Authors: Fern Michaels
Betrayal (10 page)
“I remember, dear. How could I not?” Don went inside in search of Sara's older sister.
Sara reclined in her father's chair. “Now, I need to know why I feel so unclean. That's all, Mommy. I just don't understand!”
Her daughter's wailing resumed. Debbie wished she were back on the cruise ship. No kids. No problems. Just smooth sailing.
Chapter 10
T
he plain white van parked in the driveway. Two sheriff's deputies wearing dark gray uniforms got out and knocked at the front door. Kate had seen them, knew why they were there, but wanted to delay the inevitable as long as humanly possible. Her time together with her husband was about to end, at least temporarily.
he plain white van parked in the driveway. Two sheriff's deputies wearing dark gray uniforms got out and knocked at the front door. Kate had seen them, knew why they were there, but wanted to delay the inevitable as long as humanly possible. Her time together with her husband was about to end, at least temporarily.
Alex waited at the foot of the stairs. He had no luggage, no carry-on bag, no book tucked beneath his arm for this particular trip. He wouldn't need any clothes where he was going either, Kate thought. An orange jumpsuit would be provided for him. This was the saddest day of her life, maybe even worse than when she learned of her parents' death. Losing one's parents was a natural event, something one expected to occur at some point, however tragic the circumstances. Losing one's husband to a false accusation was something totally different, entirely unexpected.
She wanted to be upbeat for Alex's sake. Gertie had stayed with the dogs after Alex left the kennel that morning. He'd said his good-byes to Bella and the others. Kate's heart broke a bit more each time she looked into his eyes. They were so very sorrowful; the spark that once lit them up like jewels was dimmed by sadness.
The time was up. Alex had taken care of the business end of things. Kate knew it was up to her to take care of matters of the heart.
She forced a smile. “Look at this as a break from me and my forcing you to eat all those test meals. I'll see that everything is taken care of, Alex. I promise.” Tears filled her eyes. “This won't be forever.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on for dear life. She never thought she'd lose Alex this way, not in a million years.
The doorbell rang once, then a second time.
Alex removed Kate's arms from his waist. His eyes were shiny with tears, but he wouldn't release them. He had to be strong for Kate. He touched the tip of her nose. “You look like you've got a cold.” He smiled at her. She was his life, his everything. Words could never convey his love for her. He touched her again, this time running his knuckles across her cheek. “This won't be forever, Kate. I promise that no matter what happens, I'll come home. We'll be here together again, maybe not like before, but I will be back. I love you, Kate.”
She nodded, then went to the door where the two men on the other side would take Alex away from her for a while. They'd had their private moments and it was time to face the music.
“I love you, too, Alex Rocket. Always and forever.” She gave him one last smile, then opened the door.
“Alex John Rocket?” the taller of the two deputies asked. He held a sheaf of papers out to Kate. Alex stood by her side. The other deputy removed handcuffs from his belt.
“That would be me.” Alex pushed the screen door aside and held both arms out in front of him as the second deputy placed the handcuffs around both wrists. Kate took the papers and stuffed them into her back pocket.
Tears gushed, and she didn't care who saw them. “Oh, Alex!” She ran out the door and grabbed him. She embraced him one last time before the deputies took him to Florida, where he would have to remain until, if things worked out, bail was arranged. “I'll see you day after tomorrow.”
Alex simply nodded and walked toward the van, a deputy on either side of him.
Kate watched the van until its taillights disappeared. Once she was back inside the house alone, she sobbed until her eyes were swollen shut. She took Alex's best bottle of Royal Canadian and poured herself a tall glass. She gulped it down, then followed it with another. Her throat burned from the whiskey, but she continued to drink until the bottle was empty.
In a drunken stupor, Kate went upstairs to the master bedroom and fell onto the bed she had shared with her husband. She hugged Alex's pillow, inhaling traces of Old Spice and a scent that was uniquely Alex's. When she awoke, the sun was setting.
She reached for the clock on her side of the bed. “Damn!” She'd lost an entire day. Pulling herself into a sitting position, Kate tucked both knees close to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and sobbed more. She'd cried so much after Alex left, she was sure she had no tears left. She was wrong. Kate blew her nose on her T-shirt.
At that precise moment Kate wanted nothing more than to get her hands around Sara Marie Winter's fat neck. She wanted to squeeze until the truth spewed forth from her lying lips. Why had she done this? What in the name of God had Alex ever done to the child? Kate tried to think of all the times they'd been with the Winter family in the past thirteen years. She couldn't recall a single time that Alex had been alone for any length of time with Sara, or with Emily, for that matter. They'd gone over this a million times as they were writing the dates out for James. Both agreed that the child had serious mental issues because there was nothing that either of them could recall that remotely hinted at anything even close to inappropriate touching.
