Choosing Charleston

by T. Lynn Ocean

  “And you said the jacket was a red windbreaker with a country club logo on the front?”

  “Yeah.”

  I knew the jacket she was talking about. I had bought it for him.

  I explained to Alecia that she would need to give a statement to the police before she left for Savannah and that she may need to appear in court at some point to testify if Robert was charged with arson, or murder.

  “So you really think this man did it?”

  “Yes, I do. I was suspicious before, but now I’m almost certain. If investigators find out who started the fire, it’ll lead them to Jerry’s murderer. Most likely, it’s the same person.”

  Realizing I shared a home and a year of my life with Robert made me nauseous.

  I called the fire chief, who called the lead investigator, who said they’d be right over. While we waited, I explained to Alecia that Robert was my husband and gave her a condensed version of events. Her reaction began with shock, turned to anger and ended with sympathy.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, taking her hand.

  “I’m sorry for you too,” she told me, squeezing mine.

  We drank our lemonade and played ball with Taffy in the back yard until the fire chief arrived along with a Charleston police officer and a SLED officer. Alecia repeated her story. When she finished, I gave the men a copy of the land purchase agreement between Robert, doing business as Vive Investments, and Protter Construction and Development Company. I showed them the safeguard clause pertaining to the seven percent of retail gross, and explained what it meant. It proved motive. And then I gave them the airline information and flight number indicating that Robert had been in town the night of the fire and flown out early the next morning.

  “When we questioned Mister Ellis by phone to see if anything unusual had ever happened on the land when he or the Carpenters owned it, he said ‘no’. And then he joked that maybe the fire was just a redneck way to clear it – you know, instead of using heavy equipment? It was an inappropriate thing to say, but then, we hadn’t told him a man had been killed,” the SLED officer said.

  “Did you ask him where he was that night?” Alecia said.

  “I don’t believe so. He wasn’t a suspect.”

  “Well,” I pointed out, “somebody with Robert’s name and frequent flier number most certainly did fly to Charleston the night before the fire and leave the morning after.”

  Chief Jim shook his head. “You gonna be okay, Carly?”

  I told him I would. Then I told the men that Robert was in town, in a hotel, and planned to stay until I agreed not to divorce him.

  “We’ll get a warrant to search his hotel room and car, as well as his residence in New York. The New York thing could take a few days, since we have to find him first to obtain a primary residence address. But we can get into his hotel room as early as tomorrow morning to look for the shoes and jacket,” the Charleston cop said. “Maybe even tonight.”

  “If he calls, you just make sure he doesn’t go anywhere, Carly. Can you do that? We need to keep him in that hotel, at least through tomorrow.”

  I nodded.

  We decided that, as soon as the cops had the search warrant, I’d call Robert on his mobile number and ask him to meet me at his hotel. That would ensure that Robert, along with his shoes and jacket, would be there. And even though I had no intention of going to Robert’s hotel, all three men warned me to stay away from my husband. He could very well be dangerous, they said. I readily agreed.

  Chapter Thirty

  “You’ve got your meeting,” Trent told me when I opened the back screen door.

  Had he been a minute earlier, he would have caught me sunbathing, stretched out on a chaise lounge, lazily reading a paperback. As it were, I’d gone inside in search of a snack and had grabbed one of Daddy’s long sleeved button downs before answering the knock at the door. Although it was big and baggy and I had to roll up the too-long sleeves, it wasn’t buttoned and I was suddenly self-conscious of my exposed navel.

  “That’s good news,” I said in my most business-like voice.

  We stood awkwardly in the doorway. Mamma and Daddy were at the store preparing for their liquidation sale and Granny was napping. Taffy ambled up to greet our visitor and nuzzled Trent’s hand.

  He gave her an absent-minded rub behind the ears. “It’s next Tuesday.”

  “Excellent.”

  “In the morning, ten o’clock,” Trent said.

  “Ten o’clock works well,” I agreed.

  “At Jack’s office. He has a nice meeting room.”

  “That’s great.”

  We looked at each other for a few expectant seconds, waiting for the other to say something else, but neither of us did. I invited him in. He agreed. I moved aside to let him through the door. But instead of passing me, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me toward him until my body was just shy of touching his. His back pressed against the screen door, preventing it from slamming against us. I looked up and he looked down and our faces were so close, I could feel the moisture in his breath.

  He held me that way, close but not touching, for what seemed like an eternity as he studied my eyes.

  “Kiss me,” he finally said. His voice was commanding and I forgot about my exposed belly and bare feet. “Kiss me, Carly. It’s making me mad, thinking about it. Thinking about kissing you.”

  I was too close to see his whole face at once, so I opted for his lips and focused on the way they formed words.

  “One minute I want to kiss you and the next minute I want to strangle you. But mostly, I want to kiss you,” he continued.

  “You do?” I asked, still inches away from him.

  “Yes. Kiss me.”

  “Okay,” I said and kissed him.

  It was tentative and soft, at first. Until I put an arm around his neck and he took my other arm and placed it around the other side of his neck, and I stretched up to better reach him, and his hands found my face before traveling to the sensitive spot at the back of my neck, and his fingers entwined themselves with my hair. Then, the kiss became needy and sweet and we tantalizingly explored each other’s mouths, slowly.

