Emily and the Stranger (32 page)

* * *

Fowler met Emily at the door and pulled her into an embrace, hugging her fiercely. "Thank God, you're all right. Did you park
in
the garage, the way I asked?"

She slipped her arm around his thin waist and led him from the foyer into the front parlor. "Of course I'm all right. And yes, I parked my car in the garage, but I don't understand why—"

"I'm heartsick, my dear, simply heartsick. To think that I trusted him, loved him like a son, wanted you to marry him."

"Come on and sit down, Uncle Fowler. We need to decide how you want to handle this situation."

He glared at her, his mouth trembling as he spoke. "You didn't call the police, did you?"

"I promised you that I wouldn't," she told him. "And you promised me that you would—"

"Yes. Yes, I will. I will. I'll do what I must do. But first, I need time to think, to try to make sense of what has happened, to understand why Charles would do such a thing."

"Don't torture yourself this way. It breaks my heart to see you so upset."

Fowler allowed Emily to help him onto the sofa. When she sat down beside him, he clasped her hands. "You're so very sweet. You know that all I've ever wanted for you was your happiness."

"We have to contact the police and tell them that they've arrested the wrong man—an innocent man—for Rod Simmons's murder."

"You love Mitch Hayden very much, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I love him with all my heart."

"I had so hoped… Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? What I wanted isn't possible any longer." Fowler choked on his tears.

Emily draped her arm around his shoulders. "I know this whole ordeal must be terrible for you."

"You have no idea. To have all my hopes and dreams destroyed. Just like that." Fowler snapped his fingers. "I tried to make you happy. To give you everything. If only you had stayed here with me. You would have been safe. None of this would have happened."

"I couldn't stay here and continue being only half alive. And even if I'd stayed, I don't think I would have ever agreed to marry Charles. I wanted and needed real love."

"You wanted passion. The kind of passion a man like Mitch Hayden could give you." Fowler folded in on himself like a dying hothouse flower deprived of proper nourishment. Clasping his stomach, he cried. His slender body shivered. "How could you have let that man touch you? He's not worthy of you. He's not fit—"

"Please, Uncle Fowler, now isn't the time to discuss this. Charles is walking around a free man, and Mitch is in jail. Just tell me what you want me to do to help you. We can't afford to waste any more time."

"Yes, you're right, of course. Talking about your relationship with Hayden is a waste of time." Fowler glanced around the room, as if searching for something. "I misplaced my reading glasses. I had them on when I looked up Nikki's number so I could call you. What could I have done with them?"

"Don't worry about your reading glasses. We'll find them later." Emily placed her hands on her uncle's narrow shoulders. "Come with me now. Please."

"Go with you, my dear? Where?" Fowler gazed quizzically at her.

What was wrong with him? He was acting odd, as if … as if… No, please, dear Lord, no. Don't let him have a nervous breakdown. He doesn't deserve to suffer any more. And if he loses control and can't reason properly, how will we convince the police that Charles really did confess to him?

"We're going to the police station to tell them about Charles." Emily stared directly at Fowler.

"Yes. We must go."

Emily helped her uncle to his feet and led him out of the living room. Just as they entered the marble-floored foyer, Fowler halted abruptly.

"My reading glasses. We must find them before we leave. What if I have to sign papers at the police station? I can't see to read without those glasses." Jerking his head from side to side in an agitated manner, Fowler wrung his hands. "I can't leave without my glasses!"

"We don't have time to hunt for your glasses now, Uncle Fowler. If you have to sign anything at the police station, I'll read it to you and show you exactly where to sign your name. Please, let's stop wasting time."

"Yes, of course, you're right. We must hurry. We must get Mitch Hayden out of jail," Fowler said, allowing Emily to lead him toward the front door.

Suddenly the door swung open and Charles breezed into the foyer, smiling when he saw Emily. Fowler pulled away from Emily, placing himself between her and the other man.

Charles's sunny smile illuminated his face. "I came rushing over the minute you called, Fowler." Charles took a tentative step forward. Fowler moved to block his advance. "I'm so pleased … no, I'm ecstatic that you've finally come to your senses, my darling."

"What—what are you talking about?" Emily moved slowly backward, fear dictating her actions. What did Charles mean when he said that Uncle Fowler had called him? And what was he so damned happy about? She hadn't changed her mind about anything.

"I'm talking about your decision to marry me," Charles said, walking around Fowler and straight toward Emily. "When Fowler phoned and said you wanted me to meet you here, that you'd said you were through with Hayden, I could hardly believe my good fortune."

Emily glanced from a deliriously happy Charles to her uncle, whose odd little smile gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Emily gasped. Charles jerked his head around and stared at the man pointing a rather large, sinister-looking gun at him.

* * *

Zed and Nikki rushed inside the courthouse, both of them breathless by the time they reached Judge Anderson's courtroom. They had been delayed by a four-car accident on Highway 59. As Zed started to open the door, a uniformed policeman laid his hand on Zed's shoulder.

"You're Mr. Banning, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm Zed Banning. Why?"

"I'm Officer Turner. Mr. Hightower wanted me to keep an eye out for you and let you know that he and Mr. Hayden are in the district attorney's office waiting for you."

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked. "Is the preliminary hearing already over?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What happened?" Zed asked.

"It seems a witness showed up at the police station early this morning with some information that blew some mighty big holes in the case against Mr. Hayden."

"Where is the district attorney's office?" Zed glanced around, not at all familiar with the
Baldwin
County
courthouse.

"I'll be glad to show you folks," the officer said. "But you might want to phone your office first. Your secretary has called twice and said it was urgent that you contact her."

