A Silken Thread

by Brenda Jackson

“Yet you stayed with her?”

  “Yes, only because I figured, with the way Karen thinks, if people knew Blair had finally come out of her coma it would be embarrassing for Karen. Blair was her younger sister, beautiful and vibrant. The car accident took place a week before she was to get married.”

  “How awful.”

  “Yes, it was. But if Karen has managed to keep Blair a secret all these years then it wouldn’t surprise me what else she can manage to do.”

  The thought of that sent chills down Rita’s spine. “Brian has hired a private detective, his best friend, and Matt is good and feels he has a personal stake in this. Someone is out to ruin Brian’s happiness and Matt’s not going to be satisfied until he finds out who it is.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Over the next couple of weeks Brian tried to continue to hold his life together, going to work and coming home while hoping Matt would have something for him that would explain the madness he was going through.

  Erica still refused his calls and he’d even thought about flying to Hattersville to confront her again but followed Matt’s advice not to do so. They both needed time to think and Brian was hoping, praying, that eventually she would realize what a mistake she’d made in not believing in him, in not trusting him completely. More than anything that is what hurt him the most.

  He might be wrong but it seemed Donna was deliberately keeping her distance. Matt had decided he would check her out first, verify she was not involved in any way.

  Brian stood and walked over to the office window to glance out. Basically he was a man operating on autopilot. He went home every day, ate dinner and went to bed. He tried getting absorbed in his court cases and would admit they helped tremendously. But it was late at night, when he thought of Erica the most, that the pain tore through him.

  He turned when the phone rang and moved to his desk to pick it up. “Yes, Jessie?”

  “Matt Seacrest is on the line for you, Mr. Lawson.”

  “Please put him through.” He hadn’t heard from Matt since last week and hoped he was calling because he’d found out something. “Matt?”

  “I found out some things that might interest you, man. When can we meet?”

  Erica was glad to be home but even within these walls she felt only bone-deep loneliness. She had returned to find her father had moved out and was living in one of those exclusive apartments near the lake. And now most everyone in town knew her parents were getting a divorce and the reason for it. This was a small town and news, good or bad, traveled fast. Her mother had had a lot of messages waiting for her when she returned. Erica was sure they were from her mother’s country club buddies, who were eager to give her a shoulder to cry on while getting their ears filled with what they thought would be some juicy gossip.

  Erica hadn’t seen her father since she and her mother had returned a couple of weeks ago. He had wanted to meet with her but the pain of his betrayal was still raw and, now that he was actually going through with the divorce and had moved out, she was more torn than ever. A part of her wanted to understand what had driven him to such madness. Was this nothing but a middle-age crisis?

  And she would have to admit that more than once over the past few weeks she had questioned herself, wondering if she’d jumped to conclusions, been too quick in accusing Brian. Her mother was worried about her and had tried getting Erica to stay a few days with her. But she had needed the privacy of her own place. She had needed her space.

  She was about to go into the kitchen and prepare something for lunch when her doorbell rang. She moved to the door and glanced out the peephole and saw her visitor was none other than Griffin Hayes.

  She opened the door and smiled. “Griffin, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, Erica. May I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  She stood back and let him in and then she saw the strain surrounding his eyes. He appeared deeply worried about some thing. “Griffin? Is everything all right?”

  He drew in a deep breath. “No. I’m trying to find April. Do you know where she is?”

  “April?”

  “Yes.”

  Erica fell silent for a few moments as she contemplated his response. Of course she knew April and Griffin were acquainted but had never considered them as even friends. She did know April had had a crush on Griffin for years, although she was certain April wasn’t aware she had figured that out years ago.

  Why was Griffin looking for April? She decided the only way to find out was to ask him. “Why are you trying to find April?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and then said, “April and I have been involved for about four months, and a few weeks ago she sent me a letter saying she needed space and didn’t want to see me.”

  Of all the things Erica had expected to hear, that wasn’t it. “You and April have been involved?”

  “Yes.”

  She shook her head. “This is news to me.”

  “She didn’t want to tell you until after your wedding.”

  Erica was confused. “Why?”

  “She was obsessed with not letting your mother find out. She figured as long as you weren’t married Mrs. Sanders would still harbor hope that something would develop between you and me. She thought once you were happily married then it would be okay to let everyone know.”

  Erica nodded. She could see April thinking that way. For some reason April had always been afraid of her mother’s wrath. It was sad. “April should not have let my mom affect her happiness. Gosh, she’s loved you forever.”

  The tightness around his mouth eased into a smile. “She said she has.”

  “She’s not lying, although again because of my mother, she never wanted me to know. I figured things out on my own years ago, while we were still in high school. That’s the reason I made sure we called things off in your senior year before you left for college, in case you would be bold enough to let April know you were interested in her, as well.”

  This time Griffin threw his head back and laughed. “You figured that out, too?”

