Chapter

Lehigh crumpled the note from Stacy into his fist and threw it to the floor of his truck. He clenched his teeth so hard, he could taste shavings from the filling in his second molar. Pain shot down from the tooth into his jaw.

Good. He needed that pain as a distraction from the heavy ache rising in his chest.

Diamond sniffed the note and licked at it. He loved to chew paper. Lehigh opened his mouth to stop him, then changed his mind. His first inclination had been to make Stacy eat her words, but perhaps it would be better if the puppy did it for her.

Besides, he’d read the note a hundred times. He knew it by heart already.

“Dearest Lehigh.” Yeah. Bull crap.

“I’m sorry for all I’m putting you through lately. I know how difficult it must be for you.”

No, you don’t.

“I haven’t been able to communicate very much of what is going on, and I’m sorry for that, too.”

Blah, blah. He could just see the crocodile tears running down her perfect little face. Part of him wanted to wipe the imaginary tears away, and he hated that part of himself at that moment.

“Legal strategy dictates most of my actions right now, and unfortunately, I can’t share much of that with you.”

Can’t, or won’t?

“I wish I could say I had good news for you, but unfortunately it’s only going to get worse for a while before it gets any better.”

News flash: it already is worse. Worst.

“Mr. Richards informed me that since you and I have not yet obtained our marriage license from the county, we have no legal status as a couple. In other words, we’re not legally engaged.”

Here it comes.

“Since it’s almost a certainty that you’ll be called as a witness by both sides, he feels it’s best if we continue the policy of not speaking or seeing each other until after the trial.”

Which could last months. Years.

“For this and other reasons, I think it’s best if we put our engagement and wedding plans on hold, at least until all of this is resolved.”

On hold.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this way.” Blah, blah, blah. “Love, Stacy.”

Love. Ha!

Diamond spit the soggy wad of chewed-up bad news onto the floor of the truck. He emitted a fierce gagging sound and cast a sad glance at Lehigh.

“Too tough for even you to swallow, eh?” Lehigh reached out his hand. The dog licked it, then sat up on the seat for some petting. Lehigh obliged him for a few moments, then started the truck’s engine.

“Get in back with Lucky, Diamond,” he said. “Time to make room for another beautiful, confident woman in our lives.”

He burned rubber peeling out of the parking lot, ignoring the dogs’ nervous protests.

***

“Did she return the ring?” Samantha asked when Lehigh finished his story.

“Her note said that she’d have her lawyer send it to me.” Standing across from her, he tossed the chewed-up, soggy note onto her desk. He crossed his arms and stared at the view of Mt. Hood’s Elliott Glacier through the window of her office, a 1940s-era munitions depot restored to expose the original brick and mortar. Sam remained at her desk, uncrumpling the note and writing on her legal pad, just inside Lehigh’s peripheral vision.

“I think it’s a play,” she said.

Lehigh spun on his heel toward her. “A play? What exactly does that mean, a ‘play’?”

“A legal strategy. Knowing Constantine Richards, he’s trying to create the appearance of—or the reality of—distance between you. Strain in the relationship.”

“Well, if that’s what she wanted, it’s working.” He stared out the window again. “But why?”

Sam stood and walked over to him. “I can think of a couple of reasons. First and foremost, she’s right—you’re almost certain to be called as a witness. The prosecution will try to impeach your testimony in support of her by pointing out that you’re engaged.”

Lehigh snorted. “And since we’re not anymore, suddenly I’m believable?”

Sam’s lips pressed into a thin smile. “If she can create a credible impression that you two are now estranged—and if you assist in creating that impression—your testimony in her defense, particularly to the extent to which it comes during cross-examination by the prosecution, under duress, will have a much stronger impact on the jury.”

“I see.” Actually he’d struggled to follow her logic, but she sounded so convincing. He took a deep breath and admired the dark crevasses cut into the glacier’s snowy expanse. “You said there were other reasons?”

Sam’s smile faded. “You won’t like these.”

Lehigh leaned forward, resting an arm on the shiny fir window casing, his vision blurring. “I haven’t liked any of this, Sam. Why should this be any different?”

Sam fidgeted next to him, fingers intertwined. “I don’t have to continue, if you don’t want to hear it.”

