BlackJack (A Standish Bay Romance Book 1) (21 page)

Chapter
Sixteen

Shannon awoke
in the morning to her house phone ringing. She dove off the bed, not wanting to
miss the call. Her heart pounded in hopes it was Cameron as she pushed the talk
button on the fourth ring.

“Good morning,”
she said as she held her breath.

“Good morning
to you.”

“Cole,” she
breathed out and her heart fluttered even faster. “Hi, you got my message?”

“Yes. Is
something wrong? You sounded extremely anxious on the voice mail. I would have
called last night but it was late when I realized I had a message.”

The concern she
heard in his voice warmed her heart, even if it was broken at the moment. “Cameron
ran away.”

“What?” Cole responded
loudly into her ear.

“He ran away
four days ago. I think he might be heading to California to find you.”

“But I’m in
Chicago.”

“Oh.” She had
hoped he might be home even though she’d known the chances were slim to none he
would be. Hell, he was on tour. What did she expect?

“I leave for
Detroit day after tomorrow, but I’ll cancel and go try to find him.”

The man’s
unselfishness never ceased to amaze her. His career was just getting back on track
and he was willing to cancel a concert engagement for her and her son. She’d
never loved him more she mused as tears escaped her eyes and trickled down her
cheeks.

“No, don’t do
that. I just need your address so I can send the detective I hired to stake out
your house in hopes he’ll show up.”

“It’s 1210
Malibu Road. Are you sure about not needing me to go there?”

“Yes. Cole?”

“I’m here.”

“I’m scared. I
want my son back.” She sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks with her
free hand. “I miss him, and I keeping thinking up all these horrendous things
happening to him. Oh God.” She sobbed into the phone. “I’m so afraid for him. I’m
so afraid I’ll never see him again.”

“I’ll be at
your house in two days. I can’t bear not being with you when you’re hurting
like this. I’d hop the next plane, but it’s too late to cancel tonight and
tomorrow’s concerts.”

“You don’t have
to cancel any shows on my account?”

“Detroit can
wait. We’ll reschedule. Then we’ll take one day at a time.”

She promised
herself she wouldn’t cry on the phone, but she did. He tried to soothe her with
words, but they drowned in the sea of her sorrow. After a time she spoke, “Thanks
and Cole?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“Me too. I’ll
see you soon, and if you hear anything promise me you’ll call.”

“I promise.”

Shannon hung up
the phone and hugged herself. Soon Cole would be here to hold her, to make her
feel better and tell her everything would be okay. He would cancel concerts to
be with her. Her lips curved into a smile even as tears blurred her vision. She
never thought anyone would care enough about her to do something like that.

Since she was
up and no longer tired, she decided to shower and call Scott Danvers in hopes
he had good news.

“Scott, it’s
Shannon, anything new,” she asked around the lump in her throat.

“Were your ears
buzzing? I was just about to call you. I spoke with a bus driver for Greyhound
and he remembers Cameron.” Shannon heard him pause and drink something,
probably coffee. “He said Cameron exited the bus with a girl, and they never
came back on. The good news is he remembers the approximate vicinity of where
they disembarked. I’m heading out the door now to Colorado then following the
bus schedule for yesterday.”

Shannon took a
deep breath, trying hard not to get her hopes up.
But how could she not?
“That’s
really good news. Call me as soon as you know anything. Okay?”

“You got it,
boss.”

Shannon
collapsed with relief when the conversation ended. They were close. “Oh please
God,” she prayed out loud, “let my baby come home safe and unharmed.”

When she
entered her kitchen a few minutes later, she found John at the stove making scrambled
eggs. This was the second night he’d slept here, and the second morning in a
row he made breakfast. He wore his two-day-old wrinkled clothes, but was
freshly showered because his dark hair glistened wet and she could smell the
body wash Cameron always used. It caused a piercing pain to her heart, and then
she remembered her news.

She explained
to John everything Danvers had said as she ate eggs, toast and coffee. It was
the first time she’d eaten hungrily in days, and it felt good putting something
substantial in her stomach. Not long after they finished the conversation, Mitch
entered the kitchen.

