Just Cause (12 page)

She arranged her few dresses and blouses carefully. She could hear Dan in the living room, moving things around so he could set up her computer. His police uniforms hung next to her clothes, and she touched the nearest shirt gingerly. She knew Dan loved his job, but he was leaving it for her.

“I think you’re all set,” he said from the doorway, and she shut the closet door and turned to face him.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to connect the computer.”

He shrugged. “It will give you something to do while I finish out the workweek.”

“Do you think…” She hesitated, not wanting to ask the same questions over and over.

“Judy will be here in an hour. Jessica’s bringing her in an unmarked car.”

She nodded. “Good. I don’t want anyone seeing her car. Not now.”

Dan stepped toward her. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll stay at Judy’s in case anyone tries to break in there again.”

Laurel knew it was a real possibility. The house swap had seemed logical when Dan suggested it. She and Judy would stay together at his little rental, and Dan would sleep at Judy’s home until Friday, when his vacation period would start. Then the two of them would head for Maine, and Judy’s sister would arrive to stay with her. Judy could move back into her house with some assurance of safety, since the garage door had been repaired and she had contracted for a security system. Jessica had promised to keep an eye on her, just to be sure.

“Anything else I can do?” Dan asked.

“I don’t think so.” Laurel took the few remaining items from her duffel bag. She set her cosmetic bag on the dresser and looked down at the framed photograph in her hand.

“Is that Bob?”

“Both of us.”

“May I?” he asked reverently.

She held the frame out, watching Dan’s face. He studied the picture for a long moment.

“You look happy.”

She swallowed hard. “We were.” She leaned closer and stared at herself in the photograph. She looked young. Carefree.

“You’re more beautiful now,” Dan said softly. He reached out to stroke her hair, and she closed her eyes, enjoying his touch for a second. If she leaned toward him, he would fold her in his arms. She smiled at him and stepped away. It would be too easy to try to make things happen her own way and not wait for God’s leading.

Dan set the frame on the dresser. “You need to hire me as your private investigator. Hight’s orders.”

“All right. What’s your fee?”

“A penny a year.”

They both laughed.

“What did he tell you about his meeting with the D.A.?” she asked.

“The state is looking at the bridge project Bob was last overseeing.”

“The Maple Grove bridge?”

“Yes. Something about the materials. Hight faxed me some documents at the police station, but I haven’t had time to look at them yet.” He stepped toward her once more and raised her chin so that she looked into his eyes. “I would never let you go back alone.”

She caught his hand and squeezed it, then moved back, fighting tears. “How can you do this?”

“I told you, vacation. I’ve been saving it. Didn’t know what for.”

She nodded, not trusting herself to continue this line of conversation. “We’d better get you something to eat.”

“Sounds good. I picked up a few groceries.” He took her into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “I guess there’s no one you can stay with in Maine?”

She shook her head. “I can’t think of anyone.”

“The state doesn’t pay to put up defendants, eh?”

“Not unless they house them at the jail.”

“Well, we’ll work something out.” She wondered if he’d gone through the same mental exercise she had, counting his savings and ticking off his credit card limits. It would be expensive to put two of them up in a hotel for several weeks. Maybe Jim Hight would have some ideas.

Dan arranged a packaged steak and an assortment of salad vegetables on the counter. “Think you can sleep in another strange bed tonight?”

“I’ll be all right once Judy’s here.”

“Good. Just don’t lie awake thinking about the case.”

“But I need to think about it, Dan. I even took that picture out of the frame to see if there was anything behind it, but there wasn’t.” She frowned in frustration. “They think there’s something significant, you said.”

“Seems that way.”

“Then it has to be something I had before I went to jail. Something Bob had access to.” She shook her head, wishing she could clear her mind of all the extraneous details and home in on what was important. “I went through all my things again, but nothing jumped out at me.”

She began making a salad while Dan placed a frying pan on the stove. He turned toward her. “So tell me whatever you know about this bridge project.”

Judy again volunteered to go through records with them. She curled up in an armchair, eagerly accepting the papers Dan gave her.

“You don’t have to spend your evening doing this,” Laurel said.

