His Golden Heart (21 page)

“Please. I’d like to have dinner with him in the private dining room. It would be interesting to hear what his impressions are so far. Can you join us?”

“Sorry. I’ll have to pass. I need to run an errand and dinner’s about the only time I have.”

Beau continued to talk to Ebenezer as Mohammed took off.

Ten minutes later, Mohammed returned with a sweating Reggie whose stance said he was wary about being summoned.

“Looks like you’ve been getting quite the workout,” Beau said, eyeing the wary boy. “Having fun?”

“Yeah, man. It’s been awesome.” Reggie’s wide grin flashed, and he high-fived Beau. It was the first time Beau had ever seen him this loose or animated. “My team kicked butt.” Reggie was operating on pure adrenaline.

“So you’re enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, yeah. I thought it would be all work.”

Beau winked at him. “We’re full of surprises here at The Hill.” He gestured to Ebenezer who stood off to the side observing them. “This is the kid I was talking about.”

Ebenezer took his time assessing Reggie. “Yup, that’s one of them, all right.”

“I’m one of them? What’s going on?” Reggie asked.

Beau figured he’d better explain. He told Reggie that Ebenezer had been in McDonald’s the night of the alleged crime and thought he’d seen him.

“See, and nobody believed me,” Reggie grumbled.

“Shayna did. How about you and I have dinner together? You can tell me about that night and talk to me about your sister.”

The old Reggie resurfaced, tough and in your face. “So that’s it. You’re using me to get close to my sister. Why not just call her and talk to her about whatever’s on your mind?”

“That’s always an option. Right now you and I are going to chill. We’re having some of that great meatloaf Penny cooked and we can shoot the breeze or just be quiet. It’s up to you.”

Beau turned his attention on Ebenezer again. “Call me if you remember anything else. You’ve got the number here. Mohammed can get in touch with me at a moment’s notice.”

“Will do,” Ebenezer said, touching his head in a mock salute.

Beau counted on the old guy to be back in touch, if not he would just have to find him.

Gesturing to Reggie to follow him, he wheeled himself out.

Chapter Seventeen

“How’s Beau Hill doing?” Mary Jane Coppola asked, sipping her wine and eyeing the crowded LoDo sidewalk where men in business suits strolled by casting furtive glances at the female patrons. “I’ve got to start hanging out down here more often.” She ogled an attractive man in an expensive-looking trench coat, smiling when he looked her way.

“Beau’s making progress,” Shayna said carefully, ignoring the fluttering in her gut. “Right now he’s not too happy with me, though.”

“Why’s that?”

Shayna told her how Beau had found out about her past and that she’d been Little Shay, a onetime Olympic hopeful.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Mary Jane said. “You mean I’m working with someone famous?”

“I used to be famous,” Shayna corrected. It felt good sitting here and not having to rush home and get dinner started. It was Reggie’s first evening at Hill Of Dreams, and Shayna and Mary Jane were finally having that promised drink. Shayna was enjoying Mary Jane’s tart sense of humor and was incredibly relaxed. The cute sidewalk cafe lent itself to people watching, her favorite pastime.

“Do you truly believe Beau will walk again?” Mary Jane asked, downing her wine, her Kewpie-doll face scrunched into a questioning look.

Shayna chose her words carefully. “I think he might, if he wants to badly enough. Like almost anything else in life, desire is a powerful factor. Beau’s spinal injury is minor. His initial state of mind is what’s held up his progress.”

Mary Jane selected a chip from the basket in front of them. “You sound like you’ve gotten to know him well. “How well?”

Shayna felt her cheeks heat up. The mere mention of Beau’s name had that effect on her. She wasn’t about to share that with Mary Jane. “When you work with a person, you get to know them fairly well,” she said off-handedly.

Mary Jane’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “I think it’s more than that. You like Beau Hill more than you’re willing to admit.”

“And your point being?”

