“But getting that little performance out him was torture," Lars laughed, finally relaxing. Even with that whip, the guy didn’t give in easily. It turned out he had actually gotten attached to Jess during their time in Texas. What a joke that was.
Lars had seen the tape of the two having sex in Texas and almost didn’t believe it was Jess. It had never been like that when he was with her. But none of that mattered now. Jess had been a dull, dutiful little wife and it had taken meeting Ally, all those years ago, to show him how life could really be lived
Luckily when Jess found those emails, she hadn’t realized they were from her own sister. He'd tried to make up with Jess, knowing that she was going to inherit millions sometime soon––a good impetus for reconciliation. But she would have none of that. You had to hand it to her for that, at least––once she made up her mind, she stuck with it.
And now it was all finally coming to an end.
He shifted into fourth as he sped onto the freeway. Anyway, it was better this way. Now he'd have the money, and the hot, exciting sister to boot.
He looked over at Ally again. It was strange––how the two sisters could be so alike and yet so different. To him, they didn’t even seem like twins at all. Something in the eyes, maybe.
Ally flicked her cigarette out onto the freeway.
"That’s a 400 dollar fine, you know," he said glancing over.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll write you a check.” She pulled another cigarette from her gold case and lit it. "So what’s next?"
"Next we wait. My guess is, that with the evidence against her, LaGrange will push her to take a deal. She’s got nothing to help her defense. It’s likely she’ll be convicted…if she doesn’t kill herself first."
Ally nodded. That sounded right. Jess always had been such a weakling. She sat back and felt a twinge of pain near her heart. For moment she thought it might be guilt, but then realized it was simply her new lacy underwire bra digging into her side.
She twisted in her seat and sat back. Ah, that was better. She smiled, thinking about what she was going to do with all that money.
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN
Jess lay on the bunk in her jail cell, staring at the dingy gray wall.
In a meeting, the day before, her lawyer had told her that it was her decision to make, about whether to go to trial. He recommended that she take the deal she’d been offered.
He gave her a copy of the discovery packet which contained the evidence against her and she’d spent most of the previous night reading through the transcripts. Seeing it all printed out that way, it was no wonder he thought she was guilty. She was almost starting to believe it herself.
The only evidence that she hadn’t reviewed was the video tape of Zach implicating her in the murder. A DVD copy was included in the discovery, but she didn’t have the energy to go down to the jail’s law library to watch it on their computer. What was the point? She knew what was on it anyway.
She turned over and placed her hand under her cheek, between her skin and the thin scratchy blanket she was lying on and stared at the photo that Lars had brought her that morning. It was a shot of her and Danny that he’d taken at that last soccer practice—the final time she’d seen her son before she was arrested.
The photo showed Danny staring into the camera with a big, toothless grin, looking carefree and happy. She couldn’t help but smile. Then the tears started rolling down her cheeks. What would Danny do if she were convicted and stuck in jail?
She told herself not to think that way, for Danny’s sake. She had to be strong. To do whatever she needed to, in order to get out and be the mother that Danny needed. But with every hour that passed, the creeping sense of hopelessness was becoming harder to fight.
Jess reached out and touched Danny’s sweet smile, then trailed her finger up to the top right corner of the photograph to wipe off a small smudge. It was a greasy fingerprint, or a bit of dirt of some kind. She rubbed at it but it didn’t come off. It was probably a defect on the paper or maybe something on the camera lens.
“Jessica Parks, you have a visitor.”
Jess turned, wiping the tears from her eyes. A guard was standing near her bunk.
She sat up and nodded. It was probably her lawyer or Lars. More bad news, most likely.
Reluctantly she got up, reminding herself that she had to do whatever was necessary. For Danny’s sake.
“Just a sec,” she said, turning back, remembering that she’d left the discovery packet on her bed. She’d been warned by her lawyer to keep it away from the other inmates who might try to use the information against her, in order to cut a deal for themselves.
She hurried back to her bunk and slipped Danny’s photo, along with all the evidence into the large yellow envelope, then stuffed it under her mattress. It created a slight bulge but it was the best she could do. And at least her nosy cellmate Viola, wasn’t around, thank goodness.
She hurried out after the guard.
Jess scanned the visitor’s area looking for either Lars or her lawyer and was shocked to see Maddy sitting a table, waiting for her.
“Jess…” Maddy said, standing up.
The guard took a step forward. “No contact.”
Maddy nodded and quickly sat back down.
Jess turned to the guard. “I want to go back to my cell.”
“Jess, wait…” Maddy looked from Jess to the guard.
“Now. I want to go back now,” Jess insisted. She started walking towards the door.
“Jessica! I don’t know what’s going on but I’m your friend! I’ve always been there for you. You have to remember who you can trust!”
“It’s too late to pretend you’re my friend,” Jess spat, then she left the room.
Jess paced, seething, in her cell. For Maddy to talk about being a friend. She didn’t have any friends. Not anymore. No one. Except for Lars. Even her own lawyer thought she was guilty.
