CHAPTER 6
I followed Asher’s instructions without a word to anyone. It hadn’t been as difficult as I expected. My friends had expected me to be upset and in need of alone time when I arrived home from the prison. I retreated to the office without explanation and no one followed me.
John Rogers had indeed been expecting my call. The moment I introduced myself, he rattled off an account number, had me repeat it, and then immediately ended the call. I signed into my online banking and made the transfer in a matter of minutes. I spent another hour reading stories about our case on the internet before finally rejoining my friends. Parker had left in my absence, but Kennedy, Jackson, and Claire were gathered around the patio table on the terrace. All three of them stood when I stepped outside.
“I saved you some chicken salad,” Claire told me. “Want me to make you a sandwich?”
I shook my head. “Maybe later.”
“How was Asher?” Kennedy asked, her voice low.
I studied her face for a moment, wondering how much she already knew. As Asher’s attorney, there were certain details she was legally obligated to keep from me. But I couldn’t imagine her keeping quiet about William Murphy Senior.
“What do you know?” I asked, a hint of accusation in my voice.
Kennedy sighed, sat back down, and pulled out the chair beside her. “I know everything, Lauren. Clark met with Asher yesterday and brought me up to speed. I couldn’t tell you. You know that. But we can talk about it now, so sit down.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized with a sigh. I sat down in the chair and Jackson poured me a glass of iced tea from the pitcher in the center of the table. “It was just so hard to see him like that.”
Claire cleared her throat. “Jackson and I still don’t know what’s going on,” she reminded us.
“The warden put Asher in a cell with his father,” Kennedy explained. “They didn’t have a happy reunion.”
“Asher’s face is covered in bruises,” I added. “And the two of them seem to be up to something.”
Kennedy’s eyebrows perked up. “Up to something?” she asked.
Fuck. I thought all I had to keep quiet about was the money. She didn’t know that they’re working on something.
I took a long sip of tea and debated whether or not to tell Kennedy what I knew. I realized I’d need her if their plan went south.
“Asher told me that they fought because his dad told him things he didn’t want to hear. He said he’d learned things about his childhood and the Chavez family that he’d never known before. And he said something about there being other people at Atwater that the family’s screwed over. But he couldn’t explain the details to me. The room we were in had a security camera mounted to the ceiling.”
Kennedy opened her laptop and pulled out a notepad. “I knew I should have insisted on going to Atwater myself. I told Clark that Asher would be more likely to open up to me than him. But he insisted on handling it himself.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m pulling up everything we have on Asher’s father, which honestly isn’t much. We assumed he was a nonissue since he’s been in prison for the last twenty years. Which is why I’m also going to start a more in depth background check.”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Honey, why don’t you just schedule your own visit with Asher?” he suggested. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you able to meet with him without any surveillance?”
“Yes, I am,” she agreed. “But visiting hours are over for the day. I’ll drive out first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I want to learn as much about William Senior as possible before I hear Asher’s side of the story.”
“You don’t trust his dad,” I observed.
She turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Do you?”
I shook my head. “I’d actually like to be left alone in a room with him for a few minutes with a baseball bat,” I confessed. “It seems a little convenient that Asher ended up in his cell. It seems more than a little convenient that he supposedly holds the key to our salvation. But I’m not convinced he’s working with Rachel or the Chavez family. I think it’s more likely that he looks at Asher and sees nothing but dollar signs.”
Three million of them, maybe.
“That’s my instinct too,” Kennedy agreed. “I also think he sees Asher’s case as his way out of prison. If the Chavez family is completely exposed, he’ll have grounds to file an appeal.”
“Did you get the feeling anyone was tailing you while you were gone?” Claire asked, her mind back on Rachel.
I shook my head. “I jumped out of my skin every time someone cut us off,” I confessed. “But I never got that creepy, someone’s watching me vibe. And the security detail did a great job. I never even knew they were there and I was looking for them.”
Kennedy nodded. “We hired the best. Austin called with an update while you were gone. He’s been on our side this whole time, so he was more than happy to put a few extra eyes on Cynthia. We’re really lucky the theft case is in his jurisdiction. If she makes a move, we’ll know it.”
“And he agreed to stand down until we have what we need?” I pressed.
Kennedy nodded. “If and when she strikes, they’ll keep their distance until she commits an actual crime. At that point, we’ll have everything we need to take her down.”
“So now we just sit and wait again,” I said with a resigned sigh.
I wonder how many accounts that money has been funneled through by now. Asher, I hope to God you know what you’re doing.
Kennedy’s phone rang and she stared down at the screen. “We may not have to wait long. It’s Austin,” she announced.
