“I’ll tell you what I can, now hurry.”
***
Michael had a devil of a time trying to leave the hospital. Samantha began grilling him as if he were a suspect. He told her everything he knew, but she gave him a look as if he were lying. Now he knows why Jenna and Samantha are such good friends. Both of them have a total disregard for authority and darned little faith in the abilities of men. When Michael got to the police station he went in search of Mack, he found him in the interrogation room finishing up. Justin was nowhere around so he must be sitting in his cell. “Hey Mack what did you get?”
“Well Pickard confessed to murdering Laura Tierney and his brother Jackson Turnball Jr. He also implicated his father Jackson Senior and Jim Tierney he said Laura was ruining some lucrative deal, and they wanted her out of the picture.”
“We got them; finally Turnball and Tierney are going to get what’s coming to them. Jenna will be pleased with the outcome.”
Mack took a deep breath Mike wasn’t going to like this. “Listen partner, the district attorney isn’t going after Turnball and Tierney for conspiracy. He’s going to use Pickard’s confession to clear Laura’s case; he doesn’t want to make any waves, especially with two powerful, rich men.”
“This is bullshit I’m going to speak to the captain.” A representative of the district attorney’s office was still in Captain Newman’s office when he barged in. “Captain is it true that were not going after Turnball and Tierney for conspiracy in the Laura Tierney murder case?”
Assistant District Attorney Gordon Collins hated these trips to the police station. Police were so short sided and they never could view the full picture of the situation. “Detective I’m sure your captain doesn’t have to point out to you that Laura Tierney’s murder has been solved. Besides, we don’t have enough corroborative evidence to go after Jackson Turnball and James Tierney. Pickard is our bird in hand, and that’s it, end of story.”
Michael was more than pissed. “Why don’t you just tell us the real reason we’re not pursuing a conspiracy case against Turnball and Tierney? Your boss doesn’t want to do battle especially with re-election on the horizon. He'd clear up his case load and let the real bastards go free.”
“Watch it detective, it never pays to let your temper rule your actions. Captain I’ll leave it to you to handle your staff. Unless you have anything else implicating Turnball and Tierney, no charges will be brought against them. Good day gentlemen and I use that term loosely.”
Michael would love to beat the hell out of Collins he always was a prissy son-of-a-bitch. He turned around and faced his captain. “Pickard implicated Turnball and Tierney in his confession, more than enough to charge those two bastards with conspiracy, but there’s something else we can try.”
Captain Newman knew this situation wouldn’t sit well with Mike, politics took place in every office environment, and the police station was no different. “How are you going to get this evidence?”
“What if Jenna Tierney wore a wire and got a confession from her father?”
“What makes you think Miss Tierney would be willing to put her father through the paces? You’ve got the biggest balls in the station if you think that will happen.”
“Jenna will do it because her sister was murdered and she’ll want everyone involved going to jail, even if that includes her father.”
Against his better judgment, he was going to give Mike his permission. “You’ve got less than 48 hours to get his daughter to get a confession. I'm willing to bet that the district attorney’s office is going to make short work of putting Pickard away for life.”
“Thanks captain, I’ll make it happen.” Mike went back to talk to Mack, they had to work quickly to bring this about. He convinced the captain that Jenna would wear a wire. He wasn’t convinced that Jenna believed her father capable of such atrocities. Fuck! Why did life have to be so damn complicated?
***
“I heard from a source that Justin confessed to Laura’s murder. How long do you think it’s going to take before our names crosses his lips? We need to do something about him now. That bastard tried to kill my daughter, and if you think he’s going to fade away into the sunset you’re deluding yourself.”
“What in the hell do you want me to do, he’s my son damn it!”
“You got a few more bastards out there you can utilize; if you don’t do something I will, I will not have my name associated with the murder of that bitch. She’ been a problem since the day she was born, and she’s still causing problems.”
“I’ll take care of it Justin he won’t talk. Especially if he's worried about what I'll do to his mother.”
“You better handle this situation, because if you don’t I will.”
***
Jenna was talking with Samantha waiting to be released from the hospital when Michael walked into her room. “Hey, you look worse than I do. I know you’ve got terrible news I can feel it, so just spill it.”
“Yeah sexy detective you look as if you were the one who got attacked.”
Michael grimaced, what he was about to ask Jenna to do wasn’t easy, but it’s necessary. “Samantha, I need to speak to Jenna alone?”
Samantha made eye contact with Jenna, “Jen is that what you want?”
“It’s okay Sam I’m sure Michael just wants to tell me something about Laura’s case.”
“Okay, I’ll go raid the vending machine.”
After Samantha had left the room, Michael sat next to the Jenna’s bed and grabbed her hand. “What I’m going to ask you to do won’t be easy? Pickard confessed to murdering Laura and Jackson Turnball Junior. He also implicated your father and Turnball Senior in the process. The problem is the district attorney’s office will not bring charges against them without corroborating evidence. I need you to wear a wire and confront your father. I need you to go see him and try to make him spill anything you can that may tie him to this case; otherwise, your father and Turnball will get away with their part in Laura’s murder.”
“There’s no other way?”
“I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there were any other way.”
