Private Lives

by Karen Young

“Yes, ma’am.”

  “I didn’t say he murdered her, Detective Steele. You’d have to know Austin and his relationship with Gina to understand, I guess. I simply question anything Austin says. He’s good at equivocating. If the facts in a situation don’t please him, he’s perfectly capable of rearranging them to suit him.”

  “That’s a pretty harsh assessment of a man’s character.”

  “Nevertheless, it’s the truth.”

  “And you don’t equivocate?”

  “No.”

  He jotted a note on a fresh page, then looked up again. “What made you suspicious about this particular accident?”

  Elizabeth thought about the consequences of telling the truth or simply pretending that her reaction and what she’d said was the result of her shock. Or grief. But then she’d be doing the same thing Austin did, rearranging facts rather than letting the facts speak for themselves. Equivocating.

  “Was that a hard question?” Steele asked.

  “No. I saw some marks on Gina’s wrist that looked suspiciously like bruises from the grip of a man’s hand. They were not there when she left with Austin because I was in her bedroom as she was dressing for their date. I actually watched her buckle a tiny jeweled watch on her wrist that evening. I noticed the marks after she returned from surgery. There were some abrasions, too, which I guessed were made by the diamonds on the watch band. If he manhandled her by grabbing her wrist while she still wore the watch, his grip would make the bruises and the watch band would scrape her skin.” She looked at him. “Does that sound like I’m paranoid?”

  “I’m a cop, not a psychologist, ma’am.”

  “I probably wouldn’t have noticed…or if I had noticed the marks, I might never have jumped to such a conclusion, but Austin had a habit of getting rough with Gina, especially when she took a stand that irritated him.”

  Steele was making notes. “And she took a stand that irritated him that night,” he said. “About what?” He looked up at her.

  “I’m only guessing, you understand.”

  “Noted.”

  “Gina was pregnant. She didn’t tell me, but it was discovered when she was examined here after the…accident. I think that was the reason she made that last date with him. She would be convinced that having another baby would tick him off like nothing else. He was doing all in his power to get her out of his life. Another child meant even more in the way of a financial obligation. Judge Hetherington had already named a sum that shocked him.”

  “You think that was reason enough for him to kill her?”

  “I didn’t say that, Detective Steele. I said that hearing it was sure to make him mad.”

  “Mad enough to drive him to violence?”

  “That, you’ll have to ask him,” Elizabeth said.

  “Why did you file the restraining order?”

  “Oh.” She almost smiled. “Maude managed to get it done, did she?”

  “She did.” Steele rubbed the tip of his ballpoint pen up and down near his ear. “Your complaint alleges that he poses a threat to his little girl.”

  “He wants to take her to Arizona where his mother lives.”

  “And you believe that’s wrong for a father whose wife—”

  “Gina was not married to Austin, even though she longed to be his wife. He was a master at delaying what she wanted.”

  “Does that mean he shouldn’t see his daughter now? That she shouldn’t be with her grandmother now that her mother’s gone?”

  “He shouldn’t see Jesse because he would not hesitate to ship her off to his mother. And that would be awful, first because Jesse doesn’t know the woman. Since moving to Arizona two years ago, she’s expressed no interest in Jesse. And second, Jesse will need to be in familiar surroundings, she’ll need familiar people around her, because as soon as I get back to my house, she will have to be told that her mommy’s gone forever. The most familiar people in her life are me and Louie, who’s been her grandfather in every sense of the word since she was born. Also, there’s kindergarten. Changing schools would mean further trauma. There should be as little major upheaval in her life as possible. Losing her mother is trauma enough for any child. She needs to be in a place where she feels safe, both physically and emotionally.”

  “You think you’re better qualified to offer all that to Jesse than her father and her grandmother?”

  Elizabeth’s eyes suddenly narrowed with suspicion. “Why are you asking these questions about Jesse? I thought you were following up someone’s statement that Austin may have had something to do with Gina’s death. I don’t see how Jesse’s circumstances relate to that.”

