Note: Not that this will stop you, but several chapters contain R Rated material!
Chapter 39
There was no celebrating the New Year for Luis and Sheridan. All three of the children had the flu and they were busy administering medicine, drying tears and handing out large doses of love. Even their plan for a glass of champagne had fizzled when they both fell asleep on the sofa well before midnight. Thankfully, the little imps were all on the mend now so Luke and Lily would be able to attend their registration for pre-school in the fall. They all discussed it as they sat down to dinner.
"What would we be doing at P-cool?" Luke asked, curiously.
"Actually, Lukie, it�s pronounced pre-school," Sheridan laughed.
"I like to say it that way mama," Luke said, trying to hide his embarrassment. "So, what would be do"
"Well, you will do art projects, and read stories," Sheridan told him. "The teacher will probably teach you about numbers and the alphabet."
"But mama, you already teach us about those things, and so does Big Bird," Lily reminded her.
Sheridan and Luis had expected some resistance from Lily given her bad experience in daycare so they wanted to do everything possible to make her feel secure about this new phase in her life. "Sweetie, I know that we work on all of those things and you and Lukie are just like little sponges, you learn so quickly. But, there are some things that you can't learn at home."
"Like what mama?" Lily asked.
"Well, you learn social skills and those are very important to get along in life. What I mean by that is that you will be around lots of other children and you will learn how to share and make lots of new friends," Sheridan explained gently.
Lily pondered that information for a minute before finally responding. "I guess that might be fun, but will there be a mean lady there?"
"Oh no Peanut," Luis assured her. "Mommy and daddy are going to made sure of that. You can meet your teacher today and I think you're going to like her."
As it turned out Luke and Lily loved Miss Amy. She had just graduated from college with a degree in child development and it was obvious that she had a great repport with her little students. The twins were excited about starting school in the fall, but they managed to tug on Sheridan's heart strings when they told her that they would miss her when they were in class.
********************
Julia Richards had clawed her way into the District Attorney's office and she had every intention of making a name for herself. As Assistant District Attorney, she had managed to prosecute over thirty cases and so far she had a ninety percent conviction rate. Now that she had been assigned the Beth Wallace case and it was the perfect opportunity to finally get her revenge and become famous as well. The Cranes had destroyed her family and it was finally time to return the favor. She believed with every fiber of her being that Sheridan Crane was guilty and she was tired of Chief Bennett dragging his feet on this investigation. He was due for a meeting with her in about five minutes and it was time to make an arrest in this case. When her secretary announced that he was there she instructed her to show the Chief in.
"Well Chief Bennett, you're right on time," she said, pointing to the seat in front of her desk.
"I'm always on time Miss Richards, so why don't we get right to the point. I have another meeting to get to."
"Okay, I will get straight to the point. What progress have you made in the Beth Wallace murder investigation?"
"I've had a few leads that didn't pan out, but I've been giving this investigation my full attention and I feel confident that we'll catch the murderer soon."
"You know Chief Bennett, perhaps you are a little too close to the situation to be effective in your job."
"What's that supposed to mean Miss Richards?"
"What I mean is that you and I both know that Sheridan Crane is guilty as sin and you are doing everything in your power to keep from arresting her."
"First of all, I don't think that Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald is guilty and if I did I would have no problem doing my job," Sam said, resentfully.
"I'm glad you feel that way because I"ve decided to proceed with issuing a warrant for her arrest."
"Don't you think you"re jumping the gun on this?"
"It's been almost two months and I have a lot of heat on me about this case. The mayor isn't happy and the citizens of Harmony are scared that there's a murderer running around out there. I don't think I'm jumping the gun at all."
"But Sheridan isn't the murderer," Sam argued.
"How do you know that for sure. We've got her statement claiming she was there that night. There are two witnesses that saw her running from the scene of the crime and we have Sheridan Crane's DNA in the victims fingernails."
"That's just a lot of circumstantial evidence. Besides, I know that Sheridan would never murder anyone. She had no idea that there were any witnesses that saw her leaving that night and she came in the next day to press charges against Beth for attacking her. Why would she do that if she murdered her?"
"Come on Chief Bennett. You know her husband used to be a cop. I'm sure that he was using a little preventative strategy by bringing in his wife that day. What a perfect alibi for Sheridan Crane to play the victim."
"Forensics went over her car and clothing with a fine tooth comb and there was no blood evidence except for a few drops of Sheridan's own blood on her sweater. How do you explain that?" Sam challenged.
"She wouldn't be the first person to commit a murder without leaving a lot of trace evidence. I want Sheridan Crane arrested tonight. Now, if you have a problem with that Chief Bennett, I'm sure we can find another police officer that can accomplish the task."
"Does the DA know about this?" Sam asked, certain that he wouldn't approve.
"Of course he does. I would never proceed with this without his approval," she assured him. "Now, the big question of the day is can you do this or do I have to insist that you recluse yourself?"
"I will do my job," Sam said, grabbing the warrant off of her desk. "Nobody ever said I have to like it though."
********************
After they put the children to bed, Sheridan went in search of some cold medicine. Her throat had been scratchy when she had awakened that morning and she was starting to feel worse as the day went on. After taking the pills she joined Luis in the living room. "Hey," he said, looking up from the television. "I heard you coughing earlier, Are you feeling okay?"
"I think I must be coming down with a cold. I'll be fine after getting some much needed rest."
"You're probably run down from taking care of the kids when they were sick. Why don't I stay home from work tomorrow? I watch the munchkins while you rest."
"That's really sweet of you Luis, but I know you're working on a big case right now and you already missed half a day today when we took the twins for registration. I'll be fine."
"Chad will be able to handle it without me for one day," Luis told her.
"Luis, I promise you that I'll be fine. However, I would love it if you rubbed my shoulders. My muscles are in knots right now."
"Now that I can do. Come here and sit in front of me."
She did as he requested and groaned with pleasure as he worked the taut muscles in her shoulders and neck. "That feels wonderful." Even as the words left her mouth she started to cough. It sounded raspy and deep.
"That settles it. I'm staying home tomorrow and I'm not going to hear any arguments from you."
She didn't have a chance to voice any protest because right then the doorbell rang. "Who can that be at this hour?"
"You stay put," Luis told her. "I'll see who it is." When he opened the door he was shocked and a sick feeling came over him when he saw Sam standing there with another officer beside him. "Sam, what's going on?"
"I'm so sorry Luis, but I have a warrant for Sheridan's arrest for the murder of Beth Wallace"
"No, damn it. You can't do this Sam"
"I don't want to Luis, but I don't have any choice and you know it."
"What is it that you don't have a choice about Sam?" Sheridan asked, coming up behind Luis. She looked at both of their faces and the cold reality hit her. "Oh God, you're here to arrest me aren't you?"
"I'm afraid so Sheridan"
"I didn't kill Beth Sam," she cried. "You must know that."
"Sheridan this was not up to me. The DA made the decision to issue the warrant for your arrest. I'm so sorry, but you're going to have to come with me now."
"I just can't believe this is happening. I thought after you didn't find anything in my car and on my clothes that this nightmare was over."
"The DA's office thinks they have enough to convict you even without that evidence," Sam explained.
"Have you even bothered to look for anyone else Sam?" Luis asked, his voice filled with fury.
"Look Luis, I know you're upset, but I have been giving this my best effort, and even though the DA is convinced that Sheridan is guilty, I'm not going to give up looking for the real killer," Sam promised. "In the meantime, I'm sorry but I have to take you in."
Even though she heard all the words, Sheridan still had a hard time believing that this wasn't some terrible nightmare that she was going to wake up from at any minute. As it finally started to sink in the terror that filled her made her shake uncontrollably, and she held her hands up to her head. "A..... Sofie has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and you need to pick up the dry cleaning. You might want to stop off at the store too because we are almost out of milk........," she babbled.
Luis put his hands on her arms. "Sheridan, please don't worry about any of that right now. Oh God, you feel hot. Sam, do you really have to do this tonight? She hasn't been feeling well today........"
"Luis, you know I can't wait," Sam said, regretfully. "Get your coat on Sheridan so that I can put the handcuffs on you."
"Is that really necessary?" Luis asked, feeling like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He just couldn't bear the desolate look on her face. "Listen to me," he whispered. "I love you and I'm going to do everything in my power to get you out of there and home again. I'm so sorry baby, I'm just so sorry."
"It's not your fault Luis. I know that you did everything that you could, but I'm just so scared. What if I never see my babies again?" she gasped, almost falling from the painful thought. "I couldn't handle that Luis, I just couldn't."
"Please don't worry about that. I promise you that you will see the munchkins again soon."
"What are you going to tell them? They're going to wonder where I am," she sobbed.
"I'll think of something," Luis told her. "There's no reason why they have to know everything."
"Just make sure that you tell them just how much I love them," she said, with pleading in her big blue eyes.
The whole scene just about broke Sam's heart, and he was madder than hell at Julia Richards, but he didn't have any other choice but to bring Sheridan in for Beth's murder. "I'm sorry Sheridan, but we really have to go now."
"Look, you go with Sam, and I'll be down there as soon as I find someone to watch the kids......."
"No," she said, adamantly. "Promise me that you won't leave the children tonight. If they wake up I need for you to be there for them. Please swear to me Luis."
"But Sheridan........"
"I'm serious Luis, I want you here with the children," she said, stubbornly.
"Okay, but I'll be there first thing in the morning. I'll call mama to come out and stay with the kids. Now, I don't want you to say a word without your attorney present. As soon as you leave I'm going to call Ethan to meet you down there. He should be able to fill in until I can reach Michael."
As Sam read Sheridan her
rights and put the handcuffs on her Luis watched feeling total helplessness. He
was also furious that this could be happening to her when he knew damn well that
she could never murder anyone. He followed them onto the front porch and watched
the police cruiser pull away. She turned to glance at him and the look on her
face made him want to scream out in anguish. He had never felt so powerless in
his life and he punched the side of the house with his fist not caring that his
knuckles were bleeding. Damn, she had counted on him to protect her and he had
failed her miserably, even after his big promises. He wanted to crawl in a hole
somewhere, but this wasn't about him. Sheridan and their kids were his first
priority and he was going to make sure that she didn't get convicted or die
trying.
Luis took some deep breaths of the cool crisp air to clear his head. It was time take control and work on the business at hand. He dialed Ethan's number, praying the whole time that he didn't get his voice mail. Thankfully, he answered. "Ethan, I need your help. Sheridan needs your help."
"What is it Luis? You sound really upset," Ethan said, concerned.
"Sam just arrested Sheridan for Beth's murder......"
"What?" Ethan said, totally stunned. "I can't even believe this. Just because she was there that night doesn't make her a murderer. Unless they came up with something else more concrete........."
"No Ethan, they don't have squat. This is nothing but circumstantial evidence and I swear I'm going to find out who the real murderer is."
"What can I do to help?" Ethan asked.
"Could you go over to the police station and meet Sheridan when they get there? I told her not to say a word without you present."
"Of course I'll go Luis, but you do know that criminal law is not my specialty?"
"I know Ethan, but
I need someone there to protect Sheridan's rights until I
can get Michael involved. Hopefully, he'll be able to take her case or I don't
know what I'm going to do."
"I'm sure he will Luis. Michael and Sheridan are old friends from way back and I don't think he would let her down."
"I don't think so either, but he might be involved in a big case that he can't get away from," Luis worried.
"Luis, if that happens, I know plenty of other good criminal attorneys that we can bring in on the case. Just let me know if Michael is committed elsewhere and I'll start making calls. You're not in this alone Luis. We all love Sheridan and we're going to make sure that she gets the best defense there is."
"Thanks Ethan. I didn't think it was possible, but you actually made me feel a little better," Luis said, gratefully.
"I'm going down to the police station. I'll call you when I get some news," Ethan told him.
"Thanks again Ethan."
"No problem," Ethan said, hanging up.
Luis wasted no time dialing Michael's number and was frustrated to get the answering service. "Michael, this is Luis and we need your help desperately. Sheridan's been arrested for murder. Please call me as soon as you get this message. Luis left his phone number and ended the message. He came really close to picking up the phone again and dialing his mother to come and watch the kids, but he knew that Sheridan would be furious. He decided to not break another promise to her. At least for now.
*********************
By the time they arrived
at the police station, Sheridan was very withdrawn. Everything was so surreal,
she felt as though she was watching from some other place as they fingerprinted
her and proceeded to take her mug shots. Her face was flush with fever and she
was shivering with the chills. She couldn't remember ever feeling this bad,
mentally and physically. If was a relief to see Ethan's friendly face, but she
felt so out of it that she didn't pay much attention to the conversation. Her
few yes and no answers didn't require much thought process. It didn't take long
for her nephew to
notice that she was lacking her usual fighting spirit.
"Sheridan, are you all right? I mean, I know that you are not all right considering the circumstances, but you look like you don't feel well."
"I don't feel too great Ethan. Do you think they would let me have a couple of aspirin?"
"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem. Let me go check," he said, going in search of Sam.
When Ethan got back, he found Sheridan with her head on the table. He called out to her. "I'm sorry Ethan, I'm just so tired."
"Here, take these," he said, handing her the glass of water and pills. "I'm working on getting you a bail hearing as soon as possible. Luis is calling Michael to take over your case but I figured I should get your case moving in the right direction."
"Thank you Ethan. I just can't stand the thought of not seeing my children........ Oh God," she said, starting to sob. With the pressure of the arrest and her raging fever, there was just so much she could take. The only thing that Ethan could think to do was offer her comfort and a shoulder to cry on. "Don't worry Sheridan, everything is going to be okay. Luis will make sure of it."
********************
Michael Wakefield was in high demand these days with all of the A-list celebrities in need of a defense attorney. It wasn't as if this had been some grand career goal since he was not the type of person that craved the limelight, nor did he care about the money. He had been born into influence but he never took that for granted, and he also never took a case unless he was convinced of the person's innocence. His last case defending a famous actor had been long and grueling, but he had managed to get his client cleared of murdering his wife. The investigators that were part of his defense team even found the real killer. Now that the case was over, he had promised to take his wife and two children on a relaxing vacation to their home in the Bahamas. They had just arrived home from a dinner party and Michael stopped to check his messages before turning in for the night. He was stunned to say the least when he heard Luis' frantic request.