Mary Jane crunched loudly on her chip. “There’s a lot to like about Beau. Admittedly he was a bear when he was first admitted to Denver Rehab, but there was always a certain charisma under that gruff exterior. Several of the nurses saw it. Maybe even felt it.”

“Hmmmmm. That’s why several of them quit or asked to be transferred.”

“Not me.” Mary Jane giggled even as the cell phone in Shayna’s purse jingled. The noise startled them.

Shayna depressed a button. “Hello.”

“Shayna?” a male voice inquired.

Shayna’s heart stopped. Reggie so seldom called her mobile. Was he in trouble?

“I’m here,” she answered, clamping the phone more firmly to her ear. She rose, walking a little way down the sidewalk. “What’s going on?”

“I have good news, Shayna. The best.” Reggie sounded as if he were hyperventilating.

“OK?” She waited for the next shoe to drop.

“I found someone, Shayna. Someone who saw me that night when I was with the guys. I have an eyewitness. I thought you might want to call Colin.”

“And tell him what?” Shayna asked, excited but careful not to let on.

“Tell him that we found ourselves another witness. Someone who saw me and the guys at the McDonald’s. I’ll put Beau on and he can tell you all about it.”

Shayna’s heart pounded. Beau had been angry with her. They hadn’t spoken since the evening of his barbecue when Alia had so loudly announced her past identity. Sure they’d managed to be civil to each other and even made it through the meal, but she’d sensed his disappointment in her and knew that he didn’t trust her.

“How are you, Shayna?” Beau’s rich, deep voice came at her, making the goose bumps pop out. Shayna’s stomach flip-flopped. She should never have had that second glass of wine.

“Is what Reggie’s telling me true?” she asked without preamble.

“Yes. It’s a really small world. One of the guys saw Reggie on TV tonight. He recognized him from the McDonald’s.”

Beau went on to explain about Ebenezer providing the details about how it had come about.

Shayna’s excitement built. “Is this guy reputable?” she asked.

“All I know is that he’s been coming to the center for a while. Mohammed says he’s usually fairly neat and doesn’t appear to be on drugs.”

“If I call Colin he’s going to want to know how he can reach Ebenezer,” Shayna said.

“Who’s Colin?” Beau asked, his tone possessive.

“Reggie’s attorney.”

“That might pose a problem. These men usually aren’t forthcoming about addresses and phone numbers. Some have been in trouble with the law previously. Makes them skittish. Why doesn’t Colin try to contact Ebenezer here? Meanwhile I’ll try to pin him down, establish a time and day when he’ll be back. If Colin can come to Hill Of Dreams and meet Ebenezer, so much the better.”

“I like that idea. You have therapy scheduled for Wednesday, see you then.”

A car pulled up at the curb next to her. High-pitched voices shrieked excitedly as four women dressed to the nines alighted. Too-tight clothing and strongly scented perfume signaled an interesting evening ahead.

“Where are you?” Beau asked sharply.

“In LoDo.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Am I’m being interrogated?” Shayna asked lightly.

“Sorry.”

She chuckled as the four women sashayed down the street, arm in arm, butts twitching.

“Sounds like you’re having a good time.”

“I am. Actually I’m having a drink with Mary Jane Coppola.”

“I didn’t know you two were friends,” Beau said. “Be sure to say hi to Immaculata for me. Tell her I miss her.”

“I will. See you on Wednesday then. Make sure Reggie goes straight home. He’s got a nine o’clock curfew.”

“All right, hon.”

Shayna disconnected, thinking she wasn’t his “hon.”

Not by a long shot.

* * *

Colin Johnson tapped the capped Mont Blanc pen against his polished wooden desk, and spoke out loud. “What if this guy Ebenezer, well-meaning as he might be, isn’t credible?”

The tapping noise was grating on Shayna’s already wired nerves. “We’ll deal with it then. You’re saying that this may be a waste of time. We found ourselves another witness and because he’s a vagrant doesn’t mean he’s not telling the truth.” Shayna’s voice wobbled in her frustration. She tried desperately to hold back tears. Ebenezer had represented hope.