  “Under the circumstances, I consider any and all information about the deceased to be relevant.” He studied something in his notebook. “I’m simply following up on your remarks about Mr. Leggett’s involvement in the accident. Are you suggesting he inflicted more injury after the crash? And if so, how, exactly, could that be possible? They were in separate cars. Gina lost control of her car and hit a tree. The accident report states Mr. Leggett was first on the scene. Do you think he attacked her rather than trying to get help, as he claims?”

  Hearing it stated flat-out was enough to chill Elizabeth’s blood. Was Austin capable of that? Did he use the accident as a convenient way to put an end to his problems with Gina? She knew him to have an ungovernable temper, but what Steele suggested was so diabolically evil. She looked thoughtfully into space before speaking. “I don’t know the answer to that, of course. But Jesse was there. She didn’t have any head trauma, so she never lost consciousness. He couldn’t have hurt Gina in front of her. At least, I don’t think…” Her words trailed off as her imagination took over.

  “The little girl is five years old?”

  “Yes.”

  Detective Steele closed his notebook and slipped it into his back pocket. “Would you mind if I spoke with her? I’d be very careful.”

  Even before he finished, Elizabeth was shaking her head. “No, absolutely not. I haven’t even told her about Gina yet. I don’t know what to expect when I do. Louie told me this morning that Jesse hasn’t spoken a word since they left the hospital together. And there’s still the funeral to get through.”

  He nodded, seeming to accept what she said. “We’ll leave it for now. Remember, there’s no evidence that Leggett had anything to do with the accident. But to learn exactly what happened, the little girl is our best source of information.”

  “No.” Elizabeth got to her feet and looked directly at the detective. Jesse was not going to be the victim in all this, at least, not more than she already was. “You’ll have to find another source of information, as you put it. It’s your job to find out exactly what happened without further traumatizing a child. Jesse’s already lost the person she loves best in the world. She’s not losing her innocence, too.”

  Elizabeth began collecting her things to leave the hospital with her thoughts in turmoil. The endless paperwork that had been shoved at her was now completed. There might have been some dispute between herself and Austin over who assumed what responsibilities regarding Gina’s body and preparation for burial, but as Austin had not made an appearance at the hospital since that one brief moment with the doctor in ICU, Elizabeth had assumed the role of next of kin. She’d called Maude Kennedy, and learned with no surprise that Gina had no will, nor had she left instructions in the event of her death for other practical matters or for Jesse’s future. If she had life insurance, nobody knew about it or where the policy might be. It was so like Gina to neglect anything unpleasant, Elizabeth thought, even if such an event put Jesse in jeopardy. It was Gina’s way to simply close her mind to life’s difficulties.

  “She should have learned by now,” Elizabeth muttered, pulling a gym bag from beneath a chair in the ICU waiting room and stuffing inside it the papers she’d just signed. Lord, how she wished she could stuff her own grief and guilt and, yes, she admitted it, her anger. Both she and Gina had spent childhood dodging life’s curv
e balls. Both knew from experience how quickly and unexpectedly a reversal of fortune happened. With a grunt, she stretched to reach a hairbrush that had fallen out of the bag. “I’ll be damned if history repeats itself in Jesse,” she vowed softly.

  “What history is that?”

  She settled back on her heels with the brush in her hand and looked up blankly at Ryan. “Just thinking out loud.”

  He reached to take the gym bag after she zipped it up. “I’ve spoken to Megan. There’s nothing else you can do here. Lindsay’s staying for a while to take care of any details that might crop up regarding Gina. She told me she would drop by your house later today to give you a progress report, if necessary.”

  Elizabeth handed the bag over and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. She swayed with fatigue and his arm went around her. For a brief moment, she actually leaned into him, unable to summon up any good reason not to. He was solid and reassuring and the rest of her world was tilted on its axis. She had a hazy thought that trying to hold both Ryan and Lindsay at arm’s length required more effort than she had right now.

  “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.” His voice so close to her ear was enough to stiffen her backbone.

  “I don’t think I have a car,” she said as they walked out of the hospital into the dazzling brightness of midday. “Louie drove Jesse home in it last night.”

