Deadly Valentine (29 page)

“In any case, I'll need to ask you to leave.”

“I hope I didn't get her trouble. She did ask me not to call you. But she looked pretty bad when I first saw her.”

“Why would she be in trouble?” Philip asked in a voice that sounded like she was indeed in trouble.

“If it were me, I'd want to know when a loved one wasn't well,” Tess said.

“She's fine.” The finality in his tone told Tess that the visit was done.

~~~~

By the time Jack dropped her off at her office, Tess had had enough of the Worthington's to last a lifetime.

"Tess!" hissed Regina as she jumped from her chair behind the desk and ran towards her.

"Something wrong?" Tess asked wondering if Regina was going to run her over.

Regina moved in nearly nose to nose. "Detective Showalter is here," she whispered. She glanced over her shoulder towards Tess' office. Tess followed her gaze but didn't see anything. "He's really ticked off."

No doubt he'd talked to his family, Tess thought.

"I mean like murderously mad. I'd call the authorities, but he is the authorities. Is Mr. Valentine coming in? He could protect you."

"I'm sure I can handle it," Tess said. "Besides, you're a witness. He won't hurt me."

Regina's face blanched. "If he hurt you, then he'd have to hurt me."

"Then why don't you take a break. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Do you think that it's safe?"

"Don't worry," Tess reassured her. "I'll be fine."

Tess was glad for the warning. It gave her time to prepare for whatever was about to come. She'd never known Daniel to get "murderously mad" until that morning. There was no doubt that Helen and the Senator had told him about her visit, which likely fueled his anger.

She had a quick look at him pacing in her office before he realized she was there.

"How dare you!"

"Daniel." Tess said as she made her way to her desk.

"What were you thinking interrogating my mother and my grandfather?"

Tess took off her coat and hung it on the rack. "I wasn't interro-"

"The hell you weren't. What are you doing asking him about a long gone assistant? Insinuating impropriety." His hands slammed down on her desk as she'd finally made her way behind it.

"Whoa, wait. I didn't insinuate anything."

"I should arrest you for hindering an investigation."

"Oh come on Daniel." She sat in her chair glad to have her weight off her shaky legs. She didn't really think he'd hurt her, but she'd never seen him so angry or animated. "Are you here to yell at me or are you interested in knowing my side of things?"

"I want to know why you were there in the first place." He leaned over her desk putting his face into hers.

His attempt at intimidation hurt more than scared her. She'd known him since she was sixteen years old and had been good friends with him for the last three years. How quickly he and Helen were able to discard her without any thought to her side of the story. Of course, she wasn't totally blameless. She had crossed the line on more than one occasion. But her goal was to get to the truth, a truth that no one in Daniel's family seemed to want to know.

She leaned back in her chair, hoping it conveyed indifference to his outburst. "I was there because Helen wasn't returning my calls. I was worried about her and wanted to know about your dad."

"So you interrogated my grandfather?"

"The Senator came in the room while I was waiting. By the way, does he always have liquor early in the morning?"

"That's none of your damn business." He pushed off from her desk and paced again.

"We started talking. That's all."

"That's not how he tells it." He stopped, stared down at her. She got the impression that he felt like he didn't know her anymore. The feeling was mutual. She didn’t know him either.

"I can't help that."

"You told my mother I was doing a lousy job." Tess wondered if that bothered him more than her questioning the Senator.

"I didn't say it like that. Besides, she nearly called me a whore which I'm positive she got from you. Now, if that's all –"

"It's not all, Tess. Why are you so blind when it comes to this guy?"

"Why are you?"

"The evidence."

Tess scoffed. "You don't have evidence, at least nothing that would lead to an arrest. And certainly nothing any more compelling than what can be said for other people in the house that night."

"I have more than you know."

That stopped her. She knew he wouldn't tell her, but she couldn't help but wonder. "I know that you're not supposed to be on this case. And I know that based on what the police have now not only could I create reasonable doubt, but I could create absolute doubt."

