Coldhearted

by Beverly Barton

  Jordan waved goodbye to Kendra and Wes as they drove away. As much as she would have loved having them here until Sunday, sending them off today had been the right decision. She couldn’t risk what might happen if they stayed and Kendra disobeyed her and encouraged J.C.’s attention. Her stepbrother couldn’t be trusted around any woman who appealed to him, and young, inexperienced girls like Kendra appealed to him greatly. She remembered all too well how he’d come on to her more than once when she’d been in her teens. For years, she was able to fend him off without any real harm done, but eventually, she’d had to go to Roselynne. She never knew what her stepmother had said or done, but whatever it had been, Jordan had never had to fight off J.C. again.

  “We’ll miss them, won’t we?” Darlene came up beside Jordan so quietly that Jordan jumped.

  “Oh, dear, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m so sorry.”

  She smiled at Darlene. “It’s okay. I guess I’m a little edgy this afternoon.” She draped her arm through Darlene’s and smiled. “Yes, we will miss them, but sending them back to school will save us from having any more problems for the time being.”

  “You should send J.C. packing,” Darlene said. “That man…” She sighed. “I hate to speak ill of anyone, but J.C. is nothing but trouble.”

  “I know, but we’ll give Roselynne a chance to deal with him first and if that doesn’t work, I’ll ask him to leave. He’s stayed longer than he usually does when he visits. I really didn’t expect him to stay this long.”

  “He’s waiting for the will to be read, hoping when you come into your inheritance, you’ll be generous with him and Roselynne and Tammy.”

  “I suppose you’re right about his reasons for staying. Maybe I should tell him that although I’ll take care of Roselynne and Tammy, I’ve washed my hands of him. He won’t have any more luck getting money from me than he did getting it from Dan.”

  “I…uh…really shouldn’t say this, but…well, have you ever considered the possibility that J.C. killed Dan?”

  “Let’s walk.” Jordan tugged gently on Darlene’s arm.

  Darlene nodded agreement and the two women strolled down the long drive that led from the house to the county road half a mile away.

  “Are you upset with me for—?” Darlene asked.

  “No, of course not,” Jordan replied. “It had never entered my mind that J.C. might have killed Dan. But you’re the second person today who has suggested that J.C. could be a murderer.”

  “Was Wesley the other person?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wesley is a very bright boy. I know that Roselynne and her children are family, but if it turns out that Dan was murdered, I think Mr. Carson and the sheriff should look to those three first. I’ve seen Tammy throw some hysterical hissy fits over the years. There’s no telling what she might do. And Roselynne…well, if there’s any money involved…”

  “Mr. Carson suspects that I might have killed Dan,” Jordan said.

  Darlene gasped. “That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “No, it isn’t. Not really. When you look at the facts, that my fiancé, my first husband and now my second husband have all met untimely deaths—”

  “Robby Joe’s death was an accident, a tragic accident that almost destroyed us. How could anyone think that you killed him when you loved him with all your heart?”

  Jordan stopped, took both of Darlene’s hands into hers and smiled warmly at Robby Joe’s mother, a woman who was as dear to her as anyone on earth.

  “Robby Joe was the love of my life.” Jordan kept her smile in place even though she wanted to cry. She had to stay strong, for Darlene’s sake as well as her own.

  “If the baby is a boy, I wish you could name him Robby Joe, but I know that’s out of the question.” Darlene laid her open palm over Jordan’s flat belly.

  “I haven’t thought about names. Besides, this may be a little girl.” She laid her hand over Darlene’s on her stomach.

  “If it is, you should name her after your mother.”

  “My mother and Dan’s mother—Elizabeth Helene.”

  “And Daniel, Jr., if it’s a boy?”

  A cold chill rippled through Jordan. No, she couldn’t name her son Daniel, Jr. “There’s plenty of time to decide on a name. I’m sure that in seven months, we’ll come up with something perfect for our baby.”

  Darlene sighed as she removed her hand from Jordan’s stomach. “You are so generous to share your child with us, with me and Devon and the others. Your son or daughter will be the closest thing to a grandchild that I’ll ever have.”

