Her words jogged Nedra’s memory. The vision of a dark-haired woman with tears swimming in her eyes emerged.
“You hugged me hard and said that I would never regret having helped you.” Nedra smiled at the memory.
The woman’s eyes misted. “You remember.”
Nedra nodded. “Yes, I do.” She reached out and took her hand. “You graduated from the program around the time I decided to leave Mt. Peter. You worked so hard to get clean.”
Barbara sat back and stared at Nedra in awe. “You were a blessing, Rev. Ned—a good woman—a real good woman.”
Nedra acknowledged the compliment with modesty. “Thank you.”
“My life changed a lot after that. I got a job working at a restaurant over on Foothill, and I’m still there. I don’t make a lot of money, but I’m alive and I can look at myself in the mirror.” She squeezed Nedra’s hand, gratefully. “Now, what can I do for you, Reverend?”
Sin, who had been sitting quietly listening to the exchange between the two women, spoke up. “We were told that you had some information for us.”
Barbara turned as if seeing him for the first time. She threw Nedra a wary glance. Nedra answered the unasked question.
“This is my husband, Sinclair Reasoner.”
“Oh.” Her response indicated that she recognized the name, and the controversy that surrounded it. This was the man rumored to have lead to Nedra’s resignation as pastor of Mt. Peter. She studied him carefully.
“So you’re the one.”
Sin raised a brow, unsure as to whether her response to him was negative or positive.
“Well, I can see why you gave up the pulpit,” Barbara quipped, directing her comment to Nedra while her eyes perused Sin appreciatively. “You did good.”
Nedra winked at her. “Honey, I did better than good.”
The women shared a hearty laugh while an embarrassed Sin shook his head at their antics. The camaraderie in the room was instant.
As the laughter died, Barbara’s mood turned serious. “So you need the information about Linda and that Jamison fella.” It was a statement, not a question.
Nedra answered. “Yes, we do.”
Without revealing the involvement of the former Linda Hudson, or Evelyn Linwood, she explained their family’s situation regarding Jamison. Barbara listened attentively. When Nedra finished, the woman’s manner was grim.
“No matter what you have to do, don’t let Royce Jamison get his hands on your little boy. The man is not only a woman beater. He’s much worse.”
She explained how years ago she had been the head prostitute in a small stable kept by a pimp named Eddie Mann, who was now dead. Linda had been in that stable and Royce Jamison was one of her clients.
“Linda never did understand what set him off when he jumped her, but he was like that, just crazy. He didn’t need an excuse to be mean. She was scared to death of him,” Barbara recalled. “And so was Eddie. He wasn’t scared of him physically, but he was scared of the power his old man had. Y’all know, money talks, so the cops really didn’t care what happened to some ho. They questioned her about who did it. She didn’t talk. That was it. Linda didn’t matter.”
“Do you know where Linda is presently?” Sin was curious if she could trace the woman as easily as he and Evelyn had.
“No, I don’t. Royce thought that he had killed her, but he must have found out that she was alive because Eddie suddenly came into a lot of money. I was there in the hospital when he told her to keep her mouth shut about Jamison, or she’d get worse. Then, he went off some place and got high. While he was gone, Linda checked out of the hospital and the girls and me helped her get out of town. I never heard from her again.
“After what happened to Linda, we saw that he would sell us out in a minute. Everybody cut out.”
“So the money was from Jamison,” Sin mumbled to himself.
“Who else? And after what he told Linda, I’m surprised that he didn’t pay somebody to kill her instead of just keep her quiet.”
Sin and Nedra looked at her in confusion.
“What do you mean?” asked Nedra.
Barbara sucked her teeth as she gave some thought to what she was about to say. “Well, you’ve got to remember that what he said might have been meant to scare her…”
“What was it, Barbara?” Sin gently prodded.
“As he was dragging Linda out the door, he told her to stop screaming because he didn’t have a problem killing her. He had already killed one person—his own sister.”
