Julianne laughed, some of her tension ebbing a bit. “So, what’s our game plan?”
It was nearly two hours later when Julianne and Colleen drove toward Baker Enterprises, Gideon following behind them in a van. As a private eye, Gideon had been a godsend in working up a plan that would hopefully keep Julianne and Colleen safe. Julianne was wired and Gideon would be monitoring the equipment from the corporation parking lot.
“You nervous?” she asked Colleen as she parked her car behind the enormous glass-and-steel structure that housed Baker Enterprises.
“Terrified,” Colleen admitted with a tense smile.
“Me, too.” Julianne shut off the car engine. “But I would have been even more terrified if I had to do this alone.” She reached over the seat and touched her sister-in-law’s arm. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Colleen held up her hands. “Stop, no more of that talk. We’re family. We do whatever it takes to help each other.”
Family. Family for now, Julianne thought. If this worked and Sam was no longer in danger of being arrested, they would be family no more.
Shoving this thought out of her mind, she concentrated on the task at hand. Just before she and Colleen entered the back doors of the building, she looked back into the parking lot, comforted by the sight of Gideon’s van. He’d assured them that if he heard any indication of trouble, he would enter the building with guns blazing to insure their safety.
Their first stop was into Barry’s office, where they found him, feet up on his desk and munching a glazed donut. “Hey, what a surprise.” His feet hit the floor and he placed the remaining piece of donut on his desk. He hugged both of them, then gestured for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. “So, what brings two of the lovely Baker women to see me?”
“Something strange has happened,” Julianne explained. “We weren’t sure who to talk to about it, but we thought we could trust you.”
“Of course you can trust me,” Barry said, a frown creasing his forehead. “What’s happened?”
Julianne opened her purse and took out the two charms. “I received these in the mail on Saturday with a note from Sam. He said one is his and the other belonged to Colleen. He said they were vitally important to clearing his name.”
Barry looked at Colleen. “How did Sam get yours?”
Colleen shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d thought I’d lost mine. I wore it out about a month ago, then put it in my jewelry box. When Julianne called me to tell me about all this, I checked, and mine was missing.”
Barry reached for the charms, but Julianne quickly tucked them away in her purse. She wondered if the confusion he radiated was real or if he was a skilled actor already plotting how to get the charms from her.
“I don’t understand. How could a couple pieces of jewelry be important to Sam’s defense?”
“We were hoping you’d know something about it,” Colleen said.
“Where were they mailed from?” Barry asked, a frown of perplexity wrinkling his brow.
“Casey’s Corners, Kansas,” Julianne answered.
“His other sisters live out there, don’t they?”
Colleen nodded. “Carolyn and Bonnie. Their charms were stolen a couple of weeks ago.”
“What we want to know is what we should do with the charms?” Julianne said, pulling the conversation back to the most pertinent issue at hand. “They must be important for Sam to risk getting them to me for safekeeping. What do you think we should do?”
Barry held out his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “I don’t know what to tell you. If Sam thinks they are important, then they must be. I suppose you should take them home and put them in a safe place.”
That was the advice they got from each and every person they spoke to whom Sam thought might be in a position to carry out a money-laundering and murder scheme. It took them nearly two hours to talk to everyone, then they headed back to Julianne’s home, Gideon following in the nondescript van.
A few minutes later they were all seated around the table as Julianne and Colleen told Sam about their various meetings. “Garrison was the last person we spoke to,” she said.
“How did he react?” Sam leaned forward, the lines of his face taut with strain.
Julianne stifled the impulse to lean forward, caress the stress away. She hated seeing him like this, coiled so tight, almost haggard with strain. Oh, Sam, this has to work, she thought.
She shrugged. “Just like everyone else. He was confused and bewildered. He said he couldn’t imagine how the charms could play a part in any of this and why you’d think them important enough to send to me. He suggested we put them in a safe place.”
“We talked to all the people in prominent positions at the company and that was the reaction we got from all of them,” Colleen added.
For a moment they were all silent, disappointment hanging heavy in the air. “Anyone hungry?” Julianne finally asked, needing something to do, something to occupy her thoughts and energy.
“I’m not hungry,” Sam replied, his discouragement deepening his tone.
“Nothing for me,” Gideon said.
“Me, neither,” Colleen agreed.
Julianne sighed and looked at the others. “So, what do we do now?”
“We wait,” Gideon replied.
* * *
The afternoon hours moved slowly, filled with frayed nerves and anxiety. Colleen and Gideon played two-player card games while Julianne and Sam took turns wearing out the carpet with their pacing.
Despite her preoccupation with the charms, Julianne couldn’t help but notice the obvious affection between her sister- and brother-in-law. They spoke to each other wordlessly, with secret gazes and furtive touching.
Julianne tried to remember a time when she and Sam had done the same thing, felt so attuned with each other they didn’t need words, felt such passion they couldn’t help but touch each other as many times as possible.
