CHAPTER 5
I woke up the next morning and instinctively rolled to Asher’s warm side of the bed. I nuzzled up to a warm body and jerked back again when I realized it wasn’t my husband. I opened my eyes and saw Kennedy’s strawberry blonde hair fanned out across Asher’s pillow.
She must have snuck in after I drifted off last night. I wonder where Jackson is.
I glanced at the alarm clock and saw that it was seven-thirty, definitely not too early to wake her. I gently shook her shoulder and whispered her name; she rolled over and opened her eyes, stretching her arms over her head with a yawn.
“What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty. What are you doing in here? Where’s Jackson?”
She pushed herself upright in the bed and reached for her phone. “I was worried you’d have a tough time sleeping through the night alone. Jackson slept in the guestroom.”
“Any news?” I asked as she scanned through her emails.
She nodded. “Donaldson wants to meet with you again. Parker’s going to pick you up at nine.”
“Nothing about Asher?” I pressed.
“Atwater isn’t going to send daily updates, Lauren,” she replied, her voice soft and patient.
“I know,” I told her with a sigh.
“How are you holding up?” she pressed. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through.”
“The numb is starting to wear off,” I confessed. “To be honest, I expected this to feel a lot different. I was so afraid of Asher being arrested again. I thought I’d feel sad and lost without him. But to be honest, all I feel is anger. And I’m more determined than ever to put a stop to Rachel, or Cynthia, or whatever the fuck she wants to call herself today.”
“Well, that’s healthier than being devastated, I guess. It’s certainly more productive. But I don’t know what else we can do. Cynthia spent years laying this trap. She fooled both experts, which tells me she spent quite a bit of time studying psychology and rehearsing how to behave during observation. We can’t trace the storage unit to her, we can’t trace the payroll money to her. Our investigators are still working the case, but at this point, I’m losing hope that they’ll find anything.”
“I refuse to accept that. She’s good, but she’s too crazy to hold it together all the time. She’s bound to slip up. We just need someone from our side to be there when it happens.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Kennedy asked.
“I’ll confront her,” I insisted. “And I’ll wear a wire. I’ll antagonize her until she snaps. She’ll confess everything. I know she will. She’s too damn arrogant not to take credit for her schemes.”
Kennedy looked far from convinced. “There are two problems with your plan. One, you’re not allowed to leave this house unless it’s for court or a case related meeting. Two, confronting her is a sure fire way to be arrested for harassment,” Kennedy advised.
“Damn it. I refuse to sit here and accept that there’s nothing we can do. She’s still the main suspect in the payroll theft. Isn’t that enough grounds to have some sort of surveillance put on her?”
“The police are still investigating her,” she assured me. “I’m not sure if they have any mics or cameras on her. I’ll look into it while you’re at the meeting with Parker. Speaking of which, we should get up and around. I’ll go start breakfast if you want to take the first shower.”
“Thanks. Did the email mention what Donaldson wants to talk about?” I asked, nerves creeping up in my voice. I hadn’t met with the prosecutor since I’d become Mrs. Asher Reynolds. I suspected he’d summoned me to his office to unleash his fury.
“He didn’t say. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
I’m getting really tired of that being the theme of my life.
***
Three hours later, I walked into Mr. Donaldson’s office with Parker by my side.
“Mrs. Reynolds,” he greeted me with a sneer. “I hear congratulations are in order. Tell me, how is married life treating you?”
“There’s no need to be antagonistic, David,” Parker warned as we took our seats.
“Married life is wonderful,” I replied, refusing to let him phase me. “And I expect it to get even better once we’re out from under the cloud of these terrible accusations.”
The prosecutor turned his nose up at me. “You aren’t fooling anyone. You know, when I offered you the plea deal, I never expected you to run off and get married. If you’d spoken with me first, you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.”
“What are you talking about?” I countered without waiting the four seconds for Parker to break in. She stiffened beside me, but remained silent.
“I still have every intention of calling you as a witness against your husband,” he informed me, his eyes narrowed. “Your spousal privilege only applies to the last few days.”
“You think we didn’t explain that to her?” Parker countered with a snort.
I stared defiantly into the prosecutor’s eyes and held my shoulders high. “I have every intention of taking the stand and telling the truth about what happened in that cabin. I don’t care how you try to trip me up or twist my words. Put me on the stand and I’ll tell the same truths I’ve spoken in this office. Cynthia Goins is the villain of this story, not my husband. And if you’re not going to tell the jury that, I will.”
