Stand By Me (7 page)

“If it’s not final then her marriage to Brian isn’t valid and he’ll go looking for her with murder in his eyes.”

She closed her eyes to the vision of Brian's goons searching her family for Morgan. “She’ll go to my parents to hide out.” She shoved a hand into her trouser pocket while she paced back and forth, robot stiff holding onto the handicap bar that ran the length of the wall.

“Doona worry, lass. I’ll take care of your parents.”

“From prison?” she blurted out and regretted her tone the moment it hit the air. The quiet told her she’d offended him by questioning his ability to take care of her. Protecting her was huge for him. “I'll call so they'll be packed when Cedric gets there. Thank you, honey.”

“You're welcome. How’s Judge?”

“My log of muscle, he’s starting to sleep at the foot of the bed.”

“Good,” he said and she could picture him running a hand over his head missing his dog.

“How are you getting along with the other men?”

“It's a prison, Mo Ru'n. You don't get along with the other men. I stay to myself for the most part. I'm not looking to make friends.”

Were they arguing now? “Honey, I didn’t mean if you were having Tupperware parties, I meant were guys…you know…?”

“Asking me to shower…no.”

“You’re being flip and I’m serious, Honey.” Serious, hell she was terrified of what she’d seen in the movies and heard from her uncles as a little girl. Prison was no joke. “You're gone a week and we're arguing.” Her eyes darted over the floor. Tension had started to creep in between them already. “Jonathan, I won't argue with you. I don't like it.”

He said voice calm, “We're no arguing and yer no serious, Kenya, sweetheart, yer worried. Let me worry and you concentrate on staying healthy and being there when I get out,' his accent thickened behind each word. He was worried too.

Kenya blinked as the sun sliced through the large glass window shining over her stomach. Love warmed her knowing a life grew inside her body by the love of her life. Closing a hand over the bump, she smiled and leaned against the metal bar.

“One good thing out of all this is we don’t have to move from the castle yet.” Brian would have their things on the lawn in a matter of hours.

“Oy, things are on hold so Brian can nae put you out of your home.”

Kenya stopped pacing long enough to ease the friction between her legs. “You’re slipping into Gaelic, honey and I'm in a public place with your family. Please stop before I start moaning,” or grinding her thighs together.

“Kenya,” he spoke low signaling their time was up and he'd have to go. “I have to go, but tell Jamie to come down to the prison with my lawyer. I want you to rest.” He paused. “My lawyer says Randall's sent him some positive leads on Graham’s death and I love you for getting things going. But keep the bairn safe Kenya. Hines will notify you when he gets a date for the trial.”

“Hmm,” Kenya sighed hating to hear him go.

“Ye miss me, Mo Ru’n,” passion oozed from his words, thick and warm.

That was a joke. She more than missed him she ached for him. Closing her eyes she could picture his arms around her, his firm lips pressed to her neck whispering from behind her in her ear. The touch of the phone on her skin felt indecent, so she held it closer. “It's just not fair. You're in prison and all these other slugs are walking around like they had no part in all this.”

“Don't worry over them. We'll be together soon. Stay safe and out of trouble.”

“Go so they don’t restrict your phone privileges. This is already an extended exception for you to call me now.” She ended the call and turned to see Gretchen holding out a hand for her to return to her wheelchair. Jamie stood guard holding the handles. She told him of Jonathan's request and watched Sophie walking behind speaking low to someone on her cell and Kenya could guess it was Calder. They spoke more and more lately.

Kenya was pleased everyone was on board for the party. And seeing as this was a family problem she'd call on family, friends, farmers, fisherman and anyone else that had positive dealings with Jonathan. First she needed to speak with her family.

Kenya sat in the wheelchair, and dialed her mother. As the landscape outside filled each windowpane as Jamie rolled her along, she chewed the side of her finger, hoping she could pull this off and waited to hear her mother's voice. The clicking of the wheels over each tile change, mocked her heartbeat speeding up with each thought.

“I was just thinking about you,” Katherine Claiborne greeted.

Kenya wrapped an arm around her body hearing her mother's voice. “Hey Momma...How's everybody?”