“Hello… yes. Really? How long? Fantastic. No, I understand… okay, I’ll let her know. Thank you, Detective.”
She ended the call and turned to me with a broad grin. “Cynthia just logged into a Swiss bank account from her home computer.”
“We found the money,” I gasped. I felt a rush of relief as if a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. This was the break we needed. Now that we had irrefutable proof that Rachel had stolen the payroll funds, Austin would be able to arrest her. She’d be off the street and incapable of causing any more harm.
“We found the money,” Kennedy said, lifting her tea glass. We toasted the new development and I turned to her with a smile.
“I feel hopeful for the first time in days. Have Austin’s guys taken her into custody?”
“Not yet. He didn’t have anyone on site when she checked the funds. He’s driving over to arrest her personally.”
“We need to let Asher know,” I insisted.
“Austin’s calling Clark now. He’ll call the warden,” she promised.
“So this is really over?” Claire asked, disbelief flowing from her voice.
“Not completely,” Kennedy warned. “But it’s a good start. I’m hoping that once Austin gets her into an interrogation room, she’ll be willing to talk in exchange for a deal. I’m going to schedule a meeting with the San Jose prosecutor. If he understands the circumstances, he may help us press Cynthia into confessing she set Asher up.”
Kennedy’s phone rang again and she answered it with a triumphant grin. “Hello again, Detective. Do you have her?”
Her shoulders immediately sank and the corners of her mouth turned down in a frown.
I knew it was too good to be true.
“No, I understand. There’s no need to apologize, Detective. I know you’re as disappointed as we are.”
I sincerely doubt that.
“Okay… I’ll keep my phone on me. Thanks.”
She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the table. “Damn it!”
“She wasn’t at the condo, was she?” I asked.
Kennedy shook her head. “The place was empty when Austin got there. He’s put a BOLO out on her. She didn’t have time to get far.”
“Do you think she knows we’re closing in on her?”
“Let’s hope not. Because if she is, there’s no telling what she’ll do.”
***
Early the next morning, we finally received news about Rachel’s whereabouts. Detective Austin tracked her credit card receipts to a small, private airport outside of Los Angeles. The airport serviced charter companies only and catered to high end clients who didn’t want their faces on security cameras. The clerk behind the desk confessed to Austin that many of their customers paid cash, and he’d been trained not to ask many questions.
Detective Austin showed him a picture of Rachel and he confirmed that she’d left on a flight for Montreal the previous afternoon. She mentioned plans to travel to Europe from there, but the clerk hadn’t seen any evidence to confirm or refute her claim. I was furious that she’d escaped, but relieved that she was too far away to be a danger.
For the first time in weeks, I felt safe leaving the house. I climbed behind the wheel of my own car and drove to the bed and breakfast. The security detail kept their distance to the point that I wondered if they were actually tailing me. But with Rachel out of the country, I didn’t worry too much about them. I rolled down my windows and enjoyed my drive into wine country.
Mom and Dad were waiting on the front porch when I pulled down the driveway. They jumped up from their rocking chairs and rushed down to greet me.
“What are you doing here, sweetheart?” Dad asked, pulling me into a hug.
“I missed you. And now that I’m a free woman, I couldn’t resist getting out of the house.”
“Aren’t you supposed to have guards?” Mom asked, frowning down the empty driveway.
“There’re here. They’re just so good you can’t see them. We’re out of danger for the moment, anyway. Detective Austin tracked down the company money yesterday and a warrant was issued for Rachel’s arrest. She left the country before he could put her in custody.”
Mom breathed a sigh of relief. “I know you need her here to prove Asher’s innocence, but I’m glad she’s far away from you. Come on, let’s go inside. I made a coffee cake this morning. I’ll cut you a slice.”
Dad and I followed her through the house and into the kitchen. I sat down at the table and folded my arms in my lap.
“Speaking of my husband, I have a bone to pick with the two of you,” I said, my voice suddenly serious. “I saw Asher yesterday. I can’t believe the two of you didn’t tell me about his face.”
Mom pretended not to hear me and busied herself with the cake. Dad met my eyes with a guilty frown. “Asher asked us not to say anything,” he explained. “He didn’t want you to worry. We didn’t want that either. And we had no way of knowing you’d be able to see him before his face healed. If you’d told us you were going to the prison, I would have warned you.”
“I believe you,” I replied with a sigh.
Mom sat a mug of hot coffee and a thick slice of cake in front of me. “What do you think about Asher being in a cell with his father?” she asked.
“You knew about that, too?”
She frowned and nodded, her eyes fixed to the table.
“I don’t think much of it at all,” I confessed. “I’m not sure William has ever had Asher’s best interests at heart. I hate the idea of them spending day and night together. And to be honest, I’m afraid he’ll be a bad influence on Asher.”