He pulled a file from a drawer and tossed it angrily on the desk. “The federal prosecutor and I have compared notes. I know Asher’s never been the upstanding citizen he wants everyone to believe he is. He’s up to his neck with the Chavez family. He’s an abuser, an embezzler, and a cold blooded killer. You’re a smart girl, Lauren. At first, I thought you were naive, that you’d gotten in over your head before you realized Asher’s true character. Your insistence to tie your life to his proved that theory wrong. I see now that you’re just as evil as he is. So you can tell the jury whatever you damn well please. But if you go with your story instead of mine, instead of the truth, I will destroy you.”
“That’s enough, David,” Parker broke in. “You’re badgering my client. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that your office is nearly two hours from Mrs. Reynolds’ home. We didn’t come all this way for your threats and intimidation. If there’s nothing to discuss in regards to the charges against Lauren, we’ll be leaving.”
Parker stood and I followed suit. Donaldson sighed and glared up at us.
“There’s been a development in Lauren’s case. Sit back down,” he directed.
We complied and the prosecutor tossed a file to Parker. “Ms. Goins, the woman you’re so convinced has it out for you, just threw you a lifeline.”
Parker’s mouth fell open as she scanned through the pages.
“I know. I can’t believe it either. I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. It seems she has a little more sympathy for you than you’ve shown to her,” he said, his voice brimming with hostility.
“Could someone please explain to me what’s going on?” I demanded.
“Go ahead, counselor. Give your client the good news.”
Parker stacked the paperwork in her lap and met my eyes. “Cynthia is refusing to testify against you. The charges have been dropped. The judge has already signed the order approving the removal of your monitor.”
What?For a split second, I felt elated. But then, doubt consumed my mind. Why would Rachel do me any favors? She wouldn’t unless it fits into the next step of her plan. My heart raced and I wondered what she had up her sleeve next.
“Why would she do this?” I asked Donaldson.“Believe me, I’d like to know,” he snorted. “But don’t think this means I’m done with you. The judge dismissed the charges with prejudice, so if I find one piece of evidence that you were more involved in your husband’s actions than you’ve let on, I’ll see to it that you serve as much time as he does. And I plan to keep a close eye on you, Mrs. Reynolds. I know there were motives other than love and devotion involved in your hasty nuptials. I may not be able to force you to testify against each other in regards to your future crimes, but I can sure as hell build a solid case against you anyway. So keep in mind, I’m watching you.”
“So noted,” Parker replied. She stood again, this time holding her shoulders much higher. “Thank you for your time, David. I’m sure we’ll be in touch.”
I turned away from the prosecutor without a goodbye and followed Parker out of his office. She pulled the door closed behind me and I leaned against the wall.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked her.
Parker nodded. “If she’s cornered the DA’s office into dropping the charges, it’s because she’s planning something worse.”
“What do we do now?”
“We go down the hall and have your ankle monitor removed. From there, we’ll head home and come up with a new plan.”
***
Kennedy paced the kitchen floor while Claire stirred a pot of tomato sauce. Parker and I sat at the island, recounting our meeting with Mr. Donaldson.
“I don’t like this… I don’t like this at all,” Kennedy insisted.
“I don’t like it either,” Parker agreed. “But what the hell were we supposed to do? It wouldn’t exactly have looked good if I’d said ‘Thanks, David, but Lauren would rather keep the ankle monitor and we’d really like to go to trial.’”
Claire sprinkled garlic salt into the sauce and turned to us with a frown. “I must have missed something. The case against Lauren has been thrown out. How is that a bad thing?”
“Think about it, Claire,” Kennedy replied. “Cynthia has done everything in her power to ruin Asher and Lauren. Why would she suddenly change her mind and let Lauren off scot free?”
A few seconds passed and Claire’s face lit up with understanding. “You think she’s planning something else?”
“It’s really the only thing that makes sense,” Parker answered.
Kennedy nodded. “And there’s no telling what she’s up to. She’s already set Asher and the rest of the Chavez family up to spend the next few decades in prison. But she’s changed her MO with Lauren. I think she has something else in mind. Not so much a punishment for you… I’m afraid she’s going to do something to you, as a way to hurt Asher.”
“I think you’re right,” I agreed, my stomach twisting in knots. “That morning at the cabin, she told Asher that this was always going to happen eventually. But Rachel was living the high life before I came along, and Luis wasn’t scheduled to be up for parole for another few years. I’m the reason she sped up her plan. I’m sure of it. She resents my existence.”