"Michael, what is it?" his wife asked, moving up beside him.
"That last message was from Luis. Sheridan's been arrested for murder."
"Oh my God," she gasped. "Sheridan would never murder anyone. This has to be some terrible mistake."
"I know, I would never believe it if I wouldn't have heard the panic in Luis' voice. It sounds like he wants me to take her case. He was practically begging me for my help."
"Then you have to take the case," his wife said, adamantly.
"I want to, but I've promised you for so long that we would take this vacation"
"Michael, if this was anyone but Sheridan, I would put my foot down, but you have to help her," she insisted.
"You are a pretty amazing woman, do you know that?" he said, hugging her close.
"I'm not so amazing, but I would like to think that if I were ever in trouble that you would be there to defend me. I'll call and get you on a flight for tomorrow morning."
"I guess I can call Luis to let him know I'm taking the case.�
"Michael, who is Sheridan accused of murdering?"
"I don't know," Michael admitted. "Luis never said."
********************
The next morning, Luis dropped the children off at his parents' house, and headed to the police station. He felt a sense of relief to know that Michael was on his way to take Sheridan's case, but tying to explain her absence to them that morning had been difficult to say the least. The only explanation he could think of was that their mommy had to go away for a few days to help a friend. His family had been devastated and full of questions, but he told them that he would come back later and tell them everything as soon as he saw Sheridan.
There were already a few members of the media outside the police station when Luis arrived, and he could only imagine what a frenzy this whole thing would turn into once word got out about Sheridan's arrest. They converged on him as soon as he got out of the car, but he managed to evade their questions as he pushed his way through their overbearing presence. Sam was standing just inside the door looking like he had gotten little sleep the night before.
"How is she Sam?" Luis asked, anxiously.
"I don't know Luis, I just got here and was going to check on her."
Just then Murphy came out from the back where the prisoners were held. "Chief Bennett, I think you better come back here."
"What is it Murphy?" Sam asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
Murphy glanced at Luis hesitantly. "Maybe you should just come back here Chief."
"Just spit it out Murphy," Sam demanded impatiently.
"I think something is wrong with Sheridan. She barely responded when I went to give her breakfast."
Sam and Luis rushed back to the cell area and found Sheridan lying on her cot in the fetal position. "Open the damn door Sam," Luis demanded. Sam didn't argue and did as Luis requested. He squatted down beside her. "Sheridan, it's me Luis."
"Luis," she whispered with a weak raspy voice.
"My God, she's burning up with fever," Luis said, fearfully. "Get a doctor."
"I'll call Eve," Sam said, quickly making his way out of the cell.
"Just hang in there sweetie," Luis said in a comforting voice, as he stroked her hair. "I'm going to get you some help."
Chapter 40
Luis was horrified when he saw Sheridan�s condition, and knowing she had not been this bad off last night was enough to infuriate him. Being stuck in this hell hole with nothing but a blanket to cover her had obviously exasperated the situation. �What the hell happened here last night? I know damn well that somebody is supposed to check on the prisoners during the night. How could you not notice that she was sick?�
�I�m sorry Luis,� Murphy said, his face ridden with guilt. �I heard her call out last night, but when I got here she was just laying there like she was sleeping. I didn�t want to wake her����
�Eve is on her way,� Sam announced, joining them again. �How is she Luis?�
�She�s burning up Sam, and she�s so weak,� Luis said with a worried frown.
�Luis?� Sheridan whispered in a raspy voice.
�It�s going to be okay sweetie,� Luis said in a low comforting voice as he pushed her damp hair away from her forehead. �Eve will be here soon to help you.�
�I feel so weak��.. Will you help me sit up?�
�Maybe you should just lie down until Eve gets here,� Luis suggested.
�No, please, I need to sit up,� she pleaded with a low throaty voice. �Can I have some water?�
�I�ll get her some Luis,� Murphy volunteered.
Luis helped Sheridan to a sitting position and offered her the glass of water. �Just take small sips,� he urged gently.
�Thank you. My throat is so dry,� she choked out as she went into a fit of coughing. �Luis, you should get away from me����
�I�m not going anywhere,� he said with such conviction that she didn�t have the strength to argue with him right now.
�How are my babies? I�m so worried about them,� she said with the saddest look in her liquid blue eyes.
�They�re fine,� Luis assured her. �I took them to mama�s this morning. When I left they were pigging out on pancakes with Dario.�
She put her hands up to cup her head as if it was too much effort to hold it up without support. �Sofie has to go to the doctor��..�
�Don�t worry about that. Mama is going to take her.�
�I should be taking her,� Sheridan cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Luis felt her sway
forward and caught her before she fell. �You need to lie down.�
She was too weak to argue with him and did as he suggested. Her heavy lids
closed and she almost looked at peace, but Luis could see how she struggled to
breathe. He would sell his soul right now to take away her pain.
�Luis, Eve is here,� Sam said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
�Eve, please help her,� Luis pleaded.
�You know I will, but I need for you to move so I can check Sheridan,� Eve instructed with a sympathetic look.
Luis reluctantly moved away from Sheridan to let Eve have some space. She sat down on the edge of the standard prison bed and was shocked that she could feel the heat from her patient�s body without even touching her. �Sheridan, can you open your eyes? It�s Eve��..�
Sheridan opened her eyes slowly. �Eve,� she said, softly. �I don�t know what�s wrong with me. I feel so weak.�
�I�m sure it�s because you have a fever,� Eve said, taking her stethoscope out of her black bag. �Do you think that you can take some deep breaths for me so I can listen to your lungs?�
�I think so,� Sheridan said, trying to sit up.
�That�s okay sweetie, you can just lie there.� Eve put the stethoscope to Sheridan�s chest and then had her roll over on her side so that she could check her lungs from the back side. �Good, you can roll over on your back again so I can take your temperature.�
Luis could hardly contain himself as Eve did her examination. He saw the worried frown when Eve read the thermometer and he knew that it must really be bad. Eve finished and walked back where he was waiting with Sam. �What�s wrong with her Eve?�
�Sheridan�s lungs are filled with fluid and she has a fever of a hundred and three. I�m pretty sure that she has pneumonia, but I won�t know for sure until I can get a chest X-ray of her.�
�Oh God,� Luis groaned, dragging his fingers through his hair. �Pneumonia is really bad isn�t it?�
�Yes, it�s very serious, but with the proper treatment I would expect Sheridan to make a full recovery,� Eve assured him. �Sam, she needs to go to the hospital now.�
�Okay, should we call an ambulance?�
�I think it would cause too much attention. When I arrived here there was lots of media out front. We should try and take her discretely out the back door,� Eve suggested.
�I�m parked out back so I can take her in my car,� Luis volunteered readily.
�I�m sorry Luis, but Sheridan is still a prisoner. She�ll have to go in a cruiser under a police guard.�
�Is that really necessary Sam?� Eve asked in a voice laced with frustrated anger. �She is certainly not in shape to plan some big escape.�
�It�s out of my hands Eve,� Sam said, feeling like an ogre.
�Fine Sam, but I�m riding with her, and don�t even tell me that I can�t,� Luis said, angrily.
�I�ll be right behind you Luis,� Eve told him. �I�m going to call ahead to the hospital to let them know you are on the way.�
Leaning heavily on Luis, Sheridan was able to walk out and they managed to get away from the police station without the media catching on. Sam knew that he was going to have to call the Prosecutor to let her know about Sheridan since she would undoubtedly be unable to make it for her arraignment this afternoon. He certainly wasn�t looking forward to that call, but it appeared that he was going to have to deal with Eve first since she was standing there glaring at him like she wished he was dead. �Okay Eve why don�t you tell me what�s on your mind.�
�I just can�t believe that you would arrest Sheridan for Beth�s murder. You knew very well that she would never do anything like that. My God Sam, it�s bad enough that you take her away from her children in the middle of the night, but then you throw her in this damp cold cell when she is deathly ill.�
�Look Eve, if you are trying to make me feel guilty then you can save your breath because Grace already did that this morning. I will tell you the same thing that I told her. My heart tells me that Sheridan is innocent, but right now she is the only person that we can place at the scene that night. The ADA thinks that she is guilty and I was only following her orders.�
�Then you need to find the real murderer. Now, I have to get to the hospital,� Eve said, turning to leave without another word.
�Great, how did I turn out to be the bad guy here?� Sam mumbled to himself as he dialed the number to the ADA�s office. He asked to speak to Julia Richards.
�Well, Chief Bennett. I hope you�re getting our murderer ready for her first big day in court?�
�You of all people should know that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,� Sam said, trying to hide his impatience with this woman.
�It�s just a matter of formality Chief Bennett,� she responded smugly.
�You might want to save your gloating for another time because Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald was just taken to the hospital. I think you are going to have to postpone the hearing,� Sam informed her with a secret smile.
�You allowed this?� she shrieked. �She was probably pretending to be sick and you just fell for the ploy.�
�She wasn�t pretending. The doctor just left here and she feels that Sheridan has pneumonia. I am not going to let anyone die in jail under my watch.�
�I want a police guard on her at all times and make sure you handcuff her to the bed. Keep me posted on her condition Chief Bennett,� she demanded, hanging up the phone.
�My God, that woman has ice water running through her veins,� Sam sighed, shaking his head with disgust.
********************
The mood at Martin and Pilar�s home was very somber, but everyone did what they could to make sure the children didn�t catch on that something was wrong. They had just finished lunch and Pilar had taken Luke and Lily into the other room to watch their favorite program. When she walked back into the kitchen it was obvious she was upset.
�Honey, what�s wrong?� Martin asked. �You didn�t hear from Luis again did you? I don�t remember hearing the phone ring.�
�No, Luis did not call. The children just asked me if their mama was coming to get them. I did not know what to tell them,� she said, worriedly.
�Did you tell them anything?� Martin asked.
�I just changed the subject. How could I tell them that their mother was arrested for murder and now she is very ill in the hospital.�
�No mija, you can not say anything,� Don Miguel said. �Luis will decide how much to tell them when he comes later.�
�I know that papa,� Pilar said, wearily. �I was just venting over this terrible nightmare. I am just worried sick about poor Sheridan. She does not deserve this and those poor babies do not deserve to lose their mother.�
�Do not worry mija, I will not let that happen,� Don Miguel assured her. �This is a travesty and an insult on my family and that woman is not going to get away with this.�
�Unfortunately Don Miguel, she has the law on her side and it appears that she is convinced that Sheridan did this,� Martin pointed out to his father-in-law.
�Don�t say that papa. There has to be something that we can do to save Sheridan,� Paloma said, surprising them since they thought she had left. She was holding Sofie in her arms.
�Paloma, I thought you went to your classes with Miguel,� Pilar said. �Where have you been?�
�I was in my room mama,� Paloma admitted. �I�m just too upset to concentrate on classes today.�
�Do you want some lunch?�
�No mama, I�m not very hungry. I went in to check on Sofie and she woke up. Where are the little squirts?�
�They are watching their program,� Pilar told her.
�Well, I can not sit here and do nothing,� Don Miguel announced. �I am going to the hospital.�
�Can I go with you abeulo?� Paloma asked anxiously.
�I don�t think that would be a very good idea honey,� Martin told his daughter. �I doubt that you would be able to see Sheridan and Luis said that the media is all over the place.�
�Yes mija, why don�t you stay here and help me with the children?� Pilar suggested.
�Okay mama, but I don�t know how I�m going to look in those sweet little faces and not start crying.�
�If you don�t mind Don Miguel, I think I would like to come with you,� Martin said. �I think that Luis could use all the support he can get right now.�
�Of course Martin,� Don Miguel agreed. �Why don�t you drive us over there?�
�Give Luis my love and if you should get a chance to see Sheridan tell her that we love her and believe in her,� Pilar said, with tears starting to form in her eyes.
********************
When Michael first arrived in town, he went immediately to the Harmony Police station only to find that Sheridan had been taken to the hospital. The police officer at the front desk had not been able to give him any information about her condition, but he was able to get a copy of the arrest report before heading to the hospital. He had to admit that he was very concerned about Sheridan since he knew that they did not just let you leave jail for just any sign of illness. It was terrible that this would happen after the terrible hand his old friend had been dealt, but he made a promise that he was not going to stop until he saved her from this nightmare.
He wasn't at all
surprised or put off by the swarm of reporters he found in front of the
hospital. He was used to working with high profile clients and the media madness
was all part of the territory. Sheridan had been out of the limelight for severl
years now, but the Cranes were some of the wealthiest people in the world so
news like this would always attract the press. He decided to use a side entrance
and managed to get past the small group of reporters that had decided to camp
out at that door without any
problem. Of course his dark sunglasses and baseball cap were probably a good
deterrent in keeping them at bay. After checking with information, he made his
way to the third floor where Sheridan's room was located. As he looked down the
hall, he saw a police officer standing in front of one of the patient doors and
assumed that was probably Sheridan's room. He decided his best course of action
was to find Luis and was told that he was in one of the waiting rooms at the end
of the hall.
"Luis, what's happening with Sheridan?" he asked from the doorway.
Luis looked up, startled at first because he didn't recognize the man in the baseball hat and sunglasses, but it was the voice that finally gave him away. "Michael, is that you?"
"In the flesh," Michael said, approaching to shake Luis' hand.
"Wow, I'm used to seeing you in Brooks Brother's suits. At least hopefully the media didn't bug you," Luis said, rubbing his eyes, tiredly. "I'm sorry Michael. I had every intention of calling you and then all of this happened. How did you know we were here?"
"I stopped by the police station and they told me that Sheridan had been taken to the hospital. How is she Luis?"
"She has pneumonia Michael. She was already sick when they arrested her and she lay in that damn cold cell all night with only a blanket. They admitted her a little while ago, but they would only let me in there for a few minutes to see her."
"How bad is it?"
"Well, she has it in both lungs. They started to give her antibiotics and the doctor said they would start her on breathing treatments to clear some of that liquid from her lungs," Luis said, wearily. "I've never felt so helpless in my life."
