“We’re going to wait and see what Michael wants. See what they’re going to offer. I checked and the guy who owns the tattoo place was charged this morning, too. We’re going to see if Michael offers a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I have no idea what he’s going to offer. But I doubt very seriously he wants to put you behind bars.”
“Having just spent an hour and a half in a jail cell, I’d like a little more guarantee than that.”
Larry stood and picked up his briefcase. “Unfortunately things like this usually take some time. What you need to do now is go home, stay out of trouble and wait to see what Michael wants to do.”
“Why does he have all the power here?”
“Because he’s the district attorney and you had crack cocaine in your purse, Karen. It kind of puts you at a disadvantage.”
“Isn’t there something I can do?”
“Like I said. Go home. Stay out of trouble. Wait. Try not to worry. Worst case scenario here is you plead down and get probation.”
“Plead guilty to drug possession.”
“Let’s go through this one more time. You had crack cocaine in your purse. Technically, that’s drug possession.”
“You’re not a very good defense attorney, are you?”
“I’m a much better divorce lawyer. Like I told you on the phone, I’ll be happy to refer you to someone who has more experience with this kind of thing.”
She nodded. “Do you know anyone who would believe my story and stand behind me?”
Larry frowned and shrugged. “Maybe my four-year-old.”
She called Will as soon as she left the jail. “Were you taken in this morning?”
“Yes,” he said. “You? Are you okay?”
“Aside from feeling slightly hysterical, I’m fine. Michael could have warned me, he had to know it was going to happen. He came to the house this morning.”
“He didn’t say anything about it?”
“He didn’t even come inside.” She chewed her lip. Maybe he didn’t want her to have any warning…
Will interrupted her train of thought. “Did you watch the news from last night?”
“Yes, I think it’s her, but I couldn’t tell without a closer look. I was going to watch it again after I had a cup of coffee. I was arrested instead.”
“Where are you?”
“In my car, on the way to work. I have to take care of some things there. I’ll call Suzanne from there and see if Heather is still working at Channel Eleven.”
“Good. Let me know and I’ll join you there.”
Good Lord. They sounded like a private detective team. “Have you been able to put anything together on your end?”
“Nothing. I asked around but no one else saw…anyone.”
“She’s real, Will, I swear.”
“I didn’t say she wasn’t.”
Karen sighed. “Just…just wait for me to call you, please.”
Monica and Brad were both waiting for Karen when she got to the store.
“Michael was on the news last night saying you’d been arrested for drug possession. What’s going on?” Monica drew her head back and frowned at Karen. “And…what happened to you? You look…”
Karen put her hands to her hair. “Man! I forgot, the stupid cop wouldn’t even let me blow dry my hair.”
“The cop?”
“Yes, I was arrested again this morning.”
“Again?”
“Can you believe it? That’s, what…three times in three days? I think Michael may be trying to have me put in jail.” Even saying the words made Karen’s knees go weak. “Michael is trying to have me put in prison. Real prison. With real prisoners.”
“You must have really pissed him off when you threw him out.” Monica pulled out Karen’s chair for her. “Sit. You know, I never liked that guy. I always knew he was a jerk. First he hits you, and now this. And what happened to him? He looked like he’d been in a bar fight.”
“I don’t know. But whatever or whoever did it has my eternal gratitude.” Karen sank to her desk. “Why is he doing this? I gave him the divorce. He said he wanted out, I let him out. I even let him get away with paying as little child support as he possibly could. Why would he want to do this to me?”
“Because he’s a bastard. Like all men. All men are bastards.” Monica rubbed Karen’s shoulders and cast a glance at Brad. “Except you, I mean. Sorry.”
Brad grunted and studied Karen silently for a moment, then left the room.
After he’d gone, Karen frowned at Monica. “Please don’t talk like that around him. I think you scare him.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot he was there. He’s too quiet.” She sat on the edge of the desk. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. My divorce lawyer gave me the name of a defense attorney and I called him on the way over here, but I had to leave a message. Do you think you guys could handle things if I took a couple of days off? I’ll have my cell phone with me and you can reach me at any time. Provided it’s not confiscated next time I’m arrested.”
“Of course we can handle it. Brad is doing deliveries this afternoon, but Stephanie will be in and she said she wanted more hours anyway. We’ll be fine.” Monica shook her head. “Man, when you let your hair down, you really do it all the way.”
Karen scrubbed her hands through her hair and groaned. “The drugs weren’t mine. Or Will’s.”
“Oh, I believe they weren’t yours. But I think a wise move would be to talk to your lawyer. Not the guy who keeps getting you arrested.”
“Because all men are bastards?” She rose and gathered a few things from her desk. She dialed Michael’s office again, only to hear Jeannine tell her tiredly that he was still out.
She doubted that was true. He was probably sitting right there on his smug ass, knowing that he’d sent her world into a tizzy.
“Yes, all men are bastards. Except for Brad. He’s simply weird, in a sexy, brooding kind of way. But Karen, don’t worry about the store, we can take care of everything. You have your own problems to deal with right now.”