Kennedy nodded again. “And I bet she’s come up with a way to make Asher pay for falling in love with you.”
“I’m still not completely understanding this,” Claire broke in. “Even if she has something else in store for Lauren, why would she refuse to testify? Wouldn’t she want to carry both plans out and do as much destruction as possible?”
I’d asked myself the same question the moment I learned the charges had been dropped. It hadn’t taken me long to realize the answer.
“She needed my ankle monitor off,” I explained.
Kennedy and Parker cringed in unison and a look of horror flashed across Claire’s face.
“You really think that’s why?” she gasped.
Kennedy nodded. “As long as Lauren was behind this wall with that ankle monitor on, she was untouchable. You’re probably still safe as long as you’re here, with all of the security measures still in place. But I think it would be a mistake to assume she can’t touch you here. She knows the property much better than any of us. I want to put a full time personal guard on you, Lauren.”
“Whatever you think is best,” I agreed.
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I know you’re tired of being locked behind this wall. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to venture out. She’ll expect you to, and she’ll be waiting. You’re too vulnerable in the outside world.”
“I agree, with one exception. Tomorrow is Saturday, one of the visiting days at Atwater. I’m going to see my husband.”
Parker sighed and Kennedy shook her head. “Lauren, I understand how much you want to see Asher. I know if I were in your shoes, it would be damn near impossible for me to stay away from Jackson. But I’d do it if my life depended on it.”
“The prison is the first place she’ll expect you to go,” Parker agreed. “It isn’t a good idea.”
“I don’t care,” I insisted. “I’m fucking done letting this insane woman rule my life. Asher is in prison for crimes he didn’t commit. He’s given up control of the company he built from nothing. The longer this drags on, the more impossible it will be to recover from it. So if Rachel wants me, she can come and fucking get me. And when she does, we’ll be ready. I’m putting an end to this, once and for all.”
Claire’s panicked eyes darted from Parker to Kennedy, and then to me.
“You can’t possibly be planning to set yourself up as bait for her. Kennedy, Parker, tell her this is a terrible idea.”
“I hate the idea,” Kennedy replied. “Which is why it kills me to admit that it may actually work.”
Finally, someone other than me sees reason.
“Thank you. I’m going to go outside and issue my first official statement to the press. And I’m telling them everything. I’ll antagonize her on camera. She won’t have a choice but to come after me.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Parker warned. “If we’re going to do this, we’re taking every precaution possible. We need to get extra guards in place. You need to be outfitted with tracking and listening devices. We’ll have to study every last inch of the routes between this house and anywhere you want to go. This is going to take time.”
“We don’t have time,” I replied, my voice firm. “Every moment that passes is another moment Asher is in danger from the Chavez organization. Am I the only one who remembers that he’s locked away with at least a dozen people who would love to kill him? Not to mention the fact that Rachel’s already planning something, whether we’re ready or not. I’ve done all of the sitting and waiting I’m going to do. From this point forward, I’m taking control. If you don’t want to help me, fine. But as much as I love you all, I’ll be damned if any of you are going to stop me.”
I spun on the heel of my ballet flat and set off for the door. A few moments later, Kennedy called after me. I turned and met her eyes.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” she said, moving to join me. Claire and Parker followed and together, we climbed into Asher’s electric golf cart and drove silently to the end of the driveway. The guard posted on our side of the gate entered a code in the keypad and the steel parted, revealing a crowd of reporters and cameramen idling on the other side. Several of them were sitting on the grass and jumped to their feet when they laid eyes on me. Two more security guards stepped a few feet in front of us, signaling a barrier line to the crowd. Kennedy cleared her throat and addressed them first.
“As you’re all aware, my client Asher Reynolds is currently awaiting trial at Atwater Penitentiary. His wife, Lauren, was cleared of all charges against her this morning and is ready to make a statement. We will not be answering any questions at this time.”
I scanned the crowd, very aware of just how many cameras were pointing in my direction.
Here goes nothing.
“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who’s reached out to my husband and me with love and support,” I began. “This has been a very difficult time, to say the least. There are numerous stories circulating about my husband, but very few truths. Yes, Asher’s given name was Billy Murphy. And yes, through no fault of his own he was exposed to the Chavez crime organization. In his attempt to flee the family, he was forced to shoot Miguel Chavez in self-defense. This is where truth fades to fiction.