"We both know that Sheridan is a fighter. There is no way that she is going to give up with those three little children waiting at home for her."
"Normally I would agree with you Michael, but with this damn murder charge hanging over her head I'm just afraid that she might have lost her spirit."
"You know that I'm going to do everything humanly possible to get her acquitted of this Luis, and with any luck we'll get the whole thing thrown out of court. I need for you to tell me everything that happened and don't leave out any details."
"Do you want me to start with the night it happened or with everything that led up to this nightmare?"
"I want everything."
"Well, it all starts with Dario and the Fitzgerald mark," Luis laughed sarcastically.
"Dario? Isn't he the boy from Spain that your parents adopted? I remember giving you an attorney's name in Paris that specialized in foreign adoptions, but what the hell is the Fitzgerald mark?"
Luis told Michael everything from the beginning about how the family suspected that Dario was really a Lopez-Fitzgerald because of his birthmark, to Beth claiming that she was Dario�s mother and he the father. He ended with a detailed account of the night that Beth was murdered. �So, this ADA has nothing but some circumstantial evidence.�
�I�m afraid that people have been convicted on less Luis,� Michael said, thoughtfully. �In fact, there are very few cases that have been won with direct evidence.�
�Okay, you are starting to make me nervous Michael. You make Sheridan�s case sound so hopeless.�
�I�m sorry Luis. I didn�t mean to imply that, but you didn�t hire me to sugar coat this either. However, there is something that could really play into Sheridan�s favor.�
�What is that?� Luis asked, curiously.
�Well, Sheridan went to the police station to press charges against Beth for attacking her. Why would she put herself at the scene of the crime if she was the murderer. She had no idea that she had been spotted by those witnesses. This might be an important point to make should this go to trial.�
�I don�t know how she can take much more of this Michael. She keeps saying that she�s so afraid that she will never see our children again. It�s killing her.�
�You�re forgetting something Luis. I am very good at my job, and if I have anything to say about it, Sheridan will never spend another day in jail even if this does go to trial,� Michael said with such conviction that Luis was starting to believe him.
�What do you have planned?�
�I do know that Sheridan was supposed to be arraigned this afternoon. She is obviously not going to make it so the judge will postpone the hearing until Sheridan is well enough to attend. When she is, I will ask for bail, and I think that we have a good chance of getting it for her. If she spends any time at all it will be a few hours in a holding cell between getting discharged and the arraignment.�
�Thank God that you�re here Michael,� Luis said, finally feeling like he could breathe again since this whole nightmare started. �Now, she just has to get better.�
�She will Luis,� Michael assured him. �We have a lot of work to do Luis. I have my whole team of investigators and aides coming in tomorrow so I�ll need to rent some office space.�
�That won�t be necessary Michael. I have plenty of office space and a large conference room at my loft. It�s all yours,� Luis offered.
�That�s very generous of you Luis, but won�t we be in the way of your business?�
�Michael, until this nightmare is over, Sheridan�s freedom is my only business.�
�I guess now would be the time to bring up the cost for my services Luis. It�s not going to be cheap��..�
�I�m well aware of the fact that you are one of the more expensive defense attorneys in the country but none of that matters. Sheridan has plenty of money and we�ll use that if we have to.�
�What happened to the stubborn guy that swore he would never use Sheridan�s money?� Michael asked, unable to hide his smile.
�When it comes to Sheridan my pride goes out the window. You do whatever you have to and hire whomever you have to Michael. The cost doesn�t matter.�
�Look Luis, Sheridan has been my friend for a lot of years, and I wouldn�t think of charging her for my services, but the it�s the expert witnesses and forensic tests that are expensive.�
�Do not worry about the money Senor Wakefield, I will pay for everything,� Don Miguel announced as he walked into the room.
"Abuelo, papa, what are you doing here?" Luis asked. "I didn't want you to come and have to fight off the press."
"We wanted to be here to support you son," Martin told his son sincerely. "You don't have to worry about the press either because your grandfather is quite the master when dealing with them."
"I appreciate that both of you came. It's nice to see some friendly faces, but abuelo I really can't let you pay for Sheridan's defense," Luis protested.
"Luis, I have more money than I could ever spend in five lifetimes, and I want to do this. Sheridan is my granddaughter now and I have too many years to make up to my family."
"Abuelo that really is too kind of you, but we have Sheridan's money........"
"That money should be used for your children's future," Don Miguel said, defiantly.
"Your grandfather is right Luis," Martin said, backing up his father-in-law. "Your mother and I will gladly contribute to the fund as well."
"We will discuss that later Martin," Don Miguel said with his usual commanding tone and Martin decided now was not the time to argue with the old man. "Now that we have that settled, Senior Wakefield I want you to spare no expense when it comes to my granddaughter's defense. You must get the best possible experts available."
"Wow, I can't believe my manners," Luis said with sudden realization. "I haven't officially introduced all of you. He proceeded to do the introductions.
"I know I must not instill a lot of confidence dressed the way I am," Michael joked, taking Don Miguel's hand, and then proceeded to shank Martin's hand as well.
"I never judge a book by its cover Senor Wakefield," Don Miguel told the attorney. "Your excellent reputation precedes you."
"Well, if you will all excuse me I have some work to do," Michael said. "Luis, you said earlier that the crime scene is in some restaurant. Have they opened up for business again?"
"Actually Michael, it's a coffee shop/bookstore, and no when I had a inkling that there was a possibility that Sheridan could be implicated I made sure that it was never opened back up for business. The Cranes own it so it was easy to accomplish."
"That was a brilliant move Luis," Michael said, happily. "I was a little nervous that the crime scene had been release by the police and we would have to deal with the evidence being rendered useless by a bunch of customers trampling over the newly polished floors."
"I assumed you're going to bring your own forensics team?"
"You better believe I am," Michael assured him. "In fact I have to go and check into my hotel so I can make some calls. I'll talk to you soon Luis, and gentlemen it was a pleasure to meet you."
"It was good to meet you to Senior Wakefield."
"Please call me Michael," he said with a smile as he left the small waiting room.
It was long after that when Dr. Russell arrived. "Eve," Luis said, flying out of his chair. "How is Sheridan?"
"She is doing a little better. I am giving her a strong dose of antibiotics and she just completed a breathing treatment. That should help to break up the congestion in her lungs. She would really like to see you Luis. I'm sorry that you can't go in Martin, Don Miguel, but I had to practically beg the police guard to let Luis into the room."
"Police guard!" Don Miguel spat out, angrily. "This whole thing is preposterous."
"I agree with you Don Miguel," Eve said with a disheartening look on her face. "Poor Sheridan doesn't deserve any of this."
When Luis reached the door to Sheridan's room the police officer stopped him from entering. "Sorry Luis, but I have to search you before you go in there."
"All right Thomason," Luis said, lifting his arms. "I know you're only doing your job."
Her face was as white as a piece of porcelain china and her big blue eyes were devoid of the usual sparkle. Even from this distance, Luis could see the black circles under her eyes. He had never felt more like crying then he did right now, but he forced his tears away. "Hey there," he said, granting her a glorious smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm still so weak but I am feeling a little more human now," Sheridan said, softly. She held out her hand to him and that's when Luis noticed she was handcuffed to the bed.
"What the hell did they do to you.......? Thomason, is it really necessary to cuff her to the bed?" Luis demanded.
"I'm just following orders Luis, and it came straight from the DA's office," Thomason said, wistfully. "I'm sorry."
"Luis, it's not his fault. Can you come a little closer so that I can talk to you?�
�Of course I can sweetheart,� Luis said, moving toward her bed.
�Don�t get too close Luis. I don�t want you to get sick.�
�Hey, I have the constitution of an ox. You don�t have to worry about me.�
�I know Luis, but the last thing we need right now if for you to get sick too. Please just tell me about my babies.�
�I haven�t seen them since this morning, but I called about an hour ago and they were fine. Paloma was going to bake cookies with the munchkins and mama took Sofie to her doctor�s appointment.�
�I miss them so much Luis,� Sheridan cried. �What have I done to our children? We can�t let this touch them Luis���.�
�Sheridan, you haven�t done anything wrong,� he said, taking her hand. �You are the victim in this whole damn mess and you don�t have to worry about our kids because I�m going to protect them. Here, I brought you something.� He handed her a small picture of the twins and Sofie.
Sheridan took the picture and traced all of their little faces with her finger. �Oh God Luis, what if I never see them again. What are you going to tell them when the days keep passing and I still don�t come home?�
�I�m going to tell them that you are feeling sick right now so you had to go to the hospital, and as soon as you�re well enough to leave this place you are going home.�
�How can you tell them that when you don�t know for sure that I�m ever going to come home,� Sheridan said, crying harder now.
�Please don�t cry baby. It�s not good for you to get so upset when you�re sick this way. I don�t want you to worry about any of this because the most important thing right now is that you get better. Michael is here and he is going to do everything possible to get you released on bond as soon as you get out of here.�
�Michael�s here?� she said, between sniffles. �Thank you for calling him Luis. Michael�s one of the best.�
�He is and I have every confidence in him. Look sweetie, I know you feel like hell right now and you have so much to face in the coming weeks, but you are innocent and we are going to prove it. I know it�s going to be hard not to think about it, but please just concentrate on getting better, and remember that I love you. We all love you and that love is going to get us through this.�
�I want to believe you Luis, but I just feel like everything is so hopeless.�
�Sheridan, we are going to get through this just like we got through the time I was accused of shooting Julian. You just have to have faith.�
�I�ll try Luis,� she sobbed. �I really will.�
Chapter 41
Luis left the hospital with a heavy heart. His beautiful, sweet Sheridan was at one of the lowest points in her life, and it was tearing him up inside. He couldn�t get the picture out of his head of her lying there, her face as white as the sheets, chained to that damn bed. He believed with all of his heart that they would be able to prove her innocence, but that would take time and he couldn�t stand to see to see her suffer in the meantime.
Luis was so caught up in his anguish that he had forgotten about the mass of media outside of the hospital. They converged almost knocking him to the ground and Luis came up spitting and fighting.........
"Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, do you believe your wife is guilty?"
"No comment........"
"Why was your wife at the Book Caf� that night?"
"No comment......."
"Is it true that they brought Sheridan to the hospital because she tried to commit suicide......."
"What did you say?" Luis asked, freezing in his tracks.
"I said, is it true that they brought your wife in because she tried to kill herself?"
Luis' first instinct was to shove his fist down the reporter's throat, but he knew that would not do Sheridan's case any good, so he took some deep breaths before answering. "I am only going to say this once, so I would suggest that all of you listen. My wife was ill with the flu when the officers came to arrest her for a murder that she didn't commit. She spent the night in a cold jail cell with nothing but a blanket to cover herself and it turned into pneumonia. Sheridan would never try to kill herself because she is innocent and she would never leave our children. Now, if you will excuse me........."
"How is your wife doing?"
"She's resting and trying to get over this thing........"
"How long will the doctors keep her in the hospital?"
"I have no idea, now if you will excuse me," Luis said again, but this time his voice was more forceful.
"Did your wife hire an attorney to represent her yet?"
"No comment,"
Luis shouted, making a dive for his car. He was able to get inside to speed away
not caring if he ran any of the vultures down in the process. Normally, he would
have never told any of them a word about their private business, but he would be
damned if he was going to let the press print lies about Sheridan trying to kill
herself. That was the last thing she needed right now. He checked in his
rear-view mirror and noticed that a couple of cars were following him. It was
easy to elude them since they
were not familiar with the town and all of the small streets that led off toward
the pier. When he arrived at his parent's home, he swore out loud when he
observed a few reporters camped out at the front gate. He remembered a back
entrance to the property and turned that way before any of them could spot him.
Fortunately, he was able to make his way to the house without further incident.
All of his frustration and agony over the last twenty-four hours disappeared when he saw his children running toward him. �Daddy, daddy," the twins shouted happily.
"Hey munchkins," Luis greeted them, as he picked Lily up and swung her in his arms. At the same time, Luke jumped on his back with the agility of an acrobat. "Look at this mama, my kids are turning into little monkeys," Luis laughed, winking at Pilar.
"I can see that," Pilar chuckled. She was holding Sofie in her arms, but the little girl was struggling to get down.
"Dada, dada," Sofie squealed, pointing to her father.
"Okay little one, abuela will let you go to your papa," Pilar said, putting the little girl down on her feet. She took off on her tip-toes moving to her father.
"Come here Pixie," Luis encouraged her. "Let daddy give you a big hug."
Pilar's heart went out to her son. Even though he was smiling for the children's sake, she could tell that he was worried. He must not have slept the night before because he looked so exhausted. "Mijo, can I make you something to eat?"
"No thank you mama. I really need to speak with the kids right now."
"Did you bring mama home with you?" Lily asked, looking behind Luis' shoulder.
"Actually Peanut, I
wanted to speak to you and your brother about mommy.
Why don't we all sit down at the table?"
"Why is mama staying away for so long?" Luke asked.
"Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when you were all sick and we had to take you to the doctor?" When the twins shook their heads yes, Luis continued. "Well, mommy got sick like that too, and she feels really bad so Dr. Russell put mommy in the hospital."
"I don't want mama to be sick," Lily cried, big tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Me neither,"
Luke said, with a worried frown. "Is mama going to get
better?"
"Yes, I'm sure that mommy is going to get better, but it's going to take some time," he said, gently wiping away Lily's tears. They are giving her some medicine that will make her well. We all just have to be patient. Do you think you can do that for daddy?"
"Yes daddy," they said, bobbing their heads yes.
"You both make daddy so proud, and when I go to visit mommy I'm going to tell her just how grown-up the both of you are acting."
"Are we going to our house now daddy?" Lily asked.
"Well peanut, I think that as long as mommy is in the hospital that it might be a good idea if we all stay here at abuela's house. What do you think about that?"
"I guess it's okay, but what about my kitty cat, Sassy and my doggy, Ace? Sassy sleeps in my arms and Ace is my guardian angel."
"Yeah daddy, and somebody needs to feed my fishies," Luke added.
"I'll tell you what. If we get abuela's permission maybe she'll let us bring the animals over here," Luis said, giving his mother a pleading look.
"Can we beula, can we buela?" the twins begged.