"I don't understand why she didn't call me directly."

"She wouldn't leave a message, just said to tell you to phone her when you got here."

"Fine. Show us to the district attorney's office first," Zed said. "I'll call Sandra after I talk to Mitch."

"I suppose Emily is with Mitch and his lawyer," Nikki said, slipping her arm through Zed's as they followed the policeman.

Before they reached the office, Zed saw Mitch and Gerald Hightower walking toward them. Mitch didn't look like a man who'd just been set free. He looked worried.

"Well, I'll see you folks," the policeman said. "You won't need me for an escort now."

"Thanks," Zed said absently, then focused his attention on Mitch. "What happened?"

"A woman who'd had a romantic afternoon meeting with her boyfriend in the apartment directly across from Red Simmons's came forward," Hightower said. "She confessed that her conscience bothered her, and even though telling the truth about what she saw might cost her her marriage, she couldn't let an innocent man be wrongfully accused."

"What did she see?" Zed asked.

"She saw another man enter Rod Simmons's apartment about thirty minutes before she saw Mitch arrive. Then a few minutes after Mitch showed up, she saw the other man leave," Hightower said. "You want to know who we think the guy was? The witness gave us a pretty good description."

Nikki gripped Zed's hand.

"She said the guy was about five-nine, slender, a slight stoop to his shoulders. He had thinning gray hair and wore wire-frame glasses," Hightower told them. "She guessed his age to be somewhere between fifty-five and sixty."

"Fowler
Jordan
!" Nikki cried out.

"I've consulted with the Fairhope police, who are familiar with the harassment case and Ms.
Jordan
's friends and family," Hightower said. "They say the description definitely fits Fowler Jordan."

"Oh, my God, Emily must be devastated," Nikki said. "Where is she? Gone to wash her face? If I know her, she's been crying—with joy over Mitch's being released and sadness over her uncle."

"What do you mean where's Emily?" Mitch grabbed Nikki's arm. "Isn't she with you and Zed?"

"No, she … she came by herself. She left me a note saying she wanted to see you before the hearing." Nikki trembled uncontrollably. "Oh, no!"

"Goddammit! I don't like this," Mitch said. "Something's happened. I can feel it in my gut!" Clenching his fist, he punched his stomach. "When she didn't show up, I got an uneasy feeling. But when you two didn't show up, either, I figured she was with you and something had delayed y'all."

"Mr. Banning?" Officer Turner called out from a nearby office. "Your secretary is on the line. I told her you were here."

"I'll be right back." Zed gripped Mitch's shoulder, pressing firmly. "Emily is all right. We'll find her. Just stay calm."

* * *

Mitch met Zed just as he walked out of the office. "I can't wait any longer," Mitch said. "I've got to find Emily before … before—"

"She's gone to Fowler Jordan's house," Zed said.

"Dammit, why did she go to
Jordan
's house?" Mitch grabbed Zed's arm. "How do you know she's with Fowler Jordan?"

"Emily left a message with my secretary," Zed explained. "Emily said to tell you that if she didn't get here in time for the hearing, it was because she'd gone to
Jordan
's house and that she would be bringing her uncle here to Bay Minette so he could tell the police Charles Tolbert had confessed to him that he'd killed Rod Simmons."

"Oh, God! Why the hell didn't she just call the police?" Mitch slammed his fist into the wall.

Zed laid his hand on Mitch's back. "Don't go to pieces like this. Don't assume the worst."

Zed glanced over at Nikki, who stared back at him with big, round eyes.

"Mr. Banning?" Officer Turner stood a few feet away. "I called and checked the way you asked me to, and there's no Emily Jordan or Fowler Jordan at any police station in
South Alabama
."

"He's got Emily." Mitch gripped the lapels of Zed's jacket. "If he hurts her—"

"We'll go straight to
Mobile
," Zed said. "I'll hire a helicopter."

"Is there a problem?" Officer Turner asked.

"Yeah." Zed calmly covered Mitch's hands and loosened his grip on his suit, then he grabbed Mitch by the arm as he turned to the policeman. "Call the
Mobile
police and have them send some men out to Fowler Jordan's house. I don't know the address, but that shouldn't be difficult to find out. We have reason to believe that he may be holding his niece against her will."

Chapter 19

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^
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"
W
ell, now that you're both here, I suppose we should move our little party into the living room." Fowler
Jordan
pointed the .44 Magnum toward the parlor.

"What's going on?" All semblance of happiness vanished from Charles's face, replaced by shock. "Why are you pointing that gun at us?"

"Well, let's just say that there's been a change in plans." Fowler grabbed Emily's arm, then waved his gun at Charles. "Get moving. Into the living room. Now!"

Emily thought that her uncle seemed to be more in control of himself at this precise moment than he'd been when he'd telephoned her—indeed, more in control of himself than she'd ever seen him. There was a sedate, unemotional aura about him.

Emily shivered. "Charles didn't confess to killing Rod Simmons, did he?" Bit by tiny bit, the fragments of a truth she didn't want to face began coming together to form one plausible explanation for her uncle's actions.

"What's she talking about?" Moving forward, Charles squared his shoulders and glared at Fowler. "Of course I didn't confess to killing Rod Simmons. I didn't murder that boy. Mitch Hayden did."

"No, of course you didn't kill Rod," Emily said. "And neither did Mitch. But I think I know who did." The realization sent warning chills through Emily's body, creating a cold, deadly fear deep within her.

"If Hayden didn't kill Rod Simmons, who did? And what does that have to do with why Fowler has that gun?"