“Be right back.” Roger left the bedroom, then Bennie and Anne headed for the door, too.
Mary smiled. “Thanks for the pizza, guys.”
“Thank you, DiNunzio. Bye now.”
“Bye, Mary.” Anne left with Bennie, and Lou started picking up paper plates from the dresser, but almost dropped them.
“Lou, let me do that.” Judy crossed to him, taking the plates. “You go.”
“Okay, you convinced me.” Lou went to the bed and gave Mary a warm hug. “By the way, did you see the video I texted you? It wasn’t much help, eh?”
“It was, a little. I didn’t notice anything, but Machiavelli did. Look.” Mary realized she had forgotten to tell the others about it on the conference call, but she could do that tomorrow. She scrolled to the text and played the video, freezing it at the window. “See the outline on the left wrist, with the bump?”
“Yes.” Lou nodded. “Hmmm.”
Judy came over to see. “I do, too. What do you think that is?”
“Machiavelli tried to tell me it’s a woman’s bracelet with a pendant or a man’s oversized watch, worn loose. He was even wearing one, but still denied it was him.”
Judy snorted. “He says it’s a woman? Gimme a break.”
Lou frowned, puzzled. “Why would he even point out that he had a watch on like that? Is this a game? Cat and mouse?” He straightened with a grunt. “I’ll check it out later. Bye now.” He left the bedroom, and Mary set the phone down beside her, turning to Judy.
“Judy, really, please go. I can clean up later.”
“No, you should take it easy. I want to save the crusts for the dog.”
“You’re going to take garbage to a hotel?”
“When you’re a mother, you’ll understand,” Judy said, and they both laughed. “And you do have to start taking it easy. Bed rest means bed rest.”
“Not literally.”
“Yes, literally.” Judy smiled, stacking the plates. “So how are you going to do this? You have to stay home for two weeks.”
“I know.”
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes.” Mary rubbed her tummy, with a contented sigh. “I feel better about it now. I think I was being negative about the pregnancy. Anthony said so and he was right.”
“It happens.” Judy set the stacked plates on the dresser.
“Maybe it’s good that it takes nine months, so you can get used to the idea.”
“Right. I’m so glad you’re okay, and the baby is too.” Judy puckered her lower lip. “But I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” Mary felt a pang.
“But I’ll bring dinner over and hang with you guys.”
“I know you will.”
“You won’t be able to get rid of me.” Judy gathered the crumpled napkins.
“I won’t try.”
“It’s not the end of anything.”
Mary felt touched. “No, it’s just the beginning of something else.”
“Aww, that’s deep.”
“It kind of is.” Mary heard Roger coming upstairs, and in the next moment he entered the bedroom with two trashbags.
“I got one for recycling, too,” he said, breaking the mood.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Mary listened to Judy and Roger laughing and talking downstairs as they took out the trash, finishing up their cleanup. A text alert pinged on her phone, and she glanced over on the bed to see that it was Anthony. She picked up the phone and read his text: Research went well. Will call later. Love you. She texted back, Great! I had a big day too. Love you too. She set the phone down, then leaned back in the pillows against the headboard, resting her hand on her belly, and in the next moment, she felt the baby kick.
“Ah!” Mary yelped, thrilled. She kept her hand on the same spot, trying to figure out if the baby had kicked her with his heel or its toe, but she couldn’t tell. Relief washed over her like a warm wave. It made her so happy to feel the baby move again, and she wondered if the pizza had done the trick. She made a mental note to eat more pizza, purely for medicinal purposes.
Mary heard Judy and Roger coming upstairs to say good-bye. “Guys, I felt the baby move!”
“Yay!” Judy cheered, entering the room with Roger. “Were you worried?”
“I was trying not to, but I was.” Mary looked up at Judy, who looked down with sympathy, her expression soft in the warm light from the lamp.
“Aw, let me feel.” Judy put her hand on Mary’s belly, and Mary moved her hand over to the spot.
“Wait for the magical pizza trick.” Mary felt the baby move again. “Ha! Did you feel it?”