"Of course you can," she said, smiling. "All of the grounds are surrounded by a fence so Ace will be able to run outside whenever he wants.�
�But what about Fed and Ginger?� Luke asked, his little face puffed up with disappointment.
�Well Sport, it�s going to be kind of hard to bring the aquarium in the car, but I promise that I will feed Fred and Ginger when I go to check on the house every day.�
�Now see Luke, your papa is going to make sure that your fish and chicken get fed,� Pilar said, stroking his soft hair.
�Oh no buela, we took Peep to the farm,� Luke told her.
�I did not know that. When did this happen?�
�It was some time back in the fall,� Luis told his mother.
�We didn�t want him to be lonely buela,� Lily said, sadly. �Now he has friends that he can play with.�
�Well, that was very sweet of you to give up Peep so that he could be with some other chickens,� Pilar said.
�We get to visit him any time we want too,� Luke said, excitedly.
�And you know what buela? Some day daddy is going to buy me a pony and mama is going to teach me how to ride,� Lily said, her little face animated.
�I guess pawpaw�s gonna have to built a stable for the horsey,� Luke said, making everyone chuckle.
Paloma came into the kitchen right then and ran to hug Luis. �I�m so glad that you�re back. I�m so upset about this thing with Sheridan. How could they possibly think she did something like that? She would never hurt anyone����
�Sis, the munchkins are here,� Luis whispered in her ear. �Be careful what you say.�
�Oh, I�m so sorry, I didn�t even see the little squirts,� Paloma said, guiltily.
�What is Poma talking about daddy?� Luke asked.
�Yeah Poma, why are you saying that about mama?� Lily asked, looking confused.
�Oh, I was just telling your daddy that I was sad that your mommy was sick. I bet your mommy would love it if you drew some pictures for her. Why don�t I help you?�
�That�s the bestest idea Poma,� Luke said, excitedly.
�Will you help us make letters too Poma?� Lily asked.
�Of course I will squirt. Come on, let�s go find some paper and markers.�
�That was a close call,� Luis said, breathing a sigh of relief.
�I hope you are not angry with Paloma. She would never do anything to upset the children on purpose.�
�I�m not angry with her at all. I know how tough this is for everyone and maybe it�s not fair for me to expect all of you to watch every word because of the kids. Hell, the media is already camped out at your front gate. I just don�t know what else to do mama,� Luis said, frustrated.
�Mijo, we are family and we stick together during the bad times. The important thing now is to protect those babies from all of this madness.�
�Yes mama, we have to protect the kids. I promised Sheridan and this is one thing I am not going to let her down on. You know you�re the only one I can admit this to, but I�m really scared.�
�You don�t always have to be strong mijo,� Pilar said, hugging her son. �Your family is here for you.�
Luis felt so vulnerable right then and that was unfamiliar to him. He had to shake off this mood so he changed the subject. �So mama, where is everyone?� Luis asked.
�Your papa is at the restaurant, and your abuelo is resting before dinner. This has been very upsetting to him and I insisted that he lay down for awhile. Miguel took Dario to the Sporting Goods store to get some tennis shoes for basketball,� Pilar told him. �How is Sheridan really doing mija? I�ve been so worried about her.�
�She�s pretty sick and her spirits are really low,� Luis said, worriedly. �It�s killing me to see her this way and I can�t do a damn thing to help her.�
�My heart is breaking for her mijo.�
�So is mine mama,� Luis said, wearily. �Look, I�m going to go out to our house and pack some clothes for the kids and get the animals.�
�Why don�t you let me come with you so I can pack the clothes for the children,� Pilar suggested.
�Thanks mama, I could use your help, but I would feel better leaving the kids with Paloma if abuelo was awake. I just don�t want to think about some reporter sneaking onto the property.�
�I�ll go and wake him,� Pilar offered, leaving the room.
�Dada��.�
�Come here baby,� Luis said, lifting Sofie out of her highchair. �Do you want to go and find Luke and Lily? I�m sure they need for you to put a few scribbles on their drawings for mommy.�
********************
The next morning Michael pulled his rental car into the parking space in front of city hall and put some money in the meter. Today he was dressed the part of a high profile defense attorney since he no longer had the need to keep a low profile. Julia Richards had no idea that she was about to have a meeting with him and that is exactly the way he had planned it. He felt sure that the ADA was unaware that he was now Sheridan�s attorney and he hoped to catch her off balance. He located the District Attorney�s office on the second floor and made his way to the front desk. �Good morning,� he said, smiling at the lady behind the desk.
�Can I help you sir?� she asked, giving him a strange look.
�Yes, I don�t have an appointment, but I would like to see Julia Richards. I hope she�s available����
�Well, I would have to check. Can I tell her your name sir?�
�Yes, Michael Wakefield,� he said, handing her a business card. �I�ve been retained by Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald.�
�Oh yes,� she said, pointing at him. �I thought you looked familiar. I�ve seen you on television before. In fact, you just got that actor off for a murder charge.�
�Yes, that would be me,� he smiled. �Do you think you could check to see if the ADA can see me?�
�Oh yes, I�ll see if she�s available,� she said, hurrying away.
Julia Richards was not pleased by the interruption when her assistant knocked and peeked her head in the door. �What is it Janice?�
�You have a visitor, and you are never going to guess who it is����
�Janice, as you can see I�m busy right now, so I really don�t have time for your games. Just tell me who it is.�
�Michael Wakefield���.�
�THE Michael Wakefield?� she asked, stunned.
"Oh yes, and he said he is representing Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald," the assistant told her.
"But I thought that Ethan Crane was her attorney," Julia said, feeling the panic rise in her chest even thought she would never admit it to anyone.
"Apparently she got new counsel. What do you want me to tell him?"
"Give me about ten minutes and then send him in," the ADA said, trying to collect her wits. When he finally entered the door, she was as cool as a cucumber, or at least she appeared that way. "Mr. Wakefield," she said, rising from her chair and extending her hand in greeting. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sure that your assistant told you that I am representing Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald so I would like to discuss your case against her."
"Yes, she did. Please sit down Mr. Wakefield. I must admit that I was surprised that she had hired you since I thought she was being represented by Ethan Crane."
"Ethan only stepped in to handle the arrest, but he does not specialize in criminal law. Miss Richards I would like to get right to the point so I don't waste too much of your valuable time."
"Of course Mr. Wakefield I can appreciate that," she said, sitting back down in her chair.
"Miss Richards, you can't really think to prosecute my client for this murder can you?"
"Of course I do Mr. Wakefield. Why would you think that I wouldn't?"
"You haven�t got a case for one thing. Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald is a loving mother and wife that has no history of violence and absolutely no motive whatsoever for murdering Beth Wallace."
"She was furious with Beth Wallace for pretending to have a child with her husband. When she found out the truth, she wanted to get her revenge."
"Come on Miss Richards, that seems like a pretty lame excuse for a motive," Michael laughed.
"Oh, I don't think she intended to go there and murder Beth Wallace, but she did plan to confront her and an argument turned into violence. There are all kinds of people in prison for murder that you would have never dreamed capable."
"Sheridan is a victim here, not a murderer. Why would she go to the police the next day to press charges against Beth Wallace for attempted murder if she knew that the victim was already dead? She certainly would not be foolish enough to place herself at the crime scene if she had anything to hide, and she had no idea at the time that witnesses had seen her leaving that night."
"It sounds to me like she and her husband were setting up a very good alibi for her. She makes herself look like the victim so nobody would ever dream that she could commit such an act."
Michael laughed at the ridiculousness of her accusation. "Are you trying to tell me that Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald purposely scratched herself and put strangulation bruises around her own neck? You are really stretching it on that assumption Miss Richards."
"I don't know that for sure. She could have very easily had her husband put those marks on her neck as part of the story they were going to feed the police. I happen to know that he used to be in law enforcement so he would certainly know all the tricks. Now, I will give you the scratches as being from Beth Wallace, but I�m sure she was fighting for her life when she inflicted them."
"Miss Richards, no offence, but you are going to make a laughing stock of the state if you try to push that little conspiracy theory of yours."
"Mr. Wakefield, I have your client's DNA under the victim's fingernails, witnesses that saw her running from the crime scene and the accused�s own admittance that she was there the night Beth Wallace was murdered. Not to mention she even admitted that she had a confrontation with her. As far as I'm concerned, it's a slam dunk."
"Have you even considered that it could be someone else? I saw the police report and they didn't even bother to investigate any other suspects. I have to wonder if you have a personal reason for wanting to hang Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald for this murder," Michael said, baiting her.
"Mr. Wakefield, I am a professional, so even if I did have a personal vendetta about the Cranes, which I don't, I would not let it get in the way of doing my duty."
"That's odd," Michael said, thoughtfully. "I didn't even mention the name of Crane, but it seemed to fall from your lips so easily. I understand that your father used to work for the Cranes for many years."
"That isn't exactly earth shattering news Mr. Wakefield since half the town has worked for the Cranes at one time or another. I don't understand what you are implying," she said, indignantly.
"From what I heard your father was fired by the Cranes a few months before his official retirement date so he was unable to collect any of his pension. It must have been devastating to your family."
"Mr. Wakefield, I strongly resent your implication that I have a prejudice in this case, because I can assure you that I don't,� she said, adamantly.
�So, you�re saying that you don�t hate the Cranes?� Michael asked, innocently.
�Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald will be convicted on the evidence and how I feel about the Cranes has no bearing on that because the woman is guilty.�
�Well, if what you say is true then I shouldn�t find any evidence that you�ve neglected to investigate a lead that would clear my client�s name,� Michael said, standing. �Just so you know Miss Richards, I leave no stone unturned. I trust that you will be sending me copies of all of the discovery on this case.�
�Of course Mr. Wakefield,� she said in a sharp tone. �After all that is the law.�
Michael turned to leave. �I�ll see you in court.�
�I�m looking forward to it Mr. Wakefield,� she said with all of the confidence she could muster. After he left Julia pounded her fist on the desk in anger. Michael Westfield was shrewd and she was going to have to be on her toes every step of the way. She must have been a fool to think that Sheridan Crane wouldn�t hire the best attorney in the country. She rubbed her temples in an effort to relieve the headache that was suddenly pounding like a brass drum. This case was either going to kill her career or make her extremely famous. She just prayed it was the latter.
********************
Sheridan sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the pictures that Luke and Lily had drawn for her. If they only knew just how precious these were to her. �Get well mama, we love you,� she read aloud. In just a few minutes the officer would come in here and take her to the courthouse and then she would know if she would be able to get out on bail. Oh God, she just had to get out or she would go crazy if she couldn�t see her children. Michael felt sure that he could accomplish it, but even he couldn�t promise that the judge would relent. Although he had been brilliant in arranging it so that her arraignment was scheduled on the same day she was to be released from the hospital. She had been here for a week and even though she was feeling considerably better, she was still very weak. Eve had told her that it could be up to a month or even longer until she got her strength back, and she prayed that she wouldn�t have to do that in jail. Just then the door opened and Eve and the police officer walked in.
�How are you feeling this morning Sheridan?� Eve asked, smiling kindly.
�I feel like I�ve been zapped of all of my energy, but I am better Eve.�
�Well, if I had my way I would keep you here a few more days. Just promise me that you�ll take it easy and get plenty of rest. I don�t want you to have a relapse. Pneumonia is serious and it takes time to fully recover.�
�Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, it�s time to leave,� the officer announced.
�Okay, I�m ready,� Sheridan said, holding up her hand so that he could release her from the bed.
�Well, she leaves in a wheelchair,� Eve told the officer. �That is hospital policy.�
�That�s not a problem, but I think we should leave by the back entrance. There are a lot of media out front,� the officer said.
A nurse came in with a wheelchair and she helped Sheridan into it as the officer re-cuffed Sheridan�s hands together. �I�m starting to feel like these are a permanent fixture on my body,� Sheridan said in her attempt at a joke.
�Good luck today sweetie,� Eve said, putting her hand on Sheridan�s shoulder. I have a feeling that by the end of the day you�ll be hugging those precious babies.�
�I pray that you are right Eve.�
Fortunately, they were able to escape the hospital without the press getting wind of their departure. When they arrived at the courthouse the prison van entered into an underground tunnel used for bringing prisoners to and from the jail. Sheridan thought they would put her in some holding cell to await the hearing, but instead the two officers took her to a meeting room where Michael and Luis were waiting for her. �We�ll wait outside,� the police officer told her, as he closed the door.
�Luis,� she said, falling into his arms. She wanted to hug him, but that was impossible with her wrist restrained this way.
�Everything is going to be okay sweetie,� Luis said, hugging her close. �My God, you feel so thin.�
�Hopefully, you�ll be able to fatten me up with some of your famous pancakes,� Sheridan said, just breathing in the smell of him.
�Sheridan, I hate to break up your reunion, but there are a few things we need to go over before the hearing,� Michael said.
�Of course Michael. What should I expect?�
�Well, the judge is going to ask you how you plead, and of course you are going to answer not guilty and then I�m going to ask the judge to set bail for you.�
�What if the prosecutor objects and the judge won�t allow it?� Sheridan worried.
�Oh, you can count on her objecting, but it�s totally up to the judge, and I�m going to make sure that he rules in your favor. There�s a reason I make the big bucks Sheridan,� he said, in an effort at some levity to relax her.
Luis took note of her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes and knew that she would never recover if she had to go back to jail. �Michael you have to do this.�
The officer opened the door. �It�s time now.�
Hang in there Sheridan,� Michael said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. �We�ll see you in there.�
�Good luck sweetie,� Luis said, kissing her on the cheek. �Just believe.�
�I will Luis,� she said, giving him a weak smile as the officer led her out.
********************
Judge Bryant had always been careful to be impartial to the defendant when residing over a case, but he couldn't help but feel a touch of sympathy for Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald as he watched her struggle to stand to state her plea. He knew full well from his years on the bench that sometimes the most innocent looking person could be a ruthless murderer, but this defendant definitely looked as though she couldn't hurt a fly in her present condition. "The people versus Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald on the charge of murder in the first degree. How do you plead Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald?"
"Not guilty," Sheridan responded, her voice still horse from congestion.
