Around the Bend

by Britney King

“We have significant evidence that your husband embezzled millions in investor funds—fraudulently, obviously.”

  “Oh my god.” Jess pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “We also have reason to believe that the accident you were in earlier this year may have been planned.”

  Jess’s eyes widened.

  “Can you tell us about that, Mrs. Clemens?”

  She blew out all of the air she held in her lungs. Myles stood and began to pace the length of the living room. “But why would he do such a thing? I don’t think my husband, Spencer, my Spencer is capable of what you’re suggesting...”

  “You’d be surprised what some people are capable of, Mrs. Clemens.”

  “Jessica. Please, call me. Jessica.”

  The woman nodded and looked at her partner briefly before continuing. “Jessica. Do you know anyone by the name of David Dewitt? Is that name familiar to you?”

  Jess thought for a moment and then shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”

  “He claims to have been your husband’s lover for the past two years. And he has provided us with information, which suggests that the accident you were involved in may have been intentional. So we need you to cooperate with us and tell us everything you can about that night.”

  She wasn’t going there. Not now. “And if I don’t remember?”

  The agent exhaled slowly and deliberately. “Either way, your husband looks to spend a solid portion of the rest of his life behind bars, Mrs. Clemens.” She paused, corrected herself, and went on. “Jessica. And the more you cooperate with our investigation, the more we can ensure that the information our informant has provided is correct.”

  Jess cocked her head. “I don’t know what you want me to say. This is all so ludicrous. I just can’t imagine—”

  “Mrs. Clemens,” the woman interrupted, “my job here is to make sure that you’re aware of the severity of the situation here. We have reason to believe that your husband may have purposely tried to kill you. And whether or not this information is ultimately proven true depends a lot on your level of cooperation. But aside from that, your husband stole an awful lot of money from some very hardworking folks. So, the other part of my job is to sort fact from fiction here and to help us ensure that you were not aware and thus, cannot be held responsible for your husband’s actions—given that the two of you are still legally married and all of the financial implications that come with that. Were you aware of any insurance policies that your husband may have taken out on your behalf? Did he speak of having money troubles?”

  Jess covered her face with her hands. “Um… I don’t know. Oh, God. How could this happen? How can this be happening? I just don’t understand...”

  Myles ran his fingers through his hair and then stepped forward. “Jessica,” he said. Her name came out hard, his tone serious. “That’s enough for now,” he commanded.

  He turned to the male agent but eyed the redhead. “My boss would prefer to have her attorney present before any further discussions take place, Miss Hewitt. I’m sure you can understand the shock she’s in right now, so if it’s all the same to you, I think it’s best we give her a little time to process this and to get in touch with her legal team. ”

  The woman nodded and stood to face him as if she’d expected it. “Okay. Here’s my card.” She reached into her suit pocket. “Please contact me as soon as possible with Mrs. Clemens’s attorney’s information. Or have the counsel contact me themselves—that’s probably best.” She sized Myles up and turned away from Jess and spoke as if she were no longer in the room. “We really prefer Mrs. Clemens’s cooperation in this matter. Please make that clear, would you, Mr. Ingram?”

  “I will.” Myles nodded. “Let me show you out,” he said as he ushered the two of them toward the door. “I absolutely will,” he added once more for good measure as he shut the door.

  He stood at the door and stared at the back of it. He balled his fists. “If I don’t kill the bastard myself first,” he muttered to no one in particular.

  Jess just sat staring into space, hoping that he’d say something, anything, to make it all better. He turned to her as though he’d read her mind. Her eyes were wide and glazed over. She was in shock, he understood. But he recognized the expression that she wore as one of understanding. Suddenly, to her, everything and nothing at all made sense.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “What am I going to do?” Jess asked into thin air, speaking perhaps to Myles, but more likely to no one in particular.

  He had already picked up the phone and had begun to dial Addison. “Hey,” he said abruptly. “It’s Myles. I need to know how to contact Jessica’s family’s attorneys…”

  She listened as he recanted the story of what had just taken place and watched as he jotted down a few notes on a notepad. When he was done, he tore off the piece of paper and handed it to her.

  “Here. Addison said this is the guy your father always used.”

  Jess placed the slip of paper on the coffee table and stared at the floor. “Right. I should have thought of that…”

  Myles sat down beside her and rested his hand on her thigh if for no other reason than to get her attention. “You need to give them a call, right now.”

  She turned to face him. “Do you think that he could have done that with the accident? I just don’t know… and yet so many things are starting to make more sense.”

  “I don’t know. Let the cops figure that one out… Your job right now is to protect yourself.”

  “They could take everything, Myles. I’ve watched enough TV in my life to know how this works…”

  “Look, Jessica… worst case is it sounds like it could cost you millions… but, like I said, that’s not for you to worry about right now. Call your father’s attorneys,” he urged, handing her the phone.

