Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (13 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Marcus woke to the sound of the doorbell followed by heavy pounding. He glanced at the bedside clock.
Damn it
. Nine a.m.

Pulling on a silk robe, he glanced longingly at the long-legged redhead. She’d been good, but he’d been tired that morning and had looked forward to exploring other delights she had to offer. In fact, he’d planned on spending the entire day in bed.

The doorbell rang again, and he padded out of the bedroom and across the living room. “Hold on, damn it. I’m coming.”

He jerked open the door, swallowing the curse words on the tip of his tongue. “Mr. Beaumont?”

“We need to talk.”

Marcus opened the door wider. “Come on in. I’ll fix a pot of coffee.” He led the way to the kitchen, his mind racing. Few people in the world scared him, but Clifford Beaumont was on the top of the list. “Regular or decaf?”

“Skip the coffee, Marcus. Sit down.”

Marcus pulled out a chair and sat. “You’re upset.”

Clifford loomed over him, huge hands clenched into fists. “Somebody tried to break into my house this morning, his intent to hurt my daughter. I know who did it, but I don’t know why. You know anything about that?”

Marcus found he couldn’t take his eyes off those fists. He’d seen the damage they could do. Even when not clenched, they were lethal weapons, huge hands that could wrap around a man’s neck and snap it with the barest of twists. His voice stammered. “You know me better than that. I would never move on your family.”

Beaumont leaned in close, his breath hot. “My hands have been clean for a long time, Marcus. But they’re about to get dirty. Real dirty.”

Marcus started babbling. “It’s Elkins. His wife cut him off, left everything she had to the younger son. He wants him dead, and he knows Kamela’s pregnant with Jordan’s child. Both the Elkinses are crazy. Hell, the son just raped Jenna James. I’m gonna take care of it. All I need is a few days. I’ll take care of it, Mr. Beaumont. I promise.”

“When?”

Marcus swallowed hard as those hands wrapped around the front of his robe. He felt the warm trickle of his bladder letting go. “A week. No more than a week.”

Beaumont shook him. “When was Jenna James raped?”

“Last night.”

Beaumont let go of him, wiping his hands on his jeans. “You got one week. If Elkins is still alive, you won’t be.”

He stalked toward the living room but stopped just inside the kitchen doorway. “Anything else happens to Jenna James, I’ll come back and kill you myself.”

Marcus wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes following the stiff back as it stomped through his living room and out the front door. He glanced down at the small puddle beneath his chair. “Damn you, Elkins. This is your fault.”

He stood up, the trickle of hot liquid running down his leg a reminder he had work to do, and if he wanted to live, he’d do it fast. He could have Beaumont killed, but that wouldn’t save him. Beaumont’s followers were loyal to the death. One of them would find him and kill him. He’d suffer less by putting a bullet through his own head.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Jenna took her time getting ready, rummaging until she found a clean pair of jeans and an old Young Guns T-shirt. She studied her face in a mirror. Makeup had helped. She still had dark circles under her eyes, but only the most perceptive would realize she’d been to hell and was still trying to climb her way out. Harry would notice, of course. He was that kind of guy.

She brushed her hair, disgusted with the curls but not wanting to take the time to straighten it. She might go down before the final battle was fought in the courtroom, but she was going to go down fighting. And she was going to face her attacker in a courtroom—maybe not for the rape he’d committed, but for crimes that would put him away much longer. Harry was right; a day off would allow them to recoup, clear their minds, and start fresh that night. She grabbed tennis shoes before closing the bedroom door behind her and making her way to the kitchen.

Harry and Jake were talking in hushed tones, which ended abruptly when she entered the kitchen. She glanced from one to the other, noting the worried lines creasing Harry’s forehead. “What’s wrong?”

Jake removed the pan he’d been holding from the stove top. “You’re out of bacon.”

“Don’t lie to me. Harry?” She kept her eyes trained on his face.

“We got a call from Loki. The undertaker and his girlfriend were found this morning. Both had been tortured before they died and their place trashed. If he had anything, he probably gave it up.”

Jenna pulled out a chair and sat down. “Coffee, please.”

Harry poured her a cup and passed it over. “What are you thinking?”

“That we need to start pushing now, before they kill off the rest of them. There’s the pilot, the maid, and however many staff were at the farm in Kentucky.”

Harry refilled his cup and sat down across from her. “We need a day to tighten security around here. If you can write down what you want released, we can plan it for Monday. We can’t get much done on the weekend.”

