“Are we still on for tonight, or are you calling because you’ve had a better offer?”
Nancy kept her voice low. Being subjected to other people’s one-sided conversations annoyed her. Even if you tried not to listen, the words infiltrated your brain and insisted you forget about everything important to you and concentrate on them.
“Would I do that to you?”
“In a shot, if the right man asked.”
Meredith chuckled. “Well, he hasn’t, so we’re good to go.”
“If you aren’t calling to bail, what’s up?”
“Actually, I need a favor that could be mutually beneficial given your current situation.”
“Give,” she said, curious in spite of everything.
“A friend of mine needs your help—wife and two kids are getting screwed by Mr. I couldn’t keep it in my pants in love with a girl barely out of diapers. Larry’s convinced the guy’s hiding money. I thought since you had time on your hands you might be willing to have a look. He doesn’t need a full forensic audit, he just needs to know if it’s possible the guy’s got money squirreled away.”
The begging tone in Meredith’s voice got to Nancy the way it always did. It wasn’t as if she could say no; after all, money from these private jobs might be all she would have coming her way for a while, and whether she liked it or not, she’d gotten used to eating each day, and at the price of food and other necessities … The severance package had been generous, but once Uncle Sam took his cut, unless she added to it regularly, it wouldn’t last long.
She tucked the phone between her neck and her ear and loaded the plastic bags into her cart as Meredith filled in the details. As soon as the basket was reloaded, she grabbed for the phone again, but it began to slip from her shoulder and fall. Bobbling it like a poor juggler, she failed to hang onto it, and bent over to pick it up off the floor. The child giggled, no doubt drawing attention to her bootie stuck high in the air.
“You still there?” Nancy asked, straightening, hoping the phone had survived its dive to the tile-covered concrete.
“Yes. Where are you?”
“Grocery store.”
“You?” Meredith’s voice went up an octave. “On a Saturday morning? I don’t believe it. You did go to the cemetery, right?”
“I did.” She wasn’t ready to talk about that now. “Why this case?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Larry Jackson’s an old friend.”
“You haven’t mentioned him before.”
Meredith sighed. “He used to hang around with my older brother, Charlie. We’ve kept in touch. What do you say?”
Nancy frowned, nodded to the cashier—who had to be all of twelve—and force the unwilling cart out into the crowded parking lot.
“Nancy?”
“Sorry, I’m waging war here. I wanted to take a breather before I decided what to do. Can it wait a couple of weeks?”
“Unfortunately, it can’t. The jerk’s threatening to sue for full custody of the kids if she doesn’t cooperate.”
“Sounds like a stellar human being,” she grumbled.
Meredith knew her too well. She’d never be able to pass up a case where kids were involved. Divorce was a fact of life. Not every relationship ended in happily ever after, but kids didn’t deserve to suffer because Daddy couldn’t keep his fly zipped.
“Give your friend my information. Have him send me what he has, and I’ll look at it as soon as possible. My fee’s seventy-five an hour plus expenses.”
“Thanks, Nancy. Now, where are we meeting for supper?”
“How about Lucifer’s? Say eight? I’m in the mood for crab quiche and strawberry margaritas. Your treat.”
“You’ve got it. I really appreciate this,” Meredith said.
Nancy sensed a “but” coming. “Spill it,” Bad news was like a beached whale. You didn’t need to be close to know it was there.
“Lordy girl, sometimes you scare me. You must have a sixth sense or something. I got your signed divorce papers this morning. Once you add your signature, I’ll file them with the courts.”
Wanting to curl up into a ball and hide from the pain Meredith’s words inflicted, Nancy wished it were true. She would never be able to set this pain aside. If she were clairvoyant as Meredith suggested, she would’ve avoided Cedar Drive that day. Straightening her spine, she laughed bitterly.
“That’s wonderful. Great timing. You really know how to make a rotten day worse.”
“Don’t be like that. This was your idea. I tried to talk you out of it, remember?”
