Deadly Deception

by London St Charles

  Detective O’Brien sat stoically, unfazed by it all, and that enraged Cadence. The slow simmer that burned inside of her was threatening to burst at any moment. Her nails dug deeper into Jackson’s skin.

  “That’s enough,” Judge Duncan warned Reed, angling a steely gaze at him. Then, he turned his attention to Mr. Knox. “You have thirty days.”

  Judge Duncan banged the gavel, and Cadence flinched, relaxing the grip on Jackson, but only a tad.

  “Vandalized. Thirty days,” Cadence whispered, glancing at her husband as he lifted her fingers one-by-one from his arm, then closed his hands around hers. “That’s right before the baby is due,” Cadence said, staring at the deep red marks embedded in Jackson’s skin.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Jackson soothed, massaging her fingers. “I’ll call the job and extend my leave.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith,” ADA Knox interrupted, standing over them from the aisle.

  Cadence’s head jerked upward. The man before her didn’t exude power and lacked confidence. “You’ve got some explaining to do.”

  Chapter 5

  “I take it we can’t go to your office and have this conversation,” Cadence said to ADA Knox, not masking the disappointment in her voice.

  He parted his lips to respond but held his tongue as the last of the spectators and officers left the courtroom. Cadence did a double-take as one of the men’s side profile looked familiar.

  “Crime scene investigators have taken over my office and the entire ninth floor for the foreseeable future,” Knox replied, unbuttoning his suit jacket, then taking a seat in the row directly in front of them. He placed the leather briefcase next to him, then threw his arm across the back of the bench, angling his body toward Jackson and Cadence. “We’re going to get them. Don’t worry.”

  “All she can do is worry,” Jackson shot back, agitation evident in his tone. “You told my wife that this would be over in a week. Now, another thirty days has been tacked onto this farce.”

  “What happened this morning?” Cadence asked, folding her hands atop her belly.

  “I went to collect my things for court, and the door to my office was ajar,” he explained, loosening his maroon necktie. “The door didn’t appear to be tampered with or damaged in any way, and I know I locked it before I left last night; there isn’t any doubt in my mind.”

  Cadence glanced around the courtroom to make sure they were still alone. “So, you’re saying this was an inside job.”

  “Looks that way,” Knox agreed. “Whoever it was, had a key.”

  “Playing devil’s advocate here,” Jackson said with a slight shrug. “Maybe the custodian forgot to lock up.”

  One of the things Cadence loved most about her husband was that he always gave people the benefit of the doubt. This time he was so far off the mark. Cadence believed he knew it when he asked the question.

  “No one has access to my office unless I’m present, and the door stays locked at all times due to the nature of the files that I store. Even if that was the case, how would you explain the flash drive, Cadence’s phone, and all the files pertaining to only this case missing?” Knox questioned, his eggshell skin flushed scarlet. “Someone turned over the desk, cracking the computer screen, and broke into six of the eight secured file cabinets.”

  “That’s no coincidence,” she remarked, glancing over at Jackson. “Our home was vandalized last night, too.”

  Knox’s eyes grew wider by the second. “Did you report it?”

  “I did,” Jackson cut in, leaning forward. “I’m not going to put up with my family’s life being threatened,” he warned in a tone that made every hair on Cadence’s body bristle.

  “You a dead bitch was spray-painted across the grass,” Cadence added, staring at Knox. “They really don’t want me to testify.”

  Knox shook his head.

  “This isn’t the first grievance against Detective O’Brien. Every complaint against him has been thrown out because the victims are too afraid to come forward,” he admitted, tapping his finger on the back of the bench. “I’ve suspected witness intimidation for a long time, but no one would ever confirm it. The victims either say, they’ve changed their mind, or they don’t remember what happened,” Knox said, pointing his index finger at Cadence. “But you’re the first one to follow through, and you got him on tape. The department is running scared. What other reason would there be for the events that took place at your home and my office?”

  Cadence let that hang in the air.