“I think we should go out for breakfast.” Jake pulled out a chair and flopped down at the table. “I’m starving.”

A knock at the door had them all scrambling.

Jake reached for his gun. “I’ll get it.” He walked to the door.

One of the first things they needed to do was get a peephole installed in both doors.

Clicking open the locks, he opened the door, gun held at chest height. He recognized Clifford Beaumont and lowered the gun but blocked the doorway. “Sorry about that, Mr. Beaumont. What can we do for you?”

“I’d like a word with Miss James if she’s up to it.”

Jenna came out of the kitchen. “Please, come in.” She waved a hand at the empty living room. “I haven’t had time to refurnish, but if you’d like to join us in the kitchen, we have a fresh pot of coffee.”

“Coffee sounds good.”

Jenna didn’t miss Mr. Beaumont’s quick scan of her face and body. Somebody had told him. She waited until he was seated and sat down across from him. Jake and Harry took up positions on both sides of the room. “Thank you for the men outside. I feel much safer with them there.”

“I wish I’d sent them sooner.”

She met his gaze. “Who told you?”

“Marcus Dade.”

Jenna lowered her head, seeking composure. He’d just confirmed Dade was the one who had bugged her house, and if he wasn’t the one who had called Harry, he’d had someone do it. “I’ll be fine in time, Mr. Beaumont. I am worried about Jordan. Have you heard from him?”

“I talked with the doctor this morning. His fever is down. I’m moving him to my house as soon as he’s well enough to travel.” Clifford glanced at Harry. “I’d like that cup of coffee, son, if it isn’t too much trouble.”

Harry poured him a cup and set it down on the table, immediately assuming his position across the room.

Clifford took a sip of coffee and glanced from Jake to Harry. “Be a whole lot easier to talk if you boys would join us at the table.” He waited until Jake and Harry refilled their cups and sat down.

Clifford took a huge gulp of coffee and placed his cup on the table. “So, what are your plans and how can I help?”

Jake leaned forward on the table. “You said Dade told you about Jenna. I’m not so sure we need your help.”

Clifford picked up his coffee, took a sip, and eyed Jake over the rim. “You’re young, so I’ll forgive your insolence. But if you want to grow older, you probably need my help. Dade won’t be bothering Jenna anymore. In fact, he’ll be doing everything he can to make sure nothing happens to her.” He smiled and shrugged. “The same doesn’t apply to you two.”

Jake placed his hands on the table and pushed himself up. “Is that a threat, Mr. Beaumont?”

Clifford’s smiled widened. “Son, I stopped making threats a long time ago.” He glanced at Jenna. “I’m here to help you—any way I can. You tell me what you need, and you’ve got it.”

“Harry, what do you think?” Jenna asked.

“I say we lay it out on the table. Mr. Beaumont can probably get us into places we wouldn’t be able to go otherwise.” Harry glanced at Jake and motioned for him to sit back down. “And maybe he can keep us alive a little longer.”

Jenna nodded and filled Beaumont in on their plans, including the death of the undertaker and his girlfriend. “We were going to contact major newspapers Monday with the story of Mrs. Elkins actually dying in Kentucky. But after what happened to the undertaker, we really need to find that pilot and his family, if he has one, before Elkins sends someone to shut him up.”

Clifford wrapped his huge hands around the coffee cup and stared into its dark contents. “That plan is only good if you want to bury a lot of people.”

“I suppose you’ve got a better idea?” Jake asked.

Clifford smiled. “It just so happens I do. We seek an arrest warrant against both Elkinses: one for murder, one as an accomplice and tampering with evidence.” He lifted his head and met Jake’s gaze. “Jenna secures this based upon an affidavit of probable cause, and you arrest them both.”

“Bullshit,” Jake said, rising to make another pot of coffee. “We don’t have a body. We don’t have any evidence. They’ll laugh us out of court.”

Clifford turned to Jenna. “You have an informant and enough circumstantial evidence to get this started. You don’t have to have a body to get a conviction, and you could type the affidavit of probable cause for them based on what Jordan told you and what you know yourself, couldn’t you?”

“I could, but we’d never get a judge to sign a warrant against Elkins, and even if we did, Dade would get them released before their seat even has time to warm up,” Jenna said.

