Becky scrambled up from the broken table and leveled her gun at Sam. “Freeze, slime ball.”
Grabbing a nearby pot of daisies, Silver smashed it down on top of Sam’s head. The pot exploded, spewing potting soil and flower pieces all over the small room. With a groan, Sam toppled sideways, landing with a crash.
“Are you all right?” Silver cried to Becky.
“I think so.” Becky nodded, still keeping Molly pointed at Sam. “What about him?”
Silver knelt, meaning to check Sam for a pulse, but then drew away. “He’s breathing. In fact, I think he’s snoring.”
“What a creep,” Becky said as sirens sounded in the distance. “What did Justin ever see in him as a manager anyway?”
Silver stood and plucked a daisy off Becky’s head as she laughed. “I have no idea.”
Chapter Fourteen
Justin cringed as Dani Bailey walked into the law firm’s conference room. She had obviously tried to tone down the gaudiness by wearing a white dress that was only a few inches above her knee and a little black jacket. Her attempt at fashion fell short when he noted that the dress was nearly see-through and her green polka-dotted underwear said hello in a loud way. But at least the green stripe in her hair and the green plastic jewelry matched the dots. He’d give her that much.
“Hey, sugar, what’s shaking today? Let’s get this show on the road!” She sashayed over to him and tried to sit on his lap, but he guided her to a chair next to him.
“Yes, Dani, that is exactly what we’re going to do. Get this show on the road. You ready for that?” he asked.
“Why, of course, you big lug. Smile!” She held up her phone to do a selfie with him. “Now, where do we start?”
Robert Sullivan sat down on Dani’s other side and opened a file full of papers in front of her. While she read the papers, Justin moved to the other side of the table.
Robert cleared his throat. “What we have here, Miss Bailey…”
“That’s Mrs. Rivers to you,” she said in a huff.
“Uh…” Robert appeared flustered a moment, then gave her a winning smile. “We should really get to know each other, since I’m one of the attorneys for the Rivers family. I’m Robert Sullivan. May I call you Dani?”
Her face lit up like Christmas morning. “Sugar, you can call me Cherry Pie if it makes you feel better.”
When she started laughing in her nasal tone, Justin’s hands clenched under the table. The attorney turned back to Dani, his face a composed mask.
“All right, Dani,” he said, scooting closer with a smile. “Now, I have some papers that I need you to sign today. It won’t take long to get these fussy details out of the way. You know how families are. All the Is have to be dotted, and the Ts crossed.”
“Oh, I know, Bobby. Now what do we have here?”
“It’s Robert.” Robert handed her a pen. “The usual important documents for these situations.”
“Are these bank signature slips? Credit card forms? Permission for me to draw on our bank account? I really have been patient about that little thing.”
The pages had markers showing her where to sign, so Justin hoped this would be over quickly, without any mess. No need to drag out the big guns if it wasn’t necessary. Clean and simple would make this all go away.
“These are the final papers, Dani, to make this all go away.”
But, of course, that was too much to hope for, wasn’t it?
“Hold on one minute,” Dani said through tight lips. “I may not be the sharpest crayon in the drawer, but I can read. These papers say that I am not married to Justin Rivers.” When she pouted, her lips reminded him of an ugly catfish his dad had caught once in Grand Lake. “Why in the world would I sign these papers when they’re nothing but lies?” She reached into her purse and took out a worn sheet of paper. “This is our marriage certificate from the Chapel of Bliss.”
“Chapel of Bliss? Justin, you didn’t tell me you had a valid certificate of marriage.” Robert held out his hand. “We need to get to the bottom of this right away because it could change everything. Is this a copy, Dani?”
“Oh, no, Bobby, that is the one and only original.”
“Good, good. Kamber, have this checked immediately,” Robert said as he handed the piece of paper to an associate standing on his other side. “Now, if you will sign these, please?”
Dani’s narrowed her eyes at Justin. “I’m not signing anything. We’re married and I want what’s coming to me.”
