by Kira Chase
Frankie leaned back in her chair. “She has a load of pictures. What picture do you want to click on first? After we look at some pics we can check out her personal life.”
“Let's look at all of them.” She winked at Frankie. “We've got a bottle of wine so let's enjoy the show.”
“I'm game,” Frankie replied and grinned.
“Let me enlarge this one…it looks like a family picture. We'll print out some of them, too.”
“Good. I'm especially interested in seeing Bobby's pictures.”
Johanna enlarged the photo and they scrutinized it for a few minutes. She hit the print button. The picture, to any casual observer, would have appeared to be of a normal family, but the more Johanna studied it, she realized that something was drastically off. She wondered if Frankie picked up on it, too. She decided to keep quiet about her suspicions and wait to see if Frankie said anything.
The picture showed Kyle standing in the middle with his arm draped loosely across a woman's shoulders. Johanna assumed the woman was Brenna. What disturbed her was the boy who presumably was Bobby. He stood off to the side of Brenna with a couple of inches separating them. There was no physical closeness or even an appearance of any. The expression on the boy's face disturbed her. His eyes were dark and brooding and he stood slouching with his hands rammed into his pockets. The disconnect was evident from the anger in his dark eyes. She studied his features noting his thin frame. His height looked to be average and his hair was long, dark, and shaggy, framing an angular face. Johanna thought he'd be quite good looking if he smiled. She turned her attention back to Brenna. She was tall, slim, blond, and very attractive, but her eyes looked empty. There was no life in them. Johanna almost pitied her. She looked unhappy and seemed detached from her husband as though his hand on her shoulder revolted her.
She scratched her head and wondered why Brenna had posted this picture. She checked the date. It had been taken and posted probably after Kyle had made the decision to come to Charlestown. Maybe that was the reason for the disconnect in the family. Possibly Bobby opposed the move as would any teenager forced to leave his friends and school. And Brenna might not have been so quick to leave a good job to move across the country. Especially with Kyle's work history. Still, she waited to hear Frankie's reaction.
“No closeness,” Frankie finally said. “What an odd picture. I sure as hell wouldn't have posted something like that. Brenna and Bobby look miserable.”
Johanna nodded. Frankie came to the same conclusion she had. She read the post below the photo. “She refers to Bobby as her son.” She looked at Frankie and they locked eyes. “Doesn't that seem odd?”
“That makes no sense at all. We'll have to check to see if Kyle and Brenna adopted Bobby.” She scratched her chin. “But if they did, wouldn't Kyle have mentioned it?”
Johanna was thoughtful for a minute. “I was under the impression that since Kyle is accusing Will of paternity he would have had to get Will's permission to adopt.”
“That's right,” Frankie agreed. “Also, if Bobby was adopted, Kyle couldn't come back to Will for anything. And the plot thickens.”
“We'll check this out further. Right now, I want to look at some more pictures and read what Brenna's posted underneath.”
They spent the next hour going through the pictures and posts. When they finished, Johanna stood, stretched, and then reseated herself. “I'm going to do a search on Kyle's sister. What was her name?” she asked as she flipped through her notes.
“Carrie,” Frankie said.
“Right.”
“There's something else off, too.” Frankie's eyes narrowed. “None of these posts mention moving. Wouldn't you think she'd at least let her followers know since she posts about her life so freely?” She pursed her lips. “Especially since she and Bobby are due to arrive tomorrow.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I should say today.”
Johanna snapped her fingers. “Because she doesn't know!”
“Huh? I'm not following.”
“Kyle never told her. He probably said he wanted her to come for a visit to meet an old buddy of his.”
“That doesn't make sense. He loses his job and decides instead of looking for a new one to fly to the other side of the country to visit an old high school football pal?” Frankie looked in amazement at her. “I know you don't even believe that.”
Johanna blew her breath out. “You're right,” she conceded. “I'm grasping at straws.”
“Well, straws are all we seem to have right now.”
“The only thing we can do is to continue digging for information.” She picked up her glass of wine and finished it off.
Frankie looked at Johanna's empty glass, then used her feet to roll her chair over to the counter where the bottle of wine sat. She grabbed it and rolled back to the desk, refilling both their glasses. “Let's do it! There's got to be something.”
Chapter 9
Frankie finished placing the bacon on the platter that was already heaped with scrambled eggs. A plate of toast sat on the counter next to a warming plate holding a pot of piping hot coffee. She brought the platter of eggs and bacon and plate of toast to the island where Johanna was perched on a stool poring over her notes and the items they'd printed out last night.
“Do you want to eat here or at the breakfast nook?” Frankie asked.
“Here is fine.” She yawned. “I could use another couple hours of sleep. It's going to be a long day.”
“I know,” she answered as she set down the platter and plate on the long wide island, which had three stools on either side. She walked to the cupboard, retrieved three plates, and brought them to the island before returning for coffee mugs and silverware. “I think we both fell asleep before our heads hit our pillows. But we did find some interesting information so it was worth it.”
Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, it was. We need to show this stuff to George.”
“We should go over it with Trey, too,” Frankie said. “I hope he got some sleep.”