  “So, there are others?” she queried, shifting in her seat to relieve the pressure the baby was putting on her tailbone.

  “Yes.” Knox hesitated for a moment. “And I’ve gotten two of the women to agree to testify as long as they knew the recording would be played and it wouldn’t be just their word against his. And …”

  Cadence shot a glance at Jackson, then back to Knox.

  “What aren’t you telling us?” Jackson asked the question that was on the tip of Cadence’s tongue.

  Knox gave a half-smile. “The other deciding factor was that you testified.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Cadence said in a raised voice, but not loud enough for the sheriffs to come rushing the courtroom.

  “Because I didn’t want to put any added pressure on you,” Knox revealed with a sheepish expression.

  “This is a big deal,” Jackson admonished. “You can’t keep pertinent information from us.”

  Knox nodded at Jackson, then Cadence. “It won’t happen again.”

  “I’m glad we understand each other,” Jackson responded.

  “Thank you,” Cadence said, fidgeting her wedding band that hung on a gold rope around her neck due to her fingers swelling.

  Knox scanned the area, then leaned further over the back of the bench. Cadence and Jackson scooted forward, closing the gap between them.

  “I’ve also learned that Detective O’Brien’s on the south eastside gang and drug lord’s payroll–––”

  “You mean, Lester?” Cadence crossed her arms over her larger than normal breasts.

  “I’ll never forgive him for what he did to Jackie and Braelyn.” Jackson frowned, causing his handsome features to obscure. “It took years of therapy to help Jackie through the havoc Lester brought into her life. No child should have to endure the murder of her mother and molestation from the same monster.”

  Now, it was Cadence’s turn to comfort him. She stroked the back of Jackson’s head and neck.

  She witnessed firsthand the trauma that Jackie had experienced. Back then, she never wanted to be a mom, but Jackie was the blessing Cadence didn’t know she needed. Cadence embraced Jackson’s daughter with open arms and has loved Jackie as her own ever since.

  “Has Lester been located?” she asked, focusing on Jackson, but directing the question to Knox.

  “Not yet,” Knox replied, placing a hand on Cadence’s shoulder. “But you don’t have to worry about the evidence against him. We have his prints from the gun that was found at the crime scene already in the system. That same gun has five bodies on it,” Knox revealed. “We also have a BOLO for Lester in the states surrounding Illinois. If he sets foot anywhere in the Midwest, he’s going down.”

  That gave Cadence some comfort, but not much. It had been four years. Lester may already be in Chicago somewhere, laying low. She would keep her thoughts to herself. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Jackson.

  “I’m not sure how to proceed since the recording’s missing?” Knox admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s why I asked for sixty days. I knew Judge Duncan wouldn’t grant that much time. Over the years, I’ve learned to ask for more than what I need, and he’ll order somewhere in the ballpark of what I actually want.”

  Cadence grabbed the bench in front of her and released a labored sigh.

  “Baby, are you alright?” Jackson asked, placing a hand under her elbow.

  “Just a little uncomfortable,” sh
e replied, scooting to the edge of the seat and resting her head against the wood. “I’m ready to go. Are we done?”

  “Yes.” Knox stood, grabbing the briefcase. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, extending a hand to Jackson. “Take care of her.”

  “Always.”

  Cadence raised a hand, acknowledging the sentiment as she willed the continuous pain on her tailbone to subside.

  Once Knox left the courtroom, and the chatter in the hallway faded, Cadence let out a cry.

  “Is it your tailbone?”

  She closed her eyes tight and nodded.

  “Come on, baby.” Jackson helped Cadence to her feet, massaging her backside with the base of the palm of his hand as she leaned over the bench.

  After ten minutes, the pain had vanished. Cadence couldn’t have been more grateful for her husband than at that moment. Jackson always knew how to take care of her, and what he didn’t know; he was willing to learn.