  “He will be a very lucky child to have so many people to love and care for him—or her. My family and friends and Dan’s family and friends.”

  Jordan glanced toward the sky and noted the swirling dark clouds. “I believe it’s going to rain. Maybe we’d better head back to the house.”

  Darlene gazed skyward. “You’re right. It looks like a springtime storm is brewing.”

  They walked hurriedly up the drive, barely making it onto the veranda before the first raindrops hit the ground. By the time they were inside, the bottom fell out and distant flashes of lightning zigzagged through the sky.

  “Excuse me, Miss Jordan, but there’s a phone call for you.” Tobias stood at the back of the wide foyer, the portable phone in his hand.

  “Who is it?” Jordan asked.

  “It’s Mrs. Price,” Tobias said. “Mrs. Jane Anne Price.”

  Jordan exchanged a why-is-she-calling? look with Darlene, then held out her hand for the phone. She met Tobias in the middle of the foyer.

  “Hello, Jane Anne,” Jordan said.

  “Hello, Jordan.”

  “Is there a specific reason why you’re calling?”

  “I just heard the good news about your being pregnant. I wanted to congratulate you for achieving such a miraculous conception.”

  Jordan’s heartbeat accelerated. “I’m very happy about the baby, as Dan would have been. He wanted a child as much as I did.”

  “Yes, I know how much Dan wanted a child. I regretted that he and I were never able to have a baby of our own,” Jane Anne said. “And considering the fact that the doctors told us Dan was sterile, think how surprised I was to hear that you’re now carrying Dan’s baby.”

  Jordan swallowed hard. “What do you want, Jane Anne?”

  “I want a piece of the pie. I seriously doubt that Dan mentioned me in his will, but I’m sure you will inherit a sizeable fortune.”

  “Dan was a generous and caring man. I’m sure he provided for me.”

  “You and Devon and Ryan, no doubt.”

  “How much?” Jordan asked.

  “Keeping a secret as potentially damaging to Dan’s reputation and to yours should be worth at least a million, don’t you think?”

  Damn, damn, damn! Dan had been wrong about Jane Anne no longer being vindictive. He had paid her off—or so he’d thought—with an astronomical divorce settlement years ago. Apparently, she felt she was entitled to a great deal more.

  “I can’t get my hands on that much money,” Jordan said

  “I’ll be happy to take it in payments. Say, a hundred thousand now and another hundred thousand once the will is probated.”

  “And if I refuse to pay your blackmail money?”

  “Then I’ll go to the press and tell them that the child you’re carrying can’t possibly be Dan’s baby because not only was he sterile, he was also—”

  “I’ll have the money for you within forty-eight hours.”

  Chapter 8

  Wallace McGee IV had followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps as the Price family lawyer. Since Wallace McGee, Jr. had married one of Dan and Ryan’s great-great aunts, both families considered themselves related. And in old southern families, blood was indeed thicker than water. Family came first.

  She studied Wallace while he read Dan’s will with a theatrical flair worthy of an amateur thespian, pausing at
certain intervals for dramatic effect. As broad as he was high, rosy cheeked, and bald, except for puffs of unruly white hair above his ears and around the back of his neck, Wallace resembled an aging Pillsbury Dough Boy. But his keen dark eyes hinted of the sharp wit and shrewd mind behind the fat, congenial, good old boy façade.

  They liked Wallace well enough and trusted him as much as they trusted anyone. Dan had certainly thought the world of his old friend and Dan had been a fairly good judge of character.

  As they had expected, there were no surprises in Daniel Price’s will. He hadn’t made any last-minute changes, hadn’t added a codicil to include or eliminate anyone or alter the way he wanted his fortune divided. Several million had been donated to various charities and generous pension funds had been set up for Tobias and Vadonna. The bulk of Dan’s fortune—$57 million—had been divided equally among his brother Ryan, his wife Jordan, and his assistant Devon Markham. Price Manor would belong to Jordan during her lifetime and upon her death would become the property of Ryan’s heirs.

