Beverly Barton - The Outcast

"By all means, you and Sam be sure to keep tabs on who owes what. You wouldn't want to be indebted to each other," Elizabeth mumbled.

"What?" Reece came out of the bathroom carrying a damp washcloth and a glass of water.

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself."

Reece set the glass on the nightstand and handed Elizabeth the washcloth. "Will you be all right here by yourself until Sam gets back?"

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth ran the washcloth over her face, savoring the feel of the cool moistness on her skin.

"B.K.'s secretary, Claire Roberts, lied under oath during the trial. When Gary questioned her about a fight Kenny and B.K. had the day B.K. died, she claimed Kenny and his father hadn't argued, that the two got along beautifully."

"Hadn't anyone else heard their argument?"

"Yeah. Me."

"So it was your word against this Claire Roberts's. Why would she have lied?"

"All I can figure is that Kenny threatened her somehow, probably threatened to fire her. I know Claire liked me.

She's a good, decent woman. If I can talk to her, I might be able to persuade her to tell the truth."

"You can't mean you're going to see her tonight!"

"She'd never admit the truth to Sam, but she just might be honest with me. It's worth a try." Taking the washcloth from Elizabeth, Reece handed her the glass of water.

Clutching the glass, Elizabeth stared at Reece. "What makes you think she won't call the sheriff the minute she sees you?"

Reaching out, Reece tilted the glass up to Elizabeth's lips. She drank several sips, then set the glass down on the nightstand. "Besides, you shouldn't be out running around all over Newell. Have you forgotten that the authorities are in the middle of a manhunt for you?"

Reece flipped off the television. "If I stay in Newell, sooner or later I'll get caught. I've got to do everything I can before that happens to find some sort of evidence to clear myself, or at least to throw suspicion on someone else."

"Let Sam do the investigating. He's an expert. And he's not an escaped convict the police can shoot on sight."

"Sam and I can do twice as much working together."

Elizabeth slid off the bed, standing in her bare feet. "Then the three of us should be able to get three times as much done, shouldn't we?"

"Stay out of this, Lizzie. You've done more than enough for me already. Look at yourself. You're wiped out. You need to rest, to steer clear of people."

Elizabeth slipped Christina Stanton's mauve pumps back on and reached for her coat. "I'll drive you to Claire Roberts's house. You can lie down in the back seat. Maybe no one will stop us."

"You're staying here."

"I'm going with you."

"Dammit, what do I have to say or do to convince you that I don't want you in danger because of me? Not only is the law apt to take potshots at me, I've got dear old Harry scouring Newell trying to find me. Sam told me that folks are laying odds that Harry finds me before the sheriff does.''

Elizabeth walked over to Reece, placed her hand in his and looked him in the eye. "I'm all right. I can't stay here, waiting and wondering. Please understand. I want to help you."

Reece brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "What did you think of the Stantons?"

"They're all afraid of you," Elizabeth said. "Chris wants us to prove your innocence. She considers you her brother. Kenny hates you, and Tracy wants you. Alice Stanton is afraid Kenny killed his father, and Willard Moran would do anything for Alice."

"The Stantons in a nutshell." Clutching her hand, Reece brought it to his chest, holding it against his heart. "All my life I wanted to be a part of that family. I wanted everything that Bradley Kenneth Stanton had, and if we can prove my innocence, everything I ever wanted can be mine. A big house. An expensive car. Stanton Industries."

"Your revenge would be complete if you could claim your inheritance, wouldn't it?" Elizabeth knew only too well that if Reece claimed what was his and stayed in Newell, they would have no future together. She could never exist in an artificial world of power and prestige. Even if she could control her psychic abilities, she would never fit into the Stantons' wealthy life-style. And she'd found out tonight that she still didn't possess the power to completely shield herself, that other people's thoughts and emotions could harm her, even eventually destroy her.

"The sweetest revenge against Kenny and Alice, but especially old B.K. himself, would be to walk into the Stanton Industries boardroom and tell them that I'm taking over. With Chris behind me, I could do it."

"Chris would back you. She would think the family owed it to you." Elizabeth felt a sense of uneasiness, remembering how much Chris wanted the CEO job herself. What would Reece do if he realized that the job Kenny now possessed and he longed for himself was destined to belong to their sister?

"I need to talk to Claire, to see if she can help. If I can't prove my innocence, I can never claim my inheritance."

"Then let's go see Claire Roberts," Elizabeth said.

"Please stay here."

"I'll drive," she said. "You lie down in the back seat. Just give me the directions."

Within fifteen minutes Elizabeth parked Sam's '65 Thunderbird in Claire Roberts's driveway in front of her neat, redbrick house. They hadn't met another car along the tree-lined street.

"There's a light on in the front of the house and a station wagon parked under the carport." Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at Reece, who sat up in the seat.

"You stay out here." Reece shoved up the seat on the passenger side and opened the door. "I'm not sure what kind of reception I'll get, but if I could persuade Claire to tell the truth about Kenny's fight with B.K., the sheriff might think about reopening the case."

"I'll be all right." Elizabeth tried to smile. "You do what you have to do."

"If you see anything suspicious or if the police drive by, then just back out of the driveway and ride around for a while. I don't want you-"

"Getting in trouble because of you." Elizabeth shook her head. "This conversation is getting ridiculous."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Reece couldn't shake his guilt. Elizabeth Mallory had no business smack-dab in the middle of his problems. If the police caught her with him or found any proof that she was involved in keeping his whereabouts a secret, she was sure to be brought up on charges.

But what was a man to do with a woman like Elizabeth? He'd never known anyone like her. She was determined to help him. She had convinced herself that she was destined to save him, and the funny thing was, she'd half convinced him.

Of course, once they found out who killed B.K. and everything had been set right, she'd go back to Sequana Falls. And he would claim his inheritance.

Reece rang the doorbell. The porch light came on. Claire Roberts, short and matronly plump, eased open the door. Her expressive brown eyes widened. She clutched the storm door handle.

"I need to talk to you, Claire. Please." Reece saw the fear in her eyes and hated that she was afraid of him.

"What are you doing here, Reece? The sheriff's department, the police... everyone's looking for you." Lowering her eyes, staring down at the floor, Claire bit into her bottom lip. "You have to go. I can't talk to you."

Reece clasped the outside door handle. "I don't know why you lied in court about Kenny and B.K.'s argument, but I need you to tell the truth. I know you don't want to see me spend the rest of my life in prison for a crime I didn't commit."

"Oh, Reece, I'm so sorry. I... I..." Tears welled up in Claire's eyes.

"Did Kenny threaten you?" He shouldn't be feeling sorry for Claire, considering that her testimony at the trial proved him to be a liar, but he knew she was a good person.