Ken's face brightened. "You know, this might actually work out to my advantage. I'll kill you and then Donna. I'll make it look like you both killed each other. After all, you did come in here without consent. The police will guess you were trying to cover something up. Donna found out you were here and came to confront you. An argument ensued, you killed Donna, and then yourself." He clasped his hands around the gun like an eager child. "Yes, this will work out just fine."
There was nothing to stop him. The last glimmer of hope left my body as I tried to prepare myself for death. I thought of my family and prayed silently that they knew how much I loved them.
At that very moment, one of Donna's eyes flickered open. Ken was focused on me and didn't see the quick movement. He lowered the gun so that it was level with my chest. "Do you have any last words, Cindy?" His lips twisted upward into an evil-looking smirk. "Did you tell George how much you love him?"
"Lowlife," Donna moaned.
Ken turned around, surprised by the sound of her voice. It was the split second I needed.
"His name is Greg, you jerk!" Ignoring the pain in my side, I leaped forward and thrust the ballpoint pen into Ken's thigh with such force that it actually stuck there for a moment. He screamed in agony as the gun clattered to the floor.
Ken and I both leaped for the weapon at the same time, but I managed to grab it first. As I wrapped my fingers around the trigger, Ken gathered my hair in his hands and pulled as hard as he could. My upper body snapped backward from the pain. Meanwhile, Donna had grabbed my pen and crawled forward, hitting Ken in the calf with it. He cried out and released his hold on me, falling to the floor. I somehow managed to get to my feet and faced him as I wobbled, the gun shaking in my hands. Paul's face appeared before me, and I gasped, flinching as I tried to force the mental picture away. Oh no. Not now. Please.
My voice cracked in a hoarse whisper as I aimed the gun at Ken, unable to stop my hands from shaking. "Don't move."
Ken roared with laughter as he staggered toward me. "You don't have the guts, bitch."
I observed him as he grew closer, his face mocking me. I sucked in a sharp breath, closed my eyes, and began to squeeze the trigger. A loud, almost deafening, blast startled me. I lost my balance, falling onto the floor and letting out a grunt of pain as my side connected with the hardwood.
I looked at Donna who in turn was watching Ken, horrified. He held his hands over his stomach, blood seeping out at a furious pace. Ken stared at us with a vacant expression and crumpled to the floor, eyes closed. I stared at the gun between my hands in amazement. It hadn't been fired. Donna stared in shock at something past me, and I turned my head, bewildered.
There was Jacques, holding a pistol in one hand and his phone in the other. "9-1-1? I need the police, please. And an ambulance. Yes, 55 Riverview Drive."
"Thank God you're here," I managed to croak out.
Jacques disconnected the call, then knelt by my side. He removed the gun from my still-shaking hand and stared down at me with concern. "Are you okay, love? You're white as a ghost, and your poor eye is swollen. What else did that slime do to you?"
The pain in my side was agonizing, and Jacques' face danced in and out of focus. I tried to sit up. "Where—where did you get a gun?"
Jacques gently eased me back down. "Lie still, darling. I got permission to carry a while ago. Too many real estate agents have been victims of crimes lately. We need to protect ourselves." He stared at Ken with a look of disgust on his face. "I'm only sorry I didn't kill the bastard. If I'd been here a second later you might have though."
He held my hand as Ken lay bleeding and moaning in pain with Donna sobbing by his side.
My heart overflowed as I smiled at my best friend. "I guess we'll never know for sure."
Jacques spotted my Hospitable Homes pen lying on the floor next to me and reached out to grab it. He grinned. "Did you use this on him?"
I managed a small chuckle, despite the pain in my ribs. "A real estate agent always has to be prepared."
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The next few hours passed in a blur. Police cars arrived within minutes, along with an ambulance for Ken. Shortly afterward, another one arrived for me. Jacques phoned Greg, who arrived in a panic while the paramedics were loading me into the second ambulance. They allowed him to ride to the hospital with me.