“It’s fun. Well, maybe not fun exactly, but it’s stimulating…and I’m glad to be back with you two.”

“I missed you terribly. I’m glad your sister’s coming.”

“Thanks. My boss arranged a low-profile rental car for me for the rest of this week, and I’m taking some vacation time soon. My sister and I may take a trip together, to get away for a while.”

Laurel wished she could get away—away from her life. But that was impossible, so she took a report and skimmed it. “These are the specifications for the Maple Grove bridge.”

“Mean anything to you?” Dan asked.

“Not really. I know Bob was stressed over the project.”

“Why?”

She considered. “I think they’d cut it close on their bid.”

“Well, I told you a question’s arisen as to whether or not they actually used the specified materials.”

Judy laid down her sheaf of papers. “Why would this bridge thing make them send Laurel back to trial?”

“It wouldn’t, by itself.”

“There’s something else?”

“Well, yes.” Dan glanced at Laurel.

“They found new evidence against me?”

Dan hesitated. “They’re making a fuss about the civil suit.” He turned to Judy. “Laurel’s in-laws took just about everything she owned while Laurel was in jail.”

“She told me. I don’t see how they got away with it.”

Laurel shrugged. “Me, either. Renata said she took back the things they had paid for.” It had baffled Laurel at the time, but she’d accepted it along with all the other injustices.

“She’s a thief,” said Judy.

“I wasn’t in a position to make a stink about it.” Laurel toyed with the edge of the couch cushion.

“Those things were yours,” Dan said. “The house and furnishings should have been part of the estate.”

“My lawyer filed a motion of some sort, but a lot of things had already been sold, and apparently Wayne and Renata came up with receipts that showed they’d paid for it all. I never got a cent.”

“I can’t believe it,” Judy said in dismay.

“I walked out with my clothes, a few boxes of books and mementos and my wedding ring. That was it.” Laurel sighed. “Maybe if I’d been less distraught, I could have put up a better fight.”

“Well, Jim Hight is still fighting for you,” Dan assured her. “He told me last night that the civil suit will come up soon, and he still hopes to reach a cash settlement in your favor, even if you can’t get the things back.”

Laurel nodded. “The things themselves didn’t mean that much. I’d have gladly given up the house and furniture to have Bob alive.”

Dan squeezed her hand.

Judy stood up. “Let’s have dessert.” She stopped in the kitchen doorway and looked back at Laurel. “You have the right to feel that way, honey, but I hope Bob Hatcher was the man you think he was.”

When they were alone, Dan chose his words carefully.

“Laurel, I’ve got to tell you, the Hatchers are saying this civil suit proves you cared more about Bob’s things than you did about him.” Her stricken look got to him, and he said hastily, “Jim knows that’s crazy. He figures it will backfire, and show how hateful they were to you.”

Laurel shuddered. “It’s just like Renata. She wants to see me imprisoned for life.”

She was still frightened. Dan didn’t blame her—it scared him, too. His bravado was tested when he considered what the Hatchers and the criminal justice system had already done to Laurel. “Well, we hope things will go better this time, right?”

She managed a smile.

Judy came back with a tray of cookies and lemonade. “Do you know yet when you’re leaving for Maine?”

“Saturday,” Dan said. “That is, if Laurel’s willing. I got a leave of absence. Three weeks before the trial, twelve weeks total.”

“Twelve weeks? Dan, really?” Laurel asked.

“Yes. If I don’t need it all, I’ll come back early.”

Laurel’s lip trembled. “Thank you.”

They discussed the case for a few minutes longer while they ate the cookies, then Dan looked at his watch. “I’d better get going. I told my folks I’d drive out there tonight.”

“I thought you were staying at my place,” Judy said.

“I am, but I need to let them know what’s going on.”

Dan drew Laurel into the entry, where his suitcase waited.

“We’ll get through this with God’s help,” he whispered, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Her eyes were luminous. “I want to believe that.”

The moment seemed perfect, so he bent down and brushed her lips with his. It jolted him to the core and he drew her closer when she slipped her hands around him. He realized he was prolonging the embrace beyond his intention, but he couldn’t help lingering.

When she pulled away, he held on to her. His heart would break if they lost the trial.