“Yes!” Judy burst into laughter, turning to Roger. “Feel this! It’s the coolest!”
“That’s intrusive.” Roger recoiled, amused. “I would never do that.”
“I’m fine with it, by now.” Mary smiled. “Roger, have you ever felt a baby move before?”
“No, unfortunately, I’m not a father.”
“Go ahead then, I don’t mind. Here’s the spot.” Mary took his hand and placed it on her belly. He leaned over, and his jacket sleeve edged up his forearm, revealing a chunky bracelet of wooden beads, with a large silver medallion hanging down.
“I don’t feel anything.” Roger smiled, cocking his head. Judy was standing behind Roger’s shoulder, beaming.
“Just wait.” Mary looked at his bracelet again and did a mental double-take. She flashed on the enlarged video, with the bump on the left wrist. The outline of Roger’s bracelet was the same, with the medallion hanging down. It could have been his bracelet on the video.
“I still don’t feel anything.” Roger kept his palm against her belly.
“You will.” Mary’s thoughts raced, but she had to stay calm. If she was right, then Roger had killed John. But she couldn’t let him know she suspected him. And she couldn’t let Judy take a cab with him.
Roger smiled. “It’s amazing to think that there’s new life, inside you.”
“Damn, I think the baby fell sleep.” Mary forced a regretful smile. “Roger, if you don’t mind, you should probably go, but I’d love for Judy to stay awhile. We can catch up—”
“Of course.” Roger withdrew his hand from Mary’s belly. “You must be exhausted.”
“Mare, the baby can’t be asleep, it was awake just a second ago.” Judy stepped closer, and her gaze fell on the bracelet. Her eyes widened in shock, and she glanced at Mary, frozen.
“Judy?” Roger straightened, frowning. “Is something the matter?”
“Uh, no.” Judy faced him, stricken. Her fair skin flushed. Tears filled her eyes. “I, um, just noticed by your … wrist mala.”
Mary slid her hand to her phone to call 911. Judy was blowing their cover, too emotional to keep it together. She had lost the man she loved and was looking into the face of his killer.
“Judy?” Roger frowned. “What’s upsetting you?”
Judy tried to speak, but her hand flew to her trembling lips. She burst into tears. “Roger?” she blurted out, horrified. “Did you kill John?”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
“What?” Roger recoiled, appalled. “Why would you ask me that? What a question!”
“Roger … I can’t believe … you would!” Judy sobbed, her hand to her mouth, trying not to break down completely. “I admired you … you’re so cool … and smart … why did you … why would you?”
Meanwhile, Roger was so focused on Judy that Mary could sneak her phone onto her lap and touch the screen to wake it up.
“I didn’t, of course I didn’t!” Roger stepped toward Judy, as she kept edging away. “Why would you say such a thing?”
Mary swiped her phone, and it asked for a passcode.
“Your wrist mala … we saw it … on the new … video.”
“There’s a video?” Roger asked, his tone changing so dramatically that it was as if his voice emanated from another man.
Judy nodded, her hand over her mouth. Her ago
nized eyes shifted to Mary, and Roger whirled around just in time to catch Mary keying in her passcode. Her mouth went dry.
“Give me that phone!” Roger flew at Mary, grabbing the phone from her hand.
Mary scrambled away from him, her heart beating hard. Her hand flew protectively to her belly. She tried to think of what to do. There was nothing she could use for a weapon. If she screamed, help would come sooner or later, but he’d have time to kill one of them. She had to reason with him, stall him until she thought of something better
“Mary, were you calling the police? On me?” Roger stood over the bed, breathing hard. The look in his eyes was pure outrage. “What a terrible mistake! How could you make such a terrible mistake?”
“Roger, you scared me, that’s all.” Mary struggled to stay in control. “But I won’t call again. I won’t tell anybody. You probably didn’t mean to kill him.”
“Of course I didn’t!” Roger shouted back, losing control. “I didn’t mean to! It’s not like I planned it! But I just got so sick of it, all of a sudden! All of you lawyers, you think you’re so damn smart! But you make mistake after mistake! I get so sick of cleaning up after your mistakes! I’ve had a career of it, a lifetime of it! Can you imagine what it’s like to be a legal malpractice lawyer? The clients are the worst! They’re all lawyers!”
