Chapter 27
Adam
Friday
I woke up Friday morning with Vanessa’s head still on my chest. Her golden hair spilled down across her face in a gentle curl, and a look of total serenity and peace rested on her beautiful face. It was an odd feeling for me since I didn’t usually encourage a woman to sleep over in my bed with me—it felt too intimate. With Vanessa though, it just felt natural.
I smiled, looking down at her and then carefully started to crawl out of the bed without disturbing her. Despite my attempts, the movements roused her, and she blinked awake with a sleepy smile. “Good morning,” she greeted huskily. “Did you sleep well?”
I smiled. “Very well.”
“Good.”
“Are you hungry? We could go make some breakfast.”
Vanessa nodded, sitting up blearily on the mattress and throwing off the covers. I grabbed a robe off the hook on my bathroom door and walked out into the kitchen. She followed, rubbing her eyes to blink awake and get rid of the remaining dregs of sleep. We padded out into the kitchen and turned on the light to get started on the morning meal.
“What would you like to eat?” I asked politely.
She shrugged, glancing back meaningfully toward the pantry. “I dunno, what do we have?”
Opening the fridge, I saw three cartons of cage-free eggs and chuckled. “Well, it looks like we’ve got a surplus of eggs right now,” I told her. “So, we could do anything involving that. An omelet, perhaps? Or French toast… Just tell me how you want them.”
She laughed while stretching her arms above her head. “Oh, right! I remembered seeing that the other day. We both went shopping and forgot to tell the other about it. We should really set up a system.”
I grinned. “That sounds good. How do you want them now, though? Cause they ain’t gonna eat themselves.”
“The omelet sounds good,” she responded happily while pulling her hair back into a ponytail. “What do you like in yours? I could slice some peppers, or fry bacon.”
I shrugged, pulling out the carton of eggs and then placing them on the counter. “Either way.”
“Alright, I’ll just start prepping them over here then…”
Vanessa walked up behind me and carefully slid her hand seductively across my back as she reached up to get the ingredients that she needed. I turned my head and glanced down at her with a smile. “Ms. Butler, are you trying to seduce me, yet again?”
She chuckled, putting on an air of coyness and batting her eyes a couple time before saying, “Oh, of course not. I would never do something as presumptuous as that. You misunderstand. I was just getting this bacon out of the way so I can cook it.”
“Good, because you know that I’d be helpless to resist right now and we’d both be late for work.”
She sighed with a tiny smile and glanced over at me embarrassed. “Yeah, I know. I could probably use a day to recuperate. We’ve been going at it pretty hard.”
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I asked with genuine concern.
“Nothing like that,” she laughed. “I had a good time.”
We fell into comfortable silence for a while, each of us contributing to the food prep and orbiting around the other as we moved about the kitchen. She sliced and fried some peppers, onion, and bacon, setting them aside for me to use as needed and watched me thoughtfully.
“Are you feeling any better?” she asked me quietly.
I glanced up at her in confusion. “Pardon?”
“Yesterday, when I came home, you were upset about a case,” she reminded me.
I poured the eggs and mixture onto the heated skillet. It sizzled on the stovetop and made the entire room smell wonderful. Vanessa moved around behind me and put some coffee on to brew. “Yeah, I’m just trying not to think about it.”
“Oh, sorry…”
Shaking my head dismissively, I tried to assure her it was fine. “It’s okay. I have to go interview this guy at the jail later on. It’s going to be uncomfortable.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Well, good luck. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
Her faith in me was encouraging, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
The eggs were finished, and I quickly served them on a plate so we could eat them at the table. We talked for a little bit about our plans for the day, and by the time I finished eating, it was time to get dressed. I apologized for the abruptness, once I realized the time and hurried off the change into a pair of trousers and a white button-up shirt and tie.
She was still in the kitchen when I emerged from my room. She waved goodbye to me as I hurried out the door. I pulled my keys out of the pocket of my coat and I climbed into the driver’s seat, my mind was still riding the high of my amazing night with Vanessa and breakfast with her this morning. Things were starting to get out of control – I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
I drove all the way to the county jail on the edge of town and met Jon Hansen in the parking lot. He had a business-like expression on his face and a briefcase in his hand. When he saw me get out of the car, he waved me over with a smile. He had a bright red scarf on that was impossible to miss. “Morning, Adam. You ready to get this guy?”
“Sure am.”
He nodded as we walked together down the sidewalk and made it to the entrance. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” he muttered unhappily.
“Oh? What’s going on?”