  Considering the fact that there was now a child involved—Dan’s son or daughter—she felt certain that they could go to court and obtain a larger portion of the estate and sole ownership of Price Manor. But if they took that type of action, wouldn’t it cast suspicion on them since the cause of Dan’s death was in question?

  Ryan Price looked at his wife before he spoke and the two exchanged a silent agreement. “I feel that, considering the fact that Jordan is pregnant, perhaps all three of us should agree to put a portion of our inheritance into a trust for the baby.”

  “Oh, Ryan, that’s not necessary,” Jordan told him. “I intend to put most of the money Dan left me in trust for our child.”

  “Are you sure?” Ryan asked. “You know that I’m financially secure without Dan’s money and I feel certain that if Dan had known about the baby, he would have—”

  “You don’t have to worry about the baby’s future,” Devon assured Ryan. “Like Jordan, I plan to put a large portion of my inheritance into a trust for him or her.”

  “All right, if that’s what you both want.” Ryan glanced at Darlene, and then moved on, briefly scanning the others in the room: Roselynne, Tammy, Rene, and both servants. “You haven’t forgotten that you have this house to keep up, servants to pay, and several other people depending on you for their support.”

  “I believe I’ll be able to do all that with nothing more than the interest from nearly twenty million dollars,” Jordan said.

  “Well, that seems to settle that,” Wallace announced. “Now, if no one has other questions or comments, I’d like to drink a toast to Dan.” He looked at Tobias, who stood in the back of the room. “Some of Dan’s Napoleon brandy is in order, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes, by all means,” Jordan agreed. “Please, Tobias, bring out a bottle for Mr. McGee. And serve anyone who’d like a glass. Of course, I won’t be drinking.”

  None of Dan’s Raynal VSOP for the little mother-to-be. They knew the importance of prenatal care, which included no drinking. Their baby’s health was their first priority.

  “Jordan?” Claire slipped her arm around Jordan’s shoulders. “How are you doing…really?”

  “I’m all right.”

  “At least we have this over with now,” Claire said. “One more thing out of the way.” She gasped. “Oh, dear, that sounded horrible, didn’t it? But you know what I meant. The sooner all the legalities are settled, the sooner we can all try to get back to our normal lives.”

  “Yes, you’re right. Unfortunately, my normal life included Dan.”

  “I’m saying all the wrong things, aren’t I?”

  “No, of course not. I understand what you’re trying to say. I know you, Claire. I know what a caring person you are.”

  “Thank God. The last thing I’d want to do is make light of how much you’ve lost or belittle your relationship with Dan.”

  Ryan interrupted, sparing Jordan the need to reassure Claire once again. “Everything all right here?”

  “Yes, of course, darling,” Claire said.

  “As soon as we share a toast to Dan, we’d better head home. The weather has turned nasty out there. The springtime shower has turned into a storm.”

  “Why don’t y’all stay for dinner?” Jordan said.

  “Some other time?” Claire asked. “Michael has the sniffles and he’s a handful when he’s sick. I’m afraid he’s worn my poor mother to a frazzle.”

  “Of course, some other time.”

  Tobias brought in the bottle of brandy. He opened the bottle, poured a liberal amount into a snifter and handed it to Wallace, who swirled it around and around before taking the first sip.

  “Ah, delicious,” Wallace said.

  Within minutes, everyone had a glass of brandy, except Jordan. Wallace lifted his glass.

  “Here’s to one of the finest men I ever knew, my good friend and dear cousin, Dan Price.”

  She agreed. Dan had been a fine man. Such a pity that she’d had to kill him. But she had done what was necessary, just as she had in the past. She had to protect them, didn’t she? In the future, they wouldn’t need a man in their lives. They would have the baby. That would be more than enough to make them happy. And they deserved to be happy. And if anyone else stood in the way of their happiness, she would take care of them, just as she planned to take care of J.C. if he caused them any more trouble.

  “You are not going alone to meet her,” Devon said, his usually smooth brow wrinkled with worry. “I’m coming with you.”