“Tell that to a jury. The prosecution will most definitely run a background check on him. We should too. We need to remain one step ahead of them. We want no surprises.”

“But I spoke to Ebenezer myself,” Shayna cried, her voice heavy with conviction. “He was lucid, seemed honest. He was positive that it was Reggie and his friends he saw. He remembers the Focus pulling into the lot. Remembers the clothes the boys wore. The loud rap music coming from the car. How could he make all that up?”

“This case got a lot of media coverage,” Colin reminded her, gulping his already cold coffee. “I’ll get our PI to check him out.”

Shayna’s own coffee remained untouched. Just their luck to have found a witness that might be discredited. They still had another, she remembered. She couldn’t lose hope.

Colin scribbled notes and spoke out loud. “If Ebenezer’s description of the boys’ arrival is accurate, there had to be others that saw them.”

“But will they come forward?” She knew most people didn’t like getting involved especially when their anonymity might be at risk. She voiced another thought out loud. “Is it possible that Ebenezer knows the name of the man he was seated next to? They were both looking at the evening news. They must have had conversation and maybe even exchanged names.”

“That’s an interesting thought. I’ll have to pursue that. Hopefully he’s not another vagrant. “

Colin’s Mont Blanc beat another rapid tattoo against his desk. Shayna wanted to strangle him. The noise made her jumpier than ever. The trial was less than two weeks away. Her parents would be coming in from Seattle for it and the outcome was uncertain.

Colin smiled at her like she was the best thing since barbecue, and he was dying to get his hands on a rib. “I’m speaking with Ebenezer tomorrow. I’ll see what more I can find out,” he said. “Hang with me and have some faith.”

Shayna knew she would have to deal with Colin at some point and set him straight. Their heart-to-heart would have to wait until after the trial. “I’m coping as best as I can,” she said. “I can’t wait for this thing to be over with. I want Reggie’s name cleared. I want him sent off to college. I want to move on with my life.”

Emotions overcame her. She hid her head in her hands, shoulders silently shaking. It was too much. The pressure of having a brother to care for, and one in danger of being incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Her unexplainable feelings for Beau, and now this man seated across from her with such hope in his eyes. Everyone wanted a piece of her. She was only one person and right now she didn’t feel very strong or hopeful.

“Shayna,” Colin said, his hand squeezing her shoulder, “it’ll work out. I’ll do everything in my power to get Reggie off. We could consider plea bargaining if you’d like.”

“Sounds like you’ve given up on Reggie. He’s innocent, you know. He’s stuck to his story from the very beginning, he’d never agree to that.”

“Okay. Just thought I’d mention it. Thought it might be easier on you. We’ll check out Ebenezer’s background. We’ll get the name of his friend. Maybe he can provide us with names of others patronizing the fast food joint. These regulars usually know one another.”

Shayna had stopped crying. She brushed a hand across her eyes and accepted the tissue Colin handed her.

“Want to go out and get a drink?” he asked.

“Thanks, but I have to get home. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

“If you’re at loose ends later this week, give me a call.”

“I’ll do that” Shayna said, rising. “Thank you for your support. I appreciate all the time you’ve put into this.”

“It’s been nice getting to know you. I hope to get to know you even better.”

Shayna avoided his eyes. She’d meant exactly what she said. He’d been wonderful so far, committing time to helping them out and not billing for every hour. She was certain Reggie wasn’t the only person he represented.

Colin took her hands between his large ones and forced her to look at him. He regarded her with such fondness it made her uncomfortable. “I really would like to get to know you better,” he stated. “But I am a patient man and I’m willing to wait until after the trial.”

What did one say to that? “Thank you, Colin,” was the only thing that came to mind.

Still holding her hand, Colin escorted her out to the parking lot.

* * *

On the other side of town, Beau’s agent, David, was making his own phone calls. But everyone he was able to reach claimed to know nothing about Beau’s equipment. That wasn’t entirely surprising given that it had been months since the accident. David had started off calling Beau’s coach and had ended up leaving a message.