“Laurel, when it’s over—”

She caught her breath. “Danny, I can’t talk about that yet. You know I can’t.”

She was right, of course, and now was not the time to let his feelings run wild. She needed his professional skills, and he needed to remember to be cautious.

She pushed gently away from him. “I can’t have you thinking things are settled when they’re not. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone.”

He took a deep breath. “You’re right. You’re innocent, Laurel. I believe God will honor that.”

She pressed her lips together and looked away. “I hope so, but I could be in jail for more than twenty years.”

“If that happens, I’ll be here for you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t be foolish. If it does happen, you need to go on with your life.”

“Laurel—”

“Please don’t say any more. Not now. I knew this would be too hard.” She turned and walked quickly from the room.

Dan felt like kicking himself. He’d been stupid to let his emotions spiral out of control like that when she was agonizing over this thing. He needed to be strong for her. Levelheaded. Logical. He left quietly, locking the door behind him.

D
an faced off with his parents across the kitchen table. “Dad, Mom, you have to realize that Laurel is innocent.”

“Of course she is,” his mother retorted. “My son wouldn’t devote his life to a dangerous, conniving woman.”

Dan smiled. His mother’s heart was boundless. He’d seen it when his brother Owen chose his bride. Marissa was as dear to her as her own children now.

“A hung jury, son.” Caution edged his father’s voice. “That’s not so good.”

“That’s why we’ve been working so hard to uncover something new that will help her.”

“Find anything yet?” His father’s large hands closed around his coffee mug.

“I can outline the case for you,” Dan offered.

Michael nodded. He was a cabinetmaker, and he knew the value of detail work.

“Well, you can excuse me,” Kathryn said. “I’ll be making pies. You are bringing that poor little thing to meet us and have supper, aren’t you, Daniel?”

“I’m afraid not, Mom. You’ll have to wait a few weeks to meet Laurel. We’ll be heading for Maine Saturday.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Her lawyer thinks I can help him with the investigation between now and the trial. I’ll let you know where we’re staying.”

“You tell her we’re behind her, you understand?”

Dan smiled. “Of course, Mom. Should I tell Becky and the boys?”

“We’ll fill them in if you want,” Michael said. “There won’t be any embarrassing moments for her in this house.”

“Thank you.” Relief surged over Dan. He ought to have come home sooner and told them. Owen’s willingness to help had been an indication of how the rest of the family would feel. The people he trusted most would share the load, and he couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

“Come on.” His father rose with his mug in his hand. “I’ll show you what I’m working on.”

Dan followed him out the back door, into his workshop. His father had remodeled the old carriage house. The place smelled of cedar shavings and pine, with a whiff of turpentine. Dan loved the shop where his father crafted beautiful furniture.

“This is a special order,” Michael said, running his hand over the smooth top of a dry sink. “Just need to put the hardware on.”

Dan always wondered at his father’s humility. He took pride in his superior work, but was self-effacing as an artist. He’d always taught the boys to do their best and give God the glory for any talent they had.

“This girl, son.” Michael turned toward him, his eyes as somber as Dan’s. “What will you do if things don’t go her way in the courtroom?”

Dan took a deep breath. “She won’t promise me anything until the trial is over.”

Michael nodded. “That’s as it should be.”

“Yes. But I love her, Dad.”

“Have you told her that?”

“Not in so many words. She…thinks we should go slow until the verdict is in.”

Michael’s features softened. “She’s right, you know, Danny.”

Dan nodded, though his heart was torn. “I want to do things right, Dad. But she’s innocent. I’m going to support her through this.”

His father studied him intently. “And if she’s found guilty?”

Dan sighed and picked up a chisel, examining the keen edge. “She’ll still be innocent.”

“Ah, boy, you always were stubborn.”

“What’s the difference between stubborn and loyal?” Dan asked.

“I recall that girl you were going around with a while ago. Ashleigh.”

“This isn’t like that, Dad.” Dan inhaled deeply and started over. “Ashleigh needed a different kind of help. She needed Christ, but she wouldn’t accept that. Laurel is a believer. Her faith is true, even though she’s been through an ordeal worse than we can imagine. She told me…she told me God will be with her, no matter how this turns out. And I want to be there, too.”

