The Consequences Series Box Set

by Aleatha Romig

  “That wasn’t it at all. I missed police work. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go back with the California Bureau of Investigation.”

  “It’s nice that you can still consult with SiJo. You obviously care a lot about your sister’s company,” John replied.

  The three of them chatted as Nichol slept contently in her aunt’s arms. It wasn’t until the subject of Claire’s current condition came up that the tension seemed to seep in from the corners of the room. It was one of the first times they’d discussed Claire outside of their legal team.

  “After what I’ve heard, I’m a little nervous to see her. My visit won’t upset her, will it?” Harry asked.

  Emily shook her head. “I doubt it. She probably won’t even realize you’re there.” Her voice turned stern. “Harry, we can trust you, can’t we?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “Very few people have been allowed to see my sister. It’s been solely for her protection. She’s not doing well. I know she wouldn’t want the media learning the truth about her state of mind.”

  Harry sat straight. “I would never talk to the media.”

  John smiled. “We know that. It’s just that we need to be sure. Please be careful about what you tell others too.”

  “Liz?” Harry asked.

  Emily nodded. “She’s nice enough around us—really she is. And I’m thrilled to see you happy, but I get the feeling she didn’t like or maybe even still doesn’t like Claire. I don’t blame her either. Amber told me that you dated Liz and broke up with her right before Claire moved to Palo Alto. But my point is that I would hate for you to say something to her that she might repeat to someone else. You know how it goes.”

  “I won’t. She doesn’t know I’m here.”

  John glanced at Emily’s wide eyes and back to Harry. “Why?”

  “You’re right. She isn’t a fan of Claire’s and I was worried. I hoped that you’d let me see her and tell me more about what happened, but Liz wouldn’t understand my concern. She’d think I was somehow trying to rekindle…” Harry’s voice faded.

  “Oh, how I wish you were,” Emily mused. “But Claire isn’t ready for anything like that. You’ll see when you visit.”

  “So, when you return, please don’t say anything about my visit,” Harry said.

  “No worries. I won’t,” John said. “And Emily doesn’t know when she’ll be back.”

  Emily smiled. “I can’t leave Claire in the place where she is. I go there every day and so does John. In her condition, I worry about how she’d be treated if we weren’t on them, twenty-four-seven. And then there’s Nichol…”

  Harry’s blue eyes dulled. “A little girl…” His words trailed away not finishing his sentence.

  “Would you like to hold her?” Emily asked as she stood.

  “I’m not good with babies,” Harry admitted. “I’d better not. I have the feeling her parents wouldn’t approve.”

  Walking toward him, Emily lowered Nichol toward Harry’s lap. “They’re not here. We are and we approve. You’re a good friend and it’s sweet of you to travel all this way after what Claire did to you.”

  Hesitantly, Harry cradled his arms and accepted a sleeping Nichol. After a long gaze into the blankets, he looked up with his toothy grin. “She has her mommy’s nose and lips.”

  “She does,” Emily agreed, gleefully.

  “Her eyes?” Harry asked.

  John’s lips pressed together before he replied, “Are dark brown.”

  Acceptingly, Harry nodded. “I assumed. I just wondered.”

  Walking from the room, Emily’s voice was barely audible as she said, “I wish they were blue.”

  John tried to avoid Harry’s gaze as Harry shrugged with a sad smile.

  SINCE CLAIRE WAS technically under arrest and not fit to be in a jail cell, the court moved her to a state-funded institution for further tests and treatment. The state institution required an array of clearances prior to visiting a patient. John and Emily had already filed the necessary authorization for Harrison Baldwin. All that was needed on his part was to show his identification and sign the visitor’s log.

  Each step down the corridor filled John with dread. As much as he hated the old hospital room where Claire had been, he hated this new place more. There were noises and murmurings coming from the closed doors along the hall. Because Claire still had her pending charges, her room was beyond more locked doors. However, her room was empty. Hurriedly, John searched, finding her in a common area. She was sitting in a wheelchair, still dressed in her hospital gown with her hair a tangled mess.