  “No, you’re not. I’m meeting her alone on Old Pine Creek Road tomorrow at four. I’ll make some excuse to everyone about needing some time alone to think.”

  Devon rubbed the back of his neck. “I tried to tell Dan that Jane Anne had never forgiven him, that despite her act of we-can-be-friends, the woman wasn’t to be trusted.”

  “You know how Dan was, he wanted to think the best of everyone and that included his ex-wife.”

  “How someone as genuinely nice as Dan survived in the dog-eat-dog world of politics still amazes me, but he did what he had to do to continue his family’s legacy of service to the country. You and I know better than anyone else what lengths he would go to in order to keep his seat in the senate.”

  Jordan caressed Devon’s arm tenderly. “His personal life was a lie and you and I helped him deceive the world. Now, it’s up to us to keep his secrets safe, no matter what we have to do and that includes paying his ex-wife a million dollars.”

  “Do you think she’ll be satisfied with only a million? The lady has expensive tastes. She’s gone through the ten million divorce settlement in the past twelve years.”

  “What choice do we have but to pay her? I’m not thinking only of Dan’s reputation, but of my baby. If the truth comes out, the press will have a field day with the news. We’ll be hounded for months, Dan will be vilified and made fun of and our child will be ridiculed for the rest of his or her life.”

  “I swear I could strangle that woman for putting you through this now, just after our losing Dan and with you pregnant, not to mention our having to deal with that private investigator trying to prove that Dan was murdered.” Devon ran his hands together, his slender thumbs rubbing against his open palms as he switched from his right hand to his left and back again.

  Poor, sweet Devon. He’d been a nervous little boy, shy and hesitant, with big blue eyes that looked at the world with wonder and uncertainty. She remembered the first time she saw him peering around his mother’s hip where he was half hidden from view. It had been the first day of school, Mrs. Coker’s second-grade class. Within a week, they had made friends. Within a month, they were good friends. By the year’s end, they had become best friends for life.

  There wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other.

  Jordan clutched his hands to steady them. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything, just as I always have. I’ll deal with Jane Anne and make sure she knows that thi
s million-dollar payoff is a one-time only deal and if she tries to extort more money from me, I’ll contact the police. If I can get my bluff in on her now, we might not have to deal with her for a few years.

  “As for Rick Carson—he’s simply doing the job that Ryan and I hired him to do.” Not even to Devon, her oldest and dearest friend, would she admit that she was afraid of Rick. Afraid of him because he suspected she was a murderer. And afraid of the unwanted attraction she felt for him.

  “You were practically forced to go along with Ryan’s wishes. If you hadn’t agreed to hire an investigator, what—?”

  Jordan framed Devon’s face with her hands and looked up into his eyes. “Sweetie, you have to stop doing this to yourself. If you don’t, you’re going to have a nervous breakdown. I know that you’ve been barely holding it together since Dan died and worrying about me has only made matters worse. Everything is going to work out. I promise.”

  Devon grabbed her hands that were on his face, clasped them together and kissed the tips of her entwined fingers. “Do you know how much I love you?”

  “Yes, I know. I love you, too. And I’ll take care of you. I’ll find a way to make things right again.”

  She slid her arms down across his shoulders and opened them to embrace him. When he laid his head on her shoulder, she felt the dampness of his tears through her thin silk blouse.

  Not wanting either Jordan or Devon to realize that he had overheard their confessions of love just as he arrived outside the partially open door, he turned and walked away. He had intended to speak to Jordan before he met with Ryan Price. The updated info on the men in Jordan’s past that Maleah had e-mailed him only increased his suspicions. Good thing he’d happened upon the lovers; otherwise, Jordan might have hoodooed him and convinced him that she had been a devoted wife to Dan Price, as she had been to Boyd Brannon. Rick had wanted to believe she was what she represented herself to be. But the grieving widow bit was just an act. In reality, she was in love with her husband’s handsome young assistant and he with her. That information alone made the two of them prime suspects in the senator’s murder.