by Leslie Leigh
“Assault?” Brandon asked. “I know my rights. She has to press charges or something.”
“Apparently, you’re not from around here. In Arizona, if the police are called out on a domestic altercation, somebody’s going to jail, no matter what she does or doesn’t say. In this case, you’ve got the lucky number. You have the right to remain silent,” he began. He put Brandon in the back of his vehicle and then said, “I could take her in, too, for public intoxication, but I think she’s been through enough tonight.”
“I appreciate that officer. We’ll get her up to her apartment and look after her.”
They both helped her up the stairs which was quite a feat considering how drunk she was. Once they were inside, Brian walked back to Melissa’s to get the arnica ointment.
When he came back, he was wearing shoes. Melissa already had her in bed, and she dressed her cheek and the spots on her arm with the arnica. Kim was asleep before they were out of the room.
“Maybe I should stay with her,” Melissa said.
“You can if you want, but I don’t think it’s necessary. He’s not coming back tonight, that’s for sure, and I sincerely doubt she’ll wake up for several hours.”
She nodded and they tiptoed out, locking the door on their way.
When they got back to the cottage, Melissa sighed. “I’m not sure I can go back to sleep. Can I make you some tea?”
“That would be great. Do you want to sit in the kitchen?”
“No. Why don’t you turn on the fireplace and turn the lights down. I’ll bring the tea out here.”
She put on the water and got out her favorite glass pot. She put a scoop of skullcap, one of chamomile, and one of lemon balm into the infuser, adding a few rosehips and some fresh mint leaves. When the water was hot, she poured it into the pot and then inserted the infuser. She added a couple of pieces of short bread on a small plate, put it all on a platter along with cups, and carried it into the living room where Brian was just putting on some quiet jazz.
She set the tray onto the coffee table and plopped down onto one of the chaise lounges. She poured the tea, grabbed a stick of shortbread and offered Brian one. He took it with his teeth, making her laugh.
“I’m really glad I didn’t have to go through all of this alone,” she said.
“Me, too, Melissa. Me, too.”
# # #
She left a message on the store phone that Flora would get shortly that she wouldn’t be in to work that day and that she’d explain as soon as she could. It was nearly 5 a.m., and they were still awake.
“Do you think we should be there for Brandon’s arraignment?” she asked.
“I’ve been asking myself that. I’m not sure what will happen. With him being from out of state, nobody to vouch for him, nobody to post bail, it’s tough to say whether or not they will release him on his own recognizance. We can always hope they’ll just set bail and put him in jail, but then he’s likely to get Kim to come bail him out. Do you think she would do that?”
Melissa shook her head. “I have no doubt that she would do exactly that if he asked her to.”
“Good grief. Isn’t there any way to convince her otherwise? And she should get a restraining order in case he is released on his own recognizance.”
“It would be pointless. Even if she got one, if he wanted to breach it, he certainly would, and she would let him. She’d feel sorry for him having no place to go.”
“Has he been staying with her all this time?”
“I think he may have started out at one of the inns, but that didn’t last long.”
“Oh, let’s go. We should probably go to Donna’s arraignment, too. We can kill two birds with one stone, and then we’ll know what’s happening with both of them.”
Melissa looked at the clock. “I don’t dare go to sleep now, or I’ll never get up in time for the arraignments. Wouldn’t we need to be there by eight?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Leave here by seven thirty?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Why don’t we just get ready now, then? We can have breakfast in Nogales and maybe get over there in time to talk to the public defender.”
“All right. Let’s plan on leaving here by six.”
# # #
Their first surprise of the day was walking into the courtroom to find Kim there waiting. They sat down, one on either side of her.
“What are you doing, Kim?” Melissa asked.
She didn’t look at Melissa. “Brandon called me,” she said.
“And what did he ask you to do?”
“He told me I might have to have money to bail him out, and that he would need a ride back to Catalonia.”
“Kim, have you looked at yourself in the mirror this morning?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re here to possibly bail out and give a ride to the person who did this to your face?”
“I fell.”
“No. You didn’t.”
“Brandon told me this morning that I fell, and he was picking me up when you two came along to cause trouble.”
“Is that what you believe, Kim?” Brian asked, incredulous.
“Well, I don’t know about you, Brian—Mr. Byrne—but Melissa is always doing something to try to come between Brandon and me.”
“My god, Kim,” Brian said.
Melissa shot him an I-told-you-so look and then said, “Do you know that these things escalate?”
“They didn’t with Jim. Well, his drinking did, but he pretty much always treated me the same way.”
“Was Jim ever physically abusive to you?” Melissa asked.
“No.”
“Okay, so that already tells me that Brandon is far worse for you than Jim.”
“Shut UP, Melissa,” Kim hissed.
The door opened and other people came into the courtroom now, so they were quiet. Subtly, Brian gestured for Melissa to come and sit on the other side of him. As soon as she moved, Kim got up and went to sit elsewhere in the courtroom.