  John’s face burned as anger built behind his deceptively calm facade. He turned to the attendant. “Why the hell is she out here?”

  “All patients get time out of their rooms.”

  Harry stood helpless as John took the lead and knelt before Claire. “Good morning, Claire.”

  She didn’t look his way. Her eyes were fixed on the bar-covered window.

  John continued, “I think it’s a good thing your sister isn’t here right now. I’m taking you back to your room.” He looked back up at the attendant. “Has she eaten? How about a shower?”

  “I just get them from their rooms. Don’t ask me.”

  Before John could respond, Harry said, “Don’t ask you? Then who the hell is he supposed to ask? Can’t you see she needs help?”

  The young man put up his hands. “Back off, dude, or I’ll call security. You think they’d let me shower female patients?” He chuckled. “It’d sure make this job better.” Then he shook his head and slowed his words, as if that made for better comprehension. “I just get them and bring them here. That’s my job.”

  “Well, I’m taking her back to her room,” John announced.

  Harry followed as John pushed the wheelchair. Once they were with Claire behind her closed door, John fought the emotion. “Harry, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to see her like this.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  John reached for the brush. “Emily will be here later. In the meantime, I’ll brush her hair.”

  Harry ran his hands through his blonde mop and looked out the small, rectangular window, five feet above the floor. “She can’t even see out these windows.” It was more an observation than the start of a conversation. “She loves sunshine.”

  John listened as he gently tugged against the tangles, smoothing his sister-in-law’s sun-lightened hair. “I don’t know exactly where they were, but when everything first happened, Claire was suntanned. It’s starting to fade.”

  Harry nodded.

  “Thanks for coming. This is really hard.”

  “Do you need help?”

  John looked up and smiled. “Not with brushing her hair… all of it is hard. I hate leaving Emily here to deal with it alone.”

  “She won’t be coming back to California, will she?”

  John shrugged. “She said she wants to take it a day or week at a time, but I don’t think she will. I don’t think she’ll leave Claire, not like this.”

  “Claire was the one who left you guys—twice,” Harry reminded.

  “She’s family. No one knows you like your family. The past is…” He looked back down at Claire. Her closed eyes appeared as though she were sleeping, but the slight twist of her neck that gave the right amount of resistance to work out the tangles told him she was awake. “…the past. We know it, but we can’t let that stop the future. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Chapter Ten

  Early April 2014

  Tony

  You never find yourself until you face the truth.

  —Pearl Bailey

  "WE'RE MEETING WITH Judge Temple in his chambers, but there’s something you should know.” Brent said, as he and Tony rode to the courthouse. “He agreed to this meeting with a few stipulations.”

  “What kind of stipulations?” Tony asked.

  “He demanded equal representation. He refused to meet with us without the c
laimants being present or at least their representation.”

  Tony’s brows furrowed. “So?”

  “Jane will be there.”

  “And John?”

  “I don’t know for certain. When I spoke with the judge, I tried to emphasize that John’s presence wouldn’t be beneficial to this situation.”

  “I don’t give a damn who’s there, as long as the end result is that I get to see my wife and daughter. It’s not like John and I will get in a brawl.”

  “I’d hoped that wasn’t an option but, nevertheless, I’d rather that this meeting not morph into a hostile environment. I don’t want you saying anything that can be misconstrued. Recently, the momentum has shifted in your favor. Since showing the video from your home office to Evergreen and the ICPD, your defense has taken an upward swing. Even though your pending charges aren’t relevant regarding this restraining order, I don’t want anything that may potentially negate the progress we’ve accomplished.”

  Tony huffed under his breath. “I want to see my wife. Despite what Roach is saying about her medical prognosis, I think that I can reach her—snap her out of whatever has happened. I’ll fuck’n do whatever I need to do to get me to her.” He turned toward the window, not watching the scenes of the city pass before him. His back straightened. “The damn state has her, Mrs. Anthony Rawlings, in a state-run mental hospital.” He turned back, the brown of his irises almost completely overwhelmed by black. “That’s absurd! I want her home where she can be cared for properly. She deserves the best doctors money can buy, not some state institution—”

  “Home probably isn’t an option, yet.” Brent interrupted. “She’s been officially charged with attempted murder, but I agree: getting her moved to a private facility would be better. I think Emily may even agree with you on that.”

