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  “Let me guess,” I said. “Dr. Theo sent you two over here to make me an offer I can’t refuse. I get it, okay? He wants me to keep my mouth shut about his daughter’s involvement in Cunningham’s death.”

  “He doesn’t know I’m here. I don’t work for him anymore.”

  “You’re kidding me. He fired you?”

  “I quit and should have done so a long time ago. I had no idea how bad things would get.”

  I crossed my legs and leaned back in my chair.

  “When Theo first hired me as his full-time attorney, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. As it turned out, I ended up being a very expensive, overqualified babysitter for his only child.”

  “A babysitter?”

  “Theo didn’t really need me. It wasn’t like he was getting sued every other month. I spent most of my time bailing his daughter out of jail, or covering up some scandalous stunt she’d pulled. My job was to make sure none of it got into the papers, or on her record. Every time I diverted a disaster, Theo put me on a pedestal. For a while it was a piece of cake.”

  “What happened to change it?”

  “Jessica fell in love with Duane Cunningham.”

  “And she got pregnant. I know this part of the story.”

  O’Malley smiled. “You may think you do, Sarah. But I’m going to tell you the less popular version: the truth.”

  A chill ran through me as I waited for him to continue.

  “When Jessica found out she was pregnant with Cunningham’s child, she came to me instead of going to her father. There was talk of an abortion. I told her there was no way her father would go for it.”

  “She must have been pissed,” I said.

  “She found out very quickly where my loyalties lay. Of course, Theo insisted Jessica have the baby. He wanted her to try and make a go of it with Cunningham. A few months into her pregnancy Jessica started taking pre-med classes while Cunningham lounged around. Theo was paying the bills so Cunningham took full advantage. This went on for about seven months until the day Toby was born. The kid cried, non-stop. They were ill equipped to handle the responsibility necessary to raise a child, so Theo handled it the way he handles everything; he threw money at the situation. They ended up with a live-in nanny. It worked nicely for a while.”

  “Cassandra Perkins,” I said.

  “That’s right. So one afternoon I get a call from her. She’s nearly hysterical and asks to see me right away. When I met with her she told me something that blew my mind. The night before, she’d heard Jessica screaming at the baby in their nursery. When she entered the room she saw Jessica shaking Toby as if he were a rag doll. My first impression was that the nanny was exaggerating. A few days later she called me again and gave me an ultimatum: either call child services or she would. I went to Doctor Theo. He looked me straight in the eye, told me to fire the nanny, and start looking for a new one. I tried to reason with him. He refused to acknowledge the ugly reality that his daughter had some major problems.

  “Did Cunningham know the abuse was going on?

  “He did. I could tell he was getting ready to bolt. I think the only reason he stuck around as long as he did is because the bills were getting paid. Also, I think he really did care about his son. However, I figured it wouldn’t take much to convince him to disappear if the price was right.”

  Another cold chill ran through me as I experienced an epiphany. “You staged the abduction?”

  O’Malley took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m here, Sarah. I had a feeling you would figure it out, eventually.”

  “So Toby is alive?”

  “It was mostly Cassandra Perkins’s plan. She and her husband had been trying to have a child for years. I knew she loved Toby and couldn’t stand by while Jessica mistreated him. And she was smart enough to know she would never prevail against the Sanborn family.”

  I shook my head. “How were you able to pull it off without the Sanborn’s knowledge?”

  “You do realize that my uncle and the Perkins’s are the only people who know the details of what really went down. How do I know that you’re not going to go to the authorities?”

  “Look, it’s pretty obvious you broke some serious laws, but I get it. Ultimately, this is for the greater good. In a roundabout way, justice has been served. A child who would otherwise have grown up in an abusive household now belongs to a loving family. Your secret is safe with me, but I still want to know how you pulled it off.”

  “It wasn’t that hard. I was able to provide Cassandra with fake adoption documents so they could take Toby to Argentina. As far as Cunningham is concerned, he wanted out. Being a father was definitely not something he wanted to do any longer. He agreed to leave the country in exchange for a hefty sum of money.”

  “Ah, so that explains the ransom.”

  “Exactly,” O’Malley said. “Only problem is, Cunningham didn’t stick to his promise. He was supposed to leave the country for good. If Richard hadn’t seen him at LAX, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “So Doctor Theo still has no idea you or the Perkins’s are involved in his grandson’s disappearance?”

  “There have been many times I’ve wanted to tell him his grandson is safe. I’m not proud of the cover-up and the lies. However, I don’t know how he’d react to the truth. He already has enough problems with his own daughter.”

  “So you had your uncle fly to Hawaii to keep an eye on Cunningham?”

  O’Malley nodded and smiled. “I have to give you credit, Sarah. You’re quite good at this detective work. You really kept me on my toes.”

  I sat back and looked at the two men seated before me. “You wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. Well, I’d say you did that.”

  “I know you’ll be tempted to tell the others. I need your word that you’ll keep this between us?”

  “Well, it won’t be easy, but I completely understand.” I pushed myself up from the chair and stood to face him while extending my hand.