  “Yes, and to be honest with you, I really don’t know where April is, which is unusual. She hasn’t contacted me in a few weeks, and I’m concerned. In fact, I’m going to pay Ms. Connie a visit. Now your visit explains some things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Why April doesn’t want to be found. In her mind she’s probably thinking that since I didn’t marry I’ll pose a threat to your relationship with her, which isn’t true.”

  Griffin nodded. “Yes, she actually thinks your mother can wield that much power.”

  Erica shook her head. “Trust me, my mother has enough of her own problems to deal with at the moment.”

  Griffin nodded again. “I heard about your parents. I’m sorry, Erica.”

  “Me, too, but someone told me I had to realize their problems aren’t mine,” she said. “In fact I was told it really wasn’t any of my business.”

  He gave a slight smile. “And I can just imagine who told you that.”

  Erica smiled, as well. Yes, April had been the one to tell her that. So had Brian. Thoughts of him made her heart ache.

  “I love her, Erica, and I’ve got to find her and convince her that no one is a threat to us. Do you know where she might be?”

  Erica nibbled on her bottom lip. Yes, she had an idea. A few years ago she and April had purchased a house together in Hawaii. It was their “girlcave.” Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t divulge her friend’s whereabouts to anyone. But Erica had a gut feeling that this time was different.

  “Erica?”

  She looked up at Griffin and made a quick decision.

  “April and I bought this place in Maui a few years ago and I have a feeling that’s probably where she is.”

  An appreciative smile lit up Griffin’s face and he leaned over to place a kiss on Erica’s cheek. “Thank you.”

  “So what do you have to tell me?”

  The minute Brian spotted Matt
seated at a table in Larry’s Sandwich Shop, he grabbed a seat and cut right to the chase. He knew his friend would understand.

  Without preamble, Matt replied, “It seems your girl Donna is the one who set you up.”

  Over the past week Brian hadn’t wanted to consider the possibility that Donna had a part in what happened, and to know that she had made his blood boil. “You sound certain.”

  “I am. Rule number one. Don’t set a brother up unless you intend to cover your tracks.”

  “And she didn’t?”

  “Not completely.” Matt then took a sip of his beer. “First there were those infamous red panties with the letter D. Turns out they’re made to order. Some designer in Chicago. I was able to track down the identity of the person who ordered them. A professor at the same law school Donna graduated from.”

  Brian nodded slowly. “Circumstantial evidence.”

  Matt chuckled. “Yes, but what if I told you she was known around campus as the ‘blow-job queen’ and it was rumored that she and this professor had something going on and that their secret affair is what helped her graduate from law school at the top of her class?”

  “Still circumstantial,” Brian said after the waiter had placed a beer in front of him and he had taken a sip.

  “And what if I were to tell you that she is presently blowing Judge Meadows?”

  Brian almost choked on the sip he’d taken. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I put a tail on her and my man reported that, not only does she have a standing time each week in the judge’s chambers, but they also schedule clandestine meetings at the Ritz-Carlton twice a week. And we have pictures to prove it.” Matt paused for a moment. “She was also placed at your home the day of Erica’s visit.”

  Brian set his glass aside. “She was?”

  “Yes. You live in a gated community. She has access because she lives there as well, so no one had to check when she came in and when she left. But what she didn’t think about was the security cameras. I obtained a video.”

  Anger was radiating from every pore in Brian’s body. “But why did she do it?”

  “I guess she wanted to make sure there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that you and Erica would marry, and I can only assume she figured once she got Erica out of the picture, she would go after you for herself.”

  Brian leaned back in the chair. “Well, I guess you solved that one.”

  Matt shook his head. “No, it only opens more questions up in my mind and there is one sticking out further than the others.”

  “Which one?””

  “How did she know Erica was surprising you and coming to town, in order to time things so perfectly?”

  Brian lifted a brow. “That’s a good question and there’s only one way to find out.”

  Matt chuckled. “Yes, we’ll be paying Ms. Hardy a visit after we leave here.”

  Less than an hour later both Matt and Brian were knocking on Donna Hardy’s front door. When she opened it Brian could tell that she was surprised to see him.

  “Brian? How nice to see you.”

  “Donna, this is a good friend of mine, Matthew Seacrest. He’s a private investigator and I hired him to find out who broke into my house and set me up.” He saw something flash in the depths of her eyes. It happened so quickly that if he hadn’t been observant he would have missed it.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, really? I wasn’t aware someone burglarized your home. But what does that have to do with me?”

  “Give us a few moments of your time,” Matt said, “and we’ll certainly tell you.”

  “I was on my way out,” Donna said.

  “That may be, but I think it would behoove you to let us come in and discuss a few things,” Matt said.

  She shrugged and took a step back. “Mr. Lawson is my boss so I can’t refuse to meet with him, can I?”

  A smile touched Matt’s lips. “You can, but I think regarding this matter I’d think twice about it.”

  She paused slightly and then said, “Then please come in.”