Time for the big guns. “I think that’s a good idea. Robert?”
Robert stood and opened the door to the conference room. Two Las Vegas police officers entered and stood behind Dani. Looking behind her, she whipped around her head. “What is this?”
“Justin is giving you what you asked for…Betty.” The attorney paused. “Or is it Belinda? What’s the newest name you’re using besides Dani Bailey?”
Justin had the profound pleasure of seeing his “wife” go as still as a statue. She looked around the room as if for an emergency exit.
“Don’t think of running. You will sign those papers, or I’ll be forced to hand you over to these officers.”
Dani licked her lips and stared at him. He knew the exact moment she hit on an idea when her eyes glinted sharply. “Why, baby, don’t you remember what you said to me that night? ‘I’ll give you anything if you’ll marry me. I’ll even give you my solid gold guitar.’”
Startled, Justin shook his head. “I’d never promise something like that to you! The guitar has special meaning to me.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him. “How else would I know about it unless you offered it? If you really want me gone, you’ll give me that gold guitar.”
“Dani, not that! Please?” Justin pleaded while he gripped his fingers under the table.
“That’s exactly what I deserve after all these shenanigans. In fact, Bobby, I think I should file charges against Mr. Rivers here.”
“Uh…it’s Robert. What charges do you want to file?” the attorney asked with a quick glance to Justin.
“I don’t know. Something like failure to provide for me. That’s your job to think that up.”
“Dani, as much as I would enjoy representing and trying to find some sort of penalty to levy against Mr. Rivers, it would be a conflict of interest. I believe I did mention that I am his attorney.”
“Well then, you move your fancy behind over to his side of the table.”
“After you sign these papers, I’ll be happy to do that.”
She lifted her chin. “First, the solid gold guitar.”
Robert raised an eyebrow at Justin who nodded.
“She’s right. I do have a gold guitar. There’s no way she could know about it unless I mentioned it.”
“If you promised her the guitar, then perhaps you should give it to her. Married or not, it was a promise and could be seen as a…uh…breach of mutual…contract persona non grata.”
Everyone in the room jumped when Dani slammed her palm loudly on the table. “That’s what I meant. Breach of personal grass something or other. Good one, Bobby.”
Robert started to protest the nickname, then let it go.
Justin took his time. He shook his head and mumbled a few syllables, then slowly stood up. Putting his hands on the table, he leaned forward, grimacing at Dani with great pain.
“Is there nothing else you’ll take? The solid gold guitar is the only thing you want? How about a nice compact car? Maybe a couple of airline tickets to Niagara Falls for your next husband?”
Smiling, Dani tapped an orange lacquered fingernail on the table in front of her. “I want you to get that guitar and put it right in front of me. That’s all I want and I’m not signing anything until I get it.”
“If I give you my prized possession, you’ll sign?”
“In a Las Vegas minute.”
“Lady, you drive a hard bargain. But a deal is a deal.”
Justin walked arou
nd the end of the table until he stood beside her. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out his gold guitar keychain and took off the set of keys. “Robert, this is the only gold guitar I own. You are a witness that I am handing it over to Dani Bailey of my own free will. You and these two police officers as well as the other associates are also witnesses that she stipulated this was all she wanted.” He dropped the keychain with a loud clatter. “There ya go…sugar.”
The woman stared at the small gold guitar lying on the table in front of her. “But this is the baby. Where’s the daddy?”
Justin started walking backward, his hands in the air. Suddenly she launched herself at him, only to be stopped by the two police officers.
“You whoreson! You filthy, lowdown, good-for-nothing liar! Just wait until I tell the press about how you tricked me. You wait, Justin Rivers! The day will come when everyone will know exactly what kind of man you are. I’m telling everyone how you led me on, just like you did that Silver person.” She struggled against the officers, ranting at the top of her lungs. After being told to stop or be arrested, she sat down with a huff.
