“Yes, of course.”
“I suppose…I suppose it’s only natural that, since things are missing, suspicion might fall on him.”
Geoff frowned. “Pastor Flemming wouldn’t take anything that wasn’t his.”
Emily loved the way Geoff was so quick to defend her husband. “There’s a problem, however.”
“Yes?”
“Martha gave Dave a gold watch that had belonged to her husband.”
“Okay,” he said tentatively.
“I asked him about it when I found out he’d lost it. The clasp was broken and—”
“He lost the watch?” An alarmed look appeared on his face.
“Oh, don’t worry, it was recovered.”
“Thank goodness. A gold watch is expensive to replace.”
There would be no replacing it on their budget, but Emily didn’t feel it was necessary to explain that. “Thankfully, Judge Griffin found it following a visit Dave made after her surgery.”
“That’s a relief,” Geoff commented.
“Yes, it is.”
“So Dave’s been wearing the watch?”
“Yes, of course. There wasn’t any reason not to, seeing that it was a gift.”
Geoff sat back in his chair. “It gets a bit sticky because of the missing jewelry, though, doesn’t it?”
Geoff understood the situation perfectly. Emily didn’t dare mention the earrings. She’d check into those, too, but so far, she was the only one who knew Dave had them.
“What does Mrs. Evans’s will have to do with all this?” he asked.
“Everything,” she said, leaning toward his desk. “Mrs. Evans told him she’d have the watch included in the will as a gift to my husband. I need to see if it’s there as she intended.”
“Ah.”
“Now you know why I need a copy of the will.”
Geoff tapped his ballpoint pen. “Oh, boy,” he muttered under his breath. “I mentioned that Pastor Dave offered to counsel my fiancée and me, didn’t I?”
“Yes.” Emily nodded.
“As you might’ve guessed, I don’t make a lot of money as a legal assistant.”
Emily wouldn’t know.
“Your husband is such a kind man, he’s giving us the counseling sessions gratis.”
That sounded just like Dave, always willing to help others.
Geoff sighed and glanced around the room, although no one else was present. Lowering his voice, he told her, “If anyone finds out I gave you a copy of that will I could lose my job.”
“I would never ask that of you,” Emily said immediately. “I’d never want you to take that risk.”
Geoff raised his hand, stopping her. “If this clears your husband’s name, then it’ll be worth the risk.”
“You said Mr. Harris is in court right now?”
“Yes.”
“Then it might make more sense for me just to read the will. I’ll make a copy of the pertinent page and if anyone—like Troy Davis—asks him about it, then Dave will have the proof.”
Geoff stood. “That’s an excellent suggestion,” he said, walking toward a tall filing cabinet behind him.
Emily remained standing. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Like I said, the pastor’s doing me a favor, and if I can help him, I’m happy to do it.”
“This will be our little secret,” Emily promised him. “No one ever needs to know. The only other person who’d see it is the sheriff.”
“I have to be able to trust you.” She could hear caution and concern in his voice.
“You have my word I won’t tell anyone.” Emily’s fingers itched to grab the will and start flipping pages.
Geoff located the file and removed it from the cabinet. He took out the stapled will, which he handed to Emily. She sank onto the leather sofa in the waiting area and began to rapidly turn pages. While she might not have a law degree, she realized that anything aside from the standard clauses would be on a separate schedule. Sure enough, she came across those pages toward the end.
She scanned the items listed. Martha had an extensive jewelry collection. Dave had once mentioned that she liked to reminisce about the traveling she and her husband, an executive in a paper products company, had done through the years. He’d delighted in buying her beautiful jewelry, much of it antique, and each ring or pair of earrings had reminded her of a particular place. The schedule included two entire pages of itemized pieces, each with a designation of her chosen recipient.
Emily didn’t see any notation having to do with the gold watch. She read the list a second time, more carefully now.
“Did you find it?” Geoff asked a bit anxiously.
Emily swallowed. “Is there another section of the will not included here?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Would you mind checking the file?” she asked, making an effort to sound positive.
Geoff returned to the filing cabinet. “Oh, wait, there is something else here.”
Instantly Emily relaxed. For a moment there, she’d started to panic.
“Oh.” Geoff’s voice lost some of its enthusiasm. “It’s photographs.”
“Of what?” Emily asked.
“The jewelry. Mrs. Evans had several pairs of diamond earrings and some emerald brooches. The pictures are to distinguish which piece of jewelry she meant.” He hesitated. “I believe Mr. Harris had been urging her to do this for some time because she wasn’t adequately insured.”
“Can I see that?” Emily asked. She knew it was risky to delve into this any further and yet she couldn’t stop herself. She reached for the document.
“Perhaps the gold watch is in here,” Geoff suggested.
“I’m sure it is,” Emily said with a confidence she didn’t feel. Flipping through the pages, she glanced at each photograph until she saw the one she’d hoped not to find.
The diamond earrings.
The pair she’d accidentally discovered in Dave’s suit pockets the afternoon of their wedding anniversary.
“Do you have what you need?” Geoff asked, his anxiety growing. If anyone were to step into the office and discover what he’d done, he could be in serious trouble.
