The Advocate - 02 - The Advocate's Betrayal (25 page)

When Betty was finally brought to a room, Sabre’s wrinkled brow must’ve given away her concern.

“What’s the matter, Sabre?” Betty asked before Sabre could speak.

“I checked your email. You only had one message.” Betty’s eyes widened. Sabre held up the email for Betty to read.

“I don’t have my readers.” Betty’s chest heaved. “What does it say?”

“It says, ‘Neil is dying. You should come.’”

Betty gasped for breath, choking back the tears. She tried to take deep breaths, but continued to heave and gasp.

“Betty, who is Neil?”

Betty breathed in deeply, finally containing herself. “J…Just a fr…friend.” Deep breath. “My friend’s son.”

Sabre, taken aback by her reaction, asked, “Betty, are you all right? Should we call for a doctor?”

“I’m fine. I just didn’t expect this.” Her voice choked with tears. “This place is awful. My friend needs me, and I can’t leave and go to her. I’m just….It’s just everything.”

“Oh, God. I wish I could get you out of here.” Tears rolled down Betty’s cheeks. Sabre looked Betty directly in the eyes. “Betty, help me help you. Tell me what’s happening. Maybe it’ll help me get you released.”

Betty looked around; little expression remained on her face. Her eyes found Sabre’s. “There’s nothing.”

Sabre sighed and shrugged. Whatever it was must not be of any value to the case, or it was more important to Betty than her own life. Sabre let it go. “Was Neil ill?”

“No.” Betty swallowed, containing the tears. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Do you want me to reply to the email? Maybe ask some que….?”

“No. No. Don’t,” she said abruptly.

Sabre was confused about Betty’s decision to not follow up. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure. Please don’t respond. I can’t do anything anyway. I’ll talk to her when things get better here.” Betty stood up and turned in a half circle, then back. Tears wet her eyes. “Thanks, Sabre, but I need to go back now.”

“Sure. I’ll see you Monday. If you decide you want Bob to do anything, just let him know.”

Sabre called for the guard and watched as Betty walked away. Her body made the jerky movements of someone crying profusely, but trying to keep it quiet.
Neil must be very important to her.

The warm, early summer air blew Sabre’s hair around her face as Luke’s convertible barreled north on I-15 toward Barstow. Luke looked perfectly placed behind the wheel of his silver BMW Z4 Roadster. His handsome facial features were illuminated by the full moon. The slight stubble that was a constant battle for Luke gave him a rugged, manly look. Sabre was smitten. At that very moment the ghosts of mistrust vanished from her mind. She spoke with confidence and utter belief in her own words when she said, “I love you, Lucas Rahm.”

Luke’s smile brightened his entire face. “I love you, too, Sabre Brown.” He leaned part way over the console, put his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her body closer to him until her head rested on his shoulder. He kissed her on the top of her head. Sabre felt relieved. She had felt the devotion for a long time, and now she’d finally said it. He deserved to know how much she cared about him. He’d been so good to her and so patient, especially with all the craziness occurring with Betty and John. Yeah, she loved him very much, and it felt good to express it.

“So if we aren’t going to Vegas, where are we going? And if we are going to Vegas, why did I need to bring my hiking boots?” Sabre asked.

“You’ll see.”

“We must be going to Vegas. There’s nothing else out here.” Luke made a right turn and drove east on I-40. “Okay. So we’re not going to Vegas. Laughlin?”

“You just can’t wait and see, can you?”

“Nope. I’m lousy with surprises. Most of the time I figure out what they are, even when I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have this one all figured out, but we are staying in Laughlin for tonight. I booked us a suite at the Golden Nugget with a river view. I hope that’s all right.”

“I love it when you take charge.”

They approached the small town of Laughlin with its casinos strategically placed along the riverfront, lights sparkling on the water. It was nearly midnight by the time Luke and Sabre reached their room. They stood on the balcony and looked out at the river and the Laughlin lights. The clear night allowed the moon and the stars to further romanticize the evening. People strolled on the boardwalk below, laughing, talking, and celebrating. Sabre wondered if they could possibly be as happy as she was at this very moment. She was happy just being here with Luke. She had left so much behind—her concern for JP, Betty’s issues, the Kemp children. She let it all float out the window. This was her time, time for herself, time with the man she loved. Nothing was going to spoil it.