  He lifted her coat, and Cadence slid her arms inside the sleeves. Jackson pushed open the oversized, heavy oak door, and held it until Cadence passed through into the hallway. They took only a few steps when a man in a tan suit with blonde hair and the same translucent-blue eyes as Jackie’s, bounded from a bench, landing in front of them.

  “Steven Bekker.” Cadence flinched at the sight of her work nemesis from Adali Automotive’s Chicago office, who also happened to be Jackie’s uncle. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”

  Chapter 6

  Cadence hadn’t given Steven much thought since her promotion four years ago. He’d finally gotten what he always coveted, her title as Chief Design Officer. It only took her accepting the full-time position with a higher pay grade to run the parent company in Stuttgart, Germany, for it to happen.

  She glanced at Jackson before asking Steven, who seemed to be in a trance, a second time, “What are you doing here?”

  “Um––– hey––– sorry for staring,” he said, sliding hands into his pockets. “I didn’t know you were expecting.” Steven crossed his arms as the corner of his lip twitched. “They must be treating you really good over there in Germany if you had time to get knocked up and still run the Global company. Congratulations––– to both of you.”

  That’s the Steven she remembered. He always had a snide remark when it came to her. Cadence gave him a quick scan. His once shiny blonde hair appeared dull, and he had put on more than a few pounds. Steven didn’t have a six-pound baby inside of him and edema to justify his weight gain. What excuse did he have for letting himself go? She could reply to his off-brand remark with that, but why bother.

  “What do you want?” Jackson asked; his tone was rigid and accompanied by a baffled expression.

  Cadence knew Jackson still blamed Steven for the role he played in bringing Braelyn and Lester into their lives. Even though it was messy, they would have never found out about Jackie if the circumstances hadn’t unfolded the way they did.

  She had her own reasons for not wanting to be bothered with Steven. Cadence dropped him in the bucket with the other people who meant her no good. She’d forgiven his actions a long time ago, but she would never forget them.

  “I had a feeling you would be here today,” he said, putting his focus on Cadence. “I’ve been wanting–––” Steven mumbled, lowering his gaze to the floor. He inhaled sharply, then lifted his eyes until they were boring into hers. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “About what?” she asked, leaning on Jackson, taking some of the pressure off of her aching feet. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “I want to meet Jackie,” he blurted out.

  “No. Why?” Jackson fired back before Cadence could say anything. “My baby doesn’t need you in her life.”

  “I would like to get to know my niece.”

  “Why now?” Cadence asked.

  “I always had, but with everything that was going on––– and then you all disappeared off the grid,” Steven said in a softer tone that sounded genuine. “I never had the chance to say anything … until now.”

  Cadence stared at him for a long time. There could be some truth in his statement, but it was Steven, and it was hard to accept anything he said at face value.

  “Why should I trust you?” she asked.

  “I know I’ve never given you much reason to in the past,” Steven admitted, reaching into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulled out a pen, and a business card, then scribbled something on the back of it. “But I’m not the same man you remember.”

  Cadence glanced at the security guard who stood at his post with his hands folded at his waist a few feet away.

  “You don’t have to make a decision today, but please think about it and give me a call when you’re ready,” Steven said, placing the card in her hand. “I hope to hear from you soon.”

  * * *

  “What do you think?” Cadence asked Jackson as he pulled out of the parking lot on their way to pick Jackie up from her mother’s house.

  “I don’t like it.” He huffed, making a sharp turn onto Twenty-Sixth Street. “And I don’t appreciate him ambushing us at the courthouse.”

  Cadence stared out of the window toward the people at the bus stop. “Is it something you’d consider?”

  “Do you think I should?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged, observing a woman pulling a Spiderman skullcap down over a young boy’s ears. “Steven seemed sincere, and ... he is her uncle. It’d be nice for Jackie to connect with him as long as he’s on the level,” Cadence said, touching Jackson’s thigh. “But you have to do what you feel is right.”

  Jackson was quiet for several minutes, leaving Cadence wondering what he was thinking.