  “Not a problem,” Ryan said, steering her to the sidewalk. “Mine’s parked in a spot reserved for patient pickup.”

  At the car, he tossed her bag in the back seat, then opened the door for her. “Kick back and relax if you can. There will probably be a lot going on at your house once it’s known that Gina is gone. Your friends will be dropping by with food, neighbors will be knocking. Hopefully you won’t be bothered with reporters unless it gets around that Shepherd Steele was asking questions.” He went around to the driver’s side, got in and buckled up. “Unfortunately, you still have to break the news to Jesse. That’ll be rough.”

  “Yes.” Lord, yes. It filled her with anxiety just thinking about it. Jesse had been through so much. “As for the other, there won’t be any of that.”

  He slowed, giving her a quick glance as he signaled to merge into the traffic on Fannin. “Any of what?”

  “Neighbors. Food. Curiosity seekers.” She rubbed her temples with a thumb and one finger. “I don’t know any of my neighbors. Gina and Louie are the only friends…” She stopped, almost choking up. “Louie. Louie’s pretty much it in the way of friends.”

  “Gina was well liked at LJ and B,” he said, gently contradicting her. “Her friends there will want to do something to help.”

  “Oh. I guess so.” She looked away. “I…this is so…such a…shock.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you know if Austin—”

  He was shaking his head. “I saw him this morning before I left my house, but not since. I’ve been trying to reach him, but it beats me where he could be. I called Curtiss and a couple of guys he hangs with sometimes, but drew a blank. You’d think he would keep in touch, considering Gina’s critical status. To my knowledge, he doesn’t yet know about her.”

  “Why am I not surprised,” she said bitterly, gazing out the window on her side. She knew better than to think Austin wouldn’t show up soon making demands that she would fight to the end, but for now, it was good not to have to see him. Not to hear him pretend he cared that Gina was dead. If she had to talk to him right now, she didn’t know that she could be civil. It was probably nasty of her, but she couldn’t help feeling a sneaky satisfaction that Shepherd Steele was nosing around. If he questioned Austin, it might at least give him a few uneasy moments. That would be of some comfort to her.

  As good as his word, Ryan concentrated on driving, giving her a chance to clear her mind to try to prepare for the ordeal of telling Jesse about Gina. She closed her eyes, wishing for oblivion, but instead she simply opened the gate on guilt and remorse, two demons she’d managed to dodge since first hearing of Gina’s accident. The thoughts she’d had about Gina’s shortcomings as a mother now haunted her. Her resentment that Gina didn’t seem to appreciate the precious gift that Jesse was now seemed petty and mean-spirited. Her carping about Gina’s parenting skills now felt like sour grapes. Was it envy? Covetousness? She winced inwardly. Each were listed as one of the seven deadly sins. Hadn’t she thought many times that if Jesse belonged to her, she’d be a better mother? How arrogant. What conceit. Jesse adored Gina, was blind to her faults. She saw only her mother’s sunshine smile, her spontaneity, her generous spirit. Ashamed and grieving, Elizabeth covered her face with her hands.

  Dear God, how am I going to tell her that Gina is gone forever?

  Nineteen

  “The house seems deserted,” Ryan said as they pulled into her driveway. “Looks like Louie did as suggested and took the kids to his place. I didn’t think Austin would follow through on his plan to ship Jesse off to Arizona, especially now, but just in case he decided to try something, I felt they’d be safer at Louie’s.” He got out of the car and walked around to her side.

  “Thank you,” she said, as he helped her out. “Detective Steele wanted to talk to her and I refused. Has it occurred to you that, other than Austin, Jesse is the only person who knows the truth about the accident?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m not giving him access to her.”

  “I would advise strongly against it if you told me you would.” While she struggled to figure out what he meant by that, he looked beyond her shoulder to the street. “Speaking of the devil, here he is.”

