Ферн Майклз - Truth and Justice

“I agree. Coffee’s ready,” Annie said, picking up the tray.

Myra held the swinging door leading to the dining room open. “Just coffee, people, and we’re fresh out of goodies,” she said, setting the heirloom silver tray on the sideboard. “Avery, we’re out of tea, so it’s coffee or ginger ale.”

“Ginger ale is fine. Okay, ladies and gents, let’s get to it!”

Chapter 19

Kathryn waited until Paul Montrose raised the huge golf umbrella so that it covered Bella and himself in preparation to walking Bella back to the cottage, where Myra had invited him to stay before she locked and bolted the door.

Paul grinned. He didn’t bother to demur. He simply said okay and squeezed Bella’s arm in a show of protection. The little move did not go unnoticed by the Sisters or Avery, who smiled.

Love was in the air, and it was more than a little noticeable.

“Okay, people, time to head to the war room and get this show on the road. Avery, what are your operatives telling you?” Annie asked, as she led the way to the bookshelf that would magically open to reveal the moss-covered stone staircase that led to the dungeons below and the war room.

“Reports have come in, but there has been no activity. They are picking up sound, human and either TV or stereo. It’s doubtful Sara will venture out in this deluge. But, if she does, my people will be on her like fleas on a dog.”

Myra turned on the lights, and the massive TV on the wall came to life to reveal Lady Justice in all her glory. They all shot off a snappy salute before taking their assigned seats at the table. Except for Nikki and Isabelle, who scampered up to the dais, where the bank of computers awaited them.

“We’re up and running, so let’s get to it,” Nikki called out.

“Before we do anything, we need to decide what we’re going to do with all of Sara’s money. I’d like to get on this right now because Phil is waiting to help me, and I hate tying him up any more than necessary. Remember, I’m in training and need all the help I can get so we don’t have to depend on Abner all the time,” Isabelle reminded them.

“Okay, girls, let’s run this up the flagpole and see what happens. Yoko?” Myra said.

“Let’s start with Bella. She said all she wanted was enough to pay off Andy’s truck, plus the insurance and taxes. That doesn’t seem fair enough to me. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, maybe not, but I keep thinking about all the pain, the misery, the unhappiness she went through all those months. I think she deserves to be compensated, and obviously her husband thought so, too, because at the eleventh hour, he came through for her,” Yoko said.

“I believe Bella when she said she didn’t want Andy’s money. She certainly didn’t marry him for it because she didn’t even know he had any other than his military pay. I say Nikki and Alexis set up a trust of some kind for Bella’s future. If she uses it, fine; if not, that’s fine, too. She can donate it to charity,” Kathryn said.

“I think three million dollars will do it plus a check for $75,000 to pay off the truck, taxes, and insurance,” Alexis said.

“I think that will work,” Avery said. “What about the fertility clinics?”

“Alexis and I are on that. We’ll see that Bella’s and Andy’s ah . . . um . . . donations are destroyed since that is what Bella wants,” Nikki said.

“That just leaves Sara with a million aliases. What should we do with her?” Annie asked, a tight edge to her voice.

“Even though we have liberated most of the assets that were in her name or any of the names we know about, we’re going to have our hands full trying to sort out the rest of her false identities and the various bank and brokerage accounts into which she placed what she swindled from her boyfriends, fiancés, and the like. Let us not forget that she is an outright thief. She stole Andy’s inheritance. She made Bella’s life miserable. How could she not tell that girl that her husband was dead? How? She has to pay for that?” Nikki said vehemently.

“We can do most of that for you and give you a summar y,” Avery said. “Then, if you want, you could attempt to repay some of the men she stole from, like Steve Conover.”

“All right, Avery, we’ll leave that up to you. Just let us know when you’re finished so we can wrap things up. Our big question right now is we have . . . Sara’s punishment all set up, but now that we think, I say think, she might have gotten herself inseminated and could be pregnant, it kind of throws us into a tailspin. Does anyone have any suggestions?” Myra asked.

No one did.

“Hold on, people, I’m getting a text from Matt. Oh oh!”

“What? What?” The Sisters crowded around the old spy to see what he was seeing on his special sat phone.

“Matt and Duke are following her. She backed her car out of the garage and roared down the road. He said the weather conditions are horrible. Right now he has no clue where she’s going. They’re right behind her. Don’t worry, they won’t lose her.”

“Something must have happened,” Annie said.

“On a night like this? What could happen? She got spooked watching TV? What? Could she be coming here to harm Bella? Avery, call Matt back and ask him which direction she’s going, this way or into D.C.?”

Avery did as instructed. He listened, then clicked off. “She pulled into a strip mall and parked in a handicapped space in front of an urgent care facility. Matt is right behind her. She’s getting out. Oh, this isn’t good. Matt said she’s leaving a trail of . . . of blood. Someone is at the door helping her. That’s it. She’s inside and out of sight. Matt and Duke will go in in a few minutes and pretend to be a relative to see what they can find out.”

“No!” the Sisters shouted as one.

“That will spook her, prove to her someone is watching her. They can’t go in until she leaves. If she leaves. They might decide to keep her for twenty-four hours for observation,” Annie said. “I’m thinking right now that we’re all thinking the same thing. She is probably having a miscarriage. Avery is right, this is not good for her but might solve our problem,” Annie said.

Kathryn jumped up. “Come on, girls, we gotta go. This is the perfect opportunity to go to her house and go through it.”

The girls raced to the stairs, leaving Myra, Annie, and Avery behind.

Myra looked over at Annie. “We’d just be in the way, Annie. They move a lot faster than we do.”

“Like it or not, Annie, Myra is right. Why do you think I let the young bucks do all the heavy lifting? There’s a lot to be said for standing on the sidelines and calling the shots.”

“Oh yeah, name me one thing!” Annie shot back. “Just one thing, Avery!” There was such menace in Annie’s voice, the old spy trembled.

“I was just trying to make you feel better. I hate it that I can’t be in on the action anymore. I admit it, it’s hell getting old. This is the next best thing, and as far as I can see, there are no other options.”

Myra laughed.

Annie grimaced. “When you’re right, you’re right. I wonder what they’ll find. Do you think we should tell Bella?”

This time Avery and Myra laughed.

“Ah, I see. You are assuming the two of them are . . . busy.”

“I’m not going to pretend I’m a seer or anything like that, but I do not see Bella jumping into a romance. I also think it’s a given that she is attracted to Paul Montrose and he to her, but they will fight their feelings. Bella has to come to terms with what she felt for Andy. I heard her talking to Yoko the other day. She was crying and saying she knew almost nothing about the man she married and was having trouble remembering what he looked like. And then there is that business of her signing her divorce papers the same day she found out her husband was dead. That’s a lot of weight for that young woman to be carrying around on those slim shoulders of hers. I do think she’ll be okay in the end; I really do. She has a good head on her shoulders, and I think Paul Montrose is a stand-up guy,” Myra said.