Phil grabbed the armrests and jerked his body forward to the edge of his seat. "Captain, land this plane! I need to get out now."
Drew laughed. "Ha, I hired him. Not you. He only takes orders from me. Don't worry though. We'll land in an hour and thirty minutes. We'll be at the jail by 4:00 p.m., and back to Cedar Key before sunset."
Phil sat back in his seat, clamped his jaw shut, and stared out the window. There was nothing he could do about his predicament now. However, when they landed, he'd give Drew a fight as he'd never given him before, one to make up for all those times of bullying as kids.
#
Kathryn walked Sadie around back to avoid Drew or Barney spotting her, the hum of a small plane circling in the air above their heads beckoning her to join its passengers. If only she could escape this impossible situation on a private jet and fly to somewhere peaceful and trouble-free. Cedar Key could be that kind of place, but it wouldn't be until this murder case was closed and Louie Ezzo and the cousins were behind bars for a long time.
Kathryn slipped into the house and locked the door behind her. Sadie danced around for a treat, and Kathryn laughed. No matter what the situation, Sadie always thought of her belly first. Kathryn's stomach growled as Sadie chewed on her treat, and she clasped her hand over it. Had she really not eaten since the light breakfast she'd shared with Phil?
She uncovered the steaks and pulled the salad out of the refrigerator. She might as well eat. She couldn't go searching for Phil. He'd be angry with her if she did. Surely, he was okay. Maybe he was stalling his cousins.
Kathryn heated one steak, wrapped the other one in foil, and placed it in the refrigerator. She prepared a small salad in a wooden bowl, added ranch dressing to it and then sat down at the bar. Sadie whined and begged at her feet. "You already had a treat, Sadie. Go get on your bed. I'm not in the mood for you right now."
Kathryn nibbled on a cucumber and sighed. "God, if you're listening, please protect Phil. He's been my protector while I've been here in Cedar Key, and now he needs protecting. I don't know a lot about the way you work, but from what I've seen, you really take care of him, and you've let him take care of me the last few days. I hope you'll take care of him now."
Kathryn cut a piece of steak and took a bite. Savory. Juicy. Phil knew how to pick a good steak. Phil knew a lot about a lot of things.
"God, I don't know where my life is going. I don't know if I want to be a Senior Assistant D.A. I'm pretty sure I don't want to be a judge or Supreme Court Justice. When I talked to Phil about doing dental work for underprivileged people, my heart started to tingle in a way it hasn't in a long time. If you care about what I do, will you show me if you want me to leave the legal system? I think you might care for me the same way you care for Phil…although I don't deserve it. I haven't gone to church, and I haven't done things right in my life. But I'd like a second chance."
Tears streamed down Kathryn's face. What was happening to her? Something was budding in her like the hibiscus plant outside the window. If only Phil was with her now, she'd tell him what she was feeling, and he could explain it to her.
Was this something to do with God? The pastor's sermon on Sunday about the treasures of one's heart poked at her thoughts. Phil was a treasure to Kathryn. She didn't want to lose him. "God please help him! Please return him to me."
#
When they landed at Cobb County Airport, Phil excused himself to the FBO's restroom, where he sent Kathryn a text.
Too much to explain in a text. Drew took me by plane to Georgia to see Uncle Louie. I should be back before nightfall. Barney is still there in Cedar Key. Stay in the house.
Kathryn sent a text back immediately.
Wish I could have stopped them from taking you. Please be careful! I'll wait for you.
She was safe, and she'd wait for him. Relief flooded Phil's heart like the tide flooding the shoreline on the bayou in the afternoon light. If she'd stay where she was, and if Barney remained clueless about her location, all would stay well until he returned.
Phil turned off his phone to save his battery and to keep the phone from roaming while inside the concrete walls of the jail.
#
The steel bars slammed shut behind Phil as he followed the uniform-clad female deputy down the echoing corridor to visitation room number nine where Uncle Louie waited for him. Would he be able to get out of there without committing to defend him?
