CH.1

Chapter 1

Ron awoke slowly, stretched and broke into a spontaneous smile as he remembered he was now a newly married man. He opened his eyes and turned his head to find Denise resting on one elbow. She, too, was smiling. It was obvious she had been awake for a while, watching him sleep. He began to grin as his eyes rested upon her, then his joy turned to a sense of wonder as he studied her. She was a truly beautiful woman and he lay totally fixated, unable to take his eyes from her. Her hair hung loosely around her and over her shoulder, concealing her feminine charms where the blanket had slipped from her upper body. She was easily the loveliest woman he had ever seen and his eyes began involuntarily to fill with tears.

“I have said before that woman is the most fascinating creature that God ever created, Mrs. Jameson, but this time He has outdone Himself, without a doubt.” He reached his hand up to touch her cheek and she took it in her own and pressed it to her lips, her own eyes now becoming wet as she savored his words and his touch. She could only respond with a half-choked ‘I love you’ and without further hesitation they again joined in the private passion they had shared the night before.

The intensity of their lovemaking might have set their bed on fire, Denise thought. It was plain to see that he hungered for her. He had denied himself of her for so long and now he was like an animal released; yet at the same time like a child in a candy store. His eyes fairly drank in every inch of her gorgeous figure. She would have been self-conscious had it been anyone but Ron who was appraising her so, but the love and awe in his gaze brought upon her, from the depths of her very soul, a gratitude that such a man as he would find her so irresistible. The truth was that from the first day at the diner where their paths had crossed and he had saved her from Ted’s rage and abuse, something had taken hold within her and had grown until now she also craved him both emotionally and physically. She returned his love with a passion and intensity that might well have frightened another man. For the next few minutes they worshipped one another with hands, eyes, lips and more until they lay exhausted beside one another, both in tears of joy and grateful for the chance to be alone and in love.

The flight to Hawaii was nearly missed. Both Ron and Denise had found it extremely difficult to pry themselves from bed and one another long enough to pack their belongings for the trip. Yes, they were tired, but their major challenge was to stop their lovemaking so they could attend to the other pressing needs before them. More than once the temptation was discussed to just stay where they were for a honeymoon. Neither wanted to be rational nor responsible long enough to leave the hotel room, let alone the hotel. Somehow they still managed to scarcely accomplish the deed and they were now bound for paradise, though both secretly felt they had only left paradise in the throes of passion in a big, soft bed.

Denise was glad they had not gotten a window seat. She wanted only to look at Ron and he, too, behaved as if they were the only two people in the entire world. The two of them had gotten numerous glances from the other passengers, but they had been so enamored with one another that they had been totally oblivious to it for some time. Denise now became aware of the not-so-hushed whispers coming from the seat behind her. Ron saw her distraction and now gave her a questioning look, to which Denise responded with a raised finger to imply ‘wait’. He sensed she was listening and he, too, shifted his attention.

“Well, maybe they are married”, came a man’s voice, in a whisper that was possibly learned in a sawmill.

“Or maybe he is just a dirty old man!”, a woman snapped, quite evidently making no effort to achieve hushed tones.

“It could be his daughter, for Pete’s sake! Can’t you just let it alone for once?”

“Hmph!”

They heard a brief rustle and knew she’d turned away from him. Then followed subdued muttering from both. Denise covered her mouth and tried to smother a giggle. Every effort to be quiet seemed to fail until she had buried her face deep into Ron’s shoulder and was nearly helpless in her attempts to catch her breath. Ron, too, was now laughing and they just kept setting one another off. By the time they started to get it under control, several other passengers were laughing, too. With privacy now totally gone, it was left only to face the inevitable. Ron stood suddenly and spoke aloud.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you have quite evidently shared in our laughter. Now, if you will please do us the honor to share in our joy. I have just yesterday married the most wonderful woman in the world. I have known her only one month and she has already taught me more about love and life than I have learned in some time.” He stroked Denise’s shoulder with his hand and adored her with his eyes, which moistened slightly as he said the words that so filled his heart.

Denise blushed and covered her face while those across the aisle from her smiled widely and Ron continued to stare adoringly at her. Many of the passengers spontaneously applauded in approval of the happy news. The man behind Ron and Denise gave his wife an ‘I told you so’ type of look and she responded with another ‘harrumph’ and a cold shoulder, which just made him smile in satisfaction.

Several times after Ron’s announcement, passengers made the effort to arise from their seats and give personal congratulations to the happy couple. Many wished them as much joy as they had experienced in their own marriages and a couple in their eighties gave this sage advice, “Too much in our society is throw-away these days. If divorce is never an option, your marriage will last.” They had been married nearly sixty years and were still obviously in love. With a young twinkle in her eye, the woman announced that she was going to Hawaii for another honeymoon and patted Ron on the shoulder.

“We should be so fortunate”, Ron replied. Denise smiled through tears of joy, her heart touched by this kind show of attention from total strangers who felt a kinship due to their shared union of love.

When all the commotion had settled down again, a stewardess approached and handed Ron a tray with a lovely garnished plate in the middle of it. On the plate was a blueberry muffin, surrounded by sliced strawberries and topped with a dollop of whipped cream to adorn it. A napkin, signed by all the flight attendants, lay beneath it. ‘Thank you for making our flight a special one. May your trip and your marriage be the best ever.’ Several smiling faces peeked out from behind the curtains leading to first class and Denise waved her own genuine thank you to them all and Ron grinned and nodded.

“May I get you some champagne?” the attendant asked.

Ron recalled this attendants’ name from the announcement she had made earlier when they had been seated. “Marybeth, thank you for your kindness--and to all your friends, as well. This is just wonderful.” Denise, too, voiced agreement and both declined champagne. Just as suddenly, with a twinkle in his eye, Ron pulled the girl closer and whispered in her ear for a moment. She looked mildly surprised and then, smiling knowingly, turned quickly to leave them.

“Do I have reason to be jealous?” Denise asked with an impish smile.

“Not a chance, young lady. You’ll see in a moment.”

Soon the stewardess returned with two glasses of champagne on a tray. Denise gave her husband a puzzled look and he replied quickly, “You’ll see.”

The stewardess stepped past them and stopped at the seats of the couple directly behind. “Compliments of the newlyweds. Please enjoy.” Marybeth touched Ron on the shoulder as she turned to go and as she reached the end of the aisle, she peeked back for a moment and grinned brightly before disappearing again behind the galley curtains.

Denise was also smiling again, now comprehending the plan that had just been put into play. The voices from behind them came soon after the shock wore off. First a hearty thank you from the man, then a delayed and timid one from his wife.

Ron turned and in a hushed voice asked Denise, “Have you figured it out yet?”

“Yes, and I must say it was brilliant,” she whispered appreciatively. A few moments later, when the effects of the champagne had begun to kick in and the woman behind them began to giggle, Denise again remarked, ‘absolutely brilliant’.

After another beaming attendant graciously served them a delightful meal, they both settled in for a short, but well-deserved nap to pass the rest of the flight.

Ron had not been sleeping long when he woke with a great start and found himself to be sweating profusely. Denise resituated herself on his shoulder and easily dozed again. What Ron had just dreamed disturbed him deeply. In his dream, he and Denise were on the beach in Hawaii. The sun was warm and bright, the sand white and beautiful and the water clear and sparkling. The problem was that they were not alone nor was their uninvited company even remotely to be considered friendly. The dream had become a true nightmare and had startled Ron awake. Ted had been there between Ron and Denise, driving Ron into the sea; pushing him step by step, further and further from Denise. In the end he was holding Ron’s head beneath the water and laughing aloud as he did it.

Ron knew this was not real. He knew Ted was dead, but it was as disturbing as if he were really there. Ron knew he should be the happiest man alive right now, but this was a genuinely disturbing experience. Why should he have this dream? What would have caused it--post-traumatic stress, perhaps? It was true he had never killed anyone before. Furthermore, he had not intended to kill Ted, but was left with no choice. He had to defend himself and Denise. There was no other reason. Still, he regretted having to do it.

Perhaps it was guilt, he thought. This was his way to subconsciously allow Ted to get his revenge. Ron was no psychiatrist, but this made more sense to him than any other explanation he could think of. It was all he could comfortably conclude. Anything else was too disturbing; too unexplainable and open-ended.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and Ron had decided not to tell Denise about the dream. There was no sense in spoiling things for her. Still, he couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling it had given him.

As the passengers stood to exit the plane, the man behind Ron took time to thank them again and to introduce himself properly. “George Brennan, sir. And this is my wife, Lydia.”

“Pleased to meet you both. I hope you enjoyed the champagne,” Ron replied.

Denise noticed that Lydia was calm and smiling now. “Does flying bother you? It usually makes me a bit nervous, but this is a special occasion.”

“Well, yes. I was nervous about flying over all this water. I guess I’m a bit more calm now, though.” She seemed to hesitate a moment and then proceeded. “If we happen to run into one another on our stay here, would you let us buy you both dinner? It would be our pleasure.”

Ron looked to her husband for confirmation and received a nod and a smile in return. Denise quickly interjected, “Then it would be our pleasure to accept. Thank you for such a lovely thought.”

A shuttle took them all to the same hotel and when it was discovered they had adjoining rooms, they all had a good laugh, knowing it would be doubly likely that they would have dinner together during their stay. “What are the odds on that?” George asked with a laugh.

“Pretty slim, I would normally say, neighbor,” Ron quipped. “Be seeing you around.”

“You, too, neighbor.” George was quite obviously enjoying this little joke. Ron thought, ‘What a pleasant man’ as they both went off to their rooms to get settled.

“So, what do you have in mind, Darling? Do you want to see a bit of Honolulu or shall we just skip to the honeymoon?” Ron’s sly grin was unmistakable. Denise turned to him and began fussing with his collar and shirt buttons and said, “Well, Mr. Jameson, we could just lock ourselves in and forget the world now, couldn’t we? But then, we could have done that back on the mainland for a lot less money. Seems a shame to be here and miss it all. Besides, we have all night.” She emphasized the word ‘all’ just enough to appease him, winking meaningfully as she did so.

“You make me want to set my watch ahead several hours, Mrs. Jameson.” His focus was intense and completely upon her.

“Mmmm, I like the sound of that,” she purred.

“Which? The time zone change or the ‘Mrs. Jameson’?”

“Exactly,” she replied and kissed him long and firmly.

Ron’s knees turned to mush and he longed to make love to her again, right then and there. “You aren’t making this any easier, you know. Maybe I should get a cold shower first.”

“No, come on-we’ll walk it off.” She grabbed his arm and the camera and exited the room before he could protest. After a few minutes Ron was able to think of more than just her and a big soft bed.

The rest of the day was spent seeing shops and watching people. At one point as they walked arm in arm along the street, Denise stopped abruptly and Ron found himself suddenly spun about to face her. “What’s wrong?”

“Not a thing I can think of, you darling man.” She hugged him hard-spontaneously and fervently. Half-choked with emotion, she offered only, “Thank you for loving me.”

“Tell me what’s not to love about you. I think you had me from the first time we met, babe.” People had to walk around them, but nearly all of them smiled at the display of genuine affection as they passed.

“There was something about you from the start, too. It was like I had known you before. Like I was meant to be with you.”

“Funny you should say that, Denise. I felt drawn to you, too. I couldn’t explain it. And when Barb pushed us together, I just sort of thought it was meant to be.”

“That’s what she said-‘it was meant to be’. She just seemed to know we would be good together.”

“Well, I’m glad she was so pushy. I owe her big time.” Ron grinned widely and rocked her back and forth in his arms.

“Ron, I think I’ve seen enough sights for today. What do you say we go back to our room and concentrate on something more personal?” Her demeanor was soft and loving.

“I thought you would never ask.” Without further hesitation they turned as one and made a bee line back to the hotel, covering the same ground much more quickly and purposefully than before.

Upon entering the lobby they saw George and Lydia Brennan coming to meet them. Ron and Denise squeezed hands at the same time as a silent signal, then turned and laughed quietly to one another at the unplanned response.

“Well, neighbor…we were just going out for dinner. Are you ready to join us? We knocked on your door, but you were out. So, what do you say? You hungry?”

Denise looked up at Ron and said simply, “Rain check?”

Ron couldn’t help but sigh before answering her quietly, “Okay.”

“Are we interrupting anything?” George asked.

“Not yet,” Ron answered and Denise giggled as she elbowed him softly.

“Good! Good! Then let’s go eat, shall we?” The party turned and left the hotel to choose a restaurant that all would agree upon.