“Let it go, Merry. Even arguing requires an emotional commitment, and there was nothing left but apathy and sorrow. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Have it your way. See you at eight, and thanks again.”
Nancy ended the call, dropped the phone into her purse and transferred the groceries from the cart to the back seat of the car. After leaving the shopping basket in the cart parking area, she got into her vehicle and started the engine. The air conditioner took only seconds to blow cooling air in her face. She slipped her favorite CD into the player and cranked up the volume hoping the music would dispel the gloom threatening to engulf her. Not even Sweet Caroline could chase away her misery.
Chapter Two
Nancy used to love the sight of the magnolia trees lining many of the town’s main streets, perfuming the air with the scent of the south. Now, every breath filled with their sweet aroma reminded her of what she’d lost. Three hundred and sixty four days a year, she could keep it all together, but today … Taking the long way home to avoid Cedar Drive, she swallowed her misery and focused on the road. Dark clouds hovered on the horizon. There would be a storm tonight icing the disgusting cupcake of this lousy day.
After pulling the car into her laneway, she noted the dark SUV with tinted windows parked in the driveway across the street and frowned. When had the Hendersons gotten a new vehicle? She’d seen it late last night when she’d shut the drapes. It was a strange choice for a couple in their early eighties. Turning back to the front of her home, her scowl deepened. After all that rain, the grass had grown at least three inches, and the damn lawn needed mowing again. Maybe it was time she sold the place and moved on.
Unlocking the garage door into the house, she stopped, surprised not to hear a long buzz. With so much on her mind, she must’ve forgotten to set the alarm when she’d gone out earlier. She could just hear Neil complaining. Well, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
After stowing the groceries, she grabbed a cold beer out of the fridge, drank deeply from it and carried the rest upstairs. The flashing light on her office phone beckoned. Pressing the play button, she listened to the electronic voice deliver its message and then…
“You have one new message. Time 11:10 AM.” The line was silent for a moment, and then the room echoed with the voice that filled her with longing and pain.
“Hi, Nancy, it’s me. I know my voice is probably the last thing you want to hear today, but we have to talk. By now you should have the signed divorce papers. I hate this machine. I don’t want things to end like this. Can’t we at least be friends? The number’s 1-858-277-4657.”
“End of message. You have no more messages.”
Nancy took down the number and pressed a button on the phone.
“Message erased.”
She would have to call him back, but not now, not while the pain was this raw. Tomorrow or the next day would be soon enough. Lifting the beer to her lips, she finished it.
Walking into her bedroom, she picked up the green, hummingbird-print quilt on the rocker and sat, hugging it to her, once more mourning everything she’d lost. She’d loved Neil with every fiber of her being, but what they had wasn’t meant to be. Their future had ended four years ago today on their first wedding anniversary, the day her mother and their unborn child had died.
Lost in painful memories, she barely registered the jingle of the phone. Its third ring dragged her back to the
present. She was tempted to let it go to message—it was probably Meredith cancelling after all, and she’d be grateful if she did. It might even be Neil again, and he was the last person she wanted to talk to right now.
Unable to squelch her curiosity, Nancy put down the tear-soaked quilt, stood, and walked over to the extension on the bedside table. The number wasn’t a familiar one. She took a deep breath before picking up the receiver.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice husky.
“Nancy Frost?”
“Yes.” She didn’t recognized the man’s voice and hoped she hadn’t picked up on a telemarketer. It wasn’t a 1-800 number, but … Normally, she hated being rude to anyone, even annoying strangers at the end of a phone line; however, in her current mood, this guy might be in for a tongue lashing.
“This is Larry Jackson. I was speaking with Meredith Stone earlier, and she said you’d agreed to look at some financial records for me.”
The man’s voice was pleasant, but he sounded tired, and his words carried an undercurrent of frustration and anxiety.
“I’ll do what I can, Mr. Jackson,” she answered, trying to sound like the confident professional she needed to be.
Meredith might think she was the best in her field, but every time Nancy looked at a new set of books, doubt assailed her. What if she missed something critical?