  A squeal of brakes sounded behind her. She turned and, together with Ryan, watched Austin get out of his Porsche. Clearly, he was in a temper. He slammed the door hard and headed toward them in trendy sunglasses and a Texans baseball cap pulled low on his face. “If I didn’t know better,” Ryan murmured, “I’d think that was a disguise.”

  “Why would he need a disguise?”

  “Good question.” Ryan moved so that Elizabeth stood just slightly to the side of him, protected by his shoulder and watched his client stalk across the grass. Although the golf shirt was expensive and the khakis top of the line, both seemed a bit wilted and wrinkled. “Looks like he slept in those clothes,” Ryan said.

  As he reached them, Austin ripped the sunglasses from his face and shoved the bill of the cap up. “I need to talk to you, Ryan.”

  “So talk.”

  “Privately,” Austin snapped, giving Elizabeth a hostile look. “But first, where’s my daughter? This is the third time I’ve driven over here in the last hour and nobody answers.”

  Elizabeth moved from Ryan’s shadow. “You’re on my property, Austin, which means you’re breaking the law. I know you were served, so don’t pretend otherwise. I’m asking you to leave. If you don’t, I’m calling the police.”

  Ignoring her, he glared at Ryan. “Did you know about this? They served a goddamn restraining order on me. Why didn’t you do something to stop it?”

  Ryan checked Elizabeth with a hand on her arm. “As you say, Austin, this is something we should discuss privately. But don’t even think of disregarding that order to get to Jesse. You’ll be in even more trouble than now.”

  “They have no right keeping my kid from me! You should have blocked them. You should at least have given me a heads-up.”

  “And give you time to ship her off to Arizona?”

  “Whose side are you on anyway?”

  “Jesse’s side, Austin,” Ryan said. “And I might have been able to keep you informed if I’d been able to reach you. I’ve left several messages today. Why didn’t you respond?”

  “I’ve been busy.” His eyes cut away.

  “So you got my messages and just ignored them?”

  He gave a restless shrug of his shoulders. “I told you, I had business that kept me tied up. What was so important? Was it my old man? God, he can’t let me have a minute to myself even on a weekend!”

  “
I was calling to tell you that Gina passed away.”

  Austin blinked with shock. “Jesus,” he murmured, his rage suddenly spent. His jaw flexed and he swallowed hard. Then, feeling their scrutiny, he turned away. Some emotion was at work inside him, Elizabeth thought. At least he wasn’t totally unaffected. Down the street a power crew worked with chain saws trimming trees. He seemed fixed on what they were doing. “What happened?” he asked finally, keeping his gaze on the workmen.

  “Are you asking if we withdrew life support?” Elizabeth asked, unable to hide her bitterness.

  He gave her a startled look. “Did you?”

  Elizabeth met his gaze with disgust and simply turned away.

  “Gina died from a convulsion brought on by the brain injury,” Ryan told him. “It happened a few hours ago. It was quick. We were told she probably never knew anything from the moment of impact at the accident.”

  “What about the…ah…arrangements?”

  “Liz took care of everything. I was just dropping her off as she had no wheels at the hospital. Jesse doesn’t know yet. I think you’ll agree that it’s best for her to hear it from Liz.”

  “I want to be there when she tells her.”

  Ryan cocked his head, studying Austin as if he were some kind of alien being. “Why is that, Austin? You saw Jesse’s reaction when you approached her last night at the hospital. She became hysterical. Are you willing to put her through that again to satisfy some kind of power thing with Liz? Don’t you understand what’s at stake here concerning your daughter? Don’t you realize what damage can be done? Jesse’s going to be told that her mother’s dead. C’mon, Austin. You need to think of what’s in her best interest.”

  Austin was again gazing at the work crew, his face set. “I want you to fix it so I can see her.”

  “It’ll have to be with supervision. You read the order.”

  “So, when?”

  Ryan sighed, looking as if he’d like to knock some sense in his client, but knowing it would probably be a waste of energy even trying. “I don’t know the answer to that. When Liz has talked to her, we’ll know more about her state of mind. I’ll talk to the judge if and when Jesse appears ready to see you. I think you’re going to have to be satisfied with that, Austin.”