CH.10

Chapter 10

When Denise returned home from work, Barbara and Paul accompanied her. “What a pleasant surprise,” Ron exclaimed. The two of you are off work quite a bit early, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes,” Barbara declared. It’s a bit of a surprise, really.”

“I just said that,” Ron grinned.

“For you, not us…I mean…oh, never mind. We are going to order out for dinner and have our official ‘welcome home’ party for you.”

“Yes,” Paul added. It’s a tad overdue, but nonetheless sincere. A celebration of our friendship and our love for you both.”

“Thank you, both of you. I’m touched by your consideration>”

“Our pleasure, Ron. Where is Debra?”

“Oh, she went to receive a fax. I have no idea when she may return. She said not to hold dinner, though. Maybe she had a hot date and was too shy to mention it?” he suggested.

“Then you don’t know my mother. Her shy? Hah!” Denise laughed.

“Well, a man did come and pick her up….”

“Hmm, curious. But nothing she does should really surprise me much. Don’t worry about her. If you knew her like I do, you’d know she’d be fine. Now, what is everyone in the mood for?” The conversation now veered in a different direction, along with the mood for the evening.

The dinner was superb and the cleanup easy. The conversation and company were excellent, just as the first time Ron had enjoyed their collective presence. Again he felt at home and a sense of peace and tranquility came over him. He was among friends and knew that somehow things would be right again, just as Debra had predicted. This feeling was one he had missing for some time without being consciously aware of it. It had taken the death of one wife and the wedding to a new one to bring him out of his shell. He would always be indebted to Lenore for the things that she had taught him about himself, but he knew, too, that he would be equally indebted to Denise for what she had already and would continue to teach him about the loved ones around him. Ron found himself wishing that Lenore and Denise could have known one another. They would likely have been good friends. He shuddered slightly to think what his life would still be if he had refused the invitation Barbara had offered just a few short weeks ago on his own doorstep. What a gift of love he would have deprived himself of.

While they were in conversation, the door opened and Debra stepped in. Both men stood instinctively as she entered. Whether they knew it consciously or not, she had an air about her that gently commanded their attention and respect-a quiet power they could not precisely measure. As a still, but deep body of water hides it’s depth from view of all but the most discerning, Debra had some obscure and anonymous something that was felt rather than seen openly.

“Well, I know what I said earlier, but I hope you have saved me something. I’m famished.”

“As a matter of fact, there is a plate for you in the fridge. Shall I heat it for you, Mom?”

“No, dear. You stay and enjoy the party. I’ll be back before you can miss me.” She left the room hurriedly and after a bit of rustling in the kitchen, she hurried down the hall to the furthest recesses of the house to make a call in privacy.

In short order Debra returned and ate the dinner that had been heating in the microwave for her and then turned to the front room where all were seated comfortably. As the men again began to rise, she directed them to remain sitting.

“Mom, you’ve been rather a mystery this evening. You don’t let me take time during the day to be with you and you are gone or on the phone nearly every evening. What’s up? And don’t say ‘nothing’.” Denise was genuinely curious, despite her earlier assurance to Ron.

“Darling, I hardly think this is the time or place to discuss the matter.”

“Well, you almost missed out on the get-together tonight and we seldom see you in the day. I just want to know what is so important that it keeps you away so much. You’re not having clandestine meetings with my husband, are you?” She laughed lightly and all chuckled at the thought, Debra included. All except Ron, that is. He gasped audibly and turned pale. Denise and the others stopped laughing as they spied his obvious shock.

“It was just a joke, Ron. Calm down,” Barb countered, but all eyes shot from Ron to Debra, from Debra to Denise and back to Ron again.

As the words began to form on Denise’s lips, Debra broke the spell. “My stars, people! Don’t be ridiculous! You should see yourselves right now. It would be funny if it weren’t so shocking.”

Again all eyes were upon Ron and Denise. None dared speak and again Debra broke the silence. “Oh, for cryin’ out the window, people! There’s not a thing going on between Ron and me. And as for the reason I seem a bit preoccupied--you’ll all know soon enough if it works out the way I hope. If it doesn’t, it won’t matter a feather or a fig, but either way I’ll tell you when the time is right and not before, okay? So, stop letting your imaginations run wild and get a grip! That’s the last I have to say about it. I’m going to bed. Good night, all.” With that, she stood somewhat defiantly, as it were, and started to leave the room, but at the last second turned and added, “Besides, Ron is too young for me” and winked at Denise.

It took a moment for all to recover their wits. Paul spoke first. “Well, folks, I think this had better be a good time to go home.” His discomfort showed visibly.

Ron rose and saw them to the door and thanked them for such a lovely evening with good food and company, but hurried to add, “I’m sorry for the unexpected crescendo to the evening. That was truly bizarre. I assure you that I would never do anything of the kind to Denise-and Debra wouldn’t either.” He looked them sincerely in the eyes and they knew without reservation that he was telling them the truth. “It matters to me that you believe me. I know how much you love Denise and want you to know this isn’t what happened.”

“Okay, Ron. Forget it. No more fretting over it. We believe you. Get some sleep.”

Barb whispered, “You’d better give your wife some attention first, though. I noticed that she hasn’t come to the door and I think she is pretty confused over this.”

“You’re right. I’ll do that. Thanks, Barb. Thank you both for being such good friends.”

“No worries. We love you guys. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Debra is cooking up, won’t we?” Paul smiled and called goodbye to Denise.

Barbara prodded firmly, still in hushed tones, “Go take care of her now!” and closed the door between them.

Ron turned to find his wife, but Denise was nowhere to be seen. He found her in the bedroom, crying softly and walked to her and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. He took her hand in his and began slowly, “Babe, you know I would never intentionally hurt you, don’t you?”

“Yes, Ron, I do. It’s okay. It just shook me up for a minute, that’s all. Everything that has been going on lately has taken its toll on my sanity and immunity, I’m afraid.”

“Then you believe me that nothing inappropriate was going on between your mother and me?”

“Of course I believe you. You were always such a gentleman with me, even when you had every opportunity not to be. I’m sorry to have doubted for a second. It was just that you looked as if a truck had just hit you and everyone else was in shock, too. I got sort of wrapped up in the foolishness of the moment. It was the poorly timed circumstances, that’s all.”

He tried to change the subject gently, feeling there was no sense in belaboring it further. “I’ll be stunned when all of our trials are over-- like a fish out of water without the challenges to my sanity.” He said it facetiously, but it caused her to start crying again. The mere thought of it all going on much longer was more than she wanted to bear. She only wanted this protracted hell to go away.

Ron pulled her to his side and held her. They needed to get away again. The problem was that almost anyplace in the vicinity sparked in them memories of a distasteful nature now. Added to this was the waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak. Ron had not been held for questioning, but he had also not been cleared totally or told he was free to go where he pleased, when he pleased. He felt as if he were on a tether that he could not see, but which could be pulled at any time by some nameless, faceless authority. He felt like crying quite often, too. Since getting home, they had not made love. It wasn’t planned that way-it just was that way. It was as if an unseen presence haunted them, making them too uncomfortable be themselves. There was a limit to how long any marriage could tolerate such a condition, he knew. The fear was that their limit might be much closer than he suspected.

The letter came with no fanfare, delivered just as any other letter might be, but it was not any ordinary letter. This one carried with it dark clouds that warned of the ferocity of an approaching storm. It was addressed to Mr. And Mrs. Ronald Jameson.

“You are hereby summoned to appear before the District Court of Laine County at 10 A.M. on Friday, the third day of November….” Ron stopped reading and paused only a second before he threw the letter as far as he could. He gritted his teeth and growled in anger that could be expressed in no other way. Raising his hands in impotent frustration and rage, he bellowed, “When will it all be over?”

Denise could only cover her mouth with her hands and stand silently staring at him. Debra was far more direct.

“Don’t you give up yet, Ronald Jameson, do you hear me? There’s more here than meets the eye and you know you’ve done nothing wrong. You know and I know it. More importantly, God knows it and there is such a thing as divine justice, too, I assure you. It would be far better to call a good lawyer than to holler at the walls like this, so I suggest you get to it. If you don’t mind a suggestion, you can call this fellow.” She walked to her purse and produced a card, which she handed to him firmly.

“Baylor Sims? Who is he? I’ve never heard of him. What makes you think he is the right man for the job?”

Denise jumped in. “Mom, you’re not even from here. How could you know who is best to call?”

Unflustered, Debra answered strongly. “My mouth and brain still work, don’t they? While you two were busy feeling sorry for yourselves, I was out talking with anyone and everyone who was able to recommend a good plan of attack for you-I mean, us.”

“Don’t you mean a good defense, Mom?”

“No, babe, your mother is right. The best defense is a good attack, in this case. You saw that with the little insurance Nazi. It also applies here. We need to put them on the defense if we can accomplish it. If they thought the county could be sued with the slightest chance of our winning in higher courts, they may soft-pedal this and want us all to back out gracefully.” He turned attention to Debra again. “Go on.”

“From what I’m told on the street and from several other lawyers, Sims is a real pit bull in these things. And strangely enough, word has it he is reasonably priced. …Seems he went into law years ago because of the way his own parents were treated by the justice system. I don’t know all the details, but he’s fair, he’s honest and he’s affordable-a good combination in my estimation.”

“Okay, Debra, let’s go talk to him.”

“We have an appointment at 2 this afternoon. I thought you’d see it my way,” she grinned.

“Mom, sometimes you are amazing.”

“Just sometimes? I must be losing my touch.” She smiled appreciatively.

Ron was growing in his admiration for this woman. She was somewhat of a pit bull herself and he was glad she was on their side. He now recalled that George Brennan had given him his card and had written his cell number on the back. Maybe it would be a good idea to give him a call and see if he had ever heard of this Sims fellow. Pulling the card from his wallet, he turned it over to read the number and was almost floored when he read the name printed there—Baylor Sims. This was the first time he had looked at the card since he’d gotten it from George. It appeared that their path was blazed rather clearly.

CH.11

Chapter 11

The meeting with Baylor Sims was interesting, to say the least. He was a small and unimposing man, about five feet, four inches in height and of stout build. He spoke softly and had a pleasant demeanor, not at all the image of a pit bull as they’d been told. He listened attentively, as though a life depended on it. Many times he asked questions and took notes. His eyes were friendly, but intense in their gaze and giving Denise the feeling they could pierce through steel plate to discover the secrets hidden behind it. Rather than making her uncomfortable, Denise felt more assured than before. She felt in her bones that this was the man to defend them, to attack for them and to win for them.

At one point Sims put his tablet down and suggested, “Why don’t we all take a breather? Would anyone care for some refreshments?” He smiled amiably.

A nod and appreciative thank-you’s urged him to his feet and he went to the next room, to return momentarily with a plate of cookies, some drinking glasses and a pitcher of fruit punch. “Pardon the meager fare. This has been a busy morning and I’ve had no time to shop.”

As they partook of the treats, they engaged in small talk for a short while, but soon enough Sims was again asking pointed and relevant questions regarding the business at hand. He announced at one point, “I’ll take this case, if you’ll have me. What amazes me is that anyone could doubt your innocence with such a preponderance of evidence in your favor. I’ll need to verify it all, of course, but this should be very interesting and a lot of fun if we play it right. A lot may depend on the judge that we get to hear the case, but I have confidence that will be no problem.” He had a hint of impish grin that suggested some childish prank he was about to delight in.

The lovers readily accepted his offer to represent them in court and as the interview was about to end Debra asked abruptly, “May I speak privately with you a moment, Mr. Sims?”

Baylor Sims took it in stride, even looking rather pleased at the thought. “Would you excuse us?” he asked politely and saw Ron and Denise to the adjacent room, inviting them to sit and enjoy his study. He closed the door and left them staring at one another in mute puzzlement.

“Now, Mrs. Payton…what may I do for you?”

“Call me Debra, please.” She smiled and Sims nodded and smiled back happily at the invitation. “You mentioned your concern about getting the right judge. I don’t like to leave anything to chance if I can tilt things more in my favor. I have some information you may find interesting and helpful, as I think you are the kind of man that knows how to use it to its best ends.” She smiled like the cat that ate the canary and Sims couldn’t help but smile at the thought that she might wish to involve him in this intrigue.

“Do tell me more, Debra.”

Debra shared the information she had been harboring and when she had finished, Sims was grinning like a Cheshire cat and fairly laughing with glee. “This is wonderful, Debra. Absolutely wonderful.” He was on his feet with excitement and looked as if he would soon begin to dance a jig around the room as he wrung his hands in delight at the news. Debra began to involuntarily laugh at the antics and thought how he looked so like a leprechaun in his behavior. It was all so delightful.

