Uncorked (23 page)

“What do you suggest we do next?
Stay locked up in our homes forever?”

“We’d like to offer you a safe
house until we can make an arrest.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” said
Mitch. “I’d rather stay here where I have complete control over our safety.”

“If you change your mind, the
offer is open,” Detective Carter replied.

“We can’t continue like this. I
have a job, and Mitch has a business to run.”

“Have you found his accomplices?”
Mitch asked.

“No, he’s lawyered up and he’s
not talking. We’re still checking your SUV for DNA evidence that might have
been left behind.”

“So there are other people out
there who might try to kill us? I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry I have to
go.”

Chella thought she could handle
anything Detective Carter was going to tell her, but this she was not prepared
for. Silent, she left and returned to the penthouse.

Mitch stayed with
Detective Carter.

“Mr. Mariani, I’m really sorry
about this.

“We just want to get back to some
sort of normal life. Chella’s hasn’t had that in years. Yesterday, she was
looking to buy her first place or sign a long-term lease—things you and I take
for granted that she’s never experienced. She’s also scared. I hope you
understand why she lashed out at you like that.

“You know why I became a cop?”

Mitch shook his head.

“Because some jerk did to my
sister what this man is doing to Ms. Noon. The only difference is that he
succeeded in killing her.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. Trust me when I tell you
I’m committed to this case.”

“I believe you are. Thank you.”

“I had some other news, but under
the circumstances, I wasn’t sure I should tell Ms. Noon tonight.”

“What is it?”

“I took a look at her parent’s
accident file, and it had me suspicious. The lead detective on the case was
Aaron Stewart’s older brother. Dead now. But there are things that didn’t add
up, procedures that weren’t followed. I’ll try to get the case reopened, but
before I can even go to my superiors with this, I have to do some digging. I
need evidence to back up my suspicions.”

“How soon do you think it will be
before you get more information?”

“Hopefully, sometime next week.
I’m trying to work on both cases simultaneously.”

“What’s the plan to recapture
Aaron Stewart?”

“It’s going to be on all the news
networks for the next few nights. We’re hoping to pick him up before then. We
have his old place and the homes of all known relatives and friends under
surveillance, as well. Please be careful over the next few days.”

“We will. I should get back to
Chella.”

“Let her know we’re giving this
our all.”

Mitch slightly smiled. “Do you
have a family?”

“Yes. I have a wife and a
seven-year-old daughter.”

“Thanks for coming by so late.
Go. Spend some time with them.”

“Thanks, Mr. Mariani.”

“Does the indictment go on as
planned?”

“Sure does. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Detective. Have a
good night.”

Mitch found Chella
on the veranda.

Circling his arms around her from
behind, he said, “Sweetheart, I promise you, I won’t let him get near you.
Ever.”

“Just when I thought I could
breathe, this happens. I can’t believe they let him escape.”

“Chella, try not to worry.”

“It’s so much more than me now.
It’s you and your family, too. He made it clear to me you weren’t off limits.”

“I’ll take measures to make sure
they’re safe. Try not to worry.”

“Can you imagine what you mother
will say when she finds out about this?”

“I have no intention of telling
her anything. I’ll have guards monitor them from a distance. I don’t want them
knowing about this any more than you do.”

“I’m sorry I brought all this
into your life.”

“I’m not. I want you in my life.
I want to help you through this. Don’t apologize for any of this.”

“I don’t know if you will ever
understand how this makes me feel.”

“I understand how you feel. We’re
just beyond that.”

“So what happens next?”

“The story and his face will be
on the news the next couple of nights and the homes of his family and friends
are under surveillance. They’re hoping that he either shows up, or they get a
tip from the news.”

“I’m just so tired of this,” she
said sighing, turning around to face him.

“I know, Sweetheart, but
Detective Carter is going to get this sorted out.”

“I was too hard on him, wasn’t
I?”

“A little, but he understands.”

“I should call him to apologize.”

“You’ll see him tomorrow.”

Two hours after
the grand jury indictment,
Samantha Marlow called to give them the news: Aaron Stewart had been indicted
on all counts. Now, they just needed to find him and put him behind bars for
good.

Chella awoke from an afternoon
nap and entered Mitch’s great room. She heard Mitch talking on the phone in his
study. She took a quick peek and observed him as he sat, chair turned away from
the door, phone to his ear. His hair was wet, he had just showered. Chella
lifted her hand to knock.

“Tell her I’m not interested. I
can’t have this situation come back up, especially now that Chella’s in my
life.”

Chella’s hand stalled before it
made contact with the door. Her fingers clenched into a fist. She had no clue
what he was talking about, but a secret from her could not be good. She thought
they were beyond this, especially since her finding out about Emily. Now this.
After he had promised her he would not keep secrets from her, the words she had
just heard left her very displeased.

“Things are complicated enough as
it is. I have no interest in these women complicating things further for me.”

“What women?” Chella asked after
Mitch had put down the phone.

“Chella, it’s nothing you need to
worry about.”