  “Maybe Jackie would have a chance to meet her maternal grandmother, Irene. She could tell her stories about her mom as a young girl,” Cadence said, leaning against the headrest, facing Jackson. “I’m sure Jackie would love that.”

  “She would.” Jackson smiled and shot a quick glance at Cadence as he drove underneath the rusted viaduct, approaching the intersection of Twenty-Sixth Street and Western Avenue. “Thanks for being my voice of reason. I’ll give Steven a call after–––”

  “Watch out,” Cadence screamed at the sight of an eighteen-wheeler barreling down the wrong side of the street, heading straight for them.

  She clutched her stomach as Jackson swerved to the far-right lane, scraping the concrete wall. Orange sparks flew from the side of the car like fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Jackson unbuckled his seatbelt and threw his body on top of Cadence.

  “Hold on, baby,” he shouted just as the truck crushed the driver’s side like a compactor at the junkyard.

  Chapter 7

  “Shit,” Jackson roared, clutching Cadence as glass and metal objects flew everywhere. He gritted his teeth from the sharp pain radiating in his lower calf. For a split second, Jackson thought his right leg had been severed, but then, his ankle twitched.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, raising his head only to get violently jerked forward, causing his front teeth to slam into Cadence’s forehead.

  “Ooooouch,” she cried, holding onto his sides.

  Jackson tried to shake off the throbbing pain that took over his entire face from the impact just as the car got snatched again in a vicious game of tug of war. He held onto Cadence’s headrest and peered over her head as the eighteen-wheeler detached itself from their vehicle, dragging the rear bumper down the street as a souvenir.

  The full-sized vehicle had been reduced to a single-row bobsled.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, attempting to lift his body off of hers. Jackson was sure his full weight on top of Cadence wasn’t good for the baby. He’d be lost if anything happened to either one of them.

  “My insides are doing something funky,” she groaned. “Like every nerve ending in my body is jumping, and I feel dampness between my legs.”

  Dear God, please let my son be okay.

  “Are you folks
alright,” a masculine voice shouted, but Jackson couldn’t see anyone from his position.

  “My wife’s pregnant,” Jackson shouted, still trying to alleviate some of the pressure he was putting on Cadence’s belly.

  “Help’s on the way,” the man said, maneuvering to the side of the vehicle. He tried to pry what was left of the mangled door open, but it wouldn’t budge. “Hey, man. What’s your name?”

  “Jackson,” he replied, glancing down at her. “I think she’s bleeding.”

  “I’m Floyd. I’m going to stay right here until help arrives.”

  “Cadence baby, you hear that,” Jackson wiggled her shoulder, but she didn’t respond. “Wake up, Cadence,” he said, shaking her harder. “Stay with me, baby.”

  “My husband owns a tow truck company around the corner,” a tall woman said, standing next to Floyd, breathless. “He’s on his way with the hitch so we can get y’all out of there.”

  “You’re not supposed to move them,” another male voice said, but Jackson didn’t see anyone near Floyd or the other woman. He must’ve been standing in front of the car. “You can cause more damage. Wait for the paramedics.”

  Cadence lifted her head, and Jackson let out a sigh of relief.

  “Baby, you scared me,” he smothered her face with kisses. “Try to stay awake.”

  “That’s––– that’s–––” She lifted her arm, pointing straight ahead, then her eyes closed and head slumped.

  “Cadence!!!!”

  * * *

  “Where am I?”

  Jackson raised his head from the bed and pushed back his chair. He leaned forward and stroked Cadence’s hair. “The hospital.”

  “Why?” she asked, maneuvering her hand toward her belly, but Jackson grabbed it and kissed her fingers. Reaching for the chair with his good leg, he pulled it close enough to lower into the seat, never letting her hand go.

  “We were in a car accident.”

  “No wonder I feel like I’ve been run over by a semi,” she winced, sliding her free hand to her midsection. “My lower abdomen is killing me, especially on the left side.”