If Alex's situation hadn't been so desperate, Kate would've laughed. Who would have thought Alex capable of such a vile act? Kate wondered if Don truly believed Alex had committed an act so unnatural that it was sickening to contemplate. If so, then he'd never really known Alex, even though they'd been friends for most of their life.
Kate ended her pity-party then and there. It would do Alex no good at all. From that moment forward, everything she did would be for Alex. Somehow, she would help Alex escape from this nightmare. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she was always big on gut instinct. When hers kicked in, and said, “Do this or that for Alex,” then she would know.
With their future at stake, Kate knew crying and theorizing wouldn't get her any closer to learning the truth about Sara and why she'd accused Alex of such a sordid act. She would leave first thing in the morning for Naples, Florida. Gertie had arranged for her to stay in the house of a friend who was in Rhode Island for the summer. If Alex remained in jail when it was time for her to give up the house, then Kate would rent an apartment. Gertie would remain in Asheville so that Alex's business continued. He'd been worried about leaving the dogs, but he knew they were in good hands with Gertie. Kate trusted her more than anyone else, excluding Alex. Gertie was as good as family.
After a long, cool shower and a couple of aspirins, Kate felt much better. She'd been foolish to drown her sorrows in a bottle, but somehow it'd seemed the thing to do at the time.
Hoping the weather for tomorrow was decent, she flipped on the television in the bedroom in hopes of catching an up-to-date weather report. She'd chartered a private plane to fly her to Naples and knew if the weather was remotely iffy, her flight would be canceled. She turned the volume up as the anchor's animated face filled the screen to make sure she could hear accurately. As the anchor was about to switch over to the weather report, her smiling face became serious. “This just in. Alex Rocket, longtime resident of Asheville, North Carolina, has been extradited to Naples, Florida, to face alleged child molestation charges . . .”
Kate pushed the Off button on the remote and tossed it across the room. “Damn those bastards! How did they find out?” she shouted, knowing there would be no answer. Those newshounds made her sick! Did they realize what they were doing when they reported stories like this? It ruined lives! If this was known locally, Kate couldn't imagine what the media in Naples would be like. Something told her Debbie had a hand in this. It would be just like her to try and gain publicity for Don's firm from this tragedy.
The woman had no scruples whatsoever.
Sleep was the last thing on her mind. Kate checked her to-do list one last time before settling in Alex's recliner with the Stephen King novel he'd been reading only a few nights ago. It brought her a little closer to Alex, knowing his eyes had focused on the same words she was reading. When her eyes grew heavy, she laid the book aside and dozed. She was due at the airport at six in the morning. She hadn't bothered setting the alarm. She knew sleep would be fitful at best.
At four, she made a pot of tea, took another hot shower, and waited for the taxi to arrive. She hadn't wanted Gertie to drive her to the airport. She needed to be with the dogs. At five-thirty a horn blared. Kate's taxi had arrived. She was dressed and ready. With one last look over her shoulder, she left the only home she'd known for most of her life.
She gave the taxi driver her luggage and got in the backseat for the ride to the airport. There was no traffic at that early hour, so she arrived at the airport with time to spare. Because she was flying in a private plane, she went to the general aviation area to wait for her pilot and his crew. She and Alex had hired this crew before, so Kate felt comfortable and safe. The weather report was perfect. If only she were flying somewhere exotic with Alex at her side. Then she might actually enjoy the flight. But there would be no pleasure in this trip.
“Mrs. Rocket?”
The pilot and his copilot.
“Yes? Oh, good morning, Joe.” She couldn't recall the copilot's name.
“Trent Walker, ma'am.” The young copilot shook her hand.
“Trent, call me Kate.”
“We've got to preflight the plane. If you want to go ahead and board, it's fine. Candy Lee is getting coffee and muffins for the trip. She'll be here any minute,” Joe explained to her.
“Sure, that's great.” Kate wondered if they'd heard last night's news. She hoped they hadn't, but if they had, it was already too late. The damage to Alex's reputation was complete. Anything she said or did at this point wouldn't make a difference. She went out to the tarmac and climbed up the small pull-down steps, entering the plane. She sat in a plush seat with plenty of leg room. A headset lay on the seat next to hers. She knew this was rude, but she didn't want to talk. She grabbed the headset, placed it over her ears, and adjusted the music to something light and soothing. She waited for the preflight inspection to end, at which time she'd have to sit up for takeoff.
Chapter 11
K
ate woke up surprised to find she'd actually fallen asleep after takeoff and that the flight had passed so quickly. She removed her headset and prepared for the onslaught ahead. She prayed the local media hadn't gotten wind of her arrival. The last thing she wanted was to face a mob of reporters.
ate woke up surprised to find she'd actually fallen asleep after takeoff and that the flight had passed so quickly. She removed her headset and prepared for the onslaught ahead. She prayed the local media hadn't gotten wind of her arrival. The last thing she wanted was to face a mob of reporters.
