Hidden Summit (21 page)

This was when Leslie had a chance to look around Nora’s house. It was sparsely furnished, just a sofa and chair with quilts covering them, a small table with two chairs, a rug that didn’t cover enough of the floor, some toys for Berry, the stroller by the door, and it was
spotless.
Shining clean.

The men stood in the living room, Mrs. Hutchkins and Mrs. Clemens occupied chairs at the table while Leslie sat on the couch with Nora. Berry wasn’t even crying; she was clinging to her mother with wide eyes. Leslie reached for the baby. “Let me, Nora. Want me to fix her a bottle?”

“I’ll do that in a minute,” she said. “Leslie, I’m so sorry you were dragged into this.”

“Don’t start,” she said. “I’m a woman alone, too, as are Mrs. Clemens and Mrs. Hutchkins. If we don’t back each other up, we’re sunk. As it is, I think that maniac was held off by me, a preacher and two little old ladies.”

“Who are you calling little?” Mrs. Clemens said.

It was another half hour before the sheriff’s deputy arrived. Henry Depardeau stepped out of his car and approached the men in the front yard. “Well, Sheridan, this has the look of your work. I think the county would save time and paperwork if we’d just deputize you.”

“We can’t do that, Henry,” Jack said. “We look forward to your visits. You getting a little backup out here?”

“Am I going to need it?”

“Possibly,” Jack said with a shrug. “Took three men to hog-tie him. And that was after two women weakened him with blows to the head.”

“Crap,” Henry said. “I hate long reports.”

It was midmorning when the phone beside the bed woke Leslie. She answered tiredly.

“What’s up, sleepyhead?” Conner said. “I thought you’d be working in the yard!”

“Hmm,” she hummed. “I’m sleeping in. Where are you?”

“Changing planes in New York. Then I change planes in Denver. Then I drive straight to Sacramento from Redding so I can get there by morning.”

“Oh, Conner, sleep on the plane if you can! You’ll be so tired!”

“Are you sick?” he asked. “You don’t sound right.”

“Not sick, just tired. I was up late last night. We had excitement in the neighborhood and I didn’t fall asleep until five this morning.”

“Block party?” he asked.

“Not the usual kind,” she told him. “Nora had an intruder. Her ex…ex-boyfriend, I guess. He brought her up here six months ago and just dumped her here, leaving her with the babies. He came back looking for money and got real mean and physical and the sheriff had to be called.”

“Is she all right?” he asked.

“No one required stitches or anything…just ice packs and… Well, Noah had to have a butterfly bandage to close his lip. And Mrs. Hutchkins has a sore tush from being shoved and falling on the floor. But Jack and Mike V only have bruised knuckles.”

“What?” he said as if he hadn’t heard right. “What?”

“Mrs. Hutchkins and I were able to hold him off for a while with a rake and a broom. That Mrs. Hutchkins—don’t mess with her!” She laughed a little. “She grabbed my rake and walked right in that house and clobbered him on the back of the head. Then it was game on!”

“Leslie, were you really in a fight?” he asked.

“A short one. Then Noah, Jack and Mike saved the day and the sheriff’s deputy came, eventually, and took him away. Thank goodness! The ex, he was high as a kite and really strong.”

“Wait a second, wait a second....” She heard a beeping sound in the background.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I’m boarding. That was the boarding pass being scanned. Are you all right?”

“Oh, sure, just a little bump on the jaw. It doesn’t hurt. But I got one off on him, let me tell you. Kicked him right where it hurts most and brought him to his knees. Amazing what you can do when you have to.”

“Leslie, listen to me—I want you to get the crowbar out of your car and keep it handy, just in case—”

He was cut off by the sound of her laughter. “Conner, if I ever see that lunatic again, I’m not going after him with anything stronger than a broom! He’d take a crowbar away from me and kill me with it! He was out of his mind!”

“Then I want you to go stay with Paul or Dan until I get back there!”