30

Breakfast for JP that morning was scrambled eggs and dry toast in his cell. A tall, thin guard delivered it without comment. He opened the cell door and reached out the tray to hand it to JP.

“I need to make a phone call. Please take me to a phone.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t? I’m entitled to call my lawyer.”

“Just delivering your food.” He stood in the doorway and moved the tray closer to JP.

“I want my lawyer.”

“You want the food or not?” He started to pull the tray back. JP reached for it. His stomach felt the need for nourishment even if his head didn’t. The man closed the cell door, locked it, and walked away without another word.

JP sat down and ate. It was gone quickly. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was until he started to eat. His head and most other parts of his body still hurt from the beating the thugs had given him. He lay down, trying to get comfortable, but it hurt no matter how he sat or lay.

He stayed there for about an hour watching inmates and guards come in and go out. A guard passed his cell with a man in a suit carrying a briefcase. He let him into the cell adjoining his. He heard the suit say, “I’m Marco Quiñones. I’m with the Public Defender’s Office.” The suit reached out his hand to shake the inmate’s. They walked to the back of the cell and sat down on the bench. JP couldn’t hear what else was said.

JP waited and watched until the suit stood up and started to walk toward the front of the cell and then he said, “Excuse me, sir.”

At first Quiñones didn’t appear to hear him or chose not to respond.

“Please, I really need your help.”

Quiñones turned to him and looked him over from head to toe. “Did the cops do that to you?”

“No, but I need you to call my lawyer.”

“They’ll let you do that.”

“No, they won’t. They keep moving me from one jail to another.”

Quiñones stepped closer to JP’s cell. “How long have you been in?”

“I was brought in the night before last.”

“And you haven’t been able to call your attorney?”

“Look, I’m a private investigator for some lawyers in San Diego. I got beat up by some thugs and somehow ended up in here. I just need you to contact one of the attorneys and let them know where I am.”

Quiñones hesitated, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

“Please. Just a phone call. I’m not asking you to do anything inappropriate.”

Quiñones took out a pen and pad. “What’s your name?”

“It’s JP Torn, but they won’t even take my name. They have me here under John Doe.”

Quiñones wrote it down. “Who do you want me to call?”

“Robert Clark or Sabre Brown in San Diego.”

“Do you have any phone numbers?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t remember the other numbers. I have them in my cell phone. I never commit numbers to memory anymore, but the office numbers will be listed under their individual law offices.”

Quiñones looked at JP’s face again. “Do you need medical help?”

“No, I think I’m okay. Just a little sore.” JP extended his hand through the bars. “I really appreciate your help. Thanks.”

Quiñones shook his hand. “Sure.” He then walked to the cell door. “Guard.” An officer came, unlocked the cell, and let him out.

JP paced back and forth in the cell, feeling too restless to sit, and as long as he didn’t make any sudden moves, it hurt less than sitting. He could only hope Quiñones would call, and do it soon.

Finally, JP lay back down, his mind racing. He knew Sabre and Bob would be worried about him by now. And Bob would know he was in trouble since he hadn’t called, but how would they ever find him while he’s listed as a John Doe and constantly moving around?

Startled, JP sat up as an officer opened his cell door. It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes since the public defender had left. Could it really have happened that fast? Or were they moving him again?

“Let’s go,” the officer said.

JP stood up, put his hands behind his back, palms facing each other, pushing out slightly with his wrists, hoping the cop would cuff him without paying attention to the placement of his hands. The officer cuffed him without comment and they walked out down a long hallway, turned right, walked down another, and exited out the door toward a police car where Skully and George were waiting for him.

“Thanks, Philip,” Skully said.

“No problem. He’s all yours.”

