The Deception (47 page)

"What's is it?"

"Could you please help me out of this chair?"

Ninety minutes later he dropped her off in front of the Sandra Day O'Conner Courthouse, telling her to wait inside while he parked. He no longer had the Camaro. It had been sold and he'd purchased a new
SUV
. Carrie smiled as she stepped out, noticing that he'd put the baby's car seat in the back. As he pulled away, she turned and faced the plaza. She took a deep breath before she walked across. She entered the building and found her father and stepmother waiting in the atrium as soon as she went through security.

"I'll be right with you," she said, hurrying past. "But first, I need to get to the ladies' room."

She rushed inside, trying to take care of business as quickly as she could. Once she finished, she dashed out the door, accidentally bumping into a man passing by.

"Pardon me, I'm so sorry." She looked up, not believing who she was seeing. "Doug! What on earth are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. I tried calling your studio, but your phone was disconnected and your website had been taken down. Then I heard about the sentencing hearing on the news so I came, hoping to find you, because I wanted to talk to you. I blew it, Carrie, big time. Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life." He looked down and noticed that she was very pregnant. He also saw the wedding set on her left hand. His face fell. "But it appears that I'm a little too late, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are. So I take it things didn't work out with Jennifer after all."

"No, I'm afraid not," he sheepishly replied. "Jennifer and I are no longer together. I caught her cheating on me--with another woman."

Carrie didn't know whether she should laugh or cry.

"Well, Doug, I'm sorry that happened, but as you can see, I've moved on. And just so you know, even if I was single and available, I still wouldn't have taken you back. You cheated on me. I would have never been able to trust you again."

"Believe me, I understand." She could hear the disappointment in his voice. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

"You remember me telling you about Alex Montoya, don't you?" Doug nodded. "Well, after you and I went our separate ways, Alex and I found one another again. He's now my husband, and as you can see, we're getting ready to have our first baby."

"Carrie-Anne!"

Alex was motioning for her to come join him. Jonathan and Julia were with him.

"I have to go now, Doug."

"Take care, Carrie." He extended his hand. "I'm glad it all worked out for you."

They wished each other a good life as Carrie stepped away to join her husband and her father.

"So who was that?" asked Alex as they waited for the elevator.

"Doug Sanders. I stopped just long enough to tell him goodbye."

"You'll have to fill me in later. Meantime how's the backache?"

"Still there. It seems to be getting worse, not better."

"What's that?" asked Jonathan.

"Nothing, Dad. I just woke up this morning with back spasms, that's all."

The elevator doors opened, revealing an empty car. They stepped in and Alex pushed the button for their floor.

"And you're still having them?"

"Yes, Dad, but I'm fine. It's just a backache."

Jonathan and Julia looked at one another. "I said I had a feeling," said Julia.

"You sure did," replied Jonathan with a nod. He chose his next words very carefully. "Okay guys, I don't want anyone to panic, but I've had two kids and I was there every step of the way through the labor and delivery with both of them. This is exactly how it started with your mother, Carrie. I'm pretty sure you've gone into labor."

"What!" The color suddenly drained from Alex's face.

"I'm fine, Dad. I've had a few contractions off and on the past few days, but they were no big deal, and I've not had any today. My due date is still a few days off. It's just a backache, that's all."

The elevator stopped at their floor. They got off and headed to the courtroom.

"The baby will come when it decides it's ready to come," said Jonathan, firmly. "Hopefully, we'll be okay for the next few hours, at least long enough to get through the hearing. Meantime, your stepmother had a feeling, so we brought our suitcases with us, just in case." He turned to Alex. "You said you have to be in another courtroom when we're done, right?"

"Yeah, but I'll see if I can get out of it."

"Okay, but if you can't, don't worry. She'll probably go for hours before she delivers. We'll take her home as soon as the hearing's over, and we'll stay with her until you get back. If you're still in court by the time she needs to go to the hospital, we can take her. If we do, I'll send you a text message."

"Thanks, Jonathan. I appreciate it."

They entered the courtroom. As they took their seats in the gallery, she noticed another man seated nearby, accompanied by two women. She was shocked once she realized it was Scott. He looked as if he'd aged ten years. His face was pale, he'd lost a good forty pounds, and his salt and pepper hair was nearly all gray. He, too, looked surprised when saw her and noticed she was pregnant. A few news reporters were also there, but so far they'd not approached them. Alex noticed them as well.

"Don't worry, Carrie-Anne," he whispered. "If they try to bother you I'll take care of it."

The doors opened, and three deputy U.S. Marshalls entered with Maggie Andrews, in shackles and dressed in a black and white striped jail suit. She was led to one of the two tables in front of the bench, where she was joined by her attorney.

"You've got to be kidding me," Carrie whispered to Alex. "That little snip of a woman is Maggie Andrews?"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?"

All were ordered to rise as the judge, Virginia Jarrett, entered the courtroom.

"Be seated," she said as she took her seat at the bench. The case was called, and she asked for the record if Maggie Andrews had agreed to change her plea to guilty.

"She has, Your Honor," replied her attorney. 

The judge went on to explain that a sentencing hearing was less formal than a trial, and that each of the three victims would be allowed to speak freely before she handed down her sentence. Carrie was called first. As she approached the bench, she was asked to state her name for the court.

"My name is Caroline Daniels Montoya."

"Please go on, Mrs. Montoya."