“If there’s anything there, I’ll do my best to find it, but, as I’m sure Meredith told you, sometimes everything’s on the level. Unless there’s a second set of records hiding somewhere—”
“I wouldn’t put it past this sleaze ball,” Larry interrupted. “I just got off the phone with his lawyer. B. J. Pratt informed me they’re moving the meeting date up to Tuesday. I’d hoped to be able to give you more time, but he’s backing us into a corner. I’m sorry about this. I’ve emailed you the records we were given. Let me know if there’s anything missing.”
“Not a problem. I’ve come up against B. J. Pratt before. He won’t be happy you’re bringing me in on this.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” Larry paused. “When can you have a look at them?”
“Later today. I’ll call you tomorrow if there’s anything suspicious.”
He chuckled, but she could sense his concern. “That’s all I’ll need, and don’t worry about the time and cost. The husband’s footing the bill.”
Nancy started. “Her husband’s paying to have me go through his company books and personal finances, and Pratt agreed to this?”
“They agreed to an independent audit and recommended a few local forensic auditors,” Larry answered, “but if they suggested them, I didn’t want to use them. Meredith tells me you’re the best there is, and that’s all I need to know. Pratt doesn’t know it’s you yet. I’ll let him know in the morning—maybe it’ll throw off his golf game.”
“It probably will,” she answered and chuckled, imagining the sour look on Pratt’s face. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow. Goodbye.”
Nancy hung up the phone, went into the bathroom, and washed her face. Staring at the haunted woman in the mirror forced her to admit the truth. She had to stop grieving before it killed her.
“This pity party is over.”
She wasn’t Cinderella, and there wasn’t a fairy godmother waiting to make all the terrible things in her life go away. Prince Charming had left the ball, taking his glass loafers with him. It was time for her to pick up her rags and get on with it. She reached for her purse and car keys. The first step was always the most difficult. Go big or go home.
Just after eight, Nancy smiled as Meredith approached the table, the stunned look on her face making everything she’d gone through this afternoon worthwhile.
“You look amazing. If the waiter hadn’t pointed you out, I’d still be searching the crowd,” she said, her eyes wide in admiration. “I love the hair and the color … those cheekbones … I guess I hadn’t realized how much weight you’d lost. I envy you. I diet, someone else eats, and I gain weight.”
Nancy grinned. “Thanks, but I wouldn’t recommend this diet to my worst enemy. The cheekbones come from a Native American ancestor on my mother’s side. The hair, the new cosmetics, and a more stylish wardrobe are the first steps to the new me.”
“Well, it works. Your eyes are incredible. You really should wear your contact lenses more often.” Meredith pulled out the chair and sat down across from her.
“I wasn’t sure about the hair color … the burgundy’s a little flashy, but I definitely wanted it short, and with the weight loss … It was time.”
“Past time, I’d say. The transformation is incredible. My God, your own mother, bless her soul, wouldn’t recognize you. That dress is gorgeous, but it must’ve cost the Earth. I’m glad you decided to handle all this positively. I honestly expected to find you navel gazing or crying into a margarita.”
As if on cue, the waiter, dressed in black pants and a skin-tight, red, logo-emblazoned t-shirt, showed up with two of the restaurant’s signature sweet and salty drinks. He placed the glasses on the table, handed them each a menu, and moved away.
“That boy can park his shoes under my bed any night he wants,” Meredith whispered and licked her lips.
Nancy laughed. “If he hit on you, you’d wet yourself.” She lifted her glass in a toast. “Here’s to the new me. I’m good, better than I was yesterday, and not as good as I’ll be tomorrow.” She took a mouthful. “Life is a lot like these drinks. Some days are sweet and wonderful, while others are bitter, tear-filled, and miserable. You have to learn to take the good with the bad. Tears can’t fix anything as I’ve finally realized. Here’s to the past.” She sipped once more.