She paced back and forth, , her body buzzing with energy and rage. The fact that her best friend had turned on her was even more painful than her sister’s betrayal. It was so unexpected. And from someone she’d trusted and loved.
She collapsed heavily on her bunk wanting to sleep it all away. As she lifted her legs onto the bed and curled into fetal position, she frowned, noticing that the blankets were in disarray.
The packet!
She whipped the blanket back then jumped to her feet and lifted the mattress up. The discovery packet was gone.
“Where’s Viola,” Jess demanded, storming into the day room. No one answered so she hurried down to the jail library where she saw her bunkmate sitting at one of the computers. On the table next to her was the large manila envelope.
Jess stalked up to her, throwing caution to the wind. “That’s mine,” she said, grabbing the envelope. Confronting the woman who weighed at least 80 pounds more than she did, and who probably knew how to fight, might not have been the smartest thing to do but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Whoa, relax, honey,” Viola said. “How come you din’t you tell me you had such a hunky boyfriend?” She pointed to Zach’s face on the computer screen, “He’s soo hot,” Viola said.
Jess angrily reached over to eject the disc from the computer but Viola put a hand out to stop her. “Wait, lemme just watch to the end,” she said, as if she were watching some melodramatic soap opera, rather than the shattered pieces of Jess’s life.
Jess shoved her hand away and hit the button to stop the video. The image of Zach’s face froze on screen and Jess stared at it, dumbstruck.
“What?” Viola asked. “Get it movin’ again. I like to see him in action.”
“The smudge…” Jess said, still staring.
Barely able to breathe, she fumbled through the discovery envelope and pulled out the photo Lars had given her. The one he’d taken of her and Danny at soccer practice. She held it up next to the computer screen and compared the two images. The smudge on the Zach video was in the exact sam
e spot and position as the one on the Danny photo.
“It’s the same,” Jess whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.
Viola shot her a look like she was crazy. “Don’t know what you’re talkin about and don’t care.” She got up and walked away looking bored.
Jess stood frozen in place, staring at the screen. The smudges were the same. Which meant that the same camera had taken both images.
Lars…
She grabbed the Zach tape and evidence envelope and rushed out.
Jess’s heart pounded furiously as she hurried into the dayroom and over to the phone bank.
She had to talk to Sykes. To tell him what she’d found. But she didn’t know his phone number.
There was no sense calling her lawyer. He was in the firm with Lars. Who knew if he could be trusted?
Maddy.
Maddy was the only one she could trust. She had to reach Maddy and tell her what she’d found.
Jess looked at the line ahead of her, willing it to move faster.
Would Maddy even take her call? After the way she’d treated her…
Jess prayed it wasn’t too late to reach her friend.
CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT
Maddy stepped off the elevator and walked into the lobby of Waterbor, Michaelson and Parks.
“Can I help you?” the pretty young secretary asked, sizing her up.
“No,” Maddy said, not bothering to stop at the desk.
“Maam, you can’t go back there!” The secretary jumped to her feet in a futile attempt to intercept her before she got into the hallway. “Maam!”
Maddy hurried down the hall and found Lars’ office door.
“Trust me, he’ll want to see me,” she said, reaching for the door knob and turning it.
Lars looked up from his desk as the door swung open.
“I’m so sorry, sir, I tried to stop her but…”
“It’s okay,” Lars said, looking at Maddy who had walked into his office and was now standing a few feet from his desk.
“Do you want me to call security?” the secretary asked.
“No, it’s fine, Brenda. You can go. Close the door behind you.”
Brenda gave him a last, unsure look, then stepped out of the office and closed the door gently behind her.
“So Maddy, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure,” Lars said, leaning back casually in his chair.
“It’s about Jessica,” she said.
He leaned forward, the very picture of concern. “Have you been to see Jess lately? She could really use a friend like you right now"
“Cut the shit, Lars. You know Jess won’t see me. I know what’s going on. I took the liberty of calling Allessandra and asking her to join us here. I hope you don’t mind. "
Lars looked at her with suspicion."What’s this about?"
Maddy pulled a cassette from purse and placed it on the desk. "It’s about this. The tape of Zach blackmailing Jess in the park. I know you erased the copy I gave you and that’s why Jess won’t see me. Right? It’s just a good thing I made a few more copies..."
Lars faltered for a moment, then regained his composure.
"Maddy, thats ridiculous, I didn’t..."
"Maybe we should call Jess and asks her," she said giving him a meaningful look.
Lars glanced at the cassette and shoved it aside. “Go ahead. That ridiculous blackmail tape doesn’t prove anything anyway.” He leaned back. "So Jess slept with some guy who tried to blackmail her and..."
"It proves to Jess that I didn’t erase the other tape," Maddy interrupted. "That you did. That you and Ally are in on it together. And it proves that at least some of what Jess has been saying is true. I’m guessing that that cop, Sykes, might be interested to hear it."
Lars shrugged. "He won’t believe her about the rest anyway. Believe me, Maddy, I'm a lawyer. Don’t you think I'd want to find a way to help Jess if I could?"
"Lars, you really can cut the shit, you know. I'm not taping you.”
Lars looked her warily up and down.