“What smells so
good?”

“Eggs,” John
replied. “Sit and I’ll dish ya out,” he said as he grabbed a plate out of the
cabinet.

Shannon
proceeded to fill her brother in on the news, and he was visibly relieved to
have some hope.

“And oh, Cole’s
coming day after tomorrow.” She paused and glanced at John, daring him to say
anything negative, but he kept his mouth shut tight. “He’s canceling two shows
to be here.”

John looked up
from his plate of eggs. “That’s nice of him,” he said so nonchalantly, causing
Shannon to nearly fall off her chair in shock.

“You don’t mind?”

“I said I was
wrong to try and tell you how to live your life.”

Reaching across
the table, she took his hand in hers. John glanced down at their joined hands
and then at her. Was she crazy or did he look longingly at her. How odd. She
must be mistaken or more tired than she thought.

“Thanks,” she
murmured as she pulled her hand away to begin cleaning up from breakfast as
John and Mitch talked and drank their second cups of coffee.

***

Once John
finished his coffee, he decided it was high time he went home to his family and
checked in with work to see if anyone there had any leads on Cameron. Also,
there lay a thick envelope sitting on his desk, an envelope that contained
everything he wanted to know about the Cole Jackson trial, and today seemed as
good a day as any to bury himself in it. It would also take his mind off of his
missing son.

A while back he’d
pulled several favors and got the police and coroner’s report as well as the
court transcripts in the Jackson case. Now, he sat at his desk in his locked
office and spent the next several hours going over everything with a fine tooth
comb.

He started with
the autopsy, scanning to the actual findings. Mrs. Jackson had bruising on both
wrists indicating a possible struggle and one stab wound directly to the heart.
There was no sign of rape or sexual assault. What surprised him the most was
there was absolutely no physical evidence linking Jackson to his wife’s death
other than the fact he was covered in her blood. Which in court could be argued
off any number of ways by a good attorney, and Jackson had hired the best.

During
Jackson’s police investigation he swore his innocence, never once wavering from
his original story. He was eventually indicted by a Grand Jury. Never once was
he offered a plea bargain.

The trial, in
John’s opinion was a farce. The prosecution knew about the weaknesses in their
case so they attacked Jackson’s character and lifestyle any way they could. Jackson’s
attorney objected to everything he could and the judge overruled, but the
damage had been done. The jury had been biased.

There was no
murder weapon.

No witnesses.

Did he really
do it?

Jackson never
took the stand in his own defense. Sometimes that in itself was a sign of
guilt, or he could have been protecting something or someone and didn’t want to
perjure himself.

Both the
prosecution and defense’s closing arguments contained dramatic and potent
information, but obviously the jury believed the prosecution. John thought, if
there ever was a case in which the jury was prejudiced this was it. Clearly
that had to be it. There was no evidence against Jackson to warrant a
conviction. He also couldn’t believe an appeal was never granted. It was as
though they made an example out of him.

John truly
believed in the judicial system. He had to. His job depended on it. But he knew
guilty people often went free and unfortunately innocent people went to prison.
In his opinion, even if Jackson did kill his wife, the prosecution had no case.

Of course he
still hated the bastard’s guts.

***

Cameron awoke
with a smile on his face and feeling odd, different and changed. He wondered
why? He’d spent yesterday having sex, and he couldn’t even begin to count how
many times. Amber was hot and sexy and oh-so inventive. He wondered where she
learned all of it?

He’d been shy
and tentative the first time and maybe the second, letting Amber take control,
but after that he’d felt a surge of confidence and began leading, and it was a
day he’d never forget. Nor would he ever forget Amber.

She slept
soundly beside him, lying on her stomach facing away from him, the covers
riding low on her silky back. Her long hair was fanned out on the pillow, and
he felt his body waking up. Instead of doing anything about it, he threw on his
clothes and walked to the surprisingly busy diner. The parking lot once again
overflowed with big-rigs. All he wanted was chocolate milk and a bagel. He
ordered two of each.