  They entered her home and the smell of Allure greeted them, just like it had that day in his bedroom. “I would offer the two of you something to drink, but like I said I’m on my way out. I have a date.”

  “With Judge Meadows?” Matt threw out.

  Brian watched her spine stiffen and knew what Matt was doing. He was already going in for the kill before he did any disabling of the defenses. It was a tactic Brian had used in court a lot when he was certain that the accused was guilty as sin.

  “I see Judge Meadows in court once a week and that’s enough,” she said.

  “No, you see him more than that, but that’s not why we’re here,” Matt said. “Not only am I a private investigator, Ms. Hardy, I also consider myself one of Brian’s closest friends. When someone does something to him they might as well do it to me.”

  “How touching.” She then glanced over at Brian. “What’s this about? Or are you letting him be your spokesman, Counselor?”

  Brian frowned. In a few moments she would probably regret what she’d just said. Matt might be a pain in the ass but a pissed off Brian Lawson could be one hundred degrees worse than him.

  “Why did you do it, Donna?” he asked her.

  He could tell before she even opened her mouth that she intended to play dumb. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You set me up to guarantee a breakup with my fiancée. Why?”

  She threw her hair over her shoulder. “Look, Brian, if you’ve got problems in your relationship—”

  “I have proof you were in my apartment.”

  “You don’t have proof because I wasn’t there.”

  “Yes, we do,” Matt interjected. “First of all, there are your panties that were purchased for you, as a gift I presume, from one of your professors in law school.”

  “You can’t prove that.”

  “Yes, we can. And your alibi with Judge Meadows won’t hold much water, when we have security footage that shows you at Brian’s condo.” He held up a copy for effect. “As an attorney you know it’s admissible in court.”

  “In court?” she asked, turning her attention to Brian. “With something like that in addition to the panties you would get laughed out of the courtroom.”

  Brian had heard enough. “We’re not talking about a court of law, Donna. We are talking about your livelihood. Your career and your future. The one you had with my firm is over and I will make sure you never use your law degree again if you don’t tell us what we want to know.”

  “You can’t come in here and threaten me.”

  “Yes, I can. You deliberately entered my home without my permission and sabotaged my relationship with my fiancée.”

  “If she was a true fiancée she wouldn’t have believed the worst about you.”

  “Maybe, but then if you had any decency, you would not have done what you did, so why?”

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “Fine, but don’t think this is going away. You either tell me now who put you up to this and why, or I will take you to court and expose you for being the lying manipulator that you are. Breaking and entering is a crime and, trust me, you won’t get any help from Judge Meadows. He will be using all his time and energy to save his own career when word gets out as to what the two of you have been doing in his chambers and twice a week at the Ritz-Carlton.”

  Matt wasted no time. “What we want to know is how you knew Erica was coming to town.”

  At first Donna didn’t say anything and Brian wondered if she would continue to pretend innocence. It took a few moments and then she dropped down on a sofa and said, “I was told she was coming.”

  Brian swallowed a lump in his throat before asking, “By whom?”

  “Don’t know.”

  Matt chuckled. “You really want us to believe that?”

  She frowned up at him. “It’s true. This man contacted me and threatened to expose something I did i
f I didn’t meet with him. I did. He told me what he wanted done, but didn’t give any specifics as to why. He said he would call when he was ready. He did and without telling me how to achieve what he wanted done he just told me to do it. He didn’t give me much time to come up with a plan and that was the best I could do. I really didn’t think you would be so damn thorough in checking things out.”

  Brian nodded. “And who is this man, Donna?”

  “I told you I don’t know. He didn’t give a name and whenever I asked he referred to himself only as a friend.”

  “When was the last time you heard from him?” Matt asked.

  “A few days afterward when he called to compliment me on a job well done. He said his client was pleased.”

  Matt and Brian exchanged glances at that last piece of information. “Describe this man to us,” Matt said.

  No one Brian knew fit the description she proceeded to give. “Where did the two of you make connections?” he then asked.

  “We met at Stella’s.”

  “When?”

  She provided him with the date.

  “What time?” Matt asked.

  “Our meeting was at six but he was already there when I arrived.”

  Brian knew Matt would try and trace the identity of the person through the use of the man’s credit card.

  A short while later as he and Matt were leaving, Brian paused at the door and suggested she put in her resignation. Donna agreed that would be the best thing under the circumstances. She apologized and said what she’d done hadn’t been personal and hoped he and his girlfriend got back together. Now, how ironic is that? Brian thought.

  “So what do you think?” he asked Matt when they were back in the car.

  “I think you might have an idea just who that ‘client’ might be, don’t you?”

  Yes, Brian had a real good idea, but it floored him that Karen Sanders not only hated him that much but was willing to sacrifice her daughter’s happiness to get what she wanted. That proved just how manipulating, deceitful and uncaring she was. But he still couldn’t understand why getting him out of the picture was so important to her. Why was Erica’s marrying Griffin Hayes an obsession with her?