The judge then instructed the clerk to enter that on the record and they discussed a date for the trial to start. Michael took this opportunity to address the subject of posting bail. "Your Honor, as you can see Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald has just been released from the hospital this morning and she is still recuperating from a serious illness. I would like to request the court to grant her bail so that she can go home to her children and continue to get her strength back."
"I believe I'm ready to give that some serious consideration Mr. Wakefield........."
"I object your Honor," the ADA shouted, coming up out of her chair. "The defendant is accused of a serious crime and Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald is a very rich and powerful person. She is a serious flight risk and I demand that you keep her locked up until the start of the trial."
Michael was ready to voice his protest, but he clamped his mouth shut when he saw the judge's face grow red with indignation. "Miss Richards, let us be perfectly clear on something. You do not demand in my courtroom. Should you have an objection or a request you need to address those in the proper manner. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes your Honor," Julia Richards responded, sitting back down in her chair. It was clearly apparent that the ADA was not happy.
"Now, as I was about to say is that I will grant Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald bail in the amount of one-million-dollars, and she is to hand over her passport to this office no later than five o'clock today. Is there any questions?"
"No your Honor," Michael responded. He wanted to argue the exorbitant amount of bail, but decided not to push his luck.
"Miss Richards, any questions?" the judge asked, almost goading her.
"None your Honor," she replied in a frosty voice.
"Then court is adjourned," the Judge called out, slamming his gavel.
Everyone rose as the judge left the courtroom, and Sheridan threw her arms around her attorney. "Thank you Michael. Does this mean that I can leave now?"
"You can leave as soon as your bail is posted, but I promise it shouldn't be too long," Michael assured her.
"That's a lot of money to get together this quickly Michael," she worried.
Luis came up behind them. "See, what did I tell you? We knew that Michael would save the day," he said, pulling her into a hug.
"I'm afraid that I have to go back to jail until somebody can post my bail Luis."
"Don't worry, because you won't be there for long. Abuelo has already made arrangements with his bank to pay whatever the judge set the bond to."
"I need to tell Don Miguel that I'll pay him back," Sheridan said, touched that he would put up that kind of money for her.
"I'm sure that he'll have something to say about that, but let's not worry about that right now. You're coming home sweetie."
"Oh Luis, I'm just counting the seconds until I can see my babies again."
Later on that afternoon,
they were finally pulling up to the gate to Martin and Pilar's house. The press
had gotten wind that Sheridan was out on bail and they had managed to follow
them home. Thankfully, Don Miguel had hired security to watch the gate and they
were able to keep the vultures back so that the car could make its way through.
"Oh my God," Sheridan said, looking back over her shoulder. "I
can't believe that the media is already jumping on this story. I'm so sorry if
this has caused you any hardship
Luis."
"Let's make a deal Sheridan," Luis said, taking her hand. "No apologies okay?"
"Okay," she said, gracing him with a beautiful smile.
When they entered the
house the whole family was waiting with Welcome Home
signs, but it was the children that Sheridan spotted first standing there each
holding a red rose, with big grins on their faces. Pilar put Sofie on the floor
and she scampered over to her mother squealing with delight. She scooped her
baby up in her arms, planting kisses all over her tiny face while pulling the
twins toward her. "You have no idea just how much mommy missed you,"
she said, tears falling down her face. "Let me hug you."
"Happy Valentines Day mama," they both said, presenting her with the roses.
"Oh my goodness, I didn't even realize that it was Valentines Day today. "You are both so sweet to do this for me. I love you so much."
�We love you too mama,� the twins said, hugging Sheridan tightly.
Chapter 42
The emotions that Sheridan was feeling right now were so overwhelming. Her children were right here in her arms and she didn�t ever want to let them go again. Ever since her arrest she had lived in constant fear that she would spend the rest of her life in prison and never see her babies again, or lie in Luis� arms at night and feel the passion of his love. Even though her future was still uncertain, at least she had this time to be with her family and she was not going to waste one second of it. �I�ll tell you what. Let mommy say hello to everyone and then I want you to tell me everything you�ve been doing since I�ve been gone,� she told the children.
�Kay mama, I�ll go get the pictures we made for you,� Luke told her.
�You drew more pictures for me? You two have been very busy,� she said, feeling all teary-eyed again.
�Yeah mama, we were lonely for you so we made lots of pictures so you would get all better,� Lily said, sweetly.
�Okay, now you�re really going to make mommy cry,� Sheridan said, wiping the tears away. �You are so sweet. Now, why don�t you get those pictures for me.�
As the twins ran off, Luis took Sofie from Sheridan�s arms so that she could hug Pilar and Martin. �We are so happy to see you Sheridan,� Pilar said.
�You have no idea how happy I am to see all of you too,� Sheridan said, smiling. �Thank you so much for taking such good care of the children. I knew that I didn�t have to worry about them when they were with their loving grandparents.�
�They are our pride and joy,� Martin told her. �We love every minute we can spend with them.�
�Do I get a hug too?� Don Miguel asked, coming up beside her.
�You most certainly do,� she said, holding her arms out to him. �Thank you for putting up the bail money. I promise that I will call the bank tomorrow and have the funds transferred to you.�
�I will not hear of it,� Don Miguel said, adamantly. �This whole thing is a travesty and that district attorney will soon regret that she had done this to you. This will be over soon and I will get the money back again.�
�But Don Miguel���..�
�Don�t even try to argue with him honey,� Luis said, laughing. �I�ve already tried and it doesn�t do any good.�
�It�s my turn,� Paloma said, hugging Sheridan with a fierce embrace. �I�ve been so upset about all of this. I just can�t believe the police would arrest you�� Oh Sheridan, I�ve been worried sick about you.�
�Hey, we have to believe that everything is going to be okay,� Sheridan said, trying to calm Paloma down. �You are so sweet to worry about me, but you�ll get lines on your face if you do that.�
�I can�t help it Sheridan. You are my sister now, and you were the first person that really understood me.�
�You�re a sister to me too Paloma. You saved my children�s lives and that will always make you special to me,� she said, trying to be cheerful. It had been a long stressful day and she was exhausted. Her sister-in-law grabbed onto her arms when she started to sway on her feet.
�Sheridan, you don�t look so good,� Paloma said with a worried frown. �I think you should sit down.�
�Well, it does not surprise me,� Pilar said, fussing over her. �You just got out of the hospital this morning. Come over here and get off your feet.� She came up and helped Sheridan to the large winged chair with an ottoman so that she could put her feet up.
�I�m calling Eve,� Luis said, pulling out his cell phone.
�Luis, that�s not necessary,� Sheridan protested. �Your mother�s right. I just need to sit down for a while.�
�I�m sorry Sheridan, but it doesn�t hurt to check,� Luis said, dialing the number. �Dr. Russell please.� He spoke in low tones and finally handed the phone to Sheridan. �She wants to talk to you.�
�Hello Eve��.�
�Sheridan, how are you feeling?� Eve asked.
�I�m pretty tired Eve,� Sheridan admitted. �It�s been a long day and I just don�t seem to have any energy.�
�Like I told you this morning, this is not going to magically go away. It�s
going to take some time and I want you to get into bed right now.�
�But Eve, I�m resting and the family is here with a little celebration for me. I don�t want to put a damper on their time.�
�There is plenty of time for celebration later Sheridan. I want you to get in bed and get some rest, because if you don�t I will put you back into the hospital. Do you really want to have a relapse?�
�Of course not. I�ve already spent enough time away from my family. All right Eve, I�ll do what you say, but I have a question. Am I still contagious because I don�t want to infect anyone else?�
�No, you shouldn�t be. You had enough antibiotics in the last week to supply an army. But, just because you�re not still contagious doesn�t mean you�re completely recovered.�
�Okay Eve, you�ve made your point,� Sheridan conceded.
�I don�t mean to come down so hard on you Sheridan, but as your doctor I�m concerned about your health. And, I am thrilled that you were able to get out on bail, and I just know that your attorney and Luis are going to prove your innocence.�
�Thank you Eve. I hope you�re right,� she said, before saying goodbye. �I�m so sorry to break up the party, but Eve insists that I go to bed. Luis will you gather all of the children�s things so we can go home?�
�Honey, I don�t think that�s a very good idea. We should stay here for a few days so that you can get some rest. That way mama and Paloma can help with the kids.�
�Luis is right Sheridan,� Pilar said, backing up her son. �You need to concentrate on getting better.�
�But, I can rest at home just as well as here,� she said, stubbornly.
�Okay, I�ll make a deal with you. I�ll take you home tomorrow if you promise me that you will rest. Just in case you get any ideas about not following orders, I am going to be working from home to keep an eye on you.�
�Thank you Luis. I�ve been thinking about being home with my family ever since that terrible night that Sam knocked on our door��.�
�Mama, we got your pictures,� Luke said, running into the room.
�Hey Sport, what did I tell you about running in the house?� Luis asked, with a raised brow.
�Sorry daddy,� Luke said, contritely.
Lily followed her brother at a slower pace carrying her cat. �Sassy wanted to say hi to you mama. She missed you.�
�Oh my goodness, you have Sassy here?� Sheridan asked, surprised.
�Yes mama, and Ace is in the back yard chasing squirrels. Daddy brought them here because I missed my animals.�
�Well, that was sweet of daddy and very nice of abuela to let you bring your pets in her house.�
Just then Miguel walked in with Charity and Dario. He walked over and leaned down to kiss Sheridan�s cheek. �You certainly are a sight for sore eyes. It�s good to see you.�
�Did I ever tell you that you were my favorite brother-in-law?� Sheridan laughed. �I would get up to give you a hug but your brother will report me to the doctor.�
�Actually, you�re supposed to be upstairs in bed resting,� Luis reminded her.
�Why does mama have to take a nap?� Lily asked. �She just came home.�
�Because Peanut, mommy just got out of the hospital and she needs to get some rest so that she doesn�t get sick again. You wouldn�t want that to happen would you?�
�No, we don�t want mama to get sick again,� Lily told him.
�Yeah, we would miss her too much,� Luke added.
�Oh, you are both so sweet. I know I promised you that we would have a nice visit, but you can come up to my room later after I take a nap and tell me everything you�ve been doing this week.�
�Sheridan, before you go upstairs I would like to talk to you and Luis for a moment,� Charity said.
�Yeah, sure,� Luis said. �Dario, would you take the twins to the kitchen and give them some of those peanut butter cookies mama baked this morning?�
�Sure Luis,� Dario said, looking relieved to have an excuse to leave. �Come on Luke and Lily. I think there is some chocolate milk to go with those cookies.�
When the children were safely out of the room, Luis urged Charity to tell them what she needed to speak to them about. �What did you want to talk to us about Charity?�
�I�ve been having some visions lately, and I�m pretty sure that they are about Beth�s murder,� Charity said, quietly.
�Visions? What is she talking about?� Don Miguel asked with a puzzled look.
�I never told you abuelo, but Charity is psychic,� Miguel explained. �She tries to keep it low key because a lot of people aren�t too receptive of it, but a lot of her visions have come true.�
�I have met several people over the years that have the gift of sight and they have been very credible. If you know something that could clear Sheridan you must tell us Charity,� Don Miguel said, anxiously.
�What did you see in your vision Charity?� Luis asked, praying that she would be able to give them something that would clear Sheridan.
�Well, before you all get too excited, I need to explain that things are not always clear. Sometimes I see images, but I can�t exactly define what or who they are. It�s kind of like when you take a picture that is out of focus in the middle but all the edges are clear. That�s why I know it was the Book Caf�,� Charity said, staring off into space as if she were reliving her vision again. �I saw two people struggling��..�
�I�m sorry to interrupt Charity, but do you know where this struggle was?� Sheridan asked. �What I mean is, where in the Book Caf� was this happening?�
�I know it was behind the counter, because I could clearly see the cash register and the coffee machine.�
�Then you couldn�t possibly be seeing the struggle that I had with Beth because we were in the dining area,� Sheridan said, breathing a sigh of relief.
�Charity, I know that you said things were fuzzy, but did you see the faces of these people at any time, or at least something that would identify them?� Luis asked.
�I saw two people struggling, but I didn�t see their faces. I do know that one of the people was taller, and I think it was a man, but I can�t be sure��. Wait, I do remember seeing the hand reach for like a large stick or a bat, and I remember that there was a ring on the person�s hand. The ring glowed like when something shiny is hit by the light.�
Luis went into detective mode. �Charity, could you tell if it was diamond on the ring?�
�I don�t know for sure. It could have been or maybe it was just gold. I�m sorry Luis, but I just don�t know,� Charity apologized.
�That�s okay Charity, you gave us an important clue,� Luis assured her. �Would you be willing to tell Sheridan�s attorney about this?�
�Of course Luis, but there�s something else that you should know. There is some evidence that the police never found, and it will tell everything about the murder.�
�What is it?� Luis asked, excitedly.
�Well, during the struggle something slid across the counter and it fell but I don�t know where it landed. It was small and black, but the whole thing is fuzzy.�
�Can you at least tell us the shape of this evidence?�
�I think it was either square or no, maybe a rectangle. I just don�t know for sure,� Charity said, her voice racked with frustration.
�Don�t worry about it Charity,� Luis said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. �You may have just given us what we need to prove Sheridan�s innocence.�
Charity reached out and put her hand over Sheridan�s. �There is one thing that I do know for sure. Sheridan�s is innocent, because if she wasn�t I know I would feel it, even if I can�t identify the people in my vision.�
�Thank you so much for this Charity,� Sheridan said, squeezing her hand.
Everyone was surprised when Antonio came sauntering into the room. �Mijo, I thought that you had other plans.�
�Well I did mama, but I cancelled them so that I could show my support for Sheridan,� he said, gracing them with a charming smile.
Luis wanted to pump his brother again about his business dealings with Beth, but decided that now was not the time. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Sheridan to get upset or for the munchkins to hear him. �We appreciate that Antonio, but unfortunately Sheridan is under doctor�s orders to get in bed and she�s already past time.�
�Well then, you should probably get her upstairs. Do you need any help?� Antonio asked.