His jaw tightened. "You're being over confident."

"So are you." Tess stood and came around the desk hoping the gesture would be taken as olive branch. "Look. I'm not telling the police not to look at Jack. But there are so many other aspects that need to be looked at, and no one seems to be doing that."

"We're back to the Senator's assistant again?"

"That's one thing."

He glared at her with his hands on his hips. "Tell me, Tess, why would an assistant who died over thirty years ago have any bearing on the case? Assume it's true and he had an affair with her, maybe even fathered her baby, who'd care today? Senators are doing it all the time. Most of them still get elected."

He had a point. "I don't know. But it seemed to matter to Asa."

"Asa was a heartless bastard. We've all had to suffer from his compulsive need to dominate or humiliate. He probably though he'd embarrass the Senator with the information. But to kill him over it? Come on. Surely you see that's just nuts."

Tess wondered what antics Asa had used to dominate or humiliate Daniel. "Wait! I never accused or even suggested that the Senator had an affair with his assistant."

Daniel stopped. She could practically see the wheels in his head turning to come up with a response. "But that's what you were thinking."

"Is he telepathic? I didn't say anything that would even remotely have suggested I thought he'd had an affair. But it's interesting that he took it that way."

"No it isn't." But his denial was weak. "And even if it was true, it doesn't matter. It has no bearing on the case and you have no right to investigate it."

She did have a right as part of Jack's counsel, but she decided not to share that point.

"And don't deny you are investigating. Why else would you follow a trip to the house with a visit to Philip?"

"Philip is in charge of Worthington Media. Jack had business with Worthington Media. Who else would he talk to?"

"What business?"

"Keep up Daniel! The night of the murder, Asa had business with Jack. Business that he didn't get to complete because someone murdered him."

"Do I look stupid?"

No, she thought. But he sure was dense sometimes.

"You told Philip it was business, but it was clear you were there to question him. Why?"

"You know why."

"The supposedly false statement."

"Right."

"Tess what if I'm right? What if Jack is using you and your attraction to him to get away with murder."

"And Tom? Jack was with me the night he was attacked," she countered.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked." The gleam in Daniel's eyes told her she wasn't going to like what she heard. Even worse, she was terrified that she was about to find out that she had indeed been sleeping with the enemy.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Tess hoped her face showed indifference, despite the panic swirling in her gut.

"We're currently looking for a man named Derek Martin. Do you know him?" Daniel asked. Tess knew she needed to tread carefully. She was a witness of sorts, but also the lawyer to person of interest.

"I'll take that as a yes," Daniel said. "His car was parked outside of my parents' house the night of the fire."

"You're sure it was his car?" Tess asked. She knew the police weren't beyond fudging the truth to get information. "Three digit match on the plate, plus matching description of the car."

"But not the make, model or color?"

"Dark two door hatchback. Derek Martin owns a black Honda Civic hatchback."

"So do many people."

"But as I said, his plate matches with the three characters the witness was able to identify."

"There was someone up watching your parents' house in the middle of the night?"

"Mrs. Danner." Mrs. Danner was the equivalent of Mrs. Kravitz from Bewtiched if Helen was to be believed. "Her dog needed to do his business," Daniel finished.

"It's still not much. You know as well as I do that eye witness testimony is unreliable."

"We found the car. It has broken computer parts in the back."

Okay, so it was getting worse. "Did they match the computer parts found at the scene?"

"We're waiting to hear back. But we also found a gas can."

Make it stop, was all Tess could think. She leaned on the edge of her desk and crossed her arms hoping to give the appearance that the news wasn't affecting her. "I'm guessing you think gas was the accelerant. Has the fire marshal confirmed that?"

"Not yet. But Tess, you have to admit, no one has that kind of bad luck. He was there because Jack asked him to take care of it. And Jack was covered because he was with you."

Tess couldn't make herself believe it was true, yet a part of her knew that it was possible.