Based on the evidence Kathryn had and the fact that she'd found the gun, how could Louie deny his involvement? In true Louie fashion, he'd blame his employees and his nephews. If his fingerprints were on that gun, he'd still find a way to blame someone for that. If he forced Phil to represent him, he'd have to go over the information in Kathryn's file with more scrutiny than he'd ever before used on a case. His job would be to clear Louie or risk an uncertain future.
What was it Barney had said? Something about clearing their uncle or taking an eternal dirt nap? Phil didn't want to go into the Witness Protection Program, but that might be where he was headed.
He straightened his shirt and stepped into the drab grayness, an oscillating fan blowing air across the room like a wind tunnel. The floors glistened, and the scent of bleach touched Phil's nostrils. An orange jumpsuit replaced Uncle Louie's usual European suit, and he sat at a metal table instead of behind his oak desk. What a contrast.
Wrists handcuffed and fingers interlocked, he gave one nod. "Phillip, what news do you have for me?"
Phil slid into the chair across from Uncle Louie. "Well, Uncle, I was taken by force by Drew and brought here against my wishes. I can't say that I have much of anything for you."
"Abducted? So you don't want to represent me?"
He drummed his fingers on the table. "It's not personal. I gave up practicing law a long time ago."
"No one ever gives up practicing law. Not when there's a family member who needs you. What do you know about the case? What about the D.A.?" Louie opened his hands and then locked his fingers together again. "I hear it's a woman."
"Well—"
"I can't believe they'd let a woman prosecute me." He swung his head like a pendulum and laughed. His laugh crawled up Phil's spine. "I'm as good as free. No woman can win a case against an Ezzo."
"Uncle, I hear she's off the case now. D.A. Schwartz is prosecuting you, so it's not so open and shut as you'd like to think. They've got evidence."
Louie slammed his fists onto the table, and Phil jumped. "You'll find the loophole, nephew. Do you hear me? You'll find the weakest link and pin everything on him. I will not go away to prison at sixty-five years old. I've already been in here two months. That's enough." He pointed at him. "If you want your inheritance, get me out of here, nephew. Or else!"
"Uncle, I don't need an inheritance from you. I'm doing fine on my own."
"Oh, you're that self-sufficient, eh? You shunning me?"
"No, Uncle Louie. I'm not shunning you. And your offer of inheritance is more than I deserve. All of that aside, I need to know how involved you are with these murders."
"Why does that matter?"
"You want me to defend you. You need to tell me the truth."
"I'm not telling you anything. You haven't said you'd defend me."
"I guess we've reached an impasse then, right? I'm not going to defend you unless I know the truth."
"Maybe if you knew the truth, you wouldn't defend me anyway."
Phil held his hands up in surrender. "I think my job is done here." He stood and headed toward the door of the chamber.
"Listen, I need to know how likely it is that I'm gonna go away to prison."
Phil turned around to face Louie. For the first time, he looked like a withered old man, defeated and frightened. His dark eyes glistened with tears, and his brow bore worry lines across it. "Uncle, right now, witnesses are saying that you did it. Unless you've got something to give me that'll help me find the information I need to clear your name, I don't really see what else I can do to help yo
u."
#
Kathryn showered, dried her hair, and dressed in her black bike shorts and the blue Cedar Key T-shirt she'd bought on Saturday at the Trading Post. Who cares if she looked like a tourist? Cedar Key would forever hold a special place in her heart. She’d learned about surviving and discovered how much courage she had deep inside her more this week than in her entire life.
She went to the closet and pulled her clothes off the hangers. This would be her last night here, and she might as well go ahead and pack while she waited on Phil to return in case she had to flee in a hurry.
After she'd packed everything, she placed her bags beside the front door then packed her laptop and files into her laptop bag. She stacked her books beside the laptop bag on the bar, the unread crime novels, and giggled. Who had time for reading about crime when there was real crime unfolding right before her eyes?