Donna confessed to the murder of Tiffany Roberts and was taken away to the police station for booking.
Jacques also went to the station for questioning. I remembered him hugging me and saying he'd be over to see me as soon as he could break away.
I was in and out of consciousness all the way to the hospital. Along with my black eye, I had two bruised ribs. The doctor wanted me to stay overnight for observation. This was becoming an all-too-familiar scenario for me.
Greg insisted on staying with me. Helen agreed to watch the kids and even asked Greg to send her love. I couldn't help but wonder if my husband made up that part. I talked to each one of the kids on the phone and told them I loved them, so at least they knew I was okay.
Ken had severe abdominal injuries but was expected to survive. Fortunately, he'd been taken to a different hospital and would be under constant surveillance until he was well enough to be moved to his new home—a jail cell.
I found it somewhat sad that Donna was probably going to spend the rest of her life in prison while Ken, who had obviously brainwashed her from the beginning, might serve a lesser sentence.
"It's scary," I said to Greg, after I was all settled in my hospital bed, his arm around me. "What if he decides to come after me?"
"That won't happen, baby. He's going away for a long time. You never have to see him again."
"It's amazing to think a smart woman like Donna was duped by him. And Tiffany, too."
"You and Jacques said it yourselves. Donna was so desperate for a man, she'd do anything. Even though she's the one who pulled the trigger, Ken's far more dangerous than her."
My voice trembled as I reached for Greg's hand. "He was going to kill both of us. I didn't think I'd ever see you or the kids again."
Greg kissed me tenderly. "Thank God for Jacques."
As if on cue, my best friend appeared in the doorway, bearing a large bouquet of yellow roses.
Greg stood up to let him hug me. He'd once confided to me that it made him uncomfortable to be around Jacques. The thought of my two favorite men being unable to get along always saddened me. Now none of it mattered anymore. After Jacques finished hugging me, he turned around to see Greg standing there, hand outstretched. Jacques extended his as well, while I grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh, what the hell." Greg pulled Jacques' arm forward and captured him in a hug, his voice choked with emotion. "Thanks, man. You saved my wife's life. I'll never forget this."
That was more than enough for Jacques, who suddenly looked misty-eyed. "My immense pleasure." He sat down in a chair next to the bed to fill us in on the details.
"How come no one ever knew Tiffany and Donna were sisters?" Greg asked.
I waved my hand in the air. It was one of my few body parts that didn't hurt. "Hospitable Homes doesn't allow relatives to work in the same office branch. In this case, it mattered even more because Donna was the manager, and she distributed the leads."
Jacques' voice was heavy with sarcasm. "I guess we know why Tiffany had them all. Plus, Donna was getting a share of Tiffany's commission on the side. When Tiffany got her license, she came to Donna and asked her for a job. Donna made Tiffany sign a contract stating she'd give her fifteen percent of every sale she made in the next two years."
"I knew it. When did you find this out?"
"Right after you fainted—when we were waiting for the police. I couldn't shut Donna up."
"Darn. I always miss the good stuff."
Jacques grinned and went on. "Of course, it was totally illegal, but Tiffany was just starting out and desperate for sales, so she
agreed to it. Donna probably never expected Tiffany to become number one in the entire state but must have been thrilled when it happened. After her career took off, Tiffany became resentful and wanted to go out on her own. The two-year agreement was up last month, and Donna knew Tiffany planned on opening up her own brokerage firm. She couldn't afford to have Tiffany leave and begged her to stay put for a while."
"And how did that slime Ken fit into the picture?" Greg asked.
"Donna said she met Ken a couple of months ago. By the end of the first week, he had moved in with her and told her his life wouldn't be complete until she married him."
Oh brother. I wrinkled my nose. "Until he met Tiffany, that is."
Jacques snorted. "Well, let's be honest. If you were in his shoes, who would you have chosen? A gorgeous, young woman who's making money hand over fist or a middle-aged woman with a Raggedy Ann hairdo who's so desperate that she places personal advertisements in the newspaper?"