“Of course he will. All you’re doing is buying time and taking the heat off the people who otherwise are going to start filling body bags. Once the indictment makes the news, Elkins can’t touch any of you without adding more suspicion. During the arraignment, you provide a list of people you feel are in danger. Once that’s in the record, Elkins won’t be able to touch anyone without being the prime suspect. Even if it’s an accident and he’s totally innocent, he’ll still look guilty. As to a judge to sign the arrest warrant, I think Judge Clinton owes me a favor,” Clifford said. He pulled a pen from his shirt pocket, picked up a napkin, and jotted down a number. “That’s his personal line. I’ll call him when I leave and make sure he’s expecting your call.”

Harry stood up and paced the small room. “If he can get the arrest warrant signed, it’s brilliant. I like it. Plus, there would be the inheritance. That in itself would be enough for suspicion if we can prove the beatings.”

“That one won’t help you,” Clifford said. “Olivia left everything she had to Jordan and Kamela and their child. That’s how Elkins found out about the baby.”

“We have another problem, too,” Jenna said. “Our informant would be Jordan. He doesn’t have direct knowledge of what happened in Kentucky. I’m the one Michael told.”

Beaumont smiled at her. “So you have two informants. One you’re willing to name, and one you aren’t. By the time someone needs to testify, you’ll have what you need.” He stood up. “Why don’t the three of you join me tomorrow night for dinner? I’m sure Kamela would like to see you again, Miss James. I’ve got some pull with the FAA. I’ll see what I can find out about the pilot and hopefully have something for you on that tomorrow. We’ll need to start tracking down these people quickly.”

Harry stood up. “Not today. We all need a break—one normal day before the gates of hell open. I’m taking Jenna to the movies.” He glanced at Jake. “And I think you need to visit your wife.”

Beaumont nodded. “Good. That will give me time to prepare my daughter and get Jordan moved in.” He glanced around the room. “I’d really be more comfortable if you all moved to my place.”

Jenna shook her head and walked him to the door. “We’ll be fine. Thank you, Mr. Beaumont. And please be careful. It’s hard to know who to trust right now.”

He took an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “I’m not taking no for an answer this time.”

Jenna stared at the envelope. It wasn’t hush money or bribe money.

“I’ve got all the money any one person could ever want, Miss James. It won’t make up for what you lost.” His eyebrows knitted together, and his jaw clenched. “Truth is, the money’s not really for you. It’s to help me sleep a little better tonight.”

Jenna accepted the envelope. “Okay.”

“You need anything else, you let one of my boys know. I’ll call Judge Clinton right way. Once you have the warrant ready, just take it to him.”

Jenna closed the door behind him and opened the envelope. A bundle of hundred-dollar bills stared back at her. She glanced up to find Harry and Jake watching from the kitchen doorway. “You guys still want breakfast? I’m buying.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Clifford stood in front of the painting over the mantel. Sometimes, it seemed so lifelike he expected her to walk right off the canvas and into his arms. He’d had only a few precious minutes with her before she died, just long enough for her to place a tiny bundle in his arms and make him promise to be happy, to raise their daughter in a home filled with love and laughter. He’d done his best, but he couldn’t hide the ugliness of the world from her. “She’s all grown up, honey. And she’s beautiful, stubborn, and kind, just like you were.”

“Dad?”

He cleared his throat and blinked back the mist behind his eyes. “Good morning, sunshine.”

She came up beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “What’s wrong?”

He could lie to her, pretending as he’d done in the past, or he could accept the fact she was now a woman, soon to be a mother. “The first time your mother smiled at me, I turned around to see who was standing behind me. I couldn’t believe anything so delicate and beautiful could look at a big bloke like me and smile like that.”

Kamela laughed softly and tightened her hold on his waist. “When I was little and you thought I was asleep, I would sneak in here and listen to you talk to her.”

Clifford grinned down at her. “That’s when I always told her how you were driving me crazy and I was going to send you away to boarding school.”

“You knew?”

“Worked every time. The next day you were always sweet and obedient.”

Kamela’s voice softened. “Sometimes, I talked to her too. We talked about Jordan. I think she would have liked him.”

Clifford sighed. “It’s hard for me to believe you’re all grown up.”

“That’s partly my fault. I let you baby me and called you Daddy because I knew you liked it. I had my first cigarette when I was eighteen and my first drink when I turned twenty-one.” She turned him to face her. “And I married Jordan last year when we realized he wasn’t going to be released. Please don’t be mad. I love him.”

Clifford hugged her close. “Let’s eat on the veranda. There’s some things we need to talk about.”