“I got a look at the docket, Brandon’s third, but I don’t see a Donna, Regina, Rachel, or Patricia on it,” Brian said.
“Were there any women on it at all?” asked Melissa.
“A couple.”
“Well, let’s just wait and see, maybe she has an identity different from any of those.”
Just then, Corinne came in and sat down beside them.
The bailiff came into the room. “All rise,” he said. “The court of Honorable Jaime Melendez is now in session.”
They stood as the judge entered the room. The first two were quickly dismissed, and the bailiff brought Brandon into the room. The county prosecutor stepped forward. “Your Honor, Mr. James is being charged with public intoxication—and with domestic assault.”
The judge looked over the documents before him. “Son,” he said. “You will have a lawyer appointed for you if you cannot afford one. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
“You are not a resident of Arizona, Mr. James.”
“Not at the moment, but I am looking to become one.”
“Lucky us,” said the judge.
“Do you have an address here?”
“I do.”
“Do you have anyone to post bail for you?”
“I believe I do, sir…Your Honor.” Brandon looked back to spot Kim who nodded at him. “I do, Your Honor.”
The judge raised his hammer, but the prosecutor spoke up and said, “If I may, Your Honor, did you see the pictures with the folder.”
“I did. Guilt or innocence is not being decided here today, sir. Bail is set at,” he looked at the prosecutor, “twenty-thousand dollars.” His gavel dropped.
Brandon turned at looked at Kim, giving her a little Yay sign, and she smiled as he was being taken out of the court room. Immediately after, Kim left the courtroom, too.
Melissa started to get up, but Brian held her back. “I think you’ve said enough today, Melissa. The wa
y she talked to you, it could not go well out there. I don’t want you getting thrown out of the courthouse by security. We need to be here for the other arraignment.”
Melissa’s eyes opened wide at his pronouncement, but she settled back into her seat, looking sullen.
They sat through case-after-case. The first woman that was called was not her. They had just about decided she was not on the docket—when the bailiff brought her in. They were surprised at her appearance. Yesterday, she had been coiffed and made up; today, her hair hung limp and brown, and there was no trace of color.
The prosecutor stepped forward. “Your Honor, Karen Dunnick is charged with the kidnapping and attempted murder of Corinne Bailey, with the unlawful deaths of Anthony White and Lloyd Johnston, with fraudulent use of multiple identities in obtaining nursing licensure, and with impersonating a notary public.”
The judge looked unimpressed. Without looking up, he said, “How do you plead, Ms. Dunnick?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
“Do you have an attorney, Ms. Dunnick?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” said a very slick and expensive-looking lawyer who slipped into place beside her.
“I see,” the judge said. “I take it your services have only just been retained, Mr. Palick?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Fine. Bail is set at one million dollars,” he said, about to swing the gavel.
The prosecutor spoke up and said, “Your Honor, Mrs. Dunnick has no ties to our community. In fact, quite possibly, she has done major harm in the community. She has no known Arizona address. Her last crime, that of kidnapping and attempted murder, happened in front of five witnesses, three of which were law enforcement.”
“Get to the point, Mr. Hodges,” the judge said.
“The people request bail be denied and the accused remanded.”
It seemed as though the courtroom was holding its collective breath.
“Bail is denied, and Mrs. Dunnick is remanded.” The gavel rang.
The woman started to shriek, and her lawyer paled.
“Get her out of here,” the judge said to the bailiff. It took two men to drag her writhing, shrieking body from the room.
Melissa, Brian, and Corinne all stood, and Corinne turned to them smiling from ear-to-ear. “Thank the gods,” she said, taking both of Melissa’s hands in hers. “I’m truly not sure what I would have done if she had gotten bail and someone paid it. Thank you for everything you have done.”
They exited the courtroom to see Detective Harms making his way across the lobby toward them.
“Well, good, that should hold her until we can bring all the evidence together.”
“I should hope,” Brian said.
“A million dollars wouldn’t have done it, that’s for sure.”
“You think someone would have bailed her out?”
“Yep. She’s married to one Lyle Dunnick, some huge corporate mucky-muck in Nevada. A million dollars would have been pocket change for him.”
“Good god,” Melissa said, “are you serious? She’s been sashaying all over the west for how many years, leaving a wake of bodies behind her, and her husband would just bail her out?”
“Well, he hired the expensive lawyer for her, so I have no reason to think he wouldn’t have bailed her out if he could have.”
“I know it’s happened before,” Brian said, “but I wouldn’t think any judge could have granted her bail after hearing what the prosecutor had to say.”
Brian put his arm around Melissa. “Detective Harms, if you would excuse us. Melissa and I have been awake for close to thirty hours now. I think we’ll take our leave.”
“I understand,” he said.
# # #
Brian kept his arm around her, as they walked out of the courthouse together.
A reporter approached them on the steps. “Mr. Byrne? How did you manage to keep this out of the public eye?”
They just kept walking.
“Mr. Byrne? What’s all this about? They’re saying she’s a serial killer—multiple victims. Who is she? Was it mercy killing as she claims? Is she really married to Lyle Dunnick?”
