by Susan Sands
The cop looked toward Richard for his response. “So she says. I have a right to an attorney, don’t I?” he asked.
“Yes, you do. But we’re taking you both to the station. Please get dressed,” the officer said to them both.
“Can I go find something besides this ball gown to put on?” Sabine asked.
“Yes, ma’am. But one of us will need to accompany you,” Taggert said.
“I’ll go too. I’m Ben Laroux, Mrs. Habersham’s attorney. I was here to negotiate her divorce terms.”
“Fine. Suit yourself.”
“Sabine said you were her measly driver.” He’d sat up now and turned on Sabine. “I should’ve realized how underhanded you were. I was so trusting.”
They all just stared at Richard as if he’d grown another head. What a ranting fool he was.
Ben and Officer Taggert followed Sabine to her very large walk-in closet, which was pretty full still, considering she’d been away for two years.
She pulled out a pair of jeans and a lightweight cream-colored sweater. There were rows of shoes on racks. She chose a pair of slip-on canvas flats with a rubber bottom. Ben hadn’t really thought about her life before Alabama, but he realized now the wealth and privilege she’d been accustomed to before she’d broken free of Richard and her marriage.
“Okay. I’ll just go into the bathroom alone to change, if that’s alright.” Taggert stepped inside before Sabine to check and make certain there wasn’t anything or anyone hidden that might somehow sabotage the investigation.
“You’ll need to dress where we can see you. I’ll turn my back, but since we’ll need to run a tox screen on you for possible drugs in your system, I can’t take the chance of your ingesting anything without my knowledge. Sorry.”
“Okay. Fine. I’m already stripped down to my underwear,” Sabine said. The men turned their backs while she slipped off the blanket Ben had placed around her shoulders. She pulled on the jeans, top, and shoes. “Okay. Done. Let’s go stick it to this asshole once and for all. I’m ready to go home. Home, as in Alabama.”
Ben’s heart nearly beat out of his chest. “I can’t wait to get you as far away from here as possible and to take you home. Are you okay?” he asked, hoping she would really look at him, because thus far, she’d avoided meeting his eyes directly.
Since she’d seen Lisa and Steve come into the room. She didn’t. But she did glance momentarily his way and give him a slight smile. At least that was something. He had a lot of explaining to do.
“Okay. Let’s go,” Taggert said. “I’m sorry, but until we sort this out, you’ll have to ride in the squad car.”
“Can I ride with her?” Ben asked.
“You’re her attorney, so I guess that’s okay.”
The paramedics had arrived while Sabine was changing and were now having a look at Richard’s head wound. “Will I need stitches?” He sounded fearful.
“Nah, we’ll clean this up and put a little glue on the cut. You’ll be fine.” The paramedic was a capable woman in her mid-thirties.
And she likely recognized a clear case of self-defense when she saw it, so it was obvious Richard’s whining didn’t resonate with her.
“But it really hurts. Are you sure I don’t need to be checked out at the hospital?” The other tech tried to control his snort of what might have been laughter.
Ben thought he might have whispered the word pussy under his breath, which wasn’t especially professional, but apt.
“Sir, are you alright?” Ben realized the female paramedic was speaking to him.
“Huh?”
“I noticed when you came into the room, you were limping. Did you hurt yourself during this evening’s events?”
It was then Ben realized how badly his foot and ankle were throbbing. “Oh. My foot. I kicked the door. Twice, actually.”
“Why don’t you let us have a look while we’re still here?” Then she smiled at him.
A winky-blinky smile. Her name badge said Jennifer Tarpley.
Dear Lord. But his foot really did hurt. “Thanks, Jennifer. I might need an ice pack.”
He sat down on the chair in the corner of the bedroom, and elevated his leg on the ottoman, allowing the professionals to evaluate his injury.
Richard had changed into business casual, but still looked like hell. “I want to call my attorney since no one has placed me under arrest.”
“Fine. Use your phone.” Richard, afforded no privacy, only communicated to his lawyer that he required his services immediately at the sixth district police station.