  “Imagine that,” Tony replied sarcastically. “I think it may be the first time in the history of mankind that we’ve ever agreed—monumental day.”

  Brent narrowed his eyes. “That type of remark is why I don’t want you and the Vandersols together in Judge Temple’s chambers.”

  “Vandersols?” Tony emphasized the last letter. “As in Emily, too?”

  “Remember…” Brent reminded him, “…they didn’t balk when the state dropped the false imprisonment charges against you and charged Catherine.”

  Changing the subject, Tony said, “After this meeting, I plan to get Nichol. I’ve hired a nanny and have a nursery at my temporary apartment ready, as well as a room for the nanny.”

  “Yes, I think that should show the court that you’re capable and willing.”

  “Hell, yes, I’m willing and I’m more than capable. I can take care of her myself, but I thought with everything pending, the nanny would be a good idea.”

  “Well, if things go the way we hope, she’ll come home with you today.” Looking away from his notes, Brent asked, “When will the repairs be done on your home? I haven’t seen it since they started.”

  “A couple more weeks. The fire damage was mostly limited to the first floor of the southwest corridor. However, the water and smoke damage was more widespread. Everything has to be cleaned. That smell of smoke is difficult to remove.”

  “I read the fire investigator’s report. The fire originated in Catherine’s suite. She’s not talking. Do you have any idea what she was trying to accomplish?”

  “The woman’s crazy. According to the fire chief, there were remnants of melted electronics and plastic in her fireplace. Claire told me that the reason she left last fall and started running was because Catherine produced her laptop, the one taken before her attack by Chester. It pisses me off that I had everyone searching for that damn laptop and it was in my house the whole time. Catherine told Claire that it was my way of tricking her into returning to Iowa.”

  Brent listened as the car moved in slow bursts, indicating they were nearing their destination.

  “I hate that she believed her,” Tony admitted, “but I also understand. Claire was frightened for Nichol. Truthfully, I had no idea what had happened to it.” Tony sighed. “I think she successfully used that laptop against both of us. Showing it to Claire scared her. Not knowing its whereabouts had me on edge.”

  “Do you think she was burning evidence? Do you think she knew everything was caving in around her?”

  “I think she burnt the laptop. I have no idea what she was thinking. I’d say she knew I was no longer falling for her bullshit.”

  “Why start the house on fire?”

  Tony shrugged. “The investigators weren’t certain if it was intentional or if she forgot to open the flue. They said that electronics aren’t the most combustible material: she probably threw other things in the fireplace to get the fire going quickly. Based on some evidence, they’re presuming bed linens. It would make a lot of smoke. The fact that the fire spread may have been accidental—or not.”

  “They’re waiting on more definitive evidence before they charge Catherine with Sophia’s death. It’ll most likely be manslaughter.”

  Tony’s head slowly moved from side to side. “As much as I want to see her spend the rest of her life in prison, I can’t believe Catherine intended to kill her own daughter.”

  “This whole thing gets more twisted every day,” Brent replied. Refocusing on the tablet in his hand, he returned them to their task at hand. “Judge Temple will ask you some questions. The purpose of this meeting is to talk with you, and assess the need for the order. The Vandersols claimed that due to your past history, you’re a threat to Claire and to Nichol.”

  Tony’s lips made a straight line as he fought to remain silent. There’s no way he’d ever hurt Nichol: it wasn’t even plausible. He’d never hurt Claire again. But with that damn book out, he couldn’t deny the past.

  Brent continued, “No matter what he says or what he asks, don’t get upset. Jane will also ask you questions. I guarantee she wants you to lose it.”

