nausea. Pregnant. And this woman would be her child’s grandmother.
“I’m in a mental hospital, son. But it’s the same as a prison. Court ordered. If I can’t afford to stay in this one, I’ll have to serve out my time in one owned by the state.” Missy shuddered and ran a hand down her stylish green pantsuit. “Wear, God help me, orange jumpsuits like on that TV show. You know the one. Become someone’s bitch.” She started to cry. “You have to save the company or what’s to become of me?”
Ethan grabbed the box of tissues and gave it to her. “I’m helping with the numbers, Mama. We’re doing all we can to make sure the company survives.” He sat beside her and put his arm around her. “Don’t carry on so. It’ll be all right.”
“That was quite a performance, Mama.” Megan slowly clapped. “Get away from her, Ethan. Next thing you know you’ll be sending her flowers on her birthday.”
Missy glared at Megan, her tears gone. “Would that be so bad?” She gripped Ethan’s arm until he winced. “At least one of my children still shows me a little sympathy.”
“Let go of him, Mama.” Shannon walked over and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Do I have to call for help?” Missy wasn’t going to release him until that guard moved toward her.
“I wasn’t doing anything.” Missy whined but freed Ethan before the guard reached Shannon’s side. “Ethan?”
“You hurt me, Mama.” Ethan hurried to sit in the chair again. “And it’s not the first time. Shannon, get away from her.”
“I have something to say.” Shannon stayed put. “We’re not coming back here until you’ve admitted what you did was wrong, Mama. To Cassidy and to those people when you and Daddy started Calhoun.” She glanced at Ethan. He nodded.
“She’s right.” Megan looked determined and had gone to stand behind Ethan, her hand on his shoulder.
“If I could, I’d make sure you never got one damned dime from the company. Calhoun was built on lies, yours and Daddy’s. You’re right about one thing—our cushy life was built on them too. You think it makes me happy knowing that I danced and played the rich socialite while other people suffered? No, it makes me sick.” She took a breath and thought how lovely it would be to throw up in her mother’s lap. “You’ve never even said you’re sorry.”
“Stupid people like that don’t deserve your pity, Shannon.” Her mother frowned at each of them. “Why are you wasting Calhoun’s money on them?” She reached out with perfectly manicured nails and Shannon took a quick step back. “I thought I raised you all better than that! Why are you being so damned stupid?” She raked the air where Shannon had been a moment before.
The guard stepped in front of her.
“Leave me alone! These are my children. I’m talking to them. Trying to set them straight.” Missy slapped at his broad chest.
“Mrs. Calhoun, if you don’t settle down, I’m going to have to take you out of here.” The guard stood calmly in front of her. “Sit now.” He made it into a command.
“Fuck you. I’ve got to make these kids listen to me.” She screeched when he caught her in a hold that pinned her arms to her sides. “You see how these animals treat me here? Help me! Ethan! Shannon! Megan!” She continued screaming as he picked her up and carried her out of the room.
Shannon collapsed on the loveseat, her hands shaking so hard she couldn’t pull a tissue from the box next to her. There it was again, that swirling room, turning and turning until the spots in front of her eyes became a kaleidoscope of colors.
“Shannon, are you all right?”
That was the last thing she heard before the room went dark.
Chapter 17
“Rupert, we’ve got an appointment with the district attorney this afternoon. I think I can get the charges dropped.” Billy had thought long and hard about this, and he was pretty sure he had enough to pull it off.
“You’re serious? This nightmare might be over?” Rupert paced the office. “What did you find out? What made you decide to set it up today?”
Billy opened his laptop and pulled up a page with a photograph. “Come here, since you refuse to sit down. Look at this guy and tell me if you recognize him.”
Rupert came to peer over his shoulder. He didn’t seem to know boundaries and rested his hand on Billy’s neck, rubbing lightly. “Sure. That’s Sean. He came to our house twice.” Rupert sighed. “Evelyn liked him, but he was a little rough for my tastes. I told her not to hire him again.” He sat on the edge of Billy’s desk. “Why? Do you think he…” He leaned even closer. “Billy! Do you think he’s the one who shot Evelyn?” He peered at the photo. “Where’s one of his whole body? There has to be a full body shot. Evelyn liked a muscular build.”
Billy hit the keys until a photo array came up. There was one with Sean in jeans and a tight muscle shirt. It was an outfit similar to the one Rupert had told the police the murderer had worn.
“Dear God! That could be him! Of course, there was the ski mask. Let me think.” Rupert was on the move again, pacing. “Tattoos. The murderer had one on his arm. Was it a snake? No, a dragon! Look in the police report. I told them about it that night. I’m sure they wrote it down, though they didn’t believe a word I said.”