Several minutes later Sims and Debra fairly exploded through the set of double doors that led to the study, bursting into the room as sunshine into darkness. They were positively exuberant.

Sims told the still bewildered couple, “Now don’t you worry at all. This is in the bag, I assure you. You promise me to get a good night’s sleep and do whatever it is that newlyweds do, alright?” He winked meaningfully and Denise shot Debra a look that could have drawn blood.

Debra let it roll off her back with a ‘don’t look at me’ attitude and grabbed them by the arms to herd them toward the door as though they were children. “Come now, we have a lot to do and so does Mr. Sims.” And that was the end of that. Or was it just the beginning, Denise wondered.

Ron knew that Sims was right. He had been thinking it himself and didn’t know how to broach the subject with all of the stresses and challenges the couple had been wading through. What was needed now was for the newlyweds to start acting like newlyweds again. It might seem forced in their present states of mind, but it was the one remedy that would work completely and not hurt emotionally.

As Ron pulled up to the house and got out to open the doors of the car for the ladies, Debra winked and nodded while mouthing the word ‘bedroom’. Her sly smile was too evident in its meaning for him to mistake and he nodded silently back to her, mouthing the words, ‘Yes, ma’am’ and winking at her in return. She, too, knew what was the prescribed remedy for this illness.

“The door closed behind them and brief pleasantries were exchanged, with Debra excusing herself and apologizing for being so tired and at so early a time of day. “I think I’ll take a nap, if you don’t mind. Perhaps you are as tired as I am. Maybe you should take a nap, too.”

Denise stared suspiciously as her mother turned without further adieu and went to her room in the opposite direction from theirs. When Debra had disappeared, Denise turned to give Ron a look of ‘what was that all about’ and he simply responded, “She’s right. I am a bit tired. Care to join me, Mrs. Jameson?”

The look on his face was subtle, but the intent of the conspirators was now unmistakable to her, too. Denise smiled only half-heartedly, but surrendered to the common sense of the majority, grabbed Ron by the hand and actually led the way to the bedroom, closing the door behind them. “You win. You’ve always been my weakness. You may even be my sanity right now.”

“Maybe a good tranquilizer, too, if we are lucky.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me a bit, Mr. Jameson. So, what does the doctor have in mind for his patient?” She locked eyes with him, a worn look and no hint of a smile, and began to undo the buttons of her blouse.

“Let’s just say that this treatment won’t require you to wear a dressing gown.” He could now see that she was disconnected from this little game.

“Ooooh, doctor, it all sounds so….” She was trying to play along for his sake, but found no words to finish. She was too weary to care. Her heart and mind were not in it.

“Exactly. So….” He held her close to simply comfort her, with no agenda now but to reconnect with her emotionally and for her to get a good night's sleep.

“Administer the procedure when you’re ready. Just be gentle, okay?”

Ron thought, this can wait. Tonight I will just hold her. If anything more takes place, it will only be because she wants to.

CH.12

Chapter 12

The day had finally come for what Debra had incessantly been referring to as ‘the final showdown’. Ron and Denise were noticeably high-strung. It was hard to breathe and each lungful was shallow and labored. The climb of the courthouse steps was a tremendous feat, seemingly insurmountable, and for all the world it felt as though they were marching to their fate on death row. So engrossed in their own thoughts were they that both were startled to find Barbara and Paul standing beside them in the entry chamber.

Paul extended an arm to Ron, placing a firm hand upon his shoulder to reassure him. "Stiff upper lip, old man--as the British would say. You know we're with you all the way."

"Today I feel old, Paul. My feet won't move." You may have to carry me. He tried to force a smile, but couldn't get his facial muscles to respond.

Barbara just took Denise by the arm and stood with her silently, giving sympathetic looks and unspoken subliminal support as needed. There was no need for words between these two.

From down the hall Sims appeared and approached them quickly, a smile of confidence on his face. His outstretched hand shook each of theirs in succession. "Mr. and Mrs. Jameson, today is a great day in your lives. Today you will be free to start over in peace and quiet. Smile and enjoy." He gave Ron a mild slap on the back to emphasize the point.

"I wish I had your confidence, Mr. Sims." Ron was looking weak and shaken. For all his talk about fighting this one to the hilt, he now was afraid he would not have the strength to even lift the sword to do a deed he knew need be done decisively.

"You will, Ron. You will." He spoke the words sincerely, even affectionately and with great sympathy and Ron had no doubt that he meant them. Ron felt to instinctively trust Sims and nodded his assent. Some small degree of confidence began to return, for which he was immensely grateful. Sims now shuffled them off down the hall toward their final goal--freedom.

As they were about to enter the assigned courtroom, Denise suddenly stopped, looking around desperately. "Where is Mom? I need her here." She looked like a frightened little girl in dire need of parental consolation. Puzzled, Ron also began to search for Debra.

"Don't worry, now" Sims interrupted. "She'll be here when needed, I assure you, but not a moment before that. Will you trust me?" Baylor's eyes calmly pleaded with them to have faith and let him do what was required, but things never seemed to go as designed in their lives lately. It was difficult to dredge up even the remotest remnants of faith anymore. Sims waited for their reply. Ron nodded, but Denise was slow to respond, fighting back the doubts she was filled with. After what seemed an interminably long time she finally nodded in a 'what other choice is there' manner and slowly followed Sims into the courtroom.

The first point of focus was naturally the bench where the judge would soon preside. The seat was currently empty. Three men were already seated near the front of the room. Ron thought how very familiar they looked to him, but it was not until they turned around to see who had just entered that his suspicions were verified. The three were Bill, Mose and Hunter. Bill and Mose were the closest thing he had to brothers and had served with him in military duties several years before. Hunter was his only cousin and closest childhood playmate. Huge smiles adorned all the faces of these men. Ron thought how much in contrast he must look, with the stress-worn image and weary frame he now presented. No judge or jury in the country would ever be impressed with him, he knew.

The only one missing from this group was Jonathan, or Jon-Jon as they called him. He, too, was an old service buddy--another brother, really, in the dearest sense. Ron was buoyed up by the presence of these men. They had been such a strength and support to him recently in his misadventures with Ted Randall and had done all and more than most men would ever have done to help save Denise from that madman.

There were a few moments to exchanged greetings and respect and then the court Bailiff entered the room. Ron now noticed for the first time that the County Prosecutor was there, having quietly seated himself while the men were renewing their friendships. The Prosecutor was rising in anticipation of the Bailiff's announcement, which now came without hesitation.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Hallowell. This hearing is now in session." the Bailiff announced. The judge entered and was seated before all others were then invited to sit. It had begun.

Hallowell took and inordinate length of time to look over the papers he had before him, prior to acknowledgement of others in the room. Ron wondered that he had not taken time previously to study them in preparation. When Judge Hallowell did look up, he looked directly at Ron for an uncomfortably long time.

"Mr. Jameson, I wish to remind you that you are not on trial yet."

The choice of words was strange to Ron. Why would he say 'yet'?

"This is a preliminary hearing, where we will determine the need for a proper trial."

Again, a strange choice of words--he had slightly emphasized 'yet' and 'need'. The way he stared at Ron gave cause for concern. It was as if he had already decided their fate, a foregone conclusion in his own mind, and this hearing was simply a formality, a 'going through the motions' to make it all appear legitimate. Ron and Denise both looked to Sims for some small degree of hope and comfort, but Sims was seemingly laser-focused on the judge, his countenance grim and serious. Ron swallowed hard, trying not to be heard as he did so.

The judge continued, "Now, I believe in cutting to the chase. I hope you do, too."

Ron was not certain whether he was expected to speak, but he was beaten to the punch by Sims and held his peace. "Your Honor, my client is prepared to be cooperative in any examination you may wish." The inflection on 'examination' was subtle, but noted.

Of all present in the courtroom, Hallowell alone acted with indifference to Sims, making no notice of him, either verbally or visually. Ron sensed that there might very well be bad blood between them and his misgivings about the hearing returned with a vengeance. Was this the judge that had played such a foul role in the lives of Baylor Sim's parents years ago? Hallowell was indeed old enough that he could easily have been involved in the troubles regarding the faults of the justice system that Sims had witnessed firsthand. If there were contentions here, was this hearing destined to be no more than a grudge match between Sims and Hallowell? A sick feeling suddenly dropped into the pit of Ron's stomach and he looked at Denise, who was also ashen in appearance. Why do I feel like we are to be the lab rats here, Ron wondered.

Through several more exchanges Hallowell addressed Ron, with Sims answering for him each time and with each answer Sims was virtually ignored by Hallowell. Even the County Prosecutor was noticeably puzzled by the behavior he was witnessing.

At this point the door in the rear of the courtroom opened noisily and Ron turned to see Jonathan grinning from ear to ear and carrying a large stack of papers. He came directly to Sims and laid them on the table in front of him. Before he sat down he gave Ron a thumbs up sign. Something was going on here that Ron was not privy to yet, but he had little choice except to be quiet and patient until he knew.

Judge Hallowell eyed the stack of papers suspiciously and for the first time looked at Baylor Sims long enough to acknowledge awareness of his presence. It was not a friendly look by any stretch of the imagination. Sims chuckled quietly to himself as he began to organize the stack of papers before him. Ron noticed the furtive glances Hallowell made--first at the papers and then at Sims and away again, repeating this several times while trying to look nonchalant. There was, however, a sense of concern on Hallowell's part and he seemed to get slightly more irritable from that point on.

"Mr. Jameson, the nature of the charges being considered against you is quite serious. The evidence against you is quite convincing, I must say." He pulled from the pile of papers on his desk an envelope and letter he had been studying, which he now held aloft for effect, as if it were the grand key to the whole deal. He shifted his gaze toward Sims and locked eyes with him, but Baylor did not flinch, which seemed to only annoy Hallowell all the more. "Counselor, I have here a letter in the handwriting of one Theodore M. Randall. It was found in his apartment after his death. It seems the first search of his residence overlooked it, but here it is now and that is what counts."

Ron looked at Sims and Denise looked at Ron. Only Sims seemed unflustered.

"Counselor, this letter voices a concern expressed by Mr. Randall that he is targeted for death by someone who hates him."

Sims narrowed his eyes only by the slightest amount, barely noted even by Ron, who sat next to him. What was going through his mind could only be guessed at, but the wait was not long. "And what is the nature of the letter, your Honor? Does Mr. Randall suggest that the former Denise Payton is the one who wants to kill him? A defenseless woman?"

"Exactly, Mr. Sims." This time Hallowell addressed him without including the respect of the title 'Counselor'. Things were about to escalate and Ron did not welcome the new direction this was taking. "It mentions..." and he shifted his gaze toward Ron, "your wife specifically, Mr. Jameson." His gaze was steely and cold, causing Denise to shiver.

Ron leaned quickly toward Sims and whispered into his ear. "This is bogus, Baylor. Ted must have written it to somehow punish Denise. He was just that warped--you know that!"

Sims took hold of Ron with a firm hand. "Calm down. I know this is bogus. Things are much better than you think."

The judge now had the hint of a smirk on his face, but Sims pressed on. "Your Honor, what is the date on the letter, if I might ask?"

"There is no date." He looked unconcerned by the request.

"Then, your Honor, there is no reliable method by which we might establish the age of this letter. Or even whether it be in Mr. Randall's handwriting, perhaps."

"That remains to be seen now, doesn't it?" The smirk was still there, tinged with a generous degree of impatience. His voice was somewhat elevated in tone and volume, denoting his swing in mood.

"Yes, your Honor, I guess so." Sims remained unmoved by this display of hostility and began to conspicuously finger the papers in front of him on the desk. Judge Hallowell shifted his focus yet again, from Sims to the papers and back several times. He resituated himself in his seat and seemed even more annoyed.

"Your Honor, does this letter, purported to have been penned by Mr. Randall, mention specifically that the former Denise Payton intended to kill Mr. Randall? Does it mention that she hired anyone to do the job? Or does it even suggest that she ever threatened him while in the heat of anger?" Sims appeared as pleasant as if he were speaking to a beloved family member, which seemed to irk Hallowell all the more.

"What it says or doesn't say will come out in the trial, Mr. Sims. You will then have a copy of it for yourself." He fairly spat the words.

"If there is a trial, your Honor. That is what is yet to be decided, am I not correct?"

All were registering surprise that Sims would attempt what appeared to be the blatant aggravation of Hallowell. The County Prosecutor showed no less shock than the others. Again Sims fiddled with the papers he held in his possession. This time Hallowell took the bait.