“Conner, I’m fine. He’s in jail. I’ll check with Jack to make sure he’s staying in jail for a while, but seriously, he was taken away by three deputies. And besides, only a fool would go up against me, two little old ladies and a minister again.” And then she laughed.

“Stop laughing,” he said. “You have me scared to death! Now listen, they’re closing the door, but I’ll try to call you from Denver when I change planes again. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Conner, I’m fine. I think I’ll take another nap, though. It was a long night.”

“I’ll call you when I can.”

“Just have a safe flight and don’t worry. I never should have told you!”

“Be careful,” he said. “I love you.”

Leslie had no idea when to expect a call from Conner from the Denver airport, but she knew one thing she had to do for sure. She took a walk down her street to check on Mrs. Clemens, Mrs. Hutchkins and Nora and her family. The elderly ladies were still a little riled up and excited from the earlier events. Nora, on the other hand, was so embarrassed and filled with regret, Leslie spent almost an hour trying to comfort her and get her back to her old self.

“I feel like I shouldn’t even be here,” Nora said. “I don’t want to be found by him again and I don’t want to bring trouble to my neighborhood. Not after everyone has been so good to us.”

“Your neighbors will hunt you down and try to protect you if you do anything crazy, like try to leave. You don’t even have a car. I don’t know how you manage!”

She shook her head. “Every couple of weeks, Jack or Noah will add my shopping list to theirs when I need groceries, or Mrs. Hutchkins takes me with her into Fortuna while Mrs. Clemens sits with the girls during their nap. And until now, I was never afraid or worried.”

“Once you get a little rest and a few quiet days, you won’t feel that panic anymore. I’m going down to Jack’s to ask him what he knows about your ex’s jail visit. I’ll let you know what he says. I’m sure he won’t mind checking in with the deputy—they seem to be friends.”

“Les, Berry hasn’t talked all day,” she said in a whisper. “She was talking so well for her age.”

Leslie patted her hand. “She’s probably still scared. Try not to panic yet. Ask Mel and the doctor about it. Ask Noah.”

“Right,” Nora said.

That information did seem to bring some peace of mind to everyone. The suspect was still in jail and in fact had quite a few warrants outstanding from other cities, so it looked as though he wouldn’t make bail. The sheriff’s department was planning to let Oakland, California, have him back—a more positive outcome for Leslie and her neighbors than the idea of him being released.

But of course, she must have missed a call from Conner while she was out, taking the pulse of the neighborhood. She just hoped he would have time to call before he began the five-hour drive from Redding to Sacramento.

It was ten at night, and when she still hadn’t heard from him, she started to imagine flight delays or even canceled flights. Then there was a knock at her locked door, and her first thoughts returned to the night before. She didn’t have a peephole; the kinds of precautions a person would take even in a city the size of Grants Pass had never crossed her mind since being in Virgin River.

“Who is it?” she asked the locked door.

“It’s me, Les,” Conner said.

Stunned, she threw open the door and was instantly in his arms.

He just held her close and in great relief for a minute, then slowly pulled away to look at her. He ran a knuckle across her bruised jaw.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“I couldn’t go to Sacramento without seeing you, without making sure you’re all right. You made the injuries sound like nothing. This is something.”

“We’re very proud of our bruises,” she said. “They’re badges of honor. How long are you staying here?”

“Till early morning.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be there by morning?” she asked.

“I think they’ll wait for me.” And then he pressed his lips gently against the corner of her mouth, opposite the bruise. “Goddamn, Les. It’s killing me that you got hurt.”

She smiled at him. “You have a lot of people you try to take care of, don’t you? I told you, I’m fine. We’re all fine. What about Katie? Is she all right?”

“I think so. As of right now, she wants to stay there. She thinks she’s cultivating something with the dentist, but I don’t know about that. I don’t know how long she’ll last. He seems kind of…” He shrugged. “He’s very nice. He likes Katie and the boys. But something’s missing.” He bent his head to gently kiss her again, careful not to be rough. “Nothing is missing for me, though. Let me lay down with you, let me just hold you.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t think I really got it until now. You were responsible for your sister from such an early age—it’s natural for you to be a caretaker. I’m not used to that.”