Katherine hesitated on the other end. “We're fine...what's wrong, baby? I can hear it in your voice.”

“I need you and Daddy and Auntie to come back to Ireland. Don't worry, I'll pay for everything, it's just, well, this situation with Jonathan is bigger than me and I'm gonna need your help.” She blinked hearing her mother scoff through the phone. Did she just smack her lips at me?

“I should say no...” What was wrong? Kenya could picture Katherine standing in the kitchen stirring a pot of grits with cheese and a skillet of turkey bacon sizzling on the stove. Katherine's voice broke into the homey vision. “Getting married without me and your daddy there, probably don’t have one picture do you?” What was the point of answering, Katherine was on a roll, chewing her out. “Your Aunt, Karla's, still walking around calling you a heifer and something else I don't have time to look-up. You know how much she loves you.”

“Momma--”she started not needing a lecture.

“Kenya, don't worry about anything, you know we're here for our baby.” Katherine blew out a breath. “We were wondering when you were gonna come to your senses and rely on your family. What are you planning?” Katherine asked excited and Kenya knew she'd called the right person.

“When we were little you and daddy told us about rent parties you held when someone needed help. Well I wanna hold a character testimonial party and bring together local people that can vouch for Jonathan. My husband's freedom is sitting on a shaky fence.”

She could hear noises in the background and her mother talking to her father before she came back on the line. “Your father said he's wearing his new orange and blue plaid golf pants with the lemon yellow sweater when you two go golfing, as your punishment for not letting him walk you down the aisle.”

“Then I better tell you now. Jonathan and I are pregnant.”

Crickets could be heard in Japan with the quiet that confession brought on.

“You better be, I'm almost done with this blanket.” More silence. “I just wish you had told us instead of me assuming,” Katherine said saddened. “Seriously, Kenya, it broke your father's heart not to walk you down the aisle.”

“I know momma, and I'm just as upset about that. However, I needed this to stay a secret for your safety as well as the baby's. I'll tell you everything once you get here. You're not upset are you?”

“We got the box of oranges your husband sent apologizing for not having us there. If you leave us out of the birth of our first grandchild don't call this house again,” Katherine warned. Kenya could imagine her hands on her hips as she spoke and she should've known Jonathan would do something like that and not tell her.

Kenya said softly, “You'll be here.”

“Whatever you say, Kenya, but I mean it. I'll take the key back to the garage and the front door.”

Not the garage, that's where the deep freezer is, her father keeps all the extra meat he buys and she does her meat shopping. “I'll see you when you get here. I love you Momma. You're always there for me.”

“That's what family's for baby. See you tomorrow, oh wait...Karla called you a Thunder cat, that's what she said.” Kenya burst out laughing at the name of her favorite cartoon as a little girl. “I don't even wanna know what that is. Bye baby.”

“I love you momma...” She ended the call as the cool air outside tickled her skin as Jamie rolled her through the doors to the violent scene unfolding before them. Brian held a man by the throat against the door of his limousine and the only word she could clearly make out were, find them. Them who? Had Morgan come to her senses and called Rick?

Brian turned those dark eyes on her. On impulse, Kenya closed a hand on her stomach and Jamie stood closer to her chair shielding her and tucking Gretchen behind his other side. What, did Brian think, she had something to do with Morgan disappearing?

Brian slipped behind the door as the car pulled onto the highway. Morgan just pissed off the wrong man.

Chapter Six

The pitted ceiling tiles of the prison's visitors room became Jonathan's blue skies as he listened to his attorney form what better be a winning case.

Jonathan threaded his fingers under his chin. Felt the rasp of new stubble surfacing along his jawline against his knuckles. Hines, his attorney, set a manila folder in front of him on the metal table. Jonathan looked up then returned his attention to the folder flipping back the cover drawing out the papers.

Rubbing a finger around where his wedding band should sit, reminded him of the precious lives waiting for him at home, he asked, “How's Kenya?”

“Och, if ye dinna already marry the lass, I would throw me hat in the ring. She's a beautiful lass, that one is,” Hines praised, raising his eyes as he turned the papers back to face him, spreading them out over the table.

