The fearless series thri.., p.11
The Fearless Series Thriller Box Set, page 11
“Abbie is on an emotional rollercoaster.”
“How do you mean?”
“The timing couldn’t be worse. She’s struggling with romantic feelings for Ty, and her mother isn’t here to help her.”
“Ty, her best friend?”
“Yup. See how cruel the universe can be?”
“You said it. And Miles?”
“He doesn’t understand. He keeps everything bottled up,” Jason explained.
“So what’s next?”
“Keep pressure on the investigators to pursue other suspects. Get Shelby out of Bayport.”
“How can I help?”
Jason pondered the question. He had seen enough true crime programs to know there was always a connection to the past. People didn’t randomly frame other people for murder. There was always a personal connection. Yes, Shelby and Alessandro Rossi had a connection, but what does his role as Shelby’s physical therapist have to do with this case? Did Jason really know his wife? He mentally scolded himself. Of course, he knew his wife. Eighteen plus years they’d been together.
“Did Shelby ever mention anybody she may have been close to growing up in Louisiana? Before your family took her in?” Jason asked Vivian.
Vivian took another sip of her water and placed the bottle on the coffee table. “I can’t think of anybody. You know Shel doesn’t like to talk much about her childhood. It’s as if that part of her life died with her family in the fire.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“You think there’s a connection to her past? I don’t see how. She left Kenner as a teenager. I don’t see what that would have to do with what’s happening now.”
Jason said, “Just grasping at straws, I guess.”
“Wait a minute,” Vivian said. She stood and folded her arms. “I just remembered something. It was a long time ago, and I forgot about it. Shel only mentioned it once, so I figured it wasn’t important.”
“What is it?” Jason asked, his voice anxious.
“Mia Lansing.”
“Who’s Mia Lansing?”
Shel said they used to be friends growing up in Kenner. They went to the same high school.”
“What else did she say about this Mia person?”
“Nothing much. She said after a while, Mia stopped coming to school and nobody knew why. That was the end of the friendship I guess, but she’s the only person Shelby’s ever mentioned from that time.”
Could Mia have information that would lead to Shelby’s freedom? Was it too much to hope? One name wasn’t a lot of information, but Jason figured it was better than nothing.
CHAPTER 26
Jason’s mother found him in the living room, staring at the gigantic painting above the fireplace. “Honey, why don’t you go to bed? Tomorrow is another day, and you’ll feel better after you rest up.”
“I will, Mom. Soon.”
“You know, that photo was always my favorite from your wedding,” Naomi said as she stood beside him. “The two of you look so happy. The only thing missing is a halo around your heads.”
Jason said, “It was the happiest day of my life. No exaggeration. I owe Vivian. If it wasn’t for her, I never would have met Shelby.”
“So you keep saying,” his mother said. Her voice oozed with skepticism. “But fate has a way of bringing people together. What’s meant to be will come to pass, no matter what anybody does, or doesn’t do.”
“I’m just saying Shelby saved me, and she doesn’t even know it.”
“You never told her about the Mazas?” his mother asked.
Jason moved away from the photo and plopped down on the leather sofa. The threat from Bob Engels had been painfully circulating in his head. Jason hadn’t had a chance to come up with a defensive strategy. He knew Bob would make a lot of noise among the board and executive ranks about his latest finding, the smoking gun he’d been looking for to kick Jason out of Orphion. Nicholas Maza handed it to him. But why?
His mother joined him on the sofa and grabbed his forearm. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about, Mom.”
“Boy, don’t patronize me. I’m your mother. I could still give you a good whipping.”
Jason laughed out loud. He didn’t doubt his mother would attempt to do just that.
“Nicholas Maza is no longer a skeleton in my closet. He slithered his way out, and now he’s running around, talking to people he has no business talking to.”
Jason filled in his mother on the tense conversation with Bob Engels from earlier in the day.
Naomi sighed and placed her hands on her knees. “I wish your father were here. He would know what to do.”
“I know you still miss him, Mom. I do too. But I can handle Bob.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. When I took over as CFO, I thought I’d left the Mazas in my rear-view mirror for good. Sebastien Maza was dead, and I figured if Nicholas wanted to expose me, he would have done it decades ago. Once Charlie tapped me to be his successor, I started having doubts again about whether the past would stay there. Now Bob Engels is using my secret to bully me under the guise of protecting Orphion. He won’t get away with it. Not as long as there’s breath in me.”
“That Bob Engels is a disgrace,” his mother said. “You’ve been nothing but loyal to that company, but I guess you’re too good at your job. People like Bob Engels can’t stand it.”
“Jason nodded. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“But what about Vivian?” his mother asked.
“What about her?”
“Come on, Jason. Crises have a way of bringing people together and not always in a good way. I don’t like it, especially given your history.”
“You’re overreacting. Vivian is looking out for Shelby. As for our past relationship, it’s just that—the past. It has no bearing on the present.”
“Is that why you never told your wife about the two of you?”
