Redress of Grievances (31 page)

"I
didn't hire you to drag my name through the mud or slander the reputations of
my friends."

"What
exactly did your friend say when he called you?"

"He
said your investigator told him he was investigating allegations of child abuse
involving Sharon," Collins seethed through clenched teeth.

"Well,
Mr. Graham is nothing if not blunt and to the point," Harriett said.
"Sharon alleges that you and your friends used her for sex for several
years. Rather I should say, Sharon's imaginary playmate alleges that."

"That's
bullshit! I never had sex with my own sister. A person would have to be crazy to
insinuate something like that!" Collins ranted.

"Exactly
my point," Harriett smiled. "If Mr. Graham cannot find anyone to
substantiate her claim then it will further bolster our plea of insanity."

Collins's
face brightened somewhat as it began to return to its normal color. "I
see. And surely you can see how upsetting these charges would be to my
friends."

"Yes,
I can see that. However, if what we suspect is true, and you, in fact, did
molest your own sister and allowed your friends to do the same, I can also
successfully use that to prove our plea. Either way, it's a win-win situation
for Sharon. I should tell you, however, that I believe my client. She has been
extremely graphic about what you did to her, and no one's imagination is that
good."

Leaning
back over the desk, Collins brought his face as close to Harriett's as
possible. "You will
not
use this defense on my sister's behalf. Do
you understand me, Ms Markham?"

Standing
quickly, she faced the man who disgusted her. "I
will
use this
defense, and I
will
drag out every perverted thing you ever did to
Sharon. You're the reason she did what she did. Innocent people died because of
it. She might go to prison, but everyone will know what you and the others did.
Now get out of my office before I call the police and have you removed."

A
wisp of a smile crossed Collins's lips as he straightened his tie and
readjusted his jacket. "You will regret it if you continue, Ms.
Markham," he said calmly. "I will see to it personally. I can and
will destroy you, so watch your back." Collins's eyes narrowed slightly as
he turned to leave. Opening the office door, he smiled again. "And please
give my regards to your lovely niece. Lacey, isn't it?"

Harriett's
hands were shaking as she sat back down and leaned her head against the back of
her chair. She had never mentioned Lacey to anyone associated with the Taggart
case except Sharon and then only in passing and certainly not by name. She
wasn't sure what she should do. Collins had threatened her personally, but the
threat to Lacey was a veiled one at best. With no other witnesses to their
conversation it would only be her word against his if she involved the police.

"My
God! Are you all right, Ms. Markham?" Phyllis asked as she re-entered
Harriett's office. "I've never seen anything like that."

"I'm
fine, Phyllis. Thank you. I think we should call it a day, don't you?"

Chapter
Thirty-Two

HARRIETT
WAS SOUND asleep when she was awakened by someone shaking her shoulder.

"Get
up, Aunt Harriett," Lacey prodded.

Harriett
peeked over the top of the bedcovers and could barely make out Lacey's face in
the semi-darkness of her bedroom.

"What's
wrong?" she croaked.

"Nothing.
You promised you'd go jogging with me this morning. Remember?"

"Was
I drunk when I promised that?" she asked as she sat up in bed. "What
time is it?"

"Almost
six. So get up and get dressed," Lacey answered as she went through the
bedroom door.

She
fell back onto her pillow and sighed. Next time she would ask more questions,
especially those related to time.

When
Harriett came down the stairs, Lacey was jogging in place in the entryway. She
smiled when she saw Harriett's face.

"Don't
worry, Aunt Harriett. We can start off at a slower pace until you wake
up."

"Thanks."

Lacey
opened the front door. Locking the door behind her, Harriett went down the
steps.

"It's
cold," she said.

"You'll
warm up once we get going. Come on."

Following
her athletic niece, Harriett remembered how much she hated exercise in any
form. She had never participated in sports in school and joined choir to avoid
physical education classes.

Lacey
jogged slowly, allowing her aunt to keep up with her. Periodically, the girl
would stop and run a series of wind sprints. Half an hour later, they were
halfway down a jogging path in a wooded area about a mile from the townhouse.
Lacey stopped and looked at Harriett.

"Let's
take a break," Lacey said.

"Excellent
idea," Harriett huffed, resting her hands on her knees. "Is this your
idea of a good time?"

"It's
good for your heart and lungs."

"Only
if your lungs don't explode, and your heart doesn't stop beating. Can we sit
down for a few minutes?"

"Uh-uh.
You don't want your muscles to get cold. It's better to keep moving, at least a
little."

Harriett
made a half-hearted attempt at keeping her muscles warm, but really wanted a
cup of hot coffee and a doughnut.

"You
like Devon, don't you, Aunt Harriett?" Lacey asked.

"He
seems to be a nice enough boy. Why?"

"Just
wondering," Lacey shrugged.

Harriett
stopped trying to move and looked at her slender, attractive niece.

"Are
you having a problem with Devon?" she asked.

Lacey
smiled slightly, "It's not really a problem, but we've been going out a
long time."

"And
Devon would like a little more out of your relationship?"

"Something
like that."

"Haven't
we already had the infamous birds and bees talk?"

"You've
always been very open with me about stuff like that, but it's one thing to talk
about it abstractly and another to deal with it in reality."

"I
don't care if every muscle in my body freezes up, I have to sit down for this
discussion, Lacey."

They
found a park bench nearby and Harriett had never been so grateful to sit in her
life. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Is Devon pressuring you to sleep with
him?"