“The judge denied our request for no bail,” Jon informed me bitterly. “The defense claimed that he has ties to the community, running for public office, and not a flight risk that we claim.”
“Crap.”
“The good news is the bail was set at half a million dollars, so I’m hoping that’s enough to keep him for a while.”
“That’s a good plan, sir.”
We had to pass through security on the way to the interrogation room. The metal detectors and mandatory pat-downs were uncomfortable, both emotionally and physically. I sighed as we went through the motions, knowing it was just part of the job. Once I’d made it through to the other side, I got my briefcase back from them, and Jon and I started down the hall.
One of the corrections officers brought us to the interrogation room where Brandon was already waiting. He was handcuffed to the table and dressed in the prison uniform, and it made me smile to see him like that. It gave me a sense of justice, that right had been once again restored: the bad guy was put in jail, exactly the way it should be.
The minute I met him, I’d known something was off; I should have listened to my gut. In the end, though, everything turned out okay. Jon and I went inside, and he took a seat from him across the table.
“Hello, Brandon.”
His eyes lit up with an arrogant smile when he saw me come in right behind him. His hair was messier than I remembered and the hint of a five o’clock shadow was showing. I guessed prison life doesn’t agree with him. “Alex!”
“Adam,” I corrected through clenched teeth. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you in here when we met at the Christmas party.”
“Yeah, well, life has a funny way of making things come up roses when I’m around. It’s serendipity.”
Jon cleared his throat and broke into our conversation. “Alright, Mr. Fletcher, let’s cut to the chase. You’re in here for running a criminal organization with the funds received while in public office. We’ve got two conspirators willing to testify to that effect. The last thing you want is for this to go public; it would destroy your image,” he added smugly with a grin.
“Honestly, your best bet is to cooperate,” he continued. “Plead guilty and negotiate minimal jail time; that’s the best that you can hope for. What do you have to say that would be able to help us?”
Brandon shrugged as if it were no big thing for him. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge that he was in any kind of trouble to begin with. “I’m sure you’ve got sway with the district attorney. I think with a little persuasion, you could make this whole thing go away. I’d be willing to compensate you handsomely, of course.”
Hansen smirked, looking up at him over the rim of his coke bottle glasses. “I think you underestimate the seriousness of the charges you are facing. They’re not going to just magically disappear.”
At this point, Brandon turned to me and smiled. “Adam, talk to him for me, will you? After all, we’ve got to look out for each other.”
I chuckled. “Actually, Brandon, I have absolutely no intention of doing that. You got yourself into this mess, and I will deal with it ethically and within the confines of the law. Hansen is doing you a favor by willing to negotiate your jail time, but going to prison is a reality that you need to wrap your head around.”
His eyes narrowed with anger as he looked me over carefully. “Well, so much for our brotherhood,” he spat out angrily. “It’s a shame; we could have gotten along really well.”
I could feel the contempt in his voice once he realized I wouldn’t help him, and started looking at me as his enemy. He truly thought the rules did not apply to him and he could get away with anything as long as he put on the appropriate amount of charm. Brandon felt like he was entitled to better treatment and a slap on the wrist just because I had met him once before and we belonged to the same organization.
Jon Hansen interjected and pressed him once again, not willing to listen to his ranting or be manipulated as one of his pawns. “We need your answer, Mr. Fletcher. Are you going to plead guilty and deal with this quietly, or will we have to go to trial?”
Brandon snickered, sitting back in his seat with a smile. “It’s never going to go to trial. This is just a game for me. I’ll post bail and get out of here by lunchtime. You’ve got nothing on me except the testimony of those two yahoos, and even that can be negotiated. This is just a bump in the road for me, gentlemen. I think you’re the ones who should be worried.”
Is he threatening us? What an unbelievable prick.
Even Jon seemed pissed by Brandon’s infuriating sense of entitlement. His lips pursed angrily into a line and began gathering his things. “Come on, Adam. Let’s get back to work; we’ve got a lot to do.”
I gathered my briefcase and files with a scowl, standing up from the chair. My hands clenched through every act they performed, seething with rage at this arrogant prick. I didn’t even look at him; I was too angry.
When Jon and I finished gathering our things and headed for the door, Brandon called out after me. My hand was already on the latch as we tried to leave. “Oh, I’ll see you tomorrow night for the Men’s Club meeting.”
The tone of his voice held such confidence that it set my teeth on edge. I could almost feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I paused momentarily and felt my heart stop, glancing sideways at Jon. He waved me on, encouraging me to ignore it.
Fuck.