Mission--Colton Justice

by Jennifer Morey

  “I am forthright and I do have integrity.”

  Adeline would let Jeremy be the judge of that. “Did you know Evan kidnapped Jamie?”

  “No,” he answered adamantly. “I saw the story on the news and there has been a lot of talk around the office.”

  “Have you been in contact with him at all since Emily Stanton has been arrested?”

  “No. He wouldn’t be that stupid.”

  Evan wouldn’t try to call anyone. He wouldn’t go to anyone for help. In all likelihood, he had a contingency plan. If anything went wrong, he’d know what to do.

  “I think I’d be wise to end our friendship,” Oscar said. “I knew Evan had licentious tastes, but I never guessed he’d go so far as kidnapping for ransom.” He sounded convincing but Adeline couldn’t be sure without evidence.

  “Will that include your relationship with Holly?”

  “She has nothing to do with Jamie’s kidnapping, but yes, I do see a need to change my ways.”

  Adeline would let that go. “Did you see anyone else on the road the night Tess died?”

  Oscar shook his head. “It was rather late. There weren’t many out and about at that hour.”

  “Why were you there at the time of Tess’s accident? It’s coincidental, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t believe it myself until Holly told me she’d walked to meet me from the bar where she’d met Tess for drinks. We went to the hotel. A few hours later, I walked her back to her place. That’s when we saw the accident and I realized Tess had been killed.”

  “What did you do after you saw the accident?”

  “I ran to the driver. As soon as I reached her, I recognized Tess and could see she was dead. Holly called for help.”

  “And you told the sheriff none of this.”

  He lowered his head briefly, a sign of contrition. “No. We left before anyone arrived.”

  “Are you certain she was dead?”

  “I checked for breathing and a pulse. And her head...”

  It had been obvious Tess was dead and there was no resuscitating her.

  “Does Jeremy know you’re here?” he asked.

  He must have asked because Jeremy wasn’t with her. “Did you see anything else that might stand out?” she asked instead of answering. “Any other cars that may have driven her off the road?”

  “No. Like I said, there was no one.”

  She nodded. Having no more questions, she said, “Thanks for seeing me,” and turned to go.

  “Would you like me not to tell him?” he asked to her retreating back.

  Stopping, she turned to look at him. He meant Jeremy. “I’ll tell him myself.” Just not today. She sure hoped that analysis came back soon. “He’s convinced Livia killed Tess and I don’t think she did.”

  “But you thought I might have?”

  “No. I think Tess died in a car accident of her own doing.” Seeing his eyes calm, she turned to go. “Thank you again.”

  On her way home, she received the call.

  “You’ve got the results already?”

  “It didn’t take long. All the techs had to do is enhance the video. The driver’s side was dented before the accident. I’ll email you the report.”

  There was her proof. She almost felt guilty. This was the outcome she’d expected all along. Jeremy wouldn’t like it.

  “Thanks.” She disconnected. All the way to the bakery she debated over how to break the news to Jeremy.

  After quickly picking up the cake and some balloons, she raced for Jeremy’s house.

  Her phone rang again. This time it was Jeremy.

  “Where are you?”

  She didn’t want to tell him over the phone. He was too sensitive about Tess’s death. “I had another stop to make. I’m on my way.”

  “What other stop? What’s taking you so long?”

  “I’ll explain when I get home.”

  “Yes, home. I like the sound of that.”

  Did he? She heard the lengthy silence on the other end and sensed his regret in saying what he had.

  “I’ll see you shortly,” she said, and disconnected.

  * * *

  Jeremy checked the time when Adeline finally made it home. She’d been gone well over an hour. It didn’t take that long to pick up a cake. Where had she gone?

  He met her at the garage door, seeing how she avoided eye contact. His stomach did a flop of dread, something he hadn’t felt since high school, when he’d discovered his girlfriend had started seeing one of the football players.

  He took the cake from her. “What was your other stop?”

  Jamie came running into the kitchen. “Is it chocolate?”

  “Lots and lots of chocolate.” Adeline smiled and passed Jeremy as she headed for the kitchen.

  Jeremy had no choice other than to follow with the cake that Jamie had a particular interest in. He set it on the table as she tied the balloons to a chair.

  Jamie sat on that chair, tipping his head back to look up at the colorful bulbs floating above him.

  “It’s not my birthday,” he said.

  “We’re celebrating you coming home. You were gone way too long.” Adeline bent to plant a kiss on his cheek, eliciting a short giggle from him.

  “It’s dessert before dinner tonight.” Adeline found a knife and plates and busied herself slicing three pieces.

  Jeremy thought she seemed to use the task to hide the true purpose of her outing. Where had she gone?

  Later that night, after his son had fallen asleep, he turned the light off in Jamie’s room and turned to Adeline, fully intending to demand answers. Her soft expression stopped him. She loved Jamie so much, as much as he did. Nothing stronger could link him to a woman. No other woman could share that with him.

  “We created that,” she said.

  Yes, they had, a miracle of life. All his reservations about her fell away. Only love surrounded him now.