“I can imagine,” Mary said, calmly. She held her hand out, keeping him back. He looked down at Mary as if he weren’t really seeing her, his fury driving him. Judy sobbed against the dresser, watching them in horror.
“That’s why I didn’t want to take your case!” Roger shouted down at Mary, prone on the far side of the bed. “I knew you wouldn’t listen! And John wouldn’t listen, either! He was going to ruin everything! I only went there that night to tell him not to quit, to come back to your firm! But no, he wouldn’t listen!”
“I did listen to you, Roger.” Mary was trying to placate him. Her heart was beating out of her chest. He had to be deciding what to do with her and Judy. He couldn’t kill them both at once. He needed an exit strategy. Mary was trying to give him one. “Roger, I listened to you, and that’s why we stayed the course on our case.”
“You didn’t want to listen to me! You fought me every step of the way!”
“But I came around, in the end,” Mary said quickly. “You showed me the way. You changed my mind. Remember, what I said to you before the interview with Vanessa? I told you, ‘I learned from the master,’ and I did. You. And Judy listened to you too. We listen to you. We admire you.”
“I know what I’m doing! Lawyers come to me because I know what I’m doing! If they knew what they were doing, they wouldn’t be getting sued for malpractice, now would they?” Roger laughed, without mirth. “You would think that would be a wake-up call, wouldn’t you? You would think that would cause a lawyer to question his judgment, wouldn’t you? You would think that would make a lawyer learn to take direction from somebody who knows better, wouldn’t you? Lawyers hire me when they’re in trouble, but they don’t listen to a word I say!”
“You’re absolutely right, they should listen to you—”
“If John quit the firm, we would’ve lost that case! The press never would’ve let it go! It was damning! And I never lose! So I tried to get him to come back! He wouldn’t listen!”
“I totally understand, Roger.” Mary saw the fury burning in Roger’s eyes, out of control. Her plan wasn’t working. He was getting more worked up, not less. He had killed John in a murderous rage like this. Fear bolted through her body. She fought the panic tightening her chest.
“I told him he was making a mistake!” Roger started breathing harder, shaking his head. “I said, ‘just listen to me,’ but he wouldn’t change his mind! He told me to get out! He tried to throw me out! Me! He thought he knew, but he didn’t! He was just a kid! And he wasn’t half as smart as he thought! As you all thought—”
“Stop talking about him!” Judy shouted suddenly, sobbing, and in the next moment she was flying across the room at Roger.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Mary screamed, terrified, as Judy raced toward Roger in blind hatred.
Roger backhanded Judy, connecting with her cheek, then pivoted and punched her hard in the forehead.
“Judy!” Mary screamed, watching in horror as Judy staggered backwards from the impact, then fell against the dresser, banging her head. Judy collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Roger whirled around, coming after Mary. She scrambled to the other side of the bed, ran out the door, and reached the hallway. Her mouth had gone bone-dry. Adrenaline coursed throughout her body. She had to get help.
Roger overtook her in the hallway, pulling her back by the hair. She cried out in pain. Her hair felt like it was coming out at the root. She tried to free herself, hitting Roger’s arms. Her breath went ragged with fear and exertion. She heard panting and realized it was her. Roger was going to kill her and the baby. He’d lost control.
“Help!” Mary screamed, but Roger clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Tears of fright came to her eyes. Her heart hammered like a piston. She bit down hard, grinding the flesh of his palm between her front teeth. She tasted metallic in her mouth. She had drawn blood.
“Bitch!” Roger sprang away, startled and in pain.
Mary raced forward toward the stairway, praying she wouldn’t fall. She had to live. She had to survive for the baby. She grabbed the banister just as Roger caught her, yanking hard on her shoulder and her silk T-shirt, trying to pull her back into the bedroom.