Lacey
laughed lightly. "I don't think sleep is what he has in mind."

Smiling
despite herself, Harriett said, "I keep forgetting that kids today don't
speak in euphemisms anymore."

"How
old were you when you made love the first time?" Lacey asked.

"That's
a little personal, sweetheart," Harriett answered, dodging the question.
She had tried to be as open with Lacey as possible, but had never brought her
personal life into their discussions. "Do you mean had sex or made love?
They aren't the same thing, you know."

"Have
you ever had sex with a guy?"

"Once."

"What
happened?"

Clearing
her throat slightly, Harriett said, "I discovered that being with a man
wasn't what I wanted."

"Was
that when you decided that you liked being with a woman more?"

"I
didn't really decide that, honey. I think I always knew. It just took me a
while to accept it. I finally met someone I cared about and haven't questioned
my lifestyle since."

"Did
you feel guilty about it?"

Harriett
smiled. "For a while I imagined that everyone who looked at me knew about
it. And of course, I worried that Mom and Dad would find out. But now I realize
that relationship was mostly experimentation on my part. I think, now, that we
just used each other."

"Was
it different when you met Alex?"

"Yes,"
Harriett smiled.

"You
never talk about her anymore."

Harriett
took a deep breath and looked at the early morning rays of sunlight filtering
through the trees.

"That
was a long time ago, Lacey. It wasn't meant to be. I'm surprised you still
remember Alex. You were pretty young."

"Did
you love her, Aunt Harriett?"

"Of
course, I did, sweetheart. Very much. But people change and life goes on."

"Was
that why we moved to Austin? Because of Alex?"

"No,
but Alex and I both knew it was the right thing to do."

"I
wish you'd find someone. I don't like the idea of you being lonely."

"I'm
forty-five, Lacey. The pool of nice, eligible women in my age range is somewhat
limited."

Smiling
mischievously, Lacey said, "What about Ms. Raines? You like her well
enough to see her more than once. Not to mention she's a total babe."

"I
like Jess very much," Harriett smiled, "but it's a little early in
our relationship to say more than that."

"Well,
you've gone out with other women, but you've never brought any of them home
before. I know you've always wanted to protect me, Aunt Harriett, but I'm
really not as naive as you think I am.

"I've
never wanted my lifestyle to cause you a problem, sweetheart."

"What
you do with your personal life isn't any of my business. You've always done
what's most important to me. You've cared for me and loved me more than most of
my friends' parents. And I love you very much, Aunt Harriett."

"I
love you, too, Lacey," Harriett said as she hugged her niece.

"All
I want is for you to be happy," Lacey smiled. "And according to my
health teacher you're at your sexual peak."

"Jesus,
Lacey! Is that what my tuition money is paying them to teach you?"
Harriett laughed.

Lacey
stood up and stretched her legs on the bench before jogging in place again.

"Ready
to head for the house?" she said.

Harriett
got up and stretched a little.

"I
can't tell you what to do about Devon, sweetheart. Everyone has to do what he
or she thinks is right. Just think about it and then be careful."

By
the time Harriett and Lacey resumed jogging along the path that led out of the
park, other early morning joggers were on the path.

"I
didn't think there would be anyone as dumb as we are out here," Harriett
said.

"There
are always a lot of people here. That's why I come here. It's not safe to be
around here alone."

Actually,
Harriett's body was beginning to get accustomed to the moderate pace they were
jogging, but she knew it wasn't an activity she would enjoy on a regular basis.
A number of joggers passed them going the opposite direction. Some of them
seemed to recognize Lacey and waved or nodded to her. Occasionally an overly
energetic runner would run past them wishing to cover the ground more quickly.
The exit from the park was within her sight when a runner moved past her. She
barely noticed him until he was already past her. The hood of his sweatshirt
hid his face.

Lacey
had moved well ahead of Harriett and the runner fell in between them and stayed
there as they neared the road which encircled the park. Although it was away
from town, cars looking for a less congested route through Austin had begun
traveling the road. Harriett herself had cut through the park a number of times
in her truck. The runner between Harriett and Lacey increased his pace enough
to get closer to Lacey. With the road only a few yards away, the runner glanced
over his shoulder at Harriett and smiled. It was a man wearing sunglasses.
Other than that, she couldn't tell much about him except that he seemed to be
an average height and weight. He slowed as Lacey slowed, remaining slightly
behind her. Harriett began to get an uneasy feeling about the man and increased
her own pace to get closer to Lacey.

Lacey
came out of the trees less than ten yards from the roadway and prepared to
stop. Before she could stop completely, the man behind her reached out and
pushed her toward the road. Lacey was startled by the push and planted her feet
to stop her forward momentum. Her running shoes slid on the gravel that lined
the road, and she looked up to see a car coming toward her. The man reached out
and grabbed her, pulling her away from the road.

"Lac-e-y!"
Harriett screamed.

The
man looked back toward Harriett and smiled again. Turning his head, he glanced
quickly up and down the road. He said something to Lacey and then darted across
the road and disappeared as Harriett reached her niece.

"What
the hell was that?" Harriett asked, trying to catch her breath. "Are
you all right?"

Lacey
nodded and looked at her. "He shoved me."

"What
did he say to you?"

"That
he was sorry. Then he told me I should learn to watch my step and so should
Harriett. How did he know your name, Aunt Harriett?"