Meredith touched the brim of Nancy’s glass with hers. “Here, here, although I still think everything could’ve worked out differently.” She sampled her margarita, smiled, and drank some more.
“Not everything that happens is an opportunity for growth. I’ll never forget them,” Nancy said, her voice tinged with sadness. “But I have to put it behind me—all of it. It wasn’t all Neil’s fault, but I can’t go back and fix the mistakes we made any more than I can pluck the moon from the sky.” She took a mouthful of the cocktail and licked the salt off the rim of the glass. “Where are my divorce papers?”
“Right here.” Meredith opened her purse and pulled out a brown envelope.
Nancy reached for it and transferred it to her voluminous bag without opening it. She would deal with them later.
“I’ll sign them and get them back to you as soon as I can.” She picked up the menu, but the words danced before her eyes. “He called today,” she said, even though she’d intended to keep that bit of information to herself.
Meredith sat up straight and put down her menu. “And?”
“And, nothing.” Nancy shrugged. “He left a message on the machine saying he wanted to talk to me. I didn’t return his call.”
“Why not? No matter what you say, I know you’re still in love with him, and I’m pretty sure he loves you, too.”
Nancy sipped her drink and stared into the frothy pink liquid as if it held the answer to all the mysteries of life.
“Sometimes love isn’t enough, Meredith,” she admitted, unable to squelch the sorrow in her voice. “I’ll love Neil Copeland for the rest of my life, but some things can’t be reconciled. His job has a death grip on him which’ll never go away, and I can’t be second—not again. That may sound selfish, but it is what it is.”
Meredith frowned. “It isn’t that simple, and you know it. There were extenuating circumstances.”
“That may be, but I can’t get passed it. I never wanted to fall for a man like my father who put work first, but that’s exactly what I did.”
“Sugar, you’ve got this all wrong.” Meredith reached across the table and touched Nancy’s hand. “You aren’t being fair to Neil. That man would put you first if the choice was his, but as a U.S. marshal, it rarely is. People won’t testify against the mob, drug dealers,
and other assorted dirt bags unless they know they and their families can be protected.”
“I know, but I want a full-time husband, not a part-time hero. When I needed him most, he chose the job over me, and you know it. The kid who hit us will spend the next fifteen years in jail, as if that can somehow make up for what I’ve lost. Well, I’ve been in a prison of my own long enough. If I don’t return Neil’s call, he’ll stop calling.”
“You’re wrong, and deep down you know it. The Neil Copeland I know won’t quit unless it’s his decision. You two were made for each other. Love’s too precious to throw away.”
Nancy shook her head. “I didn’t throw it away. He did.”
Meredith frowned, and Nancy expected her to keep arguing, but she didn’t.
“I had a quick look at your friend’s case this afternoon after I got back,” Nancy said, changing the topic.
“I knew I could count on you.” Meredith grinned. “Did you find anything?”
“There’s something there, but I can’t put my finger on it. Those books are too neat and tidy. My guess is that Paxton’s been playing a shell game, moving things here and there until they disappear. There’s a meeting with Pratt and his client on Tuesday. By the way, why didn’t you tell me the man’s lawyer was Pratt? I would’ve agreed to do this for free.”
“You don’t have a job, remember? You can’t afford to give away freebies, although I’ll sue OJM for you the minute you say so. I’d forgotten you knew Benjamin James Pratt. He’s the kind of man that has me agreeing with Shakespeare’s King Henry VI when he says, ‘Let’s kill all the lawyers,’ and I’m one of them. If I thought I was the least little bit like him, I’d give up practicing law and get a job serving coffee in a donut shop.”
“Forget suing. Getting out of there will be good for me. One of these days, that slime ball will get exactly what’s coming to him, and karma’s a bitch. As far as giving up law, that would be a little drastic, don’t you think? You would drink more coffee than you would serve, and the donuts wouldn’t stand a chance either.”
Meredith laughed. “You know me too well. I’d probably end up as wide as I’m tall. I love my java and sweets.”
Sworn to Protect Page 2