"Thank you, Your Honor. About a year and half ago, before I was married, I met Scott Andrews at an art gallery opening. He presented himself to me as a single man, and yes, I did have a relationship with him. Then, once I began to suspect that he wasn't single after all, I immediately ceased all contact with him, and I deeply regret that I was an unwitting party to his infidelity." She turned to face Maggie. "However, that does not give you the right to do what you did to me. You stole my identity to make it appear as if I had plagiarized another photographer's work, and I admit that you did succeed, at least for a time, in turning my world upside down. In fact, you made my life a living hell, which was your intention all along, wasn't it? Then the truth came out, as it always does, and when it did, you attempted to kill me, along with child I'm carrying. You're idea of revenge is sick and twisted, and in the end, all your little plots have backfired. But don't you dare try to blame any of this on me. You're the one who did it to yourself. I want you to understand that I don't hate you, but I'm incredibly relieved knowing that you'll be behind bars for many, many years to come." She stopped and looked at the judge. "Thank you, Your Honor. That's all I have to say." She turned and went back to her seat.

"Bravo, Carrie-Anne," whispered Alex. "You just made me very proud."

"Thanks, Alex." She reached over and squeezed his hand.

Jonathan Fields was called next.

"It's kind of a strange story, Your Honor, of how I got to be here. Mrs. Montoya is my daughter." He stopped for a moment to give Scott Andrews a strong look. "I'm also the one who traced all the Internet activity on Scott's computer that day, Mrs. Andrews. No doubt you thought you were being clever, but in reality, you're a rank amateur. I knew, then and there, that it was only a matter of time before we got the goods on you. I was also in Carrie's office the day she got the threatening letter you sent her, and I don't take kindly to anyone who threatens one of my kids." He turned to face Scott again.

"And as for you... I've read each and every one of the emails that you sent to my daughter, you son of a--" Jonathan caught himself before he finished his sentence. He turned to face the judge. "I apologize, Your Honor, I guess I got carried away."

"The court understands, Mr. Fields. Please continue."

"Actually, I think I'm about done, Your Honor. That day, when we left this very courthouse, I saw her standing in the plaza. She just didn't look right, so my radar immediately went up. As soon as I saw her reach underneath her overcoat I knew what she was going to do, so I did the only thing I could do. I took the bullet for my daughter. That's why she and my grandchild are still here. If it was up to me, I'd send her to the gallows and I'd pull the lever myself. Thank you."

Jonathan returned to the gallery and Carrie stood and embraced him. As they took their seats, Judge Jarrett called Scott Andrews. He cautiously approached the bench.

"Thank you, Your Honor. In spite of being a victim myself, it seems I've also been made out to be one of the bad guys, and unfortunately, there's some validity to what they've said about me. Yes, I cheated on Maggie, and yes, I mislead Carrie into thinking I was single when I wasn't. Maggie had every right to be angry, but instead of venting her anger on me, she chose to vent it out on Carrie, in spite of the fact that I'd already left her my present wife." He turned to point out Nancy to the court, along with his sister.

"Now, I know what a big mistake I made. I was living a double life, and for a time there I really thought I had the best of both worlds. I'd chase after other women, and when I was through, I went home to my wife. The problem was, with the exception of Nancy, I didn't think of those other women as human beings. Her father's right. I was a callous son of a bitch. I have a daughter myself. She's going on seventeen, and if someone did something like that to her, I'd be furious, so father to father, I apologize to you, Mr. Fields."

"Whatever," mumbled Jonathan to himself.

"Anyway, I'm happy knowing that Carrie's now married and is about to start her own family. She's entitled to any happiness coming her way. That said, I've paid a high price for my infidelity. I was hauled off to jail for a crime I didn't commit. I lost my job, my dignity, and I nearly lost my life as well."

He was starting to become emotional. He stopped for a moment to compose himself.

"Don't get me wrong. Maggie did what she did of her own free will, and she knew what she was doing was wrong. That's why she tried to frame me for it. She most certainly deserves whatever punishment the court decides to hand down to her. I'm just saying that my own actions were, unfortunately, the catalyst for her to do the things she did, and for that I take full responsibility. Thank you, Your Honor."

"Thank you, Mr. Andrews." Judge Jarrett turned to Maggie. "Is there anything you wish to tell me, Mrs. Andrews, before I hand down your sentence?"

"Yes, Your Honor, I do."

"Then go ahead."

"Well, this has all been very touching, in a saccharine sort of way." Everyone could hear the venom in her voice. "So, Daddy's Little Girl gets to walk away free and happy and isn't that nice? Well, I did what I did to make a point. Scott always assumed that I was an imbecile. I wanted to prove to him that I wasn't, and what better way to do it than for me to bring down the Mercer's Markets girl."

The judge slammed down her gavel. Maggie ignored her and kept talking.

"I wanted the whole world to know that the innocent little girl from those old
TV
commercials grew up to become a whore."

Again the judge slammed down her gavel. Her attorney tried to speak, but Maggie cut him off.

"But hey, Carrie, it wasn't all bad. I arranged it so you'd get the prize money from the photo contest and you were getting five grand out of the deal."

The judge banged her gavel again. "Control your client, Counselor."

"I'm trying, Your Honor, but she won't listen."

Maggie began shouting over her attorney. "I figured as long as you were a whore you might as well be paid for being one, but no, you had to be a crybaby and go running off to the cops, didn't you? This is all your fault, Carrie. You can stop banging that gavel now, Judge, because I'm done."

The room went silent. Carrie cringed with another back spasm. Everyone could see she was in distress.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Montoya?"

"I'm not sure, Your Honor. I'm nine months pregnant, and I woke up this morning not feeling well."

"I understand." She turned to address Maggie. "Margaret Constance Andrews, you've plead guilty to all the charges against you, and you've shown no remorse for what you've done. In fact, you've done just the opposite. You've gone out of your way to demonstrate your contempt for the victims of your crimes. Therefore, I'm sentencing you to thirty years in the federal prison for each of the four counts of attempted first-degree murder, thirty years for the one count of forgery and identity theft, plus a fine of two-hundred fifty thousand dollars, and another five years for the one count of mailing a threatening communication."