It was determined that Ben’s lower ankle was badly sprained, with a possible fracture. He was given a pair of crutches and the foot was splinted and wrapped with Ace bandages and an ice pack. He hated that his injury took more time and care than the possibility that Sabine was drugged, kidnapped, and nearly raped.
Sabine and Ben were led to one of the police cruisers while Richard was placed in the other.
Sabine’s trauma and fear caused by Richard was over, thank God. She had enough witnesses on her side and plenty of hard evidence to prove to the police and the world what he was. But what she couldn’t understand was the presence of Lisa and Steve.
She turned toward Ben in the police cruiser and asked the obvious. “What are Steve and Lisa doing here?”
Ben’s expression was telling. “I was worried about you. Steve came into my office to offer an olive branch after he and Lisa had started working at the firm. I let it slip that I was researching Louisiana divorce law on your behalf. Steve did a law thesis on Napoleonic Code in law school and is somewhat of an expert on the subject. Anyway, Lisa walked in while we were discussing it.”
“And you didn’t think I would mind your discussing my very private and delicate business with them? Before you asked me?” Sabine really couldn’t believe how insensitive he’d behaved.
And how out of character this seemed compared to what she’d thought of him.
“I know, Sabine. In fact, Lisa was incredibly insulted on your behalf. But once they understood the situation, it couldn’t be untold. So, they offered to help. Lisa insisted we inform you as soon as the opportunity presented itself. They were our backup in case things went sideways with the divorce stuff—in case Richard tried anything funny with his attorneys. They figured Steve’s knowledge would be helpful. They were helpful, and I was going to tell you. And I knew they couldn’t tell anyone because our client business stays within the bounds of our firm’s privilege agreement.”
“But I’m not a client. And I didn’t agree to anything—least of all your sharing my whole sordid life’s story and lies with your ex-girlfriend and your buddy. I appreciate Lisa’s sisterhood, but the whole thing is humiliating. The fewer people who knew about this the better. You understood that. In fact, I insisted we keep this only between only those who needed to know.”
“You’re a hundred percent right. My only defense is my feelings for you. I’m a problem solver, Sabine. I wanted to be certain Richard couldn’t hurt you more than he had already. I saw a way to ensure that. I’m so used to fixing situations for clients and my family that I didn’t weigh the outcome of your feelings before I opened my stupid mouth to Steve.”
“You know, my father was a problem solver like that. He did everything in his power to make certain to gain the best outcome no matter who got hurt. He even had good intentions most of the time. And he really loved us all. But he made decisions that tore our family apart. Richard also made rotten decisions and told me they were in my best interest. Is that the kind of man you are, Ben? Because I’m all done with men who make choices with the noble grandiosity of doing what’s best for me, despite what I tell them.” She glared at him.
As angry as Sabine was, she realized this wasn’t really the time or setting for this discussion.
Ben’s expression was grave, but there was fierce light in his eyes. “I only want to love you. I want to marry you and keep you safe and have babies together. I screwed up.
In my need to protect you, I overstepped and I blew your trust.”
Something twisted inside her heart. Love. She did love him. This wasn’t anything like what she’d felt for Richard. It was so solid and real. Ben wasn’t Richard and he wasn’t her father. That, she was certain of.
She placed her hand in his overturned one. “I’m ready to go home.”
When they reached the police station, Ben accompanied Sabine and a detective into one room and officers took Richard into another, where he waited for his lawyer. Lisa and Steve waited in the main area, where they were questioned as well.
Ben was able to make a quick call to Howard to let him know that Sabine was safe and the threat was over. “I’ll make certain to secure things on my end,” Howard said.
Ben had no idea what that meant, but he assumed Howard would secure what needed securing and that it would benefit his people. “Thanks for everything, Howard.”
“Of course. And, Ben, I haven’t had the chance to give the dirt on Richard. He’s being investigated by the higher-ups for some pretty nasty things. Of course, I can’t compromise their investigation, but suffice to say, he’s already in really hot water and it’s all about to blow wide open. The more distance you can put between him and Sabine quickly, the better. Let me know when you’re back at the bed and breakfast.”