I groaned. "Please don't say middle-aged. Donna is only a couple of years older than me."
"Sorry, love." Jacques winked. "By the way, you look fantastic."
Greg and I laughed.
"Personal ads, huh?" Greg smiled. "No need. She should have come to me. I know this one mechanic who'd have dated her."
I put my finger to his lips. "I'm guessing Ken had an alibi for the night Tiffany was killed too."
Jacques was lapping up the attention. "Of course. He was at some gold and silver exhibition out of town, Donna said."
"He made sure to cover all his tracks," Greg commented.
I scoffed. "He knew Donna didn't know the value of the vase. He listed it with the auction house and was getting ready to leave the country. Donna would've never seen him again."
"No great loss there," my husband remarked.
"Donna didn't know, and neither did Tiffany. If she had, she would have sold that baby on the spot, I guarantee." Jacques shook his head. "My guess is Ken must have found the paperwork when he was helping her go through the junk in the basement."
I yawned. "I think Tiffany and Donna believed everything he said. Sounds like they treated him like he was some type of god."
"Freaky, isn't it?" Jacques asked. "And see where it got them. Remember, I did tell you it was all about the looks, darling."
I smiled. "For some people, I guess. Ken and Donna decided I should show him the house because it would make me look like the guilty party. He didn't want Donna to know about the vase, so it was a perfect time to grab it and then trot off to New York City, papers in hand. Of course, when the vase was discovered missing later on, Donna would think I'd stolen it."
Greg frowned. "He followed you around today. When you went to the pawn shop, he knew you were up to something."
I sighed and leaned forward. "You both tried to warn me not to show him those houses. Everything would have been simpler had I listened."
"Hon, you got off easy." Jacques stretched and crossed his legs at the ankles. "Tiffany paid with her life. And look at how he used Donna. Now she has no life—because of him."
Greg rubbed my back gently. "Hard to believe such a shrewd woman like her turned out to be so stupid."
"She was blinded by lust," I said.
Jacques shook his head at me. "She was duped by a con artist. I'll bet he was going to have the money wired to an overseas bank account when the vase sold. He probably planned to take off tonight."
"Well, the only place he's going now is up the river," Greg said.
Jacques got to his feet and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was after one o'clock in the morning. We'd been talking for over an hour.
"I hate to be a party pooper, guys, but I'm beat." Jacques leaned over to give me a kiss on the cheek. "And you need your rest. Be ready for work on Monday morning, missy."
I was confused. "And where am I working now?"
Jacque placed his hands on his hips. "Girlfriend, what am I going to do with you? I told you earlier I signed the lease for my new office space, so I'm hiring you as my first official agent. I'll draw up a formal contract for you to sign."
I could barely contain my excitement. "But what about Hospitable Homes? Couldn't you take over as manager there?"
Jacques dangled his car keys. "Probably, but I don't want it by default. Anyhow, I've always dreamed about having my own agency. I wouldn't be surprised if this branch went under now. By tomorrow there'll be too much bad publicity surrounding the place. No one is going to want to be associated with the agency now, thanks to Donna."
I hadn't thought of that. "Well, this is great for me, but I feel bad for everyone else."
He laughed. "They can come along too, if they want. But you'll have the place of honor, an office right next to mine. I even have your first listing ready."
"Get out." I was immensely pleased. "Where?"
His eyes gleamed. "Tiffany's house."
"What? But how?"
"When Tiffany died, Donna was designated as backup agent on the listing. She then took it over and listed me as backup. We'd worked together in that capacity before. This way, if she wasn't available, people could always contact me about seeing the house. Since Donna can no longer act in that manner and is in no position to change anything, I'll take over the listing. And I've decided to give it to you."
To say I was thrilled was an understatement. "You don't have to do that."
"I want to. I know you'll do it justice."