Jenna wanted everyone who’s responsible for Laura’s death to be punished even if that list included her father. “What do you want me to do?”
“Once you’re released from the hospital, I’m going to have a technician set you up with a wire on your person. I will be listening and recording your conversation. I want you to try and get your father to discuss Laura’s murder. Maybe you’ll be able to trip him up, get him to implicate himself or Jackson Turnball Sr.”
“Soon as you get the wire set up I’ll go to my parent’s house. Lord knows what we’ll find, it’s bit early in the day for a sex party.”
Michael hated himself for asking Jenna to do this, but he didn’t see another way. “I’ll be within shouting distance, remember that I’ll be listening to every word.”
Jenna leaned towards Michael and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. “Don’t worry everything will turn out fine.”
***
Chapter 11
Several hours later Jenna let herself into her parent’s house. It was surprising to her that they hadn’t changed the locks. “Mom, Dad, anybody home.” Jenna’s father came out of the den looking distinguished and dapper as always.
“Jenna. What are you doing here?”
Jenna reached far back into her childhood when she was happy, and they were sort of like a real family. “Daddy, I was attacked last night. I didn’t want you to hear about it from the media.”
“What the hell happened?”
Jenna sat down on the love seat facing the bay window. Her father was showing the concern of a dutiful father, but she knew better. “My ex-boss Justin Pickard attacked me in my home last night. He also confessed to killing Laura.”
Of course, He knew about the attack. He had to wait for Jenna to approach him or news of the attack to appear in the media before he could respond. “This happened
last night, and you’re just now telling me about it!”
“Dad I just got out of the hospital this morning, but I can’t go home. My house is still a crime scene, I was wondering if I could stay here.”
Jim smiled to himself, it had taken awhile, but Jenna was reaching out to him and he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to get back into his daughter’s life. “Baby of course you can stay I’ll have Nina get your old room ready for you.” Jim saw the marks on her neck and face. That bastard Pickard was going to die for touching his little girl. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jenna gave her father a ghost of a smile it almost seemed as if he actually cared about her. “Other than a few bruises and scratches, I’m fine.”
“I’ll be right back, I’m going to have Nina get your room ready, you look as if you’re about to pass out. Do you want me to call Mitch?”
Mitch Nichols had been her parent’s doctor for twenty–five years, and he was also one of their playmates. “Dad I just left the hospital, I’m so tired I just want to sleep.” Jenna watched her father leave the room. She sat there studying the interior of the house, everything seemed the same; her parents replaced furniture here and there, but the color schemes and antiques were still here. Jenna was so tired, she was sure that Michael wouldn’t mind if she closed her eyes for a moment.
When Jim got back to the pallor, Jenna was fast asleep. He went and got a blanket out of his office and covered her. He stood there for a few minutes watching her sleep, hoping he had another chance in her life. He had grandiose plans; her marriage to one of his partners could guarantee that The Henderson Company will stay on the map for the next twenty years. He needed a son-in-law who could run the company and preserve it for his grandchildren.
“What is Jenna doing here?’
Jim jumped at the sound of his wife’s voice. “She was attacked last night by Justin Pickard.”
“What! He tried to kill Jenna too!"
Jim grabbed his wife and ushered her into his office, “what do you mean too?”
Valencia looked at her husband of nearly 33 years; she loved him for most of her life. She did everything he wanted just to stay by his side; she participated in his swinger parties, helped cover up her child’s rape. Last night was the first time she had even considered that he had something to do with Laura’s murder. “I heard your phone call with Jackson last night; I know that you and he conspired to kill my baby! I’m going to the police and tell them everything I know.”
Before he knew it, Jim had his hands around Valencia’s throat choking the life out of her. “You’re not going to tell the police anything. Your bitch of a daughter did everything to destroy me and my company. All because of that little incident 14 years ago. Yeah we had her killed because she just wouldn’t stop, sending information out to the stockholders trying to make me look incompetent. I’m not sorry that bitch is dead, and you’ll find yourself in the same position if you ever threaten me again.”
Jenna followed her parents into her Dad’s office. “Let her go Daddy!"
“Jenna this isn’t what it looks like, we were just arguing. I’m sure Nina has your room ready why don’t you go upstairs and lay down.”
Jenna felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Daddy how could I possibly feel comfortable in the house of a murderer.”
Jim blanched. Everything in his world was falling apart at the seams. “Don’t be ridiculous I’m no murderer!”
Jenna walked further into the office, “I heard everything you said Dad. Why did you hate Laura so much? She was your daughter for God’s sake. What reason could you have for wanting her dead?” Jenna saw the expression in her father’s face, and she was afraid. The facade had been peeled away, and only the evil remained.
Jim walked toward Jenna as she moved closer to her mother. “That bitch wasn’t my child; those shares she inherited should have never gone to her in the first place. She’d been nothing but trouble since the day she was born. I gave her a chance to redeem herself. I told her all she had to do was let Jackson Junior have his way with her, and I would make sure she was set for life. That bitched ruined everything by crying rape, we had an agreement!”