“What?” Nedra and Sin blurted out simultaneously.
“He confessed to a murder?” Every nerve in Nedra’s body was on end.
“Why not?” Sin spat in disgust. “Who’s gonna believe a working girl’s word when you got a millionaire’s denial?”
Barbara nodded in agreement. “But, like I said, maybe he was just trying to scare her.”
In Sin’s gut he sensed truth. “No, he meant to kill her so he knew that she wouldn’t be telling anyone.”
The room became quiet as they each pondered all that had been said. Barbara was right; Royce Jamison was even more dangerous than they thought. What he was capable of doing was staggering.
“This is big, Barbara,” said Sin. “And, I need to ask that if it came to it, would you be willing to repeat everything you’ve told us in court?”
She shrugged. “Yes, I would.”
“Good. The only problem is that what you’ve told us about Jamison is hearsay, and it may not count.” Sin turned to Nedra. His look said clearly that he was willing to do whatever was necessary.
They needed more than hearsay. She knew that what was in question was her willingness to do the same.
Nedra gave a troubled sigh. “Barbara, what can I say? We appreciate everything you’ve told us. We can’t thank you enough.”
“No problem. I just hope Royce Jamison gets what’s coming to him.”
Sin reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the money he had brought to pay her for the information. The contact that had led them to her had earned his bonus and then some.
Barbara looked at the envelope in his hand. She crossed her arms in disapproval. “Keep it.”
Sin’s eyebrows knitted. “But, I was told that…”
“I didn’t know the information would help Rev. Ned.” She turned her attention to Nedra. “After all you done for me and for the people in this community, ain’t no way I’d take a cent from you.”
Nedra was so touched she couldn’t speak. She gave Barbara a hug.
As she rose to walk them to her apartment door to bid goodbye, Sin surreptitiously slid the envelope of rejected bills under a doily. He caught up with the women at the door.
“We’ll be in contact,” he informed her as he and Nedra turned to go.
Barbara stayed Nedra before she cleared the doorway. “And, Reverend, don’t worry about that hearsay stuff. Everything Royce said I heard with my own ears, and I’m willing to tell it all.”
The couple went still.
“You heard him say that he killed his sister?”croaked Nedra.
“Yeah, clear as day. You see, Eddie didn’t trust Jamison, so he usually hung around when he was with one of his girls. He was off somewhere that day, and I took his place. When I heard Linda scream, I came running in time to see that freak dragging her out the door toward the car. I was heading down the hallway to try and keep him from taking her with him when he said it. I reached them, and he coldcocked me. I’d just love to put his as…Uh, his behind in jail.”
With misting eyes, a speechless Nedra hugged her tighter than before, unable to express her profound gratitude. Sin did the same.
As they walked to the car, Nedra gave him a peck on the cheek. Sin touched the spot.
“What was that for?”
“I saw what you did with the money.”
“She earned every penny.” He returned the kiss on her cheek.
“And what was that for?”
“For being Rev. Nedra Davis-Reasoner. Looks like you might have some kind of pipeline upstairs after all.”
“Did you doubt it? Now, what next?”
“Direct action.” Sin whipped out his cell phone. “And we don’t have much time to spare.” He punched in the home telephone number for his East Coast contact. The call was answered in three rings.
“It’s me,” Sin said, “and I need two things—the address and the private telephone number for Samuel Jamison.”
* * *
Sin’s next telephone calls from East Oakland had been to the Belle and Plaine households. Without going into detail, he made the request that his friends find out what they could about the assault on Linda and the death of Madeline Jamison. It wasn’t until they arrived at the Belle’s Berkeley home that they told them about the temporary custody order that could take Trevor away from them on Monday.