�No thank you, we can manage,� Luis politely refused. �Honey, do you think you can walk?�
�Of course I can walk. My legs still work,� Sheridan said, getting up from the chair. �Everyone, thank you so much for everything.�
�After you get some rest, I�ll bring you a tray,� Pilar offered.
�That would be great Pilar,� she said, smiling at her mother-in-law. As they walked toward the foyer to mount the stairs, it was then that Sheridan happened to notice the gold ring on Antonio�s finger. When he lifted his hand to push some stray hairs from his forehead, the gold band caught the ray of sunshine coming in from the window. She was so shaken that she stumbled.
�Sheridan, are you okay?� Luis asked with a worried frown.
�I think I�m just more exhausted than I thought,� She certainly couldn�t accuse Antonio of murder because he was wearing a ring. Now, she just had to make the decision on whether or not to tell Luis about it.
Later that evening, Luis stood outside the door to the guest room and watched Sheridan reading to the twins. Sofie was sitting on her lap trying to grab the book with her tiny hand. They were all in their pajamas ready for bed, and it was such a beautiful sight to him. She must have sensed his presence because she looked over and smiled at him. �Why don�t you come in and join us?� she invited.
�Daddy, mama�s reading us a story,� Luke told his father.
�I can see that Sport,� Luis said, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed.
�Daddy, don�t sit on Sassy,� Lily warned.
�It�s good you told me Peanut, because Sassy blends right in with the sheets,� Luis teased. �But, you do know that it�s already past your bedtime don�t you?�
�No daddy, we don�t want to go to bed,� Luke protested.
�You know that daddy is right. You need to get a good night�s sleep so we can move all of our things home tomorrow,� Sheridan told them.
Luke and Lily hugged and kissed Sheridan. �I�ll be back as soon as I tuck the munchkins in for the night,� Luis told her. Pilar kept a crib in the room for Sofie so that Luis could be close if she awakened during the night. At least she would be able to hold her precious baby for a while longer. �Mommy is so happy to have you in my arms again my sweet little girl. I missed your adorable little face so much.�
�Mama,� Sofie giggled, planting a wet kiss on Sheridan�s cheek. She then did the same thing with her little bear. �Tedee kiss.�
�Hey little pixie, do you have kisses for daddy too?� Luis asked, as he came into the room.
�I�m sure that she does since she loves her daddy so much,� Sheridan responded.
Luis stripped down to his boxers and slipped into bed with them. �Are you having fun with mommy Sofie?�
�Kiss dada,� Sofie said, holding up her bear for Luis.
�We�ve been doing this a lot lately. I�m sorry Sheridan, but I�ve been cheating on you with Teddy,� Luis teased, as he kissed the bear.
�I think that I can forgive you for that if it makes Sofie happy,� Sheridan laughed. �Are Luke and Lily asleep?�
�Put it this way, they are on the edge of sleep, and I think it�s time for this mini munchkin to go to sleep too.�
�Well, I suppose that I can let her go since she�ll be sleeping across the room from me. Goodnight my sweet girl,� Sheridan said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. �I hope that you have the sweetest dreams.�
After Luis put Sofie in her bed, he crawled back into bed and pulled her into his arms. �You have no idea how much I�ve been dreaming holding you like this again.�
�Oh Luis, you couldn�t have been dreaming about more than I have. There were times when I would wake up in the hospital in the middle of the night handcuffed to that bed and just cry. All I could think about was that I would go back to jail and never get out again.�
�Just don�t think about that Sheridan, because you did get out, and I�m going to make sure that you never have to go back again,� he promised while nuzzling her neck.
�I can�t wait until I�m strong enough to make love with you again,� Sheridan whispered, hugging him tightly.
�Me either sweetheart because we are going to rock the house,� he chuckled, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.
Chapter 43
Sheridan had been home for three days, and even though she loved being there it would be so nice when she could get up off of the sofa. The only time she moved was when she needed to make trips to the bathroom and to go to bed at night. She was feeling better with every passing day so now all she had to do was convince Luis of that. He was like a hawk watching over her and she loved him for that, but it was driving her crazy. He was upstairs right now dressing the children for the day and when he came back downstairs they were going to have a talk. Suddenly she heard little feet coming down the stairs and Lily came running into the living room holding her hair brush. She looked extremely agitated. �Sweetie, what is the matter with you?�
�Daddy is trying to comb my hair and he keeps hurting my head. Will you do it mama cause you always make my hair so pretty?�
�Of course I will. Come over here and sit down in front of me,� Sheridan told her daughter. �You know that daddy is very good at a lot of things, but combing little girls� hair is not something he�s very used to doing. You have to at least give him points for trying.�
�I know mama, but daddy needs to stop trying to comb hair.�
Sheridan was glad that she was behind Lily so that she was able to hide her smile. �I�ll talk to daddy about that,� Sheridan assured her. �Now, tell me how you want me to do your hair.�
�I want a horsey tail mama.�
�You mean a pony tail don�t you?�
�Oh yeah,� she giggled. �I want a pony tail so my curls can hang down my back.�
Luis came downstairs carrying Sofie with Luke following behind. �Peanut, you need to let mommy rest.�
�Luis, she is just fine. I promise you I am not going to have a major setback just from combing my daughter�s hair.�
�Come on Lily,� Luke said, impatiently. �We have to watch Sesame Street.�
�I�m finished sweetie,� Sheridan told Lily. �Now you can go watch your show with Lukie.�
�Thanks mama,� Lily said, hugging her mother.
�Me, me,� Sofie called out after her brother and sister.
�Lukie, could you take your baby sister with you?�
�Yes mama,� Luke said, coming back to take the little girl�s hand. �Come on Soapie. You can watch Sesame Street with us.�
�Amazing that he finally learned to say Peanut�s name correctly,� Luis laughed. �Now, if he would only learn to pronounce Sofie�s name.�
�They look so sweet don�t they?� Sheridan said, fondly.
�Yes, they certainly do,� Luis agreed. �Listen honey, I need to go into the office for a few hours to meet with Michael, so I thought I would call mama to come out to help you out.�
�Help me out or be my watchdog?� Sheridan asked, trying to keep the animosity from her voice and doing a very poor job of it.
�Is that anger I hear in your voice?� Luis asked, a little taken aback by her attitude.
�I�m sorry Luis, I didn�t mean to snap at you,� she said with regret. �Look, I know that you are concerned for me and I love you for it, but I�m going crazy being confined to this sofa all day. If I don�t get up and start moving around more I�m going to get atrophy.�
�Sheridan, Eve made me promise that I would keep an eye on you because she is concerned about your health. I know I�ve been a pain but I don�t want you to have a relapse.�
�I know Luis, but I�m getting stronger every day and I think I have enough sense to lay down and rest when I�m feeling tired. I�m a big girl now and I don�t need a babysitter, so please go to your meeting with Michael. We will all be fine here without you for a few hours.�
�Are you trying to get rid of me?� Luis asked, smiling at her feistiness.
�Of course not. I love spending time with you, but I think that this little test is important so that I can prove to you that I�m so much better now and perfectly capable of taking care of our children.�
�Okay, you win,� Luis conceded. �I trust your instincts, but��..�
�Why did I know that there was going to be a but?� she chuckled.
�Because I can�t help but worry so you better expect a lot of phone calls because I�m going to be checking up on you,� Luis warned her.
�Okay, if you must,� she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around him. �Go to your meeting. I will be spending time in the sunroom with our children. I need to relish every moment I have with them.�
�I promise you Sheridan that you will have a whole lifetime to spend with our children.�
*********************
Chad had insisted on helping out with Sheridan�s case and he wouldn�t take no for an answer since she was his aunt. They were all huddled together in Luis� conference room with Michael and his second chair, Peter Walker.
�We have to establish the timeline, since the medical examiner says that Beth Wallace was murdered sometime between midnight and three in the morning,� Michael said, getting up to stand in front of a large white board. �I had a leading pathologist examine the ME�s report and he feels that the murder took place well after midnight because of the body temperature.�
�Is he willing to testify to that?� Luis asked.
�Oh, you better believe he will, and there isn�t much the ADA can do to dispute it either, since it�s proven medical science.�
�I know for a fact that Sheridan was home before eleven-thirty that night. I can even provide the phone bill to prove when I called her and she was home ten minutes later. There is no way that she could have made it from town in ten minutes since it�s normally a twenty minute drive and it was even raining that night.�
�Well, I can even do you one better,� Chad said, pulling out a piece of paper. �I called the cell phone company and they said that all cellular calls made in the city of Harmony would use the tower on Old Coast Road. There is another tower more inland at the base of the hills not far from where you live Luis and that is the one that Sheridan�s phone would have used.�
�This is excellent Chad,� Michael said, adding those notes to his outline on the white board.
�I don�t get why this should be an issue, because the ADA�s whole case is practically based on the witnesses that saw Sheridan running from the Book Caf�. It had to be around eleven when they saw her so that should be another feather in our cap,� Luis determined.
�Well it is Luis, but not in the way that you think. They have been unable to give an exact time as to when they saw Sheridan running out of the Book Caf�,� Michael explained. �In my book that doesn�t make them very credible.�
�There is also the fact that there was not one drop of the victim�s blood on Sheridan�s clothing or in her car,� Peter reminded them. �It would be virtually impossible for the person that bludgeoned Beth Wallace to death to not be covered in blood spatter.�
�It sounds to me that Miss Richard�s case against Sheridan is pretty weak,� Luis said, unable to hide his glee.
�I�ve learned a long time ago to never underestimate my opponent in the courtroom Luis. That is why we have to have our arsenal filled with ammunition. I have some good news for you. I received a call earlier from Dr. Harry Lee, and he has agreed to come here tomorrow to study the crime scene. If anyone can find clues to the real murderer it�s him.�
�Wait a minute, are you talking about the famous forensic specialist?� Chad asked, obviously impressed.
�Yes Chad,� Michael confirmed with a smile. �Dr. Lee has helped me before and we were really lucky to get him because he is in high demand.�
�Michael, can I be there when he goes over the crime scene?� Luis asked, hopefully. �I would love to watch him work.�
�Wait, if Luis is going to be there, then there shouldn�t be a problem with me being there too,� Chad stated, eagerly.
�I don�t know about that,� Michael said, thoughtfully. �Dr. Lee brings his team of experts in there and he might have a problem with a lot of spectators being present. Not to mention that we wouldn�t want to contaminate the crime scene any more than the police already did. �
�Look Michael, Chad and I are ex cops and we know how to conduct ourselves at a crime scene. We promise that we�ll stay out of the way.�
�Okay, I�ll tell Dr. Lee that even though you are related to the accused that you are a part of my defense team,� Michael conceded. �However, if he puts his foot down then there is nothing that I can do. Luis, you did an amazing job of making sure the crime scene was preserved so let�s not blow it. We can�t afford to piss this guy off because he�s too hard to get.�
�We will be on our best behavior. Right Chad?�
�Oh yeah, right,� Chad smiled.
�If Dr. Lee doesn�t find that small black thing that Charity had a vision about, then I�m going to look for it after he�s finished. I still don�t know why you won�t let me go and look for it now.�
�Luis, we�ve been through this and you know that no matter how many precautions you take that it would be impossible not to taint the crime scene when you are pushing things out of the way. We still don�t know for sure if this thing exists. Your brother�s girlfriend could have been wrong about her vision.�
�I haven�t seen many occasions when Charity is wrong,� Luis told him.
�Okay, let�s say that her vision is correct. What do you think this small black thing could be?� Michael asked, skeptically.
�I�m not sure, but Sheridan thinks it could possibly be a small notebook or a daytimer. It makes sense to me too since Charity said that it would tell all about the murder. Maybe Beth was blackmailing someone and she had all of her notes in there.�
Suddenly Whitney�s voice came over the intercom. �Luis, Ethan and Evan are here to see you. They said it had to do with Sheridan�s case.�
�Tell them to come up,� Luis told her.
Ethan and Evan exchanged greetings with Michael, and sat down at the conference table. �Sorry for the interruption, but Evan and I had a business meeting today with Ed Norris and he told us something that we thought might interest you,� Ethan began.
Evan looked hesitant but finally spoke. �We kind of debated about telling you this Luis, because we didn�t want to get your brother into trouble, but if this can help Sheridan then that has to come first. I hope you can understand.�
�Of course I can Evan. Sheridan comes first with me,� Luis said, passionately. �Now, I take it you are talking about Antonio.�
�Yes, I�m afraid that I am,� Evan confirmed.
�Luis, this could turn out to be nothing, but it�s worth checking into. Ed Norris is very rich and a good businessman, but he has a weakness. He enjoys the high stakes card games, and apparently he visited Antonio�s club on several occasions. One night he was there participating in a game in one of those private rooms. Your brother was sitting in on the game and so was Vincent Turco��..�
�The mobster,� Luis said, knowingly. �Go on, tell me the rest.�
�Ed said that Beth came charging into the room causing a scene and demanding that Antonio give her some kind of a contract. Apparently Antonio was furious and practically dragged her out of the room. After they left Vincent Turco said that maybe Antonio needed to control his women because it was bad for business. He laughed it off like it was a joke but Ed said the look in his eyes was pretty scary.�
�That son-of-a-bitch, I knew he was up to no good,� Luis growled, pounding his fist on the desk.
�Did this Ed Norris tell the police about this?� Michael asked making notes on a legal pad.
�He said that he had put it out of his mind until he saw us and we got on the subject of Sheridan being arrested for Beth�s murder. I told him that he should tell the police about it and he said that we should just forget everything he told us because it didn�t have anything to do with Beth Wallace�s murder,� Ethan said, unable to hide his anger.
�I got the impression that he freaked as soon as we asked him to go to the police,� Evan added.
�He�s probably afraid that Turco is going to get dragged into this, and he is not going to be happy by any questions from the cops,� Chad guessed.
�If the case warrants, I don�t have a problem with dragging them both into court as hostile witnesses,� Michael said, adamantly.
�That might not be necessary Michael,� Luis said with cold determination. �I�m going to have a talk with my brother, and he�s going to tell me the truth if I have to beat it out of him.�
********************
Sheridan was playing a
game with the twins when they heard a knock on the door. She hesitated at first
to answer it because they�d had several occasions where the press had tried to
sneak onto the property to get interviews. Thankfully, Ace had driven them off,
but one of them could have slipped through his careful guard. When she looked
through the window on the door, she was happily relieved to see Gwen, Jordan,
and Kay standing on the porch. Jordan even had little Christopher with her.