“No comment,” Brian said.
Thankfully, the man let them go. They made it to the car without further incident and headed back toward Catalonia.
They were zombies by the time they got back to Melissa’s. Melissa called to talk with Flora a bit. She was too tired to bring her up to speed on a lot of things, but her main purpose was to tell her she wouldn’t be in until Wednesday morning. Then, they both crashed.
# # #
On Wednesday, Melissa arranged for Flora to help her with Chelsea buns because, predictably, Kim didn’t show up.
As they worked, Melissa told Flora everything about the Dunnick arraignment.
“Can you imagine if they would have let that woman out on bail?” Flora asked.
“She would have either fled and they’d have never found her again, or she’d have come back and finished the deed she started on Sunday.”
“Well, her husband certainly is rich enough to make her disappear.”
“Are we sure he’s her husband?”
“Why?”
“Because serial killers aren’t usually the wives of powerful, corporate men.”
“Well, I’ll have to admit that, although I’ve read a lot about him, there never has been mention of a wife.”
“So, they’re either separated, divorced, or she’s not his wife.”
“Could be,” Flora said. “So…what’s happening with Kim?”
Melissa stopped in the middle of rolling dough and sighed. “I have no idea. I haven’t seen her since the arraignment.”
“So sad,” Flora said.
“Beyond sad if you ask me,” Melissa said. “Positively tragic.”
Chapter 11
“Only if you’ll sign a pre-nup,” was Kim’s stone-faced response to Brandon’s proposal.
Anger flashed across his face immediately. “Who put that idea into your head?” he demanded.
“Nobody. Nobody had to. Contrary to popular belief, and, admittedly, contrary to what I’ve led you to believe, I do have a brain, and it comes with a mind of my own.”
He willed himself calm. “What kind of terms are you proposing?”
“We have a financial manager, and we’ll both get a set allowance over and above a mutual expense allowance. And, of course, if you abandon or divorce me, you get a settlement of one million dollars minus whatever you have already taken as your allowance.”
“This is not your idea, Kim.”
“Oh, the pre-nup is definitely my idea, but I’ve also talked with a lawyer and a financial manager.”
“What kind of an allowance?”
“Ten thousand a month.”
“Each?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you doing this?”
She looked up at him. “You don’t think I’m under the illusion that you want to marry me because you love me, do you?”
“What do you mean?” he said, going down on his knees to her, beside the couch where she sat.
She rolled her eyes.
“Sweetie.”
“Please, Brandon. Don’t.”
“Well, why do you want to marry me at all, if that’s the way you feel?”
“Actually, I don’t. I really don’t at all.”
“You think you can just take my brother’s entire fortune?”
“The law seems to think so. Jesus, Brandon. You’re so transparent.”
“When did it all change?”
“The night you hit me. We were having fun. We were out having a good time; we came back to the apartment, got out of the truck, and boom! I was on the ground.”
“You fell.”
“Uh-huh. Except that I was on my right cheek when I fell, and the bruise is on my left.”
“Well, there was a little more to it than that.”
“Was there?”
“You were
acting stupid. Just like you are now.”
“Is that a threat? Because if it is, I have a way of taking care of it. All I have to do is call 911 again. Then, you’ll be a repeat offender, and I won’t bail you out this time. No one will.”
He could see that he was getting nowhere fast.
“Okay, then. What do you want me to do?”
“Before I consent for you to marry me, notice I said, you to marry me, before any pre-nup gets drawn up and signed, I need you to show me for a good long time that you can treat me like a gentleman, and that we have a chance to have a decent relationship.”
His eyes narrowed as he thought.
“A good, long time?”
“Yes.”
“How long is that?”
“Until I say it’s long enough.”
He sighed in frustration.
“Oh, and my doting, bowing, and scraping for you? Over. Just…over. Don’t think for one minute that you can fool me with some ingratiating scheme.”
“You’ve been talking to Melissa.”
“Actually, I haven’t, but she did have something to do with it.”
“I knew it.”
“Yep, you see, I’ve been watching her and Brian for nearly a year now. That’s true love, and that’s what I want,” she said.
“Huh? Those two are in a relationship?”
“Oh, you’re so observant. Never mind, you probably wouldn’t recognize it if you saw it. But now that I’ve pointed it out to you, try to observe them and see if you can’t figure out what I’m talking about.”
# # #
It was a quarter to five when Melissa heard the door open.
Kim walked into the kitchen.
“I was really pleased when you called to tell me you would be here this morning,” said Melissa.
Kim smiled, not effusively, but genuinely.
As they worked, Kim told her of Brandon’s proposal and their discussion.
“How did you leave it?” Melissa asked.
“I told him he would have to prove to me that we could have a real relationship, a decent one.”
“A decent one? You’d settle for decent?”
“Not really. I told him he needed to observe you and Brian.”
Melissa gave her a surprised and a bit confused look.
Kim shrugged. “To me, you and Brian are the epitome of what true love is.”