“We’ll pray about this, your mother and I.” His father clasped his shoulder with a strong hand. “And Laurel is right. God will uphold you, son. Through the good and the bad.”

On Tuesday, Judy went to work and Laurel cleaned the sparsely furnished house and rested. Time and again her mind went back to Dan. His face had become so dear, his earnest endeavor to help her precious. She yearned to believe as he did that they could have a future together. A rambling old white house with lilac bushes in front and a vegetable garden behind. A porch swing, a dog…and children. Dan’s love and protection.

But the bars of the county jail superimposed themselves over the daydreams. She would not let him lock himself into a promise with that in view. She kept busy, but still the thoughts came.

“What smells so good?” Judy asked when she came home.

“Banana bread. It was bake and scrub the bathroom, or go crazy thinking about the case.”

Judy set a bag of groceries on the counter. “Great. Did you get the bathroom cleaned yet?”

“It sparkles.”

“I knew you were the perfect roommate the moment I saw you.”

Laurel grinned. “I wish I could stay longer with you, but that’s not to be. We’re taking a chance staying here together as it is.”

“I was extra careful driving home,” Judy admitted. “I’m sure no one followed me.”

“I’m so sorry!”

“Let’s not start that again. Just remember that I’m keeping your room open at the house for when you come back.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Where are you and Dan staying in Maine?”

“A hotel, I suppose.” Laurel walked out to the garage with Judy for more groceries. “It could be an expensive trip for Dan, just to see me convicted.” She reached into the back of the car for a sack.

Judy laid a hand on her arm. “Stop that! You are not going to be convicted. It would infuriate Dan to hear you say that.”

“I’ll try to be more positive,” Laurel said tentatively.

“Well, that’s more like it.” Judy grabbed the last bag of food. “Look, I know this trial is about you, but you must realize what it’s doing to Dan.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s putting everything on the line for you.”

Laurel slowly trailed her to the kitchen. “I can see all that he’s doing for me.”

Judy faced her, a plaintive look on her face. “He loves you, you know.”

Laurel set her bag on the table. “I…can’t consider that right now. When I know the verdict, then I can think about love and the future and having a life. If it’s a good verdict.”

Judy shook her head. “You can’t talk that way to Dan. Don’t let him feel like he has to hold you up, too. He wants to go out and slay dragons for you. He’ll have a lot better chance if you quit tripping him up with negative thinking.”

Laurel sat down at the table. “You think it would make that big a difference?”

“Of course.” Judy leaned down and wagged a finger under Laurel’s nose. “It’s awfully hard for knights in shining armor to get up again once they fall.”

Dan arrived before supper, wearing his uniform.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come tonight,” Laurel said.

“What, because of last night?”

She nodded. “I was pretty rough on you.”

“No, you were practical. I need that sometimes.”

She smiled warily. “At least I know how you feel now.”

“You know some of it,” he agreed. “I’ll tell you the rest sometime. When you’re ready.”

She bit her bottom lip. “I think I’d like to hear it…when the time is right.”

He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms. They went to the kitchen, where Judy was setting the table.

“Have you bought your plane tickets yet?” Judy asked.

“I thought we’d drive,” Dan said.

Judy nodded. “Slower, but cheaper.” She took a meat loaf from the oven and set it on the hot mat. “I’ve decided to take a couple of weeks’ vacation while you’re in Maine.”

“Good,” said Laurel. “You need a break from all the headaches we’ve given you.”

Judy and Dan sat down while Laurel speared the baked potatoes with a fork and plopped them into a serving dish.

Judy said, “Actually, I might see you during my vacation.”

Laurel froze. “You’re…going to the trial?”

“Not necessarily. But my sister, Jackie, can’t get away as soon as I’d like to go, and I found myself envying you two and your trip to Maine. So I went online and found the classified ads from the
Kennebec Journal
. I’m renting a cottage on a lake for a few weeks. Jackie will join me when she’s able.” She smiled at them.