Gertie had called ahead and arranged for a rental car with maps and the keys for the house so Kate could go there first thing. She needed to unwind. James would be arriving that afternoon to go over their strategy. Kate needed to be sharp and alert for the ordeal she and Alex would have to endure for the next few days, maybe even weeks. She prayed it would soon be over. She wanted their life back. Oh, she knew it could never be as it was before, but maybe now it could be even better. A tinge of doubt clouded her thinking. In order to escape her negative visions of the future, Kate grabbed her carry-on and prepared to vacate the small jet. She'd traveled to Naples many times, but never in a million years did she think she'd be visiting Alex in jail. Sara's accusation still shocked her. This nightmare had to end, and soon. Kate prayed for swift decisions with happy endings.
As she walked down the small set of steps to the tarmac, Kate actually felt faint for a second. The humidity was overwhelming, like a wet wool blanket enshrouding her. She took a deep, if somewhat shaky, breath. She hated Florida summers, but the winter was truly perfect. Knowing this, she and Alex had always timed their visits to coincide with good weather. It'd been a long, long time since she faced this kind of heat. If the weather was an omen of things to come, then Kate figured Alex was in big trouble. Again, she tried to curb her negative thinking. It wouldn't do her or Alex one bit of good.
Positive thinking, Kate.
Positive thinking, Kate.
Determined to get through this ordeal, Kate forced a smile when Joe brought her luggage to the rental car waiting alongside the jet. “Thanks, Joe. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. I don't know when I'll be leaving.”
Joe nodded. “Just call when you're ready. We'll be here within a couple of hours.” He paused for a minute before finishing, “If there is
anything
I can do for you and Alex, just say the word.” He looked her straight in the face, his eyes never wavering. Kate was sure he knew why she'd come to Florida in such a hurry. His diplomacy in the matter was more than appreciated.
anything
I can do for you and Alex, just say the word.” He looked her straight in the face, his eyes never wavering. Kate was sure he knew why she'd come to Florida in such a hurry. His diplomacy in the matter was more than appreciated.
“I'll do that, Joe. And thanks. Alex will appreciate this.” She shook his hand, then took the keys he held out for her.
“The car is full of gas, and it's ready to go,” Joe said.
Kate nodded her thanks while he placed her luggage in the trunk of the sleek gray Mercedes. A compact car would've been fine, but dear Gertie, she always selected the best for Kate, no matter what.
Kate gave Joe a quick hug. “I truly thank you. I'll stay in touch.”
With a slight nod, he returned to the aircraft. Kate wondered who else would need his services today. She hoped to return to Asheville within the week, but James had told her they would take this one day at a time. She promised Alex she wouldn't get too upset, but it was a hard promise to keep. Her negative thoughts kept bombarding her with “what-if ” scenarios.
Kate adjusted the car's air-conditioning as high as it would go. The back of her neck was damp with sweat. She couldn't wait to take off the black slacks and cream-colored silk blouse. Dressing so formally for the trip was unlike her. Maybe subconsciously she thought looking her best would have an effect on the outcome of what lay ahead. If only it were that simple.
She took the map from the passenger's seat, spreading it across the steering wheel. She was familiar with Naples, but not the area in which Gertie's friends lived, now her new home, however temporary. Naples Municipal Airport was located on Aviation Drive, according to Kate's map. Tracing the directions with her finger, she viewed the route to Highway 41. From there she would travel farther south to Hibiscus Lane, where the Thermans' house was located. She glanced at her watch before putting the car in drive. Not yet noon. She had plenty of time before James's arrival.
As she turned south onto Highway 41, or Tamiami Trail, as it was called by the locals, Kate's heart did a flip-flop. There on the northeast corner of 41 and Airport Pulling Road sat the Collier County Courthouse. That was where Alex's future would be decided. Slowing down to get a good look, Kate determined there was nothing even slightly threatening in the building's appearance. Several stories high, white concrete stucco, dozens of palm trees, hibiscus plants decorating the lawn. Men wearing dark suits and ties walked in and out of the revolving doors. She couldn't imagine dressing like that in the heat. She shook her head and accelerated.
The usual McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King flanked Highway 41. Nothing new. Nothing they didn't have in Asheville. She saw a Wal-Mart sign and decided she'd best stop for a few groceries. She still had to eat, even though she'd lost her appetite days ago. She had to keep in shape for Alex. Kate's decisions on the outside could very well affect Alex on the inside. It wouldn't do for her to get sick.
She pulled into the large parking lot. It appeared as though half of Collier County had decided to make a stop at Wal-Mart. Kate found a parking place without too much aggravation. She made a mental list of what she would need.