"This is a
wonderful surprise," Sheridan greeted them with hugs.
"We're sorry to just drop by Sheridan, but we figured that you might want some adult company," Gwen told her. "I hope you feel up to a visit."
"I am more than up for a visit. You have no idea how good it is to see all of you. Please come in and sit down," Sheridan invited.
"We also come bearing lunch," Jordan announced. "We stopped at Mario's Gourmet on the wharf and picked up some crap salad and fresh baked bread."
"Oh, I could just kiss you for that," Sheridan said, licking her lips. "I am finally starting to get my appetite back, and that sounds scrumptious."
"Mama, what's going on out here........? Jordee's here, and Kay and Gwen," Lily shouted to her brother. "Oh, and baby Christopher too."
When Luke came into the living room after his sister, Sheridan was not pleased. "What about baby Sofie? You know that you shouldn't leave her alone."
"Sorry mama, I'll get her," Luke said, running back to the sunroom. A few minutes later, he came walking out holding the little girl's hand.
"I can't believe how big you are getting little girl," Kay said, giving Sofie a kiss. "You are as pretty as your sister too."
"I just thought of something,� Sheridan said through narrowed eyes. �Did Luis send you here?�
�No Sheridan,� Jordan assured her. �We are all so worried about you and we wanted to make sure you were okay.�
�Jordan is right Sheridan,� Gwen said, putting her arm around her friend. �You are very special to us.�
�You are all special to me too,� she said, on the verge of tears. �It�s good to know that I have so many people that love me during a time like this.�
�Everything is going to be okay Sheridan,� Jordan told her. �We believe in Michael�s abilities and we believe in you.�
�You have always been there for us, and now it�s time for us to be there for you,� Kay said with a warm smile.
�You have no idea how much you all mean to me,� Sheridan said with a shaky voice.
�I think that we should dig into the food while the bread is still warm,� Kay suggested to lighten the mood.
�That sounds like a wonderful idea,� Sheridan smiled. �I�m starving. Luke and Lily do you want some crap salad.�
Both of the twins wrinkled their noses in disgust. �No mama, we want mac and cheese.�
********************
If Ivy didn't reach
Antonio soon, she was going to go completely mad. Just when she thought the
madness had ended Phillip Kade had to show up on her doorstep. And of all things
he was claiming that he saw her the night of Beth's murder going into the Book
Caf�. Now, he was blackmailing her and if she didn't pay up he was going to the
police with the information. She thought that she had the upper hand when she
threw it back in his face that the police would find it suspicious that he
hadn't come forward until now, but the bastard had an excuse. He had been out of
the country working on a
security assignment for a new client for the last three months, and had the
papers to prove it.
She was so weary from all of this cloak and dagger drama in her life and she had nobody to thank but herself. Why did she think it was a good idea to involve Beth Wallace in this whole plot to make it appear that Dario was Luis' son? If she was honest with herself, she knew that it was because she was scared to death that Antonio was going to find out about their son and she could never live with the hate that he would feel for her. Nor could she live with the scandal it would bring upon her family.
The pressure was getting
to her and she needed Antonio's help and comfort. She made the decision to go to
his condo and wait for him. After all, she did have a key since she paid for the
place. Encompassed in a black raincoat with a hood, she let herself in and was
shocked when a large hand smothered her mouth. She struggled at first until she
finally recognized the familiar outline of her lover's body molded against her
backside. "Ivy, what the hell are you doing here?" he growled, taking
his hand away so that
she could speak. "Are you crazy?"
"You're the one who is crazy," she said, shooting daggers at him. "Why is it that every time we have an encounter you find some way to manhandle me?"
"I asked the questions first, and I manhandle you because you love it," he said with a devilish smile.
"You bastard!" She raised her hand to strike him, but was stopped in mid-air when he caught her wrist in a vise-like grip.
"Calm down for God's sake," he demanded. "You come sneaking in here unannounced, covered in black from head to toe. How did I know you weren't the neighborhood cat burglar?"
"Well, if you would have answered your phone I wouldn't have come unannounced," she said, growing weak in the knees when she suddenly noticed that he was wearing nothing but a towel. He must have just gotten out of the shower because his hair was wet and there were still beads of water dripping from his massive shoulders. "Where were you?"
"Sorry Ivy, but I was playing basketball and came home and jumped right into the shower. I didn't hear the phone ring. You look pretty frazzled. What has happened to make you risk coming over here with the damn media running around town. You could have been spotted you know."
"I made sure that I wasn't. I need to talk to you, but first I need a drink to calm my nerves........ And please put some clothes on. I can't concentrate with you running around half naked."
"Help yourself to the bar while I get dressed," he said, sauntering from the room. She couldn't resist watching his tight behind fully outlined by the damp towel. She shook her head to get some semblance of control and poured a stiff drink. The fiery liquid was just the right elixir to settle her nerves.
Antonio emerged a few minutes later in a pair of faded blue jeans that left about as much to the imagination as the wet towel had earlier, and a simple white T-shirt. "Okay Ivy, are you going to tell me what has you so rattled?"
"I guess I should just come out with it," she said, softly. "If you remember, Beth was blackmailing me right up until the time that she was murdered."
"How can I forget? She was blackmailing me too Ivy."
"I know that, but there is something that I didn't tell you. The night that Beth was murdered I went to the Book Caf� to give Beth some money, at her insistence of course. I arrived right after Sheridan left because when I came in through the back way Beth was still swearing up a storm calling her every foul name in the book."
"So, you're telling me that when you got to the Book Caf�, that Sheridan had already gone and Beth was still alive?"
"That is exactly what I am saying. It was apparent that they had a struggle of some kind because there was a book rack on the floor with books all over the place."
"Please tell me that Beth was still alive when you left.......?"
"Of course she was, and meaner than a rattle snake."
"Ivy you do realize that you could go to the police and clear Sheridan of this murder charge?�
�Of course I realize that, but if I go to the police and tell them that I saw Beth alive after Sheridan left, I will be the next person to get accused.�
�Ivy, if Sheridan gets convicted can you live with that on your conscience? I know that you and I have been known to push the envelope to further our own agendas, but Sheridan is innocent and you can clear her.�
�Look I feel terrible about Sheridan, but she has one of the best defense attorneys in the country and I�m positive that Michael will get her off.�
�And what if he doesn�t?�
Ivy got up and poured herself another drink. �I just can�t allow myself to think that way. I like Sheridan, but I�m not going to offer myself up as the sacrificial lamb to save her.�
�Okay Ivy, you do what you need to do,� Antonio said, shrugging his shoulders.
�Please don�t act so righteous with me. Do I need to remind you that if I go to the police they are not only going to make me a suspect but they are going to want to know why I was there. I can�t exactly say it was for Crane business since I have nothing to do with that. If the police don�t start digging into this Luis will, and you know he won�t stop until he finds out everything. Do you really want him to figure out about our relationship all those years ago or that I�ve been financing your business? If I go down Antonio so will you because if Julian finds out about us it won�t matter if he is locked away in prison, he will throw me out on the street without a dime to my name. And you, my dear will lose everything.�
�You made your point Ivy, but I�m confused about something. Why all of a sudden are you so upset about this? When you came in here tonight you looked like you were at the end of your rope, so why was it so important for you to take the risk and come here?�
Ivy chewed on her lip nervously and looked at him with desperation all over her face. �I was seen going into the Book Caf� that night, and he�s blackmailing me, and that�s not all. I left my scarf there that night��.�
�Oh, this just keeps getting better,� Antonio shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. �Who in the hell is this person that�s blackmailing you?�
�He used to work for Crane security, and I had him handle some matters for me in the past. He made a terrible blunder that could have compromised the Crane family so I had to fire him.�
�I want a name Ivy,� Antonio demanded.
�Why, what are you going to do?� she asked fearfully. It just dawned on her that if Antonio confronted Phillip there was a good chance that he would tell him about how she hired him to make Luis think that Dario was his son. �I�m not going to tell you because I can tell by the look in your eyes that you are going to do something crazy.�
�Why did you come here if you didn�t want me to take care of this?�
�I don�t know,� she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. �I guess I just needed somebody to lean on. This was a mistake.� She got up and grabbed her coat and started to head toward the door, but Antonio caught her arm and pulled her into a hug.
�You can lean on me Ivy,� he whispered. Sooner or later she was going to come around and tell him who was blackmailing her. Whoever this guy was he better get his affairs in order.
******************
Soaking in this bubble bath was the perfect ending to her wonderful day. Luis had finally cut the ties and she had such a good time when the girls came to visit. If she tried really hard she could almost believe that her life was normal again. At least Luis had good news about the meeting with Michael and she actually felt hopeful for the first time in days. Could it be possible that Antonio was the killer? She really hoped not because it would kill Pilar and Martin and that was the one thing that was holding her back from telling Luis about the ring. Lots of people wore rings and she couldn�t just accuse someone of murder because of some flash of gold in Charity�s vision. She had to stop thinking about this now or she was going to ruin her perfect day.
�Hey beautiful.� The husky voice sounded through the room, and it filled her with a desire that tingled through her body.
�You are just in time to scrub my back,� she said, raising her long leg out of the water to rub the sponge up the curvy length.
�Well, you�ve been in there for a while so I�m sure it�s clean enough,� Luis choked out. His jeans were so tight he feared the zipper was going to pop open.
�Okay, then I guess I better get out,� she said, rising up out of the water like Aphrodite. �Would you bring me a towel?�
Luis grabbed the fluffy white towel and moved toward her feasting his eyes on her the whole time. He helped her from the tub wrapping her in the warmth of the soft terrycloth. �This is a very dangerous situation��.�
She turned suddenly so that she was facing him and the towel fell from her body. Her arms locked around his neck moving her body against him soaking his shirt. �I want you Luis.�
�I want you too Sheridan, but we can�t do this. You�re still too weak��.�
�That�s not a problem because you�re going to do all the work,� she said in a silky voice that sent a flame all the way to the tip of his erection.
Chapter 44
Sheridan was lying with her back against the headboard, completely naked watching Luis stripping his clothes away. Her body was still flashed from her bath, but with every inch of sinew revealed to her she swore that she was going to set the bed on fire. All those long nights in the hospital had been filled with terrible dreams that she would never have these moments again, but here he was standing there so aroused and ready for her that she could hardly believe this was really happening. He moved toward the bed and she could hardly breathe when he lay down beside her, their bodies touching. �Oh Luis, I��..�
�Shhh,� he silenced her with a finger to her soft lips. �No talking or moving��.. Just feel.�
�I don�t know if that�s possible when I�m in your arms,� she whispered, right before he kissed her with passionate abandonment.
She wrapped her arms around his neck trying to pull him even closer, but he finally broke away from her embrace. �Lie back sweetheart while I worship your body.� His hands and lips were everywhere bringing her to a fevered pitch. Every touch was a reverence, each stroke adoration, each kiss a cherished gesture of love.
She couldn�t stop herself, her body moved and she touched him back again and again. His protest was ignored as she gave as good as she got, matched his passion until they couldn�t hold back any longer. She begged and he filled her welcoming warmth. The length of him inside of her made her shutter��.., made him tremble��.., made them both quake with a fiery explosion of ultimate pleasure.
As they lay there in each other�s arms, she started to cry. She tried to turn away so that he wouldn�t catch on, but he knew her too well. �Sweetie, what is it?� he asked with a concerned frown.
�I don�t know,� she lied.
He touched her chin to turn her face toward his. �I wasn�t that bad was I?� he teased, hoping to get her to open up to him.
�You know damn well that you�re an excellent lover,� she responded, unable to stop the tiny smile.
�Then why won�t you tell me why you are so upset?� he gently urged.
�It was just so beautiful being with you this way, and it scares me to think that our time together may not last.�
�Listen to me Sheridan,� he said, wiping a tear away. �I know that you�re scared and you feel like there are no certainties in your life, but I want you to believe in me. There is no force on this earth that is going to stop me from proving your innocence.�
�I do believe in you Luis, but it might not matter what you do if the jury chooses to believe the district attorney����
�They aren�t going to because we�ll have enough evidence to prove that you didn�t kill Beth. I feel it in my gut, and you know I�m never wrong when that happens,� he smiled.
�Where are you going to find this evidence Luis? So far all we have is Charity�s vision and I don�t think that will hold up in court.�
�Well, I�m going to start with a little visit to my brother tomorrow morning, and then Chad and I are going to meet with Dr. Lee after that. Antonio is going to talk if I have to beat it out of him and Dr. Lee is a magician when it comes to solving a crime. I have every confidence that he is going to give us some answers.�
�Oh God Luis, I pray that you�re right,� she signed against his chest.
********************
This was the second time that Ivy had spent the night at Antonio's town home and just like before they were awakened by a loud banging on the front door. She sat up, heart racing in her chest, and shook her lover awake. "Are you just going to lay there? Someone is ready to beat your door in."
"I'm sure it's my brother," Antonio mumbled, seemingly unconcerned.
"You do know that if he manages to kick your door in, he'll find me here and how do you propose we explain ourselves?" Ivy asked, outraged.
"Okay, I'm getting up," he grumbled, slipping out of bed to search for his discarded jeans.
Ivy followed suit, but she couldn't help but stop to admire his tall naked backside as he pulled his pants on. "I just can't believe Luis' timing. Why does he always show up here the few times I happen to spend the night?"
"That's what I want to know, but he better not start with me today, because I'm not in the mood for one of his inquisitions. You better get in the bathroom. I wouldn't put it past him to barge in here," Antonio directed as he left the bedroom to answer the door. Just as he thought Luis was standing there with a look on his face that told him he was in for another battle. "Do you ever call first?"
"Why, so you can think of an excuse to put me off? Sorry Antonio, but you're going to answer some questions and I don't have time for polite etiquette.
"Oh great," Antonio said, rolling his eyes. "What's got your Calvin Klein's in a wad this time Luis?"