  Tony turned his dark gaze on his friend. Anthony Rawlings didn’t need lessons on public appearances. He was the master. Before he could comment, Brent continued, “I’m saying that because if I were her, that’s what I’d want. I’d want to provoke you. I know that you know not to do it, but I also know that you have triggers. Expect those to be exploited.”

  “I’ll watch it,” he conceded as he reflected on the past few weeks. With every passing second, he missed paradise—not the location but the bond. Lamenting the loss of what he, Claire, and Nichol shared on that tiny island wouldn’t bring it back. Besides, Anthony Rawlings wasn’t a watcher: he was a doer. He’d do whatever was necessary and swore that he’d never give up. If playing nice with the Vandersols, Judge Temple, or even the devil himself was what Tony needed to do to get even a sliver of paradise back, he’d do it.

  Returning to Iowa City had been both pure hell and a resemblance of normal. The hell part was obvious. The return to his previous normal came after the meeting with Evergreen. Everyone had rehearsed his part, even Eric. Tony didn’t want anyone other than himself to be held responsible for the actions at the estate. He also didn’t want anyone else charged with aiding and abetting; however, they all agreed that Eric’s involvement wouldn’t trigger red flags. At the time of the incident, he was employed by the estate. By virtue of Tony’s will, Catherine assumed the role of executor of the estate so, in essence, she’d become Eric’s employer.

  Working with the estate’s security had always been a component of Eric’s job. As Tony’s driver and pilot, his presence was for more than transportation. He was Tony’s first line of protection. Once Tony became missing, Eric assumed that role for Ms. London. Reviewing the surveillance video was an acceptable component of his job. Who would be more likely to find the evidence that could potentially implicate Catherine as well as exonerate Tony?

  Though the estate had turned everything over to the police, their forensic teams had a lot of footage to dissect. Eric claimed that it was his personal concern for everyone involved that prompted him to s
can the videos. Despite the incriminating evidence against his new employer, he had an overwhelming sense of conscience to set the record straight.

  With Evergreen and Chief Newburgh, the Iowa City police chief, present, Brent showed them the video. Once it was confirmed that the video hadn’t been doctored, that it was the same as what had been confiscated by the police, it was logged into evidence. Of course, it was only a small step along the legal process. Catherine’s attorneys had motioned to have the video evidence dismissed. Although no definitive decision had yet been made, Brent believed that it would stand. After all, Catherine ran the estate at that time. She’d lived there for many years and was well aware of the surveillance cameras. Eric even had video evidence of her accessing the feeds from multiple locations. Even though it was true, there was little to no chance that she’d be able to claim that she’d been video-recorded without her knowledge. Why would a judge or jury believe that she assumed the office was not recorded when she knew that the rest of the estate was under surveillance?

  The footage that Eric presented also showed Catherine engaging the electronic lock on the suite where the Vandersols were held. The crime lab’s analysis of the water bottles within the suite found that the water contained the deadly toxin actaea pachypoda. Once that particular poison was identified, the FBI joined the case and confirmed their previous knowledge. After a few turf wars and posturing, the two agencies seemed to have found a common ground.

  They all knew more charges would come against Tony; they just hadn’t happened yet. The video had made it clear that Tony had knowledge of other crimes but it also overwhelmingly showed Catherine’s involvement. After she was charged, her bail was set at the same amount as Tony’s—$ 10,000,000. When she professed her right to the estate’s assets, Tony vehemently denied the request, as well as forbidding the use of Rawlings Industries’ resources. In order to secure counsel, she laid claim to overseas accounts. Imagine her surprise when the accounts no longer existed. It was a mystery. According to the bank’s records, it was C. Marie Rawls who had made the final transaction. They promised to investigate. Currently, Catherine Marie London was resting comfortably—or uncomfortably, Tony didn’t care—in the Iowa City jail awaiting her next court appearance with her new legal representation, a court-appointed attorney. The charges levied against her included two counts of false imprisonment with the threat of harm, thus felonies, as well as multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder, murder by hire, and falsifying sworn statements. With the FBI and ICPD cooperation, there was the potential for more charges.