Dan eyed her suspiciously. “Judy, you’re being sneaky. What’s up?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I found I could rent this three-bedroom cottage for half the price of a good hotel room. It’s stocked with linens and dishes, has a dock and a rowboat. I thought, ‘Why not? I’ll just soak up the sun in Maine for a couple of weeks.’” She turned eagerly to Laurel, then back to Dan. “How about it?”

“It’s brilliant,” Dan said. “Wish I’d thought of it.”

“Dan booked rooms for us in Augusta,” Laurel said.

“Great.” Judy unfolded her napkin. “For the first week. But I hope you’ll consider spending weeks two and three with me on the lake. It’s fifteen miles from the courthouse. I checked.”

“You’re asking us to stay with you?” Dan looked eagerly at Laurel. Even though Laurel instinctively hated the idea of her friend seeing her on trial, he knew Judy’s presence would bring her comfort.

“It would save you a bundle, and I don’t like to vacation alone.” Judy sounded determined.

“We’ll pay half,” Dan said firmly.

Judy shrugged. “If you insist, but it’s really unnecessary.”

She scooped a generous portion of meat loaf onto her plate. “I’ll run errands and cook. Anything to help you out. And if you want me to stay away from the courthouse when the time comes, I will.”

Laurel pushed her chair back and opened her arms to Judy. “You are the dearest friend I’ve ever had. How can you do this?”

“Hey, I hate vacationing alone.”

Judy insisted on doing the dishes after supper, and Dan and Laurel settled in the living room with the briefcase.

“What did you learn from compiling all this information?” Laurel stared at the folders of documents.

Dan took both her hands in his. “Mostly, I learned you really loved this guy.”

She nodded, and tears welled in her eyes. “He wasn’t perfect, but he was decent.”

“The two of you talked about him leaving Hatcher & Brody as late as March that year,” Dan noted.

“Yes. He wanted to be independent of the family, but his dad begged him to stay. And Uncle Jack had given him that car. I thought it was an attempt to make him feel guilty, you know? So he wouldn’t leave them.”

“But why did they care so much? Was it a matter of pride for Wayne Hatcher to have his son in the firm? Or was it just anger that he would consider leaving?”

“Maybe a little of both.” The ache of Bob’s disharmony with his family came back to her. He had wanted his parents to have the faith he had and to love Laurel as a daughter. But his intercession for her had only seemed to alienate Renata further, and both parents refused to listen to him about spiritual matters.

She faced Dan with new resolution, eager to go on and learn the truth about Bob’s death. “Bob wanted to please his folks with his work, and he wanted them to love me. He tried several times to talk to Renata about the way she treated me, but that only seemed to make her angrier.”

“Near the end,” Dan said, “you told me Bob was stressed, and you thought he wasn’t telling you everything.”

“I was frightened,” she admitted. “When the Maple Grove bridge came up, Bob was upset for weeks. I’m not positive the bids had anything to do with it, but that was all I could figure. I asked him about it twice, but he didn’t want to talk about it. The second time, he said, ‘Laurel, just let it be. When I can tell you about it, I will.’”

“But he never did.”

“No. I never knew how they did it, but they always underbid their competitors, just enough to get the contract and still make a good profit. Simon Brothers accused Wayne of cheating somehow. Wayne denied it, and the next time, when they were bidding on the airport in Lewiston, Hatcher & Brody bid too high. But Bob told me afterward that his father didn’t want that project, anyway.”

“So Bob thought Wayne bid high on it just to mollify the competitors?” Dan asked.

She nodded. “He told me that much. When the bridge project came up, he wouldn’t talk about it. But he was trusting the Lord, even then. I know he was. He read his Bible a lot, and we would pray together. I guess he thought I was better off not knowing the details.”

“Hatcher & Brody was the lowest bidder on the bridge,” Dan said.

“Not actually, but they promised to use this special kind of steel—oh!” She clapped her hand to her mouth.

“What is it?”

“You said the prosecutor mentioned inferior materials being used in the bridge.”

Dan nodded. “The city of Maple Grove filed a complaint. The flanges on some of the beams had cracked. It scared them, so the state of New Hampshire sent out an inspector. He claims the girders were made from a lower grade of steel than the plans called for. Hatcher & Brody is having to spend a lot of money to repair it.”