Destiny by chance: A Contemporary Romance Fiction Novel (31 page)

When they released Bill on bail, (again), Monday morning, Charlie picked him up and took him straight to the farm.  Sydney ran into his arms, the simple gesture bringing tears to his eyes.  Jessie assured him they had discussed everything with Destiny.  Under the circumstances, Destiny thought it best Bill not return to the Kemper House at least for a couple of days.  There was no media coverage this time, which was a relief.  And Destiny and Sandy had everything under control.  Bill was concerned that she was through with him, especially when she didn’t answer his calls.  But Jessie assured him the women had talked for a long time about the circumstances in which they found themselves.  She told him just to leave Destiny alone for a couple of days to run his business until they knew what would happen next.

That would allow Bill to have a day to recuperate, and for he and Charlie to discuss what would happen next.  He had to admit he was more than a little annoyed that Charlie was being so cryptic.  Charlie assured Bill that his contacts would be in touch with him soon on all fronts, and they could proceed from there. They encouraged him to get some rest because he was going to need his strength over the next few days.  Bill said he hadn’t slept at all the night before, but felt fine. However, once he lay on the bed, just for a few minutes—to relax he said—he slept straight through until the next morning.

When Bill finally woke, he insisted that he needed to go back to Kemper House, even though Charlie and Jessie encouraged him not to.  When he argued, they reminded him how badly it went the last time he failed to listen to the advice his attorney had given him.  So he sulked, and then went riding with his daughter.

Meanwhile, Destiny had risen early, fed the guests, checked them out and had the rooms’ linens flipped.  Andy called her with the not so great news.  He had been unable to delay the results.  Then he told her something he considered a little odd.  One of the senior lab techs was handling the results, and more specifically, guarding the results.  Which was out of the ordinary, since they were just regular paternity test lab screenings.  Destiny filled him in briefly on the arrest and Bill’s subsequent release, and they promised to talk later that day.  Then she called her attorney to request a meeting with the DA’s office later that day.

Lisa called Destiny and asked if she was available about one o’clock that afternoon to meet her at her spa for a massage.  Since Sandy had promised to stay through the evening, she told Lisa the time was perfect.  She made another phone call to Jessie, inquiring if she wanted to meet them as well.  Her excitement was apparent.  It was a date.  She just had a few phone calls to make first, and then she would be meeting them.

Then Destiny called Bill, who was riding with Sydney.  He promised to talk for as long as they had good reception.

“By the way, we found your phone.  The one you lost during the storm.”

“It’s supposed to be waterproof.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think it’s horse-proof,” he laughed.  “That’s how we found it.  Peanut stepped on it.”

“I somehow doubt the warranty covers ‘stepped on by horse.’”

After a brief silence, Bill asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I am,” Destiny replied.

“Are
we
okay?”

“Absolutamentee!”

“What?”

Destiny laughed.  “Ask your daughter.  That’s her word.”  She hesitated a beat, then asked, “Do you remember the first time we met?”

“How can I forget?  You were hitting on my brother.”

“Whatever.  Look, I mean…”

Bill furrowed his brow.  “You obviously have something to ask me, so just ask me.  I won’t lie to you.”

“Your face,” she began.  “You looked like you’d been in a fight.”

Bill chuckled.  “You know that massive, gaudy desk in the hallway?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, there ya’ go.  She and I had a run-in very early one morning.”

Destiny chuckled.

“Hey, it may be funny now, but it hurt like he—” he began, then looked over at his daughter. “—like heck.” Bill rubbed his nose at the reminder.  “My nose will never be the same.”

“I like your nose.”

Bill sighed, glancing over at his daughter again as she rode her pony proudly.  “I miss you.”

“What, you didn’t have some guy named Bubba keeping you company in the slammer?”

“That’s not funny.”

“Maybe a little,” Destiny teased.  “Okay, maybe not much.  I’m sorry.  That was in poor taste.”

“Am I going to see you today?”

“I don’t know.  I have some things I have to do, and then I have to meet with my attorney.”

“Your attorney?”

“Yeah, long story.  Hey, I have to go,” she sighed, as a call came through on her phone. 

“I love you.” But she was already gone.

“I knew it!” Sydney exclaimed.

“Knew what?”

“That you two liked each other,” Sydney smiled smugly.

“Really?”  Bill wrinkled his lips.  “So… How do you feel about that?”

“I’m cool with it.  I told Destiny that, too, when she asked me.”

Bill smiled a crooked smile.  “You’re cool with it, huh.”

“Yup.”

“I’m glad you’re cool with it, Sweetie because I
really
like her.  Actually… I’m in love with her, and I want to ask her to marry me.  Are you cool with that, too?”

“Yup,” she added, nonchalantly. 

“Good.” Bill breathed in the crisp morning air.  “Good.” He smiled to himself as they crested the next hill, before disappearing into the morning mist.

