Brash Endeavor, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 3

by William Manchee

Chapter 35

  REVELATION

  Several days later I was at the office pondering what to do about Jane Thorn when General Burton came in, nodded, and went into his office. It was a beautiful day and he had obviously been to the golf course. I got up, followed him to his office and stood in the doorway.

  "So, how did you shoot?"

  "Horrible, I couldn't putt worth a damn."

  "Oh really. That's too bad," I said. "Oh, guess what?"

  "What?" the General said as he looked up at me.

  "I'm having lunch today with Jane Brown."

  "What's the occasion?"

  "We're going to talk about the work I'm going to be doing for Thorn Enterprises in the future."

  "Well, that's great, Stan, I'm happy for you."

  "I'd invite you along but Jane might want to talk in private."

  "Well, that's okay. I understand. I've got a lot of work to do anyway."

  "I'll see you later then."

  "Okay."

  At twelve o'clock Ralph walked in the door and advised me Jane was waiting in the car. I followed him to the limousine, joined Jane in the back seat and we drove off. Ralph took us to a very chic French Restaurant near Northpark. We went inside and were seated quickly. Jane obviously had frequented this establishment many times as they treated her like a queen. The waiter brought us drinks, French bread and then took our orders. We sat and engaged in casual conversation with soft music playing in the background.

  "So, Stan I heard about your wife. That is so wonderful that they dropped the charges," Jane said.

  "Oh, I know. I've never been so happy," I replied. "The last few months have been hell, but I guess you, more than anyone, can appreciate what it's like to have a family member charged with murder."

  "Oh yes, it's been very difficult for me with Taylor and Robert under indictment. The stress is something awful," Jane said.

  "Jane, something's been bothering me about your mother's death?"

  "What's that?"

  "How in the hell did I get involved," I said.

  "You were just lucky, I guess. Someone just picked you out of the blue to start the ball rolling," Jane replied.

  "I don't think so. I think I was carefully picked and manipulated as part of an intricate plan to gain control of Thorn Enterprises."

  Jane stiffened. "What are you saying, Stan?"

  "I want to know why you picked me for your grand scheme?"

  She frowned. "What are you talking about, what grand scheme?"

  "Don't play innocent with me, you called me pretending to be your mother, didn't you?"

  She shook her head. "No, you're crazy. . . . What's got into you."

  "I know Ralph killed your mother."

  "What?” she gasped. “That's ridiculous."

  "Come on, quit the charade. I know Ralph took Robert's limo and followed your mother on Highway 24 and ran her off the road near Wilkerson Pass. Ralph's more than your driver isn't he Jane?"

  She glared at me and started to get up. "Stan you've really got a lot of nerve. I'm leaving."

  "Sit down, Jane! I haven't finished. I'm not quite sure why you had to kill Ronald Sage. Did he find out about your scheme by accident or was he in on it from the beginning?"

  Jane swallowed hard. "It was pretty clever though, planting all that evidence to make the police think Taylor and Robert were the murderers. Is money and power all that important to you that you’d kill your own mother and send your brother and husband to the gas chamber?"

  "You don't know what it’s like to be treated like a piece of furniture all your life. Mom never cared about me, all she wanted me to do was to look pretty and keep quiet. I asked her to let me help in the business after Dad died, but it was like talking to a rock and Robert just laughed at the idea. I hated them. I felt like a zombie. Was I alive or was I dead? I wasn't sure."

  "What about Taylor, didn't you love him?"

  "Get serious! He was Mom's idea. I was part of the merger between Thorn Enterprises and Brown Properties."

  "So you decided to have it all, huh? It was certainly a very ingenious plan, setting up your brother and husband to take the fall for your mother's death and then having to take over control of Thorn Enterprises in midst of such tragedy. I think your family greatly misjudged your business acumen."

  "They never gave me a chance. I know I can run Thorn Enterprises ten times better than any of them and I am going to show them."

  "But the most incredible part of the scheme was getting me involved. You figured you get some kid right out of law school, who didn't know his ass from an ear lobe, to stumble onto your mother's murder. You figured handling me would be easy, didn't you?"

  "That's right, and if you mention one word of this garbage you've been spouting off here today I'll have you disbarred. Everybody knows what a person tells their attorney is privileged and you can't tell a soul anything you know that might incriminate me," Jane said gleefully.

  "Your absolutely right, but do you remember that check you gave me for ten thousand dollars?"

  "Yes, your retainer check."

  "It was from Thorn Enterprises, Jane; I am not your attorney. I work for Thorn Enterprises and I called the sheriff a day or two ago and told him to check Ralph's boot for blood, . . . my blood. Was that you who lured me into opening my door so Ralph could beat the shit out of me?"

  Jane looked around nervously. "You're out of your mind."

  "I don't think so. The sheriff called me this morning and said they indeed found my blood on Ralph's boot. It's over Jane. The police are on their way over right now to arrest you."

  I looked up and noticed two uniformed policemen and a detective talking to a waiter. He pointed toward Jane and the men approached us.