"Do you have anything to offer as evidence to the contrary, Mr. Sims?" He leaned forward on his elbows and stared down as if sentence had already been passed.

Sims knew the time had arrived to set the hook and did so without hesitation. "Are you certain you want all of this now, your Honor? There is a lot here."

The facade of impatience grew again by another step, but Hallowell replied in a controlled manner. "I am greatly curious to see what you could possibly offer as evidence that would cause me to reconsider for one moment setting a date for trial." The County Prosecutor now began to fidget nervously and involuntarily dropped his pencil. He started to go after it and reconsidered, biting his lip and remaining still in his seat.

There. Hallowell had asked for it in so many words and he was about to get it in so many more than he would end up wanting. The bait was taken, the hook set and there was nothing yet but to reel him in. Sims pretended a look of quiet surrender and looked at the Bailiff, who turned to the judge for confirmation. It was immediately forthcoming.

"Bailiff, please bring me the papers Mr. Sims has before him." Again, not even the courtesy of the title Counselor.

Sims suppressed a smile that he so much wanted to let burst forth into actual laughter. Too early and you kill the deal. Patience, Baylor. Patience.

As Hallowell began to leaf through the papers, his color turned redder by the moment and with each page he perused. His rage was building and Ron and Denise looked at Sims as if to question whether he had lost his mind. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ron whispered. Sims gave them both a 'wait for it' look and turned again to study Hallowell intently. He then grabbed his cell phone and punched a speed dial number and disconnected almost as quickly.

The courtroom was pin-drop quiet, awestruck by the turn of events, but a single and subtle ring of a cell phone had been heard in the hallway. It stopped just as the judge looked directly at Sims and appeared about to burst. With his mouth open and prepared to vent all his fury, Hallowell suddenly turned his attention to the door at the back of the courtroom and to the figure that had now burst noisily through the door. Judge Hallowell appeared as if he were about to order her to sit, when just as suddenly the rage turned to a stunned silence and the blood that had engorged his face now drained rapidly to leave him a ghostly white. He looked as if he had been shot through the heart and could not comprehend it. All eyes turned to follow his own. In the doorway stood Debra Payton, but a different Debra Payton than anyone who knew her was used to seeing.

Hallowell inhaled audibly and involuntarily aspirated saliva, setting him into coughing violently, adding to his embarrassment and discomfiture. The Bailiff ran to get him some water, but was as quickly followed by Judge Hallowell in his hurry to exit the courtroom as swiftly as possible.

"What just happened?" Denise asked insistently.

"Be patient and you'll soon see," Sims answered and motioned for Debra to come sit with them. Again Ron studied her. All eyes were drawn to her instinctively and involuntarily. Her clothing and hairstyle were at least thirty years out of date and she looked highly amused at the turn of events.

"Would someone please tell me what just happened here?" Denise repeated more insistently. "Mom, what is this all about?"

"Just wait, dear. Unless I miss my guess, you won't have long to wait." She smiled as muffled hollering could be heard coming from the direction of the door to the judge's chambers.

"Just wait...just wait...be patient! Argh! Wait for what?" Denise was anything but patient and Ron was still too stunned to know what to ask and of whom.

"You'll see, Mrs. Jameson. You'll see." Sims eyes were glued to the door of the judges' chambers and he did not have long to wait for what he expected. "Here it comes...."

Ron and Denise were shaking their heads in combined frustration as the Bailiff re-entered the room. All were about to rise for the judge when the Bailiff, looking shaken and confused, announced, "This hearing is now concluded due to illness on the part of Judge Hallowell. The charges will not be pursued at this time. All are free to go."

Debra, Baylor Sims and Jonathan were nearly jumping up and down in their excitement, hugging one another and laughing aloud while others just stood in mute shock and wondering what they had missed. The County Prosecutor was scratching his head and attempting to solve this unexpected puzzle just thrown at him.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, both of you!" Sims was nearly overcome with his admiration for Debra and Jon-Jon, but no one yet knew why. "Come on, everybody; let's get out of here and go celebrate!" His voice was more boisterous than usual and plainly, he could scarcely contain himself for his joy. He gathered all the papers that the judge had left on the bench and quickly vacated the room before anyone might wish to stop him from doing so. The rest of the party followed suit.

The County Prosecutor was now in hot pursuit of Sims and caught up with him just before he got to the front door of the courthouse. "Sims! Hang on, man! What happened in there? Anyone can see that you scared the daylights out of Hallowell, but what's in those papers?"

"Well, Counselor...that remains to be seen, now doesn't it?" He laughed as he parroted back Judge Hallowell's words and turned again to scurry from the building. The County Prosecutor just glanced from one to another of the party, in hopes one would volunteer an answer, but most of the party could only look back helplessly or shrug their shoulders in common display of their ignorance. When all had left, the man stood there alone and still in a daze.

Outside, Baylor Sims waited for all to gather and addressed them as a group. "I want to invite all of you to a celebration party at my home tomorrow at noon. Do not eat a big breakfast--lunch is on me." Turning now to Ron and Denise, Sims said simply, "Congratulations, you are now free!"

"Free? Hallowell said nothing of the sort," Denise chided.

Ron, with some annoyance, added, "Until he says so, how can you think we are free? He only said 'it will not be pursued at this time.'"

Baylor Sims now put an arm around them both as friends or even as would a father. His affection and reassurance were genuine. "You have my word that it is over and that you've won a great victory here today. And you helped me to win a great victory, too. One I've been waiting for many years to win. I am truly grateful to you both." He squeezed them affectionately and then called back as he turned to leave, "Remember--my house at noon tomorrow. Come hungry! Oh, you four men--" He addressed Mose, Bill, Hunter and Jonathan. "You are welcome to come stay at my place for as long as our party may last. Jonathan knows the way. What do you say?" With hearty affirmatives in response, he winked and was gone.

"Mom, I'm more confused than ever."

"Just wait one more day and you will know everything. You've been through hell the last few months and now that it really is over, do you want to unnecessarily punish yourself further?" Debra asked.

The couple simmered for a short time and then acquiesced. Denise spoke their feelings. "Okay, Mom, you win. What's one more day? The way I feel, I'm not sure I would comprehend it anyway." Ron nodded his agreement.

Ron thanked everyone for being there to support them, paying particular attention to how surprising it was to see his old army buddies again so soon. “You men are family to me and I'm deeply touched by your unselfish generosity.” The tear in his aye attested to the sentiment of his words.

“The feeling is mutual, Boss. Now, get some sleep for you and your bride tonight. We have a lot of partying to do tomorrow.” Jonathan grinned like a Cheshire cat at the thought. He was always one to welcome a party, for any reason or none at all.

"Tha’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout,” Bill interjected.

Debra gave him an unexpected slap on the arm, accompanied by a firm 'atta-boy' and turned to Ron with the admonition to go home and get some rest.

The ride home was rather quiet for Denise and Ron. Debra volunteered nothing at all and no one asked. They were too drained emotionally to worry about the details right now. A light dinner was consumed and all retired early for the evening.

“Babe, I’m still befuddled about what they’ve done and how they’ve done it, but in some strange way I feel that it really is over now. I’m not sure how I know it, Denise, but I do.”

“No more about that, Ron. Not tonight. Just come to bed and hold me, okay? We can sleep in tomorrow. I’ve taken the day off again. Thank goodness Mr. Jorgenson is so understanding.”

“He’s a good man.”

“You’re a good man, too. Come hold me.” She crawled beneath the sheet and patted his pillow to beckon him in beside her.

That was all he wanted in the world right now. He lay down next to her and kissed her tenderly, running his fingers through her hair and lovingly across her face.

“Ron, I want to melt when you touch me like that.”

“How else would I touch you? You’re my treasure.”

“And you’re my knight.”

He quickly found her head on his shoulder as she nestled into his side and was soon asleep, but Ron lay there awake for a long time, thanking God for such a great blessing as this woman he held next to him. Especially in this time of extreme trial. 'And thank you for such incredible friends as we have. Bless them for all they have done'.

The dream was nearly the same as before. Ron was upon the white sand beach and was standing near the water. Denise stood looking toward him and the ocean. Ted, too, was there again, but with a major difference this time. Ron knew what had happened before—recalled it fully—but this dream was very lucid, as if he had control over it. This time he vowed he would turn the tables on his enemy. As he marched toward Ted with determination in his heart, he found that his foe began to recede and fade further into the distance with each step that Ron advanced upon him. At length Ted was gone altogether and Ron turned about to find his wife at his side, smiling and more beautiful and radiant than ever he had recalled seeing her. Her eyes sparkled like the stars twinkling in the summer night sky and her teeth were as the pearls of the ocean’s depths. Her hair shone with a fire that dazzled and charmed him. There was no other woman in the world for him.

Ron woke slowly and knew that it was a dream, but the emotions had been so real and so strong that he could not resist acting upon them. Reaching across the bed for Denise, he ran his hand down her side from her neck to her knee. His heart was racing and in his throat as she stirred and reached back to touch him. He could not speak to say anything to her, so touched emotionally was he. There were no words that would have sufficed in any event. Denise moved closer and as her lips touched his he knew that they would again be one—in body, soul and purpose.

CH.13

Chapter 13

Debra woke them the next morning with a knock on the door. “Okay, you two love birds; time to get up. I have fresh grapefruit for you. Come and get it.”

Each of them smiled at the other and kissed tenderly, feeling their still-naked bodies touching beneath the sheet.

“I want you again,” Denise whispered.

“How convenient. I want you, too, but what will your mother say?”

“Who cares? Let her get her own man.”

Ron couldn’t help but laugh at the quick wit his wife displayed so early in the morning. Denise also laughed because he was so delighted and pulled him closer.

Outside the door, Debra heard the giggles, smiled and turned away toward the kitchen table. She was content. This morning she would happily eat alone.

All were gathered together at the home of Baylor Sims and the festivities were about to begin in earnest. Sims had arranged for a caterer to serve them and the food was simply tremendous.

“This is going to cost us a fortune,” Ron remarked.

“No, I said it was my treat and I meant it,” Sims replied.

“Well, then be prepared to lose every cent you just made off us.”

“That is my second treat, Ron. No charge.”

“What? You can’t be serious.”

“I can and I am. You did me a tremendous favor. By ‘you’, I mean all of you. You allowed me to rectify a problem that had been plaguing me for years. I was able to settle an old score with your help.”

Ron knew now, with a certainty, that Hallowell had been the cause of Sims’ concerns all these years. Revenge was finally his and he had done so in honor of his parents. This was something that they could all feel good about. Justice had been delayed, but justice had been served.

Baylor continued, “You simply cannot imagine how good that felt to me, Ron.”

Ron reflected back on his visit with the insurance company representative and thought distinctly that maybe he could understand how good it could feel, though he had not waited nearly as long as Sims for satisfaction in that matter. “I am happy for you, Baylor. You did me a great service and if I was of some help in return, then I guess it was all worth it. Not that I would want to do it again, mind you, for any amount of good.” He grinned at Sims and made a face registering horrific disgust.

“Well, I expect to hear very soon that the ‘Honorable Judge Hallowell” has decided to retire from the bench.”

“Are you serious? Why would he do that?” His surprise was more than mild. “And come to think of it, you have yet to explain what that stunt was that you three pulled off yesterday in court. I think it is high time you start talking, don’t you?”

“Fair enough. First let me explain why I think Hallowell will retire from the bench. He will have to or risk the chance of public humiliation and pressure to have him forcibly removed by law. If he retires voluntarily he gets to keep his pension and a degree of respect in the eyes of some of the public, regardless of whether he has earned it or not. Those who don’t know him as well as we do will think he has served honorably.”

“As well as ‘we?’ You have yet to tell me anything to help me put the pieces together, Baylor. Come on—‘fess up, man!”

“Yes, yes. The time has come. Here it is. Debra knew I wanted to settle an old score with Hallowell. She also knew you had some army friends who were very good at getting the ammunition…er, information…necessary to do the job. Jonathan got me all I wanted and far more.” Sims’ smile was enough to light the room.

“You mean Hallowell was crooked?”

“…as a dog’s hind leg,” Bill laughed. He had been listening in at Ron’s shoulder.

“Mose helped a lot, telling me what to look for. So did Mr. Sims,” Jonathan chimed in. Ron now noticed that the group had gathered closer to hear the explanation.

“Call me Baylor, Jonathan. You’ve earned the right.”

“Okay, Baylor—thanks.”

“Wait, wait! Does everyone but me know all the details, then?” Ron pressed insistently.

“Well, not just you, but danged close. You were under a lotta pressure an’ we wanted to save you goin’ through that again. B’sides, you were a near wreck las’time. We weren’t sure you’d be much help to us.” Bill was apologetic, but Ron knew he was likely correct in his assumptions.