  She rose up onto her toes and kissed him. “Thank you for that.”

  For Jamie. Her son. Their son.

  Without a word, she walked down the hall, passing her bedroom, and went into his.

  In the doorway, he stopped. She faced him and as he’d done the last time, she began to undress, starting with her vest. She tossed it to the floor with playful animation. Adorable. The mother of his child. He leaned on the door frame to watch.

  She smiled when he didn’t move to take off any of his clothes, then unfastened her belt, slid it from its loops and tossed it on top of the vest.

  He pushed off the door frame and went to her, lifting his Henley up over his head. She took in his upper torso, much as she had before, admiring his form, his muscles. She put her hands on him and the rest would be history. As soon as she touched him, he couldn’t stop.

  Touching her face, his warm palm against her cheek, he moved his thumb over her lower lip, full and warm. Sliding his hand to the base of her head, he kissed her. She opened to him and he devoured her. He trailed his lips down her neck.

  She unbuttoned his jeans. He unfastened her pinstriped pants. Stepping back, she pushed them down and stepped out of them.

  Seeing she wore skimpy lace underwear, really just strings and a patch over her crotch, he wondered if she’d planned this night all along. He removed his jeans, down to his underwear now. She still wore the blouse, which fell to just above her panty line. He found the sight of her like that infinitely sexy.

  When she released the first button of her blouse, he stopped her. “Just the bra. Leave that on.”

  She removed her bra without taking off the blouse, pushing the straps down her arms and then unclasping the front to slip it off underneath. Then she stood there for him, letting him look at her for as long as he liked.<
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  He must have spent an entire two minutes doing that. Then he pulled her against him.

  “Why are you doing this?” he asked.

  “I want to make love with my son’s father,” she said. “Even if we don’t end up together, or friends after this, I want one night with you like this, with nothing standing between us.”

  He could deliver on that. Sliding her underwear down her thighs, he waited for her to kick the scanty thing aside.

  Steering her backward, he pressed her against the wall next to the dresser. She wrapped her legs around him. He moved against her, letting her feel how hard she’d made him. She tipped her head back to catch her breath and he kissed her throat.

  Moving his hand under her blouse, he caressed her breasts and fondled her nipples. He kissed her with the softness of feathers, whispering her name.

  “Take me to the bed.”

  “No. This is how I imagined I would have gotten you pregnant.”

  She lowered her head to level a look at him. “Against the wall?”

  He chuckled. “I’m a man.”

  She smiled brightly and laughed a little.

  He didn’t wait. He probed for her and sank inside. Then he thrust up and down, making her rise and fall. He kissed her as sensation took over. He had her peaking in a few strokes. Lucky for him, because he couldn’t have held out much longer. She did that to him.

  She undid him.

  Chapter 17

  Waking to darkness, Adeline at first thought morning had yet to come. She sat up on the bed, seeing she’d slept all night in Jeremy’s room. Memory rushed forth. Sex with him packed a powerful sensory overload. She had to admit to herself that, in part, she’d gone headfirst into making love with him on purpose. As strong as their first intimate endeavor had been, he couldn’t remain indifferent for long. Could she crack his hard shell?

  She dreaded telling him what she’d learned about Tess’s accident and hoped what they shared at least physically would help to soften the blow.

  Getting out of bed, she kept her mind on the potency of their lovemaking. She went to the patio door and opened the drapes. A gray drizzle clouded the day. No wonder the room had been so dark. She checked the time. After nine.

  She spent longer than usual in the shower and getting dressed. Could she just stay here in this moment when nothing would ruin the aftermath?

  In black slacks, gray, black and white checkered blouse and a vest, she left the bedroom and headed down the hall. She heard Jamie before she reached his room.

  Peeking her head in, she saw he still wore his pj’s and played with an assortment of construction vehicles, making a motor sound as he rolled a skid-steer loader, its attachments scattered around him. Without bothering him, she left him to his imagination and went downstairs.

  Walking into the kitchen, she saw Jeremy fully dressed in a suit. He must have woken much earlier than her and planned on going into work today.

  Seeing he held her cell phone, Adeline stopped short. Why had he looked at it? He must have seen her enter the code to unlock it at some point.

  The FBI agent had said he’d send her a report.

  He turned his head to look at her. She saw hardness in his eyes and the set of his mouth.

  Holding up the phone and showing her what he’d opened, she saw her email app. The message he’d just read was from the agent.

  “Were you going to tell me about this?” he asked in an even, tight tone.

  “Yes. As soon as I received the report.”

  Facing her, he handed her the phone. She took it.

  “Why did you sneak out to pick up a bank ATM video?” he asked.

  “I didn’t sneak.”

  “No?” His tone grew harsher. “Where did you go yesterday?”

  She could say she went to pick up Jamie’s cake but she’d done more than that, and he’d called her, wondering what was taking her so long.

  “I asked the bank manager to check any video surveillance he had the night of Tess’s accident,” she said. “He called yesterday morning to let me know he had it. I stopped by there to pick it up and...to view the footage.”