She moved Sadie's bed to the foyer. Sadie cocked her head and perked her ears. "We're going home tomorrow, Sadie." Sadie whined. "I know. I don't want to go either, but we don't live here. And I have a job to get back to."
Kathryn's shoulders slumped. Why did she dread going back? It wasn't the Ezzo case alone that had her reluctant to return. It was everything. Being trapped inside a courthouse building all day every day, spending hour upon hour researching, filtering through the truth versus the lies, dealing with the heart-broken families when a criminal went free. It's a wonder she ever slept at night.
Kathryn yawned and stretched. It was only 7:00 p.m., but she couldn't keep her eyes open. The antihistamine must still be in her system, and the hot shower had relaxed her to the point that she needed a nap or she'd never make it through whatever was ahead for her and Phil later that night. She clicked the air conditioning down a few degrees and grabbed the seashell fleece blanket off the back of the sofa. A chilly room and a soft blanket were a perfect combination for a nap.
"Come on, girl. Let's take a short nap." Kathryn tossed her phone onto the coffee table and stretched out on the sofa, as thunder rumbled in the distance. Sadie sidled up next to her and tucked her nose underneath Kathryn's arm. She closed her eyes. Just a few minutes, and she'd be refreshed and ready for the evening.
Chapter Twenty
Phil raced ahead of Drew out of the jail and straight toward the taxi. If traffic held off, they’d be at the airport by 5:15 p.m. and back in Cedar Key long before sunset. Phil needed to think up a good escape plan for ditching his cousin and getting to Kathryn as soon as possible.
"How about we grab something to eat before we head back to Cedar Key?" Drew whacked Phil on the back.
Phil shook his head as he sank into the backseat. He'd rather be used as shark bait than to spend one more minute with his cousin than he had to. "I'm not hungry."
"I know you are. You probably haven't eaten a thing since lunch." Drew tapped the driver on the shoulder. “McCollum airport, please.”
"Why ya being so nice to me now?"
"Because you did what I asked you to do. I know you'll make sure Uncle gets released from jail."
Phil huffed. He hated to disappoint Drew, but he couldn't guarantee Louie's freedom, especially since he wouldn't tell him anything about his involvement. "Thanks for the offer, but I just want to get back home. I've got to let the person who I was meeting know where I went."
"I can go with you and personally explain to this person why you ditched." Drew winked.
"Drew, there's no reason you need to go back."
"I have to get my car. You think I'd let Barney drive it back to New York? No way! Besides, I'd like to see that little honey of a D.A. You should really make good use of your time with her."
"Shut up, Drew. You’re disgusting.”
“You’re getting mighty defensive about someone you don’t know.” Drew looked down his nose at Phil.
Phil balled his fists. “I met her. Okay? I doubt she's that kind of woman."
"You met her and didn’t take her for a ride?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“If you're not interested in her then she's fair game."
Phil interlocked his fingers to avoid punching his cousin in the face. "Absolutely not. Leave her alone."
"I may have no choice if Barney's already had his way with her. I don’t need his leftovers." Drew screwed up his face as if disgusted by the thought of Barney getting to Kathryn before he could.
"Drew, you had better hope he hasn't because if he has, there will be hell to pay! Now let's get back to Cedar Key."
#
Phil and Drew arrived via taxi at the Cobb County Airport and waited in the FBO for the pilot to finish a call. Phil sat in one of the leather guest chairs and crossed his legs, the ankle of his right leg resting on the knee of his left. After all of today’s sitting and being cooped up, he couldn’t wait to get back out on his skiff and take a tour around the islands of Cedar Key, hopefully with Kathryn by his side.
Drew stepped outside and lit a cigarette, and Phil pulled his phone from his pocket. He powered it on, pulled up his messaging box, and typed out a text to Kathryn.
We're at the airport getting ready to fly back. It should take less than two hours. Maybe we can catch the sunset.
He locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket. How quickly things change. Four nights ago, he was carefree, reeling in sharks on the pier, and renting out his properties to happy vacationers. Last night, he was taking care of Kathryn after her allergic reaction, and now he was miles away and trying to get back to her on what would probably be their last night together. It was good she’d found the gun, but now she had no reason to remain in Cedar Key. If he searched hard enough in the recesses of his mind, maybe he could find a reason to make her stay. He groaned. How had he let his heart become attached to a woman he couldn't see with regularity?
The pilot ended his call and shook his head. He turned around toward Phil and slipped off his sunglasses, revealing serious blue eyes. "Excuse me, Mr. —" He adjusted his shirt collar.
"Tagliaferro."
He scratched his chin and sighed. "Sir, I'm afraid we're not going to be able to fly out just yet." He shook his head again, exposing a sunburned neck beneath a head full of brown hair.
"Why?" Phil leaned forward on the edge of the seat and shoved his hands into his pockets in an effort to hide his anxiety. Why couldn't he have been dressed more professionally instead of in his running shorts and a T-shirt? Maybe if he looked better the pilot would realize the importance of his flight.
Drew returned from smoking his cigarette, the stench of smoke lingering on his clothes. "What's up? Is there a problem?"
"Yes, sir. There's a rough storm blowing over the Florida Panhandle right now, and it's hitting Cedar Key pretty hard."
"So we can't fly in?" Phil raked his fingers through his hair and pivoted in his seat.
"No, sir, but we should be clear for takeoff in an hour. Why don't you go over to the restaurant at the FBO and get a drink or something to eat? I'll call you when we're good to go."
Drew was going to get his way after all. Phil shrugged and pointed for him to lead the way.
"The restaurant is real nice, and you can watch the planes take off and land."
"Thanks." Drew nodded.
"All the planes but the one we're supposed to be on."
Drew whacked Phil on the back. "What's the problem, Cuz? I know you've got to be as hungry as I am."
"Yeah, I guess I am. I just want to get back home. You guys basically kidnapped me and didn't even let me dress decent enough to go to the jail. I felt like a bum in there today. I’m really going to look like a bum in the restaurant. Besides, I had to leave my car parked in some random parking lot and leave my client hanging. You don't understand the concept of professionalism."
"I don't? I'm very professional at what I do."
"Yeah? And what's that? Roughing people up and manipulating them to get what you want?"
"Hey, I resent that. You might want to watch the way you talk to me."
The entire Ezzo family, mainly the men, knew nothing about the great gift of freedom they could have if they'd only surrender their lives. True, some of them went to Mass and confession on occasion, but few of them did it, he guessed, for reasons other than asking for forgiveness for the crimes they'd committed.
Phil stood next to Drew as they waited for the hostess to seat them. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. No text from Kathryn. His arms and legs tingled with apprehension over her safety, but he pushed the fear away. He couldn't do anything to help her until he returned. "Hey Cuz, have you talked to Barney since we've been up here?"
"Yeah, he went clamming again. Can you believe that?" Drew laughed.
"So he really went the other day?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I figured that was a cover up for some drug deal or something."
Drew punched him in the arm as they walked to their table overlooking the runway. "No, man. He really went clamming. He spends a lot of time on the water back home. He loves to fish. Everybody needs a life outside of work."
A jet took off, and the building vibrated as Phil tucked his legs under the white tablecloth. "Why doesn't he do something like that instead of doing what he does for Louie?"
"He's thirty years old. He's kind of too old to change his ways."
"Maybe, but one day he's going to end up in jail. Or dead."
"I don't think he cares. He just lives one day at a time. What else does he have to live for?"
The waitress came and took their order; Phil ordered the salmon, Drew, the burger. "Doesn't he want to settle down? Have a wife and kids?"
"He's got kids. He's had several girlfriends for a while, but he can't decide which one he likes the most."
Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) Page 17