“Okay, I understand. But will someone tell me why Debra was dressed in all those old clothes and her hair was done that way? And why would that scare the tar out of Hallowell?”

“Don’cha mean the ‘hell outta ‘Hell’owell?” Bill had a silly grin he couldn’t hide.

“Well said, Bill. More true than you know, I’m afraid.” Sims was entirely deadpan and serious.

“Uh…huh?” Bill did a verbal double take and waited for an answer.

“He had all the ear markings of a Satanist, for one thing. Not sure we could link him to it entirely, but maybe with a lot more investigation.” Mose offered.

Baylor nodded his head, but hastened to add, “I don’t think anything more will be needed to convince him to retire permanently, gentlemen.”

“Anyway, about Debra and the clothing…and Hallowell’s fright?” Ron cajoled and prodded a reminder into the forum. He was getting impatient and it was apparent that Denise was ready to hear an answer to the riddle as well. She was completely intent on what the various speakers had to offer.

Jonathan now interrupted and took charge of the explanation. “Alright. Enough delay. You deserve the entire story. One of the things we found against Hallowell was the record of a rape case many years ago while he was still in law school. All the details were there and Hallowell was strongly implicated, but was never found guilty. It appears he had strings pulled for him.”

“Yanked is more like it.” Mose was fed up just thinking about it.

Baylor jumped in again. “All we had to do was place a powerful visual stimulant in front of him while he was already in a highly charged emotional state and voila’! The reminder alone pushed him over the edge.”

So Debra was dressed as the woman in the records?”

“Yes, that’s it in a nutshell.” Sims had a smile of deep satisfaction. “It worked brilliantly. Better than I had hoped.”

“Better than you hoped? You had me scared to death. I thought you had lost your mind! And now you tell me it worked better than you hoped?” Denise just shook her head.

“My dear woman, it was absolutely paramount that I go through with it in the manner we had planned. There was nothing else we could do but force his hand. I do apologize. I know how it must have appeared, but there was simply no other way that we could think of to accomplish the task.” Sims was sincere in his apologies, but just as sincere in his convictions that there was no other method to have considered. “Judge Hallowell was force-fed so many things that he had thought to be completely and forever buried. Then, the Grand Finale—Debra coming in dressed as the rape victim herself. He just lost it. And best of all, he lost control in front of so many people, including the County Prosecutor, who must by now think him to be totally insane.”

Debra had been quiet through all of the conversation thus far, but now joined in with her contribution. “I’m sure that by now he is wondering how soon it will be until word gets out to the public. He can’t help but worry about that. Plus, he knows we still have the papers that he left on his bench while he was in such a frantic fury to get away from me. He has no idea where we could have dug up so much dirt on him—and best of all, if there was that much, there was probably more. He has to be wondering when it will rear its ugly little head, I would venture to guess. He must be terrified—and rightly so. It’s finally his turn to be on the receiving end for once.”

“But how is that alone going to force him to retire? All of that is past and he could fight it for a long time in the courts, couldn’t he? And couldn’t he simply hand me over to the next judge?” Ron was just being realistic, but Denise gasped audibly. He was causing her faith to waiver along with his own.

“Listen, Ron, there was far more going on here than you may realize. There were so many violations in his courtroom alone that most people would never suspect. A competent and well-informed jury could have convicted him of constructive treason at any time, for his violations of the Constitution alone. What atrocities were happening right under all their noses everyday, you would shudder to think.”

“Sorry, you lost me.”

“Along with most other Americans, I’m afraid. Tha’s why we had to go another route. I will explain the other possible routes at another time, if you like, but trust me for now that I chose the right one for you and Denise.”

“Okay, Baylor. Time will tell. Forgive me for not being ready to believe it’s truly over yet. After all that we’ve been through, I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall—call it conditioning, if you will.”

“Pavlovian response.” Baylor nodded his head.

Bill simply said, “Huh?”

“Like a dog drooling when he hears a bell,” Mose responded.

“What?!” Bill was more confused than ever.

“Like a dog drooling over a steak? Is that better?” Jonathan offered.

“Lots better than a dog wantin’ to eat a bell, I reckon.” Bill shook his head in disbelief at Mose, who started to respond and came up short in a ‘why bother’ attitude. The others simply chuckled at this little interplay.

“Ron, rehashing all of this isn’t why you are here today, is it? Let’s have some fun and forget about all of this, shall we?” Sims turned to the group and asked, “Alright, who knows a good joke?”

Denise piped up, “I do!”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Ron came back immediately, laughing and finally able to begin relaxing. He quickly added, “Between the two of us, though, we might be able to beat these folks into some semblance of submission.” He winked at Denise and saw her roll her eyes.

“Well, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull,” Paul added. It got him a few snickers and a well-delivered elbow from Barbara, followed by a now full-bodied laugh from the rest of the group. “Ow! Go easy, will you?”

The party broke up around 9 P.M. when Barbara quietly took a moment aside to ask Sims a question of great concern for her.

“Tell me the truth, Baylor; this isn’t really over yet, is it?”

“My dear woman, I want you to know that I never lie. I have often kept the truth hidden until it was most useful to my purposes, but I do not lie.”

“A lawyer who never lies? Is there such a thing?” She grinned mischievously and he had to admire her wit and her candor.

“You still don’t know me well and with the general reputation that most attorneys have, I can well understand why you would find such a thing to be rare at best. But, then, you’ll just have to be patient and watch me, won’t you?” His smile was infectious and Barbara felt he could quite possibly be the most pleasant and cheerful man she had ever met. Certainly he was the most pleasant lawyer. She wondered if that qualified as a contradiction in terms.

“I’m not asking for me, Baylor. I love these two a lot more than you know and it would kill me to see them go through much more of this hell. They don’t deserve it, that’s all.” She looked deeply into his eyes and her gaze begged him to promise her a happy ending.

“You must know that there are no guarantees in life, dear girl; and you tend to get surprises when you least expect them, but I assure you I’ve never been more certain of anything than I am right now.” His words were a healing balm to her and she hugged him unexpectedly and thanked him several times before she turned him loose again.

“You’re welcome, Barbara—and thank you! Now, before your husband gets jealous, you’d better go. He’s waiting for you.”

She laughed softly, as did he, and the evening’s festivities were now over. He suspected they would all meet again. At least he hoped so. These people were the salt of the earth. He turned toward the one remaining straggler. “And now, Debra…with all of our scheming and conniving over, I feel lost. How about you?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Baylor. What trouble do you think we could get into to make up for our sense of loss?”

“Mom!” Denise had just stuck her head in again to hurry Debra to the car.

“Oh, never you mind, dear! I’m old enough to know what I’m doing.”

“If you don’t mind terribly, I will be happy to bring her home later, Denise.” Baylor had somewhat of a sad puppy look, far from the gleam he usually bore.

“Well…okay, but have her home by midnight,” Denise said rather sternly for a daughter.

“Hrmph! Well, I never….” Debra feigned upset. “You did say, ‘let her get her own man’, didn’t you?” Her hands were on her hips in firm resolve and gentle defiance and her face bore a ‘gotcha’ expression.

Denise was now the one to register genuine surprise, having until now been unaware that her mother had heard them through the bedroom door this morning. She was speechless for an uncomfortably long time and in the confusion, Sims sought to come to her rescue—to their rescue.

“I assure you, she will be in the best of hands…” Ever the proper gentleman and acutely aware of how his statement might be construed a double entendre, he stopped and regrouped, beginning to blush slightly. “I mean, in good company…she’ll be well looked after.” He looked as if he were about to start sweating profusely at any moment.

“Better quit while you still can, Mr. Sims. Alright, have fun, you two—but behave yourselves.” She still shot her mother a look that denoted a sense of impropriety, but she left them alone.

“Now, where were we?” Debra recovered immediately and Baylor tried to follow suit.

“Pulling my foot from my mouth, I believe.” He chuckled nervously. “I am glad to have you alone, though. I find you an intriguing and charming woman, Debra.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, my good man.” She smiled slyly and hooked her arm in his and led him to the porch swing.

“Ron, I simply don’t know what to do with my mother. I just might die of embarrassment. I thought she would be coming home with us, but she’s decided to stay with Mr. Sims.”

“Well, you did say, ‘let her get her own man’, didn’t you?” He spoke in the same inflections that she had used just this morning and thought she would see the humor of it. Met with her icy stare, his spontaneous grin disappeared just as quickly as it had sprung upon him and he turned to give full attention to his driving duties until she warmed up again.

CH.14

Chapter 14

It was one month later and Debra had long since gone home, but she kept in touch on a regular basis—especially with Baylor Sims. Mose and the others called frequently to gather any news updates. Paul and Barbara were beginning to wonder if they would hear of any further developments, as well. Nothing changed until one evening when Denise answered the telephone to find an excited Baylor Sims on the other end.

“Denise, will you and Ron be home for awhile tonight? I have some news for you.”

“Uh…yes. What’s up? Is something wrong, Baylor?” She had that familiar twinge of dread starting again.

“No, dear girl. Not at all. In fact, call your friends to come over. This is something you will all want to celebrate.”

“I’m not sure I know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll be home. I’ll be right over.” He hung up just as quickly.

“Who was that? Is something wrong, dear?” Ron saw the questioning look on her face and he, too, had a sharp twinge arise within him.

“That was Baylor. I asked him the same thing and he said he’d be right over to tell us some news. From the sound of things, I hope that something is very right.”

Ron appeared pensive and raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

It was twenty-five minutes before Baylor arrived. He knocked twice before Ron could cross the front room and answer the door. His hand was cocked back and ready to do so again when the door was opened for him. Baylor Sims appeared as if he were barely able to contain himself, bouncing up and down on the doorstep until he was ushered in.

“Oh, Ron, you are going to be so excited! Guess what has happened?”

“What? How could I possibly know?”

“Oh, come on, man! Try to guess.” He was like a kid with a new toy concealed behind his back, so anxious to show it off to a friend, but loathe to be hurrying and spoil the surprise.

“Ron took a deep breath and blew it out noisily in a somewhat perplexed fashion. “Well…uh…someone from the court called you?” There was hope in his eyes as the thought formed in his mind and the words took shape on his lips.

Baylor was nearly ecstatic. “Yes, yes! Go on!”

“Go on? It’s your story, Baylor. I’m just trying to figure it out!”

“What? Oh, yes, of course. Yes, I got a call and you have been exonerated fully! It seems that a certain judge stepped quietly down from the bench and handed it all over to another judge and asked that he set things right with you!”

Ron looked as if he’d been struck physically and Denise had by this time hovered at his shoulder long enough to want the story more fleshed out. “What did they say? Details, Baylor, details!” She was too excited to be patient.

“Forgive me, Denise, I know what you’ve been through and I certainly don’t intend to drag this out for you any longer than needed. I know how I would feel….”

“Baylor!” both exclaimed in unison.

“Oh, yes…sorry. The investigation is over and you’re both cleared.” That was the long and the short of it. Baylor stood almost breathless.

“Denise, it’s finally over.” Ron took her by both shoulders and stared at her deeply before pulling her to him and holding her tightly. She felt limp, as if she might fall were he to let go of her. Ron shuffled her to the nearest seat and eased her down, sitting beside her to steady her.

Baylor stepped in, looking repentant and humbled. “I am so sorry to upset you like this. I just wanted you to know it’s really over. You can get on with your lives now. You’re free.” He raised his open palms to his sides in a gesture that accentuated the last words.

“It’s okay, Baylor. I’ll be fine.” Denise sounded small and weak.

“I think she’s been running on adrenaline so long that when the news finally comes, the let-down is quite a shock to the system. To tell you the truth, I feel a bit puny myself.”

“Yes, of course. I understand. Well, you get some rest, Denise. You’ve more than earned it, I dare say. Ron, might I speak to you alone for a moment?”

“Give me a minute to take Denise to our room, if you don’t mind.”

Upon returning, Baylor spoke in hushed tones, as if he wanted to ensure that no one else could hear. He even looked around before he spoke. “This whole thing has been amazing, Ron. I’ve waited years for all the pieces to fall into place like this and now that they have, I’m somewhat stunned, too. Anyway, I appreciate what you and Denise …and all your friends have done for me. You’ve all made it possible a degree of justice in the matter of Judge Hallowell. As you may know, I’ve had a private axe to grind in the matter. He destroyed my parents, all to preserve a false pride and the appearance of honor on his part. You have helped me put things right. He has finally received his punishment.”