“No, no. Tell me. It’s better if I know.” He blinked his eyes into focus and shifted his gaze from the vision of beauty and power in the distance to the one standing beside him. “Shoot.”

She placed a hand on his arm. “Perhaps it’s best if we sit.”

“That bad, huh?” But he let her guide him to a plush sofa perched a few feet away. His arm tingled at her touch. They sat less than a foot apart. He waited.

She drew a deep breath, then locked her big blue eyes on his. “A second reason for the estrangement would be to set you up as a fall guy—to pin it on you.”

“No way. I keep telling you, Stacy wouldn’t do that!”

Sam ducked her head as if to ward off a blow. “You don’t think she would, to stay out of prison?”

“No, I do not think she would.”

Sam shrugged. “Okay. But Constantine Richards might.”

Blood drained from Lehigh’s face. That bastard. He just might.

Lehigh leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted way back to rest on the cushions. “So, the other reason you hinted at. Don’t tell me it’s even worse than that one.” He swallowed hard, counted the tiny ridges in the ceiling paint covering what probably used to be cracks in the ancient plaster.

Sam cleared her throat and leaned back partway, resting an elbow on the sofa back, close enough to send a fresh whiff of her subtle cologne Lehigh’s way. “It depends on your perspective. But you’re right, it’s not good.”

He shrugged, turned toward his attorney. Her dark red lips parted to reveal even, white teeth, a delicate tongue forming words he did not want to hear.

“The third reason,” she said, “would be that she does, in fact, simply intend to end the relationship. Or, at least, the engagement.”

A giant lump formed in Lehigh’s throat. Swallowing only made it hurt more. “Yeah, maybe not worse than the other reasons.” His voice grew raspy, hardly a whisper. “But bad.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not being very sensitive. This must hurt. I just wanted to be as open and upfront with you as I can.”

He nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. “She dumped me once before when we were engaged, twelve years ago.” He took a slow, steady breath. “Crazy thing is, her reason back then was that I didn’t propose fast enough. She was in a hurry to get hitched, then.”

“You’ve been together twelve years and aren’t married yet?” Sam asked.

Lehigh laughed and blinked his eyes open. “No, no. She’s been married and divorced since then. We just got back together last fall.”

“Oh, that’s right. She was seeing that Paul van Paten guy when you two, ah…”

“Hooked up?” Lehigh grinned, remembering the early, steamy days of their rekindled relationship. “Paul was pretty unhappy about it. Still is, I guess.”

“I’ve had dealings with him professionally. He’s a tough adversary.”

“In more ways than one.” Lehigh rubbed his sore ribs.

“Which raises another possibility…” Sam’s voice trailed off.

Lehigh sat up straight. “What?”

“She could be manipulating Paul, too. Taking you out of the equation to give him the idea that maybe he still has a chance at her.”

“Ridiculous,” Lehigh said. “The only way that would be believable is if she really did get back with him.”

“Exactly,” Sam said.

“No way!” Lehigh flared his arms out, palms down. One arm nearly struck Sam in the chest. He yanked his arm back to his side. “She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Not after what he’s done to her.”

Sam’s eyes drooped, as did the corners of her mouth. Her full, red lips parted again. He stared at her a long moment, letting the possibility sink in.

“Oh, hell,” Lehigh said. “I guess she could.” He leaned forward and hung his head over his knees. A delicate, feminine hand rested on his back.

Damn it all to hell. As much as he didn’t want it to, that hand…it felt good there.

***

Lehigh could barely concentrate over the next hour as Sam outlined various scenarios and defense strategies. He alternated between anger and sadness at being dumped again—or, at least, at being kept in the dark about Stacy’s true intentions—and worry over how her court hearing would turn out. In the rare moments that he paid attention to his attorney, he battled to keep his focus on her words rather than her delicate scent and captivating smile.

“Overall, I think we have each scenario covered,” Sam said toward the end of the meeting, “although we’ll need to continue investigating to fill in some gaps. Do you have any questions?”

Seated perpendicularly to her, with papers spread over the low table in front of them, Lehigh couldn’t recall a single specific thing she’d said about scenarios and strategies. “Uh, no. Except, what can I do to help?”