"I'm fighting for Sheridan's life here and I don't give a damn if you're inconvenienced," Luis snapped.
"If you're going to start that business about giving Beth part ownership in my club you are wasting your time. I can't tell you any more than I already told you."
"I know about the private card game and how Beth came barging in there. I also know that you were not happy about it either. So, tell me again you were just doing a favor for a friend?" Luis challenged with a glare.
"That is exactly what it was Luis, and yes I was upset because I couldn't have her interrupting a game with some of my best customers. Those guys are betting the big money and they don't appreciate distractions like that."
"Like you mob friend, Turk?" Luis asked, knowing that he had hit a nerve because his brother's face turned white.
Antonio recovered quickly, and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, Turk was there that night but he has nothing to do with Beth or her murder."
"I didn't say he did, but your quick defense of him makes me wonder if he just might be more involved then you're letting on. I can imagine that if he considered Beth a threat to you, he just might take it upon himself to rid you of your little problem," Luis speculated, not realizing that he was a lot closer to the truth than Antonio would ever admit.
"You are barking up the wrong tree Luis, and if you know what is good for you and your family you better not go making those accusations publicly. You do not want to be on his bad side."
"Just what in the hell are you involved in Antonio?" Luis demanded. "If your mob friends have anything to do with Beth's murder and you are letting Sheridan take the rap I swear there won't be any place you can hide. And it won't be the mob you'll have to worry about either........"
"Stop and think about this Luis. Killing someone with a baseball bat is not the mob's style. I let Beth have a piece of my business to do her a favor, and that is all there is to it. Now let this drop or you are going to be getting more trouble than you can ever deal with. I didn't have anything to do with Beth's murder and neither did the mob."
"If I find out you are lying to me about this, you're the one that's going to be getting more trouble than you can deal with," Luis promised, and the determination in his eyes told Antonio that his brother meant what he said. "Think about what I said." With that Luis was gone, the sound of the door slamming echoing in the room.
"Why didn't you tell me about this mobster?" Ivy asked, surprising him since he didn't realize she entered the room.
"Just drop it Ivy........"
"No, I will not drop it. Is it possible that Luis is right about that Turk person killing Beth to get her off of your back?"
"Okay, if you really must know, he did offer to take care of Beth for me, but I told him no......."
"Oh God," Ivy groaned. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Probably for the same reason that you didn't tell me that you saw Beth the night she was murdered after Sheridan left the Book Caf�."
"Is it possible that he did this for you?" Ivy demanded, not backing down.
"Look, at first I worried that he did kill Beth so I would be indebted to the mob, but the more I though about it I changed my mind. Like I told Luis, when the mob does a hit, they certainly don't leave that kind of a mess behind. They try to be as clean as possible and there isn't going to be any evidence around."
"I hope you're right Antonio, because if you aren't that means they are going to expect things from you........."
"You aren't telling me anything that I haven't already told myself Ivy," Antonio said, with a worried frown that scared Ivy to death.
********************
Sheridan decided that Don Miguel was truly her savior that morning. The poor
children had been penned up in the house for days because of the press, and he
had shown up with his limousine and security to take them all to the park.
�You have no idea how much this means to us Don Miguel. We�re all starting
to feel cabin fever around here,� Sheridan told him gratefully.
�It�s a beautiful day and you and the children deserve to be outside enjoying the sunshine. I promise you that nobody will bother you either.�
�I just hate the fact that this is affecting my children,� she said with a spark of anger in her eyes. �It�s just not fair.�
�You are right,� he agreed. �It is not fair, and that is the very reason we can not give in to those vultures.�
�Mama, can we go now?� Luke asked, impatiently. �I want to go to the park in daddy buelo�s big black car.�
�Yes we can as soon as you get your jacket,� Sheridan told him.
�I told him mama, but he just wouldn�t listen,� Lily said, hand on hips.
�Kay mama, I got my jacket,� Luke informed her. �Let�s go.�
�I guess we should go since the little man has spoken,� Sheridan laughed. �Come on Sofie, let�s go to the park.�
The few members of the press hanging out by the road didn�t even come near the car, and thankfully the dark tinted windows prohibited them from seeing the passengers. They even managed to make it to the park undetected, and Don Miguel surprised the twins when he produced kites from the trunk of the car. He was so wonderful and patient as he instructed them on getting them in the air. It was slow going with a few minor mishaps, but Luke and Lily were soon masters as they hung on for dear life.
Sheridan left to push Sofie on the swings and when they returned, she noticed that the twins had attracted a group of other children fascinated by the kites. Luke was even sweet enough to let one little boy hold his kite for a while until his mother showed up to claim him.
�Don�t you ever run away from me again,� she scolded him. �You scared me to death.�
�I�m so sorry that you were worried, but he�s been having the best time with the kite,� Sheridan told her, smiling with her hand extended. �I�m Sheridan��..�
�I know who you are,� the woman cut her off rudely.
�Mama, this is my new friend Johnny,� Luke said, happily. �Can he come to our house to play?�
�Of course he can sweetie, but we need to get his mother�s permission first.�
�Can I mommy?� Johnny pleaded.
�Why don�t you wait over there while I talk to Luke�s mother,� the woman instructed her son.
�Look,� Sheridan began with a friendly smile. �I realize that we don�t know each other, but we can change that if you would like to arrange a play date for the children.�
�Do you really think that I would let my child spend one minute in a murderer�s home? I realize that you Cranes think that you rule this town and can get away with anything but I don�t want you anywhere near Johnny or my family. Is that clear?�
Sheridan was so angry, but her voice was controlled when she responded. �I am innocent, but I can see that it doesn�t matter to you since you have already judged and condemned me, but you know what? I don�t want my son near a judgmental person like you because I can see that this is all about your hate for the Cranes and you don�t care if I�m guilty as long as one of us pays. Well, the hell with you,� Sheridan said, turning on her heal to collect her son.
When she made her way to Luke he wanted to know if Johnny was coming to their house. �Please mama, tell me he is,� Luke begged.
�I�m so sorry sweetie, but Johnny�s mommy said that he was going away on vacation so he won�t be able to come over,� Sheridan lied to spare his feelings.
�No mama, no,� Luke cried, big tears falling down his cheeks. �Johnny was my new friend and I might never see him again.�
Sheridan�s heart broke into a million pieces right then. �I know baby,� she said, hugging him close. �But you are going to make so many new friends when you go to school in the fall, and we�ll come to the park this summer and there will be lots of children to play with.�
Don Miguel approached then with Lily and Sofie in tow. �There you two are�� Is something the matter?� he asked when he saw Luke�s tears.
�Why is Lukie crying mama?� Lily asked.
�He�s sad because his friend had to leave,� Sheridan told them.
�I�m sorry you�re sad Lukie,� Lily said sweetly, patting her brother�s arm.
�I think that I know just the thing to cheer you up Luke,� Don Miguel announced. �What would you think about a huge bowl of ice cream?�
�I think that would make me feel better,� Luke said between his sniffles.
�Then we should get you some,� Don Miguel said, putting his arm around the little boy.
As they were walking toward the car, Don Miguel looked at Sheridan with a knowing frown. �What really happened back there?�
�I�ll tell you later,� she promised.
********************
Michael had flown home to spend a few days with his family since it was his son�s birthday, but he had received permission for Luis and Chad to be present during Dr. Lee�s investigation. They watched in fascination as Dr. Lee and his team of experts worked the crime scene. He went over every inch of the Book Caf�, snapping pictures, dusting for prints, measuring, and taking blood samples. It was hard to believe that the police had ever been there from the amount of bags collected containing evidence. �I�m dying to know why they�re spending so much time in that area behind the counter,� Chad whispered.
�That�s the spot where they found Beth�s body,� Luis informed him.
Suddenly, Dr. Lee turned and walked toward them. �Michael told me that you made sure that the crime scene was preserved,� he directed at Luis. �Good work.�
�Yeah, well I had a gut feeling that I should. Besides, it made it easier since Sheridan�s family owns this place.�
�It appears that the Harmony Police Department did not leave the scene in too bad of condition. In fact, it does not look like they did much here at all since they left so much evidence behind,� Dr. Lee said, with a look of disapproval.
�It�s a small town and we�re not very sophisticated here,� Luis admitted, feeling a little embarrassed considering he was once a cop with the Harmony Police Department.
�Michael also told me that the two of you used to be law enforcement officers,� Dr. Lee said, as if he had just read Luis� mind.
�Yes Dr. Lee, I used to agent for the state and Chad was a former DEA agent.�
�Good, put on some gloves and cover your shoes. I want to show you something,� he instructed.
Luis and Chad slipped on the plastic booties and latex gloves and joined Dr. Lee behind the counter. It was not hard to miss the blue tape outlining the shape of Beth�s body still in place from the months before when the police had put it there. The blood spatter was everywhere and even as seasoned as Luis was it still made him a little sick to his stomach. It was one thing when the victim was a stranger, but to know that Beth had died so violently was unsettling. �I had no idea that it would be this bad,� Luis said, looking around at the gruesome scene.
�Yeah, it�s a blood bath around here,� Chad agreed.
�Head wounds bleed profusely and from what I saw of the autopsy photos the victim took some vicious blows to the head,� Dr. Lee told them. �Come with me and I will show you how the murder happened.� He walked to the opposite end of the counter away from the outline of Beth�s body as Luis and Chad followed curiously. �I believe that there was a struggle that started right here.�
�It looks like somebody was pushed into that tray of glasses,� Chad commented.
Luis squatted down. �How did drops of blood get all the way down here?�
Dr. Lee picked up one of the evidence bags. �I found this shard of glass with blood on the end. We dusted it for fingerprints, and even though I need to study them further, they look to be the victim�s.�
�So, you think that Beth used this on the murderer?� Luis asked, surprised by this information because there had been nothing about this in the police report.
�That is exactly what I think, but we won�t know for sure until I can get this back to my lab to run DNA tests. I also noticed from the police report that there was never any forensic test done on the victim�s clothing. Do you think that you can get those for me Luis?�
�Of course Dr. Lee. As I�m sure you know, the prosecution is legally obligated to hand over all evidence to us. What do you expect to find?�
�If there is any trace evidence of blood that does not belong to the victim, then it could belong to the murderer,� Dr. Lee explained. �See the footprints leading from here to where the body was found?�
�Yes, is that blood?� Luis asked, hunkering down to give it a closer look.
�I know that it looks that way, because the blood has dried to a brown color, but that is mud. I did a luminol test and it came back negative for blood. We also took some samples of the soil in the footprints as well as the soil by the back door. If they are a match we will know for sure that the murderer came in from the back.�
�How can you be sure that those aren�t the footprints of the cop that found Beth�s body?� Chad asked. �He saw the door ajar that next morning and he entered from that way.�
�I highly doubt it,� Dr. Lee said with a smile. �Unless the Harmony police officers were Bruno Magli shoes.�
�That�s not likely since he was a uniform and they all wear standard police issued shoes,� Luis told him. �I know those are expensive designer shoes, but how did you know?�
�I took an educated guess since I worked on another high profile case that involved these same brand of shoes. The person that wore these shoes came in from the back door and the prints are more distinct back there since he or she stepped into the mud right before they entered. Of course I will confirm my suspicions when I get back to my lab, but right now I would like to show you how I think this murder happened.�
�We�re all ears Doc,� Chad told him enthusiastically.
�Well, as I said before, the murderer entered from the back door. There was a struggle right here in this area, and as soon as I get the DNA results, I believe that the blood drops on the floor and the shard of glass will confirm my theory. The victim got away and went this way,� Dr. Lee said, walking out the steps. �You can see the faint markings of the footsteps. The murderer came up behind her with the baseball bat and that is when he or she struck her.�
�I see it now,� Luis said with sudden realization. �The footsteps are outlined with blood spatter. Unbelievable, there is nothing about this in the police reports. How could they have missed this?�
�I�ll bet my new set of wheels that they thought it was the beat cop�s footprints,� Chad said with an edge of disapproval in his voice.
�The killer was left handed. See how the blood spatter on the ceiling angles out to the left. A person�s has a natural inclination to use the arm that is the strongest. Just like in baseball or golf, you would not swing with the right hand if you were left handed would you?�
�No you wouldn�t,� Luis agreed. �It�s really amazing how you recreate a crime using the blood spatter. I can see why you are so revered for your work.�
�It is not so difficult since the murderer paints a picture for me but I do appreciate your praise,� Dr. Lee acknowledged. �Tell me about the murder weapon.�
�Well, it was a baseball bat, but the murderer wiped the prints away,� Luis told him.
�One of my technicians found this in the waste basket,� Dr. Lee said, producing a clear evidence bag with what looked to have a blood stained cleaning rag inside. �It has traces of blood that look like wipe marks.�
�I can�t believe the police didn�t find that obvious piece of evidence,� Chad said. �I hate to say it Luis, but Sam needs to get his cops some training in evidence collection.�
�I agree Chad, but this is all going to help our case. Jurors love the scientific forensic evidence, and the ADA has none of that. Dr. Lee, other than Beth�s blood on the cleaning rag what else could you secure as far as evidence goes?�
�If we are lucky there may be skin cells, or if the murderer was injured like I suspect we�ll also find his or her blood on there as well,� Dr. Lee explained.
Luis hesitated since Dr. Lee was a man of science but decided to tell him about Charity�s vision. He had to know if they found the small black thing that would tell them all about the murder. Thankfully, Dr. Lee did not think it at all strange and had worked with physics in the past, but unfortunately they hadn�t found anything that fit that description at all. Luis was beginning to think that maybe Charity has been confused about what she saw in her vision. Maybe he would have a talk with her to see if she could give him some more information. Despite that little setback, the evidence that Dr. Lee and his team of experts uncovered if proved to be true was going to blow the ADA�s case right out of the water.
********************
Luis was in a great mood that evening when he arrived home. He was convinced that if Dr. Lee�s theory was true about Beth�s murder there was no way they could connived Sheridan now. After he greeted the children and gave them all a kiss, he found Sheridan in the kitchen sitting at the table with tears in her eyes. �Honey, are you okay?�
She got up and ran into his arms. �This whole mess is hurting our children and it�s my entire fault.�
To Be Continued...