George opened the back door for JP to get in. He resisted. “Come on, guys. This is insane.” The officer pushed him into the car and closed the door.

JP watched the buildings go past him as they drove through the city and on to the freeway. This time they continued to drive out of Chicago. JP tried to watch the signs to see where they were going, not sure it would matter. A few minutes later, they pulled off the freeway and into a parking lot. The car stopped and the officers stepped out; one stood on each side of the car. They opened the back doors. For the first time, JP felt frightened.

“What are you doing?” JP asked.

“Relax, just putting a blindfold on you,” George said.

“Why?” George reached in from JP’s right side. JP moved to the left. Skully pushed him back and Skully hit his head against George’s head.

“Damn!” George backhanded JP across the face. Skully grabbed JP by the arm and pulled him up in the seat. The handcuffs cut into his arms as he was yanked up. “Sit still and let me do this or you’re going to have worms for brains.”

JP sat still and George put the blindfold on him. The policemen got back in the car and JP heard someone crack open the glass between them. He could still not make out what they were saying most of the time, but he could hear mumbling.

The car moved along at speeds that felt like freeway driving. They drove for a couple of hours before they finally stopped. JP could tell by the odors they were at or near a restaurant. He heard the passenger car door open and close. And when George returned, JP could smell the hamburgers and fries. It made him hungrier. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast and not at all yesterday.

They drove for another few hours, stopping at an occasional traffic light or stop sign. JP heard the glass window close. The car was moving more slowly now with some twists and turns in the road. They made a sharp right turn and the ride suddenly felt like they were driving over baseballs, further aggravating JP’s sore bones and muscles.

After about ten minutes of bumpy road, the vehicle came to a stop. The back car doors both opened. JP was pulled out of the backseat of the car on the passenger side.

“Let’s go,” George said.

“Could you take my blindfold off so I can see where I’m stepping?”

“Just stand up.”

JP turned his body toward the door and reached his feet to the ground one at a time. Stabilizing his footing, he scooted forward in the seat. George took his arm and helped pull him up and directed him a couple of steps away from the car door.

“What are….?” JP felt a fist hit his stomach. He doubled over from the force, and another blow was planted on the side of his face. He fell backwards onto the ground, his head bouncing on the hard surface. The car doors slammed and the car drove away, scattering dirt on his body.

31

By eight o’clock on Saturday morning Sabre and Luke were driving east on Highway 40. The morning desert air was already warm, the convertible top was down, and Sabre had guessed their destination—the Grand Canyon. She liked the idea. She loved to hike and she liked that Luke came up with the plan. She sat back in her seat, her head against the headrest, and soaked up the sun through her heavily applied sunscreen.

They drove for miles in the desert, sometimes talking, sometimes not. Sabre knew their relationship had reached that point where they didn’t have to be talking to be comfortable. The silence didn’t feel like an elephant in the room, instead it was rather peaceful and right. Their presence in each other’s company was enough.

“Where are we staying when we get there?”

“At the local lodge. We have a reservation.”

“I thought you had to reserve months in advance for lodging there. How did you pull that off?”

“I have a connection.”

“You have a connection to someone at the Grand Canyon?” Sabre sounded skeptical.

“Yes. You don’t know the half of it, honey.” Luke smiled when Sabre tilted her head and wrinkled her forehead. “All right, it’s not all that mysterious. One of the guys I contract with has some connections. He said I could use his name anytime and they’d take care of me. So I did, and voila. We have a room.”

“You’re amazing.” Luke leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Both of them were famished by the time they reached the canyon. They stopped at the Bright Angel Restaurant for lunch where they sat side by side in a booth and ate tasty cheeseburgers with outstanding onion rings. Luke leaned into Sabre and licked a bit of sauce off the side of her lip with the tip of his tongue.

They finished their meal and walked hand in hand to the canyon rim where Sabre first viewed the stupendous gouge in the earth’s surface. It hit her with such force she leaned back into Luke. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she gazed into the vast, overwhelming spectacle before her.

“It’s really magnificent, isn’t it?” she said.