Carla reacted angrily, while Jacob suggested that they also try to get information on the judge that issued the custody order. He knew the name, and he questioned his ethics. Whipping out his cell phone, he immediately began contacting his sources. If there was evidence that the man was in Samuel Jamison’s hip pocket, their attorney could work on rescinding the court order. Meanwhile, the Internet and faxed articles from Brandon provided the Reasoners with ample information regarding both the assault and the death of the elder Jamison’s daughter.
The two couples worked into the late evening, reviewing and analyzing what had been gathered. While the assault on Linda was barely an afterthought buried on the back page of one of the Bay Area newspapers, the suicide death of a mogul’s daughter had made headlines. There were lots of articles on the latter, and each was closely examined. Jacob was especially astute, utilizing his considerable skills as a former prosecutor to dissect all of the pertinent facts about the suicide. He came to one conclusion.
“There could be a case for murder here, especially backed up with your witness’ testimony.”
“But will her word be enough?” Nedra asked, still unwilling to disrupt the life of those who had led them to this moment if they didn’t have to. “All of the articles say that Royce was sailing with friends when his sister died.” Nedra felt sick whenever she thought of what he confessed to doing. What kind of monster would do such a thing?
Sin had no problem believing the worse about Jamison. “The articles also say that he had visited his sister earlier that day. Which means that he was the last one to see her.”
Jacob nodded. “And I’d bet my last dollar that he was a suspect. We’ve got to get our hands on the case file.” He had called a friend on the San Francisco Police force who was working on that detail for him. “They must have claimed that the evidence was circumstantial and a case couldn’t be built against him.”
“And I’m sure that his father’s money and influence made it easier not to try and build one,” Sin quipped.
Jacob agreed. “But back to your question, Nedra. There are a lot of variables involved that could nullify the woman’s testimony.”
Nedra tossed the folder of papers that she had been going through on the desk in front of her. “I don’t care if the evidence is circumstantial or not. We’ve got a breathing witness to the chaos that man has caused, and that’s good enough for me.”
Sin sat across the desk from Nedra, his arms folded tightly across his chest. His worse suspicions about Royce Jamison had been confirmed.
He caught Nedra’s eye. After their meeting with Barbara, on their drive back to Berkeley, the two of them had reviewed all of the choices that could resolve their dilemma. None was perfect, but there was one plan they were willing to try. It was time to confront the one person whom they considered the silent culprit in their family’s nightmare.
Sin’s silent gaze informed her that it was time to put that plan into action. It was midnight. Today was Sunday. Time was running out.
After a few hours of sleep, the weary couple rose early to a foggy Sunday morning. Nedra listened as Sin made a telephone call that was destined to change many lives. On the other end the call was answered.
“Good morning, Jamison residence.”
“This is Sinclair Reasoner. I want to speak to Samuel Jamison.” Sin’s voice was a quiet demand, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Chapter 34
Samuel Jamison had been aghast when Nedra and Sinclair Reasoner had the gall to call and demand a meeting with him. He was certain that this was a violation of legal protocol in a custody case. No doubt their call to him was fueled by desperation, and they were wise to be so. He was going to win. The boy would be with him soon, and the sooner the better. His health was deteriorating rapidly. Time was growing short.
He had to admit that his acquiescence to their demand was motivated more by curiosity than sentiment. He’d seen pictures of the couple and read about both their backgrounds. They were an interesting duo. Meeting them would be fascinating. He had nothing personal against them; just like in business, they had something that he wanted, and he was going after it with everything he had. He wondered how far the Reasoners were willing to go. Soon he would know.
* * *
The house looming before them was large and stately, a classic symbol of established wealth. It sat at the end of a long, winding driveway lined by well-tended shrubbery and acres of manicured lawn. This was a homestead built by the powerful. The expectation for the people who occupied this house was that future generations would sustain and maintain their place among the social elite. It was a safe bet that Trevor Johnson Reasoner had not been a part of that equation.
Sin opened the car door for Nedra, and she stepped out.
“Are you ready?”