  Feeling left out of the game, Taffy wedged herself between our legs and woofed. Trent released me and smiled. It was a brilliant smile.

  “Mmmm,” he said. “That was just as I imagined it would be. Well, except for the dog.”

  “Would you like to come in? Or sit outside on the piazza?” I asked pleasantly.

  He pulled me back to his chest and thoroughly kissed me again, not caring that we still stood in the doorway. The taste of his mouth was addictive, like chocolate, and I instantly wanted more.

  When I managed to pull myself away from him, we retrieved a couple of sodas from the fridge and moved to the piazza. We sat for a few minutes, admiring Mamma’s garden and the sunny day. Taffy dropped a tennis ball into Trent’s lap. He tossed it high into the air; she expertly caught it and ran a victory lap around us.

  “The lead investigator told me they’re going to arrest Robert as soon as they find him,” Trent said, confirming what I already suspected. “They found toluene on the jacket collar and sleeve.”

  I’d called Robert’s mobile number once the search warrant was obtained, but it was no longer a working number. I also tried his motel room several times, but he wasn’t there, even though the motel had no record of him checking out.

  Officers wanted to search his rental car, but hadn’t been able to track it down. And not wanting to chance losing evidence, they went ahead and searched the room even though Robert was absent. Luckily, the red jacket was hanging in the closet.

  “There’s no record of him flying out of Charleston and he’s not at his aunt and uncle’s house,” Trent said. “And the check he wrote them for the land? It bounced. Nearly four hundred thousand dollars’ worth of bounce. The account it was written on has since been closed.”

  “That’s horrible.” I wasn’t shocked. Just sad for Minnie Beth and Patrick.
They deserved so much better.

  “Yeah,” Trent agreed.

  “He told me it was certified funds.”

  “He lied.”

  “I feel really bad for them,” I said.

  “I know.”

  “I wonder if he went back to New York?”

  Trent frowned. “Carly, you need to be careful.”

  “He may be pond scum,” I said, “but he wouldn’t try to hurt me.”

  Trent shook his head, disagreeing. “We’re talking about a possible murderer.”

  “I bet he took off,” I said.

  “The cops think he bolted, too. In fact, one of their profilers believes he will head for the west coast or possibly leave the country. But I’m not so sure. He could still be in Charleston. And he could want revenge. You’re the one who busted this thing wide open. There’s no telling what he might do.”

  “Thanks for your concern, but it’s unwarranted.”

  “Just be careful, okay? Keep your eyes open. Keep your cell phone with you whenever you’re out of the house. Keep the doors locked when you’re in the house. And if he does show up here, just call the police. Don’t let him in.”

  I wasn’t worried but nodded my agreement anyway.

  In addition to the evidence from the hotel room, Trent told me, investigators also found a concrete block with droplets of Jerry Stillwell’s blood on it, along with just a smidgen of someone else’s. It was the weapon used to knock him unconscious. Whoever hit Jerry it the head with it had scraped one of their hands in the process. If DNA testing showed that the blood belonged to Robert, the prosecutor’s case against him would be solid. They’d collected his shaving kit and a comb, which should carry some DNA evidence. But to make a solid case, they had to find him, and get a sample directly from his body so there was a positive source to match.

  “What was Robert doing at the site when Alecia came by to say goodbye?” I asked Trent, suddenly thinking of Jerry Stillwell’s widow.

  “He said he wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings about the time he tried to punch me out at your folks’ house. I told him there weren’t. Then he said that he’s moving to Charleston and that the two of you are going to work things out,” Trent said. “I wished him luck. Then he asked about the possibility of doing an amendment to the original purchase agreement. He said he’d forgo the entire seven percent in exchange for a flat two hundred thousand dollars, but he would want to do the deal soon. Before the end of the week. He said Protter would come out ahead of the game by paying an additional two hundred grand now instead of half a million over the next five years.”

  “So what did you say?”

  “I told him I’d talk to Jack and that he should give me a call in a few days,” Trent answered. “But that was just to get rid of him. I’d already decided that Robert will never get a dime of that seven percent. We’re going to take advantage of the safeguard clause. Plans for one of the anchor stores was modified. Cut by a thousand square feet.”

  “You’re kidding. Were you planning to do that all along? Even before you found out about Robert?”

  “No, not at all. Protter Construction and Development is all about integrity, Carly. Ask anyone we’ve dealt with. But pay a man who murdered one of my employees, for the next five years? No way. No way in hell.”

  His eyes narrowed with anger at the thought, and I had to wonder how he could stand to be around the wife of that same person. Even though I had no control over Robert’s actions, I felt shamed by mere association.

  Trent read my mind. “I don’t hold anything against you, Carly. You were just another of Robert’s victims. Anybody can be fooled once.”

  “That’s exactly what Daddy said.”

  “Well, it’s true,” Trent said, and leaned back in his chair to stretch. “You know, the fact that you could stake claim to half of that seven percent he was supposed to get has occurred to me,” Trent said.

  It had occurred to me, too. “Yes.”

