Death Vetoes The Chairman (Lizzie Crenshaw Mysteries Book 7) (13 page)

We stood there in silence for a few minutes. “The newspaper, Ethan, the…attacks,” I whispered the last word. “Everything has been happening so fast the last three weeks. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“I don’t know how many times I can apologize for what happened, Lizzie. If I had known he was still like that, I would have never asked you to go with me.”

“Who would you have taken, Trixie?” I shook my head. “This isn’t something I would wish on my worst enemy.”

“Not even Gladys?” he grinned.

“Not even her.”

“Did he…did he try to…” he couldn’t bring himself to say what he was thinking.

“If T.J. hadn’t burst through the door when he did, I’m sure he would have.”

“Good God.”

I turned and looked at the fire. “He was so strong, Jake,” I said. The words wouldn’t come out.

“It’s okay, Lizzie,” Jake said. I heard him put his mug down. He walked over to me and tried to hold me, but I moved away from him. He let his arms fall to his sides.

“It’s not okay, Jake. It’s never going to be okay again,” I replied. “He took something from me that I can’t get back.” I choked back a sob.

“Cry, Lizzie, just let yourself cry,” Jake said, walking around to stand in front of me. “You keep putting on this brave front, but I can see through that.”

“I’m…fine,” I said.

“Do you trust me, Lizzie?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“One that requires an answer.”

“You’re one of my oldest friends, Jake, and a man I used to love. You might be a bit self-centered at times, but you’ve changed enough that I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. It’s just this thing with Ethan, I...”

“You’re scared and afraid to let someone get close to you.” I nodded. “Yet, you didn’t hesitate when I said let’s come here to talk to Ethan’s father. Why?”

“Because you’re my friend, and I don’t want to see you go to prison for something you didn’t do.”

He took my left hand in his. “Then trust me to help you through this. I swear to you, nothing is going to happen to you as long as I am with you, and I have breath left in my body. Your friendship means more to me than anything else, Lizzie. I’ll do anything to make sure you get through this. Whatever it takes, I’m there.”

“I…don’t know what to say,” I said.

He took my mug from me and put it on the fireplace mantle. “Give me your hand,” he said, holding his out to me. I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his. “Come here.” He led me over to the brown leather couch and we sat down. “Tell me what happened in the office.”

I stared straight ahead at the fire, biting my lip. “I’ve never thought of myself as a weakling, but when he had me pinned against the wall, holding my arms, I didn’t think there was anything I could do to fight him off. I tried. I thought if I could brace myself against the wall, I could give him one good shove and knock him off balance, but he wouldn’t let me do it. It was like he anticipated that, and used his weight to hold me in place. And his grip was so tight...” I jerked my hand away from him and put it over my mouth to keep from crying out.

I heard him swallow hard and take a deep breath. “Why won’t you go back to the office, Lizzie?”

“At first, I thought I could handle it,” I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “But that day when you mentioned the TRO to Dale, I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Then you started telling him what happened, and it played out in front of me in slow motion. When he grabbed my wrist, me slapping him, then being slammed into the wall…it was like he was right there in the room with me. I can’t go back in there. I don’t want to relive it every time I walk through the door. I just can’t do it.”

“T.J. told me as much, but I wanted to hear it from you.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my legs. “It doesn’t just happen in the office,” I told him. “I haven’t been sleeping well. The dreams are the worst, because T.J. doesn’t come through the door in time, and Ethan…” I folded my arms, put my head down and started to cry.

“Lizzie,” Jake said, his voice cracking. He tried to pull me backwards, but I wouldn’t budge. Sliding to the edge of the couch, he put his head against the side of mine. “He can’t hurt you anymore. I promise.” I raised my head and looked at him. He wiped tears from my cheeks, but more quickly replaced them. “I’ll be right back.”

He got up and left the room. I stared into the fire, wondering if my life was ever going to be the same again. He came back in with a couple of pillows and two blankets. Putting them on the end of the couch, he shoved the coffee table out of the way. He put a blanket over the arm of the couch and sat down. When he gently pulled me toward him, I let him, leaning against his chest. He gasped, and I sat up. “Sore ribs, it’s okay. Come back.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I sniffled, sitting up again. Grabbing one of the pillows, I placed it against his leg and stretched out on the couch.