  She placed the call and was immediately passed through to James Horowitz. James was the attorney her father had used for at least the past thirty years or as long as Jess could remember. Their families had vacationed together for years growing up. He was a good attorney, the best her father always said, and when he picked up, she gave him all of the information she had, and he assured her that he’d put his finest team on the case.

  The children arrived on schedule, around one o’clock and suddenly, the house was teeming with people. From the chef, to the nanny, to Dean—the butler and the instant chaos of having the children there and all of the commotion seemed to help take Jess’s mind off everything.

  That afternoon, as she sat out on the beach watching the kids play in the water, she wondered just what she’d tell them about their father if the allegations turned out to be true. Ultimately, she realized that he would always be their dad, no matter what, and she would do her best, for them, not to tarnish that.

  As Jess was pondering how she might go about telling them, Jonathan sauntered in from the water and plopped down beside her in the sand. “I’m so glad you guys are here,” Jess said to him.

  “Are you coming back home with us, Mom?”

  She considered his question for a moment before answering. “I figured we could stay here for a while. What do you think?”

  “You mean for the whole summer?”

  She nodded.

  “I don’t know. I’d miss my friends…”

  “We could have them come down.”

  He shrugged.

  Jess eyed him. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he said, staring out at his sister playing in the water.

  “Me too, sweetie. Me, too.”

  Three days later, Jess and Myles drove back to Austin for the day so that she could meet with her attorneys. She trepidly entered her lawyer’s office, not exactly sure what to expect, only to find that her entire life had been laid out before her in a series of spreadsheets and financial documents and timelines on a conference room table.

  Over the previous two days, Jess had given the lawyers and their staff membe
rs all of the information she had. The calls back and forth had been endless, and now it was all spread out before her like pieces of a puzzle that she wasn’t sure she wanted to put together. James Horowitz had met with the FBI agents himself and had come armed with his own information.

  As she entered the conference room to find out precisely what this information was, she was met by four suits sitting in a row, around a table with room for at least twenty. They all stood at once to greet her. Jess shook their hands one by one. Myles pulled out her chair. She took a seat and the suits followed.

  “How’s your father, dear?” James Horowitz asked, being the first to speak.

  “He’s fine, I hear. Mom says he still recognizes her occasionally. Actually, I haven’t been to see him in a while. I need to get by there...” Jess replied unsure of why she offered up so much information and attributed it to nerves.

  The older man nodded in understanding and glanced down at the documents in front of him. “Your father was a brilliant man, Jessica. I am very proud to have had the opportunity to call him a friend for so many years. It’s such a shame, you know, but… the good news is that he set his family up very well. We did a seamless job at setting things up initially, from the beginning, so that your husband couldn’t touch your fortune.”

  Jess swallowed. “Spencer had my father sign some papers about a year ago, giving him control. I remember him talking about it…”

  “First off, your husband, even with those documents, was only able to access very little of your inheritance. Secondly, we can prove that your father, given the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, was in no condition to sign that paperwork. This provides significant protection.”

  Jess exhaled. “How much was he able to get?”

  “Three and a half million,” a younger man answered, pointing at one of the documents on the table. “And it does appear that he squandered, or at the very least has hidden, your marital assets very well. We are still getting information in on several of the accounts.”

  “But my father’s money and my inheritance are both intact?”

  “Yes.” He pointed at the spreadsheet as though she were aware of what it all meant. “Your father made some very sound decisions regarding who had access to these particular accounts.”

  “But this is why you need to cooperate with the FBI, Jessica,” Mr. Horowitz chimed in. “Your husband is being accused of some very serious accusations and our job is to show that you were also a victim in all of this, not an accomplice. And given what you’ve relayed to my staff, I don’t suspect that this should be too hard to prove. But defending yourself in this won’t come cheap—especially if you choose not to make friends with the feds. After speaking with them, it seems they also believe you to be an innocent bystander, and let me tell you, the more you have them on your side, the better off you’ll be.”

  Jess reached into her bag, pulled out a folder, and slid it across the table. “I’ve written down in detail everything I can remember about the past year… including all of the details of the accident.”

  One of the men reached for the folder, opened it, and began scanning the documents. He looked up at Jess, his expression pleased. “This is great. It should help a lot.”

  “Do you believe your husband intentionally caused the accident as his lover suggests, Mrs. Clemens?” another one of the suits quizzed.

  Jess bit her lip. “I’m not sure what to believe. In the last few weeks, my entire life has suddenly become unrecognizable. I wasn’t aware my husband even had a lover, among other things.”

  “According to this guy—” He glanced down at a paper in front of him. “A man by the name of David Dewitt—your husband believed that upon your death that he stood to inherit the entirety of your worth according to your prenup, as well as a life insurance policy valued at twenty-five million. Do you remember taking out this policy, Mrs. Clemens?”

  “Yes, after our son was born. Spencer thought it would be a good idea—”

  “Had you ever heard the name David Dewitt prior to today?”