Robert cleared his throat. “There is the matter of your signature on these pages.” He held out a silver pen to her. She glared at him. “If you refuse, these officers will take you into custody on the charges of fraud and conspiracy to extort money from my client. Now, this first page states that you are not nor have you ever been married to Justin Rivers.”
He went on to explain each page, including the restriction of disclosure which forbade her to ever speak of the legal proceedings in the conference room or any association with Justin Rivers. She also had to allow one of the law firm associates to delete all pictures of Justin from her phone. Dani was spitting mad by the time he finished. When she finally reached for the pen, he pulled it back.
“It must be a legal signature, not one of your aliases. Otherwise, the deal is null and void.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I hate my real name.” Taking the pen, she signed the papers ‘Essie Finkle.’ The officers signed each page as witnesses, as did the associates. She began to stand up but Robert put a hand on her shoulder. “There is one more thing, Dani.”
“Oh, for the love of God and country, what is it now?” she demanded.
Justin smiled at Robert. The attorney reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew an envelope, which he handed to her. Dani opened it and her mouth dropped open in shock.
“That check for $50,000 is Mr. Rivers’ way of saying thank you for your cooperation…after signing one more form, accepting the money as a one-time payment, and promising to never contact him again.”
Dani looked wide-eyed at Justin. “Thank you? For what?”
“For never pulling this kind of scam again on any other unsuspecting man,” he answered softly.
Tears fell down her cheeks. “I can’t believe this. No one ever did anything this nice for me, especially after I did something so underhanded.” Walking over to Justin, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, sugar. Giving me a fresh start might do the trick.”
He shook a finger at her. “No more tricks, Dani.”
“No more tricks, Justin. I guess you’re not a whoreson after all.”
“Gee, thanks. My mother will be happy to know that.”
Patting his cheek, she turned and walked past the officers, talking to them over her shoulder. “Well, let’s go, boys. I’m not using this money to get back home, so I figure I’ll hitch a ride with you.” Then as if she remembered something, she snapped her fingers and walked back to the table, picked up the keychain then tossed it to him. “This belongs to you.”
With that done, she pointed to the door and lifted her head, walking out like she was royalty when one of the officers opened it. They followed her with hangdog looks, and Justin couldn’t blame them. The thought of being in a car with her that long made him shudder.
He spread his arms and bowed to the room. “Well played, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your help.”
Robert stepped forward to shake his hand. “You’re not so bad yourself, Justin. Brilliant bit with the keychain.”
Justin shook his head. “She was right about that. I obviously did promise her a solid gold guitar, but I never told her it was a keychain. Funny how some things work out, isn’t it, Bobby?”
“Not funny.” Robert grinned at him then became serious again. “Do you think she’ll try this again with someone else?”
“I hope not, but who knows,” Justin replied with a shrug.
The attorney picked up the pages Dani had signed and handed them to one of the associates. “Let me see that marriage certificate,” he said to Kamber. After a few seconds, Robert began laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Justin asked.
Robert handed him the piece of paper. It took Justin a moment to see it then he joined in the laughter. At the bottom of the paper were the words: Not valid in all 50 states.
* * *
Silver blasted Buddy’s horn at the pickup truck that cut her off in traffic. “There’s a new invention. It’s called a signal,” she mumbled wearily.
Amelia had called bright and early this morning, requesting her presence at dinner this evening. “Jefferson, not Jeffrey” would be joining them, so she’d been instructed to dress appropriately. Silver didn’t feel up for a Madison dinner tonight, but her mother had insisted.
Yippee.
Silver drove slowly, dreading the inevitable mention of her failings as a daughter. The last thing Silver needed right now was another emotional scene of any kind.
“She probably had an epiphany during bridge club that I should move to India and take Mother Teresa’s place to redeem myself,” she grumbled. “And now she wants Jefferson to spread the word that I’ve become self-sacrificing. All for the greater reputation of Amelia Madison.”