Despite the pain, I suddenly felt like break dancing. "I can't wait to go to work Monday. Gee, I never thought I'd say something like that."
Jacques blew me a kiss and shook hands with Greg.
Greg cleared his throat. "Hey, as soon as Cindy's feeling up to it, we'd like you and Ed to come for dinner."
"No thanks."
Greg's eyes widened with surprise.
Jacques grinned. "This girl needs a night off from cooking. We'll all go out—say, night after next? My treat to celebrate the new business. You can even bring the little monsters."
I beamed at my two favorite men. "That would be great."
"Okay, I've got to run. See you soon, lady."
"Bye, boss."
After Jacques had left, Greg got back into bed and hugged me close to him. "He's quite a guy."
"Took you long enough to find out," I teased.
Greg silenced me with a kiss. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you tonight."
I buried my face in his chest. "I have so much to be thankful for. You, the kids, and even your mother. Let's stop at the florist on the way home tomorrow and get her some flowers as a thank you for taking care of the kids."
Greg's arms tightened around me. "You're wonderful, baby." Then he chuckled. "Guess what I found in Mom's purse tonight?"
"What?"
"Our good silver."
"Oh, cut it out."
Greg laughed. "Yeah, that was bad, I know."
"I'm serious. I'd like to do something nice for her. I don't want any more fighting. Life is too short. I realized that tonight."
Greg cradled my face in his hands. "You're right about that. And I intend to make the most of every moment—with you."
"Same here," I whispered, kissing him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Despite pain killers the hospital had given me, I did not sleep well that night. A police officer arrived early the next morning to ask me a few questions. This time, it wasn't Officer Simon. I secretly wondered if he might have been too embarrassed to come, but there was no way of knowing for sure.
Greg slept like a dead man next to me, and it took several nudges to awaken him and stop his snoring so that the policeman could hear my responses.
Officer Tomlinson listened while I told him what had transpired in the house. I showed him the picture of Tiffany's vase I'd thrown into my purse. He wouldn't reveal any details about the case but mentioned that a call had been placed to take the vase off the auction house's schedule. It was being held as evidence a
nd eventually would become part of Tiffany's estate.
After Officer Tomlinson left, breakfast arrived. I was busy getting my caffeine fix on when my cell buzzed. Jacques. "Hey, you."
"Morning, love. How are we feeling today?"
I winced as I shifted positions in the bed. "Sore, but I'll live."
"Apparently, Donna's been placed on suicide watch. She's due to be transferred to a correctional facility downstate sometime later today."
I gasped. "How the heck do you know all this? A policeman was just here and wouldn't tell me anything."
Jacques spoke with authority. "I have a friend over at the station."
"You have friends everywhere. I'm getting jealous."
"Yeah, but you're at the top of the list."
I grinned. "I'd better be."
At that moment, a nurse walked into the room with my discharge papers. Greg got off the bed while she placed them in front of me to sign.
"Hang on a second, it looks like I'm being paroled." I scribbled my name down and handed the paper back to the nurse. "Can I call you when I get home?"
"Sure thing. Ed and I will stop by later, if you're feeling up to it," Jacques said.
"Definitely. I can't wait."
Jacques cleared his throat and hesitated. "Cin, there is one other thing. I've got some news that won't make you very happy."
"Uh-oh. What's up?"
"I talked to Marcia Steele, and it looks like Tiffany's house has to come off the market."
"Please tell me you're joking."
"I wish. I'm not positive, but if Tiffany didn't have a will and no living relatives, besides Donna, there wouldn't be a new owner to sign any contracts for a listing. It may have to be turned over to the estate to see if any other relatives file first. If they do, we may be able to list it again in the near future."
While I was disappointed, this wasn't totally unexpected. One thing I had learned in the real estate business was that nothing was ever a sure thing—similar to life. I tried to make light of the situation. "Well, that's just the way the deal crumbles, I guess."
Killer Transaction (Cindy York Mysteries Book 1) Page 20