Jake gently stroked my hair. “You’re safe here, Lizzie, I promise.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Dumping this on you.”

“I’d rather you talk about it than hold it in, Lizzie. It’s been eating you up inside; all of us could tell that. We knew you wouldn’t talk about it until you were ready.”

I felt myself starting to relax for the first time in weeks as he ran his fingers through my hair. “It wasn’t something I wanted to burden anyone else with,” I said, yawning.

“You have no idea how sorry I am about this.”

“You’ve mentioned that.” The fire started to get blurry, and I blinked my eyes a few times until it became clear again. “I’m so tired…”

“Go to sleep.”

“The nightmares…”

“Close your eyes.” I yawned again. “I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I closed my eyes as he continued to stroke my hair. “Jake?”

“What, Lizzie?”

“Promise me you won’t leave me tonight.”

“I promise.”

I felt him move slightly, and my eyes popped open. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he assured me. “I’m just going to spread this blanket over you. Go back to sleep.” He threw the blanket over me, gasping in pain as he moved. As he started stroking my hair again, I closed my eyes and relaxed.

The last thing I remember was hearing him say, “I wish I had killed him.”

Chapter 18

When I woke up in the middle of the night, I wasn’t on the couch anymore. Looking around, I realized I was in the bedroom they had prepared for me. Jake was asleep in the chaise lounge next to the bed, and was holding my hand. When he felt me move, he woke up with a start. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. How did I get in here?”

“I had Garth carry you in here when he came back to get the tray. He moved the chair for me so I could sit next to you.”

“You can’t sleep in that all night. Go to bed in your own room.”

“I’m fine. Besides, I gave you my word I wouldn’t leave you tonight.”

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, though. Why don’t you get on the bed?”

“T.J. would kill me for sure.”

“Just stay on top of the sheets and throw a blanket over yourself. I think he would understand, under the circumstances.”

“I’d rather not chance it, thank you very much. Close your eyes and go back to sleep.”

The next time I woke up, Jake wasn’t in the chaise lounge, but his mother was. “Good morning, Elizabeth,” she said, smiling at me. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes ma’am, thank you,” I said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. “Where’s Jake?”

“Making a phone call. I believe he is verifying your dinner with Ethan’s father tonight.” I shuddered when she said his name. “I take it you met Ethan before his death?”

I glanced at my arms and realized that my bruises were visible. Pulling down the sleeves, I said, “We met at a fundraiser about three weeks ago.”

“I know.” I looked at her, shocked. “Jake told me. Don’t be mad at him. When he came downstairs this morning, I could tell something was bothering him. He told me everything.”

“Oh.”

“He’s worried about you, you know,” she said. “He said it took three weeks just to get you to tell him what happened.”

“Some things just shouldn’t be talked about, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Patricia. He cares very deeply for you.”

“I know.”

“I sense a but…”

“He loves work more.”

She nodded knowingly. “Just like his father. My husband loves me dearly, but I come second to his businesses. Well, third really. Jake comes before me. That boy means the world to him. I am curious about something, though.”

“What?”

“How did he get the broken nose and ribs?”

“He made the wrong comment to someone, and they beat the tar out of each other.”

“Another young man who is vying for your affections, I take it?” I nodded. “I see. And does my boy stand a chance?”

“Well…”

“You can be honest with me, Elizabeth.”

“Lizzie, please. Not too many people call me Elizabeth, unless it’s my mother, and only when she’s mad at me.”

“I’m sure that’s not too often.”

“More than you know, Patricia,” I laughed.

“So, does Jake stand a chance with you?”

I took a deep breath and shook my head. “When we were in college, the answer was yes, until I realized that all the plans he was making for us didn’t include my hopes and dreams, just his. It was hard to get him to listen to me.”

“When he sets his mind on something, it’s hard to distract him from it. So this other young man, is he a good man?”

“He is. He’s like me: simple things are the best. He doesn’t mind staying at home and putting his feet up. As long as I’m happy, so is T.J.”