“Tell me about it.” Karen picked up her purse and flipped through her address book to find Suzanne’s number. Was this how Cagney and Lacey solved mysteries?
Ten minutes later she had an appointment to meet Heather at Channel Eleven, then she called Will back. “Can you meet me in an hour and a half?”
“Of course,” he said. “I can meet you right now.”
No way. Not until I fix my hair and makeup. “She won’t be there till two o’clock. I’ll park out front.”
Karen hung up and sank back in her chair. Her mind kept going back to the moment she stood before the judge and heard the charges read against her. Her stomach clenched and her heart beat triple time every time she heard that voice ask her how she pled. This wasn’t funny anymore.
Will was sitting in his car when she pulled into the Channel Eleven parking lot. He climbed out on those long legs and lifted his hand when he saw her.
He didn't give her a chance to get out. He opened her passenger door and sat. “Good afternoon.”
“If you say so. Okay, listen to this. Michael called Cait this morning to ask her to get a latte with him before school.”
Will nodded. “Okay.”
“No, not okay. He has never in his life invited her to anything. I mean, I realize he could be making an extra effort since we’re in the middle of a divorce and her mom has gone off the deep end and she needs a little extra attention. But this is Michael we’re talking about. It would never occur to him to reach out to Cait in her time of need. The thought would not enter his mind. And besides, I don’t think he even knows where her school is. He’s taken her to school exactly three times in her life, and once was because I’d been rushed to the hospital to have my appendix out. Something is up.”
“Why do you think he called her, then?”
“To get her out of the house, so she wouldn’t be there
when I was arrested. This is getting ugly.”
Will reached across the seat and took her hand. “Don’t panic yet. I’m pretty familiar with this. A lot has to happen still for us to be in any real trouble.”
“And yet, I'm still completely scared out of my mind.”
He shrugged and smiled, giving her a little wink. “Of course. You’d be crazy if you weren’t. But you don’t have to get on the bus to prison today.”
Karen studied him for a few seconds. She took a deep breath. “I'm asking you to be honest with me. Were those drugs for you? Did you know that girl?”
He didn't seem bothered by the question. He met her gaze evenly, his piercing blue eyes steady and unflinching “No. They weren't mine. As for the girl…I’ll have to see her to know for sure, but I don’t think so.”
She didn't know why she believed him. She barely knew him. She'd had nothing but trouble from the moment she met him.
But she did believe him. The look on his face when the cop pulled out that plastic bag yesterday had been pure shock.
“And you believe me?” she asked. “About the girl.”
He lifted his hands. “I must. I’m here.”
“Thank you for helping me with this.”
“It looks like we're a team.”
She sank back against the seat. “That's the best thing I've heard all day.”
He ducked his head and tucked his hair behind his ear. “Then wait till you hear me apologize for coming down so hard on you last night.”
Karen drew her head back. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I was a little…”
“Scary?”
“Okay, scary. I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. For my first experience with someone breaking and entering my house, it turned out all right.”
He smiled. “Good. Except I didn't break. I just entered. The back door was unlocked.” He looked over her shoulder. “Is that your girl?”
Karen turned to see Heather getting out of an old hatchback. “That's her. Do me a favor and turn on the charm for her, would you?”
“The charm?”
“Yes. You know, the penetrating gaze and million dollar smile.”
“I have a million dollar smile?”
“Oh please. Like you didn't know. She may remember that I told her mother she'd made forty dollars worth of long distance calls to the psychic hotline on my phone, which got her grounded for two weeks. She may not want to help me.”
He shrugged and opened the door. “I'll do what I can.”
“You can rewind and fast forward with these buttons here,” Heather said, looking at Will and ignoring Karen completely. “This is the unedited tape, so whatever is here is all we have. Take all the time you need. Unless, of course, the machine in bay three screws up, which it is prone to do. In that case Butch will need this bay to edit the sports at 4:30.”
“It won't take that long,” Karen assured her. “Thanks for your help.”
“Can we make a copy?” Will asked.
Heather hesitated a second, her thumb hooked in her jeans pocket, her hip cocked. She bit her lower lip. “Well…what for?”
“We're looking for someone. If she's on this, having the tape might make it easier to find her.”
Heather chewed her lip. “Well, that might be a violation of privacy or something. But…go ahead. Just don’t tell anyone.”
She left them alone and Karen took a deep breath. “Okay, let's get on with this.” She didn't know which she wanted: for the blonde girl to be an acquaintance of Will's, or a total stranger to him. If he knew her, that would certainly make it easier to find her. If he didn't know her…well, she was just more comfortable thinking that he didn't associate with leggy blondes in hooker clothes.
The tape came on while the reporter was still clipping on his microphone. “So where is he?” the kid mumbled. “That girl said – hey, is that him?”
Karen heard a mumbling noise at the same time the camera jerked and a silver sports car came into the picture. Michael's dark hair and slightly-too-big head drew back as he registered the cameras waiting for him.
“What the hell?” Karen yelled.
“Shhh,” Will said. He hit the volume button.
