The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (38 page)

“
Not in all ways, but in the most important one. You stand for nothing. Le
t’
s talk about friends. Mine are cleverer and better equipped. You did
n’
t think
I’
d walk in here without my team, did you? A sniper has you in her sights. I assure you that her bullets will slide through this glass like coconut spread. Drop your weapon, Stu
.
”

“I’
ll never surrender to a stupid bitch like you
.
”

“I’
m disappointed at your lack of creativity
.
”

He fired three shots at her, blasting the wall behind her.

She clutched her chest, and dropped to a knee.

He lowered his weapon, and walked toward her.

Reaching out her free hand, she sent out an electrical burst.

Stunned, he fell onto his side.

Ruby disappeared, and entered through the door to stand over Stuar
t’
s paralyzed form.

Federal agents streamed into the conference room, led by a stocky man with a wide smile on his square face.

“
Let us finish our chat, Agent Mitzu. Then h
e’
s all yours
.
”

“
How? Ho
w’
d you
?”
Stuart mumbled.

“
Hologram, not yet available on the market. And there was something about rigging doors and synchronizing projectors. Very realistic, do
n’
t you think? Boggles my mind, too, how it manages to deliver that jolt. Agent Mitzu, kindly add attempted murder to the litany of charges against Mr. Johnston. Yo
u’
ll have my full cooperation
.
”

“
But, but you were
n’
t here. It was
n’
t real
.
”

“
You did
n’
t know that, did you? You intended to kill me, and took a substantial act toward that end. An issue of first impression, I suspec
t—
attempted murder of a hologram. I
t’
ll be a fun trial. Of course, it wo
n’
t really impact your sentence. Yo
u’
ll get a lifetime for the first-degree murder of Anthony Priestley. Another, I suspect, for Patrick Abrams, and yet another for a guy known to you cokeheads as Cheeze. Save us some time and tell us where they are
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re too late
.
”

“
No, yo
u’
re too late. You had your chance to wear the white hat, and you blew it. Get comfortable on Mardova. Do
n’
t worry. Your best buddy will be there, too. In a separate section, of course, but yo
u’
re smart enough to figure out how to pass notes across a super-max, right
?”
Ruby knelt down
.“
Yo
u’
ll see my pretty face at trial. I have a feeling you wo
n’
t forget it anytime soon
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re dead, do you hear me
?
”

“
You already tried that and failed. Yes,
I’
d say w
e’
re markedly different, Johnston, in all the ways that matter
.”
A glint caught her eye
.“
Nice ring. Priestley would like it back. Agent? Your call
.
”

He beckoned an officer over
.“
Hawke, photograph and document this item, and give it to Miller. Sh
e’
s collected enough evidence to lock him away without the ring
.
”

“
Thanks, Mitzu
.
”

“
Thank you. If you ever need any assistance from my office, you know where to find me
.
”

“
He gets a one-way to Mardova, and w
e’
re square. Oh, and Stu? As a parting gift,
I’
ll ensure you make the new
s—
as soon as your buddy joins you in lockup. I know how you love the limelight
.
”

✧

“
Please, remain sitting, Susan
,”
Ruby said
.“
We have much to cover and most of it will shock you
.”
Ruby passed the threshold into the cramped holding area with Jasmine by her side.

“
W
e’
ve had a busy weekend
,”
Jasmine said, and sat next to Susan, giving her a small smile.

“
Ho
w’
s your wrist, Susan
?”
Ruby asked.

“
I
t’
s better than i
t’
s been in a while. Thanks. I do
n’
t know what you said, but whatever it was, they had a medic back as soon as I got to my quarters
.
”

“
Good. Susan, we figured out what happened to Jerry
.
”

She raised her hand to her mouth
.“I’
ve been going over it. I ca
n’
t figure it out. Who would want him dead? I did
n’
t want him dead. I just wanted him to stop hurting me. I wanted to go back to being happy. He was so different when we were first married
.
”

“
Marriage is a common change point for batterers
.
”

“
He was
n’
t a bad man. He could be so charming
.
”

“
Susan, I know he could be charming. You may rethink that first part after you hear what we have to tell you
.”
Ruby handed her PSC to Jasmine.

