The Perfect Frame
Page 24
“My father threatened to ruin me if I divorced Nina, even though he knew the kind of slut she was.”
Nina gasped.
He laughed at her. “Father said it was my punishment. I’d made my bed and I would damn well have to lie in it with you.”
“But you continued your affair with Cara, didn’t you?” Mack probed.
“Believe it or not, I love her, Jessup.” He sighed wearily. “Do you have everything you need, Lieutenant?”
Bob nodded.
“You’ve been taking this all down, Lieutenant?” Townsend inquired.
“Every word, Mr. Townsend.”
“Would you like to ask me some more questions?”
Toni sat there in momentary shock. Recovering quickly , she said, “The day Mr. Townsend died he tried to tell me how wrong he had been about something. He knew he was dying and he said he was sorry. At the time I didn’t understand why he said those words. I realize now that he was sorry he had driven his own son to kill him.”
Townsend laughed. “My father never regretted a decision in his life. He was always right and everyone else was wrong. Whether you knew it or not, he had great respect for you, Ms. Carlton. He said you were the kind of woman I should have married.”
“You’re wrong, he—”
“No. I wasn’t wrong. He was going to make you a proposition the day he died.”
“What kind of proposition?”
“He was going to make you director, and then eventually the first woman CEO of Townsend’s. He said you had guts and ambition.”
“What?”
“Frank Clifford suspected it after talking with my father. He knew he was on the way out. That’s why he started setting you up in earnest. I let him because it was—”
“A way of getting back at your father,” Mack finished.
“Very good, Jessup. When I decided to hire you, I was sure you would uncover Clifford’s master plan.” He glanced at Toni. “The one thing I hadn’t counted on was that Jessup would fall for you, Ms. Carlton.”
“What made you kill Clifford, and how did you manage it?” Lieutenant Barnes asked. “You were booked on Flight 233 to Seattle the night of the murder.”
“You’re right, I was.”
“I checked and you picked up the ticket on time.”
“Someone picked up the ticket, but it wasn’t me. I met and talked to a man who needed to catch that particular flight to connect with one scheduled to leave Seattle early the next morning. So we traded tickets.
“His flight didn’t leave until midnight. I knew that Nina and Warren intended to see Clifford so they could get their share of the money from the sale of the securities. They were going to meet at Clifford’s apartment at ten. But the slut had to have her young stud service her first.” He glared at Hank. “It gave me all the time I needed. When I went to see Clifford, it was with a purpose in mind.”
“You intended to kill him and make it look like he had a massive heart attack.” Mack supplied.
“I didn’t know that Cara had overheard Nina talking to Warren about stealing from the company, and thought it was Clifford and would go there and confront him. I had a drink with the bastard.”
“That was when you conveniently dropped a few of the pills into his glass, didn’t you?”
“Dissolved in alcohol or something hot the drug breaks down faster. I knew he would be dead within thirty minutes. I looked out the window and saw Nina and Warren getting out of the car. I told Clifford I had to go, and then quickly left out the back way to where my car was parked. Clifford had a smug smile on his face when I left him. He knew I wouldn’t say anything about his part in embezzling the securities because he thought I was in love with my wife. He thought I would want to avoid the scandal.”
“Little did he know that you literally couldn’t wait to be rid of her.”
“Right, Jessup. I drove around to the front, and parked a little ways up the block. I wanted to make sure that Nina and Warren were still there because I intended to call the police. As I started to punch in the number to the police station, I saw Nina and Warren leave the building. As I watched them get into the car, I saw my plan for them go down the drain. I was getting ready to leave when I saw Cara heading up the walkway. I got out of my car and followed her inside. The door to Clifford’s place was ajar and I heard him talking to Cara and waving a gun at her. She picked up a vase and threw at him and he dropped the gun. As Cara was reaching for it, I burst into the room and took it from her. I told Cara to go. She didn’t want to, but I insisted. Clifford came at me and we struggled with the gun and it went off.”
Townsend glared at Mack. “You really suckered me in with that ploy about Ms. Carlton’s memory returning. I confided what you told me to Cara.” Townsend glanced at Toni. “I had intended to take care of you somehow, but Cara was one step ahead of me and got caught in your trap. I couldn’t let her pay for what I had done.” His speech began to slur.
Awareness struck Mack and he grabbed the cup of coffee out of Townsend’s hand. “Bob, call the paramedics.”
“You’re too late this time, Jessup.” Townsend smiled triumphantly.
“Mack! He didn’t—” Toni cried.
“There’s nothing we can do. He’s taken a massive dose of Cyclocardia. Haven’t you, Townsend?”
“It’s over for me, but Cara has a chance. And so do you, Ms. Carlton.” He shifted his gaze to Nina’s shocked face. “The only thing I regret is that I won’t be taking you with me, you bitch.” Townsend began to choke. “Don’t look so horrified, Ms. Carlton. We all have to go sometime.”
The choking stopped and Townsend slid to the floor. He was dead before he touched it.
EPILOGUE
“Mr. Townsend’s cousin will be taking over the company,” Toni said to Mack as they relaxed in his living room several weeks later.
“Where will that leave you?”
“The board decided to abide by the senior Townsend’s wish to make me a director, and then when I’ve gained enough experience, CEO. Once Hank’s name came out as one of the owners of ValueCorp International, that ended his term as CEO.”
“Marc ferreted out the truth about how he changed the report to implicate you. The embezzlement charge against Warren is one that will stick. He’s going to jail.”
“What about Cara? I feel so sorry for her.”
“According to Matt, she won’t have to do any time.
Townsend’s confession ensured that.”
“What will she do now?”
“Townsend made sure she was financially set for life.”
“I still find it hard to believe that he actually killed his own father.”
“Hate makes people do things totally out of character. Or maybe it draws out a person’s true colors.”
“All I want to think about right now is you, Mr. Jessup.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“No imitation?”
“Not this time. I intend to enjoy being myself, the lover, future husband and father to the seven kids I plan for you to present me with.”
“So all you want to do is keep me barefoot and pregnant. And I said you didn’t have one chauvinist bone in your body.”
“Gotcha.”
Toni slipped her arms around his neck. “I’ve got you, Mackinsey Jessup, right where I want you.”
He kissed her, then raised his mouth from hers and gazed into her eyes and said, “Right where I want to be forever. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beverly Clark is one of Genesis’ original Indigo authors. Her previous titles include Yesterday is Gone, A Love to Cherish, The Price of Love and Bound by Love. Beverly was born in Oklahoma and now resides in Southern California. She has extensively written for national publications, including over 100 short story romances for Sterling/MacFadden Magazines.