“It’s okay, Baylor. Whatever we did was probably insignificant. We appreciate what you did for us. We can breathe again, thanks to you.”

“Enough with the modesty, my dear man. You have accomplished far more here than you realize. Hallowell didn’t just step down and save us the trouble of his future presence on the bench. No, he stepped down and almost immediately disappeared.” He waited for the words and their significance to sink in, watching Ron’s expression closely.

“What do you mean by that?” His puzzlement was perfectly clear.

“Just what I said—disappeared, gone, vanished into thin air as smoke from the fire. He’s missing without a trace and has been for over three weeks now. According to the police, there is little, if anything, missing from his home. It’s as if he walked out empty-handed and never returned.” Again he waited for the effect of his words.

“But…why would he do that, Baylor? Doesn’t he have friends and family that will be looking for him?”

“No, not really. He never married; I guess he thought it beneath him. Also, it appears that efforts to contact any relatives are extremely difficult and nearly useless, at best. For all intent and purposes the man was entirely alone. Sad, but it shouldn’t surprise me.”

“Then why are you so shook up?”

“Because no one just walks out of their home like that, dear fellow. Taking nothing, leaving no note and vanishing so effectively for so long—these things are just not done. Hallowell was no wilderness survival type. He didn’t take his car! None of the hotels, airports, bus stations or hospitals has seen a trace of him. The cab companies never picked him up, either. Now are you starting to get the full picture?”

“I’m not sure it’s the full picture, but it just got a lot bigger.” His eyes were also getting much larger as he started to comprehend the magnitude of this new information. “What do you think happened?”

“Me? I can’t be certain, but if I were to guess, I would say that he had assistance. This is more like a witness protection program than a missing persons case.”

Suddenly aware that his mouth had dropped open, Ron took Baylor by the arm, opened the door, pulled him out onto the front porch and closed the door behind them, seemingly all in one fluid motion. Sims was almost disoriented by the swiftness of the movement.

“Do you know what you’re saying, Baylor?”

“Yes, I think it all speaks for itself, Ron, without any effort on my part.”

“Are you implying conspiracy?”

“If I were to choose a word, that would be it—yes.” There was not the least particle of hesitation or doubt in his statement. “It’s known in some circles that many judges—well, men in all areas of power and influence—have been members of secret societies. I am relatively certain that I have been approached tentatively a time or two myself.

“You’re creeping me out, Baylor. I don’t like where this is going.”

“If you’re ‘creeped out’, as you put it, then you are more astute than most. I’m not implying that you and Denise have to fear any phantoms now, but just that I think he will rise up somewhere else, far away from here, in a cushy position with good pay and short hours, all with a new identity and a contrived past. Can I prove it? Not a chance.”

Ron sighed heavily. “I’m not going to tell my wife any of this.”

“That’s as it should be and why I drew you aside to talk of it. Get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow we’ll celebrate. This time you can invite me to dinner. Oh…when will Debra be visiting again?” His eyes brightened noticeably as he asked.

Ron chuckled and sighed again, this time with a sense of humor. “You’re welcome for dinner any time, Baylor, but I’ll see what I can do about getting you a date. A little bird told me that Debra thinks you are kind of cute.”

“Oh…really? Well…I’ll be anxious to hear from you.”

“Thanks, Baylor. You’ve been one heck of a soldier to have in my foxhole.”

Sims broke character for a moment and responded with deep gratitude, “That’s one heck of a compliment coming from a man like you, Ron. Thank you.”

They pressed hands affectionately and grasped arms in an unspoken brotherhood of silent appreciation. A quick clap on the arm from Ron and Baylor went his way and drove off into the darkness.

Ron thought for a few moments in this brief isolation and then went into the house and locked the doors. It was astounding how much could happen in so little time and change two people’s lives so drastically.

Entering the bedroom, Ron paused to admire the woman who had come to be the center of his life. Because of her he had a wife, new friends and a completely different outlook on life—he knew that life was too short to worry needlessly. This was his fair maiden, the fairest of all, and he would want to be her knight in shining armor forevermore.

CH.2

Chapter 2

Dinner was pleasant and the company was enjoyable, but Ron was antsy to get away with his new bride and let Denise know it by squeezing her thigh a few times as the food was nearly consumed. Denise made the excuse that she was getting rather sleepy, which was after all true. “The last month has been one you could scarcely believe.”

“Oh, really? You must tell me about it,” Lydia begged. “Yes, yes. Do tell,” George added.

“I am afraid that will have to wait for another day,” Denise replied.

“I’m afraid the story is so long and troublesome it might take twice as long just to convince you of its truth,” Ron explained.

Lydia leaned forward involuntarily. “My, my…it all sounds so mysterious and exciting.”

“That is an understatement if ever there was one,” Denise replied with an air of finality and wiping her mouth, placed her napkin on the table and rose to thank the Brennans and bid them goodnight.

“Perhaps the next meal should be our treat,” Ron offered. “Then we will share with you an experience you will be thankful you never had to live through, I assure you. Besides, we have a honeymoon to get started on, you know.” Ron winked at George, who responded with a simple, “Oh, of course.” Denise again delivered the same elbow technique that Barbara had mastered all too well-this time with a bit more enthusiasm.

“Ron, let’s show a little refinement, shall we?”

“Sorry, dear,” he responded unconvincingly and held her striking arm firmly. With another thanks to the Brennans, they excused themselves and headed straight to their room at the hotel. Ron locked the door and turned to Denise with full purpose written on his face. Denise held up her hand to stop him. “Hold on. Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Puzzled, Ron asked, “What?”

“It’s unsafe to exercise so soon after eating. You could get cramps.” She tried without success to conceal her laughter, but it came out much to Ron’s delight.

“I think that’s for swimming, young lady.”

“Swimming, exercise, whatever…you still run the risk of painful cramping, dear husband.” She placed her palms against his chest in pretense of objection.

“I’m willing to run that risk even if I die, dear girl.”

Denise stared wide-eyed at her man. “Even if you die?”

“Yes. I figure there is no better way to go that I can think of.”

“Well, then”, she dropped her hands and pulled him against her, “I will just have to be careful not to kill you, won’t I?” She began to unbutton his shirt and his heart began to race as his eyes closed involuntarily.

“Oh, what a woman you are…and what a lucky man I am.”

“Talk, talk, talk…” she quietly replied in mock impatience. As she reached to undo his belt buckle, he began also to help her from her own clothes.

The evening was perfect. Their bodies melted together and they moved as if they were one. Reason had dictated that there would be much to learn about one another’s likes and dislikes, about natural rhythms and responses, but somehow it all seemed absolutely perfect. Again, there was no one in the world but them. Again they were totally swept away in the tides of passion and again they dissolved together in exhaustion after their mutual satisfaction was reached. Perfection was the only word to describe it, for perfect it was.

In the morning Ron awoke first and pulled the covers from Denise as he stood beside her and looked admiringly on her smooth naked body.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she instinctively drew into a ball to cover herself.

“I am just admiring my treasure. Would you deny me that right?”

“Of course not, darling.” She again stretched out fully upon the bed so that he could feast his eyes upon all of her gorgeous lines.

His eyes drank her in completely and he shook his head in slow wonder as he pondered that he would have such a magnificent pearl to call his own.

“You are so incredible, Denise. Beautiful beyond words.” She read the amazement in his voice and in his eyes. It was sincere and profound and she melted again at the sound of it.

“How could I be so fortunate as to have a man like you, Ron?”

“What…?” His reaction was one of mixed amazement and amusement. “I’m the one who is fortunate. Just look at you. You are amazing. You are gorgeous both inside and out.”

“Then shut up and show me how much you love me, silly man.” Her eyes beckoned as strongly as her body and he was immediately willing to comply. He knelt over her and let his hands alternately please her and drive her crazy with desire. Then his mouth followed suit and she begged him to love her fully and completely. Ron complied with her wishes with all his heart, wanting only to make this most precious woman happy.

When their lovemaking was over, Denise whispered in Ron’s ear, “Thank you for loving me so much.”

“You’re more than welcome, m’lady.”

As he caressed her cheek, Denise smiled dreamily and suggested, “Well, we’ve had our dessert. Maybe we should have our breakfast now.”

“One thing first. I’m not anxious to see it end so soon-sweet tooth, I guess.” He grinned and lifted her from the bed, carrying her to the shower to play some more.

“I never thought I’d be so excited about soap. I love it,” Denise spoke breathily.

“Want to skip breakfast and just have dessert again?”

“Yes,” she whispered softly and held his naked body closer. For the next half hour they just enjoyed the feel of their wet, slippery bodies on one another.

“Denise, I never thought you could do this in a hotel, but I think the water is getting cold. We’ve begun to use up all the hot water. We’d better get out.” He reached above her and turned the spigots off.

“Promise to warm me and I’ll follow you anywhere.”

Even so, as he stepped out of the shower, she instinctively tried to pull him back. It surprised her to have such an urge and Ron noted that she appeared stunned and breathless. “What is it, babe?”

She let out a nervous giggle, but was shivering and looking to be in mild shock. “You have no idea what you’ve done to me, Ronald Lawrence Jameson.”

Now Ron was worried. To hear what he perceived to be concern in her voice and then hear his whole name so formally spoken gave him cause for slight alarm. “Are you okay? What did I do wrong?”

“Wrong?” She laughed again. “You’ve done nothing wrong, you dear man.” She hugged him closer and squeezed tightly. Her naked breasts against his body thrilled him intensely and he, too, pulled her closer in return. “You’ve done everything right. Perfectly.”

“What, then?” he whispered in her ear, still puzzled by what the problem could be.

“I’ve never felt like this before. The more of you I get, the more I want.” She laughed briefly and added, “I may very well be a nymphomaniac before this honeymoon is over. You’re addictive.”

Ron chuckled with relief. “What better wedding gift could a man ask for, Denise? Whatever your addiction, I will try to be your cure--even if it kills me.” He grinned slyly.

“Okay, then take me back to bed,” she announced seriously. Ron wrapped her in a towel and lifted her into his arms, carrying her again as he had recently done so often. He laid her onto the bed and was beside her in one indivisible movement.

A few hours later, the two were exiting their room when they saw the Brennans coming down the hall toward them from their own suite.

“Hey, neighbor!” Brennan seemed more cheerful today.

“Hi,” Ron responded. “Sleep okay? I notice you’re getting a late start.”

“No later than you.” He winked slyly grinned. Noting that the ladies were exchanging pleasantries, he pulled Ron aside and slapped him on the back. “You’re a major inspiration, buddy! You’ve done wonders for my love life.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, George.”

“Well, Ron, our rooms have beds on an adjoining wall and let’s just say you inspired us, alright? I owe you one, buddy!”

“Oh…uh…no problem.” Ron found himself nearly speechless while George walked off with a contentedly smiling Lydia and rounded the corner to the elevators.

“What was that all about?” asked Denise, having noticed the little face to face and somewhat secret meeting that had just taken place between the two men.

“Uh, I think we inspire them.” He said this as nonchalantly as possible.

“Well, good. They looked really happy. Maybe we will inspire others as well,” she replied, locking arms with Ron.

Ron fought back a laugh and said only, “Who knows…it could happen.”

Later, after a bit of shopping, Denise asked, “Do you have your phone with you? I promised to keep in touch with my Mom, Barb and Paul.”

“Yes, I have it, but I’ve kept it off until now-didn’t want any interruptions, if you know what I mean.”

“I know just what you mean. I couldn’t agree more, but a promise is a promise.”

“Alright, you win.” Looking somewhat dejected, he fished the small phone from his pocket and turned it on for her. No sooner had he done so than it rang, surprising them both. “Hello? Yeah.” He whispered an aside to her, “It’s Hunter.”

“I’ve been trying to get you almost since you left. Has your phone been off?”

“Of course. I’m trying to get some quiet time after all we’ve been through. Besides, this is our honeymoon, remember?” He winked at Denise and she smiled back sexily.

“I remember…and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like trouble is coming your way.”

“What are you talking about?” Ron’s expression took on a stony seriousness that brought immediate concern to Denise. She was suddenly all ears and eager to know the cause of this drastic change of emotion.

“Uh-huh. Did they let Bill go?”

Denise now registered shock at his words. “What…. what happened?”
Ron held up a finger. She would have to wait a moment, but that moment seemed endless to her and she fidgeted nervously, rocking back and forth from one foot to the other. She began to nervously twist her hair around her finger and Ron took her hand, trying to smile reassuringly to calm her. It didn’t work and she still rocked back and forth.

“Okay, thanks for the heads up, Cuz. I’ll keep the phone on now. What? Oh, really? Yeah, weird. Guess we really lucked out on that one, then.”