Jason shook his head. “What good would it have done except cause a rift between them? You know Shelby had a tragic childhood. Why would I want to destroy the only familial relationship she has left? Besides, Vivian and I happened before Shelby and I got together. That period in our lives became irrelevant the moment I fell in love with Shelby.”
“You’re vulnerable now, Jason,” his mother said. “I don’t want you doing something stupid in your grief. Don’t get your loyalties confused. That’s all I’m saying.”
CHAPTER 27
“What are you doing here?” I ask Vivian. I’m surprised to see her. I was certain Jason would have mentioned I don’t want to see anyone except him and Alan Rose. Now that she’s here in the visitor’s room, I’m not sure how to react to her presence.
“You didn’t think I would stay away, did you? How could you even think that I would?”
“I don’t know, Vivian. Didn’t Jason tell you about my bad attitude?”
“He did. But I’m stubborn, too.”
Vivian March is the closest I’ll ever come to having a sister. We don’t see each other as often as we’d like, but we couldn’t be closer if we lived next door to each other. Vivian is based in Chicago and hangs out with celebrities and business tycoons, thanks to her high-flying career as an art buyer for the rich and famous.
I barely know what day it is, but by her clothes, I figure it’s still winter. Vivian is all about glamor and even when she keeps it casual, the aura of glamor and style are ever present. Today, she sports a royal blue cashmere top with her hair styled in two thick cornrows braided asymmetrically, bringing a more youthful, playful appearance to her flawlessly made-up face.
Despite her bravado, she’s stunned to see me in this condition. Hearing someone is in jail and seeing them there are two different things. Vivian’s way of dealing with it is to talk to me as if we’re home, sipping expensive Bordeaux on the patio.
“I think we should take that trip to Dubai we always talked about, just the two of us,” she says. “One of my clients lives there and would treat us like royalty.”
“Yeah? An exotic vacation sounds good right now. Not like the vacation in here. Can you believe they don’t even have a pool? And no room service? Don’t get me started on the accommodations. The thread count on the sheets is in the single digits. No ocean view from the room and no spa. How do they expect people to live under these horrible conditions? It’s just awful, I tell you. I’m writing a strongly worded letter to the management when I leave.”
Perhaps I took our little game too far; Vivian bursts into tears, then quickly wipes them away with the arms of her sweater, an odd move for her. Vivian is meticulous about her clothes, chiefly because they cost a fortune.
“I don’t want you to be sad,” I say. “Just look out for Jason and the kids.”
“I wish I could do more. I want you to come home so we can resume our lives and forget that you were ever in this awful place,” she said, looking around. “You don’t belong in here, Shelby.”
“How is Jason? I mean really?”
“Barely holding on.”
“I figured that was the case despite his protests to the contrary.”
Vivian’s eyes land on my hands. “Where is your wedding ring?”
“They took it.”
“That’s just plain wrong.”
“It’s a prison, Vivian. A medium-security facility for women serving criminal sentences or awaiting trial. I have no rights here. No one in here cares—or believes—that I’m innocent.”
My plight slowly sinks in for her. For a woman like Vivian, this is an unthinkable, unbearable situation. If we were to switch places, she would be on suicide watch from day one. She grew up a pampered, spoiled girl with a father who overindulged her and a mother who couldn’t control her. Hardship and difficulty are two words she can’t spell, let alone comprehend.
“I can’t take this, Shel. I can’t see you like this,” she announces, her breathing uneven as she tries to control her emotions. “Can’t the police find the real culprit? What’s taking so long? And I don’t understand why you told the court you couldn’t afford to post the bail. That was a lie. It makes you look guilty, and I want to know why you did it.”
I want her focused on keeping Jason sane and making sure my kids are okay. I love her to death, and we have an unbreakable bond, but I cannot tell her the truth. She will go running to Jason, and then my children could pay the price. Over the years, we’ve kept each other’s secrets, but some secrets should stay buried. It’s time I end this visit.
“Don’t worry about me. As long as my babies are okay, I’ll make it. Help keep Jason together. And yes, I will go to Dubai with you when I get out of here.”
She cracks a smile for the first time since she entered the visitor’s room. “I’ll hold you to that. And you’re paying for the trip. It’s your punishment for getting arrested. Just saying.”
I stand to let her know the visit is over. “Please don’t come back here. I mean it. I’ll see you in Dubai.”
She pushes back. “You’re scared. Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you, Shelby. There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“You know everything you need to.”
After Vivian leaves, I shuttle back to my cell, escorted by my prison guard. Seeing her here, under these conditions, is a not-so-subtle reminder of the twist of fate that brought Vivian and me together. I haven’t thought about it in a while, but from time to time, it likes to pay me a visit. Taunting me, taking me back to that day, that place. Reminding me I can never fully escape. That I can never erase the shame that led me to the awful thing I did. Perhaps my arrest and incarceration are the Universe’s way of trying to even the score.