“My husband has been accused of kidnapping Cynthia Goins, along with a host of other horrific crimes and abuse. The truth is, Asher is the victim in this case. Ms. Goins manipulated him and spent nearly a decade gaining his trust. And in that time, she was already laying the groundwork for her ultimate betrayal. But in all of her planning, there was one thing Ms. Goins didn’t account for: me. I know my husband is innocent and I will not rest until his name is cleared and he’s home where he belongs. To that end, our legal team and I are working tirelessly to assemble a group of witnesses who can attest to Ms. Goins’ true character.”
I looked directly into the closest camera and imagined Rachel sitting somewhere, glaring at a television screen.
“I’m not at liberty to disclose details, but I’m confident that with our new developments, this matter will be resolved in a matter of days. Thank you for your time and support.”
I turned back toward the gate and the reporters went crazy. They shouted questions and begged for sit down interviews, but I ignored them all. The gate closed again as we crawled back onto the golf cart. Kennedy turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
“New developments, huh?”
“She has to think we’re closing in on her. Hopefully, she’ll think we’ve found the money and check on it herself. We need to call Detective Austin and suggest he tap her computer, if he hasn’t already.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Kennedy promised. Her phone chimed and she retrieved it from the pocket of her khaki slacks.
“It’s Jackson. He saw the broadcast. He’s with a commercial realtor right now, but he’ll be back in half an hour. He doesn’t want us to leave the property.”
Shit. It’s one thing for me to put myself in danger. But I just put targets on my friends’ backs as well.
I groaned and slowed the golf cart to a stop just outside the front door. “I wasn’t thinking. I should have addressed the reporters on my own. I just gave her a reason to come after you guys as well. I am so sorry.”
“There’s no way in hell we would have let you do that alone,” Claire insisted. “I for one want the bitch to know we have your back.”
“We all knew what we were doing, Lauren,” Kennedy assured me. “Now, let’s go inside. We have a lot of work to do before you go to the prison tomorrow.”
***
I woke early the next morning and spent nearly half an hour staring into my closet. Kennedy and Parker warned me not to wear anything too tight or revealing to the prison, but I wanted to look nice for my husband. The mountain was covered in a dense fog and a light chill hung in the air, so I finally gave up and settled on a nice pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater the same shade of chocolate as my eyes.
Asher loved it when I wore my hair down, so after my shower, I curled it and let it fall around my face. I spent so much time on my makeup that I had to take my breakfast to go. Fortunately for me, I had plenty of time to kill once I was in the car.
Kennedy wanted to go to the prison with me, but I refused her offer. I’d arranged for our driver Gabe to take me and the new security team would follow at a safe distance. I wanted to look as vulnerable as possible so Rachel would believe it was safe to strike. My only hope was that she’d wait until my return trip from the prison. Asher and I had been apart longer than ever before and I felt as if my heart would burst if I didn’t see him soon.
The trip to Atwater took two hours, both of which were tense. I sat up front with Gabe, my eyes peeled for anything that looked unusual. But we arrived at the prison without incident.
Gabe dropped me off at the front entrance and told me to give Asher his love. I gave my name to the guard at the door, who walked me through the process of visiting an inmate.
First, my purse was searched, cataloged, and locked away behind the front desk. The officer behind the counter gave me a claim slip and directed me through a secure door. A female officer met me on the other side and patted me down. When she was satisfied that I wasn’t concealing contraband for Asher, she led me to a small private room half the size of our walk-in closet.
“You’re lucky,” she told me. “Married couples get to visit in private. Though I should warn you that the camera is always on.”
She pointed up to the far corner, where a security camera was mounted to the ceiling.
I guess this won’t be an intimate visit.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. An officer will bring your husband here in a few minutes.”
She turned and stepped back into the hallway. I sat down on the small, well-worn loveseat, the only furniture in the room. My heart leapt when the door opened again, then broke when I laid eyes on Asher.
“It looks worse than it feels,” he promised, his voice low.
“You have half an hour,” his escort warned. “And we’ll be right outside this door.”
Asher nodded to the guard. “Thank you, Frank.”
After the officer left us alone, I reached out a tentative hand to Asher’s bruised, swollen face.
“What happened?” I gasped, afraid to touch him.
One corner of his mouth lifted and I could see how hard he was trying to brush this off. “I ran into an old friend. He wasn’t happy to see me. But I’m okay, I promise.” He took my hand between his. “And I gave worse than I got. The warden told me your charges were dropped. I was hoping I’d see you today.”