Yes, she and Sam had once had that. Like a flower planted in fertile soil, their love had initially bloomed full and healthy. But, like all living things, it had needed nourishment and instead they had let it die from neglect. Was it her fault? She didn’t know anymore, couldn’t get the proper objectivity to be able to claim part of the fault as hers. All she knew was the sadness of loss, the emptiness of broken promises and unfulfilled dreams.
“Juli?” Sam’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, back to the present. “You all right?”
She nodded and sank down onto the sofa. “This waiting is making me crazy.”
Sam sat down next to her, his arm going around her in an effort to comfort. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing that says this scheme is going to work.”
Julianne took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “It’s got to work, Sam,” she whispered fervently.
He was silent for a moment. “If it doesn’t work, I’m going to turn myself in.” He stilled her protest with a shake of his head. “I can’t allow this to go on any longer. We’ve had to send Emily away from home. You’re a nervous wreck, and I love you both too much to allow this to go on any longer.”
Before Julianne had a chance to answer, the doorbell rang. They all froze. Julianne shot a look of sheer panic at Sam, who smiled in encouragement. “You can do this,” he whispered. He stood. “Just act natural and remember we’re all listening from the kitchen.”
By the time the doorbell rang again, Julianne was alone in the living room, the other three hidden in. the kitchen. She raced her hands nervously down the sides of her slacks, afraid to answer the door, afraid not to.
“Barry.” She greeted Sam’s friend in surprise. Barry? Please don’t let it be Barry, she thought as he stepped into the foyer. Barry was Sam’s best friend. They’d gone to school together. Barry had been Sam’s best man at their wedding. He’d been her friend, too. “What are you doing here?”
“Julianne, I’ve been thinking about those charms all afternoon. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to keep
them here.”
“What do you think I should do with them?” she asked softly, wondering how a man could pretend so well. Was any amount of money worth this kind of betrayal? She wanted to scream at him, pound her fists against his chest. If what she suspected was true, he was here to get the charms, which meant he was involved in the death of Sam’s father. He’d stolen Joseph’s life, destroyed Sam’s, and affected hers so profoundly nothing would ever be the same again.
“Julianne, if Sam said those charms are important, then they are. Somebody got in here the other night to let off a smoke bomb. What’s to stop someone from coming in to steal those charms?”
“So, what should I do?” Julianne asked again.
Barry raked a hand through his sandy hair and expelled a deep sigh. “Shoot, I don’t know. Maybe you should take them to the bank and put them in a safe-deposit box. I just couldn’t go home without telling you I think you need to do something to make sure they’re safe.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, then stepped back toward the front door. “Just make sure you keep them where nobody else will be able to find them.”
Julianne watched as he walked down the drive-way and got back into his car. She closed the door and leaned heavily against it, the adrenaline that had shot through her moments before now gone.
“You okay?” Sam entered the foyer, followed closely behind by Gideon and Colleen.
“Yes, but I don’t think Barry is who we’re after.” She rubbed the center of her forehead tiredly. “I looked into his eyes. I didn’t see deception.”
“Surely if he’s the one we’re after he would have offered to take the charms for safekeeping,” Colleen added. “Surely he would have tried to get them from you.”
Julianne nodded and allowed Sam to pull her close against his chest. “I was so afraid it was him.” She looked up at her husband, the man she would always love with all her heart. Even if she left him, even if they were no longer married, Sam would always own a very large part of her soul. “I knew if it was Barry it would break your heart.”
Sam smiled down at her. “There’s only one person in this world who could truly break my heart.”
His words stabbed into Julianne. She didn’t want to hurt Sam, but she couldn’t go on living a life of hurt herself.
“Anyone want coffee?” she asked as she moved out of Sam’s arms.
They had just sat down at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang once again.
Julianne’s gaze shot to Sam, and he felt her dread. He gave her a reassuring nod, then moved to just inside the kitchen door so he could hear what was happening.
Garrison Fielder’s voice filled the hall, and suddenly Sam knew. Of course it was Garrison. It made sense. Garrison who knew the company inside out, who had always made it his business to know everything about everyone. Garrison, who had friends on the fire department, friends on the police force. Sam’s father had always told Garrison everything. Hell, he’d probably told Garrison about the code on the charms.
Sam clenched his fists tightly at his sides, wondering how he could have been such a fool. Why hadn’t he realized before that Garrison was the logical person responsible for all of it…the money-laundering, his father’s death…everything.
He focused his attention on the conversation taking place between Julianne and the older man.
“My dear, I’ve stewed about those charms all afternoon. I’m very concerned about Emily’s and your safety.”
“No need for you to be concerned,” Julianne replied. “I’m going to take the charms and put them in a bank safe-deposit box in the morning.”
“Why don’t you let me take care of that for you?” Garrison’s voice was smooth, filled with fatherly consideration as Julianne led him into the living room.
“Really, I can handle it. I’ll just stop at the bank on my way to work in the morning,” Julianne said.
“I’m afraid I really must insist, my dear.” The elderly man’s voice held an underlying tone of steel. “Where are the charms, Julianne?”
Sam indicated for Colleen and Gideon to remain in the kitchen as he crept out into the hallway, needing to be close enough to circumvent any danger directed at Julianne.