“As a matter of fact, he did,” Trey announced with an unusually bright smile as he made his way into the kitchen. “Good morning to you lovely ladies.”
“Morning, Trey,” Johanna said looking curiously at him.
“Good morning, Trey. We decided to eat here, but if you prefer we can eat at the table,” Frankie said motioning toward the breakfast nook.
“No. This is fine,” he answered cheerfully. He pulled out a stool next to where Frankie’s coffee mug sat on the countertop.
Frankie filled the coffee mugs. As she filled Johanna's their eyes locked across the island. Trey was too chipper after what he'd been through and still faced. Something was definitely off with him. She wondered if he was putting on a brave front for their sakes.
“I'm happy to see you so upbeat this morning,” Frankie said.
“Me, too,” Johanna said with a wide smile aimed at him.
Frankie noticed the look in Johanna's eyes when she met Trey's. She knew Johanna was trying to gauge his real feelings. Whatever they were, he masked them well and put a secure lock on them.
Trey breathed deeply. “I could smell this delicious breakfast all the way down the hall. I only had to follow the aroma.” He grinned as he stirred some cream and sugar into his coffee while Frankie heaped eggs and bacon onto their plates.
Johanna continued looking at him as she fixed her coffee. “I'm relieved you're feeling better this morning, Trey. I must admit that you're doing better than I expected.”
He squared his jaw. “You thought I'd be moping around and crying my eyes out. Am I right?”
Frankie nodded sheepishly. “You got us. But we really are happy that you're taking everything that's happened to you so well.” She sat next to him. “So, what brought about this sudden change?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I had a good cry and then I realized that being depressed and rehashing it over and over wouldn't solve anything. Even if, by some quirk, I end up losing my ho
use to Will, I'll build another. Will has to live with what he's done to me. As for Kyle Martin, I'm determined to bring him down. In fact, my lawyer is meeting with me this morning to go over everything.”
“Do you want us to go with you?” Johanna offered.
“No, thanks. But I appreciate the offer.” He dug into his food. “This is delicious, Frankie.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “Johanna and I are going to have a meeting with George before we go to the office. Are you going to work after the meeting with your lawyer?”
“Yes.”
Johanna bit her bottom lip. “What if Will and Kyle show up?”
He set his fork down. “That's why I'm seeing my attorney. I've notified everyone at the company to refuse them access and to notify me if they have any problem. My lawyer is drawing up legal papers to keep them both out.”
Johanna glanced at Frankie, but didn't say anything.
Frankie sensed Johanna was hoping Trey would give some insight about his future with Will. From the sound of it, Trey had written him out of his life. Johanna was reserved when it came to delving into one's personal affairs, but Frankie was less reserved and usually unfazed by her bluntness. She never worried about stepping on anyone's toes when she wanted to get to the heart of the matter, but normally, even Frankie might have waited a short time before butting into someone's personal life. Yet, in this instance, since Trey was their best friend, she felt justified in digging a little deeper to find out exactly what his future plans were concerning Will.
Even though Frankie was deeply disturbed and upset about Will's behavior, she still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. She'd had time to think the situation over and wasn't willing to write him off as quickly as Trey seemed to be doing. But then she had to consider he was attempting to hide his true feelings. However, he couldn't fool her. There was no way he could turn his feelings off that quickly no matter how hard he tried to convince them he had.
Trey and Will had shared a lot of good and bad times and had weathered the storms, coming out stronger for it. Trey needed to hear Will out. The only problem was that Will didn't seem to want to talk to anyone about whatever was tormenting him.
Frankie tilted her head and looked at Trey. “So, do you see any kind of future with Will after all is said and done?” she asked.
Trey's eyes narrowed and he was pensive for a long minute. “No,” he finally replied. “I don't see how I could ever trust him again.”
Johanna lifted an eyebrow in surprise, but again, made no comment.
Frankie turned and looked at him. “Just like that?” She snapped her fingers in the air.
Trey stiffened. “Yes, Frankie. Just like that. The damage has been done.” He frowned. “Are you defending Will?” he asked defensively.
“Of course not,” she quickly replied, watching his eyes suddenly narrow and then fluctuate between anger and pain. “I don't blame you at all for how you feel. I'd feel the same way in your place. I was just wondering if in the end you find out that Will was being blackmailed or is a victim of some extortion scheme of Kyle’s, would that have any bearing on your decision to end your relationship?”
His shoulders relaxed and he blew his breath out. “It would have to be something pretty horrible for Kyle Martin to be able to hold it over him, I would think. Wouldn't you?”
“Not necessarily.” She looked at Johanna and saw the pain that suddenly appeared in her eyes. Since they'd been through a similar situation, she knew firsthand how Trey felt. The first feeling was of betrayal. How could the person you'd given your heart and soul to betray you? She remembered how she'd felt at the exact moment it had happened to her. Everything inside of her had iced up and left her numb. It was as though life had suddenly stopped and she was frozen in that moment, not being able to break through the fog she was encased in. Trey was in that moment now so she could relate to him, maybe even more than Johanna could.