  “You lied when you said you were going to get the cake.”

  “No. I didn’t lie. I did go get the cake.”

  “But you didn’t tell me you picked up the video.”

  “I know how you feel about Tess’s accident, Jeremy. I wanted to be sure before I talked to you about any findings.”

  His eyes hardened further as his temper rose. “You know how I feel? I don’t think so.”

  “You need closure regarding her death.”

  “What did you need to be sure about, Adeline? That Tess wasn’t murdered? That’s what you’ve thought all along, isn’t it?”

  “No. I had my suspicions. I just needed proof.”

  His face gave away his emotion. He felt betrayed. Adeline had betrayed him. Maybe she should have trusted him to react calmly to her news. “I understand why you would be upset. I should have told you about the bank video.”

  “Have you seen the report?” he asked.

  “No.” She looked down at her phone and the message from the agent. There was an attachment but in the message he basically confirmed the dent had been there at the time of the accident. She looked up at Jeremy. Through his anger she also saw hurt. She’d done what he’d hired her to do. Her findings just weren’t what he’d pushed for all along.

  “Oscar and Holly witnessed her accident,” Adeline said. He had to know the rest. “I spoke with him. He didn’t come forward because he feared his wife discovering his affair. They didn’t see anyone try to drive Tess off the road.”

  “Another thing you didn’t tell me. Why the secrets, Adeline?”

  Rain pattered against the patio door and other kitchen windows as the wind picked up. Jeremy had turned on some lights or it would be a lot dimmer in the room.

  “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

  He didn’t respond, but his eyes conveyed his disappointment. “Why did you go through my phone?” she finally asked.

  “I heard your phone go off. You took so long yesterday I felt I had to find out why.”

  “You could have just asked me.”

  “I’m asking you now. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t like the outcome.” An outcome she’d suspected but hadn’t been able to prove until now.

  “So you avoided having to face me?”

  “I delayed facing you until I had all the facts.” Didn’t he want to know the truth? “Livia wasn’t anywhere near Tess when she crashed.”

  “She could have poisoned her. The coroner might not have done the right tests to reveal that.”

  When would Livia have had the chance to poison Tess? Tess had come from the bar. Jeremy knew all of that. Granted, witnesses might not recall if she was there or not, but Holly hadn’t seen Livia, either. Livia dropping poison into one of Tess’s drinks seemed highly improbable, not only logistically, but based on motive, as well. Livia didn’t have a strong enough reason to kill Tess. Besides, the coroner had run tests to check for poisoning. Adeline had read the report.

  “What kind of poisoning did the coroner miss?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer because he couldn’t. He didn’t know, and most likely the coroner had checked every viable possibility.

  “Livia didn’t kill Tess,” Adeline asserted. “Tess died in a car accident because she was too drunk to drive. When are you going to accept that?”

  He stepped closer. “When are you going to accept that Livia is evil and could have killed her?”

  Adeline sighed heavily and moved back. Arguing was pointless. He wanted so badly to pin Tess’s death on Livia that he could see no reason.

  “Ha
ve you talked with Livia?” he asked.

  Why would he ask such a thing? She didn’t need to ask. “No. Livia is most likely dead, Jeremy.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe you’re protecting her. Maybe she’s paid you, too.”

  She folded her arms with the insult. “Now you’re being ridiculous.” Why was he going off like this? He couldn’t let go of Tess; that’s why. The truth stared him in the face right now and he resisted.

  “Am I? You were a donor and surrogate for money. What else would you do?”

  His accusations stung painfully, but she could see where they came from. He still could not let Tess go. Maybe knowing how she died would someday give him the peace he needed. After he had some time to think it over.

  “What kind of woman could give up her own child, anyway? I’ve always wondered how you could do that so easily. You acted like it was difficult, but was it?”

  Adeline felt the blood descend from her face, despite seeing the anguish in Jeremy’s eyes. She could give him a lot of leeway, given his difficulty getting past Tess’s death, but she had a limit on how much she’d take. Lowering her arms, she started for the kitchen exit. Tossing over her shoulder, “I’ll get my things and be on my way.” He no longer needed her anyway.

  She fought the sting of tears as she hurried up the stairs.

  In her bedroom, she closed and locked the door and took her time packing. All the while hurt welled up in waves, stinging her heart and burning her eyes. She couldn’t believe he’d said those things. Even grappling with the truth, did he really have to go that far? No, and she suspected he’d soon regret saying what he had. Jeremy wasn’t a callous man. He’d recognize his mistake. Adeline wasn’t sure she could forgive him, though.

  Hearing an email come through on her phone, she checked the sender. The FBI agent sent her another video clip, this one from a local grocery store. The brief footage showed Tess backing out of a parking space and another car hitting her side. Tess had backed up some more and turned in the opposite direction, speeding away. The time stamp showed she’d gone to the store midafternoon, after she’d met Oscar and before she’d gone to the bar. The crash report had said there had been a few nonperishables in the car.