The last thing JT wanted to do on the Tuesday before Christmas was drive north to New York City for a meeting with Edward Drake, but his dad’s business partner was avoiding his calls and emails, and there was nothing left to be done but confront the man who owned one-third of Talon & Drake in person.
Russ Spaulding was done. No severance package. No reference. There was nothing Drake could do to protect his pet this time.
His phone rang as he was nearing the Jersey Turnpike. Caller ID said it was Lee, so he hit the answer button, then reached for the mic he’d clipped to his collar at the start of the drive and slipped the attached headphone in his ear. “What’s up?”
“I did as you asked and got an update from the prosecutor who filed charges against Spaulding.”
JT had asked Lee to get the update, as he needed the information to back up his decision with Drake. Lee had promised to keep Lex’s real name to himself. JT would use her name only if absolutely necessary.
It would probably be impossible to avoid, but JT was trying to respect her wishes. “I assume he’s out on bail?”
“Yes. First thing Monday morning. Fifty-thousand-dollar bond. He put down the required five grand and got a bondsman to cover the rest. Next court date is set for six weeks from now. Prosecutor feels confident she’ll have enough to go to trial. We all will be needed to testify, so you can’t keep your identity secret for long.”
He’d known that. He was going to be integral to the prosecution. There was no way Lex wouldn’t learn he was Spaulding’s ultimate boss. All he could do was put off the inevitable as long as possible.
He’d been in talks with HR about the firing, and he was on solid ground. If the guy hadn’t been at a company party and JT hadn’t witnessed the drugging of the drink himself, there could be issues with firing someone who hadn’t been convicted of anything yet, but his contract had a morality clause, and JT would see that it was enforced.
“Thanks, Lee. Hopefully, she’ll decide to tell me her name sooner rather than later.”
“There’s another thing you need to know. Spaulding went to her place yesterday.”
JT only just managed to stop himself from causing an accident at that news. He scanned the highway for an exit and moved to the right in anticipation of pulling off or over. A sign indicated a service plaza was a mile ahead. “Hold on. I’m going to pull off and call you back.”
He clicked off the call and, two minutes later, was pulling into a parking space at a busy truck stop. He left the engine running as he called Lee back.
“What happened?”
Lee relayed the story, which he’d gotten from the police report, not the prosecutor, who had only just been informed of the incident minutes before Lee’s conversation with her.
“I’m going to call Curt Dominick—remember him? From karate?—he’s an assistant US attorney in the DC office, which is also the DC District Attorney’s office. I want to know what he thinks about the Bethesda cops failing to contact the county prosecutor handling the case about the assault at the apartment. Especially because she specifically told them he must’ve just gotten out on bail.”
“Motherfucker. So the cops took the report yesterday morning and didn’t notify the prosecutor until today?”
“Yep. And the police report goes into great detail noting she was still dressed in clothing from the night before, and her refusal to submit to a drug test.”
JT was glad he’d pulled over because he could no longer see the convenience store in front of him. No way could he drive as rage rushed through him.
“She refused to tell them the name of the person she was with prior to returning home.”
He snorted at that. Not that she could, but she had to know he’d back her until the end of time. Wait until the cops learned he was Senator Talon’s son. Because they would learn.
He’d make sure of it.
Alexandra put the DVD of Bridget Jones’s Diary in the player and settled on the couch with a bag of cheese puffs and a big box of wine. Kendall had just left an hour ago, and finally, she could relax and let herself fall apart.
The BlackBerry on the coffee table next to the bowl of puffs signaled a text, and she hit the Pause button on the DVD.
Received: Hey. I just heard what happened yesterday. You okay?
She stared at the screen. She should have realized he’d hear about it. He was a witness for the prosecution. Of course he’d be in the loop. Or insert himself in the loop.
Did he know her name?
Did it really matter?
She took a sip of wine. Honestly, it was Kendall’s potential betrayal that took priority now. If she didn’t have Kendall, she had no one.
She held her breath to prevent tears. She did not want to cry about something that might not happen, but in a way, it felt like it already had.
She stared at the BlackBerry and typed a reply before she could think it through.
Sent: I want to see you. Tonight.
A minute passed before the response came.
Received: Shit. I wish I could, sweetheart, but I’m not in DC.
Was he lying? Making up an excuse?
Sent: I thought you said you were here until the New Year?
Received: A work thing came up.
Did she believe him? For all she knew, he had a date tonight, and it wasn’t as if she could blame him. She wouldn’t even tell him her name.
She set the BlackBerry aside and hit Play on the DVD. He could do what he wanted. Maybe she’d screwed up in keeping her distance, or maybe it was the right thing to do because he was already moving on.
Another message came in.
Received: I want to see you. I just can’t tonight. If I’d known about yesterday… Shit. I’m already halfway to New York, but I can turn around.
Her heart twisted. She’d always considered Kendall as the one whose emotions moved with the drops and rises of a roller coaster, but now here she was, unable to hold on to one feeling for longer than it took to hit the next curve.
She needed to get her head together. If he came back to DC just for her tonight, she’d be indebted in a way she wasn’t ready for, and she might fall harder than was healthy.
Sent: No. Do your business thing. When will you be back?
Received: Friday.
Christmas Eve. Of course, he was coming back to be with his family for the holiday.
She wished she could afford to go somewhere. Suddenly, it didn’t sound so great to be alone, even if she had scored DVDs of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and Season One of Sex and the City.
Received: I need to play Santa at a Christmas Eve event for kids in transitional housing, but after that, I’m free if you want to go out.
She sat up straighter.
Sent: You as Santa? I’d kind of like to see that.
Received: Technically, you’ve been invited to play Mrs. Claus.
She snickered.
Sent: Pass, thanks.
Received: Figured. Meet me at the Mayflower after? I could get there by nine.
She considered the question. If she spent Christmas Eve with him, she’d have to come up with a gift for him. Maybe she could make something?
All she knew was she really didn’t want to spend the holiday alone.
She agreed and signed off. He had a drive to finish, and the cheese puffs weren’t going to eat themselves. Plus, she needed to figure out what she could possibly give her mystery man for Christmas.