Denise was about to explode from curiosity and she bared her teeth and growled, eyes wide and intense. Her whole expression said, ‘Tell me now!’

“Okay, we’ll talk later, after I have a chance to decide what we need to do. Thanks. Uh-huh. ‘Bye.”

“Well?”

“What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?”

"No, not again…I can’t take much more bad news." She had been very strong through all her trials and he knew that she could hold up to almost anything that was thrown at her, but such sustained stress over such a long time was sure to deplete anyone emotionally. And of all times to get hit with this news….

“Alright, then I’ll give you the good news. It seems that when we were in the mountains my cell phone should not have worked. According to Hunter it was a major miracle I got reception each time I needed it to have it. Pretty awesome, don’t you think?”

“Yeah…I would say so.” She was unmoved by past history. She was afraid of right now. He pulled her close and held her affectionately until she quietly announced, “Tell me. I need to know.”

“Let’s find somewhere to sit first, okay? I think we need to rest while we discuss this.”
When they had found a comfortable place to sit, Ron began to unfold all that developed in the last few days since they had left the mainland. “You recall that we departed rather abruptly and left Hunter, Billy and the others to fill in the pieces for the authorities? Seems that we left a bit too fast for their liking. I don’t know any other way to tell you, so here goes-they think I fled the state to avoid prosecution for murder.”

Denise went white and was unable to utter a sound. She shook her head vigorously and started to cry silently. He reached to console her and she pulled away, her eyes tightly closed and her fists clenched. Ron knew she was not angry with him personally. It was a normal reaction when one is near the breaking point-or at least thinks she is. He had more confidence in her than she had in herself.

“Bill and the guys answered all the questions they could. They held Bill until they verified that none of the bullet wounds were delivered from his rifle. That left me only. All the shots were from me. Hunter says the police will have contacted the authorities here by now and he didn’t want me unprepared. We should decide if I turn myself in or wait for extradition.” He reached to take her hand. He needed support and consolation himself right now. Again she recoiled at his touch, physically drawing into herself and attempting to shut out the world-to shut out the hurt.

It was the inevitable fulfillment of the officers’ prediction. She had held out so long that he had begun to think she was invincible. Ron now felt foolish. He should have known better, but what was there that he could have done about it? Nothing…nothing at all.

“Denise?” The tears were welling in his eyes and he was hurting deeply in his heart as he looked intently at her, waiting for a response. When it came, it was not what he had expected or had hoped for.

She spoke barely above a whisper and her stance changed not at all toward him. Can you leave me alone? Please?”

Yesterday…no, just this morning-she had not been able to get enough of him. Now she couldn’t stand the sight or the touch of him. She wanted him to leave and he knew he must or there would be no healing for her…for them.

“You go back to the hotel and I’ll be there later…much later, okay?” His voice was so tinged with emotion that he could barely speak, but Denise nodded her head and immediately stood to go to their hotel. She did not so much as make eye contact with him as she left, nor utter another word to assure him. Ron felt as if his heart was being torn out. The hurt was so bad that he didn’t know where to turn. Incredible as it seemed, the dream Ron had experienced on the plane was beginning to become true, after a fashion. Ted might as well be alive and pushing Ron into the sea to drown him…to separate him from Denise. It was happening just as effectively either way. Even in death Ted would not leave them alone.

Ron started walking and just kept walking until he hit the end of the city, then turned the block and walked the other direction until he had reached the opposite end of the city. Several times he was nearly hit by traffic as he stepped into the street without looking. Ron would have welcomed it the way he felt now. Years earlier he had a cost a man his life. He had forgiven himself for that with prompting from Denise. Now he may have killed any love that Denise had for him-he may have destroyed their brand new marriage. For that, he could never forgive himself.

CH.3

Chapter 3

To say Denise was overwhelmed would be an understatement in the extreme. The flood of emotions that poured upon her was devastating. It was like going over Niagara Falls with less than a beach ball to cling to for support. She was running emotionally. Everything was too much to handle in her present state. How had it come to this? She couldn’t even claim she needed time to think. She didn’t want to think at all. She wanted to shut down, to retract, and to withdraw from everything. The overload was more than she could bear much longer.

When Denise came to the hotel, she walked directly to the staircase and climbed the few floors to her room-a subconscious desire to avoid meeting anyone in the elevator. She unlocked her room and found herself coolly wondering if the window would open and allow her to jump to the pavement below. She never got to try, for the cool and detached nature broke into sudden collapse and she threw herself across the bed, great heaving sobs erupting from her uncontrollably until she felt her heart must break from the strain. This was just what she needed to do. Within moments the pain in her chest had begun to ease, but only time would heal her wounds.

Denise rose and entered the bathroom, some semblance of composure regained. She thought how tired and worn she looked as she spotted her reflection in the mirror. Even now her first instinct was to tidy up and make herself presentable to Ron. That was when all the pieces came together for her. Ron was indeed the center of her life now. He was her focus, her love and her reason for being. She knew he loved her beyond his ability to describe. He had shown her that in so many ways already. She suddenly felt she had abandoned him in his hour of need. She stepped away from the mirror, pulled off her clothes and stepped into the shower again. Pull yourself together, girl. This is now a team effort.”

It was well after dark when Ron returned to the hotel. He wanted to see or speak to no one. Quietly he let himself into their room, not knowing if Denise would even be there, and was pleased to find her soundly sleeping on the bed. Her hair was damp to his gentle touch. Perhaps she had been able to wash away some of the pain.

Ron entered the bathroom and closed the door as silently as possible and proceeded to undress. The moment he stepped into the shower he was flooded with the still fresh memories of the shower he and Denise had shared just that morning. It was too much and Ron was instantly overwhelmed. His knees buckled and he dropped heavily in great heaving sobs beneath the downpour of water. He was then reduced to all fours and crying uncontrollably. If only pain could wash away.

Ron was suddenly aware that the water was being turned off and two soft hands were helping him to his feet. Denise pulled a towel from the rack and placed it around his shoulders. “Come with me,” she begged softly. Without question or resistance he followed her to the bed where she pulled back the covers and gently guided him to lie down. She then went to the other side of the bed and lay down beside him, cuddling close without saying a word. Within moments both were sound asleep and continued so without waking until morning.

The next morning Ron discovered that Denise had been awake for some time, but had not moved for fear of waking him prematurely. She was so beautiful that he still found it hard to believe she was not just a dream that he would eventually and cruelly waken from.

“Denise, I’m sorry I’ve put you through all of this.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, except maybe a new wife who deserted you when you needed her most. It’s me that should be sorry.”

“I don’t blame you for anything, babe.” She loved when he called her that, as had her father. It made her feel warm and safe, exactly what she needed at this time. This would have been incredibly difficult for anyone to handle gracefully. Who wouldn’t go a bit crazy over it?”

So, I guess we need to forgive ourselves and move on, then. I promise to stick by you regardless of what happens, Ron.”

“I know you will. I love you so much.” He softly stroked her hair and leaned across to gently kiss her lips.

“Any other man would have said I was too much trouble and would have run for the hills.”

“If you recall…we ran for the hills together and it didn’t help.”

Denise laughed briefly and kissed Ron with soft, but focused intent. Her hand traced the contour of his chest and came to rest on his hip. “Show me how much you love me. I need to know I haven’t ruined the magic we had.” She rolled onto her back and Ron moved accordingly to follow her. In short order they both knew the magic was still there.

Denise sighed with satisfaction and smiled broadly. “You haven’t lost your touch, mister. The magic is as strong as ever.”

“You just inspire me to greatness, dear girl.”

“Glad to be of service. Now, I hate to change the subject, but have you decided what you are going to do about the police?”

“I think I need to approach them first, to show I have nothing to hide.” His face quickly took on a more somber tone.

“That’s what I would suggest you do. You did what you had to in order to save my life, that’s all. What other choice did you have?” The intensity of her voice suggested that she was entirely convinced of the truth of the statement.

“I just hope they see it that way.”

“I’m going with you to make sure they do.” She said it with full conviction and he knew with certainty that she meant to convince them if it took every ounce of her will to accomplish the task. Here was the woman he knew and loved--she was back again.

CH.4

Chapter 4

Ron and Denise entered the precinct office and approached the front desk. The officer on duty was involved in a phone call and raised his hand to signal that they wait until he was finished. “This is Officer Tanaka of the Honolulu police. Do you have a Ronald and Denise Jameson registered at your hotel? Okay, I’ll wait.”

Ron started to speak. Again the hand was raised, this time accompanied by a stern look that was meant to tell Ron he had missed the point on the previous occasion.

A third time Ron tried. “I can save you the effort of finding Ronald Jameson.”

“Oh, yeah?” He now had the officer’s attention. His demeanor clearly indicated his skepticism, but he asked, “And just how can you do that?”

“Well, you see, I am Ronald Jameson.”

The phone was hung up immediately without so much as a ‘goodbye and thank you.’

The officer smiled and said, “Okay, you win this round. You did save me some work. I guess you’ve been told we’d like to see you?”

“Yes, I was told. This is my wife, Denise. She was there when all this happened and she can verify my story.”

“I’ll bet she can. You’re on your honeymoon, aren’t you?” His manner was one of disbelief.

Denise now chimed in without waiting for invitation, “Look, I know you have to be a bit jaded in this line of work, but did it ever occur to you, Officer Tanaka, that just maybe it could be the truth sometimes?” She was firm in word and expression and took the man by surprise. He sized her up silently for a moment before proceeding. “Alright…we’ll find out soon enough, I guess. Come this way and I’ll have you answer some questions for Officer Pulé.”

Tanaka stepped around the desk and led them down the hall to a small room where he told them to wait. A few moments later a middle aged Hawaiian officer in plain clothes appeared at the door. He smiled congenially, introduced himself as Pulé and shook hands with each of them. “Do you mind if I have your wife wait in another room for a few minutes, Mr. Jameson?”

Ron knew the reason and had no worries. “No problem.” Turning then to Denise, who was rising from her chair to leave, he said simply, “See you in a few minutes.” She squeezed his hand and was led from the room. In a moment Officer Pulé returned and closed the door, then took his place across from Ron at the small table.

“We’re sorry to inconvenience you on your honeymoon, Mr. Jameson, but I’m certain you understand the gravity of the situation.”

“Of course, Officer Pulé.”

“We appreciate your wanting to cooperate. That speaks very highly of you and your bride. I just need to ask you a few questions so that I can verify details given by your friends back on the mainland. It shouldn’t take too long and then you can be on your way.” Pulé was calm and friendly. There was no implied threat or distrust portrayed in his voice or in his conduct.

“I’ll be happy to help. I have nothing to hide.”

“Good, good. Glad to hear it.” He produced a pocket-sized recorder and a pad of paper and pen. “Hope you don’t mind me taking notes. My memory just isn’t what it used to be, you know.”

He smiled cheerfully as he said it, but Ron knew it had nothing to do with memory problems on the part of Pulé. However, the officer’s bed-side manner was amiable and Ron was anxious to get this over with as quickly as possible and get on with his life.

“Okay…let’s just start at the beginning, shall we? What was the cause of this beef that you and Mr. Randall had between you?”

Ron related how he had been in the diner to witness the abuse that Denise had been subjected to and that he had felt obligated to step in and protect the ladies. For each question Pulé asked, Ron had a concise and truthful answer, giving them without hesitation as required. Then came the most direct of all the questions-“Did you intend to murder Ted Randall?”

Ron couldn’t help but bristle at the question. It was abrupt and accusatory, but he was again direct and truthful, answering immediately. “Officer, I know it is your job to ask me such questions and I would never begrudge a man for doing his job to his utmost best, but I want you to listen closely the first time-what I did was not murder. It was in defense of Denise Payton’s life that I shot Ted Randall. I had repeatedly attempted to help her avoid him and he repeatedly attempted to harm her…and me, I might add. In the end it was plain to anyone that he was insane, armed and dangerous. He intended to murder us, so he left me no choice but to take preventive measures. Certainly you can comprehend that.”

“What I think has no bearing, Mr. Jameson. That will all be decided by others, but I do appreciate your candor, I assure you.”

Decided by others? Ron knew that it could mean that the authorities on the mainland would decide the end result, depending on how they felt about what Pulé would conclude. It could also mean that there was to be an inquest on the mainland regardless of the outcome of Pulé’s investigation. Ron sat resolute and firm, looking his questioner directly in the eye. “The situation demands no less than complete candor, Officer Pulé.”