“Here,” Emily said and handed him back the will and the papers.
Geoff immediately filed them and closed the drawer. He studied Emily. “Is everything all right, Mrs. Flemming? You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“Well…I hope that answered all your questions.”
“I appreciate your help,” she said, evading the question.
“You can’t tell anyone I let you see what was in Mrs. Evans’s file,” he told her.
“No one will ever know,” she promised.
Only a few hours earlier, Emily had felt that her marriage was rejuvenated. Dave loved her. He was doing two jobs because of the increase in their house payments. Now, in an effort to do her share, Emily had started work, too.
They needed money if they were going to hold on to the house she loved.
All Emily could do was hope Dave hadn’t found another way of paying their bills…a way that could land him in prison.
Twenty-Two
Teri Polgar was still reeling. The gynecologist’s news had been a shock. An incredible, wonderful, joyous shock, but a shock nonetheless, and she wasn’t sure Bobby was ready to hear it. She hadn’t completely taken it in herself.
“James,” she murmured from the backseat of the car. “Please drive me over to Get Nailed.” She needed to talk to someone, and she couldn’t think of anyone better than her best friend, Rachel.
“As you wish, Miss Teri,” James responded. He rarely had a comment or a question.
“Thank you.” Teri started chewing on her thumbnail, then jerked her hand out of her mouth as soon as she realized what she was doing. Nail-biting was a bad habit of hers, one she’d managed—for the most part—to break.
James pulled up in front of the Cedar Cove mall. Without giving him a chanc
e to come around and open her door, she leaped out.
He stood uncertainly by the driver’s door. “Would you like me to wait?” he asked.
“Please,” Teri said over her shoulder. The mall was busier than she could ever remember seeing it. A woman standing beside a huge red kettle rang a bell, reminding others of those less fortunate than themselves. Teri automatically stuck a twenty-dollar bill inside. As kids growing up with an alcoholic mother, she and Christie had a very limited experience of Christmas, which might explain why she went overboard now. The only gifts they received came from charities like this one. Any extra cash her mother had was spent on booze.
The warmth inside the mall chased away the chill that had come over her. She moved quickly, eager to get to the salon. When she arrived, she walked directly through the waiting area and into the main body of the shop.
“Hey, look who’s here!” Jane called out. She wore a sprig of plastic holly in her hair as she worked on a customer’s nails.
Teri was instantly surrounded by her friends.
“Merry Christmas!”
“Teri, it’s so great to see you.”
Her gaze flew instinctively to Rachel. Rachel would reassure her. Rachel would help her put everything in perspective. Rachel would calm her nerves.
Intuitive as always, Rachel recognized immediately that something was wrong.
“Can you talk?” Teri asked, grabbing her friend’s hands.
Rachel nodded. “I just finished my perm. Mrs. Holman’s coming in for a cut and style, but I can put her off for a few minutes. What’s up?”
Teri released Rachel’s hands and gestured weakly toward the break room. Her knees felt unsteady. “Let’s talk privately.”
“That bad?” Rachel’s eyes turned soft with concern.
“No, not really. Just…overwhelming.”
Rachel led her to the back of the shop and pulled out two chairs. Teri nearly collapsed into hers. “I had the ultrasound this morning,” she said. “Bobby’s so anxious about the baby. He had an important radio interview so he couldn’t go with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to be there, anyway. He worries too much.” She exhaled slowly.
Rachel frowned. “Your appointment was at nine, right?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly noon. Why’d it take so long?”
“Because about a dozen people had to take a gander. Let me tell you there’s nothing like having your stomach exposed to the whole world.”
“It could’ve been worse. It could’ve been your butt.”
Leave it to Rachel to look at the bright side.
“Everything is all right, isn’t it?” her friend asked, studying her closely.
“You tell me.” With trembling hands, Teri opened her large purse and took out the photograph the technician had given her. She laid it gingerly on the table, watching Rachel’s face as she did.
Her friend studied the photo. “Teri!” she cried a moment later. “You’re having twins!”
“Look again,” she said, her voice catching.
Rachel stared at the hazy picture and then gasped. Her hand went to her heart. Her eyes widened. She swallowed hard. “Triplets?”
Teri nodded. “Last week the doctor told me he thought he heard two heartbeats, which is why he scheduled the ultrasound.” The shock had yet to fade. Twins she could’ve dealt with—once she got used to the idea—but triplets? Bobby was already a local celebrity and here she was, pregnant with triplets.
“You weren’t using fertility drugs, were you?”
“Good heavens, no.” That was one of the reasons the ultrasound had attracted so much attention. Natural triplets were exceedingly rare.
“This is why you’ve been feeling so drained and tired.”
Since this was her first pregnancy, Teri hadn’t known what to expect. “I’ve been really emotional, too.”
“Well, no wonder.”
“Originally, the doctor said I might’ve been farther along than we assumed. I never keep track of my periods, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“That extra weight!”
“Yes, I made Dr. Joyce apologize about that. I told him I’d been eating properly and that I didn’t deserve to gain so much weight.”