“Try to stay out of bar fights.” Sam smiled and patted his knee. Electric current shot up his leg and spine and back down to his toes. He gazed at her hand, retreating from his leg. A gold band with a bright white pearl—not a diamond—adorned her ring finger. Definitely not a wedding ring. Probably not an engagement ring.

Stop it! he scolded himself. The ink on Stacy’s “Dear John” note had barely dried, and he was already on the rebound. And to think, six months before, he had been single and happy about it.

“Other than that,” she said, “lay low. If the police contact you for any reason, refer them to me without answering any questions. If Paul or his ‘friends’ come after you again, get away from them at all costs.”

“That didn’t work out so well last time.”

She frowned. “It’s going to have to from now on. Remember, if we’re right about them, they’re trying to impeach or eliminate your testimony in Stacy’s defense. Or, worse, put you in the position of bargaining—which means, testifying against her to keep yourself out of jail.”

He nodded. Her phone rang. As she rose to answer it, the side slit of her skirt parted, revealing a bit more leg. He shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. If Paul van Paten didn’t kill him, temptation might.

“I see,” Sam said into the phone. “Thank you for the update.” She hung up and frowned. “That was Constantine Richards’ office.”

“Is the hearing over?”

“Yes, and it’s not good news.” Sam sat back on the sofa and folded her hands across her thighs, leaning toward Lehigh. “Stacy has been formally charged with first-degree murder.”

Lehigh’s stomach did a churning, crashing, whiplashing somersault. Stacy, a murder suspect. “What’s next? We go post bail, or…”

Sam pursed her lips and shook her head. “No bail set. The court viewed her as a flight risk. Did you know that she renewed her passport recently?”

Lehigh nodded, numb. “We’d been researching honeymoon options—Mexico, the Caribbean, places like that.”

Sam frowned. “And saving up some cash, no doubt, to pay for the trip? Well, she’s going to need it. Constantine Richards is expensive.”

“Which brings us to you,” Lehigh said. “What’s your fee?”

She smiled and patted his hand. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m much more reasonable.”

***

Lehigh kept his speed a few miles under the limit driving home, made full stops at all red lights and stop signs, and signaled even for the most obvious turns and insignificant lane changes. No way he’d give one of Buck Summers’ boys any excuse to lock him up. Unless, of course, he could share a cell with Stacy.

Nah. Even in fantasy, that idea sucked.

He pulled into Stacy’s driveway and parked in his usual spot. With her stuck in jail, he felt free to return home, and even his lawyer agreed. Besides, the dogs needed care and feeding. Poor things hadn’t eaten or been outside all day.

He tossed a ball for them out in the fenced backyard for a few minutes, then brought them in out of the persistent rain and dried their drenched fur with a rag towel. He fed them in the kitchen. Lucky chewed her food with deliberation, as if savoring every bit, but the puppy gulped down his chow with minimal chewing. Meanwhile, Lehigh made coffee, sorted mail, and tried to settle back in to being at home again.

It didn’t work. After half an hour of sitting at his desk, staring at the computer screen, he hadn’t accomplished a damned thing, other than deleting a few spam emails. Too many things pressed on his mind—Stacy’s situation and her unwillingness to share information being tops among them.

He closed his email program and was about to power the machine down when his eyes rested on another icon on the desktop: “Stacy’s mail.” She sometimes checked her work email from his laptop on her days off. He hesitated. He didn’t want to snoop, but dang it, she hadn’t shared any information at all with him since everything went crazy these past few days. He deserved to know something.

Then again, what he didn’t know, he couldn’t testify about.

He closed the laptop and grabbed the stack of bills on the side of his desk to sort through them. Stacy’s credit card bill had come in that morning and topped the pile. With her in jail, he’d have to pay it for her, which he could do from their joint account. He opened it. Scanned the page—

And his jaw dropped.

First, the total due shocked him: over two thousand dollars. Half of it was from a single purchase—the wedding dress, for which her mother would reimburse them, eventually. But before that, and for a week after, the bill listed a ton of charges at restaurants, bars, even a motel.

And the date of the motel charge?

The night of Jared Barkley’s murder.