Heart Lies & Alibis (21 page)

And I knew at that moment, I felt all the same feelings for him. "I love you too Declan. More than I have ever loved anyone until now. And yes, all of this is crazy and scary but I also want us." There were the tears again. But this time I really didn't care.

His eyes met mine again before he nodded. "Good. Then we will make this work in whatever way we can, no matter what happens. Okay?" How had this wonderful man found his way into my life and how did I make sure he stayed forever?

"Yes Declan. Always." This time when we made love, it was with a whole new level of feeling. I knew Declan was right, whatever was going to happen would happen but if we were together, it would make it all worthwhile. My future was as uncertain as it could be but I had finally found real love and I wasn't letting it go.

Before we could figure out a plan for Declan's escape from my house the next morning, my phone rang. My new attorney's name flashed across caller id. My heart dropped and I shot Declan a wide eyed look, holding my finger to my lips to silence him.

"Hello Jackson." Declan nodded now fully understanding my reaction. "How are you?" I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Reagan, good morning." His Texas drawl was graveled from years of whiskey and cigars and today he sounded more stern than usual. I knew something was wrong. "We have a problem."

I closed my eyes clutching the phone. Declan came closer, sitting beside me and taking my free hand. "Okay. What is it?"

"I'll get straight to the point. Did you write some emails to Thad over the last few months detailing a plan you had for the firm to start representing the Lazcano Drug Cartel and for you to act as their main attorney?"

My eyes sprang back open in surprise. "Hell no. Of course I didn't. What are you talking about?"

"Well, your good friend Detective Perretti called me this morning said an examination of your computer at the office found some very interesting emails. They had been deleted but the cyber techs retrieved them from your hard-drive without a problem. Perretti claims they show correspondence between you and Thad in which you are doing your best to convince him why being a part of the Lazcano Organization would be a good move for the firm and for you and Thad personally. She says it is also clear he is trying his best to convince you otherwise. What the hell is going on Reagan? Where did these emails come from?"

All of this was new information to me. "Jackson, I have no idea where those emails came from but they are not mine. I swear to you. I only know who the Lazcano's are from seeing them on the news. I have never actually had any dealings with them. I don't understand any of this." My eyes were wide as I spoke, meeting Declan's and seeing my fear mirrored in them.

"I figured as much but I needed to ask all the same. Listen, someone is setting you up mighty nicely young lady, and they are doing a fine job of making you appear like a cold hearted murderer who killed her husband and also has ties to an international drug lord. I am looking at a copy of one of the last emails sent, dated the same day you threatened Thad at the office. In it, you express your anger over being forced out of the firm because of the divorce. You state you are especially concerned with how it will affect your potential relationship with the Lazcano Organization. You tell Thad he will regret his decision to remove you from the firm even more than the affair."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I did not write one of those damn emails but the evidence against me was mounting. "Oh my god. This is bad, isn't it Jackson?" Why do we ask questions we already know the answer to?

"Yeah, darlin' this is about as bad as it could get for you. If it looks like you had even more motive to kill Thad than just being ticked off about him sleeping around, the district attorney may push to up the charge to Murder One. And this is Texas remember? So you know what that means."

I felt my face tingle and a cold sweat break out on my forehead. All I could do was whisper, "The death penalty. Son of a bitch."

"Exactly. Our fair state does not take kindly to murder and you know they will push for the maximum if the prosecutor can prove you also have ties to the Lazcano Organization. But let's slow down a bit. I am going to do my best to not let it get that far. I promise you I will do everything I can to keep you off death row. What I need you to do is think of anyone who could be setting you up like this. We also need to figure out why they want to take you down so bad they are willing to plant evidence. Finally, we need to understand what exactly your husband did to put himself in someone's cross-hairs because I have a feeling this whole thing will start and end with him. I'll be in touch Reagan."

He hung up without another word from me which was good because someone had suddenly sucked all the oxygen out of the world and I thought I might pass out. My phone fell to the floor. I dropped my head between my knees and tried to catch my breath and stop this nightmare from crushing me. I had gone from getting a divorce to facing the possibility of being on death row in just a few weeks. God damn it to hell.

Declan dropped to his knees in front of me. "Talk to me Reagan. What did Jackson say? Why were you talking about the death penalty?"

I tried to speak but couldn't. I was so angry. How the hell had someone messed up my life so bad? And how was I going to fix it? I jumped up and started pacing the room.

Declan jumped up and got me a glass of water. I wouldn't stop pacing long enough to drink it though. "Reagan. It's going to be okay but I need you to talk to me."

I stopped and turned on him, my eyes blazing. "They think I have more motive for killing Thad than just being a pissed off wife." I yelled. Declan raised his eyes at my outburst. "I'm sorry for yelling Declan but things have turned bad – worse than I could have imagined. Someone is setting me up to destroy my life and I don't know if I will be able to stop them." I said before laying out the new damning evidence Jackson had reported. "What am I going to do Declan?" I threw my hands in the air, letting out a deep, ragged breath and waiting for an answer he wouldn't have.

Declan stayed with me well into the night. Finally, we both knew he had to go back to his house, if nothing else but to keep suspicions at bay. Watching him leave nearly broke me again but I put on a tough front, teasing him about feeling like Juliet with her Romeo sneaking away into the night. He turned before closing the door. "I love you Reagan. No matter what. Always,
a chroi
." And then he was gone.