“You’re keeping something from me
that involve other women, and it’s nothing? I specifically asked you when we
started seeing each other if there were any women in your life I needed to be
concerned about, and you said no.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“Why don’t you enlighten me?”

He sighed, his glare piercing
then stood and brushed past her.

“This is not something I can talk
to you about right now.”

“Why? According to you it would
complicate things for us, but you don’t want to tell me what it is,” she said,
following him into the kitchen.

“It would complicate things for
me, not us.”

“You’re smarter than that.
Whatever affects you affects me and vice-versa.”

“This involves other people and
things I can’t talk about yet.”

“I get it. This trust thing
between us is one-sided. I’m supposed to share with you my deepest fears and
thoughts, but you get to keep everything to yourself.”

“That’s not how it is.”

“Really? First you lie to me
about other women in your life, and then you tell me you can’t trust me.”

“I never lied to you about anything.”

“Mitch if things in this
relationship are one-sided then what’s the point?”

He stopped what he was doing in
the kitchen and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“Chella, I’m asking you to please trust me.”

“Mitch, how do you think it makes
me feel to know we’re in a relationship and you don’t trust me?”

“I do trust you. This involves
very sensitive information about other people, and I have to think carefully
about how I handle things first before I say anything. Trust me, please.”

“The last time someone said that
to me, we all know how that ended,” she said, pulling away from him.

“Don’t you dare compare me to
that psychotic bastard.”

“Fine. I guess I have no choice,
do I? I’m going to get some work done.” She walked into the guest room and
slammed the door behind her.

So much of this relationship
business was new to Chella. Was this normal? Did she have the right to be
upset? Should she just do as he asked and trust him? All she knew was how awful
it felt, and she wasn’t sure what would fix it.

She preoccupied her mind with
work. Her meeting with the bands’ managers the following Monday would be a
problem if Aaron was still MIA. She worked past darkness. When she finally
glanced at her watch, she realized it was nearly eleven o’clock. She couldn’t
believe how much time had gone by. In the great room, Mitch lay asleep on the
couch. The TV was still flickering.

Chella regretted comparing him to
Aaron. She knew he didn’t deserve that, but she was hurt he didn’t trust enough
to tell her what was going on. For the first time, she realized how her secrets
must have impacted everyone in her life all these years. She was getting a dose
of her own medicine.

She sat before him on the thick
plush rug. A few locks of hair draped over his forehead, and she gently pushed
them away. She was thankful for him. She appreciated him. No one in her adult
life had been as many things to her as he had. If he asked her to trust him,
perhaps she would. For now, she had some making-up to do. She traced her finger
along his profile until he opened his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He slowly sat up and glanced at
his watch. “How long have you been sitting there?”

“A few minutes. I wanted to tell
you I’m sorry. I know better than to compare you to him.”

He blinked the sleep from his
eyes. “Why did you say it?”

“It hurts me that you won’t talk
to me about what’s going on. I was angry because the unknown scares me. Mitch,
you know everything about me. You not confiding in me really bothers me.”

“I’ll tell you, just not now.
Trust me.”

“Fine. I will,” she replied
quietly.

“What changed your mind?”

“You’ve been there for me like no
one ever has.”

He smiled softly.

“So am I forgiven?” she asked,
batting her eyes.

“I can’t stay mad at you.”

She crawled into his lap and
straddled him as he sat on the couch.

“I like you,” she said, looking
into his green eyes then kissing his neck.

“I like you, too,” he replied and
kissed her lightly on the lips.

The following Saturday,
after a lazy morning in bed
watching television, Mitch said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you something, but
it’s been crazy the last few days.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s highly possible your
parent’s case will be reopened.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“Detective Carter told me the
last time he visited. He found discrepancies. Aaron’s older brother was the
lead detective on the case.”

“What? I didn’t know his brother
was a police officer,” Chella exclaimed, massaging the throbbing in her
forehead with her thumb and index fingers. “Just the thought of this is giving
me a headache.”

“His brother is dead now, but he
didn’t follow procedure, and there are enough holes in the case to make
Detective Carter suspicious. He’s looking for evidence before he takes it to
his superiors.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Keep your fingers crossed that
you’ll get the answers you’re looking for.”

“How soon?”

“Next week, maybe? Hopefully,
he’ll get the case reopened by then.”

“That’s unbelievable. All these
years I thought my parents died as a result of a normal car cash. Bad judgment
on the part of some man. More and more, it’s looking like Aaron had something
to do with their deaths.”

Mitch and Chella
spent the rest of the weekend at
the penthouse—not that they had much choice. There was no shortage of work for
either of them to do. After finishing her proposal late Saturday afternoon, she
helped Mitch unpack the rest of the things from his move. It was a nice
opportunity for him to show her pictures of Emily and a few with other family
and friends.

“I’m trying to figure out what to
do tomorrow,” said Chella. “I have a meeting with these two band managers. I’m
not sure if I should head to the office or meet them at a restaurant. What do
you think?”