She took his hand and led him to the bedroom; she pulled him down beside her. He sat to take off his boots and then pulled her into his arms. It felt so good, so safe to be with him like this.

When she was young, her parents had looked out for her. When she married and left their house, she became the caretaker. For a long time, she was the protector, the supporter. It was a brand-new experience to have a man like Conner, so responsible and protective that he’d drive hours out of his way to be sure she was all right.

Eighteen

C
onner woke Leslie with a gentle nudge at about four-thirty in the morning. “I have to start driving,” he whispered.

“The sooner you just get it behind you, the sooner you’re done with it. And when you come back here after the trial is over, are you going back to that little cabin? Or will you stay with me?”

He gave a nod and nuzzled her neck. “You’re going to have a hard time getting rid of me.”

“Do you think that someday we’ll actually be able to lay down on a bed together and not make love?”

“Maybe someday. Not soon.”

“Get in the shower, Conner,” she said. “I’ll get a pot of coffee going. You need to get on your way. And thank you. Even if it’s just a few hours with you, it means everything to me.”

Almost an hour later, he reluctantly left her at her front door and began his drive to Sacramento. Once he reached Clear Lake he phoned Max at the D.A.’s office and told them he was running a little late, but en route.

By ten he was walking into the district attorney’s complex. Max came out of his office to meet him in the reception area and escort him in.

Even though Max—Ray Maxwell, officially—had caused him a lot of personal complications by relying on him to testify in this trial, Conner liked the guy. He was young for a D.A.—under fifty—and no question about it, he was decent and honest. Judging the pictures in his office, he was also a happily married father of two. Conner could sense a certain commanding nature in Max, accentuated by his dark hair barely touched by silver at the temples, but today there was obvious warmth, as well. And he never for a second doubted Max’s gratitude.

“Good to see you, Conner. You won’t be Conner on the stand, by the way. However, there’s no legal trouble with your name change. Once you’ve testified, there’s a judge who will sign off on the petition immediately. Thanks for coming so quickly. I take it your family is doing well?”

“Katie and the boys seem fine and she’s decided to stay in Vermont, at least for now,” Conner said. “How long is this going to take?”

“The prosecution presents first,” he said. “We’ll prep you over the next couple of days and run your testimony by Friday at the latest. With any luck, sooner. Then you’re free to go, but understand you can be recalled by the defense, in which case you’ll have to return. Which brings us to the next item—you’ve had some more time to think about it now. Have you thought of anything they might bring up to discredit you?”

He frowned and shook his head. “I think we went over all this. I had a traffic ticket—speeding. Seven years ago. I paid my taxes on time, took my sister and nephews to church once in a while, never got arrested. No mental illness in the family that I know of and I don’t take any drugs, prescription or otherwise.”

“And never visited a massage parlor or strip joint?”

“Never had the time. I’m not saying I’m above that sort of thing,” Conner said with a grin. “I just never had the time. I had a business and a family.”

“You’re sure?”

“Trust me, I’d remember.”

“Because your ex-wife was an occasional visitor to The Blue Door, one of Dickie’s more notorious clubs. One in which Regis Mathis was a silent partner.”

“Yeah,” Conner said. “Not a big surprise. I told you about her. What does that have to do with me?”

“While you were still married, it turns out,” Max said.

He was shocked into silence, but then an immediate huff of laughter escaped him. “I take that back. Consider me surprised. Of course I didn’t know that. Still, what’s that got to do with me?”

“No telling,” Max said. “They haven’t listed her as a witness, but the information that our only witness’s wife frequented the victim’s club—that turned up. Whether they’ll use it, we don’t know.”

“How could they use it?”