She eased into the upper class neighborhood. Though not quite as ostentatious as where the Rivers family lived, it was still highly prized by Tulsa society as one of the proper places to live. Whatever that meant.
Within five minutes, she pulled onto the drive near her mother’s front door and parked next to an unfamiliar BMW sedan. Silver reached up and popped down the visor to check her makeup and hair, then flipped it back up. Nothing would help the puffy dark circles under her eyes. Justin might be out of her life, but he certainly wasn’t gone from her dreams.
“Screw it,” she mumbled. Not her usual expletive, but it fit her mood perfectly. She didn’t ring the bell, which would annoy Amelia, and walked into the living room unannounced.
“Hello, Mother.”
Amelia rose from the rose-colored, damask silk loveseat and air kissed her daughter. Heaven forbid that her mother’s makeup would be mussed even a fraction. “Good evening, dear. I didn’t hear the bell.”
“That’s right, you didn’t.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, her mother sat back down and picked up her usual cocktail, a cosmopolitan. “Jefferson is taking a call in the study, so he’ll be back shortly.” Amelia frowned. “Have a seat, dear, so my neck doesn’t hurt when I talk to you.”
Oh joy, happy hour at the Madison house. Instead of sitting, she walked to the tastefully crafted wet bar and splashed some white wine into a glass. Jeffrey walked into the room in time to see Silver take a sip. She smiled a greeting.
“Hi, Jeffrey.”
“Good to see you again, Silver.” He waited until she sat down on a chair then lowered himself into one next to hers.
Amelia looked at the two of them with her nose in the air.
“I’m so glad we’re all here now. This makes it easier to plan the weekend.”
Silver’s hand paused in bringing the glass to her lips. She glanced at Jeffrey who shrugged slightly. “The weekend?”
“Yes, dear, I’ve arranged for you and Jefferson to hear the symphony on Friday evening. The tickets are at the Will Call window in my name.”
Setting down her glass, Silver crossed her arm
s over her chest. “I’m sorry, but I have plans on Friday night.”
Amelia continued as if Silver hadn’t spoken. “Then on Saturday, we’ll be attending opening night for the new Egyptian exhibit at the Philbrook Museum of Art.” She took a small sip of her drink.
Jeffrey spoke up this time. “I’m very sorry, Mrs. Madison, but I have plans with family since it’s Thanksgiving weekend. Then I’m meeting with a client.”
Waving a hand in dismissal, Amelia replied, “Cancel them.”
With mild shock, Jeffrey shook his head. “That’s not possible. These clients are extremely prominent and, frankly, family comes before business.”
Amelia pursed her lips and Silver groaned inwardly. “Mother, Jeffrey and I…”
“His name is Jefferson.” Her mother’s sharp voice was meant to silence her daughter and regain control. “What possible plans could you have this Friday night, Silver?”
“Auditioning to be an exotic dancer in my spare time. I’m told the pay is excellent.”
Jeffrey coughed to cover a laugh when her mother gasped.
“Don’t be insolent,” her mother said, glaring at her.
Silver smiled innocently.
“Mrs. Madison, I truly am sorry about this weekend, but there’s nothing I can do.”
Amelia slammed down her glass in a very un-Madison like way, sloshing ruby-colored liquid onto the glass-topped coffee table. “You will do what I’m paying you to do, and that is to escort my daughter around town. She needs to be seen on the arm of a handsome, successful man to reestablish her reputation as an acceptable young woman.”
Silver’s world went very still as if time slowed down. Her brain didn’t want to accept what had been said. Jeffrey leaned forward in his chair.
“That’s not exactly correct. You asked me to advise Silver on how to enhance her appearance and to prove that she’s moved beyond the events associated with Justin Rivers. Obviously—” He paused and gave her a grin. “—her appearance needs no altering, and she has assured me that she is quite happy right now. Spending time with your daughter is a choice, not a job.”
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