CHAPTER 28
Al Green’s hit “Let’s Stay Together” played on the sound system as Jason slid into a corner booth at Pennybaker’s. Long lines formed at the front of the restaurant as patrons waited to be seated. Jason had an all-important meeting with Tom Bilko, the investigator he hired to help with Shelby’s case.
Tom had retired from the Worcester police force and became an in-demand private investigator who also had expertise in security. It helped that he had old friends inside a few police departments in the state. At six-foot-five, with biceps as big as a python and a fiery red goatee that said don’t mess with me if you value breathing, Tom inspired confidence.
“What are your contacts at the state police telling you?” Jason asked.
“Not much. The district attorney has political ambition, and taking down your wife looks good. The case still has holes they need to close, like where he was killed. There’s no crime scene other than your wife’s car, and no motive or opportunity has been established. Until they do, state police homicide has the case.”
Jason said, “I have additional information. I don’t know if it means anything as far as exonerating Shelby, but I’m not willing to discount anything at this point.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Jason told Tom what Shelby said about threatening to report Isabella Rossi for domestic abuse. Tom didn’t seem fazed at all. Jason figured a battle-worn veteran like him had seen and heard it all during his crime-fighting years.
“Does her lawyer know?” Tom asked.
“I gave him the basics, and Shelby filled in the rest. He’s happy to hand the police another suspect, a popular strategy with defense lawyers.”
“I’m sure they’ll pursue that lead also,” Tom added.
“Do you know the detectives assigned to the case?” Jason asked.
“Van Dorn is a good guy. His real gift is looking beyond the evidence. His thinking can be unorthodox, but that’s what helps him crack his cases wide open. McCall can be a hothead, but she’s a smart, highly capable detective. But my guess is you’re not buying into it, otherwise you wouldn’t have hired me.”
“Nothing against the police,” Jason said. “They have a job to do, and I respect that. But I also have a family to protect and an innocent wife to get out of jail. I have to do something.”
Tom nodded. “I get it. You must do what’s best for your family.”
Jason asked Tom for his honest assessment of the case.
Tom lobbed a question at Jason instead. “Did your wife have a beef with anybody? Outside of what you just told me. Something only close friends and family would know about. The more leads and possible suspects we have, the harder it could be to prosecute Mrs. Cooper.”
Jason remembered his conversation with Vivian about Mia Lansing, but he wasn’t ready to share that yet. He wanted to see where Tom was headed.
“Nothing comes to mind. Why do you ask?”
“They targeted your wife for a reason. People don’t drop dead bodies in random cars. We’re talking some seriously twisted hating going on, full-on psychopath here.”
“I’m not aware of anyone who hates Shelby enough to go to these lengths. It’s sick.”
“That’s my point,” Tom said. “To you and me, something might be insignificant, not warranting a second thought. To somebody who’s not right in the head to begin with, anything could be construed as an insult or rejection, and they blow it out of proportion. The poor victim usually never sees it coming.”
Tom continued, “Maybe in passing, without even thinking about it, your Shelby may have said something or done something to someone. It was no big deal to her. But to the other person, that perceived wrong festered over time. Then, they saw an opening and took it.”
Jason rubbed his tired eyes. What Tom said made no sense to him, but neither did the situation. Vivian’s parents, Rita and Daniel March, took Shelby in after her parents and brother died in a fire. She had few friends, mostly the ladies in her motorcycle club and a couple of mentors in her field.
What Tom suggested was something far more sinister than Jason could wrap his head around. He was the one harboring a devastating secret that could destroy his family and get him kicked out of Orphion before he could take over as CEO. If Shelby had a dark past, too, he didn’t know how he would handle it.
“That’s a lot of speculation that produces nothing of substance we can use,” Jason remarked.
Tom asked, “How much do you know about Dr. Cooper’s relationship with her physical therapist?”
“What are you getting at?” The cops asked Jason the same question back at the house.
“Just covering all the angles. I’m wondering why they picked Rossi to frame Shelby. Don’t tell me the thought never occurred to you?”
“I haven’t had time to think through anything, Tom. Shelby was pretty banged up after the accident. Couldn’t walk for weeks. I give Alessandro Rossi credit for the work he did with her. That was the nature of their relationship.”
But you can’t say for sure, can you? Jason’s spine tingled, and his heart skipped a beat.
“Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s something,” Tom continued. “You asked me to leave no stone unturned, so I had to put it out there. What about her past?”
“I’ve been more focused on the present. We don’t know who’s behind this, so I must assume my children could be targets. As for Shelby’s past, we met when she was a senior at Duke University, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“I can say from experience,” Tom said, “that whoever framed her is highly motivated and had help. It takes more than one person to pull off a crime of this magnitude. All we have to do is find one of them, then watch the dominoes fall.”
“Then you and I are taking a trip to Kenner, Louisiana,” Jason announced before he had time to think about it.
Tom arched an eyebrow. “The only thing I remember about Kenner is that a plane crashed into the town in the 1980s. Killed all passengers and crew on board and eight people on the ground. Why are we going there?”