Jenna knew at that moment that her father was a madman. “Daddy she was only 14 years old, and she wasn’t the one who cried rape, I was the one who called the police. She was lying there trying to be a good daughter to a man who hated her because she was born.”
Valencia couldn’t believe her ears he had Laura killed because she wasn’t his child. “She may not have been your child, but she was my child, how dare you kill her. How is Jenna remarkable when she isn’t your child either?”
“What the hell are you saying? She’s my child she looks just like me.”
“Of course she looks like you, she’s a Tierney and siblings often resemble each other. You can’t have children James, Campbell knew this and to continue the family I agreed to have his child.”
Jenna truly was ill at this moment. “Are you saying that Grandpa Campbell is my real father?”
James had enough, “Jenna is mine, and you can’t take her away from me. She’s my daughter, and she will continue the Tierney family line.” James pulled out a gun from his desk drawer and pointed at Valencia. “Did you ever love me?”
Valencia didn’t expect this turn of events, James was truly crazy. “Are you going to kill me now James? You destroyed our family, and I went alone with your wishes because I loved you. I sat by and watched you destroy my children because I loved you. Last night when I found out you killed my baby, you killed any love I had left for you. So if, you’re going to shoot go right ahead and shoot.”
“Daddy, it’s over, please put the gun down. I don’t care what anybody says, you’re my dad, and no one can change that. Daddy, please put the gun down." Before Jenna could finish Michael, Mack, and several uniformed police officers broke in to the house with guns blazing.
Michael was the first one in the house, “please drop you weapon Mr. Tierney.”
James new it was over, there’s no way The Henderson Company could recover from such a scandal. “I’m sorry.” James lifted the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.
Mack shot James Tierney in the shoulder preventing him from committing suicide. “You don’t get out of this that easy Mr. Tierney you’ve put your family through enough pain now you’re going to jail.” Mack looked over his shoulder at the uniformed police officers. “Call an ambulance for Mr. Tierney.”
Jenna was in shock, she stood there looking at her father who’d rather kill himself the face the possibility that the company would go under. “My family’s so fucked up!”
Michael had Jenna in his arms an escorted her out of the room. He lifted her shirt, removed the wire from her body, and put it in his pocket. “It’s all over baby I wish I could take away everything you just heard.”
Jenna hugged Michael tight as tears ran rapid down her cheeks. “What kind of people do I come from? I feel as if I’m asleep, and this is an awful nightmare.”
There was nothing Michael wanted to do more than comfort Jenna, but he had to book Tierney for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He and Mack would close Laura’s case and then they could move on with their lives. “Come on sweetheart, Samantha’s waiting outside to take you home. I’ll come see you as soon as I can.”
Jenna walked outside and got into Samantha’s car. “Sam I’ve got to get away from here please take me away.”
Samantha didn’t know what happened inside the Tierney house, and she didn’t care, her first priority was to take care of Jenna. “Jen I’m going to take you home with me, Connie’s waiting for us. What ever happened in there we can deal with it, you still have us, and we’re always in your corner.”
***
Samantha took Jenna to her house, Connie was there already waiting to comfort or be whatever Jenna needed. Jenna didn’t make a peep the entire ride, she just sat there crying. Samantha pulled into her driveway and sat a few minut
es allowing Jenna to compose herself. Samantha’s heart went out to Jenna; she wished that she could take away her pain. Jenna was attacked last night, and she turned around to wear a wire to implicate her father. She couldn’t imagine what Jenna is feeling, but she’ll stand by her no matter what. “Come on Jen let’s go inside.”
Connie was waiting at the door, she was still pissed that Michael asked Jenna to wear a wire in the first place; that sick fuck Justin killed Laura and tired to kill Jenna too. Men just didn’t understand the enormity of the requests they made on women. Connie opened the door for Jenna and Samantha. “Come on Jenna sweetie, we’re here for you honey.”
Jenna came through the front door, went into Samantha’s guest bedroom, and fell onto the bed. Samantha and Connie followed her giving her some space. Jenna was lying on the bed bawling as if the world were ending. “I need a stiff drink and not any of that margarita bullshit, bring me a glass of whiskey.”
Samantha went to get the whiskey, and Connie came in the room and sat on the bed next to Jenna. “What can we do for you Jen?” Samantha came back with three glasses and poured all of them a drink.
Jenna took a sip of the Whiskey she felt the liquid fire of it as it slid down her throat. “You’re the only family I have I don’t know if I can recover from what I learned today. I have to tell you what happened, but I’ll never speak of it again.” Jenna took another sip of whiskey and proceeded to tell Samantha and Connie what happened in her parent’s house
“Both of you know about the incident all those years ago. Today I found out that my father made a deal with Laura to have sex with Jackson Turnball Jr. I thought those bastards just happened to come up stairs for a little fun, they already made a deal with Daddy to rape his daughter. I wasn’t supposed to be home, so I foiled part of their plan. Laura was such a fighter, I could never figure out why she never fought back; she was lying on that bed like a sacrificial lamb so her father would love her.”
Samantha and Connie were crying for the lost 14 year old girl and the haunted woman she became. “Take your time Jen,” Samantha patted Jenna on the back and Connie poured them all a refill.
Shelter During the Storm Page 8