  “Well, like I said, he’s not getting a dime. To be fair though, I’d still like to give you your cut. In ways other than cash.”

  “Such as?”

  “For starters, lots and lots of dinners. Maybe some of them aboard my sailboat. Did I tell you I have a boat? I haven’t been out on it in more than a year, which makes me think that I’ve been working entirely too much,” Trent said.

  “I like food. And boats.”

  “And, I’m thinking a vacation will be in order as soon as the new center is finished. You think we could spend a week or so together without annoying the heck out of each other?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well then, we’ll have to go to that little place you like in the Florida Keys.”

  I couldn’t help but to laugh. And feel like a cherished princess.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Trent smiled, and for the first time, I noticed a tiny dimple formed at each corner of his mouth with the expression. The realization made something flutter in my chest. I was saturated with anticipation and the sensation was intoxicating. The man sitting in front of me was a newly discovered treasure, with a history and a future, both waiting to be unveiled.

  “And the main way I’d like to pay you your share of that money is with a signing bonus.”

  I didn’t understand. “Pardon?”

  “The way I figure it, seven percent over five years would amount to, and this is ballpark, but half a million dollars going to Vive Investments. Your half, assuming you would have gotten it, would be a quarter of a million dollars. And, let’s face it. Even if we hadn’t taken advantage of that safeguard clause and did give Robert his percentage each quarter, the chances of you seeing any of it were slim.”

  “True.”

  “So I propose you take Jack’s offer and--”

  “Jack’s offer?”

  “Oh, he must not have called you yet. Jack is going to offer you a position in his law firm. With a signing bonus of fifty thousand dollars paid by Protter Construction and Development – since you’ll be on retainer for us.”

  “What? He doesn’t know a thing about me!”

  “Oh, but he does. Jack’s first rule in any encounter is to know your adversary. He insists on that. And, my beautiful Carly, you were our adversary. Jack was quite impressed with your track record of corporate mediation in New York. An astounding closure rate. He says if you can do that good out of court, you’ll kick ass in court. And, graduating from law school at USC summa cum laude? Impressive. Mostly, though, he wants to hire you because he said you have balls.”

  “Balls?”

  “Well, Jack’s not always politically correct. But I can say this about him. He is the most shrewd, calculating, intelligent, compassionate and caring man I’ve ever known.”

  “You’ve just described a complete paradox.”

  Trent gave me another smile. The one with the nearly imperceptible dimples designed just for my viewing pleasure. “Jack says you remind him a lot of him when he was your age. If you truly want to work as an attorney, Carly, you won’t find a better mentor.”

  I felt like I was dreaming. My fingers and toes went numb and for an instant, I wondered if my body might have been experiencing a mild form of shock. I was totally blindsided. And happy. But what right did they have to do a background investigation on me?

  “Don’t be mad about Jack looking into your background, Carly. It’s what he does. And, as much as I wanted him to turn up something to make me hate you, the opposite happened.”

  “Dammit! Would you please stop it?”

  “Stop what?”

  “Reading my mind!” Not knowing whether to be irritated or flattered, I glared at my tea before plucking out an ice cube for Taffy. She chewed it exactly three times before swallowing.

  Trent put an envelope on the table. “I’d like you to give this to Patrick and Minnie Beth Carpenter.”

  It held a check for a hundred thousand dollars.

  “There’s another one, for the same amount
, being delivered to Alecia Stillwell.”

  Overwhelmed, I felt my eyes dampen with emotion. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Let’s just say I’m bypassing Robert and putting the money to much better use.”

  “What does your father have to say about all this?”

  “Pop about had a coronary at first when I told him what I was doing,” Trent said. “But, I showed him how we’re coming out ahead in this deal. He’s always trusted my judgment before.”

  Deep in thought, I made doodling patterns in the condensation on my glass and occupied the present part of my mind by watching Taffy sniff her way around the base of the bird feeder. I jumped when Trent’s hand took mine.

  “So are you okay about Robert?” he wanted to know. “The possibility of him going to prison?”

  “I’m very okay with that,” I said. “He’s a total stranger to me. I really don’t have any idea who he is, or what he’s all about. And at this point, I don’t need to know. I just want the divorce to be finalized. Maybe I can persuade the judge to speed things along, once we satisfy the mandatory waiting period.”

  “With your powers of persuasion, Carly, I’m sure you can convince a judge to see things your way.”

  It was another compliment that may have been an insult. I moved my hand from beneath his.

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “It was a compliment,” he confirmed.

  “Okay.”

  Watching him swirl the ice in his glass of tea, seeing the muscles in his forearm quietly ripple, taking in the bigger picture of the man sitting across from me, I decided that he could compliment or insult me as much as he wanted to. As long as I knew another kiss was forthcoming.

  And as long as I knew things were over between him and Terry.

  “You know, it could be bad, this thing happening between you and me,” I said. “Being faithful is important to me.”

  “What do you mean? You just said you want the divorce to be over with as soon as possible.”

  “I’m not talking about Robert. I hope never to lay eyes on him again. He’s old news,” I said, trying to control the flood of possibilities that danced through my over-stimulated brain.