Justine had been ecstatic when Consuelo texted her that he wanted to meet.  His phone had been acting up, so she’d have to communicate by text until he could get it fixed.  She texted back that she’d forgive him if she could see him.  Uri was in town, so they’d have to be discreet.  He promised her a day of pampering and an afternoon spent in bed.  Even better, he’d set up a spa day at one of the most exclusive and celebrated salons in Austin—and in just two hours!  Uri had disappeared again, most likely shopping for jewelry to help
ensure
he would get laid later that night.  So she left him a note that she was doing a day at the spa and would meet him for dinner sometime around seven.  That would give Consuelo and her plenty of time.

Justine took a cab, only because she didn’t want any record of her travels at the hotel.  She even changed cabs twice, to assure no one was following her.  When she finally arrived, she was greeted by a long legged lovely wearing a low-cut dress that showed off her firm, ample bosom.  Justine knew it was a spa of the highest caliber when an attendant met her with fresh cucumber water and immediately showed her to her private room.  She undressed, lay face-down on one of the heated tables, under a warm polyester blanket and waited for Connie and her massage, both her phones on the table in front of her chest.  Soon, the door opened, and a pair of slender feminine legs entered, a butterfly tattoo on one ankle.  She usually preferred to be worked on by a masseur, rather than a masseuse, but sometimes she actually enjoyed women, especially when she and Consuelo were getting couples’ massages.  She found it kind of erotic.  The door opened again, and another set of legs walked in, then another.  She lifted up on the table, not concerned at all with covering up her breasts.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked the three women in white robes.

“Is this her?” Jessie asked.

“Yup,” Destiny said.  “This is her.”

“I recognize you.” Justine glared at Destiny.  “What the hell are you doing here?”

Lisa smiled and sat down in one of three chairs that had been strategically placed against the wall so that Justine would have to face them.  “You can just refer to us as the three amigos,” she replied, a handful of files and a phone in her lap.

“I’m waiting for someone.”  Justine lay back down.  “I think you are in the wrong room.”

Lisa dialed the phone and Justine’s phone rang.  Justine lifted up again, looking at the number on her phone and saw it was Consuelo’s number.  Lisa hung up.

“How did you get that?” Justine asked, staring at the phone in the woman’s hand.

“I think you need to stop talking and start listening,” Jessie stated flatly.

“I think I’m going to call the manager and put an end to this right now.”

Lisa raised her hand.  “That would be me.”

Justine sat up, holding the blanket around her and sliding from the table.

Jessie walked to the door and stood in front of it.

On the massage table, Lisa opened one of the files and laid out several pictures of Justine and Consuelo together, in and out of bed.  They were explicit enough that Destiny had blushed when she first saw them.  Lisa pointed at one in particular.  “That’s my favorite,” she smiled, tilting her head.  “Although, for the life of me I can’t figure out how he—well, never mind.  You get the gist of it.”

Justine was shaken, but only for a moment.  “These are nothing.”

“Really?  Then I guess the set that we have waiting at the hotel for your husband won’t bother him at all.  Maybe he’d even like to try some of these positions,” She looked back at the pictures.  “Oh, my!  I mean, if he could.  Somehow I don’t think he’s as agile as, what’s his name?  Consuelo?”

“What have you done with Consuelo?”

Lisa laughed.  “We haven’t done anything with Connie, is it?  In fact, you just missed him.  We had a nice little chat.”

“Where is he?”

“By now, probably on a flight back to Milan, with his tail tucked between his legs,” Lisa smiled slyly.  “Nice body, by the way.  Not bad to look at, only that’s not all you were doing, was it Justine?”

Justine glared at her. 

“Actually, he’s quite the affable young man. By the way, Connie told us to keep the phone.  I mean, I don’t think he needs it anymore.  Do you?  In fact, I don’t think he cares if he ever hears from you again.  Especially after we explained the situation to him.”

“Situation?”

“That we were going to send the same pictures to his wife.  Those and several others that we happened upon, only it wasn’t
you
in all the
other
photos,” she added, almost empathetically.  “There were two, or was it three other women?” she asked dramatically, holding out another handful of pictures for Justine to see.

Justine glanced at the first one in Lisa’s hand and crossed her arms.  She refused to take the pictures.  Lisa shrugged and placed them on top of the others. 

Jessie and Destiny looked perplexed as well.

“Three, I think,” Destiny said.

“Yeah, I think it was three,” Jessie agreed.

Lisa continued. “You see;
he
was more concerned about
his
prenup than you seem to be.  He’s not about to blow his
millions
, is it?”

Jessie interjected.  “
Tens
of millions.”

“Yes, his tens, of millions, on a piece of ass.  Or should I say, several pieces,” she added, dramatically.

Justine stared at her hatefully.

“Oh, I can see the wheels-a-turning.  You’re pissed,” Lisa said smugly.  “I can tell.  But you know what? You’re not quite as smart as you think you are.  You see, we’ve had people following your PI since you put a tail on Bill,” Lisa said sarcastically.  “You knew you couldn’t find any dirt on him, so you had to manufacture it.  Well, dearie, you just hit a dead-end.”

“Oh,
really
,” Justine replied, trying to sound self-assured.