“She's not available. Doona set yer attention on me wife, Hines. I had to work hard to get that one.” He rested his body along the edge of the table to lean in peering into the man's face. The table legs scraped over the tile floor. “What's she uncovered?”

“Randall Nyi Hassle is proving to be an asset in keeping you out of prison for life. His connections go into places a stranger could never go. Nobody will refuse to answer questions from a prominent family, and his is well known in the business world over there.”

He'll keep that bit of information to himself after fighting Kenya on involving Randall at all; she'd love to hear this.

“His true last name is Ogephehan.” Was that an alias? That information brought Jonathan to sit up straight. “Doona worry, he's legit. His family’s well known owning many office buildings in downtown Lagos. He likes to keep that private when he travels; keeps people from asking for favors.” He eyed his watch. “He should be here soon, and going over his report, he spared no detail.” Jonathan looked on as Hines rifled through his files. “In the report from his contacts, Graham Brennar was scheduled to meet with a Mr. Nygen to purchase a compound in the south end of Lagos, Nigeria. His family; wife and two children, waited for him in Killary Harbor in Ireland, the night he was scheduled to meet with the man in Kenya. According to the local pub here, he entered the establishment at precisely 7pm. By 8:30pm, the bouncer was breaking up a fight between him and another patron...Dart game got out of hand and Graham left without paying his debt. They found his body behind the trash bins out back.”

“What of the body supposedly found in Nigeria. Where'd it come from, a morgue?”

Hines turned and eyed the door his body brushing along the edge of the table as he shrugged off his suit coat. He dumped the pinstriped jacket on the table pooling like an old towel. “Many are suspicious of law enforcement in Nigeria. Unless you know the right people, you can come up missing by talking or asking too many questions.” Hines tipped his head. “Missing bodies don't always...turn up. Westerner's don't fully understand traditional practices are alive in Nigeria regardless of how modern some live. People still respect the different tribes and the different dialects and if you don't know who you're speaking with, you could wind up accusing a village chieftain or someone high up of a crime. Outward appearances don't always tell the story.”

Jonathan scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck fighting the headache moving down his spine. Trepidation ate at his mind. What had he missed about his father? He needed to see the will, because to go through all this to discredit him, there had to be more at stake.

“What of his family? Graham's? They did nae ask to see the body before burying him?” He eyed the clock high on the wall. It was almost time to call Kenya, the highlight of his week.

Swoosh.

The warden came through the door followed by Randall. Jonathan didn't waste time on pleasantries.

“How's my wife and bairn?”

“Good,” Randall informed pulling up a chair from the corner. “I spoke with Kenya and she'd spoken with the rep from Global Learning.”

Jonathan shoved his chair back getting to his feet the metal legs scraping over the linoleum. “David Spencer...she was alone with that leering punk again?”

Randal snorted. “Man, Kenya can handle herself, believe me and no, just that one time and she had Jamie in on the meeting. I called her before I came down here. She's good.”

“Randall...I asked for your help, cause Kenya trusts you...you still want my wife?” Tension swelled between the two men.

“Think putting a ring on her finger makes her less attractive?”

“Don't fuck with me, Randall.”

Randall raised his chin to Jonathan leaning over the table. “Kenya's a friend...a beautiful, married friend. You make her happy and that's why I'm here. I wouldn't be helping you get out if I wanted her.”

“She's my world...” the words fell from his lips sounding more desperate than he cared to share, there it was. Kenya was his world.

He watched Randall get to his feet. One man to another, they stood. Minutes passed. No words just minutes and he knew why Kenya called this man a friend. Honesty sat in his eyes. He had an ally.

“You're the reason she breathes, man...the reason she breathes...I'm working to get you out, not because I think you're innocent, but when Kenya was vulnerable and unconscious you took care of her...no other reason.”

That's what ate at his soul, he had to rely on others to help Kenya. “I appreciate it...”

“And, Hines,” Randall said, “Kenya's sent something to Jonathan's phone. She said you had it and only wanted Jonathan to see it.”

Hines dug into his briefcase retrieving Jonathan's phone. He held the phone out over the table. “If it's pertinent to the case, I'll need to see it, no matter how personal, Jonathan.” He set the phone in Jonathan's outstretched hand.