He leaned down and planted a soft, gentle kiss on my lips. I felt the heat of his bruises against my cheek and pulled away from him with tears in my eyes.
“We’re going to get you out of here, baby,” I promised. “Kennedy, Parker, Claire, and I… we came up with a plan. We all agree that the only reason Rachel refused to testify against me is because she’s working on a bigger plan.”
“I had the same thought,” he agreed. “I’m afraid she may be coming for you. But I know Kennedy will take every precaution to keep you safe.”
“Kennedy stood next to me yesterday while I went on national television and provoked her,” I confessed.
The areas of Asher’s face that weren’t purple, black, or blue turned a frightening shade of red. “What do you mean you provoked her?”
“I want her to come for me, Asher. We’ve put dozens of new security measures in place. There are tracking devices in the cars, cameras all over the house, and Jackson bought me a necklace that has a GPS locator, a camera, and an audio recorder. When she makes her move, we’ll be ready for her. And we’ll finally be able to prove who she really is.”
“I don’t like this,” he said, shaking his head.
“You’re in far more danger than I am,” I pointed out. “Is it just your face? Or are there bruises I’m not seeing?”
“It’s just my face,” he promised. “And I can handle myself. I can’t believe you’re putting yourself in danger like this.”
“I was in enough danger already.” I sighed and rubbed my thumb over his hand. “I don’t want to fight about this, Asher. And there’s no point. What’s done is done. We don’t have long and I want to hear how things really are here. Who did this to your face?”
Asher clenched his jaw and looked to the dirty carpet. “My father.”
That was the last thing I expected to hear.
“You’ve seen your father?” I gasped.
“Yeah,” he grunted. “He’s actually my cell mate.”
“What? How the hell did that happen? And where the hell does he get off putting his hands on you?”
“I think bunking us together was the warden’s idea of a joke. And I hit him first.”
“See, this is exactly why we have to get you out of here. Tell me what happened. Why did you hit him?”
Asher tensed his shoulders and narrowed his brow. He threw a glance to the security camera and I realized he was afraid to talk. He pulled me into his arms and held his lips to my ear.
“He told me some things I didn’t want to hear. There are things about my family, my childhood, that I didn’t know before. I wish I could explain this all to you. But right now, I can’t.”
“Have you at least stopped taking swings at each other?” I whispered back.
“Yes. We’re actually getting along pretty well now. In some ways, I’m glad he’s here.”
Well, that’s something, I guess.
“Dad and I are actually working on a plan of our own. There are people here who may be able to help us. This mess with the Chavez family runs deeper than I ever realized. And Dad and I aren’t the only ones here they’ve screwed over through the years.”
“Is there anything I can do to help? Do you need anything at all?”
“Actually, there is something you can do,” he whispered. “I’m assuming Kennedy’s given you access to the account I set up for you?”
I nodded.
“Great. I need you to listen very carefully. When you get home, go to my office. The bottom drawer on the right has a false bottom. Beneath it, there’s an address book full of my business contacts. Find the number for John Rogers. He knows who you are and he won’t be surprised to get your call. He’s going to give you an account number to transfer some of the money to. I think three million is probably enough.”
Nerves danced in my stomach and my heart beat quick in my chest.
“Asher, what’s going on?” I whispered.
“I can’t go into the details,” he reminded me again. “But I promise, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Can I tell anyone what I’m doing?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. But I won’t ask you to keep secrets from your friends.”
“Shouldn’t Kennedy know what’s going on?”
He shook his head. “It’s honestly better if she doesn’t.”
I had so many questions. I wanted to know what secrets Asher’s father had shared with him. I wanted to know who John Rogers was, why he knew about me, and what he planned to do with three million dollars. But I knew Asher couldn’t explain in front of the camera, so I kept my questions to myself.
“I won’t say anything to anyone,” I promised. “Is there anything else I can do?”
He dropped a hand to my wedding ring and turned it between his fingers. “You can remember the promises I made when I put this ring on your hand. No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, remember how much I love you. Remember that everything I’m doing I’m doing for us. And for God’s sake, keep yourself safe. If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Asher, you’re making me nervous. Why do I feel like I’m never going to see you again?” I asked, tears welling in my eyes.
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “There’s no reason to be nervous,” he promised. “We have a rocky road ahead of us, that’s all. But I promise that whatever happens, I will find my way back to you.”
Your way back? Where the hell are you going?
Asher couldn’t answer my questions, so I didn’t bother to ask them. Instead, I collapsed into his arms and held him until the guard came to take him back to his cell.