Directing Disaster

Jess was tired.  She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep for days and now that the stalker was dead, maybe she could finally get some sleep.  She leaned her head against the window.  “Whatever you think is best.”

“Joey’s out of the hospital.  Pauli’s bringing him home,” Ben said as he pulled into his driveway.  He had a three car attached garage and a two car detached garage, yet his driveway still resembled a used car lot.  Jamie’s truck and Pauli’s BMW were in the drive.  He’d had Lane’s SUV put in the third bay of the attached garage, and he pulled the Navigator into the middle bay.

They went into the house and found everyone in the hearth room.  For tonight, Ben hoped everyone could just grab a room, and they’d sort out which room Jamie wanted to claim for his own tomorrow.  Jess could choose one too, but since she wasn’t in Kansas much, he thought Jamie should probably get first choice.  He gave his head a slight shake; he shouldn’t worry about it.  The Parker kids would work things out without him.  Joey had snagged a room two days ago, Pauli had grabbed one last night, and Jamie had already claimed his room.  Leaving Jess with no real choice.

There were crutches leaning against the sofa arm next to where Joey sat.  Jess looked from him to the crutches and back.  “Why the hell aren’t you in bed?”

“Just waiting to be sure you’re all right,” Joey said.  He looked tired.

“I didn’t get stabbed.”

Joey looked at her hand. “No, I guess you didn’t.”

No, she hadn’t been stabbed, but she’d cut her hand and Pauli had said she’d gotten stitches.  God, Ben was right.  She really was five feet four inches of intense.

Joey got up. “I’ll just go to my room then.”

He grabbed the crutches and started toward his bedroom, with Jess hot on his trail.  He turned to close the door and found her standing in the doorway.  God, he’d underestimated that little twerp today, had gotten himself stabbed and had endangered her in the process.  He felt bad enough.  What did she want?

She walked to the bed and pulled back the covers.  “The slime ball’s dead.  Someone stabbed him in the carotid with one of my shoes.  You know anything about it, wise guy?”

Joey sat down on the bed.  “No.  Remember, I was in the hospital, but I can’t say I’m go

“Remember when I said something was gone?  It was my favorite pair of shoes.  Ben gave them to me last August.  Apparently, Clyde stole them and whoever killed him used my shoe to do it.”

Joey shook his head.  God, he needed a pain pill.  “Your shoes?  I’m not buying you any shoes.”

Jess glared at him. “What are you talking about?  No one asked you to buy me any shoes.”

“When you said something was gone I told you whatever it was I’d buy you two, but I’m not buying you shoes.  That seems to be Pauli’s and Ben’s area.  I’m not part of the Jess Parker shoe club.”

She looked at him and slapped the fingers of her stitched left hand into the palm of her right hand the way she’d seen Ben do last month to get Pauli’s attention. “You big dumb Pisano, I don’t want you to buy me shoes.”  She leaned in and kissed him.  “You scared me half to death.  Don’t do it again.” Then she turned and walked out of the room.

Chapter 22

the defense rests

Ben got up at 5:30 in the morning.  His normal exercise routine included a morning run of five or ten miles, depending more on his mood than anything else.  He needed a 10 mile run this morning.  He’d spent two nights in bed with his wife, listening to her moan in her sleep.  He hadn’t made love to Lane in weeks now, and while he loved the sound of her moans, he preferred to be the reason for them.  He needed to finish this trial and get to see her doctor.  She’d tried to convince him making love wouldn’t hurt the baby, but until he heard it from her doctor, he wasn’t taking any chances.  He loved her more than life itself, and now she was carrying his baby.  There was no sacrifice too great to make in exchange for the lives of his wife and his child.

As he ran, he thought about the trial.  He had three, maybe four more witnesses to call.  With any luck, they’d be making closing statements this afternoon.  One of his expert witnesses was an OB, but he wouldn’t dream of asking anyone but Lane’s doctor about her condition and their sex life.

It took him less than an hour to run 10 miles.  He got back to the house and found Jamie in the kitchen.  Jamie was a senior in high school, he played football, and it seemed like he was constantly eating.  “Hey, Bambino.  You’re up early.”  Ben grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink.

Jamie smiled. “Not really.  I’m an early riser.  I hope it’s okay, I used the weight room.”

Ben put the empty water bottle into the recycling bin.  “As of two days ago, this is your home.  My weight room is your weight room.  You don’t have to worry about or ask about using anything.  I’m heading there now.  What time do you leave for school?”

“I’ll leave around 7:30.  If I don’t see you before I leave, good luck in court.”

“Thanks, Bambino. I’ll be wrapping up today. And, no matter what we’ll all be at the game tonight.  Call me if you need anything.  You can call the office, even if I’m in court, they’ll get word to me.”

Ben went to the basement and into the weight room.  Rain, snow, or shine, he ran every morning and then he used the weight room for strength training.  He went through his reps and went to the master suite to shower.  He paused and watched Lane as she slept.  She was so beautiful, and if it was possible, she seemed even more beautiful now.  He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, or if pregnant women really did have a glow about them.  He closed the bathroom door so he wouldn’t disturb her as he showered and dressed.  When he was dressed and ready to go, he bent and kissed her cheek as she slept.

She opened her eyes.  “I love you,” she murmured.

“I love you,” Ben replied.  “Go back to sleep.  I’ll call when I have a break.”

Jamie had been gone when Ben came back from the weight room.  He seemed to be the only one of the Parkers who was a morning person.  Ben went into the den and grabbed his brief case.  He went into the garage and checked Lane’s SUV.  All of the bags were gone from the cargo area.  He’d have to call Joey later and find out what he could about the packages.

He and Uncle Sal were in the courtroom when it was called to order at nine o’clock.  Ben called his next witness.  An expert in fetal abductions who testified that since 1987, there had been 13 other fetal abduction cases in the United States.  In every case, the abductor was a woman who wanted a child.  In many cases, the abductor befriended the pregnant woman, and in the final weeks of her pregnancy, she killed the mother and abducted the baby.  In all but three cases, the child lived and in one case the mother had also survived.

Ben called the Paramedic, who had been the first responder, to the stand.  He confirmed that Senator Harold was holding the baby when he arrived, and that the only blood on the senator was from the baby.

Next, he called the coroner who explained that based on the angle, the cut to Amelia Harold’s abdomen had been made by someone using their left hand.

Then, he called Senator Harold’s assistant, Tiffany Algers, to the stand.  Tiffany was 32 years old, and Ben’s investigator had discovered that she’d been having an affair with the good Senator.  She was left handed.

“State your name, age and profession for the record.”

“Tiffany Elise Algers, 32. I am Senator Eric Harold’s executive assistant.”

“How long have you held that position, Miss Algers?”

“I’ve been with Eric for almost two years.”

“How would you characterize your relationship with Senator Harold?”

“I’m his assistant.”