She'd never thought life could or would ever be normal again, but things had turned around for Joanna and her. She'd stayed with Trey and Will during that time and without their love and support, she doubted she would have survived. In the end, she'd listened to Johanna's side of things and realized that she’d been an innocent victim of an elaborate scheme. They'd worked together and brought down the woman bent on destroying their lives. Frankie knew she had to give Will the chance to explain himself. If only Will would talk. Until he did, they'd never be able to help him. She was getting a headache from all the turmoil in her mind coupled with her lack of sleep.
Trey's eyes focused on her. “I know what you're thinking, Frankie, but this is nothing like what you and Johanna went through. Johanna never allowed that woman to destroy everything you'd built together. Will doesn't seem to care.”
Frankie nodded. “No, you're right, it isn't the same. I'm just saying I wouldn't write Will totally off until we find out what's really going on. There has to be a valid explanation.”
“Point taken. We’ll see how it plays out. But right now, I don't want to see Will or hear any more lies from him.” He picked up his fork again and resumed eating. He swallowed a mouthful of food. “We also need to consider that maybe he's just been playing me all along.”
“You're right, Trey.” Frankie picked up her cup of coffee and sat sipping it for a minute before speaking again. “Could be, but I find that hard to believe. Not that I'm defending Will,” she said setting down her coffee cup. “By no means would I ever do that after what he's put you through. It's just that I've seen you two together and if he's just been leading you on these past few years, then he deserves an Oscar for his performance.”
Trey sat contemplating what she'd said, but didn't have a response.
Johanna looked at Trey. “We did find quite a bit of information on Brenna Martin posted on-line. She's very socially active.”
His interest was piqued. “Anything useful?”
She passed the stack to him. “See for yourself.”
* * * *
Sheriff George Ryker leaned back in his chair and tugged on his chin as he finished going through the pictures and posts Frankie and Johanna had earlier shown Trey. “I couldn't find any criminal record on either of them. Not even a traffic ticket.” He shook his head. “Whatever the Martins have on Will, he definitely needs our help, but I think he's afraid to talk.”
“I agree,” Frankie said adamantly. “Johanna and I think we should talk to Brenna Martin alone. We need to do it without Kyle there because I think he's possibly manipulating her, too. We might just be able to get something out of her.” She paused. “We haven't figured out how to do that yet, though.”
George's forehead furrowed. “Let me work that detail out for you. I can arrange a visit to Kyle and that will give you two the opportunity to get his wife alone.” His cell phone buzzed and he glanced at it. “Trey's on his way over.”
“Good,” Johanna replied. “Hopefully he'll have some good news from his lawyer.”
“In the meantime, why don't you ladies join me in a cup of coffee.”
“I'll pour it,” Frankie said walking to the coffee maker. “I'd like to meet with Brenna before Kyle has a chance to work out his details with her.”
“Good idea.” He watched as Frankie poured the coffee. “Do either of you know what time her flight is due in?”
“No,” Frankie admitted. “But we'll check on the schedules.” She carried two steaming cups of coffee to George's desk and then went back for the third cup.
“Why don't we just pop in this evening?” George said. “Totally throw them off guard.”
“Won't they wonder why we're there?” Frankie questioned.
“I'll tell Kyle that I need to talk to him about his charges against Trey.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Johanna said with a grin. “I like it.”
“What if Trey wants to join us?” Frankie asked, still not convinced.
“It's his house,” George replied. “He has a right to go pick up some of his pe
rsonal items.”
“Do you seriously think a judge would give Kyle a restraining order?” Frankie asked.
George laughed. “He has no grounds for one.”
“I wish Arlan and Kate were back,” Johanna lamented. “We could use their help.”
“I know.” He sighed heavily. “Arlan spent a lot of time with Trey and Will and became close to them since they did the work on Kate and his house and grounds. Arlan might have been able to get him to open up about Kyle's motives.” He loudly exhaled. “We all agree, though, the Will we saw last night is not the Will we know.”
“You've got that right,” Johanna said. She took a swallow of her coffee and then set the cup back down. “Wouldn't it be nice if we could have this wrapped up in a week?”
Frankie thought about that for a minute. “Why can't we?”
Johanna frowned. “Because we don't know where to begin, that's why.”
“Look, we can if we want to.” Frankie became further excited the more she thought about it. “It won't be the first time we burned the candle at both ends to settle a case. And this situation is different. It concerns Trey.”
“Burn the candle at both ends?” Johanna asked. “I like that.”
“Count me in,” George said, grabbing onto the enthusiasm. “My nights are mostly free.”
“Okay,” Johanna said, and then a wide smile broke across her face. “I can't wait to bring Kyle down. Just because he doesn't have a record, doesn't mean he hasn't committed crimes.”
“You don't have a record unless you get caught,” George reminded them with a wink.
“Exactly,” Frankie said. As they sat waiting for Trey, they worked out the details of their upcoming visit to Kyle and Brenna Martin.
Ten minutes later, Trey arrived. After George instructed him to grab a cup of coffee, he pulled up a chair and joined the group.
Frankie studied him. His face showed no emotion either way. She didn't know if that was good or bad. “So, Trey, are you going to keep us in suspense? What did your lawyer say?”