Inside the large chain store, Kate grabbed a bag of apples, Earl Grey tea bags, Sweet'N Low, a loaf of whole wheat bread, strawberry jam, and peanut butter. That was enough. If she needed anything else, she'd go to the supermarket. She waited in line longer than she should have and paid for her purchases. Again, the heat battered her as she walked to the Mercedes. Warm and moist, Kate wondered how in the world people stood this year-round. She supposed it was like anything else; you simply got used to it or learned to live with it. If only that were her main concern.
Kate's silk blouse clung to her clammy skin. She cranked the AC up again, shifted into reverse, and maneuvered through the lot until she was at the traffic light leading her back to Highway 41. She ran a hand through her damp hair. The humidity had really done a number on it. Not that she cared. Her curls sprang up like fast-growing weeds. She smiled. Alex liked her curls and could never understand why she hated them.
Kate took the map, which was now lying on the seat. Another block and she'd be at the intersection where she would make her final turn onto Hibiscus Lane. The street sign came into view. Kate slowed down, looked in her rearview mirror. Nothing behind her. She turned onto the street. Any other time this would've been a pleasure. The homes on the street were blocked by high stucco walls and too much shrubbery. Gertie told her this was a very private area, but until now, she hadn't really understood. This was more than suitable considering the circumstances. The last thing she wanted to deal with was nosy neighbors. She wanted to do what needed to be done to take Alex home. Nothing more. She didn't need to make friends, and she sure as hell didn't need anyone to befriend her.
Kate saw the house number on the dolphin-shaped mailbox. She smirked and pulled into the circular drive. With two blue Wal-Mart bags and her carry-on in one hand, she wrestled with the set of keys. She crossed the beautifully manicured lawn to the enclosed front porch. Opening the door, she saw several editions of the
Naples Daily News
in a pile at her feet. She nudged them aside and slipped the key into the lock of the front door to the house. A gush of cool air greeted her. She sighed. The feeling was wonderful.
Naples Daily News
in a pile at her feet. She nudged them aside and slipped the key into the lock of the front door to the house. A gush of cool air greeted her. She sighed. The feeling was wonderful.
Kate deposited her bags on a small table in the foyer. She inspected the great room as she entered. Cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, and snazzy red sofas bordered the large room. A double-sided fireplace positioned in the center of the room caused Kate to do a double take. Why in the world would one need a fireplace in Florida? She walked farther into the room. Three sets of French doors led to a large swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Several Adirondack loungers were scattered haphazardly around the pool's edge. Potted plants peppered the deck. A table that could seat at least ten faced the canal. A Jenn-Air grill, larger than her stove at home, was situated between a small built-in counter and an oven ensconced in a brick wall. Baking. Outside. In the Florida heat.
Who'd've thunk it?
A sink, fridge, and teak cabinets completed the outside kitchen. Two silver Jet Skis hung in midair above the dock. Under different circumstances, she would've been thrilled with her accommodations. Now it only reminded her that she wasn't living her life as she wanted. She and Alex both were at the mercy of the court and its future rulings.
Who'd've thunk it?
A sink, fridge, and teak cabinets completed the outside kitchen. Two silver Jet Skis hung in midair above the dock. Under different circumstances, she would've been thrilled with her accommodations. Now it only reminded her that she wasn't living her life as she wanted. She and Alex both were at the mercy of the court and its future rulings.
Ignoring her lavish surroundings, Kate took her bags from the table. A nice double side-by-side fridge, a gas oven, not unlike the ones at Chloe's, and cabinets galore encircled the great room. A small island with a red ceramic sink was centered in the kitchen area. Again, Kate was sorry she was in such a crappy position. She would've loved to cut loose in this kitchen. And she might, she told herself as she put the groceries away. Maybe she would prepare a celebratory dinner for her and Alex when he was released. Yes, that's exactly what she would do.
With thoughts of planning a gourmet meal upon Alex's arrival, Kate found the guest bedroom. It was decorated in a palm tree motif. Not her cup of tea, but it worked there. Celery green walls, a beige comforter with palm fronds looked too inviting. She removed her sticky clothes. Just a few minutes. That was all she needed. She closed the plantation shutters and pulled the switch to turn on the paddle fan. She lay on the bed, her thoughts a whirlwind. Before she realized it, she fell asleep. A loud knock at the front door awakened her.
She jumped up from the bed, off guard in her new environment. She still wore her bra and panties.
Damn. She only meant to rest her eyes for a few minutes. She looked at her watch. She'd slept for over two hours.
The knocking continued.
“Coming,” she shouted. It had to be James. She grabbed the much-hated black slacks and blouse, slipped the latter over her head, and raced to the foyer as she stumbled into her pants. A glance in the mirror above the small table said she looked like hell, but she didn't care. At that point all she wanted to do was put this nightmare behind her and get on with her life.
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