Billy smiled. “Yes, you claimed he had a dragon tattoo on his right bicep.” He zoomed in on the hooker’s right arm. Did you call them hookers when they were male prostitutes? He didn’t know or care. “Look at that.”
“Holy shit! That’s it. Red with yellow eyes. Exactly the right place too.” Rupert screamed and hugged Billy, kissing his cheek. “You found him. Will the D.A. believe us? Will the police pick him up? Is there an address there?”
“You know they’re not going to just take your word for it, Rupert.” Billy hated to bring him down. Rupert was actually dancing around the room. He’d picked up Billy’
s golf trophy and was playing it like a guitar.
“What?” He stopped in mid-strum. “Then why are we going in today?”
“Because I have more evidence to tie Sean Crockett to the crime. There were emails to him on Evelyn’s computer. The two before, when she’d obviously arranged for him to come to the house for your sex games. Then another, three days before the murder. Evelyn was too smart to put anything incriminating in an email, but she arranged to meet Sean in person.” Billy saw Rupert’s face go white and got up to grab the trophy before it hit the floor.
“Sit before you fall down.”
“What else? What makes you think Evelyn hired Sean for anything more than a fuck?” Rupert stared up at him.
“Fifty thousand dollars. I doubt that’s the going rate for a threesome.” Billy sighed when Rupert just shook his head. “Lucky for us, Sean is as dumb as a box of rocks. He obviously took that money from Evelyn and deposited forty of it into his personal checking account the day before the murder. He spent another five thousand in cash at Nordstrom’s on red leather jeans and expensive shoes. Even posted a picture of himself in his new pants on Facebook, bragging about where he’d bought them. My investigator was able to score video of him forking over the cash in the men’s department.” Billy flinched when Rupert grabbed his hand. “Rupert?”
“That son of a bitch!” Rupert was shaking and tears filled his eyes. “He let Evelyn pay him to kill her.”
“Looks that way. And I think this is strong enough to convince the D.A.” Billy let Rupert hold on. “I’m really sorry. I’m glad this will probably clear you but sorry that Evelyn arranged her own death.”
“My fault.” Rupert gulped. “If I’d known how desperate she was …” He leaned against Billy’s leg and sobbed.
Billy just let him cry. He extricated his hand, patted his back, and pulled out yet another handkerchief. It took a while before Rupert calmed down enough to take it.
“She loved you, adored you. She told Maria that. I’m sure she never meant for you to take the fall for her murder.” Billy pulled up a chair. “I studied the medical examiner’s report again. There was gunshot residue on Evelyn’s hand. I think Sean had second thoughts and Evelyn might have pulled the trigger herself at the last minute. Of course, the police figured she was fighting to get the gun away from her killer and it went off. Sean obviously wiped their fingerprints off the gun.”
Rupert looked up at Billy. “But even if it happened that way, he took the money. He should go to jail.”
“Oh, he will. My investigator has a recent address and has given it to a police detective I know. Sean will be picked up today and confronted with the evidence. By the time we meet with the D.A., I’m hoping that dumb piece of shit has confessed.”
Rupert wiped his eyes. “You know, now that I think about it, I wasn’t supposed to be home that night. Evie would never have wanted me to be there and end up accused of her murder. I had tickets to a play. She begged me to go on without her, even got upset when I wouldn’t. I gave the tickets away at the last minute because I didn’t want to leave her. Not when she had so little time left.” He sighed. “I guess she’d arranged it and it was too late to stop it. When I saw the man in the ski mask come in that night, I thought she’d decided to surprise me, to make up for me missing the play.”
“Well, that answers the last question I had. Give me the name of the friends, details about the play, and when you gave away the tickets. It will help with the D.A.” Billy pulled back and picked up his tablet again.
Rupert watched him take notes with reddened eyes. “You are so good at this. I owe you my life, Billy. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“And I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Rupert. When I first took your case, I had a hunch you were innocent or I wouldn’t have agreed to represent you.” Billy patted Rupert’s shoulder. “Then somehow we got crossways with each other.”
“My fault. I was impatient. I didn’t trust you to do your job.” Rupert looked down at the crumpled handkerchief. “I owe you a box of these. I’ll have some sent when I pay your bill. You’re worth every penny.” He smiled. “That is, if we get this settled this afternoon like you think we will.”
“We should. I noticed they never checked you for GSR that night. Do you know why?” Billy couldn’t blame Rupert for having doubts about him after that first fuck-up in court. He’d been too tired to do a decent job preparing the defense. That’s why he’d finally gone to a sleep specialist. He felt strange doing it, but he’d started classes in meditation and it was helping.