She propped it up for Susan.

“
Jerry rigged surveillance equipment in your hous
e—
the kitchen and master bedroom
.
”

“
Why would he do that
?
”

“
To monitor your movements
.
”

“
I do
n’
t understand
.
”

“
Susan, i
t’
s going to take a long time for this all to sink in, and for it to make sense
.
”

“
W
e’
ll get you through this, Susan
.”
Jasmine said.

“
Do you want me to continue
?
” Ruby asked.

“
Yes. I need to know the truth
.
”

“
Good. Le
t’
s walk through your birthday. You did
n’
t misplace your car keys. Jerry took them from the bowl
.
”

Jasmine played a video clip
.“
See, h
e’
s caught red-handed
.
”

“
You put it there, as you thought. He took it, and twisted reality
.
”

“
Why? Why would he take my keys
?
”

“
To drive your car to the cabin
.
”

“
I do
n’
t understand
.
”

“
You noticed his zippy new car
?
”

“
Yes, the red sports car
.
”

“
He did
n’
t get a promotion at work. H
e’
s had an illegal business with Johnston. Remember your inheritance
?
”

“
Yes, Jerry said h
e’
d take care of it. H
e’
d sell it for our nest egg
.
”

“
He lied
,”
Ruby said simply
.“
That property is still in your name. We sent out a drone to survey. He cleared out the farm equipment and created a private coke lab
.
”

“
Coke? Why would Jerry be involved with cocaine
?
”

Jasmine pulled up a photograph.

“
Who is that
?
” Susan asked.

“
Jerald Combes
.
”

“
No, no. It could
n’
t be. My husband is dead. They told me h
e’
s dead
.
”

“
No, the man in the morgue is Anthony Priestley. Anthony took orders from Johnston. He had
n’
t met Jerald. When Anthony wanted a fresh start, Johnston said h
e’
d reward his loyalty, and help him get a new identity. He paid a plastic surgeon to give Priestley what he thought was a new face. Turns out someone already had that face
.”
Ruby waited for it to sink in.

“
Oh my God. Jerry
.
”

“
Yes. What Jerald and Stuart have done is horrifying. Do you want to take a minute
?
”

“
No, no. I have to know it all
.
”

“
Once Priestley had Jeral
d’
s face and his fingerprints, Johnston told him to meet at the cabin. Anthony thought h
e’
d have a week to put his affairs in order before starting a new life
.
”

“
They . . . Oh my, they, they killed him
.
”

“
Yes, and they laid a trail pointing to you
.
”

“
Why? Why would Jerry do that
?
”

“
H
e’
s an abusive and controlling man. His objective was to ruin your life. Once you were shipped to Mardova, Johnston would inherit and liquidate Jerr
y’
s assets. The
y’
d add it to their drug money and take off
.
”

“
I, I thought I was going crazy. What am I going to do? Wha
t’
s going to happen? Oh my God
.”
She looked up. Fear ran wild in her eyes
.“
H
e’
s going to come after me. H
e’
ll kill me
.
”

“
No, Susan
,”
Ruby said forcefully
.“
W
e’
re ahead of him. H
e’
s never going to touch you again. I promise you. Have I done everything I told you
I’
d do
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
Then trust your own judgment on whether
I’
m a woman of my word
.
”

Calmer, she nodded
.“
What happens now
?
”

“
Yo
u’
ll get released this morning, possibly with a tracking device. Johnston was taken into custody by federal agents this morning. H
e’
s out of the picture. Jerry does
n’
t know. Your safety is my top priority, do you understand
?
”

“
Yes, yes. I
t’
s just that h
e’s
—”