“Well spoken. I think that will be all for now. You understand that I will need to question Mrs. Jameson now?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Ron knew Pulé could sense the change in his mood, but he as genuinely perturbed at the need to go through this indignity after all that they had been through in the last month.

“Good, if you’ll just wait in the lobby, then. I will try to be as quick as I can. Thank you, Mr. Jameson. I really am sorry for the inconvenience.” Pulé turned off the tape recorder and again offered his hand to Ron, who relaxed noticeably at the man’s sincerity.

The door opened and the same man who had led her to the room earlier greeted Denise cordially.

“Mrs. Jameson, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Might I get you anything to drink?”

Denise asked for a soda and Pulé graciously went to get it. She thanked him politely and nervously took a sip after she opened it.

“You appear tense, Mrs. Jameson. I assure you there is nothing to fear if you tell the truth.”

“And I assure you I will tell you nothing but the truth, Officer Pulé.”

Though nervous, she was confident in her bearing. Pulé was inclined to believe her and he sensed that under the right circumstances she was a woman not to be trifled with. He trusted and instinctively respected her. “Fine. That will save us both a lot of time. I’ll need to record our conversation for the record if you don’t mind. I did the same with your husband.”

For the next half hour Denise answered virtually the same questions Ron had been asked. At the end of the questioning, now fully relaxed, she was stunned to hear, “Why did your husband murder Ted Randall?”

Denise came to her feet before she even knew she had done so and Pulé flinched noticeably. The intensity of her fiery stare made him uncomfortable.
“Sir, how dare you ask me such a question? You’ve heard my explanation of the whole thing and you ask me this…this monstrous…. What do you think we did, lure him into the woods, miles from anywhere and then just shoot him in cold blood? You have some nerve, mister.”

“I think that will be enough, Mrs. Jameson.”

“Yes, I think that will be quite enough, Officer Pulé. Am I free to go?” She did not back off an inch.

Yes, but I’d like to know where you are staying, so we can keep in touch, should I have any more questions.”

“You’ll need to talk to my husband about that. I’m all out of cooperation for now.”

Denise reached across the table and punched the button on the recorder, then turned without waiting to be invited to do so and left the room to join her husband. There would be no more questions today. Officer Pulé took a deep breath and let it escape slowly. He, too, was glad that the questioning was over.

“Can you imagine his nerve asking me a question like that? I could have strangled him right then and there. What a jerk!”

“Denise, calm down. You’re scaring the other pedestrians.” It was true-they were attracting a lot of attention and she was extremely animated as she related the even to him.

“I don’t care. He was a real twit to say such a thing to me.” Her face was red from the anger that was boiling within.

Ron chuckled to himself. It was difficult to be angry himself when she was being so entertaining.

“It isn’t funny, Ronald Jameson. You weren’t there! You didn’t hear it!”

“Actually, dear, I did hear it. He asked me the same question.”

“AGH!” She stopped in her tracks and planted her hands firmly on her hips, staring at him in disbelief. “What a bozo!”

“Ron couldn’t help but laugh aloud at her choice of terminology. “Who? Him or me?”

“Him, you dope! Who do you think?”

“Honey, I know it is a worn cliché, but you really are beautiful when you are angry. Very, very sexy.”

All she could do was throw her hands in the air and shake her head. “Men! I don’t think I’ll ever understand them. Not for as long a I live.”

“Well, Mrs. Jameson, let’s go get a bite to eat and I will try to fill you in on the complex inner workings of men in general, okay?”

“You can try, but I think you’ll fail miserably.”

“Oh, really, dear woman? And why is that?”

“Because you’ll be trying to explain rationally the most irrational creature on the face of the earth, that’s why.” Her temperament had softened considerably and she smiled reluctantly. She loved to tease and be teased and even in the heat of battle she gave in to the urge.

“Well, that is a risk I will have to take, won’t I?” The pace they took was now more leisurely than before and they eventually entered a small sidewalk diner along the way.

CH.5

Chapter 5

George Brennan was startled by the knock on his door, but arose promptly to answer it. “Ron! Come on in, neighbor! Lydia, Ron and Denise are here.” George showed them to seats in a room that was virtually the same as theirs, except in mirror image.

“What a pleasant surprise,” Lydia bubbled.

“Yes, a wonderful surprise,” George added cheerfully. “How is the honeymoon couple doing? Having fun?”

“Well, yes, we are-thank you. This is more of a business call than a pleasure visit, if you don’t mind.”

“No, no…of course not. What can I do to help you?” George’s expression took on the same somber tones as that of Ron and Denise. Lydia, too, grew serious.

“The other night at dinner, you mentioned that you come from a long line of lawyers. I may need your expertise in that respect.”

“Well, Ron, I don’t practice law here in Hawaii and as you know, we don’t even live in the same city.”

“I know, George, but this transcends state limitations. I may get extradited soon.”

George and Lydia both looked seriously surprised. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Ron, but fill me in and I’ll see what I can do for you. No promises, mind you.”

“Fair enough.” Ron began to relate the whole sordid story from the beginning, just as he’d promised at dinner a few days before, with Denise adding appropriate details as required. When he had finished, the Brennans looked at each other with stunned faces.

“Oh, my” was all Lydia could say. She sat as though frozen to her chair.

“What is it that I can do for you, Ron?” George was sincerely concerned and willing to give aid where he could.

“Well, I need advice on how to handle this mess. Do I return to the mainland early and of my own accord or do I wait for extradition orders to force my hand? I think the tone of our honeymoon has been fairly well shot at this point.” Denise nodded resignedly and squeezed his arm as she sat next to him.

George took a deep breath and blew it out strongly through pursed lips as he stared at the floor, hands placed firmly on his knees. He hesitated before answering. “Here’s the deal-they have to prove reason enough to extradite you in the first place. They might be able to convince a judge of that. Enough circumstantial evidence could be argued. Next, they have to convince someone in the proper position of authority in Hawaii that there is reason to warrant your extradition. I would guess it could be done, but I also guess it is not very likely. Then again, you probably don’t want to stay here forever, do you?”

“So, you’re giving me a fifty-fifty chance, then?”

George shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure it is that bad, but let’s act as if it is.”

“And if I just go back to the mainland?”

“They’ll take you in for questioning and maybe hold you for up to 48 hours. Maybe more, if they are convinced enough to charge you with something serious and can convince the proper people that you fled…or would flee…to avoid prosecution.”

“This is getting to be a real nightmare. I really thought it was all over.” Ron ran his hand down his face in evident exasperation and impatience.

Denise, too, could not hide her concern. “What do you suggest we do, George?” Her hands were worrying with some imaginary thing that she kept unconsciously moving.

“I can’t make that kind of decision for you, Denise. The two of you will have to decide this together and live with the consequences of it. I believe you are both innocent, but frankly, a good prosecuting attorney could make you both look guilty as sin.”

“Both?” Ron started at the disclosure.

“I’m afraid so. It wouldn’t take much effort to make it look like she hired you or seduced you into getting rid of a big problem for her. It happens all the time. You stayed at her place alone….”

“Nothing of the sort happened!” Denise protested loudly.

“I know that, but a jury won’t--unless you can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Then, too, you have to admit you were also alone together in the woods for several days. It could be argued that Ted was concerned for your safety and was attempting to rescue you from kidnapping. There are unfortunately some practical limitations to the old adage ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Those limitations are often in the minds of jury members, even though they are supposed to be fair and have no biases or reasonable doubts before they make a decision affecting a life. I’ve seen some incredibly unbelievable and downright stupid findings from juries.”

Both of their mouths dropped open in disbelief. Denise was first to recover. “He kidnapped me, for Pete’s sake! He held me prisoner in the basement! And do you honestly think that I would have married the man who was kidnapping me?” Denise was nearly yelling and Lydia was close to tears at this point.

“George, dear, you are upsetting them.”

“All I can do is tell them the truth, Lydia. They need to know that. It won’t be easy, even if they are prepared properly.” He turned again to Ron and continued, “Listen, it doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what a jury would think if this goes to court-and it appears that someone is pursuing that course right now.”

The rest of the day was spent in a state of stunned seclusion on the north side of the island. Several times it was difficult for Ron, as the nightmare he had experienced on the plane kept coming back to haunt his mind. But where else was he to go and be able to sort out his thoughts? They walked the beach together and stood still for long periods of time staring at the ocean in silence, until Denise broke the spell.

“Ron, do you think life will ever smooth again? Will it ever treat us fairly?”

Babe, I wish I knew the answer to that. I just have no idea what will happen next…or why any of this is happening in the first place.” They both knew without words when it was time to return to the hotel and walked the beach to the highway and caught the bus back to Honolulu. The ride, too, was very sullen for them both.

“Denise, I told you that as a child I was very sickly and fought my way back to health when many thought it could never be done. As an adult I’ve had to fight to overcome many trials, too. The bottom line seems to be that if you want to get to the top of the mountain, you have to climb. You can’t simply fall there.” He waited for her response.

She thought this over for a moment and then brightened a bit. “You’re right. If we have to go down, let’s go down fighting.”

“That’s my girl. Let’s do it. ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“George, we’ve decided what we’re going to do.”

The look on his face was stony, but interested and concerned for them. “Okay, Ron, what have you two decided?”

“We’re going on the defensive. We’re going to go back home and fight the accusations. We have friends who will back us up and it will look better all around if we return of our own volition.”

“I have to admire your determination and I want to help you in any way I can. I believe in you. Here’s my card and I’ll put my cell number on the back. You call me day or night, you hear? Also, I did some asking around among friends and I’ve written the name of a very highly recommended attorney on the back of the card. He’s in your area. You give him a call. I’ve been told that if anyone can help you, he can.” He handed the card to Ron and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “I admire and respect your attitude in this matter-both of you. Best of luck to you.”

“I think it will be more than luck, George. From the very start there seemed to be some guiding force that brought Denise and me together. I think it was no accident meeting you, either.”

“Well…I hope you’re right, Ron. I hope you are completely right.”

Ron closed the door and hugged Denise. “Thanks for being so strong.”

“I’m not so sure I’m very strong, but I am certainly angry enough to fight, if that’s enough.”

“Well, if you stay this wound up, there will be no sleep for you tonight.”

“Good point. Then we’ll sleep after we wear each other out.” With that, she grabbed him and began to pull him toward the bed.

“My, goodness, you are insatiable, aren’t you?”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not a chance.” His kiss was fired by love and fanned by an appreciation for her inner strength. She would stand by him to the end, he was certain. No man in the world was more blessed than he and he knew it without the tiniest fiber of doubt.

The light switch was flipped off and the bed covers pulled aside. Ron knew that George and Lydia were about to get another inspiring performance, for he was far too excited to show even the slightest restraint tonight.

Denise looked up at him and asked quietly, “Shall we give them something to talk about tomorrow?”

Ron’s mouth dropped open and he half-smiled before asking, “What do you mean?”

“George and Lydia, of course. I’m not deaf, you know.” She smiled deliciously as he crawled into bed beside her.

CH.6

Chapter 6

It was a new day and Denise found herself singing in the shower. The sudden realization struck her as funny and she began to laugh at the thought that she was now emulating Barb. Whatever the cause, she was in a good mood as she soaped herself and continued to sing. She even began a little swaying dance to accompany it.

“Keep that up and we’ll never get on that plane, my dear.”

“You startled me.”

The shower curtain was open and Ron, naked and grinning like the cat that ate the canary, was admiring her again. “Sorry. Let me make it up to you.” He took the soap from her and stepped into the shower, closing the curtain behind himself. Their ticket purchase would have to wait a little longer.

“We’re coming home, Barb.” Denise exuded confidence as she spoke into the phone. “Our plane is about to leave now. See you when we get there.”

“Answering machine?”

“Yeah. Anyone you want to call before we leave?”

“Just everyone who knew what you and I were going through. Everyone from the diner staff to your boss.”

“Ron, that’s brilliant! Get signed and notarized statements from them as to what they saw and witnessed. All those TV courtroom shows seem to favor whoever has the most documentation. Why not us?”

“I was just kidding, but it may not be a bad idea, after all.”

She could sense the wheels turning in his head as he began to punch the buttons on his cell phone and she knew that her knight was indeed a fighter who would not be easily defeated.

When the plane landed at the airport, Hunter and Barbara were there to meet them.

“Paul wanted to come, too, but he had a special meeting he had to attend. How was the flight?”

Denise hugged her and replied, “It was a bit premature, but we have an important battle to fight.”

“We’re with you all the way, you know that,” Hunter offered.

“Yes, I know that, Hunter. Thank you for coming to meet us.” She hugged him, too, and he seemed a little surprised, but smiled appreciatively, checking Ron’s reaction