“My hands were covered in Evelyn’s blood.” Rupert sighed. “They said something about that being all the proof they needed.”
“Well, it helps our case for dismissal.” Billy stood and checked his watch. “Appointment’s at three thirty. I’ll pick you up. You back at the house?”
“Yes. Believe it or not, Maria’s agreed to stay on. She and I worked out a truce and she is an excellent housekeeper.” Rupert walked to the door. “Of course, as soon as the will is read, she’ll be worth a cool million. She told me that right away.”
“But she’ll still work for you?” Billy couldn’t believe it.
“I agreed to hire some help for her. She can order around someone else. It’s her dream job. And she says she likes her apartment above the garage. It’s been her home for twenty years.” Rupert laughed. “Hey, maybe I can take that cruise after all. It doesn’t leave until November twenty-first.” He sighed. “But it won’t be the same without Evie.”
“I have a feeling we’ll be done well before then. But you have a double room booked.” Billy held the door open. “You have someone to go with you?” He had always wondered if Rupert was as true to his wife as he claimed.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Rupert straightened Billy’s tie. “I’d ask you along but Mai tells me you’re as good as engaged. Too bad.”
“I like you, Rupert, but I’m very into women. One woman in particular.” Billy saw that one woman sitting in his reception area. “Here she is.”
He introduced Shannon to Rupert.
“Why, Billy, I know Shannon Calhoun. Look at you, scoring one of the beauties of Houston’s social scene.” Rupert kissed her on the cheek. “How are you, honey?”
“I’m great. But I’m so sorry for your loss, Rupert. Poor Evelyn. She was always so generous for a good cause.” Shannon put her arm around Billy’s waist. “I hope my man here is helping you.”
“Helping me? We’re pretty sure he just managed to clear my name! I love him.” Rupert waved at Mai. “I love you too, Mai! See you later, Billy.” He rushed out the door.
“Well, that’s good news. I know you were working hard on his case.” Shannon pulled Billy into his office. “Mai, it was great to meet you in person after talking to you on the phone so many times. Can you give us a few minutes, undisturbed?”
“You’ve got it, Shannon.” Mai winked at Billy. “He hasn’t eaten lunch yet. You should make him go out somewhere. He doesn’t take care of himself. Next appointment in two hours.”
“Thanks for telling me.” Shannon smiled at Mai. “I’ll take care of him.” She closed the door and leaned against it then turned the lock.
Billy pulled her close and kissed her. “Are we having a nooner?”
“I have news.” She looked like she did have something she was bursting to tell him. “But I could be persuaded.”
“Is it something with Calhoun? Or did those Feds bother you again? I can whip some ass if I have to. But now you’re smiling. So maybe it’s good news.” He ran his hands up and down her sides. She felt so good to him. A nooner. An afternoon delight but sooner, he’d heard someone say.
“The FBI hasn’t bothered me again. Calhoun is the same as always, teetering on the brink of disaster.” She pulled him over to his leather couch. “Sit.”
He sat then pulled her into his lap. �
��What’s up?”
“I’ve been having some symptoms. Dizziness, nausea.” She leaned against his shoulder.
“My God!” He’d just been talking to Rupert about terminal cancer. And his mother…
“Have you seen a doctor?” He moved her until she was lying down, her head on the arm of the sofa. “Baby, tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together.”
“That’s right.” She pulled his face down and kissed his lips.
“You’re not making any sense. Are you dizzy now? Can I get you some water?” He jumped up and pulled a bottle of water from the mini-fridge.
“Okay. Not dizzy but cold water helps settle my stomach.” She sat up to take a sip. “I saw my doctor this morning.”
“Good.” Billy took a steadying breath. What would he do if she was seriously ill? “Who did you see? You know the best doctors are in the Texas Medical Center. Was it a specialist? If you went to some G.P., I’m going to have to insist—”
“Billy, would you listen to me for a moment?” She put her finger over his lips. “I’m not sick. My symptoms are your fault.”
“What? Are you allergic to something in my house? I had the carpet ripped out when I remodeled. My hardwoods are the real deal. I’ve heard laminates can have chemicals …” He shook his head. What else? Lead paint? Asbestos? “I know the house is over ten years old, but the pipes are sound. I had the air conditioning ducts cleaned out last summer. But—”
“For God’s sake, will you shut up and listen?” Shannon grabbed his shoulders. “I’m pregnant!”
“I thought you were, uh, taking care of birth control.” Billy heard himself but couldn’t seem to stop. Why didn’t he just say what he felt? That he couldn’t imagine anything better than her carrying his child.
Texas Pride Page 28