“What is he doing in that car? That is not his car.”
“Mr. Way! What do you think about your wife being arrested for drug possession?”
“Allegedly,” Karen said to the screen. “Isn't he supposed to say allegedly?”
Will had his hand over his mouth and didn't answer.
“Is that his car? Is that a Jaguar?” She leaned toward the screen. “Can you tell if that's a Jaguar?”
“Would you please be quiet?”
“But you should have heard the sob story he gave the judge during our divorce hearing, about how he couldn't possibly pay more child support because of his this and his that, and now the s.o.b. is driving a Jaguar?”
“There!” Will pointed at the far edge of the screen. “Is that her?”
“Oh, sorry. I was too busy looking at the car. And at Michael. He does look horrible.” She wrinkled her nose with satisfaction as she hit the rewind button.
Will tucked his finger back over his lip and watched. “See how fast he's moving away from the car? To try and get it out of the picture.”
“Because he knew I'd pitch a fit when I found out he was driving a Jag.”
“And because he doesn't want anyone to see her getting out of the other side.”
Sure enough, barely in view the passenger side door opened and the woman stepped out. She disappeared from the screen, then reappeared a few cars away, hurrying across the lot while Michael droned on about his shock and disappointment and faith in the justice system. Karen leaned close again and watched the girl make her way across the parking lot. She punched the rewind button and watched it all again.
“That's definitely her.” She chewed the inside of her lip. “Definitely the girl who left the box on your desk.” Getting out of Michael's car.
She felt dizzy suddenly, and sat.
Will knelt beside her. “You okay?”
She turned her eyes to his. “It's true. Michael is behind this.”
“I think so.” Will's voice was soft, sympathetic as he watched reality hit her. “It's too much of a coincidence.”
She hugged her arms against the chill that crept up her spine. “This is like a movie of the week.”
“Except it's real.” Will put a hand on her knee.
She reached for his hand, frantic. The world had tilted and she felt she might just slip off the edge of it. “Will, what do we do? If he's behind this, he holds all the cards. Every last stinking one of them.”
“Not every one. We can find her.” He nodded toward the screen. “We can get her to talk.”
“How? If she's working for him, why should she talk to us?”
“That's what we have to find out.”
“Hey, you're here!”
Karen looked up to see the reporter they'd just been watching, now standing in the doorway of the editing bay.
“I hope you're here because you want to grant me an exclusive interview.”
“We're just –” Karen stopped when Will put a hand on her arm.
“That's a possibility.” He stood. “Will Corcoran. We were just looking at your interview with the DA.”
The reporter smiled and tried to look modest. “That was me. Skip Tucker. Well…I guess you just saw that.”
“Right, good job, Skip.” Will stood and shook his hand. “Actually we're working on a little mystery of our own.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“We hope so. Do you recognize that woman? She got out of Michael Way’s car when you stopped him yesterday.” Will froze the frame and pointed at the blonde woman.
The reporter shook his head. “Can’t say that I do.” He turned to Karen. “Are you a crack addict? And can you confirm that your husband plans to run for the Logan Haney’s seat?”
Karen felt her mouth drop, and told herself to close it. But she couldn’t. Michael? Running for the senate?
“Uhh,” she said.
“Rumor has it he’s going to throw his hat in the ring, but when I tried to contact him this morning to confirm it, he wouldn’t take my calls. And are you addicted to crack cocaine?”
“Oh.” Rumor had it. Well.
“Did you hear what I said?” Will leaned forward so Skip had to look him in the eye. “See this woman? She was in Michael Way’s car when you stopped to interview him. Rumor also has it that she’s a prostitute.”
Skip perked up then. He turned to the monitor and hit the rewind button. A possible congressional candidate seen with a prostitute was a good story – better than an ex-wife/nobody on crack. Karen gave Will a high five.
So what if she’d been the one to start that rumor? Big deal. If Michael was going to fight dirty, so could they. “And did you happen to notice that he’s driving a Jaguar? How do you think a District Attorney can afford a Jaguar?”
Skip nodded enthusiastically, then poked his head out the door and yelled for someone. “Kent might know who she is, he does the crime stories.”
Forty-five minutes later – armed with the stage name of the blonde girl thanks to the sports reporter who had recently seen her dance at a bachelor party – Karen smiled and breezed toward Michael's office door as if she had every right to be there. “Hi Jeannie. Is he busy?”
Jeannie smiled back, until she saw that Karen wasn't going to stop an acceptable distance from the inner sanctum. “He's there, Karen, but he's – wait, please wait out here while I – Karen!”
Karen just kept smiling and walking until she was inside Michael's office. He was hanging up the phone when he looked up to see her.
“You sorry son-of-a-bitch. What the hell are you doing?” She peered at his face. “It looks like someone took a tire iron to you. Good for them.” Michael pursed his lips. “As if you don’t know.” He turned to Jeannie. “It's okay, Jeannie. I've been expecting her. Please close the door and hold my calls.”
“Why were you expecting me? Didn't you think I would just accept this with a smile on my face?”
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