“In what way?” Dad asked, his brow pinched with worry.
“If Rachel had never seen Miguel and his friends kill that dealer, Asher would probably still be Billy Murphy. And he’d probably be running the Chavez organization by now. He grew up surrounded by crime. It’s second nature to him and I’m afraid he’ll fall into old habits,” I admitted.
“We’re not thrilled with the situation either,” Dad agreed. “We were nothing but supportive when Asher told us about it, of course. We both understand why he’d want to get to know his dad. But we’re afraid William will try to take advantage of the situation. And we don’t want to see Asher get hurt.”
“But it sounds like we won’t have to worry about that much longer,” Mom chimed in. “When we met Detective Austin, he seemed more than capable. I’m sure he’ll have Rachel in custody in no time. And then—”
My phone rang, interrupting Mom. I pulled it from my purse and saw Kennedy’s number on the screen.
Oops. I forgot to call and tell her I got here safely.
“Hey Kennedy, I made it. I’m sorry I forgot to call.”
“Lauren, thank God you’re okay,” she replied, her voice panicked and urgent. “You’re at your parents?”
“Yes. What’s going on, Kennedy?”
“I need you to come home, Lauren. Don’t turn on the radio, don’t pull up any news on your phone. Just get in your car and get back here as quickly and as safely as you possibly can.”
Panic squeezed my chest and my palms went sweaty. “Kennedy, you’re making me nervous. Tell me what’s going on. Tell me now or I swear to God, I’ll end this call and turn on my parents’ television.”
“I’m not sure of all the details,” she hesitated.
“Just tell me what you know.”
“Clark called me ten minutes ago. I don’t know how to tell you this, Lauren… Asher and his father escaped from prison this morning.”
“What?” I gasped.
Son of a bitch! That’s why he had me transfer the money. What the hell is he thinking? Why would he do this? It doesn’t make any sense.
“The prison is still investigating, but it looks like they somehow slipped out during morning rec time. The feds have launched a worldwide manhunt. A team of agents are on their way here. This is really bad, Lauren. You need to get home. And you need to be incredibly careful. Jackson’s been trying to make contact with your security team and no one’s answering.”
My stomach turned again and my mouth went dry. “I’ll head home now,” I promised. “And I’ll be careful.”
I stuffed my phone back in my purse and rose to my feet. “I have to go,” I announced. My flat tone reflected the numb disbelief that was spreading through my body.
“Lauren, what’s going on?” Dad asked.
“Asher… Asher and his dad escaped from prison this morning. There are FBI agents on their way to my house. I’m supposed to meet them there… I’m…” My voice trailed off as sobs rocked through my body. I felt betrayed and knew there was a good chance I’d never see my husband again.
No. I can’t do this. I can’t fall apart. Asher told me to remember his promises. There has to be an explanation for this. He’ll find a way to let me know what’s going on.
Dad looked to Mom and rose to his feet. “I’ll drive her home,” he told her.
“I’ll be over as soon as I have things squared away here,” she promised. She wrapped me in a hug and kissed my cheek.
“Everything is going to be okay, sweetheart,” she promised. “I’ll see you soon.”
I nodded into her chest and she released me, passing me off to Dad. He put an arm around my shoulders and walked me out of the house. I pulled my keys out of my purse and put them in his hand. He unlocked the passenger door and closed it while I buckled my seatbelt.
“Honey, do you have any idea where Asher may have gone?” he asked, sliding behind the wheel.
I shook my head. “I don’t understand any of this,” I told him.
He gave my hand a comforting squeeze and navigated down the driveway. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, sweetheart,” he promised.
“Thanks, Dad.”
I was too overwhelmed with emotion to carry on a real conversation, and Dad seemed to understand. We rode through the countryside in silence. When we were close to the highway, I gave into the temptation to check the news. I reached for the radio dial when a noise from the back seat caused all the hair on my body to stand on end.
I’d heard the soft sound of leather sliding across leather hundreds of times before: every time I’d pulled the back seat down to access my trunk.
“Daddy,” I whispered, my heart racing. “Daddy, I’m so sorry.”
Dad had heard the sound as well. He glanced in the rearview mirror, his jaw set.
“It’s okay, baby,” he assured me. His eyes filled with terror and I turned around just in time to watch Rachel crawl out of the trunk. Her eyes were manic and wild, and she had a nickel plated pistol in her hand. She let out an evil cackle and pointed the gun at my head.
“Sorry, baby,” she sneered, mocking Dad’s tone. “But I’m afraid things are as far from okay as they could possibly be.”
THE END
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