As he entered
the room, she stirred on the bed. He placed the food on the night table and
kissed the back of her neck. “Hey you.”

“Hmm, hey
yourself. Where’d you go?”

“The diner and
I brought food.”

Rolling over,
she sat up in the bed looking sleepy with her hair tangled all around her and
she pointed toward the floor. “Could you pass me my shirt?”

Cameron picked
up her T-shirt, turned it right side out and handed it to her. He thought she
seemed a little uncomfortable with him this morning. He certainly hoped not.

He passed her
the milk and bagel and sat next to her and ate his food in three bites. After
not eating much for the past few days, he was starved.

***

Amber ate her
bagel silently, watching Cameron. She felt a little funny this morning after
yesterday and last night. Not necessarily because of the sex, it had been fun
and hot, but her stomach did a little flip when she remembered she told him she
loved him. He hadn’t said anything, in fact, she didn’t even know if he heard
her. God, she hoped he didn’t hear.

She didn’t want
him thinking she was one of those clingy girls who once they had sex with a boy
thought it was love. Then they would follow the boy around even when he told
them he didn’t like them anymore. He would be mean to them and they would beg
him not to break up with them. They would do anything, did anything to keep
him, and that anything turned out to be sex, when and where he wanted it.

Amber hugged
her knees up to her chest as she fought the shivers raking her body. She had
been a fool once like one of those clingy desperate girls, but never again. She’d
embarrass herself once, but not twice.

“Hey,” she said
as she climbed off the bed. “I’m taking a shower.”

***

Cole stopped
off at AJ’s room before he left for his interview with Marlene Simpson. Nothing
had changed. He still wouldn’t let him in, nor come out. Once again he told him
he’d see him at the concert.

As Cole walked
down the deserted hallway, he contemplated what was happening. Bloody hell, had
the world suddenly gone nuts? Never would he ever have thought AJ, always Mr.
Reliable, would go off the deep end about anything. Somehow he had to get him
to talk, but right now he had to deal with the pain churning inside his stomach.
He didn’t have butterflies—he had an ancient family of Pterodactyls taking
flight, causing constant pain with their expansive wingspan.
Weren’t they
extinct
?

He’d be damn
glad when this interview stood behind him. He must have been out of his mind to
have agreed to it in the first place. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t go
back on his word. Hell, it was probably high time the world met the real him,
not some tabloid fabrication created to sell magazines regardless of the fact
most of what was printed about him was false and created from imaginative
writers’ minds.

Marlene had
wanted to send a car for him, but he’d refused, the studio was seven blocks
away and he could use the exercise and fresh, crisp Chicago air. The wind blew
relentlessly, whipping off Lake Michigan, as he made his way down Michigan
Shore Drive, causing him to pull up his leather jacket collar, lower his
baseball cap on his head and stuff his hands into his pockets. There was a
strong nip to this October air. And damn, he mused, it felt good and
invigorating. The thought of seeing Shannon had his spirits way up, and he
suddenly felt charged and less nervous the closer he got to the television
studio, which somehow seemed strange, considering what he’d felt like earlier.
Considering what was happening with AJ and Cameron.

After giving
his name to the young, pretty receptionist at the front desk, he stood looking
out the window and watched all the people traffic walking by. It resembled a
kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life. It made him smile as he thought
about how incredible this country was. The same people and same country that
convicted him, and still he was glad to have been born here, to be part of this
free country where opportunity knew no bounds.

“Cole, sorry to
keep you waiting,” a female voice said.

Cole didn’t
need to turn around to know Marlene came down personally to meet him. She had a
distinct voice, and voices were a thing of his. He may forget a name, but never
a voice. As he spun around to face her, he replied, “You didn’t keep me waiting.
I just arrived.”

She smiled at
him and hooked her arm through his. “Good. Let’s go to the recording studio. The
cameras are ready to roll.” She looked at him and her voice softened. “Are you
still okay with this?”