Ben felt suddenly sick. “Got it. Thanks.”
The detective came in just as Ben disconnected the call. “Hello, Mrs. Habersham. I’m Detective Bouttee.” It sounded like Boo-tay.
“Sabine, please,” she corrected.
“And you’re her attorney?” the detective asked.
Ben nodded. “Ben Laroux.”
“Tell me what happened.” He allowed Sabine to speak without interrupting.
She was calm and confident. Her therapist training doing her proud.
There was a knock on the door. Detective Boutte stood and opened it. The paramedic, Jennifer, who’d attended to Ben’s foot, which was now propped up on a chair, entered the room. She carried a small plastic carrying case with vials and other paraphernalia.
“How’s the foot, slick?” She grinned at Ben.
Sabine just shook her head and laughed, so absurd was this woman hitting on him in this situation.
“Much better now, thank you.”
“I was asked to get urine, blood, and hair samples from the victim,” the woman said and gestured toward Sabine.
Good thing they were viewing Sabine as the victim, as Richard had the obvious injury and wore the actual bloody wound.
“We’re going to run a tox screen to check for the paralytic drug Sabine accused the senator of administering to her,” the detective said. “You’ll need to head to the facilities with Ms. Tarpley here.”
Sabine nodded, and Ben was hopeful the drug had a long half-life, seeing how she seemed pretty normal now. He was relieved they were taking a hair sample because often when a drug didn’t show up in blood or urine, it still showed in the hair follicle. Sometimes, not right away, but later.
“I’ll accompany them,” Ben said, but winced as he struggled with the crutches.
“Up to you and your client.”
Sabine nodded her consent. “How’s your foot?” Sabine asked as they made their way down the hallway together.
“This is where you wait outside, slick,” Ms. Tarpley said.
“Of course.”
The paramedic handed Sabine a sealed cup, but showed it to him as well, because the whole point of his being present was to make certain all protocol was followed and, therefore, all results admissible in court. “Just give us a urine sample and place the lid back on the cup. There’s already a label with your name and what we’re testing for.”
Ben nodded his agreement, and the women went inside the restroom while he waited in the corridor.
He felt pretty confident Sabine was in good hands, so Ben decided to wander down the hall where Richard was being questioned. Richard happened to be outside the room with his attorney waiting to be fingerprinted.
“What do you want?” Richard sneered the question at Ben.
“I have an offer to make.” Ben had an idea.
And he knew for a fact it was something Sabine would be on board with.
Richard’s attorney, sensing an opportunity to possibly save face for his client, stepped forward and stuck out his hand. “Joe LeBlanc. What do you have in mind?”
“Could we speak after my client wraps up the drug testing? It might behoove us all to have a sit-down before any formal charges are filed,” Ben suggested, and then pulled Joe to the side. “We have video evidence of the senator’s involvement with underage girls. And I’ve received extremely reliable information from my source in a far higher division of law enforcement that there’s an ongoing investigation of a similar sort that will yield devastating charges shortly. My offer might prevent your client’s reputation from complete ruin, and it might preserve your career if you’ve any knowledge of his previous activities that might have endangered minors.”
Joe spared Richard a quick glance, which, in Ben’s opinion, displayed a very narrow thread of deference to his client.
“See to your client and we’ll be here when you return,” the attorney said.
Ben heard a somewhat explosive response from Richard as he walked away. The attorney would save his own skin if possible. No way would he go down with Richard’s sinking ship. And it was going down fast in a ball of flames. The knowledge in the man’s eyes told Ben all he needed to know.