“And my son loves a more active lifestyle.”

I shrugged. “It’s what he’s used to. Someone who has always been on the go has a hard time slowing down for anyone, no matter how much he loves them.”

“You are a very wise young woman, Lizzie.”

“I don’t know about that. I care for Jake very much. There’s always going to be a special place in my heart for him. But my future isn’t with him in any other way but best of friends. Jake needs someone who loves being on the go as much as he does. I’m too much of a homebody.”

Patricia swung her legs over the edge of the chair and stood up. “I think my son is very blessed to have someone like you in his life, Lizzie. Now, as for this other matter you’re struggling with.” She took my hand in hers. “Don’t try to do this by yourself. I’ve been there, so trust what I say. I tried to do it alone, and it almost killed me. If it weren’t for a chance encounter with my husband, I don’t think I would have made it. You’re obviously a strong woman, but Jake says this is eating you up inside. Fight it. Fight it with every fiber of your being. Lean on your friends; talk to them. It may have only taken one person to get you to this point, but it will take many to pull you out.” She patted my hand and let it go. “Now, I’m sure you’ll want to jump in the shower. There are plenty of towels in there for you, and breakfast will be waiting for you in the kitchen when you’re done.” She turned and walked toward the door.

“Patricia?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Elizabeth, for making my son a bit more human. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him care for someone like he cares for you.” She closed the door behind her as she left.

Thirty minutes later, I made my way down to the kitchen, where I found Jake sitting at the table eating his breakfast. He smiled as I sat down. “You slept in a bit this morning, didn’t you? How are you feeling this morning?”

I looked over at the oven and checked the time: almost 9:30 a.m. “Sorry about that, and I’m okay,” I replied as Garth placed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast in front of me. “Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

“For listening, and for staying with me. I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a couple of weeks.”

“Anytime. All you have to do is ask. Should I do a repeat performance tonight? A few stupid human tricks to make you laugh?” he teased.

“I don’t think we have to go that far. But I think I’ll be fine.”

“Ms. Crenshaw, this just arrived for you,” Garth said, bringing in a large bouquet of yellow roses and light purple daises in a vase. He put it down on the table next to me.

“Must be from T.J. Maybe he’s worried about you being out here alone with me,” Jake teased me.

“He’s not the jealous type,” I replied as I reached for the envelope partially hidden in the flowers. “Maybe he just misses me.”

“You haven’t even been gone twenty-four hours,” he pointed out.

“I think it’s sweet.” I pulled out the card and read it.

“After we’re done with breakf…Lizzie, what’s wrong?”

I couldn’t answer him. I couldn’t breathe because I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

He came over to my side of the table and looked at the card. “What the bloody…” he said angrily after he read it. “Garth, where did these come from?”

“The florist in town, sir. When the delivery person dropped them off, he said his instructions were to drop them off by 10 a.m. Is there a problem, sir?”

“Get them out of here,” Jake said, picked the vase up and handing them to Garth, who had a confused look on his face.

“Of course, sir. I’m terrible sorry if I’ve done something wrong, Ms. Crenshaw.”

“It’s not your fault,” Jake assured him. “Just…donate them to the hospital or something.”

“Right away, sir.”

Jake slid the card into his back pocket and knelt down next to me. “Breathe, Lizzie, breathe.”

“I thought he was dead,” I gasped.

“He is. We both saw him. Doc Endicott confirmed it.”

“Well, somebody must have gotten it wrong somewhere!” I said angrily. “Because a dead man just sent me flowers!” I got up and stormed out of the room.

Jake pulled the card out of his pocket and picked up his phone off the table. “Sandra? Jake Mathias. I’m fine, thank you. They’re fine, too. Listen, I’m in town for a few days, and there was a bouquet of flowers delivered here a few minutes ago. No, they’re beautiful. We’re curious about who bought them. Can you gave me a name? Really? Are you sure about that? No, no problem. Thanks for the information. Give my best to Bill and the kids.” He slipped the card back into his pocket.

I came back as he hung up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“I wouldn’t apologize just yet,” he said. “You might bite my head off again.”

“Why?”