She nodded. “How about you?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
They were greeted at the door by a uniformed butler, who looked more like a wrestler than a servant. He led them through the cavernous mansion to a door midway in the house. He ushered them in and closed the door behind them.
They entered a study lined with books. A large, redwood desk sat on a slightly elevated platform in the middle of the room, facing the door. Behind the desk sat a pale and gaunt Samuel Jamison. He looked ill. His shriveled body was nearly engulfed by the leather swivel-back chair in which he was sitting.
“Mr. and Mrs. Reasoner,” Samuel Jamison greeted them in a voice that belied his weakened condition.
“Mr. Jamison.” They answered in unison.
The elderly man indicated two leather chairs facing his desk. “Have a seat.”
Nedra started to sit, but Sin stayed her. He was familiar with the maneuver. Jamison’s elevated seating gave him the advantage. If they sat, he would be looking down on them.
“We’ll stand, thank you. This shouldn’t take long.”
Samuel was amused. He forgot that Reasoner had been a hustler as well as a businessman. He was familiar with the tricks of the trade, but it was his wife who got straight to the reason for their meeting.
“Mr. Jamison, your son, Royce, is not fit to take custody of Trevor. From what we’ve discovered he’s a sick man—mentally ill—and he needs help.”
“And we think that you know this,” Sin added.
Samuel didn’t move. The couple’s evaluation of his son was accurate. There was no denying it, so why argue. However, Royce’s fitness as a father was never the point, so he remained silent.
“You’ve been quite successful covering up much of the evidence regarding his indiscretions over the years,” Sin continued. “but your efforts haven’t been perfect. Nothing ever is.”
Nedra withdrew a sheet of paper from her purse and placed it on the desk before Samuel.
“That’s an article we found regarding a woman who was beaten nearly to death, tortured, then tossed from a moving car and left for dead.”
Sin took over. “The headline states ‘Assailant Unknown,’ but we have evidence that it was your son who committed the crime. We’ve met the woman
who this article is about, and she can verify that your son tried to kill her.”
Samuel gave him a sardonic smile. “Even if I knew what you were talking about—and I don’t—the word ‘can’ is not ‘will,’ Mr. Reasoner. The difference is subtle but important.”
“We will bring her to the custody hearing if we have to and criminal charges will be made against your son.”
Samuel knew that he was bluffing. The statue of limitations was up on that one. He had paid a fortune to see that Royce wasn’t implicated in that unpleasant incident. These people were grasping at straws. Surely, they could do better than this.
The room was silent as the three of them sized each other up. Nedra was disheartened. She didn’t know what to expect when she met Samuel Jamison, but she hadn’t expected to meet a weak, sickly old man. She and Sin had agreed on a take-no-prisoners stance in approaching the elder Jamison, but after meeting him—
He was human and every human being experienced some type of emotion. He’d had a wife and a daughter whom he certainly loved, and he cared enough for his son to try and protect him no matter what he did. No, Royce Jamison was the monster, not his father. He was simply an old man who wanted to meet his only grandchild.
Sin interrupted her chain of thought. “We also have some articles about the death of your daughter, Madeline.”
Nedra knew that this was the cue for them to go for the jugular. Her attention was riveted on the elderly man. There was a perceptible wariness, an underlying sadness in his eyes at the mention of his dead child. His reaction touched her. At that moment she decided to alter their plan. She intervened before Sin could continue.
“And we can’t help but feel for you, Mr. Jamison, because I assure you that our pain will be as great as yours was when your child died if Trevor is taken from us.”
Sin was in shock. What was happening? Nedra was changing the script they had agreed on, and he was unsure as to where she was headed, and why. Yet, he remained silent, showing no outward sign that what she was saying was a surprise. They had to appear unified.
Samuel was disturbed that they should bring his daughter’s name up. He didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking. Supposedly, they were intelligent people, and this provincial tug at your heartstring approach should be beneath them, but he continued to listen, quietly.
Sinful Intentions Page 31