  He took my hand with both of his and looked into my eyes. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 43

  O’Malley and his uncle left my office. I sat alone at my desk, my head in a spin. I began thinking about the big picture: the end of a sixteen-year marriage and a possible new beginning with Max.

  His e-mail was still on my computer screen. I reread it several times before typing a reply.

  Dear Max,

  I’ve been thinking about us. Part of me wants to encourage you to take the job in Chicago. It sounds like a great opportunity. A bigger part of me doesn’t. In fact if you left I would be heartbroken. I’m terrified to bare my soul to you in this way, but I want to be perfectly honest. You once said to me, life is short. I don’t ever want to regret letting you go because I was too scared or insecure to take a chance.

  The next few weeks will be difficult. Daniel and I need to figure out all the details of our separation. If you can be patient with me, I’ll do my best to keep you informed of all that comes to pass.

  Let’s have dinner soon. I owe you a night out.

  Love, Sarah

  I hit send. There was no way I could take it back now.

  The drive home was a blur. I stopped to get groceries in anticipation of making a healthy dinner for Brian. We had been living on take-out pizza and pop tarts since my return from Hawaii. There had been no complaints, but I was starting to feel guilty.

  I pulled up to the house and noticed Daniel’s car parked in the driveway. Once inside, I set the grocery bags down on the counter and noticed Daniel sitting at the kitchen table drinking a beer. He looked like he had neglected to shave for many days. “How’s your back?” I asked, without making eye contact. Daniel took another slug from his beer bottle.

  “Are you here for dinner?” I took some vegetables out of the grocery bag and placed them on a cutting board.

  “Well, if you’re inviting me to stay. We need to talk anyway.”

  “How do you want to handle
the separation?”

  Daniel let out an abrupt chuckle. “You don’t waste any time.”

  “Well, it’s what you want, isn’t it?”

  “What I want is to know why you stayed in Hawaii. Something’s going on with you, Sarah.”

  There was no point in keeping it a secret any longer. Lying to my family had taken a toll on my psyche. I called Brian into the room then started at the very beginning. I explained how I met Carter and began working for him. I concluded with the abduction case in Hawaii. I left out the part about Max. Both Daniel and Brian stared in silence.

  After a moment, Daniel sat back, crossed his arms and shook his head like he wasn’t sure whether to be pissed or to start clapping. “How in the world did you do that? What do you know about spying on people and solving crimes?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just have a natural talent for getting myself into sticky situations. Good thing it’s part of the job description.”

  Brian gave me a look I couldn’t quite decipher. I reached my hand out to him. “I’m sorry I lied to both of you. I was afraid you guys wouldn’t understand. I guess I needed to prove to myself that I could do this. Besides, you would’ve tried to talk me out of it.”

  Brian got up and gave me a hug. “It’s okay, Mom. I think it’s cool, just as long as you don’t have to pack heat. I wouldn’t want you to accidentally shoot yourself in the foot.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he sat back down.

  “So, do you plan on doing more jobs for this Carter guy?” Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes. “How much is he paying you?”

  Leave it to Daniel to ask about the money. “Enough. Don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job just yet.”

  “Hey Mom,” Brian said. “Do you ever have people chasing after you with weapons and stuff?”

  I chuckled and decided not to share that part of my experience.

  Brian hopped to his feet and made a mock gesture of pointing a gun at me. “So if I were a bad guy, what would you do, Mom?”

  I laughed. “Crap my pants.”

  “C’mon Mom, you need to be prepared for stuff like this. Maybe you should take a self-defense class or something.”

  “Or,” I stood up, grabbed a carrot from the cutting board, and pointed it at his chest, “I could simply use my mad sword fighting skills. En guard!”

  Brian’s eyes grew wide with excitement as he reached over the counter, grabbed another carrot, and held it up to mine. “Prepare for defeat, Mom!”

  We commenced to reenacting a sword-fighting scene from “The Princess Bride” while Daniel sat and laughed at our comical performance. The house seemed to vibrate as we ran all around the kitchen, jumped on top of chairs, and executed cunning stunts. My attempted leap over a stool resulted in me crashing to the floor. Brian doubled over laughing. I sat exhausted and defeated, yet the sound of my son’s laughter made me smile.

  “Aw, come on, Mom,” Brian said, looming over me. “It was just starting to get good.”

  “I’m pooped. I still need to reserve some energy to make dinner.”

  Daniel polished off the last of his beer and stood up. He stretched his arms over his head, did a few squats then grabbed the carrot from my hand. “Guess I’ll have to take over for your mom.”

  Brian turned and ran out of the kitchen, screaming like a little girl as Daniel chased after him.

  Two weeks later

  My separation from Daniel had gone more smoothly than expected. He was shocked when I offered to move out so he could stay in the house. He hadn’t spent much time trying to change my mind.

  I found a small apartment close to my office: a two-bedroom unit in an old Victorian house. It was perfect, with high ceilings, large windows, and a massive stone fireplace that took up most of the living room. I imagined drinking wine in front of the fire on cold winter nights. Brian loved it, too. He had lofty plans to turn his bedroom into a music studio.