“Where would I hide it?” she said, doing a spin, in her tight black dress.
Lars’ eyes dropped to her the small Kate Spade tote in her hand. She sighed and handed it over. Lars did a quick check inside and handed it back to her. Then he leaned back and looked at her critically
"Exactly what is it you want, Maddy?”
"I think five hundred thousand ought to be sufficient" she said, taking a seat in the chair across from him.
"That’s a lot of money.”
"You’ll have it and more once Jess is convicted and the money she was supposed to inherit goes to Ally.”
Lars continued to study her, saying nothing.
Maddy crossed her legs. “Why shouldn't I get in in on some of the action? Jess already thinks I am. That's my reward for being such a good friend to her all those years? Well screw her, and screw you too. It’s the money or the cops."
Just then there was a light knock at the door.
"What?" Lars said.
Brenda peered her head in, "It’s Allesandra Banks to see you," she said in a nervous voice.
Lars looked up to see Ally standing there, looking her usual angry, irritated, beautiful self.
“What was so important that I had to rush down here?" she snapped as she brushed by the secretary and stepped into the office.
"Wait here," Lars said to Maddy as he abruptly stood and took Ally’s arm. He pulled her into the empty hallway, then closed the door behind him.
"What’s this about?” she asked warily. “What the hell does she want?"
"Maddy’s trying to blackmail us,” Lars whispered. “She has a copy of that cassette tape of Zach. The one you made in the park.”
"How much does she want?"
"It doesn’t matter," Lars said, frowning. "The more I think about it, the more I think it doesn’t prove anything…”
"It proves that I lied to the police," she interrupted.
"Yeah, but there’s nothing on it to connect you to the murder.”
"But what if they find Zach?" she asked.
"I told you, I disposed of his body and removed all the identifying marks. We're safe. Just don’t say anything. I don’t think she’s taping us but you never know. Let me do the talking.”
He opened the office door.
“Fine,” she said, irritated. She lit a cigarette and exhaled a thin stream of smoke as she followed him into the room.
"Allessandra,” Maddy nodded, “Glad you could make it.”
There was no response.
"Well, Maddy" Lars began, "I don’t think we have much more to discuss. That tape you have doesn’t prove anything. So your little blackmail scheme, your attempt to frame us, won’t work. Sorry. Give the tape to Jess, if she'll even see, you that is," he smirked. He walked over and opened the door. “Goodbye, Maddy.”
She glared at him, about to say something but instead, whisked by him and out the door. Lars gave a small smile as he watched her walk down the hall .
As he watched her pass through the reception area, his mind was still running over the possibilities. He was sure he’d made the right decision—the tape was worthless. It couldn’t harm him or Ally in any serious way.
He was about to turn and go back into his office when he spotted Detective Sykes standing in the reception are. Lars watched as Maddy walked up to the detective and whispered something.
So it had been a trick after all. They were trying to get him on tape admitting to something. Well he had shown them. Nothing he said would be of any use.
He nodded in their direction. “Something I can do for you, Detective?” he called out.
The detective stepped aside and just then, entering the office behind him, was Jessica.
They must have gotten her out of jail for this little charade. Oh well. He had nothing to hide, he had done nothing wrong. They might be trying to prove to Jess that he was in on it, but it didn’t work. He hadn’t admitted to wrongdoing to Maddy.
Lars walked up to Jess, concern now lining his face. "Jess, how are you?" he said, taking her hand.
The look in her eyes was cold and angry. She roughly pulled her hand out of his and glared at him.
"I'm Ally, you idiot," she snapped, then she turned to Sykes. "Just what is it you wanted me here for, detective?"
Before Sykes could answer her, she looked up and saw her twin exiting Lars' office.
"Jesus, you idiot," she hissed at Lars. "You were in there with Jess and you didn’t even know it? What the hell's going on here?" Ally looked around like a cornered snake, ready to strike.
Lars paled as he realized that the woman he'd just been confiding to about the murder, was Jess. Not Ally. Too shocked to say anything, he stared as his wife walked toward him.
As cool and calm as Ally had ever been, Jess pulled a wire out from inside her shirt.
"You better not have said anything!" Ally hissed into Lars’ ear, her manicured talons digging into his shoulder.
Stunned, he didn’t respond.
"He said quite a bit, actually," Jess smiled. "He confessed to murdering poor Zach. And he all but admitted that you both killed Daddy.
Ally glared at her, then at Lars. “Detective, He might have admitted to murdering my father, but I had nothing to do with it. I promise you that.” Ally smiled flirtatiously.
“Sorry, I don’t think anyone’s going to fall for that,” Sykes said. Then with a nod he turned towards Jess. “This time we got the right sister.”
As if on cue, two uniformed cops walked into the office and handcuffed Lars and Ally.
"You idiot!" Ally screeched at Lars as they lead them away. “You moron! We were so close!"
**********************************
"Thanks for your help in there, Maddy" Jess smiled at her friend. "You were great.”
"Any time, Jess." Maddy squeezed her shoulder. "I'm just glad you figured it all out before it went any further"
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