“Oh, let’s use our imagination on that,” Max said. “How about—you’re a very jealous man and you had a motive for killing the owner of one of the clubs your wife frequented for extramarital sex.”

“Wow,” Conner said. “No offense, but I’m glad I don’t have to think like a prosecutor. That would never have occurred to me. I never hurt my ex, never hurt the kid I caught her with, never knew she went to clubs. I’m not all that surprised, but I didn’t know.”

“If there’s anything…”

“Max, I’m such a straight arrow I’ve missed half my life, working and taking care of my sister and her kids. In fact, if I hadn’t been taking out the trash after closing the store, this wouldn’t be happening to me.”

Max showed him a half smile. “Every prosecutor knows he’s telling the jury a story—‘Here’s what happened.’ Then the defense takes over and tells a different story—‘Here’s what
really
happened.’ In some ways this is predictable—I usually try to run the police testimony first because they’re well-trained witnesses. Then the eyewitnesses and finally, the forensic experts. Even though we have powerful forensics, the defense will undoubtedly cite cases in which evidence was mishandled or misinterpreted, trying to discredit the science.” He gave a shrug. “Even though an eyewitness account is often the least reliable, you’re our ace. Exactly why we’ve gone to some trouble to keep you out of harm’s way. This isn’t going to be a long trial—five to seven days, then deliberation.”

“It can’t be over soon enough,” Conner said.

“Hang in there. I need to sit you down with the A.D.A. for a few hours today and tomorrow, throw you a few possible curves and prepare you for the kind of questions they might ask if they decide to cross-examine or recall you. You up to that?”

“I guess it’s what I’m here for.”

“We have you booked at the Hilton. I have a couple of off-duty cops who can stay with you if…”

“You think I’m in danger right this minute?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. We suppose you
could be
at risk. We only go to these lengths when there’s been a direct threat, and there
was
a direct threat. But—”

“Look, if you could put someone in a room across the hall or something, I wouldn’t argue with that. But there haven’t been any other threats that I’m aware of. Have you heard of any?”

“Nothing,” Max said, shaking his head.

“Then let’s do the prep. I have a couple of favors to ask.”

“Name them.”

“Katie and I have done some thinking and talking about this—we’re going to sell the Sacramento properties. After the trial, we’d like both houses—mine and hers—emptied and furnishings and belongings put in crated storage. Then we’d like to sell the houses. The lot the hardware store was built on has been listed, but it’s a bad time for real estate. We’ll be patient, but we’re starting over after this. We’ll take possession of our household goods when we’ve settled permanently and split the proceeds from the land sale and insurance money from the fire. We’re going to do it all in the name of Conner Danson—I’m the executor anyway and our dad died a long time ago. Katie knows I’ll always see she’s taken care of. Can you help me do that?”

“No problem. You want to go through the houses and make sure you’ve taken everything you don’t want in storage?”

“Katie took her late husband’s mementos but yes, I’ll take a run through both houses. My folks left behind a lot of stuff I’ll just be pitching in the end, but for now, let’s crate it up. I’ll contract a cleaning crew and painters to get the houses ready for sale. Let’s just get it done. I’m for moving on.”

Max smiled. “Brie said she thought you were settling in up north.”

“It’s a whole new life, Max. Much as it kills me to say this, I might not have discovered how much I needed a change if this whole fiasco hadn’t happened, from Samantha to the killing in my alley. So, let’s get our business taken care of so I can get back to it.”

Max put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll do it, buddy. No one deserves it more.”

A couple of consultants and an assistant district attorney spent a few hours on Monday morning and again on Tuesday morning firing questions at Conner that might never be asked by the defense, but they were offensive enough to make him angry and eventually wring an outburst from him.

“Isn’t it true that you knew your wife was a frequent visitor at The Blue Door, a bar thinly disguised as a strip club that was, in reality, an adult sex club?”

“No.”

“How many times did you go to that club?”

“Never heard of it before I became a witness.”

“How many times?”