“Yeah.  Really.  See, we have an affidavit by the lab guy,” she said, holding up another file.  “The one you paid five thousand dollars to doctor the lab results.  He’s ready to sing to save himself from jail time.”  Lisa crossed her arms.  “So, you see, we’ve traced the lab guy to your guy, and your guy to you, and you to Consuelo.  It’s all a matter of connecting the dots.”

Justine clenched her teeth in anger.

“Oh, and there’s something else.  Our
other
investigators, the ones we have in
Italy?
  They struck gold, as well.  It seems that
your
prenup
also
has a few stipulations.  Besides the infidelity clause, it had a ten-year deadline on a having a kid, or lose millions.  So, it made sense that you set your sights on Bill’s kid.”

“She’s Uri’s daughter.”

“No, she’s not,” Lisa said.  “I’ve got the results right here.” She held up a third file and tossed it on top of the pictures.  Nonchalantly, she picked up another file.  “Oh, and look, here’s yet
another
one by
another
investigator—a medical file.  Let’s see what this one says.”  Lisa opened it, feigning surprise.  “Why, you recently had an implant removed.”  She turned to Destiny and then to Jessie.  “Did you know that they can implant you to keep you from getting pregnant now?”

Destiny shook her head.

Jessie shook her head as well.  “Damned if I’ve ever heard of such a thing.”

Lisa grabbed Justine’s upper arm, where a tattoo hid the incision.  Justine jerked her arm from Lisa’s grip.

“I’ll bet your husband would so love to hear why, after all those years of trying, and all those tests he took, you still couldn’t have kids.  What would he say if he found out that you had an implant to ensure that you couldn’t get pregnant?  Not just once, but three times?”

“He’d never believe you.”

“Certified medical records don’t lie,” Lisa said.  “Oh, and don’t forget Exhibits E, F and G.  Those would be the records from
all
the spas you visited in the States
and
France
and
Germany…  That would be from investigators
number four, five and six
.  You remember—those trips you took when you told your husband you were going to meet with your own personal physician.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Justine snapped.

“Let’s just say that some of your house staff aren’t very fond of how you treat them.  Maybe if you treated them better or even paid them better, they might keep your secrets a little closer to the vest.”

Lisa turned to the women.  “Did I leave anything out?”

Destiny took her gum out of her mouth and waved her hand, as though in high school.  “The charges against Bill?”

Lisa turned back to Justine, her smile gone.  “Yes. And here’s what happens next: you go to the police and tell them that you falsified the report against Bill.”

“I can’t do that,” she said, angrily.  “They’d never believe me.”

“They believed you once.  Make them
un
-believe you.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Lisa leaned toward an intimidated Justine.  “Don’t care.  You seem to think you’re pretty good at BS-ing people.  You’ll figure something out.”  She picked up all the files on the table except the pictures.  “I’ll call my man at the hotel and tell him not to deliver those pictures to your husband…
yet
.  And as for the rest of these records?  Once we have confirmation that you have dropped the charges against Bill, and the case doesn’t go to trial, then we’ll drop these into the shredder.”

“How do I know you won’t send them anyway?  What guarantees can you give me?”

Lisa looked at the other women.  “None.  You’re just going to have to take our word for it.  Woman to woman,” she said, smartly.  “Oh, and if you think you’re going to try and outsmart us by not getting the charges dropped, then know that we have someone tailing your husband right now, as well as someone tailing you.  And they stay with you, even when you go back home until you make those charges go away.  Oh, and the petition for joint custody—that goes away as well.  Plus,” Lisa added, just for insurance, “you never,
ever
contact Bill or
his
daughter again.”

“She’s my daughter!” Justine exclaimed.

“Oh, that’s right.  And shouldn’t you be paying child support?” Lisa looked at the other women who eagerly nodded.  Lisa turned back to Justine.  “Maybe we should get Bill to seek to amend the divorce decree and ask for child support since you obviously can afford it.  Oh, but, wait…  That would mean,” Lisa said, looking at the assembled women, playing at astonishment.  “That would mean Uri would know you have a nine-year-old daughter! You want to explain that one?”

Justine swallowed hard. 

Lisa looked at the other women and smiled.  “I think that’s it, right, Ladies?”

The women nodded.

“What about the pictures?”

Lisa put all her files back into her large shoulder bag.  “Oh, you can keep the photos.  We’ve got plenty more where those came from.  You can turn them into wallets, frame ‘em, hell, you can put ‘em on your Christmas cards, for all we care.  We’ve got the negatives.  We don’t need ‘em.”

Destiny stood, and Lisa moved toward Jessie.

“Who
are
you people?”

“I told you.  We’re the three amigos,” Lisa smiled.  “Oh, and Justine, this is us being nice.  Cross us, and you’ll find out just how dangerous
we
can be.”  As they walked to the door, Lisa turned.  “Oh, and Justine, if you think we’re bluffing, ask yourself why your husband made an unscheduled trip to the States and how he knew exactly where to find you.  Food for thought,” she said flatly.

The women walked from the room together, leaving Justine there alone, shaking angrily.  She gritted her teeth and swiped all the pictures to the floor.  She clenched her fists and screamed fiercely.  A moment later, she looked around at the photos on the floor and then scurried to gather all of them, shoving them into her purse before anyone else walked in.