Kamela followed him to the veranda, her gaze taking in the extra men in the yard. “What happened?”

“Someone tried to break in last night.” He sipped his tea, watching the emotions flitter across her face. “And Jenna James was raped. I’ve taken the precaution of setting up extra guards here as well as Miss James’s house.”

Kamela’s face paled. “Oh my God! Is Jenna okay?”

“I stopped by to see her this morning. She’ll be fine in time, but since we got her into this mess, I feel we at least owe her some protection. Have you heard from Jordan?”

“He called about an hour ago. He’s getting better. Stronger. The doctor is still there.”

“Good. I’ll make arrangements to move him here this evening. That way, I can protect both of you. I figure if anybody else in the world would die to keep you safe, it would be him.”

Her face lit up in a way that warmed his heart, clearing the last vestiges of anger and hate from his system. “Besides, if he’s going to be my son-in-law, it’s time I found out what he’s made of.”

Kamela leapt from the chair and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you. I know you’ll love him just like I do.”

~ ~ ~

Jenna stole a sideways glance at Harry. He really was good looking in a rough, cowboy sort of way. Wrinkles were starting to appear at the sides of his eyes, but the rest of his face was smooth, making him appear younger than she knew he really was. His gaze was riveted to the movie screen, but the occasional clenching of his jaw and tightening of his lips told her he was thinking about the case, just as she was. She glanced behind them, taking comfort from the fact Geno and Marko were three rows back.

“Watch the movie,” Harry whispered.

She turned her focus back to the screen. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been to a movie?”

Harry raised an arm, allowing it to settle along the back of her chair, not quite touching, but she could feel the warmth radiating across her back. “Too long, just like me.”

An explosion rocked the screen, and Jenna flinched. “So what made you pick this one?”

Harry chuckled. “It was this or a tearjerker. I was trying to cheer you up.”

Jenna flinched again as a Samurai warrior screamed and sliced off the head of his opponent. “I don’t think it’s working.”

“Want to leave?”

“Do you mind?”

“I don’t, but Geno and Marko might.”

Jenna glanced behind them and laughed softly. The two huge men were enjoying a large tub of popcorn and seemed thoroughly engrossed in the movie. “Maybe we could sneak out without them knowing.”

Harry shook his head. “Not a chance. Beaumont would have their heads on a platter.”

Jenna frowned. “I don’t know what to think of Clifford Beaumont. He seems like a good guy, but...”

Harry stood up. “Come on, we’ll take a walk on the beach, grab a bite to eat, and head in before dark.”

Jenna followed him from the theater, Geno and Marko somewhere behind them. “It’s Saturday afternoon; the beach is probably packed. How about a walk in the park?”

“Padre Island?”

“You’re going to laugh, but I’ve never been there. Is it nice?”

Harry started the car and pulled onto the highway. “It depends. Like, on the beaches, a lot of trash piles up at times, and the seaweed can really smell when it’s rotting, but I like it there. You can always find a quiet place just to sit and think.”

Jenna stared out the window. Something had upset him, something she’d said or done. “Are you mad at me?”

“Why did you take the money from Beaumont?”

Jenna shrugged. “He seemed to need to give it, so I took it.”

“Why do you think he needed to give it?”

“I don’t know. I think he feels guilty because of everything that’s happened to me since I got Jordan out of jail.” She turned to stare out the window. “Why do you think he gave it to me?”

“Because he doesn’t like owing favors.”

Harry pulled into the beach and parked, opened his door, and quickly rounded the car to open hers. She glanced behind them as Geno and Marko parked farther down the road. “So, you think Beaumont’s one of the bad guys?”

Harry took her hand and led her along the beach. “The world isn’t always black and white. Good people sometimes do bad things because they think it’s the right thing to do. Bad people do good things for the same reason.”

Jenna thought about Tom and how he’d dealt with the guy watching her. In her world, Tom would definitely be a bad guy, but what he was doing for Jordan and what he’d done for her didn’t seem wrong. “I like Beaumont, Harry. I don’t want him to be one of the bad guys.”

Harry bent down to roll up his jeans and kicked off his shoes. Letting go of her hand, he walked out into the bay, letting the waves crash against his ankles. Jenna kicked off her sandals and walked out to join him. The water was warm. Harry pulled her close, touching her lips gently with his. “Today, there are no good people or bad people. There’s just wind, water, sand, and us.”