“Never heard of it, never went there.”

“And if I could produce a charge receipt from your credit card showing you had been there with your wife before the murder…?”

“It wouldn’t be mine,” Conner said.

“Are you aware of the consequences of perjury?”

“I said I didn’t even know about it much less go there!”

“Yet your wife went there while you were still married?”

“So I hear!”

“Are you alleging that your wife went
alone
to this couples sex club prior to your divorce and you had no knowledge of it?”

“I have no idea if she went alone! She didn’t go with me!”

“Then what would you suggest as the reason for your divorce?”

“A nineteen-year-old college kid who delivered bottled water!” Conner stormed.

“Back to the night in question. Was there a light behind the store, in the alley where you allegedly witnessed the crime?”

“His headlights were on,” Conner said.

“Answer the question, please.”

“No! No light behind the store. There was one, but it wasn’t on. His headlights were on!”

“And you say he walked in front of the car?”

“Yes.”

“So the headlights hit him where? Right about the level of his thighs?”

“The police found blood in his car!”

“Okay, okay, this is the reason for these questions, Conner,” the A.D.A. said. “We don’t know what will be asked, but if it’s going to set you off, let’s let the anger out here, during the prep, not on the stand. Just try to hold it together and answer the question without elaborating. Yes or no, whenever possible.”

It went like that on and off for two long mornings.

When he was finished on Tuesday afternoon, he drove to the house in which he grew up, a police officer in an unmarked car following him. Conner seriously doubted that Regis Mathis had anyone sitting surveillance on his empty house a couple of days before the trial, but he used caution. Conner wanted to look around the property and pick up a couple of things. He was cautious and observant.

His folks had bought this house the year he was born—thirty-five years ago. It had been a small three-bedroom on a large lot—the size of the lot remained a value to this day. When Katie came along, his dad had remodeled and built an addition, doubling the size of the kitchen and living room, adding a bedroom and bathroom. It was a process that Conner barely remembered but his dad had reminded him frequently that it had taken about three years to complete since he’d done it mostly alone.

After their parents had died, Katie lived there with him until she got married. Then she came back to live with him in that house again when Charlie deployed. When Charlie was killed, Katie stayed with him, like it was a foregone conclusion.

Eventually, she’d found a small three-bedroom not that far from Conner and together they’d bought it. It was in both their names. And even though Conner had been somewhat relieved not to be awakened in the night by a teething baby, he had been very lonely when she left. He’d been happy for her—she’d seemed to be getting on with life. But it had been a little too quiet.

Now she would be three thousand miles away. That was going to be a
real
adjustment, even with Leslie.

He looked around the house he had lived in for thirty-five years. Given his business, he’d been good about keeping things updated—like cabinetry, paint, woodwork, fixtures, et cetera. But the furniture? It should be given away. It was old and worn. Even the mattress had belonged to his parents, and he wasn’t sure how outdated it was. The TV was a large-screen, but not high-definition or flat-screen or anything that had been marketed in the past ten years.

Samantha had wanted to renovate the house, but he’d told her to go to work on Katie’s house; that house had needed it more, and he wasn’t ready to make any big changes in his. He probably should have let her—it seemed so old and shabby now.

There were two things he wanted to take from the house. His desktop computer with portable backup hard drive and his guns. He was making do fine with his laptop, but he should have the computer with the larger memory and the store records from the past few years. Of course, the store computer had been destroyed in the fire.

In his gun safe he kept a rifle and two handguns. He unloaded the guns, stowed the bullets and put them in a duffel, wrapped up in a winter parka. Then he placed the computer and duffel in the backseat of the extended cab. He covered the computer with a tarp he found in the garage. Even though the guns had been secure in the safe at the house—with a gun safe so heavy and hard to move, it would take a very determined thief to steal it—he had already decided he wanted them with him in the hotel. Not because he was necessarily worried about anything, but because why wouldn’t a man whose life had been threatened make an effort to defend himself?