“Garrison, really, it’s fine. The charms are in a safe place for the night,” Julianne protested, tension thick in her voice.
“Julianne, you don’t understand. I need those charms and I don’t intend to leave here without them.”
Sam stepped into the doorway of the living room. “Why do you need them, Garrison?”
“Ah, the prodigal husband has returned.” A smile of bemusement lit Garrison’s features. “I knew you were here. I set that smoke bomb hoping to smoke you out into the open. It worked. I watched as you carried your daughter out of the house.” He sighed impatiently as Julianne gasped. “You know why I need those charms. I need to’ erase the files your father left, files I imagine are rather incriminating.”
Sam took a step toward the older man, his hands once again fisted as he fought to control an enormous rage. “You killed my father.”
The smile fell from Garrison’s face. “Sam, that was an accident. I didn’t mean for Joseph to get hurt.” A frown of frustration furrowed his brow. “He accused me of being responsible for the money-laundering, said he was going to turn me in. I pleaded with him, tried to reason with him, told him I’d make sure the operation stopped, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“And so you shot him,” Sam accused.
“No. I drew the gun so he would listen. I just wanted to scare him a little, buy some time so I could make him understand that I’d clean things up. There was no need to go to the authorities. When he saw the gun he went crazy, charged me…I…the gun went off…I never meant to kill him.”
“Oh, Garrison.” Disappointment and grief weighed heavily in Julianne’s voice.
“Garrison, it’s over,” Sam said, moving to stand next to his wife.
“I don’t think so.” Garrison pulled a gun from his coat pocket and focused it on the two of them. “I don’t want any more bloodshed, but I do need those charms.”
“Oh, Garrison, what am I supposed to tell Emily?” Julianne asked, her voice barely a whisper. “She adores her Uncle Garri and Aunt Letta.”
“Letta has nothing to do with this. She doesn’t know anything.” For the first time emotion rang in his voice and the gun wavered in his hand.
Sam seized the moment and threw himself forward, hitting the old man in the chest and tumbling them both, backward. As the gun skittered across the floor, Sam was vaguely aware of Julianne screaming and Colleen’s and Gideon’s footsteps as they raced into the room.
He grunted as Garrison grabbed him around the neck, his strength deceptive with his age and appearance. Sam managed to break his hold, furniture thrown askew as they rolled, each one trying to gain an advantage on the other.
Garrison fought for his life, and each punch, each kick came from the strength of that survivalist instinct. But self-righteous rage filled Sam, the rage of a man whose father had been murdered, whose life had been torn asunder.
He finally managed to gain the upper hand and delivered a resounding uppercut to Garrison’s jaw. Garrison’s head slammed against the floor and he remained unmoving, although conscious. “It’s over,” Sam repeated as he straightened.
“I called the police. They should be here any minute,” Gideon said, then looked disdainfully at Garrison. “I, too, have friends on the force. Honest friends.”
Garrison sat up, a hand rubbing his jaw. “They’ll never believe you,” he said to Sam. “It will be your word against mine. Of course, your wife and your other relatives would lie for you.”
“True, but we have an ace in the hole,” Gideon explained. He pulled a small tape recorder from his pocket. “Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”
At that moment the sounds of sirens rent the air and within minutes the house swarmed with police officers. Both Sam and Garrison were arrested and taken to
the station where it took hours to straighten out exactly who was guilty of what.
Sam finally emerged with a tired but victorious smile on his face. He embraced Julianne, his arms holding her tightly, as if he’d never again let her go. “It’s finally over,” he said as he released her.
“Garrison?”
“He’s in there spilling his guts about everything. Seems he likes the horses and got in over his head with gambling debts. The people he owed money to came up with the plan to launder through the corporation. The police are thrilled, Garrison is giving them names, dates and evidence incriminating people they’ve been trying to arrest for a long time.”
“And the charms?”
“Confiscated by the police. They’ll check out the computer file and use whatever information is there, although the way Garrison is talking, they won’t need anything else.”
“And you have your life back,” Julianne said softly.
“We have our lives back,” he said, then, throwing his arm around her shoulders, they left the police station and headed for their car.
Julianne knew she should tell him. He deserved to know that she didn’t intend to spend the rest of her life with him. She slid onto the passenger seat and leaned her head back against the headrest. Closing her eyes, she searched for the right words.
As he got into the car, his energy filled the interior. Exuberant joy radiated from him, a thrill of life renewed, a future left to live. “We’ve got to call Carolyn and get Emily home as soon as possible,” he said, his voice filled with such spirit it only made Julianne’s heart ache more.
She opened her eyes and looked at him, saw the sparkle back in his eyes, the despair gone beneath a euphoric happiness. “Oh, Juli, there’s so much to be done, so many months to make up for.” He started the car. “There was a time when I wasn’t sure everything would ever straighten out, but now I feel like I’ve been granted a new life.” He frowned thoughtfully. “I’m going to have to sit down and have a long talk with my sisters. We’re going to have to completely restructure the corporation. Garrison wasn’t the only one working there who was crooked. We’ll need to do a complete house-cleaning.”
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