Chapter 13

My sleep was awful for the rest of the night, my eyes closing for only enough time to replenish my exhausted body. As dawn crested and sunlight streamed in the windows, I trudged downstairs, flipping on the television after the coffee was made. The local news was just starting and I blew my coffee all over the table when I saw I was the top story of the day. First, some pictures of me flashed across the screen. One was my mug shot from my recent arrest and the other was of me at sixteen. A picture no one should have had access to or even known about. I watched in horror at the perky newscaster filling the screen.

"As we reported in earlier broadcasts, local attorney Reagan McCallister was arrested yesterday for the murder of her husband and law partner, prominent lawyer Thaddeus McCallister. Mrs. McCallister is currently released on bail with electronic monitoring. We also have unconfirmed reports from an anonymous source at HPD stating Mrs. McCallister may be under further investigation for alleged ties to the Lazcano Drug Cartel. Details about the case are still coming in. In addition, this station has learned exclusively, this may not be the first time Mrs. McCallister has been in trouble with the law. A source reports she also appears to have a sealed juvenile record under the name Bobbi Jo Callahan in the state of Kentucky. Attempts to speak with McCallister's attorney were met with no comment. So who is the accused, really? Is she Reagan McCallister or Bobbi Jo Callahan? What is she hiding? And what is her relationship with the notorious Mexican drug cartel? We will be following this story closely over the preceding weeks as her case is brought to trial, bringing you all the facts we collect. Back to you Harvey."

My worst nightmare was now my reality. Someone had found out about my past and plastered it all over the news. No one in my life for the last 23 years knew about Bobbi Jo, not even Grace. I had buried that girl the day I left Winchester, Kentucky and I did not want her coming back. Things were going from bad to worse at lightning speed and I didn't know what to do.

The home phone in my office and my cell rang non-stop after the newscast. Most of the calls were from news reporters who wanted a comment from me about the story. Grace called and I could hear the hurt in her voice when she asked me if the story was true. I couldn't lie to her anymore so I told her it was. She said she still loved me and would be there for me but she needed some time to come to terms with everything she had learned about me. I hoped I hadn't just lost my best friend in the middle of my worst hell.

Jackson called at 10am to ask me, no rather to tell me in no uncertain terms, he would be coming by at noon and I had better tell him every damn thing about myself or he was quitting my case and I could face whatever the hell the state had in store for me with a public defender. Of course, I agreed to the meeting. A half hour after I hung up with Jackson came the phone call I was most dreading.

I answered on the second ring. "Hello Declan." I knew he had to have seen the news and once again he had caught me in a lie.

"Hello Reagan or maybe I should call you Bobbi Jo instead?" His voice sounded so cold and distant it was like a knife in my gut.

"My name is Reagan, Declan. Just Reagan. You can stop thinking I am anyone else. But you do deserve an explanation about the news story and so many other things."

"You think Reagan? Maybe you have so more lies you want to tell me first." His voice was incredulous and more than a little hurt.

"Declan, please. Give me the chance to at least explain. I know I don't deserve it but I really want you to know the truth." I waited, my heart in my throat, for his answer.

"I will be there in 10 minutes." He broke the connection without another word.

I waited for him to arrive knowing what I had to tell him might be the end of everything for us. But maybe if I would finally let all my walls down and let someone into my heart for real, I could let the secrets go once and for all. I hoped he would be willing to let me take the risk and give us the chance we deserved at happiness.

He snuck in to my house the same way he had the night before without a problem. But this time there was no romantic entrance upon his arrival. He walked into my bedroom and stood near the far wall. I sat on the edge of my bed watching him and when our eyes met, his were the stormiest gray I had ever seen them be – pain and anger dense, and very, very cold. His face was a sheet of stone, with his lips pursed and his jaw twitching as he stared back at me. I shivered under his glare but squared my shoulders instead of cowering in shame. I would face this thing with my head held high. My pride was about all I had left now but it was mine and I was going to hold onto it no matter what happened.

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, and waited without speaking. He was not going to make this easy, that was clear, and I understood why. I deserved every moment of this after the way I had deceived him.

I took a deep breath and stood up. I had to walk while I talked or I wouldn't be able to get everything out. I began with a slightly shaky voice but I soon found my normal confident tone. It was the one I used in court and allowed me to speak of personal things without getting emotional. I had a story to tell and no room – or time – for emotions. My future depended on convincing Declan to give me another chance.

"My name was Bobbi Jo Callahan, just like the news reported, 'was' being the operative word though. Bobbi Jo died one crisp fall day in Winchester Kentucky, buried by me when I boarded a bus for California and a start at a new life before I ended up dead. She was never supposed to come back." I looked deep into his eyes to make sure he understood exactly what I meant.

His eyes narrowed and his voice was cold and distant when he spoke "How do I know this is the truth Reagan? You have already lied so many times. Why is this time different?" His eyes blazed with anger and pain. I had really hurt him this time and the realization tore at my heart.

I looked down in shame. Finally, I met his eyes again. "I know Declan and you are right to question my honesty. I am so sorry for that. Really, I am. But I need you to understand why I lied and why I had to keep my past secret. Let me tell you everything about Bobbi Jo and then you can decide if I made the right decision."

"Yeah Reagan, I think of anyone you know, I would understand the need to keep your past buried. But apparently that assumption was wrong. Please share with me why your situation was so different." I knew he was right but I still felt like I had no choice.

"No. You're right Declan. So right. I wanted to tell you the truth right away when you shared your secret with me but I just couldn't. I had built a life over the last 23 years and it depended on me being known only as Reagan Fairfield, and then of course I became Reagan McCallister. Bobbi Jo had to stay dead and gone or else everything I had worked for would also be lost."

He was still watching me with a set mouth, not budging the least in his angry stance. I hadn't convinced him yet.