Indiscretions (30 page)

Charisse sat nervously facing the sheet of glass, watching the prisoners take their places in the booths. Her eyes searched the faces of the entering men as she looked for Sean.

Then she saw him. His still-confident swagger brought him in her direction. She was once again struck by his incredible good looks. Even the beginning stubble of a beard shadowing his chiseled face couldn't diminish his appeal. Rather, it enhanced his aura of virility, even in the dismal atmosphere.

Surprise registered on his face, and a feeling of foreboding floated through him when he saw Charisse. Why was she here? He sat down and picked up the phone. Charisse picked up hers.

“Where is Khendra?”

Charisse gauged her response, not wanting to upset him. “First, before I say anything, I just want you to know that she's going to be fine.”

The muscle clenched in his jaw.

Charisse took a calming breath before she continued. “She was in a car accident.”

“What! Oh, my God!” Alarm rang through his voice.

“But she's all right,” Charisse assured. “She asked me to let you know she secured evidence to have the case reopened. The D.A. has it now.”

His tightened shoulders slowly relaxed. Charisse looked pensively at him, and he felt a but coming.

“The bad news is,” she continued, “that her witness has disappeared. Khen had the D.A. contact your friend Phil. He's already in Florida trying to find the witness. Khen is positive she went back there to her mother's home.”

“When will Khendra be released from the hospital?” he wanted to know, casting his trouble aside, thinking only of her.

“The doctors say a few more days. She has a concussion and a couple of cracked ribs.”

He briefly shut his eyes, pushing away the vision of her lying helplessly in a hospital bed. His stomach twisted. “Would you tell her something for me, Charisse?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Just tell her that I know she did everything she could and not to worry about me. I just want her to get well. I'm fine. Let the D.A. handle it from here.”

“I'll tell her, but you know Khendra. She has a will of her own.” She gave him a weak grin.

“Yeah, I know,” he said somberly.

Fighting the aches in her body and the flashes of pain that ripped through her head, it had taken Khendra nearly an hour to get dressed. But finally she was finished. She took her personal belongings from the bedside stand and dropped them into her handbag.

The doctor had said she needed to stay another week, but time was running out. Against all of the doctors' orders, she had signed herself out of the hospital.

Phil had called that morning to say he had located Mrs. Finch, but she refused to return to Atlanta. He said she was terrified. She had no other recourse but to go to Florida herself and beg her if she had to. She didn't care what it took, but Vera Finch was going to testify.

The cab pulled up in front of a small whitewashed house set back against a tiny grove of budding orange trees. Khendra checked the address against the one written on the slip of paper. Satisfied, she paid the driver.

The long ride from the Palm Beach airport had left her achy, and her head had once again begun to pound. Gingerly, she stepped out of the car into the blazing afternoon sun, and she had to quickly don her dark shades.

Slowly, she made her way to the front door and rang the bell.

Within moments, a young girl, about eight years old, answered the door, looking at Khendra with startling gray eyes. The resemblance to Vera was astounding, she thought, seeing Vera as she must have looked as a child.

Is Vera Finch here?” she asked gently, looking down at the girl.

“M-O-M!” the child yelled. “A lady is here to see you,” she chanted.

Several moments later, Vera appeared at the door, and cold fear registered on her face.

“Kerry, go inside,” she instructed her daughter.

Then when Kerry was safely out of earshot, she turned to Khendra. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. “I already told that man I wasn't coming back.” Her cheeks flamed. “Now go away!”

“Vera, please,” Khendra begged. “You've got to listen to me. A man's life is at stake.”

“My life is at stake.”

Khendra's eyes immediately flashed concern. “Please Vera, let me come in so we can talk. What happened, and why do you think you're in danger?”

Vera stepped aside, and Khendra walked into the small living room. Glad to be inside because her head was beginning to throb again, she sank into the first chair she saw. Vera sat down on the edge of the sofa next to her.

“About a week ago, I received a letter stuffed under my door. I opened it and it was a note made up of letters clipped from a magazine or newspaper or something.” Her hands started to shake.

Khendra reached over and patted her knee. “Go on, Vera. What did it say?”

“It said if I said anything to anyone, I'd regret it. And my…” the words caught in her throat, “daughter would be harmed first.” A slow trickle of tears ran down her cheeks.

“Vera, listen to me. I know you're afraid.”

“You don't know anything!” she screamed, leaping up from the sofa. “What would you know about losing someone, the fear that they won't be there tomorrow? You, with your high-paying job and fancy clothes,” she sneered. “What would you know? Tell me!”

Khendra swallowed back the knot of pain that caught in her throat. The agony of Vera's words ripped through her, clouding her dark brown eyes. Words more powerful than the pain that assaulted her body.

“I know,” she whispered. “And I'm about to lose again without your help.” Her eyes and her voice implored Vera to understand.

Vera wiped away her tears, seeing in Khendra's face the mirror image of her own lost hopes and newfound fears. She hugged herself, willing her body not to crumble.

“What about my Kerry?” she asked in a shaky voice.

The light of hope filled Khendra's eyes. “I'll arrange protection for both of you. I promise you that.”

Agonized seconds passed. “I'll go,” Vera said finally.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

With Vera and Kerry safely tucked away and Vera's statement documented, the D.A. moved ahead with the warrant.

“…and Max,” he said into the phone, “I also want a court order to have his bank accounts seized and all of his charge card receipts. Got it? Now move on it.” He hung up the phone and looked up at Khendra.

“Now we just wait, and hope that he doesn't get wind of it.”

Khendra stood with her hands folded in front of her, her face resolute. She simply nodded.

Alex leaned back in his chair, his feet up on the desk, a look of contentment covering his face. Everything had worked out smoothly, he thought, and by tonight he would be gone.

He picked up his plane tickets from the desk and inserted them into his inside breast pocket, patting it assuredly. He reached over and picked up a small bag, swung his legs to the floor and headed for the door.

Ellen Counts watched with a mixture of fascination and regret as a half-dozen police officers went through her house. She could call Alex and warn him. But then again, why should she? Maybe now she could begin to live.

The flight to Rio was scheduled to leave in twenty minutes.
Right on time.

The boarding call was announced. Alex moved easily through the crowd up to the gate, handed the stewardess his boarding pass and made his way across the ramp.

There was a flurry of activity behind him, and he turned. Three men were pushing their way through the line, causing squeals and curses from the passengers.

Alex froze as they rapidly approached and encircled him.

“Alex Counts, we have a warrant for your arrest.”

“There must be some mistake,” he said, panic holding him immobile.

“I don't think so, Counts,” Ed Damato said, seeming to appear from nowhere and moving steadily toward him. “Cuff him, Murphy, and read the man his rights.” He turned around in disgust and walked toward the exit.

Sean stood silently next to Khendra as she waited for a cab to take her to the airport.