“Sabine will have her divorce with absolutely no contest. She will distance herself from you so that her reputation will not be stained by your heinous actions. Period. In turn, she won’t tell everyone you tried to force yourself on her teen sister, or testify against you in court regarding your drugging her and trying to rape her to force reconciliation. Sabine will retain the evidence in her possession of your encounters with underage girls unless asked specifically for it by law enforcement. She will simply say that your divorce was the result of irreconcilable differences. Whatever happens to you in the future will not be by her hand, unless you refuse to cooperate.” Ben laid the situation out in front of Richard and his attorney.
“We’ll take the deal,” Joe LeBlanc said.
“What? No, we won’t. Are you crazy? She’s not going anywhere. I’m not going to jail. I’m a senator, for God’s sake. As long as she’s my wife, she can’t testify against me anyway,” Richard’s face was almost purple, he was so angry.
Joe turned to Richard and said very calmly, “You are a screaming buffoon. Your housekeeper knows what you did because of the front door camera. It shows you carrying Sabine inside like a lifeless sack of potatoes. Did you forget about that? She’d already called my cell phone to tell me about it. She was scared by the police bursting inside and was worried about Sabine. Do you think your staffers don’t know what you’ve been doing? Everyone has scrambled to cover your ass for the last few years, Richard. You’ll be lucky if you don’t get sentenced hard labor in Angola.”
Richard appeared puzzled. “I don’t understand. I have immunity.”
His attorney laughed. “Immunity? Do you think you’re that special or untouchable? You’re a corrupt predator of young women, you asshole. You’re not immune to shit. Take the deal and hope the feds go light on you when all this blows up—and it will. Because the more evidence and testimony against you will be years added on to your sentence, and I don’t see you faring well as Big Bubba’s bitch in the pen.” He looked over at Sabine and Ben. “Sorry for the profanity. I’ve been waiting years for that opportunity. He’s been blackmailing me over a minor drug arrest he helped me out with for years so that I wouldn’t quit.”
Richard glared at his attorney. “You’re fired.”
“How about we sign this paperwork first?” Ben reached inside the folder he’d been carrying with him. He’d apparently added a few additional items to amend the original circumstances and initialed them. Sabine noticed the hand
written line items.
Joe LeBlanc spared Richard a glanced as he spoke. “What do you say, Richard? You want to let this nice lady go on about her business and keep your secrets or take your chances with Big Bubba for more years than you choose to count?” He smiled then. “And then, I’ll quit.”
“I also added a small codicil declaring your attorney non-complicit and unaware of your extra-curricular activities,” Ben said.
Joe held up his hands. “I don’t know exactly what he’s done. I’ve never actually seen it. Only hearsay.”
“Bunch of sons-a-bitches. I get railroaded while the lot of you whistle off into the sunset. Now, how am I supposed to get reelected?” Richard nearly shrieked.
Sabine blinked. He still believed there was a shred of opportunity for reelection. Sabine had been quiet, but as she’d listened to her soon-to-be-ex-husband rant like a lunatic, she realized how far out of his way Ben had gone to prepare for just such a bizarre situation such as this one.
She’d never guessed any of this might have happened. Ben had arranged for spy devices, backup lawyers, and friends, should they need them, and he’d come along to support and protect her. And she’d needed every bit of it and more. She’d been followed, drugged, and nearly raped by her husband. But Ben hadn’t taken a single chance with her safety or her life. And he’d had paperwork ready to finish this thing by protecting her reputation and severing her ties with Richard and his nefarious actions.
Sabine stood and approached Richard, her voice even and reasonable. “So, you might get reelected, Richard. Sign the papers or you’ll never know. Because I guarantee you won’t if you don’t.”
He appeared sullen and resigned at her words. “Fine.” He picked up the pen and scrawled his signature.
She smiled at him, realizing he had no clue what kind of fantasy world he was living in if he believed he would walk out of here and remain a free man, much less be elected to an office where he would be entrusted to serve the people of the state.
Ben signed as her attorney, and Joe as the witness and attorney for Richard. This was a legal document. An agreement between parties that ensured Sabine’s freedom from this odious criminal. No matter what he’d done, she would be free. And she would have Ben Laroux in her corner. She’d misjudged Richard, but not Ben.