Mary held on to the banister for dear life. Her shirt collar pulled tight against her throat, cutting off her air. She writhed this way and that, trying to get him off, but she couldn’t. Roger grabbed her shoulders again and tried to pull her back. She clung to the banister with both hands, squeezing the wood as hard as she could. Her fingers kept slipping. Her arms ached. Her shoulders felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets. She looked wildly around for something to use as a weapon.
She spotted a framed photo of her and Anthony hanging on the wall, to the left. She let go of the banister and lunged for the picture, tearing it off the wall. Roger grabbed her and tried to get her in his arms, but she whirled around and whacked him in the face with the photo.
The glass on the picture shattered against his cheeks and eyes. Roger cried out, his hands flying up. The picture fell to the floor. Shards of glass were embedded in his cheeks and forehead. He brushed them away, making bloody cuts as Mary raced back to the stairs.
She reached the top and raced down the staircase, half-stumbling, trying not to lose her balance. She prayed she didn’t fall. Nothing could happen to the baby. She had to get out of the house. She had to save them both. And Judy.
Roger ran down the steps after her, right behind her. Suddenly he kicked her in the back of the head.
Mary’s skull exploded. She cried out in agony. She saw stars, stunned. She reeled and slipped on the step, losing her balance. Her arms flailed, but she caught the banister, hanging on tight. She forced herself to stay conscious. She had to keep her wits about her. It was do or die.
Roger clambered downstairs and squatted next to her, grabbing her arms and trying to pry them off the railing. He pulled one arm off and tried to shove her down the stairs. She grappled with him, not letting go, wrenching him back and forth.
His leather shoe slipped on the stair and his leg came out from under him. She saw him pitch forward, then whipped him downward with one hand, holding on to the railing with the other. The sudden motion knocked him off-balance and he started to fall, but held tight to Mary. She didn’t have the strength to keep her grip on the railing. He took her down with him.
Roger rolled ahead of her down the stairs, unable to hold on to Mary. She managed to slide down on her back, protecting her belly. She landed on top of him, then scrambled over him and darted to the front door.
“Help!” she screamed, praying her neighbors heard. She reached the door and grabbed
the knob, twisting it open.
Roger grabbed her ankle from behind, dragging her backwards. Fear electrified every fiber of Mary’s being. She couldn’t fall facedown on the baby.
Mary grabbed the small console table to break her fall, dragging it back with her. The lamp, the mail, and the key basket scattered everywhere. The door swung partway open.
“Help!” she screamed in desperation. She was almost safe. Somebody had to have heard her. She prayed they would come before it was too late. The table legs skidded on the hardwood, and Mary held on to the table, riding it backwards.
She tried to climb over it to the door, but her belly was in the way. Roger clambered to his feet, grabbing her from behind by the shoulders. She screamed, ramming her elbow back into his chest, again and again. She couldn’t get him off of her. Terror and effort exhausted her. Sweat slaked her face and neck. She felt weaker and weaker.
Roger put his hands around her throat, choking her from behind. She tried to scream but no words came out. She gasped for oxygen. She heard herself gagging.
“Mary!” Judy screamed, and Mary looked up to see her best friend racing down the stairwell, holding her phone.
“Roger, no! Stop!” Judy shrieked in terror. Mary couldn’t keep her eyes open. She was losing consciousness. Judy had probably called 911 but they wouldn’t get here in time for her, or the baby.
Suddenly the front door opened and standing in the threshold was Nick Machiavelli, holding a Pyrex dish with a tinfoil cover. His dark eyes widened in shock. He dropped the dish, slipped a hand inside his jacket, and pulled out a gun.
“Hands up or I shoot!” he shouted, aiming the gun at Roger.
“Don’t!” Roger raised his hands, releasing Mary just as Judy reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Mary, are you okay?” Judy shouted, frantic, and Mary nodded, coughing as she tried to get her breath. Her knees buckled, and she sank into the arms of her best friend. Judy hugged her and eased them both onto the floor, where they clung to each other as Mary’s coughs subsided.
“Roger, hit the floor! Don’t move!” Machiavelli advanced on Roger, pushing him backwards into the living room. Roger got down on his knees, then lay facedown on the rug. Sirens blared nearby.