“I called the florist; she’s an old friend of mine. The flowers were paid for, in case, by someone claiming to be Ethan Winthrop’s assistant.”

There was that punch to the gut again. “I…I…”

“Sit down. I’m going to make another call.”

I did as he said. He brought me a glass of ice water and put it in my hand. “Drink this.” He picked up his phone and dialed. “I’m going to put this on speaker.”

“Where are you, Mathias?” Owen said when he answered the phone. “I went by the house last night to see you, but you weren’t there.”

“I’m in Virginia.”

“Virginia?! What are you doing in Virginia? I said keep a low profile, I didn’t say leave the state! In fact, I told both of you not to leave.”

I glared at Jake, and he shrugged. So much for clearing our trip with Owen.

“Look, I know people here who knew Ethan. I can get the answers that we need, whereas you would be met with stone cold silence.”

“Well, we’ve got a problem,” Owen said. “Lizzie’s missing.”

“No, she’s not.”

“How would you know? You’re not even here!”

“Because I’m here, too, Owen,” I said.

“Do you realize that T.J. is going nuts trying to find you?” Owen yelled at me.

“You didn’t tell T.J., either?” I glared at Jake. “Everything happened so fast yesterday, Owen, I didn’t have time to tell anyone I was leaving town. And by the time we got here, well, it was…and…did you talk to your sister? Because she knew we were coming here,” I told him.

Owen muttered something unintelligible. “Why were you looking for me last night?” Jake said.

“There was a package delivered to the newspaper for Lizzie yesterday. Something about it worried Ellen, so she called me. One of my patrol guys picked it up and brought it to the station. Needless to say, the contents are a bit disturbing.”

“What was in it?” I asked him.

“A doll that looked eerily like you, Lizzie, with a hangman’s noose around its neck. There were also photos of you and Jake from that fundraiser three weeks ago, and your face was scratched out in all of them. But hearts were drawn around Jake’s face.”

“Well, that goes along with what happened here a few minutes ago,” Jake replied.

“What happened?”

“Lizzie received some flowers, with a note attached. ‘You’re next’ was written on the card. Someone signed Ethan’s name.”

“God…”

“No kidding,” Jake said.

“Who else knows that you two are there?”

“Just Trixie, the pilot, Garth, and my mother.”

“Who’s Garth?”

“He’s worked for us for years,” Jake said. “He’s like a second father to me.”

“Do you think you can keep a low profile out there?”

“Well…” Jake started to say.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so. What are your plans for today?”

Jake scratched his chin. “I’m going to talk to some old classmates, just fish around for a bit of information.”

“We want to establish a pattern of behavior, Owen,” I added. “If he did this to me…” I hesitated for a moment, and Jake gently squeezed my hand. I swallowed and gave him a small smile. “If he did this to me and to Jake’s high school girlfriend, Jessica, then he’s probably done it to other women. And if any of these women felt the type of anger and fear I feel right now, then one of them hated him enough to kill him.”

“Even you, Lizzie?” Owen said.

“Even me.”

No one said anything for a minute. “Fine, rattle a few cages, ask some questions, see what you can find out. But watch your backs. Someone knows you’re there who knows about Ethan’s death.”

“The whole town must know about it, Owen. The Winthrops are big news around here.”

“Bigger than your family?” Owen joked.

“We’re known for doing good things around here; the Winthrops have a totally different reputation. Edward Winthrop is…well, the best description I can think of is the evil brother from that TV show
Dallas
.”

“Wow, that’s pretty bad,” I said.

“Edward makes J.R. looks like an angel.”

“That’s saying something,” I said, shaking my head. “No wonder Ethan turned out the way he did.”

“Whatever you do, watch your step,” Owen warned us. “If someone knows you’re there, then you’re definitely being watched. Someone blames Lizzie for Ethan’s death, and they want her to pay.”

“I think I’ve paid enough already,” I said quietly.

“I know, Lizzie,” Owen replied. I could hear some sadness in his voice. “You’ll get through this. If you need anything, you tell me. And when you’re ready, I’ll teach you some self-defense moves. I’ve always thought of you as a little sister, even when you were being a pain in my backside. I’d give anything to take away your pain.”