  The place was still empty as I finished painting the walls. Paint cans, brushes, and masking tape littered the floors. I swept everything to the side and washed up in the sink. Max was due to arrive any minute with pizza and beer.

  I hadn’t seen him since Hawaii. During the past few weeks, I’d been busy trying to find an apartment. I figured Max was busy trying to make his own decisions about his move to Chicago.

  The three loud knocks caused my heartbeat to escalate. I opened the door to find Max standing with a large pizza box in one hand, a six-pack in the other. The smile on his face said it all. He was happy to see me.

  “Welcome to my humble abode,” I said, allowing him to enter. “I’m sorry all I have to offer is a blanket for us to sit on.”

  He set the items down on the floor and took a look around. “Nice digs. I’m sure it’ll look amazing when you’re done decorating.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on my lips.

  We sat on the blanket and ate the pizza with our hands. Max opened a beer and handed it to me.

  “So,” I said, “what’s the verdict on Chicago?”

  Max smiled, took a sip of beer, and set it down. “Impatient, aren’t we?”

  I nodded.

  “I’ve decided not to move to Chicago. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

  I tossed the slice of pizza on the floor and threw myself into his lap. I wrapped my arms around him. “That makes me very happy.”

  He laughed and kissed my nose. “I can tell.”

  “So what will you do for a job?”

  “I don’t have a long term plan yet, but I’ve been making some calls I have an opportunity to do a job for someone, but it requires some travel. I’d be away for a few weeks. The income will be worth it.”

  “That’s wonderful,” I said.

  “But I was thinking I could use an assistant on this job. Would you be interested?” He reached into his back pocket and handed me an envelope.

  I opened it. Inside was a round trip ticket with my name on it. Boston to Paris. “You’re kidding me. We’re going to Paris?”

  “The job is actually in Bourges, but I figured we could spend a few nights in Paris before we start.”

  My eyes became misty. “I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Just say--- oui oui mon amour.”

  The end.

  Continue reading for Book 4

  A Taste of sin

  A Taste of Sin

  Jennifer L. Jennings

  Chapter 1

  Thursday, October 3

  6:45 pm

  Breaking and entering is illegal. However, if you’re going to pull off such a stunt, preparation is crucial, back up highly recommended, and proper tools a must. For instance a sturdy set of bump keys are invaluable if you haven’t yet mastered the art of lock picking.

  Even if you’ve taken all eventualities into consideration and there is a plan in place—well, you get the point.

  The house belonged to Gavin Cole, a thirty-six year old sex offender recently arrested for raping a fifteen-year-old girl. I’d only seen his face once via a mug shot taken weeks prior. His lawyer ended up getting him a plea deal---Gavin never spent a day in jail---but that didn’t mean he’d learned his lesson.

  His latest victim was one Danielle Washburn, a twenty-six year old bartender. She’d hired us to recover some sex tapes Gavin likely intended to sell to the highest bidder.

  The first thing I noticed when I entered the house was the smell of pot and stale alcohol. The place was pitch black. I carried a small flashlight---it provided just enough light to guide me. The place was obviously a party house. I imagined Gavin hosting porn nights and playing raunchy home movies—maybe his own—on the huge flat-screen. As I passed through the living room en route to the kitchen I made a mental note of pot paraphernalia and empty bottles of liquor scattered about the place. Gavin was a slob with expensive taste in alcohol.

  I continued down a hallway, noting a bathroom to my left, then turned and looked through th
e doorway to my right. A queen-size mattress was pushed up against the far wall. A desk with a laptop and printer sat on the opposite side.

  File boxes, CDs, notebooks, and writing utensils were strewn about the makeshift office. I got on my hands and knees, placed the butt of the flashlight between my teeth, and searched through the debris. After checking each file folder and several cardboard boxes I found the tapes in a large bubble-pack envelope. There were names written in red ink on each one: Danielle, Karen, and Jennifer. All three went in my bag. My next order of business was the laptop computer. It was nothing special, a no-name brand likely purchased at Wal-Mart. I unplugged the unit and stuffed it in my bag.

  I slung the backpack over my shoulder, prepared to make a quick exit, when my cell phone vibrated in my back pocket. My stomach muscles contracted as I read the text.

  Exit the house right now. He’s about to walk in the front door.

  I saw headlights pull into the driveway. I headed toward the window to get a better look. A silhouette emerged from the car and ran up to the front door. The faint sound of keys jingling in the lock made my stomach queasy.

  This individual would be in the house within a few seconds.

  With little time to think, I ducked behind the bedroom door, flattening myself against the wall just as the front door opened. I felt the vibration of heavy footsteps inside of the house. Clanging sounds preceded the distinct whir of an electric can opener and a microwave oven. The smell of baked beans filled the air. I heard the evening news on the television.

  My hands were sweating inside latex gloves as I formulated an exit strategy. Maybe Gavin had taken his meal to the living room. If so, I could slip past him and escape through the back door.

  I took a deep breath, reached into my bag, and clasped my fingers around the pepper spray canister. When I peeked around the doorframe to the living room, he was on the couch, facing the opposite direction and laughing at something the news anchor had said. I could only see the back of his balding head as I stepped cautiously toward the back door.