  "One more thing Jane. I'm curious, how did you find me anyway?"

  She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I can’t believe you figured it out.”

  “Sorry. . . . So, why did you pick me?”

  “Gena Lombardi told me all about you. She's my travel agent. When she told me you’d moved in with General Burton I couldn't believe it. It was perfect."

  A detective reached our table and hovered over us. "Jane Brown," the detective asked.

  "Yes," Jane said dejectedly.

  "You'll have to come with us. We've got a warrant for your arrest." The two uniformed officers grabbed Jane by both arms and pulled her up out of her chair.

  "I'm coming; you don't have to manhandle me."

  "I'm sorry Jane, I always liked you, I never thought it would end this way."

  The next day I got a phone call from Gena. Apparently she forgot she had promised to drive Miss Texas Wine Country in her Corvette in the 4th of July parade. They had just called her to confirm that she would be there and she wanted me to cover for her. Since Gena had been so nice to give me the car I could hardly refuse.

  I met Miss Texas Wine Country at the staging area, she climbed into the Corvette and sat on the back of the rear seat. She was beautiful in her white swim suit and I was proud to be driving her in the parade. As we took our place in line the bands began playing and the crowd roared with delight over the magnificent floats on display.

  When the parade was over I felt a strong urge to get better acquainted with my passenger, but luckily Rebekah and kids showed up before I had a chance. After the parade we took the kids to the midway at Fair Park which was open for the 4th of July. Then we watched a spectacular fireworks show which was a fitting end to the first six months of my legal career.

  That night there was a full moon, the stars were radiant and Rebekah and I were in an amorous mood. We put the kids to bed early and retired to the bedroom. Rebekah had made a miraculous recovery in the few days since her case was dismissed. The tension in her face was gone, her bloodshot eyes had cleared up, and the color had returned to her face. As I gazed into her eyes I silently thanked God for delivering us through the horrors of the past few months. She smiled at me as if
she could read my mind then reached up and gently pulled my lips down to hers.

  We made love that night more passionately than we'd ever done it before. When our energy was spent we laid in each other's arms in a peaceful bliss.

  "That was wonderful," Rebekah said. "I guess I need to go on trial for murder more often."

  "Well, I almost lost you, Babe. I've been worried sick about you. I don't know what I would have done if you'd been convicted."

  "You probably would have found some cute blond to take my place."

  "No way, no one could ever replace you."

  "She wouldn't have been as good a mother as me though. Our kids would have suffered had they hauled me off to prison."

  "That's for sure."

  Rebekah laughed. "Bird was such a fool to fall for our little scheme."

  "Huh?"

  "He was so paranoid he paid twenty-five thousand dollars to shut up Miguel. . . . What a fool; Miguel didn't have shit."

  "What?"

  "You know what I love about you, Stan. You're so positive. Everything you see glitters. You never see the evil in people; You always look for something good and when you find it you're blinded by it."

  "You're talking in circles, Rebekah. I don't understand what you're talking about."

  Rebekah laughed and shook her head. "You are so naive. Do you think I'd let another woman have you? Sheila was after you from the minute she laid eyes on you. I could see that the first time we met."

  "What?"

  "I've got ten years and four children invested in you Stanley Turner, and no little bitch is going to take that away from me! Trust me!"

  I sat up in the bed and looked at Rebekah in disbelief.

  "Rebekah, cut it out! You're scaring me."

  "I'm sorry, I can't keep this inside me. I've got to tell someone. I couldn't believe my good fortune when I saw Bird and he told me what had happened. God, what luck!"

  "I don't want to hear this. You told me you were innocent. I believed you! I trusted you!"

  Rebekah sat up, smiled and laughed eerily, "Like I said, that's what I love about you, Stan. You're so gullible.”

  “Rebekah!”

  Rebekah sighed. “Okay. . . . Okay. . . . Relax, I'm just fooling with you."

  THE STAN TURNER MYSTERIES

  by William Manchee

  Undaunted

  Disillusioned

  Brash Endeavor

  Second Chair

  Cash Call

  Deadly Distractions

  Black Monday

  Cactus Island

  Act Normal

  Deadly Defiance

  Deadly Dining

  "...appealing characters and lively dialogue, especially in the courtroom . . . " (Publisher's Weekly)

  "...plenty of action and adventure . . . " (Library Journal)

  "...each plot line, in and of itself, can be riveting . . . " (Foreword Magazine)

  "...a courtroom climax that would make the venerable Perry Mason stand and applaud…” …"(Crescent Blue)

  "...Richly textured with wonderful atmosphere, the novel shows Manchee as a smooth, polished master of the mystery form . . . " (The Book Reader)

  "...Manchee’s stories are suspenseful and most involve lawyers. And he’s as proficient as Grisham . . . (Dallas Observer)

  "...fabulous-a real page turner-I didn't want it to end!" (Allison Robson, CBS Affiliate, KLBK TV, Ch 13)