"I've been trying to warn you-"

"Stop!" Tess held her hand up just in case her words didn't do the trick. "You're jumping ahead of yourself. If I do a search how many other dark colored two door cars will I find with the three numbers? How many students have similar cars with computers and computer parts?"

Tess hated the pity that shone in his eyes. "You still don't have evidence Daniel. Regardless of how the circumstances look, you need proof."

"We've put people away on less, Tess and you know it."

"Well you let me know when you have arrest warrant and then we'll talk. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you left."

"You're still going to help him."

"It's my job Daniel!" She moved back to her chair. "And I should remind you that it's your job or should I say Detective Johnson's job to prove he's guilty." She sat down and began manipulating folders on her desk simply to look busy. "Please. Go."

He stood staring at her for a moment. Then with a shake of his head, he turned and left.

When the door closed behind him, Tess propped her elbows on her desk and dropped her head in her hands. She thought back to three days earlier when she met Derek in Jack's office. Derek had left the office with a promise to "take care of it". But take care of what? It couldn't possibly have been Tom. Jack was cocky, but not stupid. If he were going to order up murder, he wouldn't do it in front of her. Would he?

She hated that she was even entertaining thoughts that Daniel could be right. Had Jack used her to create an alibi? Was his attention all part of a grand scheme that involved the murder of Asa and Tom? How could the man who was so caring towards her be the monster Daniel was suggesting? On the other hand, women's television was filled with real-life stories of seemingly perfect men who turned out to be serial killers.

"Tess?" Regina poked her head through the door.

"Yes? Is Mr. Tate here?"

"Ah no." Regina entered the office coming to stand in front of Tess' desk. "He cancelled."

"What is it with everyone lately?" Tess said. "Can't anyone keep an appointment anymore?"

"He asked for his final bill." Regina spoke so softly Tess wasn't sure she heard her right.

"What?"

Regina shifted her feet. "Final bill. He asked for his final bill."

Tess was sure she was gaping. "How many does that make?"

Regina handed her a paper. Tess looked over the paper and then up at Regina again. "Are you sure about this?"

Regina nodded.

"That's nearly all the retainer clients."

"I know."

"And … a third of the current cases?"

Regina only nodded again.

"What's going on? What did they say?"

"I think it had something to do with this."

Tess took the folded newspaper from Regina.

"Here," she said pointing to an article next to a picture of Jack.

Computer Security and Internet Business Mogel Jack Valentine Top Suspect in Asa Worthington's Murder

Oh great, Tess thought as she read the piece that pretended to be news, but was more like gossip. In it she was identified as Jack's lawyer and lover. The story outlined their dinner and how his car was parked outside her home all night. Why anyone would care about that was beyond her. But clearly her clients did. Or maybe it was because Asa's family was part of the fabric of Jefferson Tavern and those who opposed the family were tantamount to traitors. Were her clients leaving her for representing Jack? 

"Can you get Kate on the phone for me?" Tess asked Regina. "Try her cell phone in case she's not at the station."

"Sure. Anything else?"

"That's it for now. Thank you."

Tess sat back in her chair attempting to get a grip on the situation. But there was so much being thrown at her. She felt like a tennis player at the receiving end of a tennis ball machine without a racket and unable to move fast enough to dodge the incoming balls.

Her intercom beeped. "Kate didn't pick up," Tess heard Regina say. "I left a message to call you."

"Thank you," Tess said. Then because she didn't quite know what to do next to salvage her business or her life she gave Regina the rest of the day off.

In her office alone, Tess tried to determine where her ordered life had veered off course. The answer of course was Jack. Why hadn't she listened to that little voice in her head that screamed STOP every time he came near? Stupid hormones! Even more disturbing was the idea that maybe Daniel was right. Could Jack be using her? She remembered the saying about if something was too good to be true, it probably was. Jack definitely fit the profile of too good. Too handsome. Too rich. Too perfect.