Rachel grinned. “I can imagine you’re pretty shaken, but, Teri, this is wonderful news. You’ve told Bobby, haven’t you?”
That was the problem. “I haven’t said a word and I’m not sure I want to.”
“You can’t keep this from your husband.”
“But maybe I should. He’s worried about me giving birth to one baby and now you want me to casually announce I’m having three? Three babies. Rachel! I’m scared out of my wits.”
Her friend dismissed her concerns a little too easily. “You’re going to be a terrific mother. And don’t worry, Bobby will take it in stride.”
“I was thinking one baby,” Teri moaned, “and now I learn I’m practically going to have my own hockey team.”
“Give yourself a chance to adjust first, and then tell Bobby,” Rachel advised.
Teri was lost in her thoughts. She didn’t have much of a role model when it came to mothering. She’d already read six books on parenting. None of them had truly reassured her. Some of the information conflicted with other information. One theory clashed with the next.
“Three babies,” Rachel said. “You’ll do great—and you can afford to hire help if you need it.”
“A nanny?” That hadn’t occurred to Teri. A nanny could come in part-time and help her feed and bathe the babies.
“Can I see the picture again?” Rachel asked. “I was so surprised when I looked at it that I didn’t notice if they’re boys or girls.”
“Two boys and the third’s turned in such a way that it’s impossible to tell,” Teri told her friend. She buried her head in her hands.
“I have news of my own,” Rachel whispered. She checked over her shoulder as if she wanted to make sure no one else could hear.
Teri looked up.
“Bruce and I are getting married.”
“That’s not news. I’ve had Valentine’s Day circled on my calendar for weeks.” It was such a romantic date. Rachel wanted a nice, formal wedding and even though Teri would be almost six months pregnant, Rachel had asked her to serve as matron of honor.
“The reception’s taking place in February,” Rachel confided. “But…are you doing anything December twentieth?” she asked, keeping her head lowered.
Teri stared at her. “You’re getting married early?”
Rachel nodded. “What’s the point of waiting another two months? We both know what we want and the wait’s driving us crazy.”
“Move in with him now,” Teri suggested. “People do it all the time.”
“I know, but there’s Jolene to consider. We’re trying to do everything properly for her sake. But Bruce is getting impatient and frankly, so am I. I’m so much in love with him, I don’t want to wait a minute longer than I have to.”
Teri understood. Her own wedding had been a rushed affair. Bobby had insisted on marrying her rather than just living together. As Bobby had somehow known—and as Teri had discovered—it wasn’t the same. Marriage was a promise. A promise that was often broken, but a promise nonetheless—of enduring love, of enjoying the good and coping with the bad together. A marriage was more than a living arrangement, according to Bobby.
For a girl who’d been around the block more times than the mailman, this told her everything she needed to know about Bobby. The memory of their wedding night brought quick tears to her eyes.
Rachel noticed right away. “Teri, are you still worrying about the babies?”
“No…I was just thinking about Bobby and how much I love him.”
“Tell him soon,” Rachel urged. “He’s going to be thrilled. Yes, he’ll be concerned. Who could blame him? He probably won’t let you out of his sight until May.”
“No, April. The doctor wants to schedule a C-section for the last week o
f April. He’s afraid of complications, so the babies are now due April twenty-seventh.”
“Oh, Teri, this is so exciting!”
“It certainly explains why I feel like Elsie the Cow at three and a half months,” she said wryly. “Can you picture me at eight?” Teri didn’t even want to think about it.
“While I’ve got you here,” Rachel murmured. “Give me an update on what’s happening with your sister and James.”
Teri knew the abrupt change of subject was Rachel’s way of distracting her from her worries. Teri had been keeping her friend updated on the romance, such as it was, between Bobby’s driver and her younger sister.
“Where did I leave off?” Teri asked, leaning closer.
“Last I heard, you and Bobby had invited them both to dinner.”
“Well, that totally backfired. James refused to come.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Men are so stubborn.”
“My thought exactly,” Teri said. “Something must’ve happened afterward, though.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure. The next morning, my sister’s car was still in the driveway.”
“Christie didn’t leave? Do you mean to tell me she spent the night with James?”
Teri shrugged. “Well, she wasn’t with us, so I assumed the same thing as you. But…I assumed wrong.”
“Well, where was she if she wasn’t with him?”
“At home.” Teri had been discouraged by the news. “Apparently her car wouldn’t start.”
“Oh.” Rachel sounded disappointed, too. “So James gave her a ride home?”
“It appears that way. When I asked him about it, he was pretty closemouthed. I only know she was having car problems because James was out tinkering with her car.”
“He fixed it?”
“I guess so. The next time I looked out, the car was gone and so was James.” She sighed. “Unfortunately he wasn’t away for long, which tells me he probably dropped off the car without saying a word to her.”
“What is it with that man?” Rachel asked, groaning theatrically. Ever since the kidnapping incident, she’d taken great interest in the health and happiness of James Wilbur.
“The thing is, I know my sister. She’s falling for James, but she’s fighting it.”