  “Only when the FBI mentioned it…”

  “Well, he was involved in the scheme your husband used to steal from unsuspecting investors. And he’s now working with the feds on a plea bargain deal provided that he helps with the investigation against your husband.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you remember your husband getting a phone call the night of the accident?”

  Jess looked down at the table and nodded.

  “Mr. Dewitt claims that he was instructed to call your husband’s cell phone at midnight. In fact, he’s given a pretty compelling testimony about what occurred that night.”

  She felt the knife in her back begin to twist. “I’m not sure what to say.”

  “How was your marriage prior to the accident, Mrs. Clemens?”

  Jess motioned toward the folder. Myles had encouraged her to write it all out. You’re a writer, he’d said. Use it to your advantage. Do what you know. “It’s all in there. Everything,” she uttered.

  A second suit took the folder from the one firing off the questions. He studied it, flipping through the pages.

  “Looks like you wrote us a novel here.”

  Jess smiled faintly. “Something like that.” Then she stood. “Like, I said, it’s all in there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to get back to my children.”

  Myles watched her for a second before he stood himself.

  “We’ll be in touch, Jessica,” Mr. Horowitz said slowly rising to his feet. He extended both of his hands and took her hand in his. “Try not to worry too much. I promise, we’ll get this all sorted out. You just let us take care of it, will you? And… get by there to see your father, okay? You always were his favorite subject, you know.”

  She swallowed hard. “I will.”

  “Very well.” The old man smiled.

  Jess let Myles pull out her chair and she walked to the door pausing just inside. “Oh. One last thing… when can I see Spencer?”

  One of the suits straightened his back. “That’s not advisable at this time, Mrs. Clemens.”

  She eyed the man, glanced down at the floor, and then met his gaze head on. “No, I don’t suppose it is.”

  Jess, Myles, the children, and a few of her staff members did end up spending the remainder of the summer at the beach house. Once the press got a hold of the story, it made it nearly impossible to return home and maintain any sort of normalcy. To protect the children as much as she could, she decided they would remain there at least until school started.

  When Jess returned home from her attorney’s office, she sat Jonathan and Catherine down in the living room.

  “Your dad is in some pretty serious trouble,” she’d said matter of factly.

  “What kind of trouble?” Jonathan asked immediately.

  “Well, let’s just say that he stole from people and is being accused of some very bad things—but the truth is that we don’t have all of the facts. And even more so, he is still your father and I know that no matter what happens, he loves you both very much.”

  “Is he going to jail?” Catherine quizzed.

  Jess braced herself. “He is in jail, sweetheart.”

  Jonathan stood and walked out of the room without another word.

  “When is he coming home?” Cat cried.

  Jess took her daughter in her arms. “I don’t know, sweetie.”

  She always questioned herself about whether or not she told them too soon. Maybe she should have pretended he was still in Africa, at least for the summer, she considered. She’d handled so many things wrong over the past year, but this one, she was determined to be honest about. And to the extent that she could—given the circumstances, this was one she hoped to get right.

  Jess knocked quietly and entered her son’s room. He was sitting on the floor, his back against his bed tossing a rubber ball at the wall.

  “How’s Cat?” he asked without looking up.

  “She’s okay, I think. M
yles took her into town for ice cream…” Jess folded her arms and leaned into the door jam. She nodded toward the bed. “Can I sit?”

  Jonathan shrugged nonchalantly.

  Jess made her way over to the bed and sat on the end of it. “I know this is a lot to take in. And I know you’re too old to be distracted by ice cream… but is there anything I can do? Do you have any questions?”

  “This is so embarrassing. I’m pretty sure that Sophie will never talk to me again. Now that my dad’s a criminal...”

  Jess inhaled and let it out slowly. “I don’t know so much about that. If this girl is anything like you wrote, she seems pretty understanding… Just don’t call her crazy,” she said, trying to make light of the situation.

  “I hate him.”

  Jess lightly placed her hand on her son’s shoulder. “You don’t hate him, son. You’re just angry, which is understandable.”

  “I do hate him. He has ruined our whole lives.”

  “Not our whole lives, Jonathan. There’s still so much more than this. You know… I understand you’re hurt, and you should be… but all the best people have lived through some pretty horrible experiences in their lives and come out on the other side, better for it. And the thing is, Jonathan, what your dad did doesn’t say anything about who you are.”

  “Try telling the kids at school that.” He huffed.

  “Fuck the kids at school.”

  She’d gotten his attention then. He looked up at her. “Seriously, fuck them. If you live your life according to how everyone else measures you up, then you’re set for a lifetime of disappointment. Now, don’t get me wrong. I know I’ve done a terrible job of demonstrating this for you… but I promise to do better from now on. I promise.”

  “You’ve done okay. You’re not like the other moms…”

  She snorted. “That’s for sure. But I tried to be for so long. Too long. But the thing is... half of them don’t even know who they are. We were just the blind leading the blind. It takes guts to step out of line and be who you really are. Flaws and all.”